WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
OCTOBER 1, 2020
THE TRUMPET
VOL. 100 – ISSUE 3
The Student Voice of the Hilltop
Remembering the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg pg. 4 West Liberty Student Government Association meets to discuss campus club budgets pg. 3 @thetrumpetwestliberty @WLTrumpetOnline
@TheTrumpetWestLiberty
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WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
THE TRUMPET
NEWS
COVER BY: SAMANTHA SNYDER
SPORTS
CULTURE
Photo Credits: Media Relations
Google Images Creative Coomons License
First 2020 Presidential Debate recap and takeaways pg. 5
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West Alexander 2020 annual Scare at the Fair is open and ready for a Spooky season pg. 6
Hilltopper Assistant Coach Brian Hill shares his experiences about coaching and playing football pg. 10
THE TRUMPET
The Student Voice on 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.
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NEWS
OCTOBER 1, 2020
NEWS
Editor-in-Chief: Annalise Murphy
PAGE 3
- anmurphy@westliberty.edu
West Liberty Student Government Association meets to discuss campus club budgets West Liberty’s Student Government Association held a meeting on Sept. 22, 2020. This meeting started out with a presentation from Doug Orr, Sodexo General Manager, about the Marketplaces update plans, new constituents swear in for the fall semester with Marcella Synder, the SGA faculty adviser, and the new ways to give back to the campus. For this semester, due to the current state of the pandemic, the Student Government Association is meeting every other Tuesday at 9 p.m. via Zoom instead of the usual meeting place of the Alumni room in the College Union. The next meeting will be held on Oct. 6, 2020. If you are interested in attending email: sga@westliberty.edu for the Zoom link. Orr spoke to SGA about the new updates to the Marketplace that were supposed to happen over the summer that were unfortunately postponed due to the closure of the campus due to COVID-19. Orr basically gave the rundown that the Marketplace will be getting an update from its current look. SGA also had an overwhelming amount of interest from the incoming Freshman
at the organizational fair and the new Senators including a Graduate position were sworn in by the faculty adviser, Marcella Snyder. West Liberty’s SGA is changing the way they are using their budget this year. It isn’t unusual to see students come from clubs and organizations on campus to ensure that they get funding for their events in the upcoming future. Thanks to all events going online, SGA can’t share their funding with organizations this year or hold the usual events they would around campus like they normally would. The Student Government decided that they are giving their donations back into the school to brighten up the campus. There have been many ideas thrown around from the senators and E-Board of SGA and many seem likely to happen in the next coming year or so. There are no details set in stone right at the moment, but if you would like to learn more about what is happening on-campus students are welcome and encouraged to attend the meetings. For more information about SGA, please contact the author of this article who is a senator for SGA at mlmcfadden@westliberty.edu, or contact SGA’s president Isabella Yakicic at icyakicic@westliberty.edu.
Photo Credits: Morgan McFadden
NEWS
OCTOBER 1, 2020
PAGE 4
Remembering the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Contributing Writer: Emma Beatty On Sept. 18, 2020, the second woman and first Jewish woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, died. Continuing the legacy of firsts, Ginsburg will also be the first woman and Jewish person to lie in state at the Capitol. Ginsburg has been a perfect example of standing strong in the face of adversity for her entire life. When she entered Harvard Law School, she was one of only nine women in a 500-person class. At the same time, she dealt with her husband’s recent diagnosis of cancer and made sure he kept on top of his studies. Ginsburg transferred to Columbia Law School her senior year and still graduated first in her class in 1959.
bring about greater equality for many groups, particularly women. It could be argued that her most lasting impact was her role in the case Reed v. Reed, and similar cases, working with a legal team at the ACLU Ginsburg wrote a court brief arguing that the protections under the fourteenth amendment which guarantees equal protection under the law for “all persons” in the United States should be extended to women. The Supreme Court agreed, and the interpretation of the fourteenth amendment was extended to also protect women.” Ginsburg also helped advocate for abortion rights, Native Americans, the prohibition of illegal search
and seizures, and many other issues. Fitzpatrick continued, “There was a relatively recent time in the United States when a woman could not serve on a jury in many states, could be fired for becoming pregnant, or could be excluded from certain jobs for being a woman. The work of Ginsburg and others helped to change this. The evidence from the political economy research is when a group is more fully able to equally participate in economic life, not only does that group benefit but the economy as a whole benefits in terms of economic growth and innovation.” Ginsburg has created a legacy that will follow long after her death. Despite all her efforts,
Because of her own experiences and what she saw around her, Ginsburg worked hard during her lifetime to grant equality for many groups, especially women.
Ginsburg was most definitely one of the strongest women to ever live. Firstly, she trained almost every day with a trainer in the Supreme Court’s gym until her death, and she could lift more than two of her male counterparts on the Bench. Secondly, Ginsburg never missed a day of oral arguments. This includes the days after she had surgery, chemotherapy, and her husband’s death. To say she was determined is an understatement. Even though the country is still surrounded in sadness, the question as to who will replace her and when has been raised. Controversy falls over the decision because of the precedent set during President Obama’s administration. During his time, Justice Antonin Scalia died and opened a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Almost nine months before the election, Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, stated that the Senate would not confirm a new justice until after the election.
Dr. Brian Fitzpatrick, Associate Professor of Political Science, commented on the recent passing of Ginsburg by saying, “My general comment about Justice Ginsburg would be from my perspective as someone who researches political economy and inequality. Justice Ginsburg’s efforts while serving on the Supreme Court, but particularly before she served on the court, helped to
the fight for women and other minorities is not over.
“Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Visits WFU” by WFULawSchool is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Currently, McConnell has said that he will allow the Senate to confirm President Trump’s pick less than two months before the election. As of 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, Trump announced his pick to be Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
NEWS
OCTOBER 1, 2020
PAGE 5
First 2020 Presidential Debate recap and takeaways ination of Amy Barrett to fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s position was discussed along with healthcare in the first session. The economy’s growth over President Trump’s term was highlighted. However, many other topics that were discussed were unproductive.
Contributing Writer: Justin Geery
The First Presidential Debate, which was held on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, between the current President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden left many Americans feeling uneasy and exhausted. The First presidential Debate was held at Case Western University in part with The Cleveland Clinic, who will be responsible for safety procedures for all upcoming Presidential Debates. Americans have been left exhausted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the repercussions of government shutdown. Americans were looking forward to the debate as a source of answers regarding COVID-19 and other serious issues the United States is facing. President Trump and Vice President Biden left Americans without the answers they were seeking and instead sought out to attack one another for most of the debate. Vice President Biden was leading the polls as they entered the debate on Tuesday night. Political scientist and Assistant Professor of Political Science at West Liberty University, Brian Fitzpatrick, confirmed that Vice President Biden is leading the polls and is favored to win the election. “Like any presidential election it will come down to who is able to win in the swing states, states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Florida. Right now Biden is favored in most polls to win these states, but this does not necessarily mean he will win the election,” Fitzpatrick stated.
President Trump is behind in the election, which is why the debate was so important for the Trump Administration to swing voters. The debate was left unproductive on both ends, leaving the polls to most likely remain the same. President Trump interrupted Vice President Biden multiple times about unnecessary comments like comments on Biden’s son. The candidates bickered back and forth to the point of talking over one another throughout most of the debate. The moderator had to scold the candidates like children at one point due to the interruptions. This resulted in few major issues being discussed thoroughly to educate Americans for the upcoming election. Trump acted as a bully during the debate. On the Jimmy Kimmel Show, Bernie Sanders commented that President Trump was a bully who could not fol-
Photo Credits: Google Images under the Creative Commons License
low the rules of the debate. This explains the constant screaming match instigated by the President. Trump often shifted the topic at hand into an ego argument rather than focusing on what Americans wanted to hear.
Vice President Biden was able to keep his cool during most of the debate and address the topics at hand while looking directly at the camera and speaking to the Americans watching at home. The debate touched on six main topics. Each candidate was given two minutes (Uninterrupted) to discuss the topic and the rest of the time was open discussion with direction from the moderator Chris Wallace. The six topics discussed were: The Supreme Court, Covid-19, the economy, race and violence, their individual records, and the accuracy of this year’s election. There were some topics that were discussed that may be beneficial to the country. The nom-
ABC News Political Director Rick Klein acted as a fact checker after the debate. He stated that although President Trump said they are weeks away from a vaccine for Covid-19, his administration has proven this untrue by estimating a vaccine is months away. Trump also stated in the debate that the election is a disaster due to mail-in voting. Trump believes the mail-in voting will be altered or tampered with. Klein said, “There has been no evidence of wide-spread voting fraud.” According to ABC News, millions of Americans have already submitted mail-in ballots. After tonight’s unproductive debate, it seems that many votes that were already submitted will stay the same. There was not a real winner of this debate, however, we can give the win to Vice President Biden since there was no clear change in President Trump’s swing votes. Americans will remain exhausted until the Second Presidential Debate. The Second Presidential Debate is scheduled for Oct. 15, 2020, at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. The debate will be broadcasted on national television.
CULTURE
CULTURE
OCTOBER 1, 2020
PAGE 6
Culture Editor: Hanna Perry - heperry@westliberty.edu
West Alexander 2020 annual Scare at the Fair is open and ready for a Spooky season Spooky season is here and despite the hindrance of Covid-19, the West Alexander Scare at the Fair is back for another year. Just over into Pennsylvania, the doors are open from 7p.m. to 11 p.m. each Friday and Saturday in October. Staffed by all volunteers, the West Alexander Scare Fair are set up as a fundraiser for the West Alexander Cultural Association. This year, the Fair has a roster of around 60 actors from the local community. “It’s a wonderful community event. Most people in the town have friends and family that are involved,” said Rich Hunter, an organizer of the event. The attractions are all indoors so, as a safety precaution regarding Covid-19, all guests are required to wear face masks as per Pennsylvania state guidelines. Health and safety is a top priority for the organizers of the event. “We realized back in May that it [Covid-19] was still going to be a problem come October,” said Hunter.
As well as masks, guests
are only able to enter the haunt one group at a time, and instead of waiting in line for tickets at the tent, guests are being asked to wait in their vehicles for volunteers to come and make the ticket transaction there.
Tracking and tracing is also in place if an outbreak does occur. All actors and volunteers have changed their usual procedures in order to ensure as much safety as possible. Alongside regular temperature checks, the actors have been issued their costumes in advance and will go immediately to their stations when they arrive. Plastic barriers have also been put in place in some locations throughout the haunt to keep actors and guests separate in areas where social distancing may not be possible. Fire pits are also still available to guests however, they are more secluded, and groups will be separated with one another. “It’s a strange situation but we’re trying to get through it as best we can,” said Hunt. Since 2013, the Scare Fair has raised around $30,000 for the West Alexander Agricultural Association. With turnout increasing by between 15 and 20 percent
West Liberty students at the 2019 Scare at the Fair Photo Credits: : Anna Johnston every year, it does not appear to be going anywhere any time soon. The attractions change every year, so guests get a unique experience with each visit. “We build the thing every year in September so it will be quite different from last year,” said Hunt. This year’s main theme is “The Alien Cannibal Hillbilly Virus Outbreak,” – a fitting tribute to 2020.
who has attended the Scare Fair since her freshman year as an undergraduate. “I never know what to expect and it supports a good cause!” It is events like these that keep the local community vibrant and thriving.
Several students from West Liberty attend the Scare Fair each year and look forward to going back.
General admission is $15 per person and a child’s ticket (age 18 and under) is $10. Directions to the Fair can be found on the event website (http://www.wascarefair.com/ schedulepricesdirections.html).
“I love it because it’s different every year!” said Kaelyn Oskin, a graduate student at West Liberty
Pop along to West Alexander before the season is out for a fright filled, fun evening!
CULTURE
OCTOBER 1, 2020
PAGE 7
Meet the newly elected officials of West Liberty’s Social Work Club! include preparing meeting agendas, planning, organizing, helping the club set goals and re-registering the club each year. The Hilltop has been very different this semester with COVID-19 restrictions and more people taking classes online rather than coming to campus for in seat instruction. However, that hasn’t stopped Student Life from keeping life on and off campus as fun as possible. One of the many clubs offered here at West Liberty is the Social Work Club. The club was founded over a decade ago, and their mission is to bring awareness to social issues on campus as well as create a supportive community for students to discuss issues within the society on campus. This past week, the club elected five officials who will help run the club for the remainder of the year. The elected officials are as follows: President Samaria Oiler, Vice President Caitlyn Hufford, Secretary Megan Maus, Treasurer Sara Kinsey, and the Public Relations Officer Jasmyn King. The Social Work Club’s faculty advisor is Associate Professor of Social Work, Dr. Eveldora Wheeler. President Oliver stated on behalf of the club and its members, “We thank her for her unwavering support.”
The vice president helps the president carry out their duties, and helps the president coordinate meetings and events, and take over meetings that the president is unable to attend. The secretary is in charge of keeping records of how long the meetings are in minutes, maintain records of all minutes, and sending out the minute totals to club members. The treasure is responsible for meeting with other officers to discuss the budget and what fundraisers are possible and completing the necessary paperwork through the Student Government Association (SGA). The public relations officer is in charge of maintaining the social media account in both an ethical and positive manner. Posting information about club meetings and events. With COVID-19 restrictions keeping most in person events off the table, all of the club meetings are currently being done via Zoom on select Wednesday evenings between 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
President Oiler discussed and explained in detail some of the different responsibilities that each person listed above is in charge of to help the club achieve their mission.
“Please email me at saoiler@westliberty.edu if you are interested and I will be happy to email you the links whenever we have meetings,” said President Oiler. The next club meeting will be Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. President Oiler said that, “the Social Work Club is open to all current students at WLU. You do not have to be a social work major or minor to join.”
Some of the tasks that the president is in charge of
There are currently no events planned; however, the club
Photo Credits: Jasmyn King members are hoping to host a Netflix watch party sometime in the near future. COVID-19 has put a restriction on what the clubs on the Hilltop can do. President Oiler commented, “this year because of restrictions, the Social Work Club has decided to focus on club members. Our goal is to help members form strong social support systems within one another, create realistic self-care plans, and improve our emotional intelligence. As helping professionals and/or busy college students, it is
important to work on caring for and creating positive change in ourselves just as much as in the community around us.” For more information about the Social Work Club, please email President Oiler at the email listed above and follow them on Instagram at wlusocialwork. If you would like to see your club to be featured in future Trumpets, please email the Editor-in-Chief at anmurphy@westliberty.edu to set up an interview.
OPINION
OCTOBER 1, 2020
OPINION
PAGE 8
Virtual Suicide Prevention presentation, “Talk Saves Lives”, gives ways that anyone can raise awareness Contributing Writer: Anna Dean A virtual Zoom presentation from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention took place at 1 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2020. Youth Intervention Specialist, Austin Richardson, who works with Prevent Suicide W. Va., hosted the meeting and Abby Baker, Peer Recovery Specialist, moderated the meeting. The presentation covered the complex topics of suicide awareness, the stigmas against mental health topics, and how to spot the signs of someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings. Richardson wants to build a community that is more aware of suicide prevention and to educate people on how to respond.
cause of death in the state. These statistics are concerning therefore, it is important to know what a person experiencing these feelings might be going through. There is not one simple cause, but multiple factors that can contribute to risk such as — physical and mental health conditions, environmental factors, or other life factors “Perspective always matters,” Richardson said. He then opened up the meeting to ask participants about what stressors could be in a person’s environment.
ple might not see are depression, work-related stress, or impulsive actions. Research is helpful for those with suicidal thoughts. Research includes medications, biomarkers, and breakthrough psychotherapies that are progressing every day. To educate oneself, one must be aware of the stigma surrounding this topic. Being proactive towards mental health can be helpful for anyone facing a point of crisis.
“It’s just a conversation with somebody,” Richardson said. Then, he described the ways someone can reach out to help a person The stressors of past trau- who is having suicidal thoughts. ma, family history, and the stigma Time is the most important factor against getting help were brought that can be put between a person up. Other risk factors that peo-
“Suicide is a complex health issue,” Richardson said, as the meeting started. There is a stigma against mental health and those who experience suicidal thoughts, so it is important to be careful about how it is mentioned. Phrases such as “died by suicide” or “ended their life” are more appropriate to use.
Ways to provide help would be to have a conversation, offer support, and watch the person’s moods and behavior. Avoid arguments or the minimization of their experiences. Do not try to fix the problem. If it comes to a dangerous situation, call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255). There are programs and resources available that promote mental health and suicide awareness. Prevent Suicide WV offers resources on the topic of suicidal awareness and how to help others in need. Headspace is a useful app that provides help with meditation and sleep. MY3 is another resourceful app that is available for those who are dealing with suicidal thoughts. “Be aware that there is a stigma and to break the stigma would be a good pre-cursor,” Richardson said. A culture that is aware of mental health and suicide prevention can be created by breaking the stigma and becoming knowledgeable on these topics.
The meeting covered how our culture needs to adapt to make mental health more widely accepted, while breaking down the stigmas that surround it. A large concern in WV is that only two in five people will seek the help that they need. An even larger concern is that suicide is the 10th leading
and their thoughts about ending their life.
Photo Credits: Google Images under Creative Commons License
For more information or help, please reach out to West Liberty’s on campus counselor, Lisa Witzberger at lwitzberger@ westliberty.edu.
OPINION
OCTOBER 1, 2020
PAGE 9
Three ways to deal with COVID-19 restrictions this fall semester The solution would be to purchase a desk calendar or use a sheet of paper to write down any assignments or projects that are assigned in classes.
As the semester continues, students are not having the typical college experience they have either lived through previously or heard so much about.
Specify what subject the work is for and be sure to make note of the due dates. From there, set a goal of when that assignment needs to be completed.
Instead, students have entered the 2020 school year with new guidelines as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, all club meetings and extracurricular activities are being held via ZOOM and sporting events are cancelled, making it a challenge for students to interact with others. This poses the question, how can students deal with COVID this semester? No matter what, meeting and making friends in any college environment can be difficult. Since in person classes are operating at half capacity, only certain groups of students get to interact with each other on a day to day basis.
As a result, this allows students to keep organized. With the uncertainty of what the future might hold, make sure to keep track of any important events on campus.
Photo Credits: Google Images unser Creative Commons License
In our current situation, listening in class for that commonality and then sending that person an email can help a student to make friends. Since campus events have been cancelled, the matter of managing time can present problems. Students might get into the
mind set that they have a wide variety of time to complete assignments or projects and therefore prolong them. When students prolong their assignments, this leaves a higher chance for them to fall behind and as a result cram all their assignments into a week instead of spacing them out.
Everyday, emails are sent to both the staff and student emails informing them of COVID protocol and updates as to what the number of active cases has become. COVID has also changed the way that courses are being offered. Some professors have decided to hold all their classes via ZOOM whereas others are alternating days to ensure that all students get a chance to learn from both platforms.
The best suggestion would be to find one or two people from your classes who share something in common with you. This can be as simple as the same major, sport or even hometown. Sharing a common interest with another person allows them to have an ice breaker for a conversation that can eventually lead to a friendship.
Photo Credits: Media Relations
SPORTS
SPORTS OCTOBER 1, 2020
Sports Editor: Anna Johnston
PAGE 10
- acjohnston@westliberty.edu
Hilltopper Assistant Coach Brian Hill shares his experiences about coaching and playing football Contributing Writer: Kate Roberts West Liberty University is very lucky to have so many amazing coaches, teachers, and staff. Coach Brian Hill is one of the coaches we are lucky to have. He is an assistant coach on the Hilltopper Football team focusing on special team coordination. Hill has also been appointed as West Liberty’s Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee (ADID). He has been here for four seasons now, but that does not limit the amount of time he has been working having gained experience and knowledge in his craft at several colleges. Hill has been playing football for basically his whole life. He started playing football in ninth grade, and then managed a successful career all the way through college. Hill went to college at Glenville State College - this was actually where he started coaching. He didn’t stop there, though. Hill has coached at many different schools, including: Cumberland College, Union College, Georgia Military College, Furman University, Lenoir Rhyne College, and now West Liberty. This has been a total of thirty years!
Photo Credits: Media Relations
While dealing with COVID-19, Coach Hill and the football team has had to make some sacrifices and changes. They are only getting eight hours a week for lifting, running, and everything else needed to be done to prepare the team for games. He says, “Our fall schedule is crazy now!” In his role as the ADID, Hill acts as an excellent additional resource for minority students. “Minority students can come and talk to me about anything going on with them,” said Hill Hill mentioned that he loves working at West Liberty because of the family atmosphere and because how nice everyone is to be around. “I love coming to work every day!” he says. For updates on Hilltopper football and changes regarding athletics and the situation regarding COVID-19, head over to hilltoppersports.com!
Virtual West Liberty Marching Band Event
