The Yellow Jacket 4.20.17

UNIVERSITY REMEMBERS FRESHMAN JARED WEBER. SEE AA1

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S P E C I A L COM M E N C E M E N T I S S U E

APRIL 20, 2017 | VOL. 94 NO. 20 | EST. 1924

THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

Commencement

@WUYELLOWJACKET

UNIVERSITY HOSTS GRADUATION APRIL 30

WAYNESBURG

UNIVERSITY

2:00

CLASS OF 527 Total 159 Graduate 368 Undergraduate 166TH ANNUAL

COMMENCEMENT

MILLER HALL LAWN

University prepares for Commencement

By MATTIE WINOWITCH Managing Editor

Jenny Schouppe and Lindsay Orzechowski, Yellow Jacket

At the 166th annual Commencement ceremony on April 30, a large portion of the 527 students eligible to graduate will be recognized.

The diplomas are in place and the caps and gowns have all been distributed. On April 30, 527 graduates will walk across the stage during Waynesburg University’s 166th commencement ceremony.

Of those 527, there are 368 main campus undergraduates, 155 graduate program students and four students earning their Ph.D.s.

Of the 368 undergraduate seniors, 258 students have applied and expect to graduate in Spring 2017.

While walking across a stage, grabbing a diploma and moving a tassel from right to left may seem simple to some, planning commencement at Waynesburg University is a year-long process.

For Mary Fox, the university event planner, meeting throughout the year

with the rest of the commencement planning committee is the best way to ensure preparation.

“We always review how things went and try to improve the following year,” said Fox. “We begin planning in the summer after commencement and meet regularly throughout the year.”

The day of commencement will begin at 10 a.m., as graduates and faculty arrive at the Marsh Center in Roberts Chapel and guests take their seats. At 11 a.m., there will be a Baccalaureate Service in Roberts Chapel.

Following the Baccalaureate Service, there will be a Graduate Buffet Luncheon for those who have tickets at 11:30. Another lunch will begin at 12:30, ending in time for graduates to congregate at 1 p.m.

CEREMONY >> A3

Alumni office prepares events for grads Leadership Pgh.

New alumni encouraged to stay in touch with university

By KIMMI BASTON Executive Editor

On Sunday, April 30, several hundred Waynesburg University students will undergo transition into a new era of their lives. The members of the Class of 2017 will leave behind their status as senior college students and enter the Waynesburg alumni family.

Once they enter that community, their primary connection to the university will be through the Office of Alumni Relations, led by Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Vikki Beppler.

“Stay connected – it’s so important,” said Beppler. “It’s easy to say, ‘hey, I’ve been here for four years and I’m done,’ and that’s okay if [graduates] need a break. I just hope that

they would reconnect with us whether it’s now, in three months, in a year.”

The first step new graduates should take to stay connected with the university is to update their contact information with the alumni office online at waynesburgunited.com/updateyourinfo.

By including their email address on that form, alumni will receive the monthly alumni newsletter from Beppler and be updated on university happenings and alumni news.

Providing updated information is also the primary way alumni will be invited to alumni events in their area.

“We host alumni events across the country every year,” said Beppler. “This fall we’re going to be in Cleveland, New York City, Richmond, and we rotate to [other locations].

Wherever our alumni are in that area, they’re invited to that [event].”

The first event for the Class of 2017 is the Pittsburgh networking lunch, which will be held on July 19.

“That’s one of our most popular events,” said Beppler.

The lunch, like many other alumni get-togethers, is complimentary.

“Graduates have the opportunity to attend a free alumni event, network with other alumni, get a quick update on what’s going on at Waynesburg and then enjoy a complimentary meal,” said Beppler. “That’s one of my favorite parts of my job, just finding out what our alumni are doing.”

Alumni events also have a variety of graduate years in attendance, so recent graduates have the opportunity to network with other alumni and build relationships.

“Graduates can go to an alumni event and maybe meet someone from the class of 1970 or in the 80s or 90s and that common thread is Waynesburg,” said Beppler.

Alumni can also connect with one another on the Waynesburg Alumni social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linke-

dIn, which has the potential to help recent graduates find jobs at companies where their predecessors work.

Beppler encourages graduates to notify the university of big changes in their lives, such as new jobs, weddings and babies.

“We have really awesome ‘We Found Love at Waynesburg’ frames that we send out to alumni who marry each other,” said Beppler. “I love to hear about alumni who have babies – when they update us we send out bibs. I just try to send out little things to alumni who update their information to let them know that we appreciate it when they stay connected.”

Beppler said there are also opportunities for alumni to get involved in a new social media ambassador program or the Alumni Council.

“My biggest hope is that people reconnect and that graduates know they can always come back to Waynesburg,” said Beppler. “Our door is always open.”

CEO to address Class of 2017

Speaker plans to present her philosophy of leadership

By KIMMI BASTON Executive Editor

At this year’s Commencement ceremony on Sunday, April 30, the Waynesburg University Class of 2017 will be addressed by Aradhna Oliphant, president and CEO of Leadership Pittsburgh, Inc. Oliphant, who was born in India, earned degrees from Rutger’s University and Bhopal University and began her career as an

adjunct professor in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. For the last 15 years, however, Oliphant has been working in the civic sector in the Pittsburgh Region.

Oliphant ser ves on a number of boards and committees throughout the region, is the Vice President of the International Women’s Forum of Pittsburgh and was named one of the 2015 most influential people in the region by Pittsburgh Magazine.

It is her work at Leadership Pittsburgh, however, that connects her with Waynesburg University.

The non-profit organization works to bring people with significant spheres OLIPHANT >> A2

WHAT'S INSIDE

SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS

ATHLETES LEAVE A LEGACY

A1-A4: Commencement News AA1-AA4: Campus News B1-B8: Spotlights on Outstanding Seniors C1-C4: Sports News CC1-CC4: Spotlights on Outstanding Senior Athletes D1-D2, D7-D8: Regional News D3-6: Senior Columns/Puzzle Page

Outstanding seniors from each academic discipline tell the stories of their Waynesburg journeys.

Senior athletes from many Waynesburg sports are spotlighted based on their athletic achievements during college.

Copyright © 2017 Waynesburg University 51 W. College St.Waynesburg, Pa. 15370

See B1

See CC1

COMMUNITY OFFERS FINALS STUDY SPOTS

FAREWELL FROM US

Organizations around Waynesburg offer quiet spaces for Waynesburg University students to study during Finals Week.

Yellow Jacket senior staffers share their final thoughts on their time at Waynesburg and tenure with the Jacket.

See D1

See D4

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April 20, 2017

University aims to return incoming class size to 450 students

By SHON MEADE Managing Editor

The incoming class of students for the Fall 2017 semester will be one of the brightest, largest and most fitting to the mission of Waynesburg University, said Shari Payne, vice president of enrollment at Waynesburg.

The total combined inc om i ng f re sh m an and transfer students for the incoming class of 2016 was 435—surpassing their initial goal of 420, said Payne.

Now, Payne said that they are on track to meet or exceed their current goal of 450 students for the incoming class for fall 2017.

The large number of incoming students is setting records not only in committed students but in other areas as well.

“We have had record number of applicants this year,” said Payne. “We have admitted a record number of students this year and our deposits are at record levels right now. “ The increased number of interested, accepted and committed students is a result of a few minor changes in the way applications are

Photo courtesy of University Relations

As the Office of Admission prepares for the incoming class in Fall 2017, the university aims to return class sizes to around 450 students. The next freshman class is on track to be larger than the last three classes. turned in and how applicants are handled.

One of these changes has affected not only Waynesburg, but schools across the country. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was open earlier; students could apply Oct. 1 rather than waiting until Jan. 1 of the new year.

“We think that some students were applying earlier than they typically would have, so that they could get this information,” said Payne.

Also affecting high school students’ interest in Waynesburg is a new communication tool that has been purchased to interact

with prospective students: Slate.

“Slate helps manage the contact with students better,” said Payne. “Because of that we are able to handle a bigger volume of inquiries, going out and purchasing names from students who we think would be a good fit.”

With all the effort of getting students to Waynesburg via interpersonal means, the university also gets a lot of feedback from advertising. Over the course of the last two years, the Office of Admissions has seen a dramatic response to the university’s advertising, Payne said, especially in the

field of digital advertising.

The university doesn’t advertise to random students as a shot in the dark— instead they target their audience to get the greatest feedback.

“We do target [advertisements], we target those to people who we think would be a good fit [at Waynesburg],” said Payne.

The targeted searches will also contain information based on geography, their interests, whether or not the students have been on campus before and also their search history on the internet.

“If they are searching for Christian colleges for example we might put an ad out there in response and get good traction,” Payne added.

Despite the incoming class being one of the largest in recent years, Payne said that there should be no issue in housing all the students, because the current incoming class will be replacing the 451 seniors that came in during the Fall 2013.

Though the university will not feel an increase CLASS >> A4

Princeton professor emeritus to Oliphant: Commencement speaker speak at Baccalaureate service plans to discuss servant leadership

By TEGHAN SIMONTON Managing Editor

At a baccalaureate service, usually held around the same time as a graduation, a sermon is given to honor the graduating class. This year, Waynesburg’s Baccalaureate and Commencement exercises will be held April 30, and the Baccalaureate service will center around the Rev. Dr. Daniel Migliore, the Charles Hodge professor emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary, in Princeton, New Jersey.

A native of Pittsburgh and graduate of Westminster College, Migliore went to Princeton Theological Seminary for his Ph.D. Since then, Migliore considers himself a natural educator—born to be in a classroom. He is often a speaker at special events such as this.

“I was a Commencement speaker at my alma mater, some years back,” said Migliore. “And I’ve been a preacher and teacher in local congregations as well.”

He has also written several books and articles, including “Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology.” Migliore said this was one text that has been especially impactful in his career.

“It’s in its third edition and

Migliore has been widely used for years as a textbook in colleges and seminaries across the United States and other countries,” said Migliore.

Migliore was invited by Waynesburg University President Douglas Lee and is planning to expand on text from the Gospel of Luke, reading the story of the walk to Emmaus. From the reading, Migliore wants to share the messages that “the strangers that we meet in life may well be God’s gift to us,” and “God may be nearest to us when God seems totally absent.”

Migliore served as professor of systematic theology and chair of the Department of Theology at Princeton.

Migliore has been on the faculty at Princeton Theological Seminary for 47 years, but he said he has several connections to Waynesburg University, including his roommate his first year of seminary school, and a former student he had.

“I have a good friend and

former student at Princeton Seminary, Larry Stratton,” he said. “Very fine and very brilliant young man, and I recommend taking one of his courses.”

Migliore said he didn’t have to be persuaded to speak at Waynesburg during the Commencement activities, and is, in fact, looking forward to the discussion.

“It’s an honor to be invited to do this responsibility,” said Migliore. “I spent my entire life teaching young people, post-college people. So the group of students I will be speaking to are basically the age of the students I will have seen in my classes on their first year of seminary or graduate school, or whatever they’re doing after college.

These are young people at the crest of their lives, asking many questions.”

Today, Migliore is in his retirement, but he still remains active in the academic community. He continues to research and write in his specialization, and speak to congregations and groups across the country. He said he is excited to speak at Waynesburg’s Baccalaureate service for that very purpose.

“Being in the classroom is always a very lively place,” he said. “And what I miss most from my retirement is the contact.”

Continued from A1

of influence together and inform them about the region and what opportunities there are to make an impact. “[Waynesburg] is an important institution in the region,” said Oliphant.

“Many of the Waynesburg leadership team has participated in our senior leaders program and a few in our emergent leaders class.”

Oliphant has a strong philosophy of servant leadership in both her work and her personal life, which she knows mirrors the university’s mission.

It is this, she speculates, that led university President Douglas Lee and Dr. Larry Stratton, director of the Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership, to extend her the invitation to speak at Commencement.

“I was floored,” said Oliphant.

The opportunity, Oliphant believes, is an enormous honor and one that she takes very seriously.

While she doesn’t want to give away the content of her speech before the day of Commencement, she plans to share with the Class of 2017 her thoughts about

Oliphant servant leadership.

“I think, read and talk a lot about what makes for a true leader, and how it’s an every day commitment,” said Oliphant. “The theme is, ‘What, in my opinion, does it mean to be a true leader?’”

Oliphant has heard many good things about Waynesburg University’s campus and is looking forward to visiting and seeing Waynesburg alumni of Leadership Pittsburgh in their element.

At the same time, the responsibility makes her a bit nervous – but “the things that matter are the things that make you nervous,” she believes.

“I’m always a little nervous about [going onstage] which I believe is healthy.

But what is making me much more nervous is the responsibility of being a Commencement speaker.

I’m also very cognizant of the fact that most people really don’t want a Com-

mencement speaker,” she laughed.

In addition to speaking at the ceremony, Oliphant will be presented with a Doctor of Humane Letters by the university for the way her life and personal mission align with Waynesburg’s mission.

She’s excited and extremely honored by this recognition, but she is always reminded that her work is not about herself.

“What I do in every day, whether it’s at home or at work, is to create environments where others can succeed,” said Oliphant.

“It’s not about me. It’s so easy to lose touch and think you are the reason you are where you are and so your job or any success that happens is because of you, and that’s not true leadership.”

She encourages soon-tobe-graduates, as the fear of life after graduation threatens to overwhelm, to look forward to the opportunities ahead.

“Don’t be daunted – the world out there can seem to be this unstructured, sometimes scary, confusing place, but that unknown is also what is beautiful,” said Oliphant.

“If everything was structured, what fun would it be?”

Financial aid exit interviews next step for seniors with loans

By JOE SMELTZER Staff Writer

Seniors at Waynesburg University will be graduating in less than two weeks, which will mean a number of changes in their lives.

One such change is that the newly graduated students will not have to worry about obtaining financial aid for their college endeavors.

However, there is one more step that students must complete after they receive their undergraduate diplomas, and that is filling out what is known as an “exit interview.”

“If a student has taken out a federal direct student loan, which is the most common type of student loan, they go into repayment six months after [the students] graduate,” said Matthew Stokan, director of financial aid at Wanesburg.

Stokan estimates that 90 percent of the current graduating class has taken out this type of loan, and

those students are required by federal aid regulations to complete the exit interviews.

Although students have the option of doing a oneon-one exit interview in the Office of Financial Aid, most decide to complete the interview and training process online.

According to Stokan, there are multiple factors that make these interviews necessary.

“The purpose of exit interviews is to remind the students that one, they borrowed student loan funds; two they’re responsible to pay back those student loan funds; three to warn them against what would happen if they went into default on those student loans; four would be to remind students that they need to work with their loan servicer,” Stokan said.

The loan servicer is assigned by the government once a student goes into repayment of their student

loans. The loan servicer’s job is to make a collection of the payment from the student.

“So if you have any issues that come up and arise, if you want to discuss what your loan repayment options are, whether you’re going to graduate school and you want to have those loans deferred, whether or not your having trouble making payments or things of that nature, [the loan servicers] are who you work with,” said Stokan.

In short, the purpose of the exit interview is to tell a student that they have a loan and what options they would have if they struggle with making their payments.

For Stokan, one of the issues for students regarding financial aid is that they are unaware of their loans.

“They don’t realize how much they borrowed,” Stokan said. “As much as you try to encourage students to take responsibility, when

they’re in school, let’s face it, they have a lot of things on their mind. So a lot of them don’t realize how much debt they have taken on, or what kind of payments they’re looking at. So for a lot of them, it can be an eye-opening experience.”

Stokan said that most of the graduating seniors would not worry about the exit interview until after graduation, as they will be enjoying the time they have left at Waynesburg.

“Once you’re done with school, you go in normally a six-month grace period,” said Stokan. “So technically, if you pay back your loans in that six months, you don’t owe anything.”

According to Stokan, a big difference in the exit interview process is that it is “more centralized” than it was when he started 16 years ago.

“It used to be you borrowed from a bank,” said Stokan. “But then you had a guaranteed agency, which

in [Pennsy lvani a] was PHEAA, who guaranteed the loan, and they also were responsible for collecting the payments on behalf of those banks.”

Now, there is a National Student Loan Debt System, where students log onto and receive their complete loan summary.

Students will also be given information on their ser vicer and payments made affiliated with their account.

“So they’ve come up with that more centralized system, to make it more convenient for borrowers to see where they stand,” said Stokan.

SECTION AA

After test, ITS hears students' feedback

Uni. plans for campus-wide Wi-Fi in Fall

By JOE SMELTZER Staff Writer

Waynesburg University is still in the process of trying to install campus-wide WiFi, which is expected to be completed by the beginning of the Fall 2017 semester.

However, the process has been multi-faceted and extensive, and for a few days, students living in Willison Hall were asked to turn off their personal wireless internet devices while the testing was going on in that residence hall.

“A number of students turned off the devices, and so, we were able to capture a lot of information to allow DORM >> AA3

APRIL 20, 2017 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG JARED WEBER: AUG. 17, 1998- APRIL 14, 2017

University remembers freshman

Students share stories, laughs to commemorate their friend

By LUKE GOODLING

Sports Convergence Editor

By BRENDAN KEANY and SHON MEADE Staff Report

When he wasn’t studying for classes, hanging out in his room or playing video games, Jared Weber was spending his time in the pottery classroom.

Day after day he would spend time there. That was place to go when he needed to relax or relieve some stress.

On Friday, April 14, Weber passed away in his Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home.

Weber, an extremely creative guy according to friends, shaped astonishing works of art in that pottery room. Outside of that classroom, Weber was a fan of making those around him laugh by telling quick jokes or even by sharing some of his favorite internet memes.

Those are the things that people at people on the campus of Waynesburg University will remember most about Weber.

Task force takes issue with WU recycling

Photo courtesy of Deeley Funeral Home

“He was very creative and artistic.

He spent hours in that pottery room, day after day,” said his roommate, freshman TJ Denofrio. “That was his space. He really enjoyed that. If he wasn’t in the dorm, he was in the pottery room. And some of the pieces he made were astonishing, I mean really, professional quality. That was his hobby. He loved it.”

Early on, Denofrio knew that he had met someone special in Weber. They worked well as a team

and as roommates right from the start. Weber was a conscientious roommate who would often help Denofrio by making sure he stayed on top of his classes and activities.

They worked together to combat the heat during the first couple weeks of the fall semester.

“Our first week here our room was really hot and we wanted to find a way to fix it, so we found an online WEBER >> AA3

Three years ago, a recycling task force was assembled with the primary purpose of increasing Waynesburg Un i v e r s it y ’s re c y c l i n g efforts and decreasing the institution’s impact on the environment.

The institution was not adequately recycling, said Janet Paladino, associate professor of Biology and task force advisor. Now, despite three years of effort to inform the university of the problem, Paladino and other task force members claim the administration has not properly followed through with the task force’s suggestions.

Though the task force started with initiative and seemingly was making progress, said Paladino, it ultimately failed to attain RECYCLE >> AA3

Pgh. Business Times After Relay, WU fundraising goal falls short University teams recognizes Lee as collect $11,495 Outstanding CEO to fight cancer

By KIMMI BASTON Executive Editor

Waynesburg University President Douglas Less was recently honored as one of the Pittsburgh Business Times’ 2017 Outstanding CEOs and Top Executives.

Lee was nominated for the recognition by Heidi Szuminsky, vice president of Institutional Advancement and University Relations at the university.

“I am on their email list, and when I saw that they were looking for nominations for Outstanding CEO, I thought, ‘oh, my goodness, we absolutely have to nominate him,’” said Szuminsky, “because he’s a wonderful leader and has done a lot of good here.”

The Pittsburgh Business Times, according to Szuminsky, was looking for nominees who have made improvements and advancements at their organization.

“Since he became president, we’ve been ranked on a national level for all sorts of things, but also just the type of leader he is – he

creates a culture where people feel excited about the mission and he leads by example,” said Szuminsky. “I think that if you look up the definition of what makes a good leader, it’s him, so it was a no-brainer.”

Lee was the only college or university executive out of 18 winners to be recognized for the award, which was presented at an event on April 12. He said this achievement is representative of the nature of the university. “ We t a l k a b o u t Waynesburg being such a special place, and I think this is just another example of that,” said Lee. “We have amazing people here. Our students, our faculty, our staff collectively all create a great learning environment and service environment.”

Lee believes his purpose at the university is to not only garner support for the university, but also spread the mission and promote the institution.

“The most important job of the president is to continue the mission of the university and to ensure there is a AWARD >> AA3

By GRACE HUTCHISON Staff Writer

On Sunday, April 9, 145 students gathered within their Relay for Life teams in Johnson Commons to fundraise $11,495.01 for different causes to help fight cancer. The day, which was largely organized by faculty advisor for Colleges Against Cancer Kelley Hardie, was attended by faculty, students who didn’t participate on teams and community members.

The event kicked off by team captains introducing their team and their motivation for relaying at 9 a.m., and continued until teams began to take down their booths at approximately 9 p.m.

This year’s event featured more survivors than ever, and at 2 p.m. a crowd gathered to hear their testimonies.

“The Survivorship hour was really powerful, it allowed students to really put a face on who we are relaying for,” Hardie said.

The 25 teams were each organized by different clubs and sports teams on campus, and had different fundraisers

Ashley Hall, Yellow Jacket

Each year, cancer survivors walk the Waynesburg University campus at the Mini Relay for Life event. This year's event was April 9. including food, drinks and games. Some club fundraisers included a water dunk tank and make-your-own s’mores.

Some fundraising events were coordinated for the teams to participate in during the day including a Lip-Synch Battle, Mr. Relay and the Road to Recovery competition. In the Road to Recovery competition, teams created a car from cardboard to race around Johnson Commons. The race benefitted the program that the American Cancer Society has that transports patients to their treatment.

“The event was a lot of fun, but it’s important to take a step back and realize that it is really benefitting patients and helping them get transported

to their treatment,” Rhodes said.

The day’s theme, “Kick Cancer Off the Board”, was incorporated by assigning each of the teams a board game to take inspiration from during the creation of their fundraisers and booth design. The Waynesburg SAB [Student Activities Board] team was led by captain sophomore Electronic Media and Biblical Studies double major Kyla Wolper, their assigned game, Hedbanz, offered a unique fundraising opportunity.

“One of our committee chairs is a knitter and volunteered to make headbands that we could raffle,” Wolper said.

In the past, fundraising

booths could only accept cash, but this year the American Cancer Society released a Relay for Life app where students could now take credit or debit cards in exchange for their fundraising games and food.

“The app really helped make it easier for our teams to accept donations from all sources,” Hardie said.

Though they didn’t yet meet their overall goal of $15,000, according to Hardie, the May 1 deadline still provides people plenty of time to donate online.

“Relay for Life is about honoring survivors and those who have lost their fight to cancer, and also raising money to battle it,” Hardie said.

Alumnus recognized as one of Pittsburgh's 50 Finest in 2017

By SHON MEADE Managing Editor

Zachary DiBeradin has always wanted to help change the world.

Despite that being

t he out lo ok for many people across the country, DiBeradin, 24 and a 2015 graduate of Waynesburg University, has already started to do just that. But for him, changing the world

isn’t about finding a cure for cancer or winning a Nobel Peace Prize; for him, changing the world means starting from the bottom and changing the people.

“I want to change the world by helping one person at a time,” said DiBeradin. “If I can help enable someone to achieve their true potential in their life, that’s how I want to do it.”

This mentality that he

Photo courtesy of Zachary Diberadin,

Alumnus Zachary Diberadin, far right, presents a check to the Pleasent Hills Police Dept after a fundraising effort where he sold 'Back the Blue' T-shirts.'

has set forth for himself has helped him be nominated for Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest.

According to their website, “this elite group of the area’s most accomplished men and women are honored each year for their success in their careers and their involvement in the community.”

With only 25 men and 25 women being chosen each year, DiBeradin has high expectations to reach.

The nomination also s er ves as a char it able fundraiser, as each nominee is required to raise $4,000 with all donations going to support the Cystic Fibrosis Fo u n d at i o n’s We s t e r n Pennsylvania Chapter. Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time.

DiBeradin said this is a big deal because the government has never provided funding for this disease. With more than 30,000 people in the US diagnosed with this disease, every penny counts, as the organization ensures that a large portion of the funds go directly to research to find a cure.

Pe opl e i nvolve d are nominated by others who recognize the work that they put in to bettering the communities and world around them.

Being nominated was not the end goal for DiBeradin, who simply wants to help his community.

Everything was set in motion when an incident occurred where a police officer lost his life on the line of duty and the Blue Lives Matter campaigns started.

“I’ve always been taught to respect and support police officers, first responders,” said DiBeradin. “I wanted to use my skills as a graphic designer and screen printer to put them to work for a positive influence in the community.”

In addition to his job as a designer at Dick’s Sporting Goods, DiBeradin runs Steel City Clothing Company, a business he started In 2014 that he has used to create custom clothing, shirts, designs and more.

From there, he realized he wanted to create a special t-shirt to give back to the men and women who put their lives on the line each day to keep people safe.

These shirts, with “Back the Blue” written on them, FINEST >> AA3

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April 20, 2017

'Take Back the Night' event offers Band, choir students support to victims of sexual assault perform final music concert of the year

By MATTIE WINOWITCH Managing Editor

As Waynesburg University students walked up the stairs of Miller Hall on April 11, they passed multiple small paper bags filled with plastic flickering candles. These bags, decorated with inspirational phrases in magenta marker, led the way to the university’s seventh-annual Take Back the Night ceremony. Take Back the Night, which is hosted by Waynesburg’s Peer Education, is an event dedicated to informing the student body about sexual assault and rape.

The event on campus, which started at 4:30 p.m., started with a brief introduction from the student Peer Educators.

One of these students included Renee Belisky, a senior psychology major and co-leader of the event. She explained how the Take Back the Night event is not original to the campus, and was actually started in Europe, as a form of protest.

“This is bigger much than Waynesburg,” said Belisky.

Following introductions, the students leading the event each gave a brief overview on the multiple facets of sexual assault, including victimization, reporting and warning signs.

Another Peer Educator

By JOE SMELTZER Staff Writer

Paul Hicks, Yellow Jacket

In Miller Hall, April 11, Waynesburg University's Peer Education program hosted Take Back the Night, to inform the student body about sexual assault and rape. who participated in the event was Josh Sneeringer, a business management major.

Although it was his first year participating in the event, he said the event’s impact was immediate.

“I thought it was really powerful,” said Sneeringer. “I definitely feel strongly about it.”

One portion of the event, known as “You Are Not Alone,” is considered by Sneeringer and many others as the most heart-wrenching part of the program. During this part of the event, a few of the leaders stepped up to the podium and shared their personal stories of sexual

assault.

After those who had planned to share their stories finished up, Belisky approached the podium to ask if anyone from the audience felt led to share their own stories. According to her, this is something the Peer Educators have tried to do each year to encourage awareness and to promote openness among victims.

And after a few beats of silence, two students stepped up to share their own stories as the room full of students listened, captivated.

Following the testimonies, Belisky concluded the session by showing a video and telling

those in attendance to write words of encouragement to sexual assault survivors on Post-it notes. These notes were stuck to large poster boards.

According to Sneeringer, events like Take Back the Night are crucial to have on campus. As someone who knows people who have experienced sexual assault, he recognizes the importance of a support system.

“I hate when people feel like they’re alone,” said Sneeringer. “It doesn’t matter who you are—come talk to me. Come talk to the other Peer Educators. You have a shoulder to lean on here.”

Waynesburg University hosted its annual spring concert, Saturday, April 8, showcasing the concert choir and the symphonic band.

The choir portion of the show came first, and it featured a worship-themed set list, including “Psalm 23, “He watching over Isreal” and “Give me Jesus”, as well as two pieces featuring soloists.

Those pieces were O’ S i f u n i Mu n g u , w h i c h featured freshmen Thomas Faye, Mikayla Haggerty and Heidi Dziak, as well as senior Jacob Restanio, and “Everytime I Feel the Spirit,” which featured sophomore Veronica Steen, junior Kayla Goncalves and freshman Kate Ossege.

Steen, a children and youth ministry major who will take over as president of the choir next semester, said that she enjoyed watching all of the work leading into the performance finally come together.

“I r e a l l y l i k e w h e n something finally clicks, and we get it, because then all of us just kind of get in a

really good mood, and it just comes together,” said Steen.

Of all of t he pieces that Steen and the choir performed, “The Prayer” was her favorite.

“It was just so beautifully constructed,” Steen said. “It was fun when we got it.”

Steen, who also performs in Waynesburg’s touring choir, is excited to see what the future holds for the choir in the coming years.

“I just really like the c om mu n it y t hat we’re building,” she said. “And I feel like we have so much potential that I can’t wait to see where we grow.”

The evening continued with the band portion of the concert, led by Dr. Ronda DePriest, director of the music program.

The symphonic band performed the music of John Williams, who is best known for his work in Star Wars and Home Alone, as well as several Stephen Spielbergdirected films, like E.T. and Jaws.

Sophomore sports m a n a g e m e n t m a j o r, E l i z ab e t h Ni c o d e mu s , who will be taking over as CONCERT >> AA4

Stover Scholars visit Pittsburgh SAB makes preparations for for final trip of academic year popular 'Waynestock' event

By HOLLY HENDERSHOT For the Yellow Jacket

The Stover Scholars went on its final trip of the semester earlier this month—an annual trip to Pittsburgh. For senior scholars, this trip was the last trip they would ever go on as Stover Scholars.

This year, Scholars met with Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. Court of Appeals Third Circuit, and talked to Professor John Burgess, author of “Holy Russ,” a book about Russian Orthodox Christianity in the post-Cold War era. They also visited Phipps Conservatory and the Pittsburgh Holocaust Center.

Senior Addie Pazzynski, said that the trip was a “fullcircle experience” and her favorite as a Stover Scholar.

“It’s not often that you meet with a Holocaust survivor and an expert in orthodox theology and go to a conservatory all in one day, so it was a very unique trip, and different from what Stover normally does,” said Pazzynski. “It was a great way to end my time in the

program.”

At the Pittsburgh Holocaust Center, the scholars met a Holocaust survivor named Judah Samet. Melissa Sargent, Assistant to the president of the Stover Scholar Program, said that meeting the survivor was a wonderful opportunity.

“This was an incredible experience for the students to hear the horrifying and graphic stories from a man who spent part of his childhood in a concentration camp,” said Sargent. “It was extremely moving for everyone in the room and an experience that all of the students will carry with them forever.”

Pazzynski said that meeting Samet was her favorite experience on the trip.

“I think that it is really important that, as we meet judges and supreme court justices and lawyers and business people, to also remember the more human side of who we are,” said Pazzynski.

The Stover Scholars also attended a formal dinner at the Duquesne Club, where

Chancellor Timothy Thyreen, President Douglas Lee and Interim Duquesne Law School Dean Maureen Lally-Green spoke. The seniors also gave speeches and were awarded plaques for their participation and leadership in the program.

Senior Paige Carter said that the dinner this year was hard for her, because it was the last one she would attend.

“It was a celebration, but it was also sad,” said Carter.

She said she will miss the leadership of Dr. Larry Stratton, director of Stover Center for Constitutional and Moral Leadership, the most.

“As Stovers, Dr. Stratton is just trying to make us the best version of ourselves,” said Carter.

There are seven graduating Stover Scholars this year.

Stratton said that all have greatly impacted the program in their own ways.

“They have been a great active group of leaders,” said Stratton. “They’ve demonstrated their exemplars of moral leadership with a strong understanding of our constitutional system.”

By ANNIE MCGLAUGHLIN

News Convergence Editor

There will be an end of the year celebration in the chapel parking lot Friday, April 21.

The celebration, named Waynestock, starts at 5 p.m. and will have food, games and much more for students to enjoy.

Student Services graduate assistant Julie Wise and the Student Activities Board (SAB) have been putting on this event for a few years now, and feel it is a great way to celebrate the year ending.

“It’s a really fun event,” said Wise. “It’s relaxing and the pig roast is one of my favorite meals offered during the school year, and the music will be really good. And for the seniors leaving, it will be a last little event to hang out with your friends before summer break and finals start.”

The cafeteria will not be open for regular dinner hours during Waynestock. Students are encouraged to come to the event for their dinner, which

will be a pig roast.

In addition to the dinner, there will be a caricature artist for students to get themselves drawn, Bruster’s ice cream served and a live performance by the 80’s cover band, Quick Exit.

There will also be opportunities to play outdoor game such as four–square, spike ball, can jam and more.

Wise hopes students will come out for one last get together before the academic year ends, to make some memories with those leaving.

“I hope they find it enjoyable, make s ome memories,” said Wise “I made memories as a student at these types of events. It’s a nice break before finals.”

Waynestock gives students a chance to end the year on a good note and have a get together before they leave for the summer or after graduation, said Wise.

She said they plan this event yearly, so students do not have to travel off campus or spend money to have fun during the last week of school.

“It’s something we try to do every year for the students so they don’t have to go off campus to have fun,” said Wise.

Students on the SAB are already looking forward to the event, reflecting fondly on their experiences from previous years. According to sophomore digital design major Kyla Wolper, a member of SAB, this year is anticipated to be even better than last.

“I’m really excited about Waynestock because it is outside,” said Wolper. “It has a different atmosphere as last year when it was inside.”

For Wolper, Waynestock is exactly as Wise said—a chance to make memories.

“It’s a great opportunity to have a last huzzah before summer break and spend time with people before they leave.”

In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the cafeteria.

For more information about Waynestock, students can contact Julie Wise or any member of SAB.

Process key for selecting Bonner Scholars SAB starts planning Uni. discusses events to take place methods of deciding on during 2017-18 year applicants

By KIMMI BASTON Executive Editor

Each year, dozens of high school students apply to be a part of the Bonner Program, and in turn, receive the Bonner Scholarship at Waynesburg University.

Because of the nature of the Bonner Foundation, not everyone is accepted for the scholarship service program. And, of those who are accepted, not everyone continues in the program for their entire college career.

As a result, the leaders of the Bonner Program at Waynesburg must have a process not only for filling the program slots each year but also, for filling empty spots as they occur.

According to Adrienne Tharp, Bonner Program coordinator at Waynesburg, this process begins for high school seniors in January, once they’ve been accepted to the university.

They can apply for the Bonner Scholarship online through the university's website, and a selection of those who apply will be asked to come to Way nesburg for an interview.

“We look for students who have experience with service, have a desire to serve and understand time management,” said Tharp.

“The main thing is we want to find students for the program that truly have a heart for service.”

There are more specific qualifications, as well.

The scholarship is needbased, so financial need is taken into account, and students must have completed their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered. Recent changes in FAFSA deadlines, Tharp

said, have made the process of assessing financial need much easier.

“It was so nice this year that FAFSA is now available in October,” said Tharp.

“That really helped our process and allowed us to know before we interviewed students if they were eligible or not, so that made it so much easier.”

The Bonner Foundation, which funds the scholarship at more than 20 schools across the nation, also sets certain requirements for recipients.

Students who meet all requirements and are offered the scholarship have until May 1 of their senior year to accept it.

Tharp said that, last year, 40 of the 100 applicants were interviewed, and 17 of those 40 were offered the scholarship.

If students don’t accept their spot in the program, Tharp moves on to a wait list, contacting students who are next in line.

O n t h e ot h e r h an d, students who are

interviewed but end up not receiving the scholarship are contacted by Tharp or

by Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of Student Services and director of the Bonner Program. Tharp said that while they cannot offer everyone a spot in the program, they make a point to remind such students about the various service opportunities still available to all students at Waynesburg.

“A lot of times, students who end up coming here will keep in contact with us and say, ‘I’m still really interested in this program if a spot opens,’” said Tharp.

“We do try to stay in touch with them, but we also encourage them to stay in touch with us.”

They give the same advice to students who missed the Bonner application deadline and those that didn’t apply, but still show interest in getting involved in the program.

If students stay in touch, BONNER >> AA4

By MICHELLE KEITH

For the Yellow Jacket

T h e Wa y n e s b u r g Universit y Student Activities Board (SAB) met to begin planning events for the upcoming school year Sunday March 26.

These events include the ever-popular Bingo, Bisque and Brews and trips to professional sporting matches, along with a few new events to promote more student involvement for SAB programs.

“This year we are looking to add more noontime events for commuter students, expanding the S.W.A.R.M.s and adding more cultural events,” said Pat Bristor, associate dean of students.

This year the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is presenting more professional theater

shows like “Wicked” that fall in line with the Waynesburg academic calendar, making it more possible for SAB to arrange dinner theater trips for WU students.

By going to see professional shows or trips off campus through Student Activities the university gets a discounted rate, allowing Student Activities to pay for half of the tickets.

This makes it possible for students to pay only a fraction of what a trip or event would typically cost, said Bristor.

Bristor encourages all students to attend SAB meetings and voice their ideas about potential new events and trips.

“Even after the start of the school year, it’s never too late to add an event or program to the calendar,” Bristor said.

April 20, 2017

Page AA3

Weber: Campus remembers student Finest: Skills from WU in full use Continued from AA1

tutorial on how to build an AC fan,” said Denofrio.

“That was one of the first things we did. We went out and bought all the stuff and built it.”

Weber had a knack for making people laugh-especially those who got close to him. For a social experiment in one of his class es, Web er walked around Walmart in a hot dog suit while Denofrio recorded him and the reactions of the other shoppers.

“He made everyone in there smile--that’s who he was,” he said.

Freshman Patric Feisel said he and Weber were planning on being roommates during their sophomore years, and Feisel remembered Weber fondly.

“He was always a happy person,” he said. “I would always see him laughing.”

The campus community gathered in Robert’s Chapel on Tuesday at 11 a.m. where time was set aside to remember the life of Weber.

“Jared was loved on this campus,” said the Rev. James Tinnemeyer, university chaplain. “He was a nursing major and a talented artist.

Our hearts are heavy and so it is my hope in this time together each one of us feels and experiences God’s great love for all of us and that God would comfort us and that God would bless us.”

Denofrio, was shocked upon hearing the news and now reflects upon the time that he had spent with him.

“If you had the chance to sit down and talk with him, you would instantly understand that he was a great guy,” he said. “He didn’t project himself out, but if someone would take time out to sit and talk with him, they would realize how awesome he was.”

Feisel echoed Denofrio’s statements and said he was always just across the hall for a good conversation.

“When his door was open, he was always there to talk to or listen,” he said.

Assistant Chaplain Josh Sumpter conve yed the tragedy of what happened and how he feels for Weber’s family.

Wi t h s u c h a s m a l l community at Waynesburg, loss is brought much closer to the minds of students.

“My heart aches for this young man’s family and his friends,” he said. “I heard the news this weekend while traveling, I was up near Cle veland, and I had no words. The loss of life, whether a distant acquaintance, a close friend, a classmate, there are no words.”

Luke Goodling and Teghan Simonton contributed to this story.

Continued from AA1

took off via shares on Facebook and soon enough DiBeradin had hundreds of orders to fulfill.

“I was able to raise over $1,500 to donate to two local police departments. I donated to the Pleasant Hills Police department to provide money for their school resource officer,” said DiBeradin. “I’m currently in the process of coordinating with McKeesport Police Department to make a donation for training and equipment.”

The feedback he gathered from the community members and policemen and women alike was nothing short of amazing, he said.

The skills and drive for projects like these were all gained partially through his education at Waynesburg University.

DiBeradin was a member of the Department

of C ommunic at ion at Waynesburg and majored in Interactive Design. He was also a member of the Mad Anthony Yearbook.

Through his time at Waynesburg, DiBeradin learned the purpose of giving back to others and the importance of serving.

“A core part of my business is built around the WU mission statement,” said DiBeradin.

“I invest heavily into my community through working with non-profits, doing personal fundraisers, and flat out donations. Waynesburg has instilled me with these core values to always give back to others and use my skills to help better the community.”

In light of his nomination to Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest, Diberedin plans to work through his company of Steel City Clothing to produce t-shirts that will raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis.

Diberedin said at the end of the day that Steel City is

his way of trying to change the lives of others through his artwork.

Not only does Cystic Fibrosis disease hit hard for families across America, but also close to home for DiBeradin.

“My two younger cousins have both been diagnosed with the disease and have to take about 40 pills per week and go through 2 hours of treatments per day,” said DiBeradin. “Basically, it affects all of their organs but specifically their lungs. Thick mucus can build up and causes lung deterioration. ” People looking to donate for the overall cause, as well as support DiBeradin specifically, can do so at https://pgh50finest.finestcff. org/zachd.

“If I can change one person’s life for the better at the end of the day from what I’m doing,” said Dibeadin. “I can genuinely say that is what I define as success.”

Dorm: Wi-Fi tests provide important feedback Award: Lee's progress at WU recognized

Continued from AA1

us to know what we need to do when we completely roll out wireless campuswide,” said Bill Dumire, vice president for Information Technology Services and chief information officer.

Dumire said that although there has been some negative feedback from students in Willison, he still feels shutting down the devices was necessary.

“I think some students were somewhat frustrated because as they connected, [the Wi-Fi] wasn’t as fast as what they thought it might be, and that directly relates back to the fact that there was a number of personal access points that were still turned on that caused a lot of interference,” said Dumire.

“So our hunch that we needed to have those devices turned off was true, and we now know going forward what we need to make sure that we inform students of

before they come back for the fall semester.”

Help Desk Coordinator Kylee Sargent also feels that the decision will work out as a positive.

“The results of those two days were extremely important,” said Sargent.

“I’m not sure if students really understand how much the interference affects their quality. So when we did turn those off, we immediately were seeing much better speeds. So I think just helping students understand that turning those off really was important – we absolutely had to do that to test the system to make sure that it was doing what we thought it was doing, and I think that went well.”

Testing is now over, and Willison residents were told that they could turn on their personal hotspots and wireless access points until the end of the spring semester.

Dumire said that he has received a couple of emails

from students that were concerned about not being able to get reconnected b efore the end of the semester and that he gave those students clarification about the situation.

Dumire said that the help desk has also heard from students who said that the performance of the Wi-Fi was not what they expected.

“We’ve attempted to remind students that that’s the whole reason that we did a pilot,” said Dumire. “So that way, when the testing is complete, we can roll out a product that does work and does meet expectations of both the university and the students.”

Dumire said that he did not expect all of the feedback to be positive, and that was why the testing was necessary.

“So that we could identify any issues or bumps in the road and we could fully address that.” Dumire said.

“I do think that the feedback we got, both positive and

negative, will ensure that before [the Fall semester], the network is deployed in such a way that students will have the ability to come back and easily connect their devices. That the speed will be where it is expected, and overall, the appropriate security is in place to protect them and what it is that they’re doing or searching or looking for on their devices as they use those throughout the campus.”

Overall, Dumire says that testing went as expected from a technical standpoint. “[Testing] helped us identify a few issues that we needed to address before we rolled [the Wi-Fi] out campus-wide,” said Dumire.

“It verified and validated some information that we thought we had related to how the system was going to work. It gave us an opportunity to see if we were going to have major issues getting devices connected to the wireless network, which in most cases we did not.”

Continued from AA1

clear understanding of the mission,” said Lee. “Secondly, to promote the university, to be the biggest cheerleader that the university has.”

By achieving a recognition for his role at Waynesburg, Lee said he is enhancing the reputation of the school.

“The more recognitions we’ve got, the greater t h e s t at e m e nt of o u r institution, particularly now,” said Lee. “We’ve had so many recognitions for the outstanding value of a Waynesburg education, the outcomes, the student placement rate. It benefits the whole university and it grows our reputation which is so important.”

Over the last several years, Lee has been recognized in a number of similar capacities. He was named t he 2016 World Class

CEO by the Southpointe CEO Association and has previously been listed as one of the Top 100 People in Pennsylvania.

Szuminsky agreed that such achievements contribute to the success of everyone at the university.

“The more that people in the Pittsburgh market know about Waynesburg and what we do, the better chance our students have at networking, the better chance at getting jobs,” said Szuminsky.

She strongly believes Lee is deserving of the recognition by the Pittsburgh Business Times.

“I’ve worked closely with President Lee for eight years now, and I have always admired the way he leads through tough decisions,” said Szuminsky. “Through the good times and bad times, he is very consistent in the say that he guides his team and leads his organization.”

Recycle: Increase demand in recycling would come with additional cost Continued from AA1

the level of efficiency that was originally intended for it to reach. Now, Paladino said she hopes the university will change recycling companies to be able to better tackle the persistent issue.

To properly deal with an increase in recyclables, senior and former task force member Taylor Garrett said the university would have to leave Green Arc, the company that currently handles the institution’s recyclables.

“We need to recycle with a new company,” said Garrett.

“Green Arc is an amazing organization and they do a great job with the limited resources that they have, but they, as a company, do not have the manpower, nor the resources – they barely have those resources to be able to recycle what we are currently putting out. If recycling efforts are to expand at all, we definitely need to look into a new company.”

With Green Arc, Garrett said the company can only handle type one and two plastics, which severely limits what can actually be processed through the service.

Terry Sattler, director of facilities, said adding a recycling program through the company that currently handles the trash on campus would work well – but come at an additional cost.

“Mo s t o f o u r t r a s h gets picked up by Waste Management,” said Sattler.

“Waste Management does have a recycling program – a single stream program – where all of the recycling that we get would go into a single

stream process and it gets segregated out in their plant.

Having said that, there’s a cost to that.”

Currently, Green Arc is essentially a free service for the university, as, according to Garrett, it only costs the university $10 for every pickup. To implement a recycling solution with Waste Management, Sattler said each recycling dumpster needed would cost roughly $400. All told, Sattler said recycling through Waste Management could cost the university thousands of dollars per month. Although the university would be saving money by having less trash with adequate recycling through Waste Management, Sattler said the estimated savings wouldn’t cover the total cost.

“There is already a cost for us to get rid of the trash, so the things we can divert away from our landfilled trash is only a benefit to us,” said Sattler. “Having said that, when you compare apples to apples, the cost of one dumpster of trash is less than one dumpster of recycle material so there is a diversion, but it really doesn’t direct to a budgetary positive.”

Garrett said neither she nor the task force expected the university to pay substantial amounts of mone y to support recycling efforts.

However, the conversation they expected to start with the administration never happened three years ago. “[Administration] have not been super forthcoming with help to try and bolster the recycling efforts,” said Garrett. “Although I don’t expect them to pay an

arm and a leg for Waste Management…I think the open communication we were trying to accomplish definitely didn’t happen.”

Though Paladino and Garrett indicated Provost Dr. Dana Baer would be an administrative contact for the recycling program, Baer indicated that she did not have information about recycling at Waynesburg and said that it was her belief that the Student Senate oversaw the program. Moreover, Baer specified she had not had a conversation with Paladino or Garrett about recycling on campus.

According to Garett,

average closer to twenty or thirty percent.

Garrett said the task force knew that without the support of the student body, the cause wasn’t likely to be supported.

To determine the willingness of students to properly recycle, Garrett and the task force put together a challenge for selected residence halls.

Garrett said the results of the challenge were drastic, with some dorms tripling output numbers.

After encouraging dorms to more heavily recycle, Garrett said Burns and Denny recycled nearly 15 times as much as they had been doing before the challenge.

Through data collected in 2014, Garrett said it was determined Waynesburg University only recylced about one percent of all waste. the efforts to open communication between the task force and the administration began three years ago when the task force was assembled with half a dozen students, who voluntarily met every week for an entire school year seeking to make an impact on campus.

Through data collected in 2014, Garrett said it was determined Waynesburg University only recycled about one percent of all waste. Sattler said he could not attribute a number to the recycling on campus; however Sattler said efforts could be doubled or even t r ip l e d . Ac c ord i ng t o Paladino, this diversion rate in the university’s waste stream is uncharacteristically small, as most colleges

Additionally, Martin Hall had not recycled before the challenge, but afterwards collected 42 pounds of recyclables.

As the task force built a case behind increasing recycling efforts on campus, Paladino said she was pleased with the apparent reception of the group’s efforts at the administrational level.

“We really were very encouraged that the administration was going to somehow contribute to the effort,” said Paladino. “We had a few education seminars and then we had a [presentation and] administration came.

The provost came [Dr. Jacklyn Core] at the time and a couple other people came, and we explained to them we were recycling [less than two percent] of our waste.”

Garrett conducted the presentation, not only with the goal of gaining full support from the institution, but also to demonstrate that the student body fully supported the cause as well.

The support of the students went as deep as the Student Senate, as it agreed to contribute part of its budget to purchase additional recycling bins for the task force.

“I was presenting this information to administration to show that students really do want to recycle—this was not tied to the presentation, but this was part of it,” said Garrett.

After presenting in front of the administration and raising enough money to purchase around 30 new recycling receptacles, Paladino said she thought the task force had done enough work to gain support from the university.

“I championed the cause because we believed – and I think the students also believed – if we could show and demonstrate that we would put money into this, and it was important to the students to put money into this, then the administration would follow and also support this,” said Paladino.

However, Paladino said seemingly neither of those goals were accomplished within the administration despite the year-long effort of the task force.

Only a few weeks into the 2015-2016 academic school year, Paladino said she received a phone call from someone she believed worked in facilities who allegedly informed her that the school could not properly handle the

increased recycling efforts.

“I get a call from somebody that I didn’t know, I guess it was somebody that was working facilities…and they said, ‘we can’t handle all [these recyclables,] there is no way we can handle all [this],’ and that is the last we heard of it,” said Paladino.

“We used to recycle – we don’t anymore.”

Sattler indicated that he was unaware of the specific phone call, but since that point, the task force has disbanded, new administration has moved in and recycling still hasn’t consistently been on campus according to Paladino.

Along with that, Paladino said the efforts of all those on the task force were left behind without a proper explanation.

“It was very encouraging to see these students really be interested in this,” said Paladino. “But the sadness is that it all fell apart – I’m not going to spend time on something that isn’t going to be supported.”

Although implementing a new recycling program on campus could substantially cost the university, Paladino said the school needs to be looking beyond the monetary investment and instead be looking at the faith-based mission.

“I know that there are financial concerns in the university and that this is potentially not something they can address right now,” said Paladino. “I’m not trying to say this is the most important thing – the most important thing is educating students – but we have a Christian mission in this university, which I take very seriously, and that Christian mission is creation care.”

Page AA4

April 20, 2017

New security officer holds Students prepare for service passion for helping students trips after end of semester

By LUKE GOODLING

Sports Convergence Editor

Two weeks ago, Robert Aberegg, a campus security officer, officially began work with Waynesburg University.

Roughly a year ago, Aberegg was working as a Critical Incident Manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. After retiring, he spent time to himself to get back to what was meaningful to him in the workforce.

“I took 10 months off after I retired,” said Aberegg. “I just traveled and I spent a tremendous amount of time in solitude camping and hiking – things like that I enjoy – to give me an opportunity to go ‘hey what do I miss about working?’”

According to Aberegg, what he missed most was the dayto-day interactions with other people.

“What I discovered: the only thing I missed was interacting with different people,” said Aberegg. “There is value in that – even in a service-related job like this, [it’s altruistic], you do get something back; it’s rewarding for me to help somebody. Just to interact with people, there is value in that and I missed it and that has been the best part so far.”

Aberegg said serviceoriented work has been in his life from the start.

Aberegg “[This job] revolved arounds service and honestly it’s all that I’ve known since high school,” said Aberegg.

“Directly out of high school I joined the United States Air Force, and then when I got out of the air force, I started to work for the Department of Corrections.”

Waynesburg University security offered the chance for Aberegg to reconnect with what he missed, he said. After being informed of the job opening by his neighbor- who happened to be Director of Public Safety Michael Humiston- Aberegg took the position for a variety of reasons.

“There are a number of things. One, it gives me an opportunity to serve in my community where I live,” said Aberegg. “Additionally…I was looking forward to something meaningful to do with either my time, or some of it, and to remain active. I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”

In just the couple of weeks Aberegg has been a part of the university, he said the job is increasingly rewarding.

“It’s been great, I really do enjoy [the job]. It’s been relatively quiet and I’ve met some really nice people and in the beginning, that is primarily what I’ve been doing, just getting to know the place even though I live right down the street,” said Aberegg. “I’m not so familiar with the campus, the layout of the buildings and the people that work within them, so I’m just kind of meeting people, and letting them get to know me for a little bit while I get to know them as well.”

Aberegg said he has an abundance of activities at Waynesburg to keep the work interesting – but ultimately, the best parts is helping others.

“For me, [t he d ai ly interactions] accelerates time for me, the days don’t go so slowly, you move from one interaction to the next,” said Aberegg. “Maybe I’m helping a student who is locked out of their room, or I’m giving someone access to an area they need access to. Things are constantly moving, so I maintain a level of physical activity walking around this campus – and that is good for you emotionally, physically, and to me it just makes me feel good to know that I’ve helped someone.”

By RACHEL MANGAN Editorial Assistant

A few groups of students will be going on service trips for their first two weeks of summer vacation, to places including Guatemala, Detroit, Tuba City, Taiwan and the Dominican Republic.

According to Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of Student Services, all students have the opportunity to serve.

“Service trips are open to students in every department and every major,” said Hardie.

“Some of the trips are tailored toward a certain department or major, but anyone can go on them.”

One of the most popular service trips Waynesburg offers is the Guatemala trip, as it is tailored towards nursing majors and revolves around a children’s nutrition center in Patzun, Guatemala.

Even though the majority of students going on the trip are nursing majors, many of the students are from other majors, such as psychology, biblical ministry, marketing, education, english and biology pre-med.

This particular trip has been happening every year for the past 15 years, and several of the students going have high hopes for the experience.

“I’ve been to Guatemala before, but this is my first time going through the school.

I’m really looking forward to meeting all the kids,” said Hannah Pierce, a freshman nursing major. “I plan on going every year and it’s very likely we will see the same kids so we can actually build up a relationship with them.”

Nick Lies, a junior english major, weighed in on his expectations on the same trip.

“I like making the world see a little bit smaller and getting to know other cultures,” said Lies. “I would rather be a ‘world citizen’ as opposed to being just a U.S. citizen.”

The Lamplighters Touring Choir will be spending a week in Detroit, Michigan to offer their musical talents and physical abilities as their services. They will be doing hands-on work for the Howell Ranch – a retreat center – which will be hosting children’s Christian camps starting in June.

The trip to Taipei, Taiwan will be three weeks long and include mostly biblical ministry majors. The eight students attending, who will live and serve at Christ’s College, will spend time learning about their faith and serve food, while also spending time in the college with its current students.

Nine students will be traveling to Tuba City, Arizona during the first week of summer break to serve at a Native American boarding

school. The students service will include providing tutoring, completing maintenance work and event setup.

Mary Hamilla, assistant director of the educational enrichment program, will be leading the trip for the first time and has high expectations on what students will experience.

“My biggest hope is that our Waynesburg students and the students from [Tuba City Boarding School] can share knowledge and be viewed as resources to one another,” said Hamilla.

The last service trip for the summer break will be going to the Dominican Republic.

The students taking part in this service trip will be hosting sports camps for the children there to teach them about sports, safety and teamwork.

Although the trips can be expensive, ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, Hardie said students also have plenty of opportunities to make that price go down. Each of the students participating in these trips takes on several fundraisers to raise money that decreases their trip price.

There is also a service trip scholarship form that students can apply for. The application can be found in the service tab on the myConnect home page.

Annual GNP concert will honor deceased faculty member

By TEGHAN SIMONTON Managing Editor

O n m o s t d ay s , B i l l Molzon, assistant professor of communication, is found in the WCTV studio in Buhl Hall.

As he prepares for the annual GNP concert, he is leaf ing through old psychedelic posters.

He holds up the original one, publicizing a light show in the old ‘Student Union,’ what used to be the bottom floor of Benedum Hall. It has thick, wavy blue letters like a kaleidoscope. Molzon said for that first show, his band, Gross National Product (GNP), wasn’t even the headliner—the light show was. But the event has snowballed more and more each year since—47 years in the making.

“That’s the band, playing back then,” he said, looking at a b l a c k a n d w h it e photograph from 1970, the concert’s first year. “There’s Charlie. Those were the projectors…”

Molzon’s band began in his high school years, in New Jersey. There were a lot of rock bands in his area, he said, but his was different from a lot of others. Not only did GNP play psychedelic rock - or "acid rock" - but they also had a female lead singer,

so their style stood out.

GNP became very popular in his area, said Molzon, even playing on some FM radio stations. When he got to Waynesburg University, he simply couldn’t leave it behind.

“Essentially, all my high school revolved around being in a band,” said Molzon. “For me, that was something I clung to. That was my life. So I come to Waynesburg in the fall of 1969 as a freshman, and I missed my band mates. I missed performing, because that was a huge part of my high school experience.”

O ve r t h e ye ars , t h e concert has grown—the audience has gotten bigger, the acts have diversified and more musicians have joined the performance— including Way nesburg University students. This year, several students will be performing, and the concert will be dedicated to James “Fuzzy” Randolph, who was a regular participant in the GNP Concert, and who died earlier this academic year.

When the GNP Concert first got started, it was R andolph w ho help e d facilitate, said Molzon. A professor of music at the time, Randolph allowed the band to practice in the university’s official music classrooms—which used

to be located on the fourth floor of Buhl.

“Fuzzy graciously offered us both the use of the rehearsal room and the practice suites,” he said.

“So that was key. What I’m saying is it’s one thing to get people to travel from [other states], but once you get them to Waynesburg, you need a place to rehearse, and a nice place is even a bonus…”

As the concert grew, so did Randolph’s involvement.

Molzon said all of the original five members were all affected by Randolph’s death—they considered him a band mate.

“Not only was Fuzzy a reporter in providing re h e ar s a l s p a c e ,” s ai d Molzon. “But he also started performing in the show.

And then most recently in the GPAC, it was usual to have him play, dressed in a kilt, playing bagpipes…

We lost a band mate and a friend.”

Now, Molzon is in the midst of planning the concert—which, this year, will include a performance by the James D. Randolph Kiltie Band as tribute to Randolph. He is expecting a sizeable turnout, as usual.

Molzon said that the GNP Concert has a remarkable following.

“It’s different [from] your

Concert: Choir, Symphonic Band unite for last performance of year Continued from AA2

president of the symphonic band this fall, enjoyed the change of pace in the music.

“Usually we get to play like old school concert band music,” said Nicodemus.

“This was the first time we got to play more modern songs that most people really know.”

Of all of the songs that the band performed, Nicodemus particularly enjoyed Star Wars, due to its broad appeal.

Several students were in attendance to support their peers at the concert.

Among the audience was sophomore electronic media major, Megan Cook. Cook

said that she enjoyed the variety of the show.

“I liked the diversity, especially throughout the whole program,” said Cook.

“They can do the hymns and spirituals, but they can also do John Williams, and I like that.”

A n o t h e r s t u d e nt i n attendance was freshman electronic media major Harr y Oaks, who came because he thought it would be a nice way to spend his Saturday evening.

Oaks said that he does not often go to concerts on campus, but went to this one because it seemed like a “special event.”

“B ecause it was so advertised, I wanted to check it out,” Oaks said.

He added that he enjoyed the Williams pieces, which he was somewhat familiar with beforehand.

“I’ve heard of [Williams], and I’ve known that he’s done a lot of movies with Stephen Spielberg,” said Oaks. “To see how many different movies and productions John Williams wrote music for, that was also interesting.”

Nicodemus is excited to see how things will be for the symphonic band moving forward.

“I think we come together really well by the time the concert comes,” said Nicodemus. “So I think just maybe getting better earlier [is something to look forward to.]

Tyler Wolfe, Chief Photographer

Above, James "Fuzzy" Randolph performs with one of the original Gross National Product band members, Jeannie Clark Fisher. Randolph regularly performed his bagpipes at the annual GNP concert. typical music act that comes and performs at the Beehive or performs in the GPAC and you can talk about what songs they do and their musical influences,” said Molzon. “This has that whole history.”

This year’s GNP Concert will be held in the GPAC April 22. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and the show will start at 7:30 p.m.

Bonner: Administrators discuss requirements for Bonner recipients Continued from AA2

said Tharp, they may be contacted if a spot in the Bonner Program opens up because of a student transferring to another university or leaving the program.

“When spots open up, we often open up a search,” said Tharp. “I usually have a list of students who have expressed interest. If I don’t have a list, I’ll work with financial aid and I’ll get a list of students who would meet the FAFSA requirement. Then, I’ll email students that I know are involved in service or who have expressed an interest.”

Tharp encourages students on that list to apply for the program. After that, they can be interviewed.

“The main thing is we want to find students for the program that truly have a heart for service.”

ADRIENNE THARP

Bonner Program Coordinator

If they enter the program, they are expected to complete all the same service requirements as a student who began the program freshman year.

Students cannot join the Bonner Program after the

fall of their junior year.

O n o c c as i on , T har p has encountered students wondering why they weren’t selected for the scholarship.

She reminds them that there are many qualified students, and it’s not an easy decision.

It often comes down to financial need and “just that drive and that desire to serve.”

Those characteristics are what Tharp and Hardie want to see from students interested in Bonner.

“The main thing is, if they’re interested, to come and speak with [Hardie] and I,” said Tharp. “It’s also helpful seeing that they’re already involved in service – that’s something we look for.”

April 20, 2017

Page A3

Career Services helps graduating seniors prepare for job market Some students find jobs before final semester ends

By ANTONIO PELULLO For the Yellow Jacket

As seniors prepare to be handed their degrees they also prepare for their careers and futures after leaving Waynesburg. Director of Career Services and Placement Marie Coffman has helped many students prepare for that process.

According to her, the most important thing is to have a resume.

"Resume is key," said Coffman. "You have to have a good resume before you can start applying, so we've looked at a lot of resumes this semester and we are still looking at them and students are still making appointments to come in."

Senior sports management major John Babos found an internship with the University of Cincinnati football strength and condition coaching staff and has only been meeting with Coffman in the past year.

He took her Professional Development Workshop [WBE 405] class where Coffman looked over his resume and references.

That in-classroom experience helped Babos prepare for the real world.

"Pretty much everything she expects us to have are what jobs are looking for, so that was a big help," said Babos.

After taking the class and receiving real world interview experience, Babos has been able to prepare for multiple types of interviews.

"It helped me a lot – she had a probation officer come in and go over questions," said Babos. "I haven't been through a face to face

By MITCHELL KENDRA Copy Editor

Graduation is now a few days away. Students, who were once freshman on campus, will be graduating in their respective fields and heading into the work force.

When it comes to lining up jobs for after graduation, several students in the Waynesburg University Class of 2017 are ahead of the game.

Senior sports broadcasting/sports information major and Illinois native Austin Anderson found out earlier this month that he was hired by the Gary Southshore Railcats, a minor league baseball team located in Gary, Indiana.

Anderson was hired as the Broadcast and Media Relations Assistant for the season.

Anderson said he found out about the job through the Sportscasters Talent Agency of America, which is a program that allows for those in the broadcasting field to learn about job opportunities, get tips in the field and grow as they continue in the field. He said the program was definitely worth becoming a part of.

Had he not become invested in the program, he said he wouldn’t have found his position with the Railcats.

While Waynesburg is very good with the Pitts-

Mattie Winowitch, Yellow Jacket

Director of the Center for Career Services Marie Coffman, left, works with graduating seniors to prepare them for finding jobs after graduation. interview for a job yet just because mine have been over the phone."

For Babos, career progression is typically built through personal connections. However, he does know that starting to build a resume earlier could have helped.

"I wish I would have – it would have helped but I guess I did a lot of that stuff a lot of my own," Babos, "but probably starting my resume would have helped."

John Babos has an identical twin who is also a senior criminal justice major Justin Babos who has been going to career services since his sophomore year when he transferred to Waynes-

burg.

He was going with the need to make a resume because he was applying for internship where one was needed.

"I was going to go do an internship and they needed a resume and for that and other things I needed help," said Justin Babos.

Justin Babos would eventually land that internship, and after graduation he will be a police officer when he heads home. "[Coffman] sat down with me what I needed to fix on my resume but make it stick out more to the HR department that was doing the hiring," said Justin, "[Coffman] really had a

huge impact on my career here kind of help and help me get a job even doing an internship, every time I went up to her and needed something done getting something notarized for the police department or just scan the paper."

Even late into the semester Coffman still is making meetings with students to work on resumes and help prepare them for the future.

"If they don't have their resume they need to come see me next week or during finals week before they leave," said Coffman, "defiantly need to come or email me what they have and give them any suggestions we have."

burgh market when it comes to getting students getting started in their respective fields, Anderson said, he had a different situation. Being from out of the state and wanting to slowly start working his way back home, the university’s Pittsburgh connection didn’t benefit him much.

Once he found the STAA, he was able to look for job more opportunities. Although the university wasn’t able to assist as much with the initial networking, Anderson said that the basic principles he learned at Waynesburg specific to his major will help him no matter what city he goes to work in or no matter what sport he goes to announce, because the things he learned are universal.

“Being able to be as wellrounded of a communicator as possible…I’m more marketable because of the experiences of Waynesburg,” said Anderson.

The organization released a press release on April 13, that announced the Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations and also mentioned Anderson, which he said was eyeopening.

“That was kind of the first time it hit home, in a sense that, this is happening, and it’s exciting,” said Anderson. “And even though it

JOBS >> A4

Ceremony: After year of preparation, staff readies for commencement Continued from A1

After lunch, the commencement ceremony will officially begin on Miller Hall's Lawn at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a reception for the new graduates and their families in Fountain Park.

Year after year, according to Fox, the biggest challenge for planning commence-

ment has been preparing for inclement weather.

To alleviate this problem, they’ve begun planning for two ceremonies each year.

“We completely plan for inside and completely plan for outside,” said Fox. “If the weather changes quickly and we have to move inside, we have our inclement weather plan ready to execute.”

Typically, commence-

ment is held on the lawn in front of Miller Hall, but if inclement weather arises, the ceremony will be moved indoors to Marisa Fieldhouse—also known as the “old gym.”

The Alumni Family reception following commencement will also be held in Marisa Fieldhouse in this case. If the ceremony is held indoors, each graduate will only be able to in-

vite family members to the ceremony due to the size of the gym. This is now done ahead of time on the ticket distributing website, Ticketleap.

The decision to change locations is usually made the day of commencement, according to Fox, as all efforts are made by the university to hold the event outside.

Other than weather-

related issues, any other problems that arise are immediately addressed following commencement and are fixed for the following year.

“We constantly review our planning documents in order to make improvements year after year,” said Fox. The biggest focus of Fox and other university members who plan commencement has been communi-

cation with the graduating seniors and their families.

“We want the information going out to graduates and their families to be clear and consistent,” said Fox. To stay connected, students are encouraged to go to the “Commencement Information” tab on myConnect. They can also e-mail commencement@waynesburg.edu.

FINALS WEEK SPRING 2017 Good luck from the Jacket staff!

MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017

TUESDAY APRIL 25, 2017

WEDNESDAY APRIL 26, 2017

THURSDAY APRIL 27, 2017

FRIDAY APRIL 28, 2017

Day of study for Final Examinations

Tuesday/Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 9 a.m.

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday/Thursday at 8 a.m.

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 8 a.m.

8:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday/Thursday at 1 p.m.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 11 a.m.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Tuesday/Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 10 a.m.

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Tuesday/Thursday at noon 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at noon.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Independent Studies 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 1 p.m.

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Any classes meeting at times not listed 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 2 p.m.

4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Any classes meeting at times not listed 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Monday/Wednesday/ Friday at 3 p.m.

4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Classes which meet Monday evenings 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Classes which meet Tuesday evenings 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Classes which meet Wednesday evenings 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Classes which meet Thursday evenings 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

President’’s Breakkfast in the cafeteria 9:30 p.m.

Study break held in the cafeteria 9:30 p.m.

Study break held in the cafeteria 9:30 p.m.

T examination schedule is The based on the days of the week and time of the class.

Examinations will be given in the room where classes normally meet.

Final ·.. examinations for classes that meet at times other than those listed above are to be scheduled through the Office of the Registrar.

Page A4

April 20, 2017

Class: Next incoming class to be largest in 3 years Continued from A2

in overall students, Payne hopes to continue the streak of large incoming classes for the future year to get the undergraduate population back to 1400. The class that came in during Fall 2014 had approximately 300 students, with the following class being slightly higher, said Payne. As those classes phase out, Payne said, she hopes to see the number that replaces them to be around 450.

“We are not in growth mode,” said Payne. “We are not trying to expand beyond what we were in 2013, we are trying to build back up to that point and that is about where we want to sustain. We don’t want to get much bigger than that.

That is the right size for the institution.”

The Fall 2017 incoming class also contains a lot of A.B. Miller Scholarship recipients, which is the highest of the achievement

Incoming class size at

Waynesburg University Incoming students anticipated Fall 2017 450 Past four years...

2013 451

2014 370

awards Waynesburg presents to their students. According to the Waynesburg website, these academic scholarships are based on the combination of each applicant’s cumulative high school GPA and SAT/ACT score achievement.

“This year, compared to

2015 395

2016 435

last year at the same time, we have 25 more deposited students from the A.B. Miller Scholarship,” said Payne. “On average thus far, they are averaging 40 points higher on the SAT, and that is already taking into account the changes in the SAT. We are attract-

ing very bright students, which is wonderful. People really just want to come to Waynesburg.

There is still another key component to making sure a student will fit in at university – Admissions looks to accepting students that fit the mission of Waynesburg.

“We use a holistic admissions process to evaluate a students,” said Payne. “We are looking not just at test scores, not just high school curriculum, but we look at whether or not they are a good mission fit, if they have a clean disciplinary record, what do their counselors say about them, do they have leadership activities in their bios.”

All of these things together make an ideal student for Waynesburg, said Payne, and she thinks the newest class will be a valuable addition.

“I think [the campus community] will be really excited about this incoming class,” said Payne.

Summer renovations await budget approval

University not planning major construction efforts this year

By JACOB MEYER Sports Editor

According to Waynesburg University Facilities Management, plans for renovations this summer do not include any large-scale project, such as the renovations of the first and second floors of the Paul R. Stewart Science Hall.

Terry Sattler, director of facilities, said while there is a plan for what to work on this summer, it has yet to be approved. Every year, the Board of Trustees approves the budget shortly prior to Commencement.

Thus, the list of projects cannot be finalized until the budget is approved by the Board of Trustees.

“Until we finalize the budget, we won’t know exactly what we will be doing,” Sattler said. “We do not have any major renovation projects going on.”

The list of projects, called the three-year project list, is a list compiled by senior staff, facilities, faculty and student services.

“The three year list is kind of a living document,” Sattler said. “It changes and the list is pretty long. What doesn’t get done this summer gets reprioritized to next summer’s list. It’s an ever-evolving document.”

Thus, the plans Sattler has for the summer are not yet finalized.

“Obviously we can’t move forward until we see the final budget approved,” he said.

“From year to year that philosophy can change depending on available dollars. Everybody here has budgets to meet, and those budgets are flexible enough to where if an emergency comes up across campus, we can get to that ASAP. No budget is identical to the [previous] year’s budget. Until we see that final budget number, we won’t finalize our summer plans.”

The plans, Sattler said, include painting and improving the kitchens in the traditional dorms and

continuing upkeep of the on-campus houses, which includes improving the fire escapes, painting and carpeting.

“We started [working in on-campus houses] last summer and want to keep it going and keep improving the old houses,” Sattler said.

“Those are a very desirable place for kids, and we want to continue that process.”

Renovations to the Mac Lab in Buhl Hall are also ex-

“Until we finalize the budget, we won't know exactly what we will be doing. We don't have any major renovation projects going on.”

TERRY SATTLER

Director of Facilities

pected, including painting, carpeting and computer enhancements.

“When kids come back, there may be some nice improvements there in the Mac Lab area in Buhl,” Sattler said.

In Buhl, Sattler said, they plan to also improve the heating for the building through utilizing steam in the building.

Jobs: Proactivity primary factor for seniors who obtain jobs early Continued from A3

is chaotic in this time of life, I came to Waynesburg with the desire of going to play-byplay and sure enough God’s blessed me with a position.”

He gave more advice for those younger students whose graduation will be coming closer than they know.

“Whatever you’ve worked on, start compiling demos,” said Anderson. “And a lot of the times in your courses, in communications or [in your respective field], there’s things, projects, that you do that can be good portfolio items.”

Anderson said to start working on a personal portfolio because the sooner work is prepared, the easier the process goes. He said the demo he created was a crucial tool during his job search.

“I would suggest right away, as soon as you can, creating a demo,” said Anderson.

“If I didn’t have that demo, I know that I wouldn’t have been able to get into those finalists positions.”

Senior nursing major Katie Latimer also has a job lined up in her field upon graduation. Latimer has been hired at the Ruby Memorial Hospital, located in Morgantown, West Virginia. She was hired specially in the new Women’s

Health Unit. The three part interview process was indepth, and it required lots of driving to Morgantown.

Like Anderson, Latimer believes the Nursing Department at Waynesburg did an excellent job preparing her for the next step. Latimer, who did her clinicals at Ruby, said she believes she was hired because of the fact that the Nursing Department is always represented well.

“The Nursing Department does have a good reputation wherever we go; we are usually really professional,” she said. “They like Waynesburg students: they like that we work hard when we go to clinical. And I think [our professors] really prepared us in that aspect, to be really professional when we need to be. So I think that’s a big help going into this whole job process.”

Getting that initial job didn’t seem to be much at the time, but now Latimer said having it already done is a great feeling.

Her hard work in the classroom, at clinicals and studying has paid off.

“I didn’t think it would be that much of a weight off my shoulders,” she said. “But looking back now, I feel like I’m a lot less stressed than I would’ve been if I didn’t have a job. I’m glad that I have this

Lastly, facilities hopes to improve the old locker room in the old gym and continue its yearly improvement of sidewalks.

“Throughout the year, we look at a lot of major projects across campus,” Sattler said. “Until the funding becomes available for these, like I said we aren’t doing any major projects this summer, we’re hoping maybe something for a major project breaks loose

already lined up: it’s one less thing to worry about this time of the year.”

Although Latimer has her job lined up, her work isn’t done when she graduates. She will need to take her nursing certification test, the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). She said the test is to test how safe an individual going into the field would be. Latimer said nursing students usually take their NCLEX one or two months following graduation.

She plans on taking her test the third week in June if possible. If she passes, which will take a couple of weeks to find out, she plans on starting at Ruby sometime around July.

Latimer gave advice of her own, to seniors who don’t have that initial job in the field yet.

“I would tell people not to worry,” she said. “A lot of people are seeing people getting jobs and it seems like they’re behind because they don’t already have a job but in actuality people are just ahead, so it’s not anything to be worried about.”

She continued to say not to settle with something just to get a first job.

“Keep waiting for what you want,” she said. “Don’t just settle because you feel like you need to have a job already.”

next year.”

Sattler did note that while there are no major projects set for the near future, that doesn’t mean “significant” money won’t be spent to improving the campus.

“I fully expect to get the budget approved and have a significant amount of money to pour into some of those smaller projects,” Sattler said.

Class of 2017 raises funds to create WU signage on campus Committee aims to leave lasting legacy for seniors

By KIMMI BASTON Executive Editor

As the Class of 2017 has been preparing to end their Waynesburg University careers, the Senior Gift Committee has been working to find a tangible gift to leave a legacy for the class.

This year’s senior gift to the university is “Waynesburg University” signage, to be placed at a location still undetermined. The sign proclaiming the university’s name will be near a frequently-traversed part of campus to identify the campus for the university community and visitors.

“Waynesburg University is lacking a sign to say you are on campus,” said Emily Hackman, senior communication major and member of the Senior Gift Committee. At other colleges and universities, they have great places to take photos with the sign of their institution behind them. We were missing out – there is nowhere on this campus where it says you are at Waynesburg University.”

In addition to Hackman, the committee included seniors Cassidy Graham, Amelia Graves, Amy Hawley, Matt McDermott, Annie McGlaughlin, Emily Meilcarick and Tyler Miller.

The committee worked with Vikki Beppler, assistant director of alumni relations, and University President Douglas Lee on the project.

McGlaughlin said the goal of this year’s gift is to provide a lasting, beneficial product.

“The motivation is to give the university something useful and something everyone will benefit from,” said McGlaughlin.

“We hope the sign is there for years to come and welcomes all sorts of people.”

Hackman said the new signage is a way to encom-

pass the diversity of talents and experience in the Class of 2017.

“There was not one moment that [the committee] thought captured the spirt of the Class of 2017, so we went with an idea that everyone can enjoy for years to come,” said Hackman.

“Our class is made up of athletes, intellectuals, leaders and just brilliant individuals. It is hard to find something to give back to the school that everyone could and would appreciate its value.”

Not only will the gift serve as the current senior class’ legacy to the university, a way for the students to be remembered, but it is also a token of thanks from the class to Waynesburg.

“We have spent four years here, and Waynesburg has given us all so much,” said McGlaughlin. “It shows our love for our alma mater and how much we have enjoyed our time here as students.”

The senior gift will be funded by the students and family of the current senior class.

Hackman encourages individuals to donate, as the

“The motivation is to give the university something useful and something everyone will benefit from.”

ANNIE MCGLAUGHLIN

Member, Senior GIft Planning Committee

signage will be a permanent fixture that will be showcased for the entire community.

“It is a gift that will have a lasting impact and will be visible to the campus and surrounding community,” said Hackman. “Everyone chose Waynesburg University for a reason and it is time to come together and thank the university.”

Students and families can donate at waynesburgunited.com/classof2017, and they will receive a gift of thanks in return. Families can donate in honor of their senior student.

COMMENCEMENT DAY SCHEDULE Sunday, April 30 10 a.m.

Graduates & faculty arrive; baccalaureate procession line-up in Marsh Center

11 a.m.

Baccalaureate service in Roberts Chapel

11:30 a.m.

WU Honor Cords distribution – representatives will be available in Gym Foyer immediately following baccalaureate

11:30 a.m.

First Seating Graduate Luncheon in Benedum Dining Hall or Stover Campus Center– purchased tickets required

12:30 p.m.

Second Seating Graduate Luncheon in Benedum Dining Hall or Stover Campus Center – purchased tickets required

1 p.m.

Commencement procession lineup in Marisa Fieldhouse

2 p.m.

Commencement on Miller Lawn (inclement site: Fieldhouse)

APPROX. 6 p.m.

Resident students move out of halls and houses

SECTION B

APRIL 20, 2017 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

ATHLETIC TRAINING/EXERCISE SCIENCE

Senior shows passion for sports as a trainer, dual-sport athlete Profs. describe O'Keefe as hard-working, ambitious

By KYLE DAWSON

Assistant Sports Editor

When senior exercise science major Kassidy O’Keefe transferred to Waynesburg University from Slippery Rock after her freshman year, she came primarily to play on the women’s basketball team.

Three years later, she has done so, and she has also found a path for after graduation. While she has not yet decided whether to attend graduate school or enter her intended field, she knows where she wants to end up.

“I’ve always played sports and when I went to pick a major I knew I wanted to do something where I could combine sports and fitness,” said O’Keefe. “I want to continue coaching basketball and get into corporate wellness. That would involve essentially being a personal trainer for a company.”

O’Keefe said the rigorous course work has prepared her to move on successfully, but the people that have helped her along the way have had just as much of an impact.

Randy Pettit, who serves as a strength and conditioning coach for most athletic teams at Waynesburg University and director of the fitness center, has been helping to advise and prepare O’Keefe for her Certified Strength and Condi-

tioning Specialists [CSCS] test, as well as working with her as an athlete for the last three years.

“He’s been there to help me with anything I’ve ever needed,” said O’Keefe. “He’s had a big impact on me, and it’s awesome how he has relationships with all of the athletes. It’s something I want to do.”

Pettit said O’Keefe has always been driven to succeed and a leader in the weight room for the women’s basketball team, something he thinks will help O’Keefe succeed once she leaves Waynesburg.

“Kassidy is extremely passionate not only with her athletics here but with what she wants to do,” said Pettit. “The certification she is trying to obtain [is tough to get]. Once she gets

“Being a dual-sport athlete and in an intense academic program shows how ambitious she is, especially given how well she's done it.”

ANDY PALKO

Head Athletic Trainer O'Keefe's Academic Advisor

there she’ll be fine.”

Pettit said he has learned how much of a hard-worker O’Keefe is, to the point where she would do too much because of how selfmotivated she is.

“We’d have a team workout in the morning and then we’d find her down in the gym after,” said Pettit.

“She’s just a really good per-

son and has expanded her knowledge.”

Pettit recalled O’Keefe staying late after games to play basketball with Coach Sam Jones, Coach Mark Christner and both of their kids. “[The kids] absolutely loved that,” said Pettit. “It got my daughter excited for her spring season again.”

Pettit said O’Keefe will be prepared for her career upon graduation, and that it only helps to be the kind of person she is.

He r a c a d e m i c a d v i sor, Head Athletic Trainer and Instructor of Athletic Training Andy Palko, noticed early on how ambitious O’Keefe was.

“Being a dual-sport athlete and in an intense academic program shows how ambitious she is, especially given how well she’s done it,” said Palko. “She did two things with her internship, coaching and in fitness. I think she got something out of it. You can’t ask for a better student than Kassidy. We’ve seen the culmination for her of applying what she’s learned in the classroom, and that is good to see.”

For O’Keefe, the environment at Waynesburg has made all of the difference.

“I’ve had an awesome experience at Waynesburg,” said O’Keefe.

“I think Coach Jones has helped me a lot. A lot of people have. I want my eventual [setting] to be like here. It motivates people to work harder when you have a relationship with everyone and a closer feel. I feel like I’m as prepared as I can be and am excited for the future.”

ABOUT THE SPOTLIGHT SECTION

The senior students featured on Pages B1-B8 were selected by a faculty member from each department on the basis of an outstanding academic performance during their four years at Waynesburg. On pages CC1-CC4, the featured senior athletes were selected by their coach on the basis of outstanding athletic performance.

The spotlights are arranged in alphabetical order based on the name of the academic department or discipline or in alphabetical order by sport.

BIOLOGY

Houghton proud of ability to balance multiple commitments

By KIMMI BASTON Executive Editor

With classroom observation hours, science labs, tutoring, work, class and clubs to juggle, organization and time management were key for Jessica Houghton during her time at Waynesburg University. Staying on top of it all and doing well is, Houghton said, one of her biggest accomplishments.

Houghton spent her college career tutoring students in multiple science classes, working as an aide in the tutoring center, being a member of the biology club and the pro-life club, completing education field placements or student teaching every semester and making time for her friends. Still, she managed to take 17 or 18 credits, a full load, every semester.

Now, it’s paid off. Houghton, a biology secondary education major, was able to graduate a semester early in December 2016.

A few months later, she’s already completed one longterm substitute position in the school district where

BIOLOGY

Photo courtesy of Jessica Houghton

Jessica Houghton took on a heavy load during her three and a half years at Waynesburg, and one of her biggest accomplishments is balancing it all and still doing everything well. she grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and it was a great experience. “[The teacher] was very impressed, the principal was very impressed,” said Hougton. “Teaching alongside my old teachers was kind of weird but kind of cool at the same time.”

Those same teachers were the ones Houghton consulted when she was considering switching her major from marine biology to a biology secondary education.

“I talked to them because TIME >> B2

ATHLETIC TRAINING

Student's service translates into career Athletic training program valuable for senior's future

By KIMMI BASTON Executive Editor

Amy Smith had her sights set on Waynesburg University since she was a young teenager. Years later, just when her college search was turning up empty, Waynesburg sent her a letter – “God is calling you to Waynesburg.”

That sealed the deal. She left Copley, Ohio, to pursue a degree in forensic science at Waynesburg. Soon, however, she realized she wanted more from her career than working in a lab all day.

“I love t a l k ing wit h people, and I love science and serving others, and I thought I’d put those passions together and become a teacher,” said Smith, now a biology secondary education major.

Smith’s passion for service has become the centerpiece of her college career, in part because of her role as a Bonner Scholar. The Bonner Scholar Program provides scholarships to students who have a heart for service, and the Scholars serve hundreds of hours each year.

Smith loves the Bonner Program and found it easy to incorporate into her teaching style as she progressed through hands-on experiences in education.

“In service, I learn to be compassionate and to listen to others, and I do that in my teaching,” said Smith.

“So that really helped me become closer with my students and know more about myself as a teacher. I grew a

By KYLE DAWSON

Assistant Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of Amy Smith

Amy Smith, a biology secondary education major, has a passion for service that has shaped her college career. She has completed mission trips to Pittsburgh, Arkansas and Jamaica during her time at Waynesburg. lot as an educator because I finally decided to put others before myself.”

Smith has had the chance to put both her teaching skills and her passion for science to use on the multiple mission trips she’s participated in at the university.

In addition to working with the Pittsburgh Project and taking a trip to Jamaica to work with students who have intellectual disabilities, Smith taught science concepts to children during a mission trip to Arkansas.

While she came into college a bit unsure about biology and science in general, Smith said Dr. Janet Paladino, associate professor of biology at the university, secured her passion for the subject. Not only did Smith

become more confident in her abilities in biology thanks to Paladino, but she also became truly excited about science.

“I want to take a lot of her teaching style and techniques and put those into my classroom because she really got me excited to go to class and motivated me to do better. I think that’s what teachers should do,” said Smith.

Between her passion for science and her heart for service, Smith’s entrance into the world of teaching has been a smooth and valuable experience. She believes the Bonner Program has played a large role in defining her time at Waynesburg and said the impact she’s made on the community

surrounding the university is her favorite memory of the last four years.

“One of our missions as Bonner Scholars is to try to bridge the gap between Waynesburg University and Waynesburg as a community,” said Smith. “Working with students at [my service sites] I got to see kids grow through the program and how much they changed and how much of an impact I was making.”

Now, Smith is looking toward the future. As graduation nears, she is applying for teaching jobs both in Pennsylvania and in Ohio where she can continue to bring the skills she learned and the passions she nurtured at Waynesburg into the classroom.

A lot of kids growing up want to be a professional athlete.

For most, the dream comes to a screeching halt quickly.

Senior athletic training major Angelica Sabatini never wanted to be a professional athlete, but after having a good experience with an athletic trainer in high school, Sabatini realized her ultimate dream was to work as a trainer for a professional baseball team.

After graduation, Sabatini plans on going to California University of Pennsylvania for a oneyear graduate program and working her way up. She has already made sacrifices to prepare.

“Playing lacrosse, I can’t really work with the baseball team, so I took last year off from lacrosse to do that,” said Sabatini. “It will help with my résumé in trying to get a baseball internship and job eventually, having worked with a baseball team in undergrad.”

Her time at Waynesburg University has been stressful; the athletic training program has had several staff changes and, according to Sabatini, of a lack of consistency as a result. But

something the program has done for Sabatini, she said, is prepare her for what she wants to do, through course work and the hands-on nature of Waynesburg University’s athletic training major.

“We’ve created some good experiences,” said Sabatini. “I’ve worked mostly with male sports so it was nice working with them to see the different dynamics there.”

Sabatini said that the biggest challenge of working in athletic training is forming professional relationships with the athletes, and that is something she has been able to practice at Waynesburg.

“It’s kind of awkward at the beginning working with the teams even when you know the players,” said Sabatini.

“They don’t necessarily come to you with issues until a couple of weeks have passed, but once they do you develop the two different relationships and have to learn how to balance them.”

Sabatini said, despite the staff changes, there haven’t been any issues with clinical rotations.

Athletic training majors at Waynesburg University are required to do at least SABATINI >> B2

Page B2

April 20, 2017

BIBLICAL MINISTRY STUDIES

BIBLICAL MINISTRY STUDIES

Gen. Ed. course shifts student's trajectory Faith journey leads

By MATTIE WINOWITCH Managing Editor

Matt McDermott started out as a communication major at Waynesburg University. He loved it, that is, until he took a New Testament class.

"I was shocked about some of the things I was hearing about the Bible and about ministry," he said. "I found it fascinating."

McDermott, who switched over to Biblical Ministry Studies [BMS] in the fall of his sophomore year, took a chance on something he was intrigued with.

Three and a half years later, he's on track to get a theological degree.

Without much direction, he tried different university organizations and courses to try and figure out what he wanted to do.

"All I knew was that I wanted to learn more about the Bible and ministry,î he said.

After getting involved with YoungLife, he decided that youth ministry wasnít the direction he wanted to head in.

However, over all the

different things heís tried, there was one thing in particular that helped him aim his focus.

"I started talking to some professors who Iíve gotten close to over the years, and asked them what they did,î said McDermott. ìThe common denominator was that they all went to seminary.î From that day on, applying and getting into a theological seminary became his goal. But he said he had no idea what was going to happen next.

"I ended up getting invited to a dinner for the Stover Scholars that I wasnít even supposed to be at," he said. "That's when I was introduced to [Princeton Theological Seminary] representatives."

While Princeton was calling his name, McDermott was still unsure of his path.

Thatís when he turned to Dr. Karen Fisher-Younger, chairperson for the Humanities Department and assistant professor of History, for advice.

"She became my academic advisor in the middle of all this,î he said. ìWe started having meetings oneon-one about school and

McDermott Waynesburg. She became a mentor for me.î Younger also has a lot of respect for McDermott.

After many meetings and classesóincluding one in Romeóshe said she has many fond memories, as well as high hopes for his future.

"He ís a great student, but heís also a really great guy," said Younger. "The church would be blessed to have him."

McD er mott a ls o got close with Rev. Dr. William J. Younger, Karenís husband and lead pastor at Union Church. Along with McDermott, He has also grown.

"He ís a really sharp guy with a gift for ministry," said William. "He has a theological mind with a pastorís heart."

After much thought and

discussion, McDermott officially committed to Princeton Theological Seminary.

While he has committed there, he does want people to know that choosing a seminary is about more than the name.

"I think Princeton is the right fit for me because itís more academically focused," said McDermott.

"However, I'm not going to carry that around as if Princeton is the place where only certain types of people should go. It ís less about the name of where youíre going, and it ís more about finding the school that ís just the right fit for you."

With only a few weeks left in his undergraduate career, McDermott enjoys looking back on everything heís learned in the past four years. However, one of his biggest lessons he learned wasnít from a textbook.

"Whenever youíre here, get connected with someone you can trust that you can continue to learn from outside of the classroom on a daily basis,î said McDermott. Friendship and academics are important, but having that mentor relationship is so vital."

BUSINESS

After uncertainty, student succeeds in business

By EMILY HACKMAN

News Convergence Editor

Waynesburg University found its way on Victoria Robinson’s college search through her father, a 1997 history graduate of Waynesburg College. During her junior and senior year in high school, Robinson, a Coudersport, Pennsylvania, native, toured a great deal of schools in order to find the perfect college that fit what she imagined college and the college atmosphere would look like.

“I toured Waynesburg five times,” said Robinson. “I kept looking at other schools but always came back to Waynesburg. I knew that this was where I was supposed to go.”

Robinson came into freshman year as an exploring student with an undeclared

major. Her admissions counselor, Robert Barnhart, signed her up for an accounting class which played a major role in where she ended up today.

“I was against accounting at first,” said Robinson. “I don't think I originally realized all the working parts of the major and how well they corresponded to my academic strong-points. I pictured myself doing something in business but I never pictured myself as an accountant until I finally took my first accounting class and realized how much I enjoyed it.”

Since that class, Robinson joined the business department and will be graduating with a degree in forensic accounting.

Professor of Business Administration Anthony Bocchini has admired Robinson’s

Photo courtesy of Victoria Robinson

Senior Victoria Robinson was hesitant to choose accounting, but her Waynesburg classes guided her. work ethic and academic dedication.

“When she started here she was exploring majors and

was placed in my freshman accounting class,” said BocROBINSON >> B8

BUSINESS

Diverse options open doors for Wicker

By EMILY HACKMAN

News Convergence Editor

Doors in life open and close. The open door that brought John Wicker to Waynesburg University was his older sister.

Having a sister that was looking into colleges, Wicker went on several college tours, so his first tour of Waynesburg University happened with his sister while he was in eighth grade.

What drew him in years later was the amount of opportunities that Waynesburg University had to offer.

John Wicker is a marketing major who created his own path. Deciding not to

Wicker pick up a minor, Wicker took classes that sparked his interest. In a way, he was creating his own curriculum.

“I was taking other classes that I found interesting,” said Wicker. “I had the chance to experience courses that were outside of my major. College is a pivotal time to ask ques-

tions and to connect with other students and faculty members.”

Courses that Wicker took for the sake of learning were “Grant Writing” and “Web Concepts.” He took these classes, and classes similar to them, in order to be a well-rounded individual and to expand his tool set.

Wicker especially took interest in the ethics and philosophy courses taught

by Professor of Philosophy Scott Williams.

“It gave me a different way to think and interrupt the world,” said Wicker. “Taking those courses made me ask why before asking what and how.”

The next door that opened for Wicker was during the 2015 Ocean City Beach Project. This is where he learned critical skills including project management and leadership skills.

The next door that opened in Wicker’s life was when his connection from the Ocean City Beach Project reached out to him to become a worship leader intern. This provided him with a connection to the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO).

“I did not think that advertising would work or be the perfect fit for me,” said Wicker. “I kept asking myWICKER >> B3

Riker to career in youth ministry Desire to help others spurs choice of BMS major at WU

By MATTIE WINOWITCH Managing Editor

Casey Riker couldn't decide if she wanted to be a biblical ministry studies major or a psychology major. All she knew was that she wanted a career where she could help people.

"In high school, I had a lot of friends who had a lot of problems," said Riker. "I thought it was my job to save them."

Sometimes, she was successful in saving her friends who struggled with eating disorders and mental illnesses, but other times, their situations were too hard for her to control.

"When I was a freshman, my best friend tried to kill herself, and that made me feel like I wasnít good enough," said Riker.

But it was a sudden realization that helped her make her academic major choice: BMS. "I quickly learned it wasnít about me figuring it out," she said. 'It was about Him." Riker was originally born and baptized into Catholicism, but after a turn of events, she was uprooted from the church for a period of time.

"My parents got divorced and my mom no longer felt comfortable within the Catholic church," said Riker.

"So me and her went church shopping when I was about four, and we found and fell in love with my home church which was Hampton Presbyterian."

Since they ended up at Hampton Presbyterian, Riker and her mom have been a part of the congregation.

Whi le she loves her church now, Riker wasnít always a huge fan, but she always went, anyway. That is, until she had a personal commitment.

"Well, I started having a crush on one of the guys that played in the band," said Riker. "I always wanted to go to church just so I could see him."

To her, this was God drawing her back in.

"It's kind of funny because every time I tried to pull away from the church, God gave me reasons to stick around," said Riker.

Riker loves weddings.

Her mom is a wedding coordinator, so she always grew up around weddings.

Today, she works at Davidís Bridal and canít wait to be

Continued from B1

I had the idea [to teach], but I wanted to get what they thought because they’ve known me,” said Houghton.

“They were all encouraging and said it would be a good fit for me.”

And in fact, it was. After all the time spent tutoring students at Waynesburg, teaching was a natural step.

By the time she graduated, Houghton was wellprepared for a career as a teacher, according to Dr. Marietta Wright, associate professor of biology. The two

worked together to discuss tutoring material even before Wright had Houghton in class.

“We interacted in terms of getting on track with the information that she was going to discuss with her [tutees],” said Wright. “We would go over information if she was unfamiliar with any of that – but she wasn’t. In that capacity, she was really prepared for being a teacher.”

Wright was also impressed with Houghton’s organization, not only in classes, but also as an officer in the biology club.

“She was probably one

of my most organized students,” said Wright. “I just wish all my students were like her.”

Houghton has always been equally impressed with Wright’s commitment to her students.

“Just how she invests her time in her students – I know now as a teacher how time-consuming everything is, and she’s always done her best to give comments, to give feedback,” said Houghton.

The professors at Waynesburg overall are one of the best parts about the university for Houghton. The

whole campus feels like a close-knit family, said Houghton, and she valued the relationships she built with her professors. It’s those relationships and the insight she learned from them that she will take with her as she continues her journey toward finding a permanent science teaching position.“I could call [my professors] up any day and we could have a conversation about what we’re doing or about life in general, and they would be perfectly fine with that,” said Houghton. “I feel like I could consider them a friend down the road.”

Riker said Riker is also inspiring to her.

"She ís so positive and such a fun person to be around," said Karen Younger. "She ís going to flourish."

The Rev. Dr. William J. Younger, lead pastor at Union Church, along with Karen's husband is also very fond of Riker.

"She exudes a certain joy for the Lord that I find so refreshing," said William Younger. "God ís not going to waste any part of her story."

After graduation, Riker plans to attend Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to get her Master of Divinity degree.

She hopes to eventually become an associate youth pastor, which she explains as a more advanced youth pastor.

While she is very sure of her future now, Riker still

“Every time I tried to pull away from the church, God gave me reasons to stick around.”

CASEY RIKER

Senior Biblical Ministry Stuides Major

thinks back from time to time when her path wasn't so clear.

To anyone else feeling unsure of the plans God has for them, Riker said the best thing they can do is to just listen: "If you feel the call to ministry, whether itís scary or not, itís still your call and you need to answer it," she said.

Sabatini: AT program prepares student with hands-on experiences

Continued from B1

Time: Balancing act successful for Houghton

ordained so she can marry people herself.

Her love for weddings goes hand-in-hand with her respect for two of her biggest influences at Waynesburg University: William and Karen Younger, a married couple within the BMS Department.

"They show me what a healthy Christian couple looks like," said Riker, a girl who has seen divorce firsthand. "They give me hope for my future."

Dr. Karen Fisher-Younger, chairperson for the Humanities Department and assistant professor of History,

five hours of clinical rotations per week and 20 maximum, but Sabatini said most go over, averaging close to 30-40 hours per week.

She said that it was an adjustment—getting used to the work load and learning how to balance her class work and practical experience.

“Sophomore year is the hardest. You take some classes with Dr. Brian Hamilton that are tough and the program itself starts that year,” said Sabatini.

“You have to learn how to balance the course load with the hands-on experience.”

Sabatini acknowledged several people who have helped her along the way, including some graduate assistants and staff members, who have helped her prepare for life after graduation.

“I think I’ll be successful once I get out of Waynesburg,” said Sabatini. “Our program is different than most in when the clinical rotations and observation hours start. It’s really helpful and it prepares us well for when we enter the real world.”

Sabatini knows it will take hard work, but said working for a professional baseball team is her ultimate dream job, and said she will do everything she can to achieve it.

April 20, 2017

Page B3

CHEMISTRY

Work in chemistry field feeds student's passion for teaching

By MITCHELL KENDRA Copy Editor

Kristen Wilson, a senior secondary education chemistry major, always knew that she wanted to be a teacher.

After her first day of kindergarten, she returned home and expressed to her parents that she wanted to be a teacher. Although she wasn't sure what she wanted to teach yet, she knew that teaching was what she wanted to do.

Her parents thought she would grow out of it, but Wilson's desire to become a teacher only grew, she said she fell in love with science in seventh grade.

During her sophomore year at Washington High School in Washington, Pennsylvania, Wilson had a chemistry course that became a

major factor in her decision to attend Waynesburg University.

She liked how chemistry combined both math and science and she then realized the subject that she wanted to pursue a teaching degree in. Her teacher was also an alumnus of Waynesburg University and had gone through the program several years before Wilson would.

"I talked to him about the program and could tell he had received a great education in both chemistry and education, so I decided it was a school to look into and apply for," Wilson said.

Dr. Evonne Baldauff, chairperson for the Chemistry and Forensic Science Department, had reached out to Wilson before she had even stepped on campus and

it made her feel welcomed.

"When I came back for an interview with the chemistry department for a scholarship, I met Dr. Evonne Baldauff," Wilson recalled. She instantly took an interest in who I was and what she believed I would offer the school. It wasn't just about what the school would offer me but what I'd offer them.

Wilson said after she first sat down with Baldauff during her first semester to talk about her future at the university, she knew her experience here would be different here than anywhere else.

"That's when I first was like, 'This is very different' because I wasn't just a number, I was a student in her class and I was one of her advisees and she was talking an interest in my personal

plans for Waynesburg," Wilson said.

This interest continued on throughout the rest of Wilson's time at Waynesburg.

Her relationship with Baldauff grew, which allowed Wilson, who is a commuter, to take advantage of Baldauff 's open door policy.

The relationship that the two have developed gave the opportunity for Baldauff to encourage Wilson with all aspects of her life.

"Not only is she my professor and advisor, but sheís been my biggest cheerleader," Wilson said.

Baldauff 's impact on Wilson won't end after Wilson graduates though, because Baldauff makes it a priority to create lifelong relationships with her students. After their relationship grew,

Baldauff realized that Wilson would be a good candidate for an award.

"If I hadn't known her so well, I might not have been able to give her such good recommendations or even recognized that she would be a perfect fit for this award, so it's little things like that," said Baldauff.

Although she had made up her mind that she wanted to pursue teaching chemistry, she didn't know what level she wanted to teach, her professors at Waynesburg pushed her to possibly pursue graduate school to become a college professor. She became involved in a research program with Baldauff and thought about attending graduate school to pursue a teaching degree in higher education.

But she remembered her experience during her freshman year when she was able to work alongside her teacher, the one who inspired her to attend Waynesburg.

"I really loved the high school classroom and the opportunity you have to be that first layer of teaching kids chemistry and really seeing them just discover the base layer of chemistry before they even go to college," she remembered.

Wilson said that she would like to complete a graduate course and some research at some point in the future because she has interests in both aspects of the field.

For now, she plans to look for a job as a high school chemistry teacher, hopefully locally, and will see where that journey takes her future.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

College helps Hawley become 'well-rounded' CJ major prepares

for Duquesne Law

By TEGHAN SIMONTON Managing Editor

When it comes to Amy Hawley, senior criminal justice major and psychology minor, they word that comes to mind is “well-rounded.” At least that’s how it is for Adam Jack, chairperson for the Criminal Justice and Social Sciences Department.

“I find her to be excellent in the classroom,” said Jack. “She excels in her communication skills, both written and oral.

She is a very spiritual person.

She has really embraced the mission of Waynesburg University…I find her to be a very mature person for her age— she’s deliberate or intentional in all of her actions. She as a super kind heart—she is just a tremendous young lady that I have the utmost respect for.”

Hawley came to Waynesburg University from Columbus, Ohio.

In her four years at the school, she has held various positions in the Criminal Justice Club, had an active involvement with the Special Olympics of Greene county, served as the Upper Room testimony coordinator and became the director of the Kyros retreat.

Hawley said she has learned a lot of practical skills through her experiences—lessons she can carry with her as she pursues a master’s degree. She sees her time at the university as testament to her faith— knowing that even when things happen unexpectedly, it will all work out in the end.

“I think the leadership qual-

By TEGHAN SIMONTON Managing Editor

Photo courtesy of Amy Hawley

Senior Amy Hawley has been involved in multiple clubs and activities on campus, includng criminal justice club, Special Olympics of Greene County and others. ities that I’ve had to learn, and being able to know when to lead and how to lead based on different personalities,” said Hawley. “Humility is always a big thing; I think that as a leader, respect is given if it’s gained. And just, I’ve learned that if I approach everything from a Christ-centered place, [a] rooted ideology, it usually works out better than I could’ve ever imagined in working out in the first place.”

Hawley said attending Waynesburg wasn’t her first choice, before God intervened.

“Waynesburg was not my first plan,” she said. “I had planned to go play soccer at a different school, and I had some pretty bad knee injuries that I didn’t feel confident going on a scholarship that I could lose so far away from home.”

Then her high school English teacher handed her a manila folder, filled with in-

formation about Waynesburg University.

Looking back, Hawley remembers she was not disappointed by the change in plans, quickly deciding that Waynesburg was where she was meant to be.

“The more I spent time around professors [and] previous students and just kind of heard more about the faith mission,” she said. “I felt that this was the place that God intended me to spend my four years. And I’ve been pleasantly pleased and happy with that decision.”

Her professors have been pleased too. Jack said that Hawley has evolved greatly over the past four years, but she has always impressed him as uncommonly compassionate and thoughtful.

“I really admire where she is at such a young age,” said Jack.

“Especially in her responsible nature and confidence in her opinion and faith. Never ever

is she overbearing…she has that ability to know when to speak up and to know when to let somebody else speak up – very kindhearted.”

Jack is positive that Hawley will be successful in her future endeavors. She is already enrolled in Waynesburg University’s Masters program, pursuing a degree in Advanced Criminal Investigation, and she hopes to attend law school and work in a field that allows her “to help advocate for others who don’t have a voice.”

Hawley knows that her undergraduate years at Waynesburg have prepared her well.

“I feel like I have had the ability to almost be a part of so many different entities— whether it be campus ministry or work study or through my major or extracurricular activities—that I really feel I’ve been able to just sort of drain the sponge of Waynesburg out until it was dry, and really experience everything in some

COMMUNIC ATION

Triplet finds her own identity at WU

By TIFFANY MORGAN Editorial Assistant

Lindsay Orzechowski was always known as "the triplet."

Her sisters, Rachel and Lauren, have always been a big part of her life, and Orzechowski having grown up with them, wanted to attend higher education with them. However, that wouldn't be the result, as she found Waynesburg University and realized she had to branch away from her sisters to make her own dreams come true.

"When college searching, obviously I still wanted to be with my sisters but I was the one who decided to separate just due to academics," said Orzechowski. "They really made Westminster their home, where I made Waynesburg my home and I found my own identity by being known as just Lindsay, not the triplet."

Orzechowski found Waynesburg University when former Director of Admissions Jessica Sumpter arrived at her high school in Erie, Pennsylvania, to recruit incoming freshmen. At the time, Orzechowski was a junior.

During that year, Orzechowski

Photo courtesy of Lindsay Orzechowski

After deciding to go to college away from her sisters, Lindsay Orzechowski said she's found great experiences, a home and love at Waynesburg. was taking a graphic design course and learning how to work Adobe Photoshop and discovered her talent with design.

After doing some research, Orzechowski took interest in Waynesburg University because of the religious background and the size of campus, in addition to their program for digital design.

Along with the mission of Waynesburg, education was another factor that lured Orzechowski to the university.

"I kind of found Waynesburg myself and my dad was super impressed that I was the one who went out and searched for the best education possible for me," said Orzechowski. "Education and the class size, and obviously

financially, it was the best decision for me."

Majoring in digital design, Orzechowski started her journey at Waynesburg.

She later added a marketing minor to add further depth to her education.

When arriving, Orzechowski's main focus during her freshman years was sports. It wasnít until sophomore year that Orzechowski got involved in the Department of Communication.

Assistant Professor of Communication Dr. Chad Sherman noticed her heavy involvement in the department her sophomore year.

"She's helped recruit for the design major and the design minor really hardcore. She's done a great job of selling the program and really growing in that," said Sherman. "She's helped us grow in numbers and interest in the design field."

Sherman said although she will be graduating, he knows that they will keep in touch throughout the years to come.

A memorable part of Orzechowski's time when getTRIPLET >> B5

Four years ago, Evan Pennington, senior criminal justice major and accounting minor, would have never predicted he would be where he is today.

Graduating from Waynesburg University and preparing to attend Duquesne Law School on a full ride, Pennington said his years of undergraduate education changed his entire outlook.

"Waynesburg kind of helped my confidence a little bit," said Pennington. "Coming into school here, I never would have thought that Iíd be going to law school, honestly.

But teachers working with me, doing well in classes, it just opened up my eyes that maybe I had a little bit more potential than I'd ever thought of."

Pennington came to the university from Shaler, Pennsylvania. When he was looking for higher education, Waynesburgís criminal justice program stood out to him.

"The criminal justice [program] here really stood out to me and how hands-on they were," he said. "The instructors I talked to were all very knowledgeable in their own fields; you know, they've all worked in their particular place in law enforcement or criminal justice system. And I just thought that their experience was good for the program and good for me, learning."

Like most college students, Pennington faced some challenge, like adding his accounting minor, for example ñ which he said required some difficult courses and didn't come to me quite as easily."

But he found that the encouragement and availability of faculty members helped him make it through.

"I think Waynesburg taught me how to manage my time and be a little bit more organized with keeping on top of things, assignments," he said.

"I love my major. Wouldn't

have changed that because I've made so many good connections with all of my teachers and also I've made some friends that are going to last me a lifetime, so thatís irreplaceable."

During his time at Waynesburg, Pennington was involved with Men's Club Volleyball, the Criminal Justice Club and once, WUís Line.

Pennington also works now at a law firm, and is a Leadership Scholar. According to James Tanda, Pennington has grown a lot over the years, especially when it comes to his ambition.

"I think like any 18-year-old college student coming in, he has matured a lot," said Tanda.

"I think he has become more of a critical thinker. I think he has grown in a lot of areas in terms of how he envisions himself for the future."

According to Tanda, Pennington has stood out primarily because of his character.

"I think Evan has a very nice, unique sense of compassion for others," said Tanda.

"You know, some inherent leadership skills. But a key focus on his academics, you know, what matters. I think that has really helped him, and professors notice that."

Looking back on his experiences, Pennington is surprised at himself for making it so far, and encourages all students to believe in their own potential.

"Remember that it is, essentially, your job," he said.

"And if you don't do well at your current job, you're going to find it harder to accomplish things later and life and get where you want to go. So, take school seriously, but remember that you do need to enjoy it and have fun."

Tanda is certain that Pennington's hard work has paid off, and he will be successful in any future endeavors.

"The world has no limits, the world is open to him," said Tanda. "I suspect he'll do very well in law school, and I think we should be very proud of him and everything that he's done in the last four years."

Wicker: Graduate plans to migrate to Memphis Continued from B2

self what I would want in life, what would be the next steps and what matters to me.”

That is when the CCO started to play a larger role in his life. The CCO is an organization that calls to college students to serve Jesus Christ with their entire lives through an interdenominational Christian ministry. There is a small CCO organization present on Waynesburg University’s

campus.

Upon graduation, Wicker has accepted a year-long position with the CCO at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee.

“The CCO will be a big move for my future. It is a program that connects local churches to campus communities across the country,” said Wicker. “It has me asking what is next. I am curious, terrified and fascinated about being uprooted from southwestern Pennsylvania and building a community from the ground up.”

Page B4

April 20, 2017

ENGLISH

Student incorporates passions for English, movies and travel

By ANTONIO PELULLO For the Yellow Jacket

From her home in Denver, Colorado, senior English literature major Jodie Alexander grew up on cassette tapes, watching films with her father, who was a film editor.

Alexander would develop a passion for film, watching movies throughout her childhood.Alexander would eventually turn that passion in her youth to guide her through her college career.

"I honed into something more artistic that fits in with my English major heart, really, even though I still love all kinds of movies," said Alexander. "I just love movies in general. I don't really care as long as it has some really good characters and some sort of a plot; even if it doesn't have a plot, I can still enjoy it."

In Alexander's major, she has a lot of writing to do. Professor Jill Sunday, director of the Writing Center sees talent in Alexander's writing.

"She's trained herself in the art of critical thinking," said Sunday, "She knows to look beyond the superficial and to

Photo courtesy of Jodie Alexander

Senior English Literature major Jodie Alexander, right, took her lifelong love of movies and travel and applied them to her skills in English to help her determine her future career. draw out the different layers of complexity that are often missed."

These skills have translated into other responsibilities, as Alexander works in the Writing Center. She has been of great help to Sunday.

"She's been one of the leaders [in the Writing Center]," said Sunday. "I can't be there all the time, so it's good to

have somebody step into a bit of a leadership role, and she's certainly done that. And like I said: she's a very compassionate and informed tutor."

Along with being a member of the writing center, Alexander has been a part of Waynesburg’s literary magazine, Muse & Stone, since her freshman year.

"I have some poetry, and

this year upcoming, some fiction published in the Muse & Stone, the school’s literary magazine. And I've been on the committee and club since freshman year, and that's been a big help to the university to help get the art out there," said Alexander.

Since coming to Waynesburg, Alexander has also had the opportunity to explore

EDUC ATION

her art work.

"In elementary school, I was told I'm not a good artist," said Alexander, “I didn't really try to do art until recently. I think my freshman year I was in a counseling class; we had to do a selfcare project and mine was to sketch book everyday— which didn’t happen—but I drew more than I ever had

before, and so I'm slowly just working up to that."

With all that she has accomplished at Waynesburg, Alexander has always appreciated the value of flying across the United States to earn a degree for her career.

"I think the cost benefit analysis was it worth it to have to fly here every time, and I definitely think it was worth it," said Alexander, "Even though plane rides cost a lot and I couldn't go home as often I think, the differences of culture, and the fact I found people in this area made it worth it."

After receiving her degree Alexander will travel back to Denver, where she will intern with the YMCA. Plans for after the internship are undecided, but Alexander would love to get an opportunity in the film industry.

"I think that would be an amazing," said Alexander, "This job I have with the YMCA is a summer thing and it's definitely temporary and I don't know what I am going to do after that, but something like that or publishing would be ideal."

COMMUNIC ATION

Semester abroad inspires future teacher Stanko reflects on broadcast memories

By ANNIE MCGLAUGHLIN

News Convergence Editor

The first time Taylor Garrett visited Waynesburg, she sat in a Dr. James Bush class.

Unlike most high school seniors, Garrett answered a question. At that moment, she knew Waynesburg was where she belonged.

Garrett was offered a generous scholarship, which made her journey to the university possible. Since then, Garrett, an education major, has traveled out of the country with the university twice: once for a mission trip, and most recently studied abroad.

Waynesburg has challenged her through the years.

Garrett remembers being distinctly overwhelmed on move-in day as a freshman.

Now, looking back, she is thankful the school has shaped her to be mindful for relationships.

“The encounters with people here have made me realize that progress and

"You have to live every day with happiness and joy... hopefully that joy will spread to all as well.”

TAYLOR GARRETT

Senior Math Secondary Education Major

achievement are important, but they are not the most important thing as a person,” said Garrett.

As a student teacher, Garrett has enjoyed building those relationships with her students.

“I loved seeing my students outside of school and watching them succeed. I had the opportunity to work a track meet and recently saw the school play,” said Garrett.

“They became more engaged when we built that relationship.”

After she leaves Waynesburg, Garrett hopes to maintain those relationships with a sense of gratitude to the faculty, staff and God for making her time at Waynesburg well spent.

“I want to let them know they’re still very important to

me,” Garrett said. “Waynesburg has been an amazing place the last four years and it was all made possible with that scholarship. God has already done so much and he will continue to.”

In Fall 2016, Garrett made the decision to travel to Costa Rica to study abroad for her penultimate semester.

“It was the best decision ever,” said Garrett.

She fell in love with the Latin American culture after she attended a mission trip during her senior year of high school.

“I had a desire to study abroad and it worked out for senior year if I didn’t want to take the option of graduating early.” said Garrett.

During her time abroad, Garrett’s original path for after graduation changed.

Garrett is taking a leap year and traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico to be in the Young Adult Volunteer Program. Although there is some teaching in the job description, she will be doing other duties as well.

“I’m taking a year to find out if public school is where I want to spend my career, this year will hopefully show me if I want to do that,” said Garrett. “I do want to be a teacher in capacity. I’m just not sure what capacity yet.”

When asked about what she would tell students continuing their education at Waynesburg, Garrett gave a Spanish quote she had heard from a beloved Spanish professor of hers, “Hay que vivir la lucha con alegira.” The quote means “You have to live the fight with happiness.”

“You have to live everyday with happiness and joy and that will make you an overall more [positive] person, but hopefully that joy will spread to all as well,” said Garrett.

EDUC ATION

College career a chance to grow in faith

By ANNIE MCGLAUGHLIN

News Convergence Editor

Denell Cormany visited ten other schools before visiting Waynesburg University.

She was drawn to the Christian atmosphere but didn’t know why, or the affect it would have on her later in her career.

“God seemed like a good thing then but I wasn’t sold,” said Cormany, a senior early childhood and special education major.

Cormany, both a student athlete of the cross-country team and resident assistant, has grown through her faith immensely in her time at Waynesburg.

She attributes many people in her life for taking her deeper than she could of ever imagined.

“Waynesburg has been the place where I have found growth. It has been the people both involved in the University and in the community that have challenged me,” said Cormany. “They have found it important to pour their wisdom and faith into me.”

Waynesburg has prepared her for the trial and errors of being a teacher.

“The education department does a really nice job of preparing students to be

Photo courtesy of Denell Cormany

Senior Early Childhood and Special Education major Denell Cormany's college education helped her grow in her faith as well as her knowledge. teachers. The staff of professors is dynamic and talented," said Cormany.

Her favorite part of teaching is building meaningful relationships with her fellow professionals and students.

“My host teacher, Mrs. Shiflett, has been especially helpful in challenging me to reach my greatest potential as a teacher,” said Cormany.

“Her faith, patience, and grace has been an inspiration to me.”

After graduation, Cor-

many is trusting that God will lead her where she is needed.

“God’s plans are not my own…the options are endless,” said Cormany.

She is working in a first grade classroom through the organization of Summer Reinforcement Program back in her hometown of Medina, Ohio for the summer.

It is a non-profit organization funded through United Way that helps give

students that have completed first grade but aren’t completely ready for second grade get caught up.

Although some of her friends are eager for graduation, Cormany said she’s really going to miss Waynesburg.

“Like every institution, there are imperfections, but it has been the place I called home for four years,” said Cormany. “I have a heart for the people of Waynesburg. I will be sad to leave.”

Waynesburg has shaped her into the person she is today and couldn’t be more thankful for that.

“As a disciple, God has taken me deeper than I could ever imagine. I honestly think college is a pivotal point for people in their growth as disciples of Christ,” said Cormany.

“It was for me. I’ve learned that I belong to Christ, I’m bound to fail, but I’m saved

by His grace.”

However, her most important advice is to trust in the Lord.

“Pray that you would learn to do so more than you already do. Ask the people you care about most what they’ve gone through to learn to trust in Him. Challenge yourself to trust in Him more than you ever thought possible.”

Student makes the most of his final days as a WU announcer

By COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Staff Writer

Andrew Stanko is a communications major with an emphasis in sports broadcasting/sports information from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

“I spoke with Bill [Molzon] on April 20, 2012, I was a junior, and then later went to the sports announcing camp after I graduated,” Stanko said. “I had already picked Waynesburg.”

Chairperson for the Communication Department, Richard Krause, thinks ver y highly of Stanko. “[Stanko] represents the ideals of the department,” said Krause. “We look at students who are going to come here and are going to succeed in the classroom, they are going to have good grade point averages.”

Stanko was involved in over 20 department activities, as well as co-curricular activities, including WUSN football, WUSN basketball and Jacket Sports Weekly.

Other experiences include WCTV productions “Plead Your Case” and “The Waynesburg Effect” and play-by-play for football, basketball, baseball and softball.

“It has been really great to see him develop here and become a strong announcer, I think he will do really well in the field,” Krause said.

Stanko also has worked over 70 games as a broadcaster for MSA Sports Network during his four years at Waynesburg. He has been so active with the MSA Sports Network that he has been picked to announce play-by-play for some of the most significant local high school sporting events in the area.

“My biggest accomplishment would probably be getting picked by MSA to do a District Championship football game and a District Championship basketball game at Heinz Field and the Peterson Events Center,” Stanko said. “They do not have any other reason to put me in that situation other than that I am good.”

Krause has been able

to tune in and listen to Stanko on the MSA Sports Network on Friday nights, and spoke on Stanko’s development that has occurred during his years at Waynesburg University.

“I had the opportunity to be driving with my father and Andy was doing a report and he did it so well,” Krause said. “I will always remember that moment.

That was an opportunity for me to share with my father the work of one of my students as it was happening and it was a great moment.”

Among Stanko’s many memories made on campus and the fourth floor of Buhl hall, one stands out in particular.

“My best memory is easily the PAC Championship game as a sophomore in 2015 for men's basketball,” Stanko said. “…I was really sick that day so it felt like I was yelling the whole time just to get my voice, but it

“[Stanko] represents the ideals of the department.”

RICHARD KRAUSE

Chairperson for the Department of Communication

was a really good game and a really good broadcast.

The only way it would have been better is if we would [have] won that game."

According to Stanko, his goal after graduation is to find something that he really loves doing and stick to it.

“He wi l l have lef t Waynesburg better then when [he] first arrived,” Krause said. “As a faculty, we always look for good students in our classes and we are fortunate that up here we have a lot of good students. They make it a joy to be teaching them and they make the work experience a really good one for us. When you have great kids, you have a great experience.”

Stanko, after he does his final Waynesburg broadcast and holds his diploma, wants to be remembered most as a hard worker. “[I want to be known as] somebody who did high quality work all the time, somebody who prepared and did really well in whatever I was involved in,” said Stanko.

April 20, 2017

Page B5

ENGLISH

Muse & Stone editor finds solace in college friends, writing

By RACHEL MANGAN Editorial Assistant

How she got to Waynesburg University is a bit different than the way most people take when they choose to attend Waynesburg University, but a postcard in the mail with promises of a free t-shirt was enough to draw her first interest.

Kari Hanlin not only got her free t-shirt, but made the life changing decision to spend the following four years on the campus of Waynesburg University.

Hanlin has spent her time on campus as an english major with a concentration in creative writing.

College isn’t a simple transition for anyone, but for Hanlin, who has struggled with anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, the transition proved to be even more difficult.

Even with the support of her friends, dealing with her stress and anxiety still wasn’t easy, but Hanlin found solace in her writing. Channeling her anxieties into her writing proved to be a great way of alleviating those feelings and have been some of her best works.

Photo courtesy of Kari Hanlin

After struggling with anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [OCD], Kari Hanlin, second from left, an English major at Waynesburg University, was able to cope through her strong friend group.

"In all the reading I’ve done, there are so many female protagonists out there, but there are hardly any representations of small town girls who love where they are from, but want to change the attitude," Hanlin said.

She described that in most cases, a character with a mental illness, especially female characters, are often portrayed as weak. They are portrayed as lesser despite the fact that just being able to deal with their issues makes them strong to begin with.

Hanlin aims to change that, both in writing and real life.

"Everyone deserves to have a strong character to relate to, to know that they are not alone," said Hanlin.

One of Hanlin's future goals is to work for a women’s organization; she wants to empower women through writing as a way of "writing from the ground up."

In her freshman year, Hanlin wrote the short story "Love's a Kind of Lottery" that got published in the Muse and Stone magazine.

FINE ARTS

Three years later, she wanted to use it to apply to graduate school, but no longer had the transcript.

Instead, she rewrote the story from memory and added seven pages. Hanlin will graduate as the executive editor of the Muse and Stone, a magazine which featured countless numbers of her works throughout her time at Waynesburg.

In her four years at Waynesburg, Hanlin has had many successes, but she thanks those who encour-

aged and pushed her to reach her goals. Hanlin described two professors to be especially influential in her success. Describing her advisor and her writing center boss as ìyin and yang,î Dr. Richard Pierce and Jill Sundayís differing approaches to writing pushed Hanlin to be a well-rounded and skilled writer.

Pierce was described as a professor who knew exactly what he wanted out of a student and what the student was capable of doing.

"I started with a mentality that I was a good writer and that I could write a quality paper on the night before," said Hanlin. "I tried that once, but he knew that I’d put off doing it, he knew I could do much better than that."

And that’s exactly what he did. Hanlinís writing was strongly developed through his mentorship and his desire to see his students succeed and write to their full potential.

Sunday also had a strong impact on Halinís life and development as a writer.

Sunday taught Hanlin to ìown her past and how her experiences shaped her.î ìJill [Sunday] taught me that, writing isn’t about making a better paper; it’s about making a better writer,î Hanlin said.

Hanlin will graduate from Waynesburg as a highly accomplished writer, a tutor to many in the writing center, president of Sigma Tau Delta and the executive editor of the Muse and Stone.

But as long as she’s writing in the company of a corgi and ìlibrary to die forî she will be happy no matter where she ends up.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Despite love for Football team became family to senior leaves hometown, student Dunmire behind legacy finds place at WU and memories

By BRENDAN KEANY Op/Ed Editor

There are people who are filled with love and passion for their home town, then there’s Emily Mielcarek, who lives and breathes Buffalo, New York.

She loves hot dogs, but of course, they have to be Sahlen’s, because if they’re not Sahlen’s, are they really even hot dogs? Her chicken wings need to be crispy and hot but not too saucy, and for the love of all things holy, please do not say anything that could be construed as negative towards the Buffalo Bills. Needless to say, she has every intention of returning to her home.

While it was tough to leave Buffalo and come to Waynesburg University, Mielcarek saw an opportunity at the school that few others offered: the ability to get involved in the theatre program right away.

That was part of her criteria while choosing schools. She looked for a school that would offer an international studies major with a minor in theatre, and Waynesburg fit the mold.

“Before I came to Waynesburg, and I was looking at schools, I kind of always held the idea of musical theatre in the back of my brain,” said

Mielcarek. “I didn’t think it was plausible because I wouldn’t necessarily get a job, but I’ve always loved theatre, so when I came to Waynesburg and realized they had a small, hands-on theatre department that would allow me to get involved backstage, onstage and taking theatre classes, it definitely sparked my interest.”

Now a graduating senior, Mielcarek just finished her 13th theatre production at Waynesburg, but it only represents a small fraction of the 43 productions she has been a part of throughout her musical career – a career in which she has no intentions of walking away from any time in the near future.

“Buffalo has a thriving theatre community, so I have the opportunity to get involved in professional, semi-professional, regional and community theatre,” said Mielcarek.

“I intend to audition for the “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Niagara Falls Regional Theatre for the summer.”

Beyond, theatre, however, Mielcarek has developed a soft spot for helping people, and specifically, refugees. Buffalo is home to a large refugee pop-

BUFFALO >> B8

By SHON MEADE Managing Editor

When it comes to starting out in college, one of the hardest challenges for some students is making friends.

However, that wasnít the issue for senior environmental science major Devin Dunmire.

Being a member of the Waynesburg University football team gave him the ability to move in early during his freshman year, which helped him get a jump on forging life long friendships.

Looking back at those times now, four years later, Dunmire reflected on just how great friendships can be.

"I've been close with a few guys that I've lived with throughout my four years here, we've lived on the same floor together," said Dunmire.

One of those friends, Dunmire said, has a birthday April 1 so every year they get together to prank him.

"We do some crazy stuff," Dumire said. "This year we saran wrapped everything in his room."

These things, and more, are some of the things Dunmire will miss most about his time at Waynesburg.

His journey to the university started out just like any

Photo courtesy of Devin Dunmire

After coming to Waynesburg, Devin Dunmire found his place with the football team, where he was able to meet many friends and make memories. other students', weighing options on where to go.

From Leechburg, Pennsylvania, just shy of an hour North of Pittsburgh, Dunmire was debating between other schools in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. Waynesburg, being the farthest for him, but, was the most affordable and it gave him the chance to play football, so he took it.

Now he sees how great of a choice that was.

"Just looking at every senior on the football team," Dunmire said "We talk like weíve known each other our whole lives."

Dunmire has had an internship with the school through Mercury Monitor, which is located right outside Stewart

FINE ARTS

Art major provides blank canvas for Wiedner

By BRENDAN KEANY Op/Ed Editor

Before she came to Waynesburg University, Wiedner made the decision to do what she loved as opposed to what will likely get her the most money. Four years later, it appears that she made the correct decision.

“I loved art my entire life, but I never looked at it as an option because it’s not practical, everyone says you’re just a starving artist, you’re not going to make any money,” said senior Emily Wiedner on the general, as well as her own, attitude on art.

When Wiedner initially applied to Waynesburg, she indicated that she would be a forensic science major, but just before arriving to campus, she changed her mind and decided art would be a more enjoyable career path.

“I took a forensic science in high school during my senior year, and I didn’t like it,” said Wiedner. “I was always in the art room, I’d skip classes to stay in the art room, and I just decided that’s what I was meant do, and I was going to do it.”

Originally, her parents weren’t too keen on the idea— it meant likely giving up a higher paying job, or perhaps even a job at all.

However, their opinions changed for the better when Wiedner’s passion and talent translated into a decorated career at Waynesburg, and an opportunity to further her art education through a prestigious master’s program at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

“I’ve been involved in everything in the arts on campus,” Wiedner said. “I’ve also done things outside of school in the arts. I’ve gotten my work into

different shows and just from the senior exhibition I just had, I got so much positive feedback.”

The native of Somerset, Pennsylvania liked the freedom that the Fine Arts Department at Waynesburg gave.

This worked well for Wiedner as she enjoys working with a variety of media.

“I like to do all kinds of [media], which was a really big draw for me,” she said. “The senior art exhibition-a lot of schools you have to apply to do that-it’s not mandatory, and that was an experience I really wanted to have.”

She came to Waynesburg and double majored in art and art administration, and both of these disciplines represent what Wiedner wants to do with her career.

“I would really like manage and own a gallery or studio space,” she said. “A place where

any artist, whether it’s just a hobby or it’s your career—you can just come, teach classes, make work, show your work.

But I’d also like to make art.”

She had the opportunity to put her goals into action during an internship in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where she was able to test out how much she liked working with art on an administrative level.

She was even able to teach some classes, which is not something she was necessarily prepared for, but that’s because she’s more of a doer than a teacher.

Wiedner also believes the Fine Arts department at Waynesburg prepared her well for what lies ahead beyond its walls.

“Despite how small it is and how unrecognized it can be at times, it was a great program, and I am so happy that I came here.”

Science Hall and serves the purpose of monitoring mercury levels in rainwater.

Dunmire said he learned how an industrial company would set up the mercury monitor and how they regulate and send the shipments to and from.

Friendships with his classmates weren't the only bonds that have been formed over Dunmire's time in college, as the professors have also left a mark on him.

Dr. Janet Paladino, Dr. Wayne Rossiter and Dr. Marietta Wright are a few of his favorites professors, but he loved Wright's classes the most.

"She is really smart," Dunmire said. "She can dumb anything down so you understand

it then work your way up to the more advanced stuff. She is really good at what she does."

Throughout his time at Waynesburg, he realized something very important.

"I realized how close I was with my friends," said Dunmire.

As Dunmire continues to grow, he looks back at his time in high school and even college, and the constant thing between the two are friendships.

"I always thought my friends from high school would be the ones I stayed close with, and I still am," said Dunmire. "But the friends I've made here will be life long friends and I am glad that I came here because of it."

Triplet: Opportunities at WU lead student to school away from family Continued from B3

ting involved in the Department of Communications was meeting her fiance, John Lydic. She met him in a design class her sophomore year.

"He approached me on Facebook and congratulated me, saying good luck on my interview," said Orzechowski.

"From then on, we just started hanging out and he never asked me out but we just kind of knew."

Richard Krause, chairperson for the Department of Communication, recognized Orzechowski's growing skills throughout her years at Waynesburg over the course of Orzechowski's college career.

"With Lindsay's contribution to the department, she has

accepted a lot of different roles within AIGA, the yearbook.

She has really taken on a leadership role," said Krause. "Her willingness to speak on recruiting panels for me too, she has done a lot of extra work and I appreciate that greatly."

Now that the semester is coming to a close, Orzechowski is appreciative of her time spent at Waynesburg.

"Going in and realizing that college is so limited for some students and very expensive and hard to maintain and get ahold of when you're in college, now it just makes me have a better overall appreciation of the time, money and effort I put into getting a higher education," said Orzechowski. "I am going to definitely cry my little heart out when it comes to walking across the stage."

Page B6

April 20, 2017

FORENSIC SCIENCE

Newbauer goes 'above and beyond' in and out of the classroom

By HOLLY HENDERSHOT Staff Writer

Even with two scientific majors and a minor, no matter how difficult academics got for Morgan Newbauer, she continued to push forward and take advantage of every opportunity she could during her time at Waynesburg University.

Newbauer, from East Liverpool, Ohio, is graduating with majors in both forensic science and pre-medical studies and a minor in chemistry. In addition, Newbauer is graduating with honors and one of the highest grade point averages ever seen within her majors, according to Michael Cipoletti, professor of Forensic Science, who advised her in her freshman year at Waynesburg.

Many of the faculty who knew and worked with Newbauer credit much of her success to her great work ethic, dedication and dependability.

"She really treated it like it was her job," said Cipoletti.

"She didn't just come to class and study for tests. You could

tell that she put time in on her classes even outside of class."

Faith Musko, instructor of forensic science and Newbauer's academic advisor, recognized Newbauer as a wonderful role model for other students.

"She is always ready for a new challenge," said Musko.

"She takes things on. Those hurdles might be there, but she always strives to overcome the hurdles and doesnít allow them to consume her."

Even while keeping herself focused on her grades, Newbauer was involved in many activities outside of classes.

She joined Gamma Sigma Epsilon, the national honors society for chemistry, became Vice President of the Forensic Science Club, volunteered at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, and even played volleyball in her freshman and sophomore years at college. It didn't stop there. She tutored for a statistics class, helped plan the fall Mock Crime Scene events for high school students, served as an administrator for CSI camps in the summer and

Photo courtesy of Morgan Newbauer

Morgan Newbauer said one of her greatest achievements at Waynesburg was successfully completing her undergraduate research project. did a summer internship at the Beaver Medical Center in Beaver, Pennsylvania.

Through everything that she has done on and off campus, Newbauer is especially proud of her undergraduate research project, in which she determined the amount of catalase in various potatoes.

"The reason I did this was because I read an article that said the more catalase you

eat, the faster you may age," said Newbauer.

Newbauer spent three semesters on her project. The first semester was preparation work, including background research and gathering materials. In the second semester of her project, she performed about 40 hours of in-lab research. She finished her final semester by writing a thesis paper, and she show-

HISTORY

cased her work on Friday, April 7, at the Waynesburg University Research Symposium.

"The most exciting part about the project was being able to complete it in the time that I had and actually being able to understand the results and see how different foods affect your body," said Newbauer.

Dr. Marietta Wright, New-

bauer's research advisor, said Newbauer went above and beyond what was expected of her in her research project.

"She committed herself to weekly experiments and working on her paper and reading to produce a successful research project," said Wright.

Newbauer said that the most important thing she has learned through her activities at Waynesburg University is communication skills, as it will help her in interviews and her future career.

"I want to go to med school and [become] a doctor, [which] is very interactive," Newbauer said.

After she graduates, Newbauer plans to take a year off before pursuing a job as a Certified Nursing Assistant and applying for certification to substitute teach math.

Newbauer advises other students to put a lot of time into their education.

"If youíre paying for it, you might as well put into it what you have to offer. I know that I did," said Newbauer. "And in the end I have a lot of achievements to be proud of."

FORENSIC SCIENCE

Merten makes advancements, Means follows lifelong changes in college activities passion for forensics at WU

By JOE SMELTZER Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Michael Merten

During the Fall semester of his senior year, history major Michael Merten studied abroad at St. Mary's University College in Belfast.

Time spent studying abroad helps student extend experiences found back on Waynesburg's campus

By MATTHEW SHINKLE Editorial Assistant

Michael Merten, having graduated from North Warren Regional High School in Blairstown, New Jersey, wanted the college of his choice to either have a big name or be Christianbased.

Upon making his decision, however, he realized he could have easily felt lost on a large campus, while a smaller, Christian school felt connected.

As opposed to other schools he looked at, such as Grove City College, he felt a much more overall welcoming and positive atmosphere at Waynesburg University. Luckily for the university, Merten's decision was easy.

During his four years on campus, Merten has been an incredibly active and vital role in the eyes of his thousand plus classmates.

He's been involved in theatre throughout his entire time on campus, starting with "The Uninvited" his freshman year in the fall and continuing to take part in plays all through college, including two musicals as well.

One of his most notable contributions for the history department was when Merten, along with Vincent Wise, helped start the history club during his sophomore year. This initiative also led to him leading the trip to Washington D.C. every year.

"The histor y department has benefitted immensely from having Michael Merten," said Dr. Bill Batchelder, director

of the honors program for Waynesburg University.

Holding a minor in political science, getting the chance to visit the nation's capital is something Merten considers very important, especially for those attending from Waynesburg from states, or countries, not as close to Washington D.C. as the university is.

To add to Merten's credentials, he also served as

“The teachers actually care, and the communities that we have here are generally very healthy and support each other. It's been a pleasure.”

MICHAEL MERTEN

Senior history major

President of Student Senate his junior year, after serving as a senator the previous two years. However, he did not run again his senior year after an exciting opportunity arose.

"I spent the semester abroad at St. Mary's University College in Belfast," said Merten. "I was always interested in history and politics, and there's a lot that's happened there in the past 20 years, but all of that's the culmination of what's happened in the past 150."

Merten was able to tour the city frequently during his semester abroad.

Merten was even able to supplement his theater experience in Belfast: Last year, Merten directed a one-act play, "The Last Lifeboat," that focused on

the man who was head of the company who built the Titanic.

Flash for ward a fe w months, and Merten, while in Belfast, Ireland was coincidently able to tour "The Titanic Belfast" museum, which displayed the process of making the historic ship and demonstrated how it affected the town of Belfast as well.

While in Ireland, learning up close the inner workings of the Parliamentary system their government uses, Merten says he was frequently inquired by those their about his thoughts on the 2016 election that was ongoing at the time of his semester abroad - giving him the chance to learn about much of the common public's beliefs and thoughts on politics in both countries.

C ontinuing Merten's learning of culture and the world beyond simply the United States, Merten was accepted into Hillsdale College in Michigan for graduate school - where the program requires you to be literate in an ancient language and modern language other than English.

He leaves just 15 days after graduation to learn Latin.

Thanks to Waynesburg University, the experiences Merten has had here are above and beyond superior.

"I definitely have thoroughly enjoyed my time here," said Merten. "I would recommend it to almost anybody. The teachers actually care, and the communities that we have here are generally very healthy and support each other. It's been a pleasure."

Kayla Means was still a middle school student when she first realized she wanted to be involved with forensics one day.

Around this time, her grandmother got her a CSI kit. From there, Means started looking to incorporate what she learned from the kit into the real world, and it lead her down the road to forensic pathology.

“I think [forensics] is a cool thing for everyone,” said Means. “Everyone loves forensics because they all watch TV shows and they’re like ‘this is [cool], we want to do this.’”

Means attended Albert Gallatin High School, where she ran track and cross country, was a member of the basketball team, played in the marching band—which she continued for her first two years of college—and was heavily involved in the school theater productions.

Means graduated from Albert Gallatain in the top 20 of her class.

When Means was finishing up high school, she knew for sure that she would be focusing on forensics in college, but she did not yet know where. She narrowed her options down to three schools.

“It was between Waynesburg, West Virginia and Duquesne, because they all have really good forensics programs,” said Means.

Means said Waynesburg stood out because of its intimacy.

“When I came to Waynesburg, it felt a little different,” said Means. “West Virginia is this gigantic campus.

Duquesne is not much better, plus it’s in the middle of Pittsburgh, and I do not drive well in towns.”

When Means visited Waynesburg, she met Michael Cipoletti, assistant professor of forensic science.

“I met [Cipoletti] that day, talked about my plans with him, and he said ‘we can do that [at Waynesburg], and not only can we do that, we’re going to give you everything we can to provide that for you and to push you forward towards your goals.’” So, it was really good to meet him, get his background, know that [Waynesburg] wanted me to succeed, and I think that just put everything else over the edge, and that’s why I picked Waynesburg.”

Means grew up in the town of Lakeland, Pennsylvania, not far from the West

Photo courtesy of Kayla Means

After getting interested in crime scene investigation at a young age, Kayla Means discovered Waynesburg was the best place to hone that interest.

Virginia border.

The first class that Cipoletti would teach Means was “Introduction to Forensics”, and it did not take long for him to be impressed.

“She made her mark pretty early on,” said Cipoletti.

“Right away, she did very well. She’s a very good student.”

Means said that she did not have too difficult of a transition process into college.

“I don’t think [adapting] took me too long,” said Means. “For me, it was kind of easy, because I took AP classes in high school, so I kind of got a feel for how you had to do a lot more work than you had to in high school.”

One thing in particular that Cipoletti noticed about Means was that she was one of those students who “takes ownership of her education.”

“What that means to me is, [the students] are participating in class,” said Cipoletti.

“They’re asking questions, they’re coming to see you outside of class, if they have interest or different things like that or if they’re seeking guidance. That’s taking ownership of the education, and she did that right away.”

Means has been involved with several activities while at Waynesburg. She has worked with Waynesburg’s Forensic Science Club for all four years, spent two years working for Mad Anthony yearbook and was also involved in the Biology club and the American Chemical Society.

Means currently has a job set up as a lab technician at West Virginia Hospital,

which will last for a year. In June, she will be taking her Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), before taking her Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in August.

If her MCAT exam goes as planned, Means will be attending medical school. If not, she will be going for her master’s degree in cellular biology.

After graduation, Means said that she would miss the bonds that she made while at Waynesburg.

“Your connections are definitely a big thing,” said Means. “You come to school [in the fall], and you’re like looking forward to seeing everybody again. I definitely think seeing everyone that I’ve met and getting to know them better and then having them just…maybe never talking to them again after graduation, which is kind of sad.”

For Cipoletti, Means’ work ethic is something that will be missed.

“I would have to say her willingness to volunteer and do whatever you ask her to do,” said Cipoletti. “I could call her up three weeks before a mock crime scene workshop and say “Hey, so and so couldn’t do this presentation, can you do it? That’s what I’ll miss the most.”

Means added that the security of college life is something that she will miss.

“The stability of just knowing what’s ahead of you,” Means said. “I think it’s scary having that go away too because you’re not sure what’s ahead of you. You have to make your own adventure, your own journey after graduation.”

April 20, 2017

Page B7

HISTORY

O'Donoghue leads mission to restore forgotten cemetery

By MATTHEW SHINKLE Editorial Assistant

David O’Donoghue can remember passing it as a child on his way to church in Eastview – it was one of those things that, for whatever reason, found its way into the back of his head.

The restoration he has done to it will be one of the things he leaves behind at Waynesburg University.

O’Donoghue, originally from Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, moved to Waynesburg during the sixth grade, and was initially opposed to going to Waynesburg for several years before applying when he started looking at colleges.

Despite his initial thoughts, he was able to realize that the campus he lived so close to was actually the perfect fit for him.

“What drew me in most was the affordability,” said O’Donoghue. “Proximity, of course, I live [so close], was very alluring to me. I also suppose I wanted a smaller campus environment and a

Matthew Shinkle, Yelow Jacket

David O'Donoghue has started and led his own project to help remember others at a forgotten cemetary owned by Waynesburg University. setting where I could connect more with my peers and professors and I have really been able to do that here at Waynesburg.”

O’Donoghue is a senior history major at Waynesburg University, also pursuing minors in English, Philosophy and Environmental Studies.

Through the History department, he was one of the first members of the history club, and he’s also involved in the history honorary society, the national honorary soci-

ety for history students and historians alike – a chapter of Waynesburg’s that he helped restart after having been dormant for many years.

Being a member of the honors program and history department, O’Donoghue has been able to get his aforementioned project off the ground, thanks to a little help from professors such as Dr. Karen Younger, Dr. Batchelder and Professor Redd.

Most Waynesburg students are unaware of the

small cemetary near the athletic fields that the university owns.

Nestled between the baseball and softball fields located a few miles west of campus lies a forgotten cemetery.

The gravestones read names of men, women and children that died nearly 150 years ago in the 19th century. No one has been buried there since the 1880’s, and yet, around 35 seemingly forgotten Americans are laid to rest there.

While O’Donoghue was

working with the maintenance department this past summer, he had noticed that something should definitely be done about the way it was kept.

“I had noticed that a lot of the stones had since fallen over and it appeared that some general maintenance needed to be done with the site,” said O’Donoghue. “I began working with the history faculty to organize a project in order to get that work done.”

Thanks to Director of Facilities Planning and Management Terry Sattler, O’Donoghue and the department have been able to begin their work on restoring the area. Much of the earth has been rendered unstable due to holes dug by groundhogs, bringing stones down to the ground, causing one to even crack in half.

On April 8, a professional conservator even came to the site to help teach how to properly care for and restore monuments in a graveyard.

In all, plenty of work has been put into helping make

sure the gravesite is not forgotten. Many living distant relatives of those buried there are still in the surrounding Greene County area – and have been very appreciative of O’Donoghue’s desire to care for the site.

Although the project may sound like a steep climb for a student – he has done such on his own drive and determination.

“All we did, [as professors,] was kind of supplement the leadership David already had in him,” said Dr. Batchelder, assistant professor of History.

“He was the one that went out and found this – he deserves all the credit for it.”

While O’Donoghue will be potentially working on this project in the summer, he plans to take a gap year in between undergraduate and graduate school to make sure he gets his next major life decision correct.

He is considering pursuing a career in environmental history, while looking at schools with names such as Ohio State University and Kansas University.

NURSING

Desire to serve children leads Senior lands job at hospital student to Nursing Program that inspired nursing career Nursing dept., though difficult, prepared Kobert for future jobs

By JACOB MEYER Sports Editor

Helping others was central to Ruthie Costanza’s upbringing.

She has traveled to the Dominican Republic for mission trips nine times, working with kids each time she was there. That’s what led her to choose nursing as a major in college.

“It was actually through my trips to the Dominican that sparked my love for nursing and just meet the needs to the people that didn’t have the ability or resources to meet themselves,” Costanza said. “I knew I wanted to spend my life serving others and really feel like I’m making an impact. I’m not a desk job type of person; I need to be busy all of the time. And I love medicine, so I knew nursing was for me I guess.”

Now, she is going to work in her dream job as a nurse at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.

“I have always just had a passion for kids, and I feel like kids are one of the most vulnerable populations,” Costanza said. “I feel like if you can have an impact on kids then that affects the rest of their life. It’s such a vulnerable and moldable stage of their life, so I definitely want to be able to impact that stage of their life.”

Costanza knew she wanted to work in pediatrics, and her clinical hours as a stu-

By JACOB MEYER Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of Ruthie Costanza

Senior nursing major Ruthie Costanza participated in nine domestic and international service trips at WU. dent reaffirmed her passion.

“They definitely showed me what areas I liked and what areas I didn’t like,” she said. “It really helped me with my confidence and step outside and start to act like a nurse before I had to do it on my own, which I really liked and develop my communication skills as well, not only with patients but with families and with the healthcare team as well.”

Costanza first attended Waynesburg University for its nursing program, its faith element and the students she met when she visited.

“I think what made me choose it the most, was when I came here the students all seemed like they wanted a purpose,” she said. “They knew what they wanted in life and they were achieving it. That’s really what made me choose Waynesburg.”

Costanza was also a Bonner Scholar, completing more than 1,000 hours of

service. She went on mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, while serving mostly at the afterschool program at Greater Waynesburg Christian Outreach. Her time as a nursing student and as a Bonner helped her become a more “balanced person.”

“I can tend to focus on one thing and really be intense on that one thing,” Costanza said. “It’s helped me balance in life and not just completely isolate myself and focus on school but develop relationships and meet people and serve and give back at the same time.”

With her NCLEX exam approaching, Costanza is glad she attended Waynesburg University.

“I think it definitely prepared me to enter the workforce,” she said. “I definitely feel confident as a nurse, confident in my skills and confident that I’m going to pass the boards.”

Through high school, Alex Kobert knew he wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. But that was it.

Now, Kobert is graduating from Waynesburg University, and he knows exactly what that career might look like.

It all began around his junior year of high school, when he shadowed a friend, who was a nurse at St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh.

“After [seeing her] care for some of the patients and seeing how the job works I knew exactly that this is the job I want to pursue in the future,” Kobert said.

Six years later, Kobert is set to begin a job in the coronary care unit (CCU) at the very same hospital he shadowed his friend at - St. Clair.

The CCU, Kobert said, is the heart unit, where nurses care for post-operation hearts, as well as any one who is at the hospital for a heart procedure, among other services.

Kobert feels well-prepared for this new position, because he already has ex-

perience.

“I work in on the same unit, so it’s nice because I know the manager and everybody I’m working with on the unit already,” he said.

Kobert said working in this unit will hopefully be a short-term job, as he eventually wants to move to an intensive care unit.

“I like the high intensity and the different types of technology,” said Kobert.

“The level of care that one patient needs is unbelievable.”

Kobert completed his clinicals this year at St. Clair,

“I like the high intensity and the different types of technology.

The level of care that one patient needs is unbelievable.”

ALEX KOBERT

Senior nursing major

and he said getting a job at the same hospital is good because he already has a working relationship with many people at the hospital.

Kobert aspires to be a nurse anesthetist in the future, which entails preparing patients for surgery through anesthesia.

“I’ve shadowed people, and I think it’s a very rewarding job,” Kobert said.

“I think it’s fun to be honest.

All of the medications get

me excited about it.”

He will start at St. Clair in June after he takes his NCLEX exam.

Kobert believes his education at Waynesburg University, which is well-known as one of the best nursing programs in the area, has prepared him for the upcoming exam and the nursing field.

“We’re no. 1 in the state for BSN Nursing,” Kobert said. “It’s a very difficult program, but if you put your mind to it, you can do it. It’s definitely difficult. I feel like all of the professors and everybody really prepare us for the NCLEX exam and gain a lot of our skills and critical thinking when we become RN’s in the future.”

This aspect of the nursing program is what originally drew Kobert, an alumnus of Canon-McMillan High School, to Waynesburg University.

“I was looking around for nursing schools and I kind of wanted to stay close to home and I found Waynesburg and their statistics and their pass rates against Pittsburgh and Penn State and they had the highest rate,” he said.

“Then I saw that it was a Christian campus as well, so that’s one reason why I came here because of the Christian campus, it’s close to home. The classes are a lot smaller, so there’s more one-to-one interaction with the professors.”

MATH/COMPUTER SCIENCE

Hart finishes degree with confidence in career options

By TYLER GODWIN Editorial Assistant

For senior Laken Hart, a computer science major with a math minor, one of the more interesting experiences during her time at Waynesburg was having the opportunity to study abroad in New Zealand in the spring of her junior year.

“While I was there, I had the most fantastic time,” Hart said.

“I did things I never dreamed I would have done. I hiked up mountains, whitewater rafted, did a whole bunch of stuff I never thought I would have done. And then I went to Australia because I was close by and I [dove] on the Great Barrier Reef, went whale watching…it was totally worth it.”

For Hart, the experience was different than the typical student that studies abroad.

She had already knocked out

her general education requirements, so she had to take computer science major courses while in New Zealand.

She is extremely appreciative of the efforts of Richard Leipold, the chairperson for the Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics Department and professor of Computer Science, because of his flexibility and accommodation with helping her set up the trip to get the most out of it academically.

Hart also was able to delve into animation during her trip, something that is not offered at Waynesburg, but was available in New Zealand. She said that animation is something she hopes to keep as a hobby as she looks to get into her future career post-graduation.

The most difficult aspect she experienced was returning home from the semester

long trip after such a long trip in a place that featured popular movies such as The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia.

“Coming home was so hard because you’re living in a fantasy land kind of…it’s just breathtaking, it doesn’t feel real,” said Hart. “And then you come home and there’s buildings everywhere and there’s people everywhere and you’re [a little disappointed].”

Looking back to when Hart was first deciding where to go to school, Waynesburg seemed to really stand out to her despite being five hours away from her hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

“I walked in on campus and [said] ‘yep, this is the school I’m going to,’” Hart said. “It was the first one I visited and I just kind of knew...I kind of had the idea of what I want-

ed, and this was it. It was just very quaint, it was a nice small school.”

As for computer science, the major stood out because of a family connection. However, she quickly was drawn in by the plethora of directions she could take once she graduates.

“I had a friend of the family…that was into making apps for iPhones and I thought that would be a lot of fun,” said Hart. “And then I realized that once I get into this major, I could go anywhere with it really. I could go statistics, I could go calculus. A lot of majors are very conformed to a certain job…with computer science, you can be a software developer, you can be an app developer, you can do hardware [or information technology], so I liked the options.”

With all the different directions she can go, Hart said that

cryptography, which involves a lot of decoding and encoding of messages, is something that really stands out to her because it is like a challenging puzzle. It is something that she hopes to remain interested in as she heads into her professional career - no matter what career path she heads down.

In Hart’s time here at Waynesburg, she noted that Leipold and Kathryn Waddel, instructor of Computer Science, had a big impact on her in terms of how they got to where they are today.

“They tell me about their time and what they did and where they lived, for example Mrs. Waddel lived in Hawaii… so it’s nice to get ideas and thoughts from other people,” Hart said.

As for post-graduation, there is a lot of uncertainty for Hart as she is continuing her

search for jobs. She has sent many applications for all types of jobs in computer science, again noting the immense variety of the field. “[It’s a] very long process, so it’s a lot of hurry up and wait, which is very frustrating,” said Hart. “So now I’m just trying to get through all the stuff that I have to do for school and worry about that later.”

As graduation nears in the next few weeks, Hart is going to miss a lot of the relationships that she has made in her time at Waynesburg through both her major and the overall comfortability of the campus aura.

“I’ll miss a lot of the professors, I’ll miss a decent amount of the people actually,” she said. “Maybe just the entire attitude that surrounds campus.

It’s very stable…very calm and accepting.”

Page B8

April 20, 2017

PRE-LAW

Stover Scholar's debate talent leads him to Duquesne Law

By CODY YANKULIC Editorial Assistant

Relationships between professors and students are generally thought of as a work relationship and one that commands respect on both ends; but if you are senior pre-law major Brandon VanTine, not only do you pick fights with your professor – your professor encourages it.

Hailing from New Kensington, Pennsylvania, VanTine came to Waynesburg because of the opportunities that were presented to him through the Stover Scholar program.

That is when Dr. Larry Stratton, assistant professor of ethics and constitutional law and director for the center of constitutional studies and moral leadership, met him and since that day, he has seen a lot of upside in him.

“He has a spark to him,” Stratton said. “He is a person who is always trying to figure

out ways to solve problems.”

That spark has led VanTine to success not only in the classroom, but also on the gridiron and in the thrower’s circle. After having knee surgery, he was unable to play football his senior year, but that didn’t stop him from making his mark in track & field.

“I’ve been one of the top shot-putters in the PAC for a while,” he said. “I haven’t quite gotten a championship for it yet and I am fighting for it now.”

The parameters of a white, four-foot wide circle won’t be the only place he is fighting, as he often times picks them in the classroom as well.

“He loves the give and take of a debate,” Stratton said. “I think he enjoys debate more than probably any other student at the university.”

These debates even include debating with Stratton himself, who is amused that VanTine plays “devil’s advocate” with him. His ability to pick apart arguments did not

Photo courtesy of Brandon VanTine

With an aptitude for debate and structured argument, Brandon VanTine is ready for his next chapter — attending law school at Duquesne University. always come easily and is an area that he has gained skills in since coming to Waynesburg.

“He is very analytical and always has been, but now, I’ve seen him truly engaging other people’s arguments as a way to form his own analysis,” Stratton said. “He draws on his deep understanding of Constitutional law and political ethics and has a sense of where he wants to persuade

people.”

Disassembling arguments is only one area he has been successful in through his academic careers.

He is a member of the history club and the Young Republicans. Being a member of the Stover Scholars, he has had the opportunity to meet supreme-court justices, judges and congressman. He sees those experiences as invaluable.

PSYCHOLOGY

“The opportunity that they offered was the program in and of itself,” he said. “Not the scholarship but more so the opportunity to get that exposure with the Stover program.”

While he is grateful for the experience, he also used valuable insight to determine where he wanted to go to law school.

“It is that sense of community that I like about the

university,” he said. “I chose Duquesne because I felt the same care and community there as I do here.”

While his career in law is just beginning, his career in another aspect of Waynesburg is ending. “[Sports] has made my time here really special,” he said.

“None of us are going to the Olympics or the NFL or the MLB, so you are surrounded by people who are doing it for the same reasons you are. They are doing it for the love of the game.”

Sports and academics have both shaped his four years at Waynesburg and his future in the law field is one that leaves his professors, the same ones he debates with, certain he will have a large impact.

“He has the rugged determination which will serve him well when he enters Duquesne University law school in August,” Stratton said. “I truly expect him to impact what Americans think in politics and ethics”

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Formerly fearful, senior now embraces risks Juliani finds faith,

Personality transformation leads to success during college

By GRACE HUTCHISON Staff Writer

Four years is enough time for a president to complete a term, an infant to grow into a young child, a new Olympics to be held and for Renée Belisky to completely reinvent herself.

Jenny Jellison, associate professor of psychology and Belisky’s academic advisor, vividly remembers the first time she met Belisky. Although it’s been nearly four years, those few minutes still remain fresh in Jellison’s mind.

“She talked so quietly I had to lean forward to hear her,” Jellison said. “She seemed absolutely terrified.”

In the fall of 2013, the time of their meeting, Belisky was. It wasn’t paranoia from a horror film, or the typical nerves that come from starting classes. It was change, the risk of beginning college, the risk of a new life, the unknown future.

“I was very awkward,” Belisky said with a small smile and shake of her head. “I didn’t want to take risks, and I was always just in my own little bubble.”

Belisky, a psychology major with minors in child development and self-development, now defines herself as “courageous, empathetic and a risk taker,” a definite turnaround from who she

once was.

“She really took advantage of what college is supposed to do for you,” Jellison said.

“It’s not just about the degree and major, it’s transforming 18-year-olds into competent adults, not a 22-year-old with a piece of paper.”

According to Belisky, she began to see herself as timid, and vowed to readjust herself.

“As I continued in school, my mindset totally changed.

I thought to myself that I am going to start taking risks and really challenging myself,” Belisky said.

She founded an organization called A Christian Ministry in the National Parks, which would offer her an opportunity to combine her passion for ministry along with her love of the outdoors, with the only hesitation being travel to its location in South Dakota.

“I kept on encouraging myself to do it,” Belisky said.

“I wanted to take that risk of travelling to South Dakota on pure faith. I thought I am going to go out there and throw myself in the deep end and take risks and see what happens.”

Growing up in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, she was raised “fishing, hunting and wanting to be outside.”

Belisky, after suffering head injuries in high school, found solace in the outdoors.

“There is a complete calmness,” Belisky said.

Deciding upon a college is a stressful task for all students, but according to Belisky, after her tour of Waynesburg and learning of

friendship at WU

Gap year after high school helps student find success

By CODY YANKULIC Editorial Assistant

Photo courtesy of Renee Belisky

Renée Belisky was quiet and uncertain when she first started at Waynesburg. Now, her professors are confident that she will go on to do great things. its mission, she was confident in her decision to attend the university.

“Service is a lot of who I am and what I identify with,” Belisky said. “I love the idea of being able to benefit other people’s lives with my energy. I saw that this was a way to serve God and see God through service.”

Up o n r e f l e c t i o n o n her time academically at Waynesburg, Belisky’s thinking falls in line with many students’.

“It was just a lot of hard work and some difficult classes,” Belisky said. “I am also very task-oriented. Being able to make a plan and taking it one step at a time has really helped me be able to adapt to different classes.”

After graduating from Waynesburg, she plans on

attending Geneva College to earn her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. Though Belisky has decided to further her education, what she is doing with those degrees still remains unclear.

“I would love, eventually, to work in a university setting, my involvement with peer education has made me want to help students,” Belisky said. “There are so many different things I can or want to do.”

Her calmness to her future endeavors may have left freshman Renée quivering in panic, but Jellison couldn’t be more confident in Belisky’s future success.

“I just can’t help but think to myself about all of the good she is going to do for the world,” Jellison said.

Buffalo: Mielcarek Robinson: Passion for plans to return home accounting grows at WU Continued from B5

ulation and Mielcarek wants to be a part of that process in some capacity.

While working with an organization called Love Buffalo, Mielcarek learned of her passion and desire to work with these types of people.

She recalled working with a Nigerian man who bought a Buffalo house for $1 and how much the experience working in his house – especially with how hospitable the family was toward them, made her see how much she would love to continue doing it.

She also viewed her 2016 Spring Semester experience in Ireland as a turning point in what she saw herself doing in the future. For a while, she was stuck on the idea of attending

law school and concentrating on human rights litigation.

However, just before she flew to Ireland, she cancelled her LSAT’s exam, and her experience overseas reaffirmed her decision to become an educator.

“Buffalo has such a large immigrant population, and I can look at experiences with Love Buffalo and working downtown for five summers and working with refugees for five summers,” she said. “All those experiences that I’ve had have been these little, tiny minor moments that I look back and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.’ I definitely think that teaching and helping in the resurgence of Buffalo is where I’m supposed to be. Buffalo is the greatest place in the world, and go Bills!”

Continued from B2

chini. “She was one of the best students in the class.”

Robinson was a business work study student for Bocchini.

“She is a very reliable and dedicated student,” said Bocchini. “She is an exceptional student.”

Robinson has been dedicated to her studies and her hard work has paid off since she will be graduating an entire year early.

“School has consumed my life,” said Robinson. “It has been a lot of hard work but I am powering through it.”

Going into her senior year, Robinson received an internship at BDO, the fifth largest accounting firm in Pittsburgh. BDO has over

1,400 offices internationally and employs 5,000 accountants worldwide. After the conclusion of her summer internship, she was offered full-time employment upon her graduation.

“I am honestly excited to start this new chapter in my life,” said Robinson.

Robinson was inducted in 2016 as a member of Sigma Beta Delta business honor society. This exclusive group is based off of grade point average in business related courses and overall academic performance during your time at Waynesburg University. She was also awarded the PICPA Outstanding Senior Award and the Top Number One Ranked GPA in Forensic Accounting Academic Award for her academic achievements.

A lot can happen in four years. For a United States president, it means the end of their term. For Anthony Juliani, it means finding his purpose in life.

After finishing high school, Juliani, who is a political science major, took a gap year.

He needed time to mature and broaden his worldview, but more importantly, he needed money.

“I come from a poor family,” he said.

His father was crippled and unable to work due to an injury suffered at his job, leaving Anthony and his five siblings to live off his dad’s pension.

His life, at times, was very limited with the opportunities it held.

“I didn’t get to do a lot as a kid,” he said.

Knowing there would be no money for him to go to college on, he opted to take a gap year and build up the crucial funds.

Although he joined a year later than most students his age, he knew exactly what he wanted to devote his life to.

“My main goal was to go to law school since I came here,” he said This is a goal that has been aided by Dr. Larry Stratton, assistant professor of ethics and constitutional law, who has provided him with many opportunities. He has made an impact on Stratton, who knew right away that he had potential.

“I was very impressed with him and his writing and his ability to synthesize ideas creatively,” Stratton said.

Through the four years, he hasn’t let Stratton down, who sees his influence on the student senate, where he made a bid for president, as far reaching.

“Anthony is very forthright now,” Stratton said. “When he speaks in the senate, people listen.”

Aside from his time as a student senator, treasurer and social vice president, he has found ways to incorporate his own personal interests into areas, such as the history club, where he is vice president.

Tying in his other interests is something Stratton sees as working to his benefit.

“Anthony has demonstrated the virtue of a student in seeking to learn everything

he can in an undergraduate program,” said Stratton. “He is always reading something that is not related to his field.”

Stratton went on to explain how Juliani took several economics classes for the sake of gaining new knowledge from them. Being on the executive board of Student Senate and helping found the history club wasn’t even his crowning achievement.

“Harvestfest, I don’t know how I measured up with my predecessor, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out,” he said. “That was the most challenging thing I did. You gotta put your faith in a lot of things.”

Overseeing Harvestfest, he had to be in contact with various school clubs, organizations and Pat Bristor, the student activities director. But for all he was involved in, his most credible gain in the four years he spent as Waynesburg wasn’t material knowledge.

“When I first came here, I was still searching, I was agnostic,” he said. “Eventually, all the little things added up and I found my faith in Christ.”

When he was still in high school, he became dissatisfied with having no answer to some of life’s deepest philosophical questions, exploring other religions before becoming a self-proclaimed agnostic. The atmosphere of the university helped to lead him to Christ but also helped give him something that he will never forget.

“I would definitely say the people, for their friendships and support and atmosphere for faith, learning and service,” he said “I don’t know if I will find that again, per se.”

His afinity for friendship helps to define him and will play a large role in his future.

“It is the warmth and power of his personality that will bring others along,” Stratton said.

For the last four years, he has built friendships with others and with God and in the years ahead he plans on building a career as a practicing attorney.

Although he is taking a gap year to build up funds for law school, the idea that he won’t make it is ludicrous.

The same perseverance which saw him through high school, where he took the hardest classes he could and through life, where the only source of income for a family of eight to live on was his father’s monthly pension, will see him through the mere 12 months between him and law school.

“When I devote myself to really do something, I give 100 percent,” he said.

SECTION C

APRIL 20, 2017 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG | @YJ_SPORTS

Softball falls behind in race for PAC playoff spots with pair of losses

By LUKE GOODLING

Sports Convergence Editor

Just a day after Easter Break, with rain in the forecast, an intended Presidents’ Athletic Conference doubleheader got pushed up in the schedule for the Waynesburg University softball team, who played Westminster Tuesday, April 18.

With the conference playoffs looming, the Yellow Jackets needed a sweep, or at least a win, to aid in the fight for playoff contention. The Yellow Jackets got neither.

In game one, sophomore pitcher Courtney Messen-

ger went to circle for the Yellow Jackets. Against a team that, at the time, sat second in the conference, Messenger stayed true to her ace status. Over seven innings pitched, she gave up four runs on nine hits with a strikeout.

However, Messenger received no support from the offense and the Yellow Jackets would lose game one, mustering six hits but no runs off Westminster. Head coach Richele Hall said the team struggled coming off a break to find aggression in the 4-0 loss.

“I think we were relaxed a little bit,” Hall said. “I don’t know if I would say lacka-

daisical, but this felt like a step behind coming off of the holiday weekend.”

Si nc e t he g ame w a s moved up a day in the schedule, Hall said the team missed an extra day of practice, which potentially could have made an impact on the doubleheader.

“Instead of having a day to get back into the swing of things and get some reps hitting wise – maybe have a hitting practice or something in there, [we didn’t have it],” said Hall. “That could have had a very small affect, but all three aspects of our game were a bit sloppy.”

According to Hall, in the series against Westminster, the team struggled across the board.

“We didn’t play our best ball on all aspects – defensively, hitting or in the circle,” said Hall. “I think that we definitely could have put a better effort [together]. [I am] kind of disappointing

about the series, because I don’t think we put our best out there, but Westminster is a very good club.”

In the second game, the Yellow Jackets started sophomore Cat Allstatt, who struggled against Westminster, giving up nine runs on 14 hits with two strikeouts.

Although the Jackets gave up nine runs, again there was no offensive support, with only two hits to show with no runs.

Despite the level of the pitching the Yellow Jackets faced, Hall said she thought the team could have performed better offensively in the 9-0, game-two loss to Westminster.

“ Their numb er-one pitcher was definitely good, and t heir numb er-two pitcher I definitely thought we should have hit her more than we did,” said Hall. “We put the ball in play a decent amount, but they played pretty good defense behind their pitcher, which helped her out, but I don’t think we made adjustments at the plate quick enough because we only got two hits in the second game...I think all around not a pretty good hitting day today.”

In game two, freshmen Cheyenne Wasko and Ashley Dubovich were the only SOFTBALL >> C3

High hopes

Baseball fights back in game two after losing game one on walkoff Unlike most D-III athletes, Tyler Reis hopes to play in pros

By KYLE DAWSON

Assistant Sports Editor

As the playoff chase begins to heat for the baseball teams in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, the importance of each game rises.

For Waynesburg’s baseball team, that couldn’t be more true.

The team knows that.

The road got a bit blurry after game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader, as the team lost to the Bethany Bison 4-3 on a walk-off single.

It rebounded, however, winning game two by a final score of 11-2 on the road.

“When we’re doing the things we need to do offensively, defensively and pitching, we’re a really good team,” said head coach Mike Humiston. “From this point forward, everybody [excluding Thomas More and Washington & Jefferson] is trying to get that third or fourth spot in the playoffs.

We’re no different. That’s why it hurts a little bit to get a split when we could’ve and probably should’ve won the series today. Nobody said it’d be easy though.”

Waynesburg turned to senior pitcher Luke Carter in game one, who, despite pitching another good game, didn’t come out of it with a win on the box score.

Carter gave up a lone run in the second and fifth innings for a total of two runs on the day on four hits in his five innings of work. The Saegertown, Pennsylvania, native struck out four and walked four as he picked up a no decision.

Humiston said the offense, once again, didn’t come through for Carter.

“Luke pitched another

good game. We talked about it as a team afterwards,” said Humiston. “He’s one of the best pitchers in the league, but you look at his record and say ‘he’s below average.’

It’s easier to pitch when your team is scoring runs and we have to find a way to do that.

We pieced some things together, but it didn’t pan out in the end.”

The first two runs for Waynesburg came in the fifth inning off the bat of freshman outfielder Addis Crouch, whose double knocked in a pair, giving Waynesburg, at the time, a 2-1 lead.

Other than that, sophomore pitcher Nick Gross stymied the Jacket attack, allowing just the two runs

“Luke [Carter] pitched another good game... he's one of the best pitchers in the league.”

MIKE HUMISTON

Head coach

in his six innings of work with three strikeouts. He allowed just five hits, before turning it over to classmate Neil Woods, who gave up the go-ahead run to the Jackets in the seventh on an RBI single by sophomore outfielder Mitch Nordstrom.

Woods would redeem himself, however, as his walk-off single followed a game-tying, run-scoring double by sophomore outfielder John Lee in the home half of the seventh. Those hits came off freshman pitcher Mason Miller, who BASEBALL >> C4

Jenny Schouppe, Yellow Jacket

Senior catcher Ben Miller went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Waynesburg's 11-run explosion in game two.

By KYLE DAWSON

Assistant Sports Editor

Tyler Reis wasn’t a great high school baseball player.

For all intents and purposes he was better than most from a playing-time standpoint. At a Quad-A school, then the highest classification in Western Pennsylvania, Reis played just five junior varsity games his freshman year before making the permanent jump to the varsity team.

He had a “good” freshman year, but he wasn’t great.

Each of the next two years, the Penn Hills grad struggled at the plate.

That’s when Reis said he finally realized he wasn’t playing well enough or taking the game seriously enough.

He had high aspirations on the diamond for his future, but the success and the college attention wasn’t there.

“I didn’t expect [high school baseball] to be as hard as it was. Coming in my freshman year I thought there would be a set plan for practices every day and for workouts,” said Reis.

“I was wrong. I didn’t realize you had to do a lot of stuff on your

own. It hit me after junior year that, ‘holy crap, this is going to be a lot harder than I thought.’ I expected to have colleges looking at me and for everything to be right there for me. Going into senior year nobody was.”

It’s when reality slapped Reis in the face.

That’s w hen he started, he said, to work a lot harder.

Senior year wasn’t great by Reis’ standards and still no one was recruiting him. Until one assistant coach saw a recruiting video Reis’ high school coach put online.

It w as t he n Waynesburg assistant REIS >> C3

Jenny Schouppe,Yellow Jacket

As of publication date, Tyler Reis leads the conference in hits, home runs and total bases.

Additionally, Reis is second in the conference with his slugging percentage.

Women’s track breaks multiple records

By MITCHELL KENDRA Copy Editor

The women’s track & field team traveled to Walsh University Saturday, April 15.

The Yellow Jackets finished in fifth out of 14 teams.

The Jackets were led on the track in the 1,500-meter run by senior Emily Latimer and juniors Julie Geber and Angie Marchetti, who all crossed the finish line in record breaking time.

While Latimer and Gerber have different training plans from Marchetti because of the different races they normally run, the three were able to finish in 4:49.6, 4:49.8 and 4:49.88, respectively.

“We do have partners for them to run with, which is very good, very helpful. It’s always good to have someone pushing you,” said head coach Jason Falvo. “Emily and Julie, they really like each other, they’re really good friends but they fight out there a little. They’re aggressive with each other, which is good and you want that.”

Falvo also said sophomore Teghan Simonton ran her personal best in the 1,500-meter run, with a time of 4:59. Simonton also ran her personal best in the 800-meter run, where

Mitch Kendra, Yellow Jacket

Senior Emily Latimer (back) and junior Julie Gerber (front) finished first and second, respectively, in the 1,500-meter run last weekend. Junior Angie Marchetti finished third, and all three runners broke the school record. she finished in 14th with a time of 2:28.

“I liked what Liz Trump was able to do coming back off of her ankle injury,” Falvo said.

Trump ran a time of 5:33 in the 1,500-meter dash.

Marchetti, sophomore Cassidy Guiser, freshmen

Taylor Clarkson and Katy Thompson broke the school record as the women finished with a time of 4:11 in the 4x400-meter relay.

“I thought this team ran very well,” Falvo said. “Taylor and Katie ran their best 400-meter times of the year, including indoors. Angie

ran very consistent for her, although I think she can go a little faster. I think Cassidy can go a little faster too.”

While he believes the relay team has the potential to run even faster, he was really happy with how it ran.

Although the team ran well together, Falvo said he’s it’s still up in the air who will be on the relay team for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships, because there are five or six runners who have the potential to make significant contributions to the team.

Falvo said freshman Katie Jones ran hard in the 1,500-meter and 800-meter run. She finished with times of 5:30 and 2:47, respectively.

Junior Elinore Loch finished first in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 12:04. Loch’s time was 15 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

Thompson, Gerber and Latimer finished second, sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 800-meter run.

All three women ran personal bests in the race.

Falvo also said junior Marla Holland returned to being one of the top competitors in the PAC in the WT&F >> C3

Page C2

April, 20, 2017

Women's lacrosse blown out by Thomas More in road conference match

By JOE SMELTZER Staff Writer

Dave Miller, ADM Photography

Senior attack/midfield Shannon Morgan scored one goal and assisted the other two Waynesburg goals in the team's 16-3 loss to Thomas More Monday.

The Waynesburg University women’s lacrosse team fell to Thomas More in a road matchup in the Ohio River Lacrosse Conference.

With the loss, the Yellow Jackets fell to 0-12 on the season and 0-7 in ORLC play, while the Saints improved to 3-7 overall and 2-4 in the ORLC. The Saints dominated from the start, as they scored three goals in the first seven minutes of play to take an early 3-0 lead.

Waynesburg would strike back, however, for two goals in less than two minutes.

With 20:06 to play in the first half, senior Holly Bachman scored her 20th goal of the season, with an assist from fellow senior Shannon Morgan. The Jackets would make it a one-goal game 1:10 seconds

later when Morgan scored her 12th goal of the year.

Thomas More would turn the tide back in its favor with three unanswered goals, before another tally from Bachman – again assisted by Morgan – which pulled Waynesburg to within three with 2:32 to play.

The first half ended with Thomas More holding a 6-3 lead.

The Saints dominated the second half, scoring 10 unanswered goals, with four being from sophomore Jeni Hall, moving to a 16-3 victory.

Hall scored a goal in the first half as well, giving her five total. Among those who joined her with goals were senior Tori Liles with four, senior Christy Smith with three and senior Erika LaRosa, junior Sydney Polster and sophomore Jalee Connor with one each.

Waynesburg head coach

Stephanie Benkowski saw the Thomas More team improve from year’s past.

“The one thing about Thomas More and lacrosse is [it] usually is not that good,” said Benkowski. “We just decided not to show up.

[Thomas More] has gotten better from last year to this year. I think the long ride kind of got to us.”

Benkowski was encouraged by Waynesburg’s performance in the first half.

“We ran s ome more plays,” Benkowski said.

“They are starting to understand the plays a bit better, and we left three people at home. We were playing with all we had.”

Benkowski cited fatigue as an issue for the drop off in the second half. Overall, Benkowski sees a lot that her team can work on moving forward.

WLAX >> C3

Scores improving as team heads into Men's tennis falls to reigning PAC Championships next weekend PAC champion Grove City

By COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Staff Writer

The Waynesburg men’s golf team placed eighth out of nine teams Monday, April 17, at the Thiel College Invitational. Freshman Alex Orlandini led the Yellow Jackets with a score of 88.

Head coach Sam Jones said he saw improvement across the team.

“It was nice to get out and play again and stuff like that. I saw improvement in a couple of guys, and a couple of guys did not play as well as the week before,

but golf is like that,” said Jones. “It was just nice to get back and get a round in and start gearing up for the [Presidents’ Athletic Conference] Championships coming up.”

Behind Orlandini was dual-sport senior Joey Buchanan. Buchanan shot a 98, junior Ivan Li shot a 101, senior R.J. Leisie scored a 104 and senior Tyler Windsheimer shot a 117.

“Some of our golfers just continued their grasp of [golf] and [are] getting used to it,” said Jones. “We had some guys get off to a rough start and kind of finished

well. So, I just think mentally we are getting a little stronger, a little better at separating hole to hole and the ability to not let a bad hole become a despicably awful round.”

The five men’s scores totaled out to 391 points on the day.

Bethany College was the only team at the invitational who Waynesburg University beat, as the Bison shot a 407 as a team.

In seventh place was Medaille College with 357 points, as the University

GOLF >> C4

By MITCHELL KENDRA Copy Editor

On Wednesday, April 12, the Waynesburg University men’s tennis team traveled to Grove City for a Presidents’ Athletic Conference match.

The Wolverines defeated the Yellow Jackets 8-1. The Jackets’ record fell to 5-11 on the season and 2-4 in PAC play.

But the Yellow Jackets competed hard against the 26-time defending conference champs, Headlee said.

Head coach Ron Headlee

said the team is young, as only three members of the team returned from last year with the rest of the roster new to the team.

Headlee said his plans have been to compete hard and continue to improve every day.

Sophomore Jonah Cooper was the lone winner for the Yellow Jackets on the day.

Cooper fought back from an early 3-1 deficit in the first set to earn a 6-3, 6-1 triumph.

Headlee said Cooper, who has been a leader to the younger athletes on the team

this season, played very well.

He said Cooper does well when he isn’t forcing things and is patient with his shots, especially his serves.

“When he stays patient, he can play with any of them,” Headlee.

Headlee also acknowledged senior Jordan Pastoria, who “had a good match” against his opponent, and sophomore Josh Denham, who “lost but played well” in his match.

The team has two more matches before the PAC TENNIS >> C4

PRESIDENTS’ ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ROUNDUP BASEBALL STANDINGS

Wash & Jeff Thomas More Thiel Grove City Saint Vincent Waynesburg Bethany Westminster Geneva

SOFTBALL Conf. Overall 13-2 18-5 8-3 17-6 8-4 16-9 8-7 11-14 6-6 11-13 5-7 11-16 5-10 10-18-1 4-8 7-16 2-12 8-20

Monday’s Box Score

WAYNESBURG 7, GENEVA 3 Waynesburg 002 320 0 7 Geneva 002 000 1 3

RECENT RESULTS

STANDINGS

Thomas More Westminster Saint Vincent Bethany Geneva Waynesburg Thiel Chatham Grove City Wash & Jeff

LACROSSE (ORLC) Conf. Overall 10-0 22-8 9-1 21-7 6-4 13-11 6-4 12-16 5-5 16-12 5-5 11-16-1 5-5 10-16 2-8 6-21 1-9 11-15 1-9 2-17

Friday’s Box Score

WAYNESBURG 10, BETHANY 9 Waynesburg 000 316 0 10 Geneva 045 000 0 9

RECENT RESULTS

Saturday, April 15 Wash & Jeff 14, Thomas More 9; Thiel 10, Bethany 1 (Game 1); Thiel 8, Bethany 4 (Game 2)

Monday, April 17 Thomas More 6, Anderson 3 (Game 1); Anderson 10, Thomas More 8 (Game 2); Geneva 3, Grove City 1 (Game 1); Geneva 4, Grove City 1 (Game 2)

UPCOMING GAMES

Friday, April 21 Grove City at Westminster (Game 1) - 2 p.m.; Saint Vincent at Waynesburg - 3 p.m.; Wash & Jeff at Geneva - 4 p.m.; Grove City at Westminster (Game 2) - 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 22 Westminster at Grove City - 1 p.m.; Waynesburg at Saint Vincent (Game 1) - 1 p.m.; Geneva at Wash & Jeff (Game 1) - 1 p.m.; Thomas More at Thiel (Game 1) - 1 p.m.; Thomas More at Thiel (Game 2) - 3:30 p.m.; Geneva at Wash & Jeff (Game 2) - 3:30 p.m.; Waynesburg at Saint Vincent (Game 2) - 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 23 Thomas More at Thiel - 12 p.m.; Penn State Greater Allegheny at Bethany - 1 p.m.; Wash & Jeff at Marietta - 1 p.m.

PAC BASEBALL LEADERS

Batting AVG: Salem, .471, WES; Rossier, .440, WES; Gatins, .419, W&J RBI: Helbing, 29, W&J; Martin, 28, SVC; Beighley, 27, GEN WINS: Bucci, 6, THI; Schnatterly, 4, W&J; Essell, 4, TMC ERA: Salmen, 0.58, WES; Groves, 2.13, TMC; Gross, 2.23, BET

WHATS ON THIS WEEK WCYJ-FM Waynesburg Baseball and Softball Games Will Be Broadcast Live All Season Long on WCYJ-FM

Conf. Overall Wash & Jeff 5-0 6-4 Franklin 3-0 5-2 Transylvania 4-1 10-2 Saint Vincent 3-1 7-3 Hanover 4-2 7-6 Mount St. Joseph 2-2 2-7 Thiel 2-3 2-8 Thomas More 2-4 3-7 Westminster 0-5 0-6 Waynesburg 0-7 0-12 Monday’s Box Score

Friday, April 14 Waynesburg 9, Geneva 2 (Game 1); Thomas More 4, Wash & Jeff 0 (Game 1); Waynesburg 7, Geneva 3 (Game 2); Thomas More 3, Wash & Jeff 0 (Game 1); Thiel 12, Bethany 3

Monday, April 17 Muskingum 8, Bethany 5 (Game 1); Muskingum 4, Bethany 2 (Game 2)

WOMEN STANDINGS

Friday, April 14 Thomas More 5, Thiel 1 (Game 1); Thomas More 12, Thiel 3 (Game 2); Waynesburg 1, Bethany 0 (Game 1); Waynesburg 10, Bethany 9 (Game 2)

UPCOMING GAMES

Thursday, April 20 Franciscan at Bethany (Game 1) - 3 p.m.; Denison at Thomas More (Game 1) - 3:30 p.m.; Mount Aloysius at Waynesburg (Game 1) - 3:30 p.m.; Chatham at Geneva (Game 1) - 3:30 p.m.; Franciscan at Bethany (Game 2) - 5 p.m.; Denison at Thomas More (Game 2) - 5:30 p.m.; Chatham at Geneva (Game 2) - 5:30 p.m.; Mount Aloysius at Waynesburg (Game 2) - 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 22 Grove City at Waynesburg (Game 1) - 1 p.m.; Saint Vincent at Chatham (Game 1) - 1 p.m.; Thiel at Westminster (Game 1) - 1 p.m.; Thomas More at Wash & Jeff (Game 1) - 1 p.m.; Geneva at Bethany (Game 1) - 1 p.m.; Thomas More at Wash & Jeff (Game 2) - 3 p.m.; Geneva at Bethany (Game 2) - 3 p.m.; Thiel at Westminster (3 p.m.); Grove City at Waynesburg (Game 2) - 3 p.m.; Saint Vincent at Chatham (Game 2) - 3 p.m.

THOMAS MORE 16, WAYNESBURG 3 Waynesburg 3 0 3 Thomas More 6 10 16

RECENT RESULTS

Saturday, April 15 Franklin 15, Waynesburg 7; Mount St. Joseph 17, Thiel 14; Wash & Jeff 14, Thomas More 3 Sunday, April 16 Transylvania 23, Hendrix 12

UPCOMING GAMES

Saturday, April 22 Thiel at Transylvania - 12 p.m.; Franklin at Wash & Jeff - 1 p.m.; Hanover at Saint Vincent - 2 p.m.; Mount St, Joseph at Westminster - 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 23 Mount St, Joseph at Wash & Jeff - 1 p.m.; Franklin at Westminster - 1:30 p.m.

MEN STANDINGS

Thiel Transylvania Saint Vincent Westminster Wash & Jeff Hanover Mount St. Joseph Bethany

Conf. Overall 4-0 9-2 4-0 8-3 3-1 5-6 2-2 6-5 3-3 4-10 1-3 2-10 1-5 1-12 0-4 3-9

RECENT RESULTS

PAC SOFTBALL LEADERS

Batting AVG: Sainato, .473, GEN; Gostomski, .456, SVC; Falce, .451, THI RBI: Farkosovsky, 31, GEN; Dickerson, 27, TMC; Odom, 24, TMC WINS: Rohrer, 12, WES; Farkosovsky, 12, GEN; DeDreu, 11, TMC ERA: Rohrer, 0.93, WES; DeDreu, 1.37, TMC; Weiss, 1.65, BET

Saturday, April 15 Westminster 18, Bethany 8; Transylvania 14, Wash & Jeff 7; Thiel 18, Mount St. Joseph 5; Cornell College 14, Hanover 13

UPCOMING GAMES

Saturday, April 22 Hanover at Westminster - 12 p.m.; Transylvania at Bethany - 1 p.m.; Mount St. Joseph at Franciscan - 3 p.m.

Sunday, April 23 Thiel at Saint Vincent - 1 p.m.

WAYNESBURG ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD

WALSH INVITATIONAL

WALSH INVITATIONAL

100 Meter: 1. Katie Mokros, 12.14, Walsh; 2. Rachel Adams, 12.27, Mount Union; 18. Marla Holland, 13.23, Waynesburg 200 Meter: 1. Nicole Yeargin, 24.57, Ursuline; 2.

Lisa Kossman, 25.05, Edinboro; 25. Marla Holland, 27.59, Waynesburg 400 Meter: 1. Nicole Yeargin, 57.47, Ursuline; 2.

Marisa Rinaldi, 57.80, Mount Union; 21. Cassidy Guiser, 1:02.48, Waynesburg 800 Meter: 1. Chelsea Edwards, 2:22.14, Ursuline; 2.

Kathryn Thompson, 2:22.67, Waynesburg 1500 Meter Run: 1. Emily Latimer, 4:49.69, Waynesburg; 2. Julie Gerber, 4:49.85, Waynesburg 5,000 Meter: 1. Amanda Vincent, 19:04.01, Walsh; 2. Lauren Gornik, 19:23.99, John Carroll; 3. Katherine Latimer, 19:35.38, Waynesburg 100 Meter Hurdle: 1. Meredith Fennell, 14.32, Walsh; 2. Sara Martinko, 15.31, John Carroll; 400 Meter Hurdle: 1. Alainna Schmidt, 1:06.53, John Carroll; 2. Jessica Swisher, 1:07.77, John Carroll; 14. Becky Marchetti, 1:13.49, Waynesburg 3,000 Meter Steeplechase: 1. Elinore Loch, 12:04.97, Waynesburg; 2. Crystal Hajek, 12:20.42, John Carroll High Jump: 1. Josie Chaddock, 1.59 m, Lake Erie; 2.

Olga Branney, 1.59 m, Malone; 12. Taylor Clarkson, 1.48 m, Waynesburg Pole Vault: 1. Kaitlyn Barber, 3.80 m, Walsh; 2. Grace Yee, 3.70 m, Carnegie Mellon; Long Jump: 1. Nadia Lee, 5.58 m, Lake Erie; Danielle Corbin, 5.52 m, Lake Erie; 17. Caitlin Brooks, 4.60 m, Waynesburg Triple Jump: 1. Nadia Lee, 12.25 m, Lake Erie; 2.

Aarionna Banks, 10.91 m, Cuyahoga; 14. Caitlin Brooks, 9.53 m, Waynesburg Shot Put: 1. Rashida Harris, 15.20 m, Cuyahoga; 2. Kendra Zbinovec, 13.97 m, Walsh; 17. Jordan Simpson, 9.91 m, Waynesburg Discus: 1. Gabby Schultz, 44.46 m, Edinboro; 2. Daija Young, 44.04 m, N/A; 24. Ashley Hall, 27.89 m, Waynesburg Javelin: 1. Nicole Pilewski, 39.21 m, John Carroll; 2. Brenda Johnson, 37.14 m, Lake Erie; 4. Carli Polczynski, 33.61 m, Waynesburg

100 Meter: 1. Tony Woods, 10.56, Ohio Dominican; 2. Louis Berry, 10.67, Mount Union; 14. Mark Minjock, 11.33, Waynesburg 200 Meter: 1. Micah Murray, 21.31, N/A; 2.

Tony Woods, 21.63, Ohio Dominican; 13. Mark Minjock, 22.78, Waynesburg 400 Meter: 1. Micah Murray, 47.71, N/A; 2. Tyler Neff, 49.04, Mount Union; 22. Garret Guthrie, 53.74, Waynesburg 800 Meter: 1. Solomon Yoder, 1:55.03, Walsh; 2.

Justin Carroll, 1:56.08, Ohio Dominican; 26. Joel Kuzminski, 2:08.98, Waynesburg 1500 Meter: 1. Mark Moody, 3:59.48, Carnegie Mellon; 2. Joe Guerra, 4:00.66, Columbus Running Company; 15. Joel Kuzminski, 4:16.02, Waynesburg 5,000 Meter: 1. Nate Boyer, 15:17.94, N/A; 2.

Harley Moyer, 15:42.09, Wash & Jeff; 13. Jacob Pryor, 16:42.72, Waynesburg

ORLC W. LACROSSE LEADERS

Goals: Nelson, 41, SVC; Ward, 28, TRA; Oliver, 27, TRA Assists: Carroll, 17, SVC; Nelson, 17, SVC; Ward, 12, TRA Saves: Christina Bauer, 100, WAY; Dent, 95, TRA; Franey, 90, SVC Shots: Nelson, 95, SVC; Oliver, 88, TRA; Ward, 79, TRA

110 Meter Hurdle: 1. Ashton Dulin, 14.53, Malone; 2. Connor Troyer, 14.58, Mount Union; 9.

Matthew Shinkle, 16.17, Waynesburg 400 Meter Hurdle: 1. Ashton Dilon, 52.89, Malone; 2. Phil Burt, 57.05, Walsh; 9. Matthew Shinkle, 59.81, Waynesburg 3000 Meter Steeplechase: 1. Joe Colon, 9:50.16, Mount Union; 2. Hunter Hartshorne, 9:56.85, Carnegie Mellon; High Jump: 1. Joshua Woika, 1.95m, Malone; 2.

Hayden Snow, 1.90 m, John Carroll; Pole Vault: 1. Matt Keim, 4.76 m, Mount Union; 2. Thomas Mansfield, 4.46 m, Carnegie Mellon; 4.

Mitchell Kendra, 4.16 m, Waynesburg Long Jump: 1. Jalen McGill, 6.65 m, Mount Union; 2. Darrin Redus, 6.54 m, Mount Union; 14.

James Steele, 5.62 m, Waynesburg Triple Jump: 1. Christopher Vogel, 13.73 m, Lake Erie; 2. Eloy Fernandez, 13.54 m, Carnegie Mellon Shot Put: 1. Sean Sherman, 15.92 m, Mount Union; 2. Austin Aikins, 15.04 m, Mount Union; 10. Brandon Vantine, 13.51 m, Waynesburg Discus: 1. Taylor Duke, 55.47 m, Malone; 2.

Marcus Myers, 48.70 m, Walsh; 15. Vincent Giordono, 38.70 m, Waynesburg Hammer Throw: 1. Marcus Myers, 63.11 m, Walsh; 2. Duke Taylor, 56.91 m, Malone; 20.

Blake Feldner, 33.90 m, Waynesburg Javelin: 1. Jaquill Scott, 56.76 m, Mount Union; 2. Trae Smith, 54.46 m, Edinboro; 10. Brandon Vantine, 41.78 m, Waynesburg

ORLC M. LACROSSE LEADERS

Goals: Hening, 40, W&J; Ward, 35, W&J; Shorts, 34, WES Assists: Whipkey, 26, W&J; Sneed, 24, TRA; Holland, 24, BET Saves: Well, 214, MSJ; Cohen, 205, W&J; Dubrava, 175, HAN

Josh Hausler, Baseball Emily Latimer, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field

Shots: Heinig, 129, W&J; Shorts, 122, WES; Curran, 114, W&J

WPIAL HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP Carmichaels

Jefferson-Morgan

Mapletown

Boys Baseball 4-13

Boys Baseball 4-12

Boys Baseball 4-13

Girls Softball

Girls Softball

Girls Softball

WAYNESBURG 9, CARMICHAELS 3 WAY: 130 203 0 9 CAR: 100 200 0 3 CARMICHAELS 11, MAPLETOWN 2 MAP: 000 200 0 2 CAR: 122 015 x 11

JEFFERSON-MORGAN 8, JEANNETTE 3 JM: 002 130 2 8 JEA: 100 101 0 0 WEST GREENE 17, JEFFERSON-MORGAN 1 WG: 364 4 17 JM: 000 1 1

BENTWORTH 13, MAPLETOWN 3 MAP: 102 00 3 BEN: 530 23 13 WEST GREENE 14, MAPLETOWN 1 WG: 162 41 14 BUR: 100 00 1

Waynesburg Central

West Greene

Boys Baseball 4-13

Boys Baseball 4-12

Girls Softball

Girls Softball

WAYNESBURG 9, CARMICHAELS 3 WAY: 130 203 0 9 CAR: 100 200 0 3 WAYNESBURG7, MCGUFFEY 4 MCG: 013 000 0 4 WAY: 340 000 x 7

WEST GREENE 13, GEIBEL 3 WG: 102 0(10) 13 GEI: 001 2 0 3 WEST GREENE 14, MAPLETOWN 1 WG: 162 41 14 BUR: 100 00 1

SECTION CC

APRIL 20, 2017 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG BASEBALL

Despite several injuries, Beatty still contributes to baseball team

By KYLE DAWSON

Assistant Sports Editor

Fans of Way nesburg University baseball that have been in attendance at games in 2017 have likely noticed something different than what they are accustomed to.

This season, the Waynesburg University bullpen is a rowdy bunch, according to one pitcher. A bunch of guys that are always talking, chanting and moving around.

The pitchers make food sacrifices to Jobu, the bobblehead from the baseball movie “Major League.”

It’s a bullpen time. t h at i s i n t h e “I got the idea game, trying to from the Cleveke ep its te amland Indians bullmates relaxed and pen,” said Beatty. encouraging them “Guys were goto have fun. ing through the They call it the motions [late in Bullpen Mafia, the season]. Just and it was the as they did, I see Beatty idea of one pitchour pitching staff er, who has the official title as a family. We go through of Godfather: senior Park- everything together… [the er Beatty. He has his three objective] is to have guys lieutenants under him: se- loosen up and have fun. It niors Scott Hefty, Derek helps guys stay in the game.”

Whalen and Jacob Meyer As a senior, Beatty’s seaFor Beatty, it’s a different son on the mound has been style of leadership, one that cut short. As a junior, the involves enjoying a game Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvathat is serious most of the nia, native pitched through

MEN'S BASKETBALL

an arm injury, that required surgery after being aggravated during summer ball.

There were multiple tears in Beatty’s labrum and an issue with his rotator cuff.

“The surgeon made it simple,” said Beatty. “He said ‘if you want to hang up the cleats now and not ever play baseball again; you don’t need the surgery right now.’”

But, the feeling of not wanting to let his team down and the desire to play again, according to Beatty, made the second option he was given more appealing.

“He said, ‘If you ever want to play baseball again,

you need the surgery, and I can put you on the schedule for next week,” said Beatty.

“He told me how difficult the process of rehab would be and he was right.”

After a long, “painful,” rehab process from having multiple labrum tears in his throwing shoulder, a process that started with Beatty having to teach himself to do everyday tasks righthanded and not being able to put a shirt on by himself, Beatty made it back to the mound. The results weren’t what he wanted, but it was gratifying, he said.

“It was my end goal to pitch again and I did,” said

Beatty. “I went in with no expectations and intending to give it what I had. The results weren’t what I planned or wanted, but it was nice to see the hard work got me back on the mound.”

Injury wasn’t something Beatty was unfamiliar with, though, at the collegiate level. He missed most of his freshman season with an arm injury as well. He had made a total of four starts, two of which were good outings for the freshman, who found himself in the rotation for Waynesburg as a first-year player.

BEATTY >> CC4

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

For point guard, team After rough start to career, Delaney excels in senior year was always first priority

By LUKE GOODLING

emulate a positive aura to help the team anyway that he could. In this case, that was For Waynesburg Univer- by being the best teammate sity men’s basketball player, he could be, specifically on senior Timmy Kaiser, college the Waynesburg team that basketball was something he made it all the way to the has always dreamed of be- Presidents’ Athletic Confering able to play; head coach ence championship game in Mark Christner granted the 2014-15 season.

Kaiser that chance roughly “I think that helped me five years ago when Kaiser grow as a person a lot bedecided to come to Waynes- cause, even when I wasn’t burg. playing my sophomore “I am extremely grateful year, when we were in the for the opportuconference chamnity,” said Kaiser. pionship game, “I always say that that was the most coach is the one fun I’ve had bethat took a chance cause we were just on me when no winning so much,” one else really Kaiser said. “I’m did, and it’s just just glad that I been everything I embraced it, and could have asked my goal was to be for and then way the most energetic Kaiser more than that in guy on the bench. terms of the lifelong friend- If I wasn’t playing, that’s how ships that I’ve made with I could help.” countless teammates that Throughout all of his we’ve had here.” hard work and determinaThe 2016-17 season was tion, Kaiser worked his way the first and only oppor- into a leadership role on tunity for the point guard the team this past season, to be the full-time starter Christner said. From a perthroughout his years at sonal standpoint, Kaiser avWaynesburg. Previously, eraged 6.7 points per game, Kaiser had served as a back- led the team with 3.4 assists up point guard as a fresh- per game, 2.5 rebounds per man, a third point guard as game and 23 steals his senior a sophomore and a backup season. He also led the team and part-time starter as a with 28.5 minutes per game junior. The variety of roles after never averaging more he has served on the team than 16.8 minutes per game highlight who Kaiser is as a in any of his previous three person and player, according seasons. to Christner.

Kaiser also had a 13-as“It’s pretty unique. It sist game against St. Vincent, speaks to his resiliency. I the most by any Waynesburg think it speaks to his atti- player since 2003. Christner tude, I think it speaks to his said his performance in that love for the game,” Christ- game spoke to the unselfishner said. “It’s just really cool ness Kaiser showed as a playto see it come full circle for er. That night, Kaiser said, is him.” one he certainly won’t forget.

In those first couple of “It was nice to be able to seasons when he was not do something like that… getting a lot of playing time, Kaiser said he still tried to KAISER >> CC4

By TYLER GODWIN Editorial Assistant

Sports Convergence Editor

Haley Delaney originally wasn’t going to come to Waynesburg University.

Instead, Delaney, a forward on the women’s basketball team, had her eyes set on Thomas More, a school with a basketball program, which has won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship each of the past 11 seasons, including one NCAA Division III National Championship.

But that didn’t matter; Delaney was focused on academics first, and Waynesburg University’s nursing program topped Thomas More – NCAA championship title and all.

Head coach Sam Jones said he discovered Delaney and her talent through showcases, and after pursuing her, it was the nursing department that was the deciding factor.

“I found [Delaney] at a recruiting showcase and just started the [recruiting] process: phone calls, couple of long drives to Cincinnati. Our nursing program is what really sealed the deal,” said Jones.

Delaney’s talent put her immediately on the court as a freshman. In her first game as a Yellow Jacket, and the first game of the 2013 season against Bridgewater College, Delaney played 15 minutes, went 1-3 from 3-point land, scored five points and had five rebounds – an impressive opening game for a freshman.

But it didn’t last.

In just two minutes during her second game as a Jacket, Delaney sprained her posterior talofibular ligament in her ankle. It took her nearly half the season before she was recovered enough to play, a process that Delaney said was extremely frustrating to go through after only playing two collegiate games.

“It was really hard, because

Lindsay Orzechowski, Yellow Jacket

In her senior year, Haley Delaney averaged 10 points per game and shot 32 percent from the floor. She also finished second in the conference in blocks. it was only a couple games in and I was getting minutes as a freshman,” said Delaney.

Between seasons, Delaney said she practiced basketball with intensity, which only made her more valuable her second year with the Yellow Jackets.

One of the things Delaney said she learned as a Yellow Jacket was how to properly deal with the challenges she had to face early in her four years at Waynesburg.

“Ultimately, it comes down to the team and the team to be successful is more important than my individual stats and stuff," said Delaney.

With the Jackets, Jones said her best year with the team was her last.

“I think she was much more consistent her senior year and had much more shot blocking from a consistent basis and also just more of a rebounder

and stuff like that," said Jones.

"She did a really nice job this year…by far her best year.”

During her final season, Delaney played in 21 games, averaging 10 points per game with six and a half rebounds and two blocks. Her blocking, in fact, was the second best in the PAC. She led the team in blocks and came second in several other statistical categories including rebounds and made 3-pointers.

Her defensive abilities, Jones said, stood out in her senior year for the team. “[Delaney] gave us that shot-blocking presence on defense; she gave us rebounds,” said Jones. “We outrebounded people by a lot this year, which was good, and [Delaney] was a big part of that. Her ability to score [too], she had a couple of big games scoring and a couple of games where maybe her numbers weren’t

big, but she hit some timely shots, which were important.”

She said she recognized the significance of her senior season with the team highlighted by the ECAC tournament run to conclude her career as a Yellow Jacket.

“I’m really happy with our final season. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end it, especially getting that last ECAC bid and getting to play two more games with my teammates,” said Delaney.

“We played really, really well in that tournament. I have no complaints and wouldn’t have wanted it to go any differently.”

Through her four years with Waynesburg University basketball, Delaney said the run to the ECAC championship game and the relationships she’s built with her teammates are the memories that will stand out to her the most.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Service underlined Casey Heimberger's running career at WU

By HUGH O’NEIL

For the Yellow Jacket

Casey Heimberger will be remembered at Waynesburg University as a leader, teammate and friend, according to head cross country coach Chris Hardie.

“He’s a type of leader that the team flocks to,” Hardie said. “Whether it’s an issue that they have, or they need advice or they want to talk training, he’s the guy that the team has naturally kind of gone to. He draws people to him, and I really appreciate that and I don’t see that a lot, so I think that’s good.”

Heimberger’s journey with

running started when he was in fifth grade. He would run with his dad at the college near his house.

He then ran community 5K’s with his dad and once he got to middle school, he decided to join the cross country and track teams.

When finding a school to further his education, Heimberger looked for a Christian college where he could also run track and cross country.

Heimberger said he has brought his faith into everything that he does at Waynesburg University.

Heimberger has gone on a mission trip to Bonaire, bringing his advertising

skills to the task, while also volunteering with the cross country team.

“I worked on the social media pages while I was there,” said Heimberger. “Every year we volunteer at Gettysburg. When we have our meet there, we go and clean up the battlefields a little bit.

The team, as a whole, does [service] a lot.”

Heimberger really appreciates how Hardie has treated him through the years and how he looks at running in general.

“Coach Hardie has definitely done a lot for me. The way he looks at running and how teamwork works and

the way he treats his athletes gives them responsibility and opportunities for leadership roles,” Heimberger said.

“He doesn’t think of you as just someone who runs. He thinks of you as a person who has the ability to run and develops you from that.”

Heimberger is also a member of the track & field leadership group. The leadership group is similar to a captain’s role, but in a group setting.

He is one of the seniors in charge of getting equipment, food and other items. Heimberger said the coaching staff has trust in him, and that is

HEIMBERGER >> CC4

Photo courtesy of Megan Ferrick

Not only did Casey Heimberger run cross country for the university, but he also served on mission trips.

Page CC2

April 20, 2017

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Jess Bish's WXC career based on supporting teammates

By MITCHELL KENDRA Copy Editor

Senior business management major Jess Bish didn’t plan on running cross country at the collegiate level. She decided to attend Waynesburg University and figured her running career would end when she graduated from North Allegheny High School in Wexford, Pennsylvania.

But during a tour to campus, she met head cross country coach Chris Hardie.

Hardie later called Bish to ask if she would like to participate as a member of the team.

“I shocked myself by saying ‘yes,’” Bish said.

But Bish’s career hasn’t been ideal. Injuries held her out of most of the team’s meets.

Freshman year, after stepping off of a sidewalk awkwardly, she suffered a sprained ankle that turned into a stress fracture in her tibia – something Hardie referred to as a “freak accident.”

Sophomore year she was able to return healthy and finished the entirety of the season.

Junior season came and she was nominated as a captain – her leadership skills were something Hardie realized when Bish first came to campus, as a Leadership Scholar,

and he knew she had skills the team would benefit from.

But junior year she suffered problems with the same ankle. This past season, her last season of running, again resulted in an awkward sidewalk stumble that resulted in another ankle sprain.

The athletic trainers told Bish that if she tried to run again, she could have chronic problems walking the rest of her life.

She made the tough decision to remain on the sideline throughout the rest of her senior season.

“She’s really good with the athletes that might be struggling through injury or confidence issues…she just became the team mother really quickly and assumed that role,” said Hardie. “She still had a lot of things that she was fighting through personally, and trying to get back into competition… to maintain her academics… so she was constantly struggling herself, but she was always there for her teammates.”

Bish said being injured took a toll on her, but she knew it was important to be a role model for her teammates.

“I think it’s important to be that positive influence on other people,” Bish said.

While injuries sidelined Bish for most of her career

Gregory Reinhart, Yellow Jacket

Despite not being a large part of the team in scoring, Jess Bish established a reputation as someone who played a big role in supporting her teammates. at Waynesburg, her presence was still known. At one point, when she was in a walking boot for an injury, she was walking back and forth at a meet, up and down hills recording the splits of her teammates.

“That was a role that she embraced because she knew

that was her way of helping the team,” said Hardie. “She did everything she could to help us, and we’ll miss that.”

Hardie said because of her injury that happened during her junior year, Bish came to him and talked about the possibility of stepping away from her role as team captain – al-

FOOTBALL

though Hardie never wanted it to happen.

Bish knew that she wasn’t contributing on the courses and felt she wasn’t fit for the captain role because of her inability to contribute to the team’s score.

Hardie said this was a very mature move by Bish, accept-

ing her injury situation and being upfront with him about being uncomfortable being a captain still. In the end, Bish stayed in the captain position.

“To me, she’s the leader of the team no matter if she was running or not,” said Hardie.

Away from the sport, Bish was also a member of Sigma Beta Delta, the business honor society. Staying academically focused while trying to deal with her different injuries was taxing on her. Hardie said it was difficult, but that it is something she will probably grow from in the future.

Although bothered by health two of her first three years before walking away from the sport her senior year, Bish said she still felt close to the team.

“I was still able to feel like I was part of the team. I felt a part of the family that we are,” said Bish. “I think I was really able to develop some of my leadership skills, and I just really enjoyed being on the team: they’re my brothers and sisters.”

Now, looking back at her time as a student athlete at Waynesburg, she said she was glad she was able to have the opportunity.

“It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made coming to college,” she said.

LACROSSE

Bachman leaves Waynesburg as program's leading scorer changes, and having them, going through everything together made the team aspect Holly Bachman’s time as a a lot tighter.” member of the women’s laDue to the array of coachcrosse team has been incon- ing changes, there weren’t sistent. really any solid recruiting Between several different classes following Bachman’s coaching regimes, uncertain- freshman year. As a result, the ty regarding the program as team performance and record well as some difficulties as- suffered considerably. similating as a freshman, the “We were scrapping to get road to being a basketball players, senior wasn’t the soccer players and easiest. all that,” she said.

“It was a roller “We’ve been excoaster,” she said tremely fortunate with a laugh. that they’ve given According to their time to play Bachman, who with us and learn a heralds from Butnew sport. It’s been ler, Pennsylvania, really tough, but it the senior class has also been nice during her freshto see girls step out Bachman man year wasn’t of their shell.” very accepting, but she beIt’s been a struggle throughlieves it made her class stron- out her career, but Bachman ger. kept coming back to the sport “There were a lot of us she loves and hopes to coach freshmen coming in, so one day. we sort of bonded together “It’s just the love of the and over the past two years sport,” said Bachman. “I as well,” Bachman said. “Us didn’t start playing until girls really bonded over the high school, but I picked it up

By BRENDAN KEANY Op/Ed Editor

Michael Purvis, Yellow Jacket

Defensive lineman Zach Machuga totaled 40 tackles for loss in his career while being named an All-PAC Honorable Mention three times.

Undersized defensive lineman finds success at Waynesburg

By JACOB MEYER Sports Editor

Zach Machuga attended Bowling Green University out of high school and didn’t intend to play football in college.

During his first year at Bowling Green, he realized he missed playing football and started looking at Division III schools to play at.

He contacted his high school coaches to help him find a place to play, and two days later, Waynesburg University head football coach Rick Shepas called him.

Machuga, a defensive tackle, chose to come to Waynesburg quickly after speaking to Shepas.

“Shepas gave me a call two days later and I came and visited, and I made the decision before I even visited,” Machuga said.

As a freshman, Machuga started halfway through his freshman season and was a mainstay in the middle of the Jackets’ defensive line for the next three and a half seasons.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but it turns out the team was pretty good that year,” Machuga said. “I got to play my freshman year, which was super fun."

As a freshman, Machuga totaled 37 tackles and had four tackles for loss.

From the beginning,

Machuga expected to play, even though being a year removed.

“I actually thought I was going to be better than what I was,” he said. “I was a little surprised by the talent level when I got in. There are some really good players. By midseason I was starting. I wasn’t doing great, but it was fun.

Coach gave me an opportunity, being a little guy.”

Machuga’s position is one that is usually occupied by larger players, but Machuga is only 5’9” and 250 pounds.

“Learning to use leverage is important,” Machuga said.

“I’m used to being undersized. You may have bigger guys than in high school, but no one is going to blow your socks off.”

He made up for his lack in size with his strength, putting up exorbitant numbers in the weight room.

“I worked hard and I really liked the weight room,” Machuga said. “That’s what really made me like football to start was the weight room.”

In Machuga’s first two seasons, the team was very good – going 8-3 and 7-4, respectively. Machuga said he never played for a losing team in football in his life – then his last two years at Waynesburg started.

The Jackets went 3-7 and 2-8 the last two seasons, respectively.

“I always loved playing football,” he said. “It’s just fun; it’s obviously more fun when you win. I still had a blast playing these last two years. ” In his last two seasons, as well, Machuga played through several injuries that he said could have slowed him down a little.

While his sophomore year was his best statistically, he still thinks he improved each season. As a sophomore, Machuga totaled 47 tackles and 13 tackles for loss, whereas his junior year he had 58 tackles and 10 for loss and as a senior, he had 55 tackles, 13 for loss.

He ended his career as a three-time All-PAC Honorable Mention awardee.

“I was hurt a lot at the beginning of my junior and senior years,” Machuga said.

“My best year statistically was probably my sophomore year. But when I was healthy, I think I got better every year.

It’s just circumstantial.”

Machuga played his last season with the Jackets as a fifth-year senior earning his MBA. Machuga graduated from Waynesburg in May 2016, but will finish his MBA this summer.

He is now looking for a job and helping coach the defensive line and the team in the weight room at his old high school.

right away. All of my cousins played and my brother started playing, so it really became a large part of my life.”

Also, she saw lacrosse as an opportunity to better herself.

“Just wanting to be the best that I can be, whether it be helping my teammates learn the sport or just set personal records for myself,” she said.

“It has sort of been a challenge for myself, because I keep wanting to push the team to get better.”

Bachman started playing because it runs in the family.

Her cousins introduced her to the sport, and it has been something that she’s been able to pass to her brother. The fun nature of the sport is causing it to be the fastest-growing sport in the country.

“I think it’s just a lot of fun to play,” she said. “All of the new girls who’ve come [have] really actually liked the sport despite our record.”

All in all, Bachman noted that she has enjoyed the ride.

Mostly, she owes it to her teammates for making the experience a memorable one.

MEN'S SOCCER

Sophomore year the highlight of midfielder's soccer career

but I also wanted to play soccer as well, so I wanted to find a school that had both.

Joey Buchanan is a digital So out of the schools I was design major and is minor- looking at, Waynesburg was ing in business management the best fit.” from Washington, PennsylBrad Heethuis, head vania. coach of the men’s soccer Although living within team, said Buchanan always the vicinity of the school, had a positive attitude. just about 20 “Whether it was m i nut e s n or t h on the field, off the of Waynesburg, field or at practice, Buchanan s aid Joey liked to have he didn’t con a good time,” said sider coming to He e t hu i s . “He Waynesburg Uniwas able to joke versity until his around, so I alsenior year of high ways appreciated school. his sense of hu“I actually did mor and kind of not make the decijust his positivity Buchanan sion until May my and fun loving atsenior year of high school, titude.” but it was basically because Buchanan also had to batI wanted to go somewhere tle through a major injury where I could get a good ed- in his time at Waynesburg. ucation, and I knew I want“My sophomore year, I ed to do graphic design,” tore my ACL and my menissaid Buchanan. “So I wanted cus, so I was shot for the rest somewhere that had a good of the year,” said Buchanan. program in relations to that, Buchanan was at full

By COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Staff Writer

health his senior year, though, and his hard work after the injury finally paid off.

“When we made playoffs my sophomore year, we had a really, really good team, we all got along, it was just a lot of fun,” said Buchanan. “It was the best season I had here.”

After graduation, Buchanan is hoping to find a graphic design job in the Pittsburgh area.

Heethuis said he will leave shoes to fill for the soccer team next season, but out of all accomplishments Buchanan only wants to be remembered for one thing. “[I want to be remembered as] someone that was a leader, not necessarily a vocal leader, but someone that anyone could come to when they were struggling or someone that always brightens up the mood and that I was someone that enjoyed my time here and had fun,” said Buchanan.

April 20, 2017

Page CC3

WOMEN'S SOCCER

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

Drane worked her way into starting position Latimer twins find

love for track at WU

By JOE SMELTZER Staff Writer

Lauren Drane remembers her first impression of Waynesburg University well.

The native of Munhall, Pennsylvania, first visited the campus when she was around 14 years old, as part of an event for her youth group.

Soccer has played a significant role in Drane’s life from an early age. She looked up to her older sister, Nicole, who started playing the sport when she was 5 years old. Her father, Willy, coached Drane until she was 10.

When Drane was looking at colleges, she did so with a greater focus on academics than soccer. So, she enrolled at Waynesburg in Fall 2013 as a sports management major.

In Drane’s freshman season, she only saw action in five games and never got a start. “[Not getting a lot of playing time] was pretty hard at first,” said Drane. “But it was more motivation for me. It’s so different having to fight for a spot.”

After the 2013 season, Griffiths left Waynesburg, and Laura Heethuis took over as head coach. Upon meeting Drane in 2014, Heethuis remembers her being shy at first but quickly coming out of that shell.

“Every preseason, people are kind of nervous coming in,” said Heethuis. “You’ve got new players, and for that particular year, we had a new coaching staff as well.”

In Drane’s sophomore season, she saw action in 18 of 20 games but only received three

By LUKE GOODLING

Sports Convergence Editor

Rob Longo, Yellow Jacket

In Lauren Drane's final season with the Yellow Jackets, she played in a total of 17 games and started in seven of them. starts. Drane said that a meeting with Heethuis towards the end of her sophomore year was a turning point.

In Drane’s junior season, she started all 16 games, mainly as a midfielder. However, she would have to face adversity again, before the start of her senior year, when knee problems before the season limited her offseason activities, and as a result, she only started in seven games.

Drane said the whole soccer program helped her through the process.

“A lot of [overcoming the injury] had to do with the coaches and trainers just having my back, and my teammates being really support-

ive,” said Drane.

Despite being hindered by injury, Heethuis said that Drane became a better leader during her senior season.

Drane sees herself as a “lead by example” type of person.

“If you ask anybody on my team, I’m not so much a vocal leader,” said Drane. “I’m not the biggest communicator. I’m more of a one-onone kind of leader, and if I see something wrong or if I need to talk to someone, I’ll pull them aside. I’m not much of an in-front-of-everybody kind of person.”

Towards the end of her senior year, Drane became a two-sport athlete this spring

WOMEN'S TENNIS

when she joined the lacrosse team.

The fact that Drane is one of two seniors that made it all four years in the soccer program is endearing to Heethuis.

“It shows the commitment,” said Heethuis. “It shows that they love every part of Waynesburg women’s soccer, and that’s what you want to have on your team in a player and in a person, because nothing is worth doing unless you’re going to give 100 percent effort.”

Drane credits her love for soccer, as well as the love she had for her teammates, for why she stuck it out all four years.

Twin sisters Katie and Emily Latimer did not enjoy track & field coming into Waynesburg University.

With primarily a focus on cross country, Emily said track was always viewed as a way to stay sharp during the cross country offseason, but not as a standalone sport.

“Up until I came [to Waynesburg University] I was like, ‘I think everybody hates track,’” said Emily. “I was just under the impression that it was just what people did to keep them in shape for cross country – at least on the distance side.”

All it took, however, was a great coaching staff and a family atmosphere within the team and both sisters were hooked on Waynesburg University’s track & field program.

“Up until I came to college, I didn’t really like track,” said Emily. “I didn’t really care for my coaches in high school – for how they did things I guess.”

The twin sisters from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, found Waynesburg through their older sister, Olivia, who also runs on the track & field team.

Now, four years later, the twins led the Yellow Jackets in most distance-running categories at meets and have been chiseled as foundational leaders within the program.

According to head coach Jason Falvo, the athletic abil-

ity of the twins was apparent from freshman year.

“We knew they were very, very talented,” said Falvo.

“Most of the time, freshmen come in and they have a harder time adjusting to the length of the [cross country] and [indoor and outdoor track & field] season and then you see the big jump going into their sophomore year. But due to some injuries, we didn’t see that jump until their junior year. We knew they were good – they were doing well.”

After an impactful start with the team, both sisters went down with different injuries.

Emily was the first, with a devastating injury at the beginning of the outdoor season her freshman year.

It kept her off the track for the entirety of her sophomore year.

On top of the frustration of dealing with an injury, Emily said it was even more infuriating because it happened shortly after she realized the significance of track & field in her life.

“It was super frustrating because I felt like I didn’t even get a chance to show my coaches or show my teammates about how much I cared about track,” said Emily. “Because I really started to love it again. I said I didn’t really care for track in high school, [but] I was just starting to love it.”

Then, as Emily was preLATIMERS >> C4

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD

Jumper grateful for opportunity to play two sports After picking up tennis late, Evans becomes top 3 player “I heard about Waynesburg at a Notre Dame College combine,” Steele said. “[Head Senior accounting major football] coach [Rick] Shepas James Steele is a two-sport was there and he [says], athlete and has been the model ‘So you guys ever hear of example of what a student- Waynesburg?’ I looked over athlete is over the course of and thought ‘What is this guy his four years at Waynesburg, doing?’” according to Jason Falvo, head Shepas ran through the men’s and women’s normal routine of track & field coach. informing Steele Steele was reof the school; it’s cruited to play footin Greene County ball, but when the and twenty minutes track & field team from Morgantown. was lacking some Once Steele sat players, he tagged down with Shepas along. and did some perFalvo had sonal research, he worked with Steele found that WaynesSteele on the football team burg was the school and saw how great of an ath- he wanted to attend. lete and leader he was.

Then, after Steele’s fresh“He’s a great kid, and comes man year of football, Falvo from a great family. If he trusts was looking for someone who [you], he’ll do good by you,” could jump. Steele answered said Falvo. “Jimmy’s never let the call and began his track & me down with anything I’ve field career at Waynesburg. ever asked him to do. He’s al“I told him how far I jumped ways done exactly what’s being in high school he said, ‘Come asked.” out and see how you do. We Steele said it was an interest- will go from there,’” Steele said. ing route for his trip to land at Falvo knows Steele is a hard Waynesburg University, as he worker and commits to always still remembers the first time getting better. he heard about Waynesburg.

“He definitely puts the

By ANTONIO PELULLO For the Yellow Jacket

ing to only be playing exhibition matches that didn’t count for anything,” Evans said. “I Heidi Evans started playing would never have expected tennis in her senior year of my freshman year to be one high school. of the top three players on the She was very serious about team this year. I’m needed for soccer – the sport she played once on the team, I’m needed growing up and throughout to be one of those top six posiher time in high school. But tions.” she had a few friends on the Evans said there were tennis team and two main chalthought it would be lenges she fought fun to give it a try. throughout her “It was kind college career. The of joke and just first was balancing to hang out with her academics and some friends and her athletics, but something else to not in the way that do senior year,” most would think.

Evans said.

R ather than “I picked it up having trouble in kind of quickly, season, Evans had Evans and I ended up lovdifficulty having a ing it,” she said. set schedule out of season. In When she decided to at- season, she knew she had to tend Waynesburg University be timely and not procras– moving far away from her tinate on assignments; she home in Anchorage, Alaska could do work on bus rides – she met with both the soc- to and from tennis matches. cer and tennis coaches at the Out of season, though, she time. She chose to play ten- had more free time that she nis at Waynesburg because didn’t know what to do with. it was more relaxed for her “You knew when you had and would allow her to focus time to study; you knew when more time on her academics. you had things going on,” EvIn her first two years, Evans ans said. “When the season is played a minimal role on two over, now I actually have to go teams that posted 11-4 and to the library or find a place 10-5 records, respectively. She to study.” played in only one varsity sinThe last challenge was the gles match in both her fresh- pain that still persists in her man and sophomore seasons. right arm. Evans played most As a sophomore, though, she of her college career with both did go 3-0 in doubles play tennis elbow and golfer’s elwith two different partners. bow – injuries that occur In her last two years, from repeated overuse. though, the team was worse, At first, Evans didn’t know finishing 2-12 last season and what was wrong, thinking it 1-10 this past season. was just basic inflammation As a junior, she won her and it could be fixed with first ever singles match and short rest and ice. After a finished the season 1-6 in while, though, she figured singles play and 0-3 in dou- out the pain was a bigger bles play. This past season, problem.

Evans was the lone senior Rather than quit and end on the squad and the team’s her tennis career, she fought third-best singles player and through the pain and dealt second-best doubles player. with the side effects: pain “When I came in I was def- while typing school assigninitely one of the last players, ments, writing and holding the lowest of the low. I was a cup. there to go out and have fun In the end, though, Evans and it didn’t really matter how doesn’t regret her decision to good I did because I was go- play tennis in college.

By JACOB MEYER Sports Editor

time in, especially with track,” Falvo said. “He’s done a great job with how he’s developed his craft and he wants to get better.”

Along the way as a twosport athlete, Steele faced many challenges: lifting for football and then going to track practice on the same day.

“I would practice maybe two, three times a day and it was just hard on my body, but that was probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do,” said Steele.

Continually challenging his body with two sports also included battling injuries.

While dealing with some of these injuries, he had doubts on whether he could continue both sports, but then he was able to get healthy.

“I stayed for postseason track, and I got my rhythm back with jumping and all that stuff because of the break, [and] that helped me realize I can do this,” said Steele. “So, I stuck with it.”

Through his personality, Steele was able to build friendships for a lifetime.

“It’s fun to see how close the team is together and the camaraderie we have,” said Steele.

“I’m kind of goofy and your straight-laced jock.”

Even over breaks and summers, Steele had a physically demanding schedule, as he was able to land a job helping a mechanic.

“I started Christmas Break of my freshman year, and I have been doing that ever since. It has its ups and downs,” said Steele, “I was going to work from [8 a.m. to 5 p.m.], then after I was going to run or a lift to keep up on the sports sides of things then it was [8:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.] by the time I got home.”

Steele has committed a large portion of his time to sports. He has dealt with a lot of aches and pains, put in a lot hard work and built a plethora of friendships throughout his time at Waynesburg.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It taught me time management, how to push myself harder, the drive to better myself [and] all that type of stuff,” said Steele. “Sports would be a good thing for anybody. You learn how to work with a team and you get friendships from it. I think there is all kinds of upsides to playing sports to me."

VOLLEYBALL

Transfer becomes two-sport athlete at Waynesburg

By TY MCELIECE

For the Yellow Jacket

For the last three years, senior Shannon Morgan was often found on the volleyball court.

Volleyball was a sport that Morgan started in eighth grade. People have their reasons for playing a sport, whether because a friend played it or a coach thought they would be good at it.

But this wasn’t the case for Morgan.

“Honestly, I just picked it up randomly in eighth grade and it came naturally to me,” said Morgan.

Morgan lives locally in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.

She went to high school a few miles down the road from Waynesburg Univer-

sity at Waynesburg of myself. I missed Central. After that, being an athlete she decided to atand I missed bete nd E d i nb oro ing in that mindUniversity. set,” said Morgan.

Morgan went “It was something to Edinboro for a t h at m a d e m e year before realhappy.” izing that wasn’t Morgan isn’t where her heart just an outside and was. After a year, right-side hitter Morgan she decided to for the volleyball transfer to Waynesburg. team, she is also an attacker She sent an email to head and a midfielder for the lacoach Stephanie Benkowski crosse team. This she started saying that she was interest- in her junior year of college, ed in playing. That year she Morgan got started playing started playing for the team. lacrosse because Benkowski Morgan wasn’t recruited is also the lacrosse coach. out of high school, but her The coach mentioned how love for the competitiveness she was the coach and how and the thrill is what made there were a few girls on the her pursue playing volley- team the previous year have ball at the next level. never played before.

“I felt I was missing a part “My friend Delaney [Den-

niston] and I decided to play because why not?” said Morgan.

Morgan is a psychology major at Waynesburg. After school, she plans to go to an accelerated nursing program in Washington, Pennsylvania.

She wants to be a psych nurse. Morgan wants to work with patients that have mental disabilities like schizophrenia.

Even though neither the volleyball or lacrosse teams have had good records, Morgan still enjoys playing both sports.

She’s the typical studentathlete; she said without sports she is missing a part of her and just wouldn’t know how to survive without them.

Page CC4

April 20, 2017

WRESTLING

Crivelli leaves as winningest wrestler in program history

By CODY YANKULIC Editorial Assistant

Wrestling is a sport of grit and tenacity. Grappling with your opponent and looking for opportunities for a takedown are only one portion of the battle, as mental and physical exhaustion soon set in.

The brute nature of the sport is something senior wrestler Filippo Crivelli is well acquainted with.

For Crivelli, his wrestling career ended Feb. 26, 2017.

That was the day the all-time wins leader for Waynesburg University wrestling finished his final match, capping off a career that was the best in school history in the wins column.

His final match, a close loss at the regional tournament, seemed an unjust end for a successful career and leaves him unsatisfied.

“It’s been rough not being able to achieve those goals in four years,” he said.

The goals included becoming a national cham-

pion, something he never accomplished but isn’t something he lets define him.

“I’ve always set high goals for myself and achieved them,” he said. “I’ve done some pretty good things here at Waynesburg that I am proud of.”

The one loss is a small blemish on the fabric of his career. Tragedy couldn’t outshine triumph, and for him and head coach Ron Headlee, graduation is the end of a very bright time in his career here at Waynesburg.

“I know I got better from high school to college,” Crivelli said. “I feel like I grew stronger as a person and wrestler both on and off the mat.”

His journey to winning two Presidents’ Athletic Conference titles and the title of the schools most winningest wrestler started four years ago, where Headlee saw a lot of potential in him.

“We thought he had the ability [to win PAC cham-

Mitch Kendra, Yellow Jacket

Although Filippo Crivelli narrowly missed moving onto the national stage in his final year with the team, he said he believes he is one of the best in Division III. pionships],” said Headlee.

“The way he wrestled, he had good technique, and we thought he could be something special for us.”

Headlee was right, as

Crivelli accrued 121 wins over his four-year career in Waynesburg’s wrestling program. A pioneer for Waynesburg in the wins department, Crivelli’s suc-

cess stemmed from his hard work ethic.

“He was always there, punctual and always going as hard as he can,” said Headlee. “He never

lets down and hardly ever missed a practice all four years here.”

When observed at matches, his wrestling style could be described as grabbing a charging bull by the horns.

“I feel like I just had a more realistic goal when I came here,” he said. “I feel like I am still capable of being one of the best guys in the country this year and I have beaten guys right up there.”

His greatest accomplishment, being the best wrestler Waynesburg has ever seen, is a tale told not by the outcome of his matches, but by the measure of his character, Headlee said. Now his goals involve continuing to be around wrestling, but instead of being on the mat as a competitor, he’ll try his hand at coaching.

“It will definitely be a tough fact to replace him,” Headlee said. “He will make a great coach someday. He works well with young guys and likes working with the clubs and stuff.”

Beatty: Bullpen antics Kaiser: Christner thinks senior has future in coaching show sideline leadership Continued from CC1

Continued from CC1

Beatty was one of 23 freshman and transfers to enter Waynesburg’s program in the fall of 2014. Not all remained on the roster by the season opener, but for Beatty it was a big deal to be where he was before the injury.

“I think I adjusted very well [from high school to college baseball],” said Beatty. “During the fourth start I had the injury that knocked me out for the rest of the year. I had a lot

“I want to be that guy that guys look at and say, 'He's going to do whatever it takes to win.'"

PARKER BEATTY

Senior pitcher

of good upperclassmen that helped me adjust… [The injury] was frustrating. It was harder mentally than physically, but I had earned a spot in the rotation and it was gone with the injury.”

Head coach Mike Humiston said he has seen Beatty grow through the times he’s been hurt, not only as a leader, but as a teammate in general.

“From day one, when Parker came in here he never has been physically intimidating, but we knew we had something special,”

said Humiston. “He ended up getting injured before pitching well sophomore year, but was pitching hurt the next year. More importantly, he has a tremendous work ethic and he’s one of the better teammates we have on our team. When he’s not physically in the game, he is mentally. He demands the other guys are as engaged as he is. He’s a great mentor.”

While Beatty knows he can’t help the team on the field now, he still wants to find a way to help however he can, a trait Humiston said he’s shown since arriving on campus.

Beatty stepped into the role of being a leader along with several other seniors this season after the departures of several leaders from last year’s Waynesburg squad.

"We all came in and have stuck together through the four years," said Beatty.

"Jacob Meyer, Derek Whalen, Ben Miller and several others have stepped up with me."

In the end, Beatty said he wants to be remembered for his desire to win and his team-first mentality.

“I just want to win baseball games,” said Beatty. “I want to be a role model for the younger guys. If they have questions, I want them to be able to come to me.

Whether it’s on the field or off, I want to be that guy that guys look at and say, ‘He’s going to do whatever it takes to win.’”

that’s something that I’ll tell the grandkids about,” Kaiser said with a laugh.

Statistics aside, some of Kaiser’s intangibles, such as his leadership, are what set him apart from other people, Christner said, especially in a season in which the team went 6-19 and missed the PAC playoffs. “[I will miss] his love for our program and his commitment to putting himself in the best possible position to lead our program. Everybody wants to always think about leadership [where] you leave on top, you leave your mark and all those things,” said Christner. “You know what Timmy did was, in a lot of ways, as challenging as it gets. You see guys that are good players for us not playing as the year goes on, and as a senior…for a year that started with some really good optimism [that]

through Christmas break kind of fizzled, his love for the game and his love for his teammates helped keep us going.”

Kaiser hopes that his former teammates will be able to think back to how he was as a person and player and someone who always gave it all he had, no matter the situation.

“My goal from a playing standpoint was to just to be remembered as somebody that my teammates loved playing with,” said Kaiser.

“That was my number one goal, because when guys look back on their careers here and they think about the guys they played with, I hope they think of me and [say], ‘I loved playing with him. He always played hard, he always had my back [and] he always was trying to encourage me.’”

Christner said Kaiser’s impact on the team will help propel the team toward a bounce-back year next year.

He noted that other players will emulate his positive attitude and love for the game and that will benefit the future of the program greatly.

“We’ll just miss him. We’ll miss his smile, we’ll miss his laugh, we’ll miss his leadership stuff, but that will kind of live on through some of those guys that are coming up,” Christner said.

The relationships Kaiser built in his time as a Yellow Jacket and the moments he’s shared with his teammates are something he will not forget.

“What I’m going to miss most is the camaraderie and the friendships,” said Kaiser.

“I just love being around the guys 24/7. That’s what I’ll miss the most, just hanging out with guys on the team and just being around them, because we have great guys on the team and I just loved spending time with them.”

As for the future, Christner thinks that Kaiser has the ability to be a great coach

because of his experience and personality as a player and person.

“Hopefully he has a great career in the game, because I think he will be a wonderful coach and a wonderful guy to have on a staff or can walk alongside guys and relate to them well,” Christner said.

“So that’s kind of what we are trying to help him with now and hopefully we will be able to find a place to do that and kind of start a career maybe on the sideline instead of playing.”

Kaiser is grateful for his time as a Waynesburg Yellow Jacket, and that title is something he is excited to take with him for the rest of his life.

“Waynesburg basketball is something that I will always carry with me, something I will always be super prideful about, and I’ll always talk super highly about them because the four years playing were the four best years I’ve had,” said Kaiser.

Heimberger: Runner elected captain as senior Continued from CC1

what they look for in a leadership role on the team.

In addition, Heimberger is a captain on the men’s cross country team.

“The team really wanted him captain and it made a very easy decision for us,” said Hardie. “He is really good with a lot of leadership things in terms of time management, being able to

set goals, talking through tough issues [and] communication. There is just a ton of things that he is really good at for his age, and I think that is going to set him up well for life.”

Heimberger is currently looking for a job in the marketing, advertising or the public relations field because of his background in each.

Along with his advertising major, Heimberger has a marketing minor and a busi-

ness management minor.

He wants to find a job around Pittsburgh, so he can stay in the area.

Heimberger said he is most proud of his personal record in the 5K at the Mount Union Invitation.

“That is just a moment that is going to stick with me, because even through the really hard day of being so bitterly cold, I was still able to go out and perform really well,” he said.

As Heimberger prepares to leave Waynesburg University, he wants to be remembered by his intangibles.

“I would like to be remembered by my attitude and someone who looks after their teammates,” said Heimberger. “I want to be remembered as the person who pushed people through, but also is there for them when they need someone to talk to off the track or course, or just a good friend and teammate.”

Latimers: Sisters battled through injuries to stay with track Continued from CC3

paring to return to the team, Katie broke her ankle at the beginning of outdoor track her sophomore year.

Katie said the injury came just after discovering steeplechase was where she belonged on the track team.

“I found an event that I really liked and I finally found that one thing that really made track special for me,” said Katie. “Then – in my first race steepling that season, I broke my ankle."

However, with each injury for the twins, their passion for running was further strengthened and their developing love for track & field solidified.

“I felt like [running] was ripped away from me – super unfair,” said Emily. “Everything happens for a reason, so I guess it’s more beneficial it

happened because now I love [running] in a different way.”

By junior year, both of the sisters returned to the track in full health and were able to lead the Yellow Jackets to the first outdoor track & field conference title since 2013.

Both sisters played critical roles in securing the PAC title for the Yellow Jackets.

Emily won the 10,000-meter by nearly 21 seconds, and Katie mirrored that impressive performance by finishing the 3,000-meter steeplechase in first-place, ahead of the entire field by nearly 19 seconds.

After running for the Yellow Jackets across three different sports for four years, Katie said the championship title in outdoor track last year will always stand out the most to her.

“This was a little bit different, because I knew we had the potential [to win the title],” said Katie. “We were

Lindsay Orzechowski, Yellow Jacket

In the past four years, the Latimer twins have led the track & field teams to numerous championships. getting closer and closer and when we finally [won] it in track last year. It was just really neat, because everybody was just coming together

and everybody was getting so excited, and it was coming down to the last couple of events and that was just a moment that I won’t forget.”

Another prominent aspect of the track program, Katie and Emily said, is the team itself and its family atmosphere. Katie said the team is always willing to help each other; something that neither sister really experienced in high school.

“When you come here, everybody is close knit,” said Katie. “There is a lot more of a family dynamic that goes on. There is always somebody there that’s been through what you are going through and has been there to help you out.”

The constructive team atmosphere is built from the coaches and their personal impact on the team, said Emily.

“C oach Falvo, coach Rocky, anybody who is there with us is just so focused on what makes you great and they want to bring out the best in you,” said Emily.

As Katie and Emily prepare to graduate as nursing majors at Waynesburg University, they also are preparing for the PAC Championships with the opportunity for the first time in conference history to sweep championship titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in a single academic school year.

Following the conclusion of the outdoor track schedule, Katie and Emily said they will start working at the Ruby Memorial Hospital in West Virginia likely before July.

With the upcoming departure of two athletes of such a high caliber, Falvo said there will be tough shoes to fill.

“Any time you have national-level kids on your team they are hard to replace,” said Falvo. “[Katie and Emily] are definitely national-level kids…We are going to have a big hole to fill, not only on the track, but off the track.”

April 20, 2017

Page C3

Following invite, men's track sets sights on PAC Championships

By TY MCELIECE

For the Yellow Jacket

On Saturday, April 15, the men’s track & field team traveled to Ohio for the Walsh Invitational.

Head coach Jason Falvo thought the team had a pretty good outing. The team finished 11th out of the 15 schools at the invitational “We made the appropriate improvement as where we should be with our training,” said Falvo. “We are peaking at the right times.”

Sophomore Joel Kuzminski led Waynesburg track by placing 15th in a field of 50 men for the 1,500-meter.

Kuzminski had a time of 4:16, finishing in second place in his heat.

Kuzminski also competed in the 800-meter run, finishing in 26th overall.

Sophomore Jacob Pryor

Mitch Kendra, Yellow Jacket

Junior Matthew Shinkle finished in the top 10 in the 110-meter hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles at the Walsh Invitational. built on his performance last meet by placing 13th in the 5,000-meter run, cross-

ing the line in 16:42.

The weather was a factor, as it caused a 30-minute de-

lay in the action, but Falvo felt it was both a blessing and a curse.

“It was a nice cool day that bode well for good times,” said Falvo. “The lightning delay in the middle kind of broke up our rhythm, but I felt our team handled that pretty well.”

Junior sprinter Mark Minjock placed 14th in the 100-meter dash.

Minjock crossed the finish line in 11.33 seconds.

He also took 13th in the 200-meter with a time of 22.78 seconds.

Junior Matthew Shinkle found himself in the top 10 in the 110-meter hurdles.

Shinkle took ninth with a time of 16.17.

Shinkle also took ninth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.81.

In the field, the former Presidents’ Athletic Conference pole vault champion, junior Mitch Kendra, placed fourth in the pole vault.

Kendra vaulted over a height of 4.16 meters. His jump scored five points for the team.

VanTine placed in the top 10 in both the shot put and the javelin. In the shot put, VanTine finished 10th with a toss of 13.51 meters and said it was an average performance.

“I had an average day in the shot put,” said VanTine.

“I have some work to do before the PAC Championships.”

In the javelin, he also placed 10th with a throw that went 41.78 meters.

The Jackets placed 11th out of 15 teams.

They will be back in action on Wednesday, April 19, when they travel to Bethany for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference South Quad-Meet.

The meet will start at 2 pm.

WT&F: Women hope Softball: Playoffs still to sweep running titles a possibility for Jackets Continued from C1

100-meter dash. She finished in 18th with a time of 13.14.

“I liked the work that Caity Brooks did in the jumps and the sprints,” said Falvo.

Brooks competed in the triple and long jump, coming within half a foot of her personal bests in both events.

She also ran the 100-meter dash and finished with a time of 13.28.

Freshman Carli Polczynski finished in fourth in the javelin throw with a distance of 33.61 meters.

Freshman Jordan Simpson’s throw of 30 meters landed her in eighth place.

“I thought we threw well, so I was pretty pleased with the girls as a whole,” said Falvo. “I think we have some room to grow still, but I was pretty pleased.”

Falvo commented that he believes the team is “peaking at the right time,” as the conference championships are next week.

The team competed yesterday at the PAC South Quad meet at Bethany College, past the deadline for this publication.

The Yellow Jackets will be back in action Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 29, as the team will head to Geneva College for the 2017 Outdoor PAC Championships.

“I think we’re set to do what we need to do at conferences. I think our girls are ready to go,” said Falvo.

“The expectation is to win it. The expectation is to be the first school in PAC history to win cross, indoor, outdoor, so that’s the focus.

That’s the goal, and that is what we’re looking to do.

I think we’re right in the driver’s seat for it.”

However, Falvo doesn’t believe the conference championships will be the team’s last competition of the season.

“I think this team has a tone of potential, and I don’t think we are done after conference championships either. I think this team has some postseason implications and some postseason abilities,” he said.

“So I’m excited to see how fast they can go, and we keep getting faster and keep throwing further and we keep running harder and so it’s exciting. It’s impressive what they’re doing.”

WLAX: Jackets struggling playing full 60 minutes

Continued from C2

“I know we could play better,” said Benkowski.

“I really think there were only two games [where] we played the entire 60 [minutes] and the other games we took a little time off.”

As for particular aspects to build on, Benkowski said draws were a point of emphasis, as Thomas More bested the Jackets 17-4 in draw controls.

“They beat us on draws yesterday, which hurt us a lot,” Benkowski said. “That didn’t help us to get the ball and attack. That is something we definitely need to look to improve upon.”

Waynesburg was in ac-

tion again Wednesday, April 19, which is past this week’s deadline for publication, when the Westminster Titans go to Waynesburg Central High School.

Westminster is currently 0-6 overall and 0-5 in ORLC play in the first season with a lacrosse program at the school.

“They are pretty new still,” Benkowski said. “If we show up and play the way we know how to play, we should win.”

Editor’s note: For a recap of the match against Westminster Wednesday, follow @YJ_ Sports on Twitter or visit theyellowjacket.org.

Continued from C1

ones to put together hits for the Yellow Jackets.

Although all around it was a tough series for the team, Hall said there were a few positives in the games.

“Syfert had a stolen base [and] both of our freshmen catchers Rachel Skon and [Dubovich], both looked really good behind the plate, tossed runners out at second base,” said Hall.

“Those things were definitely positives; we took advantage of those things; we just have to create out the other end.”

The Yellow Jackets will have the opportunity to rebound with three more conference series left on the schedule before the regular season ends.

The team is on the field next on Friday, April 21, against Mount Aloysius College in a nonconference doubleheader at 3:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Craig Smith

As seen a few times this season, sophomore Courtney Messenger may pitch both ends of future doubleheaders.

Reis: Playing at the next level the goal for sophomore Continued from C1

Scott Van Sickle.

“He saw one of the videos and contacted my coach. I came down for a visit and I liked Coach Humiston,” said Reis. “He pretty much said ‘we have the attitude that you’re not given things here and you’ll have to earn what you get.’”

“No matter the age you are in our program, if you earn a spot in the lineup we’re going to find a way to get you on the field,” said Humiston, recalling the conversation.

“We play a lot of younger guys and it’s not because our older guys aren’t very good, but because we are going to put the nine best, ten with the designated hitter, guys that give us the best chance to win.”

For Reis, a player who ultimately wants to play baseball professionally, the opportunity at Waynesburg was his break.

“The only coach that was interested was Hum,” said Reis. “I’m extremely grateful for that. I wouldn’t have had anywhere to go. For him to give me the opportunity to earn a spot was big for me. I didn’t know who was ahead of me, but I knew they weren’t going to work harder than me.”

For Reis, it was time to start proving people wrong.

He started his freshman s e as on on the bench, but it didn’t take long for him to earn an everyday role, and he had high expectations.

“It was tough because I’ve never been in the backup role,” said Reis. “I wasn’t going to let it stop me. I made the best of the opportunity I got. I had a pretty good freshman year. It could’ve been better, but I was set on improving every year after.”

Reis hit .337 his freshman season, had a home run and seven total extra base hits to go along with 10 runs knocked in. He was good enough as a freshman with

Jenny Schouppe, Yellow Jacket

Tyler Reis' newfound passion for baseball has put him atop the charts. With nine, he is tied for the most single-season home runs at WU since 2003. the glove and the bat to earn an All-PAC Honorable Mention accolade.

“Anytime you start on a varsity, collegiate, baseball team as a freshman there are expectations,” said Humiston. “He outplayed guys in his position and we reward those guys. He was one of them. Our reputation as a program is we go for bluecollar players, and Tyler is one of the hardest work ing guys on our team. It showed on the field and still is.”

While his freshman year was successful, Reis wasn’t satisfied.

If you went into the old gym of the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse in the offseason, there was a good chance Reis was in there.

He was in the weight room a lot.

He went on runs often.

He said if his work ethic was strong during his freshman year, it got even stronger before his sophomore season this year, a season that through Tuesday’s doubleheader against Bethany,

where he totaled a four-forseven day at the plate with a two-RBI triple and two solo home runs, has seen him hit for an average over .380, hold an OPS of close to 1.300 and hit a Presidents’ Athletic Conference leading nine home runs.

The nine home runs are tied for the most in the century in a single season by a Waynesburg baseball player.

In 2003, Eric Holt hit nine.

Reis has nine with 10 games remaining on the regular season schedule. It’s already the most since Anthony DeFilippo hit eight in 2011.

“I made improvements over the offseason with my swing and my mentality [at the plate], and I’m not trying to do too much,” said Reis. “I’m happy with where I’m at right now, but I’m not content. There’s still room for improvement.”

Humiston has been impressed with Reis this season, but said he has been more impressed with his work ethic.

“He’s extremely bluecollar,” said Humiston. “He’s got a little bit of a chip [on his shoulder]…He wants to show everyone what kind of mistake they made. Brian Resnik had that, Matt Bensinger had that and some

others have it. Tyler is right there. This year, he’s more of a power guy. He does for us what Bensinger did for us last year. You have to pitch to someone, whether that’s Reis, Tyler Godwin or Jon Kletzli in the middle of our lineup.”

With the desire to play at the next level after college, Reis knows he’s going to have to have success. He knows he’s going to have to work even harder than he is now. He said he’s prepared and well-equipped to do that.

Humiston thinks the ceiling for Reis is high moving forward.

“Ben Laumann at Thomas More is the standard at second base in our conference.

He hits well, defends well and steals bases,” said Humiston.

“Reis is very close to that. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he went on a [long] hitting streak where he impresses a lot of people with his ability to play the game.”

Reis went a bit further.

“I don’t have a ceiling,” said Reis.

“I know that I have a lot of potential and that’s going to be reached through a lot of hard work. The success will come when the opportunity arises from everything I put into it. Good things come from hard work.”

Page C4

April 20, 2017

SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL PREVIEWS

Window closing for softball's Baseball prepares for important chances to make PAC playoffs conference series against SVC

By LUKE GOODLING

Sports Convergence Editor

Waynesburg University’s softball team continues Presidents’ Athletic Conference play on Saturday, April 22, when it faces Grove City in a doubleheader.

In one of the final series of the season, each win or loss could impact the PAC standings dramatically. Entering the season, the Yellow Jackets were picked to finish eighth, a spot which head coach Richele Hall said did not adequately represent the team and its abilities.

Against Grove City, the Yellow Jackets will have another opportunity to prove to their competitors that they deserve a spot in postseason contention, something Hall said the team is very aware of. “[The team] knows the importance of [the series], and we’re just going one game at a time as far as the rest of the conference games go and try and sneak our way in,” said Hall. “We know there is very, very slim room for error now.”

Entering PAC games Wednesday, the Jackets stood in seventh place, two games out of the playoffs. Waynesburg has six conference games remaining: two against the second worst team in the PAC, Grove City (11-15, 1-9), two against the third best team in the conference, St. Vincent

(13-11, 6-4) and two against the worst team in the conference, Washington & Jefferson (2-17, 1-9), to end the season.

Considering the significance of the Grove City series, Hall said ace sophomore pitcher Courtney Messenger will start in the circle for the Yellow Jackets.

So far this season, Messenger has proved herself as the go-to pitcher for the Yellow Jackets in important games.

In her most recent start before the publication date of the paper, Messenger pitched seven innings and gave up four runs on nine hits with one strikeout. Although she ultimately earned the loss, it was against a red-hot, Westminster lineup, Hall said.

Hall said Messenger will most likely start game one and, depending on the situation, could get additional action in game two – a scenario that has not been all that uncommon this season for Messenger.

“Most likely, [Messenger]

will start the first game and [sophomore] Cat [Allstatt will start] in the second game,” said Hall. “That is what it is looking like, but it just depends on how [Messenger] looks the first game and her pitch count. If I could get a couple innings out of [Messenger], I might start [Allstatt] and then bring [Messenger] in to close it [in game two].”

Along with Messenger, the offensive powers of the Yellow Jackets will need to be performing at its best in the series. Hall said if the team can get the top of the lineup on base for power hitters sophomore Alex Lawrence or freshman Rachel Skon, the team has the capabilities of exploding offensively.

“We just definitely need to work hard to get the top of our lineup on base to get our power hitters,” said Hall.

“If we have runners on base for them, I would say there is a good chance…We’re going to be able to plate some runs and score some runs against Grove City.”

With this series, Hall said she hopes it will set the team up for a postseason run for the first time since 2011.

The Yellow Jackets will have that opportunity to fight closer to the PAC tournament with a doubleheader at Grove City on Saturday, April 22. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

By MATTHEW SHINKLE Editorial Assistant

After splitting a road doubleheader Tuesday, April 18, with the Bethany Bison, the Waynesburg University baseball team is gearing up for the final 10 games of the regular season, starting with a three-game series against the St. Vincent Bearcats.

The series starts Friday, April 21, when St. Vincent travels to Waynesburg for a single game before Waynesburg goes to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 22. The Bearcats currently hold the fourth and final seed for the playoffs, but much can change before the season ends.

In the team’s most recent two games against Bethany, the Yellow Jackets continued a running trend as head coach Mike Humiston sees with his team – a lack of offensive support for senior pitcher Luke Carter.

“We’ve got to find a way to support Luke,” said Humiston. “We know that he’s one of the best pitchers in the league – you look at his record and you think ‘eh, he’s below average,’ – I disagree with that.”

Carter is 1-5 on the year, despite carrying a respectable 3.69 ERA and ranking

in the top 10 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in opponent batting average, strikeouts and complete games.

In game one this past Tuesday against Bethany, Carter went five innings, allowing only two runs on four hits while striking out four.

Outstandingly, Carter is averaging fewer than three runs of support from his offense in games that he starts this season.

“I think everybody’s sick because they don’t give him any run support,” said Humiston. “He busts his hump every time he takes the mound and he’s our guy. He has a lot of Brian Resnik’s characteristics in him.”

Despite a trend of poor offensive firepower on games that Carter starts, the Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets still tout a potentially star-studded lineup most games.

First basemen Jonathan

Kletzli ranks near the top of the PAC in batting average, slugging percentage and home runs; Tyler Godwin is above and beyond the walks leader in the conference with 23 bases on balls during the 2017 season; and Ben Miller provides a deep power threat from anywhere in the lineup.

However, the biggest member of the lineup is sophomore Tyler Reis, who currently leads the PAC in home runs with nine and hits with 43, while also leading the team in runs scored, batting average and on-base percentage.

With the season quickly winding to a close, Grove City, Westminster, Bethany and Waynesburg are all in on the hunt to take away the final playoff spot away from St. Vincent.

Humiston is hopeful in his team’s chances to make this year's conference tournament.

“We have to win two out of three in each series and throw in a sweep or two in there,” said Humiston.

“We’re capable of doing that. We have some talented baseball players… we have to get on a roll offensively, score runs, and play good defense, and I think we can do that. I think St. Vincent is going to be a good challenge for us.”

Baseball: Offense explodes in second game of doubleheader with 11 runs

Continued from C1

relieved senior Scott Hefty after his scoreless, sixth inning, attempting to shut the door on game one.

“Give credit where credit’s due. Gross is one of the better pitchers in the conference and he did some things to keep us off balance,” said Humiston. “If we had to do it another 100 times, I’d take Mason as a closer. We just got snake bit in the last half but I don’t think I’d change anything there.”

Waynesburg got multi-hit games in game one from senior first baseman Jon Kletzli and Nordstrom, before turning it up a notch in game two, behind a completegame effort by senior pitcher Jacob Meyer.

The Jackets scored six first-inning runs, before connecting with three home runs and an RBI single, getting them to the total of 11 offensively.

“We as a team need to

be more consistent on the offensive side,” said Humiston. “It took us a while to get going today, but we put some things together in game two.”

In game two, sophomore second baseman Tyler Reis hit two, solo home runs, his eighth and ninth on the season, a number that leads the PAC. Reis also had a twoRBI triple in the game.

Also in the game, senior catcher Ben Miller went three-for-four at the dish with two RBI singles and a two-run home run. He also worked well, according to Humiston, with battery mate Jacob Meyer.

“Today Ben had a good game,” said Humiston.

“One of the reasons he’s out there is because him and Jacob are a good tandem.

They know w hat the y want as far as pitches go.”

On the mound, Meyer surrendered two runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out six, a career high,

Senior pitcher Jacob Meyer had a career-high in strikeouts in his start, only giving up two runs on eight hits in a complete game outing.

good amount of barrels and as always had great defense and a great catcher, which always makes my job a little bit easier.”

Waynesburg (12-17, 6-8) now turns to a weekend series with the Bearcats of St. Vincent College, as both teams sit in the middle of the pack in the conference standings with 10 games left.

“We have to win two of three in each series and throw in a sweep or two,” said Humiston. “We’re capable of doing that… St. Vincent is going to be a good challenge for us and we can’t leave anything on the field.

We can’t have any regrets.”

First pitch for Friday’s contest with St. Vincent is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. The series moves to a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, April 22, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, with first pitch of the first game scheduled for 1 p.m.

in his second win of the season.

While Meyer said he didn’t have his best stuff in the game, he managed to pitch through it.

“It’s honestly funny how some things work out in

Editor’s note: Jacob Meyer is the Sports Editor of the Yellow Jacket. He is not involved in the writing, reporting or layout of the baseball team's stories.

Jenny Schouppe, Yellow Jacket

a season. I think in a few starts earlier in the year I threw pretty well and had some of the best stuff in my career but some unlucky things happened and the results weren’t there,” said Meyer. “But today, don’t get

me wrong, I think I pitched pretty well but I didn’t have my slider, was down a mile per hour or two and it was probably the worst fastball command I had in my entire career. But, I had a few things go my way, missed a

Golf: HC Sam Jones said team has Tennis: Jackets to tune up for PAC more depth than in past seasons Championships in upcoming matches

Continued from C2

Continued from C2

of Pittsburgh at Bradford finished sixth with a score of 355.

St. Vincent came in fifth with 336 points, Westminster finished fourth with a score of 334 points and Grove City was narrowly ahead in third place at a team score of 333.

Thiel was the runner-up on the day, with a score of 328, while Washington & Jefferson won the invitational with a team score of 297.

Waynesburg will be back in action on Friday and Saturday, April 28-29, for the PAC Spring Championships at Cedarbrook Golf Course in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania.

“A nice sign of growth is that we have to decide who

Championships Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29, in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Headlee said he believes the last two matches are winnable for the Jackets, which would improve their season win total to seven.

“Jonah has a really good shot,” Headlee said looking at the upcoming PAC Championships. “Adam [McKnight] does well at the three spot…we’re just going in optimistic.”

Headlee continued that everyone will have the opportunity to participate in the PAC Championships next weekend.

“Everyone will get to play, the young guys will be able to get experience and then they’ll be able to build on that for next year,” said

Photo courtesy of Waynesburg University Department of Athletics

Senior Tyler Windsheimer shot a 117 Monday at the Thiel College Invitational. is going to go. We have enough people that we have to leave some people at home,” said Jones. “As much as that sounds bad, it shows

growth in the program that we actually get to make decisions now, which means more competition, which is good.”

Dave Miller, ADM Photography

Sophomore Jonah Cooper's win at first singles served as the only win for the Jackets in a match against Grove City—last season's PAC-champions.

Headlee.

Waynesburg will play its next match Thursday, April

20, against PAC rival Geneva College. The match will start at 6 p.m.

SECTION D

APRIL 20, 2017 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

As finals near, students find study spots around community

N. Washington Street

PLACES TO STUDY IN WAYNESBURG

FOUNTAIN PARK

CARLISLE’S

UNIVERSITY PARK

5 KIDZ KANDY W. High Street

Tyler Wolfe, Yellow Jacket

As finals week at Waynesburg University approaches, local businesses like 5 Kidz Kandy and Carlisle's encourage students to study in their facilities. Along with studying in these places, students also enjoy studying in local parks.

Area businesses open their doors to students preparing for finals week

By GRACE HUTCHISON Staff Writer

As finals week looms in the close future, students are preparing for the hours of studying required for each of their tests.

One of those students anxiously

awaiting her examinations is sophomore digital design major, Lauren Ault.

“Finals are always overwhelming,” Ault said.

Ault is one of about 1,400 undergraduate students desperately cramming for finals in dorm rooms, Eberly library and the Stover Campus Center.

Ault, though, enjoys studying in more unconventional places within th e local town of Waynesburg, and finds that cramming off-campus helps her focus.

“Getting fresh air and new scenery helps clear the mind,” she said.

One of the more popular study spots, 5 Kidz Kandy, is owned by Christy Vliet,

who understands the importance of getting off-campus.

“I think that it’s important to take a break from school for a little bit,” said Vliet. “Making a short walk off campus can actually really help with your work.”

5 Kidz Kandy includes amenities such as coffee, sweets and free Wi-Fi. Vliet, as a mother, reflected on her son and the benefits of escaping dorm life.

“I want my son to have businesses within walking distance that he could enjoy while he is at school,” Vliet said.

Carlisle’s Coffee & Sandwiches is the newest restaurant on High Street, and offers free Wi-Fi, large

couches and chairs and a quiet atmosphere. Caitlin Carlisle, the owner, recognized the need for a “hub” within Waynesburg.

“We thought it was an important place to have here in the community,” Carlisle said. “What’s nice for a college student, is that we’re pretty relaxed and they can come here and do their own thing.”

On a typical day in Carlisle’s, the tables are filled with students doing group work, studying quietly or sprawled out on the couches.

“We go out of our way for kids know STUDY >> D7

Local woman finds purpose in cupcake shop W.A. Young & Sons becomes National Historic Landmark

By CODY YANKULIC Editorial Assistant

For most students in college, their worries revolve around passing their classes, but for Ella Gannis, classes aren’t even on her schedule.

Gannis is part owner and founder of Chatty Cupcakes, a Waynesburgbased residential bakery.

The company made history by becoming the first business in the United States to purchase and employ the use of a cupcake vending machine, which is different from Sprinkles machines found in large cities.

But the success of the company and her path to taking a gap year in her education started several years ago, long before the thoughts of the machine even surfaced. *** Chatty Cupcakes started as an idea between two women. It started as a small “mom and pop” business, but for Gannis, it had the potential to be so much more.

“We were just the bakers in the basement and [I was] just a student who in her off-time baked,” she said. “I wanted it to be a

little bigger.”

Bigger it would become, as they purchased a white Volkswagon Beetle in 2014 to use as their delivery vehicle and eventually moved up to a food truck, which she would drive to special locations.

But the success came at a cost.

“It got hard because so many people were finding out about the cupcakes,” she said. “It came to a point where I would be getting phone calls [in class] from people who wanted to place an order.”

While managing time freshman year wasn’t too bad, sophomore year be-

came worse, as the business continued to grow.

At the end of her sophomore year, as business was booming, whether s h e w ou l d re tu r n t o school became a serious question. *** Being away from smalltown life wasn’t something that was unusual to Gannis. After all, she attended a boarding school in Boston for a portion of her educational life.

She was very familiar with a good education, but heading into college GANNIS >> D7

Local festival to put wild onion in spotlight

By JOE SMELTZER Staff Writer

The 27th annual MasonDixon Ramps Festival will take place at Mason-Dixon Park Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23.

For some, the ramps festival may not be what it sounds like—as the ramps on display will not involve skateboards and bikes— but rather, food from Central Appalachia.

Ramps can be described as wild onions that grow in the springtime in the United States and Eastern Canada, and are said to taste like a mixture of garlic and onion, according to Connie Ammons, a volun-

teer with the festival since its beginning, 27 years ago.

While many have never heard of them, Ammons said that the food at the festival utilizes ramps in a variety of ways.

“We have patch ramp butter and dasha ramps,” said Ammons. “We have fried potatoes and ramps, ramp potato soup, ramp salad and fresh ramps on the table.”

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and there is no charge for admission.

Some things that will be on display during the festival are music; chainsaw-carving courtesy, of Tom Hirtz; maple syrup products; donuts and funnel cakes; ket-

“We just all enjoy getting toether and getting things ready for the ramps festival.”

CONNIE AMMONS

Volunteer at Mason-Dixon Ramps Festival

tle corn and Mason-Dixon dogs—which are hot dogs with chili, coleslaw, sauerkraut and ramps.

The event will also have drinks that are free for attending veterans.

According to Ammons, the main challenge in put-

ting together the event is just gathering enough ramps.

“It takes a lot of ramps,” she said. “Our group alone that does the food at the pavilion—we use 15 bushels of ramps there. Then the other vendors—a lot of them use ramps from their food, so they have to get their own ramps.”

But Ammons said that her favorite part is getting to know the volunteers who make the event possible.

“There’s a lot of individuals that help, and we just all enjoy getting together and getting things ready

RAMPS >> B7

By HOLLY HENDERSHOT Staff Writer

W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop, located in Rices Landing, Pennsylvania, was designated by the Department of the Interior earlier this year as a National Historic Landmark, which is the highest form of federal recognition that can be awarded to properties and sites in the United States.

The Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation held a plague unveiling ceremony during their 29th annual HammerIn Festival on Saturday, April 15, to commemorate this achievement.

More than 375 people attended Festival, making this the highest attendance ever for the event. People attended the event from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to watch traditional blacksmith presentations, take tours of the machine shop and foundry and watch the unveiling of the plaque.

August Carlino is the president and chief executive officer of the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation, which is a non-profit organization that partners with the National Park Service to conserve resources in southwestern Pennsylvania. Carlino originally proposed the nomination for National Historic Landmark.

“This designation as a National Historic Landmark is so important and so rare,” said Carlino.

In order to gain the designation of a National Historic Landmark, a site must possess both integrity and a nationally significant history.

According to Carly McCoy, director of sales and marketing at the Rivers of Steel Corporation, part of what gives a site national significance is that it is “uniquely qualified to tell part of the story that other sites aren’t.”

The machine shop was built in 1900 by William Young, and the foundry was added eight years later. Along with his sons, Young worked there through the mid-60s.

Carlino said that he believes people traditionally think of large mills and facilities when they think of the history of many industries and that the smaller facilities and workplaces frequently get overlooked.

“Often lost in this mix (of larger workplaces) are the small facilities and workplaces that are so vital to the operations of the large mills and mines,” said Carlino. “W.A. Young & Sons Machine Shop and Foundry represents this integral component of America’s industrial history.”

Page D2

April 20, 2017

Historical Society to Ten trees to be planted in town for Arbor Day host Opening Day pancake breakfast

By TIFFANY MORGAN Editorial Assistant

By ANNIE MCGLAUGHLIN

News Convergence Editor

The Greene C ounty Historical Society will be holding an All-You-CanEat pancake breakfast on Saturday, April 22, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The breakfast is part of the annual Opening Day celebrations for the museum.

The society ser ves Greene County and the surrounding areas by enlightening them about the rich history that has taken place in their backyard.

They have many yearly events and exhibits aimed at the community and this marks the beginning of another year of them.

T h i s bre a k f a st i s a chance to support that mission and keep the funding available for the society to stay alive.

“The historical society is a very important part of the community’s DNA,” said Kenny Knouse, an intern working at the society. “It preserves the past of the community while working with the present to educate future generations. People should appreciate their heritage and support it.”

The breakfast will be located at the society’s inhouse kitchen and include pancakes, sausage and an array of beverages. The cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children.

All proceeds will go towards funding for the museum, specifically materials for exhibits.

The breakfast is aimed at all age groups in the area and has been a way for the community to get involved with the society in a small way.

Knouse hopes the

breakfast will be the first step in encouraging people to take a look into the society and get involved with the history of Greene County and its preservation.

“We hope the people showing up will have a sparked interest in the museum and the exhibits the museum has in display,” said Knouse. “We also hope people will want to take part in the preservation of their communities past.”

“We hope the people showing up will have a sparked interest in the exhibits the museum has to offer.”

KENNY KNOUSE

Intern, Greene County Historical Society

In addition to the breakfast, the annual membership meeting will be held for current and prospective members at noon.

Other upcoming events from the society include: Kelly Miller Circus, a circus show at the Greene County Fairgrounds on May 29 with show times at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. and The Steampunk Garden Party, an old fashioned party held at the society on June 13 from 4 to 9 p.m.

For m ore i n for m a tion contact the Greene County Historical Society at gchsalexandra@gmail. com or at 724-627-3204.

Daughters of Grace choir to donate proceeds to charity

and Feet Ministries is a nonprofit organization that makes its mission to The Daughters of Grace help those in Mexico who Choir will present a cho- are in need. The organizaral concert, “Ages, Stag- tion has built 12 churches, es, Seasons and Times,” three schools, two oron Friday, April 21, be- phanages, one medical ginning at 7 p.m. at the clinic and many houses.

Greene Valley PresbyteThe group also assists rian Church. The concert in disaster relief and aid will feature songs about along with holding mediGod’s presence in aspects cal clinics in which hunof one’s lives. dreds of people attend Carilyn Beabout, the each one. choir’s pianist, will acThe Hands and Feet company the 30 voice, Ministr ies als o s er ve volunteer choir com- thousands of children prised of women of all at various vacation bible ages and denominations schools. from Washington and The organization has Greene Counties. lead over 10,000 men, T h e c h oi r w a s d e - women and children to scribed as a congregation countries where people of strong and inspiration- are in desperate need – al women who volunteer whether it be a disaster their time to practice zone, place of extreme and learn music in order poverty or where people to share their gift with have very limited sustainpeople and show people able resources. the beauty that God has Jay Buckhalter will be created. at the concert to go into The theme of the con- further detail about and c e r t re volve s arou nd to share the difference the way that God influ- Hands and Feet Minisences each person’s life tries are making in the through their growth lives of people around in wisdom and aging, the world. the stages each person As previously mengoes through in life and tioned, the admission to times where someone the concert is free but domay have lost their way nations are encouraged. but found their way back The church is also fully to Him. handicap accessible with Admission to the con- both ramps and elevators. cert is free, but free-will At the conclusion of the offerings will be accepted. concert, refreshments will All of the money collected be served in the lobby. in those donations will be For more i n for maused to benefit the work tion or questions contact of the Hands and Feet Vickie Berdine at 724Ministries. The Hands 825-9489.

By RACHEL MANGAN Editorial Assistant

The annual celebration of Arbor Day will be held Friday, April 28. This celebration is observed throughout Pennsylvania to recognize the importance of planting trees. Arbor Day is the oldest conservation movement, and it draws attention to the conservation of wildlife, from forests to streams.

Although Arbor Day will be heavily recognized in Pennsylvania, it is a nationwide observance day.

This day is credited to Julius Sterling Morton, a member of the Nebraska Board of Agriculture during 1842. On Jan. 4 of that year, Morton convinced the board to declare the country’s first celebration of Arbor Day. Two years later, the governor of Nebraska designated the celebration of Arbor Day on the second Wednesday in April. In the year 1885, the celebration was noted on the last Friday of April.

This national holiday also pays recognition to the memory of Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock, the Father of Forestry in Pennsylvania.

Planting a tree gives citizens in the area the chance to work towards an opportunity of enhancing the parks and improving the environment.

This year, trees will be planted in Waynesburg to celebrate Arbor Day. Bill Wentzel, a former forester for 34 years, has been active and staying in touch by helping out with Arbor Day. “Few acts of man are more symbolic of a spirit

Tiffany Morgan, Yellow Jacket

In honor of Arbor Day, which is a national holiday meant to honor trees, Bill Wentzel, a former forester, is determined to celebrate by planting 10 trees in the surrounding Waynesburg area. of hope in the future than the planting of a tree,” said Wentzel. “Not matter where you live, there is probably a spot of land nearby where a tree could be growing… with you as its planter and celebrator of Arbor Day.” Wentzel said the event is something he looks forward to and enjoys being a part of the festivities.

“I am glad to help out with keeping the parks

maintained and new trees being planted,” said Wentzel. “I like trees.”

The event will start at 1 p.m., with an appearance

by Representative Pam Snyder, as well as Margaret Bell Miller students being in attendance of this celebration to help with planting trees throughout the area.

There will be a total of 14 trees distributed and planted throughout the lo-

cal parks of Waynesburg.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) gave a contribution to help get 10 trees planted for the tree celebration.

A partner with DCNR is TreeVitalize and their mission is to help restore tree cover and educate citizens about planting trees as an act of caring for the environment.

New license plates to say if driver has autism

By TEGHAN SIMONTON Managing Editor

In August 2016, a driver in Hays, Kansas, was shot and killed by police for not following instructions. Few details were given to explain why the officer fired the shot—just one, fatal shot.

But a lot more details about the driver eventually came to light.

36-year-old Joseph Weber was autistic, and he lived in an independent living facility. His family and friends reported him as having very little verbal skills. Many speculate that his condition—not responding to police officers—may have escalated the shooting.

Damon Cassidy, chairman and founder of the Dustin Damon Cassidy Founda-

tion—which provides services to those in with autism and their families in Greene County, Pennsylvania—was shaken when he heard of this incident.

“I wouldn’t want to see something like that happen to my son,” said Cassidy.

Cassidy started his foundation in honor of his son, once he realized that Greene County’s services to families impacted by autism was lacking.

Since then, he has focused all of his energy into fundraising and initiating programs for the autistic in Greene County.

So when he heard of the shooting in Kansas, he decided it was time for a change— some solution to let first responders know when they were dealing with someone with an intellectual disability,

so they can act accordingly.

Cassidy contacted his local state representative, Pam Snyder.

“So basically, it’s going to be a license plate for autistic individuals,” said Cassidy. “I came up with an idea through Pam Snyder to do something through PennDoT.” Cassidy said he worked closely with Snyder to come up with a reflective sticker to be placed on the license plates of drivers with autism. The idea is that it will help police officers and other officials can identify the drivers and adjust the approach they take. Maybe this will prevent further tragedies, Cassidy said.

“That license plate is actually going to come in very, very handy,” he said. “Not only for the families, but for the first

responders as well.”

One of the greatest aspects of this initiative, said Cassidy, is that the impact does not just stop within Greene County’s borders. Since he and Snyder are implementing legislation through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the license plates will be used across the state—and maybe, eventually, across other states as well.

“The license plate will be state-wide,” he said. “That would kind of give me the basis to go to other states.”

Regardless of the reach of the legislation, for Cassidy, the most important thing is to implement a change that can help his community.

“I’m just trying to make a difference before I leave this earth."

WHATEVER YOU DO Whether you feel called to be a pastor, church planter, counselor, educator, community organizer, or something else, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary will prepare you to serve Christ in whatever you do. Graduates of Waynesburg University may receive the PTS Partner Grant.

Degree programs: • • • •

Master of Divinity (including emphasis in church planting) Master of Divinity with joint degrees (Including law, social work, and public policy) Master of Divinity or Master of Arts with concentration in urban ministry Master of Arts (including Theology and Ministry or Theological Studies)

1-800-451-4194 www.pts.edu/WU

April 20, 2017

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Congratulations, Class of 2017!

WELCOME TO THE ALUMNI FAMILY

SO, WHAT’S NEXT? Update your contact information online at www.waynesburgunited.com/updateyourinfo.

Connect and network with fellow graduates on Linkedin. Search “Waynesburg University Alumni” to find our group!

Attend an upcoming event--be sure to update your information to receive invitations based on where you live and work.

Check your inbox for your first Alumni E-Newsletter to stay up-to-date on events, alumni updates, campus news, and more!

CONNECT WITH WAYNESBURG ALUMNI ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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SPJ BEST ALL-AROUND N O N - DA I LY N E W S PA P E R WINNER: 2004 2016 FINALIST: 2003 2013 2014

After huge doubt, Waynesburg is correct choice KIMMI BASTON Columnist

STAFF: Executive Editor Managing Editors

Chief Photographer Copy Editor Graphic Design Editor News Convergence Editors

Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor Sports Convergence Editor Op/Ed Editor Editorial Assistants

Staff Writers

Staff Photographers

Advertising Director Asst. Advertising Director

Kimmi Baston Shon Meade Mattie Winowitch Teghan Simonton Tyler Wolfe Mitchell Kendra Joey Buchanan Annie McGlaughlin Emily Hackman Jacob Meyer Kyle Dawson Luke Goodling Brendan Keany Sam Chadwick Tyler Godwin Matthew Shinkle Amanda Troncone Cody Yankulic Rachel Mangan Tiffany Morgan Grace Hutchison Colin McLaughlin Joe Smeltzer Antonio Pellulo Holly Hendershot Michelle Keith Kyla Wolper Dimitri Arvanitopulos Joshua Mundell

ADVISORS Richard Krause Brandon Szuminsky Editorials in the left-hand column represent the views of the Yellow Jacket. Letters from readers, columns, cartoons and other elements on the editorial page do not necessarily reflect the position of this newspaper and university.

EDITORIAL

April 20, 2017

If I could predict the future, as many of us wish was possible, I would have been saved months of tears, anxiety and panic three and a half years ago.

If I could predict the future, I would have known that Waynesburg University would become, truly, my home, the only place in the world I am completely me.

If I could predict the future, I would have seen the way that four years would change my life, and I might have felt excitement, not fear.

In August 2013, I wasn’t ready for college. I don’t mean in a “I don’t know how to be on my own or do my laundry” kind of way – I had no problem being self-sufficient.

I mean that I wasn’t ready for the “next step” aspect of college.

I had just come into my own as a senior in high school, gotten comfortable in my own skin, and suddenly I was leaving my home and my family for what felt like an eternity.

Mind you, I did love Waynesburg. I thought (and I turned out to be right) that it was exactly the right place for me. It wasn’t Waynesburg’s fault that my first semester as a college freshman was characterized by a constant knot in my stomach, the hourly urge to cry and an increased tendency to avoid other humans.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault, real-

ly. There was something about moving forward, growing up, taking on more and more responsibility and being away from home that just scared me to death. I won’t ever know the exact cause of my anxiety.

I live only an hour and 15 minutes away from Waynesburg, and I went home every other weekend like clockwork for my entire freshman year, but that didn’t matter. I still spent every day trying to find a way out. I wanted to transfer to Saint Vincent College and commute.

I thought maybe I should take a semester off and pick this up another time. And if those couldn’t happen, I wanted to be left alone – let me do my homework and go to my classes, and don’t try to make me be a part of this campus.

But that’s not how it works.

There were a few pivotal moments, all of which ended in tearful phone calls to my mother, which miraculously started to ebb away my anxiety and replace it with curiosity and the slightest hint of ambition.

The first wasn’t so much a single moment as a series of encounters that felt a bit like torture. Those encounters were conversations with then-Executive Editor of the Yellow Jacket Nick Farrell and my advisor, Dr. Brandon Szuminsky. There were days when I honestly hated them, because they were absolutely determined that I would be heavily involved in the Yellow Jacket and in the Department of Communication, and I wanted no such thing.

Now, my gratitude toward the two of them for pushing me to the edge renders me speechless. By the end of my freshman year, they pushed me so far that I was forced to jump – and, as I should have known they would, they caught me and have been carrying me ever since.

There was another moment, during a meeting with a few department professors on Assessment Day, that helped change my direction.

Dr. Chad Sherman, in what was most likely a rather innocuous comment, indicated that not only should I consider becoming the Executive Editor of the Yellow Jacket (a horrifying thought, at the time), but also that the department faculty believed and expected that I would do great things.

Well.

If they really had that faith in me, I must be doing something right. If they really had that faith in me, how could I let them down? *** A column, even a mushy senior column, should have a moral of some sort, so I suppose this is what I’m getting at: Things (people, places, experiences) can only change you the way Waynesburg University changed me if you let them.

Since my freshman year, I have indeed become the Executive Editor of the Yellow Jacket, the newspaper which was the starting point for making Waynesburg my home. There, I’ve found people who have taught me

so much and allowed me to teach them, which has been the greatest blessing.

I found a friend and lead staffer who, for some unknown reason, believes in me and who has been the difference between my success and failure and who has made the agony of the last two years bearable.

I found in myself a leader and an artist, and I discovered where my passions and my skills lie and where they intersect.

I found a source of immense pride, an outstanding legacy for me and for every one of my staff members.

I found someone to love, a boy who began as a staff writer and has become a man more important to me than anyone else, someone who has made my last year in college the best of my life and who will stay with me long after I have left this campus.

If I could predict the future three and a half years ago, I could have seen him coming and known what joy awaited me.

If I could predict the future, I could have understood my place at Waynesburg University – what I was meant to do, see and become.

But if I could predict the future, everything I am would not mean nearly as much as it does in the wake of an internal war.

I am about to leave, and my heart is breaking. But that fact means one good thing: three and a half years ago, I stayed.

Oh, how glad I am that I did.

Finding purpose We must examine the reason for living

By now, we’re all aware of Waynesburg University’s mission. Faith, learning and service. That part has been drilled into our brains, and it does fit the school well.

However, we believe that one aspect of the mission that often goes overlooked by students is figuring out how to live lives of purpose.

Of course, this can mean a lot of different things to various people. Does it mean finding self-fulfillment through traveling, career work or whatever interests they may have.

However, in a broader sense, we see purpose as investing time and energy into making other people’s lives better in some way. This may overlap with some of the methods mentioned above, but it may also require us to look beyond self-fulfillment. It certainly will require sacrifice and selflessness.

Will Smith, the amazing philosopher he is, said a tremendous quote in regard to what our purpose on Earth may be.

“If you’re not making someone else’s life better, then you’re wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other lives better.”

Although Will Smith is no great theologian, nor is he a Christian for that matter, we believe that this line of thinking holds a lot of truth.

Too often, we can become consumed in what it’s in for us that we may lose sight of what it really means to make a positive impact on the world.

Speaking with recent graduates, many of them indicated that they define their current lives as a split between working and not working. It’s one or the other, and to us, this seems like a perfectly understandable, yet slightly sad way of looking at things.

Perhaps that will change as they become more established in their careers and they’re simply paying their dues during the early stages of real-world adulthood. Hopefully, it doesn’t become a pattern for the future.

We want to see students seek their purpose while at Waynesburg and apply it to life beyond the walls of the university. Whether it be through a specific career path, a hobby or something else, finding our purpose in college is a mission of paramount importance.

We don’t want to become people who see our lives as working and not working because it implies a frame of mind or mentality that doesn’t foster a great attitude or show life that breeds a sense of purpose.

While there will certainly be times that require that kind of mentality, especially in early post graduate careers where the work isn’t as glamorous, this should not be the frame of mind incessantly carried by students from Waynesburg.

One of the goals of college is to find purpose for living.

Making the lives of others better is certainly a purpose worth striving for beyond the Waynesburg University campus.

NEWSPAPER POLICY The Yellow Jacket is the student-operated newspaper of Waynesburg University funded by student fees and advertisements and is intended for the entire college community. The Yellow Jacket is produced by the student staff on a weekly basis during the academic year. The office of the Yellow Jacket is located in room 400 of Buhl Hall. It is the right of the Yellow Jacket to print all material deemed newsworthy and gathered in a fair and unconditional manner. No advance copies of stories will be shown, and reporters' notes are considered confidential. No "off the record" information will be accepted.

ADVERTISING POLICY Anyone wishing to advertise in the Yellow Jacket should email the advertising director at jacketads@waynesburg.edu.

Ads must be submitted by the Monday before publication date and not conflict with the university mission.

Photo courtesy of Lindsay Orzechowski

SENIOR NEWSPAPER STAFF SAY GOODBYE The senior Yellow Jacket staff members gathered outside Buhl Hall, where they spent many hours and near-sleepless nights producing the newspaper.

Adventures were great, Trust in God leads to but more lie ahead of us unforseen opportunities EMILY HACKMAN Columnist

Dr. Seuss once said “Oh, the places you’ll go,” and oh, how he was correct.

The places that I went during my four years at Waynesburg University were innumerable.

From traveling to the see the Pittsburgh Penguins play the Washington Capitals through the Student Activities Board, to venturing down to Washington D.C. with the Department of Communication on the senior class trip and across the ocean to Ireland with the Masters in Business Administration Department, the doors were open for me to experience new and exciting adventures. I had opportunities that I did not even dream about when I first walked on this campus all of those years ago.

I learned more about myself through these travels than even imaginable. I learned about friendships, loyalty and becoming an independent person. I also learned to be flexible with the changing of plans, to go with the flow and to appreciate the love of knowledge.

I also got to meet so many incredible and talented individuals that would touch and shape my life in different aspects.

B etwe en profess ors, teammates and fellow classmates, I have learned so much about life through the eyes of these people. Staying up way too late working on design projects in the Mac Lab, binge watching television shows on Netflix with my roommates and going on adventures around the town are a few highlights of how I spent my time on campus, but what made my university experience truly enjoyable and extremely memorable was being able to laugh, smile and be happy around like-minded people.

These individuals helped me develop ideas and were always there to talk to. They were my shoulder to lean on and I will be forever grateful of their support and unwavering faith that I could accomplish anything.

Choosing Waynesburg University was one to the best decisions that my 18-year-old self could have made back in high school, and I cannot wait to see what adventures are in store for everyone graduating this April. Good luck!

ANNIE MCGLAUGHLIN Columnist

Whe n I ste pp e d on Waynesburg’s campus as a freshman, I never thought it would have had such an impact on me.

I picked Waynesburg because of the Department of Communication. Nothing more, nothing less.

I didn’t know that in four years I would travel internationally twice, join the women’s lacrosse team or become more immersed in my faith than ever before.

One thing I attribute my success to at Waynesburg is timing. It’s something so simple but makes such a difference in our daily lives.

I almost dropped out of college after my fall semester sophomore year, in 2014. I had truly hit rock bottom and didn’t know if I picked the right school or major.

However, I had signed up for this mission trip back in April. I thought, “Well I paid for it, I might as well go and get my money’s worth.”

During that mission trip,

I found that I belonged not only at Waynesburg but in the field of communication. I realized on that trip that I wanted to use my degree to help those that have not been blessed to get one. How’d that happen? Oh, right: timing.

When I started playing lacrosse in my sophomore year, I didn’t know many people on the team or even how to play the sport.

Soon, they became my best friends on and off the field.

Timing.

Disclaimer: I still do not fully know how to play lacrosse. But I took a chance and was rewarded with teammates that push me to be better every day.

When you put your trust in God to find your path, you’ll find that you have no say in what’s going to happen.

One small leap of faith can lead to so many opportunities, and all it takes is the right timing.

I’ll leave you all with one of my favorite bible verses: Proverbs 3:5-6.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

April 20, 2017

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Don't kid yourself, perfection doesn't exist How to make every day a 'Sunny' one BRENDAN KEANY

Columnist

There’s no such thing as perfect.

If there’s anything that I’ve learned through my college searching process and subsequent four years at Waynesburg, it’s that perfection is unattainable.

That’s why I cringe when I hear that some high school senior took 12 trips to visit an assortment of college campuses on the quest for the “perfect” college experience.

Waynesburg taught me that college is what you make it, and it’s that simple.

It’s about what you put into your experience and what you want to gain from it.

When I was a freshman, everything seemed perfect.

Mostly, I was just happy to be sort of on my own. My parents were no longer hounding me to do the dishes, and I really only had to look out for myself.

Waynesburg represented that place of freedom where I felt as though my life started to really become my own.

However, once the novelty of college wore off towards

the middle of my second semester, I started to become jaded. I wanted to poke holes into everything – even things that I was fine with just the semester before.

The food that I had no problem with during my first semester seemed gross. The classes that I loved became a chore. Cross country and track became a job. I missed my friends from back home.

Every single person at any college in the world will experience similar thoughts.

The thoughts that you just may have chosen the incorrect college creep in, and suddenly, your whole world reeks of insecurity.

Did I choose the right major? If I had gone to another school, would it be so difficult? Do I really even know what I want to do with the rest of my life? How can I be sure? I need a sign.

These are all common thoughts.

Finally, I had some sense knocked into me. It wasn’t anything or anyone in particular, but I saw that the people who generally were most secure with their lives were those who exuded positivity. Of course, that makes logical sense.

Still, how can I just change my frame of mind? If I’m in a slump where everything

seems uncertain, how can I just become positive about the situation?

Just decide.

I know. That sounds like a terrible cliché, or perhaps it doesn’t even seem like tangible advice, but there’s really no other way to put it. You just have to make the decision to attack every day like there’s an opportunity to be discovered.

That’s when my college experience changed. Instead of being a reclusive ‘no’ man, I became a conscious ‘yes’ man.

In high school, it was cool to be apathetic, especially about anything related to academics.

It would be social taboo to seem like you gave a crap about Shakespeare or Keynesian economic policy.

The academic clubs were for the nerds, and the social clubs were for the elitists who wanted as much material as possible for their impending Dartmouth application. At least this is what I thought.

That way of thinking changed in college once I let it sink in. In the Department of Communication, it’s the complete opposite. Involvement, enthusiasm and participation is cool, and that goes for everything I’ve seen on campus.

At first, I felt disconnected from my major, I wasn’t sure if I had picked the right school and my priorities, or what I thought college was about, were completely out of whack.

I decided to make it perfect. While I don’t agree with all of the school’s policies, and I still hold my firm position on the state of the caf food, Waynesburg turned out to be a perfect place for me – not a perfect place. That is an important distinction to make and understand.

Certain things could be improved, sure, but for the last three years, I fought to get as much out of Waynesburg as I possibly could, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to do so.

I argue that finding a “perfect fit” for a college is a disservice to the mindset of those beginning their fouryear journey because it implies that everything will be peachy.

That’s not how this works.

That’s not how any of this works.

If you fight to make your college experience as perfect as possible, however, I can promise you that these four years, or however many years of school it takes you to reach your goal, will be the most rewarding of your life.

Those who have helped me deserve the credit JACOB MEYER Columnist

The last four years working at the Yellow Jacket have been the best of my life.

I learned a lot here.

I found my love and passion for journalism.

I learned who I am as a leader.

And I learned that not everyone in an office likes the beautiful combination of ignorant rap, Ke$ha and the Frozen soundtrack as much as I do.

The Yellow Jacket hasn’t just affected my life, but the people closest with me.

There are two people who don’t work for the Yellow Jacket who actually understand and care about what I do weekly for the newspaper.

The first is my girlfriend, Victoria, who always understood that I would probably never talk to her on Monday and Tuesdays.

The second is by best friend, Ben, who was always there for me if I need-

ed him, because he knew I was always stressed.

Wit hout you t wo, I wouldn’t have been able to stay sane through the past couple of years.

The Yellow Jacket helped me gain valuable experience and build my résumé for the real world.

But, the best things the Yellow Jacket gave me aren’t the articles on my portfolio or the awards on the wall—but the amazing people I’ve been fortunate enough to spend the last four years with.

Eric Bost is the person who pushed me to get heavily involved with the editing of the newspaper from the very beginning.

Without him, I may not have been involved until my second or third semester.

Nick Farrell, the executive editor my first two years, was always encouraging me and pushing me to improve. Without Nick’s friendship and guidance, I may have never gained the confidence to continue with journalism.

Rob Longo, the sports editor before me, similar

to Nick, took an interest in not just me as a Yellow Jacket staffer, but as a person. Also similar to Nick, Rob continues to help me in my life today.

To Shon, Mattie, Teghan and Keany: thank you for dealing with my music, bad jokes and procrastination. Without you all, this office wouldn’t be fun to be work in.

Kyle Dawson, my assistant for the last two years, has always had my back.

I know that the main reason he still works for the Yellow Jacket is to help me out, and I am grateful for that. Everyone needs a punching bag, and Kyle was mine.

I was a horrible boss to you, but you were an amazing assistant.

Kimmi Baston, my boss for the last two years, is one of the best leaders I know. She has dealt with my shenanigans for two years, which is probably enough to make most people go insane. You’ve been my “academic wife” for two years, and I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do without you after we

graduate.

And lastly, Brandon Szuminsky, the advisor for the Yellow Jacket, is the person all of the seniors, but especially me, should thank for any success they have moving forward.

Your love for journalism is contagious. I came in as a freshman who didn’t even know if I wanted to major in journalism and questioned my major for the first two years of my college career.

But your constant support and mentorship prevailed.

We’ve won a bunch of awards at the Yellow Jacket the last four years, and we should all be very proud of them. But the person who deserves most of the credit is you for everything you do for us.

I’m not going to miss the Yellow Jacket much – the late nights aren’t fun, I’m ready to get paid a little bit more than 72 cents an hour and—maybe—I should start growing up a little bit.

But I am going to miss the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made at the Yellow Jacket.

KYLE DAWSON Columnist

Make every day a “Sunny” day.

It was the morning of Nov. 3, 2012, and I remember it like it was yesterday.

When I woke up, my mom called me out to the dining room. She was in tears. I’d soon be in tears too.

After a long, courageous battle with carcinoid cancer, a community figure, family-friend, mom, wife and idol died.

Her name: Sunny Carney.

I had played baseball with her oldest son, Austen, for years. We’d known each other for years too.

She was an inspiration to many.

She acted as a PTA president, a speaker on cancer awareness and above all else, a mom to three boys while she was fighting cancer.

She’s the strongest person I’ve ever met. Hands down.

I remember crying for an entire day: the day of her funeral service.

Every time I hear the song “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” by Martina McBride, I break into, or am at the verge, of tears.

I’ve modeled my life and how I live each day off her.

She was an inspiration to so many people.

People who know me know I’m a busy guy. I’m not here to brag about that.

Some will say, especially in the Department of Communication, that I’ve spread myself too thin.

They’d say, in my four years here, I got too deeply involved to the point my work suffered.

They’ll tell you I do it to myself: destroy any sleep schedule I’d dream of and stress myself out to the point I’m running around wearing several different hats.

Those people are right. I have probably spread myself too thin. I probably try to do too much.

I’ve gotten heavily involved with this newspaper, WCYJ-FM, WCTV, the Waynesburg University Sports Network and greenesports.net.

I hold staff positions in all of those activities, and I’ve held the highest lead-

ership position in three of those activities.

On top of that, for the last two years, I have worked off campus calling high school sports for MSA Sports.

I’ve done broadcasts in three different states, and close to 200 broadcasts as a whole.

You’re probably asking, ‘Why are you telling me this?’

This is why. I’ve gotten so heavily involved, and I run myself into walls against the backdrop of what Sunny did.

She managed to do more than I do while fighting a cancer that would take her from this planet.

I’ve always felt that if she could do that, I can be busy without getting tired of it. I can do all of this stuff without complaint because my situation isn’t as bad as hers was.

One of Sunny’s mottos, and something everyone took from her, was how I began this piece.

Make every day a “Sunny” day.

What that means is rather simple.

She always managed, even through long, grueling cancer treatments, to find at least one thing in every single day that made that day good.

I live by that.

I managed to make November 3, 2012 a “Sunny” day. I don’t know how, but I did, and I have every day since then.

Sunny was an outgoing person.

She was the life of the party in some senses. She always had a smile on her face, even when things weren’t worth smiling about.

Again, people that know me know I like to have fun.

I’m a loose guy. I can turn the switch and be serious when needed, but I like to have fun no matter what, and I’m a sarcastic guy.

My situations aren’t even close to as bad as hers was, so I try to be happy through everything, even if that means bur ying some emotions at times.

It’s often my way of making my day a “Sunny” day.

I’d like to think I left an impact in that regard. I think I made working for a department activity fun.

At most times, that is.

Sunny Carney was a huge inspiration in my life.

DAWSON >> D6

Page D6

April 20, 2017

WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Tablet input 5. Stick (on) 10. Groovy 13. "The Quiet Man" costar 15. Take in, maybe 16. Mauna __ 17. Insensitive zealot?

19. Wine bottle figs.

20. Asian capital 21. Where Gauguin painted "Woman With a Flower" 23. Lays to rest 26. Eye parts 27. Gung-ho 28. Concurrent with 29. Poetic praise 30. Like Mandarin Chinese, linguistically 32. '80s-'90s slugger Fielder 35. Popular wine region 37. Summer Triangle twinkler 39. All there 40. View 42. Get rid of 44. Rotation meas.

45. Downgrade, maybe 47. Tot's indigestion area 49. Grows periodically 51. Sad, on the Seine 52. Sweater wool 53. Rodeo critter 55. Item under a top 56. Reprobate's regular expense?

61. Funny pair?

62. Like Mexico's Pyramid of the Magician

JOSEPH BUCHANAN Graphic Designer

63. Part of UTEP 64. Whiskey option 65. Rested 66. Casual refusal ... and, another way, a hint to this puzzle's four longest answers

DOWN

1. Bashful comrade?

2. "I thought so!"

3. 1860s White House boy 4. Tell, memorably 5. Part of UTEP 6. Fronton game word

7. Kind of deviation: Abbr.

8. Wobble 9. Unpredictable 10. Golf course equipment of the future?

11. Big artery 12. Rationale 14. Genesis mount 18. Like wild horses 22. Duncan of baking fame 23. Shackles 24. Clay-court legend 25. What many golfers regularly engage in?

26. Yardstick 28. Reel, for one 31. Fledgling launching spots 33. Feedback 34. "I wanna try!"

36. End of __ 38. Frying preparation 41. Self-evident actualities

43. Least spoiled 46. Ham's accessory 48. "The Queen" (2006) star 49. Color in "America the Beautiful" 50. Like many bar jokes 53. Blow a fuse 54. Canvas shelter

57. Actress Carrie who was married to Dick Cavett 58. Skeletal opening?

59. Toddler's downtime 60. Japanese market letters

LAST ISSUE'S SOLUTION

Editor's Note: As Graphic Design Editor, Buchanan felt a graphic would more appropriately reflect his time at WU.

Dawson: I owe so much to so many people Continued from D5

I owe a lot to her, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t use my platform here for another reason too.

I have known what I wanted to do since I was three or four years old. I didn’t know it at the time, but I did. I was going to be a sportscaster. Ask my mom.

There’s video of me playing baseball in my backyard by myself calling the plays as they happened.

I’d toss the ball to myself, hit it, run to field it, carry the ball down the base line, and peg myself, all while calling the action.

That translated years later into doing games in high school at Plum.

Through that, Lanny Frattare, my adivsor and mentor, heard a highschool broadcast I did, called the school and told my television productions teacher he wanted to meet me and wanted me at Waynesburg.

I had never heard of Waynesburg University before that.

But imagine this nerdy broadcaster that do es nothing but eat, sleep and breathe sports, as they say, meeting his childhood idol from an announcing standpoint.

In my four years at Waynesburg and the year and a half before I got here that I've had the chance to work with Lanny, he has been more than an advisor.

He's been a friend, mentor and almost like a father figure.

I owe a lot to him.

I mentioned the abundance of opportunity I’ve had here, so I’d also be remiss not to send a few thanks as well.

Rick Shepas.

Mark Christner.

Sam Jones.

Mike Humiston.

I covered those coach’s teams more than anything here. They all gave me an incredible amount of access to them and their teams.

They do it for ever y communication major, but from the bottom of my heart, I thank them for helping me chase my dreams, whether you realized it or not.

I don't think I made it clear enough to any of them how much I appreciated every bit of information, quote, meal and their time they gave to me.

It's not in their job description to wait around after games and talk to a student journalist.

To t h e a t h l e t e s o f Wa y n e s b u r g Un i v e r sity, especially the ones I worked with the most.

From the WU Ballers to the entire baseball team, thanks for being friendly and open to letting me pick your brains, no matter where we were.

I hope we, up on the fourth floor of Buhl, made you feel like more than a Division III athlete.

It was always my intent to treat you like more, and broadcast with that in mind.

I wanted to make you feel like Division I athletes or professionals. I hope I lived up to that.

I do include all of the players there from this year’s freshmen to this year’s seniors and everyone in between.

To my closest friends.

You know who you are.

You’ve been there for me at the good times and bad.

I’ll never forget you, and I’m thankful for all of the moments and memories.

Last but not least, Jacob Meyer.

Those that know us know him and I are essentially inseparable. Jacob has been there for me through good and bad and everything in between.

He’s my best friend.

Through communications work, class, baseball and life, I couldn’t ask for a better friend.

He’s like a brother to me.

For that Jacob, I thank you.

I’ll leave you with this: find a way to make your days “Sunny” days and never stop driving to succeed.

It’s not my quote, but it’s one that is applicable to everyone.

When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.

Do whatever it takes to reach your dreams.

Thanks for everything, Waynesburg. I had the time of my life, and it was most certainly a “Sunny” time.

April 20, 2017

Page D7

Cornerstone Geneological Society hosts mining presentation

By ANTONIO PELULLO For the Yellow Jacket

A wooden court house built in the late eighteenth century held all the official business in Waynesburg before the construction of the court house on High Street.

By the 1970’s, the former court house was now a mattress retail store, shortly closed, but saved the wood from the eighteenth century, and the same wood was used to rebuild the court house.

This is where the Cornerstone Genealogical society meets every second Tuesday of the month.

On April 11, it met to look back at the history of coal mining in not only Greene County, but southwestern Pennsylvania, and speaker Danielle Petrak, from Watts Museum, a part of West Virginia University, brought artifacts from coal mining history.

The event covered the history of mines and the tools used to mine coal, and covered the impacts they had on the industry.

“With each advance in technology there were benefits that came along with that as well as negatives,” said Petrak. “Large pieces of mining machinery would generate more coal dust in the mines. Explosions were a greater threat

Antonio Pelullo, Yellow Jacket

The Geneological Society meets every second Tuesday of the month, and April's meeting was devoted to the coal mining industry. The event covered history of mines and the tools used to mine the coal. some times.”

Most in attendance during the night were former coal miners, and Petrak knows that these events have impacted them.

“Most everyone in this area that’s lived here for a while has some connection to the mining industry,” said Petrak.

Patrick Beard, a coal

miner for 38 years, has a different way of looking at the importance of the coals mines in history.

“Why do you keep thinking of the dollar? You lose it, it’s gone,” said Beard.

For Beard, he built his whole life off coal mines, and he doesn’t want the youth to think of his past work as a “ghost story,” but

he wants them to remember the sacrifice made by miners like himself.

“They put their lives on the line so these young people could come up and go to college and stuff,” Beard said. “The coal miners are the life of this county and this country more than Walmart and them kind of places.”

B eard’s grandfather, uncles, father and brother have worked in coal mines and one of his three children were able to attend college.

The mines have had a strong impact on his life.

“It’s my life history, it’s past I want to keep it going, its raised my family gave us good living hard sometimes

but gives us a good living,” said Beard.

The coal mines have also impacted Buzz Walters, whose father was a coal miner. Growing up, Walters lived in a coal mining town, so he knew the difficulty of living in time where jobs were limited and the only option were coal mines, and those jobs had a constant demand.

“Back then, everybody needed a job, so there weren’t too much money going around, so they had to have a job, so they went to the coal mine to get a job,” said Walters. “One good thing about the coal at those times, they used the coal for the making of the steel.”

Along with small speaking engagements such as the one done by Petrak, she helps organize and set up exhibits away from the small museum “I do the traveling exhibits where I take actual exhibits where I have pedestals, cases and labels, not just artifacts and they are usually installed for several months at a time at other locations,” said Petrak Behind these relics and history it’s important to remember these are people’s history, according to Beard.

“These relics, they aren’t relics they’re our history,” said Beard.

Gannis: Leaving college was best decision for baker Ramps: Music, good

Continued from D1

her freshman year, she still had no idea what she wanted to devote her life to.

Originally planning to study business, she came out of a business calculus class on the verge of tears and decided the business path wouldn’t be right for her.

Still unsure of what she wanted to do with her life, she switched to the psychology and communications fields because she knew they were classes she felt she could pass.

Despite the classes and different areas, the idea of doing bigger and better things at the present moment always occupied a space in the back of her mind.

“I would be sitting in a chemistry class and be irked at how I was going to use them,” she said. “I just felt there was so many things I was wasting my time on in school.”

With her mind set on practical matters, Gannis kept up with the business while going to college and after her sophomore year, matters of divine providence and business ingenuity collided; the idea of the cupcake vending machine was born.

“People needed the c up c a kes e asier t han just me driving to their house,” she said. “They needed to be fresh quality and it [the machine] was the fairest thing we could think of.”

Returning for her junior year was something that was still up in the air throughout last summer but it wasn’t officially off the table until the last second.

“I called my advisor and said ‘I can’t do this,’” she said. “Even that week, I knew classes were happening. It took me a long time to feel like I wasn’t doing something wrong.” *** To d ay, G a n n i s c a n usually be found in the kitchen baking for six or seven hours, and that doesn’t include the trips she takes to refill the cupcake machine.

Her life is consumed by the business and separated from her friends.

“I have completely forgotten the schedule and feel of things [in college],” she said. “I haven’t been able to hang out with them because of my schedule and theirs.”

While her friends worry about an upcoming exam or class project, she

Study: Carlisle's aims to provide 'living room atmosphere' to students Continued from D1

that you can come down here and work and study you don’t have to buy stuff,” Carlisle said. “We want it to be like your living room.”

Carlisle’s “living-room” atmosphere will be open an extra three hours from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. April 24 through 27, to provide university students a place to study outside of the typical on-campus spots.

“We are offering free coffee and a place to escape from campus,” Carlisle said. “Students will need to show their student ID to be admitted, to help promote safety.”

If students are looking for a nearby getaway that isn’t a shop, Waynesburg’s parks also

offer an opportunity to study.

The parks, located between Miller and Stewart Halls, are much quieter than a dorm may be, but don’t offer Wi-Fi so they are best for studying with notecards or a notebook.

As finals week draws nearer, 5 Kidz Kandy, Carlisle’s Coffee & Sandwiches and the local parks all offer quiet atmospheres that can let students have a much-needed escape from their textbooks.

Vliet said that it’s important for students to keep in mind the many options for study in Waynesburg’s community.

“Sometimes I think that students just need to breathe,” she said. “Going off campus might take you off focus for a moment so you can refocus again.”

worries about whether to choose a bank loan or an investor for her business.

Before the machine, she used to have one day to complete school work, but it now completely taken up by the exhaustive process of keeping her and her mother’s business, which has now reached the west coast, afloat.

“We were doing really well before the machine, but we still had a day off and I could still do school at the same time and then the machine hit and it just fell off,” she said. “There were people the other day who came from Alaska and I was like, ‘How do you even know what this is?’”

Such widespread growth is something that ke eps her wonder ing whether she will go back to school in the fall and if it will even be possible.

“I plan on going back and taking a couple of classes next fall,” she said. “At this point, with as much work as I have to do at the business I don’t know how/when/if I will go back to get the degree.”

This is something that scares her.

“Now is the age where I have to get my degree.

That is a really scar y thought process,” she

said. “I guess my biggest worry is that I will never go back.”

But at the same time she is worried because she has also found something that she not only loves, but actually wants to do.

“You are either running towards something or away from something,” she said. “This is what I love and I can’t really do anything else.”

She has also found solid footing in her business.

“School is great but I am making my own opp or tunit ies w it h t his business,” she said. “It was take one or the other [the business or school] and I wasn’t going to drop Chatty Cupcakes.” *** In a sma l l town of just over 4,000 people, one woman is making the American dream a reality and encourages others to take that leap of faith for themselves.

“I just really want to emphasize the fact that if you think you have a really good idea and have people who support you, I think you should run with your idea,” she said. “You will always regret not following through with something you think is really cool.”

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food main draw for those who attend fair Continued from D1

for the ramps festival,” she said.

As for the festival itself, there are a lot of aspects that Ammons enjoys.

“I like the music and the chainsaw carvings,” she said. “Just everything.”

The ramps festival’s appeal is not just limited to the local community.

According to Ammons, the festival has hosted residents of states such as Ohio, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland and even Canada.

“It’s people that like

ramps,” said Ammons. “It’s usually the first [ramps] event in the spring, and we just have a lot of people that come in for it.”

Ammons cites the music and the food as main points of praise for people who attend.

“Really they just like everything going on,” said Ammons. “They like the food, we have good music and they like the crafts.”

There will be a church service Sunday at 9 a.m. to kick off the day. More information can be found at www.greenecountytourism.org/newdates/masondixon-ramp-festival.

Page D8

April 20, 2017

THE BACK PAGE

HISTORY OF GRADUATION Written by Emily Hackman

Designed by Joe Buchanan

After spending four years of studying and learning everything possible to pass tests and complete projects, graduation becomes the next step towards a new chapter in a senior student’s life. But what exactly makes up the graduation process and where do the traditions come from?

THE MEANING BEHIND GRADUATE

WHY THE CAP AND GOWN?

Both “degree” and “graduate” come from the word “gradus,” which means “step.” So to graduate means that you are literally taking a step in a new direction, whether that means leaving the education field for a career or working towards a higher-level degree.

The traditional graduation dress of the cap and gown started in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries when universities began forming throughout Europe. The graduation cap and gown can be traced back to England.

In the late 1800’s, the colors were assigned to the gowns to signify certain areas of study. The gowns were worn for two reasons: to symbolize that the wearer of the gown was a scholars and for religious status.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TASSEL At most high schools and universities, the tassels are first worn on the right and then flipped to the left upon receiving the diploma or degree to signify moving on from one stage of life to the next. Most graduates flip the tassel after the receipt of the degree, but in some cases, graduates may flip the tassel before walking off of the stage. There are four different colors of tassels that can be worn. Each color represents what degree the graduates are receiving.

Bachelor’s Degree in Science

Bachelor’s Degree in Music

Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts

Bachelor’s Degree in General Education

HISTORY OF THE DIPLOMA The first diplomas were made from paper-thin sheepskin, handwritten with ink, rolled up and tied with a ribbon. This tradition continued until about 100 years ago when the diplomas began to be printed on parchment paper. The diploma signifies the completion of a degree and all the work that went into obtaining it. Waynesburg University was one of the first colleges to have ever offered degrees to women.

DIPLOMA

MUSIC SELECTIONS “Pomp and Circumstance” is the traditional graduation march. It was composed by Sir Edward Elgar and first performed on Oct. 19, 1901 in Liverpool, England. Although not every commencement uses this song, it is common to hear it in some form at most ceremonies.