The Yellow Jacket | 2.13.2020

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I N S I D E WAYNESBURG POPULATION DECREASING S E E B 1

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FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • VOL. 97 NO. 09 • EST. 1924

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REGION

SPORTS

The 2020 presidential race begins with the first state primary in Iowa.

Community Spotlight: Your Cookie Rookie always puts their best foot forward.

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Wrestling team seeks fourth consecutive PAC Championship this weekend at W&J. SEE B3

$29,799 granted to combat sexual assault CPR

courses offered at WU MICAH LEITH

For The Yellow Jacket

Holly Hendershot, The Yellow Jacket

Waynesburg University plans to use funds to implement mobile app LACHLAN LOUDON Web Editor

Of all students, 11.2% experience rape or sexual assault, but only 20% of female student victims ages 18-24 actually report the crime to law enforcement. Nine out of 10 female college victims know their offender. These statistics, according to the Civic Nation initiative “It’s On Us,” have inspired the It’s On Us PA campaign to fight against sexual assault. Pen n s ylv a n i a Repre-

sentative Pam Snyder announced last month that Waynesburg University is to receive a $29,799 grant to combat sexual assaults on campus. “Every student on our college and university campuses deserves to learn in an environment free from a ny for m of v iolent or threatening behavior, and that includes harassment and sexual assault,” Snyder said in a recent news release. “These funds will help Waynesburg University implement vital prevention programs and services

to educate students, teachers and administrators and provide needed resources to help survivors of sexual violence.” Stacey Brodak, vice president for institutional advancement and university relations, said the funds will be used to implement a mobile app that would allow students to report cases of sexual assault anonymously. “The idea behind that is that sometimes people aren’t comfortable reporting,” Brodak said. “So we want to make sure people

are as comfortable as possible on an anony mous app.” The app would not only be encouraged for students but also for faculty and staff to report anonymously on sexual assault incidents. It’s On Us PA “brings together college and university presidents, superintendents, administrators, teachers, students, families and community members to reframe the conversation around sexual violence and pledge to be part of the solution,” according

to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s website. Brodak worked closely with Jim Tanda, director of security operations and emergency management, and others on the security team to discuss what needs there are at Waynesburg University. A nother modif ication need identified by Brodak and the security team was the low lighting around certain areas on campus. “It [could] enhance lighting, which goes hand in GRANT >> A4

During the spring semester, Waynesburg University offers a CPR class certified by the American Hear t A ssociation. The class meets Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. and is taught by Erin Leaver, interim head athletic trainer. In addition to learning how to perform CPR, the course covers the use of AEDs, the proper way to handle choking and basic f irst aid. Students who successfully complete the course earn a Basic Life Support certification from the American Heart Association, which is required for most healthcare professionals. The certification is valid for two years before it must be earned again. Although there isn’t a significant difference between the certifications from the American Heart Association and the Red Cross, there are a few exceptions. “American Heart focuses a little bit more on the heart,” Leaver said. “And it seems that they’ve been a little bit more ahead when it comes to focusing on compressions versus rescue breaths.” The course is intended CPR >> A4

Four Vira I. Heinz Security updating campus drug policy scholars selected to receive funding JOSEPH SMELTZER Sports Web Editor

EMMA HERRLE

For The Yellow Jacket

“If you had a choice to go anywhere in the world where would it be? We are going to help you, and we will give you $5000 to make that dream come true,” said Pat Bristor, coordinator of the Vira I. Heinz Women in Global Leadership Scholarship program at Waynesburg University. Four female sophomores, Rachel Peligrino, Ciera Fitts, Amanda Latta and Emily Schafer, anticipate studying abroad this summer thanks to the Vira I. Heinz Scholarship and the opportunities it provides. “There are a lot of components to the scholarship,” said Bristor. Awarded applicants must attend a workshop, weekend retreat and pre-trip retreat at the University of Pittsburgh between now and the time they will be leaving in May or June. After returning home, they must complete an experience report, post-trip retreat, and organize a community engagement program on

campus. These have ranged from informational discussions based on their experiences abroad to interactive fundraisers that bring awareness and aid to other countries. The Vira I. Heinz Scholarship forces women to rise to the challenge of being leaders and tackle the art of living in completely foreign cultures. “ They of ten come in very shy at first and unsure of what they are doing,” Bristor said. “The program provides so much growth, confidence and independence. Seeing previous recipients catch the travel bug and continue in this ambition to go see the world is amazing.” Bristor enjoys seeing the Facebook posts and pictures of scholarship recipients as they continue traveling thanks to the scholarship’s boost of courage. “I think the diversity this year will be exciting,” Bristor said. “They are going to some different countries than students have gone in VIRA >> A4

“The times, they are a changing.” That 1964 Bob Dylan classic applies to a lot of things in the world, and drug use is one of them. The relationship between the United States and marijuana, for example, is one thing that’s changed. With the legalization of marijuana taking place in multiple states over the past decade, the country has taken on a more lenient view of the drug. Waynesburg University’s new drug policy, which will go into effect by the time the class of 2024 begins their first semester in August, looks like it reflects this more lenient outlook. For instance, students will no longer be automatically suspended for possessing any drug paraphernalia. Chris Hardie, assistant dean of students, does not see the change in policy as the university softening up. “A student might look at it and think that we’ve lightened up, especially the drug section,” Hardie said. “We actually haven’t done that at all. What we do is we define some educational rehabilitation measures in there.” There are several reasons

Andrew Hreha, The Yellow Jacket

Campus security plans to implement changes in the drug policy by next semester. behind the new changes. For one, Hardie felt that the rules had gotten stale. “We felt like we hadn’t made any change in at least 20 years,” he said. “I’ve only been [in my job] seven, but I do know that it’s been a long time since we’ve looked through the alcohol and drug policy. So we wanted to just bring it up to times. Some of the terminology was older. There was some gray area

in there with the way that the code was worded. So we wanted to bring it all up to speed to where there was no gray area.” For instance, a goal considering alcohol violations was to clear up the difference between a level one and a level two violation. Also, the drug and alcohol policies, Hardie said, will be isolated from each other. “Alcohol has its own sec-

tion now, and drugs have their own section,” Hardie said. “So instead of it being an AOD, [alcohol and other drugs] ... alcohol has its own [tier] one, two and three and drugs has its own [tier] one, two and three. So there’s a severity in each of those that we kind of now distinguish in the code. Ha rdie a lso sa id t he punishments for alcohol SECURITY >> A4


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