The Black & Magenta Vol. 121 Issue 2

Vol. 121 Issue 2

November 2016

FEATURED: Learn more about Mental Health Awareness Day. Full story on Page 5!

How We View It The Black & Magenta Editorial Staff:

Editorial:

Hurricane Matthew grasps nation’s attention, even in smallest of towns

Kyle Hawley pilots his boat through the streets of his neighborhood, flooded by water in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, as he gathers his belongings from his home, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

event which New Concord prepares the area for each year with weekly tests of the warning system.

However, some of us had family and friends in Florida, or in the Carolinas.

It was a scary situation for many across the nation, especially not knowing if family members were safe.

One of my best friends from Norwalk, Ohio had family in Florida. He was very nervous during the storm.

Whether it’s family in the affected area, or even just feeling sympathy for those caught in the path of the storm, all of us are truly affected in one way or another.

Chris Morgan Editor-in-Chief cjmorgan@muskingum.edu

Brenna Busby Assignment Editor Page Editor bbusby@muskingum.edu

Katie Meddings Staff Writer Copy Editor katiem@muskingum.edu

Logan Weaver Staff Writer Circulation Manager loganw@muskingum.edu

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Chris Morgan Editor-in-Chief The effects of Hurricane Matthew didn’t just stay in the areas hit by the storm.

Photos and news stories published through the national media allowed the entire United States to get a glimpse of the damage and how residents along the east coast were coping.

When natural disasters occur in the United States, everyone around the nation seems to take notice almost

immediately. People can put aside their differences, even just for a little while, and put their attention toward the people who’s homes and livelihood were destroyed.

Even the political arena took time to pay their respects to those affected by the storm.

For those of us in the small town of New Concord, we’re very unlikely to be personally affected by a storm like Hurricane Matthew. We’d be more likely to witness a tornado, an

NEWS

FEATURED

Page 3 Muskingum Alumna Returns

Page 5 Mental Health

THE MUSKIE HI

SPORTS

Page 4 Muskingum Professor featured by Poetry Foundation

Page 6 Mens Basketball Page 7 Womens Basketball

OrbitMediaOnline.com

November 2016

News

Muskingum University

alumna returns to campus Chris Morgan Editor-in-Chief Muskingum alumna and author, Meg Thompson, ‘04, made her return to campus Thursday, Oct. 6 to give readings from her poetic works.

Thompson returned with a 2008 Muskie graduate, Whit Arnold, for an author talk hosted by the English Department to read and analyze some works with current Muskie students.

“I can’t believe how different it [the campus] looks,” said Thompson. “It looks gorgeous.”

Thompson was approached by Professor of English, Jane Varley, about the idea to return and speak about her work and do an Author Talk. She has remained close to Varley since graduating. She looked forward to coming back to campus and jumped at the chance to share her work.

“As soon as she asked me if I would be willing to come back and talk, I said ‘yes, I’d love to,’” said Thompson.

As a creative writing student, Thompson said she always looked forward to writers coming to campus.

“It was so interesting to hear another voice, to hear about people publishing big, grown-up, fancy author things,” said Thompson.

After graduating from Muskingum, Thompson received her Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from West Virginia University. Kattywompus Press published her chapbook, “Farmer,” which includes some of her poetry, shortly after that. Thompson also mentioned satire and non-fiction works.

“I tried to specifically pick things [to talk about] that applied to college students,” said Thompson.

Thompson was a part of many different organizations in her time at Muskingum, including the campus radio station, WMCO, where she hosted a

November 2016

morning radio show for a few semesters.

However, her real passion was writing poetry, which she said she was inspired to do, mostly thanks to Varley.

“I always liked anything to do with creative writing,” said Thompson. “I think Dr. Varley’s classes really helped me figure out what I liked about being expressive and lyric, and creative.”

Out of all the pieces of poetry she’s written, Thompson said the works focused around her family appeal to her the most.

Photo courtesy of Meg Thompson (Bottom) Meg Thompson holds her twoyear-old daughter, Mae. Thompson has been focusing most of her recent work around Mae and the rest of her family.

Her main focus right now has been writing about her two-year-old daughter, Mae. Thompson said she hopes the students in attendance got a glimpse of her daughter through the pieces of work she shared during the Author Talk.

Muskies mourn loss of beloved professor Chris Morgan Editor-in-Chief

Photo courtesy of Public Relations

OrbitMediaOnline.com

Muskingum University Professor of Chemistry, Ray Rataiczak, died on the evening of Oct. 13.

A memorial service for Rataiczak was held on Oct. 18 in Brown Chapel.

Rataiczak began teaching at Muskingum in the Chemistry Department in 1980. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics from Waynesburg College, and his Ph.D. from Saint Louis University.

Rataiczak led the development of four new academic programs in his time at Muskingum.

He was 72 years old.

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The Muskie Hi Muskingum University professor featured

by Poetry Foundation Logan Weaver Orbit Media Staff Writer

Logan Weaver/ The Black & Magenta Jane Varley, Chair of the Muskingum University English Department, has work available on the Poetry Foundation website. Her poem was featured as a Poem of the Day in August.

A Muskingum University professor was featured on the Poetry Foundation’s website as a Poem of the Day. Jane Varley, Professor of English and the Chair of the English Department at Muskingum, had her poem “Packing the Car for Our Western Camping Trip” published on the foundation’s site.

The poetry foundation is an independent literary organization that was around in some form as far back as the early 1940s.

Varley said the poem is about her dog Sam, a terrier mix, who passed away after she had him for most of her adult life.

“With that particular poem, that was a hard situation,” said Varley. “He was a beautiful dog and I felt compelled to write a poem about how he left my life.”

Varley said that she was not aware about her poem being featured as the Poem of the Day until others mentioned it to her.

“I didn’t know about it until people read it and were getting in contact with me saying ‘You’re the poem of the day,’” said Varley. “It was a wonderful surprise.”

Varley said that she wrote the poem several years after Sam passed away and while he did sometimes have a “mean streak,” he was Varley’s “great protector.”

“I think people who love dogs will understand the phrase ‘the lifetime dog,’” said Varley. “He was my lifetime dog, the most important dog I ever had or ever will have.”

Varley said the message that she wants her readers to take away from “Packing the Car for Our Western Camping Trip” can be found through shared and similar experiences.

“There’s an image of smelling the paws of a dog,” said Varley, “which to a non-dog person would sound really weird, probably. But to dog people, we know that can be a beautiful smell.”

Varley said she began her passion of poetry in her fifth year of undergraduate school in 1988.

Varley also said most of the inspiration behind most of her work comes from the natural world, books, and other writers’ work.

Varley earned her Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Idaho, then received her Ph.D. at the University of North Dakota.

After receiving her degrees, Varley began teaching English at Muskingum University in 2000.

According to the Poetry Foundation website, Varley has also had some of her poetic works reprinted in the New York Times.

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OrbitMediaOnline.com

Poetry Foundation.org •The poetry foundation is an independant literary organization.

•They have also published Poetry magazine since 1912.

•Their website was established in 2003.

•The Poetry Foundation stemmed from the Modern Poetry Associated, which started in 1941.

•The website allows users to search using author names or the title of the work.

•Each day a committee chooses a poem to feature as their “Poem of the Day.” Brenna Busby/ The Black & Magenta

November 2016

Featured

Assessing your

mental health: Know the 5 signs Brenna Busby Assignment Editor

Mental Health Awareness Day was hosted by Muskingum University Counseling Services, Psychology Club, and the Psychology Honorary, Psi Chi in September.

The theme for the day was knowing the five signs of mental distress.

The Five Signs initiative is an international push by the “Campaign to Change Direction,” which is a cause that educates the public about mental health and how to assess it.

Though the national campaign began in 2013, Mental Health Awareness Day has been a cause supported on campus since Tracy Bugglin, Director of Counseling Services, joined the Muskingum University Staff 10 years ago.

“Mental health awareness is a very important topic,” said Bugglin. “One of the reasons we like to do Mental Health Awareness Day is also to bring awareness to the fact that counseling services exists at Muskingum University. Some of the students are not even aware that we are here. So we pick a topic each year that might just draw folks in.”

Psychology Club, Psi Chi, and Counseling Services were on The Quad on the afternoon of Sept. 21 to hand out educational information and to give Muskies a chance to sign a banner in show of support.

“As our banner indicates many students have stopped by to draw their

hand to indicate the five signs and that is kind of what the five signs are about,” said Bugglin. “[In the] national campaign you put your hand out there to show that [you] know the five signs.”

The three organizations also hosted several activities in the Walter K. Chess Center later in the evening to continue bringing awareness to their cause.

Dining Hall, and the Top of the Quad Center during the day.

The five signs of mental distress are personality changes, feeling agitated, feeling withdrawn, poor self-care, and feeling hopeless.

“The Campaign to Change Direction” pushes for people to value their mental health as much as their physical health. The campaign ideas originally sprang from a discussion.

According to their website, the campaign was prompted by a conversation from Vice President of The United States, Joe Biden’s staff and Give An Hour President, Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, in response to the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012.

Brenna Busby/ The Black & Magenta The Muskingum University Psychology Club, Psychology honorary, and MU Counseling Services came together to host Mental Health Awareness Day on Sept. 21.

Activities included aromatherapy, massage chairs, guided imagery CDs, a chocolate fondue station, and adult coloring. The final event from 8 to 8:30 p.m. was beginners yoga.

Students could also find five sign cookies in Thomas Dining Hall, Patton

Many public figures have also taken up the five sign cause, including First Lady Michelle Obama and actor, Richard Gere. Muskingum University Counseling Services wants people to recognize the five signs and encourages them to reach out for help if needed.

Graphic courtesy of the Campaign to Change Direction

Personality Change November 2016

Agitation

Withdrawn

Poor Self-care

See our Editor-in-Chief’s personal story with mental health in the first edition of “Captain’s Log” on Hopelessness OrbitMediaOnline.com!

OrbitMediaOnline.com

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Sports Muskie men gearing up for 2016 season Chris Morgan Editor-in-Chief Muskingum Mens Basketball brings a veteran squad into the 2016 season looking for continued improvement.

Head Coach Travis Schwab has high expectations for the Muskies in his second year at the helm.

“We need to continue to get better in all phases, but now we have a year of experience under our belts,” said Schwab.

The Muskies began the journey to improvement last season, Schwab’s first as head coach, with a 6-19 overall record, but were highly competitive throughout the year. Only seven of the Muskies’ games last season were decided by a margin greater than 10 points.

“It’s all going to focus on the defensive end of the floor [this year],” said Schwab. “You can’t give up 85 pointsper-game and expect to be successful.”

The men averaged 79.9 pointsper-game offensively last season, and Schwab said he has told the players that scoring is not the problem, but rather wants to see a better defensive team this year.

The team returns much of last season’s roster, including the entire starting lineup that finished the 2015-16 campaign last year.

One of the key components of that lineup is senior captain, Josh Keyes.

Keyes led the Muskies in almost every defensive category a year ago, averaging 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He recorded a career high 36 points and 21 rebounds against Case Western Reserve last year.

Now that Keyes is a senior in the lineup, Schwab expects to see him continue to step up as a leader.

“He always leads by example,” said Schwab. “We need him to understand that as a senior, part of his responsibil-

Black & Magenta Archive Josh Keyes takes a shot against Heidelberg in their match-up from the 2015 season.

Keyes returns as a senior this year.

ity is to bring the younger guys along and show them how to be successful at this level.”

The main scoring punch for the Muskies in 2015 came from the backcourt duo of Jalen Paige and Jarrell Marsh. Marsh led the team in scoring averaging 16 points-per-game, while Paige chipped in 12 points per contest.

“I expect to see them continue to be very aggressive,” said Schwab. “They did a nice job of balancing trying to create for themselves, while also creating for others. That was a real strength of our team.”

The Muskies tip off their 2016 campaign with an exhibition game Nov. 11 on the road against Miami (Ohio).

Black & Magenta Archive Jalen Paige goes up for a layup against John Carroll in the 2015 campaign. Paige comes back as a sophomore for the mens basketball team this year looking to continue to help lead the Muskies to further improvement this year.

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November 2016

Sports

Chris Morgan Editor-in-Chief Muskingum University Womens Basketball comes into their new season looking to work hard and improve as a team.

Head Coach Beth Fox believes team unity will be a big part of this year’s focus.

“My expectations at this point are that they work hard, stay focused, and work as a team,” said Fox. The Muskies come into the 2016-17 season with some fresh faces looking to step up into the starting lineup, as the team lost starting point guard Angela Darnley and starting forward Leigha Moran to graduation.

“Every year we change a little bit and mold to the team that we have,” said Fox. “I think we’ve kind of developed a little different [this year].”

Fox said she looks for junior guard Katie Smith to be one of the players that fills the role left behind by Darnley. Smith played in 25 games last season, averaging two points off the bench for the Muskies.

The Muskies do return some veteran players this

November 2016

year, including the top two scorers, Mallory Taylor and Olivia Besancon. Taylor led the attack for the Muskies last season averaging 12.6 points-per-game, while Besancon wasn’t far behind averaging 11 points.

Besancon started off the year hot for the Muskies last season, scoring double-digit totals in the first three games, but hit a cold spell in the middle of the season before heating up again in the final few games.

“I think it’s a growing thing,” said Fox. “Sometimes when you come out of your freshman year, heading into your sophomore year can be a struggle.”

Fox said she still expects Besancon to play well and continue to grow as an upperclassmen leader.

The team looks to improve on their 5-20 mark from a year ago, a season that also saw the Muskies go 1-17 in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play.

“I think it’s about facing adversity,” said Fox. “We faced a number of adverse situations last year. It’s about changing the mentality, facing the adversity, and just overcoming it and being successful.”

Team unity to play major role in 2016 womens basketball season

The Muskies will face their first test of the season when they tip off on Nov. 15 on the road against Kenyon.

The team will play three non-conference games before tipping off OAC play against John Carroll Dec. 3.

Shriners’ Trophy comes back home

Chris Morgan/ Black & Magenta Senior football captain Chaney Fulton holds the Shriners’ Trophy after the Muskies defeated Marietta 28-10 on Sept. 24.

Listen to live broadcasts of Muskingum University athletic events each week on WMCO 90.7 FM. The sports broadcast schedule can be found online at OrbitMediaOnline.com

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