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APRIL 25, 2019 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
14th annual Relay for Life raises nearly $10K MALARIE YODER For The Yellow Jacket
Waynesburg University hosted Relay for Life, a cancer charity walk, Sunday, April 14, making it the 14th consecutive year Waynesburg University has hosted this event. This year, the charity walk was run by the president of the club, Stephanie Rogers, with the help from Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of student services “We start planning [Relay for Life] in September,” Rogers, who’s helped plan Relay for Life the past two years, said. “We plan as much as we can to keep morale up because it can be a really long day.” Hardie took on Relay for Life 14 years ago when Assistant Dean of Student Services Chris Hardie brought it to Waynesburg and they fully embraced the idea. “Chris Hardie was the chair who oversaw Greene County Relay for Life, that was 14 years ago, and many of our students wanted to participate in that Relay for Life, but it was always after graduation,” Kelley Hardie said. This year’s Relay for Life followed a carnival theme and went from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Photo courtesy of University Relations
This year's Relay for Life had a carnival theme and was held inside the Marisa Fieldhouse due to inclement weather. Planning for the event began in September 2018. “We always allow are captains to pick out the theme,” stated Kelly Hardie. “At one of our very first meetings we have a vote that goes to the captains.” After the captains chose the theme their next job was to plan the rest of Relay for
Life, which includes: looking for groups to fundraise and getting a head start on raising money. Rogers was a part of planning the activities this year. “In the morning, we did a wacky fun track time,” Rogers said. “I came up with all
of the games like the toilet paper mummy race, wrap up relay and the obstacle course.” Sports teams, majors and other clubs participated in this event by setting up tables around the gym to raise money. This fundraising was
done by selling items and organizing games. Some of the groups that participated included Track and Field, WCTV, the campus radio station (99.5 The Hive), The Department of Education, as well as The Department of Nursing.
“This year, we really focused on survivorship and education at Relay. We wanted to get survivors involved with our event because we are relaying for them,” Rogers said. “Last year, we had 22 survivors at our event. This year, we had [between nine and 12], but we have an hour to celebrate them and we have a lunch for them.” “They are superheroes and we want them to feel like they are superheroes,” she said. “For education, every team had to have educational facts about the cancer that we are representing. So, whenever someone walked up to a booth they learned something about cancer so they have a better understanding of why this event is going on.” Even though only one day was attributed to celebrating Relay for Life at Waynesburg, the worldwide event does not end until May 1. This gives participants more time to keep raising money that will eventually go to cancer research. In Kelley Hardie and Stephanie Rogers eyes, this year was very successful. “I think this year was really successful. Last year was RELAY >> A3
Online degree program coming this August WU recognized for low amount of student debt JOE SMELTZER Copy Desk Chief
Starting this August, working professionals will be able to get their college degree through Waynesburg University’s Online Degree Completion Program. The application process is currently in full swing. Pending transfer credits, students who pursue this program can complete their bachelor’s degree in just a year. Students will be able to focus on one specific course during separate five-week sessions and can transfer as many as 90 credits of previous college work. The three-degree options offered for the program are professional studies, business administration and criminal justice administration. While the degree completion program has been offered at Waynesburg since 1997, the difference in this program is that it is
COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Editorial Assistant
Mattie Winowitch, The Yellow Jacket
The new online program, which is expected to begin this August, is made for working individuals who are looking to complete their degrees. now entirely digital, said Dave Mariner, director of graduate programs. “What’s really new about this program is more the
delivery,” he said. “Historically, we had a large degree program that was face to face at our regional sites in the Pittsburgh region. The
unique thing about what we just put together is that we’re bringing back the deONLINE >> A3
The Pittsburgh Business Times recognized Waynesburg University as a college w ith low student debt in their list, “Ranking local universit ies by st udent debt , from lowest to highest.” Out of the 22 colleges listed, Waynesburg was ranked fourth with an average st udent loa n debt of $31,000. Matthew Stokan, director of financial aid, gives credit to not only Waynesburg’s administration but also the past
“I think students and families believe that they are getting a good quality education for a good quality price.”
MATTHEW STOKAN
‘Pedestrian link’ plans now underway
$250K grant for sidewalk to connect campus, town HOLLY HENDERSHOT News Editor
Waynesburg University was awarded a $250,000 grant last month to begin construction on a walkway to link the University with the town of Waynesburg. For as long as the university has been standi n g , Way n e s b u r g h a s continued to update class buildings, resident halls, roadways and walkways on campus. While former university president Timothy Thyreen was still in his position, he and the university’s master planner, Carl Johnson, worked together on developing an overall vision for the campus, including entirely new projects, cur-
rent President Douglas Lee said. Lee said those updates and projects have been constructed over time as money and resources become available. Completed parts of the master plan are seen around campus, such as Johnson Commons, Stover Campus Center and the stairway beside the Center for Research and Economic Development building that leads to the road in front of Willison Hall. As par t of Thyreen and Johnson’s vision, the university will soon start construction on a walkway with the same design and style as those stairs, creating an easier and safer path from the university to High Street
downtown. Lee is working wi th insti tutional advancement and Pennsylvania State Representative Pam Snyder to make this vision a reality. They also partnered with the Southwestern PA Conservatory and the Greene County Commissioners, in addition to obtaining continued support from Senator Camera Bartolotta, Senator Joseph Scarnati and D. Raja, according to Lee. “For as long as I can remember, the university has been trying to connect with the downtown business district,” Snyder said. “This walkway project will finally link the college campus to High Street to give students an attractive opportunity to
visit merchants. It also will enhance the visibility of the college for drivers passing through town that may not have known the beautiful campus was just one right turn from them.” Lee said building the walkway could take up to six months to complete once work starts. Before it begins, however, a landscape architecture firm will need to develop the project and a contractor must be hired. A f t e r co n s t r u ct i o n , Snyder believes the walkway will create a safer environment for students walking to and from town. “It’s important that the students of Waynesburg PATH >> A3
nancial aid each year.” W hile Stokan said it may not be the sole factor, he thinks Waynesburg University's low tuition is something that students look at when they decide on their colleges. “I think that it’s a factor for some students and families, but I don’t think that it’s the primary factor,” he said. “I think that students and families believe that they are getting a good quality education for a good quality price.” S o m e a l u m n i we r e sur prised when the
Director of Financial Aid
and present university presidents in their effor t s to keep t u it ion costs low. I think that if you look at our tuition charges, fees and room and board charges, compared to pr i v at e c ol l e ge s a nd universities not just in the state, but across the country you will see that we are significantly lower than the other four year pr ivate schools,” Stokan said. According to a press release from Waynesbu rg Un iver sit y p ert a i n i n g t o t he r a n king, “Tuition, room and board at Waynesburg is more than $10,000 below the national average for private, non-profit, four-year colleges, and more than 90 percent of Waynesburg students receive some form of fi-
Pittsburgh Business Times article came out. O ne of t he s e a lu m n i w a s E m i l y H ay wo o d . “Initially my reaction was laughing out loud,” Haywood said. “I have a lot more than $31,000 in student debt. So, I was kind of in shock and I am somewhat jealous. I wish I had only $31,000 [in debt].” Haywood said she has $69,000 in student debt, which originally was going to take her 20 years to pay off, but after some refinancing, it will only take her 10 years to pay it off now. “I am very interested in where they got their data from,” she said. “I am glad to see the average and I still got a good education, but I DEBT >> A3