The Storm Signals UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE / RIO GRANDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
RIO GRANDE, OH
THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021
VOL 1, ISSUE 6
March Supportive Student, Faculty, and Staff Written by Serenity Kirts This month was the second round for selecting supportive members of the Rio Family. The supportive student of the month was Freshman Darcy Williams. She is an education major, a Chi Omega Alpha Pledge, and a photographer. A student said, “Darcy shows me the beauty of the everyday world through the photos she takes and just in real lifetime” about Darcy. She is a hard worker who never lets someone go without a smile. The supportive staff member of the month is Rebecca Long. She works in the office of Student Affairs alongside her coworkers. A staff member said, “This staff person has been “my rock” since this pandemic started over a year ago. She is very dedicated to her job and highly motivated. Her performance is organized and efficient. She works hard, is confident in her role, articulated, and fun to be around! She is very attentive to the needs of our students, faculty and staff, and always acts in the best interest of this institution. She has been an excellent resource to myself and others within the department. She contributes a positive morale, and often times makes work fun!!! A true mentor and inspiration! I could not have made it through this past year without her support! Thank you Rebecca for being who you are!” Through this statement alone you can really tell how much of an asset Rebecca is to the Rio family. The supportive faculty member of the month was Courtney Ruggles. She is a social work professor who is also heading
up the Suicide Awareness Walk we are going to be having on campus in April. A student said, “She is always in such a good mood in the classroom and is always willing to help with any issues that arise. She is understanding, supportive, and always willing to go the extra mile for students. She is an AMAZING professor and our program is very lucky to have her”. Students having good teachers who are willing to go the extra mile for their students is extremely important at Rio and Courtney is definitely one of those teachers.
Supportive Student, Faculty, and Staff Member nominations begin March 24th
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AROUND CAMPUS
Commuter’s Corner: Be the Sunshine By: Darcy Williams An unknown author once said, “If you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.” This is one of my favorite quotes and it is super important in my life. Spreading happiness and positivity is something I’m passionate about. It is so easy to let the rough days take over and overshadow the good. It is important to realize the significance our attitudes have on the people around us. The people you surround yourself with have a huge impact on your mood. You want people that uplift you and make you feel energized at the possibilities life has to offer not drain you and make you feel worse than you started. We have the ability to not just have a good day but to make it a good day. Life is in our hands and there are so many possibilities out there. The only one stopping you from living it to your best ability is you. You are in charge of your own life. It is your decision to choose how you act and treat others. if you chose
to be optimistic then those actions will rub off on others and uplift them. It doesn’t cost anything to be a sunshine in people lives and a simple act of kindness can go a long way. It is hard to tell what people are going through. Someone could be falling apart without even showing it and being associated with someone that is happy and full of life could be enough for them not to lose it. If one person spreads love and positive energy then it becomes contagious and next thing we know everyone is excited and motivated to see what life has to offer. This way of life is empowering and fulfilling. It can also be a changing factor on how a persons day is going. Life happens and things are not always easy but having a little hope and inspiration around is very beneficial and great for overall mental health. In conclusion, attitude is everything, keeping head your up is ideal, and being a sunshine on a raining day is highly significant not only to yourself but the people around you.
Chi Omega Alpha and Archon Egg Hunt Written by Serenity Kirts Now through the end of March the pledges of Chi Omega Alpha and members of Archon will be fundraising for a community easter egg hunt on campus. The event will take place on the Green, in Rio Grande, OH on April 3rd at 10am. There will be lots of eggs, candy, and
prizes for several different age groups. Staring Monday the 15th there will be a bake sale around campus where everything is $2 of less! Donations of cash or candy are accepted and appreciated to make this a great Easter for Rio, so if you would like to do so contact a member of Chi Omega Alpha or Archon.
International Women’s Day
By Brianna Eberle
On Monday March 8th for International Women’s day, the ladies of Rio’s executive team passed out flowers to all the female students, faculty, and staff to help celebrate. The women on campus can also stop by the basketball courts beside Rhodes Center for some refreshments and mingling on March 24th at 5pm. International Women’s month has been celebrated during the entire duration of March since the U.S. Congress declared it back in 1987. Be sure to say thank you to the women in your life this month and every month!
The Storm Signals A production of Redstorm Media / Marketing Interns
STAFF
Serenity Kirts, Managing Editor Mason Dishong Brianna Eberle Alyssa Lingenfelter Layton Mitchell Jayce Phillips Parker Ruff Ashton Snider Darcy Williams Advisor Renée DeLawder, Director of Marketing For more information, questions, or to submit an article email: redstormmedia@rio.edu
AROUND CAMPUS
Send us your snaps! Tag with #ThisIsRio or email redstormmedia@rio.edu
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SPORTS
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eSports Valorant Team Fights Their Way to the Top Written by Alyssa Lingenfelter The Rio Grande Valorant team faced off against the Springfield College Valorant Team on Wednesday, February 24. The RedStorm were going into the match with a record of 2 - 0 and hoping to stay undefeated for the season, while Springfield, with a record of 1 - 1, was looking to grab their second win. While the RedStorm had a slight rank disadvantage with the team ranks ranging from Silver 2 to Platinum, they played well against Aggerss1veAct (SC) who is Immortal and the rest of the Springfield team who average the rank of Platinum. After a hard fought loss on the first map (Ascent) Rio recovered and took the second map (Bind) 13 - 8, leaving only one more map to either win or lose it all in the best of three. It was a stressful last game going back and forth against Springfield on Haven. Everyone’s heart rates were “through the roof” including the coach’s. Rob (Robbo) led the team as match MVP on Haven with 30 kills and team MVP on Ascent and Bind. Traven (SkiiLyne) and Daniel (McOneTap) followed close behind both with 23 kills while Seth (Kaboost) and Ray (Terminel0) helped out with a combined total of 20 assists. In the end the RedStorm team gave it their all, but were not able to pull through for the third map after two rounds of overtime and three and a half hours of matchplay, making it the longest match in NECC history. If you were unable to watch the match on the NECC twitch due to streaming issues or missed it all together, you can rewatch it and upcoming matches on the team’s Twitch channels. twitch.tv/epicRobbo twitch.tv/McOneTap twitch.tv/SkiiLyneTV
Interview with Rob aka Robbo: Q: Do you think the change in team agent selection helped you or hindered you for this game? A: I definitely think it helped me because I play better as Omen. I got to Diamond as Omen. Kaboost played Breach instead of Brimstone this match. We just need to see what else we can work with and put together a good team. Q: Do you think your defensive or attacking side needs more work? A: As omen I feel I need more work on attacking as opposed to defensive side I feel I can do some insane plays because of my utility. I can outplay them with smokes and Omen’s teleport on defense. Q: What do you think you could improve on to help you during the game? A: The team got too in their heads during the match and I feel that is something we need to work on. It is ok to be frustrated but there is too much negativity after one bad round. We need to improve our game more mentaly than we do mechanically. Q: How did the team feel after the match? A: We felt super displeased after the loss and it was a mentaly exhausting game since we played for nearly three and a half hours. I felt like I didn’t do enough for the team or do my best as in game lead. As a team we had mishaps, didn’t check angles, and we got frustrated easily, etc. The best we can do is move on. We play Dartmouth on Wednesday, March 3rd and we need to be ready.
On March 3rd the Valorant team took on Dartmouth College, an Ivy League University Valorant Team from New Hampshire. After a tough loss last week the team was ready for a good fight and hopefully a big win. After reviewing previous matches and putting together a good agent selection to counter Dartmouth’s, the RedStorm started the best of three attacking on Bind. Rio won four consecutive rounds before giving up the next three rounds to Dartmouth after attempting to take A site instead of B. The team worked together with good plays and great callouts to stay ahead of Dartmouth. The first map ended 13 - 5 in favor of Rio Grande. Robbo led the team with 20 kills taking match MVP for the map. The next map they played was Ascent. The RedStorm dominated on Ascent as well, only giving up four rounds to Dartmouth. Robbo claimed match MVP yet again to lock in the win for Rio Grande with 24 kills! Daniel (McOneTap) followed on both maps picking up 16 kills on Bind and 18 on Ascent. Traven (SkiiLyne), Seth (Kaboost) and Ray (Terminel0) helped out with 11 and 13 (Traven), 12 and 9 (Seth), and 12 and 8 (Ray). Rio’s next match was March 10th against Marymount College. The Redstorm team made a slight change to their lineup of agents for their first map, Ascent, with
Terminel playing as Jett. The RedStorm started off with two round losses but quickly came back to win the third round preventing an A site retake from Marymount. Rio had a close call in the fifth round claiming the round after Terminel0 bested Marymount in a 2 v 1. Rio and Marymount fought in a close match winning and losing rounds in almost a “tug of war” between the teams. After Marymount tied the game 12 to 12, the match went to overtime where the RedStorm finally snagged two wins in a row to win the map. Rio and Marymount played next on Split. The first rounds started off going back and forth with Marymount yet again. An agent change was made on the map with SkiiLyne playing Sage instead of Sova. In the seventh round SkiiLyne clutched the round win for Rio with only 1 hp remaining. The RedStorm took 9 of 12 rounds on attacking side and went on to take 3 consecutive rounds leaving the game 12 - 3 with one more round win to end the match. The last win was just out of reach for the RedStorm giving Marymount three more rounds before finally grabbing the dub. McOneTap claimed match MVP on both maps with 33 kills on Ascent and 24 on Split. Rio prevailed over Marymount giving them a new record of 4 - 1 and number one rank in the division.
SPORTS
Softball By Brianna Eberle Starting on March 7th, the University’s softball team began their week-long softball competition. The team started off in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They started off with 2 wins against the Mississippi University for Women. The next teams played included Carin University and Summit University. RedStorm took control of the opener by scoring five times in the top of the second
inning. Rio won against both teams. The 4th team that Rio played in Myrtle Beach was Malone University. They finished that game in a doubleheader split. Their record after these games was 9-4. On March 12th, the RedStorm softball team got back into action during their week-long competition in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Their games Friday were against the
University of South Carolina-Beaufort. The RedStorm also split to them and finished their day 10-5. Their final games for the competition were played on Saturday March 13th against Georgia Gwinnett College. Even though the team lost both games, they fought hard, and their record is now 10-7. Softball is home this weekend playing against Mary of the Woods College
Baseball By Brianna Eberle Friday March 5th was back in action against Indiana University Southeast. Although they fought hard, Rio lost to them making their record 6-11. That was not it for their weekend though. The RedStorm was back in action for a doubleheader on the 6th. The team again played Indiana University Southeast. They lost both games. But still there were more games played this past week. On the 9th, the team played in a nonconference event against Campbellsville University. The University again finished the game with a split to make their record 7-14.
Women’s Basketball
Finally came Point Park University. The RedStorm men played against them on both Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th. Out of their 3 total games over the 2-day period, the guys won 1 but lost the other 2. Their record is currently 8-16.
Written By: Jayce Phillips
RedStorm baseball plays tomorrow though Saturday at Oakland City University.
Rio’s women’s basketball team traveled to Crestview Hills, Kentucky to face Indiana Tech in the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship. The RedStorm lost with a score of 66-50. The team had a very successful season with playing in the RSC championship and punching a ticket into the national championship. In an interview with
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Bowling Written by Serenity Kirts
This weekend the RedStorm bowling team competed at the OBC #3. The women’s team finished in 7th place overall after 3 individual games and 10 bakers. Leading the team were Junior Rena Kirts and Freshman Sydney Dickson with total pinfalls of 479 (Kirts) and 470 (Dickson). The duo were followed closely by Junior Brianna Eberle and Freshman Taylor Ross with total pinfalls of 445 (Eberle) and 413 (Ross). Freshman Alyssa Lingenfelter put forth a great two game total of 284, and sophomore Ashley Morris bowled a good single game total of 129. For the men’s teams, the Varsity team placed 5th in a field of 7 and the JV placed 4th in a field of 4. Senior Isaiah Pickell and Freshman Daniel Gross led the Varsity team. Pickell placed 9th overall with a total pinfall of 596, and Gross placed 11th overall with a total of 592.
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Indoor Track Nationals By Brianna Eberle On March 6th, Dean Freitag and Spencer Harris competed in the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Yankton, South Dakota. Freitag competed in the 3,000-meter race walk and finished third overall. This was Freitag’s 2nd All-American honor finish in his collegiate career. Freshman Harris competed in the long jump competition and finished 13th. Rio Grande finished as one of the 3 teams tied for 44th place out of 63 total schools that scored 6 points each. Congratulations, boys!
Men’s Basketball Written By: Jayce Phillips Rio’s men’s basketball team traveled to Marion, Indiana to face Indiana UniversitySouth Bend in the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship. The Redstorm lost with a score of 81-71. Although the team did not pull a win, they had a very successful season under the direction of first-year head coach, Ryan Arrowood and many players winning RSC post-season awards.
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Looking for a summer Internship? Contact Career Services today. shaft@rio.edu P. 740.245.7276 HERE ARE A FEW OPPORTUNITIES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE Realty Specialist 2 - District HQ Office Ross County U.S. Senate Summer 2021 Internship Facility Maintenance Specialist 1 with ODOT
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Icebreaker of the Week (Submitted by Kiah Smith) Written by Layton Mitchell In chest deep water and the animal coming at you nonstop, would you rather face a 6-foot alligator or a 6-foot bull shark? First off, I’d like to start by stating that this was a very challenging question proposed to me. I shall first state each animal’s strengths and then which one I would take on in battle. An alligator has the deathly gator roll along with a bite force more fierce than my grandma’s game face while watching family feud. A shark can come out of nowhere like my father returning from Walmart after 16 years with milk after saying it was a long line. Both are heavy, both have strong bites, both can make
quick bursts and attack suddenly before you know it. All in all, I will pick the shark to battle with the better chance of me winning. Of course, personally, I could take the both of them if needed since I’m simply built different, but the shark is just an easier prey for me to go after. Before my sprained pinky toe injury, I once bench pressed 135 pounds 2.3 times before failure, so I’m built for this battle. The shark will come for me and I will hit it with a swift right upper cut to left hook into a backflip and thrown elbow on the dorsal-fin-smooth-4-piececombo, word to Wendy’s, 4 for 4. Instead of running away, I will bite the shark
numerous times to show I am fearless and the ultimate predator before grabbing it by the nose, flipping it over engaging Its tonic immobility (thank you shark week),
and pick it up to throw out of the water for my lovely lion friends to join. Nice battle, but just not nice enough to defeat me. TRY AGAIN NEXT TIME.
St. Patrick’s Day Horoscopes Parker Ruff
Aries, your birthday is right on the corner I see celebration excitement in your life. Taurus, I see a special love interest coming into your life, it may be the one. Gemini, I see great accomplishments and successfulness in your future. Cancer I see a love interest picking on the corner before you get there you need to really focus on yourself. Leo’s, I see that you are still having a very stressful time but remember you are almost done. Virgos, this month is about to get a little more hectic than you thought.
Libras, I see A big event and feeling very successful on this accomplishment to this event Scorpio, I see a little more focus and love for yourself Sagittarius, I see that you are still working out all your kinks maybe to better yourself. Exciting for you. Capricorn, I see large accomplishments coming your way Aquarius, I see wealth and money flowing your way. Pisces, I see that love interest is going strong it’s about to get very