VOL. 100 – ISSUE 10
THE TRUMPET
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
WLU’s Student News Source
West Liberty men’s basketball and wrestling team nationally ranked in “Power 10” pg. 3 Hilltopper Baseball prepares for upcoming season despite COVID-19 challenges pg. 13 @WLTrumpetOnline @thetrumpetwestliberty @thetrumpetwlu
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WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
THE TRUMPET
NEWS
COVER BY: HILLTOPPER SPORTS
CULTURE
Photo Credits: Coach Daniel Hopkins Summer reconstruction leads to a new and improved student weight room: Pandhandle Performance Zone pg. 6
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SPORTS
Photo Credits: WLU Acrobatics & Tumbling
Art Created By: Samantha Snyder
The PRIDE of the Hilltop: West Liberty relaunches student LGBTQ+ club pg. 8
It has@TheTrumpetWestLiberty come to our attention that a former member of our staff plagiarized articles in Vol. @WLTrumpetOnline 100 Issue 2 and Issue 6. We apologize for this unfortunate action and will be more @WLTrumpetOnline diligent to ensure plagiarized content is not westliberty.edu/thetrumpet published in the future. Thank You.
An inside look at West Liberty University’s Acrobatics and Tumbling recruitment process pg. 14
THE TRUMPET
The Student Voice of the Hilltop
The Trumpet’s mission is to provide WLU students of all majors an opportunity to learn how to gather and present news information to the campus community, and to serve the WLU community with fair and accurate reporting on matters of significance and interest.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-Chief Annalise Murphy Online Editor Creed Kidney Sport Editor Anna Johnston Graphic Designer Morgan Kafana Digital Media Editor Morgan McFadden Video Editor Intern Lauryn Fridley Sports Writer Maxwell Fiedorczyk Faculty Adviser Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell
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To submit a letter to the editor, please email anmurphy@westliberty.edu. Please put your name, address, phone number, email address. If the editor decides to publish it, she will contact you to conform your identity.
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Wltrumpet@westliberty.edu (304) 336-8873 Graphic Created By: Morgan McFadden & Emily Everson
NEWS
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
NEWS
Editor-in-Chief: Annalise Murphy
PAGE 3
- anmurphy@westliberty.edu
West Liberty men’s basketball and wrestling team nationally ranked in “Power 10” West Liberty University’s men’s basketball team and wrestling team have both been nationally ranked this month. The basketball team was ranked no.2 in the annual NCAA Division II Preseason “Power 10” posted on the NCAA website. The WLU wrestlers have been ranked no.4 in the nation. Ben Howlett’s basketballers achieved this ranking off the back of a successful previous season. The Hilltoppers finished top of the Mountain East Conference and made it to the NCAA Division II tournament before being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsurprisingly, the WLU triple threat of 1000 point scorers were cited as a key reason for the no.2 position in the rankings. Dalton Bolon, Will Yoakum, and Pat Robinson all averaged more than 18 points per game
and are returning to the Hilltop for the new season scheduled to start in January. The specific fixtures are yet to be released.
The season will be MEC only, as per COVID-19 restrictions, but Howlett’s team will be eager to claim the top spot yet again. “As a team, we love the pressure of being ranke and every game being magnified,” said Robinson. “We work hard every day to put ourselves in a position to win, so we are very confident in ourselves.” West Liberty’s wrestlers also had a successful season last year with a few achieving individual national rankings as well as NCAA and MEC honors. This year, the team has been pinned as no.4 in the nation by TheOpenMat with nationally ranked wrestlers in six of the 10 weight classes. “Rankings get people excited and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit excited to see West Liberty ranked in the top five as a team and six of our
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports guys ranked among the best in the nation,” Head Coach Danny Irwin said. “This group feels they have been putting in the volume while staying focused on the details that will put them in position to succeed in March. Given the competitors we have in the room, the fact that all of our weights aren’t represented (in the rankings) should provide some extra motivation.” Although the excitement around the rankings can be capitalized on, it does come with some added pressure. “Winning
a national championship is one of our goals,” Irwin said, “but there are probably 10 teams with the guys capable of winning one. In order for us to reach that goal, we need to continue training the way we have been training. That wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and support of our administration and training staff. Our coaches and athletes are incredibly appreciative of their efforts.” For fixture updates for basketball, wrestling and all other WLU athletics, check in with Hilltoppersports.com and “The Trumpet,” student newspaper.
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NOVEMBER 19, 2020
NEWS
AEP donation to West Liberty University Foundation funds distance learning project funded a Distance Learning Project at West Liberty.
Since the middle of the spring 2020 and beginning of fall 2020 semester, West Liberty students have been navigating how to adapt to distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has affected students in various ways, but one concept is common among most—distance learning is an adaptation that can be hard to manage at times. Students at West Liberty are hoping that this generous donation from AEP will help the university assist students in ways that they were not able too before. On Nov. 17, 2020, WLU Media Relations published a press release stating that the American Electric Power [AEP] Foundation
The press release contained a statement from Angie Zambito-Hill, the executive director of the WLU Foundation and is as follows: “I am excited to announce that AEP generously presented the WLU Foundation with a $25,000 check to assist us in out distance learning project. This project will greatly advance our ability to provide distance learning opportunities for students…”.. West Liberty student Ross Salvatori said he prefers in person learning because it is easier for him to focus and interact with the professor; however, he is grateful that the university is still offering him access to his education during the pandemic. “AEPs gift to West Liberty was extremely generous and
Provided By: WLU Media Relations
will help so many people as we see cases continue to surge,” said Salvatori. The President and COO of Appalachian Power [an AEP company] Chris Beam is also documented within the release saying the AEP Foundation is “happy to support the West Liberty Foundation, and excited to be a part of this important project that supports higher education in the Mountain state.” According to WLU Media Relations, the check will help build new projectors, audio reinforcements, video conferencing, TV monitors, a microscope that can project a screen, which according to Joe Rodella (chief information officer), will give instructors “a manageable control capability.” Yodev Ocasio, a senior who will be graduating from the university this December shared how he has adapted to this semester saying, “personally, the tradition to
online learning has forced me to find new levels of motivation since there is no personal interaction. However, given the circumstances, I think it’s wonderful that AEP and West Liberty are being proactive in helping students through this situation.” While the grant will help all students at West Liberty, it will especially help students within the master’s Physician Assistant Studies program at the university due to the technology allowing professors to teach medical specialties at a distance, according to Rodella. For more information about AEP’s donation and the contents within this article, please email the West Liberty’s director of Media Relations, Maureen Zambito, at maureen. zambito@westliberty.edu. To view the press release, please follow this link.
NEWS
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
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Professor Lee presents new game show “Hope You Studied, Nerds,” hosted by junior broadcasting major Isaac Basinger Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell’s COM 232: Broadcast News Writing class and sent on the teleprompter for the news class to put over the air.
Contributing Writer: Isaac Basinger Communications professor Christian Lee and upper level broadcasting and digital media design students are introducing a brand new game show, which will be featured on WLU-TV 14. The game show’s title is “Hope You Studied, Nerds.”
Due to WLU’s COVID-19 restrictions of having non-campus members on campus, “Hope You Studied, Nerds,” replaces a previously loved show, “Noise Violation,” which aired on WLU-TV 14 for 13 years prior to the pandemic. The interesting part about the show is the fact that it is solely run by the students. Professor Lee’s COM 321: Television Production II class is in charge of creating the content for the live show and running all of the equipment during the broadcast. Each student is graded on their performance when it is their turn to direct the game show. The show’s time ranges anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes long. Junior broadcasting student Isaac Basinger is the host of the show each week.
Photo Credits: Lauryn Fridley
The game show works like this: two contestants are selected and each have to answer as many trivia questions as they can during each round. Each trivia question has three clues that relate to the answer, whoever gets the trivia question right gets one point. There are six rounds, which includes topics like people, places, events, mixed and a speed round. Whoever has the most points after six rounds of trivia, wins the game. The winner gets bragging rights over the other contestant. “I think this is a really smart and good idea by this class. This seems like it is going to be fun and I am excited to watch. I can’t wait,” said WLU sophomore, Baylee Nixon. “I love trivia shows and cannot wait to see how this one plays out. I really enjoy trying to guess the answers and get
the question right, plus I get to see some of my classmates on TV,” said West Liberty junior Bryan Courts. The show is recorded everyWednesday of the fall semester and will air its final episode Nov. 17. Another show also made its debut in the beginning of November, “Newsline 14,” had its first live news broadcast since the spring semester. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the structure of the COM 325: Television Studio News Directing and Producing class, as the students had to research ways to put on a news broadcast during a worldwide pandemic. The students found news broadcasts from all over the country and figured out how to practice social distancing and get creative with news writing and packages. The news stories are written each week by Professor
Each student in the class is in charge of a position behind the scenes and broadcasting students Isaac Basinger and Heather Hale are the lead anchors. Each news broadcast lasts about 20 to 30 minutes. The show is separated into four segments which include national news, campus and local news, sports and weather updates. The show is filmed every Thursday afternoon in November and will have its final broadcast Nov. 18. Each class has had to make major changes to the way they run studio television shows. All students are required to wear gloves at all times and practice social distancing. Masks are required by all students, even the on-air talents. The changes are to keep everyone in the class safe and healthy, and also follow the guidelines that the university and the state have put into place. “Hope You Studied, Nerds” and “Newsline 14” can be watched live on WLU-TV 14 and on-demand on TopperStation.com in the near future.
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NOVEMBER 19, 2020
NEWS
Summer reconstruction leads to a new and improved student weight room: Pandhandle Performance Zone were moved outside into a temporary outdoor gym area in the West Family Stadium for student athletes to use in the interim.
Contributing Writer: Faith Hayes This summer, reconstruction of the West Liberty student athlete weight room, now called the Panhandle Performance Zone or PPZ, began. The new Panhandle Performance Zone brings athletes back inside, and just in time for the transition into the colder winter weather. During the reconstruction, all equipment was discarded except for the few pieces that
The new and improved indoor weight room is ready for our topper athletes. A portion of the football team was able to use the PPZ. Wide receiver, Tariq Glenn, said he had a great time working out in the PPZ, “Having a new weight room brought new energy and life into the building.” The new facility provides the space and opportunity for West Liberty’s student athletes to further their
New custom dumbells and rack Photo Credits: Coach Daniel Hopkins
abilities. Zayne Brakeall, a member of the Women’s Soccer Team and Track and Field team said, “I think it’s not only a great form of strength training and injury prevention for most teams, but it’s a great source of team bonding.”
The new workout space adds to the vibrant atmosphere of WLU athletics. “Being in the weight room helps my team to come together and work towards a goal. We all want to be fit and have good technical ability, but those things aren’t as useful if you don’t have strength on and off the ball,” said Brakeall. The PPZ has a 1,100 square foot expansion, new lighting, new flooring, and new workout equipment. Around 20 new squat Photo Credits: Anna Johnston racks and custom dumbbells are
just some of the equipment that can be found in the athlete’s new weight room. Student athlete, Nina Billotto, says she is excited to get into the PPZ and use the new equipment with her team. Offensive Line/Strength & Conditioning coach, Daniel Hopkins has been keeping twitter updated with pictures of the PPZ and its new equipment throughout the reconstruction process. You can see Hopkins tweets @coach_dhopkins. Stay up-to-date with your Hilltopper Athletes by checking out Hilltoppersports.com and thetrumpetwlu.org each week.
CULTURE
CULTURE NOVEMBER 19, 2020
Culture Editor: Hanna Perry - heperry@westliberty.edu
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Lambda Psi Sigma sorority hosts their philanthropy event via Instagram Contributing Writer: Emma Beatty Through the week of Nov. 9, the sorority, Lambda Psi Sigma, hosted their philanthropy takeover event on their Instagram page, @lambdapsisigma. Philanthropy refers to the desire to help others, specifically through the donation of money to charities or other groups. Lambda Psi Sigma has chosen to spotlight animal shelters in the area by posting about one each day this week. Andria Templeton, Philanthropy Chair, commented, “We just wanted to spread awareness and find forever homes for all of the animals!”
sorority is going to donate all the money to the shelter with the most likes on its individual post. Usually, Lambda Psi Sigma would also host Puppies on the Quad during this week, but it was canceled due to COVID-19. Members of the sorority would bring their own dogs to West Liberty’s Quad. By doing so, they hoped to encourage people to check the animal shelters for animals needing forever homes. The members hope this activity can continue in the future and are saddened that it was canceled this year.
Lambda Psi Sigma has put spotlights on Marshall County, Ohio County, Belmont County, Wetzel County, and Brooke County Animal Shelters.
Philanthropy is very important to Lambda Psi Sigma. New active member Kaitlyn Bailey also made a comment, saying, “As a new member, I have been able to pick up on how much our philanthropy means to the entire sorority.
In addition to the posts about the shelters, Lambda Psi Sigma also posted a Venmo Bingo Card on their Instagram Story every day during the week. This way, people can donate by sending money to their Venmo account, @LambdaPsi-Sigma. At the conclusion of the takeover event, the
Everyone gets very excited when we learn that a pet has been adopted from one of the shelters we partner with.” This attitude is reflected by the other members as they continuously share the Instagram posts on their personal pages and spread information across campus.
Lambda Psi Sigma sisters at Hozaks Farm this Fall Photo Credits: Riley Duda
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
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CULTURE
The PRIDE of the Hilltop: West Liberty relaunches student LGBTQ+ club enough successful involvement and outreach from the student population, for the school’s future. Among all the woes of the world experienced during this seemingly endless pandemic, so too have we seen a recent flourishing of multiple human rights and equality campaigns and communities. All notions of the current political climate aside, it appeared to many to be only a waiting game until such ventures were reignited with even greater fervor then the 21st century has already so graciously given them; therefore, it is only natural that our very own campus here on the Hilltop lend their voice. Student Activities has recently announced plans to bring back the PRIDE club, with
Citing their message as a “student organization established to foster and promote an open and honest environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students, partners, faculty, and staff in the WLU community,” the group “looks to promote positive images of the LGBT community and to foster opportunities for personal and professional growth regardless of sexual or gender identity.” This announcement was met with much excitement from the student population, especially because of the chance to truly build the club for what they, the students, want it to look like and be for them and their fellow community members. As the club has yet to truly get up and off the ground, I reached out to Kate Billings, Director of Student Activities, for comment on what the inclusion of such a club would mean to our campus community; “I think it can provide conversations and support to students within the LGBTQ+ community and their allies here to discuss ways to grow as individuals and support members in that growth, [and] have people who can relate to [shared] similar experiences.
Art Created By: Samantha Snyder
Billings went on to talk
about how when a club doesn’t re-register, or might have some kind of internal functional or organizational issues, students can be afraid to restart it or bring it back because they don’t know what kind of support or opposition they’ll receive from their peers. However, this is a wonderful opportunity for University administrators such as Billings to step in and show just how much our school cares about these social issues, “We want to make sure we can help create that movement to [organize] and give additional support to show students we can do this together and help the organization thrive again!” said Billings. “We also have many students coming from different backgrounds, areas, religions, etc. and we want them to know as a university that no matter who you are [or] how you identify, you are welcomed at West Liberty, and having a Pride club (or any type of diversity entity - a Black Student Union, International Club, Religious Organizations)
supports that mission.” Billings summed up perfectly what she feels the club will bring to our campus and student population beyond the time of graduation; “It will show that the Hilltop truly is home. And hopefully encourage our student population to embrace inclusivity and welcome LGBTQ+ students to be authentic to themselves; not just within an academic environment.” Please email Kate Billings, at activities@westliberty.edu, to let them know you’re interested in joining or helping out with the club’s creation and success.
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
CULTURE
Professor DeWitt’s journey to the Hilltop Despite this, she never felt unwelcome on campus.
Contributing Writer: Baylee Snyder
Christina (Tina) DeWitt, has recently begun her first year as an instructor of finance and general business at West Liberty University. She is a graduate of West Liberty herself. DeWitt has had the unique ability to experience West Liberty from two perspectives: the student and the instructor. She started her academic career for the first time in the 90s, and then returned to the hilltop to graduate alongside her daughter in 2017. She took a job as an adjunct professor in the West Liberty University Gary E. West College of Business, and then transitioned to a full-time position this fall semester. West Liberty has always been special for DeWitt. “For being a smaller college, you have a lot of diversity here.” When she returned to complete her degree, she was a non-traditional student, meaning she did not fit the standard 20-something, fresh-out-of-highschool image that many people associate with a college student.
“The students I had in my classes accepted me. I wasn’t an outsider.” During her time as a student, DeWitt tutored and helped her classmates with the more difficult course material. Hayden Blazer, one of her classmates, stated that Tina was “willing to help with anything no matter what.” Another classmate, Brandon Galici, echoed this sentiment, saying that “she was also the study guide and notes’ queen.” DeWitt decided to return to West Liberty University after graduation because she missed the atmosphere created in her study sessions. “I missed the classroom, believe it or not.” To her, the students are a crucial part of the West Liberty experience, specifically being able to watch them learn something new. “Seeing them connect the dots as the course progresses… shows that you’re making that impact.” Despite the challenges that this semester has brought along, DeWitt has been making the best of a difficult situation and is happy to be back on the hilltop.
Photo Credits: Christina [Tina] DeWitt
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Marching Hilltoppers perform for the last time this semester Contributing Writer: Emma Beatty After not being able to perform for most of the semester, West Liberty University band students had one final show for the 2020 fall semester on Nov. 17. Braving 30-degree weather, the band played a total of nine songs while decked in Christmas sweaters and their instruments wrapped in lights. The selections included “Ode to Joy”, “The West Virginia Hills”, “You Can Call Me Al”, “Respect”, “British Invasion”, “September”, “Saturday Night Is Alright (For Fighting)”, West Liberty University’s Alma Mater, and “Fight, Hilltoppers, Fight!” respectively. Each song, except for the final two, were conducted by Field Commander Christian Oliver. At the close of the show, the four seniors, Tyler Kreitzer, Christian Oliver, Alexa Logsdon, and Jordan Shultz, were recognized. They took their shoes off on the field which is a long-lived tradition. This symbolized that this was the last time they would wear those shoes and they were leaving everything on the field. Also, the seniors are leaving their shoes
for the underclassmen to fill after they are gone. At the close of the show, the entire band shouted their chant with the seniors as a final goodbye as marching season ended. Despite being disappointed most of this semester due to COVID-19, the band was in high spirits during the performance. Their hard work and determination was reflected during the show. The crowd was small due to having to be socially distanced but was very entertained. Professors and students in the audience joined the band in dancing as well as singing along to the songs. Alexia Schmader, who plays piccolo, commented on the performance, “I did not realize how difficult it was to play without anyone listening until this year. Tonight, I was reminded of how wonderful it is to be able to share our music with other people. It was nice to have an audience regardless of the size.” This sentiment was reflected by other members who were grateful that students and professors alike watched the performance.
Photo Credits: Emma Beatty
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
OPINION
PAGE 10
OPINION
Remembering the life of Jeopardy host, Alex Trebek On Nov. 8, 2020 it was announced that tv show host Alex Trebek passed away at the age of 80. Trebek was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer on March 6, 2019 and after months of treatment chose to withdraw from them.
“I’m not afraid of dying. I’ve lived a good life, a full life, and I’m nearing the end of that life. If it happens, why should I be afraid,” said Trebek in an interview with CTV. Trebek began his career on “Jeopardy!” in the 1984 reboot of the show and prior to his death signed a contract which would allow him to remain host till 2022. In total, he hosted 37 seasons and won 7 total Daytime Emmy
Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credits: Google Commercial License
Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host. Trebek also made his way into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2014 for the most episodes of a tv game show hosted, coming to a total of 6,829 episodes. Prior to “Jeopardy!,” he was the host of his high school quiz show, “Reach for the Top,” which aired in 1966. Trebek also served as the host for “The Wizard of Odds,” “Double Dare,” “High Rollers,” “Battlestars,” “Classic Concentration,” and “To Tell the Truth.” However, his tv appearances weren’t just as a host, Trebek guest starred in season three of “The X-Files,” where he played one of the two men in black. Trebek ran the Olympic Torch in the 1996 Olympic games which were held in Jacksonville, Fla.
and two years later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Then in 2018, he moderated the governor’s debate for Pa., which was between Tom Wolf (Democrat) and Scott Wagner (Republican). Away from the tv spotlight, Trebek owned and managed a ranch near Pasco Robles where he trained thoroughbred racehorses. Trebek found his way into our homes and hearts for a total of 36 years and will continue to do so until Christmas Day 2020 when his final episode of “Jeopardy!” will air. His dedication to “Jeopardy!” even in his time of personal crisis will forever be remembered. #WeLoveYouAlex
OPINION
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
PAGE 11
Traveling safely during COVID-19 can be tricky... follow these tips to stay safe! nington, “Studies have shown that simple hand washing can help prevent a large number of illnesses. So, wash your hands, especially any time you’ll be touching your nose, mouth or eyes or if you’ve been around others who are sick.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has led us to make several adaptations in our everyday lives. One of these changes is how we travel. Health and safety concerns have skyrocketed in relevance as new protocols are put into place everywhere.
Another important guideline to follow carefully is wearing a face mask or covering. It has become evident that wearing a mask reduces the chances of spreading the virus significantly. In airports and other public transport areas, masks are required to travel unless you have a valid medical excuse.
As students start to leave campus and go home for the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, it is important to take safety precautions even more seriously than ever before. Pictured above is a quiet Chicago from the plane Johnston Winter time is already Photo Credits: Anna Johnston primed for sickness as the cold weather sets in, but with the seclines to avoid getting yourself or hands regularly and for long enough ond wave of COVID-19 and more your loved ones sick. is especially important. cases being than ever before each day in the US, it is important to Carrying out basic hygiene According to West Liberty follow all health and safety guidepractices such as washing your University’s Nurse, Christy Ben-
Graphics Provided By: Student Health Services
This is the best way to avoid getting sick, as it minimizes your chance of exposure. However, if traveling is necessary, then make sure to follow health and safety protocols as well as possible.
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
PAGE 12
OPINION
Is Zoom a communication platform or a new way of life? Contributing Writer: Brianna Hamon
ing is the safest alternative, but student motivation is suffering.
have lost over half of their instinctual gestures.
Schooling amongst COVID-19 has begun, and students have developed a new stressor: Zoom fatigue.
Students are discovering that communication is a challenge through Zoom. According to Jennifer Dorman, a linguistics expert, 70% of physical conversation relies on nonverbal cues.
Increased screen time also contributes to Zoom fatigue. “I spend most of the day watching lectures or scrolling through my phone, and I can feel the difference in my mood,” said Sarah Brannon, a West Liberty student.
This chatting platform has become a lifestyle for students and administrators alike. Virtual learn-
Students struggle to comprehend content because they
Photo Credits: Google Commercial License
The alternative to student safety looks bleak, but classroom fatigue is too. Virtual schooling can succeed if professors utilize personal interaction. Ask your students how they are and let them know you
understand.
Focusing on more than one person can be draining, but users can eliminate this feeling by adopting the speaker only view located on the right side of the screen. This feature decreases distractions and improves comprehension. Keep education alive by staying engaged and participating in healthy communication. For more information, email covid19@westliberty.edu.
Simple, easy, delicious pumpkin pie recipe! Give it a try over Thanksgiving break Contributing Writer: Hailey Braden
One can (29 ounces) of Libby’s 100 percent Pure Pumpkin
Pumpkin pie is one of the most common desserts that people make for the fall season.Pumpkin pie among other pumpkin related desserts and dishes are very popular during the Thanksgiving season. This pie is easy and can be baked in many ways. It’s sweet and delicious and so many families enjoy it for the holidays! Here is a simple and easy to make pumpkin pie recipe to use and feel free to make it your own.
Two cans (12 fluid ounces) of Carnation Evaporated Milk
Ingredients needed: One and a half cups of granulated sugar One teaspoon of salt Four large eggs
Your choice of crust from handmade to store bought Two teaspoons of ground cinnamon One teaspoon of ground ginger Half a teaspoon of ground cloves A simple substitution for the step above is to just use three and a half teaspoons of Allspice or pumpkin pie spice from your local grocery store This takes all three of the ingredients amounts and adds them up to substitute the right amount.
There are recipes with even more ingredients and there are more like this simple one that don’t take that long to make. All families like their pumpkin pie a different way from other families. Once all the ingredients are gathered the baking Photo Credit: Google Creative Commons License process can begin. Dry pie into the oven! ingredients will be mixed in a bowl The pie will cook for 15 first. Mix eggs, pie mix and evaporatminutes before the heat will need ed milk into another bowl stirring it to be reduced to 350 degrees all the way till it’s completely comand baked for 40 to 50 minutes bined. or until the knife comes out clean Slowly mix the two bowls when checking the pie. together to make the pumpkin pie Let the pie cool off for Now pour the mixed ingreabout two hours, and it’ll be ready dients into the pie crust and pop that to eat for everyone to enjoy.
SPORTS
SPORTS NOVEMBER 19, 2020
Sports Editor: Anna Johnston
PAGE 13
- acjohnston@westliberty.edu
Hilltopper Baseball prepares for upcoming season despite COVID-19 challenges The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how the Hilltopper Baseball Team have been able to prepare for their season. “COVID-19 has had a huge impact on our program over the last several months. First off, we lost our season after what we thought was a really good start for us. We were in a rebuilding year and really liked where we were headed, and we never got a chance to see how far we could have taken that team,” said Burkle. “As for now, we have approached this fall season very differently. We limit our practice times to smaller groups of guys and concentrate more on the scrimmage aspect instead of conditioning or specific skill work. “ Salvatori also commented on the ongoing conditions of his team regarding COVID-19, and some of the things he is doing personally to ensure his team is living up to their expectations. Salvatori said, “my expectation for this team is to compete for an MEC championship. While COVID-19 has made it difficult for everyone, there is no substi-
tute for hard work. We have continued to find ways to get better every day because if we don’t, someone else is.” The West Liberty Baseball team has been given the chance to greatly benefit from the new indoor sports complex built on campus. The team is now able to train more effectively during the off-season. Burkle said, “the “Facility,” as our guys now call it, has been huge for us. As far as our players and coaches, we now have a dedicated facility with turf that we can get so much done in. We now can use a facility 12 months a year, and it allows us to compete with other schools in our region when it comes to practices and recruiting.” The new indoor practice area has also greatly enhanced the program in its ability to recruit potential incoming players. “From a recruiting standpoint, The Belmont Savings Bank Indoor Practice Facility has allowed us to use a “WOW” factor when you open the door and take a potential student athlete indoors and he sees a dedicated baseball field on turf,” said Burkle “It has allowed our staff to expand our recruiting area from a local regional area to national area. Our 2021 roster shows signs of this with recruits
from California, Florida, Indiana, Virginia, and even Canada, as well as our local regional area.” The added opportunity to practice will only continue to help the Hilltoppers improve. When asked about who the team’s standouts are, and which players in particular have taken the biggest leap during the off-season, Burkle stated that, “last season we graduated 12 seniors, two of which decided to return for the COVID-Senior season. Both Colton Coss and Chad Matthus will be asked to pull the most weight this season, as COVID-Seniors, and big things are expected from both of them. “The coaching staff has pushed us even harder this year than in the past, and that’s the way it should be. We are not giving ourselves any excuses for why we cannot get better, regardless of the conditions, and we’re putting the work in to back that up,” said Salvatori. Burkle stated that, “We
are very excited for this upcoming season. We want to drive the 249 miles to Beckley to play in the MEC Tournament, and then we will see how it pans out from there. This team knows that, and after being cut short last year, they are very hungry to get to the spring and let this thing play out.” The West Liberty Men’s Baseball team has high expectations for this upcoming season, and if this anticipation by the team is any indication of the team’s potential success this year, it appears safe to say that fans will be eager to fill the ballpark once the opportunity presents itself. To keep up to date on everything sports on the Hilltop, be sure to visit hilltoppersports.com and “The Trumpet” at thetrumpet. wlu.org.
Provided By: WLU Media Relations
PAGE 14
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
SPORTS
An inside look at West Liberty University’s Acrobatics and Tumbling recruitment process
With the spring semester right around the corner Coach Kelsey Kyle discussed how important athlete recruitment has been for the program.
Every coach has a specific set of attributes they look for in an athlete when recruiting “First off, we look for the compulsory tumbling skills (standing back tuck, straddle jump back tuck, standing back handspring back tuck, and round off handspring layout).
Kyle was hired as the Hilltoppers Head Coach in 2019, and has elevated her team to new heights not previously seen before.
After that, we look at specialty tumbling skills like back twisting skills, fulls, 1 & 1/2’s, front tumbling, whips, and specialty tumbling skills.
Kyle had a lot of positive feedback to share regarding her squad, and was more than willing to share it with us.
We also look for athletes who could execute skills as both a top or a base. Finally, we look for athletes who are hard workers and excited about being on our team.”
The Hilltopper Acro. & Tumbling team earned a #2 ranking in the Mountain East Conference preseason poll in 2019, and when asked about the success of that season, along with how important early recruiting has been, Kyle had much to say. “As for last season, I really think that our ranking and performance, in the three meets that we were able to compete in before COVID, really helped us get our team’s name out there. I think that our ranking helped recruits realize that West Liberty has improved so much since the inaugural season, so now we are a competitive team within the conference and the nation.”
When discussing primary target zones for recruiting athletes, Kyle expressed that the staff recruits not only locally, but also from across the country. “We honestly recruit athletes everywhere across the nation! We use our social media, specifically Instagram, for most of our recruiting. The signing period just began [11/11/20] and so far, we currently have athletes signed from West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Washington, Iowa, and North Carolina. We also just added six new athletes for next season,
which provides us athletes from Oregon, Maryland, and Texas. We do recruit locally in the valley (Wellsburg, Moundsville, and St. Clairsville), but we definitely don’t limit ourselves to one region for recruiting.” It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected recruitment for athletes nationwide but Kyle remains as optimistic as ever. “COVID has definitely impacted our recruiting. We would normally have a lot more in-person recruiting visits, overnight visits, and recruits practicing with our team. Instead, this year we have done a lot more phone calls, FaceTime tours, and Zoom tours. It seems to be working because we are still signing girls from all over the country!” The WLU Acro. & Tumbling team has high expectations for this upcoming season, and look forward to repeating their success established in years past. Any potential recruits interested in joining the team are encouraged to contact Kyle. For more information on sports on the Hilltop, please visit hilltoppersports.com.
Provided By: WLU Acrobatics and Tumbling
You can also stay up to date by visiting “TheTrumpet” website at thetrumpetwlu.org.
SPORTS
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
Congratulations to all our signed Hilltopper Athletes!! Provided By WLU Athletics
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NOVEMBER 19, 2020
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SPORTS
Acrobatics and Tumbling Senior, Abbey Bauer, prepares for her last season on the Hilltop cheerleading, which led to her acrobatics and tumbling career at WLU.
West Liberty Senior Abbey Bauer was raised in Moundsville, W.Va., and attended John Marshall High School. “I could not imagine growing up anywhere other than this small town. One of my favorite things about living in such a small town is that there is always someone you know when you go into a store or restaurant. It is a place that I love to call home.” Growing up, she participated in many sports, some of which included tumbling and
Bauer will be graduating as an elementary education major and a special education minor from West Liberty just like her mother and sister did in years before. Aside from being part of the acro and tumbling team, she also is a member of Alpha Chi National College Honor Society and has maintained a 4.0 GPA since attending WLU.
“My favorite memories from
West Liberty include winning my first meet, traveling to other schools to compete, and all the friends I have made both in the classroom and in acrobatics and tumbling,” Bauer said. The COVID-19 pandemic changed
a lot of plans and the way society works and this is no different from how Bauer sees her acro career. Before the Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports pandem-
ic hit, the acro team was in the middle of their season, focusing on winning meets and getting ready for the MEC Championship in April. When the season ended abruptly, there was pain felt from the whole team. “Having a season in which many hours of blood, sweat, and tears were poured into ripped out from under our feet like that was painful. We were ready and no matter how hard we worked, the season had to end for the greater good of society,” Bauer said. As this new season starts back up in a COVID-19 world, Bauer is dedicated to making the most of this season and accomplishing the goals set for last semester before the season came to a screeching halt. The one thing she is looking forward to this season is just getting back on the mat. With this
Photo Credits: Abbey Bauer being her final season, she feels that she has taken on a leadership role by helping her younger teammates both on and off the mat. Bauer said, “I will miss getting to compete most. As a pretty competitive person, I love the feeling of competition and working hard towards something so challenging. I will also miss all of the friendships I have built within acrobatics and tumbling and my classes.”
Stay up-to-date with all sports by visiting hilltoppersports.com. If you would like your team or athlete to be featured in “The Trumpet”, please contact the Editor-in-Cheif at anmurphy@westliberty. edu.
