VOL. 100 – ISSUE 19
THE TRUMPET
APRIL 1, 2021
WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
WLU’s Student News Source
Take a look at WLU’s behavioral health clinic services - pg. 4 Northwest Missouri State University beats Hilltoppers in NCAA Division II basketball tournament 98-77 - pg. 13 @WLTrumpetOnline @thetrumpetwestliberty @thetrumpetwlu
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WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
THE TRUMPET
NEWS
COVER BY: OFFICE OF MARKETING AND BRAND MANAGEMENT
CULTURE SPORTS Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations
Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons
Anti-Asian racism and hate sweeps through nation amid COVID-19 pandemic - pg. 5
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
WLU’s Dr. Vishakha Maskey receives service award - pg. 7
Fairmont State defeats WLU Softball pg. 14
THE TRUMPET
The Student Voice of the Hilltop
The Trumpet’s mission is to provide WLU students of all majors an opportunity to learn how to gather and present news information to the campus community, and to serve the WLU community with fair and accurate reporting on matters of significance and interest.
EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief Annalise Murphy Online Editor Creed Kidney News/Copy Editor Intern Lizzy Griffith Culture Editor Morgan Kafana Opinion Editor Haley Blakemore Sports Editor Intern Anna Johnston Graphic Designer Intern Katlyn Roberts Graphic Designer/Illustrator Samantha Snyder Sports Writer Maxwell Fledorczyk News/Culture Writer Emma Beatty Faculty Adviser Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell
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NEWS
APRIL 1, 2021
NEWS
News/Copy Editor Intern: Lizzy Griffith
PAGE 3
- elgriffith@westliberty.edu
Take a look at WLU’s behavioral health clinic services the university kept in mind while in the process of making the behavioral health clinic a reality.
Due to the pandemic, many people have been suffering psychologically. WLU’s Behavioral health clinic offers help to those who need it at an affordable price. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a summary in August of 2020 outlining how communities throughout the nation have been faced with mental health challenges directly related to COVID-19. “During June 24-30, 2020, U.S. adults reported considerably elevated adverse mental health conditions associated with COVID-19. Younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, essential workers, and unpaid adult caregivers reported having experienced discretionary worse mental health outcomes, increased substance use, and elevated suicidal ideation,” CDC reported. With this in mind, “psychological well-being” is one of the aspects
Collins mentioned one of the biggest hardships in getting the clinic ready was “running into delays” due to the pandemic. Plans to start seeing clients was set to begin in October 2020 originally, but delays prevented the original timeline from happening in the order it was supposed to. The facility serves as a training site for graduate students enrolled in the WLU’s Master’s of Arts in Clinical Psychology program. Behavioral Health clinic director, Dr. Jessica Collins said, “My understanding is that Dr. Karen Kettler and Dr. Tammy McClain recognized our MACP students would need to have hands-on experience with clients while being closely supervised before moving on to a full-time internship, which they complete in their third year. They also recognized that the surrounding communities would
Photo Credits: Office of Marketing and Brand Management
benefit from access to affordable therapy and psychological assessment.” According to the WLU webmaster website regarding the clinic, “The Behavioral Health Clinic is dedicated to helping all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, physical ability, size, sexual orientation, gender orientation, relationship orientation, or socioeconomic status. We believe that all people deserve emotional and psychological support, and our aim is to provide a safe space for any individual who comes seeking our help.” Among the services offered are intervention, psychological assessment and outreach. The clinic is not able to provide inpatient treatment, psychiatric services or forensic/court ordered services. An uncommon piece of knowledge important for individuals to know about the behavioral health clinic is the teletherapy option for patients not able to come to campus to access therapy services. Collins
explained, “Clients can visit with their Psychology Trainee using a smartphone, tablet or computer. This is a great option for those who may not be able to travel to campus or not comfortable in person sessions at this time.” This particular clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is not open at all on Friday’s. The clinic is open all year around excluding the days WLU is closed and for brief breaks at the end of each semester. Pricing for services can be found on the West Liberty University Behavioral Health Clinics website. Note, the clinic does not “accept direct assignment of Medicare, Medicaid, or other insurance benefits, nor does the Clinic bill insurance companies directly,” according to the clinic’s website. For more information regarding the behavioral health clinic and the services offered, please email Collins at jessica.collins@westliber ty.edu.
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APRIL 1, 2021
NEWS
West Virginia opens vaccination pool to in-state residents ages 16 and older ly members of students will be able to come and be vaccinated as well, quickening the process even moreso. This is also in conjunction with multiple universities and colleges throughout W.Va. planning on offering vaccines to their students.
As the rollout of vaccines continues to see more success in the state of W. Va., Governor Jim Justice has opened the vaccination pool to anyone 16 or older. Gov. Justice is continuing to push to vaccinate over 85% of the state’s senior population. In an article posted by the Weirton Daily Times, new data has shown that while some 25% of W.Va. residents aged 65 and older have pre-registered to receive the vaccine; however, they have yet to book any kind of appointment with a clinic or hospital to receive their due dosage. Cabinet secretary Bill Crouch attributes a large number of these individuals, “making up a total of 11,000 to 12,000,” to having most likely found a more immediate appointment at a local pharmacy or clinic. Gov. Justice, during the week of March 27, proudly announced W. Va’s., ever-growing numbers of partial vaccinations administered to the senior population reaching a solid 70%, only fifteen away from his goal of 85%. Graphic By: Samantha Snyder
While attention will still be focused on the senior population, vaccine rollout is expected to see tremendous success as appointments are already beginning to be made, even more so than the fortune W.Va. has already seen thus far.
Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons
He went on to announce that three new vaccine clinics had been opened in Kanawha, Berkeley, and Monongalia counties all while urging all the remaining senior citizens of W.Va. to either contact the state’s vaccine hotline at 1(833) 734-0965 if they have yet to book an appointment; toting that, “We will get you in that day if you call us.” In an article by The Intelligencer, Gov. Justice was quoted saying, “Let’s go, West Virginia, and let’s get everybody in this state vaccinated… Beginning right now, if you’re 16 years of age and older and you want to get vaccinated and get into one of our clinics, we’ll get it done. As we continue to lead the way with our vaccine distribution, we don’t want to take our foot off the gas… I encourage all West Virginians to take advantage of this opportunity and get vaccinated.” Spurred into action not only by the success seen thus far, but also, in more grim news, the rate of active COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations within the state has begun to rise once more; hospitalizations are up 53% from the rates of two weeks prior to March 27, while positivity rates within cases
of COVID-19 have reached 3.85%. However, this number remains under the telltale 5% mark, therefore it can be seen as quite good in the eyes of the Department of Health and Human Resources. To combat this, Gov. Justice has begun to work with boards of education and high-schools throughout the state of W. Va to further push vaccine rollout and administration; in these clinics, fami-
Supporting this, in more local news, the city of Wheeling, W.Va. expects a supply surge of vaccines to arrive soon as new clinics around the area open to accommodate the demand of administration; currently, there are clinics located at the The Highlands shopping center in Triadelphia, W.Va. and Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling, W.Va. For more information about W. Va vaccinations, please call your local health department. Questions about the content within this article should be directed to ctkidney@westliberty.edu.
NEWS
APRIL 1, 2021
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Anti-Asian racism and hate sweeps through nation amid COVID-19 pandemic patient was a Chinese resident of San Francisco, where Chinatown is located. Not long after, Chinatown itself was placed in quarantine which caused citizens to worry that they would be further viewed as immigrants that were “unhygienic” and/or “disease-harboring.”
On March 16, 2021, eight people were killed at three different spas in Atlanta, six of the victims were Asian American women. This tragedy has heightened fear in the Asian American community that similar crimes and hate could continue. Investigators have not ruled out a racial motive in this crime because the main suspect, Robert Aaron Long, has denied his actions being hate related. As reported by the New York Times, there have been around 3,800 hate crimes against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in this past year. Many of these come from the COVID-19 pandemic and blame wrongly being placed on the Asian community for the spread. The Washington Post stated that there has been a 150 percent increase in Anti-Asian hate since the pandemic began. After former President Donald J. Trump called the COVID-19 virus names such as “the China Virus,” “the Wuhan Flu,” and “the Kung Flu”, some Americans began to believe the sterotype to be fact. A movement called Stop AAPI Hate was started on March 9, 2020 by the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and the Asian American Studies Department of San Francisco State University to combat the rise. They claim to have a 5-pronged approach that includes “…[Serving] as the leading aggregator of anti-Asian hate incidents, [offering] multilingual resources for impacted community members, [providing] technical assistance from rapid response to preventative measures, [supporting] community-based safety measures and restorative justice efforts, [and advocating] for local, state, and national
Like the current pandemic, these views and scapegoating come from underlying racism and xenophobia that has been in the US for centuries. There are several ways that Anti-Asian hate can be combated. To give immediate help, support can be given to AAPI groups in Georgia, such as the Asian American Resource Center, which are working hard to give support to the community following the recent tragedy. Another step is to speak out about hate or racism. policies that reinforces human rights and civil rights protections.” COVID-19 did not mark the start of this hatred. It has gone back into at least the 1850s with the People v. Hall case. In this case, the California Supreme Court made the decision that the testimony of an Asian man witnessing a white man murder someone was inadmissible in court due to his race. The judge did not stop here and went on to say that the Chinese were “…a race of people whom nature has marked as inferior, and who are incapable of progress or intellectual development beyond a certain point.” Jumping forward roughly thirty years, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 which banned immigration from China for ten years and placed strict rules on Chinese-Americans that were already in the country. This act was one of the first major pieces of immigration legislation. There was not a similar act or piece of legislation
Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons
until World War II when Pacific Islanders were placed in internment camps during the 1940s. Most of this hate came from the events that took place at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Comparatively to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bubonic Plague in the 1900s sparked tension in the Asian-American community as the first United States’
This is also a step to be taken with hate crimes. If you have witnessed a hate crime of any kind, you can report the situation to local authorities. cate what the
Finally, take time to eduyourself and others about is currently going on in country and the world.
For more information about the contents of this article, please contact the author, Emma Beatty, at ejbeatty@westliberty.edu.
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APRIL 1, 2021
NEWS
Mountain East Conference plans a Mental Health Presentation for April 15 On April 15, the Mountain East Conference is offering a mental health presentation for its student-athletes. The presentation will take place virtually via Zoom and will be hosted by Mental Health Empowerment Speaker, Ivy Watts. The session, “It’s Okay Not To Be Okay During COVID-19 & Beyond - You Are Not Alone” is set to take place on Thursday, April 15 at 7 p.m. The presentation is approximately an hour long and is set to cover a number of important mental health related topics. The nature of the discussion will specifically relate to student-athletes and the effects of the pandemic. Watts is leading the event as a Mental Health Empowerment Speaker. Watts, a former
All-American student-athlete in track and field, earned her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of New Haven and achieved her Masters in public health at Boston University. Her personal experience with anxiety prompted her to become a leading voice in the discussion of mental health and the destruction of the stigma surrounding the subject.
In this role “[Watts] has empowered over 10,000 students and over 5,000 administrators/coaches, as well as parents and employees to practice mental wellness for themselves and for others,” according to her website. The MEC has invested significantly into this event in the hope to enlighten the student-athlete population and educate all those involved in college sports on the topic of mental health. With life now being heavily disrupted for over a year as a result of COVID-19, mental health awareness is continually seeing reinforcement as people adapt to the new version of normal. “This is most definitely an impor tant topic that is applicable to student-athletes on the heels of the pandemic ,” said Brad F o r s h e y, the NCAA Compliance Officer at West Liberty. The discussion will be specifically geared to-
Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons
wards student-athletes and will focus on a range of sub-topics including “Breaking the stigma around therapy through interactive activity”, “How we can recognize that mental health and physical health are interconnected”, and “How we can be there for those around us when they are struggling”. For student-athletes specifically, the pandemic has been a source of stress as several have had to make difficult decisions over whether to stay in school for an extra year to play their sport in place of the season that was abandoned due to COVID. “I worked hard in school to graduate [early] in the fall so this was supposed to be my senior season… It being pushed to spring means I don’t get to have my senior season,” said Katie Kota,
a recent graduate of the women’s soccer team at WLU. If you are struggling more immediately with mental health problems, you can contact the WLU Counselor Lisa Witzberger by email at lwitzberger@westliberty.edu.
CULTURE
CULTURE
APRIL 1, 2021
Culture Editor: Morgan Kafana
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- mkafana@westliberty.edu
WLU’s Dr. Vishakha Maskey receives service award Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations
Maskey said,
“I was doing my job to the best of my ability by providing service to the university, students and the community.”
During the spring semester of 2021, Dr. Vishakha Maskey was informed through the president’s office that she was the winner of a service award. In order for Maskey to be considered, the criteria was service to the university and community in the form of student advising and volunteering. Maskey did not apply for this award, rather she was nominated by the dean. Maskey had to submit a thorough narrative of all of the activities she had engaged in over the course of the academic year. According to Maskey, she was unsure how the committee made their decision; however, she believes it was the severe learning projects that she had conducted with her students at the university and in the community. In addition, Maskey feels that her work on the creation of
a cross-cultural understanding. In her opinion, this is the most cost-effective way to promote global competency.
a new 2 + 2 program in energy management and the outstanding student achievements through their participation in Net Impact on the campus where Maskey was the chapter advisor.
Coming soon on April 15, 2021 Graphic By: Samantha Snyder
“I had also submitted several grant applications on behalf of the university. I am also a YMCA Wheeling Executive board member,” said Maskey. There was an awards ceremony held for the service award, however it was a virtual convocation.
Maskey stated that she was just,“doing my job to the best of my ability by providing service to the university, students and the community.” Overall, Maskey feels that this award has taught her that there is some form of affirmation at the end of all of the hard work she has put into her job. She has also found that she is able to bring positive change to the university and make an impact through her current role that she holds.
Currently, Maskey serves as a professor of management and economics, joining the West Liberty University family in August of 2008. She attended Tulane University where she earned her postdoctoral bridge to business certificate in management and marketing.
She then went on to obtain her doctoral degree in national resource economics at West Virginia University as well as her masters degree in ecology and environment sciences Maskey is currently work- from the University of Maine. ing on internationalizing the uni- Congratulations Dr. versities curricula with virtual Maskey on winning the serexchanges. Her hope is that this vice award! We can’t wait will allow students to collaborate to see where hard work with students from other uni- and determination takes versities that are geographically you in future projects! far away while also developing
CULTURE
APRIL 1, 2021
PAGE 8
Happy April Fools Day! Watch out for these classic pranks April Fool’s Day is a holiday that lands on April 1 consisting of jokes and hoaxes. It has been celebrated throughout many cultures for centuries, even though nobody truly knows it’s origin.
These pranks have gone through different times, as in the beginning it was simple jokes, but in modern day they have moved to different mass mediums. According to history.com, April Fools’ Day traditions include playing hoaxes or practical jokes on others, often yelling “April Fools!” at the end to clue in the subject of the April Fools’ Day prank. Some historians believe that April Fool’s Day goes back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. In the Julian
The people who failed to realize that the new year didn’t start on April 1 anymore were called “April Fools.” April Fools’ Day was also spread out by Britain in the 18th century. History.com also mentioned, “the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.” Now in modern day, the holiday has spread to newspapers, radio, TV stations, and social media. Many celebrities or influencers have partaken in the holiday, by putting out false information on their social media and then saying it was a joke the following day.
Other famous brands like Taco Bell and Sports Illustrated have partaken in jokes throughout the past years. This year, Sour Patch Kids are celebrating the holiday with a “Sour Patch Prank Fund” where they are rewarding fans with money and prizes based on their pranks.
April Fool’s Day is always a day to continue with extra caution and to have an excuse to play a fun prank on all of your friends. Graphic By: Samantha Snyder
calendar, the year started with the Spring equinox around April 1.
According to prnewswire.com, starting March 27, fans across America are invited to share a video of their prank on TikTok for the chance to win cash and candy. While there are some absolute “do not dos” of April 1, such as faking a pregnancy or death - there are also all the classic pranks pulled every year,like toilet paper on a house or replacing sugar with salt. As the world has just continued this tradition for years, it doesn’t seem like it will be stopping anytime.
Ohio County solid waste authority announces spring cleaning schedule type of plastic it is. Depending what category the plastic falls into, will tell you if it can or cannot be recycled. Community members have until May 1 to drop their items off.
The Ohio County Solid Waste Authority announced its spring cleaning schedule for 2021 and will kick off on March 30, according to The Wheeling Intelligencer. Dumpsters will be placed around the community on the designated day, and anyone can drop their items off. “The following items will not be accepted at the sites: tires, car batteries, large appliances, motor oil, paing and any other potentially hazardous material,” according to the Intelligencer. If you aren’t sure what is considered recyclable, there are many resources to check. According to the Miller Recycling Corporation, recyclables are categorized into numbers depending on the
If you’re looking for an alternative place to take your recyclables, you can head over to the recycling center at the Highlands which is located behind Hobby
Photo Credits: Lizzy Griffith
Lobby. The facility hours are open every day from noon until 5 p.m. for drop offs only. Plastics and aluminum cans are accepted at the site, but metal cans with liners like the ones that hold cat food are prohibited.
Recycling is always a good idea, and spring cleaning is the perfect time to start if you haven’t already. Recycling saves room in your trash cans and helps reduce waste. According to ZME science, “The reason why recycling is so import Cardboard, paper and mag- ant is that it prevents pollution, azines are also accepted; however, reduces the need to harvest new pizza boxes and milk cartons are not. raw materials, saves energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saves money, reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, and allows products to be used to their fullest extent.” There are so many benefits to recycling, and there are many resources available to do so. Since the WLU campus does not currently offer recycling services, you can take your plastics with you and recycle them at home. If you live on campus, make monthly trips to a recycling site, or if you commute, simply recycle at home. Earth day is coming up, so do your part now. The Earth thanks you.
CULTURE
APRIL 1, 2021
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Wheeling city council meeting ends with recognization of March as social work month
Earlier in the month of March, West Liberty University celebrated Social Work Month with the added joy of recognizing its ever-growing Social Work Program; now, during a recent City Council meeting of Wheeling, W. Va., the month of March was officially recognized as Social Work Month. In a post to the Council’s official facebook page, Council members encouraged “all citizens to join in the efforts to celebrate and support the Social Work profession,” with representatives of the Hilltop’s Social Work department, along with President Evans, present at the meeting to accept the proclamation. In an article published to West Liberty’s News and Media Relations page, Sylvia Hawranick Senften, Ed.D., MSW, WLU’s Social Work Program director commented on what the month means to our campus community; “March is the national observation of Social Work Month and we have so much to be proud of here at West Liberty University. We are one of only six state institutions in West Virginia that has an accredited BSW degree.”
While the city of Wheel- Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons City view of Wheeling, W. Va ing has only recently officially recognized the celebration of those within the field of Social Work, Crittenton Services, Inc., a behavioral health provider based in Wheeling, W.Va., seems to have been recognizing the month for the 125+ years they’ve been offering their services to residents across the state of W. Va.. In an announcement published to their website in March of 2019, the facility stated that “Social Work is the art of listening, and the science of hope;” going on to quote the National Association for Social Workers in saying that “We are thankful every day for the many social workers that work at and with Crittenton Services. ‘Every day, the nation’s 680,000 social workers work to empower and elevate millions of people, including some of the most vulnerable in our society.’ ” While March may be over, and our city only recently recognized this momentous occasion, we can never stop thanking social workers for all they do and continue to do. From those out working in the field, to the faculty we have here at West Liberty University, even the students so eager to make a difference in the world when they emerge from the Hilltop as professionals – let’s make every month a time to thank these amazing individuals.
APRIL 1, 2021
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CULTURE
Kappa Phi Sisters plan to host 2nd annual ‘‘Out of the Darkness’’ suicide prevention walk of remote learning. Now back and ready to host the walk this year, Kappa Phi is inviting all who would like to attend.
ly suicide) can be an uncomfortable subject, which makes talking about it even more important. Kappa Phi and Suicide prevention is the campus minmeant to help save people’s lives istry are working and offer help to those struggling together with the with their mental health. Accord- The walk is American Founing to the Centers for Disease scheduled to dation for Suicide Control and Prevention, suicide take place on Prevention to help remains as the tenth leading cause April 10, 2021 end the stigma on of death within the United States at West LibPhoto Provided By: Jenna Gault, WLU Alumni and Kappa Phi Sister our college camas shown in 2019 data tables. erty on the Kappa Phi Sisters after their first “Out of the Darkness” walk in 2019 pus,” Gault said. Learning about suicide and pre- Quad. Regvention can save a life — literally. istration will Anyone interested in at West Liberty’s Kappa Phi begin at 10 a.m. and the tending the event sisters plan to hold their second walk will start is welcome to atannual “Out of the Darkness” at 11 a.m. tend in person or walk for suicide prevention on virtually. In percampus. Their first walk occurred Information tables, light snacks, the cause if possible. All proceeds son participators should report in April of 2019; however, the walk and a yoga warm up will be availwill be presented to the American to the Quad the day of the event. scheduled for April of 2020 was able for use by those attending Foundation for Suicide Prevention. cancelled after the COVID-19 prior to the walk. All in person attendIn addition, the Kappa Phi sisters pandemic have a website —which can be ees will be asked to follow all There is no cost to caused the accessed on the Kappa Phi Insta- COVID-19 guidelines such as “Mental health can be an u n i v e r s i t y uncomfortable subject, which attend this event; gram or Facebook the “Out of the mask wearing and social distancing. to finish the makes talking about it even even so, participaDarkness Campus Walk” event tors are encourIndividuals wishing to atspring semesmore page — where donations can be aged to donate to tend virtually will be able to ter by means important.” made. WLU Alumnus and former find access to a live stream on Kappa Phi sister, Jenna Gault, has the Kappa Phi Facebook page. been a part of the committee responsible for the planning of this For more information about the suievent. “Anyone who reached $100 cide awareness walk being hosted in donations will get a t-shirt,” said by the Kappa Phi sisters, please email Gault. “Mental health (especial- Gault at jcgault@westliberty.edu.
Photo Provided By: Jenna Gault Kappa Phi Sisters - “Out of the Darkness” walk in 2019
APRIL 1, 2021
OPINION
OPINION
PAGE 11
University students discuss opinions on gun regulation and restrictions On March 23, in Boulder, Colorado, a shooting took place in a grocery store that resulted in ten people dead. According to CBS News, the shooter, 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, is now being charged on 10 counts of first-degree murder. Because of this, and the ongoing gun violence the nation suffers, President Biden called on Congress to enact stricter gun laws and the ban on assault weapons. West Liberty University students shared their opinions on gun laws and Biden’s goal to minimize gun violence. Haley Blakemore, a sophomore at WLU, says, “The number of school shootings is unbearable. [Biden’s] restrictions should decrease the rate of school shootings.” Blakemore went on to say, “Assault weapons, AK’s especially, are not essential and more dangerous. Therefore, restrictions make sense.”
“I’m not opposed to more regulation. However, rifle bands don’t seem to make much sense, in my opinion, since most gun violence is by handguns.” - TREVOR ROSENTHAL WLU STUDENT
She concluded her thoughts by saying, “With such a division in this country, a complete ban on assault weapons will probably never happen, so restrictions are a good move on Biden’s part.”
a freshman at WLU, says, “I think that there should be more strict gun laws and control.” She continues, “Weapons such as assault weapons aren’t necessary for hunting, only military purposes.”
Luke Beall, a senior at WLU, says, “I’m more in favor of gun regulation than gun control personally.” Beall went on to say, “It’s way too easy to get guns in
Kate Roberts, a freshman at WLU, says, “I believe there should definitely be stricter gun control. There is no reason why people need adult weapons in
“I’m more in favor of gun regulation than gun control personally." - LUKE BEALL SENIOR WLU STUDENT
Should gun regulation continue to strengthen? Should psychological tests and gun training be required for those who want to own guns? Should assault weapons be banned? There are some burning questions that need answers. What do you think Hilltoppers?
many states, and more strict registration, background checking, training, psychological testing, and waiting periods could help this.” Trevor Rosenthal, a WLU student, says, “I’m not opposed to more regulation. However, rifle bands don’t seem to make much sense, in my opinion, since most gun violence is by handguns.”
their homes or on their person.” Roberts went on to say, “I also believe that psychological testing should be done, so there aren’t so many shootings.”
After listening to college student’s opinions, it is clear that there is still much more to be discussed. With the number of shootings that keep happening, it’s hard to say that gun John Nash, a student at regulation is fine where it’s at. West Virginia University, says, “They say this will make it hard- It is clear that many stuer for criminals to get a hold of dents feel strongly about the illegal weapons, but in reality, it matter on both sides of the disjust puts a beating on the regular cussion, but a common factor people trying to protect them- in everyone’s answers was that selves from the criminals with il- mass shootings shouldn’t be legal weapons.” Morgan Kafana, happening at the rate they are.
If you would like to leave a comment on this artilce, please visit thetrumpetwlu.org. Find Lizzy Griffith and the headline of this article to leave a comment.
“The number of school shootings is unbearable.” ... "Assault weapons, AK's especially, are not essential and more dangerous." - HALEY BLAKEMORE WLU STUDENT
APRIL 1, 2021
PAGE 12
OPINION
Is President Biden responsible for increasing gas prices? Gas prices have gone up drastically since Joe Biden came into office, but is he to blame? Many would like to place blame where it doensn’t belong. Gas is dependent on supply and demand — not who the current president is. Demand is going up, but our supplies are going down;therefore, Biden isn’t the problem. This is the after-effects of quarantine. When the pandemic first started, people went from driving daily to barely driving at all. Vaccines changed that. Now the demand for oil, for vehicles as well as planes, is back up to speed. So why are people blaming the President? Gregory Chase, Dean/Associate Professor of Economics & Finance/ College of Business, suggests,
“Canceling the Keystone Pipeline and also in anticipation of some additional actions he will take.” Biden is already seeing the backlash, with 21 states suing him for revoking the pipeline’s permit. As for the additional action, I assume he means switching energy sources. The pipeline is a very controversial topic; In West Virginia even more so. Switching energy sources is great for this planet, but not for workers. If we could find a solution where the workers could continue without harm to pocketbooks, both the planet and pipeliners would be at peace. As of now no one, as far as I know, has found the solution. Gas prices might not be in Biden’s hand now, but the continuing push to move away from fossil fuels could affect prices in the future. You should also consider, since it is all about supply and demand, the true factor of these
future fuels is not up to the president. As of writing this, the Sheetz down the hill is at $2.90. Even if you go all the way down to the Walmart gas station in Moundsville their regular price is at $2.49. That Sheetz always seems to be expensive. However, I remember when the Walmart gas station was below two dollars. We have spiked more than 50 cents since the rise started. During the pandemic, we had a low of about $1.77. Overall, we’ve increased about 70 cents since then. Being a college student and watching prices rise is stressful. As someone who enjoys a car ride ever so often for mental health, it forces me to reconsider other options. Laura Musilli, Finance
Photo Credits: Haley Blakemore
Professor and Manager of Grants, advises people looking to save on gas. Musilli said, “To save on gas expenses, people can carpool when possible, combine trips, only go out when necessary, and if they have more than one vehicle, drive the one with better gas mileage.”
No spring break causes burn out in students Canceling spring break this semester has us all drained. Motivation and energy are down, but so are cases of COVID-19. For colleges who did have spring break, those who ventured off instead of relaxing at home had some backlash. Specifically, a spring break Florida party attracted many college students, leading to a spike in Corona. Florida beaches were packed for spring break. You would think people would avoid parties until next year, but beaches are still fuller than ever. March, of all months to vacation this year, was the most traveled according to TSA. March 12 was the worst traveled day, and during a four week span, one million travelers passed through TSA each day.
College kids and young
adults are the most accessible to COVID-19 because other age groups have gotten the vaccine. Looking across campus now, it seems like no one gets it. I see more and more people without their masks. Even if you have gotten the vaccine, be respectful to people too focused on their studies to even think of getting an appointment yet. PerPhoto Credits: Brenda Glasscock
sonally, as someone who struggles with sleep, having no spring break made me physically ill. I had the worst time sleeping for almost two weeks straight, making me exhausted to the point I couldn’t move.
I took two days off, which doesn’t help with my grades. Not having spring break has probably affected atten-
dance, in general, to decline. Lizzy Griffith, our current News/Copy Editor Intern, said, “Not having a spring break this year has really affected me mentally. I think when I get that break, it’s like a mental recharge for me. This year, I just feel drained at this point and overdue a break. I wish we had even just a long weekend, anything would’ve been nice.” Annalise Murphy, the Editor-in-Chief, said, “Not having a spring break was rough for me, especially this semester as I am taking many classes and work all weekend! I feel a long weekend would have been sufficient enough to help me feel recharged. I feel a bit burned out at this point in the semester; however, I am confident I can finish out the year strong.” It’s clear that we all need a break, but going back home instead of vacation would do everyone good. As college students, I would hope that we would be extra careful.
SPORTS
SPORTS APRIL 1, 2021
Sports Editor: Anna Johnston
PAGE 13
- acjohnston@westliberty.edu
Northwest Missouri State University beats Hilltoppers in NCAA Division II basketball tournament 98-77 earlier in the season against the University of Charleston. Now in the regional championships, WLU defeated the 20-2 powerhouse in Hillsdale, punching their ticket to Evansville for the NCAA DII Elite Eight.
The WLU men’s basketball team bowed out in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Division II national tournament last week falling to Northwest Missouri State University 77-98. The tournament took place in Evansville, Indianna and marked the end of an action packed season for the Hilltoppers.
Although the Hilltoppers lost to the eventual national champions Northwest Missouri State University, the wonders within this season for WLU cannot be ignored.
After vigorous battles against adversity and uncertainty within the past year, the 2020-21 season was simply an unforgettable campaign for West Liberty University men’s basketball, and one of which can be used for progression in the upcoming seasons. In 2019-20, the Hilltoppers ended the season as one of the hottest teams in the country, winning their last ten games on route to a 27-4 record, all while being named the MEC Champions. After the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to West Liberty’s championship hopes, the team would have to wait several months until they could have another crack at it, let alone take another step on the court. Time soon passed and WLU was set to gear up again, in which they eventually found themselves clinching an Elite Eight berth for the first time since the 2015-2016 season. The route to Evansville, Indiana was no slouch for the Hilltoppers. After a 4-0 start to the season, it appeared as the revenge tour had begun against the rest of the Mountain East Conference. However, WLU soon stumbled, and unprecedentedly fell in their next three games to Concord University, West Virginia State Univer-
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports Bearcats defeating WLU at the NCAA Tournament
sity, and the University of Charleston. Luckily, a nine game winning streak entering the Mountain East Conference Championship helped the team get back on their feet, but not without further bloodshed. An injury to star WLU guard Will Yoakum was a major blow to the team’s firepower offense, and required alternative players to rise to the occasion. Those players most definitely delivered, as the team clinched a MEC Championship game berth, especially thanks to the late game heroics of Malik McKinney in the conference semifinals. Although the Hilltoppers came up short against Fairmont State University in the conference championship, they had more important goals on their mind regarding the NCAA Tournament.
Once there, the Hilltoppers shined, defeating Malone University and avenging their loss
The team overcame hurdles not presented to many, and also will return an incredibly young team for next season.With star guard Dalton Bolon having an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, the Hilltopppers can pick up right where they left off this year, and may even make a deeper run then before. For more information about the men's basketball season, please visit Hilltopper Sports at hilltoppersports.com.
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Women’s tennis remains undefeated
APRIL 1, 2021
Valencia dropped just one game in her two matches winning 6-1 and 6-0 against D&E’s Cara Long. WLU’s Ishika Agarwal saw the same outcome in the no.3 position while Agudelo avoided conceding a sinWLU Women’s tennis gle game with a shutout win at maintained their unbeaten streak no.4. Pena Aceves and Olson also in the MEC last Monday with a win posted convincing wins at no.5 and against Davis and Elkins College. no.6 respectively making it a very Head Coach Heather Gallagher’s successful day for the WLU ladies. squad posted five out of a possible Davis and Elkins’ sole sinsix wins in singles and won two out gles win came in the no.1 matchup of three of their doubles matches. from Taylour Newman against West The Lady Toppers are cur- Liberty’s Gemma Cliffe. The scorerently undefeated in the Moun- line was tight with Cliffe losing out tain East Conference and hold narrowly to Newman 7-5 and 6-4. a 6-1 record overall so far this The Lady Toppers are season with just a single defeat to now past the halfway point in their name from Carnegie Meltheir season with just six regulon University. Monday’s victory lar season competitions left beagainst the Senators has allowed fore the MEC tournament takes the Lady Toppers to consolidate place at the beginning of May. the conference top spot. This comes after the squad broke into The team is currently in a the regional rankings earlier this strong position to make a bid for month posting at no.5 following the conference title but will need a shutout win against conference to uphold their good form to do so. rivals Fairmont State University. Next up for the ladies is In doubles, Luisa Agudelo an away trip to the University of and Jacqueline Pena Aceves won Charleston who are currently sit6-2 at no.2 while Nathalia Valenting just behind the Toppers in the cia and Alex Olson breezed to a MEC standings and hold no.1 in the 6-0 at no.3 allowing the Hilltopregional ranks. In what is sure to pers to notch the doubles point. be a tight match-up, the ladies take In the no.2 spot in singles, last on the Golden Eagles on April 6. week’s MEC player of the week
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports Luisa Agudelo, Lady Hilltopper Tennis player
SPORTS
Fairmont State defeats WLU Softball West Liberty University’s softball team fell to Fairmont State University in a double-header on the road last Monday. The Lady Toppers gave the hosts a tough challenge but the Falcons were able to hold on to secure both wins 2-7 and 2-3. After finishing out-of-conference play at 2-4, with both wins coming against Salem University, West Liberty University proceeded to split their series with Notre Dame College (0-2 L, 4-1 W), sweep their doubleheader against Alderson Broaddus University (7-0 W, 5-0 W), and split their doubleheader against West Virginia State University this past weekend (0-3 L, 6-3 W). After falling to Fairmont state on-the-road on Monday, the ladies hold an overall record of 8-8 and are currently sitting fourth in the MEC. The in-conference success has been a collective effort from the Lady Toppers with exceptional work from Kat Donzella, Katie Beeman, Annie Patterson, and Riley Binnington. On the offensive side, Donzella and Beeman are the potent 1-2 punch the Hilltoppers rely on to produce the bulk of their
offense. At the three spot, Donzella is hitting .381 with 1HR and 8RBI with Beeman following, she is seeing herself produce a .452AVG and 12RBI. The combined firepower of the two sluggers are without a doubt a reason for the Hilltoppers success. On the pitching side, Patterson gives the Hilltoppers a consistent chance to win each time she steps on the mound. In 24IP, Patterson holds a 1.12ERA with just three runs surrendered. Binnington has also seen success in the 18 innings she has pitched, holding a 2.50ERA and a 3-1 record. Other players shining for the Hilltoppers include Allie Cook, Laural Saunders, Conner Assif, Haley Collett, Taylor Bonnett, and Makenzie Amend. With the remainder of the regular season games coming against in-conference opponents, it is critical that WLU continues their success they have shown early en-route to the championship game if they want to mimic their 2019 success. Next up for the Hilltoppers is a doubleheader at home against Frostburg State University. The Frostburg Bobcats currently hold the top spot in the MEC with a 6-3 record overall. The games will take place at 2 p.m. And 4 p.m. this Friday April 2. Come out to cheer on your Lady Toppers this Friday!
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports Annie Patterson in action at recent softball game
SPORTS
APRIL 1, 2021
PAGE 15
Fairmont State defeats WLU’s Acrobatics and Tumbling by a single point Contributing Writer: Mark Donnelly
West Liberty’s Acrobatics andTumbling team took a dramatic loss against No. 7-ranked Fairmont State University on Sunday night inside the ASRC, losing by a single point. The end score was 254.77-253.61 in favor of the Falcons, with the lead going back and forth as the events went on throughout the night. The Lady Hilltoppers were coming into this meet off the back of a loss to No.5ranked Gannon University who are one of the nations highest scoring teams so far this season. They knew that the meet against Fairmont was going to be just as challenging and they took this one to the very last event, giving the undefeated Falcons their closest game yet. In their second home meet of
the year, WLU lost four of the first five events before performing extremely well in the team event in which they outscored their opponents by 87.01-85.47. In addition to a win in the team event, the Hilltoppers also had the edge in the pyramid event with a 29.40-29.10 advantage in the three heats.They scored a meet-high 9.90 in the third heat of the pyramid event, while also notching up a 9.80 and a 9.70 in the first two heats. This thrilling meet fell on an important night for the Acrobatics and Tumbling program as they paid tribute to their six seniors on senior
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports Six Acrobatics and Tumbling Lady Hilltoppers being awarded at senior night
night.This will be the last season on the hilltop for seniors Via Anderson, Kylee Buzzard and Kira Newburn while fellow classmates Abbey Bauer, Lexus Ficca and Kenzie Kyle have accepted the NCAA’s eligibility waiver for this year and will compete again next fall. This season has seen exceptional performances both individually and collectively, with numerous members of the squad receiving conference awards and recognition. Senior All-Mec standouts, Kyle and Ficca have recently received the MEC Athlete of the Week award while junior base Sydney Schaumacher also received the award earlier this year. Freshman Katie Embrosky has been named the National Freshman of the Week for two consecutive weeks with teammate Via Anderson also receiving national recognition in being named last week’s NCATA National Specialist of the Week. This match-up was an extremely large indicator as to who will finish at the top of the Mountain East Conference with each team only playing five conference games in this condensed season. Both teams were undefeated in conference matches coming into this meet, however it is the Falcons
Please visit Hilltopper Sports at
hilltoppersports.com
for all your Topper sports updates!
#proudtobeatopper who are now in pole position. Having won their first three meets by at least 10 points, the Toppers sit second in the MEC standings leaving them in good shape for the conference championship with one regular season meet still to go. Head Coach Kelsey Kyle will be hoping that her Lady Toppers can get back to winning ways as they return to action with an away meet against Frostburg State University this Wednesday March 31 in what is their last, regular season meet before the MEC Tournament, which starts Friday April 9.
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APRIL 1, 2021
SPORTS
WLU Men’s Soccer defeat Concord University 3-0
Contributing Writer: Mark Donnelly
West Liberty’s Men’s soccer team picked up their second win of the season as they came away with a 3-0 victory over Concord University last Friday. The Hilltoppers made the journey to Beckley, WV to face-off against the Mountain Lions, recording their first ever shut-out win in the Mountain East Conference. The Toppers were coming off the back of an unfortunate loss against Davis & Elkins College the week prior and they looked hungry to get back to winning ways from the first minute of the game. They recorded an early flurry of shots on goal which was capped off by a sublime acrobatic finish from Brazilian freshman Vitor Otsuka, who now has two goals in the same number of games. WLU continued to put relentless pressure on the Mountain Lions’ defense as both Bernardo Vilchis and Tyler Swafford went close to doubling their lead but a handful of saves from Concord goalkeeper Sean Monro kept the score at 1-0 at the half-way mark. Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
The second half saw much of the same with the away side continuing their dominance and creating a number of goal scoring opportunities before Josh Yeaman gave them a two goal advantage after a delightful pass from freshman midfielder Danilo Tavares. The performance was then topped off by Spanish defender Mikel Ubeda, who headed home from a corner to give the Toppers a three goal advantage.
Ubedas first goal of the season and his contribution to WLU’s first ever collegiate shutout earned him the MEC Defensive Player of the Week award, another first in program history.
Liberty face off against West Virginia Wesleyan (2-3) at home with a 7 p.m. kick-off, where a win will put them in the driver’s seat to secure a spot in the playoffs.
For more information or for updates on the game visit hilltoppersports.com and follow @ westlibertymsoccer on instagram.
The Hilltop’s Athlete of the Week
Mikel Ubeda
He is in his second year at West Liberty, playing in every minute so far this season and recording one goal and one assist. Starting five freshmen and bringing three off the bench, Head Coach Sean Regan has assembled an extremely young squad which he will be hoping can continue to grow and develop in the coming years. This season presents them with a great opportunity to clinch a playoff spot however, with the Toppers needing at least seven points from the last three games to progress to the postseason. The first of their last three games comes this Friday, April 2, as West
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
Men’s Soccer — Defender Year: Senior Hometown: Bilbao, Spain About Ubeda: Ubeda earned an MEC Defensive player of the week award after playing a key role and scoring the third goal in the Hilltoppers 3-0 shutout against Concord last week.This was the first shutout win in program history and their largest ever margin of victory.
