YELLOW JACKET WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY
OCTOBER 30, 2014 | VOL. 92 NO. 6 | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
STUDENT PRODUCED SINCE 1924
Tinnemeyer embraces new role as chaplain Middle States By JOHN LYDIC
Multimedia Manager
Changes were abundant around the campus of Waynesburg University when students returned this fall for classes. One area that saw a new face was the Center for Leadership and Christian Ministry.
Despite the changes that occurred, consistency and a continuation were among the words that were spoken to describe the first few months of the Rev. James Tinnemeyer’s time at Waynesburg. “Right now, I just want to continue the great work that we have been doing, and we will see what is ahead,” said
Tinnemeyer. “I’m still so new. I think it’s a great school with a lot great things going on in the Christian life, and I want to continue that. I look forward to working with everyone on that.” As his first few months become complete,
“Right now, I just want to continue the great work that we have been doing, and we will see what is ahead.”
THE REV. JIM TINNEMEYER
New university chaplain
See CHAPLAIN on A4
Boy Scouts visit campus in pursuit of merit badges
accreditation could impact degree's value By JACOB MEYER Managing Editor
According to Waynesburg's dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning at, the university’s accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education has a much larger effect on students than many may realize. “Your degree is actually worth something if you go to an accredited institution,” Dr. Jamie Jacobs said in a past interview. “It means there is an outside, independent, non-governmental entity that is verifying the degrees and that the institution is a real higher education institution. If an institution loses its accreditation, it’s very hard for them to recruit students because the degree kind of isn’t worth the paper that it’s written on.” It will be determined whether or not Waynesburg University will continue to be See MIDDLE STATES on A3
Transfer students see opportunity, obstacles at WU By OLIVIA LATIMER News Editor
University Provost Jacquelyn Core, who has led the planning and execution of Merit Badge University for the past two years, and Douglas Lee, university president, both addressed the scouts before the program began. Core emphasized that the Boy Scouts of America and Waynesburg University are a perfect match, because Boy Scouts is a faith-based organization and
“I’m not the type of person that’s just going to go along with something that doesn’t make me happy.” Marissa Krall, junior public relations major, is one example out of the many students that transfer to Waynesburg University each year. Krall spent the first two years of her college education at Westminster College. J A C K E T L I F E There, she started out An occasional series majoring in biology with the aspiration to be a physician’s assistant. After her first semester, she changed her major to public relations before again changing it one semester later to communication and broadcast journalism where she spent her whole sophomore year. Krall, a native of Crucible, Pennsylvania, decided to transfer for many reasons. “I thought that I could either stay at
See MERIT BADGE on A2
See TRANSFERS on A4
Tyler Wolfe, Yellow Jacket
Boy scouts participating in Merit Badge University Saturday examine a recent issue of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. More than 300 Boy Scouts worked toward merit badges during the second annual event.
Months of planning provide successful Merit Badge University experience By KIMMI BASTON Managing Editor
Waynesburg University seeks to instill a passion for faith, learning and serving in its students. Saturday, the university spread this mission beyond the student body to a group of Boy Scouts. On Oct. 25, the second annual Merit Badge University was held at Waynesburg, attracting scouts from many different areas. For a fee of $10, Boy Scouts ages 11-17
were invited to spend the day on campus learning from a qualified instructor to earn a specific merit badge. According to Abby Pittinaro, senior public relations major and member of the planning committee for the event, preparing for a program of this magnitude was no small feat. With more than 300 scouts’ information to organize, it was necessary to begin planning the day as early as July. “Trying to organize all the
scouts’ information into one spreadsheet and then individual class spreadsheets became very time consuming, especially when parents called to change information,” said Pittinaro. When the day of the event finally arrived, scouts had been separated into classes based on the merit badge they hoped to earn. Registration began at 8 a.m. Saturday and was followed by a flag ceremony and opening remarks at 9 a.m. Waynesburg
Tabrosky, Tonks crowned during homecoming ceremony By NICK FARRELL Executive Editor
The 2014 homecoming king and queen expressed different reactions when they were crowned Oct. 11. The reaction of homecoming queen Shelby Tabrosky, senior sports broadcasting/sports information major, was one of pure joy and surprise. The reaction of her counterpart, RJ Tonks, senior sports management major, was more subtle — though inside his mind, he came to a unique realization. “It’s an honor to be the 2014 homecoming king,” said Tonks. “I didn’t think I was that popular around campus.” When his name was announced, Tonks walked using a walker to escort Tabrosky and Rebecca Lane,
senior education major, onto the order to help Tonks pay for medical field during the halftime festivi- assistance at a facility in Georgia, ties. He normally uses a motorized helping him move one step closer wheelchair to move to attaining what he about campus. For more photos of the says is his ultimate Tonks’ motor skills annual homecoming goal in life. are limited due to festivities, see A4. “I want to walk acute disseminated again. I want to live encephalomyelitis, the life I knew 14 which he contracted when he was years ago before I got sick,” said 8 years old. As Tonks explains, that Tonks. “I think I’m on my way to long medical term boils down to doing that, but it gets hard somea scar the size of a pinhead on his times, and that’s when you have pons. to dig down deep, lean on Christ Students on campus are cog- and push on.” nizant of Tonks’ situation and He added that he loves Waynessupport him — a sign before this burg because of the way his classhomecoming recognition that the mates support him. student body genuinely cares for “My favorite thing [about him. The Business Club held a t- Waynesburg] is that community shirt fundraiser, which concluded after the football game Oct. 11, in See HOMECOMING on A3
Shelby Tabrosky (left) and RJ Tonks were crowned homecoming king and queen Oct. 11. Jenny Schouppe, Yellow Jacket
INSIDE
DRUGS IN THE COUNTY
RUNNING BACK ECLIPSES 1,000 YARDS
WU IDOL CHAMP CROWNED
Campus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1–A4 Region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1, B4 Editorial/Op-ed. . . . . . . . B2 News Digest. . . . . . . . . . B3 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1–C4 Arts & Life. . . . . . . . . . . . D1–D2 Entertainment . . . . . . . . D3–D4
This week's Region section examines drug usage in local circles and how it affects the daily lives of users.
Jake Forsythe, a senior transfer from Cal U, has gained more than 1,000 yards rushing on the season, the first Yellow Jacket in seven years to do so.
A year after finishing second in the annual singing contest, Sheryl Sesay took the WU Idol title before fall break.
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