‘A Thousand Cranes’

By Katie Deem
The Theatre Department presents “A Thousand Cranes,” by Kathryn Schultz Miller, in the Multipurpose Room, tenatively on April 27 at 7 p.m. in a "Sneak Peek" performance, and (again tentatively) on April 29 and 30 at 2 p.m in a public performance. The play depicts the life of a 12-year-old girl, Sadako Sasaki, who has “radiation sickness” as a result of the Hiroshima bomb. While preparing for a school race, Sadako falls ill and is diagnosed with leukemia. Her friend Kenji reminds her of a story that, if an ill person folds a thousand origami cranes, the gods will make her well again.

Sadako is inspired to fold them. During this process, the spirit of Sadako’s grandmother, who had died in the bomb attack, visits her. Her grandmother shows her the souls of others who died during the attack. On that journey, Sadako begins to understand the significance of her wish.

Sadako dies before she completes her task. Three hundred and sixty five cranes remained to be folded. Her friends and classmates take up where Sadako left off.

The set style is representational, says director Carson Soelberg, and only the grandmother will display traditional Japanese dress. Other characters, like Kenji and Sadako’s father and mother, will display typical '50s American dress. (Japan was greatly influenced by American culture during this period.) Actors include Caena Stewart as Sadako, Allen Withrow as Sadako’s friend, Melanie McAtee as the grandmother, Mike Webb as Sadako’s father, and Christina Mace as her mother. The crew includes Amanda Parsons as assistant to the director, Holly Pfaff as costume designer, and Patrick Garvey as technical advisor.

“This is a family show," says Soelberg, "for children who can understand" the gravity of nuclear bombing. The department also plans to tour local schools with “A Thousand Cranes.” Soelberg hopes children will come away from the play asking if the bombing of Hiroshima was necessary—asking if it is ever right to drop a nuclear bomb for any reason.

For more information on performance dates, please contact Carson Soelberg, Director of Theatre at 424-8295.

"This is our cry
This is our prayer
Peace in the World"

Inscription on the base of the Children's Peace Monument, erected by the children of Hiroshima in memory of Sadako Sasaki.

SGA Elections April 3 and 4

By SGA President David Cumberledge
With the fall semester a distant memory and spring semester nearing its end, your 2005-2006 Student Government would like to congratulate every student on a great year. The year has been a learning experience for all of us. Although we have had great success, we found success does not come without hard work and determination. We saw the 2005-2006 school year as a year of rebuilding and renewal for the students, the college and the Student Government Association.

The college currently has the highest enrollment in its history. With a growing number of students, there are more activities and events we hold to get you all involved and to have fun while being educated. Some examples throughout the past year were Troops Week, the Halloween Party, the Comedy Show and the Valentine’s Date Auction, just to name a few. There are more activities scheduled for spring and even a few for fall ‘06. We encourage students to enjoy some fun in these activities.

In addition to activities and events that we plan, we have recently made additions and alterations to the Constitution and By-Laws of the SGA. These changes were made to better serve the student body.

SGA elections are being held April 3 and 4 on the main campus and Wednesday April 5 at JCC campus. Anyone wishing to run for a Student Government Office is welcome to pick up a candidate form. Forms can be found at the SGA Office, the Dean of Students Office and the Student Activities Office. Lists of the positions available are as follows: President, Vice President, Senior Senator, Junior Senator, two Sophomore Senators, six Senators-at-Large and two Jackson County Senators.



WVUP student tries new touch-screen electronic balloting system which will be used in SGA elections and the May 9 primary election. Wood County Clerk Jamie Six visited WVUP and gave a demonstration of the machines.

Photo by Dennis Bell

Iraq War Protest in Parkersburg

By Betsy Curry
Almost everyday we open our newspaper or turn on the TV only to hear about how more American soldiers have died fighting this sometimes seemingly endless war. March 19 marked the third anniversary of the beginning of the War in Iraq, leaving many wondering why we are still there. Each day another life is killed, each day another child is left motherless or fatherless. Yet the war continues on.

The Wood County Democrats and Young Democrats recently organized a rally to support the troops but not the war. The rally was located behind the Blennerhassett Hotel at the Bicentennial Park on Market Street, March 19 from 1 to 2 p.m. Speakers for the event included Marine Corporal Dan Wyatt, Iraq War Veteran Major Boggs, Kari Gunter, who’s son is currently serving in Iraq and Brent Baalog, President of the PHS Young Democrats. Those speaking presented peace and anti-Iraq war messages.

The rally helped to remind Americans who are literally disgusted by the war that we still need to support our troops. Supporting our troops in making sure they have the proper equipment and supplies doesn’t mean supporting the war. Anti-war protestors often associate soldiers with those supporting the war, and forget that soldiers are just following orders.

At 2 p.m. a protest march began down Juliana Street up Fifth Street and back down Market. During the march a 200-foot-long “Wall of Remembrance” was carried. The 200 foot sign contains the names of all 2,311 American soldiers that have died during the war. The Charleston Patriots of Peace group developed the wall; it has traveled around the state and even made its way to Washington D.C. The wall took around 30 to 40 people to carry. The Charleston group began the wall at the start of the war and has continued to add names as soldiers have died.

The third anniversary of the war also brought about many other unrelated ceremonies in or near Parkersburg. Reverend Jon Lands, pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church in Vienna, marked the anniversary with a special church service honoring those who served and died in Iraq. Those attending the service received a ribbon and a card of someone serving overseas to pray for.

WVUP Celebrates Diversity

By John Hickey
The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Social Justice Committee hosted the seventh annual International Luncheon March 9 in WVUP’s Multipurpose Room, seeking to celebrate the diversity of world cultures through food, dance, art, music, and a parade featuring costumes of several international cultures. Everyone was invited to dress in costume for the parade.

The event featured the world-music ensemble known as The Groove Project, which, besides playing festivals and nightclubs, does song and dance workshops introducing children to international “grooves” and rhythm.

The blind musician and dulcimer-maker Mike Mollohan was also featured, performing on one of his instruments. The children from WVUP’s Children’s Room joined the event to sing and dance, and the recently formed International Student Club reserved three tables to present the foods and crafts of the 16 countries represented by its members.

The WVUP cafeteria provided tacos, a Mexican favorite, and Chinese egg rolls. Everyone was invited to bring a covered dish of their own favorite international cuisine.

Joyce Kronberg, professor of biology at WVUP and chair of the Social Justice Committee, co-chaired the event with Assistant Professor of Nursing Cheryl Robinson.

Dulcimer-maker Mike Mollohan

Photo by Betsy Curry

Raising the Roof

By John Hickey
West Virginia University at Parkersburg has awarded $314,000 in roofing contracts to low bidder Tri-State Roofing of Vienna to re-roof WVUP’s main campus buildings as well as the Jackson County Center, says Director of Purchasing Wayne Riley, project coordinator.

If, walking from the lower parking lot, you’ve picked up the whiff of burning tar and seen people and material on the roof of the “Banana Wing,” you know that the work is now underway. The roofing should be completed in April and there should be no disruption of campus activities, Riley says.

Tri-State Roofing says, at tri-stateservicegroup.com, that it began as a small West Virginia roofing business in 1923, when “about all you needed to be in the built-up roofing business was a wood-fired kettle, a few wheelbarrows, a truck and a rope and wheel.” They have more than a few wheelbarrows now; the company now boasts twelve locations covering the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states, and an expertise in sophisticated heating, ventilation, and sheet-metal services, as well as in roofing.

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Women and Leadership

By Erika Westbrook
A “Women and Leadership” event will take place at WVUP on April 26. The half-day event will feature prominent female executives who will share inspiring stories of their accomplishments, and how they aspired to achieve their top-level positions in leadership.

Speakers scheduled for the event include West Virginia Secretary of State Betty Ireland, the first woman to be elected to West Virginia’s executive branch and the 28th Secretary of State.

Rabbi Helen Bar-Yaacov of the Congregation B’nai Israel in Charleston, is the first full-time woman rabbi in West Virginia. She holds dual citizenship in both Israel and Australia. She immigrated to Israel in 1970, living on a Kibbutz for two years before making Jerusalem her permanent home. She was ordained in New York, where she earned a master’s in Hebrew Literature at Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion.

Also scheduled to speak is Vivian Conly, president of Carnegie Hall Foundation in Lewisburg, Kathryn S. Decker, vice-president of Patient Care Services, Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital, and Lt. Mary A. Pfeifer, post commander of the Marietta Post of the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Marie Foster Gnage, president of WVU at Parkersburg, will also be speaking. Dr. Gnage is the first woman president at WVUP, and the first African-American female to be appointed president of a college or university in West Virginia. Prior to her presidency in 2004, she served as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Raritan Valley Community College in North Branch, NJ.

The symposium will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m., followed by the program at 9 a.m., in Rooms 2536-38. It is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is required for the symposium, and may be accomplished by visiting the college’s website, or by calling Joe Badgley, executive dean of academic affairs, at 424-8242.

WW II 'Home Front' Posters

By John Hickey
Twenty-six World War Two-era “Home Front” posters will be exhibited at West Virginia University at Parkersburg Aug. 4 through Sept. 15, says the West Virginia Humanities Council, as part of an exhibit traveling to six state venues in 2006.

The posters, exhorting citizens at home to identify with and support the war effort, often featured women in the factory-worker roles they had assumed when most able-bodied men were away at war.


The exhibit, Produce for Victory: Posters on the American Home Front, 1941-1945, presents the best of the Smithsonian Institution’s World War II posters, reproduced along with photographs and original objects organized by the National Museum of American History, according to the Humanity Council’s web site. The posters, say the Council, were collected by the Smithsonian’s curator of graphic arts during WWII and “tell the story of an American home front mobilizing its human and natural resources for the war overseas.”

The cost for the tour, says the Council, is underwritten by the West Virginia Humanities Council through the Museum on Main Street program, a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution and Federation of State Humanities Councils with Rural America. Established in 1991, the partnership was formed as a creative response to the challenges faced by rural organizations to enhance their own cultural legacies.

Images courtesy http://americanhistory.si.edu/victory

Butcher Heads Youth Program

By Anthony Sellers
WVUP graduate Shaun Butcher will chair Key Leader, a youth leadership program, the weekend of April 21-23 in Ripley, West Virginia. The event is held for high school students.

Founder and president of training and consulting company Inspire to Serve, Butcher is also an author, consultant, and lecturer. His company specializes in organizational and personal development. He is also Resource Development Director of the United Way of Washington County, Maryland.

In years past, Butcher has also been an executive director for Habitat for Humanity, and served as an Americorps VISTA Leader, as well as director for a national youth program called the Center for Youth as Resources, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Academically, Butcher has received a bachelor’s degree from WVU, and a Certificate in Leadership Studies from Marietta College. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Strategic Leadership from Mountain State University.

Ashley Seeks Republican Spot

By John Hickey
WVUP student Jim Ashley II will be on the ballot May 9 at polling places in West Virginia’s 3rd Senatorial District, running for a four-year term as a member of the executive committee of the West Virginia Republican Party, which, Ashley says, chooses the state party chairman, has a say in setting party budget parameters, and helps influence the direction of the party.

Ashley declares himself a Reagan Republican. He says he is pro-life and in favor of less government, lower taxes, and citizens taking personal responsibility for their lives.

Ashley wants the West Virginia Republican Party to focus on paying off $200,000 in debts the party has incurred in recent years. He says the delay in settling the debt hurts the credibility of the state party, and undermines the party’s historic position of fiscal conservatism. He feels the party should devote fundraising events specifically to paying off the debt.

West Virginia’s registered Republicans are outnumbered 2-1 by registered Democrats, but the party is growing, and the national Republican party seeks to convert the state.

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Busch on Work-Related Deaths

By Chris Carez
Professor Greg Busch, instructor of Sociology, spoke at the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation meeting held Thursday, March 9, in Morgantown. The topic under discussion was “Sociocultural Considerations of Death and Dying.” The session included participants from 15 state-based NIOSH-funded and FACE programs, which investigate work-related deaths. Busch addressed ways groups react to death and gave suggestions for giving prevention recommendations to survivors.

Mock Sobriety Check

A mock sobriety check will be held April 6 from 12:30 -3:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room. Students are encouraged to try on the “drunk goggles” and drink mocktails. This activity is sponsored by the Student Health Center.

How to Keep a Job

By Katie Deem
One can get training on how to do well in an interview. One can learn how to impress an employer by looking professional, speaking eloquently and being personable. One knows she must have experience in a related field to qualify for a desired position. She must be educated or trained, if necessary. It is not widely known, however, how to keep employment.

Just as one enrolls in a class and pays tuition, one applies for a job, is interviewed and is hired. These tasks are simple and easily performed. However, one must attend class and do the assignments in order to receive a passing grade. Similarly, one must show up for work and perform duties in order to keep employment.

Generally, when one finally obtains a position, he or she feels a sense of relief. One feels she can relax because she has won her employer’s approval. However, this is when she should be working the hardest to keep up her winning impression. She needs to convince her manager continuously that she is a fast learner, quick thinker, honest and reliable just as she told the manager she was in the interview. These are definitely the most difficult tasks.

There are simple things she can do. Have common sense. Show up for a scheduled shift. Be willing to come in when not scheduled. Be polite. Be honest when a mistake is made. Ask questions if unsure. Perform simple tasks just as well as difficult.

Remember that how to keep a manager’s approval depends upon his or her personality. What qualities does he or she prefer to see in an employee? Perhaps she enjoys someone personable, easy to talk to and work with, someone graceful under pressure. Or perhaps she wishes to see someone serious and driven, uninterested in conversation or being liked. One thing an employee must be is perceptive to the preferences of a manager. This is not about who one is as a person, but who one is as an employee.

Damsel Locks Keys in Car

By Katie Deem
Picture it: Wal-Mart, midnight. A young woman searches for cuticle clippers in the beauty aisle. She selects the perfect pair and moves to the checkout lanes. She spends $4. She then checks her purse for her car keys. She shakes the purse to try to hear that familiar jingle, but she hears nothing. It suddenly dawns on her: She left her keys in the car.

Yes, that young woman is me. I had two options after I realized I had locked my keys in my car. I could become hysterical, angry, upset or I could remain calm. I chose the latter. I sat calmly onto the bench at the front of the store and considered what I should do. I called my mother. I was thinking that she, my mentor, my protector, would know what to do. She would come to my rescue, say that it was okay that I left the keys in the ignition, that everyone has done it. She, however, was unsympathetic. She refused to come to my aid. She suggested I ask someone at Customer Service what to do. I hung up on her. Then, of course, took her advice.

The Customer Service representatives at Wal-Mart were very helpful. Two men attempted to stick a wire hanger into the door of my car, but to no avail. Two women helped me contact the Vienna Police Department in the hope that an officer would come and break into my car for me.

I spoke to a man who agreed to send an officer to Wal-Mart. I told him I would wait in front of the right-side entrance. I thanked the Wal-Mart Customer Service Representatives for their kindness and their help, then I proceeded to the entrance. I had waited only a few minutes when I spotted a Vienna Police Department vehicle pulling into the parking lot. He pulls in front of the entrance and says hello. I look into the vehicle and this police officer is nothing short of a vision.

Maybe it was because I felt like such a damsel in distress or maybe because I had been practically abandoned by my mother, but he glowed as though he donned shining armor. I showed him where my car was parked. He pulled up beside it as I walked over. He stepped out, still aglow, and spoke. Every sentence he spoke was polite. He unlocked my car, and I expressed my gratitude.

I got into the car, and honestly, I had to laugh. It had been such a ridiculous evening. My late-night trip to Wal-Mart should have taken 20 minutes, but ended up taking two hours. It’s a lesson learned. Next time I’ll remember the keys.

Women Beat Each Other Up

Opinion
By Katie Deem
When women are among women, our like experiences bring us together. We can discuss freely menstruation, sex, menopause, make-up, politics, history, and the economy. A kind of sisterhood forms us, unites us, and bonds us together. In that sisterhood, we will always be heard and understood.

Sometimes, however, an unknown force pulls us apart, keeps women at odds even before they have an opportunity to see commonalities. That force is female aggression. It is the cat walk with claws, an evil glance, a cold shoulder, a smirk, gossip, backstabbing, Girl vs. Girl, a mean and hateful attitude not supported by reality.

Adolescence intensifies this competition between females. In junior high and high school, it is most noticeable. The film Mean Girls, starring Lindsay Lohan, shows how competitive girls can be in a perceived social hierarchy. Girls fight over boyfriends, talk about one another maliciously, choose and lose best friends as if no emotional attachment exists. This social aggression and competitiveness continues into adulthood.

Some adult women still talk maliciously about other women, judge their appearance, their accomplishments, their husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends and family. Some adult women perform covert operations to ensure that their cattiness appears subtle or even invisible. While gossiping, they employ catlike precision to ensure that their target is unaware of their words.

Sometimes in perceived social hierarchies, women compete to be the center of attention, the “queen bee” of the office, a group of friends, or the classroom. Women see other women as a threat to their sense of belonging and security. Often if one woman receives attention, achieves or excels, other women in her presence become jealous and criticize features of her personality or even her body.

Though competition between females is often seen as a natural occurrence, inevitable in our sisterhood, women need to understand that this gossip, incessant backstabbing and judging destroy our bonds to one another. Remember that we teach our daughters how to live through our own actions. They form their sisterhood with their peers similarly to how we form ours. Let us show them also how to respect and be honest with one another.

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Heart Gallery of West Virginia

By Delano Farley
The Heart Gallery of West Virginia: Portraits of Hope, a traveling photography exhibit conducted by Mission West Virginia that features portraits of Mountain State foster children eligible for adoption, is being featured inside the Grand Central Mall in the Parkersburg area until April 10.

The exhibit’s main goal is to provide knowledge about foster children with a need for a loving family and recruit families for foster parenting and adoption needs. The portraits of the foster children on display are accompanied by information about the children and an audio feed of their voices.

The Heart Gallery of West Virginia will travel throughout the state until mid-2006. Twelve of the one hundred children awaiting adoption in West Virginia will be a part of the gallery. Wendy’s International, Inc. and the Sisters of Saint Joseph provided funding for the project. West Virginia photographers Dewayne and Gwinnie Lowther from Parkersburg and John Fluharty of Charleston helped create the display of photography. The photographers volunteered their time and talents to create the intimate portraits of the foster children who are typically considered as the “hardest to place” in adoption. Many of the “hardest to place” are children considered to be minorities, older, or in sibling groups.

Many children are awaiting adoption from loving families and have been waiting for years to receive a permanent home. The Heart Gallery of West Virginia seeks to bring a face and give a voice to children who are in need of adopting families. If you are interested in more information about how you can adopt or assist Mission West Virginia’s Heart Gallery or any adoption education/recruitment program, please contact Mission West Virginia at 1-866-CALLMWV or visit their website at missionwv.org.

Grad Fair at Bookstore

By Rachel Nowery
The Campus Bookstore will be holding a Grad Fair on April 12 for all May graduates. This is an opportunity to purchase graduation attire and accessories. Merchandise on hand will include announcements, diploma frames, resume papers, and other graduation souvenirs. A representative from Herff Jones will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to show samples of class rings and answer any questions. Refreshments will be served and graduates may register to win a gift certificate. All items will be available for purchase up until graduation day as long as supplies last. Store hours will be extended for the celebration from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Beginning April 1 the bookstore will be taking applications for temporary bookseller employment. Additional staff is needed during the busy season of Buyback and the beginning of each semester. Hours generally range between 15 and 20 a week and can work around your school schedule. Stop by today and pick up an application for employment in May and June and then again in August.

‘All the Right Reasons’

By Anthony Sellers
“Show me what it‘s like to be the last one standing, and I‘ll show you what I can be,” sings Canadian rock band Nickelback, “If it’s worth savin’ me.”

Originating in Hanna, Canada in 1995, the group didn’t come into their own until 1998, when they decided to manage themselves independently. Almost a decade later, the band has seen immense success, producing ten top ten songs from five albums, the latest of which is called All The Right Reasons.

The band always felt that music should be made for all the right reasons – not the obligation for an artist to put an album together by a certain date, but because the artist feels obligated to create innovative music, to discover more about the world they are surrounded by, and to understand that same world. The name is also a play on the words of the second track: “Fight For All the Wrong Reasons.”

While still giving a glimpse of the bands roots, All The Right Reasons is more diverse than any of the other albums, with vibrant guitar solos in the tracks “Savin’ Me,” “Side of a Bullet,” and “Follow You Home.” Also, to complement the laid-back nature of the guitars and drums in the track “If Everyone Cared,” the band decided to use a piano throughout the song, a first for the group in their eleven years together.

The band currently has two singles from the new album: “Photograph” and “Animals.” The first single, “Photograph,” is by far the most personal song on the album, taking a look into the teenage years of lead singer Chad Kroeger’s life. “Animals” is an upbeat song that provides hard drumming and distorted guitar riffs lead by a simple but energetic bass line.

The album was made with “all the right reasons” for every artist in mind.

Lifesong Tour Hits Columbus

By Katy Full
Casting Crowns, the fastest-selling new Christian act in 2003 and 2004, continued the spring leg of their Lifesong tour March 26, at the Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Accompanying the band was Nichole Nordeman, a two-time Gospel Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year, and eight-time GMA Music Award winner. Josh Bates, born and raised in Independence, Kentucky, was also an asset to the tour. He offered his mandolin, guitar, and piano skills, and topped it all off with an amazing voice.

At 6 p.m., Josh Bates kicked off the concert with stories of mandolin playing in Kentucky, and his own rendition of Christian blue grass. Then, to switch it up a bit, Bates exchanged his mandolin for an electric guitar, and entertained the crowd with more contemporary style songs. Much to the dismay of the female viewers, far too quickly Bates departed the stage, and gave the spotlight to Nichole Nordeman.

Singing her heart out while playing the piano, Nichole Nordeman wowed the crowd with her intricate honesty. She brought personal life struggles into her music, and audience could feel every emotion put into the lyrics. Her songs were calming, other than audience softly singing along, not another sound could be heard in the entire arena.

Quickly following Nordeman, Casting Crowns, the band everyone was waiting to see, entered the stage. After lead guitarist, Chris Huffman, offered the evening prayer, Casting Crowns began. Debuting their new release, Lifesong, songs such as “If We Are the Body,” “The Voice of Truth,” “Who am I,” and new hit “Lifesong,” were concert must-plays. Lead vocalist, Mark Hall, kept audiences laughing with his blunt perspective on life and his quirky sense of humor. Around 9:30 p.m. Casting Crowns had a hard time leaving, brought back onto stage after audience shouted “encore, encore.”

Tony Nolan, a passionate evangelist, spoke to the crowd once during the concert, giving an entertaining, and incredibly animated display of God’s love for humanity. Performing almost a skit, Nolan begin talking about his “heart disease” and his “transplant,” meaning he had a more spiritual heart put in him. Refusing to let people leave unchanged, Nolan led the crowd in prayer, and in return had many individuals re-devote their lives to Christ.

The Lifesong Tour show in Columbus was a complete success. Proving that they are just regular people with a desire to live for Christ, Casting Crowns gave testimonials of their local churches. Consisting of a real estate agent, a Christian bookstore sales clerk, a graphic artist, and a janitor at the church, among others, Casting Crowns is simply a group of dedicated youth workers with a great deal of talent. They will continue their tour throughout April. Tickets can be purchased at numerous sites, including ticketmaster.com and castingcrowns.com.

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WVUP Idol Crowned

By Betsy Curry
A WVUP Idol has been crowned. Adrianne Mahaney received a $100 gift certificate to the bookstore for her first place effects during the finals of the Idol competition held on March 22. Contestants performed to the song of their choice and were judged accordingly by a panel of judges. Other winners included second place winner, Bubba Holt, who received a $25 gift certificate to the bookstore, and Brandy Bush, who took third.

Big Show Rescheduled

By Rachel Nowery
Student Government Association and Student Activities Department of WVUP is proud to announce The Big Show. The Big Show will include trivia from movies, music and TV. Anyone can win!

The show was originally supposed to take place in March, but has been rescheduled for April 21. Tickets in advance are $3 each and two for $5. Tickets will be $5 per ticket at the door. The Big Show will take place in the College Activities Center (Multi-purpose Room) at 7 p.m. on April 21. Come and test your pop culture knowledge and win!

Beauty Show a ‘Drag’

By Trina Barber
WVUP Student Government invites students to join in the “Miss”ter WVUP contest held Monday, April 3, at noon in the cafeteria. First place prize is $50. For more information call 424-8309 or stop in to the Student Government office.

Cheerleading Contest

By Trina Barber
There will be a cheerleading contest for wellness and fitness held in the cafeteria on Thursday, April 6 at noon. Students are invited to put a team together to compete in the contest.

Bounce Off the Wall

By Trina Barber
WVUP Activities Office extends the invitation to all students to join Walleyball beginning Monday, April 3 at the YMCA. There is no charge to play. To call for information or to sign up call 424-8309.

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Goodbye to Mountaineer Seniors

By Heath Bloxton
The 2005-2006 season did not end the way the Mountaineer basketball team would have liked. A crazy buzzer-beater by the Texas Longhorns ended not only a great season, but also ended a career for the five seniors at WVU. However, these players did something that had not been accomplished since Jerry West donned a blue and gold uniform. This Mountaineer team is the first team to make back-to-back appearances in the Sweet 16 since 1959/1960.

This group of seniors will not be forgotten any time soon. When these five players first came to Morgantown, nobody thought that they would achieve what they have. The arrival of Coach John Beilein and his recruits made this success possible by playing together even when times were rough. Senior Kevin Pittsnogle thought the defeat hurt not only because it was a loss, but also because it was the last time he would ever walk onto a basketball court as a Mountaineer.

Some people will grieve over the loss, while others will remember the great memories this group of players gave them. The story began when they were freshmen and defeated a nationally rated Florida Gators team. The dream continued as they reached the NIT Tournament as sophomores. Things kept getting better their junior season, as they made the NCAA Tournament and shocked the nation by making the Elite 8. In their senior season, however, the clock struck twelve and the story was over when West Virginia lost to Texas in the Sweet 16. The legacy of these five players will live on forever in the minds of Mountaineer fans. They truly were a joy to watch. We bid farewell to a fabulous group of individuals who never backed down from a fight.

Baseball 9 Wins 14 Straight

By Delano Farley
Inside the March 20 issue of “The Chronicle,” I wrote an article about how the WVU baseball team was off to its best start in several years. The Mountaineer men’s baseball team had a 6-3 win-loss record at that time. Well, even now, the statement about its best start still holds true, as the WVU baseball team has won 14 games in a row since that article, and have improved their team record to 19 wins versus three losses in season play.

The Mountaineer men hold the nation’s fourth longest winning streak at this time, including their best start in the Big East conference in almost ten years with a 3-0 record, all of which were wins against backyard rival Pittsburgh who had won the last six games against WVU in conference play.

WVU recorded wins against Niagara (2), St. Peters (3), Norfolk State (1), Eastern Michigan (3), and St. Bonaventure (1) before sweeping Pittsburgh in a three-game series. They have also won the first of three games with Maryland-Eastern Shore. Inside that 14-game span, only two of the wins were decided by one run, and two runs decided another win. The other eleven wins were won by four runs or more including a 17-4 win over Niagara, an 18-0 pounding of St. Peters, an 18-4 beating of St. Bonaventure, and their most recent conquest against Maryland-Eastern Shore which was 16-0.

Pitching staff members Dan Leatherman, Eric Saffell, Joe Stupka, and Brendan Bergerson all have undefeated records from the mound for the Mountaineers, while Kenny Durst, Marty Fagler, and Matt Yurish have only lost once. Saffell currently has a 0.53 earned run average while Leatherman has a 1.48 ERA.

The Mountaineers best hitting starter right now is Adam White with a .429 batting average, while also holding a .506 on base percentage. Tyler Kuhn holds a .414 batting average for the Mountaineers while also managing a .500 on base average. White also has the most stolen bases on the team with 14 steals in 14 attempts. As a team, they have stolen 47 bases on 50 attempts while limiting their opponents to 13 bases on 24 tries.

March Madness News

By Anthony Sellers
Three weeks ago, if anyone claimed that George Mason would have knocked Connecticut out of the tournament, most fans would have told him to go see a psychologist.

Not only did George Mason beat the Huskies, but they also ended the hopes of Michigan State and North Carolina, the defending national champions.

In the last issue, I talked about the Big East being the best conference in college basketball. However, with Villanova and U-Conn both making early exits, this may now be in question.

Florida earned their trip to Indianapolis by beating Georgetown, then Villanova. They will play George Mason.

On the other side of the bracket, the LSU Tigers defeated Texas and Duke. They will play UCLA, a team that won despite playing horribly in games against Memphis and Gonzaga.

Devils Win First State Title

By Heath Bloxton
In order to achieve, you must first believe. For the 2005-2006 Ravenswood Red Devils basketball team, belief led to great success that was well deserved and that will not soon be forgotten.

Red Devils head coach Mick Price said that the team entered the 2006 season hoping to achieve four specific goals: to win the LKC conference championship; to win the sectional title for the eighth straight time; to win the regional championship, advancing them to the state tournament; and, once they got to the state tournament, to win it. The coach and his team reached all four goals, including the first state basketball title in school history. Price said, “It was our goal, and everything that we did this year was focused towards winning the state championship.”

Price said that Ravenswood has had many great teams in the past. Price thought, however, that this group of young men shared something special. “So much togetherness! These kids had all played together since they were in kindergarten. They were best friends and classmates throughout the years, and they all stuck together and played together,” said Price.

Price noted that senior leadership was a big reason that the team was successful. “The seniors were not going to be denied a chance to win a state championship. Their competitive greatness is as great as any group of kids that I have ever coached. They had so much confidence in what they could do. I told them before the [championship] game, that I was never more proud of a group of kids who had set goals and what they had done to accomplish those goals.” Price stated that this group of kids led him through great times and also through bad times, such as the passing of his father. “It was a pretty emotional year for me because Dad didn’t miss games. I think that he would have been pleased to have watched them play,” reflected Price.

Earlier in the season, the city of Ravenswood honored Coach Price for his success over the years, by renaming the gym “Mick Price Court at The Pit.” Price said that he remembered when he first accepted the job at Ravenswood High School. He spoke of how his team and community members physically painted the court and made “The Pit” a place that the town would grow to love. “I fell in love with it!” Price said. “I wanted it to be a place where the opponent knew that they better play hard, because Ravenswood is going to bring their best.” Coach Price said that it was a wonderful experience the night that the gym was renamed. “For them to honor me by renaming it, I cannot say enough how much it means to me and my family. I am very appreciative.”

The feeling of winning a state championship is something that some coaches will never experience. Coach Price said the feeling was “unbelievable.” However, after the final game, Price said that he walked to the opposing bench to congratulate the losing team for an outstanding season. “I have been there before,” Price said. “I looked in the stands where all of the other high school coaches sit, and I thought to myself: I have sat there 32 years wondering if I will ever get the chance to go on the floor for a team photo as a state champion. I felt blessed.”

Coach Mick Price is a great example of a class act. He and his team brought the entire town of Ravenswood pride, excitement, and the joy of watching Red Devil basketball. It has been said, “A man is only as good as what he loves.” Coach Price truly loves to coach basketball but, more importantly, loves his friends and family that he sees in his everyday life. He deserves any success that comes his way.

Rader Enjoys Success at WVU

By Delano Farley
Brandon Rader, a Parkersburg native and freshman at WVU, is continuing to add to his already impressive wrestling credentials. Most recently, Rader has achieved All-American status in the NCAA wrestling world. The 141-pound grappler capped off his freshman season with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA tournament, and became the first-ever WVU true freshman to achieve All-American status and number 28 overall.

Rader joined the WVU wrestling team after achieving a high school wrestling record of 159-9, winning four state wrestling titles, and winning a national high school championship. He also received the 2005 Robert Dutton Award, which is given annually to the state of West Virginia’s top high school wrestler.

The freshman wrestler entered the tournament with a 26-3 record overall and finished the season with 30 wins and 6 losses, tying current assistant coach Shane Cunanan for most wins in a season by a freshman in WVU history. Rader’s feat of achieving the All-American status also keeps the Mountaineers streak of having at least one All-American every year since 2002 intact.

In addition, Rader earned the Eastern Wrestling League’s 2006 freshman of the year honors, defeated nine nationally ranked wrestlers, and became only the fourth West Virginia native to accomplish All-American honors. Only Jimmie Cox (1929), Mike Mason (1997-98) and Sam Kline (1999) had accomplished the feat before Rader.

Local Wrestlers Add Up to Winners

By Delano Farley
I believe that I may have discovered something. I have found that 3+3 not only equals 6 mathematically, but also 34 and 203 if you are talking about the high school wrestlers from the city of Parkersburg. It is a little hard to believe my findings, but let me explain this to help you better understand this discovery of mine.

The combination of Parkersburg South and Parkersburg High’s individual champions at the 59th annual WV State High School Wrestling Tournament is the primary foundation for my equations. My explanation of 3+3 is really quite simple. It comes from the two perennial powerhouses of Parkersburg having three wrestlers each take individual wrestling titles during the championship event in Huntington on Feb. 25.

Parkersburg South crowned three individual wrestlers (Corey Matheny, Aaron Kelley, and Chad Porter) in the 103, 145, and 152-pound weight classes while Parkersburg garnered three individual champions (Ryan Ewing, Andy Thomas, and Joey Lindamood) in the 160, 171, and 215-pound weight classes.

By combining both of Parkersburg’s city high school’s individual champions, the finding of 3+3 equals 6 is also very simple to understand when talking about the city of Parkersburg’s high school wrestlers. It is the total number of champions that were crowned from the city. However, explaining why 3+3 equals 34 and 203 is a little more complicated. First, you must understand what I just explained, and then know some history about Parkersburg’s city wrestlers to determine how my calculated equations can be true.

The answer of 3+3 equals 34 stems from the number of years in a row that an individual champion has come from the city of Parkersburg. Looking at Parkersburg’s history of wrestling champions, they managed to crown at least one individual as a champion for 33 straight years through 2005. With this year’s 3+3 (the six city individual champions), the total number of years in a row that an individual champion has came from the city equals 34. Now you are starting to see my calculations! Aren’t you?

In total, the city of Parkersburg has had 197 state individual wrestling champions dating back to 1948 through 2005. The Big Reds had crowned 134 individual champions in that 58-year span, while the Patriots wrestling program had crowned 63 individual state champions in 39 years. With the addition of the 3+3 rule (the six city individual champions) that I have applied the totals are now 137 individual victors for the Big Reds and 66 titleholders for the Patriots, which equals in total to 203 champion high school wrestlers from the city of Parkersburg.

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Navigating tip: Clicking the Home link at the bottom of each story will bring you to the top story in the latest issue of the Chronicle.    

Decision Time for Steelers

By Heath Bloxton
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through the tough process of deciding what players to keep and what players to release during the off-season. Since winning the Super Bowl in February, the Steelers have made decisions regarding the future of several veteran players that were key factors in winning a championship.

The first loss the Steelers faced was that of star receiver Antwaan Randle-El, who threw a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl victory. Randle-El signed a huge contract with the Washington Redskins. Only days after Randle-El departed, fan favorite Kimo von Oelhoffen and starting safety Chris Hope left the Steelers to play for new teams. The Steelers will also lose Jerome Bettis to retirement.

The Steelers have also released quarterback Tommy Maddox, safety Mike Logan and special teams player Russel Stuvaints.

Despite the losses, the Steelers have made improvements in some areas of concern. Brett Keisel will take over at defensive end while Rodney Bailey (a former Steeler) was signed as a backup for Keisel. After the loss of Chris Hope, the Steelers signed Ryan Clark to play the safety position. Clark played for the Washington Redskins last season and could likely prove an upgrade from the departed Hope. The Steelers have also re-signed quarterback Charlie Batch, linebacker Clint Kriewaldt, cornerback Deshea Townsend, third-down back Verron Haynes, tight end Jerame Tuman and offensive lineman Barrett Brooks.

Head Coach Bill Cowher feels that the team is losing a lot of leadership with the departure of some veteran players. However, Cowher feels that there are several other guys on the team that can step up and fill those holes. Only time will tell for the Steelers organization.

Barry Bonds Vs. ‘Normal’

Opinion

By Heath Bloxton
Major League Baseball player Barry Bonds has made comments that his life is “crazy” and he is just trying to stay “normal.” Normal? Barry Bonds has never been a “normal” baseball player ever since I can remember. The word ‘normal’ waved goodbye to him long ago.

Bonds has never been very friendly to the fans, and certainly not to the media. When a reporter approaches him with a question, he either completely changes the question or he refuses to answer. Why would Bonds refuse to comment? Well, Barry Bonds has been accused by several sources of taking performance-enhancing drugs or steroids. He is only seven home runs shy of breaking Babe Ruth’s mark and only 48 away from Hank Aaron’s record of 755. By putting two and two together, one can figure out that Bonds does not want to say anything to get him in trouble with baseball before he breaks the all-time record.

Barry Bonds does not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as Ruth and Aaron, let alone be the all-time leader in home runs. Steroids change a player’s performance and make them stronger. If Bonds did take steroids, no wonder he is on the verge of being the all-time “power hitter.” The funny thing is, baseball’s commissioner Bud Selig has done nothing to punish Bonds and will not comment on an investigation. Selig seems to be trying to veil his own lack of action by not stirring up controversy. In the meantime, baseball’s premiere stars from the past are being overshadowed by a “juiced-up” jerk that should not be able to play the game. I hope he never breaks another record, and will only be happy on the day he retires.

Online ‘Blackouts on Demand’

By Delano Farley
CBS Sports offered March Madness on Demand free for the first three rounds of the NCAA Division One men’s basketball tournament to anyone who signed up to watch the games via the internet. Those who signed up before the deadline became a VIP ticket holder and were granted immediate access, but those who signed up after the deadline received a General Admission Ticket that allowed entry after the VIP ticket holders were given access. The waiting period was a matter of seconds to get inside.

The media coverage could have been better. Many of the games in this market area were blocked from online viewing because of local blackout restrictions. The chance to watch games like Wichita State vs. Seton Hall and Duke vs. George Washington, as well as all WVU games, would have made a better experience for the online viewer. These games were not available online because they were available on the local CBS-TV affiliate.

Halftime programming and TV timeouts were lacking in entertainment. Unlike television viewers who were being entertained with score updates and stories, the online viewers were forced to look at a screen that states, “Stay Tuned, your game will return momentarily.” Score updates were also not available to online viewers. The March Madness on Demand programming did display some commercials during game breaks, but they were for the sponsors that help support March Madness on Demand. The few commercials were repeated frequently.

March Madness on Demand was great for watching some of the games online, but CBS Sportsline.com has a long way to go before they will satisfy the needs of an online viewer through video streaming. Interested online viewers will be “staying tuned” for March Madness on Demand improvements in the future.