ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

February 16, 2012 Volume #42 No. 2

The Woman in Black: 3

Learning & Technology: 6

Workout Room: 8

CARTOON: 2

Inside this Issue

The Sound Exchange: 4

Solar Technology Program Getting Upgradeby Austin Weiford

W V U P a r k e r s b u r g w i l l soon have a huge addition t o t he ene rgy a s se s smen t and management technology program. The purpose of this program is to train students how to survey different structures and evaluate their energy efficiency. For example, a house might be wasting energy on heating every year because of poor insulation, a problem which can be fixed, but which people often fail to recognize. “Part of the program is to generate awareness of issues that exist. [People] may have this problem but have no idea what to do about it,” says instructor Gary Thompson, who is overseeing the program. Students can choose from two

program paths, one a one-year certification and the other a two year associate's degree, both of which include certification from the Building Performance Institute (BPI). Thompson said BPI is “the premiere energy efficiency certifying body in the United States today.” The difference between the courses is that students who take the two-year program will be in classes such as Commercial Building Audits, in which they will be trained to audit large structures, such as schools, hospitals, and office buildings. Students will work as interns at Wood County schools, and will provide energy audits on their school buildings. The Wood County Technical Center students have been

constructing a building for this project at Parkersburg South. At the end of February, Snyder Construction is going to move the building in two parts to a foundation that has been built on campus behind the Caperton Center. From there, students at the Caperton Center will add electric, insulation, ventilation, etc, according to their respective courses. When the building is finished, it will be a fully funct ioning modular home for the energy assessment and management technology students to use as practice for their BPI certification field test. A second part of the energy lab is a garage which will house solar collectors in order for students to learn about installation, operation, and

maintenance of the equipment as part of a solar technology program. “ W V U P a r k e r s b u r g i s working with the Wood County Commission to establish a program that wi l l provide financial incentives for median income homeowners to do energy upgrades for their home in the form of rebates or low cost loans, upgrades which entail exactly the kind of work that students will be learning to do in the program,” Thompson said. “This really is a high paid, professional posit ion.It 's a career. Not a job.” Students interested in learning more about the program can find the degree courses online, or contact instructor Gary Thompson.

New Degrees Promise Growth on Campus by Pete Orn

Food is a great thing, and knowing how to cultivate and cook food is a wonderful skill that anyone would benefit from learning. Next year, students interested in learning about agriculture or culinary arts will have the opportunity thanks to a grant from the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia. W V U P a r k e r s b u r g h a s r e c e i v e d a g r a n t t o t a l i n g $440,000 for two new associate of appl ied sc ience degree p r o g r a m s i n D i v e r s i f i e d A g r i c u l t u r e a n d C u l i n a r y Arts. These two programs will work with one another, where the agriculture program will

grow crops and the culinary classes will use these crops to create dishes at the new WVU Parkersburg downtown center. “It is a huge advantage to be able to link Diversified Agriculture and Culinary Arts together on the front end,” said Dr. Rhonda Tracy, WVU P a r k e r s b u r g S e n i o r Vi c e President for Academic Affairs. “We researched job trends and potential industry wages and realized the tremendous impact this program would have on area residents.” In the Diversified Agriculture program, students will learn technical knowledge in plant sciences, landscaping, field crop rotation, and agricultural

e c o n o m i c s a n d b u s i n e s s strategies. A new full-time instructor will lead the class, and new equipment to be used for the class will be purchased to take advantage of the 5-acre outdoor area the program will use. This space of land will be located on the main campus. The Culinary Arts program will teach students all different forms of cooking and provide a more reasonably priced option for a culinary arts education. The classes will be a mixture of in-class and online courses. The downtown center will be supplied with a full commercial kitchen and a small bistro where second-year students will create and serve their dishes to the

public. This kitchen area will also be up for rent to any local culinary entrepreneurs. “Area chefs and businesses expressed the need for a culinary arts program to provide students with the necessary skills to cont r ibute to the growing restaurant industry,” said Tracy. “We are pleased to now have the opportunity to fulfill that need.” Students interested in either of these two programs need only wait one year. They will be available to take in the spring semester of 2013. F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n contact Dr. Rhonda Tracy, WVU Parkersburg Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at 304-424-8242.

ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

News Editor: Olivia HefnerNews Reporting/Photography Staff: John Hambrick Robyn Bird Sandi Deem Pete Orn

Layout Editor: Samantha DaggettLayout Staff: Olivia HefnerSusan MooreAbbie SweeneyJacob AdkinsAlex CastoRenee CoxAustin WeifordCorrissa Williams

chronicle@wvup.edu

http:/www.thewvupchronicle.weebly.comand find us on Facebook

Advisor: Torie Jackson

Pete OrnRachel TerzoRobyn BirdRyan NormanSandi Deem John HambrickShelby ThomasAlancea Grant

Jeremy HarrisonAustin WeifordKatie McCarthyMatt McCoy

Volume 42Produced by students of WVU Parkersburg

Kurt KlettnerCounseling/Student Assistance Services

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 2 February 16, 2012

What do you think are some of the fastest ways to destroy a relation-ship? If you were to make a list of common relationship enders it is very likely that you would find that a three letter word will be at or near the top of the list ~ that word being “Lie”. You may have heard the very common excuse that “everybody lies” at some time or another. You may even have heard (or used yourself) the rationalization that it is sometimes better to lie rather than to hurt someone’s feelings with the truth. In those types of cases we seem to think that if we can justify a lie, then that makes not telling the truth a good choice. We even have a name for those little lies that we say don’t really count against our honesty meter; we call them “little white lies”. Even if it is true that telling lies appears to be a common practice, the real important questions are: “Why would YOU choose to lie to someone?” and “Is it OK if people lie to you?” If you have ever been lied to, think back to how you felt when you became aware of the truth. Did you walk away with the confidence that, despite the fact that you had been lied to, you absolutely could trust that person in the future? There are two primary reasons why people lie. The first is fear. The second is based upon an avoidance of consequence. Regardless of why a person may choose not to tell the truth, a “lie” is an emotional cancer cell; each lie eats away at your integrity and your sense of peace. PEACE!Kurt

L i e sEmotional Cancer Cell

by Jeremy Harrison With the Spring semester in full swing and the Fall semester coming up, it looks like students at WVU Parkersburg will be tightening their belt just a little more this upcoming semester due to new changes to the Financial Aid system. The first change that could possibly affect students involves the lowering of the standard for family income which will drop from the original $30,000 to $20,000. This means that students in a household making over $20,000 will not receive the full amount of the Pell Grant. The average median income for a family of two in West Virginia hovers around $40,000 which is right on the cusp and varies greatly from city-to-city. A large percentage of students depend on this standard to receive a sufficient amount of aid that can be used for many different things including parking passes, books and gas among many other important expenses. These changes are not all about the money, either. The new D and F repeat rule is also something that is slightly alarming to students and faculty alike. The way this rule has been changed will allow students that have an F to retake the class as many times as they need without

charge. But with a D, students will only be able to retake the class once without paying. Does anybody here see what’s going to happen with this? Obviously students will be able to take full advantage of this flawed rule and retake a class as many times as they want easily as long as they get an F. It will not be hard for a student who has taken the class once already and received a D to check the grade weeks before the end of the semester and most likely before the last test and decide, once they realize they made a D to just fail the last test and/or project to get an F and retake the class over and, possibly, over again free of charge. How many times should it take to get a decent grade in a class and prove you can pass it? The new quicker completion rates on certain degrees like Nursing and Education should worry some of us. Educators and Nurses both are in need of extensive training because the lives and minds of the masses are in their hands. With the wrong adjustments to these completion rates, both of these important potential professionals could suffer from not receiving enough of the right training and experience to handle the job. I don’t know about you, but when I go to a hospital I hope

that the professionals around me are just that: professionals, and not someone who has a doubt at all that he or she can perform the job safely and efficiently. If anything, we should ensure that these potential professional should have more than enough training and not spare any expense in the process. With the economy as bad as it is right now and the jobless rate hovering around 8 to 9 percent, changing these standards in this way is only making it harder for honest students who are not taking advantage of the system and at the same time weakening our educational integrity as a whole. I t is understandable that the Federal Government is making an effort to control their spending and weed out the ‘bad apples’ but it is at the cost of one of the most important programs that this country offers: education. For the people to start back to work and be more productive members of society, we must ensure as a country that these people are trained properly and have the skills to be a marketable and efficient employee. With this we can start bringing down these unemployment rates as well as creating a stronger workforce with integrity and confidence.

Changes to Financial Aid Encourage Students to Fail

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgFebruary 16, 2012 Page 3

by Pete Orn Horror movies have become a mostly ‘R’ rated affair these days. Instead of atmosphere and suspense, the powers that be lead more with gore and language. A lot of these gore-fests are pretty good films, sure, but the movies that scare you less with knives and blood and more with suspense and eerie imaging are few and far between. Hopefully, The Woman In Black changes that. The Woman In Black stars Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps, a solicitor for a law firm who recently lost his wife. To keep his job, Arthur must go to a small town near England to handle the estate of recently deceased Alice Drablow. The locals are very cold towards him, and him back to his home as quickly as possible. With his job on the line, Arthur ignores these attempts and goes to the Eel Marsh House to do his work. While there, he discovers strange noises and sees a woman outside. All this is only the beginning for Arthur in a long work-week filled with fright

by Olivia Hefner Every small town has a place where the locals gather for good food, hot coffee and some good gossip. Seating is few and far between and the regulars know when a new face graces the doors. For Parkersburg, this is Mary B’s Diner on Pike St. in South Side. Just a warning, the restaurant is small. All the seating is visible when walking in the door and one would be lucky to find an empty booth or table. For the best chances at getting a seat, try a late breakfast or an early dinner. Mary B’s is family owned and the dishes reflect the homegrown goodness of locals. The menu is small, but they serve everything on it all day. So, when that breakfast-for-dinner craving kicks in, this is the place to stop. Breakfast

encompasses everything from bacon and eggs to sausage gravy and biscuits. The portions are huge for each meal, but breakfast is really large. The sausage gravy and biscuits have two biscuits per plate and then a heaping portion of sausage gravy piled on top. Omelets, French toast and other favorites round out the breakfast menu. Two full meals with sides and drinks totals out to around $18. The lunch menu is rather dull, but covers the basics of sandwiches and chips. The sandwiches are large and served with a pickle spear. The dinner menu is what people really enjoy. Down home favorites like turkey and dressing, meatloaf and chicken livers appear on the menu along with go-to favorites like cheeseburgers and fries.

The dressing is moist and fluffy and can be added to any dish as a side - definietely something to try. Although chicken livers is a dish that is often over done and barely palatable, they really do them well at the diner. Each dish is crafted with care, and delievered by a waitress that goes out of her way to know her patrons by name. Fianlly, the desserts are shown off in a rotating bakery case toward the front of the reataurnt. There are lots of pies - lots. There’s probably enough pie in that case to feed the town - and - it’s delicious. They also offer a tasty peach cobbler which is devestatingly hard to find around here. Mary B’s offers home cooked food in a family setting that’s easy on the wallet and pleasing to the pallete.

What The Woman In Black lacks in graphic violence it more than makes up for in suspense.

by Jack Hambrick T H I S I S A P U B L I C SPACE..., but what does that mean? Well, in my opinion it’s one of the best ideas to arise in the world of literature for readers and writers alike. “A Public Space [is] an independent magazine of art and argument, fact and faction [it] was founded in 2006 to give a voice to the twenty-first century.” Based out of hipster capital of the world, Brooklyn, New York the collective releases four books a year. Subscribing to these volumes will save 25% off the sticker price. When they say “magazine” they’re selling themselves a bit short,

this isn't something that can be read in an hour. However, these titles are something that can be picked up from anywhere. These are amazing books that you don’t have to read in order. Much like a Shel Silverstein book, it can be started on any page, there is no chronology. These writers are the “voice of the twenty-first century,” they understand us. While you may read stories about teenage angst and the trials and tribulations of being young, we’re not dealing with any family issues like “my parents just don’t get it.” Another cool thing about the content of these books is the variety of words in

sequence. This space, is filled with poetry, fiction, essays, illustrated guides and always an amazing artistic cover. The poems are amazing and the short stories are quick and to the point. There’s also the preface or the intro, which called “If you see something, say something.” The stories in A Public Space are insightful, meaningful and nostalgic times. There is a small taste of non-fiction in the essays. Some of the best stuff directly pertains to the poetry. As far as books that are made from a compilation, this has to be one of the best. In any case, these works couldn’t be presented any better.

Daniel Radcliffe Stars in ’50s-Style Horror Film

Mary B’s Offers Good Food And Good Atmosphere

A Public Space: New Age Book for the Modern World

and uncertainty. Daniel Radcliffe dials in a wonderful performance as the widower who must do his job in order to keep his standing in his firm. You really feel for him in his moments of vulnerability alone in the house. The supporting cast does a great job as well, particularly Janet McTerr as Elizabeth. And while she isn't given much to work with, Liz White gives a very spooky performance as the titular character. The director did a fine job as well, surrounding the film with a delightfully eerie setting. The movie has some cheap jump scares, but it also has plenty suspensful moments that keep building and send shivers down your spine. A true rarity in modern horror. This film has helped to bring back the Hammer Film production studios, who are famous for their horror films produced in the mid-to-late-50s. If The Woman In Black is what is to be expected from them, I’m ready.

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg February 16, 2012Page 4

by Jeremy Harrison Have you ever thought about where you purchase your music and how important it can be for your local musicians and economy? Well, you should. I don’t know about you but I can’t stand corporate big box stores that sell music blindly and mindlessly. The local music scene here in Parkersburg is one that has always been a pretty big deal. If you take a look nationwide you will notice that small locally owned music stores are few and far between as Elmer Gourdey at the Sound Exchange said, “Stores like t hese a r e an endange red species.” But we still have one here in our quiet little town. It still is going strong after many other ‘corporate’ music stores have come and gone. The Sound Exchange, located on Murdoch Avenue in Parkersburg, is definitely a tough contender and is proof that people still like to support local business and music interests. About two decades ago Joe Davis and his college friend Todd Stubbe decided to open up a music shop because they both shared a love for music. It was partially a joking matter, at first. It soon turned into a reality when they opened up their first store in South Side Parkersburg. That was 20 years ago and

today it is the only one still standing on Murdoch Avenue. This store, run by Davis, offers its help in many different ways to local musicians and a f i c ionados . The Sound Exchange ac tua l ly marks its prices down as much as possible, according to Gourdey. The problem with the other corporate music stores is that all of their music is marked up as much as possible, and they take advantage of their location by inhibiting impulse buys. The Sound Exchange also has two very knowledgeable employees who know a fair share about music and the industry, along with many other interesting stories of the like. These guys can answer your questions you have about music. This store can even get you the music you want quickly and efficiently if they don’t have it in stock. They receive a shipment every week and can order from the distributor with no charge or money down, unlike other places I will not mention. Another way th i s s to re contributes to the community is by helping local musicians get recognition by selling their music in store on consignment, and also selling t-shirts, posters, and collectibles at little cost to the musician. They also sell tickets to local events and have also had bands play inside the

store to promote their music. Does your local ‘corporate’ store do that? It’s obvious that these guys are ‘music nerds.’ This is definitely a good thing, and they are passionate about what they do. They are not in this business for the money, but rather for the shear enjoyment of supplying people with their favorite music. At the same time they connect people wi th thei r favor i te local acts and even just simply introduce them to something new. Even with the new digital download craze, The Sound Exchange is standing tall while selling vinyl and physical media. That literally speaks volumes, no pun intended. If you would rather go to a corporate big box store and have non-music loving robots sell music to you or download music without character, then go right ahead. Me, I am going to go somewhere I feel welcome and know I’m not just another sale produced by the corporate machine. At least I walk out of the store with something in hand, unlike downloading something online not knowing the quality of the sound and then losing it when the hard drive crashes. If you are into music and want to be a part of supporting your local music scene, do yourself and your community a favor and head to The Sound Exchange.

by Pete Orn (Author's Note: I love film. It's not just as a fun thing to watch on the weekends when I'm bored. I love the art of film. I love studying movies, dissecting them, and learning what kind of message can be conveyed through the story, direction, cinematography, everything. So as a fair warn-ing and pretense to this story, it should be known that I am a bit of a film snob.) Every once in a whi le , something will come along in Hollywood that becomes very popular. So popular in fact that movie producers will quickly jump on the bandwagon, and create an abundance of movies in that certain style or genre. At some point, a movie comes out that tries to take the genre in a different direction. It either is a big success, or it's Warm Bod-ies. Warm Bodies is a story about a zombie named R forming strong feelings for a girl named Julie. He saves her from at-tacks from other zombies and keeps her safe in his makeshift home in a 747 plane. When Ju-lie realizes she can't hide with R forever, she returns home and leaves R heartbroken. The undead love sick puppy then decides to pose as a human to reunite with Julie and to show humans that zombies are peo-ple, too. Read that synopsis one more time, just to allow it to really sink in. A member of the un-dead has a crush on some girl and learns to be a human to be close to her. Really, Holly-wood? Really? Then this zombie can pose as a human? The official synop-sis actually states: “R decides to comb his hair, stand a little straighter, and impersonate a human long enough to get past the city guards.” Sounds like Mrs. Doubtfire, but makes less sense.

The main problem I have with this movie is this: ZOMBIES DON'T HAVE FEELINGS! They're undead! Their brains are barely functioning! Their hearts aren't functioning! The only feeling they have “eat flesh.” I'm supposed to believe that this ONE undead hottie is the only zombie in the history of zombification who doesn't desire human flesh? Also, this zombie somehow can form a strong attraction to some girl? And talk? This is get-ting out of control. Seeing the still shots released for the film, it's obvious that it's leeching off the style and tone of the Twilight films. The only problem with that is it works with vampires. Vampires have always been sensationalized as lovers, or ladies' men. That works because their lore allows them to be that way. Zombies have always been lumbering, grunting, hungry creatures. Now all of the sudden, you can make him cute and vulnerable and wanting a lover? Stupid. I know I shouldn't be this up-set over a movie that I have no control over, but I am. In a time where creativity and imagina-tion can be seen all over the internet on site like YouTube, it is offensive to see that ab-solute drivel can be produced on a mass scale for millions of people to pay their hard-earned money towards. The day Warm Bodies is released, I will stay home and instead watch some-thing far more entertaining online - like a cat playing with string.

Local Music Scene Alive and Well

Big Budget-B a d I d e a

Zombie "R" stares with dead eyes

Graduation Application Deadline

is March 2. There is also a fee of

$25 to apply for graduation

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgFebruary 16, 2012 Page 5

by: Sandi Deem Steve Morgan has been appointed as the new chairman of business and economics at West Virginia University at Parkersburg. He was recently offered the job after seeing a post for the open position and sending in his resume. M o r g a n w a s b o r n i n N e w J e r s e y a n d r a i s e d in Connecticut . He is an intelligent, caring, pleasing m o t i v a t o r t h a t e n j o y s helping others. He attended North Christian College in P e n n s y l v a n i a where he met his wife. They both t r a n s f e r r e d t o Lubbock University i n T e x a s a n d eventually Morgan t r a n s f e r r e d t o Wa y l o n B a p t i s t U n i v e r s i t y i n Plainview, Texas where he earned his Masters of Business A d m i n i s t r a t i o n in accounting. Although he has a significant position at the school, Morgan is still furthering his education by currently working on his doctorate. After beginning his career in accounting he soon realized his enjoyment came from interacting with people, not just sitting behind a desk punching numbers. He had worked as a personal accountant, figuring it would give him the satisfaction that he needed, but it wasn’t enough. Morgan fe l t h i s calling is more than helping people with taxes and money problems. P r io r t o accep t ing the position at WVU Parkersburg, he was the Dean of the Business College at Ohio Va l l e y U n i v e r s i t y i n Parkersburg for 14years and a certified public accountant before that . Morgan kept changing the positions he could use with his degree until he found one the suited him. “Being a dean at OVU was satisfying but I was ready for

a change; a chance to be in a different environment,” he said. He moved to West Virginia from Texas in 1997 with his wife to be close to her family and raise their two children, Victoria, 17 and Lincoln, 15. His wife teaches at Ohio University and will begin teaching intermediate algebra at WVU Parkersburg beginning next fall semster. Both currently attend South Parkersburg High School and are active in sports and groups the school provides. His wife teaches at Ohio

U n i v e r s i t y a n d will begin teaching i n t e r m e d i a t e algebra at WVU P a r k e r s b u r g beginning next fall semster. Morgan i s t he a s s i s t an t coach for the South Parkersburg soccer team in which his son plays for. To him, it’s a good opportunity to be

alongside his son being able to help him and cheer him on at the same time. Morgan has many interests himself. He enjoys golfing, coaching, volunteering on different boards in the school system and most importantly, going to church. Church is a big influence in the household and a regular activity. Morgan relies heavy on his faith and lives each day as it comes. He tries to be positive through bad situations and work through problems until the solution is found. I believe Morgan will do his best to uphold his title as chairman and help as many students as he can. “I love interacting with people. I like to provide strength and leadership. If I don’t make an influence in someone’s life everyday then I’m not doing something right,” he said. An intense knowledge of business and mathmatics and the want to help makes Steve Morgan a good addition to the college.

by: John HambrickSel f -desc r ibed workaho l ic Brittany Coleman is a student worker at WVU Parkersburg. This is only one of the plates she’s holding up - quite literally. She also works as a waitress at Logan’s Roadhouse while hold-i n g a f u l l - t i m e s c h e d u l e . Brittany is a student worker in the Center for Teaching and Technology. In simpler terms she works with Jessamine Wass, the eCampus administrator, do-ing graphic design, webdesign and helping Jessamine with the virtual education workload. One of the perks of working for the school is that Brittany can schedule work hours around school hours. “I pretty much make my own schedule as long as I'm here when needed. [Most times] I leave to go to class and come right back," she said. When asked what it’s like working two jobs she said, "it keeps me busy, which I like, but at times it is hard to manage three things at once, especically when a lot of times I don't have

a single day off throughout the week." It's not hard to tell that sometimes these plates get heavy. Although still very busy out-side of school, Brittany told us that she likes having another job at the school. "I'm already on campus for classes each week, so it's nice to work at a place where I'm already spending quite a bit of my time," she said. She also said the job "keeps her up to date/in the loop with all of the things happening on campus." When asked if her boss is easy to work with she, with-out hes i ta t ion , responded, "She's awesome." She said, "It feels weird calling her a 'boss'. I couldn't ask for a bet-te r s ta ff member to work for." She admitted that she is lucky to have found work with good people around to make the job more enjoyable. Once the spring semester is over Brittany will have her As-sociate's in Applied Science. She plans to attend school over the summer, in pursuit of her RBA. By the end of fall she

plans to have her Bachelor's in Public Relations. Judging by her present daily grind and abil-ity to take on a lot at a time, she will have no problem doing this. But still she added with a laugh, "Hopefully... watch me say that and have to take classes for another four years." Not only does the position "Student Worker" look good on a resume, but it can also open up bigger and better op-portunities here in the school. "I would like to work here after I graduate if an opportunity arises where I can actually get a full-time position," she said. Looking further down the road, the future is bright for Brittany. When asked what the best part about working in the Center of Teaching and Technology, Brittany provided insight that pertains directly to her field of study. She said, "Working here has given me access to some forms of technology that I wouldn't have had access to as well as learn some new things about technology and the media."

by Corrissa Williams Jeffrey Byrd, the theatre in-structor at WVU Parkersburg, has some information to share on his theatrical experience. Byrd first became interested in theatre when he was in grade school. From that point on, he partici-pated in plays all throughout his school career. Byrd always wanted to choose theatre as a career until his guid-ance counselor talked him out of it, guiding him towards another profession. Byrd then pursued a career in culinary arts and studied at Hawking Technical College, where he earned an AAS degree

in Hotel Restaurant Training and Hotel Restaurant Management. “Twenty some years later, I dis-covered that I missed being in theatre and came back to school to study theatre tech.” He has never looked back. In 1985, Byrd returned to WVU Parkersburg to earn an AS degree in General Education. He then came back and received a Board of Regents Degree and continued his education at Ohio University where he received his MFA in Technical Theatre. Then began his long awaited career in theatre. Byrd explains that, “the work

is very hard, very competitive, but very rewarding.” According to Byrd, taking on a profession in theatre takes hard work and discipline. He explains that technical theatre provides great opportunities for a job with good pay. Other than teaching theatre, Byrd also enjoys taking students abroad. Last year Byrd took his students on their first tour out of the country, spending seven days in London, England-touring the city and its historic sites. “Next year, we are going to Germany and the Alps, touring southern Germany, Switzerland, Lichten-stein and Austria.” Byrd keeps himself very busy. With what little free time he has, he enjoys crashing at some of his favorite hangouts like the Green-brier, Cracker Barrel and Myrtle Beach. "There just is no time in my life for free time anymore. I try to carve it out, but it just never seems to get there."

Strong Student Holds Heavy Load

Jeffrey Byrd and His Joy of Theatre

Byrd gives a correction during a rehearsal in theatre class.

New Chairman Appointed

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg February 16, 2012Page 6

by Austin Weiford The library now has content in apps that you can download to your iPhone, iPod, or iTouch. One app is called Ebrary, and can be found for free on the iTunes store. When the app is first launched, it prompts the user to authorize the app with both Ebrary and Adobe. A personal Ebrary account is required, which can be created for free at the local Ebrary site. First, go to www.wvup.edu/library/Off_Campus_Access.htm. Then click the Ebrary link. The user will be prompted to provide a user name and password. The user name is ‘wvup’ and the password is ‘library.’ Once the credentials have been accepted, the Ebrary home page is displayed. From there, click on the link in the top right corner which reads ‘Sign In.’ This displays a page in which the user enters their library card number. A library card can be obtained by contacting the library. Once this has been done, the app can authorized by opening ‘Settings>Accounts>Ebrary,’ and entering the library card number again. The Ebrary app provides u s e r s w i t h a s e a r c h a b l e database of over 40,000 books,

by Austin Weiford The S tuden t Gove rnmen t Association met on Feb. 6th. It was called to order by President Loren Bell at 11:09 a.m. Several upcoming events were discussed, including community service projects and student activities. One of the projects coming up is the Relay for Life. Participants will walk the hallways around campus and listen to local bands, DJs and other presentations. The organization participating in the event that raises the most money

will receive a pizza party and a trophy from the school. The ongoing project to collect pop tabs was also discussed. The SGA hopes to secure a collection bin for tabs in the cafeteria, despite the fact that they placed one there once before and it was stolen. The collected pop tabs are donated to the Ronald McDonald House, and the organization recycles them for money. The reason they collect tabs rather than cans is that the tabs are pure metal, while the cans contain other materials, and are worth less.

M e m b e r s o f t h e S t u d e n t Engagement and Activities board were also present, and are planning a cakewalk in the near future, as well as a student/teacher volleyball tournament. In addi t ion to d i scuss ing upcoming events, the SGA also voted in a unanimous decision to amend their constitution in order to move elections to April. The elections will be online, with a biography, picture and statement to serve the student body posted from each candidate. In any case where the race for an office in student

government gets competitive, a debate will take place for students to watch ei ther live or through the web. V i c e P r e s i d e n t o f Communications Ty l e r O h r n i s currently working on revising the SGA’s web page, which hasn't been changed in any signif icant way since 2009. The

new page will replace the old page at www.wvup.edu/sga.

Updates For Student Government

maps, and reports in many various academic areas. It is an extremely useful tool for s tudents , and even a l lows offline viewing of books by downloading them. To do this, however, one needs an Adobe ID, which can be created for free at www.adobe.com/cfusion/membership.index.cfm. Another app that contains WVU Parkersburg content is cal led EBSCOhost , and it is available on both the iTunes store and the Android Marketplace. E B S O h o s t p r o v i d e s t h e user with a huge database of periodicals, including magazines, newspapers and encyclopedias. Like Ebrary, this app must also be authenticated. This is done by logging into the EBSCOhost site (www.ebsco.com) and clicking the ‘EBSCOhost iPhone and Android Applications’ at the bottom of the page. The user then provides an email address that can be accessed from the device they are authenticating, and a key is sent to that address. All that needs to be done then is to access the email from the device within 24 hours and use the key to authenticate it. For further information on these apps, contact the library at 304-424-8260.

Ebrary App Makes Studying Easier

Q: What makes a good professor?Student Q&A

A: A good teacher cares about their students outside of class.Danielle Scohy, undecided major

A: Someone who goes into detail to describe what they should be doing. Someone who replies to e-mails. A good teacher wouldn’t just tell their students to refer to their syllabus, they would be nice and outgoing.Toshia Berry, undecided major

A: A good professor is willing to answer questions, give homework when they need to, and teach thoroughly.Katie Harris, Surgical Tech major

A: Someone who doesn’t just lecture, that gets involved with students lives and resignates well with them.Emily Wentzel, undecided major

A: One that pats you on the back and says “good job!”Zach Walls, Education major

by Sandi Deem The grand opening of the Wi n t e r M a r k e t e x c e e d e d expectations. A variety of booths was set up and attracted numerous people from different cities. There were tasty treats from different vendors, art work and Froggy 99, the radio station, were there to promote the new market. “I really liked the woman making the pottery and the artwork in the back. The stations were very close, but it was nice to get one on one attention,” Sharon White of Vienna said. The idea of the market is to provide an old fashioned market with galleries and hands on assistance with each individual table. “This is an opportunity to provide Parkersburg with something the city doesn’t have. It’s a chance to help small businesses and vitalize the downtown area in Parkersburg,” Ricky Yeager, city planner of Parkersburg said. A wide selection of products and businesses ranging from Breads and Beyond Bakery, Lia Sophia Jewelry, May Clay Pottery and many more were present for the opening. More businesses are expected to add to the event each opening. Each booth has a sponsor that provides information on the

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgFebruary 16, 2012 Page 7

product as well as hand out brochures and gives discounts. Each station pays a small fee per day to share their product at the market. Proceeds help fund the market to make expansions and provide more of a variety to the public. Not only does the market have products one can buy or order, but it also provides health awareness. Seminars on different health matters will be given as well as demos on how to cook healthy food. Each seminar provides the public with information on choices one can make to live a healthier lifestyle. “I think it’s a good idea to have the seminars. Sometimes hearing someone in person and having them show you easy ways to eat good and live healthy is more of a motivation. My wife figured this would be a good for me to come here today,” Mark Turner of Ohio said. A multitude of items are promoted, a variety of foods eaten, and seminars fit to interest the common population. The winter market is an addit ion to the downtown farmer’s spring market that is open May-October. The winter market is open every first Saturday of the month 10am to 2pm Feb. - May.

by Jeremy Harrison A current student at WVU Parkersburg has written a play called Flight 666: Dead on Arrival. It will be shown in the coming weeks at The Rock building located at 37th Street, Parkersburg right behind the shopping center that includes People’s News. Playwright Larry Murray says the venue actually seats 600 and has a new $250,000 lighting system. As Murray explains, Flight 666: Dead On Arrival is a story of 21 different people who board a plane and some of the issues that entail a typical flight in the United States. Murray, a student at WVU Parkersburg, wrote all

but four scenes. He mentioned that it will touch on some social issues, as well as detail the background of these people’s lives and how they ended up on that flight in the first place. One of the more prevalent attributes of this show is the use of special effects. Murray worked hard on developing and building the effects to make the play as real as possible. What separates this play from many others is the involvement of the audience. As soon as you walk into the building, you will notice people on your sides purchasing tickets to the flight and airport security, just like in a real airport. Then, you will

walk into the theater where it will be like boarding a plane in real life. The audience will even experience the pre-flight procedures like putting on a seat belt and being shown how to put on the oxygen masks. Murray is a master of special e ffec t s and has had pr ior experience working in this type of play. He also wrote another play titled Aftershock, which was a play about an earthquake and played in New Jersey for nearly two years. Aftershock included special effects that involved water systems, real fire trucks, nurses, and even simulation of a duct work system that nearly falls on the audience

along with many other realistic happenings that occur during a real earthquake. This upcoming play will be something new to the area and may change the way people experience plays with audience involvement. Flight 666: Dead On Arrival will play on Feb. 25, Mar. 3, and Mar. 10. The doors will open Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets can be ordered online for $6 or purchased at the door for $7. Murray suggests ordering tickets online before the show as he expects a sell out. For more information go to the website destinyairlines.com or call (304) 422-9605.

by Jack Hambrick On behalf of The Humanities Speakers Series and the Office for Global Initiatives an invita-tion is extended to the free and open-to-the-public program called FOCUS ON AFRICA. More specifically, this pre-sentation is aptly titled “Why Africa Is Becoming So Important to the U.S.” These words of wisdom will be coming from WVU Parkersburg Professor Doug Weaver. He’s been in and out of Africa for the past 40 years. His first trip as a civilian through a university intern-ship program, and then many more times through various branches of the military. Last year, Weaver was on an eight-month excursion with the 17th Air Force working as a senior Af-rica Intelligence Analyst for U.S. Air Force. “Averaging one-to-three trips annually for the past 12 years I have been sent to Africa with multiple military units includ-ing Army Special Operations, Special Forces, and Intelligence units for a variety of reasons. I have participated in landmine removal programs, humanitar-ian projects, training programs, intelligence collection, US Em-

bassy projects, Department of State anti-terrorism programs, etc.” We’re only touching the surface here, in comparison to Weaver's actual merit, the cre-dentials seem to only be in the

half light. Attending this pro-gram will fully illuminate his work, and anything that isn't ad-dressed can easily be addressed in the Q&A session which will follow the presentation. As a sample of what Monday the 27th will hold, The question was asked: “Why is it important for WVUP students to under-stand the reasons why Africa is becoming important

to the U.S.” His response was very dense and concise. He told us that “25% of all U.S. oil will come from Africa within the next ten years,” and adds “what hap-pens today in Africa will affect WV economy in the future.” His

next example was pirating going on the coast of Af-rica. “This will affect our WV economy by causing increased costs on certain consumer products.” Next he addressed in-security and terrorism in Africa as it is affecting WV's citizen soldiers. “Already WV has sent many of it’s citizen sol-diers, (National Guard) to Africa including WVUP and WVU students and faculty to fight the global war on te r ror i sm by training African security forces.” There is much more to learn about Af-rica, we’re only touching

the surface, looking from a very objective point of view. The last thing Prof. Weaver mentioned was “There are many jobs and humanitarian opportunities in Africa for WVUP students who would be willing to travel,” this program is a good chance to learn about those opportunities. The event will be held Feb 27, 2012 in The College Theatre (room 1305) at 7 p.m.

Flight 666 Crashes Down This Month

W i n t e r M a r k e t B e g i n s L o c a l P r o f e s s o r F o c u s e s o n A f r i c a

February 16, 2012Page 8 The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg

by Austin Weiford On Feb. 7th, the student government held a candle art activity for the students. The students made their own candles by pouring multiple colors of wax into a glass container and putting their wicks in. The activ-ity was free, although donations were appreciated to help Josh Gains compete in the 2012 Paralympics. This was different than previous activities, because rather than the student govern-ment arranging for someone to come in and host their event, they actually bought the supplies and hosted the event themselves. Student government tries to frequently host events in the mul-tipurpose room during student engagement hour.

by Robyn BirdLove is in the air with Valentine's Day. Many young lovers find themselves spending big bucks on those expensive boxed chocolates. So, what is an economically deprived student to do? Easy! Fool your sweetheart's taste buds with these divine chocolates that make a perfect last minute gift. Easily made in any kitchen, these chocolates will not break the bank or make you break a sweat.Ingredients:1 package of Oreo cookies-8 oz. of cream cheese-12 oz. milk chocolate chips-wax paper- Before starting this project, make sure that there is room in the refrigerator for at least two cookie sheets for the truffles. This recipe will make about 48 truffles. For less truffles, reduce the ingredients accordingly.1. Crush the Oreos into a semi-fine powder: When done by hand, crushing these cookies can become frustrating when all but the last few chunks have dissolved. Use a food processor if possible.2. Combine with cream cheese: This step is best completed using a fork and a spoon. Mix together until your have an Oreo paste. This

by Katie McCarthy Everything is stressful. School is stressful. Work is stressful. Kids are stressful. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were some way to just relieve it all? Everyone needs to do some sort of activ-ity to help keep calm in all the craziness of the real world, even if it is only for 20-30 minutes a day. Exercise is a great way to eliminate or at least reduce stress. It is something that everyone knows they need to do. We think about it, but sometimes actually doing it seems too far out of the way and unimportant compared to the bigger priorities in life. However, as it is still the beginning of a New Year, it is time to keep in mind all of the resolutions that were made just a month ago. No excuses, especially since there is a work out facility right here at WVU Parkersburg that is free for all students. Pam Santer, the Coordinator of the Wellness Center, has been involved with the work out center for the past five years. “There’s a real need for wellness here. Stress can really

be relieved by exercise. It can be so helpful.” The center is open from 6am until 9:30pm, and it is located just past the cafeteria. It seems that several students are unaware that the school has a fitness area. The ones that know about the facility do attend regularly. There has been about a 30% increase of students working out in the center in the last few semesters. The room is supplied with strength training machines, treadmills, stair steppers, and three spin bikes, which include DVDs that provide workouts to do on them. There are also yoga classes that are free to all students on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3pm. Santer also teaches aerobics classes that count for actual credit hours. While there is no one working at the center at all times, there are work-study students that can assist anyone while working out, as well as Santer. She has provided work out sheets in her office that students can pick up to help decide what exercises to do on particular days. Currently, students do not need

paste should be about the texture of sponge, but should be hard enough to be molded into shape.3. Place the Oreo truffles on the cookie sheets: Line your baking sheets with wax paper. Next, spoon a ball of "Oreo paste" the size of a quarter and roll in the palm of your hand. Place oreo truffles on the cookie sheets and place in the freezer.4. Melt chocolate: Use a double boiler or tiny croc pot to melt the chocolate chips. Be sure to stir the melting chocolate frequently. A variety of chocolate chips are available for a variety of flavors.5. Dip your truffles: After the chocola te has mel ted completely, bring out the chilled spheres and dip them in the melted chocolate. Allow the candies to dry in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy!Tips:-When crushing the Oreos, be sure to use the cream filling-When dipping the chilled spheres in chocolate, use two spoons to maneuver the spheres to the wax paper-Put in a decorative box and give as a gift- K e e p y o u r c a n d i e s refrigerated

to provide a student ID to work out in the facility. However, in the future, students may have to swipe their cards to enter the room. The Wellness Department has some up and coming ideas that will also be helpful to getting in shape, such as “Fit In 10” which are small ten minute workouts that can be done throughout the day. No need to buy a gym membership, and no time for excuses. Just stop by the work out center and relieve some stress. One good work out can change the mood of an entire day.

Finding The WellnessDifferent colors were given to choose from for each studetns candle.

SGA Makes More Room For Activities

Donations were taken for Josh Gains.

Truffle Shuffle