The Yellow Jacket | 4.25.19

SPECIAL COMMENCEMENT ISSUE

APRIL 25, 2019 • VOL. 96 NO. 19 • EST. 1924

THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

@WUYELLOWJACKET

COMMENCEMENT 2019

WHAT'S INSIDE: COMMENCEMENT NEWS AA1 — AA4 CAMPUS NEWS A1 — A4 SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS BB1 — BB8 SPORTS NEWS CC1 — CC4 SPORTS SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS C1 — C4 REGION | OP-ED/SENIOR COLUMNS DD1 — DD4 ARTS & LIFE | ENTERTAINMENT D1 — D4 Photos courtesy of University Relations

Commencement Accessibility a factor during ceremony to feature school's largest BMS class MATTIE WINOWITCH Executive Editor

GRACE HUTCHISON Arts & Life Editor

After years of researching, studying and reflecting on God’s word, 11 biblical and ministry studies majors are set to graduate — marking the largest senior class in the major’s history since the program first developed in the early 2000s.

Though these students feel college has prepared them for their future, their time at the university has come with challenges, said Bryce McGarvey, senior international missions major.

When McGarvey arrived on campus with his fellow peers four years ago, he discovered that his original advisor was no longer teaching and that biblical class options were limited.

Already burdened by the typical stressors that all freshmen beginning college feel, the added confusion of his advisor was overwhelming.

“It was scary,” he said.

McGarvey was anxious

to take higher-level biblical and ministry classes, but for his first few semesters, the selections were limited to more introductory-level classes.

In his sophomore year, Josh Sumpter, instructor of biblical and ministry studies, was brought in full-time to rectify some of the issues the students had been facing.

Finally, McGarvey and the other students had an outlet to discuss their frustrations and a faculty member dedicated to bettering their experience within the major, he said.

“He made us feel heard,” McGarvey said.

Sumpter has built a strong relationship with each of the 11 students through his role instructing biblical and ministry classes. After he entered his role, he began offering the higher-level classes that were requested and allowed majors to study their passion with more depth.

In the hustle and bustle of commencement, it could be easy for individuals with any type of disability that requires special accommodations to be overlooked. To try and make sure the Center for Student Success & Disabilities incorporates planning for accessibility into their yearly to-do list.

“Accessibility is always a planning consideration and it has been for many years,” said Courtney Balban, academic support counselor in the Center for Student Success & Disabilities. “Assigning staff and volunteers to the primary roles such as usher and parking attendants to

Digital Illustration by Mattie Winowitch

oversee the implementation of any necessary accommodations is a primary focus.”

In years past, Balban said

a majority of accessibility needs have been mobilityrelated.

“If the ceremony is out-

side, there are stairs and uneven terrain that must be ACCESS >> AA2

426 WU students to graduate May 5 RACHEL PELLEGRINO Editorial Assistant

Waynesburg University will bid farewell to more than 400 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students Sunday, May 5 at the 2019 Commencement Ceremony. The ceremony will follow a Baccalaureate BMS >> AA2 Service in Roberts Cha-

pel and a luncheon in the Benedum Dining Hall.

The Commencement put together by the 2019 Commencement Planning Committee, which is made up of representatives from offices across campus - Academic Affairs, Student Services, Graduate and Professional Studies, University Relations,

Information Technology Services, Institutional Advancement and the President’s Office.

The committee has been working year-round to plan this special day, which will recognize the numerous hours these students have put into l ea r n i n g a n d m a s t e ring their choice of study

throughout their time at Waynesburg.

The committee’s efforts have been evident all year, but Director of University Relations and member of the Commencement Planning Committee, Ashley Wise, said the planning picked up in the past 2019 >> AA2

APRIL 25, 2019

PAGE AA2

Q&A with the Class of 2019 Valedictorians Why did you choose Waynesburg?

What was your reaction when you found out you were among the candidates?

“Waynesburg was the first school I truly believed wanted to invest in my personal growth in my time here. I was more than just a statistic in their growing admission rate. Waynesburg did not tell me once how great their university was—they were the only ones who took the time to show me.”

Caitlyn Brooks Mathematics

Kayla Coughlin Education

What advice would you give students who hope to be valedictorians one day?

How did you adjust to the campus life?

Cassandra Kemp Education

“During my freshman year, I found a great group of friends who shared the same interests that I did. I got involved in clubs and activities with my friends, and even met more people from different areas. In my years at WU I participated in a number of activities – Symphonic Band, the Honors Program, History Club, KDP, bible studies, service days, service trips, Orientation leader, Fiat Lux mentor, and more.”

“I knew my GPA was great, but being a valedictorian was something that seemed like it only happened to someone who had their whole life together.

Finding out that my hard work had paid off in such an incredible way was one of the most humbling moments of my college experience.”

“Believe in yourself because you have what it takes.

Also, don’t get so caught up in being the perfect student that you miss out on all the other great things that college has to offer.”

Amanda Lucas Education

What made you choose your major?

What will you miss about Waynesburg?

“I had come into Waynesburg knowing that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. In high school, I knew that I wanted to work with children and teaching was the best choice for me. I found that working with students each day would be very rewarding for me.”

“I will definitely miss the encouragement and the support systems that I have found here. I’ve found this in Bible studies, my residence life staff, my classmates, and many wonderful individuals I believe that there are good people all over the world, but here, I see incredible people everywhere.”

McKenzie Shaffer Education

Liz Sible Education

2019

BMS

Continued from AA1

Continued from AA1

couple months.

“The Commencement Committee meets regularly to plan everything from signage on campus and parking logistics to inclement weather ticketing and on-campus dining options,” Wise said. “A lot of thought and careful consideration goes into every detail of the day to help ensure a positive experience for graduates and guests.”

This year’s speakers were picked by President Douglas G . Lee. The Baccalaureate speaker is Rev. Dr. James Gilchrist, a retired pastor who currently teaches at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Carnegie Mellon University. The Commencement speaker is Stacey Olson, the president of Chevron Appalachia, LLC. Wise said there will be “more than 400 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students from the Waynesburg campus as well as the University’s additional sites in Cranberry, Penn Center East and Southpointe” graduating.

Wise said the committee hasn’t had any problems yet this year. She attributes the lack of issues to the group’s dedication to planning the large event.

“With a team of dedicated people on the Commencement Committee who plan out all of the details in advance, things run pretty smoothly,” she said.

One of the few things left to do is the physical work of setting up chairs, tents and the stage, which Wi s e s a i d s t a r t s t h i s Wednesday and will continue through the weekend. Getting this done early, allows the committee to focus on other things on that Sunday.

H o w e v e r, l o g i s t i c s aren’t the only thing that needs to be worried about the day of graduation. The weather is also an important factor that adds stress to the day. Nonetheless, Wise remains optimistic about the weather.

“Sometimes bad weather can add some stress to the day, but we are optimistic this year and hoping for a beautiful, sunny day.”

The classes, because of their content and Sumpter’s mission to have students dive deep into the subject matter, are discussion-based.

Sumpter’s class style fosters connections in the classroom, between both peers and Sumpter himself. He focuses on being relationship-driven, encouraging students to research and draw compelling connections within the Bible.

“You can take classes with people and still feel like you’re not truly a part of something,” he said.

Years of discussion and listening to the interests of the graduating class have resulted in a close bond between Sumpter and the students, he said. Heari n g t h e t e s t i m o ny of his students and their unique perspectives on fai th have benef i tted Sumpter.

“I have grown because of them,” Sumpter said.

The class of 2019 has asked profound questions and has discussed

Access Continued from AA1 navigated by those who are graduating,” she said. “Other common needs are handicapped accessible parking, reserved seating for wheelchairs and a sign language interpreter.”

Joan Stone, coordinator of interpreting services at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and freelance interpreter, has been serving as a sign language interpreter at commencement for more than 15 years. For Stone, it’s a great way for her to serve deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

“I’m an advocate for all disabilities and access, but because I’m an interpreter, I’m especially passionate about communication,” Stone said.

For Stone, it’s impressive that Waynesburg University has taken the initiative to have a sign language interpreter at commencement, whether or not there is a request.

“That’s not true of a lot of

Photo courtesy of Josh Sumpter

University President Douglas G. Lee invited all the graduating BMS students to join him at a dinner in the Goodwin House on campus. difficult topics relating to ministry and the Bible during meetings.

“When you have strong students they challenge you,” Sumpter said. “It's a both-end journey.”

The graduating students, said Sumpter,

have been remarkable academically nd focused on benefiting communities outside of the university.

“They’ve excelled in the classroom but also have taken risks to serve,” Sumpter said.

Some of these serving opportunities have been provided by Sumpter reaching out to the students with potential positions at local churches As he bids farewell to one of the first classes that he has impacted

wi thin the major and they prepare to enter the workforce, Sumpter encourages his students to remember their passion and knowledge.

“You have been called to ministry and you have been prepared,” he said.

institutions because there’s a cost involved,” Stone said. “By Waynesburg having me there, it’s making people more aware, so from that standpoint, I think it’s very good.”

Balban said the best way the Center for Student Success & Disabilities is able to provide accessible environments to students and visitors alike during large events is through staff availability and communication.

“Someone representing the office of Disability Services is available for contact in the weeks leading up to commencement, as well as during, in order to be a resource to those who may have a need,” Balban said. “Additionally, we make it clear to students and visitors that it is up to them to communicate a need, preferably in advance, when appropriate.”

This year, Balban said the university’s commencement webpage, which can be accessed at www.waynesburg. edu/commencment, can be used to ensure the student and their family will have proper accommodations.

“Information pertaining to

parking, seating and a sign language interpreter are all available [on the website],” Balban said. “Graduating students requesting accommodations should contact me at cbalban@waynesburg.edu as soon as they are able.”

To Balban, having an accessible commencement ceremony is important for both students and guests.

“Ultimately, accessibility is important because people are important,” Balban said.

“We know that graduation is a monumental event for the students that are celebrating the completion of their degree, but also for those who have supported them in their journey along the way.”

Accessibility also encourages the individual to feel special and welcomed, which Balban said is important for a significant event like commencement.

“We want to do all that we can ensure that events like commencement are memorable and enjoyable for all in attendance and for some, this is only possible if the event is accessible,” she said. “We want both students and

guests with disabilities to know that they are a valued member of the WU commu-

nity and prioritizing accessibility is a way that we can do just that.”

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APRIL 25, 2019 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

14th annual Relay for Life raises nearly $10K MALARIE YODER For The Yellow Jacket

Waynesburg University hosted Relay for Life, a cancer charity walk, Sunday, April 14, making it the 14th consecutive year Waynesburg University has hosted this event. This year, the charity walk was run by the president of the club, Stephanie Rogers, with the help from Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of student services “We start planning [Relay for Life] in September,” Rogers, who’s helped plan Relay for Life the past two years, said. “We plan as much as we can to keep morale up because it can be a really long day.”

Hardie took on Relay for Life 14 years ago when Assistant Dean of Student Services Chris Hardie brought it to Waynesburg and they fully embraced the idea. “Chris Hardie was the chair who oversaw Greene County Relay for Life, that was 14 years ago, and many of our students wanted to participate in that Relay for Life, but it was always after graduation,” Kelley Hardie said.

This year’s Relay for Life followed a carnival theme and went from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Photo courtesy of University Relations

This year's Relay for Life had a carnival theme and was held inside the Marisa Fieldhouse due to inclement weather.

Planning for the event began in September 2018.

“We always allow are captains to pick out the theme,” stated Kelly Hardie. “At one of our very first meetings we have a vote that goes to the captains.”

After the captains chose the theme their next job was to plan the rest of Relay for

Life, which includes: looking for groups to fundraise and getting a head start on raising money.

Rogers was a part of planning the activities this year.

“In the morning, we did a wacky fun track time,” Rogers said. “I came up with all

of the games like the toilet paper mummy race, wrap up relay and the obstacle course.”

Sports teams, majors and other clubs participated in this event by setting up tables around the gym to raise money. This fundraising was

done by selling items and organizing games. Some of the groups that participated included Track and Field, WCTV, the campus radio station (99.5 The Hive), The Department of Education, as well as The Department of Nursing.

“This year, we really focused on survivorship and education at Relay. We wanted to get survivors involved with our event because we are relaying for them,” Rogers said. “Last year, we had 22 survivors at our event.

This year, we had [between nine and 12], but we have an hour to celebrate them and we have a lunch for them.”

“They are superheroes and we want them to feel like they are superheroes,” she said. “For education, every team had to have educational facts about the cancer that we are representing. So, whenever someone walked up to a booth they learned something about cancer so they have a better understanding of why this event is going on.”

Even though only one day was attributed to celebrating Relay for Life at Waynesburg, the worldwide event does not end until May 1.

This gives participants more time to keep raising money that will eventually go to cancer research.

In Kelley Hardie and Stephanie Rogers eyes, this year was very successful. “I think this year was really successful. Last year was RELAY >> A3

Online degree program coming this August WU recognized for low amount of student debt JOE SMELTZER Copy Desk Chief

Starting this August, working professionals will be able to get their college degree through Waynesburg University’s Online Degree Completion Program. The application process is currently in full swing.

Pending transfer credits, students who pursue this program can complete their bachelor’s degree in just a year. Students will be able to focus on one specific course during separate five-week sessions and can transfer as many as 90 credits of previous college work. The three-degree options offered for the program are professional studies, business administration and criminal justice administration.

While the degree completion program has been offered at Waynesburg since 1997, the difference in this program is that it is

COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Editorial Assistant

Mattie Winowitch, The Yellow Jacket

The new online program, which is expected to begin this August, is made for working individuals who are looking to complete their degrees. now entirely digital, said Dave Mariner, director of graduate programs.

“What’s really new about this program is more the

delivery,” he said. “Historically, we had a large degree program that was face to face at our regional sites in the Pittsburgh region. The

unique thing about what we just put together is that we’re bringing back the deONLINE >> A3

The Pittsburgh Business Times recognized Waynesburg University as a college w ith low student debt in their list, “Ranking local universit ies by st udent debt , from lowest to highest.”

Out of the 22 colleges listed, Waynesburg was ranked fourth with an average st udent loa n debt of $31,000.

Matthew Stokan, director of financial aid, gives credit to not only Waynesburg’s administration but also the past

“I think students and families believe that they are getting a good quality education for a good quality price.”

MATTHEW STOKAN

‘Pedestrian link’ plans now underway

$250K grant for sidewalk to connect campus, town HOLLY HENDERSHOT News Editor

Waynesburg University was awarded a $250,000 grant last month to begin construction on a walkway to link the University with the town of Waynesburg.

For as long as the university has been standi n g , Way n e s b u r g h a s continued to update class buildings, resident halls, roadways and walkways on campus. While former university president Timothy Thyreen was still in his position, he and the university’s master planner, Carl Johnson, worked together on developing an overall vision for the campus, including entirely new projects, cur-

rent President Douglas Lee said.

Lee said those updates and projects have been constructed over time as money and resources become available. Completed parts of the master plan are seen around campus, such as Johnson Commons, Stover Campus Center and the stairway beside the Center for Research and Economic Development building that leads to the road in front of Willison Hall.

As par t of Thyreen and Johnson’s vision, the university will soon start construction on a walkway with the same design and style as those stairs, creating an easier and safer path from the university to High Street

downtown. Lee is working wi th insti tutional advancement and Pennsylvania State Representative Pam Snyder to make this vision a reality. They also partnered with the Southwestern PA Conservatory and the Greene County Commissioners, in addition to obtaining continued support from Senator Camera Bartolotta, Senator Joseph Scarnati and D. Raja, according to Lee. “For as long as I can remember, the university has been trying to connect with the downtown business district,” Snyder said. “This walkway project will finally link the college campus to High Street to give students an attractive opportunity to

visit merchants. It also will enhance the visibility of the college for drivers passing through town that may not have known the beautiful campus was just one right turn from them.”

Lee said building the walkway could take up to six months to complete once work starts. Before it begins, however, a landscape architecture firm will need to develop the project and a contractor must be hired.

A f t e r co n s t r u ct i o n , Snyder believes the walkway will create a safer environment for students walking to and from town.

“It’s important that the students of Waynesburg PATH >> A3

nancial aid each year.”

W hile Stokan said it may not be the sole factor, he thinks Waynesburg University's low tuition is something that students look at when they decide on their colleges.

“I think that it’s a factor for some students and families, but I don’t think that it’s the primary factor,” he said. “I think that students and families believe that they are getting a good quality education for a good quality price.”

S o m e a l u m n i we r e sur prised when the

Director of Financial Aid

and present university presidents in their effor t s to keep t u it ion costs low.

I think that if you look at our tuition charges, fees and room and board charges, compared to pr i v at e c ol l e ge s a nd universities not just in the state, but across the country you will see that we are significantly lower than the other four year pr ivate schools,” Stokan said.

According to a press release from Waynesbu rg Un iver sit y p ert a i n i n g t o t he r a n king, “Tuition, room and board at Waynesburg is more than $10,000 below the national average for private, non-profit, four-year colleges, and more than 90 percent of Waynesburg students receive some form of fi-

Pittsburgh Business Times article came out.

O ne of t he s e a lu m n i w a s E m i l y H ay wo o d .

“Initially my reaction was laughing out loud,” Haywood said. “I have a lot more than $31,000 in student debt. So, I was kind of in shock and I am somewhat jealous. I wish I had only $31,000 [in debt].”

Haywood said she has $69,000 in student debt, which originally was going to take her 20 years to pay off, but after some refinancing, it will only take her 10 years to pay it off now.

“I am very interested in where they got their data from,” she said. “I am glad to see the average and I still got a good education, but I DEBT >> A3

APRIL 25, 2019

PAGE A2

Dziak represents Waynesburg, rallies for PHEAA funding TEGHAN SIMONTON Region Editor

For much of her life, Heidi Dziak didn’t think college was an option.

The junior accounting major from Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, is the second of four children, in a household where money was always tight and opportunity seemed out of reach.

Her mother left the family when Dziak was just seven years old, and her father is disabled, greatly limiting the family income.

“I thought the door was closed,” Dziak said. “I didn’t want to put that on my family.”

For such a high-achiever, this was difficult to digest. Dziak excelled in high school, getting involved in various extracurriculars and earning top marks in classes. She worked in a country club six days a week during the summer, saving everything she could. At Waynesburg, she works as a resident assistant and as a student worker in the Office of Admissions, trying to offset the costs. But college is expensive, and it wasn’t— isn’t—enough.

Enter the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, or PHEAA, which Dziak said is instrumental in helping her pursue higher education. Like up to 60% of Waynesburg University students, Dziak receives up to $4,000 each year from PHEAA in the form of a grant, awarded based on need and merit.

She said that $4,000 is essential to helping her pay for college, but with the agency facing a major budget shortage for the next fiscal year, her yearly grant amount could decrease by $700.

“I don’t know where I would get $700,” she said.

When Dziak first heard that grants could get cut, she said she was close to tears.

“We’re all so close,” she said, with just one year left to achieve an undergraduate degree. “To have that taken

away would be awful.”

Many are turning to Pennsylvania legislators to allocate more state funds to PHEAA. That’s what led Dziak, and students like her from across the state, to team up with the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania and participate in Student Advocacy Day at the beginning of this month.

Dziak travelled with Dr. Shari Payne, vice president of enrollment at Waynesburg University and liaison to AICUP, to Harrisburg April 9. There, she participated in a rally with more than 200 students from private institutions, and met face-to-face with lawmakers from her hometown legislative district.

For Payne, meeting with lawmakers at this time, while budget negotiations are in session, is more important now than ever. The more students who “make their voices heard,” the more likely they are going to make a difference.

“The most important part

Photos courtesy of Heidi Dziak

More than 200 students, including junior Heidi Dziak, traveled to Harrisburg to rally to keep PHEAA funded well.

At right, Dziak traveled with Shari Payne, vice president of enrollment at Waynesburg University. is to hear from individual students how it impacts them, on a personal level,” Payne said.

Dziak met personally with Bud Cook, Tim O’Neil and the chief of staff for Camera Bartolotta, Katrina Hanna.

She was nervous, at first, she said, but was happy to have her voice heard.

“They said they were very thankful that I had come talk to them and that they’d be fighting to save the grant,” Dziak said.

Before Student Advocacy Day, Dziak said she wasn’t optimistic.

“I’m just one student,” she said.

After talking with legisla-

tors herself, however, she feels hopeful about PHEAA funds being saved.

For Dziak, higher education has changed everything.

She plans to pursue a masters degree at Waynesburg,

become a Certified Public Accountant and potentially obtain a Ph.D. in accounting. She wants to eventually become a college professor.

She wants to help support her family financially.

“I definitely want to excel and I want to live up to my potential,” Dziak said.

“I want to get my masters and my Ph.D. and be able to teach, because I know how important teaching is.”

Dept. of Comm. to Film students to study in Los Angeles receive updated video equipment RACHEL PELLEGRINO Editorial Assistant

JACOB NICHOLAS For The Yellow Jacket

For students in the Waynesburg University Department of Communication, it is an exciting time, as the department is in the process of making a large financial upgrade to highdefinition equipment.

“The process has been exciting, the process has been challenging and the process has been thorough,” said Professor Richard Krause, chair of the Department of Communication.

Krause has been heavily involved with the process of the conversion. He’s worked with the public relations and fundraising of the campaign as well as selecting which equipment is best for the department to purchase.

“RPC Video has been on campus a number of times.

They have met with students, they have met with faculty and they have met with me,” Krause said. “They have carefully been doing a ‘needs assessment’ of the equipment that we should purchase to do the upgrade.”

RPC will then prepare an equipment checklist that the department will sign off on to decide what equipment to purchase. That checklist will be sent out to video production agencies as an RFP, or a request for proposal. Those agencies will then bid on supplying the department with the equipment for the project.

Nate Westfall, junior

electronic media major and technical manager for WCTV, has been involved with the process of upgrading the equipment since the beginning of the 2019 Spring semester.

“To have high-definitionquality equipment will be a lot better for us,” Westfall said. “For element reels for our broadcasters and for promoting our product to incoming students who want to come here and work with this equipment.”

Some students have gotten to work with the potential equipment already. RPC Video brought the equipment to the university for students to use and experiment with.

For Paul Zalakar, junior electronic media major and general manager of WCTV, this opportunity has been a long time coming. Zalakar has awaited using this equipment since before coming to Waynesburg. In high school, he had the opportunity to work with standard definition equipment.

When he was recruited to Waynesburg, he was told that the plan was to upgrade to high-definition at some point.

“I’m just excited that we’re going to get HD,” he said.

“Once that happens, there’s going to be a lot more opportunity for Waynesburg to solidify its mark as one of the best communication schools for television broadcasting and sports broadcasting.”

Next semester, two aspiring film students will embark on a journey to Los Angeles to learn more about the movie business. Both students will obtain credit for their film studies minor through the Best Semester Los Angeles Film Studies Program.

Rebecca Liberto, sophomore electronic media major and film studies minor decided on her minor to follow her dreams.

“My dream is to become a film producer and writer,” Liberto said. “This minor really caught my eye because, for me that was saying ‘I can finally do what I want to do here.’”

Through this minor, students are required to take three courses at Waynesburg and then participate in the semester-long study program in California.

When Liberto was finally notified that she was selected for the program, she felt relieved.

“If I hadn’t been accepted, I probably would’ve changed schools, because there’s nothing else here for me,” she said.

Liberto pointed out that the Department of Communication at Waynesburg focuses on the print and broadcast sides of communications, which do not interest her. As a result, this minor and the opportunity it provides means a lot to her.

This opportunity also means a lot to Chris Hulse, sophomore sports broadcasting major with a film studies minor.

“Growing up, I just loved film. I loved the idea of the

Photo courtesy of Megan Cook

Megan Cook, senior film studies minor, studied in Los Angeles, California last year.

Next semester, two more students with film minors will be attending. movie making process,” said Hulse. “I thought it would be really good to sort of stretch what I’m learning here at Waynesburg all the way across the country.”

For both students, it’s an opportunity to get their foot in the door of the film business and make connections with people who could possibly get them jobs after college.

While in Los Angeles, they will be taking three courses as well as participating in an internship.

“When I go out there, they have three different set courses that you take,” Hulse said. “They also set you up with an internship.”

Sarah Bell, coordinator of study abroad, said this is the first year in a long time that the university will be sending two students to this program. She said It has

not been very popular with students in the past years, but recently more students have shown interest in the program.

“There are some years where we won’t have a student for a while go through the program,” said Bell. “And I think it’s nice to be consistently sending people to it, because it’s a good opportunity for students, especially students who are interested in studying film.”

Bell and Hulse both said a huge reason why students haven’t shown interest in this program is because it’s not promoted enough.

“I think there are many opportunities for students that students just don’t know are available to them, and I think that this program is not [an] exception to that,” said Bell.

Hulse also said another

problem could be that people just aren’t interested in film studies.

“Film, just being a minor, I think it’s hard to get people interested in that because it’s not something a lot of people are interested in picking up,” he said.

Despite this, Hulse believes a person cannot be familiar with too many things.

For Hulse, adding the films studies minor helps keep his options as open as possible.

With two students attending the film studies program next year, Bell, who is taking ownership of the program, believes it’s headed in the right direction. The next thing that needs to be taken care of is finding a better way to promote it to students, she said.

“I think if you have an interest in film, you should definitely go,” Hulse said.

PAGE A3

APRIL 25, 2019

Online Continued from A1 gree completion that was successful in the past, but what we’re doing is we’re putting it 100% online.”

Wa y n e s b u r g j o i n e d “OVICU,” a group of private Christian institutions that started in Denver, Colorado with Regis University.

Mariner said there are no significant concerns with going entirely online.

Rather, the change is simply “a different way to deliver the curriculum.”

“I think Waynesburg University’s always been very proactive, and on the forefront of change, and adapting to what the needs of the market are,” Mariner said.

Mariner also said that the student this type of program is designed for is one that is already experienced in the professional field, and could be balancing education with work and family.

“It’s not for somebody coming right out of high school, looking for the campus experience…”

Mariner said, “this program is specifically for an adult learner, [a] working professional, that is managing work, family and school so that they can also complete their degree. So whatever we develop is going to be

high quality in terms of academics, but we also wanted to target a market that needs flexibility in terms of that delivery of the curriculum.”

Mariner said this program is competitive throughout the country, with schools like Robert Morris, Carnegie Mellon and Pitt all having similar programs.

“If you’re not online, you’re probably behind the times,” he said. “There will be a lot of competition within this program between the small [private schools], the state institutions, and the for-profit institutions.”

For Mariner, while there are differences in the graduate and undergraduate programs at Waynesburg University, ultimately, the primary objective is the same. “ We’re concerned about learning, and the outcomes of learning,” he said. “We want our students to learn, and we want our students to be able to achieve their personal and career goals. So what I’m excited about this program is I think there’s a market of students out there that need this education, that need this degree, and we’re going to be able to provide the education that they need to help them achieve their career goals. And that’s what it’s all about.”

RN program ranks second best in state DYLAN CLELAND

Assistant Sports Editor

At the end of each academic year, RegisteredNursing.org releases its rankings of all 77 registered nursing collegiate programs Pennsylvania.

For the third consecutive year, the nursing department at Waynesburg University earned a secondplace ranking for the work of its students Dr. Kathy A. Stolfer, chairperson and professor of the Department of Nursing said consistency in the departments NCLEXRN exams ‘pass rates’ are a large part of the success.

“I think one of the key factors are our outcomes that are evidenced by our pass rates on our NCLEX exams,” Stolfer said. “We again had a 100% pass rate for 2018 and so throughout the several years we’ve had 100% pass rates many times.”

According to NCSBN.

Relay Continued from A1 the first time we were inside, which was an okay event. We learned from last year what worked and what didn’t work inside,” Rogers said. “Even though we weren’t outside, I think the event was great inside because we learned and adapt to the situation.”

Even though Relay for Life

Path Continued from A1

10% off Chemical Service for Students!

663 High St. Waynesburg, PA 15370

724-984-6468

feel safe in our community,” she said. This walkway will create a path that will allow students to feel comfortable to walk to the downtown area, and for members of the community to visit campus.”

Along with creating a safe way to get to town and enhancing the beauty of the campus, Lee said the pedestrian link serves

org, the NCLEX is a licensing exam given to new nurses looking for certification. The consistency and success of Waynesburg nursing students on their NCLEX-RN exams are present in the scores over the past decade In those 10 years, Waynesburg fell short of a perfect passing rate g only three times, 2017 [96% ], 2015 and 2013 [97%]. During that time, some colleges fell short of the required 80% while Waynesburg continued to maintain a pass rate in the 90-100% range.

“You need to have an 80 percent pass rate and so we maintain high levels of pass rates,” Stolfer said.

“Your pass rates are based on your first-time test takers. So, when your graduates take their NCLEX-RN for the first time this is how they rate and determine your pass rates.”

Stolfer said there are two main reasons she be-

lieves nursing students have scored so high and received the second-place rank three straight years.

“We’re very pleased that we have such a good, consistent pass rate in the high 90’s to 100 percent,” said Stolfer. “I think that also speaks well to our faculty.

[As] faculty, we work very hard to prepare our nursing graduates and they’re highly recruited, [have a] good reputation and we have high standards.”

The department’s GPA requirement is also strict, as it’s one the highest in Pennsylvania and is the tallest requirement among local colleges.

“We have the highest GPA requirement for admission within six area schools — 3.3 — and then they have to maintain a 3.0 throughout for progression,” Stolfer said. “And so, I think that’s a contributing factor.”

The value of education also received praise re-

cently from College Factual as the fourth-ranked “Best Value” school in the country out of 500 programs.

“The value is contingent upon the fact that you’re not a number here,” said Stolfer. “Students get to know their faculty and we get to know them, and we really care about them. We want to help them in any way to be successful and we have a lot of things in place to do that.”

For Stolfer, the rankings and praise from organizations is a culmination of all of the hard work and standards that faculty and students are held to within the department “I think that’s an important key factor,” Stolfer said, “that we maintain high standards, that we foster critical thinking and problem solving early on, which is so critical in the experiences they get in the clinical setting. So, they’re able to apply their skills and concepts well.”

faced some struggles, Kelley Hardies has high hopes

there is still time to collect.

“It is still hard to say how

tion overall has been much better than last year, especially since we were inside,” said Hardie.

No matter the outcome, Hardie and Rogers are still very proud of the community and the university coming together for one goal.

“It’s wonderful to see people walking around the track, participating in activities and raising money to reach a common goal,” Rogers said.

“It's wonderful to see people walking around the track, participating in activities and raising money to reach a common goal.”

STEPHANIE ROGERS

President, Colleges Against Cancer club

for this year’s outcome. We are close to $10,000 though

as a symbol of the connection between the town and the campus and the purpose of working toward the good of the county.

“Sometimes there’s this idea that there’s this kind of separation between town and the campus and university, and this is sort of a symbolic way to tie the two together in a formal space,” Lee said.

The university is currently working on finalizing the plan for the pedestrian link and moving on to the next steps.

we did since fundraising is still ongoing, but participa-

Debt Continued from A1 still don’t underst and why I didn’t get more [financial aid].”

In addition to the accolades received by the Pittsburgh Business Times, Waynesburg has been named a “Best Value School” by U.S. News & World Report and was ranked one of the “Best Colleges Nationwide” by College Factual.

“The University’s student loan default rate of 2.8% is substantially lower than the national average of 11.8%, and 99% of the class of 2017 reported working full-time or studying in their chosen field within one year of graduation,” the press release stated.

For mor e i n for m ation about financial aid, contact Waynesburg ’s f inancial aid of f ice at 724-852-3208 or email Stokan directly at mstokan@waynesburg. edu

FINALS WEEK SPRING 2019 Good luck from the Jacket staff!

MONDAY APRIL 29

TUESDAY APRIL 30

WEDNESDAY MAY 1

THURSDAY MAY 2

FRIDAY MAY 3

Day of Study for Final Examinations

Tuesday/Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 9 a.m.

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday/Thursday at 8 a.m.

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 8 a.m.

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday/Thursday at 1 p.m.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 11 a.m.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Tuesday/Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 10 a.m.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Tuesday/Thursday at noon 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at noon.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Independent Studies 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 1 p.m.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Any classes meeting at times not listed 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 2 p.m.

4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Any classes meeting at times not listed 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 3 p.m.

4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Classes which meet Monday evenings 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Classes which meet Tuesday evenings 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Classes which meet Wednesday evenings 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Classes which meet Thursday evenings 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

President's Breakfast in BDH 9:30 p.m.

Study break held in BDH 9:30 p.m.

Study break held in BDH 9:30 p.m.

TThe examination schedule is based on the days of the week and time of the class.

Examinations will be given in the room where classes normally meet.

Final examinations for classes that meet at times other than those listed above are to be scheduled through the Office of the Registrar

PAGE A4

APRIL 25, 2019

PRSSA leaders vote on developments Students travel to speak at national conference in D.C. DEANNA NAGEL

For The Yellow Jacket

Waynesburg University’s Public Relations Society of America attended National Assembly in Portland, Oregon April 4-7. Attending was president of the university’s chapter of PRSSA, Nicole Tobias and vice president Gabrielle Coy, who voted on highly influential decisions which will impact PRSSA chapters internationally.

They also voted on the new PRSSA National Committee.

While attending National Assembly, Tobias and Coy voted on new by-laws, new national committee members and were informed about the news of Forum, an annual newspaper that one chapter each year is assigned to produce.

PRSSA National Committee voted to no longer produce Forum.

“Readership has gone down 90%,” Tobias said.

“National Committee just thought it would be best to stop producing it.”

Although there are other publications by PRSSA, Forum was a highly regarded newspaper.

“I highly oppose the decision to stop publication of Forum,” said Richard Krause, faculty supervisor of Waynesburg University’s chapter of PRSSA. “Members should be encouraged to read, and we as supervisors should push members to read it.”

The cancellation of Forum, Krause said, can indicate change in development.

“I believe it sends the wrong message to aspiring public relations professionals,” Krause said.

The more professional development that can be done or an aspiring public relations professional can learn will be beneficial to them in

JOSHUA HUGHES For The Yellow Jacket

Photo courtesy of Nicole Tobias

Nicole Tobias, president of Waynesburg's PRSSA chapter, and Gabrielle Coy, vice president, attended National Assembly in Portland, Oregon April 4-7. the end, he said Although this seems like an end of an era, it shows that times are changing.

PRSSA will still produce Progressions, the national PRSSA blog, Strategies and Tactics, which is a new monthly newspaper, as well as keeping up social media presence.

National Assembly mainly hosts the members of PRSSA. While supervisors are welcome, they do not vote or belong to any committees that the student members do. PRSSA makes a great effort in student involvement and keeps all voting and de-

cisions within the student body.

Tobias and Coy participated in workshops there as well.

“One of the more interesting sessions was learning how to write to change other opinions,” Coy said. “It was interesting to learn new writing techniques.”

Tobias enjoyed the session titled, ‘Think Like a Leader.’

“It was interesting to look at writing from a different view,” Tobias said. “We put ourselves in the shoes of the reader, and hopefully it will make us better writers.”

Coy and Tobias spent

much of their time voting on new national committee members, networking and working on fixing other issues. One of these issues is lack of retention in members.

“Although there are many members, not all members are actually participating,” Tobias said. “This is an ongoing problem, so we are trying to address it and increase participation.”

Overall, National Assembly allows all members of PRSSA to participate and have a say in their organization and vote on the leaders of the organization nationally.

Over Easter break, five students, four alumni and two professors from Waynesburg University travelled to the nation’s capital for the Popular Culture Association (PCA) national conference.

“The conference, for me, is a place to present an idea I have and to gush over my passions with other likeminded people,” said Shawn White, a Waynesburg University alumnus who attended the conference. “It’s a truly wonderful and educational experience.”

White has now gone to three conferences in various states. He said experiences at the conferences have been excellent, as he discovered more about himself and academia.

“I really learned that academia and pop culture can be intertwined,” he said. “Dr. Jamie Dessart taught me that first, but seeing it at the PCA really instilled that idea in me.”

Dr. Dessart, chairperson of the English and Foreign Languages Department, attended the PCA conference with the students. Dessart has been to nine conferences thus far and hopes to continue to take students.

“The PCA/ACA is a great conference to take young budding scholars. The atmosphere is very congenial and supportive,” she said.

Dessart believes students who attend the conference can grow from the feedback they receive on on their work. She enjoys watching the students grow and

present at the conferences.

At the PCA conference, she has seen confidence built with students’ public speaking and research abilities.

“This year, the conference has really brought home the journey the students are on,” Dessart said. Tessa Masula, senior English major, was one of the attendees. She’s attended two conferences now and said she enjoys attending these conferences because she gets to travel to a new city and learn with students and faculty from Waynesburg, other students from different walks of life and professionals from the field.

“I feel like I’ve grown as a literary researcher just by getting to see the topics other people are exploring and the methods by which they do so,” she said.

Masula also enjoys going to the PCA conference because she has learned that any literary topic can relate to today’s society.

“The wide range of panel topics are just beyond anything you could imagine,” she said. “You would never believe how people can connect one area of literary studies to some sort of current event.”

Masula is grateful for the opportunity to attend the PCA conference because of its national recognition.

“I don’t think people understand how big a deal it is,” Masula said. “It is primarily doctors that do this, so the fact that undergraduate students are accepted into this is a really big deal and reflects very highly on Waynesburg’s English department.”

PAGE AA3

APRIL 25, 2019

Pinkerton to be Class of 2019 to join alumni network first ROTC grad in three years HOLLY HENDERSHOT News Editor

MALARIE YODER For The Yellow Jacket

Austin Pinkerton is a senior nursing major as well as a senior cadet in Waynesburg University's ROTC program. Pinkerton will be graduating from Waynesburg University next Sunday. He will be the first Waynesburg ROTC graduate since 2016.

“We are very proud and excited to pin Austin,” said Chad Pinkerton, Austin’s father. “As his father, I am worried that I am going to lose it when I pin it on him because you know it’s a big a deal and he has worked his butt off to get here.”

His mother, Jacinda Husch, echoed those sentiments.

“I am so proud of Austin.,” she said. “It is an honor to be pinning my only son at graduation,” “Austin has always worked really hard toward any goal he has set for himself and graduating with his nursing degree and becoming an officer with the Army is no different. I am extremely proud and excited for his future.”

Austin Pinkerton wasn’t always a part of the ROTC program. He first started out solely as a nursing major and a football player.

“I came to Waynesburg University because it was the only school I could play football and get a degree in nursing,” he said. “The state-of-the-art nursing lab and their 100% pass rate in the NCLEX is what ultimately sold me.”

This all changed when Austin Pinkerton decided he wanted to do something he could be proud of.

“There [are] a few reasons why I wanted to join the Army ROTC program,” he said.“First, when I decided to go to college, I was sold on being a student and serving in the military was out of the question for me. I grew up a ‘military brat’ and I decided that wasn’t the life for me.”

As college continued, Austin Pinkerton came to the awareness that he felt like he was missing something, all the while “racking up some hefty student loan debt.”

Austin Pinkerton quickly decided to contact a recruiter and join, not just for the money but to serve his country as well.

Waynesburg ROTC is located 30–40 minutes away from the host school West Virginia University.

Throughout Austin Pinkerton’s career, he had many

days start at 5:30 a.m. for ROTC, where he had to drive to West Virginia University to workout at 6:15 a.m.

With this hardship, Austin Pinkerton found he was able to work through a lot of mentally and physically tough hardships.

Junior cadets going into their senior year in ROTC will go to a training called CST or Advanced Camp.

Advanced Camp [now a 38-day camp] was a 30-day training camp where the cadets are trained to lead troops and must pass tests to be able to be pinned in the following year’s graduation.

“My favorite memory from the program would have to be CST or Advanced camp. Being able to travel to a new place, meet hundreds of kids alike from all over the country and get 30 days worth of valuable training is something I will cherish,” he said.

Austin Pinkerton is excited to graduate and finally be able to take his NCLEX, get his active duty orders and finally go to the 12-week training in San Antonio, to finally take his place as a Second Lieutenant in the Army.

He is being pinned at graduation by his father, stepmom Tonya Pinkerton, mother Jacinda Huscher and step-dad Mike Huscher.

“They have been my biggest supporters through t h e p r o c e s s ,” A u s t i n Pinkerton said. “It will be the culmination of all the hours of work myself, my family and my friends have put in. It also signifies the start of a new era.”

Austin Pinkerton’s parents are proud of their son for completing all four years of schooling and making it as an Army Officer.

“Waynesburg University should be very proud to be graduating someone of Austin’s caliber because he did this on his own and he is doing it all for the right reasons,” Chad Pinkerton said. “We could not be prouder.”

A u s t i n P i n ke r t o n i s leaving Waynesburg with a legacy of graduating as an Army Nursing Corps Cadet, as well as leaving a program he helped build from two cadets to now seven and growing.

“My favorite part about being a part of the program is knowing I’m taking steps to help develop myself and the cadets around me into better students, people and ultimately better leaders.”

Each year, graduating seniors are added to the list of Waynesburg University alumni. From that time on, instead of attending events put on by the Student Activities Board, they attend events planned by Alumni Relations.

The switch from student to alumnus can be challenging, said Maura Fenske, coordinator of development and Alumni Relations and recent graduate as of last year. Alumni Relations works to make the transition for graduating seniors as smooth as possible through events and communication.

The first event graduating students are invited to is a post-commencement reception, which serves as a way to welcome the newly graduated students to the alumni family, she said. The reception will take place in the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse

or outdoors in the fountain park, depending on the weather.

During the reception, graduates will be given a link to the alumni page, waynesburgunited.com, to update their personal information with Alumni Relations, something they are encouraged to do as soon as they are able. The information they are asked to update is any new phone number, address, employment or graduate school information. In addition, graduates are asked for their preferred email, as they are discouraged from using their student email any longer.

“We just encourage [graduates] to update us. The first step is updating us with their contact information,” Fenske said. “Any additional updates, we take and then we put them into our data system so we can make sure we are reaching out to them in the proper way and at the proper time.”

After updating their information and supplying their email, graduates start receiving emails about events and have the opportunity to receive the Lamp magazine to keep them up to date on the happenings of the university, Fenske said.

Alumni are invited to come to some university events, such as Homecoming and Charter Day. For graduates who liver further from Waynesburg, Alumni Relations plans reunion dinners across the country.

Fenske said there are about one to two events each month that alumni can attend, including as many as six dinners a year.

“We do try to connect to our alumni as much as we can throughout the year,” Fenske said.

Recent graduate Michelle Frye, received her degree this past December. For Frye, the transition between student to alumna was easier than she thought it would

be, and she is glad she picked Waynesburg as her school.

The more difficult aspect of moving from student status to alumni status for Fry was dealing with the new aspects of life that living outside of the Waynesburg University bubble brings.

Although she hasn’t yet attended any alumni events, she said she would be interested in going to events geared toward recent alumni in the future.

Fenske advises recent alumni to be open to where God takes them in their lives after college.

“You might have a picture in your head of what your post-grad life is supposed to look like and then the actual plan happens to be completely different than that, and I think you have to allow yourself to let that happen,” Fenske said. “Be open to new opportunities and challenges that you might not have expected.”

Olson set to speak at commencement COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Editorial Assistant

At this year’s commencement ceremony which will begin May 5 at 2 p.m., Stacey Olson, president of Chevron Appalachia LLC, will be the main commencement speaker.

“We are always seeking to feature a speaker that will be able to offer an inspiring message through their varied leadership experiences and expertise,” University President Douglas Lee said. “I recently spent some time with Ms. Olsen and it was quickly evident that she would make an outstanding speaker given her background with one of

Lee is excited for Olson to share her real-world experiences with the graduates of 2019. While working for Chevron, Olson has been to numerous places.

These include Indonesia, Nigeria, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Venezuela.

“Ms. Olson will share the values and experiences that have shaped her career and she will also provide advice to the graduating class of 2019, which will be of interest not only to our graduates but to all of our guests on campus,” Lee said.

Lee enjoys having people who aren’t a part of the university speak at graduation. He believes that having someone from outside

Olson also understand what is happening in our region.”

L a s t ye a r ’s key n o t e speaker was CEO of Ellwood Group INC, David Barensfeld. For Lee, commencement day is special,

regardless of who’s speaking because of getting to see the graduating students’ families celebrating their great accomplishment.

“Commencement is a beautiful event for many reasons. Our campus community helps our students grow in faith, learning and service and we have the privilege of witnessing that growth which is very rewarding,” Lee said. “However, the most rewarding part is watching the pride family and friends share with the graduates. It is an honor to play a role in that moment.”

“She represents the growing number of women in leadership roles and has traveled and worked across the globe.”

DOUGLAS G. LEE

Within Walking Distance!

University President

the world’s largest publicly traded companies. She represents the growing number of women in leadership roles and has traveled and worked across the globe.”

Olson obtained a petroleum engineering degree from Louisiana State University in 1986 and an MBA from Tulane University in 1995. She started her career working as a drilling engineer for BP from 1986–1989.

She eventually joined Chevron in 1989 and was named president in June of 2015.

COMMENCEMENT DAY SCHEDULE S U N D A Y, M A Y 5 10 a.m.

Graduating students and faculty members report to the Marsh Center in Roberts Chapel

11 a.m.

Baccalaureate Service in Chapel

11:30 a.m.

Graduate Luncheon in Benedum Dining Hall

12:30 p.m.

Second seating for Graduate Luncheon in Benedum Dining Hall

1 p.m.

Arrive at Commencement Procession line-up locations

2 p.m.

Commencement begins on the lawn of Miller Hall (alternate site: Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse).

the campus community will provide more realistic and practical advice for the graduating students.

“We believe it is incredibly important to have realworld practitioners provide realistic and practical advice about building the best career possible in today’s world,” he said. “We know that many of our graduates remain in this area and so it becomes important to identify successful worldclass leaders that can offer a global perspective, but

10% off of Haircuts for Faculty, Staff, and Students!

291 Fifth Ave. Waynesburg, PA 15370

PAGE AA4

APRIL 25, 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

WELCOME TO THE ALUMNI FAMILY

SO, WHAT'S NEXT? Update your contact information online at www.waynesburgunited.com/updateyourinfo

Connect and network with fellow graduates on LinkedIn. Search "Waynesburg University Alumni" to find our group!

Attend an upcoming event. Be sure to update your information to receive invitations based on where you live and work.

Check your inbox in the coming weeks for your first Alumni E-Newsletter to stay up-to-date on events, alumni updates, campus news, and more!

CONNECT WITH WAYNESBURG ALUMNI ON SOCIAL MEDIA

spotlight SECTION BB

APRIL 25, 2019 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

AT H L E T I C T R A I N I N G

‘He is going to go far’ ABOUT SPOTLIGHTS The senior features in section BB were selected by their respective department chairs to be featured on the basis of outstanding academic achievement during their years at Waynesburg University. In Section CC, senior student athletes were chosen by their coaches to be recognized for outstanding athletic performance.

Spotlights are arranged in alphabetical order based on the name of the academic department or discipline, and later in alphabetical order based on the name of the sport.

Photo courtesy of Bray Jackson

Bray Jackson, athletic training senior, bandages the arm of a football player. He plans to attend physical therapy school after graduating this year.

Athletic Training Student of the Year plans for life after graduation DEANNA NAGEL

For The Yellow Jacket

Bray Jackson, senior athletic training major, has not only put his time in at Waynesburg University but has left an impression on the people he shared it with.

Jackson came to Waynesburg University after graduating from West Greene High School in nearby Rogersville.

He arrived as football player and an athletic training major. Jackson chose Waynesburg because of the athletic training program and to stay close to home.

“Bray fits the bill of an athletic trainer,” said Dr. Robert Bonser, assistant professor of athletic training and clinical education coordinator.

“He is calm and always thinks clearly.

“It is important for an athletic trainer to have these qualities.”

Jackson showed throughout his time at Waynesburg that he is not a regular guy, but an outstanding student.

Jackson not only spent much of his time on campus, but at clinicals as well.

“Bray really excelled in his internships,” Bonser said. “He has been at high schools, colleges, and even in ambulances and has done exceedingly well in all.”

Jackson, a member of the athletic training student association, saw his efforts were rewarded when he was voted Athletic Training Student of the Year.

“Bray is academically strong and

AT H L E T I C T R A I N I N G

can take constructive criticism well,” said Andrew Palko, instructor of athletic training and head athletic trainer. “He is going to go far.”

Palko and Jackson’s relationship flourished when Palko treated him for a torn ACL during Jackson’s freshman year of football. They now play a pickup game of basketball known as “noon ball” each Friday.

Jackson enjoyed his time at Waynesburg University. He’s met many friends who helped him through his career here.

“I am very grateful to have my friends,” Jackson said. “There are a few of us, and we all got through it together.”

He said he could not think of his favorite memory because there are too many, but he is grateful for the

friends he met along the way.

“It was all worth it,” Jackson said.

“It really was a good experience.”

While putting hours in academically, Jackson was heavily involved in the Willow Grove Baptist Church, where he serves as the treasurer along with teaching Sunday school classes.

After college, Jackson plans to apply and attend physical therapy school, where he would earn a doctorate in physical therapy. If that doesn’t work out, he will be happy to work as a physical therapist.

Jackson has been accepted to the New York School of Medicine but has not made a decision yet.

“Whatever Bray chooses to do, he will be successful,” Palko said. “There is no doubt.”

BIBLICAL AND MINISTRY STUDIES

Hoffman leaves Steen finds mission, becomes mentor Waynesburg with ‘inquisitive’ spirit GRACE HUTCHISON Arts & Life Editor

DEANNA NAGEL

For The Yellow Jacket

Glen Hoffman doesn’t spend a lot of time stressing.

Instead, the former vice president of the athletic training club seeks out answers.

“Glen has some great qualities,” said Andrew Palko, instructor of Athletic Training. “He doesn’t take anything too seriously, he thinks things through.”

The senior athletic training major from Youngstown, Ohio made his way to Waynesburg University, where he is now graduating with a 3.7 GPA. “I am very proud of him,” Joseph Shaffer, assistant professor of athletic training and program director of athletic training and exercise science said. “It is great to see the development and growth of [Hoffman].”

Hoffman came to Waynesburg because of the athletic training program here, and to play basketball. In the athletic training club, Hoffman helped plan events and attended his clinicals. He enjoys being able to play sports with his friends and just hangout

when he has time.

Hoffman’s favorite memory was the clinical part of working with the Waynesburg University Football team.

“It was great to see [Hoffman] turn from a sort of nervous sophomore to an inquisitive senior,” Shaffer said. “He asks very good questions.”

Hoffman has excelled and grown in his f ield greatly throughout his time at Waynesburg University.

“I would describe my time here as quick,” he said. “I do not regret coming here.”

Hoffman has been able to maintain his academic life as well as enjoy his time at Waynesburg University just being a student.

Hoffman will be a physical therapist when he graduates.

Hoffman’s post-graduation plans include applying for physician’s assistant school this spring. If all goes well, Hoffman will be starting physician’s assistant school in the spring of 2020.

“Hoffman’s approachability and want to learn sets him apart from others,” Palko said. “He has a bright future.”

Ronnie Steen has devoted her life to the word of God. Steen, senior children and youth biblical ministries major, plans to spread the Bible and make its complex stories and abstract messages tangible to young people in her future career.

It's her mission to foster children’s hope in God, to make them feel comfortable and to be a resource for them—a resource she deeply needed when she was their age.

Steen, a proud Christian, didn’t have her faith before the age of 16. It was a curiosity in faith that led her to investigate religion at a local church. There, she connected with a youth pastor who ignited her passion for Christ. He connected her to their youth group, where she heard the pastor provide answers to difficult subjects.

Steen saw how the youth pastor was impacting the lives of vulnerable children and teenagers through the word of God: something she never knew she desperately required at that age.

“I want to be the person that I needed when I was younger,” Steen said.

Years later, her curiosity in religion and the Lord resulted in Steen declaring biblical ministries as her major.

“I always knew that ministry was it for me,” Steen said.

Steen had selected her

college and prepared for higher education, but she wasn’t able to attend her top-pick school.

“Waynesburg was on the backburner for me,” Steen said.

Steen admittedly began her education at the university with the attitude that it was her second choice.

Josh Sumpter, assistant chaplain and instructor of biblical and ministry studies, said he saw her doubt, insecurities and frustrations in her classwork.

Steen began struggling, particularly during her sophomore year, both academicly and personally. This challenging time only brought her closer to the Lord and further bolstered her faith, said Steen.

“When I am at rock bottom, I feel the most faithful to the Lord, and He is the most faithful to me,” she said.

Through the difficulty, Steen was committed to staying at the university.

“There was always something in the back of my head that told me I was meant to be here,” Steen said.

In her junior year, Steen said she was able to find the blessings that she had been waiting for, motivating her in her schooling.

“She had a new mindset for how she approached the classroom,” Sumpter said.

These blessings came in the forms of friendships and relationships, reinvigorating

Photo courtesy of Ronnie Steen

Ronnie Steen, senior biblical and ministry studies major, hopes to one day own a retreat for children. her passion.

Sumpter noticed this transformation in her work.

He and Steen connected through formative one-onone conversations, where he was better able to understand her path. “[Steen] has been driven by wanting to know the Lord more. It has set her on a journey,” Sumpter said.

Steen has gained experience at a Presbyterian retreat center for four years and will be returning to the program as the worship coordinator following graduation.

In her years at the camp, she has been able to work with the same children, many with whom she has built a

tight bond. One camper, in particular, has inspired Steen in both her career and faith.

“I got to watch him grow up before my eyes,” Steen said.

Steen said she loves her job and the unexpected blessings she’s discovered at the university. She has blossomed through the challenges she once faced.

Steen dreams to one day own a retreat of her own to continue to spread the word of God to teenagers and children.

“She is a passionate individual,” Sumpter said. “She cares deeply about the church and deeply about the world. I am excited to see how she leverages her gifts.”

PAGE BB2

APRIL 25, 2019

BIBLICAL AND MINISTRY STUDIES

Pascarella finds passion working in children ministry GRACE HUTCHISON Arts & Life Editor

Her car hums the soft beat of a familiar song, too faint to make out the words. Mandi Pascarella sits in Pittsburgh traffic, lost in thought, unaware of the frustrations and annoyance contained in the cars next to her.

The blare of horns is blurred in her serene thoughts. Pascarella has just left church. While there, she works with children, patiently establishing trust with them in hopes of one day watching them blossom.

In this chaos, Pascarella feels peace.

“It is my time of the week to slow down,” Pascarella, senior children and youth biblical ministry major, said.

This hour-long commute following church, said Pascarella, is a segment of time that allows her to ruminate on teachings. At other times during the week, her mind is cluttered with schoolwork, classes and deadlines, but her commutes have been a time that she has grown to cherish.

“I should’ve been doing this the whole time,” she said.

In her other positions, Pascarella hasn’t had the opportunity. She has held positions at several local churches, with some being

Photo courtesy of Mandi Pascarella

After graduation, Mandi Pascarella will serve as the director of youth ministry at First Baptist Church. in walking distance from Waynesburg University.

Her various roles have allowed Pascarella to use both her gifts in music and established experience working with children within her major.

Pascarella said all of her positions have been incredibly rewarding.

“The job description is to be there and listen,” Pascarella said. “But really it is so much more than that.”

Pascarella’s passions lie with working with adoles-

cents middle school-aged and older. In her role she establishes a community for children, collaborating with parents to help the child feel supported as they continue to mature.

Josh Sumpter, assistant chaplain and instructor of biblical ministry studies, has seen Pascarella’s drive and initiative to gain experience within her field firsthand.

“She models what I hope every biblical ministry student does,” Sumpter said.

Pascarella has been load-

ing up her toolbox with knowledge and real-world experience by attaining positions in churches and getting involved outside of her classes.

“It’s her passion, and she goes out to gain experience within it,” Sumpter said.

As a professor, Sumpter has been able to witness her growth throughout her academic career.

Pascarella’s freshman year was also Sumpter’s first year as a member of the faculty for the university. During

BIOLOGY

this time, he called for a collective effort to assist in establishing a biblical ministry department, she said.

“He said ‘We’re going to make this awesome, and we’re going to make this awesome together,’” Pascarella said.

Sumpter said he appreciated Pascarella’s willingness to talk in class and soak up the information she given. As a result of her clear dedication, he began to send her openings for positions in lo-

cal churches, which led to opportunities for Pascarella.

“He was the one who believed in me first,” she said.

Pascarella has always known she wanted to work with children. Also deeply passionate about her faith, she found the children and youth ministry major a perfect fit for her interests.

After initially researching several colleges, Waynesburg University stood out to Pascarella following her campus tour.

“When I came to Waynesburg, I felt at home,” Pascarella said. “It was in the little things. People were smiling, holding the door, everyone was happy to be here.”

Now, years after her college tour, Pascarella is engaged to be married and has secured a position as the director of youth ministry at the local First Baptist Church following graduation.

She has worked at the organization and built a relationship with the adolescents during her time at the university. The opportunity allows her to return and further foster growth and a bond with children.

“When you go somewhere new, it’s intimidating, but at First Baptist, I know them and they know me,” Pascarella said. “I can’t wait.”

B U S I N E S S A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

Dice aims to attain doctorate degree Starre to use skills in accounting for nonprofit work EDWARD BOICE Op/Ed Editor

Elizabeth Dice has histor y wi th Waynesburg University. Along with graduating from the university in the 2018 Fall semester with a degree in biology pre-med, her parents attended the university. While a reason she commited was, “partially to keep it in the family,” she also made her time at Waynesburg her own.

“Waynesburg is a hidden gem,” Dice said. “As small as it can seem, it has sent people to great places. It’s a special place.”

Within her three and a half years at Waynesburg, Dice has experienced the “hidden gem” her soon-tobe alma mater is. Now, she is looking forward to her next goal: medical school.

O n e o f t h e re a s o n s Dice graduated a semester early is to take a break

before she starts at West Virginia University School of Medicine for the next four years.

“I came in with AP credits from high school,” she said. “I am going to grad school and got a lot of advice from professors saying a break is a good thing before you start that kind of course work. It ended up working out that I was able to do that.”

Once she has graduated from the program, she wants to eventually join Doctors Without Borders, where doctors go to other countries to help with medical emergencies.

“I went on the Guatemala mission trip a lot,” Dice said. “I am really interested in Doctors Without Borders. Sort of an endgoal for me.”

She’s ready for the work ahead of her to become a doctor, or at least that is what professor of biology

Bryan Hamilton thinks.

Hamilton taught Dice’s father when he attended Waynesburg, and the two remained in contact after graduation. Before she even enrolled, Hamilton knew she would be a good student.

“I knew she was a good kid and she was going to work hard,” Hamilton said.

Outside the Biology Department, Dice’s years on the cross country team taught her many life lessons and matured her character.

“Those are special experiences for me,” Dice said.

“The cross country team really grew me as a person while I was there.”

Graduating early also enabled her to marry her husband. Formerly Elizabeth Trump, the two met in high school and kept their relationship to gether while she studied at Waynesburg and he

studied at Seton Hill University.

“We both finished our undergrad. I think our finals week was Dec. 13, and then we got married [Dec.] 29,” Dice said. “We actually got married in Roberts Chapel, because that’s where my parents met and it was big enough to hold everybody.”

To Dice, life is like a cross country race. Through her medical studies, running races and preparing for her next chapter in life, she will take in the highs and lows as they happen.

“I think cross country mirrors life a lot,” Dice said. “You’re running this super long race, and at times you feel really good and your passing people and other times [you feel] your going to die and its super hard. But you have people that run alongside you and your teammates help you through.”

B U S I N E S S A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

Berg displays ‘incredible’ work ethic DYLAN CLELAND

Assistant Sports Editor

At the onset of his final year at Waynesburg University, Paul Berg, entrepreneurship major, had all intentions of graduating in December, one semester ahead of schedule.

It’s now April and Berg is still on campus, taking classes and allowing his impact to be felt in the eHIVE, the center for entrepreneurial leadership.

“I really wasn’t ready to leave,” Berg said. “One because I wasn’t ready to job search, but two I wanted to stay and help with the eHIVE and so many opportunities have come out of that.”

Berg originally arrived at college hoping to study management and leadership, but after setting foot on campus, he made the switch to entrepreneurship.

Through it all, it’s been nonprofit work that has fueled his drive.

“I came to Waynesburg because I wanted to work for a nonprofit and anyone

that was in the management side of things relating to nonprofit said I needed a college degree,” Berg said.

“It’s a sad thing to say, but it’s really just an expensive way to get your foot in the door.”

Dr. Melinda Walls, chair of the W. Robert Stover Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, noticed Berg’s passion before she became a fulltime member of Waynesburg’s faculty.

“Interestingly enough I remembered Paul from my interview, when I came here to interview,” Walls said. “He was a student that was a part of an interview panel and he asked really tough and insightful questions. I remember being impressed with all the students that I spoke with, but Paul is someone that stuck out to me.”

As Berg returned for his senior year, it was fitting that Walls would be heading up the effort to create the eHIVE, something Berg has been able to enjoy the benefits of after choosing to stay his final semester.

“The eHIVE has been awesome, because it made me realize I have a passion for helping people think through problems,” he said.

Walls said, after working with Berg for almost an entire academic year, she’s come to know him in both a personal and professional way and believes he encompasses everything a Waynesburg student means to her.

“I’ve got to know him best as a colleague and someone I work with,” Walls said. “He’s very bright, truly has a heart for service and that was evident to me in a number of different ways, especially in his work with food insecurity and the Corner Cupboard Food Bank this semester.

But also his faith.”

Berg was the primary event coordinator for the Innovation Challenge hosted by the eHIVE earlier in the year, where groups used duct tape to problem solve.

His success with the eHIVE continued a few weeks ago when he took second place in the program’s See It, Solve

It pitch competition.

Walls said his accolades speak of work ethic and contributions that he’s made to the eHIVE in just one year.

“Paul’s an incredibly hard worker,” Walls said. “We wouldn’t have had the success in the eHIVE this semester without Paul. Not only for his hard work but also for the insight that he gave; he knows the student body well and he has a great way of making everybody feel welcome.”

With graduation ahead, Berg said the eHIVE has presented a lot of unique job opportunities that he’s still exploring. He said if an opportunity arises to work with Waynesburg, he would love to pursue it.

“If I stay around, I’d love to start the Inventors Club.

It’s basically a club where you pick a specific industry or problem and then as a group you get together and brainstorm how to solve it,” Berg said.

Walls stated Berg is always welcomed back to work with the university.

DYLAN CLELAND

Assistant Sports Editor

Most people around campus probably know senior Monica Starre from her efforts on the court as a member of the women’s basketball team, but Starre also did well in the classroom, balancing her academics and athletics to boast a 4.0 grade point average.

Starre, accounting major,

room, but also on the court by coming out to watch her and some of his students in their athletic events and through assisting in Waynesburg’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Program.

“Professor Stough is very personable, and he wants you to do well and understand,” Starre said.

After graduation, Starre plans to go back to her home state of Ohio to work for a nonprofit organiza-

“Her skillset and belief in service married together will lead her to taking those into the nonprofit world.”

WILLIAM STOUGH

Assistant Professor of Business Administration

originally enrolled to pursue a degree in exercise science, but changed majors after her freshman year.

Her passion for accounting started at a young age and stuck with her to this day.

Starre said she enjoys challenges and well-organized problems.

“I like accounting in the fact that I love puzzles,” she said. “Growing up, I would sit down in our basement in the summer and just do jigsaw puzzles. And it’s like how in accounting everything has its own spot and is organized. I really like that.”

William Stough, assistant professor of business administration, noticed Starre’s passion and organization, having taught her in a few finance classes.

“One of the big things is actually organization because of the fact that when you play a college sport and you try to do some of the classes we have, it’s challenging,” he said. “She’s really well organized and able to do things, she always has things done before they’re required and does well. Her focus is really good [too].”

Starre has particularly enjoyed working with Stough, who not only has supported her in the class-

tion in their finances and accounting. She said her desire to go into nonprofit work has grown while taking part in faith and service projects at Waynesburg.

“I’ve found a great community of people through the Newman Club, and having those people that believe the same things as you and being able to walk with them has helped my own faith,” Starre said.

“And I never really thought about going out and doing service work before going here, but I’ve enjoyed doing it a lot more because there are always opportunities and friends that’ll say, ‘hey do you want to do this with me?”

Stough believes this blend will help Starre tremendously in the field.

“Her skillset and belief in service married together will lead her to taking those into the nonprofit world,” he said. “Because the nonprofit world needs finance and accounting people just as much as anyone else and they typically don’t attract people because there isn’t enough of the service side.

Monica is one that has that service side drive [which] will allow her to go and do a lot of good things in the nonprofit world.”

APRIL 25, 2019

PAGE BB3 CHEMISTRY

Layton glad he changed career goal to chemistry Ph.D. MALARIE YODER For The Yellow Jacket

“I have seen a lot of growth to make the choices Jacob has made,” said Evonne Baldauff, chairperson for the Chemistry and Forensic Science Department. “It shows a lot of maturity from him to make the decisions he has made throughout his four years.”

Jacob Layton, senior chemistry major and biology minor, started out with a plan to go to pharmacy school, but by the end of his senior year of high school, his plans changed.

“I went on a couple visitation weekends and I was just drawn to the faculty in the chemistry department,” Layton said. “They all had fantastic personalities and seemed to be great people.”

The faculty helped convince Layton to leave his hometown of Smithville, Pennsylvania, and come to Waynesburg University.

That isn’t the only thing faculty convinced Layton to do. Without knowing, Baldauff and her other faculty members helped drive Layton to a new ca-

reer field.

Throughout Layton’s college experience, he was involved in multiple clubs, such as The American Chemical Society and Gamma Sigma Epsilon “Thanks to the ACS, I found out about a Research Experience for [undergraduates], where universities across the country hold applications every year to give undergraduates research experience over the summer,” he said. “I found one over at [West Virginia University] and I was accepted to that last summer.”

For Layton, the experience of seeing a difference in the professors from West Virginia University and Waynesburg helped lead him to the idea of getting a PhD in chemistry and moving into teaching.

“I noticed the difference between our universities and research institutions like WVU and I noticed a difference in professors, like theirs are dedicated to research while Waynesburg’s are dedicated to teaching. I was always more drawn to the teaching aspect of our professors,” he said.

For Baldauff, Layton had the potential to succeed in

Photo courtesy of Jacob Layton

Jacob Layton presented a project at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Orlando, Florida. multiple areas.

“I had a feeling and knew that Jacob was capable of things like getting a PhD, and he would have been a good pharmacist as well but there is just so much potential in him for research and problem solving,” Layton said. “I was really excited when he recognized that potential in himself as well.”

Layton also made a change to his minor.

Layton first started to work toward a math minor. The problem, which he discovered during his sophomore year, was that he did not have the best organic chemistry background. Instead of ignoring his weakness, Layton decided to not take the two classes for his math

C O M M U N I C AT I O N

minor, and instead take advanced organic chemistry to “give myself a better background, because I was very weak in that area.”

Now Layton has served as a lab assistant in the organic chemistry lab for two semesters and was a tutor for organic chemistry. Layton is very excited to graduate with all

of the experiences he has had with Waynesburg and continue his education for the next five years in a graduate school in Arizona. Balduff was very excited to see Layton’s over his four years and is excited to watch as he grows throughout grad school.

“I wish him luck and he will be missed,” Balduff said.

CHEMISTRY

Williams happy with electronic media Kristoff found calling at WVU chemistry lab COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Editoral Assistant

Brandon Williams is a senior communication major with an emphasis in sports broadcasting/sports information. After two years here, however, he decided to focus more on electronic media.

“I fell out of love with sports broadcasting, and I didn’t see myself as an announcer anymore and because of the variety of classes that we have at Waynesburg University,” said Williams. “I am able to take design and I am able to take electronic media classes. So, because of that I really fell in love with the behind the scenes things like producing and directing and telling a story with the pictures rather than with my words.”

Williams learned about Waynesburg University

from Lanny Frattare’s Sports Announcing Camp, held on campus over the summer.

From there, he learned about the television production truck and eventually the Waynesburg University Sports Network.

“The Sports Broadcasting Camp that Lanny Frattare does is a great way that a lot of students who I know [decided to] come to Waynesburg,” Williams said.

Whenever he switched to focus more on electronic media, he also changed advisors to Dr. Chad Sherman.

Sherman has been Williams’ advisor for three years now and has got to know him due to his talkative personality.

“He is incredibly hard working. Not too many people put the hours into the productions he is involved with, especially with WUSN,” Sherman said. “He has also been very good with taking advice and going with it.”

Williams added he is going to miss nights on the fourth floor of Buhl; whether he was in the TV office, the radio office or the Mac Lab. “There is just so many that I can think of. Playing in the Comm. Christmas Bowls with everyone, and like I said before just everyone being together and also Relay for Life,” Williams said.

“Relay for Life is a big deal, and it was fun to see everyone come outside on campus and hang out in Johnson Commons and be together.”

Williams would like to thank all of his professors in the communication department who helped him learn new things throughout his four years at Waynesburg.

“The overall experience was a good one in terms of preparing me for the real world,” said Williams. “The communications department just really gives you

the tools to succeed, but you have to use them.”

Williams plans on continuing to freelance for Fox Sports after he graduates in May. Eventually, he wants to obtain an interview and hopes to become a full-time employee for them in the future.

Williams said he hopes everyone who knew him throughout his time at Waynesburg will remember how passionate he was about everything he did.

“I was so infused with WUSN when it got a hold of me that it became my passion and from that I took it outside of the classroom and worked with all of these other TV networks and got a real passion for television, and I just want to be remembered as someone who came to Waynesburg and was passionate about this program and wanted to make it better,” Williams said

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Dunlap's childhood dream a reality GRACE HUTCHISON Arts/Life Editor

Over a decade ago, Logan Dunlap watched a movie that changed his life. He was 11-years-old, sitting in a crowded theatre when he unwittingly found what would be his lifelong calling.

Though Dunlap had always had an interest in technology, the lead character speaking to his intuitive robotic assistant in the film “Iron Man” cemented his future in the field.

“I remember thinking ‘I want to build something like that, I just don’t know how,’” Dunlap said.

Now, years later, Dunlap has equipped himself with the knowledge to program such technology as a senior computer science major working towards a career in artificial intelligence. That boy who was once inspired by a superhero movie has matured to a hardworking student, passionate techie and a self-proclaimed introvert.

The first two traits have

served Dunlap well in his education, where he has proved himself to be an outstanding student, said Elizabeth Wang, who has acted as Dunlap’s advisor within the computer science department.

“He is very dedicated and self-disciplined,” Wang said.

Dunlap was successful in his classwork, but he began to realize how critical collaboration is with the field of computer science.

His quietness, said Dunlap, had become a challenge to overcome.

“I did my schoolwork, went to classes and went home,” Dunlap said.

Though admittedly still not one to start a conversation, Dunlap has intentionally bonded with other students in his major after his freshman year.

“I enjoy being around people now a lot more than I used to,” he said.

After he challenged himself to build relationships with fellow classmates, Wang noticed a positive change in Dunlap.

“He is more confident in himself,” Wang said. “He is more confident to raise his hand, more confident to answer questions.”

Wang attended Dunlap’s senior project presentation, which occurred last semester. Each senior computer science major is required to select a project to research and create, and Dunlap took the initiative to essentially teach a computer how to see. He created a machine sensor for a self-driving car, which would indicate when an accident was about to occur.

“Starting out, it was a behemoth of a project,” Dunlap said. “It was like, ‘Where do I start?’”

But after thorough research and reading countless academic studies, he was able to execute the process. Dunlap has always enjoyed being able to work with computers, and his passion continues to motivate him to further grow his knowledge today.

“It’s daunting,” Dunlap said. “There’s still so much

that I want to learn and that I am going to learn in the future.”

Wang has ensured that Dunlap built a solid foundation of knowledge in her classes, where she said she executes a firm but fair teaching style.

“In her classes, I had to work the hardest,” Dunlap said.

The standards in Wang’s class motivated Dunlap to produce exceptional work, and later to deem her as his most influential professor. Through his consistent hard work and dedication to classes, Dunlap has shown exceptional maturity, explains Wang.

“I’m proud of him,” Wang said. “I wish him success wherever he goes and whatever he does.”

With graduation quickly approaching, Dunlap looks towards to the future.

He is moving to Ohio, where he will work for an organization in data management.

“I wouldn’t mind doing this for the rest of my life,” Dunlap said.

MALARIE YODER For The Yellow Jacket

For Courtney Kristoff, chemistry major with a minor in mathematics, choosing Waynesburg Universi ty was not a hard choice for Kristoff.

After only applying to Washington and Jefferson College and Waynesburg, she quickly realized that Waynesburg was the school for her.

“When I started looking for colleges and universities, I knew that I wanted to attend a small school,” Kristoff stated. “I wanted my professors to actually know my name and not just be a number in the classroom.”

She got her wish and excelled in the small setting, said Dr. Evonne Baldauff, chairperson for the chemistry.

“Courtney became a student I always relied on and she always would help out if she could,” Baldauff said . “Courtney has a work ethic that is very rare, and I loved having her as a student.”

After working with Dr. Baldauff, Kristoff was convinced to apply to work in a bioanalytical laboratory at West Virginia University the summer after her sophomore year.

This decision ultimately ended up changing her life.

“Upon completion of my degree at Waynesburg in December, I started working toward my Ph.D. at West Virginia University, but none of this would have been possible if it weren't for the support system that I have and for the education that I received during my three and a half years at WU,” Kristoff said.

Throughout Kristoff’s time at Waynesburg University, she was involved in the American Chemical Society and Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh.

Her experience with SACP allowed Kristoff to attend Duquesne Uni-

versity once a month to listen to technical speakers doing “cutting-edge research in the field of chemistry.”

This experience combined with her ACS experience, which included hosting labs one Friday each month for local homeschooled children, as well as doing outreach activities such as the Haunted Lab. “It's a great way to get kids excited about science and I love to see the amazement on their faces when you show them something that seems like magic.” she said.

Altogether, Kristoff is thankful for her experience and time at Waynesburg University. Her favorite memories have been the “ones that were never meant to be big, special events.”

“Some of the best laughs that I've had were in the everyday moments of late-night study sessions in the library or having fun in my chemistry labs,” she said. “The people at Waynesburg make it such a fun-loving atmosphere no matter the location or time of day.”

Baldauff said Kristoff was loved in the chemistry department and has been truly missed.

“She was very fun, and was great to have, with her reliability and has to be one of the neatest” students she had ever had,” Baldauff said.

Kristoff is thankful for her time at Waynesburg University and believes that she wouldn’t be where she is today if not for the desire to succeed and the people around her.

She is now pursuing her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at WVU, after being able to graduate early in December from Waynesburg.

“My professors, friends, family, and God have all played a huge role in me becoming the person that I am today.”

PAGE BB4

APRIL 25, 2019 C O M M U N I C AT I O N

E D U C AT I O N

WCTV news director says goodbye Teaching always a definite career choice for Kemp COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Editorial Assistant

“Other students look up to what she has done and they think ‘I want to be an Emily Bennett,’” said Melinda Roeder-Skrbin, instructor of communication .

Over her four years at Waynesburg University, Bennett, a senior sports broadcasting/sports information major, considers the fourth floor of Buhl Hall her home.

“Once I stepped onto the fourth floor I knew this was home and I left Waynesburg knowing that this was the place I wanted to go to school,” Bennett said.

Bennett originally considered going to Eastern University in Philadelphia because it was closer to her hometown, but when she heard about Professor Lanny Frattare’s sports announcing program, she decided to visit Waynesburg.

“That was something I was really interested in and it was also something that was lacking in other communication departments,” Bennett said.

Bennett considers her time at Waynesburg to be “amazing,” because she was able to “get involved in my first week my freshman year.”

Throughout her time in college, Bennett has been involved in every WCTV show, been on executive staff for both WCTV and WCYJ-FM, has been a host of “Down the Hollow” on WCYJ-FM and she has also been a sideline reporter for WUSN and GreeneSports.net.

SIERRA MEDINA For The Yellow Jacket

Photo courtesy of Emily Bennett

Sports broadcasting/sports information major Emily Bennett has worked on the executive staff for WCTV and WCYJ-FM. “We really have so many opportunities at Waynesburg and of course you have to apply yourself and put yourself out there and get involved from the very beginning to be really successful in this department and I was able to do that,” she said.

Over time, Bennet t started to fall in love with TV news reporting and developed a close relationship with RoederSkrbin. Bennett is sometimes considered to be Roeder-Skrbin’s “mini-me” because of their similarities in reporting styles, personalities and physical appearance.

“One of the things that makes me laugh is when people refer to her as my mini-me or like little sister,” Roeder-Skrbin said.

“From my first week, here as an adjunct people were always like ‘Have you met Emily?’ or they are asking her if she had met me.”

During her time as the news director for WCTV,

Bennett has increased the amount of student produced content “exponentially” Roeder-Skrbin explained.

This showed during the hour-long newscast for WCTV as well as the telethon for the Comm 3-to-1 campaign in April 11.

“I can’t even imagine the number of hours that she has put into it,” RoederSkrbin said. “She is very encouraging for people who have never produced packages to show that she is willing to work with them and show them how to edit and coach them and be that mentor that they I think the underclassmen look for.”

Some of her favorite memories is the live election night coverage in 2016, the telethon and Friday nights being on the sideline reporting for Greene Sports. The biggest thing that she will miss however, is the nights inside the mac lab with all the communication stu-

dents helping out one another and not trying to have a mental breakdown at midnight.

“We really are a family and we really are a community and we all just come together and help each other,” she said.

“Those are the things I think about during my time here.”

She would like to thank all of her professors here at Waynesburg, especially Roeder-Skrbin. Also, she would like to think former Waynesburg student and WCTV General Manager Brennan McCall for his assistance. After graduation, Bennett plans on being a multimedia journalist and still has the dream of being a sideline reporter for the NFL or college football.

“I just want to be remembered as a team player and someone that really helped grow this department,” Bennett said. “I hope that I put my passion for news and this industry on the other people.”

Cassandra Kemp, senior middle level education major with specializations in social studies and mathematics, always knew her talents laid with teaching. Kemp wanted to attend a small school with a Christian focus that would help her walk in faith, which is what led her to Waynesburg University. Though education was a good fit, she explored a major in history during her sophomore year.

“It’s okay not to know what you want to do with the rest of your life,” she said.

“I had experiences in each of the fields. I switched to just history, got to know the department and intern at the Paul R. Stewart museum and learned so much from that.

Don’t be afraid to not know what you want to do; try as many things as you can.”

Kemp has done just that.

Kemp noted the key role Dr. Kelley Solomon, associate professor of education, had in her transition away from the Department of Education, and then back into it.

“She was there with me the past five years,” Kemp said. “She is always positive and offers encouragement, while sharing fun and hard experiences.”

Solomon has commended Kemp for her exemplary work and dedication in all of the areas of the teaching preparation program.

“Cassandra has grown into a confident educator ready for her own class-

room,” Solomon said. “She is able to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in meaningful classroom experiences.”

Solomon described her relief at Kemp returning to education after switching majors, “My favorite memory of Cassandra was when she came back to her education major after a brief period exploring another possibility,” Solomon said. “I always knew that she had the heart of a teacher, and was excited to welcome her back to achieve her calling as an educator.”

Kemp values the experience opportunities Waynesburg provides, as they offer no shortage of interesting experiences in the classroom.

“I was teaching the writing process, and I noticed that my students needed more help in understanding the difference between revising and editing,” Kemp said. “So, I found a 4th grade leveled passage online about Justin Bieber.”

Currently, Kemp has multiple substitute jobs lined up, but is hoping for a fulltime position. She is contemplating a future in local schools or going completely somewhere else. Sitting as a senior, with five years under her belt, Kemp related her view of her time her at Waynesburg, “The days might seem like they go by really slow, but the years go by fast.”

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND SOCIOLOGY

Lemmon pursues passions After unexpected events, to become his best version Allen found her vocation TYLER GOODWIN Assistant Sports Editor

For senior criminal justice & social sciences major Ryan Lemmon, Waynesburg University stood out in a lot of ways when he was deciding where to go for college.

“I like that it was very faith-based and everything like that,” Lemmon said. "I thought it would just be a place that I could grow academically, come here and meet people easily. I was worried about making friends and whatnot, so I wanted to go to a smaller place. It was affordable, financial aid worked and it was just a place I just saw myself.”

From Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Lemmon added criminal justice to his social sciences education early in his career because of his interest in criminal psychology, citing the television show "Criminal Minds" as part of his inspiration for his interest.

As the years went on he has immersed himself within the culture of the university by participating in the Symphonic Concert Band, jazz band and brass ensemble, maintaining an on-campus job in Admissions and being a resident assistant. As an RA, Lemmon has had the opportunity to get to know more students on a personal basis, which has led to some of the most rewarding experiences he has had at Waynesburg.

“Honestly a lot of my best memories have come through being an RA. That’s one of the reasons I’ve liked being an RA so much,” Lemmon said. “I can’t get to know all of my residents on a super personal basis,

just because of how many there are, and some aren’t super open to it. For the ones that I have, I’ve taken some people to the counseling center, I’ve definitely been able to direct people to some help for issues they have been having and that stands out for me.”

Lemmon has grown in his time at Waynesburg because of his desire to help others and by keep-

Lemmon ing the pressure off himself.

“I think I just realized that I wanted to be the best version of myself,” Lemmon said. “I like being an RA, I like doing well academically—not because I feel like I need it to be valuable, but because I like that it makes me a more well-rounded person and somebody that can better help other people.”

From an academic standpoint, Lemmon has excelled throughout his Waynesburg undergraduate career.

“Ryan is a mature and responsible student who d eve l o p ed l ea d e r s h i p skills quickly while here at Waynesburg,” James Tanda, instructor of criminal justice, said. “He is also determined and successful academically… Ryan has been a good role model for other criminal justice students as his initiative and determination in the classroom has

led to his successes in the program.”

Lemmon’s passions revolve around federal law enforcement, something he said he would like to get involved in long-term. He has been particularly captivated by the instruction he has received in regards to terrorism and human trafficking, issues he hopes to make a difference in. As for the future, Lemmon will be pursuing a Master of Science in Criminology at Saint Vincent College starting this coming fall.

Saint Vincent stood out to him because it offered a different perspective than Waynesburg that he feels will help him in the longrun.

“The only reason I really chose to go there instead of Waynesburg was because I wanted a Master’s of Science,” said Lemmon. “Saint Vincent is very research heavy, [at Waynesburg] we are very law-enforcement-practical heavy.

But I feel like I already got a really big dosage of that at Waynesburg so now I ’m looking to do more of a research/ science-based degree. So kind of just trying to get the best of both worlds.”

Tanda is excited to see what the future holds for Lemmon, noting that he was one of the more wellrounded students that the department has had over the past four years.

“Ryan will do great things as his work ethic, intellect, and determination will serve him well no matter what career he pursues,” Tanda said. “If he continues his interest in federal law enforcement, these attributes will serve him well.”

TYLER GOODWIN

Assistant Sports Editor

Senior sociology major Sydney Allen didn’t intend to go to Waynesburg University. In fact, she didn’t plan on attending college at all. Instead, she planned to go to Nepal or Thailand with her local missionary organization, Experience Mission, before she got a flyer for Waynesburg in the mail shortly before applications were due. After applying and getting accepted into the university’s Bonner Scholar Program, she decided to attend the small Christian school in southwestern Pennsylvania, nearly seven and a half hours away from her hometown of Newtown, Connecticut.

“I didn’t even visit before I came here, it just happened,” she said. “It was super random. It was the only school I applied for.”

Newtown is home to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where one of the deadliest school shootings in United States history occurred in 2012. Allen’s father was one of the first responders that day, and she even knew some of the people who passed away in the tragedy. Allen said it took years to heal and move forward from the tragic event, but the impact it had on her life was monumental and sticks with her today.

“Everyone has things that happen in their life that can change their life and shape them as a person, and that was definitely one of the things that shaped me,” Allen said.

“It made me a more passionate and understanding person…I think it’s helped me relate to people who

Photo courtesy of Sydney Allen

Sydney Allen will study in New Zealand for her masters. have had struggles economically or within their household—it has just kind of given me insight into how one moment can really change someone’s life.”

After coming to Waynesburg as a biblical and ministry studies major, Allen found a passion in sociology after taking one of sociology associate professor Dr. Ezekiel Olagoke’s classes, which resulted in her changing her major.

Allen said Olagoke helped her find deeper meaning within academics.

“He helped me appreciate academics for what they are and what you can really take from them,” Allen said. “I realized you can kind of make it what you want it and you can learn a lot based off of your passions and you can gear your academics towards your passions.”

Olagoke has been Allen’s advisor for most of her collegiate career and said she is one of the most wellrounded students he’s had in his time at Waynesburg.

“I’ve been here for 10 years. Very seldom do I come across a young lady who is focused, who is dutiful, who is responsible, who is also passionate about what she wants to do,” Olagoke said. “She is

very dynamic. I always tell her that she is wiser than her age.”

In college, Allen also spent a semester abroad in New Zealand, where she lived on an orchard farm.

While abroad, she attended the University of Waikato and became more passionate about agriculture and farming. “ The university was very different from here because it was probably 20 times bigger and it’s very diverse. It was very interesting—I think I met people from like 15 different countries,” Allen said.

“Where I lived on the orchard farm, I lived with six people that were all from different countries. So, that was cool to get different perspectives that way.”

As for the future, Allen will return to New Zealand this September where she intends to obtain a Master of Teaching in a oneyear accelerated program.

Once she completes the program, the university will help place her with a school in the country to give her a teaching job immediately. In addition to obtaining her masters, Allen plans to stay involved in agriculture by helping teach children about the practice.

APRIL 25, 2019

PAGE BB5 E D U C AT I O N

Future teacher found encouragement in faith at WU SIERRA MEDINA

For The Yellow Jacket

Marlinda Sprowls, senior secondary math education major, came to Waynesburg University because she was attracted to its Christian, serviceoriented core.

“I really wanted a different environment than the public school I grew up in; I wanted friends to encourage me in my faith rather than a constant battle of trying to get them to understand my faith,” Sprowls said.

Sprowls participated in community service while in high school.

While she wasn’t acce p t ed i nt o t h e B o n ner Scholar Program at Waynesburg, this wasn’t a deterrent for her involvement here on-campus and abroad.

“My first year, I went on the education mission trip to the Bahamas and taught second grade for a week in an inner city school there,” Sprowls said.

Sprowls has continued to become more involved over the years - teaching SAT prep classes, tutor-

ing at the local Bowlby Library and tutoring in math and practice prep class at Waynesburg.

Dr. Kelley Solomon, associate professor of education, appreciates Sprowls’ involvement in campus activities. “[Sprowls] has worked diligently at Waynesburg and in the community to share her skills and talents with others,” Solomon said. “She is an individual consistently willing to serve others by sharing her many gifts. Her heart of service always shines.”

The bountiful opportunities for hands-on experience and field work provided by the Department of Education has been a highlight of her time here, Sprowls said.

“From freshman year you’re at an after-school tutoring program, then after that you’re in schools a couple times a week for a couple different class periods and going to different schools,” Sprowls said.

When student teaching, Sprowls said there tends to be an overlap on account of the multitude of education majors; howev-

Photo courtesy of Marlinda Sprowls

Melinda Sprowls, senior secondary math education major, tutored at the local library and also taught SAT prep classes during her time at the university. er, having a concentration in math has helped her attract attention.

“My professors were looking at all the different schools I had on my resume,” Sprowls said.

“Since I’m a secondary math major, I get to go to a bunch of different schools and have never repeated teachers.”

Sprowls’ work ethic and diligence in supporting

students had always been striking to Solomon. “[She] has taken every opportunity to seek out leadership roles and opportunities for collaboration,” Solomon said. “She is a dedicated individual prepared for her own classroom. In all areas of her preparation to become a teacher, Marlinda has demonstrated her passion for learning and growing

in the field of education.”

These experiences have afforded her the chance to get more comfortable in a classroom.

Sp row l s e n co u ra ge s others, especially freshman, to seize opportunity.

“I’m always encouraging [freshman education majors] to come tutor at Bowlby. That helped me step out of my comfort zone,” she said. “You need

EXERCISE SCIENCE

to take those opportunities.”

As a Fiat Lux mentor, Sprowls was able to share her gained knowledge with young students.

“My favorite memory of Marlinda was working with her as my Fiat Lux mentor,” Solomon said.

“It was inspiring to see her share so many of her talents and experiences with incoming freshmen.

She worked diligently to assist in the learning experiences and support students.”

Sprowls is waiting a couple of weeks after graduation, the time when her teaching certificate arrives, to begin applying for full-time teaching positions.

Sprowls is hoping to find a job in Pennsylvania, though she admits getting hired is more diff icult when aiming to stay local.

Her last admonition as a seasoned senior is to acknowledge what’s available.

“It’s easy to slide your way through college, but you need to make the most of what you’re given.

Push yourself.”

ENGLISH

Aspiring physical therapist ‘thankful’ Kephart pursues excellence, selects unlikely university MATTIE WINOWITCH Executive Editor

In her senior year of high school, Aubree Brown had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. In the midst of making big decisions, she happened to get injured in track and found herself back in her physical therapist’s office, something she’d done several times throughout her career as an athlete.

“I noticed that I’d built a relationship with [my physical therapist] over time,” Brown said. “I could see myself doing this as a career.”

Brown originally chose Waynesburg because she was recruited for the tennis team. Because she thought she wanted to study physical therapy, she was planning on majoring in athletic training. However, after discussing this with some of her profes-

sors, they helped her find an alternative academic path that would still fit her needs.

“Because I wasn’t 100%, they thought exercise science would be the best of both worlds,” Brown said.

In the past several years Brown has spent at Waynesburg, she has created a name for herself both athletically and academically within the exercise science major on the wellness and physiology track..

Dr. Bobby Bonser, assistant professor of athletic training, was Brown’s advisor during her time at Waynesburg. Bonser said he was constantly impressed by Brown’s efforts.

“She excelled at the rehab program so much,” Bonser said. “She was one of our standout students in the class.”

As Brown was approaching her senior year, she was

thinking about furthering her education. Specifically, she was looking at Emory University. For help with the application process, she turned to Bonser for advice.

“When we first started talking about [Emory University], it was a pipe dream,” Bonser said. “I tried to encourage her that she is at that level.”

After initial conversations, Bonser helped Brown during a mock interview which was part of one of her seminar courses.

“She knocked it out of the park,” Bonser said.

All her preparation paid off as Brown said she has since been officially accepted into Emory University's Doctorate of Physical Therapy program, which is ranked number five in the country. For her, this is a proud moment.

“Selection to physical

therapy school is highly competitive,” Brown said.

“At Emory, they received about 600 applications and interviewed 200 qualified students for 70 spots for this summer's incoming class.” Brown graduated from Waynesburg in December 2018, and she will leave her Greensburg home to start at Emory in June 2019, which is located in Georgia.

Looking back, Brown said she is so thankful for her time at Waynesburg, especially the help she received from faculty members like Bonser who helped her get to where she is today.

“I really appreciate the really close connections I was able to build with my professors and faculty [at Waynesburg],” Brown said. “I loved it. I don’t have any regrets about choosing Waynesburg and their exercise science program.”

ENGLISH

Student's passion leads to success ANDREW HREHA Editorial Assistant

“Writing,” said Rachael Crosbie, senior english literature major and theater minor. “I know this will probably be obvious considering I’m an english major, but it’s something I’ve always done and always loved and will continue to do.”

Crosbie, originally from Washington, Pennsylvania, has had a passion for writing since before she even knew how to do it.

“I can remember whenever I couldn’t even write words, I’d just like draw little pictures,” Crosbie said.

“It was terrible little comic books, but I did my best.”

Grace Hutchison, The Yellow Jacket

While at Waynesburg, Crosbie has been able to pursue her passions, both in writing and theater.

“Every semester has been the same but different,” she said. “I’ve always been heavily involved with the english department and I also work at the writing center. I’m also heavily involved with the theater department as well, so I’ve definitely kept myself busy.”

While Crosbie has a packed schedule, she said the reason for this is because she loves what she does.

“I always have fun every semester doing stuff with the English department and stuff with the theater,” she said.

For Crosbie, this means being the president of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honors society, as well as the executive editor of Muse & Stone for the

past two years.

As a piece of advice to underclassmen, Crosbie suggests similar path to her own.

“Be involved.” Crosbie said.

“Especially with the English department being such a small department, I think if you get involved you kind of feel like you belong there in a way. I know if I didn’t I’d feel like an outsider, so I definitely think being involved helps.”

Moving forward, Crosbie is keeping an open mind.

Her original plan was to run a creative literary magazine.

After starting her own, however, she decided otherwise.

Currently, she is leaning towards pursuing a doctorate.

However, there is also a possibility she may go with her boyfriend to Los Angeles this summer.

“I’m considering going to Los Angeles, not just because he’s going, but there’s also incredible opportunities for me there,” Crosbie said. “Something I’ve always enjoyed besides writing and theater and everything is music and part of me wants to get back into that and explore that more.”

Not only is Crosbie wellrounded with music, she also has been exploring talents in photography. “What I like to do with photography is make a photo look like it’s a piece of art,” Crosbie said.

“It’s hard and requires a lot of knowledge I don’t have, but I try and photography is something I’ve always loved doing.”

Regardless of where she ends up, Dr. Richard Pierce, assistant professor of English, believes Crosbie will succeed because of the skills she displayed as editor of Muse & Stone.

“She is always very organized, proactive and diligent in her work for the magazine.

She will definitely be missed,” Pierce said. “I knew I could always count on [Crosbie] to do anything that was necessary for our magazine. She always did a prompt, fine job.”

BY ANDREW HREHA Editorial Assistant

The last school Dan Kephart expected to attend was Waynesburg University.

Kephart, senior english literature and history double major, is from nearby Washington, Pennsylvania, and has two brothers that attended Waynesburg, so he wanted to go elsewhere for his college education.

“I was determined to actually go anywhere else in the world,” he said.

Then, Kephart came to the campus for a visit and met Dr. Lawrence Stratton, associate professor of ethics and constitutional law, and director of the Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leader-

will be attending Texas Tech University to obtain a master of the arts in English, for which he will be receiving full funding.

Kephart credits Dr. Richard Pierce, assistant professor of English, for helping him advance his writing through the years.

“Dr. Pierce has been a huge influence on me all four years of college,” Kephart said.

“He’s been incredibly friendly and he’s inspired me to read a lot of authors I don’t think I would have found otherwise.”

Pierce said he’s proud of Kephart’s achievements and acceptance into Texas Tech, where Pierce was once a professor. He also praised Kephart for his ability and character. “[Kephart] has distin-

“He embodies our university values: he loves God; he's humble; he has good character; and he relentlessly pursues excellence.”

RICHARD PIERCE

Assistant Professor of English

ship. Kephart would get to know Dr. Stratton well in his four years at Waynesburg as a member of the Stover Scholarship Program, from which he’s learned many lessons. One of these lessons Kephart learned from ambassador Marc Grossman, former special representative to Afghanistan under the Obama Administration.

“I realized [from speaking with Grossman] that words and the way that we communicate can actually determine the fate of the world,” he said.

Kephart stayed busy in his four years at Waynesburg.

In addition to being a Stover Scholar, Kephart is also a member of the english honors society Sigma Tau Delta and poetry editor for Muse & Stone. As far as accolades, Kephart was named the outstanding senior in the english department and has done research in both English and history. He also has a unique passion outside of school.

“I love martial arts,” Kephart said. “I practice krav maga which is Israeli and arnis which is Phillipino.”

After graduation, Kephart

guished himself as an expert interpreter of texts and an excellent writer of nuanced arguments about texts,” Pierce said. “He embodies our university values: he loves God; he’s humble; he has good character; and he relentlessly pursues excellence.”

Kephart has also started an online literary magazine chapteroftheday.com. The website aims to assist millenials in dealing with anxiety, and was the winner of the eHive’s recent See It, Solve It competition.

“I had taken a stab at doing something like this online as a sophomore at Waynesburg, but it didn’t quite pan out the way we had hoped,” Kephart said. “I started asking myself ‘what do millennials really need?’ and I decided they need a chance to be grounded in tradition and the wisdom of the past in a way that is easily accessible for them.”

If anyone ever doubted whether or not Kephart made the right decision coming to Waynesburg, he offers just two words.

“Go Jackets.”

PAGE BB6

APRIL 25, 2019 EXERCISE SCIENCE

FINE ARTS

Soccer player excelled in classroom After questioning talent, art major finds confidence MATTIE WINOWITCH Executive Editor

From the beg inning, Sam Almeter saw value at Waynesburg University.

“I chose Waynesburg because I had the opportunity to play soccer as well as the great value for a college education,” said Almeter.

“There were a few other schools that I was looking at as well but none of them could compare to the great value Waynesburg had to offer.”

Almeter, who graduated this past December, was an exercise science major at Waynesburg. While there, he got involved on the men’s soccer team along with various service opportunities.

Inside the classroom, Almeter excelled among his peers. Dr. Bryan Hamilton, professor of biology, had Almeter as one of his students several times over the past four years. During that time, Almeter built up a solid academic reputation.

“He did very well in all of my classes,” Hamilton said.

“In fact, he had the best grade in one of my higherlevel courses.”

Specifically, Hamilton remembers Almeter as being a “quiet” student who was always very into whatever he was working on or studying.

“He came in and he took care of business,” Hamilton said. “He didn’t make

HOLLY HENDERSHOT News Editor

Photo courtesy of Sam Almeter

Sam Almeter, senior exercise science major, has a lifelong passion for sports and exercise that he hopes to spread to others. waves of any sort; very no-nonsense. A very diligent student who took his education seriously. He was always prepared.”

Looking back on his college career post-graduation, Almeter said Waynesburg was how he met some of the most influential people in his life.

“The best part about going to Waynesburg was all the wonderful people I met throughout my four years here,” Almeter said. “I made some lifelong friends and memories that I will never forget.”

Almeter, who is originally

from Monroeville, is currently serving as a certified personal trainer at LA Fitness. He said he “loves” his new position, but he also said he sees himself eventually ending up back in a classroom.

“I see myself continuing my education in the future and pursuing a masters or doctorate [degree],” Almeter said.

Hamilton said he sends his best wishes to Almeter with full confidence that he will excel no matter what.

“I hope he does well in whatever his career path has in store for him,”

Hamilton said. “Whatever he chooses to do, he’ll do great.”

For Almeter, who is now an alumnus of the institution, the same value he saw in Waynesburg University as a prospective student four years ago never faded.

“I am extremely thankful for my experience at Waynesburg,” Almeter said.

“I learned so much, especially in all of my exercise science classes. The department has truly set me up for a lifelong passion for health and wellness and I am ready to pass on that passion to others.”

FORENSIC SCIENCE

Stellar student overcomes self-criticism TEGHAN SIMONTON Region Editor

From the beginning, Alex Freiberger has always been a stellar student, and has always made the environment “lighter,” said Dr. Evonne Baldauff, chair of the Chemistry Department.

“It’s fun teaching someone that you know understands exactly what you’re talking about,” Baldauff said. “He’s just a really, really bright, very intelligent student.”

Freiberger, a senior forensic chemistry major with a minor in mathematics, will graduate this year with a job lined up at Carpenter Powder Products and an award from the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh as the Top GPA Student of the year.

When he reflects on his four years at Waynesburg,

however, he doesn’t focus on his success so much as the relationships he built with professors like Baldauff.

He appreciated the opportunity to get to know professors well, the structure of lessons that allowed him to ask questions and the willingness of faculty to take the time to mentor students.

“All of the professors that I’ve had have been incredible,” Freiberger said.

“They’ve all been willing to work with me anytime.”

Frei berger began at Waynesburg with a dual major in forensic science and chemistry, but Baldauff helped him decide to switch to forensic chemistry, he said, which allowed him greater focus for his career.

Freiberger said his education at Waynesburg and his professors really helped him explore all of

his options and prepare for the workforce.

Baldauff first interacted with Freiberger during his freshman year, when he attended a mission trip to Jonesboro, Arkansas, where they volunteered teaching chemistry to a local high school.

Baldauff said she has enjoyed watching Freiberger grow as a student and as a person from that point, to now.

She said that as a freshman, he was really concerned with getting straight As, being the best in class and excelling in every manner possible. He still excels, she said, but now he is able to “take it more in stride.”

“He has kind of a bigger picture, bigger worldview of the purpose of coming, learning and taking that knowledge out with you into your future,” Baldauff said.

Freiberger agreed that when he first entered college, he was much more self-critical. Working with Baldauff and studying at Waynesburg helped him realize his priorities, he said.

“In the last four years, I’ve kind of accepted that I can’t get 100 on everything,” Freiberger said.

“I ’m def initely able to manage time way better, working through school, doing clubs and stuff, trying to relax at the same time.”

Freiberger will be missed Baldauff said.

“Sometimes he’ll just stop by and just tell me how things are going and what’s going on, and I will miss that,” she said. “He’s just very down-to-earth, easy to talk to, very easy to have in class.

He brings a lot of personality with him, and I will miss that.”

“I never thought I was good enough, so I wanted to be better and work harder,” senior Alexandra Lawrence said.

Lawrence, from Bridgeville, Pennsylvania is graduating this year with a major in art and a minor in digital design. Ever since she was in grade school, Lawrence was interested in art, but after not making it into an art class in third grade, L awrence was discouraged, so she said she worked to be the best that she could be and prove to that teacher and to herself that she would be able to accomplish her

getting all your anger out,” Lawrence said.

Throughout her time at Waynesburg, Lawrence discovered her love for creating particular types of art, such as ceramics and pastels, some of which she displayed in her senior exhibit.

L awrence said she would consider her senior art exhibit as her greatest accomplishment at the university. At the exhibit in the Fine Arts Center, Lawrence displayed art pieces she created of her choice. Many were ceramic pieces with animal themes such as mugs with elaborate handles shaped l i ke e l e p h a nt s , b ow l s with butterflies on them

“I never thought I was good enough, so I wanted to be better and work harder.”

ALEXANDRA LAWRENCE

Senior Art Major

goal of being an artist.

When choosing a major for college, she knew she wanted to go into the arts.

She was also interested in playing her sport, softball.

She searched differe nt s c h o o l s a n d p rograms, eventually touring Waynesburg University.

Andrew Heisey, who later became a professor and mentor for L awrence, introduced her to the Fine Arts Department at Waynesburg University.

Lawrence said she decided to attend the university, because she not only liked what she saw in the department, but she liked the small campus and community the university has.

As she became active in softball, one of the challenges she had to overcome was playing the sport while finding time to accomplish her art pieces take classes.

She said, however, that having less time to procrastinate kept her on track with everything she had to do.

In fact, she said her involvement in softball helped her in a lot of ways, such as dealing with stress and taking criticism well.

“Being in season makes me get things done earlier.

It helps my grades. It’s just kind of a healthy way of

or large ceramic giraffes.

The exhibit also included large chalk pastels of cats and dogs, and there were many other categories of art displayed.

Despite her art being displayed, Lawrence said her professors taught her that artwork is never really complete.

“You can always keep working on a piece,” Lawrence said. “So really, none of the pieces are done, it’s just deadlines.”

Ron Jesiolowski, professor of art, said he has seen Lawrence grow immensely in her craft since first coming to Waynesburg, both in confidence and in her understanding of what it means to be an artist.

“From when I f irst worked with Alex, I suspect now over three years, she was a hard worker, focused, passionate and serious about her work while maintaining a good sense of humor,” Jesiolowski said. “She has evolved significantly in developing her eye for quality and her technical skills. Just about every project she undertakes, in my opinion, is significantly better than her last.”

After graduation, Lawrence said she is planning on attaining a job related to her artistic nature, perhaps as a creative innovator.

FINE ARTS

Cellist transformed by international trip to Edinburgh HOLLY HENDERSHOT News Editor

When Ian Goedert first arrived on campus, he wasn’t sure what major might be a fit for him.

He initially chose journalism because of his love for writing, but soon found that his niche was elsewhere: the department of fine arts.

Goedert, graduating with a major in arts administration with a concentration in music, said he came to Waynesburg for the small, close-knit and open environment on campus.

He quickly found fine arts to be a fit because of his love for music and the cello, an instrument Goedert has been playing since he was only 8 years old.

After tapping into that love of music, Dr. Ronda DePriest, professor of instrumental music and

director of the music program, said she continued to see his enthusiasm and engagement toward his work.

“When there’s something new that he didn’t k n o w, h i s e y e s j u s t light up,” DePriest said.

“When he’s engaged, he’s like super-engaged, hyper-engaged, and he just loves fine music.”

Since finding his major, Goedert has encountered many educational and career-oriented opportunities.

The greatest of those opportunities, he said, was a trip he took to Edinburgh, Scotland, which completely transformed him.

There, he was able to work with Roddy Bottum, keyboardist for the band, “Faith No More,” on an opera and worked as a set-up and creative advisor for Michelle Shocked, a Grammy-

nominated musician.

“It’s a really good experience, because you get real world festival management experience and that is really valuable for my chosen career path,” Goedert said.

When Goedert initially came to Waynesburg, he said he was nervous to play his cello in front of a crowd and was timid even when meeting and occasionally talking with people.

After his trip to Edinburgh, however, he and his professors noticed a change.

“Before [the trip], I was kind of shut off and more reserved,” Goedert said.

“But when I went there, it was such an eye-opening personal experience more than anything. I completely changed as a person from that.”

Dr. Xela Batchelder, assistant professor of entertainment and arts

management and Goedert’s advisor, said she saw him come out of his shell and show leadership skills both in Edinburgh and when helping run the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival.

“It was wonderful to see him grow during his time there,” Batchelder said.

Goedert recently performed his senior cello recital as his last performance as a student on campus.

After graduation, he is planning to continue working with the place he has had an internship with, Wake Up on Fi re P ro d u ct i o n s a n d Management, an artist management company.

E v e n t u a l l y, G o e d e r t would like to be working in a high level position in the music industry, as that is what he says he is incredibly passionate about.

Photo courtesy of Ian Goedert

Ian Goedert, a senior arts administration major with a concentration in music, is a passionate cello player.

APRIL 25, 2019

PAGE BB7 NURSING

Student questions initial choice to major in nursing JOE SMELTZER Copy Desk Chief

Mary Beth Cocchi didn’t know much about nursing when she graduated from Mt. Lebanon High School. When she entered Waynesburg Universitiy’s program, one that’s consistently ranked among Pennsylvania’s best, she was overwhelmed at first.

At freshman orientation, Cocchi began to learn what would be expected of her over the next four years. When she started to realize what some of the demands would be, she wasn’t sure if nursing was the right major for her, and wondered if she should move into the department of education instead.

“I actually called my mom up and I [said] ‘mom, I think I should switch majors,’” Cocchi said.

Her mother told her to stick with nursing for at least a semester. Cocchi ended up staying eight semesters, and in 11 days, will finish what she started at Waynesburg University.

O ve r t h e p a s t fo u r years, Cocchi has worked at St. Clair Hospital as a nursing aide and an extern at Washington Hos-

Photo courtesy of Mary Beth Cocchi

Mary Beth Cocchi doubted her choice of major freshman year. Four years later, after standing beside her decision, she has been named one of the best in her department. pital this past summer.

For Cocchi, one of the best things about deciding to stay with nursing is the relationships she has built with her patients; people she often has to work with during their darkest hour.

“I get to spend a whole day with someone when they’re in maybe the worst spot of their lives, and just be there and be able to be a compassionate person,” she said. “I’ve just been impacted so much by the patients I’ve had who have been in really bad situations, but have had such

hope and such joy.”

Cocchi’s first year in the department consisted primarily of completing general education credits. It was as a sophomore, she said, when life as an aspiring nurse started to kick in.

“You kind of get thrown into from freshman year, doing a lot of general education requirements, to your sophomore year you have [three or four] nursing classes,” Cocchi said.

“So, it’s like going from 0 to 100 [miles per hour].”

Sherr y Parsons, in-

FORENSIC SCIENCE

structor of nursing, was with Cocchi throug hout her sophomore year, overseeing her development during clinical. For Parsons, the key to Cocchi getting through that year was finding self-assurance, both in nursing and socially.

“The students really are learning how to adjust to the classes, the testing and the nursing environment [as sophomores],” Parsons said. “So, this is where they’re forming a lot of their nursing relationships with each other and also the instructors.

With Mary Beth, she was trying to learn how to find her role within the nursing department, with her friends, and I think also trying to find her confidence in herself. I think what I saw during her sophomore year was she found that.”

Cocchi added to her responsibilities, as well as her social life, by getting involved with the Student Activities Board, where she’s finishing up her tenure as president.

While SAB adds a lot to Cocchi’s plate, she sees it as a chance to get away from the stresses of her major, and also ensures that she doesn’t procras-

tinate on her assignments.

“It’s been a big distresser for me because it’s nice to go into the office and not have to think about nursing,” she said. “I love nursing, but it sometimes can be a lot, and just going there and being able to put papers into envelopes and running around campus put posters up is just something that’s completely unrelated in the sense of what I’m doing.”

After college, Cocchi will still live in Waynesburg, while working as a registered nurse on a step down cardiac unit at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Dr. Sara Clutter, professor of nursing, is Cocchi’s academic advisor, and is confident that Cocchi’s development at Waynesburg will continue into the professional world because of the increased faith she has in her abilities as a nurse.

“She’s ready,” Clutter said. “I think she’s grown in a lot of confidence in herself, obviously in her nursing knowledge in skills. She’s a well-rounded person. I think she’ll do great in the workforce, and I think she’ll be a re-

ally good nurse.”

For Parsons, Cocchi’s faith in God and commitment to service will set her up for a successful future.

“I believe that she is going to put the lord first, and I believe her service to mankind is what she’s looking to do,” Parsons said. “I believe she knows that she’s not looking for monetary gain. She’s looking for something greater, and that is probably the one thing that I am probably proudest of with her and some of the students in this class… as she keeps striving for that, she will always be successful.”

While Cocchi won’t be far from campus after graduation, the life of seeing her friends every day as a college student is something she will miss after she gets her diploma.

“I’m definitely going to just miss the atmosphere of Waynesburg… I’m going to miss the students and the conversations and the interactions that you can have with pepe on a daily basis,” she said. “Even if they’re not your best friend, you can always sit down and talk to someone… just that community of aspect of Waynesburg.

I’m going to miss a lot.”

PSYCHOLOGY

Involvement on Stanny follows in mother's footsteps campus enables Gearhart to grow RACHEL PELLEGRINO Editorial Assistant

TEGHAN SIMONTON Region Editor

The thing about Jenna Gearhart, said Evonne Baldauff, chair of the Chemistry Department, is that she has always been a “solid, consistent student.”

It’s hard to pinpoint a point of growth or change in the last four years, because Gearhart has been reliable and bright from the very beginning.

“She’s just been the staple person, the go-to,” Baldauff said. “I could always count on Jenna.”

Gearhart, a senior forensic science major with biology and chemistry minors, has always made a point of participating in everything, Baldauff said, and now she has grown to be a leader.

“Jenna is going to be successful wherever she ends up.”

EVONNE BALDAUFF

Chair of the Chemistry Department

Gearhart is president of the campus chapter of the American Chemical Society, vice president of the Forensic Science Club, president of the Gamma Sigma Epsilon chapter of the chemistry honor society and secretary of the student affiliate of the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh. On top of all this, she was a resident advisor for two years, and excelled academically.

Gearhart said getting involved in so many organizations at Waynesburg has helped her develop her confidence and prepare make valuable friendships.

“I feel like I’ve been able to meet and connect with people from every single year,” she said. “Which for me, was a very big accomplishment because I’m naturally very introverted…I feel like it’s helped me really grow.”

This was especially true of her work with the American Chemical Society, Gearhart

said, where she worked with Baldauff, the advisor.

Baldauff said Gearhart was a “joy” to work with, and Gearhart said ACS influenced her more than any other club.

“ACS helped me grow in ways I never knew I had to grow,” Gearhart said. “Looking back, I can’t even imagine who I would be if I wasn’t involved in these organizations.”

Gearhart said she appreciated the broad spectrum of information she was able to study at Waynesburg. She was able to experiment and learn what she was really interested in. During her sophomore year, Gearhart’s academic advisor, Faith Musko, recommended that students start looking into literature research, a requirement for graduation.

Gearhart had no idea what she wanted to study, but soon found herself drawn to articles about entomology, which is the study of insects.

“I absolutely loved reading and learning more about everything in that regard,” Gearhart said.

That’s why after graduation, Gearhart will attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to study entomology. She said her interest in insects, in addition to her desire to work in a lab environment, make the program perfect for her.

Baldauff said she is confident Gearhart will thrive in Tennessee.

“Jenna is going to be successful wherever she ends up, whatever she does,” Baldauff said. “I would hire her in an instant.”

Overall, Gearhart said she is grateful for her time at Waynesburg University and for all she’s learned.

“I’ve loved Waynesburg,” Gearhart said. “If I had to start over, I would still choose to come here.”

As for Baldauff, she will miss Gearhart’s upbeat attitude and dedication to going above and beyond.

“I’m so sad that she’s graduating,” Baldauff said.

“I’ll probably never have another Jenna.”

When describing Jaime Stanny, psychology professor, Keith Rieder, not only points out her academic success but her desire to always want to help.

He reminisced about a time when the psychology club had an event at his house and Stanny stepped up to assist with preparations. “[The psychology club members] were showing up one night and my wife and I [were] working on getting some food ready,” he said. “The next thing I know, Jaime is right in there working on it.She’s not going to let someone do something that she’s not helping with.”

Stanny is a senior psycholog y major wi th a minor in counseling and child development. She came into Waynesburg undecided, which made choosing a college difficult for her.

“I didn’t have a major when I got here. I didn’t

declare until the end of m y s o p h o m o r e ye a r,” Stanny said. “I came in undecided. So, it was really hard for me to pick a college because normally you pick based on program.

What I think was really important to me was that I picked somewhere that felt like home.”

She found out about Waynesburg through her mom, who is a pastor and took a BMS course through the school.

“She knew about it and ironically when she told me ‘baby, you should go to Waynesburg’ [I said] ‘I’m not going to your college mom. I’m my own person,’” Stanny remembered.

Ironically, Stanny ended up choosing Waynesburg out of her f inal three choices, and has become, as she puts it, a “jack of all trades.”

“There’s not necessarily one thing that I’m good at,” she said. “But I like to try everything.”

Throughout her four years at Waynesburg, she has been involved in ‘WU’s Line is it Anyway’ , Ortho-

dox Christian Fellowship Club and Newman Club.

Stanny started attending WU’s line practices freshman year, but didn’t join the cast until her sophomore year. Her experiences with WU’s line over the years have been enjoyable.

“I auditioned sophomore year and I got main cast. And I’ve gotten main cast ever since,” Stanny said. “It’s really fun. I really like doing [it].”

Aside from school related activities, Stanny has also found interest in painting, music and traveling.

W hat’s led to her achievements in these activities and school is her attitude toward success.

“I consider performing to the best of your ability a responsibility- not an accomplishment,” she said.

Because of this, she feels her biggest accomplishment at Waynesburg is t is her personal and emotional growth. Her professors attest to this and applaud her on her

work.

Michele Karpathian, a psychology professor, looked forward to seeing Stanny in her class last year. “ W hen Jaime was in my history of psychology class, I just used to look forward to going into class [and] seeing what she was going to come up with because her answers were really really good,” Karpathian said.

Rieder also attested to this and said she is “an excellent student” and has a “bright future” ahead of her if she continues to pursue psychology into graduate school, where she plans on going after college.

Stanny will be attending graduate school at Franciscan University, where she got accepted into their Masters of Mental Health and Counseling Program.

She isn’t sure what type of clinical psychology she will be going into, but she will continue to do what she does best, help people.

HISTORY

Branning makes the most of two years EMMA HERRLE

For The Yellow Jacket

She has mastered going with the flow. That doesn’t mean her current of determination and will-power isn’t bubbling with fervor as she dives head first into the archives of museum collections she works and the vast array of topics she takes keen interest in.

“She’s someone who takes an interest in something and really goes after it,” Dr. William Batchelder, professor of history, said.

Senior public history major Tabitha Branning is an atypical student of Waynesburg University, but nonetheless an outstanding one. As a transfer student, her educational path was not quite straight forward. However, she was able to take life one step at a time and make the most of a memorable two years in Waynesburg.

Branning transferred to Waynesburg as a junior after spending two years studying at Bucks County Community College. There, she was recognized on the Academic Dean’s List, Presidential List and as a member of the Honors Society for Leaders and Success. She’s received many scholarships upon transferring to Waynesburg thanks to her academic excellence and is in the process of being nominated for Waynesburg’s chapter of the National History Honors Society, Phi Alpha Theta.

Some of her most influential moments occurred on service trips in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Antietam, Maryland. Speaking with collections specialists on these trips has helped her to hear the calling of her future career.

“The opportunities to speak to these people have forced me to go outside of

my comfort zone and remain professional,” Branning said.

She hopes to one day manage museum collections and oversee their storage and care.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting into the department and the various opportunities that have arisen over the course of these two years that I never would have imagined would come my way,” Branning said.

Her extensive engagement with opportunities such as these represents her desire to learn.

Waynesburg University Professor and Librarian, John Thompson quickly picked up on this quality characteristic of hers.

In Thompson’s Intro to New Testament Greek class, Branning is “one of my students who really responds well to new approaches to things,” Thompson said.

He was particularly impressed by her curiosity and

pursuit of knowledge during class trips to Greek Orthodox churches.

“It’s encouraging to have a student who takes things seriously. She’s one of those types of students who takes an idea and follows through with it,” Thompson said.

After graduation, she hopes to take a year off to prepare before pursuing a graduate program. She can see herself doing some type of museum work, specifically as a collections specialist, or even working for a historical library in the future.

Her professors place faith in her inquisitiveness and ambition to learn as it propels her to achieve her goals, no matter what they are.

“She thinks well, she writes well, she asks questions and she takes initiative,” Thompson said. “She’s going to be able to learn with the people she’s working with no matter where she goes.”

PAGE BB8

APRIL 25, 2019 M AT H E M AT I C S

NURSING

Brooks appreciates time as commuter Very tall nursing major sets tall goals for future EDWARD BOICE Op/Ed Editor

Caitlin Brooks wanted to move away from her hometown of Waynesburg as soon as she could when she became an adult; that was, until she visited Waynesburg University.

“I was blind to what was up here. It was so separate and different that I wish I would have known how much good was up here for so long,” Brooks said.

Originally, Brooks, mathematics major and computer science minor, didn’t want to even visit the local university. After some convincing from her mother, Brooks relented, and she wasn’t disappointed.

“The people were different,” she said. “There’s a special type of people who worked at Waynesburg. I felt like a lot of the other schools just tell you how great their school was and how much they cared about their students” While she visited math departments during college tours, she wasn’t sure what to major in. After guidance and deliberation, she decided to go with the major she’s always excelled at.

“People look at me and say ‘you study math, what’s

JOE SMELTZER Copy Desk Chief

Photo courtesy of Mitchell Kendra

Caitlin Brooks explores her passion in both mathematics and writing. wrong with you?’ I just really like how math is the same everywhere… It’s not an opinion based field.

Math is just math wherever you [go],” Brooks said.

She kept excelling in her major, eventually becoming a member of the mathematics honor society, Kappa Mu Epsilon.

James Bush, professor of mathematics, said Brooks will be sorely missed at the department.

“She’s one of those rare types of students with outstanding analytic abilities and writing abilities,” Bush

said. “...She could be an asset to any major corporation in terms of not only her writing and mathematical skills, but her leadership skills.”

Math isn’t Brooks’ only academic focus. Creative writing has always been one of Brooks’ interests too. She works at the Writing Center and enrolls in literature courses to practice and explore writing.

“Writing was another passion of mine I lost for a bit, especially in high s c h o o l ,” B r o o k s s a i d .

“Coming in my freshmen

year, [director of the writing center] Jill Sunday was [one of] my teachers. It rekindled my love for it.”

Now a senior, Brooks is focusing on life after college.. While she doesn’t have a job ready for her to start, she does have an idea of where she wants to be.

“I feel I am a well rounded person. So, if I can do the math, but I can also communicate and write, I feel I could could be relied upon in many companies,” Brooks said. “That’s my ultimate goal, is to work for a bigger company.”

HISTORY

Four years shape Schultz-Falandes EMMA HERRLE

For The Yellow Jacket

Her eyes are set on the future of her career and country, and her nose is pressed firmly into a book. Olivia Schultz-Falandes, senior history and political science major, embodies determination and diligence as an outstanding senior student representing the Department of History for her graduating class.

“Determination demonstrates her,” said Dr. William Batchelder, professor of history. “She’s someone who’s very much directed toward getting on top of opportunities and pursuing them.”

Her resume is no short stack and reflects the words of her professor.

Schultz-Falandes is both academically strong and active in several organizations on campus. She serves as president of Waynesburg’s Chapter of The National His-

tory Honors Society, Phi Alpha Theta, a member of the student senate and a Stover Scholar with the Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership. She also plans to graduate with honors and has faithfully made the Academic Deans’ List for each of her eight semesters at Waynesburg University.

For Schultz-Falandes, studiously seeking historical knowledge and political philosophy has always been more than just an assignment. It is a genuine enjoyment of hers.

“For me, it was actually fun to crack open a textbook or read a monograph on a particular subject,” she said. “I literally have stacks upon stacks of books in my room. I don’t know how I’m going to lug all of them home at the end of the year!”

She has a special appreciation of how past events and ideologies impact our

ever evolving society.

“The study of history has a moral component to it that extends outside of the library” Schultz-Falandes said.

As history has shaped society, so four years at Waynesburg University has shaped her.

Though she always knew where her general interests lie, she said her experience as a student has been a compilation of small, trivial events that have pushed her in one way or another towards her specific passions.

Being a Stover Scholar had a significant impact on her.

“The program made me realize, if I wanted to be an engaged and well-rounded student and citizen, I needed to have an intricate understanding of historical facets of the country as well as the political and legal elements,” Schultz-Falandes said.

Dr. Lawrence Stratton, director of the Stover Scholars Program, was a source

of fuel for her educational endeavors.

“It’s really hard to think that it was four years ago when I met him on the beginning of my journey. He has a lot of passion and enthusiasm in teaching his students and wants to see them engage the world in wholesome and productive ways,” Schultz-Falandes said.

Schultz-Falandes plans to attend Hillsdale College in the fall in Hillsdale, Michigan.

There, she will take part in a two year program, the Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship.

Batchelder assured her success as she presses on after graduation.

“Olivia is laser focused on exactly what she needs to do and the steps she needs to take,” Batchelder said.

“She’s going to make a serious commitment to scholarship and make herself into a scholar whose work is interesting to read.”

The most noticeable thing about Jonah Cooper from a physical standpoint, according to Dr. Sara Clutter, professor of nursing, is that he’s “very tall.”

Cooper is a 6’4” nursing major/tennis player at Waynesburg University.

He’s the tallest person on his team, and is likely the tallest person in his department as well.

Despite his imposing height, Cooper’s personality is gentle, and that’s served him well as an aspiring nurse, Clutter said.

“For as tall as he is, he has a good bedside manner,” Clutter said. “I had the pleasure of watching him in clinical.”

Next Sunday, Cooper will graduate from Waynesburg with a nursing degree. The reason he chose the school to begin with, Cooper remembers, is because he wanted a college that was small enough to where he’d be able to have relationships with his professors and vice versa. Nearly four years after arriving on campus, he feels the university has allowed him to make those connections.

“I wanted professors to know me, and I wanted to know my professors,” Cooper said. “And that’s just what I’ve had [at Waynesburg].”

“He brought a level of enthusiasm and engagement.”

DR. SARA CLUTTER

Professor of Nursing

Coopers relationship with his professors is solid to the point where he said he’s prayed with them during times where he’s faced an important life decision.

In addition to nursing, Clutter had Cooper as a mentor for her Fiat Lux class. With his pearly white smile and laid back personality, Cooper was able to ease the freshman into the college life, Clutter said.

“He brought a level of enthusiasm and engagement for the rest of the freshman,” she said. “He really was able

to get them engaged in the class, and the class clicked really well. I think he’s quite instrumental in mentoring a lot of those freshman.”

Being a student-athlete in the nursing department has brought about challenges for Cooper that others in his department don’t have to face.

“I’ve had to do a lot of studying in the [tennis] van,” he said. “So, it can be stressful.”

After college, Cooper won’t be working too far away from his alma mater. This past November, he locked down a job as a cardiovascular intensive care unit nurse at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia. For Cooper, having a degree from Waynesburg will give him and his peers an advantage over graduates from other nursing programs.

“I interviewed at UPMC for an internship, and 80 percent of the interviewers had a connection with Waynesburg,” he said.

“Waynesburg’s very well respected in that regard… I love that people in this area prefer Waynesburg nurses, just because we definitely are put through our rigors.”

For Clutter, Cooper is set for a successful future in the field of nursing because of his consistently positive attitude.

“He looks for the good,” Clutter said. “He doesn’t look for the stressed or the bad. I think that will serve him well in health care. I think he’s able to see individual differences that are pluses and unique things for individuals, but he’s able to recognize those.”

W hile Cooper chose Waynesburg for the faculty aspect, he also developed bonds with students both within the nursing department, and on the tennis team. The tight-knit aspect of Waynesburg is one thing Cooper found unique and special about Waynesburg.

“I found community in the nursing classes,” he said.

“Great students and great friends came from that. I found community in tennis, and then I found community in just the stuff I do every day… It’s cool how you just have these different pockets of friends that you’re blessed with on campus.”

PSYCHOLGOY

Childhood experience changes the life of student forever RACHEL PELLEGRINO Editorial Assistant

Trauma.

This one word has had a huge impact on the life of Casey Zadinski, senior psychology major with a minor in counseling.

“My mom was an alcoholic,” she said. “For the first seven years of my life, I lived almost solely with her and her disease made it so that she valued alcohol and her own numbing capacities over my life.”

Zadinski said she went throug h a lot of life threatening situations and saw a lot of things that someone at her age should not have seen.

Because she encountered these experiences at such an early age, she deals with many repercussions.

“Because it was at such an early age it changed my brain development and it makes relationships hard for me because the first relationship I had in my life was with a woman that could or could not

care about me, depending on the day,” Zadinski said.

After seven years of living with her mom, Zadinski’s father gained custody of her. Although this removed her from the situation, she said she still experiences trauma from it on a daily basis.

This has inspired her to become a trauma counselor.

“I think right now my ultimate goal would be to work with trauma victims,” Zadinski said.

“I think that more people need to be working with trauma because it is chronic in our society.”

CASEY ZADINSKI

Senior psychology major

She believes the issue of trauma should be discussed to a greater extent. “I don’t think that it’s talked about it enough,

and I think that a lot more research needs to be done into trauma,” she said. “I think that more people need to be working with t rau m a b e c au s e i t i s chronic in our society, so many people are dealing with it.”

Zadinski said a lot of victims are not only misdiagnosed but mistreated, so she would “love to advocate and work in the field with them.”

Through her time at Waynesburg, Zadinski has gotten help for her own trauma through the counseling department. “[It] helped me understand my disorder and work through my disorder and actively on a daily basis try and live with it.”

Despite suffering from trauma and being the first person to go to college in her immediate family, Zadinski doesn’t let anything stand in her way of succeeding in school and her activities.

“Casey is very academically oriented and very focused on her goals,” Keith Rieder, professor of psy-

Mattie Winowitch, The Yellow Jacket

Casey Zadinski's past experience of trauma drove her passion in her field of study. chology, said.

He also said she is an “outstanding student,” who has a desire to help and care about people.

One way Zadinski does this is through being the President of the Peer Leaders group on campus.

This program seeks to educate students on issues such as mental health.

In addition to being a

part of this group she is also a Muse & Stone poetry editor, member o Psychology Club, member of the Jubilee Leadership team, and a member of Psi Chi, the psychology national honor society.

Michele Karpathian, professor of pysch, described Zadinski as a “very strong young women,” who is going to do great

in whatever she ends up doing.

As of now, Zadinski plans to take a gap year before starting graduate school. During this year, she will work as a TSS. “I’ll probably do TSS work, which is therapeutic staff support,” Zadinski said. “So, I’ll probably be working with kids with autism or behavioral disorders just to get experience in the field before I head to grad school just in case I want to specialize in anything.”

Even though Zadinski said she would love to work with trauma victims such as veterans, traumatized kids or “battered women,” she plans on keeping an open mind when entering graduate school.

“I honestly could end up anywhere. I haven’t really experienced the field for all it has to offer.” Zadinski said.

Whatever she decides, Rieder said she has a “really bright future” ahead of her if she pursues it in graduate school.

sports SECTION CC

APRIL 25, 2019 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

CHAMPIONSHIP READY

Photo courtesy of Ashley Hall

Junior Katie Jones will compete in the steeplechase during the PAC Championship meet April 25-26.

Women's track & field program with opportunity to claim fourth consecutive outdoor title MATT MANSFIELD For The Yellow Jacket

Spring is slowly but surely turning into summer, which means track season is almost over. The Waynesburg University women’s track & field team has just one meet left which will include its entire team. That meet is largest one of the season, the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship at Grove City College running from April 25-26.

The women won the title last year and will try to defend the title, but after losing the indoor title this winter, the Yellow Jackets are no longer the favorites.

“I wasn’t sure how outdoor would shape up after indoor season, but

points are shaping up in our favor,” said head coach Michelle Cross.

The Yellow Jackets found themselves in an awkward position this season. They were the returning champions, but lost many scorers from prior championship teams.

But Cross said the team also brought in a number of young athletes that are talented enough to defend those titles.

The loss during indoor season was tough, but there are some things that could benefit Waynesburg during the PAC Championships. One major factor is having the meet spread across two days, on Thursday and Friday.

“I knew outdoor would be best for us because our team lacks depth. We are smaller than we have

been in past years, so having an extra day of rest for our athletes will play into our favor,” said Cross.

When it comes to scoring, the Jackets will look to their distance runners to rack up points, as they traditionally have. The distance squad is a relatively young bunch, but coach Cross trusts them.

“They have been really good this year. We definitely can rely on the freshmen to score. It’s just difficult because their events cause a lot of fatigue,” said Cross.

Cross believes Aubrey Wingeart will be competing to win in multiple events.

“Aubrey has been strong all year.

She has been flying in the 1500, so CHAMPS >> CC4

2019 PAC Championship Preseason Poll Men 1. Geneva 2. Wash. & Jeff.

3. Grove City 4. Westminster 5. Waynesburg 6. Saint Vincent 7. Bethany 8. Thiel 9. Chatham

Women 1. Westminster 2. Waynesburg 3. Grove City 4. Chatham 5. Geneva 6. Wash. & Jeff.

7. Bethany 8. Saint Vincent 9. Thiel

Softball splits Geneva home series Conference adds Franciscan as 10th WU commits 8 errors in conference team game 2 loss BRANDON ROSSI

MIKE TRAX

For The Yellow Jacket

For The Yellow Jacket

The Waynesburg University softball team (7-23, 3-8) competed in Presidents’ Athletic Conference play as they took on the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes (16-15, 6-5) in a doubleheader Monday afternoon.

Before the first game, both teams gathered together to honor close ones who have battled cancer in their life.

The Yellow Jackets then went onto split the doubleheader with the Golden Tornadoes, winning the first game, 1-0.

Senior pitcher Courtney Messenger (4-10) led the Yellow Jackets on the mound in both games.

In the first game, Messenger allowed four hits with no walks, which was enough to hold the Golden Tornadoes scoreless.

For Geneva, freshman pitcher Nicole West (3-7) threw a complete game, giving up four hits and walking one batter.

The only run scored in game one came from senior first baseman Alex Lawrence who hit a solo homerun in the second inning.

Dave Miller, ADM Photography

Alex Lawrence went 2-5 in the doubleheader against Geneva with an RBI and a walk.

Lawrence has a .361 batting average so far this season with 11 RBI's.

Junior catcher Rachel Skon credits the victory to the team’s defense and Messenger’s pitching.

“The first game we were solid on defense especially when it came to Messenger,” said Skon. “After Lawrence

hit the homer to give us the lead, we kept fighting on GENEVA >> CC3

For many years, Waynesburg University and Franciscan University have played non-conference games in several sports.

Starting in the 2020-21 school year, however, they will become conference rivals.

The Presidents’ Athletic Conference announced April 16 Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio will become the tenth fulltime member of the conference.

This is the f irst time the PAC added a full member since Chatham University and Geneva College joined the league in 2007.

“This culminates a yearlong process for us,” said PAC commissioner Joe Onderko. “We got to know [Franciscan] when it came in for lacrosse this past year.”

Franciscan, who comes from the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Confer-

ence, joined the PAC as an aff iliate member in both women’s and men’s lacrosse.

However, many would argue that this move would not have been possible for two reasons.

Firstly, there was a rule in the PAC by-laws that prohibit teams without football programs to join the league.

“There was a concern for many years that if [the PAC] did not have football, that [schools] would use the resources on other sports to create an uneven p l a y i n g f i e l d ,” Onderko said.

“The idea is by requiring football for everybody, everybody is on the same playing field. [The law] was consummated April 11 during our Presidents’ meeting.”

That moves to point number two: Chatham’s PAC >> CC2

PAGE CC2

APRIL 25, 2019

Jackets exceed expectations at meet Men's program aims to take top 4 at championship LUKE GOODLING Sports Editor

This past week, the women’s and men’s track & f ield programs from Waynesburg University competed in one of their smallest meets this season.

Despite the size, it was a critical meet for Waynesburg.

Head coach Michelle Cross said she used to treat the Bethany-John Falconi Invitational as a ‘tune-up’ for the track & field programs before the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships, which used to take place on the Friday and Saturday following the meet.

Since the PAC moved the conference championship meets back a day, it’s given Cross’ athletes less time to recover for the most important meet of the year.

Now, the invitational is primarily reserved for the athletes Cross feels need more practice, another chance for a better seed time or a

PAC Continued from CC1 inclusion 12 years ago. “[Chatham] doesn’t have football but it has men’s and women’s ice hockey,” Onderko said.

Despite Chatham University not having a football team, its athletic program just witnessed its first PAC championship in the first 12 years with the conference. The argument made was that the other sports that many other schools don’t have (i.e.

to gain a few spots in the conference this year, the team will have to exceed The last time the men’s expectations. This year, outdoor track & field pro- the PAC preseason polls gram placed within the picked Waynesburg to top-four at the f inish sixth in Presidents’ Aththe conference. letic Conference While sixth is Championships an improvewas in 2015. Jument from the nior jumper Mike seventh-place Trax believes finish last year, this might be the head coach Miyear the program chelle Cross snaps the dry wants more for spell. the program. “ [ We wa nt] Trax “I def initely to just improve think we can do from last year,” Trax said. that,” Cross said. “It’s just “I think last year we might continuing to make strides have gotten seventh, but I and show improvement. A think the aim is we want good portion of our team fourth place this year. We is freshman and sophojust need to keep improv- mores so its just building ing the team and just giv- that base of what you want ing it our all.”

While the program aims TRAX >> CC4

LUKE GOODLING Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of Connor Tibbe

Sophomore Nate Jacelin is part of a young core that will look to improve upon last year's seventh place finish at PAC's. rehabilitation assignment for injured athletes. “ We still have a few people where we were like, ‘they could probably use one more competition,’” Cross said. “So, we just

keep that on our schedule to take the people who we were like, ‘ok they could use one more event that.

That would probably be beneficial for them.’”

Katie Jones, a junior dis-

tance runner, was one runner Cross picked to compete in the invitational due to an injury that’s kept her out of most meets this year.

Chatham’s hockey teams and Franciscan’s rugby teams) create a balance in spending.

Franciscan’s inclusion also resolved two more problems.

The first was the short commute for PAC schools compared with the distance to Thomas More University. In comparison, Waynesburg University is less than 60 miles away from Franciscan University of Steubenville, where before Waynesburg teams would have to travel nearly 300 miles to get to Thomas More, located near Cincinnati.

“The only thing that really hurt with Thomas More was the distance to

“Thomas More was excellent in a lot of sports, but even with Franciscan’s track & field, softball and basketball teams, they will be very competitive.”

Secondly, with Franciscan bolstering the Presidents’ Athletic Conference back to 10 full-time members, scheduling becomes much easier and helps with NCA A tournament bids, which in turn boosts the stock of the PAC. “When you have 9 teams, it always offsets one team and now this won’t be the case,” Onderko said. “Even with Franciscan and Chatham not having football

“This has been a really exciting year for the PAC. We are doing just fine without Thomas More...”

JOE ONDERKO

PAC Commissioner

get there,” said Waynesburg University Athletic Director Larry Marshall.

TRACK >> CC4

teams, it balances out the football schedule, too, with Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western Reserve University being affiliate members in football.”

Bottom line, Franciscan University of Steubenville brings a lot to the table.

The Barons boast a rugby team, something that no other school in the PAC has.

In addi tion, 80% of Franciscan’s student population comes from outside the Ohio Valley. Many of Fr a n c i s c a n’s s t u d e nt s come from states such as California, Florida and Texas.

Finally, the announcement has generated a lot of positive buzz from both the school and the rest of the conference.

“This has been a really exciting year for the PAC,” Onderko said. “We are doing just fine without Thomas More in the conference, the excitement has been at an alltime high, and the baseball, softball and lacrosse championships coming up should be great with the enthusiasm there being as high as I’ve ever seen it. I think [Franciscan’s addition] will patch things up nicely.

PRESIDENTS’ ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ROUNDUP BASEBALL STANDINGS

W&J Grove City Waynesburg

Bethany Thiel Saint Vincent Westminster Geneva Chatham

SOFTBALL Conf. Overall 17-1 22-9 12-5 22-11 11-6 17-14 12-8 22-11 12-9 16-7 9-8 17-14 6-11 11-18 1-16 6-21 1-17 4-26

Tuesday's Box Score

Waynesburg 8, Westminster 2 Westminster 000 110 000 2 9H 4E Waynesburg 001 006 100 8 10H 1E

RECENT RESULTS

Saturday, April 20: W&J 12, Geneva 4; W&J 8, Geneva 0; Bethany 4, Chatham 3; Bethany 7, Chatham4.

Monday, April 22: Bethany 2, Grove City 2; Thiel 6, Westminster 2

STANDINGS

Saint Vincent Geneva Thiel Grove City Westminster W&J Bethany Chatham Waynesburg

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

LACROSSE Conf. Overall 11-1 23-11 7-5 17-15 8-6 15-23 7-7 13-12 7-7 14-16 5-7 14-18 5-7 8-20 5-9 11-19 3-9 7-23

Saturday's box score

STANDINGS

Westminster W&J Franciscan Thiel Saint Vincent Bethany Chatham Waynesburg

Conf. Overall 5-0 10-2 4-1 6-7 3-1 6-5 3-2 8-6 2-3 2-7 1-3 3-9 1-4 4-8 0-5 0-12

Wednesdays's Box Score

Waynesburg 1, Geneva 9 Geneva 200 034 9 9H 0E Waynesburg 000 010 1 6H 8E

RECENT RESULTS

Saturday, April 20: Chatham 5, Thiel 0; Chatham 9,Thiel 7.

Monday, April 22: Bethany 1, Franciscan 0; Franciscan 11, Bethany 2; Waynesburg 1, Geneva 0; Geneva 9,

Westminster 21, Waynesburg 5 Waynesburg 0 5 5 Westminster 16 5 21

RECENT RESULTS

Thursday, Apro; 18: W&J 15, Bethany 3; Chatham 27, Mount St. Joseph 22.

Wednesday, April 17: Westminster 21, Waynesburg 5.

Waynesburg 1.

UPCOMING GAMES UPCOMING GAMES

Wednesday, April 24: Westminster at Saint Vincent, 3 p.m.; Grove City at Waynesburg, 3 p.m.; Bethany at Geneva, 4 p.m.; Bethany at Geneva, 4 p.m.; Frostburg State at W&J, 4 p.m.

Friday, April 26: Saint Vincent at Waynesburg, 3 p.m.; Geneva at Chatham, 4 p.m.; Grove City at W&J, 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 24: Waynesburg at W&J, 7 p.m.

UPCOMING GAMES

Wednesday, April 24: Geneva at Thiel (DH), 3:30 p.m.; Westminster at Allegheny (DH), 3:30 p.m.

Thuesday, April 25: Saint Vincent at Bethany (DH), 3:30 p.m.; W&J at Waynesburg (DH), 3:30 p.m.; Franciscan at Geneva (DH), 4 p.m.

Saturday, April 27: W&J at Grove City (DH), 1 p.m.; Waynesburg at Saint Vincent (DH), 1 p.m.; Westminster at Bethany (DH), 1 p.m.; Chatham at Geneva (DH), 1 p.m.; Thomas More at Thiel (DH), 1 p.m.

MEN

MEN

Bethany, John Falconi Invitational

Bethany, John Falconi Invitational

100 Meter: Abigail Caldwell, West Liberty, 12.77 200 Meter: Abigail Caldwell, West Liberty, 26.46

100 Meter: Keyohn Thompson, Bethany, 11.22 200 Meter: Ethan Secrist, West Liberty, 22.27

400 Meter: Grace Chambers, Bethany, 1:00.51

400 Meter: Craig James, Franciscan, 51.70

800 Meter: Rebecca Volz, Waynesburg, 2:27.23

800 Meter: Wil Bailey, 1:58.27

1500 Meter: Shaye Beckett, Cal U, 5:10.51

1500 Meter: Blake Ristau, Cal U, 4:19.11

5,000 Meter: Beth Flanagan, Franciscan, 21:30.94

5000 Meter: Nicholas Long, Franciscan 17:52.54

High Jump: Leighanna Frantz, Bethany, 1.52m

400 Meter Hurdle: Blake McKnight, Cal U, 1:00. 57

Long Jump: Abigail Caldwell, West Liberty, 5.22m Shot Put: Lauren Dickerson, Wheeling Jesuit, 12.54m

3,000 Meter Steeplechase: Nicholas Long, Franciscan, 10:02.64 High Jump: Malik Ellis, Bethany, 1.90m

Discus: Lauren Dickerson, Wheeling Jesuit, 44.33m

Pole Vault: Nathaniel Wheeler, Wheeling Jesuit, 4.60m

Javelin: Jordan Simpson, Waynesburg, 34.75m

Long Jump: Malik Ellis, Bethany, 6.48m Shot Put: Alexander Presley, 17.44m

Thursday, April 25: Bethany at Franciscan, 3 p.m.

Saturday, April 27: Bethany at Westminster, 22:30 a.m.; Waynesburg at Francsican, 12 p.m.; Thiel at W&J, 12 p.m.; Saint Vincent at Chatham, 3 p.m.

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD

NEXT MEET: Thursday, April 5 - Friday, April 26 at Grove City

Discus: Alexander Presley, 50.33m Javelin: Roman Lessard, Waynesburg, 51.18m NEXT MEET: Thursday, April 5 - Friday, April 26 at Grove City

YELLOW JACKET ATHLETES OF THE WEEK Tyler Reis, Baseball Aubrey Wingeart, Track & Field

PAC BASEBALL LEADERS

PAC SOFTBALL LEADERS

RBI: Nick Fowkes, THI - 44

RBI: Vanessa Falce, THI - 33 RBII

WINS: Ben Marsico, WJC - 7

WINS: Celia Knappenberger, SVC - 12W

ERA: Mason Miller, WAY, 1.61

ERA: Celia Knappenberger, SVC - 1.73

Batting AVG: Nick fowkes, THI - .463

Batting AVG: Leah Woytek, THI, .475

GREENE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP Jefferson-Morgan

Carmichaels

Mapletown

Waynesburg Central

West Greene

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

Baseball

4/17 Monessen 11, Jefferson Morgan 5

4/18 Carmichaels 11, Bentworth 1

4/17 West Greene 12, Mapletown 3

4/17 Beth-Center 4, Waynesburg 3

4/18 West Greene 31, Hundred 3

4/23 Jefferson Morgan Vs. West Greene, 4:15 p.m.

4/23 Carmichaels at Chartiers Houston, 4 p.m.

4/23 West Greene at Hundred, 5 p.m.

4/23 Waynesburg at Keystone Oaks, 4 p.m.

4/25 Jefferson Morgan at Mapletown, 4:15 p.m.

4/25 Waynesburg Vs. Fort Cherry

4/25 Carmichaels Vs. Burgettstown, 4:15 p.m.

4/25 West Greene Vs. Jefferson Morgan, 4:15 p.m.

4/23 West Greene at Jefferson Morgan, 4:15 p.m.

Softball

Softball

Softball

4/18 Jefferson Morgan 8, Monessen 3

4/18 Carmichaels 12, Uniontown 0

4/22 Mapletown 12, Monessen 5

4/23 Jefferson Morgan vs Avella, 4:15 p.m.

4/23 Carmichaels vs Frazier, 4:15 p.m.

4/23 Mapletown vs California, 4:15 p.m.

4/23 Waynesburg vs Southmoreland, 4 p.m.

4/25 Jefferson Morgan at California, 4 p.m.

4/25 Carmichaels at Charleroi, 4 p.m.

4/25 Mapletown at West Greene, 4 p.m.

4/25 Waynsburg at South Park, 4 p.m.

Softball 4/22 Waynesburg 5, Keystone Oaks 12

4/25 West Greene Vs. California, 4 p.m.

Softball 4/18 West Greene 11, Chartieres-Houston 9 4/23 West Greene vs Monessen, 3 p.m.

4/25 West Greene vs Mapletown, 4 p.m.

sports spotlight SECTION C

APRIL 25, 2019 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG BASEBALL

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Transfer student home at WU baseball Starre leads

Yellow Jackets in her final year

DYLAN CLELAND

Assistant Sports Editor

The college experience for senior baseball player Tyler Godwin hasn’t been the traditional route. Godwin, however, hasn’t allowed the curveballs in college to take away from his passion for the game on the diamond.

The fifth-year senior chose to exercise his final year of eligibility by returning to Waynesburg for a fifth year of academic classes and his fourth and final as a member of the baseball team. A transfer, who spent his first two semesters of college at two different schools (Marietta College and CCAC) said he knew right away Marietta wasn’t the right place.

“There is a lot that went into my decision to transfer, but I think the biggest thing is that I realized quickly that it wasn’t a good fit [at Marietta] in an overall aspect,” said Godwin. “From a baseball perspective I knew I wasn’t going to get a chance to play until my junior year and I wanted to be somewhere that I knew I would have a chance to play potentially all four years.”

During the transfer process, Godwin spent one semester at CCAC, but then looked at local schools, and discovered Waynesburg.

“Waynesburg just kind of fell into my lap because I had a connection with Lanny Frattare and he’d asked me to come check out the school and he put me in contact with Coach Humiston,” said Godwin. “I came to campus, had a good feel about it, one that I didn’t have at Cal U or Point Park. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and thought it felt like home.”

Godwin began his studies at Waynesburg in the fall of 2015 and played his first season with the Yellow Jacket baseball team the following spring. Still working to develop his game, Godwin knew he had room to grow

Jones watched Starre grow over her time into what he describes as a “pass Competition drives some first” point guard. athletes and passion for the “Monica is a pass first individual sport that the point guard, so it took two athlete plays adds a lot to years, but we finally conthe reason for playing in vinced her she would be a others, and for women’s better passer if she’d shoot basketball senior Monica more,” said Jones. “Which Starre it’s a mixseems counterture of both. intuitive but with “I love competthe scouting and ing, I love workquality of coaching at something es in our conferso you can have a ence, teams were goal and work tositting on her to wards that,” said pass which led Starre. “I love beto unnecessary ing on a team in turnovers. So, the fact of it’s not when she started all on you, you to shoot more have to work toStarre not only did it gether. I just love basketball help our team and make us itself, all of the plays and more versatile, but it made little things you can do to her a better passer. As she help your team that people developed as a scorer, she don’t always notice.” became better at the things Starre returned to her she was already good at and hometown of Jewlett, Ohio Monica is a point guard, during the summer in be- but she’s tied for sixth for tween her freshman and all-time lead in rebounds, sophomore year of college so she’s always been a pheat Waynesburg wanting to nomenal rebounder.” improve her game.

Stepping away from the Partially, because she felt game will not be easy for that during her first year at Starre who averaged 11.9 Waynesburg, she just wasn’t PPG and 9.1 RPG in her seready to be a leader. nior season.

“I think what has kept my The part she thinks will passion really alive is after be the most difficult to go freshman year I came back without: playing on gameand knew I needed to be a days. better leader this year, but “Playing…just going and I didn’t want to just lead in having gamedays and combasketball,” said Starre. “I peting in the games,” said want to help my teammates Starre. “You always get a become the best women little nervous before games, that they can be, especially but I love being able to box this year I tried the best that out and do all those little I could to help everyone things and give my heart. grow as women on and off In the middle of games, you

DYLAN CLELAND Assistant Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of Emily Nordstrom

After spending time at Marietta College and CCAC, senior Tyler Godwin is now batting at an average of.326 and 16 RBIs in his final season. as a student athlete.

“I knew right away I was going to have to work for a spot, there were already a couple of outfielders that were returners from the year prior, but I knew it was going to be a battle,” said Godwin. “I knew I had to really work for it to solidify that and make sure I was going to find myself getting reps.”

And after the first season that saw Godwin work his way from a bench player into the starting lineup, Godwin realized that he had finally made the right choice by transferring to Waynesburg.

“I knew right away that I was happier here, I was enjoying the atmosphere that the baseball team created,” said Godwin. “A lot of the guys that came in as freshman or transfers that year as well, I mixed in well with them and met some of my best friends in that year and they’re still my best friends to this day. It was a really good atmosphere to be a part of.”

Fighting through the transfer process and finding his fit in college, head baseball coach Mike Humiston said it helped Godwin develop into the strong leader he is today.

“I’ve seen more of a leader develop over the time that he’s been here more than anything,” said Humiston.

“That’s not to say he hasn’t developed into a very good baseball player for us, but he’s been a captain for a couple of years now and has taken that role on to lead by example and I think that’s the biggest change.”

As a senior, Godwin agrees with his coach on the idea that he’s tried to become a better leader, but he said learning more about the game has been a key part of his development as a player.

“I think I’ve become a little smarter and a little more aware about the game,” said Godwin. “I’ve become a little bit more of a stat head, if you will. I pay attention to the analytical statistics and really dive deep into that because I think they tell a better story of what you’re doing as a player. But also, you want to keep it simple and make sure you aren’t doing too much.”

Humiston believes a lot of Godwin’s character can be exemplified by his choice to return and play his final year.

“I think using his fifth year [of eligibility] speaks to his character,” said Humiston.

“He wanted to go out better

than how last year turned out to be as far as our season goes. So, he wants to get to postseason, he’s pushing everybody else to help him achieve that opportunity and I would say that the underclassmen want to see our seniors to have an opportunity to go to the postseason and make it to the conference tournament.”

Godwin said leaving the program will be hard, but it has motivated him this year to try and be a solid teammate and a good leader as Waynesburg fights to hold onto to its first Presidents’ Athletic Conference playoff berth since 2015.

“Be the best teammate and leader I can possibly be, especially in this final year,” said Godwin. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be a captain for the past two seasons and it’s been a real learning experience. Just learning how to lead and working with the other captains and building off them to figure out how to best motivate the other guys on the team…it’s really been a vital part of my entire college career, both academically and athletically. Learning how to be a leader is a skill you can take into any part of your life and it’ll translate.”

“You always get a little nervous before games, but I love being able to box out and do all those little things and give my heart.”

MONICA STARRE

Women's Basketball Senior

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Patience, persistence key for Carper MATT MANSFIELD For The Yellow Jacket

Basketball is a sport that many people enjoy, but not many get the opportunity to play. Clay Carper, a fouryear member of the Waynesburg University basketball team can proudly say he did. Carper may not have cracked the Yellow Jackets’ starting lineup, but his leadership, work ethic and sportsmanship made him a valuable member of the team, said Mark Christner, head coach.

“I appreciated the effort Clay made to lead this year.

His perseverance in our program is something to be honored,” said Christner. “Certainly, there would be people in his shoes who would say it’s not worth it because I’m not getting as much time as I want or it’s not fun anymore.

Clay didn’t have any of that.

When things got tough for him personally, he kept his head down and continued to plow forward.”

Carper believed that remaining focused and continually working hard would be in the best interest of the team.

“One of the big things I learned from playing here was patience. I knew nothing could be rushed because it’s all part of a process,” Carper said.

It was a process, but that process yielded positive results for Carper. In his freshman season he only saw 16 minutes of action, but as a senior his minutes total increased to 244. Having a big boost in minutes didn’t come with age; it came because of hard work and countless hours spent in the gym and on the hardwood, trying to improve his game. Christner believes one of the biggest improvements for Carper was learning how to use his skills in the Yellow Jackets’ system. For Carper, he came to a similar realization.

“I am not the same player today as I was when I came into college four years ago.

I became much more comfortable with my skillset and became less timid. I have much more of an attack mentality than I did when I started,” Carper said.

Carper said that one of the biggest reasons he was able to improve the way he did was because of his consistency in practice, and his effort on the court.

“One of the biggest things I hope I was able to pass on to my teammates was my consistency. I know we all have days we don’t want to show up, but I always made sure to be there and give it everything I had,” said Carper.

Christner said Carper was

Ashley Hall, The Yellow Jacket

Clay Carper averaged 11.6 minutes per game during his senior season as a Yellow Jacket. an “effort player.”

“Clay had some open layups this year just by outrunning opponents down the court. He would be consistently gassed at the end of runs during the game. That sets the example of his work ethic,” said Christner.

Playing basketball at Waynesburg didn’t just improve Carper’s ability on the court; it also helped him grow in other areas.

“The team and program here made me a better leader and a more quality person, and for that I am very grateful,” said Carper.

Carper fondly recalled some of his favorite moments

as a member of the team.

“I will always remember the game-winning shot BJ Durham hit against Thomas More my freshman year. I was screaming my lungs off on the bench,” Carper recalls.

Looking back on a career, many people recall one of the best plays of their playing time. For Carper, some of his fondest memories are of his team and teammates succeeding. For four years, Carper spent his time working to improve himself, and hoping to help his teammates. In his time at Waynesburg University, Carper did just that.

the court.”

Naturally, however, the point guard position usually brings upon a sense of leadership.

According to Starre, that was established during year one between her and women’s head basketball coach Sam Jones.

“When you’re willing to develop a relationship with your coach as humans and have open discussions on ideas and stuff like that, and you develop that trust, then it becomes easier to trust [each other],” said Jones. “While we had great discussions on the X’s and O’s of the game, a lot of our relationship and trust was built via other conversations, those helped, but it’s really a whole package, [and] it starts with trusting the person.”

“He told me from the start that we needed to be on the same page as coach and point guard,” said Starre.

“He was saying that if we’re on the same page it’ll help our team, so I guess that was learning too. That was something I learned a lot from him, to trust even if it didn’t work and that’s helped me in other areas of my life also.”

As a sophomore, Starre worked past the challenges of year one. Even reaching the ECAC Championship, and falling just shy of the title in an 80-69 loss to Carnegie Mellon University.

don’t think about anything, you just think about the play or the girl you’re guarding, you’re in the moment. I’m going to miss games the most.”

Jones said the team will miss having Starre around because of her attitude in the locker room and interactions with her teammates, on and off the court.

“She was a great teammate, very unselfish and always putting the team first,” said Jones. “But, above all I think her best attribute as a teammate she is someone that sincerely cares for every girl on the team. She sincerely cares about every teammate she has and wanted what was best for them on and off the court.

Monica is very dedicated to her faith and that was a big part of who she was, and she wanted to share that, and it spilled out onto her teammate as well.”

Growth was the word Starre used to describe her four years at Waynesburg in the classroom and on the court.

“I feel like Waynesburg has helped me grow in a lot of different ways,” said Starre. “In the classroom, through basketball and just through relationships I feel that I’ve changed a lot since coming in a good way. If you want something small and a place you can grow and make an impact, Waynesburg is a really good place

PAGE C2

APRIL 25, 2019 WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

WOMEN'S LACROSSE

Titles, friendships fill Dice's XC career After late arrival, Blake leaves her mark on lacrosse MIKE TRAX

For The Yellow Jacket

Liz Dice has had a successful career running for the Waynesburg University women’s cross country and track teams.

Dice joined the Yellow Jackets back in 2015, and while on the Yellow Jackets, she was part of the cross country team that won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference cross country championships in 2016, '17 and '18.

Other than running for the cross country and track & field teams, Dice was a biology major with a premedical concentration.

Dice graduated a semester early, got married and is now getting ready for medical school.

“Since graduating, I actually got married,” said Dice.

“Now, I am working at a small doctor’s office saving up before I head to medical school at West Virginia University in the fall.”

Throug h Dice’s four years of being an athlete, she credits athletics with helping manage her time well while in season.

“I think at times balancing school and athletics was challenging,” said Dice. “But honestly, I always did better in school when I was in season.”

Dice thanks her coaches for allowing her to grow as an athlete but also as a person.

“I came in as one of the slowest runners as a freshman, but their individualized training pushed me to be the best runner that I could be,” said Dice. “The coaches also taught me about leadership and hu-

Sports Editor

Photo Courtesy of Patty Kaczynski Scott,

At Waynesburg, Liz Dice was a part of the first three Presidents' Athletic Conference championship squads in school history. mility throughout my time there.”

Assistant coach Michelle Cross enjoyed watching Dice grow as an athlete through the four years.

“I honestly think she joined the cross country team for something to do,” said Cross. “So, just seeing her rise throughout the years and to see how much time and effort she put into it and what she got out of it was really fun to watch.”

A memory that Dice favors the most is being a part of the Yellow Jackets first ever cross country championship when they defeated Grove City College’s 27year streak as conference champions.

“When we broke their streak, it was super overwhelming and emotional to be apart of something Waynesburg runners had

been trying to do for so long,” said Dice. “I was filled with gratitude at what God had allowed us to achieve together.”

Throug h Dice’s four years, she looked up to Cross as a role model.

“Cross was always a role model for me and someone that I could count on to be honest with me and the team,” said Dice. “She challenged me in my faith when my identity leaned too heavily on my performance and reminded me to remember why I ran.”

The relationships that Dice made is what made the cross country experience special to her.

“I met my best friend on the team, who I ended up rooming with, spending every holiday with and celebrating my wedding with,” said Dice. “Relationships

like those are what really makes my experience in cross country for me.”

Head coach Chris Hardie has a favorite memory of Dice’s career too.

“My favorite memory of our time together was at the end of her sophomore season,” said Hardie. “She had made great progress but found herself out of our travel team for the regional meet. She used that as motivation and made it her goal, she made the team and helped the team accomplish historic things.”

Cross also has a favorite memory of Dice’s career.

“My favorite memory is from when we first won PACs,” said Cross. “As soon as Dice crossed the finished line she wanted to pray and said a heartfelt prayer and that shows what type of person she is.”

FOOTBALL

Davis ‘relentless’ as linebacker, captain TYLER GODWIN

Assistant Sports Editor

There’s one word that head football coach Chris Smithley used consistently to describe senior linebacker John-Glen Davis: impressive.

“He’s an impressive individual and he’s earned everything he’s gotten here…” said Smithley. “[He’s] just an impressive individual. Very impressive.”

One of the most “impressive” qualities Smithley said Davis has is his commitment to those closest to him.

“If you’re on his side, he is going to fight for you. Nothing is slowing him down…” Smithley said. “He is one of the most loyal people that I know, and I would say that would be his best quality.”

A native of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, Davis attended local Waynesburg Central High School and followed in the footsteps of his brother, Dan Davis, who was a senior football player at Waynesburg University when John-Glen came in as a freshman.

John-Glen noted that was one of the bigger reasons he wanted to come to Waynesburg, for another chance to play with his brother.

Davis admitted that he struggled early in his academic career balancing the rigors of a student-athlete schedule, but as he finally settled into a major that he had a passion for in business management, he was able to put it all together on the field and in the classroom.

“You just have to know when things have to be done and how you work around things and how you can do things and how to manage that,” said Davis. “When I was a freshman and sophomore I didn’t really think about that stuff—I didn’t really go to the lab, I didn’t get ahead—I was waiting until last minute. [It’s] just growing up and being a leader…”

After seeing time as a backup as a freshman and sopho-

especially when you play the teams who are really good, you could see just Maggie Blake never held how talented they are.” a lacrosse stick for a team On the field, Bonavenuntil her junior year at tura said he saw Blake Waynesburg University. transform from a rookie After just t wo years with no experience, to a playing lacrosse, Blake is defensive threat in the two graduating as one of the short years she was on the hardest working players team. on the team, head coach “She definitely brings Gennaro Bonaventura said. that leadership mentality,” “She’s been a great im- Bonaventura said. pact on the team,” Bo“She leads by example naventura said. “She leads and people know when by example; she works re- Maggie is playing defense ally hard.” she’s going to give it her all Despite having and do whatever not played colleit takes to get the giate sports unball. til she joined the Another way l a c ro s s e t ea m , Blake has imBlake had athproved , Boletic experience naventura said, in high school. from positioning She played to passing and basketball, softcatching. ball and soccer “Her passing Blake in hig h school. and catching is In college, she so much better missed competitive, orga- when she first started she nized sports and decided really struggled with that,” to join the lacrosse team.

Bonaventura said.

“It seemed like it would “And her understandbe fun,” Blake said. ing of the game, she’s just “I played team sports running around trying to all through high school.," do the best that she can she said "So, I thought it but now she understands would be fun to get back where to be on the field into that.” and her position better.”

Blake said before her In addition to leading first week on the team she the team through work spent time practicing on ethic, Blake said she also her own. During this time, helped new athletes feel she was hoping to not em- welcomed on the team. barrass herself.

“Really it was encourag“I was really nervous ob- ing the new players who viously,” Blake said. “I prac- came since a lot of them ticed for hours on my own, also didn’t play before,” so I wouldn’t make a fool of Blake said. “ myself the first week, but It was a really great everyone was so great. The group of athletes in gencoach and the girls who eral and so just encouragplayed before were always ing them.” encouraging and made me After successfully comfeel like I should be a part pleting her nursing deof the team.” gree, Blake said she will Compared to the other be working at the UPMC sports she played in high Shadyside Hospital followschool, Blake said lacrosse ing graduation. was much faster than what While she said she she was used too. doesn’t expect she’ll con“It’s definitely a different tinue to play lacrosse pace just from the other much after she gradusports I played in high ates, Blake said lacrosse at school,” Blake said. “The Waynesburg has “reawakcollegiate level is defi- ened” her love of organized nitely at a different pace, sports

LUKE GOODLING

SOFTBALL

In softball and art, Lawrence leaves lasting impression Ashley Hall, The Yellow Jacket

A graduate of Waynsburg Central High School, John-Glen Davis was a two-year starter for the Yellow Jackets more, accumulating just 47 total tackles on defense over those two seasons, Davis broke out in his junior campaign.

During that 2017 season, Davis led the team in tackles (91), tackles for loss (nine) and fumble recoveries (three), which garnered him recognition on the All-PAC team as an Honorable Mention.

In his senior campaign this past year, the first-year captain helped lead the Yellow Jackets to their best finish in his four years at Waynesburg, 4-6 with a 4-5 record in conference. He also collected All-PAC Honorable Mention recognition this past season.

For Smithley, Davis’ personality and character are difficult to find in many student-athletes.

“He is possessed, he’s relentless, he’s constant and never slows down. That’s a characteristic trait [where] it’s tough to find guys like that,” Smithley said.

“I also think that that loyalty is a big part of that relentlessness because he feels like

he doesn’t want to let anyone down because of his loyalty.

He brings everything he’s got to the table every day, whether it’s on the practice field, in the weight room, the football field or even the basketball court on a Friday morning in April.”

Looking ahead towards the future, Davis will be attending Waynesburg University for one more year as an undergraduate student due to a late change in his major, but he will still be helping out the football team as a volunteer.

While he said he isn’t sure if coaching is necessarily something he will do in the long-run, he thinks it is comparable to his aspirations with business management. “[With] management I think of it as coaching and coaching guys—they’re very similar,” said Davis.

“You still have to know how they feel and what motivates them and what are things they want to do, things they strive to do, things they appreciate and things like that. I think it’s very similar, you just

have to know the person.”

When thinking about his career following his graduation at Waynesburg, Davis is hopeful he can find a company that provides him an opportunity to work up the ladder and showcase his abilities.

“I want to make my way into a company, find my way and build myself in that because I find myself dedicated to things like that,” said Davis.

“I don’t go somewhere for a year or two, I like to stick in somewhere, so I want to get in with a company, gain respect and move up the ladder and hopefully move into a management position.”

Smithley said that he is eager to see where life will take Davis and knows he will be successful in whatever path he chooses to take.

“He meant so much to this program and as an individual, a teammate, a leader, a captain and as a student athlete,” Smithley said. “He did a lot for this program in his four years and honestly, we would like to keep him around as long as we can.”

and her track to Waynesburg was from all the years of playing travel softball Coming from Chartiers for a former Waynesburg Valley High School, senior coach. first basemen Alex Law“I was being looked at by rence knew that she would a lot of schools in the PAC, gather some amount of at- such as Waynesburg, Westtention from other schools minster, Saint Vincent and around the area, but it was Washington & Jefferson,” not only because of her love said Lawrence. “I played for for softball, it was also for Richele Hall’s team in our her love of art. travel ball league The senior at for years.

Waynesburg Uni"Then she told versity has been me that she got playing softball the job as the since she was four head coach at years old, and she Waynesburg and has been adding that right there to her game ever was what sold since, not just on me.” the diamond but Fellow players on the art canvas Lawrence also have talked as well. about how big of “I originally came to a leader and friend she has Waynesburg because I loved been to them over the last the softball program and the few years—one person in direction it was headed,” particular is junior second said Lawrence. “Then I re- basemen Ashley Dubovich. ally also got into art when I “Alex had such an impact came here… from there on on me, not just in softball, out I made sure that I would but also in my life,” said continue to work on my art Dubovich. and it’s got me to where I “She’s been a great leader am today.” for our team these past few In high school, Lawrence years and she’s by far one was a successful softball player at Chartiers Valley, SOFTBALL >> C3

CHACE JOHNSTON For The Yellow Jacket

APRIL 25, 2019

PAGE C3 WOMEN'S SOCCER

Shaffer goes from overlooked to four-year starting player JOE SMELTZER Copy Desk Chief

McKenzie Shaffer wasn’t a star soccer player in high school.

In fact, she didn’t even start for four years, Shaffer came off the bench for Upper St. Clair. At Waynesburg University, she started the first game of her freshman season at defender, and in four years, she never relinquished her spot.

“She didn’t get a shot like she should have [in high school],” head coach Laura Heethuis said. “She’s a very talented player, and she didn’t see a lot of minutes there at Upper St. Clair.

She was around players that were very, very good, and have gone on to play at some high end, elite programs [in] Division I. She is somebody that kind of flew under the radar, and she was somebody we saw a lot of potential in.”

What appealed to Heethuis was Shaffer’s speed and conditioning.

She had the ability to play both offense and defense before coming to Waynesburg, and with a starting spot open at defender, Heethuis showed faith in her first commit as head coach by instantly inserting her into the lineup.

When Shaffer started that first game at Alfred State, she didn’t envision ever rising to the status of team captain.

Despite coming from a successful high school program, when she started her college career, Shaffer was terrified.

So much so, that she was hoping her teammates wouldn’t pass her the ball.

“I was really timid,” Shaffer, now a less than two weeks away from graduation, remembers with a smile. “I was really scared.

Ashley Hall, The Yellow Jacket

McKenzie Shaffer wasn't a starter in high school, but worked her way into Laura Heethuis' starting 11 right away.

I saw the girls [on the team], and they were all older than me, and I didn’t expect to start as a freshman. So, it was honestly a scary experience at first, because I didn’t think I was ready and I felt smaller than all the other girls who were playing.”

As time went on, however, Shaffer never lost her spot in the Yellow Jackets’ starting 11. Behind the scenes, she developed into a leader, and before her senior season, Heethuis named her a team captain.

“By junior year, you could see that she was starting to be vocal about things and opinionated about things,” Heethuis said. “She is somebody that’s extremely dedicated.

Dedicated to our program,

to soccer, to school, every facet that makes Waynes-

“It’s something to be honored [by], and something

“By junior year, you could see that she was starting to be vocal about things and opinionated about things. She is somebody that's extremely dedicated.”

LAURA HEETHUIS

Head coach

burg soccer Waynesburg soccer. She does it the right way.”

By the time senior year rolled around, Shaffer felt ready to take on the responsibilities of a leader.

“I was honored to be able to have that position, because it’s not something to take lightly,” she said.

that you take seriously.”

While Shaffer eventually found her voice as an upperclassman, Heethuis described her as a player who led not with words, but with her commitment on the pitch.

“When it comes to soccer specifically, she’s the type of person where she’s

going to work super hard,” she said.

After never finding her way into the regular starting lineup in high school, by her senior year, Shaffer was playing the most minutes of any Yellow Jacket. She feels that her high school soccer experience got her ready physically for the college game.

“I can definitely tell you I was way more prepared [because of Upper St. Clair] than I would have ever been physically for division three,” she said. “We had a lot more put on to us in high school, where we were expected to be as fit as we could possibly be and work as hard as we possibly could all the time.”

Although Shaffer came to Waynesburg well pre-

MEN'S SOCCER

Work ethic defines Hlasnick's Soccer career

Ashley Hall, The Yellow Jacket

After college, Matt Hlasnick will pursue a career in criminal justice, his first stop being with the Arlington County Police Department.

Four years with soccer team gives Hlasnick lasting memories, friendships COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Editorial Assistant

Matt Hlasnick, senior criminal justice major with a minor in psychology, decided to come to Waynesburg University because of how close it was to his hometown of Washington, Pennsylvania. He also decided to come to study criminal justice due to the program's success and he wanted to play college soccer.

“I got a hold of coach [Brad] Heethuis and we ended up making it work,” said Hlasnick.

Balancing soccer and a major and minor for four years may sound like a chal-

lenge to some people. However, Hlasnick said that it is not as hard as it sounds.

“Soccer really gives you a good schedule to go by," he said.

"You have practice for certain hours and then you have class for certain hours and you have the time in between to do your school work and other stuff."

Hlasnick said playing soccer brought him the best moments of his life so far.

Through soccer, he was able to make lifelong friends and share memories with them like singing together as a team on bus rides to away matches.

“It was honestly one of

the best times of my life for sure,” he said. “Just being able to play the sport that I love with a bunch of new guys every year that slowly became my best friends, just creating that bond really meant everything and I know that they will be friends for life.”

For Hlasnick, one of the things that he said he will always remember is the Geneva game this past season.

They tied 3-3, but he said that they had a lot of ups and downs in that game.

“Just being able to see the team fight back and really give it their all and after overtime seeing everyone so tired and knowing that

we gave it everything,” said Hlasnick. “That’s probably of my best memories.”

For Heethuis, since Hlasnick is graduating this year, it’s going to be hard to find someone as dedicated and unselfish as he was in his four years. Heethuis said what he will remember the most is the goals against Saint Vincent this season as well as his volley that he scored against Thiel.

“His passion for the game and when he scored to see his reaction was pretty cool to see the joy on his face,” said Heethuis.

Hlasnick added that he is going to miss playing soccer because after gradua-

tion and will no longer play competitively.

“So, just missing that and of course I am going to miss all of my coaches and teammates especially some of my closest friends like Justin Buberl, Nate Biondi, Nate Kummer, Sean McCann and Kaylib Young-Argyle my roommate, just being able to hang out with those guys all of the time and always doing everything together, I am really going to miss that,” said Hlasnick.

After graduation, Hlasnick will start a new chapter in his life. He has accepted a job in Arlington, Virginia with the Arlington County Police Department.

pared, as far as she was concerned, captaincy was out of the question early on.

“Absolutely not,” she said.

“I never dreamed of it, but I couldn’t ask for anything better than to be a captain for my senior year. It really was awesome, I loved it, and being around the girls and being somebody that they could look up to.”

Going from a large high school to a small college was a transition that appealed to Shaffer, and the intimate nature of Waynesburg University is something she will miss.

“I know everyone around me a lot better than I did in high school. I graduated with 360 people,” she said. “So, [at Waynesburg] I know everyone so well and I knew everyone in my class really well because the class sizes are so small, and I absolutely love that.”

The leadership aspect of Shaffer’s personality is something she will take with her after graduation.

An early childhood educating major with an emphasis on special education, Shafffer hopes to find a teaching job at the elementary level in the Pittsburgh area.

In addition to academics, Shaffer hopes for an opportunity to use her teaching in athletics.

Heethuis said she is confident in Shaffer becoming successful in both the classroom, and the sideline. “ S h e wa nt s t o b e a teacher, and she wants to continue to work with the youth and she is going to be a great advocate for soccer,” she said.

“So she will do a great job. She knows the game.

She can teach it; I believe she’ll be able to be a really good coach one day.

There’s not limits to what she can do.”

Softball Continued from C2 of my best friends and I’m glad Waynesburg and softball brought us together.”

Over Lawrence’s four years here at Waynesburg University, she’s been an exceptional softball player, but she’s also been a great artist.

This past month, Lawrence was selected to host a Senior Art Exhibit in the Art Department at Waynesburg University. She was able to show off every piece she has done in her four years here.

The art exhibit included clay, watercolor, ink, pastels and graphite art. During this exhibit, all of the different types of art were placed in a room and displayed in all different kinds of ways.

“When I heard my art was going to be put on display, I was kind of excited,” said Lawrence.

“But at the same time, I was also very nervous because all of my work would be shown off to everyone and anyone but overall, I’m glad that I got to show it off to everyone.”

Over the last few years, Lawrence has had so many memories, but there are two that stand out the most for her.

The first one is this year’s win against Westminster.

Her second is all of the friendships she’s had with all of the people over her years at Waynesburg University.

“The game against Westminster was special to me because that was where I was originally going to go to school, and because we haven’t beat them since 2011, lastly my last memory is basically all of the friendships that I had during my time here at Waynesburg and you wouldn’t trade it for anything,” said Lawrence.

PAGE C4

APRIL 25, 2019 MEN'S TENNIS

Cooper an ‘ideal athlete’ in eyes of head tennis coach TEGHAN SIMONTON Region Editor

For Ron Headlee, head men’s tennis coach, senior nursing major Jonah Cooper has always been the ideal athlete.

“If I was recruiting again, I’d want another Jonah Cooper,” Headlee said. “He just fits the mold of what you’d want for a tennis player here at Waynesburg University: not only a good tennis player but a great person as well.”

W hat makes Cooper unique as a tennis player and a captain, Headlee said, is his ability to both have fun and handle intense competition.

Cooper has been playing tennis since he was around six years old. Both of his parents played in high school, and his dad played for Fairmont, so it sort of runs in his family, he said. Overall, he said his experience at Waynesburg has been rewarding and positive.

“I’ve really liked being a team captain sophomore year and these past three years, just talking a lot about

leadership,” Cooper said. “I’m still working on it and I have a lot to learn, but it’s really helped me in that learning process.”

Cooper said the last four years have “been up and down,” full of challenges and improvement. He would do really well, winning match over match, but each loss felt like a blow. In his sophomore year, Cooper had an especially strong season, but lost in the first round of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Tournament. He was devastated.

When he was younger, he said he found it difficult to cope with a loss during a match. His entire attitude would be affected, and he couldn’t forgive himself for days, he said.

But Headlee said this was one of the main ways he has seen Cooper grow.

“He would let things get to him,” Headlee said. “But I think he’s developed, a lot more mature on the court, just handling things a lot better. He can keep his head and stay in the match for a better

chance to win.”

Staying focused and learning to forgive himself is just the nature of an individual sport like tennis, Cooper said. You’re always competing against yourself, he said.

“I’m the only one who can push myself to get better,” Cooper said. “So, you have to have that self-motivation.”

It can feel lonely sometimes, even when playing doubles–but playing a sport like this helps you embrace challenges and take responsibility for your own shortcomings, he said.

“There’s no one else you can blame,” Cooper said. “You make your own mistakes and he’ll make his own mistakes you have to be able to forgive each other and move on.”

Headlee’s coaching was critical in helping him overcome the self-criticism, Cooper said. Headlee has worked closely with Cooper since becoming the head tennis coach three years ago, when Cooper was a sophomore.

He said Cooper was instrumental to making it a smooth transition.

Dave Miller, ADM Photography

Jonah Cooper has racked up eight wins and just three losses during his senior tennis campaign.

“He kind of helped me when I was just coming into the program,” Headlee said.

“He really stepped up, made me feel comfortable. They just accepted me as a coach.”

Cooper said after a tumultuous freshman year in the program, he was prepared to quit tennis altogether, but stayed because of Headlee.

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

“I think the team needed something new,” Cooper said. “To have Coach Headlee come in and the energy he brings, the leadership...he’s just such a fantastic coach.

You want to win for Coach Headlee.”

Headlee is consistently grateful for Cooper and the way he works with coaches

and athletes. Cooper has always been one to go above and beyond for the team, Headlee said. He strings the rackets, leads practices and at away meets, when he’s rooming with multiple teammates, Cooper always volunteers to sleep on the floor.

“I think he just puts everybody else before him, and that’s his biggest attribute,” Headlee said.

“That means a lot, as a coach...It’s refreshing to see someone who’s not just about himself, but about everybody else.”

Headlee said that once Cooper graduates, the team will miss his play, but not more than they’ll miss his leadership.

Cooper has strong relationships with his teammates; people look up to him.

After graduation, Cooper will work as a registered nurse at in the Intensive Care Unit at Ruby Memorial Hospital, in Morgantown, West Virginia. He said he will always continue to play tennis recreationally, with friends and on club teams.

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD

Simonton powers through adversity Feldner to miss family aspect of WU track & field MATT MANSFIELD For The Yellow Jacket

When it comes down to it, running is a sport that requires mental toughness.

Although you compete alongside your teammates and competitors, the real race is against yourself.

In her four years of running at Waynesburg University, senior Teghan Simonton always brought her A-game, mentally.

Simonton learned how difficult maintaining a positive mental outlook can be during the 2018 cross country season, when she battled a back injury throughout the season.

"It just felt like a lot of things were against me at that point," said Simonton.

Not only was she struggling with an injury, but Simonton, a communication major, was also trying to balance cross country with a busy 21-credit semester.

She gutted it out and finished in 11th place at the conference championship meet, boosting her team to a three-point victory to clinch the championship.

"As a coach, anytime you have a player who elevates their game and is consistent and hard-working, she is going to affect people just by doing that," said head track & field coach Michelle Cross.

Overcoming the back

injury was a challenge, but Simonton wasn't alone. Her co-captain and housemate, Elizabeth Dice, dealt with a similar injury.

"It was frustrating for both of us, but we were able to support each other and help keep each other motivated, which really helped," said Simonton.

During her four years on the track, Simonton found success in the 5,000-meter event, although it might not even be her best one.

"Everyone has a race that they hate but keep going back to—and for me, that was the 5K," said Simonton.

Although she believes she is better at the 1,500-meter run and the 10,000-meter run, Simonton loves the challenge the 5K presents.

"The 5K is my worst enemy, but I am addicted to the challenge of it," said Simonton.

While reflecting on her favorite memories from track, Simonton doesn't think any accomplishment tops the day she set her personal record in the event, running it in a time of 18:31.

"The day I got my personal record was surprising. I just ran my race, and somehow, everything went right," said Simonton.

Simonton was able to bring her times down in track, dropping her 5k time from a 19:13 down to an 18:31.

For The Yellow Jacket

Photo courtesy of Connor Tibbe

Senior track athlete Teghan Simonton used a strong mentality to work through injuries her senior year.

"One of the best parts of coaching Teghan was the progression she made over the years. She dropped her 5K and 3K time quite a bit," said Cross.

As she completes her career at Waynesburg University, Simonton will leave behind a legacy for future runners to aspire to achieve.

"Teghan, I think, will go down in my mind as one of the most consistent and grittiest athletes I have ever coached,” said Cross. “I think anytime you have an athlete like that, one who can just grit through anything, who never makes excuses, and

who always works hard—especially one of your fastest runners—it's hard for underclassmen not to look at that and respect it.”

Although running consumed a large part of Simonton's time and impacted her sleep schedule, she was determined to run for all four years at Waynesburg, through the ups and downs and for the love of the sport.

Simonton will be crossing the finish line of her collegiate career when she graduates in May and heads to the starting line of the rest of her life.

VOLLEYBALL

Wyllie, Kirby find instant connection BRANDON ROSSI For The Yellow Jacket

There are very few athletes at Waynesburg University who are involved with as many extracurricular activities as senior volleyball player Jordyn Wyllie.

She is the program manager for the Greene and Washington County Special Olympics, a part of the Polar Plunge, Torch Run, Relay for Life, the President of the KDP, is a CCD teacher amongst other activities. All of this while juggling her life as a volleyball player.

“My mom was a special education teacher when I was growing up,” Wyllie said.

“I fell in love with individuals that have disabilities and when I joined the Special Olympics it took my biggest passion, which is sports, and I was able to coach those athletes in the same sports

that I played.”

Wyllie, a transfer from the University of Mount Union, was originally a twosport athlete. She switched schools in the middle of her freshman year and jumped right into the basketball season.

However, in the fall of 2016, Wyllie made an immediate impact on the volleyball court. She wanted to focus on playing one sport and decided to pursue volleyball. “[Playing] two sports is hard,” Wyllie said. “To go from August until April would be a very long time.”

While Wyllie made a name for herself on the court, the volleyball team struggled.

After consecutive onewin seasons, Waynesburg brought in Hayley Kirby as the new volleyball head coach for the 2018 campaign.

Wyllie was able to connect with Kirby from the get-go

Cross.

Feldner does have a strategy for balancing both Blake Feldner has been a of these major parts of his thrower on the men’s track life. & field team, both the in“It always comes down door and outdoor variety, to time management,” said for all four of his years at Feldner. “Being able to Waynesburg. study in the classroom and Around the time this out- be on a team.” door season ends however, When Feldner leaves Feldner’s throwing career Waynesburg, he hopes to will come to an end. He’ll leave a legacy of rememgraduate from Waynesburg brance, where younger with a degree in Public Ac- athletes can look back on counting. him fondly.

Feldner has “We all have enjoyed the atgone through the mosphere at process of losing Waynesburg and three classes of has enjoyed that seniors before friends that have us, and I had recome with it. lationships with “It’s a great some seniors who family to be a it was hard to get part of,” Feldner over losing,” said said. “It keeps you Feldner. “I just motivated even hope that I can be Feldner when you’re not that to somebody, at the track because you and I hope that I can conhave such a solid friend tinue those relationships.” group around you.”

Historically, rememMichelle Cross, the brance is something that head coach of the men’s most track & field athletes and women’s track & field leave with the team upon teams for both indoor and graduation. outdoor, was incredibly “There’s just certain fond of Feldner during names that linger on our their time together. team,” said Cross. “Just “He’s one of those people because the effect that that you just wish you had a they had on the team was million of to coach,” Cross so profound that it causes said. people to tell others about Overall, the college ath- them.” letic experience is someCross noted this a something that Feldner is proud thing she’ll remember to have accomplished. Feldner for, and thinks it He’s been throwing both will spread to some of his the shot put and discus at teammates.

Waynesburg since he was “I think anybody who’s just a freshman. been a teammate of Blake “I’ve been throwing since will be talking about him I can remember,” Feldner until the point where said. “Being able to come they’re seniors themselves,” to college and throw was she said. “I think he will an awesome dream to definitely be someone who achieve.” people will miss for a long Feldner noted that he time, and will talk about enjoyed the process of be- often.” ing a Division III athlete, Feldner also had advice which includes schools for some of his teammates, not being able to give out who may miss him by next scholarships. year.

“The real reason why D“Stick with it,” said FeldIII is so cool is because no- ner. “It might suck from body is getting paid here,” time to time, but whenever Feldner said. “We do it be- you get to the point where cause we love the sport.”

I am now, you wish you had Academics are some- more time.” thing that come with being Cross was very complian athlete on a D-III level, mentary of the senior, who and Cross praised Feldner is set for graduation within for understanding that. the next month.

“Academics is something “He’s a wonderful aththat is incredibly important lete,” said Cross, “and I’ll to Blake, which is another very much miss him when reason why I like him,” said he leaves.”

MITCH MONTANI

thanks to their similar visions for the program and relatively close age.

“Coach Kirby has fresh eyes,” Wyllie said. “She has a lot of ideas, we ran drills that we had never seen before and I think that was a wake-up call, and she’s very excited about turning the program around.”

Life was easier for Kirby knowing she had Wyllie on the team helping lead the way.

“Seeing someone that young who is able to do so many different things not only with the school but with the community is a really good thing to see,” Kirby said. “It makes me realize that I should be doing those kinds of things, too.”

What seemed to be the culmination of Wyllie and Kirby’s relationship was the final Presidents’ Athletic Conference game of the

2018 season.

“That day was absolutely incredible,” Wyllie said. “From the moment it started with the fog machine until the moment where we won. Obviously, it was an extremely emotional day because I knew it would be the last time I would ever play collegiately, so it was just great to go out with a win and by beating a team in the PAC. That is something that I wanted to be remembered by.”

What adds to the significance that was Wyllie had never won a PAC conference game in her Waynesburg career. “It was so meaningful to get [Wyllie] that first win,” Kirby said. “Jordyn had never won a conference game in her entire career, so I think it was super important for [Waynesburg] to win because [the seniors] did not want to go out with a loss.”

APRIL 25, 2019

PAGE CC3

Skon plays for more than the numbers Baseball on track to make first run in playoffs since JOE SMELTZER Copy Desk Chief

From a statistical standpoint, junior catcher Rachel Skon has had a successful softball career at Waynesburg University.

After being drawn to Waynesburg by then-head coach Richele Hall, Skon was the team’s starting catcher right away as a freshman in 2017.

Skon finished her first season with a respectable .298 batting average, before breaking out as a sophomore, hitting an even .400. Now, as an upperclassman, she leads the Jackets in several offensive categories, including average (.372), runs scored (16), runs batted in (12) and hits (35).

While Skon has done her part individually, the Yellow Jackets haven’t matched that success.

Waynesburg missed the Presidents’ Athletic Conference postseason in 2017 and ‘18, and this season, being 3-9 in the PAC, the team is in danger of missing the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.

For first year head coach Brett Shimek, the lack of team success has left Skon unfulfilled with her career thus far.

“I don’t think Rachel’s happy,” Shimek said. “I think individual stats don’t mean a lot to her. She’s about wins and losses, and I think that’s what keeps her hungry, that’s what keeps her motivated.”

There have been multiple games this season that Waynesburg has lost despite standout performances by Skon.

In an April 4 doubleheader against Grove City, Skon went a combined 6-8 with two doubles and three RBI, yet all the Jackets could manage was a split.

DYLAN CLELAND Columnist

Mitchell Kendra, The Yellow Jacket

Rachel Skon leads the Yellow Jackets with a .372 batting average, 35 hits and 12 RBI's.

Despite her individual success, she's yet to compete in a playoff game.

Later that week, four s t ra i g ht m u l t i - h i t e fforts by Skon ended in four straight losses to St. Vincent and Chatham, respectively.

While not boastful, Skon knows she’s played well. She’s frustrated that she hasn’t been a part of a winning team yet, and adding on to that, Skon feels Waynesburg is better than what its 7-23 overall record indicates.

“You can tell by numbers that I’m doing well this season, and I know people see that,” Skon said.

“Obviously, our record doesn’t show, so at the end of the day, I’m happy for myself on the inside, but at the same time it’s

very frustrating, because I know we’re a better team than what we show.”

After playing her first two seasons under the woman who recrui ted her, Skon and the rest of the softball program went through a transition at the start of 2019 when Hall resigned after four seasons.

Waynesburg hired Shimek to replace Hall, and he’s noticed Skon’s self-assurance above anything else.

“She goes into situations knowing she’s going to win,” he said. “She has the confidence to step in the box. She thinks she’s going to beat anybody… When you have that type of mental attitude, you can rely on that any time. I think

that she’ll continue to get better because of that type of attitude.”

Along with being arguably Waynesburg’s best player on the stat sheet, Skon is also the team’s emotional leader. In between innings, she is the one who leads team pep talks in the huddle. As an education major and aspiring teacher, Skon will need to be a strong leader in the real world and feels that her confidence leading on the softball team has increased.

“I definitely think, when you’re doing well, girls respond better to you, because [you are] somebody SKON >> CC4

With just over one week remaining in the regular season, the Waynesburg University baseball team looks to qualify for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference [PAC] tournament for the first time since 2015. However, there’s still two more PAC series against two teams that fall just behind the Yellow Jackets in the fifth and sixth spot of the conference standings as of April 23.

Unofficially, the Jackets will have to go at least .500 [3-3] through the two series to make sure they clinch a spot in the postseason. But, it won’t be done easily as there are five teams competing for a spot in the fourteam PAC tournament field, including Bethany and Thiel.

The Bison [22-11 overall,12-18 PAC] have just one series remaining with Westminster this weekend and they can’t be taken lightly.

They were one of the surprise teams entering the year projected in the PAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll to finish seventh, but have climbed into postseason contention after winning two out of three against Grove City and sweeping St. Vincent in their season series.

Bethany’s recipe for victory comes from an even mix of offense and defense with a batting average around .312, while maintaining a team ERA of just around 4.

Both numbers are strong enough to place the Bison second in the conference in each category.

Thiel [16-17, 12-9], how-

ever, came into the year projected for a secondplace finish in the PAC. Even though the Tomcats aren’t currently in second place, they haven’t disappointed on the offensive side as their bats have blown competitors out of the water this year.

The Tomcats lead most of the major offensive statistical categories in the PAC despite being the odd team out of the four-team scenario as of Wednesday.

The categories where Thiel has dominated are batting average (.343), hits (402) and doubles (72).

On the contrary, Thiel ranks sixth in pitching in team pitching in the PAC with an ERA of 6.49 and also allows the most runs out of any other team in the conference with 196 runs allowed.

It presents an interesting and conflicting situation for teams to deal with down the stretch, especially Waynesburg, who will face the Tomcats in a three-game series May 4-5.

How do you attack the Tomcats?

For the Jackets, their destiny for the season will have to rely mostly on pitching.

Waynesburg has been led by its ace, junior Mason Miller through most of the season.

As of Tuesday, Miller was boasting a record of 6-1 with a 1.61 ERA. With Miller leading the way, it will be up to the bullpen to provide support for Waynesburg down the stretch.

As the season winds down, the games will be become more important and things will become tighter in the PAC standings, but for the Yellow Jackets, the task is simple— just win.

Jackets faced with ‘must win’ games in Saint Vincent series

players are handling it.

“I think our guys are handling it pretty well,” he said.

The roster for the Yellow Jackets contains a total of nine seniors. No players on the team have played in a Presidents’ Athletic Con-

ference playoff game, but Humiston said the seniors will play a significant role in making sure that happens.

“The seniors want to out with an opportunity to play in the postseason, and an have an opportunity to possibly play for a championship,” Humiston said.

“I know that they’re going to be ready to go.”

With a lot on the line in the next week or so, Humiston stressed the importance of fundamentals for the team. He said the three phases of the game will be very important down the stretch.

“I think we’re going to be pretty good if we put all three phases in hitting, fielding and pitching together these next seven games,” said Humiston. “I think we can be a force to be reckoned with.”

This process will be the task in order for the Jackets on Friday, when the first of three games against the Bearcats will take place at 3 p.m. on Waynesburg’s home field.

“It’s going to take a herculean effort to win games against them [Saint Vincent],” said Humiston.

and did not hit in key situations with runners on base,” said Skon.

Shimek also agrees that the defense struggled in the second game.

“The defense fell apart a little bit, I don’t know how many earned runs there were but there weren’t a lot,” said Shimek. “There is a big difference when you look up there and see 9-1, versus 2-1 or 3-1, the defense let us down.”

Moving into the final two weeks of the season

and beyond, Shimek believes that the team needs to work on offense.

“We need to work on our hitting, it has been a problem all year,” said Shimek. “Obviously the second game was sloppy defensively but pitching and defense has been our forces for most of the year.”

T h e Ye l l ow Ja c k e t s will continue PAC play when they play host to Washington & Jefferson April 25.

MITCH MONTANI For The Yellow Jacket

The Waynesburg University Yellow Jacket baseball team will play Saint Vincent, for three games over two days this weekend.

The three-game series will include a single game, at home Friday, and two road games Saturday.

Head baseball coach Mike Humiston stressed the importance of the games as the team moves down the stretch.

“It’s vital,” said Humiston.

“Our guys need to look at them like they’re must wins.”

The Bearcats, according to Humiston, will carry good pitching into their matchups with the Jackets this weekend.

“I think they have good pitching,” Humiston said.

“They’ve got a few guys that can throw pretty well.”

In order to counter that p i t c h i n g , Way n e s b u rg needs to have success at the plate. This is something the Yellow Jackets have struggled with according to Humiston. In specific, more run production will be necessary.

“We just [have] to do a

Geneva Continued from CC1 defense to keep them at zero.”

Head coach Brett Shimek was pleased with the Yellow Jackets’ performance but said they need to make minor improvements.

“I feel like we need to get the ball in play more and work on the strikeouts we had,” said Shimek.

Photo courtesy of Emily Nordstrom

Junior second baseman Justin Buberl leads Waynesburg in hits, doubles and total bases. In the most recent game against Westminster, Buberl went 1-3 with an RBI and two walks. better job at the plate and score more runs,” said Humiston. “We’ll let the score take care of itself.”

When the weekend series begins, the Yellow Jackets will have six regular season games remaining.

In addition to the three

games against Saint Vincent, Waynesburg will take on Thiel in a three-game series May 3-4. Humiston said that his team should focus on one game at a time, rather than looking at the entire playoff picture.

“I hear some guys talk-

“But we played well defensively and it was a really well played game.”

In the second game, the Yellow Jackets fell to the Golden Tornadoes 9-1 in six innings.

This time, Geneva was led by junior pitcher Bobbi Ann Theiss (8-1), who pitched a complete game.

Eight of the nine runs given up by Messenger were unearned.

The first two runs were scored by the Golden Tornadoes in the first in-

ning before they tagged on three more in the fifth inning.

T h e Ye l l ow Ja c k e t s answered in the bottom half of the fifth scoring the one and only run of game two.

Geneva added its last four runs in the sixth inning.

Not capitalizing on hits and making defensive errors is what Skon believes is the reason behind the team falling on the losing side of game two.

ing about how if we win four out of seven, we have a good chance,” said Humiston. “No, we’re in it to win it every game.”

Regarding the pressure that comes with playing this time of year, Humiston is approving of the way his

Shimek “The second game we made too many errors

PAGE CC4

APRIL 25, 2019

Jackets to send 5 golfers to attend conference tourney COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Editorial Assistant

The Waynesburg University men’s golf team will be competing in the spring Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships at the Speidel Golf Club in Wheeling, West Virginia. The start time for the PAC Championship is 8:30 a.m. and it will take place this Saturday.

“We are in that trying to improve mode and we are trying to get geared up for PAC’s so we can have a strong run at PAC’s,” said head coach Sam Jones.

Jones added that so far, this season has not been controlled by the weather unlike previous seasons. He also said that the results they have been getting are better, but he still wants the team to improve at the PAC Championship.

“We probably won’t catch Thiel, who is in front of us in the standings overall because of the two rounds in the fall,” said Jones. “But my goal is to have them be the next team on the list to catch. So, my goal is to have a better day than Thiel on that specific day.”

The team is only allowed to bring five golfers to the PAC Championship, which means half of the team’s

Photo courtesy of Patience Yobp

The Jackets are looking to improve from their seventh place finish last year at the PAC Championships. This year, the conference championships will take place at the Speidel Golf Club in Wheeling, West Virginia. roster won’t attend. The top five golfers have not been decided just yet due to the close proximity in talent between the majority of the team.

“We are deeper, we will actually have to leave one or two decent golfers’ home,” said Jones. “Because we are getting to the point now where it’s not just a given

who the top five [golfers] are.”

For sophomore Will Purbaugh, he wants to improve his game coming into the third round of the PAC’s

this spring. He believes he could have done better in rounds one and two in the fall semester.

“I want to always try and improve, I didn’t have a great

Trax

Skon

Continued from CC2

Continued from CC3

out of them for the future.”

Despite having a younger team this season, Trax said the athletes have significantly improved this season.

“Kids have been getting faster out of nowhere and I think we’re very determined because we’ve been struggling for the past like for years or so,” Trax said.

“Everyone on the team wants to do it and we are very capable of doing it with the talent that we have.”

Trax said most of the distance runners are new to the team, leaving him as one of the veterans on the team despite only being a junior.

“We have a lot of young distance kids which I think is a majority of the team,” Trax said. “I’m one of the oldest and I’m just a junior so we really have like young freshman and sophomore distance runners and one young jumper.”

Regardless of the results for the men’s team at this year’s conference championships, Trax said hav-

to look up to,” she said.

“But just being more vocal on the field and in everything I do really, and just kind of putting my opinion out there in everything I do [is important].”

In baseball and softball, the catcher is the sport’s version of a quarterback.

The communication the catcher has with the team’s pitcher can dictate the complexion of an inning. For Shimek, Skon embraces the role as a leader behind the dish.

“She’s always talking,” Shimek said. “She’s a third coach on the field, and that’s a catcher’s role.

[To] make sure that they know what’s going on every pitch, every play, every out, every inning. She does a great job of translating that for us as coaches on the field.”

In particular, Skon has a close bond with senior pitcher Courtney Messenger, who she has caught since prior to becoming a player at Waynesburg, as they were on the same travel team in high school.

Track Continued from CC2 “She had yet to race a full steeple,” Cross said. “Obviously, I was kind of freaking out about that, so she did really well considering

Photo courtesy of Patty Kaczynski Scott

Josh Olive is one of eight seniors on the men's track & field team. Cross said she believes having a younger team will set the program up for success. ing a younger team sets the program up for future success.

“Those young guys are very determined and everything and they keep that up I think we can be good next year and the years after,” Trax said.

Personally, Trax said he hopes to defend his title as the triple jump champion of the PAC. “I would like to win

the triple jump again like I did with indoor,” Trax said. “Most of the men are ranked pretty high with the long jump so if I get a like a top three finish with the long jump that would be nice as well.”

With the conference championships kicking off this week, Trax said the team is focusing on technique improvement and injury recovery be-

ish the whole race was my goal, but it ended better than I expected.”

Jones wasn’t the only one who finished above expectations, Cross said she was pleased with the results from both the men and women’s teams.

“Overall, everything that we wanted to accomplish,

seat,” Cross said.

Away from the track events, Cross said the throwers were able to pick up additional reps, which were needed heading into the PAC Championships.

“A lot of the throwers felt like they just needed more reps,” Cross said. “So, we took as many of the throw-

“She had yet to race a full steeple.

Obviously, I was kind of freaking out about that so she did really well considering she is coming back from an injury.”

MICHELLE CROSS

Head coach

she is coming back from an injury.”

Entering the BethanyJohn Falconi Invitational, Jones had yet to finish an entire 3,000 steeplechase before. That changed at the meet after Jones finished first with a time of 13.03—a finish Jones wasn’t expecting.

“I was hurt for a little while and then I took the whole week off before,” Jones said. “So just to fin-

we did, which was good,” Cross said.

In the track events, Becca Volz led the invitational with a first-place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 2:27. Cross said Volz has struggled with injuries this season too and was always close to a top spot in the 800-meter.

“She has a slight injury that kind of pulled her back out of a couple of meets, so she was just out of the hot

Cross ers who didn’t have class conflicts and we got good results out of that.”

Cross said senior Blake Feldner hit a personal record in the shot put, where he threw for 12.9 meters.

With the final meet of the regular season complete, Jones said she feels the teams are completely ready for the conference championships which begin April 25.

fore the Yellow Jackets go for a top-four finish in the conference.

“We were just lifting and starting to get the technique down more,” Trax said. “For anyone who had minor injuries, [we] just make sure everyone is mentally focused for the upcoming meet at PACs.” The conference championships run April 25 and 26 at Grove City College.

showing in the fall PACs,” said Purbaugh. “I feel like my game has gotten to the point where it’s consistent enough to the point where I am not going to throw up the big number like I did in the fall.”

Purbaugh added that the team as a whole is also focused on improving and has bought into Jones’ goal of beating Thiel.

“We are always looking to try and improve and get into that second tier with Thiel and Westminster and we are right there,” Purbaugh said.

“We are only I think 15 or 20 [strokes] behind Thiel coming into the spring, which is very doable to make up. So that’s one of our main goals is to try and beat Thiel.”

Back in the fall, Waynesburg’s men’s golf team placed in sixth out of the seven total teams in the PAC. “Overall, as a team we are looking to improve, we know we are not going to win the PAC this year, for us we had a good fall PACs, but it wasn’t good enough to be in contention to win,” said Jones.

Jones hopes for the team to grow next year in numbers, which he hopes will lead them to a PAC Championship one day.

For Skon, knowing a pitchers’ tendencies is a crucial part of her role as an onfield leader.

“I think that plays a big role in knowing your pitcher and knowing when they need a break, when to call time, what they like to throw,” Skon said. “Knowing that stuff is important to be successful.”

While a lot of numbers have defined Skon’s 2019 season, the important one for the Yellow Jackets is four. Those are the remaining games left in the season, and it’s likely that Waynesburg needs to win all of them and get some help for Skon and her teammates to play in the postseason for the first time. While Skon’s had a successful season and career at Waynesburg, regardless of the team’s record, she feels that none of it is important if the team doesn’t win.

“It definitely is frustrating to be producing and for that not to be enough,” she said. “But softball is a team sport, so it doesn’t matter what I do. It matters what the team does, so my numbers have never really mattered to me. The team’s numbers are more important than mine.”

Champs Continued from CC1 I think she will make some noise in that particular event,” said Cross.

Cross also mentioned that senior Teghan Simonton will play an important role for two reasons: the team will rely on her to score for the team and because her leadership abilities will be necessary to help guide the young distance bunch through their first shot at trying to win a conference title.

Another area in which the team should look for help is in the field events where junior Jordan Simpson will try to score in multiple events for the team.

“Jordan is a javelin specialist, but it really helps that she is good at shotput.

She will be relied upon to score points in the throws world,” said Cross.

Simpson is ranked first in javelin and second in the conference in shotput heading into PACs. Another thrower who may help

Photo courtesy of Patty Kaczynski Scott

Freshman Aubrey Wingeart will play an important role for the Jackets in this year's PAC Championships. is Omyrah Davis.

Cross mentioned that junior Mary Beth Cunningham has been improving at nearly every meet, bringing her 400-meter dash time down to a 1:01.

Cunningham is currently ranked second in the conference. Sophomore Katherine Fair is also

ranked second in one of her events, the 110-meter hurdles. Fair is the top seed in the 400-meter hurdles as well.

Waynesburg has a solid chance to defend its title, but the only way to find out who is truly the best in the PAC will be on the track this weekend.

region SECTION DD

APRIL 25, 2019 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

Joint effort Greene County split on recreational marijuana TEGHAN SIMONTON Region Editor

One thing is for sure: the culture around marijuana has changed. That’s according to John, a Greene County resident and regular recreational user of cannabis, whose full name is being withheld for his privacy.

When he was growing up in the late 60s, with Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd playing on the radio, smoking marijuana and hash was nothing to the prevalent LSD and preludes, he recalls.

But now, with the country stewing in a devastating opioid epidemic, the perception is different.

Still, he said, marijuana isn’t the problem.

“Let’s get real,” said John. “Marijuana isn’t going to kill anyone.”

In the last few months, Pennsylvania’s ongoing debate over recreational marijuana has heated up. Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman embarked on a “listening tour,” visiting all 67 counties in the state with the intention of gathering data and gauging public opinion.

“We’re here to talk about recreational, adult-use cannabis,” he said during his Greene County stop, in February.

DRUG >> DD4

Health Dept. debunks cancer cluster County programs Ewing's Sarcoma instances receive grant to not ‘statistically significant’ battle substances MATTIE WINOWITCH Executive Editor

The Pennsylvania Department of Health recently determined there is no “cancer cluster” in Washington County or the Canon-Mcmillan School District. This finding was in response to a report released in late March, claiming there were six cases of Ewing’s Sarcoma in the area. The department’s statement was released one day before state officials were supposed to meet to discuss the matter.

“Based on the data we currently have, when compared to incidence rates for the rest of the Pennsylvania population, male and female incidence rates for the Ewing’s Family of Tumors and childhood cancers in Washington Coun-

ty and Canon-McMillan School District were not consistently and statistically significantly higher than expected in all three time periods analyzed,” the department stated in a Tuesday release.

Dr. Ned Ketyer, pediatrician and consultant for the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project, said Ewing’s Sarcoma, a bone cancer that typically impacts individuals between age 10 and 20, is very rare.

“I think they say there are about 200 cases annually in the United States,” Ketyer said.

For such a rare cancer to pop up so many times in a centralized area, Ketyer said many members of the community and beyond have begun to ponder the specific cause. The curi-

Ketyer osity for the cause behind the several cases of Ewing’s Sarcoma is what mostly led the Department of Health to launch an investigation.

At the same time, the investigation was able to determine whether or not the uptick in diagnoses qualified as a “cancer cluster.”

“If you can establish a cancer cluster, that triggers a more intensive investigation from the federal government,” Ketyer said.

According to the National Institute of Health, a cancer cluster is defined as “the occurrence

of a greater than expected number of cancer cases among a group of people in a defined geographic area over a specific time period.”

The Department of Health’s latest report has stated that the recent occurrences of Ewing’s Sarcoma in the Canon-McMillan school district do not technically constitute as a cancer cluster. However, on behalf of the department, the report does acknowledge that the localized rates of Ewing’s Sarcoma and other types of cancer were, in fact, elevated. “ W hen compared to state incidence rates, rates for some types of other radiation-related cancer... were somewhat higher than expected in Washington County or CanonMcMillan School District; however, these cancer incidence rates were not CANCER >> DD4

EDWARD BOICE Op/Ed Editor

Connect Inc. received $512,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and Human Services April 1. The money came from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants.

Connect Inc. was one of 16 organizations that received grant money from the pool of $15 million. In a press release from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office, a formula “that equally considered the rate of individuals diagnosed with a substance use disorder and rate of overdose-related deaths in a county” decided which counties received

the grants. The selected counties then chose an organization to invest in.

Amy Switalski, director of Greene County’s Housing Services and Family Resources Department, explained that Connect Inc. received Greene County’s grant funds because of established rapport.

“Connect Inc. for Greene County is who Greene County Human Services already collaborates with and contracts with for all of our [Department of Housing and Urban Development] services,” Switalski said. “So, they already have the infrastructure here…Plus, on top of that, there are other GRANTS >> DD4

High St. salons cooperate for business success EDWARD BOICE Op/ed Editor

Some may think this is a hairy situation.

Three newly opened hair salons, all on High Street in Waynesburg and within one block of each other. In such a competitive field, businesses need to cut down the competition.

But here, the opposite happens.

“It’s really nice with everyone up here, because we all get along, all work together,” said Dayna Bell, co-owner of The Hair Studio.

Three hair salons - ManKind Gentlemen’s Cuts, The Hair Studio and High Street Hair - have formed High Street into the hairline of Waynesburg. They aren’t the even the only salons in

the area.

“There’s around 17,” said High Street Hair Owner Jason Kenner.

All three salons agreed Waynesburg is a center of commerce for Greene County. Shops want to gravitate toward areas of such influence, and customers are drawn to the lower prices the salons offer.

“Waynesburg and Greene County pricing is usually a little bit lower than Route 19 area, Washington area or Morgantown area,” Kenner said.

Outside Greene County, someone could get a Brazilian Blowout for $400, Kenner explained. In Waynesburg, the same haircut could be arranged for the low price of around $250.

Even before Waynesburg

Edward Boice, The Yellow Jacket

Heather Jeffries, co-owner of Mankind Gentlemen's Cuts, said the hair studios on High Street work together so they are each successful. Each shop has a special niche that makes them unique and helps them build particular client bases. grew into the cheapskate fashion model of the county, Kenner said there have always been hair salons galore.

“Oh my, yes. There’s al-

ways been a lot in the area,” Kenner said. “If you look at the hair world; it’s a billiondollar industry. If you look at it at a smaller scale, you’d

think Greene County. There are thousands of people who have to have their hair done.

So, there are a lot of salons in the area, but they are all

booked.”

Clear-cut niches are how hair salons succeed. While HAIR >> DD4

PAGE DD2

APRIL 25, 2019 S PJ B E S T A L L - A R O U N D N O N - D A I LY N E W S P A P E R

WINNER: 2004 2016 FINALIST: 2003 2013 2014

Newspaper reveals the joy of writing TYLER GODWIN Columnist

STAFF EXECUTIVE EDITOR REGION EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR ARTS & LIFE EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OP-ED EDITOR COPY DESK CHIEF ASST. SPORTS EDITOR ASST. SPORTS EDITOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

MATTIE WINOWITCH TEGHAN SIMONTON LUKE GOODLING GRACE HUTCHISON HOLLY HENDERSHOT EDWARD BOICE JOE SMELTZER TYLER GODWIN DYLAN CLELAND CHEYENNE NESTER ELAINA SPAHMER COLIN MCLAUGHLIN ANDREW HREHA RACHEL PELLEGRINO BEN NORMAN

TECHNICAL/FACULTY ADVISORS: RICHARD KRAUSE SARAH BELL KRISTINE SCHIFFBAUER

I absolutely despised writing when I arrived at Waynesburg University back in the fall of 2015.

Who would think that four years later, I would be completing my fourth year as a contributor and staff member of The Yellow Jacket here at Waynesburg? If you would’ve told me out of high school that I would

Utilize summer

Three months can be spent in a variety of ways As April comes to a close and finals approaching, Waynesburg University students are preparing their summer plans. The three month break holds seemingly endless possibilities for students.

The question is, what should students with their three months?

Part-time jobs are a productive method to gain money for college bills and disposable income to relax and adventure during college. They also provide work experience to fill resumes.

Future juniors, seniors and some sophomores will intern at an organization in their field which aligns with their major. These are essential for a college education and could lead to a full-time job after graduation.

College can be stressful, and taking the summer off for a change of pace from the rush and constant assignments might be needed. A student’s summer might be filled with recuperation and time to pay attention to self-care as well as neglected people and hobbies.

Some approach summer with the mindset they won’t be in the country anymore. Study abroad students will make their arrangements and say final goodbyes before embarking on a new experience.

They also may spend time with family and friends who they know they might not see for a long time.

Traveling with such friends or family is an option as well. Once students enter the workforce, they may not have the time to take two weeks off to travel to a state or country they have never been to before.

The world contains many wonders, and everyone has places they want to see and interact with.

Some students will need to take summer courses in order to graduate in an efficient timeframe. Or perhaps the course they need is only offered in summer.

Maybe they love to learn and want to further their education as much as they can at college.

Current seniors are preparing to go to work, finding permanent residence and finishing all the graduation paperwork. Graduation parties might be in the future.

Some seniors will return to be super-seniors, while others will prepare for graduate education.

All these preparations are necessary and essential to furthering education and experience. For any year and major, however, rest should be a priority. Summer break is only three months, and that time goes by fast.

College can be taxing on all personal aspects of life, so it’s important to rest whenever there’s time. Meet with family and friends, catch up on sleep, return to old hobbies and try new things.

College can take away from practiced skills and long term projects. Why not take the summer to return to those things? The days of month long breaks are coming to a close. There are no such breaks in the workforce, so take advantage of them now.

Whatever the summer holds, The Yellow Jacket would like to wish all faculty, staff, students and graduates a restful and purposeful break

ABOUT OP/EDS

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.

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.

Copyright © 2018 Waynesburg University 51 W. College St.Waynesburg, Pa. 15370

I don’t think I would’ve discovered the passion I have for storytelling, especially on the sports side. I grew to love finding creative ways to tell the story of different games, highlighting key aspects and also learning about p e o p l e’s b a c k g r o u n d and telling their stories through my writing.

Wr i t i n g e s s e n t i a l l y started to become a bit of a release for me, allowing me to have creative freedom to sit down and fit all the pieces together into the puzzle that ends

up becoming the story.

As I learned more about myself and how I actually realized that I loved this kind of writing, I got more involved with The Yellow Jacket and have been a staff member since the fall of my freshman year.

It hasn’t always been easy. As a student-athlete where sometimes, between games, practices and travel obligations, my sport eats up more than 30 hours of my week in season, my other onWRITE >> B3

Embrace pain to achieve high goals TEGHAN SIMONTON Columnist

EDITORIAL

have become a writer and storyteller in college, I would’ve laughed in your face.

Yet here I am, still churning out story after story each week just like I have each semester since that fall of 2015 when I had my first taste of journalistic writing in my sports writing class.

It was in the class that I not only realized that I enjoyed writing about sports, but I really like telling stories. And I was pretty good at it.

If it wasn’t for that class,

For the last four years at Waynesburg, I have competed on the cross country and track and field teams.

Year-round, I train and compete in long-distance races, putting in long hours of training, working through mental and physical exhaustion on top of the regular responsibilities of a full-time student.

I would work all night f inishing projects and putting together a newspaper, only to leave The

Yellow Jacket office in the wee hours of the morning, heading straight to track practice without an iota of sleep. When I was freelancing, I’d conduct phone interviews with sources between events at track meets, sneaking away to a quiet corner of an unfamiliar college, before I’d have to go compete myself.

I remember the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship my freshman year. I was nervous and full of self-doubt, unsure if I could place in my events where I needed to, in order for my team to win. I remember one of my coach’s handing me a plain

rubber band. She gave one to each distance runner, with a personalized note inscribed with sharpie on the band. Mine read, “Don’t settle.”

I’m often asked—and I often ask myself—why I put myself through so much stress and pressure. Why try so hard? Why not take a break?

These questions usually come to me during late nights toward the end of the semester, when motivation is low and my body is wracked with fatigue.

Still, if running has taught me anything in the years I’ve competed, it’s that you always keep going. You al-

ways finish the race.

The thing is, this revelation doesn’t just apply to running. While we’re in college, and long after, we each have the opportunity to achieve some truly awesome things—travel the world, get a dream job, write a book, cure a disease—whatever. There is a massive realm of opportunity outside of the Waynesburg University campus bubble.

Of course, nothing worth achieving comes easily. We’ve all heard this phrase before, but I don’t think a lot of people truly GOALS >> B3

Remember those who nurtured you LUKE GOODLING Columnist

This one is for my mom and dad.

When I first entered Waynesburg University four years ago, I had specific goals in the Department of Communication.

From maintaining a high GPA to taking on various leadership roles, I accomplished what I set out to do four years ago.

Reflecting on these accomplishments, though, it’s clear to me I can’t take the credit. Instead, I realize it’s the support from my parents that’s made a difference in my education and it started long before I committed to Waynesburg.

Being homeschooled through elementary and high school meant I had a relationship with my parents that most other kids didn’t have. My parents acted as the teachers, tutors, mentors and coaches it takes to properly educate someone. While my

peers had an entire school district behind them, I just had my mom and dad.

When your parents are so involved, it’s hard to realize the significance behind the sacrifices they make every day for your education.

It took me four years of hard work at the collegiate level to fully understand what exactly my parents committed to when they made the choice to homeschool me for well over a decade.

The first time I ever sat in a classroom, took notes on a desk and raised my hand to ask a question was four years ago. Everything in college was uncharted territory, but I felt oddly prepared.

Though I came from a nontraditional education, I was fully equipped to tackle the challenges that came my way in the past four years. It was then, I fully realized the significance of my parents in my academic career.

So now, as I reflect on my education at Waynesburg, I feel as if I can hardly take credit for what I have

achieved in the past four years without mentioning my mother and father.

It’s really the people who support you the most that are responsible for your success. For me, those people are my parents.

Regardless if you’re a freshman or an upperclassman, it’s important to remember who got you to Waynesburg University, or any college, in the first place.

It might have been a coach in high school, a mentor or even a parent. Either way, it’s worth recognizing those that helped get you to where you are today.

It’s important to personally acknowledge them, too. Whether it’s a

letter or a phone call, remind those people who’ve helped get you to where you are today that they played an important part.

I doubt they would get tired of you letting them know that they are appreciated, regardless of how frequent that is.

While my path through academia is finally over, I know the influence and support of my parents will last throughout my life.

I think it was Isaac Newton who once said something about standing on the shoulders of giants.

To me, those giants represent the thousands of hours my parents sacrificed, giving me the foundation to accomplish my dreams.

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 25, 2019

PAGE DD3

Editor grapples with legacy, finds silver lining Goals MATTIE WINOWITCH Columnist

“Legacy — what is a legacy?

It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.”

This is an excerpt from “The World Was Wide Enough” from Broadway’s hit musical, “Hamilton.”

In the context of the scene in which this song is performed, Alexander Hamilton is taking a moment to sing as he seems to be frozen in time while a bullet from Aaron Burr’s gun is hurtling towards him.

In this quiet moment, Hamilton is reflecting on his life as it is about to end. Obsessed with being remembered, he took this moment to come to terms with all his loose ends, hoping that what he’d done during his time on earth would be enough.

I, too, am obsessed with my legacy. As I walk away from Waynesburg University and my twoyear role as executive editor of The Yellow Jacket, I can’t help but think about the impact I’ve made.

From the moment I first became acquainted with The Yellow Jacket, I knew I wanted to be executive editor. It was something I felt deep within my bones, as if it were some ancient prophecy I was meant to fulfill. I worked hard for it, and by the end of my sophomore

year, the long soughtafter position was mine for the taking.

The beginning of my role was anything but hopeful. The paper’s previous advisor suddenly decided to leave Waynesburg, and I would be left to take on this huge role from the darkest depths of ignorance and confusion. For comparison’s sake, imagine someone forcing a blindfold on you as you prepared for takeoff in the cockpit with a plane full of passengers depending on you to survive. It was a moment of great turmoil, sadness and regret.

I thought being executive editor was over for me before I even had a chance to begin. Transferring schools seemed like a desirable option at the time, but quitting isn’t in my vocabulary. So I decided to stay.

In my first year, there were victories after victories. We won a record number of awards and were living like kings.

My passion and drive were both alive, and I could feel myself begin to weave together my legacy. I craved success and did everything in my power to fill the footsteps of the giants who walked before me. I gave up so many nights of sleep and weekends with friends to climb to the top. It was work I knew I could be proud of — and I was.

Over the summer between my junior and senior year, I’ll never forget a conversation I had with Richard Krause, the chair of the Department

of Communication and co-advisor of the paper.

He encouraged me to make my senior year the “best Jacket yet.” This fueled my fire as my passion and ideas continued to f lourish. I wanted it to be the best yet. That was a legacy I could get behind.

Unfortunately, nothing could prepare me for what was about to unfurl at The Yellow Jacket this past year. In a matter of months, we had seven staff members quit. More often than not, the reason for quitting was mental health — the stress was too much, and they were experiencing extreme burnout.

I couldn’t blame them, either.

At the end of my sophomore year, there were 29 people on staff. Today, there are 15, with only 12 that serve as active writers and reporters. We are functioning with less than half of the staff we used to have. Most of us have to take 3 to 4 articles a week, an impossible balance with classes, work and other extracurricular activities.

I myself was experiencing extreme burnout. I couldn’t handle the pressure or stress anymore, and I slowly grew to hate the role I once prayed for.

There was no joy left in me to encourage others; no passion left to write anything more than a 500-word news brief. I was a shell of my former self, and it was unfair to both me and my staff.

At times, the only thing that kept us motivated

was the potential for awards. We worked so hard, I thought we were bound to get recognized for something. Last year, we received 20+ awards.

This year we received three.

I never felt my head hang so low as I watched my legacy begin to plummet deeper and deeper into a bottomless pit.

After feeling defeated, I decided to make my voice heard. I wanted to fight for the staff members I’d be leaving behind after I graduate. The fact of the matter is that a weekly, 16-page 11x17 newspaper isn’t sustainable. To keep the paper afloat, we would need to approach it in a different way.

Now here’s the crazy part — they actually listened to me. Next year’s paper will be half as long and will be printed half as much. There is hope.

I realize I’ve written this column acting like I’ve been all alone this whole time, but that’s simply not the case. I have so many people to thank.

Te g h a n a n d L u k e : Thank you for always sticking wi th me and being two completely competent individuals I could always count on no matter what. I consider you both to be two of my best friends, and I truly couldn’t have done it without you guys and your “if you’re still in, I’m still in” mentality.

Jacob: Thank you for stepping up to the plate and going out of your comfort zone to become an impactful advisor.

Write Continued from B2

Digital Illustration by Cheyenne Nester

Cheyenne Nester is a senior digital design major and marketing minor. She has been The Yellow Jacket's graphic designer for two academic years.

campus job where I work 5 to 10 hours a week and class work on top of that, time management is more than essential.

This year has especially been hard on the newspaper staff with over a half-dozen resignations, leading to an increased workload for the remaining staff members.

What kept me going with The Yellow Jacket, despite all the hardships and other obligations were two reasons.

First and foremost are my fellow coworkers. I’ve

Your edits shaped my stories, and your mentorship shaped my career.

Sarah: I honestly don’t even have the words to say to you. You have stuck by me through thick and thin and have been such an incredi ble advisor these past two years. I am so proud to have been your first executive editor, and I hope I had the same impact on you that you’ve had on me.

T h e re a re s o m a ny more I’d love to thank, including Tyler, Grace, and the countless people whose incredible stories I’ve been honored to tell.

My life is truly changed because of each and every one of you.

T h e r e wa s n e v e r a rush quite like the feeling I’d get after seeing a new paper on the stands each Thursday, or the gratitude I’d feel when a reader would reach out to me personally to say my story touched them.

In the past few years, it’s been such a blessing to be able to serve my campus and community in the best way I know how: with my words.

As a leader, all I ever wanted was a great legacy to leave behind, but I’m not so sure if I got it. Perhaps I’ll go down in history as the “Editor Who Killed the Jacket.”

This wasn’t my intention, but hey, at least I’ll be remembered. All I can say is that I’m thankful for every moment – good and bad – I’ve had as a leader.

While others might forget, it’s a memory that will live in my heart for as long as I live.

grasp it. As students and as young professionals, we tend to sell ourselves short; we think “Well, I could never do that,” or “I’m not good enough for that job.” We stay in the same hometown our family has lived in for generations, take the first job that we can find after college.

We aim low, to avoid the grind or the disappointment of failure.

Frankly, this kind of thinking is illogical, and lazy. Ever y person in the world who has ever achieved anything started out right where we are, today: lowly college students. If they can do it, so can we. Not to mention, I’d like to ask: where is the fun in playing it safe?

As I prepare to graduate, I remember the last four years as being full of pure exhaustion, frustration and failure—but also achievement, excitement and opportunity. I was continuously knocked down, and getting back up; losing a race and then winning one.

If there is any advice I can give to those I leave behind at Waynesburg University, it is to chase that feeling. Embrace each challenge, no matter how improbable or tiring it is.

Aim high, and set lofty goals, because you may surprise yourself, in the end. It’s the same advice I got from my coach that day—the day when, by the way, Waynesburg won the PAC Championship and started a winning streak that would last almost four years.

Don’t settle.

built great friendships with many people within that newspaper staff, and those people are some of the hardest working people I know. I love all of them and would go to battle for each and every one of them. Also, who knows if I would be dating my girlfriend, Mattie, if it wasn’t for us being coworkers on staff. We have all overcome immense adversity to get to where we are now, and I am beyond proud of us.

Second is the doors it opened up for me professionally. Ever since I became a writer, I have utilized those skills to help land me internships each of the past two summers, freelancing jobs for

two different newspapers while in school and my writing has set me up for success in graduate school. I’m forever indebted to the experience I got with the paper helping give me the skills to capitalize on those opportunities.

As my undergraduate career comes to a close, I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities that not only The Yellow Jacket has provided for me, but the overall academic and athletic experience I’ve had at Waynesburg.

I wouldn’t trade the late nights, the hundreds of hours dedicated to writing and editing and all the laughs and memories for anything.

Continued from B2

PAGE DD4

APRIL 25, 2019

Bowlby Library prepares for summer months with events ANDREW HREHA Editorial Assistant

Eva K. Bowlby Public Library is getting ready for its summer learning programs, available to children of all ages. The main program, coordinated through the state, is the SummerQuest program. The library will be putting its own spin on the program, though, with a space-themed “A Universe of Stories” title.

The eight-week program, starting June 26 and running Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will focus on handson activities for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Megan Ealy, who is coordinating the various summer programs, said there will be a special event to launch the SummerQuest program.

“We are doing a summer kickoff carnival on the evening of June 21 with snow cones, popcorn machines, a bunch of special activities,” Ealy said.

“We have a special musical artist coming in who will be doing a special program as well, that evening.”

While the event has been a staple for the library, this

Drug Continued from DD1 In Greene County, the issue of decriminalizing marijuana has caused sharp division—and not just across party lines.

For Blair Zimmerman, commissioner, it’s simple.

After losing two brothers to drug overdoses—one by heroin and one by cocaine— he doesn’t feel the state can justify decriminalizing a “gateway drug.”

“When people get to a point that they’re not getting the high or satisfaction, they leave that and go to something else,” Zimmerman said.

For the most part, it seems, his constituents agree. In other counties, Fetterman said the majority of residents were prolegalization, but the Greene County stop of Fetterman’s tour, the crowd seemed to be split.

This is frustrating for recreational users like John, who claim to use the drug responsibly and feel legalization would only benefit the state, bringing in significant revenue that would, in turn, reduce property taxes.

But Zimmerman said there are still many reasons

Grants Continued from DD1 portions of [Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services] who Connect is under that have drug and alcohol treatment. So, it’s a perfect fit.”

The grants are from April 1 to September 30, Switalski said.

“We wrote for a two-year grant, but I guess the money the federals are pushing down to the state is coming in increments,” Switalski said. “They are agreeing to six months at a time.”

According to the press release, one in five homeless people suffer from a “chronic substance use disorder.” Switalski said the problem is compounded because there are no services offered by HUD to provide temporary housing for offenders released from correctional institutions.

This raises the likelihood of them returning to substance abuse.

year will bring a new experience, with the library looking to bring a field trip to the program. The goal is to increase program participation.

“For eight weeks, we are going to be doing a lot of hands-on space learning, writing poems, doing a lot of literacy,” Ealy said. “We are working on a field trip for the middle of the program.”

Aside from the SummerQuest program, Bowlby will also be offering a list of other summer programs for young kids, tweens and teens.

Summer reading classes will be available to kids from birth to preschool age Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The library will also be offering a teen program every other Tuesday, which Ealy is currently planning volunteer efforts for. The library is also offering a “Play K” transition into kindergarten program for kids entering kindergarten.

“This will help our 5-yearolds getting ready to make the big jump to kindergarten transition easy,”said Ealy. “We have bus demonstrations and lesson plans based off of the kindergarten standards they will be

seeing.”

The library is also working on an organized play group where children ages one to three will come in and develop socialization skills through play.

For older students, the library offers SAT prep classes and also GED classes, all of which are free.

This is Ealy’s first year coordinating summer programs after serving for a year as the literacy coordinator at Bowlby.

“I can’t say enough about the presence [in the community]. I have over 80 students enrolled in my story classes right now. I also do nine outreaches that reach over 150 kids, give or take, every week. So, that’s over 200 children that I’m reaching.”

The library puts a focus on summer, particularly due to the “summer slide,” where children can lose up to 50 % of what they learn over their time off from school.

“When they are coming back into school, if they haven’t done anything over the summer, then the teachers are still re-working what they were supposed to learn the previous year. It’s just the way it is with inac-

to oppose decriminalization. He’s worked heavily on the county’s Overdose Task Force since its inception last year, and he believes there could be a connection between recreational drug use and narcotics.

John believes that his peers are fooled by misconceptions and persistent stigmas, drawing undue connections between

marijuana, Zimmerman can’t support it. He’s also concerned that marijuana is detectable in a drug test even several weeks after use, and he believes policing drivers under the influence will become much more complex.

“There are so many pieces to this puzzle,” he said.

John agrees that some regulation is necessary:

“State government is just looking for another source of money; they're not considering what can happen to a lot of people. They' are just looking at the almighty dollar.”

BLAIR ZIMMERMAN

Greene County Commissioner

marijuana and hard drugs like heroin and cocaine. For him, marijuana isn’t about “getting all messed up.” He can go about his day, he said. It’s a “completely different high.”

“That’s what the whole problem is,” John said. “They think because you smoke cannabis that you are a hardcore druggie. They are completely wrong.”

On a personal level, knowing both of his deceased brothers started careers of drug use with

“These individuals have most likely burned all bridges and can’t go back to where they come from because of reuse, awkward situations and those kinds of things,” Switalski said.

“They have nowhere to go, according to HUD. We can potentially help them with a home plan that’s safe. We’ll help support their recovery, while they are waiting for permanent supportive housing with the help of HUD.” 66 out of the 101 homeless people who became involved in Housing Services, from July 1 2018 to April 15, 2019, said they were experiencing drug and alcohol and mental health disorders. Now, with the state grant money, Switalski and Lyndsay Burrik, executive for Connect Inc.’s Community Wellness and Recovery, expect the organization to be able to aid more people than before. “ We expect to serve more individuals in need who weren’t eligible for other housing options, which would offer them stability through recovery,” Burrik said.

people shouldn’t be allowed to just smoke on the streets, he said, and they shouldn’t be able to carry more than half an ounce at a time.

Additionally, with new breathalyzer technology, it should be easier than ever.

With the right regulation, John thinks decriminalization can benefit taxpayers.

“I think marijuana would be the biggest step Pennsylvania could make,” John said. “I pay so high a property tax in Greene County, that it is unbelievable. If

Drew Hreha, The Yellow Jacket

At Bowlby Library, the summer months are filled with events and activities for children of all ages, aimed at keeping students active and engaged during the break from school. tivity, you have to use it to maintain it,” Ealy said.“The more we do with them over the summer, we have seen such a great increase in children who have been successful in the schools.”

they would legalize marijuana, my property tax would probably go 90% away.”

Z i m m e r m a n d o e s n’ t think the monetary benefit can offset the potential dangers. That’s not a good enough reason, he said.

“State government is just looking for another source of money; they’re not considering what can happen to a lot of people,” Zimmerman said. “They are just looking at the almighty dollar.”

At this point in the debate, Pennsylvanians are looking to the examples set by other states, namely Colorado. Following the trend, some legislators think the decision should lie with constituents. “ Vermont is the only state to do this through the legislative process. All the others did it through a ballot initiative, letting the people decide,” said Rep. Pam Snyder, in a statement. “That is the way I believe Pennsylvania should do it also. I am open to a legislative discussion on decriminalizing it, but I think for an issue like this, the people need to decide.”

So far, “the people” have decided to decriminalize in at least 10 states. In Pennsylvania, the debate continues.

Ultimately, Ealy enjoys getting to watch kids grow in knowledge and progress through the Bowlby system of programs.

“We start with a baby lapsit, so that’s anywhere

Cancer Continued from DD1 statistically significantly hig her in both gender groups or consistently and significantly higher in all three time periods analyzed,” the department stated in a release.

Ketyer said he believes that pinpointing causes isn’t as important as determining certain associations.

“What are the things that increase the risk of cancer?

That is how we need to talk about cancer specifically,” Ketyer said.

As a consultant for the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project, Ketyer has become familiar with the impacts of pollutants on the environment and how those pollutants could potentially impact certain health issues.

“Bone cells appear to be very sensitive to radiation,” Ketyer said. “That’s why people are looking at radiation; we know it’s not good for bone health, and they’re looking specifically at radiation waste and a shale gas infrastructure.”

In Canonsburg, there are a variety of potential associations that have been raising eyebrows in the

Hair Continued from DD1 there are a couple of similarities, each shop on High Street focuses on different aspects of hairstyling. ManKind is the only barber shop in Waynesburg. The Hair Studio focuses on the latest trends in ladies’ hairstyles.

High Street Hair constantly promotes themselves by showing off their continuous education in the hair industry.

“I do believe as the education continues, and the techniques continue, there are salons that do focus on just that one area and really hone in on that one area to make yourself a standout compare to everywhere else in the area,” Kenner said.

Stylists also build a committed client base. If someone likes how a stylist cuts their hair, there’s a good chance they will return.

“Starting out in this industry, I think it’s good to start with a chain because your getting a lot walk-ins, to where private places, most of

Edward Boice, The Yellow Jacket

Dayna Bell, co-owner of The Hair Studio, works with a client. Bell said loyal client chains are key to success in the competitive hair business. the time, people there have been doing hair for a long time,” Bell said.

Some clients stay with stylists for years. For example, Bell said she has had a client who has been loyal for the past 12 years. Anoth-

er client, Jenna Hellen, has stayed committed to Kenner for nine years.

Keeping an established clientele when establishing a private salon isn’t difficult.

All three salons’ stylists kept many of their clients with the

between six weeks to 18 months,” Ealy said. “So, I have some kids that will grow with me until they go to preschool. To be able to see a child grow in that capacity is an amazing thing.”

community. For example, the U.S. Dept. of Energy uranium mill tailings disposal site near CanonMcMillan High School, as well as shale gas drilling and fracking operations sit nearby.

While he does acknowledge the potential dangers of these industries on the human body, Ketyer said he doesn’t foresee there being a “smoking gun” that points solely to fracking. Regardless, he is hopeful that the Department of Health’s investigation will lead to more research on the disease itself.

“I think it’s an opportunity for people to come in and learn more from Ewing’s Sarcoma,” Ketyer said. “But in order to find that, you have to look and you have to keep an open mind.”

While the Department of Health has released its initial findings, their statement elicits hope for continued monitoring and research in the future.

“DOH will continue to closely monitor Ewing’s Family of Tumers and pediatric cancer incidence in Pennsylvania over the next several years as new data becomes available in the [Pennsylvania Cancer Registry],” the department stated in a release.

tactics ManKind co-owner Heather Jefferies described.

“We did a lot of social media, a lot of word of mouth,” Jefferies said. “My mom owns her own restaurant business, so a lot comes from there too because a lot of people know me through my parents.”

Because the three salons have dedicated clients, they don’t need to fight over each other’s.

“If we can’t get somebody in, we’re like ‘try there,’” Bell said. “Everybody up here are business owners, and everyone really works together to help each other out.”

For Brittany Miller, High Street Hair salon manager, the hair salon business is whatever a person makes it. A successful private hair salon takes time and hard work to establish.

“When you become a cosmetologist, you don’t just go to work and clients just fall into your chair. It is hard work when you first start out,” Miller said. “If you work hard, you continue to do what you love and your passionate about it, it’s a job for some people; it’s a passion for others.”

arts & life butts rip

SECTION D

APRIL 25, 2019 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

WHEN THE STEEPLE FELL Cast of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ react to the cathedral's devastating recent fire GRACE HUTCHISON Arts & Life Editor

Thomas Faye was in class when he heard the news.

His music history class had wound down as the professor slowly drew lecture to a close. The dwindling voice of the professor began to be overshadowed by the noise of students zipping their backpacks and slamming notebooks shut.

In this momentary pause, Faye thoughtlessly checked his phone.

After quickly checking the time, he saw a notification that someone had sent him a link.

Nothing about the day had felt unordinary, he said. That was before he saw the image that the link directed to. Faye watched in horror

Tribune News Service

An accidental fire caused millions of dollars of damage to the beloved cathedral April 15.

as the Notre Dame Cathedral burned, it’s twirling architecture engulfed in flames.

‘It can’t be,’ he thought. Faye yelled out to his teacher and showed classmates the video.

He saw history burning.

“My sanctuary,” he said.

Faye, junior musical ministry major, had developed this special connection with the cathedral after starring as Quasimodo in Waynesburg University’s performance of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame.’

In preparation for this leading role, Faye spent weeks researching the rich history behind the story of Quasimodo and Notre Dame itself.

“I was able to work so closely with DAME >> D2

Ensemble grows in number, ability Senior recital acts as a farewell, ode to music history

RACHEL PELLEGRINO Editorial Assistant

The Marsh Center was filled with the sound of music as the Waynesburg University Jazz Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra performed Tuesday, April 16.

This concert served as both ensembles first and only performance of the semester. For many seniors, it was their last.

Payne Wissler, senior biology major and music minor, said the concert was sentimental.

“I’m definitely going to miss Waynesburg as a whole, but being able to play like this after college is kind of hard to find something like this,” Wissler said. “You have to seek it out.”

Wi s s l e r h a s p l a y e d violin for the orchestra in all four of his years at Waynesburg and has dabbled in the jazz ensemble as well. Throughout his time in college, he said the groups have grown.

“We’ve really grown not just in size, but I think [in] our ability,” said Wissler.

“We’ve gotten better and can play pieces that are a little bit more advanced.”

At the concert the en-

JOE SMELTZER Copy Desk Chief

Photos Courtesy of Lindsey Stenger

The performance, held Tuesday, April 16, was the ensemble's first show of the semester. sembles played a variety of songs from established composers: Borodin, Prokofiev, Henderson, Porter, Mandel and many others.

Wissler liked these choic-

es of composers and enjoyed playing their songs.

“It was a lot of fun. They were really fun pieces to play,” he said. “I always like when we play kind

of older things by more established composers.”

Dr. Ronda DePriest, professor of instrumental JAZZ >> D2

Mission trip to Guatemala serves kids DYLAN CLELAND

Assistant Sports Editor

With summer quickly approaching, some students prepare for internships, work and relaxation back in their home towns.

However, Pat Bristor, associate dean of students, and Ryan Smith, assistant director of student activities and 16 students will be traveling internationally.

They will head to Guatemala, Central America, where Waynesburg fac-

ulty and students have attended since 2002. “[Bristor] and I are co-leading the Guatemala mission trip and we’ll be leaving the day after graduation [May 6] at three in the morning,” Smith said. “We’ve both lead it for the last three years and then also, I had gone when I was a student as well.”

The volunteer work available for Waynesburg students ranges from physical work to handson field experience for

some of the university's most prominent programs.

“It all depends on the year, but [it could be] anything from physical labor to painting to children activities and education in the schools,” he said, “[This year] we’ll be actually be teaching English in the high school and middle school.”

Teaching children in Guatemala will be a first for the trip. Smith said it took a lot of coordination with teachers in Guate-

mala to make it possible for Waynesburg students to go into the classroom and serve as educators.

“We are adding on the education piece this year,” Smith said. “We’ve been talking with the English teacher there and then also we’ll go and live with about 14 nuns when we’re down there. So, we’ve been talking with them and then this year is the year that we’re able to go into the school and teach TRIP >> D2

When Ian Goedert started his first semester at Waynesburg University, 15 credits made up his schedule. By the end of that semester, he was down to nine credits.

The reason for this was that his original major, journalism, wasn’t working out the way he had intended.

Towards the end of his freshman year, he fully figured out that original major wasn’t for him and switched to pursue a degree in the fine arts department, where he stayed for the next three years.

T h i s p a s t M o n d a y, Goedert, who’s official degree will be in arts administration wi th a concentration in music, finished his on-stage career at Waynesburg with his senior recital.

Goedert, whose primary instrument is the cello, wanted to have his recital be somewhat of an ode to music history.

Hi s c h o i ce s ra n ged from the Baroque period to the 20th century, and those two eras, despite being immensely far apart, are Goedert’s two favorite time periods in music.

“I think the more eras you learn to play, there are def initely distinct styles to each of them, you def initely become more diverse as a player,” he said. “I think that’s important.”

Ronda DePriest, professor of instrumental music and director of the music program, is teaching the class confirmation that Goedert is performing for a grade in. DePriest also made note of the variety

of eras and music featured in Goedert’s recital. “ He h a s a c l a s s i c a l piece, a romantic piece which would be the 1800s all the way to the 20th century,” she said. “He has it kind of spread across the [history].”

While Goedert felt comfortable in his second major, the switch did bring a few challenges, with stage fright being one of the biggest. While Goedert had the benefit of prescribed beta blockers, given to him after a studio recital last year

“He's learned to look very realistically and realize that he does have a lot of skills; he has a lot of intelligence, a lot of intellect...”

RONDA DEPRIEST

Professor of Instrumental Music

didn’t go according to plan, to help him work past his fear, simply getting used to playing in general was a big part of Goedert becoming more comfortable to doing so in front of a crowd.

“Just through playing more in front of more people more often,” he said. “The big thing was spring last year, my studio recital didn’t go so well because I was so nervous.

I was literally quaking.”

Because Goedert didn’t enter the fine arts department right away, DePriest got the impression that he felt he was behind in his new major. With time CELLO >> D2

APRIL 25, 2019

PAGE D2

Attending university grew student's faith ‘exponentially’ SIERRA MEDINA

For The Yellow Jacket

Commitment to God was not always central in the life of last Sunday’s Upper Room speaker Jarrett “Ollie” Choi, sophomore communication major.

Though he had been a Christian his whole life, Choi said, full devotion to God began about three years ago.

“I decided to commit to God my senior year of high school. I was struggling to read the bible and pray; you know going to church was just not my thing.”

However, Choi said coming to Waynesburg University and experiencing the community grew his faith exponentially.

“It’s such a great environment and atmosphere to share my testimony and my faith. They [Waynesburg community] didn’t judge that, they helped and encouraged me through the struggle.”

Choi said Joshua Sumpter, assistant chaplain and instructor of biblical and ministry studies, has been a catalyst for understanding and growing in his faith.

“My faith was like 20-30%

before coming here. Now I’m 80% sure about my faith because there’s no 100%,” he said. “Josh Sumpter taught a New Testament course, that helped me a lot. I wasn’t a big bible person, but now I see the bible, more of what God’s telling us to do and the path He has us on.”

Choi said he reached out to Harrison Scott, junior testimony coordinator for Upper Room, to speak the night of April 14. because of a desire to reach to students in the midst of their struggles and to offer encouragement.

Choi, who used to live in South Korea, also said that being from a different country brings a different and interesting aspect.

Sumpter says a highlight of Upper Room is the opportunity to listen in on the journey each student has been on. “[Choi] has definitely been on a journey where he has had to trust the Lord, and where God has taken him on new adventures that he probably never would have dreamed of. I was also impressed with his honesty and thoughtfulness with his background, his conversations with his mother and

Grace Hutchison, The Yellow Jacket

The worship band, composed of students, performs contemporary music during the weekly worship service. ultimately his desire to trust God and grow in faith through his story.”

Having been on the Upper Room worship team for over a year, Choi said the environment is one also conducive to fellowship and growth.

“We share a lot of things together faith-wise. I think it’s really special that Upper Room members can share like a best friend. They’re here for worshipping God

and make it a better atmosphere for other people to worship God,” he said. “I see the environment, people singing together, jumping around me and crying out.

They change me and touch my heart and every weekend the Holy Spirit is with us, and that changes me.”

Sumpter hopes Upper Room will always be an avenue for changing people’s hearts.

“What are people learn-

ing about Jesus leaving Upper Room because of your story? That’s our ultimate hope, is that it’s God using students as vehicles to proclaim the truth, to proclaim His faithfulness and to proclaim the good news.”

Choi hopes to have the opportunity to impart more encouragement through Upper Room before he graduates, especially the reality of God’s love.

“This time I was focusing

Jazz

Trip

Continued from D1

Continued from D1

music and director of the music program, said their performance was great.

This was the first year that the groups had performed at night. “ T h e s e t wo g r o u p s used to perform on the Chamber Works concert at noon that we have,” DePriest said. “But getting this many bodies together during the day at noon is so hard.”

Because of this, last semester the groups performed on separate nig hts. However, this proved to be a problem in the spring because of conf licts with Stover Scholars.

“We put them together this time because so many of our orchestra members are Stover Scholars and we had the date down for last Friday night,” she said. “They had their Stover trip so then we round up piggybacking with the jazz.”

DePriest said in the long run, everything worked out and the show ended up with a great audience.

“I made 75 programs and they’re all gone. So,

English.”

Along with educating, nursing majors will have the opportunity to work in a Guatemalan nutrition center and hospital over the three-week period in which Waynesburg visits.

Dame Continued from D1 that time period [in which it was built],” Faye said.

“It really was a historical place.”

Though Quasimodo was a fictional character and Faye has yet to see Notre Dame’s characteristic stained glass in person, his relentless

Grace Hutchison, The Yellow Jacket

more on my past and how to commit to God, but my life is not just the past, there’s present and future. I want to talk about the present, the right now,” he said. “I wanted to encourage people that you’re not the only one behind, you’re not the only one struggling. There’s a chance. You may have had a rough past, but God still loves you. Struggle doesn’t mean anything to God; He still meets us all the time.”

deepen those relationships wi th those students,” Smith said. “Now, I’m a co-leader and help foster those relationships with the students and the children down there in Guatemala.”

Bristor, Smith and the 16 students attending the trip are set to leave the day after graduation, May 6.

They will stay for

“After meeting the children, they've really touched my heart and I've continued to go back and deepen those relationships with those students.”

RYAN SMITH

Assistant Director of Student Activities Rachel Pellegrino, The Yellow Jacket

The show, executed after weeks of practice, featured music from a variety of composers. we have at least 75 in the room,” DePriest said.

The groups have grown over the years in size due to the inclusion of the community and Fine Arts Academy students. “ Fi n e a r t s a ca d e my started a year ago spring.

This is only our third or fourth semester that we’ve had it. We [also] opened it to the commu-

nity members,” she said.

Despite the inclusion of these two groups, the loss of this years seniors is still going to affect both ensembles.

“We’re losing some people that have been with us since the start and it just makes me sweat every year because you don’t know what freshman are going to come in and take

their place,” DePriest said.

With the loss of one player from the jazz ensemble and four from the orchestra, DePriest said the group will continue to tr y and grow next year.

“We’ll do more of the same and just try and grow it and keep trying to fill more of the seats with Waynesburg students.”

preparation for the role created an emotional connection.

“Being Quasimodo, I made him come alive even though he isn’t real,” he said.

“It made him feel so real.”

Faye starred alongside Ed DiOrio, sophomore

sports broadcasting major, who portrayed the antagonist Claude Frollo.

DiOrio felt a similar connection to the structure after his role as the archdeacon, who worshipped the building in the musical.

“I treated it onstage as if it was the most sacred home to live in,” DiOrio said.

DiOrio felt even more emotion towards the devastation because he is of the Catholic faith and the cathedral has been a place of worship for the denomination for well over 600 years.

“When you treat a structure and with such hig h praise and see it burn to the ground,” he said. “There are no words to describe the feeling.”

He didn’t know how

to react when he heard news of the fire.

“It’s almost like Niagra Falls running out of water,” DiOrio said. “It’s something you never thought you would see.”

Faye, DiOrio and millions of others were captivated by footage of the fire that ravaging the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, April 15.

Flames erupted through the halls and destroyed the cathedral’s iconic spire and much of the roof before it was able to be tamed. The cause of the fire still remains unclear, but terrorism and arson are not suspected by investigators.

Faye said he felt heartbreak and shock as he watched as he saw fire envelop the religious building on social media.

“I thought I will never get to see it in my life,” he said.

Even though the roof and spire faced substantial damage, the fire was able to be contained before it destroyed more of the structure. At time of print, more than one billion dollars have been pledged to replace what was ruined.

“My hope is that it will all be rebuilt,” Faye said.

“The center is a nutrition center and in it there are the children that are there, and then there is also a hospital for the whole community that’s attached to it,” Smith said.

“So, the students will be able to volunteer in the hospital as well.”

This will be Smi th’s fourth year leading the mission trip with Bristor, but his experience with Guatemala stretches back to his days as a student when he first attended this mission trip.

“A f t e r m e e t i n g t h e children, they’ve really touched my heart and I ’ve continued friendships wi th them over Facebook and have continued to go back and

Cello Continued from D1 though, Goedert grew aware of— and confident in— his talents. Goedert’s overall growth in fine arts was demonstrated by the fact that his senior recital was, for the most part, his creation and he was in charge of organizing it.

“He’s learned to look very realistically and realize that he does have a lot of skills; he has a lot of intelligence, a lot of intellect…” Depriest said. “He’s come such a long way.”

Goedert’s respect for music histor y, his self-assurance and his overall personality, for DePriest, will lead him to a successful career

more than three weeks, working on a variety of volunteer and service work before returning to the U.S. May 22.

Smith said all the work is worth it because of the conditions in which most of the children they encounter live.

“In general, the situation that the children are in is similar to what we know as an orphanage here in America,” he said. “But basically, the children are living in a group home and their families either can’t afford them, or the court ordered them to live in the group home, so they hardly get to see their families.”

after Waynesburg.

“I think he’s a great g u y t o b e a r o u n d ,” she said. “He really is eclectic with the types of music that he likes, and I think that will serve him well in this area as his well. I think he’s found conf idence in himself that should translate very well in a career.”

Looking back, had Goedert not made the switch from writing to music, he’s not sure i f h e’d h ave l a s t ed at Waynesburg University.

“I honestly don’t know if I ’d still be here,” he said. “First semester freshman year, I came in wi th 15 credi ts and came out with nine.

That’s how bad it was.

So it was pretty rough, but I think switching really did save me, honestly.”

PAGE D3

APRIL 25, 2019

WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Across

1 After-bath powder 5 Crunchy potato snack 9 Stew (over) 13 Cookie in some Breyers Cookies & Cream 14 Vintner's prefix 15 Still in the running 16 "The Twelve Days of Christmas" tree 17 Crooner Crosby 18 Entitled 19 *Anonymous Arlington honoree 22 Be worthwhile 23 Dispenser candy 24 Boot the ball 25 Wall St. specialist 26 Fill to the gills 28 __-Wan Kenobi 31 *Evil Cinderella sibling 35 History Muse 36 Sean Lennon's mom Yoko 37 School orgs.

38 *Possibly the perp 43 Singer Carly __ Jepsen 44 Where Cork is 45 Bottom line 46 Rowing implement 47 Criticize harshly, as a film 48 Freelancer's enc.

51 *Entryway conveniences for rain deflectors 56 Best man's best friend, often 57 MacFarlane of

"Family Guy" 58 Lane at the Daily Planet 59 Makes eyes at 60 Part of un opéra 61 "The African Queen" screenwriter James 62 Dogs, to dog owners 63 With 64-Across, NBC drama ... or, in four parts, a hint to the answers to starred clues 64 See 63-Across

Down

1 Refresh, as a cup of coffee

2 Sports venue 3 Hardly watertight 4 Succotash kernel 5 Attic accumulation 6 "57 Varieties" brand 7 Overnight places 8 Possum in comics 9 Natural aptitude 10 Icy winter coating 11 In any way 12 Media mogul Turner 15 Peace Nobelist Sakharov 20 Grand Ole __ 21 "Shall we?" response 25 Burn soother 26 Sight or smell 27 Per unit 28 Director Preminger 29 Noggin

30 W-2 agcy.

31 Bone parallel to the radius 32 "The Immoralist" author André 33 Sightseeing outing 34 Roasting rod 35 Mangy mutt 39 Provides with

more weapons 40 Beget 41 Reduced to rubble, as by a fire 42 Penny 46 Instruments among the reeds 47 Singer LaBelle 48 Canoodles, in Britain

49 French bye word 50 Letters after ars 51 Advocate 52 Shed skin 5 3 F u t u r e a t t y.' s hurdle 54 Solidarity leader Walesa 55 Jai __ 56 Republican org.

LAST WEEK'S SOLUTION

GRADUATION

SUDOKU

CAP

VALEDICTORIAN AWARD

CAP

GOWN

GRADES

ALUMNI

TASSEL

DIPLOMA

CEREMONY

PARENTS

ACADEMIC

SPEAKER

MEDAL

GRADUATE

DEGREE

Award-winning family sitcom approaches final season MEGAN COOK

For The Yellow Jacket

A popular family situational comedy in a mockumentary style is approaching its f inal season.

As fans move on from what it considered a modern family, so must the characters that experience big life events such as marriage, graduation, pregnancy, and death.

True to its original tagline, the comedy series revolves around 'one big straight, gay, multi-cultural, traditional happy family.'

T h e P r i t c h et t -D u nphy-Tucker family tree beg ins wi th patriarch Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill) at the top and branches to his t wo adult children, Claire Dunphy (Julie Bowen) and Mitchell

Tribune News Service

The cast of "Modern Family" have earned the show over 80 Emmy nominations.

Pri tchet t (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), with families of their own.

Although the three

connected households exhibit varying familial structures, each episode includes different mixes

of characters that battle similar problems. Characters solve their issues while learning a universal

moral or lesson.

With several child actors orig inating their roles since the series release in 2009, the show has grown alongside its cast. The three children of Claire and her husband, Phil (Ty Burrell), each travel a different path. The youngest, Luke (Nolan Gould), jumped into the workforce at a country club post high school while his older sister, Alex (Ariel Winter), is nearing graduation at Caltech. The firstborn, Haley (Sarah Hyland), is pregnant after reconnecting wi th her hig h school boyfriend, Dylan (Reid Ewing).

This pair of young lovers is a little too familiar to Haley’s parents. They, too, were surprised by an unplanned pregnancy and married. In both situations, an overbear-

ing mother attempted to control her rebellious daughter from dating her immature boyfriend; but this time, it’s twice the trouble because Haley and Dylan are going to have twins.

Besides raising their children, parents must find the balance between work and family. Jay was a successful tycoon in the closet industry but has since passed the torch to Claire while he pursues his new passion for his business in dog beds.

M o d e r n Fa m i l y h a s been nominated for 81 Emmys with 22 wins. It will end with season 11 during the 2019-2020 television schedule.

The show may not be an exact replica of a modern family, but it tries to comedize relatable situations to connect with its audience.

INTERESTED IN HAVING YOUR WORK PUBLISHED? CONTACT GRACE HUTCHISON AT HUT1575@STUDENT.WAYNESBURG.EDU CONTACT GRACE HUTCHISON AT HUT1575@STUDENT.WAYNESBURG.EDU INTERESTED IN HAVING YOUR ARTWORK PUBLISHED?

PAGE D4

APRIL 25, 2019

Class of 2019’s

Words of Wisdom Collected by Edward Boice

Designed by Cheyenne Nester

“My three years at Waynesburg have been filed with ups and downs, but through all of it I have learned so much about myself, made so many new friends, and grown so much closer to God. I look forward to the next step as a college graduate!“

Susan Dunsworth, Business major As a senior I realize that life goes by very fast. I have enjoyed being a student of Waynesburg University very much, even if I may curse some of the classes I had, worked myself to the point of collapsing, or retained no energy to stay awake in classes because I would be so exhausted from the workloads and also watching YouTube late at night. But the thing to take away from all that, if you had the same experience, is that no matter what life throws your way, you can say, with confidence, that you have what it takes.”

Ian Popovich, Electronic Media major “Invest your time wisely. It’s currently your largest commodity but use it to better yourself and those around you, and take full advantage of it during your time at Waynesburg.”

Tyler Turbett, Mathematics major “My time here has definitely been a whirlwind experience, from changing majors to falling in love. Was it perfect? No, but life never is.

I’m grateful for the time I got to spend here at Waynesburg University I’m proud to say it’s my home.”

Natalie Johnston, Public Relations major “Enjoy the little moments and all four years. Don’t rush into everything. Take each day at a time and remember something positive about each day.”

Morgan Carroll, Human Services major

“Never take for granted the times you get free things and get out of class early.”

Reagan Zeppernick, Criminal Justice major

“To borrow from Zombieland; buckle up freshmen, college is going to be a bumpy ride!”

Zachary Imbrogno, Electronic Media major

Congratulations!