12
Chronicle The at WVU Parkersburg November 19, 2015 Volume #46 No. 6 Troops Week, Page: 2 Teen Pregnancy, Page: 4 Art Center, Page: 8 Voting, Page: 10 Texting while Driving, Page: 11 by Russ Bunner Recently, WVU Parkersburg experienced budget cuts. That means the Student Government Associations took one as well. Student Government, along with many other clubs at the college, suffered a budget cut. The budget cut occurred because the student enrollment did not increase much, as well as various other reasons. In the future, we may have a tuition increase and potential faculty and staff cuts. The SGA budget comes from the overall budget of the college, which means a part of the budget goes to SGA This year, the budget is around $3,200. It took a slight decrease from previous years. “In 2012, the SGA budget was aroud $6,000,” SGA President Bill Bell said. The money that SGA is allocated goes towards student engagement and activities. The money also goes towards helping other clubs such as SEA (Student Engagement Activities), EAG (Environmental Actions Group) and others clubs in need of funding. $100 goes to clubs to help out with fundraisers. It may also goes toward award ceremonies that occur at the end of the year. “The impact of decreased funding affected us in many ways. For instance, we cannot do as many activities as we did in the past. It is hard when we are limited with the money that we are getting now," Bell said. As well, 25 percent of the SGA budget goes towards the Jackson County Center, who also has an SGA club and works with WVU Parkersburg's SGA. The Vice President of SGA at JCC comes to the meetings on the main campus of the college. The SGA budget is based off allegations from student activities. If there is not enough money, then the amount of college activities goes down. It all goes back to the money the college receives as a whole. Since the budget has gone down, some may be asking “how does it impact me as a student?” “If SGA does not get enough money, it will be hard to have fun activities at the college,” Bell said. When the state budget decreases, it means the college has to decrease the SGA budget along with other club budgets. That is why the college has tuition raises; to make up for the money that the college needs. SGA President Bill Bell plans to run for the House of Delegates in the future. The reason he is planing on running is because he wants to inform students about how budget cuts affect the college and SGA. He also wants to make them realize the situation can be fixed. “The budget is like a steak. First you cut into the fat, then the muscle and sooner or later you are going to cut off everything and unfortunately some people in the senate do not see it that way,” Bell said. The money that WVU Parkersburg and SGA receive is based on student enrollment and how much the state thinks the college needs to make this a good institution. In the past, the college cut faculty and staff to accommodate this. Clubs have lost money and may continue to be cut. It does not matter how many activities the college has, if there is not enough money, the clubs cannot sponsor events. When all is said and done, do you agree with Bill Bell? Should the state cut the budget or does someone need to speak out and let people know that cuts do, in fact, affect the college? The college continues to see the effects. Budget cuts hurt colleges and continue to directly affect WVU Parkersburg. SGA meets every other Monday and all students are welcome to attend. SGA encourages students to voice concerns they may have. SGA Faces Budget Cuts And What This Means For The Student Body $6,000 in 2012 $3,200 in 2015 Down $2,800 Decrease of 47% in 3 years Budget Breakdown

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg Volume #46 No. 6

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

The journalism student newspaper at WVU Parkersburg.

Citation preview

ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

November 19, 2015 Volume #46 No. 6

Inside this Issue

Troops Week, Page: 2

Teen Pregnancy, Page: 4

Art Center, Page: 8

Voting, Page: 10

Texting while Driving, Page: 11

by Russ Bunner Recently, WVU Parkersburg experienced budget cuts. That means the Student Government Associations took one as well. Student Government, along with many other clubs at the college, suffered a budget cut. The budget cut occurred because the student enrollment did not increase much, as well as various other reasons. In the future, we may have a tuition increase and potential faculty and staff cuts. The SGA budget comes from the overall budget of the college, which means a part of the budget goes to SGA This year, the budget is around $3,200. It took a slight decrease from previous years. “In 2012, the SGA budget was aroud $6,000,” SGA President Bill Bell said. The money that SGA is allocated goes towards s t u d e n t e n g a g e m e n t a n d activities. The money also goes towards helping other clubs such as SEA (Student Engagement Activities), EAG (Environmental Actions Group) and others clubs in need of funding. $100 goes to clubs to help out with fundraisers. It may also goes toward award ceremonies that occur at the end of the year. “The impact of decreased funding affected us in many ways. For instance, we cannot do

as many activities as we did in the past. It is hard when we are limited with the money that we are getting now," Bell said. As well, 25 percent of the SGA budget goes towards the Jackson County Center, who also has an SGA club and works with WVU Parkersburg's SGA. The Vice President of SGA at JCC comes to the meetings on the main campus of the college. The SGA budget is based off allegations from student activities. If there is not enough money, then the amount of college activities goes down. It all goes back to the money the college receives as a whole. Since the budget has gone down, some may be asking “how does it impact me as a student?” “If SGA does not get enough money, it will be hard to have fun activities at the college,” Bell said. W h e n t h e s t a t e b u d g e t decreases, it means the college has to decrease the SGA budget along with other club budgets. That is why the college has tuition raises; to make up for the money that the college needs. SGA President Bi l l Bel l plans to run for the House of Delegates in the future. The reason he is planing on running is because he wants to inform students about how budget cuts

affect the college and SGA. He also wants to make them realize the situation can be fixed. “The budget is like a steak. First you cut into the fat, then the muscle and sooner or later you are going to cut off everything and unfortunately some people in the senate do not see it that way,” Bell said. T h e m o n e y t h a t W V U Parkersburg and SGA receive is based on student enrollment and how much the state thinks the college needs to make this a good institution. In the past, the college cut faculty and staff to accommodate this. Clubs have lost money and may continue to be cut. It does not matter how many activities the college has, if there is not enough money, the clubs cannot sponsor events. When all is said and done, do you agree with Bill Bell? Should the state cut the budget or does someone need to speak out and let people know that cuts do, in fact, affect the college? The college continues to see the effects. Budget cuts hurt colleges and continue to directly affect WVU Parkersburg. S G A m e e t s e v e r y o t h e r M o n d a y a n d a l l s t u d e n t s are welcome to attend. SGA encourages students to voice concerns they may have.

SGA Faces Budget CutsAnd What This Means For The Student Body

$6,000 in 2012

$3,200 in 2015

Down $2,800

Decrease of 47% in 3 years

Budget Breakdown

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg November 19, 2015Page 2

News Editors: Candice Hoalcraft

Kyle NicholsJames Liebau IISheena Thorn

Layout Staff:Erika DavisJessica FieldsRachael GantJames Liebau IIAustin JamesSheena ThornTyler Bennett

[email protected] find us on Facebook & Twitter

@wvupchronicleAdvisor: Torie Jackson

Asst. Advisor: Olivia Reeder

Russell BunnerLeah CarpenterAutumn CorbittAmber DeeterMackenzie Nestor

Volume 46Produced by students of WVU Parkersburg

Layout Editor: Hannah DuffieldAssistant Layout Editor: Shalee Lathey

News Reporting/Photography Staff: Shalee LatheyJessica FieldsRussell BunnerAutumn CorbittAmber Deeter

Mackenzie Nestor

By Amber Deeter Freedom isn’t always free. Some veterans paid the ultimate price to protect our freedoms as a country. Veteran’s day is a day we reserve to give thanks to those who have served, are serving, and those who gave their lives for our great country. WVU Parkersburg’s Veteran’s Corps hosted the 2015 Troops Week and the events scheduled were huge successes. On November 9, Veteran’s Corps had a military obstacle course that WVARNG hosted and was in the field behind the cafeteria. La te r tha t even ing , The Veterans Corps hosted the Veterans Resource fair. The resource fair opened to all Ve te rans , mi l i t a ry se rv ice members, and their families. The resource fair featured a variety of services from the VA and community support organizations that are available to Veterans and their families. The resource fair was an opportunity for attendees to learn about

VA programs, how to enroll for benefits, and to know more about veterans organizations in the community. The event cost nothing and at least 20 vendors participated in the event. November 10, The Veterans Corps had a Fiesta. The smells in the room were intoxicating. Nachos and Quesadillas, is what was for lunch. During the Fiesta they had a big, beautiful West Virginia basket they were raffling off. That prize went to Amy Walton. Later that evening the WVU Parkersburg Veterans Corps hosted a Veterans and Vinyasa Yoga session. Vinyasa means breath-synchronized movement, and Vinyasa Yoga is a series of poses that will move you through the power of inhaling and exhaling. Vinyasa movements are smoothly flowing and almost dance-like, which explains why it is sometimes referred to as Vinyasa Flow or just Flow. On the 11th, The Veterans Corps participated in the annual Veterans Day parade. The parade began at 10 a.m. at Parkersburg

High School and ended at City Park. The ce r emony began a t approximately 11:00 a.m., and Veterans Advocate Shawn Healy was the master of ceremonies for the annual Parkersburg Veterans Day parade. Lyman Franklin, a World War II Veteran and Prisoner of war, was also recognized in the parade for his service to our country. F ive h igh s choo l bands participated and all played the National Anthem, a helicopter flew above, Members of the col lege’s s tudent Veterans Corps walked in the parade, and President Fletcher Lamkin was the keynote speaker. As Troops week came to an end, the Veterans Resource Center played host to a Veterans Social Event. This gave the Veterans a chance for them and their families to relax and get to know other Veterans in the area. Even past troops week the American population should remember what all of those who have served and are serving have done for our great country.

TROOPS WEEK MARCHES ON

Veterans Advocate Shawn Healy crawling through obstacles

Helicopter, Parkersburg High Band and tanks during parade

Remembering All Who Serve

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgNovember 19, 2015 Page 3

By Leah Carpenter Starting off reaching only 150,000 residents in Park-ersburg, WPKM is reaching people internationally through live streaming. WPKM began beta testing for live streaming in late September. By Oct. 15, the set up for live streaming was complete. Later that month, WPKM began live streaming on wpkmradio. com. Station Manager Jeremy Har-rison asked for help from the IT department during the process. “If it weren’t for the IT guys we wouldn’t be able to live stream,” Harrison said. According to Doug Anthony, the Chief Information Officer at WVU Parkersburg, the specif-ics on setting WPKM for live streaming, include a PC with a

by Shalee Lathey WVU Parkersburg’s campus keeps improving thanks to the Facilities and Grounds crew. There are several ongoing and upcoming projects in the works among the campus community. A few projects that started this semester are currently wrapping up and are ready to be utilized. These projects are ensuring safety and overall convenience for faculty and students. Recently, all nine crew mem-

bers of Facilities and Grounds were recognized by President Lamkin. He provided the crew members with a celebratory pizza party honoring their outstanding work ethic on campus projects. The crew members success-fully moved student services and staff offices smoothly and ef-ficiently for preparation for the One Stop Center. The One Stop Center is set to be completed in February. This

project is placing financial aid, records and enrollment, in one convenient, central location. Currently, the crew is work-ing on the Welcome Center by creating room for Institutional Advancement faculty members. Another project in the works that started this semester is the card access project. This project ensures safety for faculty and students. Card access started two years ago with phase one, and consists of 100 doors

equipped with card access. Currently, phase two is in pro-cess and is in the final stage with 200 doors equipped with card access. This project is set to be completed Nov. 20. Restoration from the aftermath of the campus theater fire is start-ing in the middle of Nov. WVU Parkersburg is utilizing services from Panhandle Clean-ing and Restoration located in Wheeling. “Students line up in the theatre

before graduation, restoration should be finished by Dec. 11,” Facilities and Grounds Director, Dave White, said. Facilities and Grounds is look-ing ahead at other projects to improve WVU Parkersburg. “We already have upcoming plans in the for 2017 projects. The third floor of the main build-ing is being renovated to expand Health Sciences,” Facilities and Grounds Director, Dave White, said.

direct feed of the over-the-air-signal is set up to convert the audio into a digital format. This computer then takes the con-verted audio and sends it to two different servers, one on campus and one off site. To conserve network resources, the listener’s location determines which server is being used. Live streaming has been ex-tremely beneficial for WPKM according to Harrison. People who are out of range of the radio station can listen now. Looking to the future of wp-kmradio.com, Harrison wants to add more features. At the moment, the radio has a play and pause button. Harrison and Anthony agree that metadata information, which is the artist and song information, should be

included on the website. Harrison also wants to add a recently played list, what’s next list, and an online request option for wpkmradio.com. Harrison is in the works of creating an app for smart phones to stream the radio station. He also has goals to have more live DJs, live shows and live music on WPKM. His ultimate goal for WPKM live streaming is for peo-ple to have the ability to listen to the service internationally.“I have a lot of vision for this little station,”Harrison said. After the changes Harrison is trying to achieve for WPKM, he hopes more people will become interested in the radio station. To listen to WPKM The Beat, tune into 96.3 FM or go to wpk-mradio.com.

is Reaching New Areas

Facilities and Grounds UpdatesAlong with radio, WPKM is now offering online streaming

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg November 19, 2015Page 4

get out of their house and find somewhere else to go. My boyfriend’s parents did not hesitate to take me under their wing and allow me to live under their roof. In just a few days my whole sense of secu-rity was jerked out from under my feet. I was left broken and scared. The only thing I was sure of was that I was going to finish high school. Education was now more important than ever. It was no longer about me. I had a living being growing inside of me and would soon de-pend on me for everything. That, to me, was one of the scariest realizations. I returned to school and it was clear that rumors were spreading like wildfires. I expected to be looked at differently by some but I had no idea just how much criticism I was about to receive. Many of the “friends” that claimed they would be there for me no matter what became very distant or shunned me al-together. As the old saying goes, if looks could kill I would have keeled over. I tried to ignore all the nega-tivity that was being thrown my way but it was hard, especially considering my hormones were going crazy. The stress became too much and one day I passed out in the bathroom at school. After calling my doctor he moved my appointment to the next day. A specialist told me that I needed to make arrangements to be homeschooled. She believed that it was too dangerous for me to go to school while having these episodes of passing out

by: Megan Valentine Staring back at me were two solid pink lines, my heart started to race. It hit me like a ton of bricks and the realization that my life was about to change drastically overwhelmed me and shook me to the core. Just the thought of telling my parents broke my heart into a million pieces. It was like I could already see the disap-pointment and shame on their faces. I knew that they would not be very receptive of the news. Knowing the ramifications, I kept the news to myself until I worked up the courage to share it with them. I was only 16, just a few months shy of my 17th birthday and still trying to find myself. My sole purpose up to this point was to go to school and enjoy being a child. My sights were set on graduating from Park-ersburg High School and going off to college. Friends were talking about prom and busy scheduling appointments for dress fittings, haircuts and tan-ning appointments, while I was making appointments with the OB/GYN, WIC and Department of Health and Human Resources. After a long heart to heart with my boyfriend’s mother she en-couraged me to break the news to my parents. That evening, I went home and through tears I laid the heartbreaking news on my parents. The reaction turned out to be way worse than I had anticipated. Their first reaction was tears, which quickly turned to anger. The words that followed were far worse than I could have imagined. My parents told me to

unexpectedly. I fought with the school board for two months before getting so far behind I had no other option but to drop out of high school. This was not part of the plan and it was a hard decision to make but ultimately I had to do what I needed to do for the health of my unborn child as well as mine. I was diagnosed with cervical cancer upon discovering I was pregnant, so a smooth pregnancy it was not. Most women dream of becom-ing a mother and having these wonderful, joyful events but so much was going on and so much negativity was being thrown my way. I knew I was going to be forced into growing up and life kept throwing me curve balls. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride and the anticipation of what was going to happen next was weighing heavy on me. My doctor, friends and fam-ily tried to keep me in high hopes, but I was incredibly over-whelmed at this point. Nothing could be done while I was preg-nant to address the cancer until after I had my child; therefore I had to worry about whether or not I was going to be here for my child after she was born. While everyone tried to put my mind at ease, stress enveloped me and from this I found no escape. Finally, the time arrived and on April 20, 2001 I was on my way to the hospital to bring my daughter into the world. My thoughts were racing, going through just about every scenario that could happen. I had some difficulties but as soon as I held my baby girl for the first time all the stress and obstacles that I ex-

perienced through the pregnancy melted away. She was a healthy perfect 6 lb. 5 oz. beautiful baby girl. I could not have asked for a more perfect child. She slept through the night from the first day I brought her home. A lot of my fears subsided but the cervi-cal cancer still weighed very heavy on my mind. After going to the doctor and going through several procedures I was cancer free and I could really start to get back on track, or so I thought. Just as I was considering going back to school and enrolling my daughter into preschool I discov-ered that I was pregnant again. This was also considered high risk because of the procedures I had to go through to become free of cancer. The doctor’s honestly doubted that I would be able to have anymore children, but she was my miracle baby. This pregnancy was rough on my body and for the last 3 months I was on mandatory bed rest. I made it through the preg-nancy and on December 12, 2005 I was on my way to the hospital to have my second child. I knew this would change my plans just a bit. Going back to school was a goal that I set for myself and I was not going to allow myself to fail. It took me longer then I had expected to take the necessary steps but after having a second child and enrolling my first born into kindergarten I decided what better time then now to better myself. I dropped my oldest daughter off for her first day of preschool, my youngest to her grandmother and went to the Adult Learning Center to begin

my journey into obtaining my GED. Math was my menace and I struggled for months trying to understand the material so I could pass my GED. I had exceptionally high scores in every other part of the practice GED test, so it was so discourag-ing that I had to overcome my math hurdles. I worked with a tutor three days a week for two months preparing myself to take the GED test and on October 16, 2006 I received the great news. I had passed my GED and got well above the score I had thought I would receive in math. That was one of the most memorable days for me because not only did I prove to myself what I was capable of but also I proved to many people that doubted me, I was not someone they should underestimate. I had a few jobs after obtain-ing my GED but I was not truly satisfied with the way life was headed for me. I needed to be-come more self-sufficient and knew that college would give me that outlet. After terminating a highly toxic and abusive relation-ship I knew the time had come for me to take the step and apply for college. I was accepted to WVU Parkersburg in 2012 and began taking classes that spring. Be-ing a single mother of 2 children and a full time college student was extremely harder than I had originally anticipated. Through nothing but pure deter-mination, I graduated with my Associate’s Degree in Journalism in the summer of 2015. I also found out over the summer that my 14-year-old daughter was

Semester to Trimester: WVU Parkersburg Student Expecting

First Grandchild from Teen Daughter

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg Page 5November 18, 2015

By Tyler Bennett As the semester comes to a close, WVU Parkersburg stu-dents are getting ready for the anxiety filled time known as fi-nals week. With that in mind, the last con-cern students should have is their safety in the campus parking lot. Drivers are parking in the walk-ways and exceeding speed limits in the parking lot. Some claim the reason that people are parking in the walk-way is because they are running late for class while others simply do not care. According to campus police officer Allen Collins, the campus security has already written 10 tickets this semester, compared to the one or two in the past se-mester. “Several students say they believed the walkway was a

parking space. The fact that those same students have not parked there again leads me to believe that they legitimately think the space was for parking,” Collins said. “But there are others that we know, it’s obvious when you looked forward or backwards, and you still park there.” The biggest issue campus po-lice face is dealing with guests who are not abiding to establish parking policies. With the college having special events, the park-ing lot is full. Many of the guests parking in the lots are not concerned with the consequence the school im-poses. “A large number of guests have the mindset that I will only be here one time, and then I am gone. So the rules do not affect me,” Collins said. Another problem concerning

students is other drivers speeding through the parking lot. The college has a history of auto accidents and some have come close this semester. A ma-jority of the parking lot problems are caused by tardiness. Acting as “parking lot vul-

tures,” students are looking for empty spots or drivers leaving. With some going faster than the speed limit, an accident could potentially occur. Director of Facilities David

White thinks the issue of speed-ing in the parking lot is that many do not realize how fast they are going. “We brought a radar speed sign from the Depart-ment of Highways to show how fast students were traveling,” White said. “We have to be careful when driving through the parking lot. Several of the accidents hap-pen when cars are backing out, beacuse their vision is blocked,” White said. With these issues, WVU Park-ersburg decided to construct a plan and set up funds to fix the parking lot. By switching the parking spaces North and South, every aisle will be a walkway towards the building, similar to what you see at Wal-Mart. According to both Collins and White, this change will reduce

drivers speeding through the parking lot putting others in dan-ger. This more organized parking arrangement will eliminate some of the major issues that students and faculty face. White is already researching and considering the cost of the new parking lot project. “As soon as we have enough money in the parking fund, we are going to repave the upper and lower lots. The cost estimates will be in the $300,000 range so it will take a lot of $20 parking fees,” White said. The college is planning to repair the lots from the green belt(grassy area between the parking lot) towards the building. If everything goes to plan for the college, the process will begin between winter 2016 and summer 2017.

by Russ Bunner This past month, WVU Park-ersburg's Environmental Action Group sponsored “Backyard Composting 101: Turning Waste into Fertile Soil.” The event was took place on Oct. 28 at the college campus and was open to the public. The event showed students what you can do with trash and how the autumn leaves are actually a great thing for the earth and rak-ing them or mowing over them is a bad thing. Diversified Agriculture co-ordinator Hans Straight and his students took part in this event. “Mr. Hans Straight and his students gave us a great informa-

tional talk. This was such a great experience for all of us,” EAG President Vickie Sargent said. The event lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes and the students who attended learned a tremendous amount. It gave the students the knowl-edge about the earth and how we can keep it safe and clean. “Compositing helps keep veg-etable matter out of landfills. Not only does composing keep land-fills from filling up prematurely, it minimizes the pollution they create,” Sargent said. Although this events was a new experience for Straight and EAG, it turned out to be very ed-ucational and fun. The message it

gave out to students is that com-posting helps the environment by reducing the amount of solid waste that ends up in landfills. It was to inform students of the impacts of the leaves and other trash you have in your refrigera-tor. “This event was very helpful to the environment because compost makes major contribu-tions to soil health, increasing the chance of plant success,” Sargent said. It also showed students what they can do to make sure they are doing the right thing the right way. With that being said Mr. Straight has set up a compost area that is available at the col-

lege fairs. Another area is to be placed outside of the Caperton Center. Overall, this event was a great turnout. It was a great way for students to learn about the landfills and telling them how leaves are very beneficial to the environment. “If you rake away leaves, it takes away their habi-tat and you won’t be as likely to see these glowing insects around your home," Sargent said. Some other plans and ideas for EAG include invitations to work with the college’s landscap-ing supervisor, ways to improve the walking trail and opportuni-ties to work with other student organizations at the college.

With that being said, these events that EAG take part in and sponsor are to help improve the environment and show what people can do as their part. “The best three ways to take care of the environment is, recycle, reuse and reduce,” Sargent said. Sargent also stated that if ev-eryone cooperates and helps take care of the environment, perhaps Mother Earth could still be saved from destruction. EAG is always looking for stu-dents to join and help them keep the earth clean and to inform others what they can do. If you would like to jon EAG, the meet-ings are every other Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Room 1314.

Parking at WVU Parkersburg

Leave the Leaves

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg November 19, 2015Page 6

by Mackenzie Nestor There is no such thing as a perfect parent. Even the most conscious parents will make mistakes along the way and those mistakes will impact their child. Does this mean that children who grow up in an environment where one or both of their parents abuse drugs or alcohol are destined to abuse drugs themselves? Luckily that is not always the case. However, living in a home with a parent who is addicted to these sub-stances does create problems that everyone should be aware of. Unattended Children is a Health Communications group project created by Joy Hart and Susan Kent for Sue Ellen Waybright’s class. Unattended Children is about dealing with addictions, the impact on their families and the community, and local organizations that are available as resources for those in need. “The Unattended Children [because] we recognized that there was a need for addiction awareness in our community. So much of our community has been affected by drug addiction. I am a single mom I have two children. I lived in an apartment complex for five years and it had a small drug problem but recent-ly, when heroin hit, it destroyed our neighborhood and we had all these little kids who were left alone," said Susan Kent. "They are hungry, they would come knocking on our doors and what do you do? You take care of them. That is kind of where the Unattended Children came from. It is the children of the ad-dicts who are often overlooked. We focus on the addict and we do not really focus on the people affected," said Kent. "Which is typically the chil-

dren, that is going to be life impacting because when they grow up they will have some sort of problem. I am a child of an alcoholic and the things I remember as a child and carry with me you either make your-self stronger and help others or you end up going down that path.” Said one of the project creators, Susan Kent. West Virginia has the high-est rate of overdose deaths in the United States. According to a report released by non-profit groups Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, there were about 34 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 West Virginia resi-dents from 2011 to 2013. Which is up dramatically from the 22 deaths per 100,000 people from 2007 to 2009. “When you think about addic-tion, a lot of people think about the stigma about a dirty old drunk holding a sign. Who is an addict? I am addict. I am getting ready to graduate college and I have a great job opportunity. I have a good life but there are so many people who are over-looked or do not know that there is help out there. We wanted to bring awareness and hopefully create an opportunity for people who know someone or people who struggle with any form of addiction whether it be drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, codepen-dency, or an abusive relationship those all fall into the addiction category. We wanted to bring awareness to the campus and community and our peers.” Said the other project creator, Joy Hart. What started as a simple class project became an event open for the whole campus and community. The event was championed by Kurt Klettner and Pam San te r and was

presented on Nov. 16 in the Multi-Purpose room. The Mid-Ohio Valley Fellowship, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Health and Wellness, The Out to Lunch Brunch Group of Alco-holics Anonymous, The Courage To Change Associates, The Genesis Recovery Center for Women, The Celebrate Recov-ery of New Hope Opportunity House, along with guest speaker Patrice Pooler, who is the direc-tor of MOV Fellowship Home were the guests at the event. Thankfully, most children overcome what dictated their past. While a child who grows up in a home with a substance abusing parent experiences neg-ative effects, it is not necessarily the case that the child will abuse substances in the future. Accord-ing to groups such as Children of Alcohol ics (COA) and Children of Substance Abusers (COSA), 75 percent of children who come from such homes do not abuse drugs or alcohol themselves and they manage to overcome their past home lives. “It is an honor to be given the opportunity to help someone else. The idea that you may be the person to save someone else’s life because they came to our event and see that maybe they should try one more time. They will see a friendly face with a smile like Joy who is very passionate about what she does is very open with her addictions that she has struggled with and overcame. They will see that and think wow maybe with her hand held out maybe just maybe I can do this,” said Susan Kent. Addiction is a disease. So-briety means that everyone involved will be changed. On-going sobriety doesn’t mean your addict is cured. Addiction, just like any disease, can be

in remission, but it never goes away. However, staying sober becomes easier with time. Being sober is not about being good. Many people think of addicts as being bad when they are us-ing and becoming “good” when they stop using. Think of it more

along the lines of that they have a medical condition and are becoming well, as opposed to continuing to be ill. Ayn Rand says it best in Overcoming Ad-diction, “The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours."

Once a Thief, Always a Thief

Unattended Children: The Effects Drugs Have on Kids

by Autumn Corbitt Books open the doors to the mind. Without books, dreams would not be created. History told to the next generations, ideas about how the future will be for us and fantasy worlds fold out in the pages of the text. Kay Hooper is one of many authors that bring stories to life. Kay Hooper is best known for her work on romance and suspense novels. “The Bishop Series” brought her to the New York Times Bestselling Author list and landed her a nomination for the Shamus Award for Best Original P.I. Paperback. For her two part books, "Once a Thief" and "Always a Thief" she does not skip on the romance and suspense for the reader. In “Once a Thief” Maxim Bannister is asked to risk his family’s centuries old collection of priceless jewels through a public display just to catch a master thief. Even worse, he agreed to let it to happen. Months of preparations for the exhibit was finally coming to a close. Morgan West, the exhibit director, felt the anxiety of guarding so many precious jewels with the date so close. The head security officer Wolfe Nickerson was no help to assuage her fear. One night, Morgan knew why she was always on edge, the culprit Quinn showed up to carry out his heist. Soon after the encounter with Interpol’s most wanted thief, the museum started facing trouble. First with the failures of the com-puter security system, then a murder case involving an ACE security employee, to finally the threat of a thief ring gang on the loose. Will the museum exhibit Mysteries Past ever be open to the pub-lic? Will the story be continued in “Always a Thief” book tell us? I have read the whole book “Once a Thief,” and loved every page. Usually I do not read any books with romance, but with this book I made an exception. Kay Hooper managed to have every page a se-cret that just keeps going on. There is not one thing I dislike or would change about the story. I would recommend this book to anyone.

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgNovember 19, 2015 Page 7

by Amber Deeter A big fish in a small pond, Ashton Marra came to WVU Parkersburg and inspired a class of journalism students with her fast track to the big leagues and her return home to a job she loves. Marra’s journey of being in journalism came early for her. In middle school she had her first interaction with journalism. Her sister, who is five years older than her, was an advertising ma-jor at Marshall University. She went with her parents and sister when she was 13, on a visit to the campus. “It is a great thing to do. I know some of you have kids and others will probably have kids eventually, expose them to higher education super early. Even if that’s not what they want to do, they can make that deci-sion later on,” Marra said. She never had any doubt that she would go to college. During one of her Marshall trips, the head of the broadcast program walked over to her and said, “You wanna be a journalism major don’t you?” Ashton replied that she had never really thought about it before. She was only 13. “You wanna work in TV,” he said. That is when her journalism expedition began. She and her family consistent-ly visited her sister at Marshall so she had constant exposure to the Journalism program. Her ju-nior year of high school she was torn between being a journalism major and going to law school. Someone told her that she could go to law school with a journal-ism degree and it was like a light bulb went off and she realized that she actually could go to law school for a journalism degree. Marra started her academic journey at Marshall, but after a year and a half she transferred to West Virginia University. Marra almost changed her major. Marra took her first radio reporting class her second se-

mester of freshman year. After that, Marra told her mom that she thought she did not want to do it and her mom told her to do an in-ternship before she changed her major. That is exactly what she did. Right after her freshman year she did her first internship at DTV. She started working there a year later. The final semester of her se-nior year she applied for two different internships; CNN of-fered her an unpaid internship and ABC offered her a paid one. She took the paid internship. Marra suggested that the class apply for internships even if they are local. “It’s a great experi-ence,” Marra said. As for how she got the intern-ship at ABC, she said she got lucky. When you apply for an internship with a network you are competing with thousands of students across the country. “The girl who saw my internship happened to have had a writ-ing workshop with a professor at WVU years earlier, my name stuck out because I was the only person from WVU that applied for any internships at ABC.” During her final semester of college she finished her degree online while interning on the news assignment desk at ABC in New York. She worked all behind the scenes. She was part of a staff that had to make sure they knew what news was happening from anywhere in the world. They also made sure that the shows had the stories they wanted and the correspondents they needed. “The things you are learning in the classroom are incredibly valuable, but the in-ternships show you how to take those things and put them into action,” Marra said. Because she was already integrated into their system and workflow, her super-visor told her they would find her something at ABC; she told

Marra that if she wanted a job, they would find something. Good Morning America had a tem-porary spot available so Marra finished her internship and flew home for graduation. She went back to New York and started at GMA and worked from mid-May to September. In September they offered her a contract which she declined and she came back to W.Va. “It

ASHTON MARRA INSPIRES BROADCASTING STUDENTS

was a fantastic learning experi-ence,” Marra said. She started at Public Broadcast three weeks later. “It has been an incredible experience and I’m very, very happy to be home,” Marra said. Marra is now in grad school at WVU and is the Assistant News Director and the Statehouse re-porter at West Virginia Public Broadcasting. She typically cov-ers government, politics, and a lot of education. Marra is the youngest person, at 25, to cover the Statehouse and the only fe-male to cover the Statehouse full time. “I enjoy what I do, I love covering the State House, I never intended to be a radio person, I was a broadcast television major at WVU and was going to be in TV, got my first job in televi-sion as a sophomore in college. I started reporting weekends at the CBS affiliate in Clarksburg. I worked for them until I moved to New York City. I literally worked

Ashton Marra Visits WVU Parkersburg

New Year’s Eve 2011 and New Year’s Day I moved to New York City and started ABC three days later.” Marra is now in the process of covering the Blankenship trial in Charleston. It is her first federal trial. She posts nightly web up-dates and weekly podcast called “Blankenship on Trial.” The executive director sits down and hosts the show. She is the reporter, and they have an attorney that works with them to talk about the progress of the trial, which is in week seven right now. Marra said she loves public media and she could not imag-ine leaving it. “I didn’t work for NPR, I didn’t really watch any of the PBS programs, I mean everyone knows Sesame Street and Mister Rodgers, but that’s not necessarily what we do.” She said. Marra also said that it was a learning curve and she initially took the job because she thought it would put her on the radar of the Charleston commercial sta-tions. She thought she could get used to the area and get used to the issues and it would be an easy transition for her. “I cannot imagine leaving the public media sector.” Marra said the people are her favorite part of her job. She likes that she does not have to sit around in one place all day. She likes that at the end of the day she can show exactly what she did. She does not have to show her boss anything. She does not have to tell her boss where she is every second of the day. If she is not sitting in her chair, they do not question her. She really likes that part of her job but she also likes that she is constantly inter-acting and meeting new people. “I really love that,” Marra said. Marra said the reason that West Virginia was more ap-pealing compared to the bigger places like Pittsburg or Colum-

bus is the fact that she can work on her own things. “I am a big fish in a small pond. I am 25 years old and I am hosting a nightly television show about the state government and the gover-nor sits with me where he spends 20 minutes of his time.” When she was at the network she was responsible for collect-ing elements for other people’s pieces, or collecting the elements and producing her own piece which she did not write, some-body else wrote the story, tracked it and handed it off to her and she had to make sure it all came to-gether. In her organization if she has an idea and can make it work she can do it. Marra left the class with one message, “There is a lot of pres-sure, I think, in the journalism field to work your way up and to be in a big market and to be a big deal. You don’t have to do that. Don’t feel pressured to do that if that’s not what you want to do because there are big advantages to being good at what you do in a small place. You get to do a lot more and you have a much big-ger impact in your community.”

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 8 November 19, 2015

By Rachael Green Earlier this semster, on Oct 2, a fire broke out in the theater. The fire destroyed the stage floor and caused water and smoke damage to other areas of the theater. The fire was caused by a production's decorations hanging too closely to the lights in the theater. Now, restoration is set to be complete on Dec 10. Replacing the stage floor and repairing the damages to other areas of the theater have an expected cost of $32,000. The $32,000 cost is not going to come out of the college's expenses. This money will come from an in-surance claim that the school filed. On November 17th, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration in Wheeling came to WVU Parkersburg to aid in the clean-up of the theater. The restoration of the theater has to be completed before graduation of this year. There will not be any changes made during the restoration. “The theater will be put back just like it was before the fire,” Director of facilities Dave White said. The theater will be closed until the damages are completely repaired. There will not be anymore productions being performed in the theater this semester due to the damages. The theater's upcoming Christmas production will be performed in the student lounge instead. The theater program has two productions left this semester: “Guerilla Theater” and “A Child's Christ-mas in Wales.” Both productions are free admission.

Making the Theatre Good as New

by Tyler Malm The Art Center looks to make Parkersburg a brighter place. From encouraging young artists, to hosting exhibits; the Parkers-burg Art Center hopes to make the area a more relaxed interest-ing place to be. In 1938, The Art Center was founded and since then, it has grown into the structure it is today. The center is the proud home of six galleries, a gift shop and a clay studio. It hosts a number of events and classes throughout the year, ranging from Fine Time Artful Parties for adults, to kids’ art classes. The clay studio is open to members who pay a monthly fee to use its resources and equip-ment. There is no limit to what art classes could be offered at the Art Center, as you are able to de-

sign your own classes. One can give them an idea for an art class and they will provide a teacher as long as there is a minimum of four people attending. Along with providing local artists a means to learn and hone their skills, the Art Center has teamed up with artists from around downtown Parkersburg. “We are trying to make down-town a more vibrant place,” Jessie Siefert said, the Education Director at the Art Center and lead teacher fro the ArtStart pre-school program. “We are collaborating with other downtown groups, decorat-ing vacant storefronts, bringing craft projects to the Point Place Market events, hosting student art shows, hosting a weekly Tuesday night Bingo game and working with the public schools on things like our Artists-tree dis-

play that will open November 28,” Siefert said. The Art Center is holding a free public open house and artist market on November 28 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and a free arts

Art Center Comes to Parkersburg

I also found out over the summer that my 14-year-old daughter was pregnant. I had taken so many precautions to ensure this did not happen so I was beside myself to discover the news. All the heart-to-heart talks we had and birth control I put her on, was all I thought she needed. I told myself that I would not allow my children to make the same mistakes that I made, but this was not the case. A parent cannot always be with their child, peer pressure and negative influences are something they deal with on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately these influences became a huge learning experi-ence for my daughter. She deals with most of the same obstacles I dealt with, but the one thing I never considered was turning her

away. I know that times will be tough, but I am a perfect example of how things can be turned into something positive. That which does not kill you will certainly make you stronger. By no means has my journey been easy, but then again what in life worth having does not comes easy. I will never stop pushing her to be the best that she can be. There is no way I would ever look at her any differently. I know what she is capable of and, although she made a bad decision and her plans have changed a bit, she has not doomed herself. With a good support system in place we will get through these difficult times. Teen pregnancy should not de-fine who a person is, I know it did not define me.

Teen Pregnancy Story Cont.

encounter day for senior citizens on Thursday, December 10. A 12 weeks series of Arty Par-ties for the family will start in January, made possible by the donation from Virginia L. Nep-

tune Foundation. For more information on the events and classes hosted by the Art Center, check their website at parkersburgartcenter.com and like them on Facebook.

One of the art galleries in The Art Center located in Parkersburg.

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgNovember 19, 2015 Page 9

by Amber Deeter Many people don’t remember things from when they were two years old. If you were nearly killed and watched a family member fly through the air and then hit the ground you would remember that. Erika Davis ex-perienced just that at the age of two. However, growing up she believed that God had bigger plans for her than she had for herself. Erika Davis is a 21 year old Journalism student here and graduates in the spring of 2016. Erika went from having a trau-matic experience at the age of two to writing a book that is be-ing published and released close to Christmas or shortly after. Erika has put a lot of herself into the book-her hometown, the church she attends, and her high school. Even the main character has characteristics similar to her. The process has been a quick one, six months to a year, but the story behind it will give any-one the courage to live out your dreams and give your worries to God. Davis went through a stage of depression when her parents divorced, her grandfather passed away and everything felt like it was coming down on her. One night as she was going to bed, she prayed asking God to show her a sign, something to show her what she should be doing with her life. The very next day her mother handed her a piece of paper with some information and the name of a publishing company, West-brook Press. She felt like this was the sign she was waiting for. Davis looked into it and thought she would just send something in and see if anything came of it. As she was researching the

company she found a free guide that would help her determine if her book was ready for publish-ing. A few days later a check in coordinator called her and told her some aspects of the book needed to be changed because some content wasn’t what the company wanted. She changed the book and thought changing certain aspects made the book even better. The book is about young man who went to prison. While in prison he accepts God in his life. Upon his release he returns home to his wife. There are secrets, tragedies and love. As he and his wife grow closer you are left wondering if the tragedies and secrets will bring them closer to God or tear them apart. Here is an excerpt from the book “Why He Left” by Erika Davis:

He looked at me and smiled. Just as he smiled the light from the moon hit his face and I could see in his eyes just how much love he had for me. I sat there and looked into his eyes and for the first time everything about him and I made sense. I knew he loved me even though I wasn’t quite at that point to say it back to him. I was one hundred per-cent sure I never wanted to be

with anyone else but him.

The process of publishing her book became a reality when WestBow press accepted her book. The book is now finished with the editing stage and is now in the design and production stage. She will receive a copy of the book with the front and back cover designed. She will either approve the design and the layout of the book or make some changes, and once the design and production is

complete her book will be avail-able for purchase. Davis says the whole thing is very surreal. “Writing and going through the process is a humbling experience. It’s very surreal, looking at this company, there are football stars that have went through this company.” Davis said that all the time and effort she has put into the book would all be worth it in the end. “When I see the name by Erika Davis, that moment where everything you put into it and ev-erything you have done for it will be worth it.” Davis said the book wasn’t about getting paid, it wasn’t about the fame and fortune, it was more about helping others. “The one thing I hope this book would accomplish, if it don’t become the next best seller is that it reaches somebody, that it touches somebody, because somebody out there has went through the exact same thing that is going on in the book, and it helps them deal with it. It helps them cope with it. It helps them realize that no matter what hap-pens in life, God will always be there. If that happens, if someone tells me that it helps them, then my sole purpose as an author is complete.” She said another reason she wrote the book is because it gave her a chance to share her feelings with others. “Writing is a way for me to get out what I’m trying to say.” she said. Davis said although it’s not a thick book it has a good message and it is a way to help others dealing with similar issues. Davis said while listening to the radio one day they posed the question what would you do for God if you knew you would not fail and it got her thinking. She said many people thought she

was crazy for trying to publish a book with this major company. Then she thought, “If people would do things with the mindset that they would not fail, there would be a lot more people that would do a lot more things.” Davis said if there was one message she would like to get out there about living out her dream of publishing a book it would be, “Do things even if you’re afraid to do them, because without failure you would not have success.” As for writing another book, she jokingly said. “We’ll have to see how this one goes but there could be a continuation if I could think of enough things to say.” She said the experience has been a humbling one and she has grown as a person and her faith in God has grown as well. She said the one lesson she learned from all of this was that, “God will do his part but we have to do our part to, do things as if

Do things even if you are afraid to do them,

because with-out failure you would not have success.

you would not fail and you could uncover things you would never know.” Remember her book is called “Why He Left” and will be released around Christmas or shortly after. You will be able to find it on Amazon Look Inside, Google Preview, and Barnes & Noble Read Instantly. She will also have a book signing so be on the lookout for the press release.

Author of "Why He Left" Erika Davis.

Journalism Student to Publish First Book:Erika Davis Gives Details Behind Her Book "Why He Left"

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 10 November 19, 2015

by Mackenzie Nestor Do you feel like your vote will not make a difference? Are you not sure voting is really worth the effort? These ten reasons on why college students should vote should give you some food for thought. America is a democracy. Elected representatives need to know how citizens think in order to represent them in the most accurate way possible. They are counting on our vote as part of that process. Our votes equals our voices. When we vote, we are telling the government how we feel about important issues. Many people vote while think-ing of others: older people, those without health insurance, etc. But very few voters are focused on what college students need. Who else is better qualified than col-

lege students to vote on issues like student loans, educational standards, and admissions poli-cies? College students (millennial voters), are a key voters in every election. With 64 million millen-nial voter’s eligible to vote, our votes can make a huge difference when we all stand together. Millennial voters are more diverse than any other de-m o g r a p h i c . A c c o r d i n g t o Washington Post, “Just 57 per-cent of those between the ages of 18 and 33 are non-Hispanic whites, four points lower than members of Generation X and 15 points lower than the Baby Boom generation.” Who else can vote to represent the needs of such a diverse demographic? No one likes hypocrites. We are in college. This is a time when we should be broadening

From Her Perspective:Holiday Season

in Retail

by Sheena Thorn With Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching us, I felt compelled to share a few things with you. The holidays are my favorite time of year. There is a sense of joy and togetherness that is not seen any other time of year. I enjoy Christmas carols, baking cookies, spending time with my family and my boyfriend and his family. My favorite part is wrapping presents in the colorful reds and greens and going to see the lights at City Park. But, as I am sure some of you have noticed, the holidays also bring out the worst in people. They make people mean, selfish and heartless. I work as one of the mangers in a small store in the mall. I love my job. I am a people person, I love working with customers and helping people find clothes for themselves or their loved ones. Working in retail for the last three years has allowed me to witness first-hand just how horrible people can be. Beating each other down for a place in line, having rude and entitled attitudes and basically being a pain in the rear for anyone working. Exceptions to this exist, obviously, most people are actually quite pleasant. However, one sour apple can ruin a good day and I am here to address that. For starters, do not ignore me, or anyone else working in a store or restaurant in which you are choosing to step foot. It is my

job to greet you and engage with you and be friendly. If that is something you do not want to participate in, please stay home. Nothing frustrates me more than a customer walking into my place of employment and then blatantly ignoring me when I greet them. Next, if you need help, ask for it and do not try and get something down for yourself. Not only is it a liability to myself, but it is also one to you. If you knock something down or something falls on you, it is still my fault even though I did not actually do anything. Asking for help is as simple as “can you get this down for me, please?” That is it. That is all. No harm in that, is there? Third, what do you accomplish by being rude? Absolutely nothing except a bad attitude from me and anyone else working followed by poor customer service. I realize that sounds bad, but if you are rude to me for no reason, what is my motivation to be nice in return? Kindness goes a long way. It may turn someone’s day around if you pass along a kind word or two. I do not know about you and you do not know about me, but we can show each other mutual respect and kindness. Last, but not least, you are choosing to shop/eat wherever you may be and with that may come waiting. Whether it be waiting in line to check out, waiting for a table or

waiting for food - more people are out and about and because of that wait times will be longer. If you are not prepared to wait, then stay home. I am not trying to be rude, I am just being honest. We work hard to get people through the line as quickly and efficiently as possible with as minimal of a wait as possible. Please take that into consideration, when you go out shopping or out to eat. Also, familiarize yourselves with the holiday hours the mall and/or restaurant host. We have families we want to get back to and sometimes we have to open at work in the morning after closing the night before. If you make yourself aware of when the mall/restaurant closes, this helps us get out of work sooner and happier. The holidays are a time to be joyous and merry and spread cheer, not a time for being rude and selfish. There are more important things in the world than getting the best deal or being the first in line. Spread happiness and cheer. Spend time with your family. Enjoy the moment and try not to be a jerk to the people who are working and doing their best to make your excursions a happy one. Happy holidays!

The Importance of College Students Voting our horizons. Expanding our minds, spirits, and our lives. Em-powering ourselves by becoming independent. But when the time comes, are we really going to pass on empowering ourselves by not voting? Many people fought for our right to vote. It was through elec-tions that officials were voted in who were victors for civil rights. No matter your race or gender, our right to vote came at a price. Honor the sacrifices others made so that our voices can be heard when theirs was not. Children are depending on us to represent their voices too. Because some college students have children and children can-not vote, we have to do it for them. That is how we make our concerns about schooling, safety and other issues heard. Within the next couple of

years, we will be getting jobs, living on our own, maybe even starting a family or starting a business. The policies we vote for today will have a major influ-ence on our lives after college. Do we really want to leave those decisions up to someone else who does not have our best inter-ests at heart? Finally the last reason, so we can complain with integrity. I encourage you to vote in the 2016 elections if you are eligible to. With the constant ignorance, racism and sexism spouted al-most daily in the news, I realize the current political atmosphere makes it hard to trust any politi-cian to run our country. With that being said, it is still of the greatest importance for everyone to exercise their right to vote, es-pecially the younger generations. We are in the middle of the

largest civil rights movement since the Civil Rights Move-ment during the 50’s and 60’s. We have what many of our older generation’s lack. Our generation is much more open minded and accepting. Not to say that all members of the older generations are racist bigots, but some run-ning for office in 2016 currently are. It is our job to find the can-didate who embodies the change we wish to see and vote for them. Despite conventional attitudes about college students not being in the "real world," we are very much adults. Our votes matter most because we are finally able to cast it. Go voice opinions on issues, candidates, and referen-dums. Stand up for what you believe in. Be the change you wish to see and maybe, just may-be we can make America united once more.

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgNovember 19, 2015 Page 11

by Jessica Fields In a split second everything could change. All because of one text. According to Toni Tiano, the Program Administrator for the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Highway Safety Program, ten percent of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in a fatal crash were distracted at the time of the crash. That age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted during a crash. Around 25 percent of teens respond to a text message every time they drive. When an individual looks at a text for five seconds, their ve-hicle can travel the length of a football field if they were travel-ing at 55 MPH. Anything can happen in five seconds. When someone checks their phone, their concentration is no longer on the road. All it takes is to be distracted for a few seconds for an accident to occur.

It can be difficult to resist the urge to check the phone while driving, but it is not impossible. Try turning off the ringer, put-ting the phone in the backseat or somewhere out of reach to help lessen the urge. Some phones are equpiied with a “Driving Mode” or “Car Mode.” Make sure to check it out some time while not driving. There are apps that are down-loadable to prevent a text from being sent or received when moving at a certain speed. If it is absolutely necessary to respond to a text message, pull off to the side of the road when it is safe and respond. Amber Deeter, a WVU Park-ersburg student, was recently in a car accident. She was sitting at a red light texting on her phone when she thought she saw the car in front of her start going. “I moved, they didn’t,” Deeter said. Luckily no one was hurt. Getting pulled over for texting

and driving can get expensive. In West Virginia, the first offense is $100 and just goes up from there. Texting is not the only dis-traction possible while driving. Eating and drinking, changing the radio station, reading a map and following a navigation sys-tem are some of the possible distractions. It is best to try and stay focused on the road as much as possible. Distractions can wait. Putting other people’s lives at risk is not worth that shade of lip-stick you just had to try on before you got home. In 2012, there were 3,328 people killed and an estimated additional 421,000 injured in crashes involving distracted driv-ers. Since the law was passed involving texting while driving, the fatalities have gone down, but it is still an issue. One text or call could wreck it all. Do not let the last thing you ever see be your cell phone. Save a life, turn off the phone.

9Number of Americans killed every day from motor vehicle accidents that involved dis-tracted driving, such as using a cellphone,

texting or eating.1 in 4

The probability that a motor vehicle crash involved a cellphone.

40%The percentage of teens who say they have been a passenger in a car whose driver used a cellphone in a way that put them in danger.

33%The percentage of U.S. drivers ages 18 to 64 who reported reading or writing text messages while driving in the previous month. In comparison, only 15 percent of drivers from Spain reported texting while

driving in the same period.341,000

Number of motor vehicle crashes in 2013 that involved texting.

4XHow much using a cellphone while driving

increases the risk of a crash.2

Number of seconds a driver can safely glance away from the road while operating

a motor vehicle.5

Number of seconds drivers take their eyes off the road to send a text message, on av-

erage.46

Number of states (plus Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands) where texting is

banned for all drivers, regardless of age.21 - 24

Age group most likely to send a text or email message while driving, according to a

2012 survey.

Stop the Texts, Stop the Wrecks

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg November 19, 2015Page 12

Student Q & A: Finals’ WeekHow Do You Handle the

Stress of Finals’ Week?

I wait until the last minute to get prepared. I try to study over all the material before

the test.

- Charles Barnes

I go outside to fish and walk around. I deal

with stress by go-ing outdoors.

- Dylan Skidmore

I try to stay as organized as I can. I also try

to make time to study.

- Emily Strickler

I get through it by going over

my materials for each class. I also play video games

to help release the stress and

tension.

- Haley StephensI try to look at that week one

step at a time, so I will not get over-

whelmed.

- Jessica Gainer

Life Lessons Are you living the life of your dreams or are you just going through the motions waiting to awaken from what seems like a living night-mare? Life’s challenges can be many and varied; however as undesirable as they may feel at the time that you are experiencing them, these same challenges may be the catalyst for great changes in your life. It is through your

challenges that you can best learn the most about yourself. Knowing where you are in need of assistance and where you have developed the skills to not only survive but to excel can be provide valuable life lessons.

You are not always in control of every aspect of your own life; however you are responsible for each and every decision that you make in response to your life’s experiences. Events and circumstances can just happen, sometimes for unknown reasons and sometimes as a result of choices that we make. Regardless of why you are experiencing personal life chal-lenges (anxiety, feelings of low self-esteem, diabetes, obesity, substance abuse, a target of domestic violence or bullying, get-ting behind in course work and the list just goes on and on with “your personal stuff” that can zap your physical and emotional energy), it is you who must make the decisions that can lead to a positive change.

It takes courage to follow your dreams and it takes courage to face your life’s nightmares. It also takes courage to ask for help when faced with challenges that result in unwanted feelings such as helplessness and hopelessness. Your college education can be a life altering experience, not just an academic one. If you find that you need help facing your personal life lessons and challenges, I ask you to consider the possible value of us-ing the services of a counselor.

PEACE!Kurt

K u r t ’ sC o r n e r

”“

“ “”

””