Nov 10, 2014

MONDAY, NOVEMEBER 10, 2014 | VOL. 118 NO. 60 | MARSHALL UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER | marshallparthenon.com

INSIDE:

SUSAN BROADBRIDGE | THE STUDENT PRINTZ | UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

HERD FOOTBALL BURIES GOLDEN EAGLES

SPORTS, 2&3 > FOOTBALL > VOLLEYBALL

“I’ve never seen our team quit like that, but we did, and it’s embarrassing...”

- MITCH JACOBS

SHALEE ROGNEY | THE PARTHENON

> MEN’S SOCCER > MEN’S BASKETBALL

“And to quote Lebron, ‘It’s always a work in progress.’”

- DAN D’ANTONI

THREE FOR THREE

SUCCESSFUL SATURDAY FOR HERD SPORTS

63-17

LEXI BROWNING | THE PARTHENON

MEN’S BASKETBALL SILENCES CONCORD’S ROAR

92-80

LEXI BROWNING | THE PARTHENON

OPINION, 4

> MAKEUP DOES NOT EQUAL WORTH > PACK THE JOAN “We honor them Friday with a ceremony. We honor them Saturday by filling the stadium and chanting “We Are..

Marshall.”

ANDREA STEELE | THE PARTHENON

NEWS, 5

> BIKE BASH > INSIDE SGA > INFORMATICS > CHRISTMAS PARADE

“Ideally, you want everyone to love everything we do as SGA executives, but that’s just not possible.”

- HOLLAND MILLER

MEN’S SOCCER ENDS REGULAR SEASON WITH WIN

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LEXI BROWNING | THE PARTHENON

Potential for added break could ease fall semester stress “The span of time from Labor Day to Thanksgiving break seems like a marathon.”

Duncan Waugaman

LEXI BROWNING | THE PARTHENON

By HANNAH SAYRE

THE PARTHENON A fall break could come to Marshall University in 2015.

The Student Government Association has proposed a fall break in middle to late LEXI BROWNING | THE PARTHENON October that would begin in 2015. The break would either be both Thursday and Friday or just Friday.

Marshall student body president Duncan Waugaman said he has had this idea for a long time, and it would be very beneficial for the students.

“A lot of institutions have this break,” Waugaman said.

“The span of time from Labor Day to Thanksgiving break seems like a marathon. With the help of President Kopp and the Faculty Senate, we can get this break in place for next year.”

MORE ON SPORTS The next step SGA must take is to write a resolution showing approval of the break. Then Faculty Senate must propose to amend the calendar to add in the one or two days in which the break would occur and approve the calendar as amended.

If passed by the Faculty Senate, it would then be sent to Kopp’s office for his signature.

“This is something I have talked with President Kopp about, and he supports the idea of a fall break,” Waugaman said. “I also think that the students of this university will be very happy to have a break during the stressful mid-semester exams and projects.”

Brooke Adkins, junior nursing major, said it would

be great to have a fall break because it gets really draining going nonstop from August to Thanksgiving break.

Nigel Wallace, management and marketing double major, said the stress and tension that is created by school, work and extracurricular activities weighs on a person.

“I think a break would be extremely convenient for any college student who has to deal with ample loads of stress,” Wallace said.

Adding this fall break into the calendar for the fall 2015 semester would not affect Thanksgiving break in any way.

Hannah Sayre can be contacted at sayre81@marshall.edu.

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Running back Remi Watson plays against University of Southern Mississippi at M.M Roberts Stadium Saturday.

Punter Tyler Williams punts the ball against The University of Southern Mississippi Saturday.

PHOTOS BY SUSAN BROADBRIDGE| THE STUDENT PRINTZ| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

Herd football defeats Golden Eagles

By SHANNON STOWERS

THE PARTHENON Down 14-0 before ever having the offense take the field is exactly the kind of adversity Marshall University head coach Doc Holliday has been talking about all season.

Fortunately for the Thundering Herd, it was able to respond with overwhelming force, outscoring the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 63-3 on its way to a 63-17 win.

The Golden Eagles opened the game by pounding the Herd defense on the ground, ending a 13-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing kickoff, USM surprised the Herd with an onside kick and recovery that led to another touchdown. There’s your adversity.

Over the course of the next 45 minutes of game time, however, it was all Marshall.

Powered by quarterback Rakeem Cato and running back Remi Watson, the Herd climbed out of the 14-0 hole in a hurry.

In one of his best over all performances of the season thus far, Cato threw for 186 yards and added 92 yards on the ground. The senior quarterback also had three touchdowns (two passing, one running) while leading the offense to nine touchdowns.

Cato, still a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy, had his moment during the Herd’s first score. On third and goal from the two-yard line, Cato dropped back to pass, but was forced out of the pocket. After scrambling for what seemed like 50 yards and five minutes, Cato, with momentum carrying him out of bounds near the 25-yard line, found Watson in the end zone for what would go down as a two yard touchdown pass.

Watson, who got the start due to Devon Johnson being out with a lingering injury, accounted for four of the Herd’s touchdowns.

Steward Butler led the team in rushing with 118 yards, most of which came on the first play of the fourth quarter, when Butler took a handoff 83 yards for his second touchdown.

Herd volleyball falls to Western Kentucky Sophomore Cassie Weaver plays at the net against Morehead State University Sept. 16.

SHALEE ROGNEY | THE PARTHENON

By SCOTT BOLGER

Continuing a string of games in which it’s clamped down defensively, the Herd allowed just three points after going down 14-0 early.

The Herd defense forced four turnovers and constantly got to USM quarterback Cole Weeks, sacking him six times.

Linebacker Jermaine Holmes and defensive back Corey Tindal led the team in tackles with eight each.

Next up for the Herd is a home matchup that has been circled on many calendars since the schedule was released: Rice University.

The 6-3 (4-1) Owls are the last team to beat the Herd in its last 16 games, including a 41-24 loss in last season’s Conference USA championship.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Network.

Shannon Stowers can be contacted at stowers44@marshall.edu.

THE PARTHENON The Marshall University volleyball team (14-15, 8-6) lost its final home game Sunday to Conference-USA powerhouse Western Kentucky University (25-5, 13-1) 0-3 (23-25, 24-26, 17-25).

The loss may have broken Marshall’s fourgame win streak, but the Herd clinched a C-USA tournament berth Friday and will still have an opportunity to possibly avenge this lopsided loss.

The Herd, similar to Friday’s match against FAU and many preceding contentions, used its 1-2-3 offensive and 3-2-1 defensive formations to combat WKU, who used a nearly identical formation.

Leading the Herd in kills was junior outside hitter Lauren Legge with 11. Legge would be the only Marshall hitter with 10 plus kills for the day, and was even out-pointed by two Hilltoppers in Jessica Lucas and Alyssa Cavanaugh.

The two totaled 12 and 15, respectively.

Marshall also hit an uncharacteristic 12 percent for the match and was nearly doubled by WKU’s 23 percent. The Hilltoppers were more proficient when sharing the ball, and it showed with 44 assists to the Herd’s 37. They also totaled seven more digs with 59 to Marshall’s 52.

One may assume that the first set was a foreshadowing to a close match because both teams tied nine times. There were only two lead changes and unfortunately for the Herd, the final lead change was not in their favor. After a 13-11 lead acquired from Hilltopper net violations, and powerful spikes from the edge of the net by Legge and sophomore opposite Elyse Panick, Marshall’s cohesiveness began to unfold. Western Kentucky would win the set 25-23.

Twice, the Herd let volleys fall to the ground from indecisiveness, and hitters Legge and Cassie Weaver were out of touch on their strikes when choosing location, accounting for six errors while not hitting the ball deep enough to disallow WKU digs.

“Cassie (Weaver) likes to drill balls down into the middle of the block,” said Marshall Head Coach Mitch Jacobs. “She needs to stay above the block and go off the top of the block and move around deeper.”

Again, Marshall showed great promise

page designed and edited by JESSICA STARKEY| starkey33@marshall.edu

midway through the second half. After being down 15-24 due to WKU’s 3-2-1 offensive and defensive set in which the front line was the focal point for all aspects, Marshall went on a 9-0 run headed by Panick’s versatility with vigorously hit kills from the left side and roofing blocks at both edges.

What brought the Herd to the nine - point deficit was the patience of WKU’s front line, never leaving its positions and consistently deflecting spikes so the back three could volley it back towards them.

Because of the run, WKU called a timeout.

Hilltopper head coach Travis Hudson could be heard saying, “Just do what we’re supposed to do. We know the ball is coming from the left.”

The Hilltoppers then won the two remaining points, deflecting the Herd’s left side attack via roofing.

The third set was the least competitive, and maybe the disheartening defeats in sets one and two encompassed the exuberance of the Herd players. Marshall acquired a 9-7 lead from a few hesitation kills from senior setter Sammie Bane and sophomore middle-backer Ally Kiekover, but again, the team faltered and was outscored 18-8. Nothing was wrong with Marshall’s strategy, but technically, there were issues, and it showed, with numerous block attempts going out of bounds and the Hilltoppers front three battering Marshall spike attempts back into Herd territory.

When inquired about the loss, Coach Jacobs blamed it on a lack of energy and confidence.

“We didn’t have energy at the start to finish today,” Jacobs said. “I’ve never seen our team quit like that, but we did, and it’s embarrassing because Western Kentucky is a great team and we disrespected another opponent. We should always play as hard as we can.”

The Herd will take on Rice University in Houston, Texas Thursday. The Owl’s will be one of the swiftest teams the Herd has seen all year.

“We’re going to start breaking down tape tomorrow,” Jacobs said. “We know that they’re a fast team. They’re athletic, they have ball control, they do everything that is going to make it really hard on us.”

Scott Bolger can be contacted by bolger@marshall.edu.

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PHOTOS BY LEXI BROWNING | THE PARTHENON

DOWN WITH THE MOUNTAIN LIONS Men’s basketball defeats Concord Men’s soccer defeats Concord 4-1 92-80 in exhibition match

By BRADLEY HELTZEL

By SCOTT BOLGER

THE PARTHENON The Marshall University men’s basketball team defeated Concord University 92-80 Saturday in the Cam Henderson Center this past Saturday. The exhibition match was hotly contested at halftime, with the Mountain Lions ahead 44-38, but a 25-14 run eight minutes into the second half revamped the Herd’s focus and galvanized a tougher man-to-man defense in order to sustain the lead from there on out.

Spearheading the run was junior forward Jay Johnson, who finished the game with 19 points and 5/9 shooting behind the arc.

TAMRON MANNING

LEXI BROWNING | THE PARTHENON

“We knew coming in at halftime that Marshall would make a run, because of the way Coach [Dan] D’Antoni is going to play,” said Concord head coach Kent McBride. “They were going to shoot the basketball. We knew they would make a run and we just didn’t stop it fast enough. I think they hit four or five three’s in a row and I don’t think we converted maybe one of those possessions. That’s the difference.”

Herd player’s admitted to having first game jitters, and that probably being the reason behind a halftime deficit to a Division II school.

“A lot of excitement,” said redshirt sophomore forward Ryan Taylor. “Just from us within as a team. The coaches were excited and it just being the first game, we were trying to impress the fans. Maybe we tried to do too much, kind of like Cleveland (Cavaliers) and how they were the opening night, but I think we got the jitters out in the second half and we played well.”

In the first half, a fidgety Marshall team, succumbing to its nervousness, wasn’t the only reason Concord took a first half lead. Concord was the much smaller team, but utilized its speed very well. The team out of Athens, West Virginia, would place the guards on the perimeter with two post men on the low block. The forwards down low had one objective: to garner as many put back points as possible, while the guards set picks for each other in order to drive into the lane for mid-range jumpers or to attack the basket.

The second-half success of that strategy wasn’t nearly as successful as it was in the first.

“They did a really good job putting [Justin] Edmonds up on our ball handlers,” McBride said. “When they want to play fast, they continually really wore our guys down.

We turned the ball over carelessly. Whether it was fatigue, or whatever it was playing at this level, that took a lot out of

play. We couldn’t get in rhythm at half-court and all of sudden when you get pressured in the back-court, we started dribbling instead of passing.”

Marshall’s usage of 11 players, full and half-court traps, coast-to-coast drives and kick outs for corner three-pointers won the game for the Herd.

Marshall continues to instill the fast paced, quick firing offense in the regular season, but look for them to be more situational during the regular season.

When asked if we would continue to see 11 men play, Marshall head coach D’Antoni said we would not.

“I wanted to film where I could see everybody,” D’Antoni said. “I wanted to play Milan a little more than I did. I thought he looked pretty good for the little bit of time he was in there and we would’ve liked to have given him a little bit more time.”

D’Antoni greatly stressed that both he and his player’s will be going through a lengthy development process.

“I’m getting new to this, too,” D’Antoni said. “We scored 90 points and somebody got tired on the floor. I don’t understand that because I never got tired.

I think it was excitement. In the first half everyone was excited and they got winded really fast — everybody I put in got winded. In the second half, they settled down more and extended their play a little bit.

“We’ve been practicing. I think we’re in good shape.

Again, it was excitement that winded them. I think we’ll learn a lot. It’ll be a good learning experience. It’s going to be all year long, a work in progress. I’m brand new, we have a brand new system, we have all brand new players really because players that did the really heavy play last year are not here. It’s going to be a continual work in progress until we figure out the chemistry, the element of the game. And to quote Lebron, ‘It’s always a work in progress.’”

Marshall’s next game will be against Jacksonville State at 7 p.m. Friday Nov. 14 at the Cam Henderson Center.

Scott Bolger can be contacted at bolger@marshall. edu.

THE PARTHENON The Herd wrapped up its regular season Saturday with a conclusive 4-1 win over Concord University on senior day to push its current win streak to three games.

Senior Danny Sellitti was recognized before the match and presented with a framed pink goalkeeper jersey. Bob Gray was also honored with a framed jersey as he celebrated his 20th season as the Herd’s head coach.

In the match, the Herd (7-8-3, 3-4-1) got four goals from four different players with midfielders Ryan Forde, Ian Lovern, freshman Christian Kershaw and West Virginia native Trevor Starcher all notching scoring strikes. Both Lovern and Kershaw collected their first career goals for the Herd. Kershaw also had two assists in the match.

The match was the second consecutive game in which the Herd scored four goals after defeating Asbury 4-0 in its previous match. Gray said it was

nice for the Herd to get some scoring chances and gain some confidence offensively with their production in the past two matches.

With its regular season concluded the Herd will now look toward the postseason and the Conference USA Tournament this week that is hosted by Old Dominion in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Herd is seeded sixth out of the seven teams that qualified for the tournament. It will face the third seed, University of Alabama at Birmingham, in the tournament quarterfinals at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Herd were thrashed by UAB in its lone matchup of the regular season as the Blazers won by a score of 7-2 in Birmingham, Alabama.

The seven goals were the most allowed in a match by the Herd all season as five different players scored for UAB. However, Gray said he doesn’t mind the UAB matchup, despite the definitive loss early in the season.

“I’d rather play a team we lost

to than a team we’ve already beaten because it’s tough to beat a team twice,” Gray said.

In terms of health, Gray said the team will welcome back Ontario native Daniel Jodah for the tournament after he missed the previous two matches with a hamstring injury. Jodah, a sophomore midfielder, led the Herd with five goals this season.

Gray also said junior midfielder Trevor Starcher should be fine after injuring his ankle in Friday’s match with Concord, but Gray is not as optimistic that the team will have the services of junior Frenchman Arthur Duschesne, whose status will be monitored throughout the week.

If the Herd defeats UAB and advances to the semifinals, it will play the winner of the match between seventh seeded South Carolina versus second seeded Kentucky at 4:30 p.m.

Friday.

Bradley Heltzel can be contacted at heltzel@marshall. edu.

Marshall’s Trevor Starcher (17) defends as the Herd men’s soccer team takes on Concord University on Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Complex.

page designed and edited by MEGAN OSBORNE| osborne115@marshall.edu

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Opinion

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Editorial

The Parthenon, Marshall University’s student newspaper, is published by students Monday through Friday during the regular semester and Thursday during the summer. The editorial staff is responsible for news and editorial content.

CODI MOHR EXECUTIVE EDITOR mohr13@marshall.edu

TAYLOR STUCK JOCELYN GIBSON MANAGING EDITOR stuck7@marshall.edu

NEWS EDITOR gibson243@marshall.edu

JESSICA STARKEY

MEGAN OSBORNE

SPORTS EDITOR starkey33@marshall.edu

LIFE! EDITOR osborne115@marshall.edu

JESSICA ROSS

GEOFFREY FOSTER

ASSIGNMENT EDITOR jessica.ross@marshall.edu

COPY EDITOR foster147@marshall.edu

ALEXANDRIA RAHAL

LEXI BROWNING

DIGITAL EDITOR rahal1@marshall.edu

SHANNON STOWERS ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR stowers44@marshall.edu

PHOTO EDITOR browning168@marshall.edu

SANDY YORK FACULTY ADVISOR sandy.york@marshall.edu

Honor them with remembrance Friday, celebration Saturday What do you get when you have a 9-0, No. 21 ranked Thundering Herd football team, plus a conference championship stealing team coming into the Joan and the anniversary of a plane crash that took the lives of many and changed a town and school forever?

Hopefully it’s a jam-packed Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

If it’s not enough we play Rice University, the team that stole the championship out from Huntington, and then gave us our one loss on the season, it is also the anniversary of the fatal plane crash.

The week leading up to the ceremony is always a strange one on Marshall’s campus. Anytime you look at the fountain, you remember you only have a few more days

to sit on the plaza and hear the water falling. It’s solemn, a little quieter.

That shouldn’t stop us from being loud Saturday, however.

It’s one of the most moving moments in the movie.

Matthew McConaughey, as Jack Lengyel, leans over behind Matthew Fox as Red Dawson and says: “One day, not today, not tomorrow, not this season, probably not next season either but one day, you and I are going to wake up and suddenly we’re going to be like every other team in every other sport where winning is everything and nothing else matters. And when that day comes, well that’s, that’s when we’ll honor them.”

We made it there a while ago – where winning means everything – but we still

are not like every other team. Unlike other teams, we have something to fight for, someone to fight for. Seventy-five someones.

We honor them Friday with a ceremony.

We honor them Saturday by filling the stadium and chanting, “We are…Marshall.”

Show Conference USA what it missed out on when they took the championship game to Houston. If you don’t come to the game to support Rakeem Cato, Devon Johnson and the rest of the Thundering Herd, do it to honor those who didn’t get to play again. Do it for the fans who didn’t see another game. Do it for Lengyel and Dawson and the Young Thundering Herd.

It’s Monday. You have four days to get your tickets.

CONTACT US: 109 Communications Bldg.|Marshall University|One John Marshall Drive Huntington, West Virginia 25755|parthenon@marshall.edu|@MUParthenon

THE FIRST AMENDMENT

The Constitution of the United States of America

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble; and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

BE HERD: GUIDELINES FOR SENDING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Please keep letters to the editor at 300 words or fewer. They must be saved in Microsoft Word and sent as an attachment. Longer letters may be used as guest columns at the editor’s discretion. Guest column status will not be given at the author’s request. All letters must be signed and include an address or phone number for confirmation.

Letters may be edited for grammar, libelous statements, available space or factual errors. Compelling

letters that are posted on The Parthenon website, www.marshallparthenon. com, can be printed at the discretion of the editors.

The opinions expressed in the columns and letters do not necessarily represent the views of The Parthenon staff.

Please send news releases to the editors at parthenon@marshall.edu.

Please keep in mind, letters are printed based on timeliness, newsworthiness and space.

State Editorial

Plants decision saves taxpayers money CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL (AP) Putting an end to a monthslong legal battle, Kanawha County Prosecutor Mark Plants announced Monday he would not appeal a three-judge panel’s decision to remove him from office.

Plants had until Friday, Nov. 14, to appeal the decision. He now must vacate his office by Nov. 13.

The ouster stems from allegations of domestic abuse and violating a protective order.

Misdemeanor charges are still pending, but Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom in April decided to bar Plants’ office from prosecuting domestic battery cases involving children.

That forced the Kanawha County Commission to hire two special prosecutors — one to handle the prosecutor office’s

domestic abuse caseload, and another to handle charges against Plants — each of which cost taxpayers extra.

Claiming the mounting costs, county commissioners pushed for Plants’ removal from office.

It is more than a little disturbing to see an elected official pushed from office by other elected officials based on allegations that remain unproven in court.

Yes, the special prosecutors cost money, but no one suggested due process is cheap.

Preferably, Plants could have operated under a presumption of innocence until the charges were resolved.

Yet, he is to be commended for stepping aside and avoiding a further lengthy, distracting and costly legal battle.

PHOTOS BY RICHARD CRANK AND ANDREA STEELE | THE PARTHENON

Column

What I put on my face has nothing to do with my worth

By JOCELYN GIBSON

NEWS EDITOR For a while it was the trend among feminists to shed any practice that could be seen as a tool of the patriarchy and one of the first things to go was the use of makeup. Feminists worried applying makeup was something they only did to please men, to make them more aesthetically pleasing to the male eye.

I get where they were coming from, and maybe I would have felt the same way about ditching the façade and baring my true, unmade-up feminist self to the patriarchal world, and I would have been taking a stand.

However, we are no longer in the era of 60s and 70s second-wave feminism, and I, like many other feminists, am embracing the idea that makeup doesn’t have to be oppressive; in fact, it can be quite liberating.

My relationship with makeup has been far more complex than making a feminist choice to embrace it. For me, it was a struggle for confidence that led me to my current relationship with it.

From the time I entered middle school I was concerned about how others perceive me, and that was also the

point when I started wearing makeup on a daily basis. It started out heavy, almost nothing of myself remaining after it was all applied and without it I felt completely vulnerable — vulnerable to the judgment of everyone who saw me.

Really, it wasn’t until college that I started to change the relationship I had with makeup, but it didn’t begin as that exactly. It began with relinquishing a lot of feelings I had about how others looked at me and how I looked at myself.

Once I decided I was happy, everything else fell into place. I found that I didn’t need the security blanket of a fully made-up face anymore. I had gained confidence and lost a ton of negativity that I had been harboring for years.

I found that makeup played a much better role in my life as something I do for my own enjoyment, than something I had to do every morning for other people. I like the artistry of applying it, of all the different looks you can accomplish, and it has become something that is entirely for me because I like the process and the end result. page designed and edited by TAYLOR STUCK |stuck7@marshall.edu

I would encourage my fellow feminists and my fellow women to do things because they make you genuinely happy. I would encourage you to find your confidence and if you find instead that something you are doing has become a security blanket, then I would encourage you to explore why that is, but I am not going to tell you it is wrong or right to wear makeup.

It had become too much of a necessity in my life, and so I changed the way I used it. It will never be anyone else’s business the way I or you chose to adorn our bodies and as long as we are doing for reasons entirely our own, it no one’s problem either.

As I write this, I have not touched my face with makeup in two days. And most days, when I do wear makeup, it is minimal: light foundation, mascara and lipstick. That’s it. My face isn’t perfect, and it makes me feel more pulled together to wear a little makeup most days, but I have made my routine as minimal. I save time in the mornings, I don’t worry about it, and I like the way I look.

Jocelyn Gibson can be contacted at gobson243@marshall.edu.

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ANNUAL BIKE BASH Inside look at the HITS RITTER PARK members of SGA

By HANNAH SAYRE

Cyclists from the tri-state community participate in a leisure group ride during Huntington’s Second annual Bike Bash Saturday at Rotary Park.

Cyclists, mountain bikers and Cyclocross enthusiasts gathered at Rotary Park Saturday to participate in the Second Annual Bike Bash.

The event began at 9:30 a.m. with a beginners' pace road ride of about 14 miles guided by experienced riders who were able to share tips with the novice riders.

Live music, food vendors and information booths were set up by 11 a.m. when the Kids Bike Rodeo Course began.

At noon, expert mountain biker Bryan Beckett led a mountain biking clinic. Professional Cyclocross Racer Mark Brown conducted a Cyclocross clinic at 1:30 p.m.

THE PARTHENON From the outside looking into the Marshall University Student Government Association, not many people realize the time and effort students put into theorganization that makes decisions for their benefit.

SGA is made up of three branches: the executive branch, under the Waugaman/Mangus Administration; the student senate, under the president pro tempore, Justyn Cox and the senate apprenticeship program.

Each administration chooses his or her cabinet and may have as few or many positions as they choose. Many of these cabinet picks are experienced senators, but not all.

Holland Miller, SGA business manager, said this is his first year being involved with SGA. “I came into office last spring as a part of the executive staff,” Miller said. “My role is to make sure we have the financial stability and liquidity to fund SGA as a whole. In addition, I make sure that our student organizations have an outlet for funding and to ensure activities benefiting the students are made achievable from a financial stand point.”

Miller said he likes to align himself with energetic, motivated people.

“I strongly believe that students who make an effort to be involved around campus see our impact,” Miller said.

“Ideally, you want everyone to love everything we do as SGA executives, but that’s just not possible. I think as long as you show up and fight the good fight, and do everything with the well-being of fellow students in mind, then that’s all you can do. The rest of the pieces will hopefully fall in place.”

To be a senator of SGA, students can apply for a seat each spring semester. There are senators of each college and

senators at large. The Senate meets every Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Kate Wright is the senator for the graduate college, pursuing degrees in history and public administration. She did her undergraduate studies here at Marshall and graduated in 2013.

“I ran for senator of the graduate college in the spring of last year and truly had no expectations,” Wright said. “Now I am on two committees, campus life and finance. They have given me more perspective of the university than I previously had. The diverse amount of student organizations requesting money allows me and my fellow senators to see how many organizations we have, how diverse we are, and learn something greater about Marshall and its reach in the community.”

Wright said she wishes everyone could have the experience she has had because it has grown her love for Marshall University tremendously.

It has also allowed her to leave Marshall in a better state than when she arrived.

Junior Caleb Murray, college of education senator, said SGA has done wonderful things this semester, and he is lucky to have had the chance to be part of many decisions with the finance committee. However, he also said he has been disappointed with the lack of participation in the general senate.

Murray also said he is pleased with how the executive branch has functioned this semester and encourages students to engage with their senators.

“I’m very satisfied with the way the SGA executive has led this semester,” Murray said. “I started off kind of rough, but my passion for the organization and its duties have grown immensely. I am very excited to continue serving and I would encourage everyone to find out who their representatives are and to express any ideas

or concerns. We do this for the student body.”

The purpose of the senate apprenticeship program is to serve as a development opportunity for leadership for first year students.

Senate apprentices shadow a senator and learn the ins-andouts of SGA. Freshman apprentice Jenna Adkins stumbled upon SGA accidentally after becoming good friends with one of the executive staff, who walked her through SGA procedures and showed her the responsibilities the orginization entails.

“As an apprentice, I have been working close with the finance committee,” Adkins said.

“I am enjoying learning about Marshall’s various student organizations and writing bills that will help fund their philanthropic events. Being on SGA will also put my passion for politics to good use. I love the atmosphere of SGA and I have made some of my best and most reliable friends because of it.”

Freshman apprentice Matthew Jarvis said he decided to join SGA because he was very involved in high school.

“I thought it would be a good idea to become involved on campus and make friends,” Jarvis said.

“I was immediately welcomed in with open arms and smiling faces. The senate treasurer, Jordan Fanelli, had faith in me and took me on as his apprentice and began to show me how the finance committee of SGA worked.

Because of Jordan, I received a crash course on how the finance committee worked and was immediately put to work.”

Jarvis said his favorite part about being in SGA, however, is seeing the faces of the members within student organizations who receive funding. He said it is such a great feeling knowing he contributes to the success of other student groups on Marshall’s campus.

Hannah Sayre can be contacted at sayre81@marshall. edu.

Business, the College of Health Professions and the College of Information Technology and Engineering.

“The program was accredited within the first three years,” Berhie said. “That speaks quality. The health informatics program is the only in the state of West Virginia, and its one of the three informatics programs in the United States to be accredited by the Commission of Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management.”

Berhie said he believes it is the combined expertise and skills, combined with knowledge from the three colleges that make the health informatics program unique.

Debra Stinson, graduate student in the informatics program, said she went to school for web development as an undergraduate

student and combining the three disciplines helped her adapt.

“I came from a technological background, and that also helped me to adapt to the informatics program because one of the disciplines are information technology,” Stinson said.

Students graduating with a master’s degree in health informatics can typically get jobs as security officers, data analysts, professors, CIO’s, consultants and program managers.

Berhie said Marshall’s program is a prime example of how both affordability and quality can go together.

“Students will spend less money on tuition and after graduation will have a better chance of finding a good paying job,” Berhie said.

“Most of our graduates from this program are making $60,000 to $125,000 yearly.

This can repay any loans they might have.”

Michael Jones, a graduate of the program, said it wasn’t until receiving his degree at Marshall that he found the career where he could truly succeed.

“As a nurse with a background in neuroscience, health research and data analysis, I had been seeking the right graduate program that could combine the kind of education and experience with today’s cutting-edge health information sciences,” Jones said. “I found my answer at Marshall University’s health informatics program.

As a recent graduate, I now have an exciting and rewarding career as a health informatics specialist working in the area of informatics and health data analytics.”

J’Leigha Long can be contacted at jleigha18@ hotmail.com.

Health Informatics program ranked No. 1 most affordable program City announces Huntington Christmas Parade of Lights The city of Huntington has announced the annual Christmas Parade of Lights will be Dec. 13 at 6 p.m.

This is a new tradition being started by the city of Huntington. Local Huntington residents and organizations are being asked to participate.

The organizations participating will have the

chance to compete in a float contest and judges selected by the city of Huntington will choose the winner.

The judges will be looking for the incorporation of the 2014 Huntington Christmas Parade of Lights theme, creativity, originality, design and workmanship of the float.

By J’LEIGHA LONG

THE PARTHENON Marshall University’s Health Informatics graduate program was ranked No. 1 for the most affordable program in the nation, out of a total of 25, according to the MBA Healthcare Management in the United States.

This was based off of the overall flexibility, quality and research trends within each program.

The Health Informatics program is a multidisciplinary profession that utilizes information technologies, information systems integrated into the health care arena and informatics.

Dr. Girmay Berhie, program director for health informatics, said the program consists of a partnership between three of Marshall University’s colleges: the College of

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