The Yellow Jacket 4.12.18

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INSID E: GNP CONCERT RETURNING TO C A MP US A P RIL 21. SE E A2

APRIL 12, 2018 | VOL. 95 NO. 17 | EST. 1924

THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG

@WUYELLOWJACKET

RELAY FOR LIFE WEEK 2018

Ashley Hall, Yellow Jacket

During last year's Relay for Life at Waynesburg, cancer survivors had a chance to walk together in solidarity of the illness they all overcame.

Relay for Life increases goal to $16K Volunteer Week to put those who serve in spotlight By JOE SMELTZER

Editorial Assistant

Waynesburg University will partner with the American Cancer Society for its annual “Mini Relay for Life” event Sunday, April 15, which will take place in Johnson Commons at 9 a.m. Kelly Hardie, assistant dean of student services, has coordinated the event for 13 of her 15 years working at Waynesburg. Last year, the goal of the event was to raise $15,000, and the university exceeded that total. According to Hardie, this year’s objective is slightly higher, at $16,000. Hardie said the biggest factor that will determine the

Recycling proposal slowed by Senate By LUKE GOODLING Sports Editor

In an effort to bring recycling to on-campus houses, the EcoStewards Club submitted a detailed proposal to Student Senate in early January. Since then, little has been done. After discovering there were no recycling options for students living in on-campus houses, EcoStewards Club President Nathan Blake contacted 17 House Leaders to gauge interest in finding more ecofriendly ways to dispose of their trash. When 15 of the House Leaders responded to Blake all showing support, Blake said he then attempted to bring the issue to the Student Senate. Now, 79 days later without RECYCLE >> A3

day’s success is something that neither she or anybody else can control. “It depends upon, I’ll just be honest, weather,” Hardie said. “The nicer the day, the more people we have come and support the event... On [a bad weather day,] the total’s not going to be nearly as much [as it would] if it was a gorgeous, 68-degree day. Weather definitely plays a huge factor in the event because that’s when the majority of the teams fundraise toward their goal.” Of the factors Hardie can determine, she said something that will be emphasized this year, compared to past years, is reaching out to more local cancer survivors.

“We virtually doubled the amount of invitations we sent out to local survivors within the Greene County area,” she said. “We’ve been asking captains to talk to their teams about inviting family members and friends. So, we’ve been getting a number of emails from cancer survivors who are brand new that have never been to our Relay for Life event before who are willing to come.” The theme for this year’s event is Dr. Seuss, and each team will represent a Seuss book, such as “Horton Hears a Who!” In total, there will be 22 teams represented at the event, each raising money

for a different form of cancer. The captains have been preparing for this coming Sunday since October, when they had their first meeting. Since then, they’ve been getting together on a monthly basis and updating Hardie on their progress. The captains were selected by their specific groups. Junior criminal justice major Patrick Hager is a co-captain for the track/cross country team’s group, along with seniors Brittany Faust and Marla Holland. The team’s goal is to raise $1,000 towards brain cancer. Hager has been personally affected by cancer. In RELAY >> A3

By GRACE HUTCHISON Associate Editor

As a small, private Christian school, Waynesburg University contains approximately 1,400 undergraduate students, and, as most students and faculty are aware, the mission of the school is put simply in three words: faith, learning and service. “Service is in the DNA of Waynesburg Univer-

sity,” said Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of student services. “It’s our identity as a whole. I truly think that by making that connection between academics and service, our students have an ability to make such a difference in the community.” The final piece of that mission, service, has driven the over 50,000 total SERVE >> A3

Finding his voice Autism not stopping Rossi from taking on sports announcing By MATTIE WINOWITCH Executive Editor

It was second period when Brandon Rossi lost control. He was a sophomore at West Allegheny High School was in English class. His classmates were bullying him during an arts and crafts assignment, calling him names like “ugly” and “useless.” Looking back now, Rossi said he can’t remember if they were trying to be funny or not. However, it would be hard for him to determine regardless as someone who can’t read emotions, which is a typical symptom for someone with autism. “I was already upset at that point, but they weren’t stopping” Rossi said. “They just kept instigating me. They wanted a reaction.” The more they taunted him, the more Rossi’s temper escalated. He tried to hold in his emotions, which resulted in his body

growing tense and shaking violently. Once one of the students threw something at him, and at that point, Rossi said he knew it was over. That’s when he grabbed the pair of scissors off his desk and pressed them to his neck, threatening to kill himself. “I don’t remember much else from that moment,” Rossi said. “That’s when my anger took over.” The next thing he knew, Rossi heard the teacher’s voice echoing in his ears. “BRANDON, DOWNSTAIRS NOW,” she yelled from across the room, demanding he head straight to the Guidance Counselor’s office. The room fell silent. The diagnosis Rossi said his parents knew something was wrong from the moment he tried to say his first words. “Most kids start talking when they are 1,” Rossi said. “I didn’t

start talking until I was around 4 years old.” Instead of talking, Rossi said he would just make a collection of noises and grunts. Eventually, they took him to the doctor’s office, where he was diagnosed with a form of autism known as Pervasive Developmental Disorder. “It’s actually a mild form of autism,” Rossi said, commenting on his diagnosis. “I got lucky, essentially.” After he was initially diagnosed, Rossi immediately was enrolled into several treatment programs. How e v e r, AUTISM >> A3

WAYNESBURG COFFEE COMPANY COMBINING WITH COACH'S CAFÉ

CAMPUS PREPARES FOR RELAY THIS WEEKEND

Co-owners of the two Waynesburg restaurants are combining menus and serving in one location.

As Relay for Life approaches this Sunday, multiple organizations are putting together the finishing touches for their teams.

See B1

See B2

INSIDE

ATHLETE COPES WITH LOSS OF FATHER

LEADING TOWARDS HOPE

Softball serves as an outlet for Jackets center fielder Courtney Syfert.

Student leaders of the Waynesburg University Relay for Life reflect on the personal impacts that cancer has had on them, and their motivations for volunteering.

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See D1

Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1–A4 Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1, B4 Editorial/Op-ed . . . . . . . B2 News Digest . . . . . . . . . B3 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1–C4 Arts & Life . . . . . . . . . . . D1–D2 Entertainment . . . . . . . D3–D4 Copyright © 2018 Waynesburg University 51 W. College St.Waynesburg, Pa. 15370


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