October 19, 2018 Vol. 63, Issue 2
IBlade@Ferrum.edu
Ferrum College
215 Ferrum Mountain Rd., Ferrum, VA 24088
Opioid Crisis Symposium Draws Hundreds
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By Mary Stoudt
In a room full of several hundred people, President David Johns mad a declaration: “I don’t think there’s any more important topic than the one we're going to be discussing this evening.” The event was Saving Ourselves: A Symposium on the Opioid Crisis. New York Times bestselling author and Roanoke local Beth Macy was the main guest speaker of the evening. Macy’s newest book Dopesick was a key feature of the symposium on Oct. 1. Dopesick took Macy over two decades to write and focuses in on three Virginia communi-
ties (Roanoke County, Central Appalachia, and Woodstock) and the opioid epidemic within them. Throughout the evening, Macy touched on her own personal struggles she had while writing Dopesick. One of Macy’s biggest struggles was when Tess Henry, a young mother passed away. Macy went on to explain that Henry was a young woman followed in her book and that Macy grew very close to Henry and her family. “We just got to do better in this country,” Macy said when talking about the help and support offered to drug addicts. Macy also mentioned the idea of introducing medicated assisted treatment
(MAT) to Virginia. MAT typically uses the drugs Methadone or buprenorphine to help opioid users get over their addiction. While using MAT drugs, addicts also typically attend counseling sessions or participate in other forms of therapy. Senior Jade Jones shared how the opioid epidemic personally affected her and was curious to know how addiction treatment drugs work. “Medicated assisted treatment works primarily with two main drugs… they’re weak opioids themselves, and they’re also blockers (meaning they) block other medications,” Macy said. Following Macy, a panel
of speakers was introduced to answer additional questions. Pam Rickard of the Herren Project, Bill Overton the Franklin County Sheriff, Martha Haley-Bowling a Ferrum College professor and outpatient clinician at Radford Counseling Group, Debbie Powell the Director of Franklin County Social Services, Sharon Buckman the Clinical Services Director at Piedmont Community Services, Stacy Gill the Assistant Commissioner for Behavioral Health Community Services with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and Carolyn See OPIOD Page 8
At top left, Lana Whited addresses the crowd at the opioid crisis symposium held on campus. Above, Beth Macy fields questions during the Q&A portion of the evening.
Johns Outlines Vision and Expectations for Ferrum
Statue of Limitations?
First-Gen Students
Not Horsing Around
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who can make work for him/ herself, create opportunity for others, and help strengthen the health and economy of their region,” Johns said. “In ten years, Ferrum will be offering a wide range of graduate programs, reaching adult markets through online professional programs, and will have robust programs in the health sciences (including nursing), counseling, non-profit management, and environmental engineering. The college will have partnerships with a vibrant health center, a community retirement community, and many area agencies and industries,” Johns concluded.
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themselves, but to others,” Johns said. On top of Johns’ four primary goals for this academic year, his visions expand beyond the 2018-19 calendar. He has the highest hopes and goals for the school as it continues to grow and strengthen. “In 10 years, Ferrum will be known as a premier, destination university where learning is impacted by the natural world, and that excels in the areas of recreation leadership, agriculture, and ecotourism.” He continued: “In 10 years, every Ferrum graduate will be an entrepreneur
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2 ge Pa Mid-Terms and Voting
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In the previous issue, we caught up with Ferrum College President Dr. David Johns, who is serving his first, full year. The conversation involved Johns’ vision for Ferrum’s future. One topic covered was the advent of graduate programs and Master’s Degrees. “Whether I speak to current students, alumni, or community members, everyone is excited about this development for the College,” Johns said. “(Second, we want to) focus our academic programs on areas
we have, and adjust our budget to reflect the college we are, not the college we were,” Johns said. While Johns has some big plans for improving the state of the college, he recognizes that the school offers a sense of community, and that service to others is at the core of the school’s identity and values. He said he hopes that never changes. “The college’s motto has inspired thousands of students to give their lives to causes bigger than themselves, and this is something of which we should be proud. No matter how we change and grow, a Ferrum graduate will always give thought not only to
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of market growth and student demand,” he said. “We are planning to add new programs in a few areas over the next couple years, and this is crucial for us to be competitive and to provide students with pathways to lives of meaningful work.” “(Third), redesign our fundraising efforts to strengthen annual giving, and expand our donor base to include foundations and individuals who have not yet given to the college,” Johns said. “(Last), work with our operations to make them more cost and time efficient so that we are good stewards of the resources
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By AnnGardner Eubank Part II of a two-part series
Soccer/Hockey Scores