February 7, 2019 Vol. 64, Issue 1
IBlade@Ferrum.edu
Ferrum College
215 Ferrum Mountain Rd., Ferrum, VA 24088
Honoring a Legend Hank Norton By AnnGardner Eubank
Photo by Steven Marsh and Ferrum College Ferrum College 1965 National Championship
was born in Huntington, West Virginia in 1927. He graduated from Lynchburg College in 1951, and went on to earn a master’s degree at the University of Virginia. He excelled in the game of football as he played for the US Army post team in Germany while he was serving in the Military during the Korean War. After his time in the service, Norton began his coaching career at Powhatan High School in 1954, and moved to coaching at Ferrum College in 1960. He coached for 34 years at Ferrum, which included 29 winning seasons, with five of those seasons being undefeated. His career is recognized as being one of the most successful in the entire collegiate athletic realm. While his career record
Photo Taken from Southside Senntial News Hank Norton wearing a Ferrum College Football cap
of 244-77-11 is an impressive feat in itself, he is remembered also for his loyalty, dedication, and the sense of community and culture he installed, not only in the football program, but the athletic community as a whole, along with the entire school. “I never had the pleasure of meeting Coach Norton, but even so, it would be hard to miss the impact he has made on the college. His emphasis on being a tough coach while still creating strong, meaningful relationships with his teams has been something that sticks out to me, and something that I hope to mimic during my career. Coach Norton has built a lifelong legacy that Ferrum has been fortunate to be a part of and I hope we all can see how big of an impact that words like ‘tradition’ and
‘dedication’ really are. I know that these are things that I plan to build around in my own program,” said current head volleyball coach, Ruthann Duffy. His impact on the community has been undeniable. Coaches and players alike have a shared admiration for his work ethic and the legacy he has left behind. “Ferrum wouldn’t be the place it is today without Coach Norton, so ultimately, his legacy to me means that I have to step my game up. We lost a legend and he can never be replaced. It’s motivation to live up to everything he left behind and match some of his accomplishments,” said JaQuise Snyder. The school held a memorial service for Hank Norton on February 2nd, 2019.
What Built a Legend?
Meet The Staff
Photo Taken from WDBJ Channel 7 News
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Former Ferrum College coach Hank Norton, who coached the Panthers for more than three decades
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Before finding his passion in coaching, Wilbert Hank Norton’s US Army post team’s name “The Black Knights”, seeming to foreshadow his time at Ferrum College coaching and mentoring Ferrum’s Black Hats. Coach Norton previously served, not only as a football coach, but as a basketball and track coach. With many of his great contributions to the Ferrum Community, such as taking the team to the Shrine Bowl in 1965 and 1966, only a few years after having began coaching at Ferrum, Coach Norton was named Coach of the Year by the NJCAA three times in 1965, 1968, and 1974. After taking the college into the NCAA Division III ranking in the 1985-86 school year, Coach Norton became a member of the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, now known as USA South. Hank Norton performed as a head football coach for 34 seasons before his retirement in 1993 and by the end of his career he’d been added as a member of the Ferrum College Alumni Sports Hall of Fame, the University of Lynchburg Sports Hall of Fame, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, and the National Junior College Athletic Association Football Hall of Fame.
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By Jasmine Williams
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Statues, street names, and facilities have recognized for years what was once the living legend of former head football coach and athletic director, Wilbert Henry Norton, Jr. Also known as Hank Norton, the Ferrum icon and Virginia treasure passed away at age 91 on Jan. 16. Members of the school, athletic department, and student athletes have been honoring and mourning the loss of Norton since his passing. “When I think of Hank Norton, I think of hard work, dedication, and trusting the process. If you don’t trust the process, you won’t be able to succeed to your full potential, and that’s what his legacy means to me as a player,” said JaQuise Smyder Hank Norton, who
Pro/Con
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The Iron Blade
February 7, 2019
Meet the Staff Staff Biographies AnnGardner Eubank is the Editor-in-Chief of the paper and has served the publication for six semesters. She is a political science major with minors in journalism and international studies. Along with her work on the Iron Blade, she is also the Editor-in-Chief of Chrysalis, a member of the women's volleyball team, a member of the Senate, the secretary of the junior class, president of Sigma Tau Delta National English Honor Society, a member of the Boone Honors Program, and a representative for the student athletic advisory committee. After graduation, she plans to work for a magazine as an investigative journalist or political analyst.
(From Left to Right) Mary Stoudt, Frances Best, Jasmine Williams, Sam May, AnnGardner Eubank, Diamond Hudson, and Destinee Nelson
Mary Stoudt is the Layout Editor of the Iron Blade and has been on the staff for four semesters. She is a sophomore majoring in history and minoring in journalism. In addition to working on the Iron Blade she is a member of Lambda Sigma National Honor Society and the National Honor Society of Leadership and Sucess. She is also a member of the Lions Club, Rotaract Club, and Love Your Melon. Mary is also an Admission Ambassador and has a job on campus at the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum. After graduation Mary would like to pursue a masters degree in archaeology and work at a museum. Diamond Hudson is also a Layout Editor for the Iron Blade. She is a senior and is scheduled to graduate in the Fall of 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and a minor in journalism. This is Diamond’s second semester on the Iron Blade but her third semester working on a Ferrum publication. After college she plans on working for an online marketing firm, while simultaneously working on her anime blog, and participate in international travel between time.
WE WANT YOU TO FREELANCE
Destinee Nelson is the social media editor for the Iron Blade and has worked on the paper for two semesters. In addition to the Iron Blade she has also contributed to the Chrysalis Magazine. Outside of the classroom she enjoys watching Netflix, going to car events, concerts, trying new restaurants, as well as traveling. After graduation Destinee wants to become a famous journalist and active humanitarian. Jasmine Williams is a graduating Theatre Arts: Acting & Directing Major. This is her first semester on the Iron Blade staff, but she is also the current president of Alpha Psi Omega: National Theater Honor Society, a member of Lambda Sigma Honor Society, and a mentor for the First Generation freshmen students with the Ask Me First Center. After graduation, Jasmine plans on working at home, going to more auditions and technical production and performance workshops, and volunteering at one of her neighborhood theatres until they offer her a paying position. Sam May is a sophomore and is also an International student. He travelled from Derbyshire, England to come and study in America. His major is media and communication and his minor journalism. This is Sam’s first semester working on the Iron Blade. Sam plays on the men's soccer team and was one of the top scorers last season. After college Sam hopes to pursue a career in journalism, he also wants to coach soccer on the side as well. Frances Best is a sophomore majoring in media communications with a minor in journalism. This is her first semester on the paper for the Iron Blade. Outside of the classroom she plays soccer and is going into her third year. After graduation Frances hope to go into marketing.
send submissions to aeubank@ferrum.edu
February 7, 2019, Vol. 64, Issue 1
Ferrum College
Ferrum College 215Mountain FerrumRd.Mountain 215 Ferrum Ferrum, VA 24088 VA 24088 Ferrum, IBlade@Ferrum.edu IBlade@Ferrum.edu
Editor: AnnGardner Eubank
Social Media Editor: Destinee Nelson
Layout Editors: Diamond Hudson Mary Stoudt
Staff: Frances Best Jasmine Williams
Rd.
Sam May Advisor: Dr. Mingxiao Sui
The Ferrum College Iron Blade Newspaper is a student-written, student-managed, and studentproduced newspaper. Opinions do not necessarily express the views of all students or the staff.
Follow us on social media! Facebook: Iron Blade Twitter: @BladeFerrum Instagram: the.iron.blade Snapchat: ironbladef
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The Iron Blade
Sports News
Swimmers Celebrate Senior Night & Look Forward to ODAC’s By AnnGardner Eubank
Both the women and men’s swim teams have been battling through struggles and triumphs this past season and are working on wrapping up their season on a strong note as they head into the ODAC Championship tournament which will be held Feb. 15 in Greensboro, NC. On Jan. 12, the program honored seniors Jonathan Kraft and Mariah Banks for their commitment and leadership towards the team. Both teams competed against the Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan University. The teams split, picking up wins in several events. Sophomore Katie Shoaf earned a pair of wins, in both women’s 200 and 500 meter freestyle. Hunter Tharp also had a pair of victories for the women with coming in first place in both the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. Sophomore, Courtney Moyer, earned first place for her 50 meter backstroke. For the men, Junior, Taylor Darnell, earned first place for his 1000 meter freestyle and 100 butterfly. Sophomore, Jacob Blaukovitch, earned a first place victory for the 100 meter breaststroke. Both teams earned multiple second place titles and finished the competition with a split. As for the seniors, it was a bittersweet milestone and honor. Kraft, who was honored for his three years of competing for the Panthers, expressed his gratitude and emotions for the ceremony.
The Lady Panthers and other competitors prepare to begin an event in a home swim meet in Swartz Gym. Photo courtesy of Ferrum Athletics.
“Senior day was nice. It’s a different perspective when you’re the actual senior. The season has been going well. Our final goal is to do better than we did last year,” said Kraft. With preparation for the ODAC championship in Feb., the team is working on staying healthy and prepared for the remainder of their season. “Staying healthy, trying not to get sick, and keeping our injuries to a minimum is our priority right now. It’s all about just getting faster and getting ready for ODAC’s, that’s all it really is now,” said Junior, Taylor Darnell.
Women’s Basketball Keep Up the Fight By Jasmine Williams The Women’s Basketball Team took a loss against the Washington & Lee Generals Saturday, Jan. 19th, with a score of 88-55. The starting five upperclassmen kicked off the game with senior Maggie Self scoring the first 3-pointer of the first quarter, followed by sophomore Arin Bunker scoring as well. At the end of the first quarter, Ferrum had a lead on the Generals 14-10. By halftime, the Panther’s were down 3324. The overall stat scores
for the second part of the Women’s season, so far, show that they’ve been fighting to keep scores up and they are ready to keep that fight going through the remainder of the season. The team took their recent loss against the Generals as a marker for improvement. “I feel that after playing Washington & Lee, as a team, we found our energy, and hopefully we can carry that into the next game,” said Forward, Jasmine Wilson (Junior).
Top: Sophomore Arin Bunker; bottom left: Jasmine Barr; bottom right: Kelsey Mosley. Photos courtesy of Ferrum Athletics.
Men’s Basketball Works To Bounce Back
Women’s Wrestling on the Road
By Sam May
By Jasmine Williams On Saturday Jan.19, the women’s wrestling Team took off for Bristol, TN to compete at the Tornado Open at King University. The tournament started at 9 a.m. on Jan. 20th, Sunday morning. After the event, on the way back home, the ladies’ travel bus broke down and they celebrated their victories while stranded for a few hours. They have since made it back to campus safely and later competed in the McKendree Bearcat Open in Lebanon, IL.
Left: Freshman, Katrina Anderson. Top: Leya Deickman. Women’s Wrestling competing in home match. Photos courtesy of Ferrum Athletics.
Men’s Wrestling and Their On-going Journey By Frances Best The Ferrum College Men’s Wrestling of underclassmen, there’s a strong founteam has had a successful season thus far. dation of wrestlers that could be returning With current team results of nine wins for future seasons. and two losses, the rest of the season is looking bright for the Panthers. “I feel that the season has been good so far. I feel the team got potential to do big things in the future,” freshman Jalen White said. So far the team has already had plenty of time for bonding, whether it be daily practices or tournament travels. For instance, the team has managed to partake in a tournament located in Florida which was enjoyable for many of the wrestlers. “My favorite memory this season been the trip to Florida for a tournament,” White said. With a squad consisting of 20 freshmen, four sophomores, two juniors, and six seniors the team definitely appears to have Senior, Tyrique Noel, earns a victory in a home wrestling potential for similar results in years to come. Because there is such a large class match. Photo courtesy of Ferrum Athletics.
After a tough run of results, the men’s basketball team look to put the past behind them and get some more wins on their record. The Panthers have lost the past three games and hope to make up for this in the last few remaining games of the season. “The season has definitely been up and down, we’ve struggled with different aspects of the game at times, but we are still trying to put it all together as a team.” said freshman Trey Barnhardt. The Panthers have been battling through a tough season this year, holding a 3-15 record, however, they are 2-4 at home and with most of the remaining games being on the home court, the team hopes to improve their record. “Our record definitely doesn’t show the talent we have on the team, or the great minds our coaches have, we have lost quite a few games this year we
should have won,” Barnhardt said. With only several games left of the current ODAC season remaining, the Panthers will try to turn their season around as they look forward to building towards their next season. The Panther’s will be competing in a home match against the Washington and Lee Generals on Feb. 9 at 2 p.m.
Junior Rashad Reed competing in a home match. Photo courtesy of Ferrum Athletics.
Basketball Games Recap (Dec. 5, 2018 - Feb. 5, 2019) Compiled by AnnGardner Eubank Men’s Basketball Dec. 5, at Roanoke L, 82-68 Dec. 15, at Hampden-Sydney W, 85-80 Dec. 18, at Catholic L, 67-52 Dec. 29 at Methodist L, 72-70 Jan. 2 at Bridgewater L, 71-65 Jan. 5 at William Peace L, 94-82 Jan. 9 vs. Randolph W, 74-72 Jan. 12 vs. Shenandoah L, 81-67 Jan. 16 vs. Guilford L, 75-44 Jan. 19 at VA Wesleyan L, 70-57 Jan. 23 vs. Hampden-Sydney W, 73-69 Jan. 30 at Emory and Henry L, 85-69 Feb. 2 at Shenandoah W, 89-85
Women’s Basketball Dec. 8 vs. Eastern Mennonite L,68-39 Dec. 17 vs. Maryville L, 66-54 Dec. 18 vs. Centre L, 57-39 Dec. 31 L, 81-73 Jan. 2 vs Shenandoah L, 68-54 Jan. 5 at Randolph-Macon L, 73-41 Jan. 9 vs. Roanoke L, 61-51 Jan. 16 at Hollins L, 45-34 Jan.19.vsWashington and Lee L,88-55 Jan. 23 at Guilford L, 46-27 Jan. 26 vs. Bridgewater L, 82-63 Jan. 30 at Roanoke L, 77-45 Feb. 2 vs. Randolph Macon L, 77-67
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February 7, 2019
NEWS MLK Goes Mobile at Ferrum By Mary Stoudt
On January 15, 1929 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, GA. Thirty-nine years later King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN. From 1954 until his death King was the front of the Civil Rights Movement. Because of King’s influence during the Civil Rights Movement he is now celebrated every third Saturday of January on Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day. Ferrum College has held events celebrating MLK Day for numerous years. This year the Sankofa African American Museum on Wheels was brought to Ferrum. James Cabiness, Executive Director of the Academic Resource Center (ARC) attended the MLK program. “The museum was a great opportunity to bring students [together] who may be unfamiliar with this type of program to highlight some of the importance of supporting organizations like this. [These programs] bring knowledge to students who otherwise would not have access to this type of
Americans. Objects such education,” said Cabiness. as the cookie cutter to the The museum’s curator is Angela Jennings. Jennings disposable syringe have created the Sankofa African American Museum on Wheels in 1995 after her grandmother started collecting art and historical artifacts related to African American history. Jennings’ museum is based on the Ghanaian term “Sankofa,” meaning “use the wisdom of the past to build the future.” The collection today includes art and historical artifacts from the United States, Virgin Islands, West Africa, and Europe. Jennings’ collection covers history from 1860 to present day, including the presidency of Barack Obama and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Some of Jennings’ artifacts Portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. include authentic whips, chains, and slave tags. Jennings’ been invented by African collection also includes Americans. the history of invenSophomore Zavion tions created by African
Thompson was intrigued most by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and how King’s
KKK uniform. A child that was about two years old. It just reinforced how powerful the movement was and what Dr. King’s impact was,” said Thompson. At 12:15 p.m. Jennings had an open conversation about her collection and current issues involving African Americans. Jennings’ portrayed a conversation with a young girl and one of her ancestors. Jennings’ conversation allowed students, faculty, and staff in attendance
to hear how a conversation with a young boy in slavery and his master would sound. The conversation was then related back to the young girl Jennings was portraying. The Sankofa African American Museum on Wheels has traveled to numerous colleges in America. Jennings focuses on the importance of education every time she travels. “Education is key… When you go to school you go to learn, learn how to treat each other as well,” said Jennings. Photo Credit: Destinee Nelson
Transportation Slave Ship (Bottom), African American Panitings (Top)
Photo Credit: Diamond Hudson
message overcame the KKK. “There was this picture of a child dressed in a Photo Credit: Destinee Nelson
Dancing with The Panthers Again By Diamond Hudson The new semester brings new opportunities to join the Ferrum Dance Team. In the previous fall semester the team had performed at the ending recital, Improv shows, and the Homecoming parade. In the week of January 23rd until the 25th, Chenell Rogers, captain
hosted Spring auditions. “We received four dance members for the 2019 auditions,” said Rogers. Although, if anyone is still interested in auditioning, cuts are still being made. Anyone is welcomed to join the organization.
“We try to have cuts for people who are interested in joining the dance team. We are always open for people from the community to join an amazing organization,” said Rogers. This semester we expect to
Shania Todd, Asya Watson, Fedecia Bryant, Mattea Anderson, Taylor Brown, Colleen Flynn, Chante Elam Photo Credit: Lacey Matthews
see the teams’ hosted performance for Black History Month in February. As well as their hosted Talent Show that will premiere in April for Ferrum College students to participate in and show off their talents. Lastly, they are meant to perform in the ending semester recital. “This spring semester we are planning to host Chante Elam, Asya Watson, Jocelyn Jackson, Colleen Flynn , Chenell a Black History Month event Rogers Photo Credit : Ferrum Dance Team in February to perform and execute the art of dance to celebrate to remember our Afa degree of excellence and rican American leaders and the maintain Ferrum College,” said events transpired in history,” Rogers. Returning Members: said Rogers. If the goals and interest to Taylor Brown It was also expressed that this dance appeal to you and inFedecia Bryant year the team plans on focusterested in joining the Ferrum Chante Elam ing on getting more involved Dance Team, please contact Aysa Watson in the community. Which they Chenell Rogers at crogers@ are to a good start by being ferrum.edu. Spring 2019 Members: seen Tuesday, January 29th, Note from the Iron Blade: Restina Hafashimana fundraising in Franklin Hall. Chenell Rogers has given Elisha Hudson “Our goal is to get involved consent to announce both reSearena Johnson in the community this year turning and new members who Lia White because we want to lead by have been added to the Spring example by promoting and 2019 Dance Team Roaster. uphold school spirit. We will
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$4.5 Million Budget Shortfall By Mary Stoudt Ferrum College has a balanced budget, meaning revenues are equal with expenditures. This year, the college entered the fiscal year with a difference of $4.5 million. For a small liberal arts college in rural Virginia, a number like $4.5 million may seem daunting. However, President Dr. Johns, along with the board of trustees, have created a solution to balance the budget. “We are aligning our expenses to meet our income,” said Johns. In November 2018, a solution to the budget difference was released. It was decided that employee’s 401ks (retirement plans) would be discontinued, salary freezes would continue (except for the lowest paid
employees), the college would draw up to nine percent of the of its endowment (the endowment is approximately $50 million), and current open positions would be reevaluated to see if they actually needed to be filled. With these changes, the difference would be made accounted for. “Ferrum is a tuition driven school,” said Johns. Since Ferrum primarily relies on tuition, a decrease in enrollment has a more significant impact on the budget. In the fall of 2018, only 1,100 students were enrolled at Ferrum. This is a decrease of 400 students since the fall of 2013 (Roanoke Times).
Ferrum is not the only school dealing with financial differences. Across the nation, colleges and universities are struggling to balance their budget. These issues arise primarily when enrollment is down. In the spring of 2018 Inside Higher Ed (a media company focused on college and university news) released an article about enrollment declines and how it is affecting colleges and universities nationwide. “This spring the center [National Student Clearinghouse Research Center] found a decline of more than 275,000 students, or 1.8 percent, compared to the previous spring. This decrease marks the seventh
straight year when fewer students attended college in the U.S,” (insidehighered.com). With enrollment decreases across the country, small colleges like Ferrum are looking for the best ways to attract students. Currently, Ferrum is still pursuing offering graduate degrees, along with new undergraduate programs which are also being developed, including the popular ecotourism minor also being made available as a major. “Our most important thing is students, teaching, and learning,” said Johns. In addition to academics, Ferrum is also continuing to remodel different areas around campus and more additions are
being made, including a state of the art E-gaming center located where Confetti’s currently is. Ferrum is located in a rural location making it an ideal choice for a student wanting to pursue a degree in agriculture. With this in mind, Johns, along with his team and board of trustees are using Ferrum’s location as a way to attract students. “Ferrum College will be the region’s destination institution where every student’s education is impacted by the natural world,” said Johns. Johns is hopeful for the future of Ferrum College. Even with a difference of $4.5 million, Johns and his team are continuing to evolve Ferrum for the future.
Remembering Julius Campbell
Julius Campbell Photo Cred: Washington Post
Just days after the passing of legendary former head football coach Hank Norton, one of his former players, Julius Campbell, also passed away at the age of 65 on Jan. 25. Julius Campbell, who was made a household name after the debut of the iconic 2000 film Remember the Titans, was a captain of the T.C. Williams Titans football team in their first year integrating white and African-American students into the school systems following desegregation in 1971 in Alexandria, VA. The film showcased the societal shift
By AnnGardner Eubank of the athletes and the community, and the dedication, heart, acceptance, and passion it took for the Titans to win the state title in their first season as an integrated program. Campbell was described by former high school football coach, Herman Boone, who was portrayed by Denzel Washington in the film, as “a very, very instrumental player on that team at simply getting kids to just talk to one another, kids who never talked to kids from another race their entire lives. By doing so, they learned many things about each other that were not passed
down to them and for that, the world owes Julius a debt of gratitude” (Washington Post). After graduating from T.C Williams in 1973, Campbell played football for the Ferrum Panthers while the college was still just a two year school, playing for Hank Norton. While he had plans on transferring to a larger program after Ferrum, Campbell fell victim to an ankle injury that never properly healed. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Cathy Campbell, his daughter, three stepdaughters, two stepsons, and five grandchildren.
Get Empowered! By Diamond Hudson Saturday, Jan. 19th, Darrian Marshall, junior, gave Ferrum College an experience filled with hip-hop and modern dance. The show was almost two hours long with two brief intermissions that presented speeches from both Marshall and Jasmine Williams. The concert itself was meant to inspire the campus to explore the world of dance. “The Empowerment concert demonstrated to the school what empowerment really means, sharing it with others. It brought everyone of many backgrounds together to share in music and dance beautifully,” said Junior, Kathryn Bonner. The performance that was given was full of pop, Beyonce, and throwbacks, including works from the late Prince. “I thought it was amazing and I had a really good time,” said Nasya Smith, senior. None of the dancers missed a beat, as well as all the additional performances had beautiful voices that could have been easily mistaken as Beyonce. Everyone played well together on stage although it was a last minute production. “Yeah, it was a rushed show. It was a hit otherwise,” said Precious Leonard, senior and in charge of stage lights.
“I just wanted to put a student production together. Made by the students for the students,” said Marshall. For a show that was rushed it was not easily noticed. It was put together nicely. The music hit every cue and the lights presented dynamic illusions. Overall Marshall Productions was a hit.
(from left to right) Laura Aylor, Mia Brower, Darrian Marshall, Tamiah Palmer, Autum Murray-Burns Photo Cred: Maki Katsuki
Darrian Marshall during a solo Photo Cred: Lechelle Smith
Darrian Marshall appearing onstage at the start the show Photo Cred: Maki Katsuki
(from left to right) Laura Aylor, Mia Brower, Darrian Marshall, Autum Murray-Burns, Tamiah Palmer Photo Cred: Maki Katsuki
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February 7, 2019
Trump Serves a Whopper By AnnGardner Eubank During the longest ever government shutdown, which lasted from Dec. 22 to Jan. 25, many government employees were not being paid, with many agencies stopping their work all together. The shutdown, which was the product of President Trump’s dissatisfaction with the lack of headway for creating the infamous and controversial border wall between Mexico and the United States, had citizens and government employees in a frenzy. The shutdown has furthered debates on immigration policy, humanitarian rights, budgeting, and even caused a stir over Clemson University’s football program visiting the White House for a celebratory
dinner, which was a smorgasbord of fast food, paid for out of pocket by the President as opposed to an elaborate cuisine prepared by kitchen staffers, which had been furloughed during the shut down. A controversy emergerd on whether or not the Clesmon football team should have been served fast food. Celeberties and social media users have commented by either, defending or disagreeing with how the President has chosen to feed his guests. Some believe that the Clemson team should feel grateful just to have been invited to have a meal in the White House with the President. Others believe that the players should have been honoured with more than just a meal of fast food.
Clemson football players finnish off their fast food feast. Photo courtesy: Getty Images
Pro Commentary by AnnGardner Eubank In the midst of a government shutdown that lasted over a month, President Donald Trump managed to ruffle even more feathers than usual when he invited Clemson University’s National Championship winning football team to the White House on Jan.15 for a celebratory dinner. Presidents often invite championship winning teams to the White House to honor their athletic achievements, however, this feast was a bit different than those of years past. Since the government was in the middle of a shutdown during the time of the celebration, many White House staffers were furloughed, making it so President Trump would have to pay for the celebratory dinner out of his own pocket and would have to organize the affair himself.
Instead of hiring a caterrestaurant service flooded higher authority. Personing company to nourish the socialmediasphere. ally, I would have probably the large Clemson football While the concerns were preferred a nicer and more roster and coaching staff, justified and mainly came upscale cuisine had I been President Trump offered from a good and concerned in the position of a national a very interesting choice place from the public, I champion at the White of dining, where he had feel that many people also House, however, I don’t platters of food from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and other fast food establishments. "The President wanted to host a fun event to celebrate the College Football National Champion Clemson Tigers," deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley had told CNN. Many people have taken to social media to voice their distaste and disapproval of Trump’s menu. Arguments from Clemson football player takes four boxes of burgers. people stating they Photo courtesy: Reuters believe Trump ought to have either provided may have used this as anthink I would complain a higher end cuisine or other excuse to attack the nor cause a riot if I were catering from a higher end establishment and those in invited to the White House
with my teammates and coaching staff. While the cuisine may not have been all that impressive, it was pretty evident the President nor his staff were intentionally being rude or inconsiderate to the national champions. Trump seemed to have been genuinely excited to have the team over for the celebration, and he seemed to have thought the meal would have been enjoyable for the athletes. Trump’s goal for the athletes seemed to be simply to provide a fun evening celebrating the accomplishments of the champions, and the football program of Clem-
son took the invitation and evening with gratitude and smiles. “The team loved it. The families loved it, and everyone was so hospitable and welcoming in the White House. It’s a pretty cool tradition that the National Champions get to visit the White House,” said Miguel Chavis, an assistant coach for Clemson. (thestate.com) While the meal may not have been what people expected, it didn’t distract from the fact that they were celebrating a great accomplishment from talented athletes. The experience seemed to be more important than the product, and those sentiments seemed to be apparent from both representatives of the White House and Clemson’s football program.
Con Commentary by Frances Best Just imagine getting an invitation to be honored at the White House only to be served the fast food that you could’ve easily obtained with your own money and on your own time. After winning a championship title, the Clemson Tigers’ Football team was served fast food at a celebratory dinner held at the White House. President Trump advertised the fact that it was, “all American food,” and we all know that college students aren’t exactly picky when it comes to free food, but even your typical broke college student would expect a little more from The White House. Donald Trump was not
shy when taking credit for purchasing the meal himself, he proudly displayed a table with burgers and fries served on silver platters, and I suppose that providing a meal with your own money can be seen as generous, but let’s not be so quick to forget why he purchased the meal out of his own pocket in the first place. Due to the government shutdown, the White House was left with no staff to cook for the Clemson Tigers football team. Clearly, this is not how they wished to treat their guests, but because of the lack of staff, they attempted to make the best of a bad situation.
school’s cafeteria than the one that was provided to them at the White House. It’s no surprise that people took to social media platforms, like Twitter, to express their outrage. “I ate some leftover spaghetti for dinner tonight and still ended up with a better meal than the Clemson football team had at the White House,” tweeted @ KMacMustDie. “So what DC restaurant is the
Clemson football team going to, after the White House meal?” tweeted @ GaryGrumbach. Clemson’s accomplishment should be honored in a respectful and appropriate way. Serving the team cheap burgers and pizza is just insulting. The dinner they received was beneath them and should be seen as offensive and no one would ever expect the White House to serve fast food. As national champions, the team deserved a better meal. The fact that this cheap fast food was served on silver platters and accompanied by candlelight, is almost comical.
The Clemson football team made their school millions of dollars by winning a championship title, and to celebrate this
accomplishment, they were given fast food. There’s no doubt that the team probably could have had a better meal served in their
Trump presents his fastfood meal to the press. Photo courtesy: Getty Images
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All Clear...or is it? Snow Storm Delays Residents at Ferrum By Destinee Nelson
As winter break came to an end, Ferrum students and faculty were in for an unexpected surprise: A snow storm. The snow started to fall the weekend before classes were set to resume. The storm made its way from Southern VA all the way to parts of Northern Virginia. Many students contemplated whether to take initiative and come back to campus earlier due to inclement weather, but were told they were not allowed to when they contacted the campus. Senior, Nasya Smith, had a two-hour drive to get back to Ferrum and ex-
pressed how the inconvenience affected her. “ I thought it was extremely inconvenient that the school didn’t open up for the students before the storm. Ferrum should have thought about the students that had a long drive back to campus because of their safety,” said Smith. Although most students were not allowed to return back to campus early, Ferrum did send out an alert to advise everyone about the road conditions and a reminder to be careful as they traveled. Not every student was as fortunate as Smith, who doesn’t have a long drive. Junior,
Alex Hubbard, arrived at school a day late due to the weather conditions in Northern VA. “Interstate 95 was horrible with traffic and there were state troopers all over the highway until I got off at Fredricksburg,” said Hubbard. Hubbard resides in Prince William County, VA, which received 11 inches of snow in total. Due to the continuous snow and numerous accidents in the area, many schools and public facilities were closed. Hubbard wasn’t the only student that had difficulty driving back to campus. Senior, Precious Leon-
ard had a four-hour drive that ended up being longer due to the traffic and her vehicle’s condition. “I drove through a bit of flood waters as well as the snow. This affected my tires more than it did myself and no one really knew how to drive,” said Leonard. Many students expressed their opinions on social media about being unable to return to campus earlier, however, no minds were changed in the decisionmaking process. During the storm, Virginia was even declared as a state of emergency.
Photo by Taylor Woods. Source Ferrum College Website.
KKK Controversy By Mary Stoudt and Diamond Hudson On Jan. 22, a controversial post came across the popular social media site Snapchat. This post included information about a famous slogan “Non Silba Sed Anthar” meaning “Not Self But Others.” Some current Ferrum College students and alumni quickly came to notice this post and shared it throughout social media. The slogan written in the post shared on Snapchat is a mixture of Latin and Gothic languages. This slogan was used by the Second Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the early 20th century. This group was only active from 1915-
1940. The issue of the slogan is the close similarity it has to Ferrum College’s motto: “Not Self But Others.” One distinguishing difference between the two slogans is that Ferrum’s motto is strictly in Latin: “Non sibi sed aliis.” If there was no similarity present, then this topic of discussion wouldn’t have been surfaced to the campus community. Another fact to consider is that from 1915-1940 there were no branches of the second KKK located in Ferrum, Virginia. That being said, the motto Ferrum has established is not in direct relations with the KKK, nor is it affiliated with such a group.
It is important during this era, as a college community we are able to fellowship together rather than be divided. A misunderstanding such as this should not impede on the progress that the millennial generation has established in regards to overcoming hatred in the later future.
fans and critics, Aquaman was the perfect opportunity for D.C to resurrect its previous mistakes. Aquaman was deemed visually magnificent by many critics. The fight scenes throughout the movie were both dramatic, well played out and enthralling. Fans were also plesantly suprised that the movie contained very minimal amounts of filler during the two hour and twenty two minute movie. Something that D.C have struggled to avoid in many of the recent blockbuster movies they have present-
ed the world with. The cast included many stars, including; Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Amber Heard as Mera and Patrick Wilson as the Ocean Master. Other smaller roles were given to the likes of Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren and Nicole Kidman too. Momoa had a very hard job to do, especially after fans saw the disapointment of him swimming in jeans in Justice League. But the American born actor did a brilllant job of portraying the half - human, half Atlantean and the true heir
to the throne. Aquaman was a great combination of action, drama, love and comedy, and one of the highest earning D.C movies, making $751 million so far. The movie to most fans was a great success for the D.C universe, bringing a bit of joy and excitment for upcoming movies in the D.C extended universe. Critics gave the movie good scores with Rotten Tomatoes handing it a much higher 64% and Facebook judging the movie a 4.9/5. Aquaman is a must see for fans.
Note from the Iron Blade: Free and democratic press is more important than ever during this time. The year 2018 was a year of “fake news,” which created turmoil and controversy. Presenting facts and clearing up controversies like this is an important part of journalism.
(Top), (Right) Locations of various KKK organizations in the nation. Photo Credit: University of Virginia.
Aquaman Makes a Splash By Sam May
On December 21st 2018, movie company D.C released their latest movie in the franchise, Aquaman. The movie had been anticipated all year by many anxious fans, young and old, and was for most a chance to finally compete with Marvel and their recent moives; Avengers Infinity War, Black Panther and Ant - Man and the Wasp. After what many deemed a major disapoinment, D.C’s Justice League only recieved 40% on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic gave it 45%. So to many
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The Iron Blade
February 7, 2019
Panther Briefs
Club Fair
Empty Bowls Workshop
By Mary Stoudt
Advance Ceramics will be hosting empty bowl classes every Tuesday and Thursday starting on January 29th at 5:30 pm! There will be a sign up sheet at the student leadership center with 13 slots. We encourage clubs and organizations to get involved! If you have questions on how to sign your organization up please feel free to email aphilpott@ ferrum.edu, rmccann@ferrum.edu or jamanning@ferrum. edu. Each bowl that is made will be glazed and fired in the kiln later on and donated to Ferrum College Empty Bowls 2019 Event held on March 17th!
Rotaract Club Catie Hodge (Right) and Alex Mattson (Left)
Gamer Club Student playing Naurto in front of Yugi Yo
ry Art
Kappa Pi International Honora Fraternity
International Music Appreciation Club Nasya Smith (Right), Tamiah Palmer (Middle), and Maki Katsuki (Left)
Theta Gamma Omega Sorority Destinee Nelson (Left), Layura Henley (Middle Left) ,Addison Philpott (Middle Back), Kathryn Bonner (Middle Right), and Precious Leonard (Right)
rd a o B n i t e l l u B r e Panth
Details This is an annual fundraiser to support the Ferrum Elementary School Panther Pack Program - providing much needed meals to our community children each weekend during the school year. Each person donates $15.00 and recieved their choice of a one of a kind hand made ceramic bowl and are treated to homemade meals and fellowship.