INSID E: FO URTH A NNUA L JOHN C. K NO X WRITING CONTEST HELD. S E E A2
NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | VOL. 95 NO. 6 | EST. 1924
THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
New guest policy focuses on liability of underage visitors By ANDREW HREHA
For the Yellow Jacket
This year at Waynesburg University, a new guest policy has been set in place by the public safety department. The major change to Waynesburg’s guest policy is the requirement of guests under 18 years of age to have a signed document from their legal guardians. According to Mike Humiston, director of Public Safety and head baseball coach at Waynesburg, the new policy was set in place to ensure parents are informed of their child’s visit and to prevent liability issues. “I think it was something, quite honestly, that should have been done a long time ago,” Humiston said. “We have been fortunate in the past to have all of these people on our campus who are under the age of 18 and never had a problem, but you don't have to look far to see other institutions that are having visitation issues and problems that may arise from those so we want to kind of set the standard and this is one of the ways we do that,” said Humiston. The idea of the new policy goes beyond informing parents, as the documentation helps security to better protect visitors. “We as a security department have to be aware of and notified that we have other students that may be here, or other students that may be on campus, in the event that something may happen,” Humiston said. According to Humiston, the new policy will also make it easier to find guests and notify them in the case of an emergency.
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“We know where they are and who they are with, and we can make notification and get in touch with those students,” Humiston said. While Humiston is unaware of who the idea for a change in policy came from, he speculates it originated in student services. As head baseball coach, Humiston said that prospect visitation is important during the recruiting process as head baseball coach. “Speaking from a coaching standpoint, being the baseball coach here at Waynesburg, that’s a big part of our recruiting process to have a student athlete who is trying to make up his or her mind where they want to spend the next four years of their life. It’s probably the single most important decision that they make at 18 years of age,” said Humiston. Humiston believes the policy has been helpful and will help the university to take a proactive stance on student and guest security. “I think it has been beneficial, it’s all about knowing,” Humiston said. “For us, from a security standpoint, we want to be proactive versus reactive. So I think this is a good proactive move by the university to enforce this policy and we hope for the best and hope that we don't have any problems. We haven’t had any problems to my knowledge so it seems to be working,” Humiston said. Overall, Humiston believes the policy is beneficial to security, students and visitors. “I think it’s a great idea to make sure that the communications with not only our students but visiting students is clear and we want everyone to make sure that they have a good visit,” Humiston said.
Photo courtesy of James DePriest
Yvonne Weaver, chairperson for the Education Department, accepts $5,000 from First Energy to use for program iPads.
Education Department receives $5,000 First Energy grant to add iPads to curriculum By LUKE GOODLING Associate Editor
Thanks to a recent grant awarded to Waynesburg University, students in the Education Department will receive new technology to advance their education and the edification of others. Earlier this semester, the university received a grant of $5,000 from First Energy to put towards technological advancements in the Education Department. With the money, Yvonne Weaver, chairperson for the Education Department, said the school would be purchasing iPads to be used in various classrooms. “We talked about the grant and one thing the department faculty had an interest in was using iPads with our pre-service
teachers,” Weaver said. “What we want to do is to be able to infuse the use of technology as we are working with preserviced teachers in planning lessons and delivering instructions.” While initially students will be using the iPads in the classrooms on campus, Weaver said there are possibilities for students to take the iPads with them when they go out to teach for themselves at local schools. “We hope that we come to the point where [students] can actually take the tool with them because as we know, technology is just another tool to teach,” Weaver said. “We are hoping that we are actually allowing students to take those iPads out IPAD >> A3
Questions raised after four students fall ill in Stewart Hall By LUKE GOODLING Associate Editor
Air quality became a concern in Stewart Hall in the early afternoon, Oct. 27, causing classes to be canceled and the building to be evacuated at Waynesburg University. After four students became ill during a demonstration in the simulation lab on the first floor of the building, Director of Public Safety Michael Humiston said a fire alarm was pulled to clear the building to allow the fire department to perform an “air quality check.” According to Humiston, the tests came back negative and the building was
reopened later that day. Stacey Brodak, vice president for Institutional Advancement and University Relations, said in an email the investigation to what caused the students to fall ill is ongoing. “At Waynesburg University, our foremost concern will always be the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, friends and community,” Brodak said. “When we learn of any potential issue that could have an adverse impact, we have a responsibility to investigate it fully until we are satisfied that we have eliminated the risk to the best of our ability based on the facts that we have available
Mattie Winowitch, Yellow Jacket
Stewart Hall was evacuated Friday afternoon after four students became ill during a class in the simulation lab. to us. In the case of the students that became ill during nursing instruction on Friday, Oct. 27,
our investigation is continuing as we gather and analyze all the available information.”
One of the students taken to Student Health Services Friday was sophomore nursing major
Lauren Gamble. “We were all in the same sim lab room talking about our procedure and then all of a sudden our instructor asked one of the kids if he was OK,” Gamble said. “He turned super pale and he was like just staring off, like he lost vision.” Gamble said that while her instructor started to tend to the first student, the girl standing next to Gamble started to portray similar symptoms. “I looked [at the girl next to me] and she was all pale and like going in and out of consciousness – then she ended up STEWART >> A3
LOCAL TRANSITIONAL HOUSES RECEIVE GRANT FUNDING
TRUMP TAKES ACTION ON OPIOID EPIDEMIC
With the help of State Sen., R-46, Camera Bartolotta, some organizations dedicated to addiction recovery received funding from the Magellan Foundation.
President Trump declared the opioid epidemic as a public health emergency during an announcement last week.
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INSIDE
WOMEN XC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
LIGHTS, CAMERA... ACTION!
After winning the conference championships last year for the first time in program history, the women defended the title, winning for back to back years.
A junior electronic media major’s lifelong passion for horror movies inspires her to act in over nine films and create one of her own.
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