the trumpet
www.westliberty.edu/thetrumpet
Volume 99, Issue 7
By HEATHER HALE Assistant Editor
West Liberty University
in the area struggling financially and the alumni magazine shows the reasons why. Through his community engagement, Koegler will work on setting the record straight about the actual progress of West Liberty and proving, with statistics, that it’s not “the high school on the hill”. Koegler continues his duties in fundraising, and the increasing stability of WLU has allowed the university to expand their personnel.
with a particularly large, and successful, fundraiser for the $900,000 turf football field in The West Family Stadium. He hopes to grow the number of available donors in order to focus on more major gifts, like the new football field. Alexis Montes, Alumni Relations Coordinator, is now assisting in the planning of alumni events, including Homecoming. Being a WLU alumna, and former student athlete in track and field has
October 23, 2019
Foundation, Montes will assist in any way to keep the fundraising going, but her priorities are to increase alumni giving. Ron Witt, Executive Director of New roles amoungst university Alumni Relations and University Special staff increases the efficiency of commuProjects, will be taking on more duties innity outreach. volving planning projects. Jason Koegler, Vice President of Witt said, “The university has exInstitutional Advancement, is taking on perienced much growth over the past the duties of community relations and asthree years. President Greiner has prosisting the president with government revided great leadership and has more lations in addition to his role. ideas for future expansions. Having President Greiner is someone taking responsible for government on the role of Unirelations and Koegler is asversity Special sisting him those duties; he Projects will help will interact with the commufacilitate these nity and acts as the face of projects and enthe university when the presisure they go dent is not available. Koegler smoothly. I act as is the first named staff mema liaison on behalf ber that will be assisting of West Liberty President Greiner with govUniversity.” ernment relations. Witt will conIn the surrounding tinue his duties incommunities, businesses and volving alumni institutions are struggling. relations and lead There are significant changes many different happening in the area like the special projects Ohio Valley Medical Center as assigned by closing, and Wheeling Unithe president. versity eliminating a portioin Witt was instruof their programs, putting 40 mental in acquirLeft to right: Ron Witt, Executive Director Alumni Relations/ University Special Projects; percent of their employees ing the land just Alexis Montes, Alumni Relations Coordinator; out of a job. North of the UniAmidst the hardships and Jason Koegler, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. versity Place of the surrounding areas, apartments and Photo Credit: Media Relations West Liberty is reaching new securing a tenant heights. The West Liberty University helped prepare Montes for her new du- for the restaurant facility that is now Mac’ Koegler will utilize his new du- Foundation recently hired their first ties. She said, “I have a complete under- Club II. The new land provides the opporties to tell the story of a university on the fundraiser. and fundraising for the Foun- standing of campus and athletics that tunity for university expansion, but there rise, a story he doesn’t think people are dation is a part of Koegler’s responsibili- comes in handy. Being an alumna, [it’s] are no definitive plans at this time. hearing. ties, so the additional help of fundraising easier for me to put myself in their place Witt will be directly involved in There are statistics available in of any kind frees him up to focus on other and plan with our alumni in mind. I want to the upcoming expansion of the fourth the Top of the Hill Alumni Magazine Spe- projects. give our alumni a reason to return and floor of Campbell Hall, as well as other cial Edition RISE, compiled by Jason Koegler’s main responsibility stay in touch.” duties assigned by the president. Koelger and Ron Witt, that lays out the concerning fundraising is focused on Montes engages with all alumni, The reassigned roles will ingrowth of WLU. Koegler said that the uni- major gifts, which is valued at $5,000 or but she is focusing on outreach to the crease the university employees abiliversity shouldn’t be put in the narrative of more, and capital projects. graduates up to 35-years-old. ties to thoroughly complete individual enrollment going down and of universities Last year, Koegler was involved Working closely with the WLU tasks while also improving as a whole.
commentary&entertainment The Trumpet- Page 2
By WALKER POLVIKA Contributing Writer Now that midterms are over, as a student, you shift your focus to the second half of the semester. However, your focus should really be on the long term. With half of the fall semester complete, students should bring the spring semester into focus. They can do that by beginning the steps to pre-register for spring classes. All students have to register for classes each semester if they plan to continue their academic careers. Oftentimes, students hold the attitude of, why should I do this immediately? In theory, yes, it can wait. However, you’ll be playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse if you do. When you look at your major as a whole, you can see all the core classes you need right from the beginning. You also see that you need electives, general education credits, and a minor, if applicable. This can be viewed on degreeworks in your wins account. When making plans to pre-register, know that some classes are only offered in certain semesters, so plan ahead. If you do some prep work, you’ll see that there is a certain order in which your classes must be taken. Not doing the necessary steps can backfire when you get to your senior year and real-
ize a core class that you need isn’t being offered for an extended amount of time. This might sound unlikely, but it is occasionally know to happen. While preparing for upcoming semesters, the worst thing you can do is go and meet your adviser without some kind of plan. Most advisers want students to make their own choices when it comes to scheduling classes.
look at what classes you need, ask your adviser when they are offered, then schedule your remaining semesters on paper. This will show you what classes you need, and how many credits you need to take each semester. This strategy works best for freshmen because they have the most classes left to take and can often use help putting things into perspective.
Photo Credit: Heather Your advisor can help you see the full picture and provide you with all of the details about when and how often certain courses are offered. To really map things out,
When you pre-register for classes, look at your major first and see what classes are most pressing. Those are the classes you can’t go without, such as prerequisite classes, so
they go in your schedule first. Move on to your minor, if applicable, and do the same thing. Lastly, go through your remaining general education courses and plug them into your schedule. They are the least pressing because most gen-eds are offered each semester. If you don’t take a certain gen-ed class this semester, it will most likely be offered in the next one. However, if you miss a core class, you may have to wait a semester or longer for it to come back around, which can really throw a wrench into your plans if you’re scheduled to graduate in an upcoming semester. In order to stay on track, know the date for when you can begin registration. If you’re an older student, this can give you a leg up on the Hale freshmen because you can register for your classes first and not worry about one being filled up. This year, registration will begin on Oct. 21 for graduate students and seniors, Oct. 25 for juniors, Oct.
31 for sophomores, and Nov. 6 for freshmen. Honors students, veterans and scholars can also register early for classes. By keeping these dates handy, you’ll know when you can register. Registering as soon as possible for classes is an easy step that can prevent an extended college stay. One last thing to keep in mind leading up to pre-registration is to make sure there are not any holds on your account. If you owe money or West Liberty has placed a hold on your account for a specific reason, you can’t register until your account is paid off or the holds are removed. Getting prepared for registration is extremely important and should be your top priority. If you don’t take action you may not get any of the classes you need, which could be fatal when it comes to graduating based on the schedule you planned out. Pre-registration can be stressful, but only if you let it cause you problems. Coming in to the next semester with the classes you know you need, an account in good standing, and a big picture plan are all vital to the pre-registration process. So get on out there, be prepared, and allow yourself to coast smoothly through pre-registration season and right into the spring semester .
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By ANNA JOHNSTON Distribution Manager October is almost over, so you better get your Halloween fix while you can. The West Alexander Scare at the Fair will be hosting their last spooky weekend on Oct. 25-26 in West Alexander, Pennsylvania. Their feature attractions for this year include: The Voodoo Shack, The Hillbilly Zone, Claustrophobia, The Darkness, and Clowns, Clowns, Clowns. Just over the border into Pennsylvania, West Alexander is a small town, much like West Liberty, striving to support local groups. The two towns cooperate with each other in several ways and aim to support one another in local endeavours.
Scare Fair goers and killer clowns enjoy the festivities in West Alexander, Pa. The event’s final weekend of the season is Oct. 25-26. For more pictures, go to Page 6. Photo Credit: Anna Johnston
CAST YOUR VOTE! Go to our Twitter @WLTrumpetOnline to vote in this week’s online poll: When are you too old to trick-or-treat?
Last week’s poll: Are you good at budgeting? 42% - Yes 42% - No 16% - What’s budgeting???
The event is held indoors by the West Alexander community members and staffed by volunteers who dedicate their weekends in October to scaring all those who dare to enter. Volunteers are fully committed to frightening guests and providing the best possible spooky experience for all who enter. Every year since 2013, West Alexander hosts the fundraising event to benefit the West Alexander Agricultural Association and the West Alexander Volunteer Fire Department. The doors open at 7:00 p.m. and close at 11:00 p.m., but ticket sales end at 10:00 p.m. A general admission ticket for an adult is $15 and $10 for kids 18 and under;
the fair is not recommended for children under the age of eight. For five more dollars a guest can participate in the Escape Room for a test of skill and determination. This year, there are several different themed rooms at the fair including “the voodoo shack, the hillbilly zone, claustrophobia, the darkness and clowns clowns clowns,” according to www.wascarefair.com. Volunteers dress up in full costume, from clowns to demons, jumping out at guests and giving them a good scare. Kaelyn Oskin, a Senior Criminal Justice major has attended the West Alexander Scare at the Fair for the last three years and looks forward to it each fall. “I like hanging out with my friends and being scared together,” said Oskin. “My favorite part was the claustrophobia zone. Nothing could get me there apart from the walls and I’m not afraid!” said Oskin. The West Alexander has support from West Liberty University students because of the way it helps the local community. “It’s worth the money because it’s for a good cause,” said Oskin. “It’s nice to have fun and help people at the same time.” It is events like these that keep the local atmosphere thriving and fun up on the hilltop. Pop along to West Alexander before the season is done for fun Halloween, spook filled evening. Happy Halloween!
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By THOMAS CURTIN Contributing Writer
Boil orders happen rather frequently, but what do they mean? Visit https://westliberty.edu/emergencies/boilorder/ for more information. Illustration by: Samantha Snyder
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April 2, 2020. Here students are rewarded $1,000 to fund their business models and travel costs. The winner in each category will receive the grand prize package of $10,000 cash and consulting services to start their business. In addition, $20,000 of at-large prize money will be awarded to deserving teams which show promise and good ideas. The two categories are lifestyle and hospitality, and STEM and innovations. The lifestyle and hos-
sources on how to create your business plan and to start your own startup company visit https://www.businessplanwv.com/collegiate-b pc/resources. Prof. Rickard Briggs, assistant professor of Entrepreneurship at West Liberty University, states “the business plan competition gets young thinkers active and gives them something to work towards. This is a real opportunity for students and can be very beneficial, win or lose.� The goal of the competition is
The West Virginia Business Plan Competition gives high school and college students the opportunity to make dreams become a reality by funding students business ideas and setting them up with established business professionals. The first round is due on Nov. 15. The requirement is it must be a for-profit business idea that focuses on social entrepreneurship and solving a problem found in West Virginia. All majors can participate, and teams can be formed with students from other schools in West Virginia. To participate you must be a fulltime student at a degree granting institution to enter. There is also a high school division that is open to all high school- Photo Credit:WV Collegiate Business Plan Competition ers. The goal of this competition is to work pitality category consists of to provide students with the collaboratively with a mission products or services that are education, skills, contacts, to help move the state for- part of daily life. These are and motivation necessary to ward by engaging young business ideas relevant to create a start-up company in minds to solve West Virginia’s hospitality, restaurants, ho- West Virginia. It allows stugreatest issues. For more in- tels, tourism, and related dents to network and create formation on the competition fields. links with people in the indusand how to enter go to The STEM and inno- try. Past winners and particih t t p s : / / w w w . b u s i n e s s - vations category consists of pants of the competition have planwv.com/home. products or services with an brought their company to life Dec. 2 is the semi-fi- emphasis in science, technol- and have started real, profnals which will be held at ogy, engineering, math, en- itable businesses. It is a great Fairmont State University. ergy, and healthcare, or any way to get involved in busiFollowing that, the final com- new innovations. ness, start thinking like a propetition will be held in This is the 14th an- fessional and build Charleston Civic Center on nual competition. For re- experience.
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By ANNA JOHNSTON Distribution Manager The Oglebay Good Zoo been hosting its annual ‘Boo at the Zoo’ event throughout October. This year, the event is presented by The Health Plan and sponsored by a number of other local organizations, including West Liberty University. All proceeds go towards the care and aid of the animals at the Oglebay Good Zoo. There are nine trickor-treat style stations set up across the zoo, each with a unique spooky theme, ranging from harry potter to zombies. Different candy and
sugary treats are offered at each stop from brands such as Pepsi, Herr’s Snacks, GoGo SqueeZ and Zollipops. Volunteers at all stations are dressed in Halloween outfits to make the experience special for every guest. Visitors, both adults and children, are encouraged to dress up in costume for the event. General admission, for $9.95, gives you access to see select zoo animals, each of the tick-or-treat stations, and a Halloween laser light show. For another $2.95, a spooky train ride is included which is extremely popular amongst guests.
Photo Credit: Oglebay Institute
Photo Credit: Oglebay Institute
Tickets can be purchased in advance at the zoo’s website, which gives visitors access to the advance ticket line. Tickets can also be purchased at the zoo, although waiting times may be longer. S e v e r a l West Liberty students get involved with the Boo at the Zoo event tending to the trick-ortreat stations. Around six WLU students participate each day, dressed in full costume.
“I love seeing the little kids in their costumes and how excited they get when they see all the decorations,” said Kaitlyn Taylor, a sophomore Zoo Science and Environmental Stewardship and Education double major. “So far I’ve dressed up as deer, a cowgirl and one of the Incredibles.” Dr.Joe Greathouse, Zoo Director and Biology Professor at West Liberty, offers students in his classes an opportunity to gain extra credit for participating in Boo at the Zoo. This encourages students to get involved with the local event and make connections with the zoo staff. Volunteers have a chance to get away from the hilltop and do something a little different. “It’s a nice way to interact with the
local community,” said Taylor. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Boo at the Zoo. The event attracts over fourteen thousand guests every year is the most successful fundraiser run by the zoo. It’s fundraisers like this, and its support from the community, that keeps the Oglebay Good Zoo alive and well. Boo at the Zoo has something for everyone, with entertainment for the whole family. The fun can last for an entire evening with memories that will last a lifetime. The event only has three days left, the 25th, 26th and 27th of October. For more information visit the Oglebay website or call the Good Zoo office at (304) 243-4100.
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Photo Credit: Anna Johnston
Photo Credit: West Alexander Scare Fair
Photo Credit: Anna Johnston
Photo Credit: Anna Johnston
The Trumpet welcomes all students, faculty or staff members to reach out to any of the Trumpet staffers with story ideas, comments or concerns. You can also email the Trumpet directly at wltrumpet@westliberty.edu. And if you want to write, take pictures, draw art, or anything else, let us know! You are always welcome here!
sports
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West Liberty Soccer teams fight for points
By ANNA JOHNSTON Distributing Manager
This Sunday sees both WLU soccer teams take on Concord University in a double header down in Hampshire County. For the Lady Toppers, it will be a tough competition as Concord is currently top overall in the Mountain East Conference with 21 points. West Liberty currently have ten points following a number of ties. Last weekend, the ladies tied north division leaders, Fairmont Sate University in
tightly fought game where the Ladies had five shots on goal compared to the Falcons two. This will be the first and potentially only matchup between the Lady Hilltoppers and Mountain Lions this season. West Liberty hold a record of 2-7-3 in conference with Concord and have not achieved a win against the side since 2015. The Lady Mountain Lions have enjoyed a positive season so far with a six game win streak, and 7-1 record in conference play. WLU will look to put that streak to a halt and build their conference come-
back. The men’s side also tackle Concord on Sunday. The Mountain Lions are currently only one place, ahead of the Hilltoppers in the MEC. WLU have four points while Concord have eight. Head Coach, Sean Regan’s team will be attempting to narrow that gap this weekend. The men lost narrowly to Fairmont State last weekend after making a strong attempt at a comeback and bringing the score back from 3-0, to 32. Concord’s men’s soccer team hold a record of 2-6-2 in
Conference. With the end of the regular season quickly approaching, the Hilltoppers look to gain momentum as they head home for the next four games. The Lady Toppers started off their weekend away trip by heading to Elkins, WV to play the newly inducted MEC opponent Davis and College. The Sen-
ators were able to pull out the first two sets with scores of 25-22 and 25-18 before the Hilltoppers were able to capture the third set 25-22. But it was too little too late as the Senators claimed victory in the fourth set with a score of 25-22. Senior Caitlin Clarke led the offense with 12 kills and a strong hitting percentage of 0.417. Fellow senior Mackenzie Sims had a match-high 28 dogs along with six kills while junior Renee Lemke and freshman Kirsten Bogunovih dished out 19 and 15 assists each. The Lady Hilltoppers were able to rebound quickly with a three set sweep against the Bobcats of West Virginia Wesleyan. They made
Photo credit:Hilltoppersports.edu conference play while West Liberty stand at 1-9-1. This is a good opportunity for the Toppers to get some points back on the table. West Liberty fell 2-0 to the Mountain Lions at the start of
September so the team will be looking to get something more out in this second leg. The ladies start first this Sunday at 1 p.m. in Athens, followed by the men kicking off at 3:30 p.m. Go Toppers!
Lady Hilltoppers aim high in future games
By OLIVIA BAUMHOER Contribuiting Writer The WLU Volleyball team split their games this weekend with a loss to Davis and Elkins and a victory over West Virginia Wesleyan. West Liberty University remains at 0.500 with a record of 11-11 overall and sit at sixth in the Mountain East
Photo credit:Hilltoppersports.edu
Photo credit:Hilltoppersports.edu quick work of the first set with a score of 25-13 before having to battle for the second set in a tight 25-21 victory. After going up 2-0, the Toppers cleaned up with a 25-14 third set win. Senior Mackenzie Sims and junior Madison Clayton both had seven kills during the match with Sims hitting a 0.352 and Clayton hitting a 0.462. Junior Renee Lemke helped the offense with 14 assists and Kailee Cunningham controlled the
defense with a match-high 10 digs. The Hilltoppers will face the Yellow Jackets of West Virginia State University who are currently undefeated in the Mountain East. Last season, the Lady Toppers snatched both meetings against the Yellow Jackets in five sets both in the regular season and in the Mountain East tournament. The match will be on Friday at 7 p.m. in the ASRC.
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Photo Credit: Caitlin de Vries By ANNA JOHNSTON
Distribution Manager Caitlin de Vries is a senior on the West Liberty Women’s Soccer team. She has started in all but four competitive games for the Hilltoppers since 2016. A captain since the spring of her junior year, de Vries plays a vital role in the squad and is a key player both on and off the field. Hailing from Evans City, Pennsylvania and a graduate of Seneca Valley Senior High School, de Vries is a hard-working, strong defensive presence on the pitch and is not shy of driving an attack either. As a central defender, there are few oppor-
tunities for her to be a forward threat, but nonetheless, de Vrie shas three goals to her name during her time at WLU. De Vries came to West Liberty as a freshman in 2016. “It was the cheapest option, not too far from home and I liked the soccer team and coach from my visits,” said de Vries. Since her first year on the Hilltop the soccer program has expanded significantly. “The program has gotten bigger, like the team size has increased. We changed from Adidas to Nike, got a different soccer house and a new turf field, which means no more going to 16th street to practice,” said de Vries.
Not only does de Vries stand out in soccer, being named to the All-Freshman Team (2016), First Team All-Conference (2016) and Second Team All-Conference (2017), she also boasts a 4.0 GPA and has been recognized for academic achievements several times. She has been named to All-MEC Academic team each year of her college career and in 2018 was a MEC Scholar/Athlete of the Year Finalist as well as making the Google Cloud Academic AllDistrict 2 Women’s Soccer team 2018-2019. “My advice is school always comes first. Become friends with and don’t be afraid to ask your professors for help, they know so much and can be very helpful with internships, jobs or just life advice,” said de Vries. “My trick is my planner, I would be lost without it.” De Vries was nicknamed CDV by Head Coach Barry Christmas early on in
her career, a name which has stuck and is now called by it regularly by friends and teammates. De Vries rolls out before every single game but other than that, her superstitions have calmed down. “I used to be more superstitious. I sat in the same bus seat for every high school game, but I’ve tried to get out of those habits because superstitions are kind of pointless,” she said. There have been plenty of highs and lows during her four years of Topper Soccer. De Vries notes “winning the first play off game in program history my junior year against Fairmont,” as her favorite soccer memory at West Liberty. “The highlight of this year was probably watching the team play an amazing game technically against Frostburg and beating them 3-0 or scoring a goal against Wheeling.” De Vries will graduate with a major in Environmental Stewardship and a
minor in Geography next semester. “I hope to keep playing after college since soccer has been a huge part of my life for the past 18 years. Hopefully I’ll end up somewhere where I can play in some sort of recreational adult league,” said de Vries. Soccer has been a major part of de Vries’ life and it has taught her several unforgettable lessons. “I can’t even think of the most important one there are so many!” she said. “I love soccer because it’s fun, it helps you make life long friends, and you forget about everything else going on in your life when you play,” said de Vries “Love your teammates and treat them like family, because that’s what they become. Enjoy every second of playing because you become a senior way too fast.” To keep up to date with the WLU Women’s soccer team be sure to follow @WLAthletics on twitter.
WLU Athlete of the Week:
Kailey Pettit Junior From Moundsville, W.Va., Pettit won the FSU Fall Women's Invitational this Saturday, hosted by Fairmont State University at Bridgeport Country Club. Photo Credit: Hilltoppersports.com