VOL. 101 – ISSUE 22
THE TRUMPET WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
APRIL 21, 2022
WLU’s Student News Source
2022 RECAP Awards undergraduate and graduate students in College Hall - pg. 3 WLU Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams rank highly in Atlantic Region - pg. 13 @TheTrumpetWestLiberty
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WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
THE TRUMPET
Graphic By: Haley Blakemore
NEWS
COVER BY: LACEY DEEM
CULTURE SPORTS
Graphic By: Haley Blakemore
Free Health Screenings provided at WLU’s Highlands Center - pg. 6
Hilltop dance concert with alumna and guest performer - pg. 8
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 campus community with fair and accurate reporting on matters of significance and interest.
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
Hilltopper Softball goes 1-4 versus Glenville, Davis & Elkins and Wesleyan pg. 16
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
Annalise Murphy
Assistant Editor Brianna Hamon Online Editor Creed Kidney News Editor Olivia Romick Culture Editor Intern Kenley George Opinion Editor Intern Hanna Perry Sports Editor Intern Joshua Spratt Graphic Designer/Photographer Haley Blakemore Graphic Designer/Illustrator Lacey Deem News/Sports Writer Anna Johnston Sports Writer Mark Donnelly Sports Writer Maxwell Fledorczyk Director Dr. Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell
Letters to the Editor To submit a letter to the editor, please email
anmurphy@westliberty.edu. Please list your name, address, phone number, and email address; if the piece is published, you will be contacted to confirm your identity.
Contact Us
wltrumpet@westliberty.edu - (304) 336-8873
NEWS
NEWS APRIL 21, 2022
News Editor Intern: Olivia Romick
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- ogromick ogromick@westliberty.edu @westliberty.edu
2022 RECAP Awards undergraduate and graduate students in College Hall Research Paper Awards
- Winner: Cara Campbell “Time to Widen the Lens on Huntington’s Disease” West Liberty University undergraduate and graduate students who entered their research, creative and performance works into the annual Research Creative Activity and Performance (RECAP) competition attending an awards ceremony on April 20, 2022, in College Hall where the winners were announced. Awards were presented to the highest scoring participants. In total, 26 WLU students, both graduate and undergraduate, competed in the RECAP symposium this spring. Students were able to showcase their best work to win wop prizes. Some prizes included a set of Skullcandy noise-canceling headphones and an anker charging dock. Award winners, categories and titles of research include: Best Presenter Awards - Winner: Erin Allison “Evaluating Human Attitudes of Rattlesnakes with Two Conservation Messages” - Runner Up: Kaine Diehl “A Behavioral Study of Lacunicambarus thomai in a field setting” Creative Works Awards - Winner: Jayden Conner “Honey Bee Jobs” - Runner Up: Lexus Ficca “Energy Is What You Need”
- Runner-up: Rachelle Patterson “Role of Lipid Metabolism in VBNC Francisella tularensis” Creative Projects Awards - Winner: Emily Everson “Happy Hippy Brand Study” - Runner-up: Kelsi Jones “Got You Covered – UIUX Design and Branding” Research Poster Awards (Graduate) - Winner: Zachary Dillard “A Night of Devastation: Natural and Life History Observations of an En Masse Single-Night Collection of Fallicambarus devastator” - Runner-up: Ashley Vankirk “Does Water Velocity Influence Herbivory Pressure on Podostemum ceratophyllum?” Research Poster Awards (Undergraduate) - Winner: Chaima Araibi “Detecting Autism Spectrum Disorder with Deep Neural Networks” - Runner-up: Taylor Wright-Brezee “Adverse Childhood Experiences at West Liberty University” Dr. Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell, co-chair of
Award winners are from left, (front) Erin Allison and Ashley Vankirk, (back) Chaima Araibi, Kaine Diehl, Zachary Dillard, Taylor Wright-Brezee, Cara Campbell, Jayden Conner and Rachelle Patterson. Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations
the competition said, “It’s so important for students to get involved in research early on. Especially for those of students who want to pursue a master’s degree.” Mehlman-Brightwell enjoys being on the committee because she likes to see students grow. Jayden Conner, winner of the creative works award, made an infographic about honeybee’s, their jobs and what they do throughout their lives. “I’m surprised,” Conner said after learning she won first place followed up by, “I think that’s cool.” The awards ceremony was live streamed for the first time and can be rewatched on Topper Station.
According to Maureen Zambito, director of media relations at WLU, all judging for the competition occurred remotely. Students entering in works pre-recorded presentations and then submitted them to the committee for evaluation. The first RECAP was held in 2017-2018 and has continued to offer students on campus an opportunity to showcase their research and other creative works before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, please contact Annalise Murphy at anmurphy@westliberty.edu, or check out the university’s press release by clicking this link.
APRIL 21, 2022
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NEWS
West Liberty’s Psychology Department honored with QM certification rubric as a guideline for the majority of course development and revision. To learn more about the psychology department, click here.To learn more about QM, visit their website.
West Liberty University’s psychology department was honored with the internationally recognized certification from Quality Matters (QM), becoming the first department in the school’s history to earn this distinction. As a part of health sciences, the psychology department at WLU includes Melanie Bassa, M.A.; Tifani Fletcher Ph.D.; Tammy McClain, Psy.D.; Rebecca Meacham, Ph.D. and Chelsea Robertson, who offers both a B.A. and B.S. in Psychology. The Bachelor of Science in psychology at WLU aligns with the guidelines set by the American Psychological Association. On their website, the goals of the program are listed as: “knowledge of psychological content, scientific inquiry and critical thinking, ethical and social responsibility in a diverse world, communication and professional development.” The course to earn the QM Mark of Excellence was the Introduction to Psychology course (PSYC-101). In order to become certi-
Dr. Tammy McClain. Photo Credits: https://westliberty.edu/health-sciences
Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations
fied, courses must undergo a rigorous review process by QM. Using a rubric to examine course quality and provide feedback for the course, QM takes their process seriously. According to their website, they are supported by literature reviews of online learning research. In an interview with Maureen Zambito, Dr. Tammy McClain, professor of psychology and coordinator of master’s in the clinical psychology program at WLU, said of the program, “The Quality Matters Official Review provided the opportunity to reflect on this course and examine it from the learner perspective. From accessibility to learner engagement to assessments, the review used internationally-recognized standards and best practices to examine critical course components related to the learner experience and ultimately learner success.” Courses that receive this distinction meet QM’s standards at a level of 85% or greater in the official review process. According to their website, “Certification is valid for three to five years depending on the QM Rubric used to review the course.” The QM Mark of Excellence is recognized nationally and internationally as the certifications “demonstrate a commitment,
not only to creating an environment of excellence and quality, but of maintaining that commitment.” After McClain took a summer course focusing on professors’ increasingly important role in online learning, she took it upon herself to receive the certification for her online course. This award is not common, though it is awarded in over 30 countries. WLU now uses the QM
“The Quality Matters Official Review provided the opportunity to reflect on this course and examine it from the learner perspective. From accessibility to learner engagement to assessments, the review used internationally-recognized standards and best practices to examine critical course components related to the learner experience and ultimately learner success.” -Dr. Tammy McClain
NEWS
APRIL 21, 2022
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Director of WLU’s Writing Center, Dr. Amanda Tennant, prepares to leave the Hilltop Beyond Walton, Tennant has touched other students as an educator and mentor of students. Creed Kidney, an art therapy major and current consultant in the writing center recalled his time with Dr. Tennant by stating “My biggest takeaway from my time with her as a teacher and as a director of the writing center is how much she opened my eyes to how I can help others. She made me want to teach and want to help people, and I know when I’m proud of how a consultation went or when I feel that the student is understanding the concepts I’m presenting them with, it’s because of her.”
With the semester coming to an end, West Liberty University (WLU) must say farewell to the graduating seniors as well as Assistant Professor of Composition and Director of the Writing Center, Dr. Amanda Tennant. Looking back on Tennant’s five years of professing here on the Hilltop, there are many things to acknowledge as she leaves for Morgantown, W.Va. to live closer to her family. Being a mother of two, Tennant values the importance of raising her young sons closer to her parents and having reliable childcare. Tennant will miss the career and relationships she has formed at WLU, but explains that this decision is best for the future of her family. Transforming the Robinson Writing Center from a student lounge to what it is today in the fall of 2017, Tennant has created a space where students of all majors can seek assistance in all stages of the writing process from trained consultants. Tennant says the opportunity to start the writing center from scratch and recruit consultants was one of the appealing factors that piqued her interest when first applying for her current position at WLU. The English department has a large population of faculty that specialize in literature, so WLU was intrigued to expand their staff ’s level of expertise when hiring Tennant, an educator with a Ph.D in writing studies and rhetoric from Carnegie Mellon University. Specializing in composition, Tennant currently teaches a variety of upper-level English courses in addi-
Dr. Amanda Tennant welcoming visitors to opening day of the Robinson Writing Center in 2017. Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations
tion to the writing tutor practicum course (ENG 451). Among these courses, Tennant explains that her fondest memories as an educator have been spent in ENG 451. As the director, Tennant is able to design this course and educate future writing center consultants based on her direct involvement in the writing center. The small class size allows for in-depth group discussion in which Tennant can help the students put valuable writing principles in practice. A favorite component of this class that Tennant spoke of is the final project that students must compose at the end of the semester. “I like to see in the final project how students connect what we’ve learned in the course to their own interests. Just knowing that I get to keep working with the students is a unique feature of that course.” On the topic of continuing her work with consultants after this course, Tennant added, “Seeing how the students continue to grow as students as they work in the center is a good experience.
The consultants seem to like it and it’s important to me that they find this helpful too.” Tenant has accumulated many accolades to acknowledge ranging from her ability to grow the center in addition to her arrangement of the African American ReadIn that has taken place over the past three years. Other accomplishments to note originate in the classroom in the form of her students and what they’ve achieved. “One of the things I’ve done here that I’m proud of is my professional writing course. Two of my students have won funding through the Awesome Project”, an on-campus class taught by Lou Karas that funds campus proposals to better the student community. A current consultant in the writing center and winner of the Awesome Project proposal, Alexis Walton, won funding for a little library that will feature literature by diverse writers. Tennant added that seeing this project come to fruition is a rewarding experience and she hopes to see the final library before she leaves.
Tennant will miss her time with students, but also pays tribute to the time she has spent with faculty. “I have really enjoyed working with the other English faculty so that is something I will also miss about working here. I feel like the English faculty here are really invested in student success and creating good courses.” Tennant has formally accepted the position of Teaching Assistant, Professor of English and Associate Coordinator of Undergraduate Writing at West Virginia University. Within this position, Tennant will assume the role of teaching English and training graduate students who will go on to teach English 101 and 102. “So that’s a little bit different from what I do here because we don’t have graduate student instructors in English at West Liberty, but it’s also similar because just as I’ve taught students to be consultants in the writing center, I’ll be teaching them how to teach.” To learn more about Dr. Tennant’s time here as a professor of English, please reach out to her via email at amanda.tennent@westliberty.edu.
APRIL 21, 2022
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NEWS
Health screenings provided at West Liberty’s Highlands Center I think it will be really helpful and I also think that we can reach more people by being in a location closer to Wheeling, W.Va.” For more information about the previous and/or future health screenings at the Highlands Center, contact Dr. Meacham at becky.meacham@westliberty.edu or Dr. Zombotti at carol.zombotti@westliberty. edu. For more information about the WLU Highlands Center, email at highlands@westliberty.edu or call at (304) 336-8301.
The West Liberty University Highlands Center hosted a health screening clinic on April 13, 2022. Dr. Rebecca Meacham, director of the Behavioral Health Clinic, and Dr. Carol Zombotti, assistant professor and director of clinical education, collaborated to host the clinic for their programs and other science initiatives at WLU. The screening was free and open to the public.
“I was interested in finding a way to utilize the Highlands campus building and Dr. Zombotti was interested in doing a screening. We combined our ideas and came up with the idea for a free college of science health screening to promote WLU...”
“Dr. Zombotti and I started talking last September about how we might be able to collaborate. I was interested in finding a way to utilize the Highlands campus building and Dr. Zombotti was interested in doing a screening. We combined our ideas and came up with the idea for a free college of science health screening to promote WLU, the college of science and the various clinics that we have on campus,” said Dr. Meacham. According to Dr. Zombotti, a varety of health screenings were conducted to offer a variety of services. The services included speech, cognitive, hearing, anxiety and depression, blood pressure and resting heart rate. “The screenings were offered by the faculty and students from the department of communication sciences and disorders, psychology, nursing, exercise physiology and athletic training. We also had a presence from admissions.” “The behavioral health clinic provided the screenings for depression and anxiety (for both children and adults.) The speech and hearing clinic provided screenings to see if these particular areas are a concern,” said Dr. Meacham. She noted that for the behavioral health screenings, she wanted to provide more information about things people often wonder like– “Do I worry too much? Do I have an
-Dr. Rebecca Meacham Graphic by Haley Blakemore
anxiety disorder? Am I depressed or just sad?” With the screenings, the patients got an idea if their symptoms were normal, or if they should consider going further into talking with someone. “The nurses took blood pressure and the exercise physiology program provided some medical screenings and information for their program ‘exercise as medicine,’ ” said Dr. Meacham. This is the first year a health clinic has been administered
by WLU at the Highlands Center, but Dr. Meacham and Dr. Zombotti hope to make it an annual event. “We are going to be there [Highlands Center] on Tuesday’s starting May 24 from 9 a.m-6 p.m.” Dr. Meacham mentioned she hopes that the health screening will alert the public that behavioral health and speech and hearing services will be offered at the Highlands. “Especially during the summer, when there are not as many people on campus,
CULTURE
CULTURE APRIL 21, 2022
Culture Editor Intern: Kenley George
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- kcgeorge@westliberty.edu
WLU Nutting Gallery presents Polish artists work Photo Credits: Creed Kidney
West Liberty University’s (WLU) Nutting Gallery is proud to present the work of various artists in their current exhibition, “Generation 2.0 What’s Left After the Polish School of Poster.” While the collection and its curator arrived a little late to campus due to complications surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the Ukrainian border being closed from refugees fleeing the war, Dr. Maciej Zdanowicz, recently arrived in the U.S. and offered WLU students and faculty a series of lectures and workshops throughout the week. All lectures hosted were free of charge before the exhibition formally closed on April 13 in preparation for the upcoming senior exhibition. Professor Brian Fencl, the director of the Nutting Gallery here on campus, explained that this specific exhibition is not just unique due to the nature and magnitude of what is currently being displayed, but it’s also special to WLU and its partnership with the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Poland. The two institutions have a new international agreement in place that was founded in December of 2020. The agreement is further explained in a press release found here, where students, faculty and ideas can be exchanged; “This show is a product of that agreement… [and] should be of benefit to all design students.” While the exhibition felt relatively short-lived, Fencl shared that he, along with the rest of the creative arts faculty here on cam-
Exhibited Work at the Nutting Gallery’s show, Generation 2.0 What Happens After the Polish School of Posters. pus, was thankful that the works were able to be shown at all, as the show was quite complicated to put together. “Between the original outbreak of COVID-19, language barriers, the cost of shipping originals out of Europe and through customs and then our guests getting sick – this has been a challenge. It is a visually interesting show and the tradition of Polish posters is so rich that it is great that we get to share what is happening in current poster design with our campus community.” Including the work of the most “esteemed and original Polish poster artists of the 21st century,” as detailed in an informational document shared by Fencl, the showcase includes the work of “more than 50 artists representing the most important national artistic and academic centers, including: Gdańsk, Kielce, Kraków, Łódź, Olsztyn, Poznań, Szczecin, Toruń, Warsaw, Wrocław,” and allows our campus the opportunity of confronting the various “philosophies and practices” that are so commonplace in the contempo-
rary nature of the art being displayed. The collection’s presentation in the Nutting Gallery is the “third edition of this project” since its global premiere in May 2021, and has received a great deal of attention, commentary and discussion. Participants of the exhibition include: Mariusz Andryszczyk, Jakub Balicki, Edgar Bąk, Jarosław Bujny, Łukasz Chmielewski, Monika Cybulska, Justyna Czerniakowska, Wojciech
Domagalski, Fontarte (Artur Frankowski, Magdalena Frankowska), Karolina Grudzińska, Małgorzata Gurowska, Przemysław Hajek, Patryk Hardziej, Krzysztof Iwański, Michał Kacperczyk, Ryszard Kajzer, Zofia Klajs, Adam Klasa, Bartek Kociemba Arobal, Aneta Kosin, Sławomir Kosmynka, Karolina Kotowska, Alicja Kultys, Ireneusz Kuriata, Agnieszka Łońska, Michał Matoszko, Julia Mirny, Aleksandra Niepsuj, Piotr Olejarz, Marek Osman, Nikodem Pręgowski, Łukasz Rayski, Galeria Rusz (Joanna Górska, Rafał Góralski), Homework (Jerzy Skakun, Joanna Górska), Wilhelm Sasnal, Artur Skowroński, Vadym Solowski, Jakub Sobczak, Jakub Stępień HAKOBO, Mateusz Stradomski, Szymon Szymankiewicz, Syfon Studio (Ula Janowska, Filip Tofil), Jerzy Tchórzewski, Joanna Tyborowska, Marcin Urbańczyk, Aleksander Walijewski, Katarzyna Witczak, Marcin Władyka, and Agnieszka Ziemiszewska, and have been curated by Dr. Wojciech Domagalski and Dr. Maciej Zdanowicz.
Photo Credits: Creed Kidney
Exhibited Work at the Nutting Gallery’s show, Generation 2.0 What Happens After the Polish School of Posters.
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APRIL 21, 2022
CULTURE
Hilltop dance concert with alumna and guest performer West Liberty University’s (WLU) Hilltop Dance Company will host its annual spring concert on April 21 and April 22 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. inside the Kelly Theater. Admission to the concert is free. The dance concerts will showcase a range of dance styles including contemporary, jazz, ballet and a little bit of tap. Both concerts will present the same performance to allow viewers more than one chance to see the show. There will be a total of 10 dancers, one alumna and a guest performer who will be featured in the concert. The people dancing at the concert will be Amethyst Alexander, Len Batson, Delaney Bird, Madeliene Copeland, Isabella Costantini, Andrew Dillie, Paige Fields, Greyson Grimmett, Mackenzey Infanti, Elisabeth Ranson and Siddhi Prabhanjan
Graphic By: Haley Blakemore Mahatole. Also joining the concert will be Cassidy Sansone, a WLU alumna, and Brynna White as the guest performer. The dancers will be performing to a variety of songs ranging from soundtrack scores to classical music. Some examples include “Come Alive” from the movie “The Greatest Showman”, “Stay Down” by Julien Baker & Phoebe Bridgers and “Arise” by E.S. Posthumus.
Graphic By: Haley Blakemore
Jill Warren, an adjunct instructor of dance at WLU said, “Prior to COVID-19, dance concerts occurred every spring semester. After a two-year hiatus, we are thrilled to be able to share our art form with a live audience again. Dance brings music, storytelling, and emotion to life. Not only does it allow the dancers to express themselves through movement, but it also brings the audience into our world and takes them on a journey
as we tell stories through dance. In a Company can contact Professor Jill way, it is like a book, music, or an art Warren, at jill.warren@westliberty. museum coming to life.” edu or you can contact Professor Michael Aulick at maulick@westlibWarren noted, “This concert erty.edu. does not have a specific theme; it is more of a celebration of dance and our return to the stage at WLU. Each dance in this concert tells its own story.” Warren hopes everyone can join to “share the joy of movement and dance as we celebrate our return to the stage.” She explained that everyone is a dancer. West Liberty University’s Dance program’s website states, “The Dance program at WLU features courses in tap, modern, jazz and ballet taught by WLU alum Jill Howard Warren. Adjunct professor Warren went on to receive a Master of Dance from NYU. Dance classes are open to all students of WLU.” Any student who is interested in the dance minor program at WLU and/or in the Hilltop Dance
CULTURE
APRIL 21, 2022
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WLU’s new literary journal, Threshold, launches with party On Monday, April 18, West Liberty University’s newly revised literary and creative journal, Threshold, celebrated its first publication by hosting a launch party for the contributors to the journal and their friends and family, as well as the faculty that worked so tirelessly to see the vision of Threshold come to fruition. During the event, contributors to the journal, as well as various faculty members of the College of Liberal and Creative Arts, were gifted a free print copy of the publication and invited to read a selection of their featured and or personal literary work; artistic and graphic contributors were welcome to display their creative works at display tables as well. Refreshments for the event were provided by Sodexo. Previously known as Ampersand to the WLU community, Threshold has come a long way since the “Journal of the Arts” was just a small online collective that was struggling to fill its pages, but with a new team of dedicated, student editorial staff working in tandem with a number of faculty members here on the Hilltop determined to breathe new life into the publication – there’s no telling just how far Threshold might go. When asked if she was excited to reveal these changes to the greater campus community, Threshold’s Editor-in-Chief, Alexis Walton, a junior English: writing and literature double major here at WLU, touched on the pride she felt as a student to see such changes manifesting in a project such as Threshold; “I am so proud of the changes we have made within Threshold. Not only does
the physical, printed journal look professional, fun, and inviting, but our staff and the way we run things now are as well!” While it’s hard to say exactly how much attention some past editions of Ampersand may have garnered, there is no difficulty in stating that the launch of Threshold promises an even greater showcase of creativity here on the Hilltop. When asked about what the launch party meant for our greater campus community as well as the contributors of the journal, Threshold’s Submissions Manager and Copy Editor, Madison Cavicchia, a junior English: rhetoric and writing major, spoke on how exciting it was to be able to spread physical evidence of all the talent sometimes hidden away here on the Hilltop to WLU’s larger community; “I hope this launch party will serve as a way to celebrate not only the hard work our staff put in to creating this journal but also as a way to showcase the amazing creative talents West Liberty has cultivated that often go unseen.” Junior visual communication and design student, Abigail Beckelheimer, the creator of Threshold’s logo and the journal’s art director, elaborated on the points raised by Cavicchia by sharing the excitement she felt over the prospect of Threshold’s launch being the start of a beautiful relationship between various departments here at WLU that not only effects the contributors of Threshold, but the opportunities that have arose for students working around the project of totally revising the creative and literary journal; “I think the combination of art and literature opens up a ton of possibilities between the two departments. It was definitely an amazing experience that gave me the opportunity to meet new people and learn from not only my professors, but other professors as well.”
Students at Threshold’s Launch Party. Photo Credits: Creed Kidney
Evidenced not only by all that was shared by various members of Threshold’s editorial staff, but the launch party, the involvement, and the physical printing of the journal have solidified a landmark in time for the ever-budding relationship between the departments of the College of Liberal and Creative Arts. Anna Griffith, Threshold’s public relations manager and sophomore English: rhetoric and writing major, perfectly spoke for not only herself, but for so many other students and faculty members here on the Hilltop, on the feelings that have so surrounded the much anticipated
launch of Threshold when asked about how she felt about the culminated collaboration of disciplines that have led to the rebirth of WLU’s literary and creative journal; “This is a new era. Our team had the privilege of renaming and rebranding the journal to improve upon what was already here from the past. While there were certain things that we liked and appreciated from Ampersand, we had a lot of ideas about what needed to be changed and what we could do to improve the journal. We worked together and were able to create a journal that better reflects both its content, creators, and our campus community.”
APRIL 21, 2022
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CULTURE
‘‘Be a part of the solution, not the pollution.’’ Earth Day 2022 Photo Credits: Haley Blakemore
Photo Credits: Haley Blakemore
This deodorant was forgotten in the dirt. Photo Credits: Haley Blakemore
This appears to be a wrapper off of a coffee bottle.
This water bottle is almost buried in leaves. This is how far apart some of the trash is.
Photo Credits: Haley Blakemore
This is a lollipop stick on the sidewalk.
Photo Credits: Haley Blakemore
Photo Credits: Haley Blakemore
This is a cup lid in the leaves. Photo Credits: Haley Blakemore
This captures another cigar filter on campus.
OPINION
OPINION APRIL 21, 2022
Opinion Editor Intern: Hanna Perry
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- heperry@westliberty.edu
Murphy steps down as editor, new editor to take over this fall I’d first like to start this farewell by saying thank you. Thank you to all my professors, friends and family who have always supported me in all my endeavors. I would also like to thank our faithful readers, who take the time to read and view the hard work myself and my staff put in each week to bring honest and accurate news through our student produced newspaper. This is the last Trumpet issue of the spring 2022 semester, and the last issue I will be serving as the editor-in-chief of The Trumpet. For the past two and half years, I have spent countless hours and many sleepless nights to ensure the content published in The Trumpet was accurate, honest and to the journalistic quality that I know
so many of our readers look forward to each week. I have helped see The Trumpet through a multimedia convergence, participated in our centennial celebrations by helping author a book in honor of 100 years of Trumpet publications and grown as a journalist in so many ways. To say I am grateful for the experiences and lifelong friendships I have gained during my time as editor of this publication is an understatement.
If it were not for my former professor and Trumpet Advisor, Tammie Beagle, talking to me in her office that one cold January afternoon telling me she wanted me to become editor — I would not be the journalist I am today. I became editor of this newspaper as a freshman. With still so much to learn and so much confidence to gain, Beagle believed in me when I did not believe in myself. She saw my potential as a journalist. Even though it took me a while to find
Murphy during her intership at WTRF 7 News. Photo Credits: Taylor Long
it in myself, I will forever be grateful for her continued guidance and encouragement.
I would also like to thank my current communications professor and Trumpet Director, Dr. Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell, for saving The Trumpet when we as communications students were unsure if the newspaper would continue being published during or after the COVID-19 pandemic. If it were not for her dedication of seeing this publication through a multimedia convergence and creating more collaboration with our student broadcast station, I am certain The Trumpet would not be the publication it has grown into present day. Additionally, I would like to thank Mehlman-Brightwell for her continued mentorship and long hours of ensuring I am not only meeting my career goals, but surpassing them. Stepping away from a position I have been in for most of my college years is so bittersweet. I am excited to graduate in spring 2023 and start working as a multimedia journalist, but that does not make my decision of stepping down as editor any easier. I am going to miss being a part of a team and community that cares so much about each other and so much about providing honest news to our campus. Thankfully, I still have time to spend with the lovely Trumpet community and plan to write for The Trumpet this fall. I wish The Trumpet,
Annalise Murphy a rising senior double majoring in criminal justice and journalism has served as the editor-in-chief of The Trumpet since January 2020. Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations the staff and whomever the new editor-in-chief will be nothing but continued success moving forward. I hope my position as editor has made an impact on this publication, as I know it has made an impact on my life and career. Once a Hilltopper, always a Hilltopper. Sincerely, Annalise Murphy The Trumpet, Editor-in-Chief January 2020 — April 2022
APRIL 21, 2022
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OPINION
Why you should get involved in Earth Day activities on campus
Friday, April 22 is Earth Day. The occasion is used to bring attention to the problems facing the Earth, the environment and celebrates the natural beauty of our planet. Earth Day presents an opportunity to become more conscious of how our actions influence the planet. Even if Earth Day events can influence a few individuals to Graphic By: Haley Blakemore be more responsible with recycling or encourage people to pick up The “Wear it Wise” camtrash, then it is having a positive im- paign revolves around sustainable pact on the wellbeing of the Earth. fashion and bringing light to some of the problems of consumerism. “We want our community to unFor several years, West Lib- derstand the connection between erty University has played its part in the clothes we wear on our bodies raising awareness. This year’s Earth and their impact on our environDay’s headline event is a clothing ment. According to a report from swap that was organized by West The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Liberty’s Net Impact chapter less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments, and $500 billion in value ends up in landfills “This event at WLU is every year. Clothes swap will alabout generating awareness re- low these clothes to be circulated garding sustainability and conscious among our community, instead of consumerism through education landfill,” said Maskey. and clothes swap events. We want our community to understand the connection between the clothes The WLU clothes swap we wear on our bodies and their will allow members of the camimpact on our environment,” said pus community to recycle articles Dr. Vishakha Maskey, professor of of clothing they no longer use and management and economics at pick up items that others no lonWLU. ger need, both reducing waste and West Liberty’s clothing swap event is part of Net Impact’s broader “Wear it Wise” initiative. The WLU chapter applied for funding from Net Impact and received a grant to help support the clothing swap. “I applied for the initiative grant and the application was accepted,” said Maskey, who also serves as the West Liberty chapter advisor. “After that, two of my colleagues Professor Ingrid Loy and Tina Dewitt joined me and we are working well as a team, which includes faculty and staff.”
Graphic By: Lacey Deem
as ambitious as this year’s Net Impact clothing swap. “We hope to make this a recurring event. Based on the success of this first project, we are planning to create a movement on campus, where students can be part of something bigger, such as service learning, volunteering, internships, entrepreneurship, marketing and management, while making a positive economic, social and environmental impact. Opportunities are endless,” said Maskey.
helping individuals save. For every item donated, the donor will receive a token which they can exchange for any other item donated to the swap. Any item in good condition will be accepted including pants, tops, shirts, shoes, dresses, coats, accessories and jewelry. The event will take place on Earth Day, April 22 in the College Union from 11-4 p.m. Individuals are encouraged to donate clothing in exchange for tokens to the BIC Center on the first floor of Main Hall to help build the inventory. In the past, West Liberty has hosted a variety of events in honor of Earth Day including reusable water bottle decorating events, a shoe drive, recycling initiatives and information sessions, but few have been
The clothing swap event is a great way to get your foot in the door towards more sustainable living practices and allow you to play a part in protecting the planet. It is now more important than ever to be aware of the environmental damage being inflicted on the Earth. Earth Day provides a much-needed reminder of why initiatives like the clothing swap are so important. It opens conversations about the growing threats to the Earth such as climate change, pollution, contamination and makes us question how we can make a change. Stop by on Friday to learn more about Earth Day and other opportunities to get involved with the Net Impact chapter’s work. The event is open to the entire campus community and everyone is encouraged to get involved.
Graphic By: Haley Blakemore
SPORTS
SPORTS APRIL 21, 2022
Sports Editor Intern: Joshua Spratt
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- jtspratt@westliberty.edu
WLU Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams rank highly in Atlantic Region West Liberty’s men’s and women’s tennis teams have both been named in the top six teams in the Atlantic Region for the first set of regional rankings. With both teams winning multiple games against regional opponents, it was no surprise to see either team feature in the initial rankings, which were released by the NCAA Division II Regional Ranking Committees this week. The Lady Hilltoppers, who maintain a perfect 4-0 record in conference play, were ranked at number five in the region, which would see them receive an at-large bid to play in the Atlantic Region Tournament. Indiana (Pa.) remains the only team unbeaten in regional play meaning they were named at number one, while Mountain East Conference rivals Charleston and West Virginia State were at two and three, with Slippery Rock rounding out the top four. Fairmont State was the only other MEC team to feature in the top nine, being the last team named in the rankings. Head Coach Heather Gallaghers Toppers are currently on a three-game winning streak and have built strong momentum heading into the postseason. With only two MEC games left to play, WLU sits first in the conference rankings alongside Charleston and West Virginia State as all three teams remain unbeaten in conference play. Their most recent win came in a home matchup against Salem University, as the Hilltoppers took a perfect 7-0 sweep to take their overall record to 10-4. They took all three doubles games to claim the first point of the day before proceeding to win all four singles games in an emphatic fashion. Freshmen duo Evelina Martirosyan
Photo Credits:
The Lady Hilltopper Tennis Team is pushing for a spot in the Atlantic Region Tournament. Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports and Emma Arnal were impressive at No.1 and No.2, while Gemma Cliffe and Ishika Arnal each took straight-set wins at No.3 and No.4. WLU’s men’s tennis team has had an equally successful season so far, which has led to a sixth-place regional ranking. Atlantic Region powerhouses Charleston received first place rankings, edging out Edinboro, Bluefield State and Mercyhurst for the top spot. MEC rivals West Virginia Wesleyan just pipped the Toppers to a spot in the top five, while it was two more conference opponents in Fairmont State and Davis and Elkins that completed the eight-team list. Sitting at third in the MEC standings, head coach Ronald Hulewicz will be confident that his team has the ability to secure a place in both the conference and regional tournaments. With just two games left to play, they knew that two wins would secure
third place. Their latest win came in a 7-0 thrashing against Davis and Elkins last week, taking their overall record to 107. The senators started well and won at No.1 doubles before Moritz Erpel and Gianluca Gerndt won 6-1 at No.2 while Isfan Makhumudov and Daisuke Aota took the No.3 matchup to secure the doubles point for the Toppers.
Gerndt, Erpel, Makhumudov and Aota continued to perform and each won their singles matchups. Anton Schulz dropped the first set at No.2 but replied with two wins of his own before Nevio Dux secured the sweep with a win in straight sets at No.6. For more information and to track the progress of West Liberty’s tennis teams, head to hilltoppersports.com.
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APRIL 21, 2022
SPORTS
WLU Baseball splits doubleheader with ABU
West Liberty University Baseball was back in action this week with a game against Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) on Wednesday, April 13, and a doubleheader on Friday, April 15. The Hilltoppers entered the week 6-26 on the season, with each of their victories coming against Mountain East Conference (MEC) opponents. The Toppers turned to graduate student starting pitcher Sam Aulick on Wednesday against IUP. Aulick got the ball on 10-days rest after a forgettable outing on April 3 versus Charleston in which he gave up seven earned runs in just one inning of work. Unfortunately for Aulick, a bounce back wasn’t in the cards as the second batter of the game for IUP went deep. West Liberty bounced back with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to take the lead, but IUP scored another in the bottom of the second and two more in the third to wrestle back the lead. By the fifth inning, the Hilltoppers trailed 6-4 until Jarrett Delbrugge’s RBI single and Ty Helmke’s two-run homer put West Liberty back on top at 7-6. This lead held until the bottom of the ninth when IUP’s Colton Burd launched a walk-off three run homer to lift the Hawks over the Hilltoppers at 9-7. Looking to bounce back after the heartbreaking loss, the Toppers returned to West Liberty for a Friday twinbill against MEC opponent Alderson Broaddus University (ABU). ABU represented a chance for West Liberty to get a couple wins as they entered the day 3-25 on the season. However, Alderson Broaddus starter Ryan Varley refused to roll over, pitching a complete game shutout for his first win of
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
Kayne McGee (pictured) went 3-9 with a home run in three games last week. Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
the season, allowing just four hits and striking out 13 to lower his season ERA to 7.68. Justin Pennybacker got the start for West Liberty and matched Varley, pitching a complete game of his own, but a single unearned run in the first inning given up by Pennybacker was the deciding run as the Hilltoppers fell 1-0. In game two of the day, West Liberty struck early and often, with three runs in the first including a homer by designated hitter Kayne McGee, his second of the season. The Hilltoppers added another run in the second inning and the fourth to make it a 5-0 game. The game got further out of hand for ABU in the fifth inning as West Liberty plated four more with a home run by Bradley Goodyear, a two-RBI single by Ty Helmke, and another when Ryan Talbert was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make the game 9-0 for West Liberty. ABU rallied
for three runs in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough as Jackson Phillips and Jacob Bolander closed out the game for a 9-3 final score. West Liberty baseball will be back in action this weekend
in Frostburg, Md. as they take on Frostburg State University in doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24. For more information about West Liberty baseball, visit hilltoppersports.com.
SPORTS
APRIL 21, 2022
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WLU Track and Field gives strong performance in Golden Eagle Invitational this weekend with a win in the Long Jump event, jumping 6.96 meters and securing second in the conference. West Liberty’s men’s and women’s Track and Field teams had another successful weekend of competition, finishing third and second at the Golden Eagle Invitational hosted by the University of Charleston on Saturday. With just one more meet before the Mountain East Conference Championships, the Hilltoppers continued their momentum following a positive start to the season. Following a string of strong performances last weekend at the Westminster Invitational, the teams headed south to Charleston where they would compete in a 13-team meet.The hosts were the overall winners in both sections, edging out West Virginia Wesleyan by an impressive 144 points across the men’s sections and defeating the Lady Hilltoppers by 46 points. On the women’s side, three first-place finishes and two runners-up secured an overall second place for WLU. Senior thrower Kelsi Hulit was again the pick of the athletes for the Toppers, winning both the shot put and discus events, while also finishing second in the hammer throw event. Hulit, who was recently named MEC Track Athlete of the Week, won the discus throw by an impressive 28 feet but was unfortunately pipped by Makayla Westry of West Virginia Wesleyan in the hammer throw, preventing her from finishing with another three-win meet. Hailey Carreon had yet another win in the 100-meter-hurdles event, finishing with a time of 14.47 seconds, over 0.5 seconds faster than her
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
Senior Kelsi Hulit (pictured) was named MEC Athlete of the Week last week, continuing her historic season. Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
own school record. Senior multievent athlete Zayne Brakeall also competed in the event, finishing in seventh place with a personal record time of 16.15 seconds. Carreon was also part of the Toppers 4x100-meter relay squad alongside Shelby Bence, Abbe Stackpole and Makayla Rolince, with the team finishing third behind Charleston and Wesleyan. A second-place finish from Olivia Miller in the Pole Vault event solidified the team’s lead over Wesleyan and their place in the standings. Head Coach Justin Simpson’s men’s squad finished third in the meet with three first-place finishes and a couple of second-place finishes of their own. In the 110-meter hurdles, Mikhi Anderson topped his own school record with a time of 14.86 seconds to win the race. Liam Vinskovich
also earned himself a win, clearing 1.95m in the high jump, which puts him third in the MEC this spring. All-region standout Adam O’Donnell returned to action
The Hilltoppers also sent some of their middle and long-distance runners to Lewisburg, Pa. to compete at the Bison Outdoor Classic, hosted by NCAA Division I Bucknell University. 2021 Cross Country of the year Hannah Kemp ran 37:05:77 in the 10km event, which topped her own school record and is the third-fastest run in the Atlantic Region this spring. The men’s 4x800 relay came second in a packed race with Danah Phillips, Tavian Richardson, Holden Ammons and Michael Harriman contributing to a time of 7:55:97, almost 15 seconds quicker than the previous school record. Next up for the Hilltoppers is a trip to Morgantown to compete in the Mountaineer Showcase hosted by West Virginia University in their final meet before the MEC Championships. For more information about West Liberty’s track and field teams, you can visit hilltoppersports.com.
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APRIL 21, 2022
Hilltopper Softball goes 1-4 versus Glenville, Davis & Elkins and Wesleyan
The West Liberty University softball team continues their schedule, as the group currently sits at 22-16-1. Following their massive 10 game win streak stemming over the course of three weeks from March 7-March 21, the Lady Hilltoppers have been finding difficulty generating another lengthy win streak, as of late. West Liberty opened the month of April with a doubleheader against Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. The team started off very strong, winning the first game 7-3, but could not ultimately secure the sweep, losing the second game 5-2. The very next day, the team traveled to Fairmont, West Virginia, to duel against Fairmont State University. At Fairmont, the Hilltoppers were able to secure both victories in the doubleheader, winning both games by the final score of 5-2. The Hilltoppers continued that success with a series sweep against Concord, winning both games by the final of 3-0 and 7-6. However, as it currently stands, that was the last pair of back-to-back wins the team
secured in over a week. Following the four game streak, West Liberty lost a rather winnable game against a weakened Glenville State team by the final of 2-0. With being unable to redeem themselves in the second game due to the weather postponement, the team set their sights on an important two game matchup against Davis and Elkins in Elkins, West Virginia. The Hilltoppers fell to Davis and Elkins in the first game by the final of 8-3, but was able to steal a game in the series, winning the second game by a 7-3 final. Unfortunately for the team following this series, they were unable to secure a victory against West Virginia Wesleyan College. A series with the potential for major regional implications, the Bobcats were able to sweep the Hilltoppers, winning the first game by a final of 7-1, and the second game by the final of 4-3.
The Hilltop’s Athlete of the Week
Abbe Stackpole
With time ticking for the Hilltoppers, they will have to string together a very impressive streak during their final six series. Within these series, the Hilltoppers will face Wheeling in two doubleheaders, Fairmont State, Frostburg State, Alderson Broaddus, and Notre Dame (Ohio). It will be exciting to watch the Hilltoppers during this final stretch, with many of their biggest fans supporting them along the way.
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
Track and Field Year: Sophomore Hometown: Paden City, W.Va. About: Stackpole set a school record with a 100 yard dash time of 12.54 seconds this past weekend Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
SPORTS
