the Barr Bulletin The monthly letter for GSC

students and their familiesVolume XIII • October 2013 Issue

Dear Parents and Families:

As we sit down to write to you and yours again, there’s a crisp feeling in the air as autumn colors are replacing the green leaves of the spring and summer seasons. The fall semester here at Glenville State College is moving forward at a fast pace especially now that we have passed this semester’s halfway point which was officially marked on Fall Recess Day for faculty and students on Friday, October 11th. We hope you enjoyed seeing your sons and daughters during the three-day weekend and that they returned to school refreshed and energized so they can focus on the remaining weeks of their classes between now and the holiday breaks. During the week before Fall Recess, we celebrated our 2013 GSC Homecoming with many enjoyable festivities. Events began on Monday, September 30th when we held the annual coronation. As the day progressed, skies became cloudy, and rain showers began, so we moved the ceremony indoors from the traditional venue of our campus amphitheater to the Heflin Administration Building Presidents Auditorium. Pete and I are always so honored to participate in that event and crown our homecoming king and queen while meeting the members of our homecoming court, which presided over all of the homecoming events throughout the week. The actual ‘homecoming day’ was on Saturday, October 5th. It was great meeting so many of you who attended the parade that morning and stayed to help us cheer on our Pioneer football team to a victorious win over the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats from nearby Upshur County. We took several photos of the special occasion and are enclosing many pictures for you to enjoy.

It was also nice to meet many of you who attended our annual breast cancer awareness luncheon on Tuesday, October 15th. Our Mollohan Campus Community Center Ballroom was again packed with faculty, staff, students, parents, families, and local residents. We enjoyed a delicious lunch and listened to two very interesting and informative presentations by a local healthcare representative and a breast cancer survivor. Employees from our GSC Student Life offices including our campus nurse Ronda Williams always do such a nice job planning the event, which is free and open to anyone from the campus and the public.

(above) Pete crowns Kayleigh Huck of Delaware, Ohio as the 2013

Homecoming Queen at theannual Coronation Ceremony

2013 Homecoming Court

Sophomore Princess Kelsey Palmer, Junior Prince Ethan Epling, Senior Princess Andréa Osborne, King Evan Foster, Queen Kayleigh Huck, Senior Princess Catherine

Nottingham, Senior Prince Eric Plummer, Freshman Princess Hali Kershner, and Freshman Prince Cody Mullens with Court Attendants Rebel Daniel and Walter McKay.

(not pictured: Senior Prince Ezekiel Bonnett and Court Attendants Grace Yu and Taylen Thornton)

The Student Government Association sponsored a “That ‘70s Ville” door

decorating contest during Homecoming Week this year.

Computer Science Instructor Heather Allman took first place with her office door

(far left), Student Activities Director Jodi Ocheltree’s

door came in second (middle), and the front door to our home got an

honorable mention for our ‘vintage’ photo of English Professor Wayne de Rosset.

(above) Staff and student workersin the Financial Aid Office

got into the ‘70s spirit

Alpha Xi Omega members Jordan Melott of Cairo,West Virginia and Duncan Mapes of Harrisville,

West Virginia get a tow during the Homecoming Parade

The Pioneer Baseball team took first place in the Chili Cook-off. Pictured here are John Orsborn of Manassas, Virginia, Coach Jimmy Mullins, and

Tyler Wiseman of Kingsville, Maryland.

(left) Students, faculty, and staff enjoyed a good time at the Bonfire and Spirit

Competition.

Who knew ourson Jason Barr

(front center) hadsuch smooth moves?

Scenes From Homecoming Week 2013

We have had several other events so far this semester for everyone to attend and enjoy from another art gallery show in our fine arts center to the always popular Music Fest event on Tuesday, October 22nd along with the annual fall GSC Bluegrass Concert on October 25th. The student activities staff also plan many other events for our students to take advantage of nearly every day, so there is always something for them to do when they want to take a break from their studies. We all try to get the students involved in our campus to make them feel part of our ‘Pioneer Family.’

We can’t forget to mention our new Pioneer being portrayed this year by senior Marc Jones of Gassaway in neighboring Braxton County, West Virginia. Marc is so involved in a variety of GSC student organizations and activities, but he still finds the time to serve as our Pioneer. As they say, the busy get busier! Marc’s enormous amount of school spirit seems to be contagious because he is doing such a fantastic job of getting the crowds excited at various college events including our football games. Our Lady Pioneer basketball players and others who got to know our head women’s basketball coach Bunky Harkleroad and his family during the past few years were sad to say goodbye to him on October 18th. Our loss is Sacramento State’s gain because Bunky is headed for California to take over that school’s women’s basketball program. It was bittersweet to see him head to the West Coast because he did such a fine job for us and our athletic program; however, we wish him the best of luck in his new endeavor. We all were pleased to welcome one of Bunky’s former assistants, Charles Marshall, back to Glenville State to lead our women’s basketball team into what we hope will be a successful season soon. Dressing for success is easier for students who take advantage of our GSC Clothes Closet. In case your son or daughter has not mentioned it to you, it recently reopened thanks to our Hidden Promise Scholars employees who organize the clothes, shoes,

jewelry, ties, and other accessories. The items are donated by other students, faculty, staff, and local residents after they clean out their closets. We’ve even had family members of our students donate their unwanted items to the program. In fact, a few years ago, a former student’s mom and dad would take turns cleaning out their closets and drawers prior to traveling from their home in Maryland to visit their son at GSC and bring their unwanted items for the clothes closet. Many students have benefited from the program by using the free outfits during job interviews, class presentations, and student organization meetings. Members of our Student Government Association and Enactus (formerly Students in Free Enterprise or SIFE) dressed up prior to participating in a community meeting held recently on our campus. The two groups co-hosted last month’s Glenville/Gilmer County ‘Business After Five’ meeting. The students represented our school very well as they made professional presentations to those who attended from our local community on Thursday, September 26th in the Mollohan Campus Community Center. Some of our land resources students will be assisting with the next one since that department is hosting the ‘Business After Five’ meeting on November 7th. If you’re in the area that evening, we hope you will join us.

The GSC Drumline performs at Music Fest

2013-14 Pioneer MascotMarc Jones

Charles Marshall

GSC Hidden Promise Scholar Coordinator Stacy Adkins (left) and Maggie Cavender

from Clendenin, West Virginia browsethe dresses in the GSC Clothes Closet

As you may recall, Pete and I mentioned in our last letter to you that several of our faculty members are meeting on a regular basis to discuss ways to improve student retention and keep more of them with us until they graduate. This group, under the direction of professors Dr. Fred Walborn, Dr. Joe Evans, and Dr. Alan Daniel, continue to hold what they are calling “town hall type” meetings. Their discussions and studies have led to the discovery that the sooner GSC students take the GSC 100 class, the more prepared they are for the rest of their time at college, and the more likely they will be successful in the rest of their classes. The participants say this is especially true when the students take the GSC 100 class prior to taking any upper-level courses or non-elective classes that are required for their particular majors and minors. We share this information with you to show you this is yet another way that we demonstrate our commitment to your student while they are with us. We truly care about their success at Glenville State College and know it will pave the way for their success and happiness during their future. If you have any comments that you would like to share with us or any questions that you wish to ask, please don’t hesitate to let us know. You can also contact our Pioneer Parent Hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (304) 462-3200 or mykid@glenville.edu. We hope you’ll visit us and your students at our beautiful campus soon. Until next time,

Pete and Betsy

Members of the ‘task force’ team: Amy Beckett, Melody Wise,Betsy Barr, Shara Curry, Mike Gherke, Joe Evans, Alan Daniel,

Carmine Greico, Fred Walborn, Charles Beirne, and Joanna DiStefano

(above) We were so happy that our family was able to be inGlenville for Homecoming: Jason with JP, Kelly, Betsy, Carrie,Olivia, Cameron, Christine with Laura Jane, James, and Pete(above) Some members of the Wall of Sound Marching

Band dressed as the Village People for the parade

(left) Spirit Team

members and Hidden

Promise Scholars welcome

the Pioneer Football team

to the field before the

homecoming game

(left) Dakota Ellyson of Cedarville, West Virginia with the

painting he won from GSC alumus and artist Joseph Pettit who had a display of his work at the

RFK Library during Homecoming Week