Thursday, September 30, 2010
Vol. 88 No. 4
51 W. College St. Waynesburg, PA 15370
Alcohol incidents send two to hospital, others to be charged By Kaitlin Edwards Managing Editor Waynesburg Borough Police will file charges against four University students stemming from alcohol-related incidents this weekend, which resulted in two of the students in the hospital. Chief of Police Timothy
Hawfield said charges of resisting arrest, public drunkenness and underage drinking are pending against Benjamin Nichols, 19, of Waynesboro, after Nichols was injured running from police. Eric Fait, 21, of Grapeville, and Tyler Hellwig, 21, of Pittsburgh, were charged with furnishing alcohol to minors, and
Brandon Cartwright, 19, of Aliquippa, was cited for underage drinking, according to Hawfield. “I am not pleased with the conduct by these students over the past weekend,” said Hawfield. “It was very inappropriate and does not reflect well on anyone.” The charges resulted from
unrelated incidents Friday night and early Saturday morning. Nichols was spotted stumbling near the Waynesburg Volunteer Fire Company by Waynesburg Borough Police at 11:54 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 24, Hawfield said. After being confronted by police, Nichols allegedly began
running down East Greene Street before jumping over a railing behind the fire department, 166 East Greene Street, Hawfield said. Nichols fell 12 feet, landing face first on a metal grate at the bottom of the drop causing several facial and head injuries. See STUDENTS on A3
President Obama: College graduation rates must increase
Capital experience Freshmen take annual trip to Washington, D.C.
By Sierra Shafer Op/Ed Editor
By Eric Bost Staff Writer The freshman class at Waynesburg University had to battle through more than just waking up early and dealing with rain on their Fiat Lux trip to Washington, D.C. on Monday. They learned something that cannot be taught in a classroom, something that can only be learned firsthand. At least, that’s what second-year Fiat Lux instructor Michael Cipoletti wanted the students to grasp. “I hope that maybe being at the museum builds on what they’ve already learned in high school,” said Cipoletti, “And then apply that to situations that are going on around us today.” The students visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Inside there were different exhibits that showed how Nazi Germany came to power all the way up to the Holocaust and World War II. While some students learned more from the exhibits, others, like freshman advertising major James Little took most away from what was on Photo courtesy of Paige Shifflett
See FRESHMEN on A4
Paige Shifflett looks at the Lincoln Memorial during the annual trip to the capital.
On Monday morning, President Barack Obama took time to speak with collegiate journalists about issues that hit close to home, including health care access, affordability of college and jobs for new graduates. Obama began the conference call by admitting that Americans have fallen behind in education, citing that in the past 10 years, the United States has fallen from first to 12th in college graduation rates. In response, the president proposed that by 2020, the U.S. would once again be number one. “If we’re serious about building a stronger economy and making sure we succeed in the 21st century, then the single most
important step we can take is to make sure that every young person gets the best education possible,” said Obama, “because countries that out-educate us today are going to out-compete us tomorrow.” The president went on to outline three steps to reach this goal; his first goal is to make college more affordable. The Obama administration is tripling the investment in college tax credits for middleclass families. “Under the Affordable Care Act, my health care bill, is that young adults can now stay on their parents’ health plans until they’re 26 years old,” said Obama. “And that obviously provides reliefs to a lot of young people who are looking maybe at their first job not proSee OBAMA on A3
Library updates Colleges, NFL placing more emphasis search catalog, on diagnosing, treating concussions adds new features “ By Amanda Wishner Staff Writer
By Mitch Graham Staff Writer Students who logged onto myConnect recently may have noticed an updated online library system. Eberly Library is updating its Online Public Access Catalog. The OPAC system is offered from the company Innovative Interfaces. “[Systems Librarian]
John Thompson has been working on this upgrade for over a year now,” said Lisa Snyder, electronic resources and interlibrary loan librarian. “The final version will be launched in the coming weeks.” The older version of the catalog system was supported through an organization called Health SerSee NEW on A2
Because of the severity of sports injuries and increasing advances in medicine, standards in dealing with injured athletes have changed over the years. Waynesburg University’s Department of Athletics has taken various proactive measures in attempting to prevent complications from sports-related injuries, particularly in dealing with concussions.
[Today, athletic trainers and coaches err] 100 percent on the side of caution...”
Richard Shepas Director of Athletics
“This year in 2010, the NCAA has made concussions the focus, not to mention the NFL as well,” said Waynes-
burg University Director of Athletics and head football coach Richard Shepas. This change in focus comes as Thiel
See ATHLETES on A3
SPORTS
FEATURE
REGION
Football routs Grove City in home opener.
Fifteen singers will compete for the title of Waynesburg Idol, beginning Oct. 1.
The Heroes’ Run/Walk raised more than $15,000 for two scholarship funds.
See Page C1
INSIDE Copyright © 2010 by Waynesburg University
College football player Louis Patrick Giuntini passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Sept. 18. Giuntini’s death may marks the third sportsrelated death in western Pennsylvania since April 2010. According to Shepas, the ’70s and ’80s were “an era where there were no athletic trainers. You had to define whether you were hurt or whether you were
Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A1-A4 Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B1, B4 Editorial/Op-Ed . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2, B3
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .C1-C4 Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1-D2 Global . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D3-D4
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Campus
Founders hope weekly worship session University awards helps students reflect and explore Bible community grants By Sierra Shafer Op/Ed Editor A special session of Selah will be hosted tomorrow at noon in Johnson Commons. While worship will still be student led, Chaplain Tom Ribar will deliver the message to conclude Who’s Your Neighbor Week. Selah, Hebrew for “pause,” is a weekly hour of worship and teaching on campus. “It’s a good way to have fellowship and come before God,” said sophomore Anthony Jarrell, coordinator of Selah. Jarrell was one of the founders of Selah last year. “This Friday is just another opportunity for
students during the week to dive into God’s word and reflect,” he said. Jarrell hopes that Friday’s special edition of Selah will help students process all that they learn during Who’s Your Neighbor Week. “The reason we decided to do this Friday edition was to have a conclusion to the week, something to tie it all together,” said Jarrell. Ribar’s message on Friday will focus on the week’s them: Remembering the past, acting in the present, guarding the future. According to Jarrell, Selah will offer tremendous potential not just to learn during the week but also to apply what is learned.
“This is about learning what it means to be a neighbor in Christ, not just fellow college students,” Jarrell said. Who’s Your Neighbor Week is designed to raise awareness on domestic and international issues and encourage members of the University community to take action against global injustices. According to Sarah Brandstetter, coordinator of the Bonner Scholar Program, this year WYNW events and speakers will focus on issue of genocide. “We want to remember the past and where we have come from, look at the issues we are currently facing and act in the present, while also discussing ways to guard the future,” said Brandstetter.
In an effort to look at these issues, the week’s events included a showing and discussion of the movie “Freedom Writers” and a presentation about “Not for Sale.” Speakers included Holocaust survivor Edith Levy and Salvadorian journalist Horacio Catellanos Moya. “Every week is different; different worship leaders and different teachers,” said Jarrell. “This week, we really want students to come together and really reflect on everything they have taken in during the week.” Selah meets regularly at 11 a.m. on Thursdays at in the Guesman Prayer Chapel on the first floor of Stover.
Photo by Andrew Buda
University Chaplain Tom Ribar spoke at Chapel about the Two Futures Project.
Chaplain discusses warfare, future of nuclear weapons at Tuesday’s Chapel By Andrew Buda Staff Writer In light of Who’s Your Neighbor Week, a special presentation was given at Chapel. Chaplain Tom Ribar filled in for guest speaker Adam Woods who had to cancel his appearance due to family matters. The message did not
change, however, as Ribar decided to continue with the topic and cover the Just War Theory from the perspective of the Two Futures Project. “The Two Futures project states that there are only two possible futures for our world,” said Ribar, “either a world where nuclear weapons are used or a world where they are
eliminated.” According to their website, Two Futures aims to educate people on the issues of nuclear arms and advocates a nuclear free future and has a Christian Just War theory. The Two Futures Project believes that if nuclear weapons exist, they will be used, and they will be used in this
lifetime. During the service, Ribar addressed the question, which was also the title of his message, “Can I Love My Neighbor with Nuclear Weapons?” In the luncheon following Chapel, Ribar asked if nuclear war could ever be a just war. “Nuclear weapons, in
to four groups By Stephanie Laing Editorial Assistant One nuclear bomb. Sixty thousand innocent dead. One hundred fifty thousand radiation victims. Six million evacuees. One trillion dollars in damage. Global economic collapse. Businesses bankrupt overnight. These statistics, provided by the Two Futures Project website, were the topic of conversation at the community impact grants luncheon on the third floor of Stover last Tuesday, Sept. 28. According to twofuturesproject.org, “there are approximately 20,000 nuclear weapons in existence today. That’s nearly one bomb for every city and town in the United States.” Faculty, Leadership Program scholars and anyone else interested discussed the Just War Theory, the probability of the use of nuclear weapons in today’s time and the justification of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings. “We can predict pretty accurately that the United States, Russia and Israel are not going to use nuclear weapons as an offensive strike,” said the University Chaplain Tom Ribar. “When it’s a limited number of predictable nations, we can live with some levels of comfort. When terrorist organizations gain the weapons, we lose our ability to predict.” Ribar encouraged students to become involved and to take action. The Two Futures website suggests petitioning senators to make them aware of their constituents’ opinions. The website also includes an online petition people can sign to declare their wish to live in a world without nuclear weapons. Along with the dialogue about nuclear weapons, the luncheon
expanded on the community impact grant’s winners, who were named during Chapel. “The winners of the community impact grants will present and share exactly what they will be doing with their grants and where they are going with that,” said Sarah Brandstetter, coordinator of the Bonner Scholar Program. “It is just to give people an idea of what will be happening and things to look for in the future.” The four winners included the Healthy Living Project, the EcoStewards Club, the Positive Reading Club and a project to help the Salvation Army. The Healthy Living Project, designed to help adults with handicaps to live a healthier lifestyle, will invest in people struggling with diabetes. Also, the grant will provide the group with the money to buy a television, a Wii and a Wii Fit for the handicapped. The EcoStewards Club will invest in the Ryerson State Park, adding picnic tables and grills to the park. The Positive Reading Club will bring therapy dogs into schools. This allows children, insecure of their reading skills, to read to a dog in a non-threatening environment. According to the club representative, this will help the children become more confident speakers. The last grant winner will use the money to spread awareness about the Salvation Army’s needs. This group will spread awareness of the programs occurring within the Salvation Army and try to recruit volunteers. The community impact grants winners expressed a desire to move forward with their ideas within the next two weeks. “Hopefully these projects will give you an idea for you to apply in the future,” said Brandstetter.
See RIBAR on A3
New search features added Continued from A1 vices Library Catalog, which serves multiple libraries across Pennsylvania. “When big budget cuts in Harrisburg affected public libraries and the services HSLC provided changed, their target customers changed too.” said Snyder. “When this affected Eberly Library, we found that we would be better served by moving forward and purchased the library catalog from Innovative Interfaces. Since then, John Thompson has
devoted much of his time moving us forward with this project.” Thompson explained how the system worked. “We are working in conjunction with six other libraries, two in Pittsburgh, three in the Lancaster area and one in Philadelphia,” said Thompson. “We have had to take all our catalog records, transfer them from one computer to another and negotiate where each record is being placed.” Not only is Thompson busy working with the system at Eberly Library, he is also the coordinator for the other libraries involved with this transition.
According to Thompson, some of the new features included in this new update will include a feature called MyList, which will enable users to save records for books, DVDs and other media that interest them. Users are then able to create a list to be accessible at later dates. “Once students are able to login, they will be able to save searches, receive update e-mails, renew books online, place holds on books and can even be notified online when a book that is already checked out is available,” said Thompson. “We hope for this system to be fully functional
within a few days.” Snyder also said that students will notice a new interface that is sleeker and simpler to use. The interface features a new look and expanded capabilities. “Increased functionality is one of the main goals of this change,” said Thompson. “Students can still access all of the basic information about books, journals, DVDs and other media.” “As always,” said Synder, “students and others using our system should feel free to contact a staff member or librarian if they need more help using the catalog or any of our other resources.”
Students now have more options to use for research. These options can be found on the University Links page in myConnect.
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
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Campus
Student Senate proposes budget, will vote on it next week By Gregory Reinhart Staff Writer Student Senate will vote on a new budget that would give $4,202.41 in additional funds toward allocations for Student Senate organizations. “It’s ultimately going back to the student, focused on helping out with Student Activities Board and organizations,” said Dave Calvario, dean of Students and director of the Center for Service Leadership. Student Senate Treasurer Joseph Scotti presented the 2010-2011 Student Senate budget during the Tuesday’s meeting. “The amount is a bit higher this year because we are doing a lot more with concessional spending money,” said Scotti. Scotti noted this year’s budget growth reflects the growth of Student Senate. “This year for Student Senate has increased by
Photo by Gregory Reinhart
Student Senate Secretary Chelsea Cummins speaks to her committee about Senate’s Facebook page and Twitter account that will update students about Senate. two organizations,” said Scotti. Brian Wehrle, executive vice president, spoke to student representatives about new possibilities for the upcoming year in campus activities. Student Senate set aside $10,000 for allocation money, which is given to clubs whose rep-
resentatives meet specific criteria. “We want more of this money to be spent on campus activities and be present to the student body,” said Wehrle. Deadline for allocation request forms are due on Oct. 19 for Student Senate organizations. Organizations can
receive $225 a semester while dorm floors can receive $140. Calvario stressed how critical it is for Student Senate organizations to review the proposed budget. “It’s very important not to rush these things,” said Calvario, ”because organizations have to look over
them and see what they are dealing with.” Calvario wants money that is spent for Student Senate to help impact the campus community and feed into growth of Waynesburg University by the students themselves. “I am hoping money spent to the student body goes toward programs that could not be provided in past years,” said Calvario. In other news, ideas were proposed in the Campus Life task force this week. There was talk about fundraising for a new pool table since the old one was removed in the summer of the 2009. The idea was broached with Pat Bristor, associate dean of Students, who declined any support because the pool table did not generate any income. Campus Life also proposed an idea for coin machines in laundry
rooms and ping-pong paddles for each dormitory with ping-pong tables. Chelsea Cummins, Student Senate secretary, announced this week that Student Senate Twitter account had been set up. “Twitter is a big force because it is a very viable medium and easily accessible toward the student body,” said Cummins. Cummins mentioned her next goal is to set up a Facebook account for Student Senate. “Facebook is a bit of a challenge because you have to pursue the students head on,” she said. During last week’s task force meetings there was talk about creating Facebook and Twitter pagers. Student Senate will meet next week to vote on the proposed budget for this year. Dorothy Rurak will also speak about the EcoStewards Club’s efforts with the Campus Water Challenge.
Ribar gives Obama talks to students message Continued from A2
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their very nature, cannot be just,” said senior prelaw and history double major Jared Kephart. “You can’t justify the slaughter of innocent lives.” “Friends, the time to act is now,” said Ribar. “So that we might guard the future.” Some students in attendance believe nuclear weapons can be eliminated. “It’s very possible for our country to get rid of our nuclear weapons,” said freshman psychology major Anthony Jarrell. “We should eliminate them in order to work towards international peace.” Others thought that although society can eliminate nuclear weapons, the probability of it actually happening isn’t likely. “We have the potential to eliminate nuclear weapons, but I don’t think we will,” said resident director Carrie Smith. Ribar urged students to act now because the world and its nuclear weapons aren’t waiting. After all, in the words of
viding health insurance.” Obama said his second priority in improving education in the U.S. was to make sure that higher education produces graduates who are ready for new jobs of the future. The president mentioned that community colleges would play a large role in preparing students with relevant subjects that translate into jobs. Dr. Jill Biden will host the first-ever White House summit on community colleges next week. Improving college completion rates was the third component in the president’s plan. “We’ve done okay in college enrollment rates, but more than a third of American’s college students and more than half of our minority students don’t earn a degree, even after six years,” he said. The president called this a waste of potential because those students are procuring debt but
Athletes take precautions
ing,” said Shepas. After one complaint of a headache, pain, or any other injury, they’re out, he said. According to Shepas, student-athletes may fail to communicate injuries simply because they want to play. “Nobody wants to sit out,” said Doogie Sanner, sophomore football player. “It’s their competitive edge. You want to go out and help your team win every game.” Shepas urges students to communicate openly with coaches and athletic trainers, reminding them that college-level sports are not important enough to risk one’s life
Continued from A1 injured,” said Shepas. According to Shepas, being injured signified that a player was to be removed from the game and required to see a doctor. Hurt, on the other hand, meant a player could “work through it,” he said. Today when dealing with injuries, coaches and athletic trainers respond to the situation “100 percent on the side of caution and try to make sure players do a good job communicat-
Official White House photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama participates in a conference call with college and university student-journalists in the Oval Office, Sept. 27. He discussed health care and jobs. are not putting themselves in a better place to pay it off. “The key here is that we want to open the doors of our colleges and universities to more people so they can learn, they can graduate and they can succeed in life,” Obama said. Despite the current generation being called the “lost generation,” Obama does not believe this generation should be concerned.
“I think your generation is going to be just fine,” Obama said. “Things are real tough for young people right now. But having said that, if you are getting a college degree, if you’ve got skills in math and science, or good, sound communication skills, there are still jobs out there even in tough environment.” Obama repeatedly stressed the importance of staying involved in the political process,
Infographic by MCT Campus
over. A variety of regulations on concussions in play must be followed by athletes at Waynesburg.
Sometimes referred to as the three-strike rule, three concussions over a period of time will bench a player for a significant period of time,
not just during exciting presidential elections. “I just want to remind young people, they’ve got to get reengaged in this process,” he said, “because democracy is never a one-and-done proposition.” While Obama acknowledged that the United States is coming out of economic crisis and still has many struggles to face, he closed the call with a positive message for
the student journalists and their peers. “Don’t let anybody tell you that somehow your dreams are going to be constrained going forward,” Obama said. “Right now we’re going through a tough time but I have no doubt that you guys are going to be successful. “I want everybody to be well informed and to participate. If you do, then I feel very optimistic about the country’s future.”
if not the entire season. Football players are also required to complete Immediate PostConcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing during their preliminary physical exam or after suffering a concussion. The test analyzes cognitive functions, including memory, reaction time and attention span and safely tracks a player’s recovery and physical state. Concussions have recently been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also referred to as ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Both diseases are associated with
repeated head trauma and result in the degeneration of brain cells. University of Pennsylvania football captain Owen Thomas, who committed suicide on April 26, 2010, was the first college athlete studied to show signs of CTE, despite not having any symptoms of concussions. The disease is known to kill cells that are responsible for controlling a person’s personality, emotions and mood. Thomas was reported as becoming uncharacteristically depressed in the days before his death, which is a common symptom of the cognitive disease.
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Campus
‘I was offered a chance to escape’ Students hear from eyewitness to Holocaust By Jon Ledyard Assignments Editor A unique opportunity to hear an eyewitness perspective on a tragic historical event was hosted by Waynesburg University when Holocaust survivor Dr. Edith Rechter Levy spoke at the Goodwin Performing Arts Center on Wednesday. Levy, who is an educator and published scholar, has devoted nearly 20 years to educating people about the Holocaust and the tragic consequences of bigotry and racial prejudice. “When the Holocaust was over, the survivors just wanted to go on with their lives and forget,” said Levy. “But soon we found that was impossible.” Levy was raised in Vienna, Austria, where she realized that Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, was a series of attacks against Jews in Austria, Nov. 9-10, 1938. “Our parents hid the growing hatred against Jews from us,” said Levy. “But Kristallnacht is my earliest most vivid and terrifying memory.” After these attacks her family tried many times unsuccessfully to leave the country before finally being smuggled out to Antwerp, Belgium. Many times her family barely avoided deportation by the German soldiers and her father was eventually sent to the concentration camps in Auschwitz. Her father’s imprisonment left Levy to care for her mother and three-month-old brother at the young age of 13. “I was offered a chance to escape through the Underground, but I knew I was my mother and brother’s only chance of survival so I refused,” said Levy. When the war ended, Levy said there was great rejoicing in Belgium. But the joy for the young girl and her family was short-lived as they soon discovered her father had died in Auschwitz along with millions of others of innocent people. “Losing my father after the war
Freshmen travel to D.C. Continued from A1
the outside. “I really liked the statue out front,” Little said, “because it symbolized the upturned homes and the burning in which they had later with the crematoriums.” Little also exemplified Cipoletti’s wish. “I had known everything already because I have had many years of history classes and studied it already,” said Little.
Photo by Kaitlin Edwards
Two Waynesburg University students will be charged with furnishing alcohol to minors stemming from a Sept. 25 incident at 280 W. High Street.
Students charged Continued from A1
Photo by Andrew Buda
Dr. Edith Rechter Levy looks over old photos following her lecture at the Goodwin Performing Arts Center on Wednesday. was the most difficult part of the Holocaust,” said Levy. “You plow through and you think that’ll it’ll eventually all be over,but then the war ends and you realize it isn’t over and it never will be.” Levy’s words made some in the audience consider how much they are influenced by those around them. “It made me realize I need to think for myself,” said freshman children and youth ministry major Ethan Hacker. “I need to not let other people make my mind up for me.” Others in the audience were struck by Levy’s personality during her talk and that she could remain so optimistic having gone through
“You would hear about the things and know about the stuff, you just knew the facts, but then you saw some of the pictures and other stuff, and it was just more interesting to see it all come together.” For some, like Little, this was actually their second visit to the museum. “I didn’t think I would find anything new,” Little said, “but I looked at it a little bit deeper because there was a lot to take in.” For others, like freshman nursing major Alyssa Walls, it was their first time in the museum. While there, she, like
so much tragedy. “I’m astounded at how much joy is present in presenting such a hard story,” said senior biblical and ministry major Kyle Kooyers. “She has a real sense of duty and calling and satisfaction in knowing that people won’t forget about this tragedy.” According to Kooyers, speakers like Levy are so important to a young, growing audience of students because we can learn so much from history. “We have a responsibility to bring about the future and determine where we are going,” said Kooyers. “We need to learn to speak out against things that we don’t think are right or just.”
every other student on the trip, received a booklet with a name and photograph of a Holocaust survivor. “Her name was Helen Luksenburg,” said Walls. Later, Walls discovered that Luksenburg was actually at the museum that day and wanted to talk with her. “I talked to her and her husband. He showed me the tattoo of his number from the camp,” Walls said. “The experience was realistic. Seeing everything up close, like the wagon or the boxcar, I could picture myself being there.”
He was transported by ambulance to Ruby Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., where he was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit. While he was being transported, Nichols reportedly became aggressive toward the Emergency Medical Technicians as they were attempting to stabilize his condition, according to Hawfield. Additional charges may be pending from that incident, he said. As of press time, Nichols was in stable condition. In an unrelated incident later that night, the Borough Police and medical personnel were called to 280 West High Street in Waynesburg in response to an unconscious student, police said. At 1:35 a.m. police arrived at the house to find Brandon Cartwright,
19, of Aliquippa, unconscious in the building, according to Hawfield. He was cited for underage drinking, Hawfield said, and taken to Southwest Regional Hospital in Waynesburg. He has since been released. According to court records, Cartwright had been previously charged with purchasing alcohol while underage on August 30, 2009. He was ordered to participate in an Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition program for first time offenders. While at 280 West High Street, police also charged two students for providing alcohol to minors. Fait and Hellwig were each cited with providing alcohol to minors, according to Hawfield. Police believe Hellwig lied about his age and are considering additional charges. Fait is a senior member of the Waynesburg University soccer team. As of press time, he has been indefinitely suspended, said Director of Athletics Richard Shepas.
Photo courtesy of Melissa Jack
Freshman Alyssa Walls met Holocaust survivor Helen Luksenburg during her trip to Washington, D.C. Walls received a booklet with Luksenburg’s name on it.
Guest Columnist Jessica Sarnoskie adjusts to life in Seville, Spain while studying abroad. Read more on B2
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sidewalk vending business opens in Greene County
And they’re
By Brandon Reed
off...
Staff Writer Moore’s Hot Dogs has been spotted Waynesburg and is serving up fresh hot dogs with a plethora of different topping options. The stand is owned and operated by Eric Moore; he has been running the stand since last summer right here in Waynesburg. Moore’s Hot Dogs is a catering and sidewalk vending business serving Greene, Fayette and Washington counties. A “classic” hot dog includes chopped onions, mustard, and features Moore’s chili sauce. That hot dog is their number one best seller and it costs just $2. Moore’s hot dogs use exclusively Nathan’s Famous 100 percent all-beef hot dogs, and all their condiments are picked and prepared on a daily basis, according to their website. “I didn’t think I was going to stay in Waynesburg,” Moore said, “but people love it so I’m staying.” The hot dog cart can be found near Willison Residence Hall on Mondays in the First National Bank drive thru parking lot. The cart will remain there depending on the amount of business the cart is receiving and the weather. Moore has two stands, but only one is operational right now and Moore is the only one who runs the stands. Tracy Preston, a native of Waynesburg, said that her favorite dog is “The Greene County Dog” which includes ketchup, mustard, shredded cheese and potato chips. “We just like having a hot dog cart in town,” Preston said, “You can’t find good hot dogs anywhere, unless you make them at home.” According to Moore, the top three sellers are “The Classic” which has chopped onions, mustard and Moore’s chili sauce. The second top seller at the college is “The Super Southern Dog” which includes a bacon wrapped hot dog, barbecue sauce, shredded cheddar cheese and grilled onions or French-fried- onions. Moore said, “The Super Southern dog sells best to the college students.” The third best seller is “The Mountaineer” which contains shredded cheese, coleslaw and Moore’s chili sauce.
Photo courtesy of Greene County Commissioners
Individuals participating in the Heroes Run/Walk begin theirrun at the start of the race. The fourth annual race was held Sept. 18 along the Greene River Trail.
Heroes Run/Walk experiences record-breaking year, raises $15,000 By Rachel Brown Executive Editor
More than $15,000 was raised during the record-breaking fourth annual Heroes Run/Walk, held Saturday, Sept. 18. Registration fees and other funds raised benefited memorial funds created in honor of Army Spc. Gregory Cox of Carmichaels and Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Phillips of Spraggs. Both men died in Humvee accidents in Iraq in 2004 and 2006 See HOT on B4 respectively.
“We are profoundly touched by the heartwarming support of all of our participants and sponsors and everyone who worked so hard to make this race such a huge success,” said Commissioner Pam Snyder, chair of the Board of Commissioners, in a press release. “It is our great honor to have yet another record-breaking year for Heroes Run. We look forward to continuing to grow this race and permanently endowing these memorial funds in honor of our fallen
heroes.” According to Race Director Albie Rinehart, the amount the race raises increases every year. “The reason for the increase this year is because Central Greene School District teachers have gotten themselves involved,” he said. Brad Monas, a teacher in the District, decided to ask administrators, teachers and staff to participate. “His son is in the Army so he is very supportive of the military,” Rinehart said.
“He saw what we were doing with this race, and he organized everyone to participate in this race in some manner.” Teachers had the option of participating in the run/walk or being a “sleep-in,” in which they paid the registration fee but did not participate. Because the plan was so successful, Rinehart said he and fellow race director Robert Barnhart plan to ask all school districts in the county to implement a See RACE on B4
Faith and Freedom event stresses Contract for more importance of faith and patriotism eco-friendly traffic By Natalie Bruzda Region Editor Decorated Vietnam veteran Dave Roever spoke to a diverse crowd of people Sunday evening, delivering his message on faith and freedom. “Join me in doing whatever’s asked of us to remain a free nation, under God and indivisible,” Roever said. “We can do it. But don’t cave under pressure. Stand for what’s right in the face of anyone who wants to take that away from you.” The Faith and Freedom program, sponsored by the First Assembly of God in Waynesburg, took place at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening in the Waynesburg Central High School Auditorium.
Featuring Roever as guest speaker, the event was a celebration of faith and a gathering to acknowledge the character of human sacrifice and service in the pursuit and maintenance of freedom. The Rev. Richard Ritenour, pastor of First Assembly of God, explained that the purpose behind the Faith and Freedom program was to bring a message of hope to the community. “We see today that there are issues of faith and patriotism that are big issues but they are sometimes minimized,” Ritenour said. “You don’t hear a whole lot about the patriotic aspects of serving in our country; the sacrifices
lights to be awarded By Aaron Thompson Assistant Sports Editor
A few weeks ago, the Department of Transportation opened bids on a project to replace lights in traffic signals throughout portions of the Waynesburg area. The replacement lights will be more energyefficient compared to the current existing lights. The project will be awarded soon, and improvements will be made to multiple traffic signals around Waynesburg. “The Waynesburg Project is to upgrade 10 traffic signals within the Borough of Waynesburg and Franklin Township with new controller cabinets, LED signal heads, pedestrian push buttons, GPS, and install detection loops at select locations,” said Valerie Petersen, PennDOT spokeswoman. PennDOT will make improvements to the lights, and that process will start when they award the contract. In Waynesburg, signals will be replaced on High and Greene streets. Other replacements that will take place in Franklin Township will be located in Morrisville, Photo by Natalie Bruzda along Route 21 and Route 19.
Decorated Vietnam veteran Dave Roever spoke about See VETERAN on B4 his recovery following an injury in the Vietnam War.
See STREET on B4
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Editorial
‘Freadom’ of the press Use discernment with new news media Support Banned Books Week Challenge authority this week: Read a banned book. From Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, the American Library Association is celebrating Banned Books Week. Created in 1982, Banned Books Week was a response to the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores and schools. According to the ALA, books are often challenged because someone deems them too sexually explicit, too violent or unsuitable to a specific age group. Last year, more than 460 books were officially challenged, with some of the most popular being “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker and the “Twilight” series by Stephanie Meyer. Books help people to escape into another world, to discover new and exciting facts or to expand their imaginations. While some people may hold controversial opinions or write about controversial subjects, they should not be censored. America was built on freedom, especially freedom of the press. By not allowing people to write and publish their thoughts, America is silencing an important part of democracy: the people. Take advantage of this freedom. Read a book like Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” or J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Fight censorship; read.
News consumption has changed. Yes, the news we consume has changed, but the format in which we get our information has seen a drastic evolution in the past five years. We have become an on demand culture. We want it fast, we want it now, and we aren’t going far to get it. We’ll decide later if it is accurate. To some, this may seem apathetic; to others, proactive. There are many statistics about the decline of news readership in the past decade. According to the Pew
SIERRA SHAFER Columnist
Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, the number of Americans who said they read a newspaper “yesterday” has fallen by 40 percent since the 1990s – to 34 percent. The number of people who watch night newscasts has fallen by half, to 29 percent. Radio news is at 35 percent (I think by default of driving in our cars) and regular magazine readership, is at just
Invest in a clean energy Consume carefully alternative Step up and be responsible
Several alcohol-related incidents relating both campus security and the Waynesburg Borough Police Department recently occurred involving several University students. The problem is that these types of incidents are not just limited to last weekend. Underage drinking is problematic across the nation, especially on college and university campuses. When a person thinks of “party” campuses, the Penn State University and West Virginia University are among the first to come to mind. However this widespread problem even affects small colleges. Drinking under the age of 21 is illegal, but it is dangerous at any age. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a variety of problems. Physical problems include nausea, vomiting, an alcohol-induced coma and even alcohol poisoning. These problems can be fatal and can leave permanent damage. Consumption of massive amounts of alcohol can eventually even lead to alcoholism regardless of age. Drinking underage can have legal consequences as well. The consequences for underage drinking vary from case-to-case but they can involve the removal of a person’s driver’s license as well as jail time. In some majors, one night of irresponsible behavior can cause you to be removed from your academic program. In high school, students are given the alcohol speech, warning of the problems associated with drinking. One irresponsible night can change everything.
During the fall semester of my junior year, I was enrolled in the intro-level Environmental Biology course simply in order to fulfill my gen-ed lab science requirement. Prior to taking this class, I had never really considered the implications of coal mining or oil drilling. Consequently, the term greenhouse gas emissions became a new concept for me to understand. Because of greenhouse gas
12 percent. Based on these numbers it would appear that less than half of Americans are getting the news. The problem with these studies is that they forget to take into account that there are new ways of consuming news, and these statistics don’t paint an accurate picture. Yes, there are declines, but there are also new technologies and new developments that pick up the slack. The numbers for traditional media are at an all-time low. But what about social
NATALIE BRUZDA Columnist
emissions, not only is the burning of coal very polluting due to the amount of carbon dioxide entering the air, coal will not be around forever. According to planeteenergies.com, world reserves of coal will only last for 200 years at the current rate of consumption. Some people might scoff at the statistic, brushing it to the side, thinking that it’s still 200 years away. Although this will be well past my time on the Earth, it’s a startling fact that should be taken
media outlets like facebook and Twitter? What about MSN and CNN homepages? They aren’t what we are used to, but they are become more valid and more influential in news consumption every day. These new outlets are cheaper and faster. The same could be said about Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press. In the mid 1400s, it was the hot new development in technology. The Gutenberg press changed who was able to receive information and See NEWSPAPER on B3
into consideration. In Environmental Biology, I also learned about what we can do to curb our energy consumption before it’s too late. I’m talking about clean energy alternatives. Wind power. Hydropower. Solar power. And one person in our state government is also talking about clean energy. On Sept. 1, Gov. Ed Rendell announced $20.5 million in state and federal investments that will create 1,400 jobs in the rapidly expanding clean energy industry. The funding will benefit 40 diverse and innovative energy projects that will generate or save the equivalent of more than 10 See GREENHOUSE on B3
¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to life in Spain About a year ago, I found out that in order to finish my Spanish minor, I had to study abroad for a semester in either Costa Rica or Spain. After much debate on whether I should go, I chose to start the process of studying in Spain. When I first applied to Trinity, I had many doubts about whether I would be accepted. To my surprise, I was
JESSICA SARNOSKIE Guest Columnist
accepted within a couple weeks of applying. Being accepted started months and months of planning and preparing. I left the United States on Aug. 31 at 4:40 p.m. from the Chicago International Airport with about 35 students who
were all studying in Seville just like me. Until now, I always had in the back of my mind that something would stop me from actually making this trip. Even though I was accepted to the school, I made all the plans, and I had everything packed, I never thought I would actually be on a plane to Europe. I’ve only flown once before I made the eight-
hour plane ride to Europe. It was a new and scary feeling. I’ve been having a lot of new and scary feelings since I’ve been here. Arriving in the Seville airport was the point I finally realized that I’m here, in Spain. I actually made it. I’ve taken Spanish classes for many years, but nothing See CHALLENGES on B3
Thursday, September 30, 2010
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Op-Ed
Newspaper not extinct Continued from B2
Content farms are the online Sam’s Club It’s an Internet Age challenge, but it has spawned a business model right out of the early Industrial Era, when cash-starved, cottage-based artisans were recruited to turn out product at cut rates for hungry consumer markets. Meet the so-called content farms. They’re the media’s newest and most prodigious over-achievers, the Sam’s Clubs of the online world: huge, cheap, tacky and popular. You’ve probably never heard of them, but if you spend time online you read their stuff all the time. A lot of it comes under the heading of “how to” or “10 hottest” or “tips for” or “best and worst,” the kind of superficially informative cud that neither you nor I nor anybody else can altogether resist chewing on. They’re basically bro-
kerages that handle words and pictures. They hire writers and videographers, many of them skilled, young and desperate, to churn out thinly reported articles and films for stoop-labor pay. They re-calibrate their assignments continually to adjust to audience interest and advertiser preference. And they pour that inventory onto hundreds of online venues. Yahoo’s Associated Content and AOL’s seed.com have built content farm operations alongside their more traditional news and comment. Industry biggie Demand Media, which doesn’t do news, produced about 5,700 articles and videos in the second quarter of the year, according to a Wall Street Journal profile; that content appeared on YouTube, on a network of websites Demand owns, such as eHow.com, Livestrong
and Pluck and on 350 other websites including the San Francisco Chronicle’s and the National Football League’s. Content farms strive for the ultimate in customer-driven content. They gather the best available data about search engine queries, reader online selections, and the prices advertisers are paying for keywords, to come up with shimmering, road-tested, market-tuned content. “We are maniacally focused on giving users exactly what they want, where they want it,” Richard Rosenblatt, Demand’s founder and CEO, said in a 2009 interview. “We have algorithms that tell us what search visitors want. And algorithms that tell us what YouTube visitors prefer. And we’re working on new algorithms that tell us what social network
users desire. And we’re pretty sure the needs of mobile users will be different than all of the above, so we’ll tune our approach for them too.” Demand uses 10,000 freelancers, and wages aren’t terrific. Wired magazine reported last year that writers were getting about $15 an article and film-makers $20 a clip; for copy editors it’s $3.50 per item. Demand makes money when readers click on the ads that run alongside the postings. Each click brings from 15 to 60 cents, which the company says it shares with its authors. It told BusinessWeek that editors and reporters can earn better than $3,000 a month. Still, that doesn’t buy much depth or imagination, and the content farms have taken some heat for cruddy content. Sounds like content farming on a plantation scale.
Regional Political Updates Teach Campaign to raise awareness U.S. Secretary Arne Duncan launched a national teacher recruitment campaign last Monday. The Teach Campaign is an initiative designed to raise awareness of the teaching professions and get
a new generation of teachers to join the ones who are already making in difference in the classroom.
Campaign goals - Increase the number, quality and diversity of people becoming teachers
- Connect aspiring teachers with information about the pathways to teaching - Celebrate and honor the profession of teaching To achieve those goals, the website offers links such as teacher preparation programs, licensing and certifica-
Challenges while abroad Continued from B2
could have prepared me for living in a Spanish environment. Meeting my host señora was very intimidating at first. For the first few days, she kept saying that my roommate and I didn’t speak any Spanish. My roommate understood more than I did at first so now my señora mostly talks to her, and it’s very frustrating but it’s something I’m working on every day. There is no English permitted inside the school. That has been hard
Photo courtesy of Jessica Sarnoskie
Sarnoskie and her roommate enjoy traditional Spanish architecture in Cordoba, Spain. but a helpful way to learn Spanish. School is very challenging, but it is fun. I enjoy the classes and I’m learning new things. All of the teachers and faculty are super sweet and super helpful. My experience study-
ing abroad so far has been great. I’ve enjoyed everything so far. Being in a different country was hard at first, but I’m really starting to adjust. Everything about living in Seville with a new family is different from home.
tion, state and district information and job listings to help aspiring teachers. The Department of Education will work with Facebook to launch an application to connect current teachers with young adults. -By Stephanie Laing
Water and electricity are very expensive, so we have to watch how much we actually use. Meals are very different from home. The señoras make sure you eat three meals each day, but the times we eat are so different. Lunch isn’t until 2:30 p.m. and dinner isn’t until 9:30 p.m. The culture around me is so different from home, but I think it’s easy to get used to. Being away from friends and family is hard, and I miss everyone from home so much, but I’m having the time of my life. -Jessica Sarnoskie is a junior forensic accounting major studying at Trinity Christian College.
how they received it. The printing press was a perpetuator of the Renaissance. It was a new and powerful tool that had a great influence on 14th century culture, but it also required that people become more self aware, more proactive in their own education and adaption to this new way of life. The same is true today. Social media is not perfect. It is not always accurate, and it is not always thorough. But as news consumers, we must sift through the rough to find the diamonds just as we always have. We have a responsibility to change with technology and embrace the evolution of news distribution. However, we are also responsible for how these new tools are used. Yes, social media has made breaking news
Greenhouse gas harmful Continued from B2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity over their lifetimes. Furthermore, that’s enough energy to power one million average homes in Pennsylvania for one year and reduce carbon emissions by nearly nine million tons. “A few years ago, projects like these existed only in theory,” Rendell said in a press release. “Today, they are a reality. They benefit Pennsylvania’s consumers by generating and saving electricity, driving down utility rates, making additional projects more affordable and feasible, while stimulating the economy by creating manufacturing and employment opportunities, attracting private investments and making our environment cleaner.” Any effort that is made to reduce our carbon emissions is a notable one. As outlined by the governor, the benefits for the state are numerous. Pennsylvania, however, is not the only state in the country that is looking toward clean energy solutions. When it was enacted in 2004, Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Port-
break faster and break in our pockets. But we are still responsible for using our common sense and discerning for ourselves what is newsworthy. So yes, the newspaper may be losing popularity in terms of news consumption, but I do not believe I will see its extinction during my life time. Even now, I am surprised by those who question my career path into journalism. “Everyone reads the news online,” they say. They forget that while news may be moving to the Internet and to phones in our pockets, real flesh and blood humans still write it. Journalists are still doing their job. News consumers must still do theirs. Just because news comes in faster, more convenient packages today does not get us off the hook A little brain power is still required. News may be changing, but it is still happening – and it is still our responsibility to get it.
folio Standards act was one of the nation’s most ambitious laws but has since been surpassed by other states. Some of the other states include Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Illinois. The current law’s solar share requirement requires that one-half-ofone percent of the electricity Pennsylvanians purchase in 2021 come from solar power. Although that may seem like a small number, according to Rendell, the state is “on pace to become one of the top five states this year for the amount of installed solar generation capacity we have.” I am glad that we are beginning to look toward the future more and more each day. Although 200 years is two centuries away, I don’t think I want to leave this Earth knowing that its future outlook is grim. Despite the fact that Rendell’s legislation is on the macro level, I believe that we as individuals can also do our part to reduce our energy consumption on the micro level. We can recycle. We can take shorter showers. We can walk. We can carpool. Just like we only have one life to live, we only have one Earth to take care of.
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Region
Race raises money Continued from B1 similar plan next year to reach their goal of $20,000. At 8:30 a.m., more than 400 people lined up at the trail’s starting point near the Greene Cove Yacht Club in Millsboro. Participants choose to participate in one of three races: a 5K run, 5K walk or 15K run. Two Waynesburg
Street lights upgraded Continued from B1 The following streets will see upgrades: High Street, Richhill Street, Washington Street, Morris Street, Morgan Street, Porter Street and Greene Street. Furthermore, improvements will also be made at Porter Street and Bonar Avenue. According to Petersen, the intersections along Route 21 within Franklin Township will be equipped with GPS transmitters. Coordination programming will be added for all 13 intersections. The switch will be to move from incandescent light bulbs to much more energy-efficient LEDs, also known as light-emitting diodes. This is not just something being done in small towns either. According to ScienceDaily.com, a University of Pittsburgh conducted an assessment of LED lights and their use. The report found that they are becoming increasingly popular because of their bright-
University students placed first in the 5K run. Senior Adam Swingle crossed the finish line as the overall male winner in the 5K. Junior Michelle Naymick finished the course as the top female finisher in the 5K. “It felt really good crossing the finish line in first place,” she said. “I felt strong throughout the entire race, and I was excited about my time. I’ve never run that fast before. I was really sur-
ness, affordability and energy and environmental conservation. The city of Pittsburgh commissioned the report earlier this year as it was considering replacing 40,000 streetlights with LEDs. The report also listed Los Angeles, Raleigh, N.C., and Ann Arbor, Mich., as other cities to make the switch. Not only are the LEDs more energy-efficient, they also cut power costs and their lifetime usage lasts longer. “The LED signal heads should save the Borough and Township at least 60 percent on their power costs to operate the traffic signals,” Petersen said. “LED signal head modules cost more than the incandescent, but their expected lifetime usage is approximately five years which is considerably longer than the incandescent lights.” According to Petersen, the notice to proceed will occur later this month with the physical work to begin in March 2011. The schedule for this project will coordinate with other construction projects in the area.
Continued from B1 Freshman Bill Kramer said, “They’re a great third option for food on campus, a lot of people were looking for more variety.” There are certainly plenty of variety in their hot dog menu, their dogs
another record-breaking year for Heroes Run.” Pam Snyder Greene County Commissioner
prised by how low it was.” Naymick, who is also a member of the University’s cross country team, prepared for the race by stretching and running a mile as a warm-up.
go from “The Maui Wowie Dog” a hot dog with crushed pineapple, grilled onions and barbecue sauce, to “The Chihuahua Dog” which includes crushed Fritos, shredded cheddar cheese, and Moore’s chili sauce. Moore’s hot dogs can be followed on Facebook and Twitter to see where the stand will be and if there are any specials or exclusive hot dogs being served that day.
“The course was really flat and fast because it was on the trail. I’m usually more of a hill runner, but it was nice to have an easier course,” Naymick said. “It was nice scenery
said. The first race, in 2007, only raised $3,300 for the memorial funds. The Spc. Gregory A. Cox Memorial Scholarship Fund helps Greene County high school graduates entering the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps or the fields of public safety or public service. The Lance Cpl. Steven Phillips Memorial Fund provides support for the computeraided drafting program at the Greene County Career and Technology Center.
Resource Center, near Westcliffe, Colo., where they and a team train wounded warriors and others from the U.S. military in areas of special focus such as public speaking and marital and emotional recovery after devastating injury. A second ranch,
located in Texas, is currently in the process of being completed. “This is not my story,” Roever said. “This is about Jesus who in my life gave me another chance, who stepped in when nothing, nothing, could give me hope.”
Veteran inspires hope Continued from B1
that are made that sometimes require giving life and limb. And Dave Roever is a gentleman that has gone through a lot of tragedies and heart ache and yet he’s overcome them.” Roever received a draft notice at the height of the Vietnam War. He had no desire to serve in the infantry, he said, deciding instead to join the Navy where he served as a river boat gunner in the Brown Water Black Beret in Vietnam. Eight months into his tour of duty, Roever was burned beyond recognition when a phosphorous grenade he was poised to throw exploded in his hand. The ordeal left him hospitalized for 14 months. “[Roever] comes with a message that helps people whether they are in military service or civilian life to overcome great adversity,” Ritenour said. At 63, Roever is still greatly involved in military affairs. Following the program, he and his son left for Kuwait so that they could minister to the troops. “It is my belief that you should do everything that you can do in your expertise,” Roever said. “Mine happens to be surviving war.” The number of individuals present almost filled the entire auditorium, with people visiting Waynesburg from all over the area. A group of four men traveled together from New Life Worship Center in Weirton, W.Va., to hear Roever’s message. “I had the opportunity to sit down and talk Photo by Brandon Reed with him at another
Moore’s Hot Dogs sells hot dogs to customers at the Farmer’s Market in Waynesburg.
Hot dog stand opens
“It is our great honor to have yet
too. I don’t get to race alongside a river all the time, so it was a nice change.” The top three finishers in each age group received a railroad spike as an award. Rinehart was inspired to use the spikes as the prize after participating in a race on what used to be railroad tracks. “It’s a nice connection to the course,” he said. Rinehart is also glad to see such a large increase in participants and funds raised, he
(Above) At the beginning of his address, Dave Roever asked for all the veterans present in the audience to join him at the front of the auditorium in order to honor them for their service to the country.
(Right) Roever shakes hands with The Rev. Richard Thomas of St. Ann’s Catholic Church. He shook hands with each veteran and thanked them for their service in fighting for America’s freedom. Photos by Natalie Bruzda
event he spoke at and I decided to get some of my friends to come here,” Lenny Angelo said. “His testimony is awesome. He’s a great guy.” Roever and his wife are co-founders of Eagles Summit Ranch – Roever Learning and
Teeing off The men’s and women’s golf teams competed in the PAC Fall Invitational. Read more on C3
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Season’s Strong start keys Jackets’ win in home opener jumps success Waynesburg out to 21-0 lead yet to be against Grove City decided By Aaron Thompson
Assistant Sports Editor
Dave Floyd Senior Sports Editor
With Monday’s 11-0 thrashing of an undermanned Penn State Beaver, the Yellow Jacket women’s soccer team continued to show the positive strides they’ve taken in head coach Sean McCarthy’s first year at the helm. The win extended their unbeaten streak to seven games and matched their total number of wins from the entire 2009 season (six). Unfortunately for the Jackets, though, their season’s success won’t be judged by their favorable results early on. In their case, as it is with most other teams on campus, the lasting imprint they make depends largely on their success in conference and postseason play. “The streak means nothing in the grand scheme of things,” McCarthy said. “[Our goal is] a national championship. We’ve just gotten better game by game, pushing toward the goal of being the last team standing. “And that’s really what [we’ve accomplished so far].” For the Jackets, what happens in the next stretch of their schedule will go a long way in determining league and playoff success. It’s a prime opportunity to take Waynesburg University women’s soccer to new heights. In the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, only the postseason champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Without that PAC title, it’s nearly impossible to snag an invite to D-III women’s soccer’s version of “the Big Dance.” The first step on the road to that NCAA tourney appearance is qualifying for the conference playoffs, and only four out of the nine competing teams in the PAC can participate. Waynesburg’s next three games are against squads who played in the conference tournament a season ago – Westminster, Thomas More and the ’09 champs rival Washington and Jefferson. This affords the team the opportunity to let the rest of the PAC know that seven straight games without a defeat is no fluke. It
When heading into Saturday’s home opener at John F. Wiley Stadium, Waynesburg faced a few obstacles as they were attempting to stay unbeaten in Presidents’ Athletic Conference action. The Yellow Jackets were without senior quarterback and team leader Brad Dawson. The Jackets were also facing Grove City. The Jackets had lost to the Wolverines the previous two seasons. Once the game started simply none of that mattered as the Jackets raced to a 42-16 victory. One of the many storylines of the game turned out to be redshirt junior quarterback Josh Graham. Graham, in place of Dawson, threw three touchdown passes and passed for 200 yards through the air in the victory.
Photo by Tim Jackson
Freshman running back Bertrand Ngampa scampers into the end zone for a touchdown in the first half of Waynesburg’s 42-16 romp of Grove City Saturday. “[Graham] was unbelievable,” said head coach Rick Shepas. “That is the way he is capable of playing. It says a lot for guys sticking with this program.” Shepas confirmed after the game that Dawson was active but did not
play because of a turf toe injury. “He had turf toe and a pretty bad case of it, too,” said Shepas. “In practice during the week he started to see some relief, but we knew by Tuesday that Graham would start.” The victory by Waynes-
burg (2-0, 2-1) included strong performances all over the field against Grove City (1-1, 2-2). Graham marched the Jackets down field on a five-play, 33-yard drive that was capped by a touchdown run by freshman running back
Dominic Moore. Sophomore kicker Jon Storck added the extra point to make the score 7-0 Waynesburg. The Jackets forced Grove City to punt on its next possession, and then the Jackets proceeded to add to their early lead when receiver Jeff Young hauled in a 37-yard pass for his first of three touchdown receptions on the day. Storck followed with the point after, and the Jackets had a 14-0 lead. Waynesburg carried that lead through the end of the first quarter. “Grove City got the best of us physically the last two years,” Shepas said. “We wanted to set the tone early.” Waynesburg didn’t let up as they extended its lead to 21-0 as freshman tailback Bertrand Ngampa walked into the end zone after escaping a wall of Grove City defenders. Grove City finally stopped the momentum and got on the board after Blaine Miller caught a pass and took it 73 yards See STRONG on C3
Jacket men eclipse Streak stands at seven games last year’s win total By Matt Miller Staff Writer
By Dave Franczak Staff Writer Go back to the 2009 Waynesburg University men’s soccer season. Through ten games, the team was outscored 34-5, and their record stood at 1-9. Come back to the present year, 2010. The Jackets have only been outscored 20-18, and the new Jacket record reads 45-1 after a 3-0 win over Penn State New Kensington Tuesday. “There was a big roar and laughs on the bus when I congratulated them on beating their record from last year,” head coach Sean McCarthy said. The game started out with a bit of a different
look for the Jacket team. McCarthy went with a starting lineup that consisted of nine freshmen. The only upperclassmen to start the game were junior forward Erick Burke and junior defender David Floyd. “We wanted to mix things up,” said McCarthy. “The freshmen are stepping up and showing their skills.” The victory for the Jackets started out slowly as there was no scoring in the first half. This would only set up an exciting second half. The scoring started when freshman Andrew Crimmins blasted the ball into the back of the net on See JACKET on C2
Seven different players scored for the Waynesburg University women’s soccer team as they overwhelmed Penn State Beaver 11-0 Monday. Ten of the Waynesburg goals came in the first 45 minutes. “We’re just getting better every game,” head coach Sean McCarthy said. “We are trying to be the best team we can be, and each game we are getting better and more confident. We’re starting to get a swagger about our play.” Junior Courtney Ebersole led all Yellow Jacket goal scorers as she registered a hat trick in the first half of play. Senior Amy Macurdy and junior Sarah Markwardt each had two goals. Seniors Malaeja Leggett and Brit-
Photo by Dave Miller, ADM Photography
Senior Amy Macurdy scored two goals in the Jackets’ 11-0 victory over Penn State Beaver Monday. tany Spitznogle, along with juniors Melody Cox and Rebecca Snyder, netted one goal apiece. “My confidence in the bench is growing more
and more each game,” McCarthy said. “Having games where we have success early See EBERSOLE on C2
Volleyball wins two, including first of PAC season By Katie Rihn Staff Writer
The Waynesburg University women’s volleyball team earned two wins, including their first Presidents’ Athletic Conference victory, after a string of four matches this past week. Saturday afternoon the Yellow Jackets traveled to New Wilmington, Pa., to take part in a PAC trimatch with the WestminSee STREAK on C2 ster Titans and Chatham
Cougars. The first match with Westminster was tightly competitive as the Yellow Jackets fell by a close first set score of 26-24. Things started to unravel, though, and the Yellow Jackets dropped the next two sets by scores of 25-18 and 25-16 and the match 3-0. Waynesburg pulled it together for their second match of the day versus Chatham, winning the match 3-1 and thus pick-
ing up their first PAC win of the season. “We needed this win to start our push for playoffs,” said head coach Stephanie Benkowski. “Our goal is to make playoffs, and that means we need to start beating teams that don’t expect us to beat them.” Sophomore defensive specialist Presley Cupp shares the same philosophy as Benkowski. “It means a lot to win in the conference,” Cupp
said. “However, we need to start winning against harder teams, so we can make it to the playoffs.” Cupp enjoyed a very successful afternoon versus the Titans and Cougars. She finished with 13 total digs, four service aces, a .923 serve percentage and a 2.18 passer rating, which is something she has been working on improving. “Personally, I have been working on consis-
tency in serve receive and getting the new defense down,” said Cupp. “Also, I’ve been trying to help hitters out by telling them what is open on our opponent’s court.” The Chatham match saw a new face at libero, normally Cupp’s starting position, with freshman Shayla Mitrik. “I knew Shayla has been getting better at practice and felt that she See VOLLEYBALL on C4
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Sports
Cross country teams compete in pre-regional race Depth fuels Jacket men in Women’s team finishes in 11th place at Cooper’s Lake Saturday’s 17-team meet By Nicole Forte Staff Writer
By Matt Paris Staff Writer This past Saturday, the Waynesburg University men’s cross country team ran in the Carnegie Mellon PreRegional at Coopers Lake in Slippery Rock. Coopers Lake also happens to be the site of this year’s NCAA Mideast Regionals. The Jacket men finished in 14th place in a field that featured 17 teams, three of which are ranked in the NCAA top 25. “The most important thing that the team learned on Saturday is that they are competitive at the regional level,” head coach Chris Hardie said. “From a coaching perspective, I have confidence that this team can jump five to ten spots in the rankings this year. “The key will be to have a similar performance on the big day, and we will be happy with where we rank,” Hardie said. “If we train hard, we will get there. The Jacket men used their depth once again in the meet. Their top runner and their fifth runner were separated by just 60 seconds. “Having a group of runners in the same pack is both a blessing and a misfortune,” said Hardie. “The blessing is that every race someone will push the pace and pull along the other teammates. You also have a smaller chance for an off day where your team will suffer. “On the misfortune side of things, we are really lacking a front runner at this point,” Hardie said. “It will be tough for one person to step forward right now. What
Streak means little Continued from C1 also allows the Jackets the chance to really position themselves well for the stretch run, during which the competition drops off just slightly. “We’re going to chop each section of the remaining schedule into three games, looking at these first three as the most important,” McCarthy said. “We need results and points out of the first three games. “We’re going out to win each game, with the worst possible scenario being ties.” While Waynesburg’s early season unbeaten streak may not be as meaningful as some may think, it certainly does
my runners need to do is continue to improve and pull the No. 1 and No. 2 runner back to our pack.” Leading the way for the Jacket men was senior captain Adam Swingle. Swingle placed 59th posting a time of 28:47. Freshman Jonathan Blatt followed up with a time of 29:08. Fellow freshman Justin Angoti posted a time of 29:19. Three personal bests were also set on Saturday. Freshman Aaron Anderson posted a time of 30:19. Seniors Ben Fortna and Sean Dougherty also ran personal bests. Fortna ran a 30:47, and Dougherty ran a 32:29. The Jacket men have this Saturday off before they hit the stretch run. “The team has really been going strong for the last four weeks with their training,” Hardie said. “This week will be their last week of this current phase. Starting next week they gradually back off for a few weeks.” “Our assistant coach Laurel Rush has devised a plan that will ensure a proper ‘peak’ at the right time,” said Hardie. “So this week off fits in perfectly with that plan.” Waynesburg’s week off is a result of a change in their schedule for this upcoming Saturday. They are no longer running in Saturday’s meet at Slippery Rock. The Jackets will return to action on Oct. 9 when they go to Schenley Park to run against nationallyranked Carnegie Mellon. Starting time for the Oct. 9 meet is set for 10:30 a.m.
still have value. McCarthy understands this meaning, but also knows its bounds. “Having some success helps in terms of confidence and mindset,” he said. “But at same time, we have to stay levelheaded about taking each opponent one game at a time, respecting every team we play and becoming a better team each day.” So, while the Jacket women’s early-season unbeaten streak has boosted confidence and improved their record dramatically, the tests of true success still lie ahead. However, if there was ever a time this season when Waynesburg could take the next step as a program, that time is now. Perennial PAC powers Westminster, Thomas More and Washington and Jefferson await.
The Waynesburg University women’s cross country team competed in its largest meet of the season this past Saturday at Cooper’s Lake in Slippery Rock, Pa. The Carnegie Mellon Mideast Pre-Regional meet was a preview for the NCAA Mideast Regional that is scheduled for Nov. 13 back at Cooper’s Lake. “This was our first big invitational of the season, so it was nice to see where we placed among teams in our region,” said junior captain Michelle Naymick. “It’s definitely a little more intimidating running with so many more competitors.” With a few strong performances by the young Waynesburg runners, the team was able to place 11th out of 17 teams, three of which were nationally-ranked. Considering their competition and the state of the team at this point in the season, the 11th-place finish was a good showing for the team. “We are fighting some injury and fatigue right now,” said head coach Chris Hardie. “[It was] probably not the best performance. I think we
Ebersole leads way Continued from C1 allows me to see those players in game situations. “We’re happy with the way the bench is pushing the starters, and we’re happy with how the starters are maintaining their role,” McCarthy added. “On any given day we can use anywhere between 16 and 20 players, and I would feel comfortable with that.” With her three goals against Penn State Beaver, Ebersole now has 10 goals and 22 points which, as of Tuesday morning, led the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in their respective categories. “I think Courtney is a very good player, and she deserves everything she’s getting,” McCarthy said.
Jacket men beat Lions Continued from C1 a penalty kick for his first collegiate goal. The next Jacket goal came from freshman Stephen Zimmerman, his fourth of the season. The Chesapeake, Va. native looks up to Burke. “He [Burke] motivates me a lot,” said Zimmerman. “He keeps me going. I look up to him.” Speaking of Burke, he
Photo courtesy of Waynesburg University Sports Information
Sophomore Elizabeth Johnson (left) recorded the best time of her collegiate career in Saturday’s meet. would have been a couple of spots higher if everyone would have been fresh, but where we are at right now, it’s definitely a good performance for them.” The Yellow Jackets were led by freshman Tiffany Onifer. Onifer ran a time of 25:23, which was good for 50th place overall. Not far behind were junior Michelle Naymick and freshman Bre Paul. Naymick finished 52nd overall with a time of 25:25, while Paul crossed
the line in 25:38, good for 57th place. Two Yellow Jacket runners, Elizabeth Johnson and Megan Donovan, are starting to pick up the pace after injuries and slow starts. Johnson, a sophomore for the Yellow Jackets, ran the best time of her collegiate career at the preregional. Good for 91st place overall, Johnson ran a time of 28:46. “Elizabeth is right on that line. She is sometimes our fifth runner, our
sixth runner or our seventh runner,” said Hardie. “She really picked up her time this week; [despite that,] she was really tired this week too. To get that out of her on a tough week was big.” Donovan, also a sophomore, was an All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference performer in 2009 but has been quiet this season due to a hamstring injury she continues to battle. She finished 82nd at the pre-regional with a time of 27:35. “She [Donovan] is a fourth front runner for us, but because of the hamstring injury, she hasn’t been able to train where she needs to be or pick it up in races,” said Hardie. “If she gets back with the top three girls, it’s going to be a solid top four for us.” With these two women starting to come around for the Yellow Jackets, the future is bright for the remainder of the season for the women’s cross country team. The Yellow Jackets have decided to forgo the meet this Saturday at Slippery Rock University. The women’s cross country team returns to action Saturday Oct. 9 when they run in the Carnegie Mellon Invitational at Schenley Park.
“But at the end of the day it’s about the team, and she knows that. She’s just the person that puts the ‘icing on the cake’ for us.” Junior Jaime Williamson started in net and played all 70 minutes of the shortened game. With the win Monday Waynesburg continues its seven game unbeaten streak while also improving to 6-2-2 on the season. The six wins this season matches the team’s total from last year. Last Wednesday night’s home match versus Muskingum ended in a 51 victory for the Yellow
Jackets. Ebersole started the scoring just over 15 minutes into the game. Cox and senior Danielle Danhires continued the scoring as the Jackets went into halftime up 3-0. Freshman Taylor Augustine’s goal, along with Ebersole’s second, gave Waynesburg a fivegoal lead before Muskingum scored their first with ten minutes left. The Muskingum goal ended junior goalkeeper Katrina Kelly’s shutout streak at 280 minutes through three games. The Yellow Jackets
begin PAC play this Saturday at Westminster. “Everything we do is about the conference,” McCarthy said. “We are definitely moving in a good direction right now. Westminster will be a tough task, Thomas More right after that and then Washington & Jefferson; we’ll see the ‘cream of the crop’ of the conference right in the first three games, and hopefully we’ll walk out of those games with three wins.” “We need results; we want to come out of every game with points, and that’s our goal,” McCarthy added. “We are trying to be No. 1; we’re trying to get that home match all the way through conference tournament.” “It’s all about points,” McCarthy emphasized. “Worst case scenario has to be a tie; losing is unacceptable. We need points.”
was able to net his ninth goal of the year for the Jackets’ third and final goal. Freshman Danny Buzzard received the nod from McCarthy in net for the Jackets. He was able to hold Penn State New Kensington scoreless and played all 90 minutes for his second clean slate of the year. McCarthy mentioned that Buzzard is doing a good job pushing senior goalkeeper Ryan Hunsberger. “Last year was a hard schedule, but it wasn’t that hard to overcome it
[last season’s record],” said Burke. “The win gives us confidence, especially right before conference play.” Before the Jackets eclipsed their record from last year, the team lost a hard-fought battle to Lancaster Bible College, 3-2, last Thursday. Burke scored both of the goals for the Jackets. Conference play starts Saturday with the first game coming against Westminster in New Wilmington, Pa. The team has a rough road ahead of them in conference play, playing
the top three teams in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference from a season ago in the first three conference games. The Jackets will travel to Westminster before hosting Thomas More and Washington and Jefferson. Before conference play starts, the Jackets look to ride the momentum of the Penn State New Kensington victory into their last non-conference game at home tonight against Hiram. Hiram comes into the contest with a 4-6 record on the season thus far.
“It’s all about points. Worst case scenario has to be a tie; losing is unacceptable. We need points.” Sean McCarthy Head men’s soccer coach
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
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Sports
Golfers compete in fall’s only event Women’s tennis blanked by Titans The Waynesburg University men’s and women’s golf teams wrapped up their work at the two-day Presidents’ Athletic Conference Fall Golf Invitational at Oak Tree Country Club on Tuesday. The Yellow Jacket men finished in eighth place and were led by sophomore Colin Wilson, who fired a 36-hole score of 165 (85-80) to finish in a tie for 18th place. Senior Kevin McIlwain carded a 173 (88-85) and placed 31st. The Jackets’ two other scores that counted toward their team total of 705 (355-350) were turned in by sophomore Lucas McCall (91-91-182) and senior Mike Quinn (9194, 185), who finished
Photo by Dave Miller, ADM Photography
Sophomore Colin Wilson was the Jacket men’s top finisher in the PAC Fall Invitational. 36th and 37th, respectively. Washington & Jefferson won the team title with a four-man score of 613 (300-313). The Presi-
dents’ Brad Cieslinski put up a 36-hole total of 145 (71-74) to take individual medalist honors on the men’s side. A pair of Yellow Jacket
women, senior Katie Rihn and freshman Alyssa McQuillan, competed as individuals at the championships. Rihn had the better outing of the two with a 27-hole total of 157 (55102), which allowed her a respectable tie for 10th in the 22-woman field. McQuillan placed 17th with a 166 (54-112). Grove City took the top spots on the team and individual leader boards. The Wolverines totaled a 567 (184, 383) to take the team title, while Arielle Goyzueta earned medalist honors with a 134 (45-89). The scores tabulated in the cold, rainy fall weather will go toward deciding an overall PAC champion this spring, the regular season for PAC golf.
Jackets balance basketball, academics By Steven Iser Staff Writer In order to be a student-athlete, it takes certain skills and dedication. Time management is one of the most important skills a student-athlete needs to acquire to be successful in the classroom, as well as on the court. That is one thing the women’s basketball team knows firsthand. “It is a lot to manage
at times and can be overwhelming,” junior captain Hannah Hunter said. “For me basketball is a great stress reliever. The court is a place where I can just relax and have fun.” To help with managing time, study table sessions have become mandatory for all athletes who have a 3.0 GPA or lower. Although it recently became mandatory for
all athletes, head coach of the women’s basketball team Sam Jones has made it mandatory for his players since he was hired here at the University. When asked what differences Jones is able to see from year to year in his players’ ability to juggle school and athletics, he responded, “They get better at time management and they procrastinate less.”
Jones mentioned that it is the freshman players who have the most trouble because it is new to them. “It’s the unknown that throws the freshmen for a loop,” Jones said. Jones also meets with his freshman players once a week to make sure they are performing proficiently in their classes. He advisSee DEDICATION on C4
Christner brings new philosophy to WU By Emilee Wagner Staff Writer When it comes to college basketball, there is so much more than just the game. That is men’s basketball head coach Mark Christner’s philosophy. His goal for his team is to prepare them for life after college. “It’s about building relationships. You have
Strong start sparks WU Continued from C1 for a Wolverine touchdown. The Jackets took any momentum right back as Young caught his second touchdown through the air on a 36-yard touchdown play on a gutsy fourth-down call. “It felt right,” Shepas said of the call. “I thought they expected us to run for it. The call was more out of respect for Grove City.” Grove City remained within striking distance as they went to the hurry up offense just before half and capped a long drive by reaching the end zone to cut into the Jackets’ lead and make it 28-14 at halftime. In the second half it was Waynesburg dominating once more. On the first drive of the second half the Jackets
to know certain things about your players and gain their trust,” Christner said. “That’s what it’s all about.” One thing that Christner wants his team to do while being a part of the basketball squad is to develop their faith. He is encouraging his men to take advantage of bible studies, Chapel and Upper Room. Christner
also wants his team to look for ways to serve the Waynesburg community and campus. Another thing that Christner wants for his team is for them to be disciplined and humble. He stressed that choosing the right path is also another goal he has for his players. “Being disciplined is a conscious choice you make,” Christner said.
“It is the difference between being average, and being good.” One of Christner’s last goals for his team this season is for them to be unified. Being together and not being individuals can take a team a long way, and he believes that this will be key. Christner also wants himself to See CHRISTNER on C4
By Dave Rykala Staff Writer The Waynesburg University women’s tennis team fell to Westminster College this past Saturday by the score of 9-0. According to head coach Ron Christman, the key for the Yellow Jackets is their play in the doubles portions of the match. “We are struggling with doubles,” said Christman. “Doubles set the tone for the rest of the match, and that’s something I stress to the team.” The Titans finished second last year behind Grove City, and according to junior Jess Kody, the team gave it everything they had. “Jenny [McAndrews], Kelsey [Diesel] and I all were close in our first sets,” said Kody. “This was the best we played against them, and I’m happy we played hard until the end.” All three competitors took their first sets to tie break, and McAndrews took her match to the third set. Last Friday the Jackets finally concluded their suspended match with Washington & Jefferson as McAndrews took the court needing to win to give the victory to her team. “It was tough for me completing the match later,” said McAndrews. “I knew I had to settle in early, and I’m just glad I could help the team get the win.” After McAndrews lost the first set (7-5), she rallied back to beat the Presidents’ Rachel Detts 6-2, 6-3 for the win. Flashing back about three weeks, the Presidents took two of three in the doubles portion of the match. The lone Waynesburg win came from the pairing of Kody and Diesel, winning 8-4. Washington and Jeffer-
Graham fills in at quarterback for injured Dawson A different face could be seen leading the Jacket offense in their 42-16 victory over Grove City. Redshirt junior Josh Graham got the start under center for the Yellow Jackets in place of starting quarterback senior Brad Dawson. Dawson was out with a turf toe injury. Graham got his first start in four years with the program on Saturday. He had an impressive stat line of 16of-24 passes for 200 yards, three touchdowns and only one interception. “Couldn’t ask for a better first start,” head coach Rick Shepas said. “He directed three huge drives that helped lead us to the victory over Grove City.” The decision was made on Tuesday that Graham was going to be the starter for the Grove City game, so Dawson could get rest and limit his time out with the injury. “I knew Graham would be mechanically sound and be smart with the football,” Shepas added. “He is also a leader, and I also knew that the guys would play for him.” Graham started the game looking a little nervous by went up by three scores when Young added his third touchdown reception of the day to make it 35-14. The opportunistic Jackets defense made sure to end any doubt of a Grove City comeback when sophomore linebacker Jordan Helmick
intercepted a pass from Wolverine junior quarterback Zach Gross and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. Helmick’s touchdown marked the secondstraight game the Jackets’ defense returned an interception for a touchdown.
just throwing check downs and wobbling passes, but it didn’t take long for him to settle in and start making some big plays against the Grove City defense. “I was nervous at the beginning,” Graham said. “But once I got a few completions, I settled in and just tried making the plays with no tough throws and just hitting the open receiver.” All three of Graham’s touchdown passes went to junior wide receiver Jeff Young. Young caught passes of 37, 36 and 17 yards for touchdowns. He ended the game with three receptions for 90 yards and three touchdowns. According to Shepas, Dawson should be ready to start this Saturday at Bethany. “I’m not sure who will be starting next Saturday’s game against Bethany,” Graham said. “I am just going to stay prepared and work hard this week, and if I am called to play Saturday, I will try to get us another win.”
By Tim Chilcote Staff Writer Waynesburg conceded a safety with just less than a minute to go in the game to conclude the scoring and put the final at 42-16. Junior Justin Falcon led all rushers with a seasonhigh 110 yards on the ground.
On the defensive end, Waynesburg held an opponent to under 300 yards of total offense for the second week in a row. Junior defensive lineman Darryl Moore Jr. had four tackles, including 2.5 for a loss and had 1.5 sacks in the contest to continue his
son would prevail in first and sixth singles, as the Jackets took second, third and fourth singles until the match was postponed due to the darkness. In second singles, freshman Markie Gustafson continued her solid freshman campaign with a 6-1, 6-4 triumph. Kody was also a winner in third singles, taking it to the third set before winning 6-2, 2-6, 61. Before the darkness set in, the junior Diesel recorded her second singles win of the season 6-1, 6-1. “The win was big for Jenny’s seeding and big for the team to get a win,” said Christman. “It was great for me because I love to beat W&J.” The Jackets were also in action last week at Beaver Falls when they took on Geneva and fell to the Golden Tornadoes 7-2. In doubles competition the Yellow Jackets picked a victory from the team of Logan McDonald and McAndrews 8-4. However the Jackets’ only other win would come from Kody who won 6-0, 6-2. “I felt my mental state was a lot better than the past,” said Kody. “I was able to keep my composure and made my opponent make mistakes.” The Jackets have been on a roller coaster ride with all kinds of twists this season, and according to Christman, that is due to the Jackets’ youth. “We have a lot of players that just played high school tennis,” said Christman. “With the new facility we are trying to bring in more tournament experience to help the team.” The weekend will prove to be key as the Yellow Jackets will host another Presidents’ Athletic Conference foe when Thomas More comes to town. Then the women will hit the road for a nonconference rematch against Westminster.
strong start to the season. Sophomores defensive lineman Matt Krause and defensive back Brandon Myers also had interceptions as the Jackets forced four turnovers in the game. The Jackets will next travel to Bethany on Saturday as they look to stay unbeaten in the PAC with a win over the Bison. Bethany (0-1, 1-3) lost at home last week to Geneva. Kickoff between Waynesburg and Bethany is set for 2 p.m. Notes * The Jackets honored the lives of Clint DeRosa and Mike Czerwien with a moment of silence just before kickoff. DeRosa was a freshman defensive lineman last year and died in April. Czerwien, a graduate in 2008, was one of the best players to don a Jacket uniform. He passed away in July. * Waynesburg debuted their new alternate black and white jerseys.
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sports
Wrestlers aim for three at nationals By Steve Hullings Staff Writer Waynesburg University had a wrestler achieve All-American status last season for the first time since 2001. This year, Waynesburg will try to send three wrestlers to compete at the national level. “We had an All-American (Nick Garber) last year,” said head coach Ron Headlee. “We would’ve liked to have had two more. We thought Jesse Byerly and Alex Crown should’ve made it to nationals last year.” All three of these athletes were named in the 2010-2011 preliminary rankings. Senior Nick Garber, sophomore Alex Crown and junior Jesse Byerly look forward to making the Yellow Jackets a force in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. Last season, Byerly wrestled at the 149-pound weight class. Byerly was an honorable mention last season and looks to make
Dedication shown Continued from C3 es them to take advantage of free tutoring if needed and to be honest when they need help. Freshman guard Elaine Hasek has only been with the team for a short time but already understands the dedication and hard work it is going to take. “Study tables help a lot,” Hasek said. “I’ve learned to use my down time to study and
the national level this year. He placed third at the 2010 National Collegiate Garber Athletic Association Division III Midwest Regional Championship. Crown was an honorable mention for nationals last season. He was also named PAC Most Outstanding Wrestler after the PAC tournament. This season Crown intends on competing at 125 pounds. “I have been wrestling all summer long,” said Crown. “I’m trying to improve my conditioning and practice with better wrestlers in order for me to improve.” Crown, knowing he is a national prospect, doesn’t want to look down on anyone. He said, “Anything can happen.” Being named as a national prospect tells Crown where his wrestling ability is. “I have to push myself through everything,” said
Crown. “I’d like to see more of us in the rankings.” The Jackets hope that the Waynesburg community continues to come out and support the team. “We have been training very hard the past couple of weeks in order to have a very good and successful season,” said Garber. “I think we have to have a very solid team this season in order to repeat as PAC champions.” Last year Garber competed in two different weight categories (133 and 141). At nationals last year, he placed seventh. This season Garber intends to wrestle at the 141 or 149-pound weight class. “This year I focused more on strength and weight gain,” said Garber, “[I also focused on] new techniques that will better my style and improve my wrestling skills.” Being at nationals last year, Garber knows the feeling of performing at that stage. “My first year’s mindset was just happy to be there,” said Garber.
“Last season I was happy to be there, but I wanted to come home with an All-American status, and I did that. This season I have had the experience of being on the national level and competing and placing, but this season I have the mental attitude of wanting to win nationals,” Garber said. Garber agrees that wrestling on the national level is a completely different world as compared to wrestling at the PACs. “You are wrestling the best kids in the nation and kids you don’t know anything about,” said Garber. “All the wrestlers are as good as you are, and it makes for a tough road. Every match is a battle where every point matters,” added Garber. During the PACs, one might be wrestling in front of 250 people and on one mat. When one wrestles at nationals, there are about 10 mats with thousands of people watching. “It’s an experience of a lifetime to wrestle in front of that many people,” said Garber.
read over my notes, even though sometimes I’m worn out from lifting.” The women’s trip to Canada showed Hasek how important time management is when juggling school and athletics. “Practice was hard the first week because I was still trying to figure out my schedule,” Hasek added. “Canada helped me adjust and change my priorities where it was needed.” Dedication was even more essential for junior captain Callie White, who tore her ACL in an early season
contest last year. She continues strenuous physical therapy in hopes of making a comeback in 2010-11. To be a successful student-athlete, you must be able to prioritize correctly. “I have to keep my priorities straight,” Hunter added. “I have to remember that I am a student first, preparing for life after basketball.” The Jackets are together in the gym working on their game four days a week and lifting three days a week to prepare for the upcoming season.
Christner molds team Continued from C3 be open about new things and adjust to them as they come. Christner’s philosophy towards the game of basketball is a wellrespected one. He is hoping that all of these goals will be achieved this season and help the Jackets along their journey together. The Jackets will look to put all this into action when practice starts next month.
Photo by Dave Miller, ADM Photography
Freshman Natalie Ranallo (10) sets a ball to her teammates in the Bethany match last Wednesday night.
Volleyball wins twice Continued from C1 deserved to have a shot during a match,” Benkowski said. “We felt Chatham was the perfect opportunity.” Mitrik filled in considerably well as she finished with 22 digs. All season long at the setter position Benkowski has been using a combination of sophomore Carly Smithyman and freshman Natalie Ranallo, splitting time between the two of them. Saturday’s two matches continued to show successful signs of the split. Smithyman chipped in 30 total assists on the day while Ranallo added 20 more, giving the setter combination 50 in all. “Having two setters has its positives and negatives,” said Benkowski. “It’s hard when one is having a bad day, and it’s hard for hitters to adjust to different styles. Both have so much to contribute to the team, though, and are very dif-
ferent setters.” Additionally to Saturday’s tri-match the Yellow Jackets previously played host to the Mount Aloysius Mounties Thursday evening and Bethany Bison Wednesday night. Against the Mounties, the Yellow Jackets were victorious, winning in three straight sets. The Yellow Jackets lost 3-1 versus conference foe Bethany but played well against the Bison. Benkowski said her team was very well prepared to play Bethany. “We had video on them and got to analyze them before playing,” said Benkowski. “Plus we were at home, and our fans helped us continue to be motivated. We communicated well the whole match, and that helped us play to the best of our ability.” The Yellow Jackets’ record now stands at 6-8 overall and 1-4 in the PAC. They look to build upon that when they travel to Carlow University tonight for a non-conference matchup with the Celtics.
Social networking has been expanded with influences now involving elections Read more on D3
Thursday, September 30, 2010 OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
Waynesburg to host kickoff on Oct. 4 to help needy children
Songs in the key of ‘WU’
By Kyle Edwards Editorial Assistant
File Photos
Megan Peebles won the 2009 Waynesburg Idol competition. The first round of the 2010 competition will begin at 8 p.m. on Oct. 1. The second round will take place on Oct. 8, and the final round will take place on Oct. 15.
Waynesburg Idol competition to begin By Alex Hinton Staff Writer Waynesburg University students will have an opportunity to showcase their musical talents at the sixth annual Waynesburg Idol competition in October. The competition will take place over a three-week period, and the judging will happen each Friday during those three weeks: 8 p.m. on Oct. 1 , 8 p.m. on Oct. 8 and directly after the pep rally on Oct. 15. There will be 15 students singing for the first
Megan Peebles (left) and Reba Parry both made it to the final round of competition in 2009. round of the competition. The judges will narrow it down to eight contestants for the second round, and
four students will compete on the last night of the event for the final round.
The 15 students competing include Dave Call, Natalie George, Andrew Dennis, Andrea Siciliano, Shannon Wolfram, Kirstin Repco, Marybeth Rocco, Crystal Boehmer, Katlin George, Becca Dorminey, Rachel Tobias, Jordan Merenick, Stephanie Yocca, Michelle Gottschalk and Brad Wilson. The judges have not been announced as of press time. “The Student Activities Board hopes to create Waynesburg Idol into a See COMPETITION on D2
Literary magazine to publish two issues By Sarah Bell Staff Writer Waynesburg University’s literary magazine, Muse & Stone, has been officially launched. This year, the magazine will be publishing two issues, compared to the one issue per year it has provided previously. “We’re trying to oper-
ate on a national level,” said Martin Cockroft, Muse & Stone adviser. “You can’t have a successful journal that is only published once a year because people will forget about you. “Two issues will give Muse & Stone the opportunity to be better known, and we will be able to publish more
writers.” Sarah Rizzi, Muse & Stone executive editor, is excited about having two publications per year. She also realizes that the staff will have to do twice as much work, but it will help with the presence of the magazine, she said. Muse & Stone hosted their launch party on
Sept. 16 in Stover Campus Center. This is the first of a series of Open Mic Nights the magazine will have during the course of the year. According to Cockroft, they attempt to have three to four Open Mic Nights each semesSee MAGAZINE on D2
On Monday, Oct. 4, Operation Christmas Child kicks off again at Waynesburg University. “This year will be our third year with the program,” said Pat Bristor, associate dean of Students. According to Bristor, Operation Christmas Child is a program sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse, a non-profit organization. “The goal is to provide Christmas presents for children around the world who possibly haven’t ever received a Christmas gift before,” said Bristor. “We’re asking students, clubs, teams and organizations to sponsor children by filling up the shoe boxes with gifts that are appropriate [for the child they sponsor].” According to Operation Christmas Child website, gifts can be anything from school supplies, toys, hygiene items, candy, gum, clothing, hats, toy jewelry and much more. “Our goal is to collect 300 boxes,” Bristor said. “But I think we’ll exceed that this year.” Bristor said that the kickoff program will be held on the first floor of Stover Campus Center. “We’ll build a pyramid of the empty boxes and explain to the sponsors what the goal is and the kind of things we would like them to put in the boxes,” she said. Bristor explained that on Oct. 29, all the boxes will be collected and the pyramid will be rebuilt with the full boxes.
“After we collect them, we ship them off to the distribution center in Boone, N. C.,” Bristor said. “There, they’ll ship the boxes out to children all over the world for Christmas.” Freshman education major Lauren Grasso is a student volunteer for Waynesburg’s Operation Christmas Child program and is helping Bristor organize the kickoff. “My role in Operation Christmas Child is to spread the word,” said Grasso. “I’m going to talk at Chapel and help with setting up the kickoff.” Grasso explained that she has been involved with Operation Christmas Child since she was six years old. “I was involved in a youth group for young kids,” said Grasso. “The church there had a book about Operation Christmas Child, and they read it to us when I was five. After that we started collecting boxes and I’ve been involved ever since.” Grasso said that her role as a volunteer was similar to her role here at Waynesburg. “Mostly I went around and talked to churches, youth groups and other organizations and tried to spread the word,” said Grasso. “I usually contacted them through email, and I started a Facebook group as well, but mostly it was through word of mouth.” Grasso said that she plans to continue helping with the program in the future. See SERVICE on D2
Noah Haiduc-Dale joins faculty as assistant history professor By Hannah Dunbar Staff Writer
“That trip is what really sparked my interest in history.” Haiduc-Dale stayed with an Arab family in Israel while studying abroad and because of that he become much more interested in history, particularly Middle Eastern history and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Before coming to Waynesburg, HaiducDale has held jobs such as a teaching assistant and a children’s librarian, where he found himself reading more about history, which he was interested in. He chose to teach history at Waynesburg because he
wanted to be able to personally influence his students, an opportuniSee HAIDUC-DALE on D2
ing nie La epha by St Photo
Dr. Noah HaiducDale, assistant professor of History, is one of the newest additions to the faculty at Waynesburg University. He has received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Philosophy with a minor in Religion from Hope College in Holland, Mich., a Master of Arts degree in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Arizona, a Master of Arts degree in English Language and Literature from Central Michigan University and a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies and History from
New York University. Haiduc-Dale is currently teaching Western Civilization, which is a general education course, as well as teaching Middle Eastern History, although he hopes to be able to expand his repertoire and offer more history electives to students in the future, such as Environmental History or the study of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Although he obviously enjoys history now, Haiduc-Dale said that he was not always as interested in history as he is today. “I visited Israel when I was in high school,” he said.
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Feature
NCAA cracks down on violations of student-athlete eligibility By Ben Carpenter Staff Writer The National Collegiate Athletic Association is known for its incredibly stringent rules. Many people even believe that the organization is too strict and stubborn and should lighten up. This argument typically surfaces when the issue of a Division I football playoff is being discussed. One other area however is that of the NCAA’s rules and regulations concerning studentathletes and their eligibility. Occasionally a story will surface about a star Division I student-athlete that competed, perhaps even for a national cham-
pionship, while his academic eligibility or amateur status was in question. This prompts and NCAA or an institutionally run investigation and if the student-athlete is found to have competed while ineligible, either the NCAA or the institution will impose penalties based on the severity of the infraction. An example of one such highly publicized case is that of the University of Memphis guard Derrick Rose. Rose now plays for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA, but he was very successful at Memphis. In the 2007-08 season, Rose’s only at the school, the Tigers won an NCAA-record 38 games
and made it to the Final Four. It was found in an NCAA investigation that an unknown person took the SAT for Rose and that he used that test to get into the institution. Memphis was forced to vacate all of those victories, and Rose’s legacy has been tarnished because of the incident. John Calipari, Rose’s Coach at Memphis at the time, has since moved on to coach at Kentucky. Calipari and Memphis were also punished for NCAA infractions at the same time that the Rose situation punishment was handed down for things such as improper benefits for a relative of Rose throughout the season.
This wasn’t Calipari’s first run-in with the NCAA, however. He also had wins vacated when he was the coach at the University of Massachusetts in 1996. In both cases, Calipari himself received no restrictions or punishment; it was the athletic departments of the institutions in which he coached that were put on probation and suffered for years afterward. At the time that the punishment was handed down by the NCAA, Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said that the school planned to appeal the penalty. “I’m extremely disappointed,” Johnson said. “The NCAA findings are extreme given that we did
Magazine launched Continued from D1 ter. The Muse & Stone staff organizes the entire event. Not only does the staff have to organize the venue, but they advertise, provide food and get the students on campus involved. The staff also provides free issues of last year’s Muse & Stone for those who may not have picked it up previously. “The launch party’s purpose is to redistribute the magazine,” Rizzi said. “We get the magazine back fairly late in the semester; also, it is good for incoming stu-
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The Muse and Stone literary magazine will distribute its first issue at the end of the semester. A second issue will be distributed later during the spring semester. dents and transfers to learn about Muse & Stone and get a copy of it.” Muse & Stone highlights artwork, poetry, fiction and nonfiction
Haiduc-Dale Competition hired set to begin Continued from D1
Continued from D1
ty that he wouldn’t normally have had at a larger school. “It’s a small school, similar to the one that I went to,” he said. “I wanted to teach somewhere where teaching was more important than just doing research.” In addition to teaching history, Haiduc-Dale also enjoys other activities like baking bread, playing songs for his children on the banjo and fly fishing, although he said that he is not able to do these activities as often as he likes. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and his three children, Maia, Asher and Ethan.
Waynesburg tradition,” Assistant Director of Student Activities Kelley Hardie said. She said that this event tends to be one of the largest attended activities on campus, and past winners and alumni return every year to attend. “It is truly amazing to see the talent that our students have been blessed with, and I always enjoy watching them perform,” Hardie said. “Every year, it becomes more and more difficult for the audience to select a new Waynesburg Idol. I think this is going to be the best season ever.”
writing in their publications. A difference between the fall and spring publication is that they will not be accepting artwork submissions from students for the fall
edition. The cover is generally a piece selected by the Muse & Stone staff out of all of the works of art that have been submitted. The staff has select-
Megan Peebles, winner of last year’s Waynesburg Idol performed three different songs for the competition that fit with the various themes that were assigned to the contestants each week, including “Who Knew” by Pink, “I Told You So” by Carrie Underwood, and “Defying Gravity” from the musical Wicked. Last year 17 students sang to battle for the title of Waynesburg Idol. The finale was recorded for WCTV. Peebles offers some advice for this year’s Waynesburg Idol contestants. “Pick whatever song goes best with your voice and don’t over-do it,” she said. “There is no screen in front of you with your words on it, so pick something you’re comfortable with. Practice a lot, and be confident.”
Service starts Oct. 4
our due diligence on the eligibility side, and the travel issues were more administrative in nature. There were no deliberate violations.” One of the cases that did not get national attention was that of Lincoln University in Philadelphia. The NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions recently found that the university committed major and secondary violations. The infractions were mainly those of eligibility rules in many sports, including men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s soccer, men’s track and field and women’s volleyball. It was found by the NCAA and the institu-
tion that from the 200304 academic year through that of 2008-09 the university allowed 27 student-athletes to practice, compete and receive travel-related expenses while they were ineligible. Their ineligibility was for a number of different reasons, including not attaining the minimum grade point average, not meeting transfer requirements, lacking full-time enrollment and failure to serve an academic year of residence. It was found that seven of the student-athletes found to be ineligible were ineligible for more than one reason. A spokesperson for Lincoln University could not be reached for comment.
ed only student artwork in the past, and this will remain true in the spring edition. “We are trying to incorporate the work of a local artist for the fall cover, but spring will continue to have a student selection,” Cockroft said. “We wanted to highlight a Greene County artist.” For students interested in creative writing, Muse & Stone helps them to become familiar with reading outside works. “Muse & Stone gives creative writing students a chance to put their work out in the open and be exposed,” Rizzi said. “We get submissions from Japan, Sweden, everywhere, so students
have the opportunity to see what people around the world are writing.” The staff has the opportunity to judge national and student submissions and decide what pieces will make it into the finished publication. According to Cockroft, the Muse & Stone staff attempts to make sure student and national submissions are equally displayed in the literary magazine. “We have always tried to have 50 percent student and 50 percent national writers,” Cockroft said. “In the fall we expect fewer student submissions, but that’s okay.” The finished product will be distributed at an Open Mic Night at the end of the semester.
Continued from D1 “I will definitely continue helping in the years to come,” said Grasso. “I’ve been doing this for a while, and I have no intention of stopping. If people have any questions, they should feel free to contact me.” According to Bristor, over the past two years Waynesburg’s Operation Christmas Child program has given a total of 442 boxes to children around the world, and she hopes to continue expanding that number each year. “I encourage anyone who is interested in filling a shoebox to attend Monday’s program to pick up their shoebox and help us reach our goal,” said Bristor.
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Operation Christmas Child is set to begin on Oct. 4. In the past two years, 442 boxes have been donated.
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Global News
2010 elections in Venezuela involve social networking
NEWS IN BRIEF
By Jim Wyss McClatchy Newspapers CARACAS, Venezuela — It’s not much of a political prognostication tool, but if Twitter followers translated into votes, then President Hugo Chavez’s party would sweep Sunday’s National Parliamentary elections. Like other political races in the hemisphere, this one is being played out on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The difference is that Venezuela is awash with users of Twitter - the service that allows Internet and mobile phone users to blast off short, 140-character messages. According to marketing research firm ComScore, Venezuela is behind only Indonesia and Brazil when it comes to Twitter use. A full 19 percent of Venezuela’s Internet users also have Twitter accounts, the company said. (The United States, by comparison, is in 11th place with a usage rate of 12 percent.) Venezuela also has one of the highest mobile phone usage rates per capita in the Americas. It’s not uncommon to see buses and metros packed with youngsters sending out Tweets and updating their Facebook pages from their phones. “The attitude here is that if you don’t communicate it, it didn’t happen,” said Gabriel Bastidas, a university student with 4,480 Twitter followers, who has been giving live updates of his efforts to get out the vote. Pollsters say Chavez’s Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela, or PSUV, and the opposition are within a few points of each other as they vie to fill the 165 seats of the parliament. But on Friday, the PSUV had 52,668 followers on Twitter versus the opposition’s 15,345. Much of that discrepancy can be attributed to Chavez himself. Since launching his own Twitter account six months ago, he has become a ravenous user, often making news online - like the time he live-Tweeted the exhumation of Venezuelan founding father Simon Bolivar at 3 a.m. Chavez’s account (twitter.com/chavezcandanga) has more than 847,600 followers, making him the 289th most-popular Twitter user globally - and the second most-followed leader in the world after Barack Obama. Chavez, in turn, is only following 19 Twitter sites, among them, the PSUV. The attention from such a super-user drives traffic. “The fact that we are one of the few sites that the president is following has been a big deal for us,” said a spokeswoman for the PSUV, who said the party would not allow McClatchy Newspapers to use her name. But as candidates across Latin America have discovered, online fans don’t always show up at the ballot box. During the presidential elections in Colombia earlier See ELECTIONS on D4
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Illinois mandates bilingual preschool classes
Tenth municipal chief slain in Mexico this year
CHICAGO – As the school year begins, Illinois becomes the first state to mandate that public schools with preschool programs offer a bilingual education to 3- and 4-year-olds who don’t speak English. Under the new regulations, school officials must determine whether students speak another language at home and measure how well they speak and understand English. They then must offer those who need it a seat in a bilingual preschool class, where they study basic academic skills in their native language as they learn English. Calling preschool the new front door to the school system, education experts say the change could help to narrow the academic divide. The mandate covers 585 preschool programs.
MEXICO CITY – Assailants shot and seriously wounded the mayor-elect of a town in the border state of Chihuahua on Friday afternoon, less than a day after commandos in Nuevo Leon state executed a sitting mayor, making him the 10th municipal chief slain so far this year. In Mexico City, a fugitive legislator with drug charges pending against him sneaked into Congress and took his seat, automatically obtaining immunity from prosecution. Attacks on mayors are quickening, a sign that drug cartels are seeking to intimidate politicians. Four mayors have been killed in the past five weeks alone.
2 Riots mark most violent day in Jerusalem JERUSALEM – With U.S.-brokered peace talks hanging by a thread, clashes erupted in East Jerusalem on Wednesday after a private Israeli security guard, working for Jewish residents of an Arab-dominated area, shot to death a Palestinian man during an early morning altercation. Hours later, following the funeral of shooting victim Samer Sarhan, 32, Palestinian youths in the restive Silwan neighborhood confronted Israeli police, throwing rocks, setting three cars on fire and injuring at least seven passersby, Israeli police said. Rock-throwing attacks soon spread to other parts of East Jerusalem, including the Old City. At least five Palestinians were also injured, Palestinian authorities said. The riots marked one of the most violent days in Jerusalem in recent months, with the sounds of police sirens and helicopters filling the air and black smoke rising in the sky. In a rare move, Israeli riot police briefly raided the compound around Al-Aqsa mosque, an Islamic holy site in the Old City, to clear the area of young Palestinian men .
4 Real estate broker given shorter sentence CAIRO, Egypt – An Egyptian court on Tuesday gave a real estate tycoon a shorter, 15-year prison sentence for his role in the brutal murder of his former lover, a Lebanese pop star. Hesham Talaat Moustafa, 50, was found guilty of paying $2 million to ex-policeman Mohsen elSukkary, 41, to kill 30-year-old singer Suzanne Tamim in 2008. The sentence was a dramatic reduction from the original death penalty Moustafa and his accomplice Mohsen el-Sukkary had received in May 2009.
5 New robot to aid patients with dementia TOKYO – Scientists in Japan have developed a robot that can aid people with mild dementia by giving verbal reminders about things such as appointments and taking medicine. The robot was developed by the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities. They plan to have it ready for use in five years. The team adapted the robot to serve dementia patients by installing a new conversation program. The robot can recognize its “master’s” face and voice, and speaks according to a specified schedule.
Pakistan denounces NATO airstrikes on insurgents in territory By Alex Rodriguez Los Angeles Times ISLAMABAD — Pakistan on Monday strongly denounced airstrikes from Afghanistan-based NATO helicopters that killed more than 50 insurgents in Pakistan last weekend, warning it would have to consider “response options” if it happened again. While the U.S. routinely carries out unmanned drone strikes against alQaida, Afghan Taliban and Pakistani Taliban militants in Pakistan’s largely ungoverned tribal areas along the Afghan border, airstrikes from U.S. or NATO manned aircraft on targets in Pakistan have been rare. U.S. military officials say their rules of engagement allow NATO aircraft to act in self defense against insurgents who have launched attacks against NATO or Afghan forces from Pakistani territory. The U.S. has said in the past that Pakistan has agreed to those rules, though Pakistani officials on Monday denied that such an agreement exists.
Photo by LT BRADLEY K SILVA US NAVY/KRT
Theodore Roosevelt and its embarked carrier airwing are participating in air strikes against the former Yugoslavia in support of NATO's Operation Allied Force in 1999. Pakistan is hoping to change tactics now. NATO carried out the airstrikes Saturday after militants attacked a remote Afghan security outpost near the border in Khost province, NATO officials said. The small installation, known as Combat Outpost Narizah, received “direct and indirect fire from the Pakistan side of the border,” a NATO statement said. Though NATO officials did not say which militant group carried out
the attack, it was launched from Pakistan’s North Waziristan region, the base of operations for the Afghan Taliban wing known as the Haqqani network. Two NATO helicopters flew into Pakistan territory and killed 49 insurgents, said U.S. Capt. Ryan Donald, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. “The heli-
copters responded to the attack, acting in selfdefense,” Donald said. “They briefly flew into Pakistan, briefly engaged the insurgents, and returned.” Later Saturday, two other NATO helicopters flying in the area were fired upon by insurgents on Pakistani soil, and returned fire, killing at least four more militants, Donald said. After the attacks, NATO officials
informed Pakistani authorities about what had happened, Donald said. NATO’s statement stressed that only airpower was used. “At no time during the engagement did ground forces cross into Pakistan territory,” it said. On Monday, six more militants were killed in an ISAF helicopter attack in the Kurram region along the border, Reuters
reported. An ISAF spokesman said it was “near the border,” rather than in Pakistan. In a statement issued by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, spokesman Abdul Basit called the strikes a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. “These incidents are a clear violation and breach of the U.N. mandate under which ISAF operates,” Basit said in the statement. “There are no agreed ‘hot pursuit’ rules. ... In the absence of immediate corrective measures, Pakistan will be constrained to consider response options.” While Pakistan has tacitly allowed the U.S. to launch unmanned drone missile strikes against Taliban and Haqqani militants in the country’s tribal areas, it has firmly said it would not allow foreign forces to carry out combat operations on its territory. In June 2008, Pakistani authorities accused the U.S. of dispatching warplanes into Pakistani territory and launching an See AIRSTRIKES on D4
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Global News
Killings of journalists lead to media blackouts in Mexico By Tim Johnson McClatchy Newspapers MEXICO CITY — Press advocates and newspaper editors say a campaign by criminal syndicates to kill journalists is drawing a dark curtain across swaths of Mexico. “We aren’t reporting on matters of drug trafficking,” Patricia Mercado, the editor of the Imagen newspaper in Zacatecas, acknowledged bluntly at a forum Thursday that brought together editors from across Mexico. “We’ve been warned that we cannot touch the issue.” The issue of soaring threats against Mexican journalists came to the fore last week after an anguished front-page plea to drug cartels from a border newspaper and the
unprecedented granting of U.S. asylum to a Mexican journalist. “This is a national crisis,” said Carlos Lauria, senior coordinator for the Americas for the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based advocacy group. “It affects the fundamental rights of Mexicans to be informed.” Numbers help tell the story. At least 30 Mexican journalists have been killed or have disappeared since President Felipe Calderon came to office in late 2006, but that’s resulted in only a handful of arrests, according to the committee. In the most recent case, an armed hit squad approached a gray sedan in a mall parking lot Sept. 16 in Ciudad Juarez, a border city that’s Mexico’s murder capital, and
shot two photographers for Diario de Juarez, killing one of them, Luis Carlos Santiago, 21. The murder led Diario de Juarez to publish a dramatic front-page plea that some understood as yielding to criminal gangs. “What do you want from us?” the newspaper asked regional drug lords. “You are currently the de facto authorities in this city. . . . Tell us what you expect from us as a newspaper?” Calderon received a joint delegation of editors and press advocates from around the hemisphere last Wednesday. Afterward, his office announced that it would establish a warning system and plan of protection for journalists, and it reiterated a promise to make attacks on journal-
ists subject to federal investigation. However, skepticism about Calderon’s pledges was thick Thursday among newspaper editors at a forum hosted by the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Inter American Press Association, a hemispheric press affairs group. Thousands of police officers and soldiers patrol the streets of Ciudad Juarez but they don’t make residents feel safer, said Diario de Juarez director Pedro Torres, because “they have taken part in kidnappings, in extortions and in robberies.” Several editors said their newspaper installations had been strafed by gunfire or hit by grenade attacks, in addition to constant threats against
reporters. “When we suspect that a journalist is in danger, we simply sacrifice the story and pull them back,” said Javier Garza of the El Siglo de Torreon newspaper in Coahuila state. When two reporters looked into a drug-related murder recently in Sinaloa state, home to a powerful drug cartel, men at the scene told them, “Publish anything, bastards, and we’ll kill you,” said Ismael Bojorquez, the editor of the Rio Doce weekly newspaper. “The police also said, ‘Don’t publish anything, because he is the son of a heavy weight.’” Mexican journalists who fear for their lives increasingly are fleeing to the United States and Canada. A reporter from Ciudad
Three Russian astronauts land in Kazakhstan one day late on Saturday after undocking glitch fix By Pat Reber and Lea Ann Schnakenberg WASHINGTON — A Russian Soyuz capsule landed Saturday in Kazakhstan, returning three residents of the International Space Station to Earth a day later than planned because of an undocking malfunction. Parachutes braked the decent of the Soyuz reentry craft as it landed on the steppe of southern Kazakhstan near Arkalyk, with Russians Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko and American Tracy Caldwell Dyson on board, the US space agency said. The trio had spent six months in space. “The team is doing well,” reported the Russian space agency Roskosmos. Troops helped the astronauts out of the capsule upon landing. Wrapped in a blanket, Dyson immediately called her family. The Soyuz undocked from the space station Saturday after the crew made repairs to fix the problem in the station’s docking module that delayed their departure, originally scheduled for Friday. Hooks had failed to open to release the Soyuz from the station, and the crew and engineers on the
Elections use Facebook Continued from D3 this year, Green Party candidate Antanas Mockus became an Internet sensation, far outpacing rivals in Facebook and Twitter followers. Still, he lost the vote badly to Juan Manuel Santos. In Brazil, opposition parties have launched aggressive Facebook and Twitter campaigns against ruling party candi-
ground later determined that the problem occurred because of a failed hatch sensor, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said. The malfunction prevented mission control in Moscow from receiving the “hatch lock” signal,
although the seals between the station and Soyuz capsule were functioning properly, NASA said. Station flight engineer Fyodor Yurchikhin then installed jumper cables to bypass the malfunctioning sensor, allowing the Soyuz to undock
0202 GMT Saturday (just after 10 p.m. EST Friday). It was the first time in the station’s history that a Soyuz capsule had not departed from the station as planned. The problem came shortly after a July incident in which an unmanned Russian cargo
rocket veered out of control and flew past the space station as it was trying to dock there. After undocking Saturday, the Soyuz performed a separation burn to move 12 kilometers (about 7.5 miles) away from the station as it headed back to Earth. Less than an hour before landing, it fired its rockets again for a deorbit burn, which slows the spacecraft, for its 0523 GMT (1:23 a.m. EDT Saturday) landing. The station’s current three-member crew is scheduled to be replenished with the October 7 launch of a Soyuz capsule from the Russian space centre at Baikonur, Kazakhstan, with cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri, Oleg Skripochka and U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly on board. They are to dock two days later with the station. Roskosmos reported that Skvortsov and Kornienko are to receive honors for their work. Russia’s Defense Ministry has previously given awards to two other cosmonauts. The space agency also announced its plans to send two tourists into outer space in 2013, as well as plans to start launching some rockets from Kourou in French Guiana.
date Dilma Rousseff, but continue to lag in the polls. “It’s easy to have a million friends on Facebook. What’s hard is to get them to work for you,” said Carmen Fernandez, the executive director of DataStrategia, a political consulting firm advising Venezuela’s opposition. While social networks “will help you fortify a political organization they’re not going to give you political muscle,” she said. Since the official campaigning ended Thursday,
partisan sniping has moved online. “The forces of imperialism have launched their offensive to fill the National Assembly with their lackeys,” the PSUV’s official Twitter page (partidopsuv) broadcast Friday afternoon. At the opposition site (unidadvenezuela), people were urged to head to the polls, as some of its followers hit back against the PSUV. “If you don’t vote we are going to be stuck with Chavez ... until the Coyote traps the Road Runner
and Tom eats Jerry,” wrote emilyjmarquez. The Venezuelan government has had a troubled relationship with Twitter. The service came to prominence last year, when students used it to organize rallies to protest the closing of radio and television stations. And members of Chavez’s administration have suggested Twitter is a hotbed for counterrevolutionaries and a breeding ground for conspiracy. Earlier this month, the government briefly detained a man they
accused of calling for the president’s assassination on Twitter. In July, authorities arrested two Twitter users for suggesting a bank might be on the verge of collapse. When Chavez launched his site six months ago, it was a clear sign that he wanted to move in on opposition territory, said Billy Vaisberg, the Director of Meltom Technologies, which launched TwitterVenezuela last year. While Chavez and his followers appear to have a large presence on Twitter,
Photo by MARK MILSTEIN/KRT
The Soyuz TM-31 rocket is ready at the Russian cosmodrome in central Kazakhstan in 2000. Russian astronauts returned from another mission on Saturday.
Juarez, Jorge Luis Aguirre, told McClatchy in a telephone call from El Paso, Texas, that the Obama administration had granted him political asylum last week, the first time a Mexican journalist has won an asylum case. “It’s a tremendous victory,” said El Paso lawyer Carlos Spector. He represents several Mexican journalists who are seeking U.S. asylum. Pressure against journalists in northern Mexico “has basically killed local investigative reporting, hard-hitting reporting,” Spector said, adding that the scarcity of indepth news may undermine Mexican democracy. “If the Mexican public doesn’t have information, they can’t make decisions,” he said.
Airstrikes denounced Continued from D3 airstrike that killed 11 members of the Frontier Corps, a Pakistani paramilitary force that patrols the tribal areas. The U.S. expressed regret over the incident but countered that it had been acting in self defense after its troops had come under attack from Taliban fighters. The new airstrikes could further strain Washington’s fragile alliance with the Pakistani military, which has repeatedly balked at launching an offensive against Haqqani network fighters who use North Waziristan as a base from which to launch attacks on U.S. and Afghan forces in Afghanistan. As a result, the U.S. had ratcheted up its drone strike campaign against militants in the tribal areas, focusing most of the attacks on suspected Haqqani strongholds and compounds in North Waziristan. So far this month, the U.S. has carried out 20 drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal regions, killing dozens of suspected militants. The latest attack occurred Monday, when a drone-fired missile killed four people near the North Waziristan town of Mir Ali. (Staff writer Laura King in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.)
the heaviest users are the opposition, he said. And despite the noise being created by Venezuela’s first “Twitter election,” he said it’s doubtful the tool will be a real game-changer for either party. “In Venezuela, Twitter is a completely polarized environment, where you have a lot of people from the opposition and a minority that favor the government,” he said. “It’s not an environment where anyone is going to convince anyone to change their mind.”