ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

October 22, 2015 Volume #46 No. 4

Inside this Issue

Agriculture Program, Page: 3

Suicide Prevention, Page: 4 & 5

Health Fair, Page: 6

Finland Trip, Page: 8

by Callie Lyons & Sheena Thorn

The excel lence of WVU Parkersburg’s nursing program is cause for celebration as all of the students who graduated in May successfully completed their state board testing. It is a milestone in every n u r s i n g s t u d e n t ’s c a r e e r : graduating and sitting for the NCLEX-RN – a nursing board test and the last hurdle to becoming a licensed Registered Nurse. The celebrated 100 percent pass rate means that every one of the 24 students who graduated from the program in May passed the state board exam and became eligible for licensure. This compares with a national 2015 pass rate of 86.77 percent, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Associate Professor Julie Heller said to achieve this feat, the instructors continually revise and add to the test blue print that is sent to them by the nursing board. The program has also added more cri t ical thinking and test taking strategies to their curriculum.

Between 40 and 48 students can be admitted to the program twice a year, according to Dr. Rose Beebe, head of the nursing division. Open seats are still available for the spring semester. To be eligible for admittance, students must have a 2.5 GPA, be able to take college-level math and English and score a 75 or greater on the HESI entrance exam. The next test is on Nov. 20 at 9 a.m. The test is $40 to take and students must pay the fee in the business office and take their receipt to the nursing office to be put on the list. This select ive admission criteria is in place because students must be academically ready and show that they are prepared for the boards. “Nursing students are held to a unique standard compared to the other students at the college because with the education they receive, the ultimate goal is to care for patients,” Beebe said. Beebe explained there is one path to becoming a Registered Nurse at WVU Parkersburg. Graduates from the associate's program take the board exam and, when they pass, become entry level Registered Nurses. If a student decides to pursue

an associate’s degree, they can finish the program in two or three years, depending on prerequisites, sit for the boards and begin working for RN wages. Then they can return to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. This method is called the RN to BSN program that is newly available at WVU Parkersburg. In the Parkersburg area, a RN’s starting wages are in the upper $30,000 to lower $40,000 a year range. Some medical facilites will not hire an RN unless they have their bachelor’s degree. The RN to BSN program is benef ic ia l to the WVU Parkersburg students because they can pass their tests and then go to making wages within two or three years. At WVU, the students have to go through the four-year program and then pass the exam to become an RN. It is the same degree, but done in half the time. Beebe said the associate degree program is very rigorous and it is important that despite external factors students have time to be successful. She credits the program’s success to an outs tanding faculty made up of “dedicated,

committed individuals who stay up on current practices, care for students and want them to succeed,” Beebe said. Beebe also believes WVU Parkersburg’s resources boost students’ experiential learning, making them more prepared to become nurses. A state of the art simulation lab pu ts s tuden ts th rough 2 7 i n c i d e n t s o r m e d i c a l emergencies, which have been identified as low incidence but critical. These are situations nurses must know how to handle. The simulations give them the handson experience unavailable in a clinical setting because the students must act as the problem solvers instead of observers. Students are accepted into the program twice a year – and financial aid is available. More than 70 percent of WVU Parkersburg students receive some form of assistance paying for college, according to the financial aid office. These include grants, loans, s c h o l a r s h i p s a n d s t u d e n t employment. For more information about the nursing program or enrolling in the program, contact Amy Richards in the nursing office.

Nursing Program Success Graduating Class Receives 100 Percent Passage Rate

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg October 22, 2015Page 2

News Editors: Candice Hoalcraft

Kyle NicholsJames Liebau IISheena Thorn

Layout Staff:Erika DavisJessica FieldsRachael GantJames Liebau IIAustin JamesSheena ThornTyler Bennett

chronicle@wvup.eduand find us on Facebook & Twitter

@wvupchronicleAdvisor: Torie Jackson

Asst. Advisor: Olivia Reeder

Russell BunnerLeah CarpenterAutumn CorbittAmber DeeterPeyton NeelyMackenzie Nestor

Volume 46Produced by students of WVU Parkersburg

Layout Editor: Hannah DuffieldAssistant Layout Editor: Shalee Lathey

News Reporting/Photography Staff: Shalee LatheyJessica FieldsRussell BunnerAutumn CorbittAmber DeeterAmie Lukasiak

Mackenzie Nestor

by Jessica Fields Crafts, crafts and more crafts! All the crafts one could imagine can be found at the upcoming craft show. The 27th Annual Ameri-can Sampler Craft Show is on Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the col-lege Activities Center. Show up anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to enjoy all of the dif-ferent booths available. From homemade crafts to one of a kind masterpieces, anything can be found at the craft show. This event is open to the public. “It is really a good variety. We have got traditional crafters and we have some people who do woodworking stuff and then we have other people who do a lot of hand sewing,” event organizer Pat Mollohan said.

A hot dog and bake sale, a white elephant sale and a raffle are part of the plans. The pro-ceeds go to the Staff Council Activities fund. For the raffle, each vendor will donate an item. An item will be randomly selected and whoever’s ticket is drawn gets the item. Tickets are $1 a piece or $5 for an arm’s length. Winners do not have to be present, as long as a phone number is on the raffle ticket.The White Elephant Sale has different kinds of “oddball” and “one-of-a-kind” items. The sale was run by the late Doris Tustin, but is now taken over by staff member Michael Caplinger. The sale is continuing on in memory of Doris. Those who would like to set up a table should contact Pat

Mollohan before the first week in November. A lot of vendors have already signed up, so space is vanishing quickly. For outside vendors not associ-ated with the college, a table is $15 and $5 for each additional table. For WVU Parkersburg stu-dents, a table is $10 and an extra $5 for each additional table. Ven-dors can come the night before to set up, any time between 5 and 7 p.m. in the college activities cen-ter. For more information about donations for the White Elephant Sale, contact Caplinger by phone at (304) 424-8233 or via e-mail at michael.caplinger@wvup.edu. Interested parties can con-tact Mollohan by phone at (304) 424-8208 or via e-mail at pat.mollohan@wvup.edu.

By Amber Deeter Nerd Nation is an international conference where intelligent students from all over the world get together. Why does this matter to the students of WVU Parkersburg? We have intelligent students here that are part of the Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, and they want to go but need help. Faculty, staff, and students can help Phi Theta Kappa go to Nerd Nation by being a part of their first fundraiser at The Original Pizza Place in Marietta on Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. To 9 p.m. There are three ways that people can help them with this fundraiser. Go to The Original Pizza and dine-in, carry it out, or have it delivered. 15 percent of all receipts will go towards their

goal to go to Nerd Nation. Bring the attached ticket so they can get credit for the sales. Nerd Nation is not just a huge get together for the student; this is an international conference for all members of Phi Theta Kappa. It is international because students from all over the world attend this event. This is a four to five day conference with different workshops. Students learn how to build an award winning officer team and how to successfully raise funds for the chapter. This conference also offers professional and l e a d e r s h i p d e v e l o p m e n t opportunit ies for s tudents , and they get to network with like-minded students such as themselves. Finally, it is a chance fro these

high achieving students make lifelong friends that are like them. At Nerd Nation, they elect I n t e r n a t i o n a l O f f i c e r s t o be part of the International Officer's team. This year, one of their regional is running for International Vice President, and they want to support him by attending. Members will be able to attend the conference since it's being held in Washington D.C. Phi Theta Kappa's goal is to send five to six members to this conference. It will cost on average $530 per person, and that is not including the rental van and the gas to get there. This will also be a great educational experience for the members of Phi Theta Kappa. Since the

Sampler Craft ShowTo be a Success

conference is being held in the D.C. area, they hope to take tours to show students the Nation's capital. With the Presidential Election coming up, it might give students a chance to see politics up close. Nerd Na t ion g ives h igh achieving students a chance to feel the excitement of being around others who are like them. They compete to be the best and biggest chapter, they vie to have the top officer's team, and they compete to see which chapter can have the most successful fundraisers. There many things that happen at Nerd Nation that can be so beneficial to students. For more information or to make a donation contact Marie Butler at (304) 424-8000, Ext. 403 or in room 1116.

Send Phi Theta Kappato Washington D.C.

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgOctober 21, 2015 Page 3

by Shalee Lathey The WVU Parkersburg’s Di-versified Agriculture Program is growing with beneficial projects, various events and new innova-tive ideas. The program is stemming out to several different programs among the campus community. Through these projects and ideas, the department is promoting the environment and the benefits of farming. This summer proved to be a success for the Diversified Ag-riculture Program. New courses were introduced and crops thrived. The Rive rhawk Produce Market found success in sell-ing produce. Students priced things fairly and helped promote healthy eating within the com-munity. This semester, a higher number of students are enrolled in the ag-riculture program. “This program gives great ex-perience,” Program Coordinator and Agriculture Instructor Hans Straight says.

The program is continuing to expand by adding workshops and promoting the WVU Park-ersburg campus with local FFA Programs. Currently, the program is in the process of coordinating a composting program that is set to kick off in Nov. The program is teaming up with the Environmental Action Group and the AVI Program to receive composting materials from the campus cafeteria. The cafeteria produces a large amount of kitchen waste such as coffee grounds and food scraps. The agriculture program will use these waste materials on the farm to ensure crop growth. A meeting regarding the com-posting program is held on Oct. 28 in Room 2209 at 11 a.m. for further planning. This semester the program is working with the Early Child-hood Center for younger children to learn more about crops and farming. On Oct. 16 children were pro-vided with festive gourds and

pumpkins all grown from the WVU Parkersburg farm. The program would like to see a WVU Parkersburg Fall Fair event next season and have it be on a larger scale for the com-munity and children but for this season the program is doing a small scale event. Another growing opportunity in the agriculture program is an articulation agreement with West Virginia University with science and agriculture program courses. Students can complete the first two years at WVU Parkersburg and complete the remaining courses at West Virginia Univer-sity. There are nine degree pro-grams that contain classes that will transfer directly to West Vir-ginia University in agriculture and science fields. For more information on events ideas about the agri-culture program contact Hans Straight by email at hans.straight@wvup.edu or visit Room C219 in the Caperton Building.

by Mackenzie Nestor As the popular Pink Floyd song said, "We don't need no educa-tion." Clearly from the choice of grammar, education is important unless you become an iconic 80s rocker. WVU Parkersburg's education program welcomed its new bach-elors students, initiated new Kappa Delta Phi members and honored a faculty member among the education division. On Oct 8, 2015 the education division had its annual Signing Cer-emony to welcome students to the four year bachelor program after completing their associate's degree. The following students were new admissions to the education pro-gram for Spring 2015 and Fall 2015 semesters: Julie Banton, Ashley Boggs, Travis Carpenter, Mykayla Garrett, Daniel Miller, Nicholas Pease, John Price, Angela Tennant, Amy Walton, William Bell, Emily Carney, Morgan Cottrell, Nate Donohew, Kelly Hall, Kaitlyn Huff, Emily Kibble, Brittany Morgan, Michael Simonton, Madison Slone, and Blake Walls. During the Signing Ceremony Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society for education students, inducted new members. The new chapter initiates were: Goldy Bailey, William R. Bell, Emily Carney, Morgan Cottrell, Kelly R. Hall, Kaitlyn Huff, Emilee Kibble, Brittany Morgan, Michael Simonton, Angela Dawn Tennant, Blake Walls, and Hannah Watkins. Among the division honorees, Dr. Missy Spivy, Assistant Profes-sor of Education at WVU Parkersburg, was awarded the Regional Chapter Counselor Award. Dr. Spivy was nominated by her students through letters they wrote. Dr. Spivy will be traveling to Orlando to recieve her award. “It is a joy to work with the students and an honor that they would nominate me,” Dr. Spivy said.

by Mackenzie Nestor Between "Interstellar" and now "The Martian," America spent a great deal of money on rescuing Matt Damon. Clearly, Matt Damon has an affinity for playing marooned astronauts. Firstly, in the 2014 Sci-Fi hit “Interstellar,” he played an astronaut named Mann, who was sent through a wormhole to another galaxy to research one of the alien worlds. He ended up alone on a planet no one could survive on. This year, in “The Martian,” he plays an astronaut named Mark Watney who is deserted during an intense dust storm and is left The Martian is out in theaters now.

Diversified Agriculture Program is

Growing

"The Martian" Brings it Home for Audiencesby himself on Mars. Watney is a crew member aboard the Ares III, a NASA mission to Mars, commanded by Lewis (Jessica Chastain). The rest of the crew includes Martinez (Michael Peña), Jo-hanssen (Kate Mara), Vogel (Aksel Hennie), and Beck (Sebastian Stan). After landing on Mars and settling into their base camp site, they last only eighteen days before the sud-den storm forces them to abort mission. Watney is abandoned presumed to be dead. The Martian is an extreme survival story. Mark Watney must use his brain and determi-

nation to do what no man has ever done before; survive on Mars by himself. Through his struggle, you cannot help but root for the future of Mars exploration. The Martian also showcases the realities which will make it possible in the near future. The movie doesn’t focus on just one principle of science such as astrophysics; it features all areas of science. Astrophys-ics isn’t the only thing that is helping to keep Watney alive. The movie runs rampant with suspense. I couldn’t stop staring at the screen in awe. My mind was racing trying to figure out just how he will survive. As

promised, I was kept waiting until the very end to know what would happen to Watney as this suspense grew to astronomical levels (truly sorry but I could not resist making this joke) and I found myself questioning mul-tiple times if he would survive. O v e r a l l , t h i s i s a s c i -ence f ic t ion movie made for people who don’t like science. It never alienates the audience by its own intelligence. The movie makes complicat-ed concepts easy to understand but it also contains enough biol-ogy, physics, and chemistry to satisfy any nerd’s appetite. It was one heck of a ride.

Education Updates

”

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg October 21, 2015Page 4

Breaking the Silenceby Amber Deeter

He was a good kid. He never got into a fist fight and never had a speeding ticket. Suddenly he felt he had no other choice. Jaime Campbell was not an A student. He was a B student. He attended classes at WVU Parkersburg in the 1990s. He wanted nothing more than to be a journalist and write for a newspaper. Tragedy altered those plans. On a rainy April night two police officers brought Jaime home instead of taking him to jail for underage consumption. The officers did not know his parents were gone for the week, did not know how much he had drank, and didn't know how embarrassed and humiliated he was by his own actions. After the police officers left, Jaime went in, sat down, and proceeded to write a two-page suicide letter. He explained the evening’s details and left nothing out. In the letter was a list of who to tell what, he asked for God’s forgiveness, and said someday he hoped they would understand. Then, he went into the backyard of the only home he ever knew and took his life. The next day Michelle Toman, Jaime’s sister, found the letter on the floor. “I can never explain what it felt like to have to call our parents and have my dad screaming, ‘Just read me the letter damn it!’ They were three hours away. Michelle went on to say that she can also never explain how she felt to have 250 people show up in the matter of 30 minutes to search for Jaime because she did not see him in the back yard. After Jaime’s death Michelle was committed to making a

difference and breaking the silence on suicide. “I haven’t always been a suicide prevention advocate. I became one that rainy April night 21 years ago when I found my brother’s two-page suicide letter.” “Though my brother died by his own hand, a lot of what he died from was embarrassment and humiliation,” Toman said. Jaime’s story is not uncommon. Jason Flatt was a young man who seemed to love life. He was an average 16 year old. He was mostly a B student, loved sports, was active in his youth group at church and had a lot of friends. On July 16, 1997, Jason took his life. Jason’s father, Clark Flatt, became an advocate and lobbied for legislation in regards to suicide prevention. Most states have adopted the Jason Flatt Act and West Virginia is no exception. The Jason Flatt Act of 2012, West Virginia Senate Bill 221, requires the West Virginia Center for P rofess iona l Deve lopment ( W V C P D ) t o p r o v i d e f o r the routine education of all professional educators and service personnel having direct contact with students, on warning signs and resources to assist in suicide prevention. T h e e d u c a t i o n m a y b e accomplished through self-review of resources and/or materials provided by the Jason Foundation. However, this is only recommended so some schools do not do the prevention training. Like Clark Flatt, Michelle Toman did more than grieve the loss of a loved one. She turned her grief and her “something bad” into “something really good.” Michelle and her family was able to get Jaime’s Law

passed in August of this year. J a i m e ’ s L a w i s n o t recommended, it is required. J a i m e ’s l a w r e q u i r e s a l l public middle and high school administrators to:

•Disseminate and provide oppor tun i t i e s to d i scuss suicide prevention awareness information to all middle and high school students; • R e q u i r i n g e a c h p u b l i c and private institution of higher education to provide all incoming students with information about depression a n d s u i c i d e p r e v e n t i o n resources available to students; • R e q u i r i n g t h e p o s t i n g of certain information on the website of the public a n d p r i v a t e i n s t i t u t i o n s of higher educat ion, the Higher Educat ion Pol icy Commission, and the Council for Community and Technical College Education; •And requiring the Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities to post on its website suicide prevention awareness information.

Toman’s presentation at WVUP on suicide prevention allows the college to be in compliance with that law. Toman said, “We need to break the silence on suicide.” L a s t y e a r , a t W V U i n Morgantown, there were six student suicides in the first semester. Six people took their lives before December. The public heard of maybe one and that was after the hazing and alcohol poisoning incident, Toman said. After the suicides at WVU in Morgantown, Michelle’s daughter who attends WVU took to the sidewalks. In chalk she wrote inspirational messages such as: “It’s ok to ask for help.”

It’s OK to ask for help.”

Toman sharing her story with members of the WVU Parkersburg community.

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg Page 5October 21, 2015

on Suicide: Suicide Prevention Advocate Encourages Local Students to be a Link and Save a Life

She wrote the lifeline number and other statistics on sidewalks where people would see it. After It takes only one person to the messages appeared, suicides there stopped. make a difference and be a link to saving lives. In West Virginia a nine-year-old girl took her own life. Why is this happening and who do people not think of this as a crisis, Toman questions. Suicide is a crisis and young people take their lives because they think there is no other way, she answered. Families and schools need to start having meaningful talks about suicide, Toman advocates. Approximately 12 youth suicides occur every day. The fastest growing rate of death by suicide is 10-14 year olds and those 65 and older. People need to know that suicide is never the answer and that there is help out there, Toman believes. So she educates people about the different kinds of suicide that exist and different reasons people take their own lives. The first type of suicide includes those that sadly nobody is shocked about. The person was depressed or had behaviors that would lead one to suicide. Another type is impulse suicides. These types of suicides seem to happen over one thing. If someone looks back on that person’s life they can see that it was a culmination of things. Revenge suicide is another t y p e . R e v e n g e s u i c i d e i s basically an “I’ll show you” type of suicide. This type is fueled either by rage or extreme grief. It's a “you did this, so I’m going to show you what you have done.” Toman told the standing room only crowd at WVU Parkersburg that many warning signs and

stressors of someone who might be contemplating suicide exist. However, she did not call them warning signs, she called them invitations to talk about suicide. Some stressors are a recent loss, family issues, school or work issues, trouble with the law, drug and alcohol use, and bullying in person, on the internet, or through social media. Twenty-five percent of students are harassed or bullied at school. That is just what is reported. Eighty-six percent of LGBTQ students are bullied and harassed at school and 1 in 5 are physically assaulted. These numbers are extremely high. Michelle said, “If you see someone being bullied, or harassed, be an upstander instead of a bystander and do something. It only takes one person to make it stop.” Some invitat ions to talk about suicide include direct and indirect verbal clues. Some verbal clues include, “I’m going to kill myself.” Or “I wish I were dead.” Some verbal indirect invitations include, but are not limited to, “Don’t worry, you won't have to be around me much longer.” Or, “I wish I had never been born.” If a person hears these phrases, it's time to talk about suicide. Toman said it is imperative to question, “You’re not thinking about killing yourself are you?” L a n g u a g e i s i m p o r t a n t in the difference between harming themselves and killing themselves. To m a n m e t a f a m i l y i n Colorado who had lost their son to suicide. The son’s name was Michael and he was 17. The child killed himself the same year she lost her brother. Michael’s suicide seemed to happen after

his girlfriend broke up with him. It was the final straw. The day after his death the students of his high school found out and received grief counseling and some were signed out that day by their parents. The children who left the school that day found themselves at Michael’s home. S o m a n y s t u d e n t s a s k e d what they could do to fix this. Darlene, Michael’s mother, found herself saying over and over again, “There is nothing you can do to fix this. Just remember if you are ever struggling, it’s ok to ask for help.” On the day before Michael’s wake one girl suggested that they write the message “It’s okay to ask for help” on slips of yellow paper with the 800 crisis lifeline. They chose yellow because it was Michael’s favorite color and the color of his Mustang that he had just refinished with his dad. They gave out 500 slips of paper that first night and the Yellow Ribbon Campaign started. After a while the message and the lifeline number was printed on cards. After a few days a message came from three states away saying that a girl had went to a teacher and said she needed to use her yellow ribbon card. The teacher did not know what to do or think of it so after talking with the girl she found out that she was suicidal and called the 800 crisis lifeline. One person saved that student. Michelle said, “If you ever find yourself in a moment of despair, do not hesitate to use that card.” If someone receives a yellow ribbon card the first step is to stay with that person. The receiver of the card may be their only lifeline. The second step is listen.

Really listen to them and take them seriously. They may only need to be validated. Validate their concerns, their pain, and their grief. The yellow card receiver doesn't have to solve the problem, but may need to listen. The third step is to get help. Call the 800 crisis line or get professional help from a local behavioral health institution. The only exception to these steps is if there is a weapon and the card receiver can be harmed. If that is the case, skip step one and two and go straight to number three. After talking to the person who presented the yel low ribbon card, make a safe plan with them. A safe plan is a promise from them. It is a promise to stay safe and not hurt or kill themselves for a period of time. It is common to request 72 hours, 24 hours, 12 hours, even six hours, whatever c a n g e t t h e m to co m m i t . Always make them repeat it back because it holds them accountable, Toman explained. Typically by using this safe plan, a person can get that suicidal person through that window of thinking they want to die. “Just because someone is suicidal tonight, doesn't mean they will be suicidal tomorrow,” Toman said. Every year more than 40,000 people take their own lives. In the United States every 12 minutes someone is lost to suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of those aged 10-24 - a range that extends from fifth grade students to college graduates. Close to 30 veterans due by suicide every day. Every 40 seconds someone in the world dies by suicide and every 41 seconds someone is left behind

Suicide prevention yellow ribbon card.

Encourage a loved one with an e-hug at: http://ecards.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/sendCard?card=emotionalSupport#step1.

Volunteer online.

Help someone else who is threatening suicide.

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg October 21, 2015Page 6

by Shalee Lathey For most students the light at the end of the tunnel is landing a steady career, but sometimes the door to success can be hard to open. WVU Parkersburg recognizes that seeking a career after graduation can be daunting, but it does not have to be. A Career Fair on Oct. 28 is allowing students to open the door to opportunities with potential employers from various areas. The Career Fair is in the College Activities Center and is open to WVU Parkersburg students and the community. WVU Parkersburg students are welcome to attend the fair from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. While members of the community in addition to WVU Parkersburg students, are welcome to attend from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Types of businesses that are eager to meet students

for potential employees are: hospitals , medical centers, i n s u r a n c e c o m p a n i e s , manufac tur ing companies , a c c o u n t i n g f i r m s , b a n k s , temporary agencies and regional jails. This semester’s Career Fair is being coordinated differently; WVU Parkersburg is teaming up with WorkForce West Virginia to make the Career Fair become even more of a success for students. Working with this company is allowing more employers to reach out from different areas to meet potential employees. C u r r e n t l y 5 4 p o t e n t i a l employers are willing to meet face to face with upcoming graduates or current students. The compan ies tha t a r e attending the fair have open pos i t ions ava i l ab le ; these positions are ready to be filled with knowledgeable WVU Parkersburg students.

by Russ Bunner H o w t o d e a l w i t h d r u g addictions and how to prevent smoking were a few of the topics addressed during a recent community health fair at WVU Parkersburg. The Health and Wellness club hosted the fair for students on Oct. 14 in the College Activities Cente r. Approximate ly 25 educational exhibits were set up for students, faculty and staff. Some stations hosted included: Prevent Smoking, Drug Addictions and the Parkersburg Fire Department. The event has been hosted previously, but this year’s fair has been the most improved by far, according to Health and Wellness Coordinator Pamela Santer. Last year, they only had about 15 stations. This year was a better turnout. The Health and Community Service fair is a community agency that provides information for all attendees. The fair is a great way for the college body to learn about problems around them, Santer believes. It gives them knowledge of places and clubs that can help others that may have a problem. Other stations included in the

fair were: gambling, suicide, drugs or alcohol. A blood drive accompanied the fair in the Activities Center. Several pints of blood were obtained to help those in need with the assis tance of the American Red Cross. “Not only is this a good thing for Health and Wellness, it is also a great thing to keep the students in college,” Santer said, referencing student engagement. One of the main reason why Santer does these events is to keep students in school. “What is great about this event, is that the people who were giving out the information, most of them were college alumni,” Santer said. Hosted at the event as well, the Sober Program prevents underage alcohol use. One of their main goals is to prevent underage drinking. Several stations had a similar message that they wanted to bring to students: one person can make a difference. The Health and Wellness club plans on having many other events that will benefit students and the college. For example, Santer is planning on having a demonstration of exercises that can be done in 10 minutes.

Potential careers are available for internship posi t ion, as well as full- and part-time positions depending on the company. Students must come prepared when attending the Career Fair, “look at it as a job interview,” c o u n s e l o r i n C a r e e r a n d Cooperative Education Services Sandy Swisher said. On Oct. 21, Career Services counselors Swisher and Martha Lamp conducted a workshop for students to better prepare s tudents for the fa i r. The counselors discussed how to dress and to have a well written resume handy. Students can answer the door to success by visiting Career Services to get extra help on resumes and interview tips to stand out among the crowd. For more information on the upcoming Career Fair visit Room 1013B, or email careerservices@wvup.edu.

Improved Health/Community Service

Fair a Success

Attendees at the 2015 Health/Community Service Fair

Upcoming Career FairOpens Doors for Students’ Futures

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgOctober 21, 2015 Page 7

by Russ Bunner This season, West Virginia Univeristy at Parkersburg men's basketball team looks to improve one step at a time. The goals for their season are to get better everyday on and off the court, to grow as a team and expand the depth of the team. Coach Derek Fleming, go-ing into his third season as head coach, is looking to help the boys get better because that is what he loves to do. "I have played and coached basketball my whole life. It is a passion of mine and I also like helping others become better coaches," Fleming said. The strengths the team carries

is they are very athletic and they share a love for the game. They come to practice ready to work hard to become a better player and team. The only weakness the team has is the low number of players. With only 10 men on the roster, it will be hard to cope with injuries if any occur. The Riverhawks have six returning players and four new recruits. "With new players coming in every year, we always have a starting point and ending point," Fleming said. Fleming's approach is to take one season at a time because it is hard to start from where they finished last season. It is a pro-

cess where they want to make improvements everyday. "What's great about the team is that the boys try and practice when the gym is free to work on the things they need to work on as individuals. The Riverhawk men practices are on Mondays, Wenesdays, and Thursdays at 8 p.m. During prac-tice, the team works on offense, defense, running and rebounding. Last season, the Riverhawks finished with a record of 13-15. "We had a very solid and re-spectful year. Sure we would have liked a better outcome on some games but overall the coaching staff and I were pleased with the season and how hard the

boys worked," Fleming said. This year, the Riverhawks are hoping to have a better season, to grow as a team, and to improve to make this a great basketball team. The team's schedule looks to have some challenging games and are hoping to beat the teams that beat them last year. The men's will kick off their season against Union College in a scrimmage on Oct. 17 and also a scrimmage against Davis and Elkins the Oct. 29th. The regular season will start Oct. 31 as they travel to Boyce College, in hopes to start off the season on a good note. The first home game for the Riverhawks is

Nov. 20 against Wheeling Jesuit University at 7 p.m. The men's basketball team would like everyone to follow them on Twitter @WVUPHoops and to follow them on their jour-ney. They would also like to have a lot of fans attend the home games and to show support. " I want this year be an unfor-gettable one and to prove that we are a great team and to show people what we are capable of doing. If you want to know the rest of the Riverhawk basketball team schedule, you can find the roster on the college website at www. wvup.edu under men's basket-ball.

By Amber Deeter Fishing, hiking, rock climbing and repelling: Veterans Corps took their members on an adven-ture this weekend. The Veterans Corps took veterans and their families to Seneca Shadow Hills Camp-ground at Seneca Rocks in WV. Their journey began on October 9 and ended the next day. This is the second time the Veterans Corps have been to Seneca Rocks. “It was a team building event, to build camara-derie.” Shawn Healy, Veterans Advocate at WVU Parkersburg, said. The trip was educational as well as for fun. They visited Hamilton Cave and New Trout Cave. The caves on this prop-

erty have been known since the earliest settlement of Pendleton County, Virginia (now West Vir-ginia), which at the time of first settlement was part of Augusta County. It appears that the two sites first came under private owner-ship on July 19, 1787, when they were surveyed for John Pen-ninger. They were already being worked for saltpeter before Pen-ninger arrived. During the Civil War, the caves were operated for the benefit of the Confederacy and were frequently raided by Union troops. These caves gave the Veter-ans Corps a sense of nostalgia by being at the exact site of the mining during two major wars.

Both caves visited by the Veter-ans Corps visited are known to have deposits of fossil bones and teeth dating from the Pleistocene Epoch, ranging in age from about 17,000 to about 70,000 years before the present. Each cave contains several bone sites as well. With all the history of the caves the 11 people that attended experienced, they still made time to do some fishing, hiking, and repelling. “This trip was awe-some,” Healy said. This is just one more thing that the Veterans Corps of WVU Parkersburg does for the students veterans that at-tend here and their families. This trip and past trips, as well as other things the Veterans Corps has done for active duty

military students and those vet-eran students, is one of the many reasons why WVU Parkersburg was ranked number 16 in the Military Times Best for Vets Career and Technical Colleges for 2016. The ranking was an-nounced on October 12. The Military times Best for Vets recognized WVU Park-ersburg for its commitment to providing opportunities to Amer-ica's veterans. The selection process fo-cuses on veteran culture and curriculum, cost in the context of military and veteran benefits, overall veteran policies and publicly available measures. The Military times also sent out 100 question surveys. All of these things combined allow the or-

ganization to see which schools rank where.

Tom Riddle at Senca Rocks.

Veterans Conquer Seneca Rocks

A Promising Year for Riverhawk Basketball

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 8 October 22, 2015

by Shalee Lathey WVU Parkersburg’s Elemen-tary Education Program prepares students to educate the future generation. These future educators are taught to follow strict cur-r i cu lums and i t manda tes standardized testing. This past spring, elementary majors received the experience to travel to Finland and Sweden. There, students learned how abroad education systems are dif-ferent from America’s education system. WVU Parkersburg partnered with EF Educational Tours. All education students were wel-come to the experience and had to provide travel expenses and spending money. A scholarship from the WVU Parkersburg Foundation Office was given for the trip titled, Lawrence-Berrey Scholarship. This scholarship was awarded to senior Elementary Education student, Emily Lewhew. This scholarship covered all expenses

by Mackenzie Nestor The scariest thing about Hal-loween nowadays is not the decorations or the surplus of hor-ror movies, it is the widespread racism. Before you give up on reading this article just stop and listen to me for a second. Imagine this: you are strolling into the nearest Halloween store innocently picking out a costume, never with the intention of hurt-ing anyone. You come across an “Indian” costume and decide this is the perfect one for you. Re-gardless of whether or not your

ring back to the Indian costume, after the party you can take off your headdress and go to sleep knowing that you don't have to wake up met by a history of colonization and genocide. The "We're a Culture, not a Costume" Campaign words it best, "You wear the costume for one night, we wear the stigma for life." Halloween is not the one day of the year when you get to be disrespectful of others and their culture. Halloween is not a Get-Out-Of-Culturally-Appropri-ation-Jail-Free Card. It isn’t enough to just say that

for the educational trip. The trip lasted one week, with two faculty members, one includ-ing Dr. Melissa Spivy, assistant professor of education at WVU Parkersburg, and three education majors in tow: Emily Lehew, Kalya Lewis and Amanda Spon-seller. On the first part of the trip, the group visited a primary school in Finland and observed second to third graders. During the visit, the education majors observed the teachers and got the opportunity to speak with the school’s principal. The elementary majors were surprised at how the school oper-ated on a daily basis. “Their education system teach-es life skills like checking bank accounts and woodworking. I would like to adopt more hands-on activities based on life in my future classroom. This approach seemed to be effective for the students,” says Lehew. Not only did the primary school teach differently than in

America, it handled students be-haviors differently as well, “There was trust between students and teachers. One thing that stood out to me was at the end of the day, the teacher left to go take her daughter to the dentist. The students had no supervi-sion for the rest of the day, and they behaved themselves and did what they needed to do,” Spon-seller said. Something that stood out to the education majors was that the students set their own learning goals. In Finland, students are re-sponsible for knowing what their strengths and weaknesses are. Not only does Finland have a unique learning style, the educa-tion system does not mandate standardized testing. This results in a more relaxed environment for not only teach-ers but students as well. Another culture shock inside a Finland classroom in this particu-lar primary school is the smaller class sizes, and the way the class-

costume selection was done with innocent intentions or not, your costume is still spreading harm-ful stereotypes. What is cultural appropriation? In the simplest of definitions, it is the seizing of another culture without their consent. It is taking a multifaceted culture and turn-ing it into a joke or a costume. Examples include: Arab cos-tumes, Indian costumes, Native American headdresses, Gypsy costumes, Mexican sombreros, Bindi’s, Niqabs and Burqas, Sa-ris, Geisha costumes, Blackface, “Gangsta hats,” and Afros and

dreads. Many racially, ethnically, and culturally based costumes are intended to be one of two things, humorous or sexy. Take a look at any costume listed under funny or sexy and most of them are culturally appropriated. Our so-ciety considers anyone outside of the majority as foreign or weird which makes it perfectly costume worthy. Why do we feel the need to dress up and appropriate other people’s cultures excessively on this one night? Simply for this reason, we can take it off. Refer-

rooms are set up. Each classroom is set up like a beehive producing a circular effect to the room. On the second half of the trip the group visited Sweden. There, the group met with an educator, and quickly learned that Sweden’s education system was not in the best shape, how-ever, the country is currently working on the system to make it better for both students and teachers. The group did not observe in

any schools while visiting Swe-den. Each of the education majors can agree that it was a trip to re-member and everyone can agree that visiting the primary school in Finland was the most memorable part of the trip. Although, they may not be packing their bags to teach abroad anytime soon, they can take what they learned from the trip and utilize those ideas here in an American classroom.

you are not racist. Your actions have to show that also. Pointing out racism is not meant to be a witch hunt. It is not meant to dictate what you can or cannot do or make you feel bad for past actions. When we point out racism we are trying to make society and ourselves better. Instead of donning the normal cultural appropriated costume, challenge yourself to be some-thing completely different. Let the creative juices flow and see just how many compliments you get.

Education Majors Learn Overseas

Racism Behind Today's Halloween Costumes

with EF Educational Tours