ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

September 11, 2014 Volume #45 No. 1

Inside this Issue

The Chronicle recently re-ceived three awards at the West Virginia Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest . WVPA BNC is held annually to honor the state’s top newspapers. WVU Parkersburg and West Virginia University were the only two colleges accepting awards in this year’s contest. The WVPA does not offer a collegiate category and the students must compete against professional journalists. Sam Berg received first placefor best lifestyle columnist with her column, “Student Looks Back As Spr ing Semes te r Ends.” Jeremy Harrison, Alli-son Hilber, Susan Moore, Jason Ross, Rachel Terzo, and Jessica Thompson received second place in the service to the community category for their work on the Bright Ideas Energy Expo.

Ol iv ia Hefner and Sami Daggett received second place in the best special section cat-egory for their editorial and layout work on the January 2013

West Virginia Press Association Recognizes The Chronicle

WVU Parkersburg Alumni Issue. “The students in the journalism program are performing at a professional level while still in college courses.

This is very promising for the future of the program and for the careers of these students. They are sure to be productive alumni of WVU Parkersburg,” said Torie Jackson, coordinator of the journalism program. “I look forward to attending the confer-ence next year with students as they garner more awards for their exceptional work in the field ofjournalism.” WVU Parkersburg alumni also accepting awards at the state’s Better Newspaper Contest in-cluded Richard Moore of the St. Marys Oracle and Matthew Burdette of The Inter-Mountain in Elkins. Moore serves as sports editor of the St. Marys Oracle. Burdette serves as executive edi-tor of The Inter-Mountain, which received the most awards of any paper in the state and the acco-lade of Newspaper of the Year.

Sam Berg receiving her award for "Best Lifestyle Columnist" from Executive Director of the West Virginia Press Association Don Smith.

From left: Sam Berg, Jeremy Harrison, Journalism Program Advisor Torie Jackson, Allison Hilber, Olivia Hefner, and Jason Ross all attended the ceremony.

SGA Bios, Page: 4

9/11 Remembered, Page: 6,7

Soccer, Page: 11

CMT Promotion, Page: 8

Convocation, Page: 12

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg September 11, 2014Page 2

by Allison Hilber I used to think that the scariest thing in life that could happen to me would be to come across a hungry bear, on a hike through a wooded trail. I was wrong. One of the most agonizing things, for me at least, is going into my final semester of col-lege without a firm job waitingfor me after graduation. Let’s be serious it is terrifying for anyone who does not have a current job, or one lined up, with a signature on the dotted line ensuring the last several years have come to something more than a few grey hairs. Grey hairs happen, but none of us are admitting to them. That is the point of going to college, is it not? Being able to have a job in the field that youchoose, and not some random job that doesn’t require a degree. Of course when you start col-lege you think that when you graduate you will be an expert, and perfect to take on any job in your chosen profession. Reality, as my step dad likes to remind me, a degree is a license to learn.

So being a senior the job search begins. Where do you start? Do you limit yourself to one area? Do you take a job that you feel is little below your de-gree to get an in at a company? Did you get enough experience in your field while at college?Wait what should I be asking for a salary? Omg did I pay that last parking ticket so I can even graduate? I think I left the coffee pot on at the house this morning when I got up at the butt crack of dawntofinishmypaper!?! This summer I had a few mo-ments and thoughts that went like that. I also decided that one thing I should get a little more experience on was my interview-ing skills. As perfect as we all are, because we are senior’s, interviewing experience is not something too many people have. So I thought what the heck? Why not apply and interview for a few jobs, even if I don’t really want them, to practice some in-terviewing skills. One of the places that I took an interview with, we will call this

company What Were You Think-ing, was not what it seemed. Not only did the company lack hav-inganythinginmyfieldofstudy,Public Relations, but it was a place that nobody with a career goal would ever work. Fast food would have been a better option. That old saying location, loca-tion, location exists for a reason. What Were You Thinking was located in an old medical officebuilding, that has vines grow-ing up it, uncut grass, a parking lot with holes and no lines, and probably a bat cave somewhere, with an axe murderer around the corner. Inside was not much better. Holes in the walls, mismatched furniture, echoing halls, and probably an axe murderer around the corner. My suggestion to any-one is, if you are ever in a place likethatdon’tgetoutofthecar!Driveawayanddon’tlookback! The interview did not go much better. The kid that was conduct-ing the interview was younger than me and liked to talk about ultimate Frisbee... not that pro-

fessional. Don’t get me wrong, it was good experience to answer questions about my strengths and weaknesses under pressure, but that was about it from this inter-view. The rest of it was a joke. So how do you avoid going to a job interview for a job that you realize is not right for what you want? First things first, LOOKUPTHECOMPANY!Makesureyou know what they do, how they operate, and if they are in good standing with employees and customers. When you search What Were You Thinking the results were not pretty. Scam, worst decision ever, liars, and phony’s are all words that repeat-edly came up. Second, have an idea of what you are expecting. What do you expect to make, are you willing to compromise, where are you willing to live, do you plan on staying with the company long term. Third, be prepared to answer questions about yourself. Yes we are all pretty self-absorbed, but when it comes down to it in an

interview we either clam up or babble. There is a fine line be-tween knowing how far to go, or when you are not selling yourself enough. Practicing and receiving feedback is the only way to give a better interview. Fourthandfinally, start apply-ing for jobs early. It is something we tend to put off, but the more we do the more anxious we get. The sooner applications start going out the better. I know per-sonally, I am looking not only in the immediate area, but in other places across the country. It is a hard market and job searching is not always high on the list when classes are still go-ing on. So my advice is to get used to the few grey hairs! Besidesthat, just know that if you are out there looking for a job freaking out, you are not alone. There is a large group of us out there. Do what you can to learn about your potential work place, and turn off the coffee pot. The last thing you would want to do is burn the house down.

ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

News Editor: Jeremy Harrison Asst. News Editor: Justina Morris & Candice Hoalcraft

News Reporting/Photography Staff: Chelsea ArcherKelly BozemanKatelyn BunchJessica FieldsJames Liebau IISerrena MorrisJohn ScritchfeldJason Terrell

Layout Editor: Macie LynchAsst. Layout Editor: Hannah Duffield

Layout Staff:Kelly BozemanErika DavisJessica FieldsRachael GantAustin JamesShalee LatheyJames Liebau IISerrena Morris

chronicle@wvup.eduand find us on Facebook & Twitter

@wvupchronicleAdvisor: Torie Jackson

Hannah DuffieldCandice HoalcraftMacie LynchMegan NewlandKyle NicholsSheena ThornMegan ValentineJason Walker

Sheena ThornAshley WinesRachael GantAustin JamesMegan ValentineJason WalkerKyle Nichols

Volume 45Produced by students of WVU Parkersburg

The Final Countdown... Do Not Freak Out!

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgSeptember 11, 2014 Page 3

by Rachel Terzo In a world dominated by social media connectivity, businesses have a lot to contend with. There will always be a more interest-ing post, a picture of a cat doing something funny, a Buzzfeed list pertaining to your life choices, so on and so forth. The time to stand out in the virutal world has never been more important as it is today. Students considering entre-preneurship (or those that are already involved in a business or organization) need to understand the necessity of a strong online presence. Many factors must be consid-ered before creating a successful social media marketing strategy. Finding the time to build a social media presence is pressing for some business and organization owners. WV Social Media Consultants, LLC has been creating tailored

by Katelyn Bunch Free tutoring and job op-p o r t u n i t i e s a b o u n d , t h e Student Success Center is open to new and previous stu-dents as classes begin, ready to meet all academic needs. The Student Success Cen-ter provides the tools to help students have a successful semester. "It is best described as an academic support group for all of the courses offered at WVU Parkersburg," Janice McCue, Director of Student Success Center. said. If a stu-dent needs a tutor for a certain course, and the success center does not have one for that course,

the success center will do their best to find one fitted for thatstudent. McCue describes the success center as a “stress free, open and friendly place.” The Student Success Center's goals are to work on strategies to help support the students in developmental programs such a s t h e E n g l i s h a n d m a t h classes with labs along with the STEPS math classes. The tutors are willing to help the students in all of these programs. The Student Success Center offers free tutoring. A student is eligible for free tutoring in up to two classes, two hours a week. An online tutoring

website is available as well, (https://brainfuse.wvup.edu.) If having difficulties access-ing this website, please stop by the Student Success Cen-ter and McCue or one of her crew will be pleased to help. If a student would like to ap-ply for tutoring, the student will need to print his/her week at a glance from OLSIS. The Student will need to write his/her phone number, email ad-dress, and the classes the student would like to be tutored in. The student will need to in-clude the instructor's name, and turn it in at room 0404 or email it to the Student Success Center.

marketing plans for businesses on the east coast for four years. Kristin Meeks, owner/operatorof WVSMC, has 10 years of in-dustry experience, a Masters in Integrated Marketing Commu-nications, and has worked with over 200 businesses, non-profitsand marketing professionals since 2010. Meeks will be discussing the do’s and do not’s of social media marketing at the How to Avoid Social Media #fails seminar at Woodridge Golf Club Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Admission pricing is $25 per attendee, and group discounts are availableforfiveormorepeople. Some of the topics to be dis-cussed at the seminar are as fol-lows: •Building your social media presence (on multiple platforms) in just 10 minutes per day •How to successfully boost a

post on Facebook •Reasons why a business/orga-nization is failing to see results on Facebook •Usage of #hashtags for mar-keting “I hope everyone that attends takes at least one thing away from the seminar that they can use to correct their current social media marketing strategy. The goal is is to give them the tools to build a better brand for their organiza-tion,” Meeks said. This seminar is beneficial forWVU Parkersburg students in their current clubs/organizations, those who are looking to start a businessornon-profit,ormarket-ing/business majors who will be in charge of marketing their de-partments. Find WV Social Media Consul-tants, LLC on Facebook for more information, or e-mail KristinMeeks at kristin@wvsocialme-dia.com.

(studentsuccesscenter@wvup.edu) The Student Success Cen-t e r o ff e r s more than ju s t tutoring. Employment as a tutor is available as well. In order to apply to be a tutor, an “A” in the class is needed, a faculty member’s recommenda-tion, and the faculty member needs to contact McCue.(stu-dentsuccesscenter@wvup.edu) Study time is another op-p o r t u n i t y o f f e r e d . G r o u p study sessions or individual s tudy t imes a re welcome. The computers are available for students to use to work on their online classes as well as

other work. The Student Suc-cess Center is a place where educational majors are able to develop the strategies and skills to teach in an actual classroom. The opportunities are endless. The Student Success Cen-ter’s hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Mondays through Thursday times after four o clock are available by appointment only. On Friday, the Success Center is closed. McCue en-courages students to apply early. For more information contact Janice McCue at stu-dentsuccesscenter@wvup.edu or stop in room 0404.

Seminar Brings Smart Marketing to Social Media

Student Success Center Prepares for Another Year

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg September 11, 2014Page 4

by Kelly Bozeman The “go-to” guy who creates the face of The Student Govern-ment Association is Brandon Cooper. He communicates their image on the webpage and he works to create a bigger social media presence. Cooper is serving his second term as the Vice President of Communications for SGA. He is a last semester Senior who will graduate with a dual concentration in Business Information Technology and

Within his position as Vice President of Communications for the SGA, his goals for the year are to create a better work-ing relationship between clubs. He says, “ Right now, most clubs and organizations operate on a linear plane and I hope to bring together some of the clubs so that they can unite and bring bigger events to the college”. Cooper was very active in other clubs and organizations such as Student Ambassadors for 3 years, the Business club for 2

years and involved with the Stu-dent Government for roughly 3 years. With his graduation draw-ing near, he plans to get a job working with local businesses to help them grow and also teach small business administration classes as well as general com-puter skills. Because of his impending depar-ture, he plans on helping the new SGA Cabinet work towards their goals by playing a support piece. He says, “ I am going to help them plan for future years as the

school and Student Government move into a new direction in ad-ministration and outlooks”.

by James Liebau II Everyone wants to be heard. For new SGA President Ryan Garrett, students’ opinions are more than just heard; they are valued. Garrett first became involved

Management/Marketing. His position is to act as the main communication coordinator for the organization as well as per-formgeneralofficefunctions.“My vision for the SGA is to cre-ate an atmosphere where students can feel free to interact with the student government,”. he stated. Also adding, “ I would like to help create a place where stu-dents can relax and have fun by having activities for students to do during their breaks between classes”.

with the Student Government Association at WVU Parkers-burg during the fall semester of his freshman year. He wanted to get involved at college, so he thought the freshman elections were a great opportunity for him

to do so. Garrett ended up winning the election, thus springboarding his SGA career. In the spring semester of 2014, Garrett was made aware that the SGA President position would

be vacant in the fall. He felt that he had the right capabilities and amount of experience to run for the position, and with the belief of the students, Garrett won the presidency. “As President of SGA, I walk around the school all day irritat-ing people,” Garrett jokingly said, “but seriously, I work on developing relationships with the people necessary to achieve SGA’s and the students’ goals.” This means that Garrett works with administrators, faculty, staff, Board of Governors members, and most importantly, the stu-dents of WVU Parkersburg. “Our organization’s mission is to represent the students, and in order to fulfill thatmission, it isan absolute necessity to leave our inner circle and reach out to the student body at large,” Garrett said. When asked about what he and the rest of SGA have for the 2014-15 school year, Garrett had one, main goal: increase student involvement. “We at SGA want to know the students opinions and con-cerns,” said Garrett. He wants the students’ voices to be heard and considered in the decision making process for WVU Park-

ersburg by the administration and the board. Garrett also wants to keep the students informed about the school’s current status and any news regarding WVU Parkers-burg. Overall, he would like com-munication between students, SGA, and the administration to be transparent. SGA meetings are open to everyone, and the meeting sched-ule is posted at www.wvup.edu/student-government. “Our organization is only as strong as its members,” Garrett said, “and our voice can only be strengthened with the increased participation of the students. I encourage everyone to be heard by getting involved with SGA and its members.” With a strongly involved and knowledgeable President in Ryan Garrett, the students at WVU Parkersburg have the right man leading them for the future.

Brandon Cooper: VP of SGA

Hail to the new ChiefNew SGA President Ryan Garrett Wants To Hear YOUR Voice

Cooper Known as “Go-To” Guy for SGA

New SGA President Ryan Garrett and Former President Tyler Ohrn

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg Page 5September 11, 2014

by John Scritchfield Every student from the first graduating class pursuing the Associate in Applied Science in Surgical Technology at WVU Parkersburg passed the national certificationexamination. WVU Parkersburg recently upgraded its Surgical Technol-ogy program from an 11-month certificateprogramtoatwo-yearAssociate’s in Applied Science degree, which started during the fall semester of 2012. This upgrade was made pos-sible through a grant received f rom The Communi ty and Technical College System of West Virginia - worth a total of $64,000 - which went on to fund another full-time staff member as well as a number of upgrades to the equipment in the labs. The average pass rate for students who take the exam administered by The National

by Candice Hoalcraft Alert Igor, the new science labs are ready. After three years of preparation, WVU Parkersburg completed the construction of brand new science labs. It took a total of 18 months tofinish theconstruction,butWVUParkersburgnowhasbrand new science labs fully equipped with everything necessary for completing lab work. To begin the process, the Board of Governors met with Dave White, director of facility and grounds, and the science faculty. “Input from faculty was really important. We wanted to give them something they can work with,” White said. The Board then took a touroftheoldlabslocatedonthethirdfloor.Uponinspection,theyfound that they were outdated. They noticed that the cabinets were fallingapartandtheventilationwasnotsufficient. Thegroupknewthattheywouldhavetofindanotherlocationforthe new labs. “Science is something we have every semester and we can’t shut down everything for two years,” White said. “That space couldn’t be remodeled.” After the Industrial Welding and Maintenance program was moved, that location became available, which turned out to be the perfect spot for the labs. “With science labs, the exhaust always goes out through the roof.That’swhy itwas on the third floor,”White said. “We needed something with a single story.” From that point, they decided to divide the project into two phases in order tosplitupthefunding.Thefirstphasefocusedonanewroofoverthat section of the building and the installation of a new heating and air conditioning unit. While working on phase two, one thing they emphasized the most was safety. “We built it as safe as we possibly could,” White said. The labs are fully equipped with safety showers and eyewash stations in every station, along with a button in each classroom that turnsoffallBunsenburners incaseofafire.Thegroupalsofocused on making sure the space was ADA compliant for student with disabilities, meaning that the rooms were easily accessible to students with wheelchairs or other necessities. “I’m really proud about that because we are always trying to look out for our [dis-abled] students,” White said.

Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting currently sits at 61.6 percent - out of 601 students nationwide, 370 passed the test. WVU Parkersburg was one of only 156 schools nationwide that passed this exam with a rate of 90 percent or above. Dr. Teresa Cowan, Interim Chair of the Health Sciences Division, hoped that the results of the examination would help boost enrollment. Cowan also mentioned the results alone were not the only plan to increase enrollment, but that “we’re going to do a market-ing campaign,” and that “both of our instructors are going to be involved in a campaign this se-mester.” Out of all the students who graduated from this program and have not gone on to pursue a nursing degree, 100 percent are

currently employed. The Surgical Technology de-partment currently boasts six first-year and four second-yearstudents. Cowan also stated that WVU Parkersburg offered a certifi-cate program within the Health Sciences Division similar to Sur-gical Technology, which has also performed at elite levels – Phar-macy Technology. She explained that “they also takeanationalcertificationexam– we’re the only Board of Phar-macy approved program in the state. I think last year our pass rate was also 100%.” When asked if those that grad-uatedwithacertificate inPharmTech advanced on to pursue a degree in Pharmacy, she added that the Health Sciences division have “had a couple [of students] that have gone ahead to Phar-macy School.”

by Rachael Gant

Freezing cold ice water rac-ing from your scalp down to your feet can be exhilarating and exciting, especially for a good cause. The ALS ice bucket challenge had been a worldwide phenom-enon for months now and the Student Engagement Activities as well as Student Government Associationorganizationshadfi-nally been nominated on August 27th. On Wednesday, the two or-ganizations came together on the back patio, filled recycle bins full of ice and water, and completed the challenge trium-phantly. Ryan Garrett, the SGA presi-dent, nominated the SGA of West Virginia University as well as the culinary arts class at WVU Parkersburg. Recycle bins were filled halfway with ice and ex-tremely cold water for the guys and the girls recieved smaller buckets. Counting back from three, all participants picked up their con-tainers and adrenaline, and took

Surgical Tech Program Excels, Upgrades

a short yet chilling shower. The worldwide campaign helps raise money for Lou Gehrig’s Disease, also known as ALS, had already raised over 90 million dollars since July for medical research. Students at the college were challenged to donate to this treacherous disease so doctors andscientistscanfindacure. WVU Parkersburg accepted the challenge in remembrance of professor Randy A. Oldaker who battled ALS for an extended time.

He taught for 30 years and was head of the Language Depart-ment at WVU-Parkersburg. He was loved by all faculty and stu-dents that had the opportunity to work with him. So for this wonderful, hard-working professor, the college wanted to recognize him and his accomplishments — not only through a memorial service, but also through a freezing cold chal-lenge. Professor Oldaker will be missed by many.

WVU Parkersburg’s SGA participates in the ALS ice bucket challenge

Ice Water Raises Money for ALS New Science Labs Make Their Way to Campus

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg September 11, 2014Page 6

by Megan Valentine Many Americas still think of what happened that 11th day of September 2001. For a WVU Parkersburg student that day for-ever changed his life. William “Bill” McDonald Jr. wasaseniorcorrectionofficeratBordentown State Prison in New Jersey at the time of the attack. He had just finishedworking aneight-hour shift and was ready for sleep to overcome him when his wife beckoned him to their living room. As McDonald sat beside his wife, he stared at the television watching the various emergency units respond to the catastrophe. He thought this had to be an ac-cident, possibly pilot error, but the official report came acrossthe screen. Two airplanes were hi-jacked and neither were re-sponding to tower controllers. At 8:46 a.m. a plane stuck the north tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:03 a.m. a second plane hit the south tower of the World TradeCenterconfirmingthat theUnited States had fallen victim to a terrorist attack. Phone communication was absent and all military and law enforcement went on full alert. Tunnels, bridges, and airports were considered under martial

law. National Guardsman were at every tunnel, ramp, and bridge standing guard. With New York in complete chaos McDonald made the de-cision to go to the site of the tragedy to assist in the recovery efforts. McDonald followed a tip given to him by his brother-in-law, a lieutenant of the Jersey Police Department, that the JPD were loading barges to cross the river with food and supplies the rescuers would need to assist in the recovery efforts. He arrived on Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Port in Jersey City only two days after the attack. Upon his arrival, he identifiedhimself as anofficer and trainedcorpsman and was ordered to report to captainMcKnight.TheCaptain led him to a barge where he began to help unload supplies. As the barge made the cruise across the Hudson River, Mc-Donald and fe l low rescue workers spotted two Navy F-18 fighter jets flying at sonic speedonly 25 feet above the water leaving a wake skimming across the top of the water. They were flying combat airpatrols around the island of Man-hattan. McDonald stated, “It was a surreal feeling to approach the

harbor and see the destruction that spread out before my eyes.” When arriving at Ground Zero, many rescue workers in safety helmets and air masks made their way through the rubble. “The devastation was unbelievable,” McDonald said. The debris stood 10 to 12 feet high and 16 acres wide.Therubblewasonfireandsmoldering, he described it as “a scene from hell.” McDonald and fellow rescuers witnessed four firefighters carry-ing a stretcher with an American flag draped over it out of the rubble headed toward the Federal Express Building. They carried the stretcher to a row of trailers where a clergy had a body bag opened to bless the man or women within. “I no-ticed as the bag was unzipped, a severely charred hand and arm,” McDonald described. The clergy prayed, sprinkled Holy Water over the body, and nodded for them to carry on. F o u r r e f r i g e r a t e d t r a i l -ers located outs ide of the Federal Express Building became a temporary resting place for the bodies. McDonald described, “I saw the likes of horror as I have never seen before.” The trailer contained body parts stacked to the top and the

Thirteen Years SinceLocal Criminal Justice

“ “USAUSAUSA

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgSeptember 11, 2014 Page 7

smell of burnt flesh was over-whelming. When the door shut, stricken with disbelief, he won-dereddownthefieldofdebristofindabucketbrigadetojoin. Throughout that first day andinto the night, they dug with buckets, stopping only when someone found human remains. On Friday night, right in front of the World Trade Center rescu-ers uncovered a fire truck fromthe rubble with three bodies in-side. A crane lifted the crushed truck. As it lifted, one of the men in the cab shifted, giving hopes that this man may possibly still be alive. Once the truck was placed firmly on the ground, other firefighters began to cut these men from the mangled mess. It was then clear that all three had perished. “This was a very hard thing to watch,” McDonald ex-plained, noting that many of the rescuers began to weep. The next day around mid after-noon, President George W. Bush arrived on scene. His first lookat the devastation was by air then he walked amongst all the debris. He stood atop a wrecked ve-hicle, his arm around an older firefighter and a bullhorn in hishand speaking in what sounded like mumbles. Someone yelled,

“I can't hear you” to which the president yelled back, “Well I hear you and the people who brought this building down will soon hear all of us.” With that, they all began chanting, “USA, USA, USA...” Rescue teams went back to work digging for survivors, stop-ping often at one of the many water points available at every corner of the site. These were crucial to the rescue workers because dust would get in their eyes and mouth due to the large dust cover that lingered among them. Rescuers slept little, but could lie on a cot available inside the Federal Express building. Some just rested on cardboard where ever they could find a spot tolay down. McDonald says, “ My days started to run together from lack of sleep.” After a few days orders were then given to the National Guard that only NYPD and NYFD were to remain on scene. McDonald departed by boat at 4 a.m. on Monday morning. The National Park Service piloted the boat taking him back to Jersey City, NJ, just one mile across the Hudson River. Then a major construction company arrived with heavy equipment to

begin the cleanup that took al-most a year to complete. McDonald, currently a WVU Parkersburg student, often thinks back on those days after 9/11. He is a service connected veteran attending college as a non-tradi-tional student. His main goal is to obtain his Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. He has already finishedhis Associate's in Applied Sci-ence and is a on the Dean's List. Shortly after he returned home from New York he joined the National Guard at the age of 45. This was his seventh enlistment in the National Guard. He want-ed to again defend his country. However, he found that he had Type 2 diabetes and his military career ended. In his previous en-listments he helped guard nuclear plants, bridge abutments, as well as build airport entrances. Through all his years in the service, McDonald developed PTSD and breathing problems. He, however, has no regrets. One of the most important things McDonald learned dur-ing his service and in the days following 9/11, “I learned that week that all Americans, regard-less of their color, nationality, or religion came come together in a crisis like this.”

Tragedy Struck Major Reminisces 9/11 Ground Zero Aftermath

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 8 September 11, 2014

by Austin James Take The Walk for Vets. The main beneficiary of the local Walk for Veterans will be WVU Parkersburg’s Veteran’s Corp. The third annual Walk for Veterans charity fundraiser, now entering its third year, will be held Saturday, Sept. 13. The Walk is sponsored by local attorney Jan Dils. Dils has been involved with Vet-eran’s interest groups as part of her firm’s job. Accord-ing to the Jan Dil’s website this event has been a great

and will require a $15 fee. The race has a 7:45 a.m. start t ime, while the walk b e g i n s a t 9 : 0 0 a . m . T h e Walk for Vets will be held at the Parkersburg City Park. A c o n c e r t a n d e n t e r -t a i n m e n t w i l l t a k e p l a c e a f t e r t h e w a l k ’ s e n d . For more information on the Walk for Vets event visit fight4vets.com/walk-vets or contact Veterans Advocate Shawn Healy at 424-8337 or email him at shawn.healy@wvup.edu

cause for several other local veteran interest groups the last few years. The Walk success-fully raised $18,000 in 2012. The WVUP Veterans Corp. will be the focus of the dona-tions made by the charity event this year. “This is a pretty excit-ing thing for us” Veterans Corp. President Caitlin Moore said. “This event has supported local groups like the V.F.W. and American Legion, but this is the first year we are themain beneficiaries,” Moore explained.“This is one of the

corp’s signature events of the year” Moore also mentioned. “Because of how big the event is we could use some volunteer help” Moore explained. People interested in volunteering can stop by the Veterans Corp. Of-ficeoncampusorcontactCaitlinMoore by email at cmoore30@wvup.edu or the group’s Vice P res iden t Jus t in Wi l l i am-son at jwill i45@wvup.edu. The Walk for Vets features a 5Krun too, aspartof theevent. Registration for the Walk and Run begins a t 7 a .m.

Dustin Lynch rocking the plaid shirt and cowboy hat, playing his guitar perforning for the CMT Listen Up special.

by Sheena Thorn S t u d e n t s h a v e t h e o p -portunity to win a VIP trip t o t h e 2 0 1 5 C M T M u s i c awards in Nashville, Tenn. Through the power of social media, Country Music Televi-sion (CMT) and country music star Dustin Lynch are teaming up to spread the awareness of the role community colleges play in bringing people back to school. WVU Parkersburg, along

with 13 other community col-leges, has joined in on this campaign known as the CMT Empowering Education initia-tive. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.7 million jobs are available in the U.S., but many of those are unfilleddue to a lack of skilled labor. If students want to pledge their commitment to education, CMT and Lynch encourage using Thunderclap, an online crowdsourcing tool. The sign

up deadline is Sept. 18. If 500 people show their support for their school and education, Thunderclap will blast a con-certed message of support across s o c i a l m e d i a w o r l d w i d e . To entice this, CMT and Lynch are going to award 10 lucky part icipants with personalized gift packages. The grand prize winner will r ece ive a VIP t r ip to the 2015 CMT Music Awards. Two colleges from West Vir-ginia, WVU Parkersburg and Southern West Virginia Commu-nity and Technical College are a part of a three-year collaboration with CMT Empowering Educa-tion. The American Association of Community Colleges wants to raise visibility for education and rural workforce struggles. CMT is supporting local ef-forts by highlighting student success s tories , combating perce ived cha l lenges , and

providing toolkits for market-ing efforts featuring Lynch. No matter the age, CMT is encouraging people to enroll or re-enroll in school. CMTEm-poweringEducation.com offers

a wide variety of information including how to finance theireducat ion, and a probable graduation plans. Visit http://thndr. i t /1tTGZh1 to raise the voice for education now.

VIP TRIP

Third Annual Walk For Vets

CMT Works With Community Colleges To Expand Education

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgSeptember 11, 2014 Page 9

by Candice Hoalcraft From the Genie to Mrs. Doubt-fire,PeterPanandPatchAdams,Robin Williams created a legacy of humor and fun throughout his acting career. His death came as a shock through the nation, leaving his fans heartbroken, but mindful of some of his greatest and most triumphant roles. For my generation, viewers’ first encounter with this legend-ary actor was likely with a jovial character who possesses “phe-nomenal cosmic powers.” The Genie, a main character in Walt Disney’s “Aladdin,” won over the hearts of both children and adult audiences. Williams’ voice-over brought the character to life by creating dimension with several different voices. With the Genie constantly morphing into other creatures, no one could have been more perfect for this role. Another showing of his voice-over talents took place in “Mrs. Doubtfire.” Williams’ character,Daniel Hillard, works for a kids’ animated television show. His character showed a raw talent for character enhancement and enter-

Remembering Robin Williams Tamburitzans Dance Their Way to WVU Parkersburg

taining children. When Hillard’s kids are taken away from him due to a messy divorce, Hillard resorts to dressing up as a female British housekeeper in order to be closer to them. Throughout the film, Hillardpassionately talks about how important his children are to him. Williams’ performance was bril-liant, showing off his versatility, humor, and his ability to provide heartfelt emotion. Such qualities take their best form in the film“Patch Adams,” which is based on a true story. After checking out of a mental institution, Hunt-er ’Patch’ Adams discovers that he wants to help people. How-ever, he wants to go beyond the traditional medical assistance. Adams pursues his dream of us-ing humor to ease the pain and enhance the lives of sick patients. His impact on the patients is truly remarkable. Viewers are able to see a positive change in the patients. It makes it even better knowing that these events happened in real life. With humor removed, Wil-liams’ still triumphs as one of the greatest actors in his time. His

role as John Keating in ’DeadPoet’s Society,” is one of his greatest and most memorable roles. Keating is a new Englishteacher at a young men’s prep school. He soon finds that theadministration and faculty put a great deal of pressure and struc-ture on their students. He strays away from the tradi-tional ways of teaching, however, he connects with his students on a level that they had never ex-perienced before. He encourages them to think for themselves and have an open mind, something they had never been taught. Williams’ performance was ab-solutely phenomenal. He touches on the importance of living life to the fullest and using literature as a tool to enhance everyday life. This film incorporates funand life lessons that could be ap-plied to daily life. Overall, Robin Williams was a blessing to the film industry.Several people in this generation would agree that his acting has some part in their childhood. De-spite his death, his roles will be remembered and shared for years to come.

by Chelsea Archer Thirty years and counting. The Distinguised Performance Series has presented artistic shows to the community, and this semester West Virginia Univer-sity at Parkersburg is hosting an ethnic performance by a group called the Tamburitzans. The group gets its name from the European string instrument the tamburitza. The performers are full-time college students from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. They come from different areas such as the U.S., Canada, and Eu-rope. Their goal is to share their family culture with everyone through live singing, dancing, and music using mostly acoustic instruments. According to the Duquesne website they are “now entering their 78th season as the longest running live stage show in the country.” Their dedication is proved by the building located just off campus used soley for the group. The performances are heav-

ily researched to ensure the countries and nationalities rep-resentations are authentic. More than a dozen languages may be used during the production to add to the cultural experience. The Tamburitzans are a “large group with high energy and col-orful, elaborate costumes,” said Dr. H.G. Young, organizer of the Distinguished Performance Series. Over 500 combinations of authentic and replicated Eastern European costumes will be worn. The Distinguished Perfor-mance Series will present the Tamburitzans on Sept. 20, 7 p.m., in the College Activites Center. Advance tickets are on saleintheBusinessOfficefor$2each, while tickets bought on the night of the performance are $5 for students and $10 for adults. West Virginia University at Parkersburg states in its mission statement that “global studies” are an opportunity the college wants to provide, and attending the Tamburitzans show provide a cultural awareness through the arts.

Duquesne Tamburitzan Gypsy

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 10 September 11, 2014

by Kyle Nichols A room filled with a sense ofnothing but love and admira-tion; people filled nearly everyseat and space as they shared experiences they had with the late Professor Randy Oldaker. Even if a participant did not know the man as he had lived, his es-sence bled through the people that carry his spirit and legacy on throughout WVU Parkersburg and throughout life. A memorial gathering was held for the late Professor Randy Oldaker on Aug 20. Many people stood up and expressed their experiences and love for him for a lengthy time. A small display was also held in the Community Room in which artifacts of his many travels were shown that ranged from apparel to artwork. Several common sentiments from those at the memorial were his passion, knowledge, and his rather humble and reserved

nature. “His students were his focus,” said professor Denise McClung. The main way that many people, teachers included, found out about Oldaker’s passing was from a large Facebook outcry among past and more recent stu-dents. Students at the memorial said that he was a mentor and a father figure to them, and he made them genuinely interested in the subject that he was teach-ing. Oldaker was a multi-faceted teacher. Along with several language classes at WVU Park-ersburg, he taught in many areas outside the college as well. Some of these teaching po-sitions included Japanese to management-level employees in the technical division of GE Plas-tics Corporation Parkersburg site, instructing children 5-8 in French and Japanese language and culture in the Washington State

(A press release issued by the college)

West Virginia University at Parkersburg has started its fall 2014 semester with a new learn-ing management system (LMS), Pearson’s LearningStudio, for online classes. The decision to switch came as a result of feedback from the campus com-munity indicating that students and faculty were unhappy with the previous system. The college became a design partner with Pearson in 2013 to launch its new OpenClass sys-tem. After piloting the system in the fall with select courses, WVU Parkersburg implemented the new LMS for all of its online courses in spring 2014. “Because OpenClass is a free system, it seemed like the right choice for us at the time, as we were in the midst of statewide budget cuts,” said Dr. Rhonda Tracy, interim president for WVU Parkersburg. “And be-cause we were a design partner, we had a direct link to the developers to make recommen-dations for enhancements. We saw it as an opportunity to get a cutting-edge system that was also affordable.” However, college officials soon began receiving feedback from students and faculty that some of the OpenClass features did not meet their learning and instructional needs. “We spent a great deal of time communicating with the campus community and learning what the issues were,” said Tracy. “By March, the decision was made to go back to the table with Pearson and look at our options.” Throughout the summer, Pearson professionals worked closely with WVU Parkers-burg’s Center for Teaching and Technology (CTT) to migrate

all courses from OpenClass to LearningStudio. Pearson pro-vided two intensive training sessions for faculty, and students and instructors now have con-tinuous access to the system’s orientation materials. Regarding the partnership, Pearson said: “We are thrilled to be moving forward with this partnership. We originally designed the OpenClass system as a social learning platform, to bring social networking to the forefront of online education. Working with a wonderful design partner such as WVUP, we've discovered that while the social networking environments of today's society are valuable to the landscape of online education, there must also be a powerful Learning Manage-ment System behind these social networking features; a system that provides the power and stability needed to run a success-ful online education program. Pearson is proud to announce we've added social networking featurestoourflagshipLearning-Studio platform, have migrated our courses from OpenClass, to LearningStudio, and are looking forward to a fresh start in this new system, beginning with the Fall 2014 semester. We remain ever grateful for the good will, patience, and diligence of the WVUP faculty and administra-tion as we work together to move forward with this partnership.” “We are already receiving pos-itive feedback,” said Jessamine Wass, WVU Parkersburg CTT director. “It has been wonder-ful working with Pearson, and they have been very responsive to our needs. We are confidentthat this new platform will help strengthen our online programs and improve overall student suc-cess. ”

Community College Summer Children's Great Explorations Program, as well as many more that are too numerous to list. Along with these teaching positions, Oldaker also had a passion for world travel in which he also studied culture and lan-guage. A few opportuni t ies and positions he held abroad are Academic Director at the Berke-ley Language Center in Tokyo, Japan, and in Paris, France study-ing how to incorporate art into the study of culture in a foreign language classroom, as well as studies in England and Switzer-land. In the short hour, the memorial wasnolongerfilledwiththesad-ness of losing such an important part to WVU Parkersburg: it was brimming with the happy memo-ries and sentiments that Oldaker had brought to all those he had touched.

A Time of Remembrance:Campus Community Gathers to Pay Tribute to

Dear Friend Randy Oldaker

Campus Feedback Sparks Changes to Online Learning

Faculty, staff and students gather to remember Professor Oldaker.

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgSeptember 11, 2014 Page 11

by James Liebau II It takes a lot of work to be the best, but for the WVU Park-ersburg soccer team, that is the ultimate goal. Since the inagural season in 2009, the team has never had a winning year. According to new Assistant Coach Jorge Meneses, however, things are about to change. “We should win over half our

games,” Meneses said, “we have a good balance of players this season to play true futbol.” Being Meneses’ first year coaching the team after playing on it for four years, he hopes to bring a certain “South American flavor”totheteamthatwill takethem to the next level. With a squad of twenty-two players, an all-time high for the soccer team, Meneses has high

hopes from every individual. “It’s great to have many of the players from last year’s team return this season, while the new oneshavefitrightintocompletethe team,” Meneses said. From the players’ perspective, the expectations are the same, said one of the new Team Cap-tains Alex Pino. “The team has been working very hard over past few weeks,” Pino said, “and we

have progressively gotten better.” Pino believes that with a few more practices, the team will be fully ready for the upcoming sea-son. Pino is a second year player this season and was picked by the coaches as a captain to head the team’s defense. He would like to develop into a respected leader and help the team achieve success.

“We’d love to see more student support this season,” said Pino. All home games are played in the field behind the school andare free to anyone who wants to watch. The team’s first gameis September 12, while the firsthome game is September 14. For more information, or for anyone interested in joining the team, contact Coach Meneses at jamenesesp@gmail.com.

by Austin James A multitude of people from across the community attended the memorial at WVU Parkers-burgtorememberandreflect. A 9/11 memorial was held Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at the WVU Parkers-burg front lawn by the bell. Events included speeches, theflag raising, singing, and theringing of the campus bell. The event began with Vice President of Student Services Anthony Underwood opening the event with some welcoming remarks and his thoughts on this day. Interim President Dr. Rhonda

Tracy also had opening remarks and reminded those in attendance “to always remember the 11th of September.” The following event saw ROTC students from Parkersburg HighSchoolraisetheflagtohalfmass in memoriam of the event. Guest speaker Lt. Colonel Greg Smith spoke about how to observe these tragedies. Lt. Smith said “American’s lives changed forever in the course of a day.” “Nobody had any idea what would happen,” he said. “One of many tragic events like this is what makes America, America.” Lt. Smith closed with ask-

ing the audience “What are you going to do to remember Sept. 11th?” Lt. Smith’s answer was to recognize “faith, family, and friends.” Campus ROTC students and the Veterans Corps members then preformed the ceremonial ringing of the bell; an honored tradition at WVU Parkersburg. Theringingofthebellsignifiesa respected event on campus. The service then closed with everyone in attendance singing “America The Beautiful.” This marks the 13th year since the tragedy of Sept. 11th and the second year the college has held this service.

Memorial at WVU Parkersburg Honors Tragedy of 9/11

Riverhawk Soccer looking forward to winning season

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg September 11, 2014Page 12

by Rachael Gant Each year, hundreds of freshman shuffle in to begin the terrifying thought of col-lege. To make it easier, WVU Parkersburg provides a “reverse graduation” for the new-comers so they get a better feel of the importance of education and how college is not as scary as it appears. WVU Parke r sburg ge t s faculty and staff together for an hour to discuss the college and provides a very inspira-tional well-known speaker. This year’s speaker was Mr. Michael Belmear. Belmear is a retired Vice President for Student Affairs at Fairmont State as well as Pier-pont Community and Technical College. His story was about growing up and being a basket-ball star and thinking that no matter what, he was going to get a great education without needing to work at it. Sadly, this was not the best mind set for the college athlete, as he flunked out. Through this trialhe learned that dedication to your team and to your education

is the way you will succeed. He went back to school after start-ing a family early in life, and took his education above and beyond. Incoming freshman Taylor Layman attended the convoca-tion with an open mind about college. “Mr. Belmear’s speech made me feel like I could actual-ly get through college,” Layman said. “He made me feel like I could do it.” Layman attended Parkersburg High School. Layman mentioned that ad-justing from a high school with the graduating class being in the upper hundreds, transitioning to a small college would not be the main issue. The hard work and perseverance for college is what makes the higher education more challenging. “College is a lot different from high school, because of the online classes I’m taking which is challenging. I feel more comfortable with the faculty and students now that I have seen the school and gotten to know the staff,” Layman said. All freshmen will end up fac-ing an obstacle or two coming

to college, but that is normal. Convocation brings confidenceto students who were nervous and did not feel capable of start-ing college. Study hard, come to class prepared, and everything will turn out for the best. `

S p e a k e r E n c o u r a g e sS t u d e n t s t o S u c c e e d