VOL. 100 – ISSUE 21
THE TRUMPET
APRIL 15, 2021
WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
WLU’s Student News Source
WLU to host 2021 virtual Hughes Lecture series - pg. 3
Frank X. Walker
Marc Harshman
Guest Speakers for 2021 Hughes Lecture Series
Kari-Gunter Seymour
WLU football beats Glenville State College 37-14 - pg. 13 @WLTrumpetOnline @thetrumpetwestliberty @thetrumpetwlu
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THE TRUMPET
NEWS
Photo Credits: westliberty.edu
College of Education and Human Performance will add two new master degrees in fall 2022 - pg. 4
WEST LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
COVER BY: WLU MEDIA RELATIONS
CULTURE SPORTS
Photo Credits: WLU Arts & Communication Newsletter (March)
2014 alumnus, Sophia Kayafas, reflects on time spent at WLU and Nutting Gallery experience - pg. 8 & 9
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
Acrobatics and Tumbling secures second-place finish in MEC tournament - pg. 16
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 campus community with fair and accurate reporting on matters of significance and interest.
EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief Annalise Murphy Online Editor Creed Kidney News/Copy Editor Intern Lizzy Griffith Culture Editor Morgan Kafana Opinion Editor Haley Blakemore Sports Editor Intern Anna Johnston Graphic Designer Intern Katlyn Roberts Graphic Designer/ Illustrator Samantha Snyder Sports Writer Maxwell Fledorczyk News/Culture Writer Emma Beatty Faculty Adviser Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell
Letters to the Editor
To submit a letter to the editor, please email anmurphy@westliberty.edu. Please list your name, address, phone number, and email address; if the piece is published, you will be contacted to confirm your identity.
Contact Us
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NEWS
APRIL 15, 2021
NEWS
News/Copy Editor Intern: Lizzy Griffith
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- elgriffith@westliberty.edu
WLU to host 2021 virtual Hughes Lecture series On April 21, WLU will host the annual Hughes Lecture Series starting at 7 p.m. via Zoom. This year the series will feature three guest speakers: West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman, Ohio Poet Laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour and Frank X. Walker, founder of the Affrilachian poets. The three poets will read excerpts from their work and participate in a questions and answer session. The Hughes Lecture Series has been a staple at WLU since 1978 and has consistently been a popular event for students, faculty, and the wider community. Last year, the event was cancelled as a result of COVID-19. “Like most institutions, the arrival of COVID-19 last spring resulted in cancellations and we had to cancel our 2020 lecture so we are pleased to have the Hughes Lecture back this spring,” said Dr. William Scott Hanna, WLU English professor and chair of the Hughes Lecture committee. “The Hughes Lecture Series is an important event for the campus community since it has been able to bring several prominent speakers to campus over the years, giving students and the community the opportunity to meet with, have books signed, and listen to timely and noteworthy readings and lectures.” This year, the Hughes Lecture Series will be held virtually in an attempt to allow as many
people access as possible whilst ensuring the health and safety of the participants and audience. Audience members must register to get access to the Zoom meeting via this link. “There are obvious differences, but one of the main missing pieces is that students and audience members will not have the chance to meet the poets the way they would with an in-person event,” said Hanna. “However, the convenience of Zoom is what has made this event a possibility.... We thought that the virtual format would allow us to have multiple readers, so we decided to focus on some strong voices in the Appalachian poetry scene. So, there are both positive and negatives to the virtual format.” April is National Poetry Month making the selection of this year’s guests all-the-more fitting. Hanna said, “Since April is National Poetry Month, we decided that having a group of poets to read would be a good idea in celebration of that.” Harshman is West Virginia’s seventh poet laureate. He was appointed in 2012 after a successful career and has continued to thrive since being in the role. Harshman holds a multitude of degrees including one from neighboring Bethany College as well as Yale Divinity School, the University of Pittsburgh and an honorary doctorate degree from West Liberty. His work has accumulated a number of awards and publications with his latest collection
Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations
From left, upper right and bottom right: Marc Harshman, Kari-Gunter Seymour and Frank X. Walker of poems, “Woman In Red Anorak,” winning the 2017 Blue Lynx Prize and being published by Lynx House/University of Washington Press the following year.
poem she wrote concerning the poverty levels in Athens County, Ohio saw thousands of dollars made in donation to a local food pantry in the area
Gunter-Seymour is the first Appalachian and the first woman to serve as Ohio’s poet laureate. Like Harshman, Gunter-Seymour’s work has had considerable recognition over the years.
The final guest, Walker is also impressive in terms of achievements. Walker is a Kentucky native and has degrees from the University of Kentucky (who also awarded him an honorary doctoral degree) and Spalding University. He has lectured, conducted workshops, read poetry and exhibited at over 300 national conferences and universities.
Her latest work, the “A Place So Deep Inside America It Can’t Be Seen,” collection won her the 2020 Ohio Poet of the Year Award. Gunter-Seymour is also the founder and director of the Women of Appalachia Project which focuses on tackling gender based discrimination present in the Appalachian region. This is not the only positive influence of Gunter-Seymour’s work. A 2020
Walker is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets, is the author of four poetry collections and has earned several awards throughout his career. For more information contact Hanna via email at wshanna@westliberty. edu.
APRIL 15, 2021
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NEWS
College of Education and Human Performance will add two new master degrees in fall 2022
The College of Education and Human Performance will be adding two new master’s degrees in Athletic Training (MSAT) and Exercise Physiology (MSEP) beginning in the fall semester of 2022. According to the education newsletter, “Both programs will offer a 3 + 2 format (WLU undergraduate AT or EP Bachelor’s degree + Master’s degree AT or EP in 5 years) or 2-year master’s degree only for those already with a bachelor’s degree that meet all pre-requisite requirements.” Although the programs will not officially start until the fall of 2022, WLU’s Director of Media Relations, Maureen Zambito said notes regarding its approval can be found in the board minutes from the June 30, 2020 Board of Governors meeting. The MSAT education program curriculum is designed for students interested in athletic training careers or related fields, according to the MSAT website.
In addition, students will have working knowledge and the skills needed as set by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education and be prepared for the National Board of Certification Exam. Requirements for the program per the website state official transcript of any bachelor’s degree from a “regionally accredited college or university” with a minimum 3.0 GPA, at least 50 observations hours from two different athletic training settings, essay detailing why applicant chose athletic training as a profession and have all prerequisite coursework requirements completed. Details on program hours or time span of completion is not listed on the website, please contact MSAT Program Director, Dr. David Hanna at david.hanna@westliberty.edu for further questions. MSAT contains four outcome program goals: • Outcome 1: Students will have the ability to demonstrate and provide quality healthcare to diverse patient populations in several healthcare settings.
Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations MSEP Program Director, Ryan Koenig
• Outcome 2: Students will have the knowledge to understand athletic training roles and responsibilities in many different health care settings. • Outcome 3: Students will develop knowledge and skill sets needed to explain recent evidence-based research; in addition, apply research to clinical practice. • Outcome 4: Students will be able to communicate in an effective way to various people and health care professionals. *Note: List derived from MSAT website.
dents will gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities based on the competencies set forth by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) to serve as an allied healthcare provider to various patient populations and settings,” according to MSEP website. Requirements for the program can be found, again, on their website and are as follow: an official transcript of any bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum of a 2.75 GPA and all prerequisite coursework requirements must be complete.
The MSEP education program curriculum is designed for students interested in career paths corresponding with exercise physiology or related fields.
Applications for this program open on June 1 for Fall 2022. Individuals interested in applying for MSEP should visit the website and scroll until “Applications Open June 1 for Fall 2022” is seen. Please contact MSEP Program Director, Ryan Koeing at ryan.koenig@westliberty. edu for further questions.
According to the MSEP website, the program is a 38-hour program that will take a little over two years to complete. “Upon graduating, stu-
For more infomation about this article, please email Annalise Murphy at anmurphy@westliberty. edu.
Those interested in applying can visit the MSAT website and scroll until “Apply Now” is seen.
Photo Credits: westliberty.edu College of Education and Human Performance, New MA Programs
Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations MSAT Program Director, Dr. David Hanna
NEWS
APRIL 15, 2021
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WLU Wrestling will host 2022 NCAA Division II Super Region Three championship tournament Hilltopper Wrestling is set to host the 2022 NCAA Division II Super Region Three championship tournament. The one-day event is scheduled to take place on Feb. 26, 2022 inside the ASRC on WLU’s main campus; therefore, giving Head Coach Danny Irwin’s team the opportunity to defend their regional title from home next year. Teams from fellow schools in the Super Three Region including Ashland, Davenport, Findlay, Glenville State, Indianapolis, Lake Erie, Notre Dame (Ohio), Ohio Valley, Tiffin and Wheeling as well as WLU’s own black and gold will spend their season competing for a spot in the regional tournament competition.
a first-class experience for all the coaches and student-athletes. I’m sure that’s why we’ve been selected to host so many championship events.”
“Having the opportunity to host another NCAA regional isn’t just a great thing for us, it’s a great thing for all the other Super Region 3 teams,” said Irwin. “Hosting these events is no small or easy task but our administration and staff always do an astounding job of ensuring
This will be the fourth time WLU has been chosen as hosts for the competition. This season’s success for WLU wrestling tipped the scales towards the Hilltop as next year’s selection as championship hosts. The wrestling team’s hard work and commitment which
earned them a fourth place finish in the national competition, a first place victory in the regional race and several individual honors has paid off and will allow Irwin’s squad a home advantage next year. “Any time you get to sleep in your own bed and are familiar with facilities, you’re going to do a little bit better,” said Irwin.”After the year we’ve all gone through, a nice bonus to having the regional here is helping give some of our local Ohio Valley businesses a little boost as they work to get back to where they want to be. I know our coaches and student-athletes are looking forward to having a full and raucous crowd in the arena next February, which will definitely give our guys a bump in their performance!” The black and gold will still be putting in the same effort heading into the 2022 competition with the team work ethic and atmosphere at an all time high. “Our team has an all in approach,” said Irwin. “If you’re in, you’re in. If you’re out, you’re out. At that time of the year our guys understand what the purpose is… to compete at the highest level possible.” The Hilltopers head into the 2022 season with a strong returning squad and some eager incoming wrestlers. “Since my first day here, it’s been all about the team. It’s not about any one person,” said Irwin. “We’re stewards of the program and there is go-
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports WLU ASRC Building ing to be another head coach after me and there will be more student athletes after the current group. We choose to continue to build upon the rich tradition that West Liberty has in wrestling or there’s no other way but to go forward.” West Liberty Athletic Director Lynn Ullom said, “We’re excited and honored to have been chosen to host the 2022 NCAA Division II wrestling regional. We have a long history of successfully conducting first-class NCAA events at our venues and appreciate the opportunity to bring yet another championship tournament to the Ohio Valley.” This follows a successful win by the WLU Men’s Basketball team after they hosted the Atlantic Region Championship earlier this year.
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APRIL 15, 2021
NEWS
Local retired news director, Charles Calabrese, dies at age 69 performance,” Calabrese was known as a bit of a stickler for details, but he simply wanted to see the Playhouse succeed to the best of its ability – and that’s exactly what he did.
On Thursday, March 25, 2021, Charles F. Calabrese, 69, of Wintersville, Ohio passed away peacefully at his home. Born to the late Felix and Ann Golec Calabrese on June 3, 1951 in Steubenville, Ohio, he had a full and rich life here in the Ohio Valley.
Even in dealing with diabetes later on in life, Calabrese would not let the disease hamper his involvement with the Playhouse or inhibit his love for theater; “he introduced Readers’ Theater” to the community so he could ensure his contributions would be kept alive and well.
A retired news director, broadcaster, and movie and theater critic for the WEIR/WSTV Radio, Calabrese wore many hats, as he was also known for his work as a voice-over artist and dedicated member of the Brooke Hills Playhouse, in both spheres of acting as well as directing; he was also the Public Relations Master of the facility.
Throughout COVID-19, he was separated from the theater, and lamented only the fact that he could not review the only performed show in the Playhouse’s 49th season; but recently spoke with the President of the Brooke County Arts Council, Julia Barnhart, about when he would be able to announce the upcoming auditions for the Playhouse’s 50th season.
In “one role or another,” he supported and filled the Playhouse with his talent and light for over 40 successive years. He also held the position of Vice President
In a memorializing tribute to Calabrese, it was said that he “was the epitome of dependability… His laughter, as he sat in the audience enjoying the performance, always inspired the actors.”
Graphic By: Samantha Snyder for the Brooke County Arts Council. He was an active member of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, where he served as a cantor for many years, as well. Beginning in the 1970s, Calabrese found a home at Brooke Hills Playhouse, acting as a whirlwind of support and talent as he maneuvered through countless positions within the facility and community; there, he could act, he could direct, and he could critique. In his role as Public Relations Master, and with his experience in journalism and broadcasting, Calabrese would reel in countless members and patrons of the arts of the Brooke Hills community with tantalizing articles announcing the Playhouse’s upcoming shows and performances. Acting in many of these shows himself over the years “and offering actors his best directorial guidance to ensure their best
Although Calabrese is survived by no children of his own, he took an active role in his God children’s lives, Harper and Tara Mruk, and is therefore remembered dearly in their hearts. He will be missed by his friends, family, and church community; may he rest in peace. This article was constructed from information provided by Charles Calabrese’s obituary within the Herald-Star as well as a memorial piece posted by the Brooke Hills Playhouse. For more informatin regarding this article, please reach out to Creed Kidney. Kidney researched the information found within this article using multiple sources. His email is ctkidney@westliberty.edu. Follow The Trumpet on social media to stay updated on important campus and community events.
CULTURE
CULTURE APRIL 15, 2021
Culture Editor: Morgan Kafana
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- mkafana@westliberty.edu
Dr. Deanna Schmitt receives faculty excellence award for research on antibiotics This year’s recipient for the Faculty Excellence Award in Professional Activity went to Dr. Deanna Schmitt. Schmitt discovered she won the award in Nov. of 2020 and received her award at a virtual convocation in Jan. of 2021. Schmitt received her Bachelor of Science in microbiology from Pennsylvania State University in 2005. She then went on to obtain her Ph. D. in immunology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012 and then her postdoctoral at West Liberty University from 2012 to 2016. It was through her background in microbiology and immunology that she was able to complete her award-winning research. She won the award through her research on characterizing a novel family of antibiotics that exhibits bacterial activity against select Gram-negative bacteria which they have discovered are known as re-
sazomycins. “These antibiotics are effective against a variety of human pathogens including the bacteria Francisella tularensis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Helicobacter pylori,” said Schmitt. According to Schmitt, antibiotic resistance is one of the world’s most urgent public health threats. She then went on to say that each year, at least 2.8 million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and more than 35,000 people die in the United States. “The development of new antibiotics is essential to combat this crisis and prevent the loss of additional lives. Our laboratory hopes to identify and characterize nov-
Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations Dr. Deeana Schmitt with fromer WLU president Stephen Greiner el antimicrobials like resazomycins Overall, Schmitt feels honfor future clinical use,” said Schmitt. ored to have been recognized by While Schmitt knows that the re- West Liberty University for her sazurin-based compounds have anti- efforts to provide research opmicrobial activity, she does not know portunities for undergraduate the mechanism in which the com- students. pounds will kill bacteria. Schmitt feels “Studies have shown that that the overall challenge research- one of the main ways to increase ers such as herself have faced over the past five year was elucidating the retention of undergraduate students in STEM is to engage these mechanism of action. individuals in independent re Schmitt was nominated for search,” said Schmitt. Fortunately this award by her department chair, for Schmitt, she has been able to Dr. Joseph Horzempa as a result of see many of her students go on her commitment to providing re- to medical school as well as varsearch opportunities to undergrads ious other professional schools within the biology department. After and programs. she was nominated, a committee of Dr. West Liberty University faculty re- Congratulations Schmitt on this wonderful viewed a list of nominees and chose Schmitt as the recipient for the achievement! The Hilltop can’t wait to see where future research award. takes you!
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APRIL 15, 2021
CULTURE
2014 alumnus, Sophia Kayafas, reflects on time spent at WLU and Nutting Gallery experience Each individual questions their role in the world and what they should do with the life they’ve been given. How are you supposed to choose a financially stable career you will enjoy while simultaneously wondering the role of your life on this earth? WLU alumnus Sophia Kayafas asked herself similar questions at different points in her life, but one aspect has always remained the same — art is the unifying outlet in her life. Kayafas has done a lot of soul searching since her graduation from the university, but always remembers how her time at West Liberty helped shape her into the person she is today. Kayafas graduated from WLU in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art and Public Relations. According to Kayafas’s website, she was born in Wheeling, W.Va., but moved to N.Y. — where
she currently lives — about seven years ago to “complete a masters in fellowship at the New York Academy of Art.” She graduated from the New York Academy of Art in 2016 with a Master of Fine Art in painting. Currently, she teaches at two schools including Pratt University in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Hudson County Community College in N.J. Not only has Kayafas made a way for herself as an artist, but also as a musician and media personality. WLU’s Dean for the College of Arts and Communication, Dr. Matthew Harder, reported in the college of arts and communications monthly newsletter [March 5 issue] about Kayafas co-hosting a television show for PBS. The specific show Kayafas was featured in was titled, Flow State: North Brooklyn Artists; essentially, the show discusses what it was like to be an artist in north Brooklyn during the summer of 2020. In addition to co-hosting a television show, Kayafas is also a co-host for the Art Grind Podcast. According to the newsletter writ-
Photo Credits: Brian Fencl, Professor of Art Students quietly working in the Nutting Gallery in October of 2020 while surrounded by sketches Kayafas created. ten by Harder, this podcast directly linked Kayafas to her involvement with PBS. In October 2020, Kayafas made her way back to the Hilltop through her artwork which was featured in the Nutting Gallery in the show “How to See Again”. Allegedly, Brian Fencl, professor of art at WLU, had asked Kayafas if she would be willing to send him some of her work to be featured in a show sometime before October. The entire gallery was filled with Kayafas’s drawings, which she found particularly interesting considering she is a painter. “It just felt very natural to do. Fencl asked if I would do it and I said of course I would. I didn’t know what to send him to show at first,” said Kayafas.
Drawing by Kayafas. This particualr piece was showcased in the Nutting Gallery show, “How to See Again”, back in October of 2020.
She apparently had done nearly 100 drawings in the past year prior to Fencl asking her to be featured in the Nutting Gallery.
Putting nearly 100 drawings out on the floor, she began asking herself what each drawing had in common and “what’s the story here”? “It ended up being an autobiographical kind of investigation of spirituality and process concerning my life basically, and the different things going on in my life. I just thought you know, why not? There’s humor here, there’s pain, there’s sorrow, there is also hope and light and joy in all of these drawings.” According to Kayafas, she sent the drawings she felt were the most interesting; then, Fencl made further distinctions about what hung at the gallery. “I sent him a lot more than what he put up, which was kind of cool,” said Kayafas. Going back to Kayafas being more of a painter than a sketcher, she said a lot of the sketches Fencl showed, “the ones that I [Kayafas] thought were powerful will become paintings if they haven’t already.” continued on pg 9
CULTURE Kayafas has accomplished much in her professional career upon graduating from West Liberty; however, she still looks back on the professors and experiences of WLU that helped shape her into the artist she is today.
APRIL 15, 2021
PAGE 9
Bringing her “own personal agenda” to every assignment, she said she took all of her classes at WLU very seriously. “I think that’s why I learned how to paint and draw in such an idiosyncratic way, because the technique was not being forced down my throat at West Liberty,” Kayafas explained.
To start, her degree itself was a bit of an undertaking as the university did not offer her desired degree. Fencl has had a significant impact on Kayafas who said he “taught “I was the only person I her a lot” and she “thinks of him ofknew that was studying studio art. ten.” Sharing how much respect and It wasn’t even a major. I had to cre- admiration she has for Fencl, Kayafas ate my own major (an interdisciplin- said, ary). I could only get the studio art aspect or element of my degree if I “He knew what art meant combined it with something else; so, to him so deeply that it provided a I combined it with public relations. It construct for me to develop what seemed like a good fit for me be- art meant to me without telling me cause I’m a good communicator and what it meant. That’s one thing he I can write well. I understand some never would do [explain what art things about the public and how art meant] and I wanted him to tell me!” relates to the public.” Constantly busy, Kayafas so badly wanted Fencl to explain if she was Kayafas claimed she had an doing projects “right” or if they were amazing time at WLU, and spent a “good”. However, Fencl would never lot of time in the fine arts building on say to her “yes that is art or no that campus. “If I was going to say like my isn’t art.” Kayafas shared, “He would memories of West Liberty it’s in the guide me here and there by giving FAB (you know the Fine Arts build- me like little tidbits of information. ing) until three or four in the morn- ‘You know the old master’s would ing with friends, playing music, draw- draw like this. But by no means does ing, laughing and starting so many that mean that that’s how you have different projects,” shared Kayafas. to draw — but this is how they used
Photo Credits: WLU Media Relations (2014) Sophia Kayafas standing infront of her portrait painting of former president Clyde Campbell. The painting hangs in Campbell Hall on WLU’s main campus.
Art Work By: Sophia Kayafas “Peter, Why did you Doubt?” Oil on Linen, 2019 to draw like that’. And he’d show me. personality. I loved his sculpture class,” I think that was a really sacred trust. I Kayafas said. think there is a sacred trust between a teacher and a student, especial- Harder wrote in the March ly, in the arts. The person [teacher] arts and communication newsletter, becomes kind of a guide through “Kayafas is the unofficial portrait paintthe uncertainty that is dispassionate. er of past presidents of West Liberty.” They don’t put their will on you, and Before she graduated, she left her mark I think that’s probably the most valu- on the hilltop by completing a portrait able thing that he [Fencl] gave me.” painting of former president Clyde Campbell, which hangs in Campbell Fencl himself grew a bond Hall. Recently, she finished a portrait with Kayafas, which he says has im- of Dr. Stephen Greiner as a retirement pacted his life both as an artist and a gift to him from the WLU foundation, teacher. “I feel really blessed to know according to Harder. her and to have been able to help guide her while she was at WLU. After years of degree work, She is incredibly gifted and working professional work and self-exploration, with her made me a better teacher, Kayafas has found what art means to artist and person. She works harder her. “I think… I think art to me at this than everyone around her, is hum- point in my life — it means a pursuit ble and excited about what others of unity with myself and God. It’s very are doing. This elevated the work of personal and it’s irrational, but it’s abher peers and it made for a really fun solutely beautiful. It’s [art] undeniably time while she was here.” In addition, necessary in my life I don’t even quesFencl claims Kayafas won a variety tion that,” she said. of national awards as a student and said, “It was obvious early on that she To view Kayafas paintings, drawwas special.” ings, podcasts and social media, please visit her personal website at Another professor Kayafas sophiakayafas.com. Any questions mentioned who had a positve im- about this article or the contents pact on her was Bob Villamagna. Vil- herein should be directed to Annalise lamagna is now retired, but he taught Murphy at anmurphy@westliberty.edu. at the university as a professor of art If interested in viewing the interview for nearly 20 years. “He knew who Fencl did with Kayafas, it is available to he was. He embraced his unique be viewed on Topper Station.
APRIL 15, 2021
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CULTURE
WLU triple major 2020 graduate joins business office as an accountant In addition to working in the business office, Millner is also a volunteer coach for the women’s soccer team on campus.
Students and faculty who visit the business office at West Liberty University may have noticed a new face. Ms. Kelly Millner has recently taken a position as an accountant. Millner graduated from West Liberty University in May of 2020 as a triple major in accounting, management, and computer information science. While on campus she was also a member of the women’s soccer team for all four of her academic years. During her senior year, Millner was an intern in the business office which later shifted into a full-time position in Aug. of 2020.
“I decided to work here because I was familiar with my coworkers, my friends are still here, and I have made West Liberty home for the last 4 and ½ years. I decided to work here while I attain my master’s degree,” said Millner. Currently, Millner is working to receive a double concentration MBA in forensic accounting and healthcare management. She is expected to graduate with her degrees in December of this year. Millner stated that it is rewarding to be able to assist students to understand their students’ account. She also feels that her position as an accountant has confirmed her belief that she will
be able to make it in her career path.
“As a recent graduate it can be very intimidating to find a position in your field, but I was always welcomed here and all of my coworkers have been very accommodating,” said Millner. Millner has set the goal for herself to learn as much as she can in her current position. She feels that this is a great experience for her to learn in her industry while she can also simultaneously receive her degree for
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports her other degrees. Good luck in obtaining future degrees and welcome to the Hilltop as a faculty member!
What Were You Wearing? Presented by OVSAHC Student Union; April 5 - April 9 A sexual assault awareness event took place in the student union between April 5 and April 10 to show what victims were wearing at the time of their assaults. The message was meant to show clothing is not a cause for sexual assault.
Photo Credits: Emma Beatty The Trumpet’s News/Culture Writer
APRIL 15, 2021
OPINION
OPINION
PAGE 11
Students share their experiences of working on campus in celebration of Student Employee Day There are many reasons why we should be thankful for student employees. As Student Employee Day was April 10, there are many ways to say thanks to all the students that work on campus. Here at West Liberty University, we have multiple positions students can take to be employed on campus. Being employed on campus can be much easier for students who don’t live close to home and still want to have the opportunity to work.
idea. If I didn’t already have a job, I would definitely be working on campus. I have an internship here, and I absolutely adore it. It is convenient to work with professors and staff that you already know that can help when you run into problems. Angelica Rogers is a student em-
ployee that works in Jazzman’s Cafe and said that she wanted to work on campus because it was more convenient. “My favorite thing about working on campus is the people I work with. Becky and Sandy are the nicest people you will meet!” Rogers says when I asked her about her experi-
ence here at West Liberty. “What I would tell someone that is looking to work on campus is that it is definitely worth the experience!” she adds. Another worker, Annalise Murphy, who is the editor-in-chief of The Trumpet, also says she loves working on campus. “My favorite thing about working for The Trumpet is meeting and interviewing new people,” Murphy says. Murphy’s advice to anyone wanting to join The Trumpet is, “Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone a bit. The Trumpet would love to have a variety of different people and majors involved.”
At WLU, we have multiple places to work like the WOW Cafe, the Marketplace, Mail Room, internships and many, many more! Student employees do a lot of things to make us students go through our days more smoothly. Student Employees have to do tasks such as feed us, make sure we get our mail, entertain us and much more. The benefits of working on campus are really nice as students can work with their class schedules easily and be super close to work from their campus living. I think that working on campus is a wonderful
As applications are going out for Summer and Fall of 2021 jobs on campus, I think it would be a great experience for anyone! The campus is a wonderful place, and working here is so convenient for people who live in student houses, apartments and dorms. Make sure to thank your student employees and all they do for us! Student Employee Day is to recognize students who perform wonderful work while attending college.
“My favorite thing about working on campus is the people I work with. Becky and Sandy are the nicest people you will meet!”
“My favorite thing about working for The Trumpet is meeting and interviewing new people!”
- ANGELICA ROGERS, JAZZMAN’S STUDENT EMPLOYEE
- ANNALISE MURPHY, EDITOR OF THE TRUMPET Graphic By: Samantha Snyder
APRIL 15, 2021
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OPINION
West Virginia animal shelter needs supplies for homeless cats, here is how you can help long as the owners take responsibility.” Creed Kidney, a freshman at WLU, says, “It’s obviously terrible and really sad that these things happen, but I think the best thing to do would be to just continue educating the public and socializing people into getting their animals spayed and neutered so things like this don’t happen.” Anna Johnston, junior at WLU, says, “It makes me sad that a lot of animals get needlessly put down for reasons like this. I think the importance of neutering and such should be explained more thoroughly to animal owners so this situation could be easily avoided.”
On April 6, an anonymous donor dropped off over 40 cats at the Little Victories Animal Shelter in Ona, West Virginia. According to WFXR news, Little Victories Animal Rescue Executive Director Stephanie Howell, said, “[Tuesday] morning, our site manager Josh Morrison showed up here at the farm and there was a crate that was holding 44 cats and kittens. In just one crate.” Since the shelter is not used to dealing with such a large number of animals at once, they have been struggling to manage the overflow and are looking for alternative ways to receive help. According to their website, “Little Victories purchased 115 acres of land to create a sanctuary for homeless, injured, abused and abandoned animals.” Their mission statement says, “The mission of Little Victories is to rescue homeless animals and provide the means by which they can be rehabilitated and find permanent, loving homes.” The site also says they “rescue and rehabilitate homeless, injured, abused and abandoned animals.” The shelter is used to seeing roughly 35 cats at the most, now the number is well over that will the surplus of 44 cats and kittens added. According to WFRX, Ben Miller, an assistant manager at the shelter said, “We don’t have the medical supplies to help them in the way that we can. Even with the litter and all the cat food that we have, it’s still gonna be rough.” Howell added, “We will do everything medically possibly needed for them, so we’re looking at probably about an unexpected 25 thousand dollar expense with this many pets.” Howell told WFRX that cats can have anywhere from one to eight kittens per litter, and once a cat is just four months old, she can begin
Photo Credits: Lizzy Griffith Griffith’s cat, Kylo to have babies. She also said it’s not unusual for cats to have multiple litters within a year since they only carry for a few months. Overpopulation stems from owners not taking proper care of their pets. Spaying and neutering are essential to avoid situations like this. It’s devastating, not only to the cats themselves but to the shelter as a whole—the staff now has to come up with thousands of dollars to ensure the animals are properly taken care of when this could’ve been avoided in the first place. Kate Roberts, a freshman at WLU, shared her thoughts after hearing about this situation. Roberts says, “It’s kind of a good thing and bad thing. It’s nice that the donor dropped off the cats to somewhere they’d be safe, but they should’ve called first to ask for more resources to avoid an overcrowded shelter.” She went on to say, “I think there’s also an issue with pet owners not spaying and neutering their animals because things like this keep happening. So many animals
are already without homes and shelters are being overrun.” Megan Ennis, a junior at WLU, also shared her opinion on the matter. She says, “I do find it sad that this number of cats were dropped off, but I also find it respectable because the person probably knew they wouldn’t be able to take care of them the way they should,” She went on to say, “I ultimately believe it should be up to the owner to get a cat spayed/neutered. If all cats were, there would be no more animals. I do think it’s important for a lot more to be spayed than there are, but I don’t think it’s always necessary as
Personally, I think owners should take pet care more seriously and consider spaying their animals more. I understand that money may be an issue at times, but when it comes to your animals, their health should be prioritized too. I recommend talking to your local animal shelters if your animal is not spayed/ neutered or does not have its shots because sometimes they will work out a payment plan or even have emergency funds to use to help. Animals deserve forever homes and healthy lives, but they can’t all have this if pet owners continue to forgo spaying their animals. To help the shelter, visit their website to donate and for more information on how to help. Also, check your local shelters to see if they are accepting donations too. Remember, animals need our support too.
SPORTS
SPORTS APRIL 15, 2021
Sports Editor: Anna Johnston
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- acjohnston@westliberty.edu
WLU football beats Glenville State College 37-14 arch-rival Wheeling University by the final score of 42-19. Now at 2-2 thanks to this weekend’s success, the Hilltoppers season may come to an end in the shortened season.
West Liberty football was back in action Saturday afternoon, and they delivered a big away win with their 37-14 victory over Glenville State College. The Hilltoppers now hold a 2-2 record.
Where does the team go from here? For starters, unless there are a few upsets within the MEC, the season for the Hilltoppers will likely be over. However, there certainly will not be a lengthy turn around for WLU, as they will have to begin preparing for the fall season upcoming sooner than many realize.
There are many positives to take away from the win over the Glenville Pioneers. Glenville managed to score first against West Liberty after a 40 yard touchdown connection between Zay Huff and Tim Heltzel. The Hilltoppers wasted no time in answering this deficit, as a solid drive ended in a touchdown pass to Quincy Wimbish from the WLU quarterback Jack Allison. West Liberty’s defense also stepped up in a major way, as Trent Crawford intercepted a pass from Glenville’s quarterback, Heltzel, for a 35-yard touchdown. After taking a 14-7 lead, West Liberty did not look back. Transitioning into the second quarter, a nine play drive ended in a 32-yard field goal for WLU’s Owen Rozanc who earned a MEC Player of the Week Award for his performance. After yet another stop from West Liberty’s defense, the offense capitalized yet again thanks to a 20-yard touchdown reception from Allison to Marquis Johnson. Allison connected again with Wisdom Jenkins for a 39-yard touchdown to make the score 307. After a fourth touchdown pass from Allison and a late touchdown from Glenville, the Hilltoppers managed to leave with a victory, cementing a happy bus ride home for everyone involved with the WLU team. In weeks prior, West Liberty looked like a wildcard
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports Hilltopper football celebrates victory over Glenville State at away game team, to say the least. In week one, WLU struggled with the defending Mountain East Conference champions, Notre Dame College (Ohio). Following the 70-7 loss to Notre
Dame, West Liberty bounced back in a big way against Alderson Broaddus University, winning the week two contest 38-6. West Liberty then lost a gruesome battle against crosstown
There, expect the Hilltoppers season to be more than four games, and finally back to normal. It will be interesting to see where the team goes from here, and Hilltopper fans are more than eager to watch. Any questions regarding the content within this article should be directed to Maxwell Fiedorczyk at mrfiedorczyk@westliberty.edu.
Please visit Hilltopper Sports at
hilltoppersports.com
for all your Topper sports updates!
#proudtobeatopper
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APRIL 15, 2021
SPORTS
Senior night win for men’s soccer, difficult week for women’s soccer Contributing Writer: Mark Donnelly Senior Night win for Men’s soccer West Liberty’s Men’s soccer team (3-4) recorded their third win of the season after a flurry of second-half goals gave them a 3-2 home victory over Alderson Broaddus University (2-5). The Hilltoppers celebrated the careers of their five departing seniors on “Senior Night” with a win in what was their penultimate game of the season. Coming off the back of a disappointing 2-1 loss to West Virginia Wesleyan College (4-3), WLU needed to get back to winning ways if they wanted to keep their play-off hopes alive, meaning that the stakes were high in this game. You could sense the importance of the game in the first half as neither team committed many men forward in what was a very even and tense affair. Clear-cut chances were hard to come by in the first period with the Battlers coming closest to scoring after a handful of dangerous set-pieces were well dealt with by the Toppers’ goalkeeper Noah Underwood. The home side eventually broke the deadlock after senior Tom Humphries finished from close range to score his second goal in his last two home games on the hilltop. The floodgates then opened as Josh Yeaman, who was awarded the MEC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts, scored two impressive goals in quick succession after delightful midfield play from junior Tyler Swafford and a precise corner kick from freshman Vitor Otsuka. A late push from the Battlers saw them bring the score back to 3-2 with two minutes left on the clock however the West Liberty defense did enough to hold out for the important win. With other results not going their way over the
weekend the Hilltoppers are unfortunately out of the race for an MEC play-off spot, however Head Coach Sean Regan will be happy with the progress that his youthful side have made in this unusual season. There are still some program records to play for in their last game of the season against Frostburg State University this Friday, April 16. A win against the Bobcats would see WLU record their highest ever points, wins and league finish in the short history of the program, meaning they will still be hungry to get the three points. For more information and updates on the game go to hilltoppersports.com or follow @westlibertymsoccer on instagram. Difficult week for Women’s soccer West Liberty’s Women’s soccer team (1-4-2) had a disappointing week after games against Fairmont State University (3-0-3) and Notre Dame College (Ohio) (4-2-1) and the University of Charleston all ended in losses. The Lady Toppers had hoped to pick up some points in these games to boost their chances of gaining a spot in the MEC play-offs, however their chances were dented after a combination of quality opposition and misfortune. They started the week off with the first of two away games as they travelled to
Fairmont to face the Falcons, who they had drawn 0-0 with earlier in the season. WLU started the game off in impressive fashion with senior captain Kaelyn Oskin giving them a 1-0 lead with a delightful finish in the 16th minute. Their lead did not last long as their opponents struck back two minutes later to tie the game up at 1-1. With little significant action for the remainder of the first period, the scores remained tied until the 75th minute when the Falcons’ offensive pressure was too much for West Liberty to handle as they scored their first of three late goals, with the score ending 4-1 to the home side. The Lady Toppers will feel hard done by with this score line as the game was much closer than the three goal deficit suggests. They faced another difficult game three days later when they travelled to Ohio to face off against the Falcons, who sat top of the MEC North Division prior to the game. Unfortunately it wasn’t just the nickname of their opponents that was similar in the two games as the result of the game followed suit with WLU losing their second game in a row. The Falcons put themselves in the lead early in the first half before Oskin scored her second goal in as many games after a powerful header by freshman Anne Williams put her through on goal, tying the game at 1-1 in the 56th minute. It was another unfortunate quick reply as
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports the home team went back ahead just three minutes later. The Toppers again failed to put together a response as the score finished 2-1 to the hosts. Monday was “senior day” for the women’s team with Katie Kota and Cate Calissie both receiving much deserved recognition for their years of hard work on the HIlltop. Unfortunately the ladies were outdone at home by the nationally ranked Golden Eagles of UC in their third game in eight days. Two early goals in the first half from the visiting side were enough to secure the victory despite WLU getting back into the when a penalty taken by Calissie was slotted neatly into the bottom corner after sophomore Millie Colbran was taken down in the box. Despite looking threatening for much of the second half, the Hilltoppers were unable to find another goal before the final whistle leaving the score 2-1 in UC’s favor. West Liberty will be hoping to get a win in their last game of the season this Friday away to local rivals Wheeling University. The Lady Toppers defeated the Cardinals 2-0 at home earlier this season and will be hoping to replicate that success this week and end the season on a high after a tough run of games.
SPORTS
APRIL 15, 2021
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Mixed results for men’s tennis, women’s tennis falls to conference champions Contributing Writer: Mark Donnelly Mixed results for Men’s Tennis West Liberty’s Men’s tennis team (4-5) faced-off against Division I opposition this week while also recording a conference win over Davis & Elkins College (2-4). The Hilltoppers defeated the Senators at home by a 4-3 score line on Wednesday, April 7 before Saint Francis University traveled to the hilltop two days, coming away with a 6-1 win against WLU. WLU were in fine form in conference play coming into these two matches as they were looking to make it four wins from five in MEC action and their close victory over D&E did just that. The visitors claimed the doubles point on the day, winning two of the three games after Anton Schulz and Zarion Jones claimed the only victory, leaving coach Ronnie Hulewicz’s team behind early on.
The singles action produced some extremely close games with each team winning two games with all but the No. 4 and No. 5 singles matches to finish, meaning that the Toppers would have to win both games to secure the team win. Sophomore Daisuke Aota landed a three set victory with a 6-3 win in the final set before fellow sophomore Derek Rohner clinched the win for West Liberty in a dramatic tiebreaker at the end of the third set. This win gave the team plenty of confidence going into an extremely difficult matchup against the visiting Division I Red Flash. The visitors posted straight-set wins in all but one of the matches as senior Schulz helped his team avoid a shut-
out defeat, recording a 6-1, 6-3 win in the No. 3 matchup. This will have been extremely beneficial for the development of the team as they prepare for their final three conference games where they will look to gain a spot in the MEC Tennis Championship at the beginning of May. The Hilltoppers will play their next conference game on Friday April 16 when they will travel to face-off against Fairmont State University in what will be a pivotal game for the MEC standings. Women’s Tennis fall to conference champions West Liberty’s Women’s tennis team (6-2) recorded their first conference loss of the season this week as they fell to reigning MEC champion, the University of Charleston (10-2). The undefeated Golden Eagles came away with a 6-1 victory which put an end to the Hilltoppers’ five game win streak.
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
The Lady Toppers had dropped just one game in their last five competitions coming into this match up. However, they knew it was going to be a difficult one as they faced off against a team who had recorded a perfect 7-0 victory in each of their conference matches so far this season.
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports Nathalia Valencia gave her opponent their first loss of the season in the No. 2 singles matchup, coming away with a tiebreaker to give the home team their only win of the day.Valencia had been in fine form coming into this matchup making this her sixth win in a row as she will be hoping to continue this form into the rest of the season. Coach Heather Gallagher will be hoping that her team can bounce back from this defeat and get back to winning ways as they edge closer to the MEC Tennis Championships at the beginning of May. West Liberty now sits in third position in the MEC standings behind only the Golden Eagles and West Virginia State University (6-3), their next conference opponents. The Toppers will face off against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday April 17 and they will be hoping that they can pull-off their first ever win in this matchup. For more information visit Hilltoppersports.com
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APRIL 15, 2021
SPORTS
Acrobatics and Tumbling secures second-place finish in MEC tournament the Hilltoppers unfortunately came up short in the overall team event, successes elsewhere shines light on the future of this team.
The West Liberty Acrobatics and Tumbling team concluded their season on a masterful note, securing a runner-up finish during the Mountain East Conference Championships. The team’s Head Coach, Kelsey Kyle, was extremely proud of her team’s success throughout this challenging season, and for good reason.
West Liberty opened the season back on March 2 against Davis and Elkins College, in which they secured the victory rather handedly by the final score of 255.720-244.335. It was undoubtedly a great opener to the season for this program, setting a school record for points scored, and finding great individual successes in the process.
When taking a look back on this season’s success, much can be said about the adversity this team had battled against, and where the future is headed for this program as a whole.
As time progressed into the next matchup, the Lady Hilltoppers were set to compete against West Virginia Wesleyan College. They once again saw themselves in the victory column with the final score being 253.445-244.135.
Although the Hilltoppers ultimately fell to nationally ranked Fairmont State University once more by a final score of 257.035262.725, individual and single event successes were certainly present and deserve to be noted.
Undoubtedly the best performance of the season for West Liberty came against Glenville State College on March 18, as the team shattered their previous team record set earlier in the season with a 266.395-254.240 victory.
The Hilltoppers took home a total of three Mountain East Conference Titles for events in the Seven-Element Acrobatics heat, the Inverted Pyramid, and the Tumbling Aerial Pass. Although
Trouble soon surmounted as the season began to dwindle, as regular season losses against Gannon University and Fairmont State University forced the Hilltoppers to adjust much of their game plan heading into the conference championships.
With only a few seniors moving on from the team, and a couple returning thanks to their COVID-19 eligibility year, the direction in which this program continues to trend is undoubtedly up. Even though Fairmont State has captured back-to-back titles, expect the Hilltoppers to potentially claim that throne next season, and possibly many to come.
The Hilltop’s Athlete of the Week
Kailey Pettit
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
Photo Credits: Hilltopper Sports
Women’s Golf Year: Junior Hometown: Moundsville, W. Va. About Pettit: The all MEC standout won the Mr. Bee Intercollegiate Event at Green Hills Golf Club on Sunday. Finishing at 18-over-par 162 for the two day event.