Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
SH E PH E R D U N I V E R SI T Y
September 10th, 2014
Vol. 118, No. 1
The Picket 3D Thursdays Work to Stop Interpersonal Violence H.S. Leigh Koonce STAFF WRITER
A major push has been launched on campus to change the overall culture in relation to interpersonal violence by increasing outreach to students, including 3D Thursdays. Rhonda Jackson, one of the two counselors on staff, explained 3D Thursdays as a vehicle to educate the campus community about ways to intervene in potential cases of interpersonal violence. On Thursday, September 4th, student volunteers positioned themselves at different locations on campus and handed out green cards with candy attached to passing students and staff. The cards highlighted the three “d’s,” which serve as the hallmark of the program: direct, distract, delegate. Jackson indicated each are ways for peers to aid in preventing possible violence. Direct involves a person directly involving himself in the situation. Distract involves removing one of the individuals in the situation.
Delegate is the involvement of another person, such as reporting the suspected behavior to a professor, coach, or other authority figure. Jackson indicated that “bystander intervention is very successful” in combating examples of interpersonal violence. The counseling staff launched the program so early in the semester to ensure students are equipped with as much information as possible, as early as possible. Jackson highlighted a very shocking statistic, that 1st year students are the most at risk for peer violence within their first six weeks of classes. She further indicated that any student who feels he or she has been subjected to any form of interpersonal violence, whether it be verbal or physical, should contact student counseling services as soon as possible. However, she also stated it is never too late to seek assistance. Students on campus who are interested in being involved in the 3D Thursday outreach are
Photo credit: Nic McDill
encouraged to contact Jackson at rjackson@shepherd.edu. The interest in the program has not been limited to students. Jackson indicated she has received an “outpouring” of requests for information, buttons and t-shirts
from faculty and staff. Jackson stressed the importance of engaging as many students and staff as possible, arguing that interpersonal violence perpetrated by one person can effect the entire Shepherd “community.”
Emergency call boxes: a dated technology
Photo credit: Nic McDill
Todd Bowman STAFF WRITER
In a day and age where technology is advancing, Shepherd University officers said that the emergency call boxes around campus are a dated technology and are encouraging students to call 911 instead of using the call boxes on campus for police, medical or fire emergencies. “We are actively trying to encourage people to call 911 in the event of an emergency,” said John McAvoy, chief of police for Shepherd University. “This technology was used in the
80’s and 90’s before every student had a cellphone.” McAvoy urges anyone with an emergency to call 911 via a cellphone as soon as possible. By doing so, they will be connected with a trained emergency communications specialist that can provide proper instructions. “When you call 911 you get a professional dispatcher…if the patient is having a seizure or unconscious, the dispatcher can give directions on emergency aid until the ambu-
lance gets on the scene,” McAvoy said. McAvoy also offered this advice, “If you are being followed, please don’t stop. Get to a safe place, while you are talking on your cellphone, talking to a dispatcher.” Jordan Redman, a Shepherd University senior knows the importance of the emergency call boxes after an attack during her sophomore year. Officers responded to her call box activation in “five minutes at the most,” Redman said. “Someone came up behind me and hit me over the head and continued beating me until I passed out,” Redman said. “I think (the call boxes) can be very useful. When caught in a scary situation it is hard to get your thoughts together about what needs to be done and using your cell phone is really the last thing on your mind,” she said. Removing call boxes across the country from colleges and universities has become a trend nationwide as institutions seek to cut costs, crime rates decrease, lighting is improved and because it is
a dated technology Published reports from school newspapers and local news organizations show that when call boxes were installed on campus, cellphones were not popular and expensive. College and university police and administers said this was the best way to protect their students. Justin Gaines, the Coordinator of Emergency Preparedness and Occupational Safety at Georgia College told the Georgia College newspaper the call boxes serve a purpose. When the button is pressed, they know the exact location of the box and help can be sent. Shepherd University has 100 emergency call boxes around the campus, resident halls, parking lots, and other buildings. These boxes are checked monthly to assure they are functioning, McAvoy said. Throughout the campus there are different generations of call boxes. The newest one is at the under pass. McAvoy advised that his officers check all outside boxes while the resident assistants check the boxes in the resident halls.
What’s inside: 2
News:
5
Commentary:
7
Arts & Style
Wi-fi in Westwoods
Confronting ISIS and the Conflict in the Middle East
Reviews and Previews
10 Sports
Rams Open Season with 38-13 Victory
12 Photography
Faculty Art Show Opening Reception Gallery
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Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
NEWS
West Woods Wi-fi
Stephanie Deal
Photo credit: Stephanie Deal
STAFF WRITER
Over the summer, West Woods Suites gained access to wireless Internet while Knutti and White halls were added to the Registration network, eliminating the need for SU-Wireless. These changes were made after years of students having to use only Ethernet connections in the suites. With only about five connections per suite, this was not an ideal situation for residents. In a February 2013 Picket article, Emily Daniels, a then-freshman English major, commented that, “Not having wireless in the suite surprises me. To me, a suite should come with the option to at least use the wireless. I mean even McDonald’s has wireless Internet.” Today, Daniels states that the lack of wireless
Internet wasn’t a deal-breaking issue for her. “At least there’s an internet connection at all in the suites,” she said. Current West Woods residents, however, would disagree about the necessity for Wi-Fi. Brittany Compton, a social work major, said, “I’m glad I didn’t have to spend my own money to buy a Wi-Fi box.” Her roommate, Casi AxlineKidwiler, an environmental major, stated, “It’s very convenient that we have Wi-Fi now, because my laptop doesn’t even have an Ethernet connection.” Another West Woods resident, Cortney Stinson, double Psychology and Sociology major, appreciates the convenience of a wire-free connec-
tion. “I can use my laptop anywhere in my room, not just my desk,” she said. Meanwhile on the other side of campus, IT services has completely removed the spotty SU Wireless connection and made registration the continuous network throughout Shepherd’s property. According to one IT worker, “SU Wireless was run through Frontier and was notoriously unreliable.” Students had to log on through Frontier each time they connected. Any issues or crashes had to be fixed by Frontier. The registration network is run completely by Shepherd’s IT department. The Information Technology department has an easier time helping students connect, and can now run and fix most issues from their office below the library.
First Fridays: Midterm Elections Jason Camarano NEWS EDITOR
Shepherd University’s “First Friday Politics Forum” kicked off last week in the Byrd Center for Legislative Studies. Dr. Max Guirguis, Dr. Jay Wyatt, and Mr. Leigh Koonce comprised the discussion panel. Each panel member gave a preview of the upcoming midterm elections – Dr. Guirguis from a political science viewpoint, Dr. Wyatt from a historical perspective, and Mr. Koonce with an eye towards voter issues – before all took questions from the audience. Dr. Wyatt started the forum, discussing how midterm elections have historically received less attention than presidential elections, especially among Democratic voting demographics – “voter turnout during midterm elections is good for [Caucasians], males, and the elderly, who typically vote Republican. Minority voters tend not to turn out for midterms.” This fact is recognized by politicians, including President Obama, who recently said Democrats get “clobbered” in midterm elections. Midterm elections occur because every two years, all 435 members of the House of Representatives and one-third of Senate members are up for reelection, while the President is only elected every four years. This means that midterm elections tend to receive less publicity, and a lower voting turnout. The same theme was echoed by Dr. Guirguis, who pointed out that midterm elections are deridingly referred to as “off-year” elections. Dr. Guir-
guis referred to the Republican House takeover in 2010 as a prime example of this. He explained, “Republicans had a strategy called ‘REDMAP’, Redistricting Majority Project, which they used to gain a majority in the House of Representatives, by taking control of the state legislatures and gerrymandering the congressional districts.” Every ten years, a U.S. census is taken, and the results are supposed to be used to redraw each state’s congressional districts to more accurately represent the population distribution. Gerrymandering is the practice of redrawing a state’s congressional districts in order to favor the political party in power, giving them more seats in the House of Representatives. Mr. Koonce, a student at Shepherd University and former Picket News Editor, explained that students in particular should be concerned with the midterm elections for a variety of reasons. “Voter turnout is lowest among [our demographic], 18 to 24 year olds. But there are many issues that should concern us.” Koonce explained that voting rights, the gender wage gap, student loan restructuring, the minimum wage, and female representation in politics are all important to college age voters, and should drive turnout to the midterm elections. “Both Democrats and Republicans agree that the gender wage gap is an issue,” Koonce said, “but they disagree about how to fix it.” Koonce also explained that changes in how interest is calculated on student loans, and a proposed
increase in the federal minimum wage, could drastically change the economic outlook for many college students in the near future. In addition, Koonce referred to West Virginia’s low rate of female representation in both federal and state-level government offices as, “an issue that should concern all of us.” After all three panel members had finished speaking the floor was opened for questions and comments. One gentleman remarked that he had recently been to Scotland, where they are considering a referendum on independence from the U.K., and that, “if you ask anyone there how they are going to vote, you’ll get a ten-minute to an hour discussion.” He also stated that “they are expecting an 80 to 90 percent turnout.” Several people asked why turnout among young voters was so low. The consensus from the panel seemed to be that there was a mutual disconnect between young voters and politicians. There was concern from many in the audience about the difficulties presented in voting. Dr. Wyatt pointed out that, “Historically, the United States has not made it very easy to vote – Election Day is not a holiday, and many people have to spend considerable time waiting to vote.” Koonce referred to reports that, in Florida, people were lined up for hours waiting to vote in the last election. “I live in Jefferson County, so the most I’ve ever had to wait to vote was five minutes in an air conditioned building. I can’t imagine waiting seven or eight hours in the heat and humidity of Florida.”
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Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
NEWS
University Hires New Administration To Increase Enrollment This week the Picket will be profiling three new members of the Shepherd University administration hired to combat the recent drop in student enrollment. Dr. Shari Payne is the new Vice President for Enrollment Management, Dr. Charles Nieman is the new Director of International Studies, and Ms. Kristen Lorenz is the new Director of Admissions. Photo credit: Shepherd Unversity
Photo credit: Shepherd Unversity
Photo credit: Shepherd Unversity
Shari Payne: Vice President of Enrollment Management
Charles Nieman: New Director of International Studies
Tricia Hawkins
Ashley Western STAFF WRITER
STAFF WRITER
Dr. Shari Payne has joined Shepherd University’s effort to boost enrollment. Payne will oversee recruitment and strategic planning to meet Shepherd’s goals for undergraduate, graduate, and non-traditional enrollments, as well as the offices of admissions, financial aid, and registrar. Payne, who has 19 years of experience in higher education, came into her position over the summer when college students were getting their fall 2014 invoices in the mail. Instate students with room and board found that for this fall semester they are paying $628 more than last year, making the total $16,468 as compared to $15,786. Out-of-state students are paying $1,156 more with room and board, making the total $26,526 compared to $25,370. “The higher education market is very competitive, and we are grateful to attract a leader of Dr. Payne’s caliber to position Shepherd strongly in that market. Payne’s background in both financial aid and retaining students will be helpful as we determine the most effective way to attract, educate, and graduate students from Shepherd University,” said Suzanne Shipley, president of Shepherd University.
The new director of international studies at Shepherd University is first surveying international students on campus before he makes a plan to recruit abroad. Dr. Charles Nieman took a new position offered by Shepherd University as director of international studies three weeks ago. One of the first things he is working on in his new position is to see how many international students are on campus. Currently there are only a handful of international students attending Shepherd. It’s his job to find a way to expand their numbers, and in turn build international relationships. The hope is that the students coming here will bring their own international perspectives about college life to the campus and classrooms. Their participation in the school would enhance education. Shepherd would be more diverse and exhibit a broader representation of foreign countries, Neiman said. “We will be looking [at] how we can maybe connect internationally as an institution,” Dr. Nieman said in an interview. He noted that they are considering where Shepherd University should recruit overseas, what kinds of programs should be supported, and whether it would involve faculty or students. So far, Nieman has made an effort to meet as many people he can and hear what they have to say. In particular, he spoke to the international students already on campus about where they come from and how they came to Shepherd University. By listening to their stories and the similarities they share, he said it gives him an idea of where he should move to look for more students. Ideally, the school would bring in students from each continent to represent a broad national diversity, he said.
In an effort to boost enrollment, Shepherd has named a new director of admissions. Kristen Lorenz was promoted from senior admissions counselor to director of admissions this year. She is a Shepherd alumnus and has worked in admissions for the university since 2012. The admissions department has been under reconstruction since the unexpected departure of vice president of enrollment, Kim Scranage, last October. Lorenz replaced previous director of admissions, Matthew Huber, who was with the university for only three months before leaving. Enrollment numbers fell short of projected targets last spring. The university has since been making efforts to increase enrollment, including hiring a new director of admissions and vice president of enrollment. Shari Payne, vice president of enrollment management, said “[Lorenz] has demonstrated a true commitment to helping the university to reach its enrollment goals.”
STAFF WRITER
Kristen Lorenz: New Director of Admissions Jody Phipps
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Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
COMMENTARY
New App Aims to Improve Parking in Shepherdstown Joey Kaye
COMMENTARY EDITOR
A new system designed to improve parking in Shepherdstown, W.Va. called Park Mobile has recently been installed in parking meters throughout the town. While people will still be able to pay for their parking the old fashioned way, by putting coins in a meter, this new method comes in the form of a smartphone application and will allow drivers to avoid having to constantly feed the meter or fear being ticketed by the town police. It is this simple. Drivers just need to download the free Park Mobile app on their smartphone, enter their parking spot and vehicle information, and pay for the parking online. It’s quicker and easier than finding coins and running back and forth to a parking meter. In my opinion, it is about time Shepherdstown has done something, anything, to improve parking throughout the city limits. I became aware of this new initiative when I walked out of the radio station after completing my show, The Rush Hour Sports Zone, and came across Nate Stewart, a news reporter for WHAG Your 4 State news, filing a news report on Park Mobile Coming to Shepherdstown. I jokingly remarked as I passed by, “Hey, you came to interview me! I didn’t know I was that famous.” Stewart smiled and asked, “Well, would you like to be interviewed?” I asked what I would be interviewed on and he began to describe, which I just did in the previous lines, the new Park Mobile system and how it could benefit the town’s parking crisis. I agreed to give my opinion in front of the camera and to my surprise, my remarks about the parking situation here in Shepherdstown made it into the beginning of Stewart’s 5 p.m. news report, which aired May 9th on WHAG news. I stated to Stewart, “It’s so congested on a normal school day. I mean sometimes you’re better off walking.” I felt I was speaking for many students, commuters and other visitors to Shepherdstown who struggle in finding parking spots and constantly feeding the meters for their vehicles.
“I have to park blocks away if I’m painting downtown because I can’t feed the meters all the time,” Denny Clarke, a local artist also said in the WHAG news report. “I can’t always find a meter anyway.” I have resided in Shepherdstown for the past several years and during that time I have seen little to be done to make parking within the city limits a little easier. It is a problem that needs much more attention from the town and its leaders. I fear that the lack of parking and problems related to parking have negatively impacted the town’s economy and may have led some visitors to decide against visiting Shepherdstown and its businesses. For example, there may be someone who spots a store on German Street that peaks their interest while driving through town. However, traffic and congestion fills the streets and there is not a parking spot to be found. Instead of circling through side streets and starting the timeconsuming task of searching for a parking spot in town, one may become discouraged and decide against visiting that store that caught their eye. On the other hand, a visitor to the town may be able to find a parking spot but upon returning to their car they may find that they have been slapped with a parking ticket for not paying the parking meter in time. This actually occurs quite often and it unfortunately leaves a sour taste in the mouths of visitors to Shepherdstown who may second guess returning in fear they will just be cited with another ticket. Obviously, Park Mobile will do little to increase the amount of available parking around town but it surely can make parking in Shepherdstown easier and maybe, stress free. There is no simple solution to this problem. Space to build more parking in Shepherdstown proper is almost non-existent. It is time that the town begin looking at constructing a parking garage on the outskirts, such as the one to be built on Shepherd’s campus, or simply more spaces so that residents and visitors can have a pleasant experience and the town’s economy and reputation can continue to grow and improve.
Photo credit: Joshua Meadows
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Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
COMMENTARY Photo credit: Garrimou
Confronting ISIS and conflict in the Middle East Joey Kaye COMMENTARY EDITOR
Even though many Americans are reluctant to agree, it appears the time is approaching for the United States to once again step in to quell one of the escalating conflicts in the Middle East. I know no one wants to hear about another war in the Middle East and I don’t think anyone should fear a fullscale war with U.S. involvement at this point but the situation is beginning to look grim. I would argue the Obama administration has waited to long to take action regarding the conflict and war in Syria and Iraq. With so many hot spots raging around the world, from the conflict in Ukraine to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza to the irrational and wild ambitions of North Korea, it is difficult to single out one to intervene in however whenever a terrorist group begins to acquire fast sums of money and large pieces of territory in a volatile region of the world, action needs to be taken by the United States. I will preface this by saying I am in no way suggesting large amounts of U.S. troops, also known as ‘boots on the ground’ should be sent to Iraq and Syria yet other military options need to be examined and put into effect immediately by the Obama Administration so the terrorists do not one day take their idiotic extremist ideology over the Atlantic to the shores of this country. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS, is a brutal terrorist organization, unlike any we have seen before, that has gained a foothold within the war torn countries of Syria and Iraq. Unlike groups such as the Taliban who run their terrorist activities within sovereign states, ISIS is unique as they have been able to claim vast areas of territory stretching from the ancient city of Aleppo in Syria to the outskirts of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
For many months ISIS advanced through western Syria, which is in the midst of a seemingly endless civil war, and eventually into Iraq where they encountered Iraqi military and security forces. These are the very same Iraqi forces that were trained and equipped by the United States after a decade long war that cost billons of taxpayer dollars and thousands of America lives. Instead of using the advanced equipment and training the Iraqi soldiers received from our country, they left their weapons and ran like cowards at the first sight of the ISIS advance. This was a recurring theme as ISIS used violent tactics and the help of tribes, who were displeased with the unfair sectarian like ways of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his Shiite lead government, to grab land and begin establishing an Islamic caliphate. This caliphate has now been established and for the first time, we are witnessing a terrorist organization govern a large space of territory in the heart of the Middle East. ccording to The Guardian, United Nations investigators are being sent to Iraq in the coming days over the “atrocities” from ISIS. What are U.N. investigators going to do but tell us something we already know? Instead, a cohesive strategy that outlines how the United States will use its forces for good, in conjunction with allies, to crush ISIS and not just contain them like we are doing at the present moment with airstrikes is needed. I am not a war monger, rather someone who believes the United States must use our influence, resources, and sometimes military, in order to bring peace, stability, and democracy to troubled parts of the globe. Obviously, not every conflict can be addressed and those that are addressed cannot be solved with greatest military to ever grace this planet however the situation regarding ISIS in the Middle East is one that must be met with some military force. The Kurdistan regional government in northern
Iraq has proven time and time again to be a friend of the United States and their military has consistently shown they are willing and capable to fight ISIS. In fact, they have been fighting ISIS a like minded extermeists for years. Frankly, Kurdistan is one of the only success stories from the Iraq war and in my opinion, should be its own independent state but that’s a debate for another time. The Kurds, and Iraqi forces that can be trusted not to run away, should immediately begin receiving training, intelligence, and most of all, military weapons and equipment from the United States so they can continue to take the fight to ISIS on the ground. Allies such as Great Britain, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates should all be mobilized and brought into a coalition that seeks to eliminate ISIS. Middle Eastern countries are the key to this coalition because having only Western countries go in to destroy ISIS will only fuel their propaganda machine. Many states, such as Saudi Arabia have looked the other way for a long time, when it comes to ISIS, and it is time for them to step up to solve this problem in their region of the world. Moreover, the United States, along with allies, should subsequently step up the airstrike campaign considerably with around the clock bombing while special forces units should be inserted onto the ground to coordinate airstrikes and assist Kurdish and Iraqi forces. The threat that ISIS poses to the region and to our country is one we may not realize until another September 11th happens and by then, it will be too late. ISIS seeks to terrorize the western world and strike the United States. They are now gaining the power and resources to give them a capability to do so. It’s a new world we live in and terrorism is a harsh reality within it that cannot be ignored, especially by the mightiest nation on Earth. The Obama administration needs to step-up now and stop wishing this problem away.
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Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
COMMENTARY
Poor Graduation Rate Plagues Shepherd Unversity Joey Kaye COMMENTARY EDITOR
While applying for financial aid this summer, I came about a shocking statistic regarding the graduation rate at Shepherd University. According to fasfa.gov, the government website where college students apply for financial aid, the graduation rate at Shepherd University is a staggering 38%. I was taken aback by this surprisingly low number so I proceeded to do a little more unscientific research. On collegefactual.com, a website that provides various statistics from graduation rates to average loan debt on major colleges and universities around the nation, the graduation rate (as of 2012) was listed at 43.5% with only 19.5% of those students graduating within four years. That’s astounding! To put this in perspective only four out of ten students at Shepherd actually graduate. If you factor in the caliber of students Shepherd admits, this graduation rate is actually on par with the national averages however, I would argue the national average of 47.2% is also unsatisfactory and it reflects a major problem with the entire college and university system in America. In order to graduate from college, one must first simply make it past their freshman year. Of course, that’s easier said than done yet at Shepherd only 63% of students are actually able to do this according to College Factual. The national average freshman retention rate is nearly 70% so clearly Shepherd is also below average in this category. In case you were wondering, the graduation rate on Shepherd’s webpage, shepherd.edu, is 37.9% and corresponds with the other figures I discovered. So what is the cause for these below average retention and graduation rates at Shepherd? I would argue there is no one single reason and these statistics represent a larger problem found in the higher education system in this country however, I will try to summarize my take on the issue. I’ll be honest, I am one of those students who failed to graduate in four years and I am now working on my fifth year here at Shepherd so I am speaking from experience when I say there first needs to be a major overhaul of the advisement process at this University. I believe many students, such as me, receive inaccurate and insufficient advising while attending Shepherd. The responsibility of advising should be taken off the shoulders of professors and given to staff that do nothing but advise students. It is my opinion students are often told to take classes they do not need to take and this makes graduating on time simply impossible. Moreover, I feel the poor graduation rates at Shepherd can also be attributed to the standards the University has when deciding what students to admit. It is imperative, students have respectable GPA’s coming out of high school and a desire to learn in order to ensure they eventually graduate. I would also add the on campus environment and the resources the university provides to students are not conducive to retaining and graduating students on a consistent basis. Course curriculum,
Photo credit: Leandra Rosencrance
professors, and methods of testing should all be under scrutiny when it comes to below average graduation rate as well. Or maybe students simply do not have enough money or lose the motivation to graduate? The reasons for these low retention and graduation rates are hard to pin point and correct. They stem from larger problems in the American education system but a diligent effort
needs to be put forth by the university to graduate more students if they wish to stay in existence for many years to come. I feel this is an extremely important story which I intend to continue to report on throwughout the year in The Shepherd Picket and online at supicket.com.
CALLING ALL WRITERS! THE PICKET WANTS YOU!! IF INTERESTED PLEASE EMAIL: PICKETCHIEFEDITOR@GMAIL.COM Page 6
Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
ARTS & STYLE
&
REVIEWS PREVIEWS Apes Rule Summer Box Office Joshua Meadows
MULTIMEDIA MANAGER
Within a summer loaded with the typical blockbuster fare, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes took the reigning place as the best movie of the season. Although flicks such as Guardians of the Galaxy as well as Transformers: Age of Extinction earned more money over the summer season (294 million and 244 million, respectively), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (206 million) proved to be the thematic standout. Set several years after the end of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, wherein the newly created intelligent faction of apes escapes into the wilds of California, Dawn takes the series into darker territory as the viewer finds the apes spread into a breathing civilization while, simultaneously, the human race declines sharply after a viral pandemic. The story of the film, then, centers around a human colony’s struggle to survive in a postapocalyptic environment while squaring off against both its own demons as well as the demons of the forest: the apes. While neither
side truly wishes to fight, the natural outcome of the confrontation between species results in bloodshed. What made this movie stand out among a summer of entertaining (but vapid) films was its thematic depth. Centered around the idea of family, Dawn traces both ape and human stories to find a common theme of love struggling within the context of war. Issues of species-ism (racism) and familial estrangement both prevail over the context of conflict, allowing Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to succeed as a film based on more than just the merit of its CGI budget. The importance of Dawn’s CGI budget, however, must not be understated because of its depiction of the lead ape protagonist, Caesar, who was played by famous motion-capture actor Andy Serkis. Serkis crafted the most realistic performance of the most unrealistic character in recent memory. In this writer’s opinion, Serkis should be nominated for a lead actor Oscar for his performance. Although the film is now out of theaters, keep an eye out for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes on DVD or rental--you will not regret experiencing the film of the summer.
Danny Kremen SPORTS EDITOR
On Tuesday, September 9th gamers can rejoice as Bungie’s Destiny will hit the markets. Bungie, who were the original creators of the Halo series, released a beta for the game in late July and received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback. The game is an RPG first person shooter, very similar to the Borderlands series. Having played the beta and done a few campaign missions with friends, the game can draw you in and can become very addicting. In addition to a co-op campaign, the game will also have multiplayer with game modes such as Domination. This game has “Game of the Year” potential written all over it. It will be available on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. PC will have it at a later date.
Photo credit: Business Wire
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Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
ARTS & STYLE
Emily Daniels
Photo credit: Micahael Perlin
STAFF WRITER
When asked to choose only three words to represent themselves, the faces of Shepherd University had differing taglines for their lives. Here are their three-word stories. Megan Ball, a 31-year-old senior psychology major with a concentration in family and consumer sciences and child development, chose the words integrity, openness and humility. A 21-year-old art major with a concentration in photography, Sarah Kirk, opted for a three-worded phrase: believe in magic. Practice, persevere and perfect were the words chosen by Patrick Zdziera, 20, a junior networking and security major. Amanda Sampson, 20, a junior secondary English education major, selected coffee, read and individuality. Happiness, fun and comedy were the three words that Christopher Guerrero, 19, who has yet to decide his major, thought fit his life best. Samuel Dilima, 16, a prospective student, chose the words grit, as in the American western True Grit, morals and sustainability to represent his life as a high school student. Honesty, spirituality and family were the three words that chemistry major Shannon Fenton lives by. Senior English major Jessica Ott chose the words love, hope and accept. Shepherd alumni Shelbi Maietta went with naps, snacks and Tumblr. Senior history major Dylan Meushaw said three words that came to mind were lie, cheat and steal. Another Shepherd student who wishes to be anonymous picked the words girls, energy and sex. Vivian Brown from Shenandoah Junction, W.Va., said three words important to her were God, trust and honesty. A married couple found in the frozen food section of Weis agreed on endurance, hope and love.
Endurance
Hope
With contributions from Aja Bailey
Happiness Page 8
Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
SPORTS
Lady Rams Commence Season With 2 Impressive Victories. Joey Kaye COMMENTARY EDITOR
The Shepherd University women’s soccer team has started off the 2014 season with two consecutive victories against Chowan and Ursuline. The lady Rams were ranked fifth out of seven teams in the Mountain East preseason poll but they are looking to surprise some people and improve on their 8-9-2 overall record from 2013. This team is young but it has all the pieces to make some noise within the Mountain East Conference. However, they will have to find more consistency from their offense compared to last season. They certainly got that in their first game of the 2014 campaign by nearly scoring half the amount of goals the team tallied all of last year. In the season opener on Thursday, September 4th at Chowan, the women’s soccer team came out firing on all cylinders and shutout the Hawks by the score of 8-0. Chowan never really had a chance in this one and fell behind early in the match. Going into the intermission, Shepherd already had a 5-0 lead courtesy of goals from freshman forward Lexy Junker, who recorded two goals, freshman midfielders Taylor Harwood, Megan Norton, and Stephanie Cox and sophomore defender Rachel Sefton. The Rams would tally three more goals in the second half thanks to goals from senior midfielder Kelsey J. Smith, Junker and senior midfielder Lexi Vondrak. Shepherd possessed the ball nearly the entire match and managed a 44-1 advantage in shots on goal. The team then returned to action on Saturday, September 6th when they hosted Ursuline. This match was not as one sided as their season opener against Chowan as the Lady Rams had to go to double overtime in order to get the 2-1 victory. Freshman defender Ashlee Dull scored the gamewinning goal unassisted to lift Shepherd to the win over the Arrows of Ursuline College. Taylor Dackin gave Ursuline an early 1-0 advantage by scoring two minutes into the match however Shepherd continued to play confident and aggressive soccer and subsequently, rallied to tie the game at the 78:48 mark when senior midfielder Kasey Canterbury scored unassisted. The Rams had a 17-9 advantage in shots on goal and a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks. The team will be on the road for their next few matches. They will travel to Syracuse, N.Y. to face off against Le Moyne College. Following that, they will go against Davis & Elkins College. There are still many games to go but if the first two games are any indication, the Lady Rams are in for a successful season.
Men’s Soccer Team Kicks Off 2014 Season With Two Straight Victories Joey Kaye COMMENTARY EDITOR
Despite being ranked sixth out of seven teams in the Mountain East Conference preseason poll, the Shepherd University men’s soccer team has kicked off their 2014 season by matching their win total from last year with two consecutive victories against Chowan and East Stroudsburg. Almost anything this team does in 2014 will be an improvement over last year, which resulted in a 2-15-1 overall record. In order to be successful, the Rams will need to generate more offense and simply put, score more goals than they did last year. In 2013, the team managed to put only 15 balls in the back of the net out of 221 shot attempts. In addition, Shepherd will need to find more consistent play from their goalie as net minders for the Rams allowed 50 goals over the course of the 2013 season. In their season opener on September 4th, senior midfielder Kyle Ransom scored a goal and assisted on another to help Shepherd defeat the Chowan University Hawks by the score of 4-2. Freshman midfielder Myles Newhouse scored the Rams first goal, which was followed by Ransom’s goal to give the Rams a 2-0 lead into the intermission. After the break, Shepherd continued to pressure the Hawks’ defense, however, they had some trouble getting shots on net. Chowan would finish the game with a 22-14 advantage in shots on goal.
Nonetheless, senior forward Ricky Johnson and freshman forward Jeff Kammerer made their presence felt by scoring goals to cushion the Shepherd lead. Johnson’s goal came unassisted while Kammerer scored off a cross from senior defender Michael Cella. Christian Funes tallied a pair of goals for Chowan however it was too little, too late for the Hawks. Junior goalkeeper Alex Aleshire had 12 saves for the Rams in the match. On September 6th, the Rams hosted their first home game of the season against East Stroudsburg. The Warriors tallied the first goal of the match and took a 1-0 lead over the Rams at the 24:37 mark when Otavio Caproni scored on a penalty kick. However, Jeff Kammerer was once again impressive and scored on a feed from Kyle Ransom to tie the game in the 56th minute. Just seconds later, at the 56:50 mark, Ransom scored on an assist from senior midfielder Abel Setegn to give the Rams a 2-1 lead. It would turn out to be the decisive goal as Shepherd did not fall apart after falling behind early, as they may have last year, and in the end defeated East Stroudsburg by the same score. Shepherd had a 15-11 advantage in shots while the teams were even with 4 corner kicks apiece. The Rams next match will be on the road against Washington Adventist University.
Photo credit: Sir James de.wikipedia.org/wiki/benutzer:sir_james
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Rams open season with 38-13 victory Danny Kremen SPORTS EDITOR
Following last year’s strong season, the Shepherd University Rams football team showed why they could play just as well following a 38-13 victory on the road versus the West Liberty Hilltoppers. The Rams jumped out to a 31-0 lead through three quarters thanks to a strong run game and a suffocating defense. The running game, which totaled 219 yards, showcased a total of four running backs led by junior Allen Cross, who gained 87 yards on 15 carries. Sophomore Jabre Lolley received 14 carries and rushed for 53 yards with two touchdowns. Redshirt-freshman Malik Harleston recorded the ground attack’s third touchdown while also recording 22 yards and freshman Trenton Cannon added 54 yards on eight rushes. Sophomore cornerback CJ Davis gave the Hilltoppers fits on the defensive side of the ball. He came away with the only two interceptions of the game. One of them saved a touchdown, as he picked off a Dakota Conwell pass in the end zone. West Liberty
Photo credits: Shepherd University
ended up using four different quarterbacks throughout the game and only recorded 172 yards of total offense to Shepherd’s 423. The Rams were also able to get into the backfield and not only harass the quarterback, but the running backs as well. Sophomore linebacker Octavius Thomas recorded 1.5 sacks for a loss of six yards. The sack he split was shared by Demetrius Dixon. Thomas also recorded a team high eight tackles. The other sack for the Rams was recorded by Bernard Wolley, which resulted in a three yard loss. The team was able to record 11 tackles for loss. Shepherd sophomore quarterback Jeff Ziemba was under center for the entire game for the Rams and put on a nice display. He ended the game completing 17 of 25 passes with 204 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He recorded the team’s first touchdown of the year when he connected with sophomore receiver Tony Squirewell on a 23 yard strike. His other touchdown came on an eight yard pass to
senior wideout William McKenzie with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Ziemba spread the ball around, connecting on passes to nine different players. Squirewell led the team with four receptions and added 45 yards. Sophomore Billy Brown hauled in three passes and had a team high 81 yards. West Liberty started to come alive in the fourth quarter, but it was too late. Backup quarterback Dan Leonard connected with Dylan Potts on a two yard score to record the team’s first score of the year. The pointafter attempt was no good. Later on in the quarter following Malik Harleston’s touchdown for the Rams, Anton McCallum, who used to be with Shepherd, returned the kickoff 93 yards for the score. No team would score after that. Up next on the schedule for the Rams will be the Fighting Falcons of Fairmont State. The game will be at Shepherd at noon on Saturday, September 13.
Photo of the Shepherd University Rams football team practicing.
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SPORTS
Lady Rams Volleyball wins two out of three Danny Kremen SPORTS EDITOR
The Shepherd University Lady Rams’ volleyball team opened the year winning two of their first three games of the season. They will look to improve from last season where they finished 15-17. In their victory on Saturday, September 6th against Slippery Rock University, they came away with a three sets to zero sweep. Freshman right side/setter Kayleigh Helgeson led the team with nine kills while senior right side Valerie Bour and junior right side/libero Taylor Allen recorded eight kills and 13 digs each. The Lady Rams also came away with a victory over Pfeiffer University, winning three sets to one. Allen led the team with 11 kills and also recorded 8 digs. Junior outside hitter Samantha Scroggins had a team high 16 digs. Bour and senior middle hitter
Kayla Motheral picked up nine kills respectively. The only loss of the week came on Friday, September 5th against Georgia College where they were only able to take one set against the Bobcats. Valerie Bour had a massive game, scoring 19 kills and 10 digs. Kayleigh Helgeson also recorded double digit kills with a total of 11. The Lady Rams will be busy next week with four different matches as well as a tournament at Wheeling Jesuit. There will be one home game versus Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, September 10th.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
FACULTY ART SHOW OPENING RECEPTION EVENT PHOTO GALLERY For this issue’s new Photography section our Photography Editor Leandra Rosencrance covered the Opening Reception of the Faculty Art Show. The purpose of this new section is to showcase the talent of the Picket’s photography crew while still covering events on campus. In the future, this section will feature art from various photographers who submit their work to the Picket. Those interested in photography should contact Leandra at supicketphotography@gmail.com.
Shepherd Students viewing art
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Mixed Media Piece by: David Modler
Sculpture by: Christian Benefiel
Karen Gergely and Ben Schonberger - Art Faculty
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Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
PHOTOGRAPHY
Mike Mendez and Karen Gergely - Art Faculty
Cynthia Romero - Student
“Collab Attack”
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Student Voice in the University Community Since 1896
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Painting by: Sonya Evanisko
“Refined Course” Evan Boggess
Faculty reception catering
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Art by: Ben Schonberger
B.J. McCardie with sculpture by: Christian Benefiel
Shepherd Students viewing art
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