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Social media is a part of our everyday lives. Having one, or in most cases, several social media accounts, is commonplace, especially for the Millennial generation. We’ve come a long way since instant messaging through email accounts was popular. We now have a social media platform for just about any interest or desire: Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Tinder, to name a few. Social media is such a powerful tool that many attribute the successful presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008 to his innovative approach to social media, which he still continues to utilize today. He was he first presidential candidate to utilize social media on many individual platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and later even Vine. In a May 2015 article by the Washington Post, written by Juliet Eileerin, which featured an interview by Paulette Aniskoff, who heads the White House Office of Public
hashtags get two times more clicks, retweets, favorites, and replies than tweets without hashtags. Yet, with all the information about how hashtags work, and the ability they have to reach a broader audience, only 24 percent of social media users utilize this tool. One organization that basically started completely from social media activism and using the hashtags is the #BlackLivesMatter movement. After the deaths of teens Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin, the movement began as a bold and innovative way to bring awareness to the inconsistencies in police brutality among different races; specifically racial profiling towards black males. Through social media new civil rights voices have emerged and can advocate the cause. The group has expanded and even met with 2016 presidential candidates. Everyone has a social, health, or political issue that they care about. Social media can be used as a call to action to create awareness to these issues. Many causes take this approach: the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the NO H8 campaign and many
more. Also, user generated news has effected the way news stories are told and broadens the audience and information. Anyone that is present for an event can live broadcast it in some way on social media, and have the information out before mainstream media. That is a big deal. There are no “gatekeepers” to control what images, or statements, are put out to the public through social media. The entire revolution has changed the way people get their news, and interpret news in general. Social media can be a platform to promote yourself, and connect with friends. However, it can also be a very powerful instrument in adhering to social responsibility that every citizen in the world is ethically inclined to pay attention to. The Millennials are a generation of innovative entrepreneurs, in many ways. Creating a way to achieve success in an economy that we didn’t destroy, but will be the generation to help rebuild it. Likewise, we have to rebuild our social awareness to adapt to the social responsibility that we have today. Social media is a gift in doing so.
“Social Responsibility- an ethical framework which suggests that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large.” -T. Haynes Don’t forget about Concord Color Fridays! Show your pride with your maroon and gray gear!
WHATEVER THE WEATHER: AUTUMNFEST SUCCESS
This EdiTion
Briana Gunter
a chili cook-off, a meet and tunity for organizations and nesses like The Sly Fox Shoppe, Staff Writer greet with Miss AutumnFest, businesses to come together who offered discounted prices a classic car show, a pumpkin and celebrate a new season on their products all day, and Whether rain or shine, and pie eating contest, a pumpkin while also showing off their Local Mo’ Joe, an organic café in this case rain all day, on Mercer Street. Other Princeton Autumnfest organizations in atwent on as scheduled on tendance included the Saturday, September 26 Mercer County Kiwanis on Mercer Street. While Club, Mercer County there was plenty of rain Democrats, Tender in sight, that didn’t keep Mercies, and Girl Scouts. vendors and attendees The Mercer County from enjoying the day’s Animal Shelter also had festivities. a tent set up with several Since the turn of the puppies and kittens that century in 2000, the were up for adoption. Mercer County Chamber While walking through of Commerce has been the street and looking at organizing Autumnfest, all of the fall décor availeach year bringing in able for purchase, the more vendors and more overwhelming smell of people. The festivities funnel cake, barbecue, Mercer Street was full of vendors and community members started at 10:00 AM and and kettle corn filled the enjoying the festivities. lasted well past the schedair, sending the senses Photo By: Briana Gunter uled end time later into into overdrive and the evening. There was making it hard not to a little bit of something for ev- painting contest, and live music merchandise and raising funds eryone to enjoy at the festival. throughout the whole day. for their organization. Some of SEE AUTUMNFEST, P. 3 Some of the events included Autumnfest is a great oppor- the vendors included local busi-
Athens 7-Day Forecast Oct. 1-7
This Week’s Local Forecast
Weather Trivia What is ombrophobia?
Thursday
Few Showers 64/52
Friday
Few Showers 62/49
Saturday
Few Showers 64/47
Sunday
Partly Cloudy 66/47
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Partly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Partly Cloudy 66/45 62/41 65/42
Precip Chance: 50% Precip Chance: 50% Precip Chance: 40% Precip Chance: 10% Precip Chance: 10% Precip Chance: 20% Precip Chance: 10%
?
www.WhatsOurWeather.com
News: • Whatever the Weather: Autumnfest Success • Radio Showcase and Second Annual Media Appreciation Day • A Different Kind of Pride
studeNt Life:
• ‘Til it’s Done: Shumate’s Mission • Healthy Hacks: A Caf Quick Guide
Arts, eNtertAiNmeNt, & CommuNity • Taking Down the Taken King: New Destiny Expansion in Review • Community Spotlight: Country Girl Cooking
opiNioNs • Nursing: a Double Standard
miLLeNNiAL BeAt
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Patrice Mitchell is the columnist for the Millennial Beat. She is a senior Broadcast Communications major with a Journalism minor. After transferring from Marshall University, she has spent the past three years on the Concordian Newspaper staff and also as a WMLT Reporter staff. “I love writing and I’ve grown to have an appreciation for politics; which is why I choose to have a political style Beat this semester. I choose this topic because I want to learn more about politics and also encourage my generation to do the same.”
Columnist/Staff Writer
Engagement, the advantage to using social and digital media is that President Obama is able to promote his policies without first having to go through the filter of the mainstream media and is able to target a specific audience and receive feedback almost immediately The ability to reach thousands, even millions of citizens around the world at one time is reality, one that was not possible in the generations prior. This is a powerful tool to invite and incite social change and awareness, and cause a domino effect of making the world a better place to live. Through various forms of social media speaking directly to politicians, world leaders, celebrities, companies, and public figures and officials is very possible and in many instances effective. The power of the hashtag (#) is real. Forbes Magazine’s Neal Patel reported in August 2015, hashtags are universal. Anyone on the social network can view it, click it, and explore. Also, hashtags create engagement. The influence extends beyond your own followers and reaches a broader audience. Tweets with
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October 1st, 2015
Answer: Ombrophobia is the fear of rain.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEET SOCIAL CHANGE
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RADIO SHOWCASE AND SECOND ANNUAL MEDIA APPRECIATION DAY Sarah White
Managing Editor
offered the chance to go downstairs for a “Story Idea Networking” session in which all the members of the President’s cabinet were available for introduction and a brief summery of what they do. The Mountain Lion Radio Showcase was in the President’s Room in the Marsh Library due to the weather. However, students were still in good spirits outside under canopies, giving away free popcorn and CD’s and offering sign-ups for the WVCU Radio Club. While the Radio Station’s Low-Power
FM License was granted last year to the University, WVCU Mountain Lion Radio began official live broadcasting on May 1, 2015. Speakers at the showcase included Jessica Lilly, the adjunct instructor in Concord’s Fine Arts Division who has played an incredibly important role in getting the license as well as getting, and keeping the radio station up and running; Jesse Stevens, a student who has been deeply involved with the radio station; and a member of the Concord University Board of Governors, who also serves
as legal council for the West Virginia Broadcasters Association, Mr. David Barnette. Look to be seeing Concord University’s logo splashed across screens and newspapers, and listen for that Mountain Lion’s roar on the radio because there was no shortage of ideas for those who attended the Second Annual Media Day and Radio Showcase here at Concord. For a downright drizzly day, there were lots of new and bright ideas.
Staff Writer There have been many welldocumented accounts of the benefits of breastfeeding children. While some women cannot or choose not to breastfeed for health reasons, those that are healthy enough to do so are encouraged to, as the nutrients within breast milk help the newborn become healthier and stronger. In an article written for fitpregnancy.com, Dr. Ruth A. Lawrence, author of Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, states that breastfeeding reduces the risk of illnesses that could prove fatal for a baby, such as pneumonia, colds, and viruses, as well as decreasing risk of childhood cancer and slashing the chance of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) by half. Breast milk, since it occurs naturally, is environmentally friendly, to boot. According to the National Institute for Health (NIH), the more
women know about the benefits of breastfeeding, the more they are inclined to do it. With all of the benefits mentioned above, and if women are so encouraged to breastfeed, why do we as a nation make it so difficult for mothers to do so? In this country, public breastfeeding is perfectly legal in almost all areas. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 49 states and the District of Columbia have laws that specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location, with 29 states and the District of Columbia even exempting the act from the public decency laws. Despite this, many take issue and even offense to women publicly breastfeeding. For example, according to an August 2014 article from CNN, a mom in Beverly Hills was escorted to the bathroom of a store for attempting to publicly breastfeed her child. She took to social media and in less than a day
more than 100 mothers participated in a staged nurse-in to protest. This event happened as recently as 2014. So why is it some still see public breastfeeding as a thing to be stigmatized and avoided? The answer is simple: breasts and their true purposes have been hijacked by corporations and advertising companies. One need only turn on the television to see that breasts are used as objects to sell everything, from cell phones to fast food. However, when a woman tries to use her breasts in their intended purpose (the feeding of offspring) many get up in arms and complain about public indecency. It would seem to me that there is a great double standard here, and that for the sake of the public good and the health of the nation, our outlook on public breastfeeding must change. Some may argue that a mother could simply just go to a bathroom to breastfeed her
child and spare the rest of us from the site. That would be a fair remark, except that the state of hygiene in many public restrooms is not the best. Ask yourself this: would you like to eat in the bathroom of a gas station? Most people would say they wouldn’t. However, this is the kind of conditions newborns are often forced to eat in due to our social stigma against public breastfeeding. On top of that, many bathrooms do not have chairs, so a mother is either forced to feed her child on the toilet or on the floor. Oftentimes, there may not be a bathroom for a mother to go to, and a newborn simply cannot wait. Some could also argue that a mother should pump and carry breastmilk in bottles before going out into public. Unfortunately, not all women are able to use the pump effectively, not to mention carrying around the breastmilk in bottles requires it to be at a certain temperature, which is an inconvenience that
could be avoided if we simply did not mind a mother doing what she is designed to do: feed her child. This is not to say that a woman is a bad person for wanting privacy when they breastfeed. That is a perfectly legitimate reason to demand privacy. However, for convenience’s sake and also for public sanitation, a woman has the right to feed her child in public and not feel ashamed for doing the right thing. If the act bothers anyone, they simply do not have to look. Parenting is one of the hardest things to do, so much so that more and more Americans are opting not to participate in it. For this country to continue to thrive, we as a nation must do all we can to encourage the family unit in all of its endeavors. If that means changing a hypocritical and degrading double standard, then so be it.
SPOTLIGHT FROM PAGE 6
Top Left: Athletic Director and Head Baseball coach, Kevin Garrett (Left) and Sports Information Director Wes McKinney (Right) prepare for remarks from the coaches. Top Center: Alumni Director, Sarah Turner gives her opening remarks. Bottom: The Division chairs prepare to speak about each of their departments to the members of the media. Photos By: Sarah White Top Right: Jessica Lilly speaks to the attendees of the Radio showcase inside the President’s Room in the Library. Photo Courtesy of Concord University Office of Advancement
were dressed so we knew they were from Concord. We told them we were offering the ten percent discount and they told some of their friends. We’ve had several of the Concord students stop by but we’d like to have more and more!” Although a tad noisy because of the roadside location, the atmosphere around the food trailer is welcoming and whimsical; silly cartoon pigs are painted alongside the trailer and guests are encouraged to sit at a picnic table to enjoy their meal. Giant rolls of paper towels
are centered on each picnic table for those who dare to try ribs. To prove that their food is the best around, Mitchell told a short story about their famous ribs: “We had a gentlemen show up recently and he said ‘I understand you have the best barbeque around’ and I said ‘well, yes sir, we think so’ and he said ‘so does my six year old granddaughter; she sent me down here!’” Mitchell plans to begin a car-hop in the later months: “We are starting a car-hop. It’s when people leave the trailer, come
outside and take your order in any kind of weather. Since a lot of people don’t recognize the term, we’re trying to find a term that everybody will recognize.” The idea seems similar to a Sonic or old-fashioned driveup restaurant, where a server would come out to the car, take the order, and then deliver the food right to the car without the patron ever having to unbuckle their seatbelt. This would be great during the bitter winter months when people typically crowd the drive-through at restaurant chains in order to
avoid the cold, and would also be a fun blast-from-the-past for those who have never experienced such a service. As the fall and winter months lurk closer, Country Girl Cooking is considering serving hot drinks and adjusting their menu to be more seasonally appropriate by adding more winter-friendly options. Mitchell said, “I was thinking hot chocolate for the winter and maybe hot tea. We’re going to be serving some [new] things. I make great chicken taco soup! We’re thinking about trying
some different soups throughout the winter.” Mitchell closed with “I always tell people that if the food isn’t good, tell me. If it is good, tell everybody. That’s kind of our philosophy. If something isn’t right, we want to make it right while you’re here. We’ll take care of you.” For more information about Country Girl Cooking, call 276979-7623, visit their Facebook page, or simply stop by with a Concord ID and check out their tasty treats.
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A dreary and grey Tuesday September 29 saw University Point teeming with media for the second Annual Media Appreciation Day, as well as a showcase for the Concord University Mountain Lion Radio, 97.7 FM, WVCU. Welcomed with coffee, danishes, and opening remarks from the President of the University herself, Dr. Kendra Boggess, Media Day featured a lot of Campus Beautiful Alums
who have gone on to work in various media outlets across the state. After the opening remarks, the morning continued with two concurrent sessions, one with the Division Chairs in the Wilkes Family Chapel and the other with the head coaches and Athletic Director in the Seminar Room. The Chairs gave small presentations to the media about their specific department while the coaches were there to field questions about upcoming and ongoing seasons for about an hour. Then, attendees were
NURSING: A DOUBLE STANDARD
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TAKING DOWN THE TAKEN KING: NEW DESTINY EXPANSION IN REVIEW Jonathon Collins
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Sunbreaker, a subclass that uses the power of the sun to throw solar hammers at enemies to bring a world of hurt; and lastly, warlocks now have access to the element-manipulating Stormcaller, a subclass that harnesses electricity by supercharging the Guardian who can then shock enemies by chaining lightning through groups. Playing primarily as a Stormcaller, the game play experience has been phenomenal, as it turns out being able to manipulate electrical energy to quickly dispatch groups of enemies or to throw a shockwave of the stormy stuff in order to protect valuable points of interest in the game’s updated player-versus-player (PVP) maps is quite powerful. Each of these new classes have made a large impact in both the game’s story modes as well as the PVP modes, providing a fresh experience on a game with
a goal of lasting 10 years long. Destiny: The Taken King is available on Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, and the Playstation 4 consoles and has even included a Legendary Edition for purchase, which comes with the base game and all of the Destiny expansions to date, making it a great time to buy everything for an efficient price and experience the game firsthand for the standard price of a major title on these platforms. Overall, the most recent expansion has done a great job at smoothing out the storytelling formula that earned Bungie much respect with the Halo franchise and looks promising as the Destiny universe unfolds over the next nine years. So Guardians, will you take to the skies and help fight the Darkness once more?
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: COUNTRY GIRL COOKING Haley McCord
Staff Writer Country Girl Cooking is a southern-style concessions trailer located approximately ten minutes from Concord University’s campus beside Grants’ Supermarket. The face of the business is Sylvia Mitchell, who ownes and operates the stand. “I’m country girl!” she says with a smile. The business began around
March of this year and has been going strong ever since. With lots of help and support from the community, Country Girl Cooking was able to stay open all through the summer season and plans to stay open the fall and winter seasons as well. When asked how well business had been, Mitchell replied, “Business has been pretty good. When Bojangles first opened and Arby’s opened the same
day, lunch business went down a little bit, but our lunch business is back and we stay busy pretty much all the time. We cook our own barbeque, we make our own sauce and on Fridays and Saturdays, we cook our own baby back ribs.” For those who love casual festivals staples like cheeseburgers, ribs, steak hoagies, cheese fries and strawberry lemonade, this is the perfect joint to visit in the
afternoon for a tasty meal and unique atmosphere. They also serve a variety of deep fried desserts like candy bars and many people’s favorite fried confection, Oreos. In a town full of dollar menus, the prices at Country Girl Cooking at first seem tad high compared to other burger joints, but after sampling the food, it’s clear that the quality is a cut above those cheaper res-
taurants and very much worth the slight upcharge. With a Concord ID, be it student or faculty, meals are ten percent off. When asked about how many Concord students have dropped by, Mitchell said, “We’ve been seeing more. We had the volleyball team first; Of course, they SEE SPOTLIGHT, P. 7
indulge in all the warm, festive treats seducing the nose. While one could walk the street packed with vendors all day without getting bored, Autumnfest wouldn’t be what it is without the live music in the park. Whether it’s serving as background music while walking the street or one chooses to take a seat in the park, there’s surely something that fits everyone’s taste. Local
bands and singers could be heard throughout the day doing original songs and covers of songs that most all know and love. Many of the singers were part of a young talent show that was going on throughout the day. Although Princeton is a small town, it’s remarkable how much talent can be found in this area. Also playing was Princeton’s own regionally famous all-girl band “Distrac-
tion.” Selections from every band included everything from Ed Sheeran to top hits from the 80’s to original songs. It would be surprising if there wasn’t at least one song that could make anyone sing along or tap their foot. Anyone who wasn’t able to be in attendance of this year’s Autumnfest will surely have another chance next year. The Mercer County Chamber of
Commerce doesn’t show any signs of breaking this 15 year tradition. To find out more about the vendors, organizations, and Autumnfest as a whole, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/PrincetonAutumnfest. To see what other events are being held in Princeton and surrounding areas visit www.visitmercercounty.com/ fall_events.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRIDE Peggy Ballengee
Staff Writer On Friday, September 25, Concord University hosted the Pride Retreat for foster and adoptive care training in theJerry Beasley Student Center’s State Room. The event was organized and led in part by Gail Murano, the Training Coordinator of Concord’s Division of Social Services. The Pride Retreat, sponsored and facilitated by Concord since 1998-1999, serves as an outlet for the state’s home finders and adoptive agencies to troubleshoot any issues regarding the path to fostering children in West Virginia. As a quarterly event, the Retreat is also an organized area where all involved parties can plan and guide the future of adopting and fostering children. The campus has had a longstanding impact on the community’s training for interested foster parents, “Concord actually piloted the Pride Training,” says Murano, “and since then we’ve had some expansions. What began as Level 1 training, which is pre-service
training, and then we added Level 2 and Level 3 training in our region.” Since the pilot of the Pride Retreat, the state has allowed the expansion of the Pride Training and adopted Level 1 training as mandatory for new foster parents. Within the last six years, West Virginia has again allowed the training to expand by making Levels 2 and 3 necessary for incoming foster parents. The grants that allow for expansion have requirements for the sake of the organization. “Part of the grant requirements is that we meet several times a year. We have four retreats per year, usually quarterly, and during these retreats we meet with state home finding supervisors, agency representatives, the trainers, and Concord’s faculty and staff,” Murano informs. As a group, the Pride Retreat works toward helping the state’s foster program. “For example, last year the state said that they needed help recruiting families. They wanted to know if there was anything we could do to help, and so we created a publicity campaign.” Murano goes
on to explain that through this campaign, the Pride Retreat created wvcares4kids.com, a website with equal representation of West Virginia’s foster agencies. The webpage offers plenty of information regarding the steps to becoming a foster parent, myths and realities about foster care, inspirational stories, and even a FAQ section. The meeting touched on upcoming changes in state policies, including those that would shorten the Pride Trainings to only 21 hours total. Many regions plan on condensing the nine trainings into a total of five, and the state has begun to direct new inquiries about foster parenting to Mission West Virginia, Inc. Even further into the future, the state is considering creating online trainings, though while tested, have shown to be more time consuming than the scheduled meetings. The Pride Retreat maintains that these changes are still in the preliminary phases and may take years to be completely active. The website missionwv.org directs interested parents to the appropriate paperwork and
offers an inquiry path that includes every agency, allowing families to choose the adoption agency that best suits their individual needs. On the agenda of things decided during the Pride Retreat, the website will be updated to designate kinship foster parents to the DHHR and traditional foster interest to the individual agencies. In the near future, individual adoptive agencies are considering setting up informative tables on the ground floor of the Student Center to spread information and garter interest. Children’s Home Society is also looking into the possibility of student internships and volunteers, to provide a hands-on learning experience for Concord’s social work students. The next Pride Retreat has been scheduled for December 18 at 11:30 AM, in Concord University’s Stateroom. For more information regarding fostering children and assisting the foster homes, the Concord community is welcome to look into wvcares4kids.com
The Concordian Staff Brittany Strother Editor-in-Chief Sarah White Managing Editor Staff Writers: Jacob Adkins Peggy Ballengee Briana Gunter James Hoyle Tyler Jackson Haley McCord Patrice Mitchell WebMaster Jonathan Collins Business Manager James Blankenship Mrs. Lindsey Akers Advisor
Your Name Here Write for the Concordian!
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Whispers in the dark like fingertips on the mind. As the Guardians take yet another bastion of darkness, an even greater threat quickly advances and threatens to destroy the Destiny universe; Oryx, the Taken King. On September 15, 2015, players from all over the world joined together to rise against the legions of the Taken and to attempt to take down the Taken King as Destiny’s most recent expansion, Destiny: The Taken King, was released. Players will quickly discover that Oryx, the Taken King, possesses the unique ability to ‘take’ a variety of the enemies players previously faced in earlier expansions, effectively repurposing his newly acquired subjects to his whim. While many of the
lowing players to focus their weapon and armor choices in a manner that is more practical to their play-style or even allowing them to outfit their Guardian with any cool looking items they find along the way. Among the game changes, the maximum level obtained is now level 40. In addition, the warlock, titan, and hunter classes that were defaults in the core Destiny game have all added new subclasses to help shake up the game’s experience with some variety. Previously, each of these classes could manipulate two of the game’s three elements, but now each class gained mastery over the remaining element each one was missing. Hunters now have the agile Nightstalker, a subclass that uses the power of the void to tether enemies to a location to help other Guardians survive; Titans now have the the mighty
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enemies take on visual elements of older enemies, they have vastly different abilities to challenge players in the most recent installment in the series. The new expansion comes with many changes to the game’s core concepts. Previously, players could reach up to level 20 through completing bounties and fighting the darkness and could gain further levels through improving the ‘light’ on their weapons and armor in the game’s various content, up to a maximum level of 34. However, Bungie, the creators of Destiny, realized that this design locked many players out of the content they purchased, as they may not be able to participate in content that required the maximum level. As a result, the light system has been revamped and is now an average of all of the attack and defense values on gear, al-
AUTUMNFEST
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‘TIL IT’S DONE: SHUMATE’S MISSION James Gooch
from the library; however, her hiatus was short lived. Later in 2010, Connie, approached by Concord University president Dr. Gregory Aloia, was offered the director’s position at the Marsh Library. “He
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contacted me three times, two of which were just job offers; however, on his third attempt in 2012, he mentioned the possible renovation of the library. He had me; I was hooked.” In fact, Mrs. Shumate says that planning the remodeling of the campus library is sheer bliss. “I love taking something and repurposing it,” she exclaims. “I can’t wait for everyone to see what’s in store.” While Mrs. Shumate’s attitude concerning the restoration of Concord’s library is the epitome of enthusiasm, she says that improving the cosmetic appearance of the facility is not the only thing that pushes her out her front door, into her car, and through the doors of the Marsh Library every morning. “I come to work because I am a servant. Now, I know that sounds a bit cliché, but it’s the truth.” Connie believes that by making herself available to the patrons of the Marsh Library she can make their lives easier, especially the lives of the students. “Meeting the students’ needs is my greatest joy, and working with them has been quite an experience, I must say.”
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Working at Concord has provided Connie Shumate with the chance to work with young people more so than her previous position at Princeton Public Library. When asked how working with and serving the students at Concord has changed her view of the world, Mrs. Shumate replied, “If the young people of the world are anything like the young people at Concord, I believe we are in excellent hands.” However, despite her complementary tone when discussing the university’s students, she did offer a bit of advice: “Don’t procrastinate! Be mindful and begin assignments, especially research, in advance. Not only will you feel less stressed as you work, but you will also provide us a better opportunity to help you obtain the resources you need. I love our students, and only want them to succeed!” Heeding her own advice, Connie, with a great deal of passion and drive, continues to work diligently toward her vision for Concord University’s Marsh Library. Although the “big picture” is still awhile away, Connie is determined to see her thoughts come to fruition. “I’ll be here ‘til it’s done,” she says.
Homecoming 2015 Schedule of Events
HEALTHY HACKS: A CAF QUICK GUIDE Student Affairs Student Affairs Let’s face it- when you’re in college, your greatest priority is probably not healthy eating. You are focused on class work, being involved on campus, hanging out, and let alone trying to eat over-the-top healthy. Luckily for CU students, there are plenty of healthy options for you. We’ve all heard of the freshman fifteen and as you may know there is some truth to the phrase. According to a study by Racette, S. Deusinger, Strube, Highstein, and R. Deusinger (2007), 70% of sampled students demonstrated a significant weight gain, around 9 lbs, during their first two years of college. Many of these students admitted to inactivity and unhealthy dietary behaviors, such as not consuming adequate vegetables and fruits and not limiting their consumption of fried and fast foods. In addition to exercise, eating healthy foods will help you obtain and maintain
an appropriate weight. The Libby Alvis Dinning Hall, also known to students as, “The Caf,” is designed to give students options and information. Did you know there is a link on the Concord website, where you can view menus, compare nutritional information, and find wellness education tips? On this site you can even download an app called, CampusDish for helpful tools on-the-go. Concord’s dining service also has a Nutrition Central board, a digital board on the wall in the Caf that lists your foods’ nutritional facts. These tools will help you get on the right track, but it starts with YOU. Both healthy and unhealthy options are available almost everywhere you eat. But the path to healthier habits starts with YOU making the right decisions when it comes to available options. For starters, one of the mistakes many students make in their diet is a high soda and juice intake. Just one can of soda has 8 teaspoons of sugar!
The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of 6 teaspoons of sugar per day for women and 9 for men. Therefore, with only one soda, you’ve reached your recommended max of sugar intake for the day! Replacing those drinks with water will be a huge benefit to your health. The healthy hack I’ve found most beneficial is loading up your plate with healthy options first, every time. This allows you to fill up on the healthy stuff! When you walk in the Caf—or at any buffet—grab a plate, and load it with vegetables or any fruit available. The mixed veggies, steamed broccoli, corn, or carrots at the hot bar are some of my favorites. After this, I make my way over to the salad bar and either fix a salad or just load up some cold vegetables. Always remember, a little dressing goes a long way, particularly ranch. When it comes to what to put in your salad, I always use tomatoes because of their high level of an-
tioxidants, as well as, peppers, particularly the red variety. Did you know a red pepper has more than three times the vitamin C as an orange? Who doesn’t need an extra immune system boost?! After the veggies check out what kind of meat, pasta, or other things are available at the “Home Front.” If you like fish, it is always a better option meatwise, as well as, one of your primary brain foods. Another standard poor choice is eating bread or fried foods for every meal. Yes, the cheese fries, chicken patties, and pizza are pretty enticing, but it’s not a good choice for every meal. Did you know that bread not only contains super starches that turn into fat, but it is also addictive and makes you crave more unhealthy foods? An easy way to help avoid overconsumption is to limit yourself to a certain amount each week and keep a mental list of how often you’ve eaten these super starchy items. Hopefully, with all of
these options, eating healthy while being a college student shouldn’t seem like a daunting task. By living a healthier lifestyle you will be more productive, have less stress, age better, live longer, and be happier! Stay tuned for a future article on workout tips to go along with Healthy Foods for a Healthy You. If you have any more questions about eating healthier, shoot us an email at studentaffairs@concord.edu or contact the CU’s dinning service through the information listed below: CU’s Dining Services website can be found at concord.campusdish.com. If you have questions about healthy eating, you can contact a dietitian at askthedietitian@aramark.com or Randy Keaton, Dining Services Director, at 304-384-5433 or Keaton-randy@aramark.com. Follow CU’s Dining Services on Instagram @concorddining and Aramark on Twitter @ HearMeAramark and on Facebook under Campus Dining.
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In a back corner office located on the main floor of Concord University’s Marsh Library sits a petite, bespectacled woman nestled behind a great slab of a desk. For over one year Connie Shumate has worked laboriously on behalf of the Mountain Lions, students and faculty alike, with the intention of making their library a more reliable resource and a friendlier, more appealing place. However, despite the fact that Mrs. Shumate’s presence is still rather new at Concord’s library, her literary career predates October 2012, and its roots reach deeper into the ground than one might imagine. Having grown up in Wyoming County, West Virginia as the daughter of a public school educator mother and a career-driven father, Connie Shumate remembers her early years spent in her family’s precipitous home on “the tallest mountain in the county.” While her mother’s life was centered on books and learning, her self-made millionaire father, who worked as a contractor for Georgia Pacific, wasn’t entirely fond of the written word. “Despite his financial success, my father barely knew how to
Library. “I am very blessed that I was able to oversee the remodeling of the library’s new building. I love creating, and that was the pinnacle of creative experiences.” Upon witnessing the completion of her architectural effort, Mrs. Shumate retired
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read at all,” Shumate recalls. “I have to say that watching him struggle with his ability to read, or lack thereof, was really my driving force. I was determined to read. I just had to.” It is this passion for literacy that catapulted Connie into the field of library sciences, eventually landing her the long-term position as the director of Princeton Public Library. Although Mrs. Shumate’s twentytwo years at the public library in downtown Princeton was filled with many great achievements, she says her latter years were the “highlight of [her] career.” In 2006, Mrs. Shumate began overseeing the renovation of the abandoned post office across the street from her desk, and ultimately restored it to a state beyond its former glory. Since 2010, the renewed building has been the home of Princeton Public
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