ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

March 26, 2015 Volume #45 No. 10

Inside this Issue

Can Hunger Games, Page: 2

Comedy in Motion, Page: 3

The Coffee Bar Review, Page: 6

Homeless Vet Outreach, Page: 4

Concentration Workshop, Page: 7

Raising Tuition and Fees:by Sheena Thorn

Tuition rates may be increased for students starting in the fall semester. The WVU Parkersburg Board of Governors approved a request to ask the state for permission to have a 9 percent enrollment increase. It was stated that enroll-ment rates at WVU Parkersburg are down by 17 percent. Because the enrollment rates are down so significantly, Vice President of Finance and Administration Al-ice Harris advised and asked the board to raise the tuition and fees at the college. “This information needs to be presented to the students correctly,” said Bill Bell, the representative for the students at the Board of Governor meetings. If the tuition increase is approved at the state level, tuition for an associate’s degree will increase by $12 per credit hour and tuition for a baccalaureate will increase by $16.50 per credit hour. The Board of Governors brought the proposition to a vote. Everyone approved the request except Bell, the student represen-tative who also serves as Student Government Association presi-dent. Bell voted against it. April first is the deadline to submit an increase request and, if approved, the increase will be set in place for the fall semester. WVU Parkersburg is 14 per-cent below the average tuition

rate for technical and commu-nity colleges in West Virginia. “The needs are great. Costs are modest,” said Vice President of Students Services Anthony Un-derwood. Classes and degrees are of-fered in the “career ladder” method at WVU Parkersburg. This means, students can get a certificate, an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree at the college, working their way up the educa-tional ladder. In addition, the college re-ceives no funding for bachelor’s programs. “Raising the tuition would not be a barrier for most students to come to school,” explained Senta Goudy, executive director of the WVU at Parkersburg Founda-tion. Goudy stood before the board to announce that several scholarships are left untouched each year because students don’t have enough expense to receive federal aid to attend college and scholarships. Along with the tuition in-crease, fees for the college would be increased as well. Currently, the online tuition fee is $25 per course, which has brought in $100,000 in the past year. In-creasing this fee back to $75 has been deemed necessary to con-tinue funding the college. That fee is not used to pay Pearson for the use of the online course system. Students already

pay for that expense. Instead, the college accrues additional expenses, such as the salary for the director for the Center for Teaching and Technology, which oversees online learning quality issues. The graduation fee may also be reinstated. Students wish to have more family and friends come and support them at graduation, which may lead to having two graduation ceremonies. In order to pay for this, the graduation fee would be applied to students graduating that se-mester. One thing to note about fees is that some scholarships do not cover the cost of fees, only tuition. This leaves students hav-

ing to pay for fees out of pocket. Thus an increase in fees and incorporation of more fees may make paying for college more difficult on the student who does not receive federal financial aid. Scholarships are available to students through WVU Park-ersburg and through the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation. Stu-dents are encouraged to apply if the need for paying for school is something that cannot be achieved. “We are challenged to come up with enough money to run the college,” Harris said. “So maybe it is necessary to increase tuition rates and fees if students want to continue to receive an educa-tion.”

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg March 26, 2015Page 2

ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

News Editors: Candice Hoalcraft Kyle Nichols

News Reporting/Photography Staff: Kelly MatthewsJames Liebau IIJohn ScritchfeldJason Ross

Layout Editor: Hannah Duffield

Layout Staff:Kelly MatthewsErika DavisJessica FieldsRachael GantShalee LatheyJames Liebau IICandice HoalcraftMegan NewlandKyle NicholsTessa McAtee

chronicle@wvup.eduand find us on Facebook & Twitter

@wvupchronicle

Advisor: Torie JacksonAsst. Advisor: Olivia Reeder

Katelyn BunchRussell BunnerBrenna CatherChelsea ClarkAmber DeeterAmie LukasiakMackenzie NestorJohn Scritchfield Sheena ThornMegan Valentine

Sheena ThornShalee LatheyErika Davis

Volume 45Produced by students of WVU Parkersburg

by Sheena Thorn Calling all WVU Parkersburg students, groups, organizations and divisions. The PR Writing and Case Studies class, in col-laboration with the Veterans Resource Center, is hosting a Can Hunger Games obstacle course on April 15, during stu-dent engagement hour. In order to raise awareness of and donations for the Riverhawk Nest, the campus food pantry, the PR class decided this would be a fun way to get student and faculty participation. Groups, organizations and divisions throughout the college may submit teams of four people to participate in the event. There is no limit to how many teams may be submitted. If any stu-dents who are not involved in a group, organization or division wish to participate, they may also submit a team consisting of four people. Each team of four must have a team name, so feel free to get creative while still being school appropriate.

To be eligible to participate, it is required that each team of four donate a minimum of 20 non-perishable food items (5 items per person). Donations are to be made in full, that is all donated items brought at once, when reg-istering the team or on the day of the event. Items to be donated are not to be left in the drop off locations throughout campus. Donations a r e t o b e brought to room 2201 if the team w i s h e s t o donate them before the day of the event. Teams can r eg i s -ter in room 2 2 0 1 a s well , unt i l April 15 by 10:45 am. At the time of registration, teams will need to provide their team name and a list of four participants. Also when register-

ing, teams will sign a waiver of consent stating that each of the members agree to perform the obstacles, the team members are of a healthy physical state to be going through the obstacle course and students are respon-sible for any injuries that may occur to them. The VRC is coming up with a fair but challenging course con-sisting of four to six obstacles

t h a t e a c h team mem-b e r m u s t c o m p l e t e in order to m o v e o n to the next o b s t a c l e . T h e o n l y time limit is the time in w h i c h t h e event wi l l

take place. The obstacle course will be on the soccer fields be-hind the cafeteria. The PR Writing and Case Studies class urges everyone to

May the Cans be Ever in Your Favorand supplies to those in need around the WVU Parkersburg campus. For more information, contact chronicle@wvup.edu.

at the Can Hunger Games

April15th

11 a.m.

come out and participate in this event. Donations are all going to The Riverhawk Nest so that it may continue to provide food

Culinary Institute Gives Students Real-World Experience

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgMarch 26, 2015 Page 3

by Jason Ross Thanks to cable channels like the Food Network, the Travel Channel, CNN and USA bringing viewers shows like the Iron Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, Parts Unknown and Chopped, the once underworld of life in a commercial kitchen is gaining popularity and attention. However, l ike most things on television, the world of restaurant life is not always quite as glamorous in real life. Behind every 30 seconds of broadcasting lie hours and hours of prep work that the camera does not cover. That is one lesson that Chef Gene Evans is teaching the students at WVU Parkersburg’s Culinary Institute. The Culinary Institute opened its doors in the spring semester of 2013 and has been improving ever since. The program gives students a wide range of culinary skills beginning with the basics. A typical day would begin with lecture time in the morning followed by lab in the afternoon. Students learn such things as sanitation and health, proper knife handling techniques, how to properly clean equipment, t i m e m a n a g e m e n t , a n d organization. The students also learn the chemistry behind the foods like how sugars or acids break-down and how different tastes interact. They will be introduced to all kinds of interesting ingredients and recipes from all over the world. The program offers a choice between a one-year certificate or a two-year degree in Applied Sciences. “There’s always something new out there, you can never learn enough in this place,” said David Suttle, one of the culinary students. “I love it. I absolutely love it.” Aside from teaching students the key skills required to gain employment with higher-end restaurants, Chef Evans has a vision to incorporate the Culinary Insti tute into the

downtown culture. With the Institute strategically located on Market Street in the Downtown District, the potential exists for participating in the re-vitalization of the district. “This whole block here and the next block down, we have such a potential to become a multicultural place. You have the Art Center right here on the corner, the Actors Guild right across the street… that starts your art and culture. This should be a multicultural district.” Evans explained, “I mean, across the street have a nice Pan-Asian restaurant, down the street have an Ethiopian, have another Latin American… maybe a Thai or Vietnamese, something to bring some culture. That way people have a reason to come downtown.” Evans is also collaborating with Diversified Agriculture Instructor Hans Straight to put the foods grown in the Agriculture program to good use. “Hans is a high energy, very progressive thinker,” Evans said. “I’m pretty progressive in the way I want to do things, too, so it’s a good match.” The co-op would allow the two programs to work closely together. “I want to take my students out to the farm so they can see what goes into the growing of the food, and have the Ag students come here so they can see the final product. Because they put in all the hard work on the front end, I want to be able to show them all the hard work we put in on the back end to sort of tie it all together.” “I wanted to take a little bit more of a farm-to-table approach to the food. One, because it is still one of those restaurant trends that you see. And two, for the viability of the local economy it is important that students understand that if they look hard enough there are local producers that are able to satisfy their restaurant’s needs.” Evans explained, “Overall we’re strengthening community.”

The students of the culinary program get to put their newly developed skills to test in some real-world scenarios. One way is by preparing the meals for WVU Parkersburg’s e m p l o y e e a p p r e c i a t i o n luncheons. The students do everything from setting up the dining area, preparing and serving the meals, and washing the dishes at the end. The culinary students will also be traveling with Chef Evans to Roanoke, W.Va. to participate in the Annual Culinary Classic at Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park. The event will be held on March 6 through 8 a t the Stonewall Resort. Several local restaurants in the area will be participating in the event, as well as several of the state’s culinary schools. Evans stated that he has been growing his network of local chefs and restaurant managers since he arrived in Parkersburg. At times these professionals call him to see if he has any promising students. “While a lot people don’t know we exist, the people who really matter are the ones calling me to see if I have anyone interested in a part-time job or to help with catering and that sort of thing.” He went on to say, “We’re just creating a pipeline. We wanted to be a feeder system for the restaurants around here.” Evans reminds his students that they will not become chefs overnight. Even though they will have a degree in the culinary arts it takes years of serving in restaurants doing all the tedious, behind the scenes work before they are given that title. He tells them that the degree or certificate they earn will open the doors to make that possible. It will be up to them to prove they have the drive to go all the way. To keep up wi th what ’s happening with the Culinary Institute go like their page at www. facebook .com/pages /WVU-P-Culinary-Academy.

by Kelly Matthews Are you looking for some fun entertainment? Look no further. The Distin-guished Performance Series at WVU Parkersburg is presenting Dan Kamin starring in Comedy in Motion on March 26 at 7:00 p.m. Dan Kamin performs world-wide for theatres, arts festivals and symphony orchestras. He created the physical com-edy sequences for the movies Chaplin and Benny and Joon; training Robert Downey Jr and Johnny Depp for their acclaimed performances in said films. Kamin started out at twelve years old entertaining children at birthday parties. He went on to attend Carnegie Mellon Univer-sity to study industrial design. However, he changed his life plan when he saw the eye popping illusions practiced by master mime Jewel Walker. Ka-min then became Walker's new apprentice. The silent films of Charlie Chaplin and his contemporaries motivated Kamin. He soon started touring the country with his own original show Silent Comedy..Live! Kamin has also written mul-tiple books - one called Charlie Chaplin's One Man Show that

reveals the secrets of Chaplin's comic art, and most recently The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin: Art-istry in Motion. It explains how he trained Robert Downey Jr in his Oscar-nominated perfor-mance in Chaplin. Recently, Kamin has toured solo throughout America per-forming Comedy Concertos with many symphonies includ-ing those in Atlanta, Cleveland, Shanghai, Singapore, and many others. K a m i n a l s o d e v e l o p s , produces, and performs pro-g r a m s f o r c o r p o r a t e a n d educational clients, ad agencies, community groups, and gov-ernmental organizations. He is adept at bringing the magic of theatre into the most unlikely settings. Kamin will be performing in the College Activities Center at 7 p.m. on March 26th. He will also be performing the next eve-ning on March 27th at 7:30 in the Smoot Theatre on 5th Street in Parkersburg. Tickets for Comedy in Motion at WVU Parkersburg are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets are available for students to buy in advance for $2 at the Business Office. Prices vary for his performance at the Smoot Theatre.

Comedian to Perform Tonight

Promotional Posters for Dan Kamin's performance that are posted in the hallways of WVU Parkersburg.

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg March 26, 2015Page 4

by Jason Ross In a letter to John Adams written in 1816 Thomas Jef-ferson said, “I believe…that every human mind feels plea-sure in doing good to another.” The members of WVU Park-ersburg’s Veterans Corps are becoming quite familiar with that feeling. The students involved with the Veterans Corps are constant-ly seeking ways to improve the lives of those who have served in the Armed Forces, both on and off campus. The Veterans Corps is gear-ing up for a homeless veterans outreach fundraiser to be help on Apr. 29 in the Veterans’ Resource Center at WVU Park-ersburg. Like last year, they will sell smoothies to help raise these funds. The smoothies, which

by Shalee Lathey Among the home of the brave and land of the free, WVU Park-ersburg strives to make veterans feel right at home. Student vet-erans make up a large portion of the campus community at WVU Parkersburg. To honor individuals’ services and sacrifices for our country, the maintenance crew is creating an outdoor landscaped area spe-cifically for student veterans. The Veterans Center at WVU Parkersburg is forever evolving, and creating new opportunities for student veterans. Maintenance is planning to build the landscaped veteran area outside of the Veterans Center. “There are 464 veterans enrolled here, this area will serve a large population of well deserving stu-dents,” said Director of Facilities

and Grounds, Dave White. This is going to be a spring project for the maintenance crew, and will take about two mainte-nance workers to complete the project. The proposal of the outdoor landscape contains a variety of greenery that surrounds the con-crete area. This designated area is to be equipped with ornamental grass that costs $149.97, this ensures a vibrant greenery with little up-keep. A 5 feet flowering cherry tree $95.16, a 3 feet knockout rose tree $78.95, a 8 feet flower-ing pear tree $79.75, boxwood shrubs $335.60, a retaining wall block to keep the area separated $1,499.43, 15 gallons plant con-tainer $49.95, 5 gallons plant container $68.90, top soil $1,842

and marble stones $895.56. This project is funded by the WVU Parkersburg Foundation, costing approximately $5,095.27 to complete. With weather permitting, the goal for this project is to be com-pleted by May 1. “It would be nice to have it completed before graduation, because many people are around the outside areas at that time,” said White. There are other outdoor ar-eas for socialization created for faculty and students, but this particular area is unique because it is reserved just for the veteran community. This area will serve as a peaceful and relaxing getaway in between classes. WVU Park-ersburg wants to give back to student veterans who have gra-ciously fought for our country.

A bin to place used clothes and shoes to help the veterans.

Homeless Veteran Outreach Raises Awareness and Aidare a blend of frozen fruits, yogurt, and milk helped the Vet-erans Corps raise over $300.00 last year. Last year the Veterans Corps compiled twenty-five bags full of hygiene products for dis-bursement to veterans and their families who are less fortunate. This year's goal is to provide clothing for homeless veterans and their families. They will be receiving clothing donations on campus from now until the Apr. 29 event. According to one estimate, ap-proximately 27 veterans in our area do not have a secure loca-tion to call home. Donation barrels are being placed on campus for new or gently used clothing items of all shapes and sizes. Two of the collection barrels are being placed in the main

building and one in the Caperton Center. The veterans are asking for students, faculty, and staff to bring any new, or gently used, clothing articles to the campus. They are tying this together with a spring clean-out idea where people can free-up extra room in their closets and storage by loading clothes they have not worn for a while. The Veterans Corps is also seeking volunteers to help with the sorting and folding of the do-nated clothing on or around the time of the event. They will be needing approxi-mately four students or faculty who would like to experience the pleasure of helping others to vol-unteer for this event. If interested in volunteering, please contact Justin Williamson at jwilli45@wvup.edu.

New Landscaping Project Honors Veterans

The new project will be located outside the Veterans Center.

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg Page 5March 26, 2015

by Kelly Matthews The Sigma Omega Chapter was awarded and recognized during the 2015 Virginia/West Virginia Regional Convention held March 6-8 at Tidewater Community College in Chesa-peake, VA. The honors included: Distin-guished Regional Chapter, Five Star Chapter Designation,Distinguished Honors in Action Project: Exploring the Natural Environment, C4 Completion Corps Award- for excellence in C4 College Completion Drive, Distinguished Officer Team Award (Daniel Najar as presi-dent, Chelsea Johnson as Vice President of Leadership, Cara McIntyre as Secretary, Deberah Hart as Vice President of Schol-arship) Distinguished Chapter Officers; Daniel Najar, president and Cara McIntyre, secretary. Distinguished Chapter Member: Sarah Stewart and the Horizon Advisor Award to Marie Butler. Debbie Crites was also recog-

by Shalee Lathey To land a career, preparation is key. Career Services is pro-viding career resource tools to enable students to feel more pre-pared. Several events are in place for career readiness and oppor-tunities for WVU Parkersburg students. Students are encouraged to create an account on LinkedIn, a business-oriented social network-ing account. It is a tool designed for find-ing jobs, discovering sale leads and connecting with potential employers. Students are encour-aged to create a profile, and start building professional relation-ships by logging on to: https://www.linkedin.com/ On April 8 in the WVU Park-ersburg cafeteria, a LinkedIn photo booth will be displayed for students to take photos for per-sonal profiles from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. A p ro fess iona l pho to i s sure to add character and an added selling point for potential employees. Employers seek pro-fessionalism when searching for potential employees. Along with the LinkedIn photo booth, there will be a table with College Central Network (CCN) information from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Questions and additional information will be provided by Career Service coordinators, Jen-nifer Randolph and Kia Hoops. CCN is an interactive resource that links business employers

nized for serving as the Regional Honors Chair for the 2013-2014 year. Cara McIntyre, who received her AA in General Education this past December, was inducted as a member to the Virginia Region Alumni Association. Advisor Marie Butler, states, "With this being my first time attending the Virginia/West Vir-ginia region's convention, I was thrilled with the honors that we received. Sigma Omega is repre-sented by a wonderful group of students, and to be recognized on a regional level, competing against 47 other chapters, is a considerable feat", she said. "I'm also happy we had a large delegation travel to this year's convention to accept the awards on behalf of WVU Pakersburg." Those in attendance at this year's Regional Convention include the following: Debbie Crites, Nozanin Rakhmatova, Mary Onyekwere-Eke, Advisor Marie Butler, Regina Goodwin

specifically to students at WVU Parkersburg. The resource provides job readiness, resume templates, tips and job listings. Students are encouraged to sign up and create a profile by logging on to: http://www.colleg-ecentral.com/wvup/ On April 10, government agen-cies are hosting a hiring fair for potential employees at WVU Parkersburg. The fair will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This fair is sponsored by the Association of Government Ac-countants (AGA), and is opened to both WVU Parkersburg stu-dents and the public. The Bureau of Fiscal Services is holding resume presentations for applying to Federal positions. O p e n i n g r e m a r k s a n d overviews of the Bureau’s in at-tendance will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. This govern-ment agency is holding resume building skills twice throughout the day. The Bureau of Fiscal Services and other government agencies are seeking a large number of employees, it is important for po-tential employees to be prepared. Students should dress profession-ally and bring a paper copy of a resume. Take advantage of all Career Services resources by visiting the Career Services Center 1013B in the banana wing. Call (304) 424-8380, or email careerservices@wvup.edu.

and Cara McIntyre. Phi Theta Kappa was founded in 1910 and is the official honor society for two-year colleges. The campus Sigma Omega Chapter meets the second Wednesday and fourth Monday of every month and is currently recruiting new members in antic-ipation of its Spring '15 induction ceremony. This can provide op-portunities for individual growth for students as well development through participation in honors, leadership, service and fellow-ship programing. Interested students must cur-rently be enrolled at WVU Parkersburg, have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point aver-age and have completed 12 credit hours of an Associate Degree course work. For more information on becoming a member, contact chapter advisors Marie Butler at mbutler1@wvup.edu, or Andrew Pochus, Dianne Davis, Violet Mosser or Alita Sellers.

the Sigma Omega ChapterReceives Statewide Honors

New Job Opportunities With Career Services

Members who attended the convention on behalf of WVU Parkersburg.

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg March 26, 2015Page 6

by Jason Ross O n F e b . 2 3 , d o w n t o w n Parkersburg became home to a new and unique small business. The Coffee Bar, located in the Erickson Building at 412 Market Street, offers locals entrance into the burgeoning world of craft coffee. Zak and Amy Huffman were inspired to open the shop in Parkersburg after doing some extensive traveling in 2014. During their travels they saw how advanced t he co ff ee industry was in Europe and other areas. “Especially in New York and San Francisco more than anywhere, we saw the whole third wave coffee movement, and it was something that really interested us,” Stated Zak Huffman. “Once we tasted that coffee for the first time, it ruined us for all other coffee.” A sign hanging on the wall in shop explains what third wave coffee is, “The third wave of coffee refers to a current movement to produce high-quality coffee, and consider coffee as an artisanal foodstuff, l i k e w i n e , r a t h e r t h a n a commodity. This involves improvement at all stages of production, from improving coffee plant growing, harvesting, and processing, to stronger relationships… between coffee growers, traders, and roasters, to higher quality and fresh roasting, at times called ‘microroasting’ (by analogy with microbrew beer), to skilled brewing.” T h e m a i n t h i n g t h a t distinguishes this third wave craft coffee from the coffee customers are accustomed to purchasing at other popular coffee houses and drive-throughs is the grade of the coffee itself.

The Huffman’s main objective is to educate their customers in the nuances of craft coffee. “To educate them on the craft of coffee, that there are actually different grades of coffee. People don’t really know that coffee is actually graded,” Huffman said. The Coffee Bar uses only grade-1, organic beans for their coffees and espressos. Their bolder roast coffee is from Brazil, and has undertones of chocolate, molasses, and sweet cream. Their lighter roast arrives from Ethiopia and has undertones of blueberry, dark chocolate, and citrus. These coffees are “direct-trade,” which means they come directly from the growers in Ethiopia and Brazil to the Huffman’s business partner Trent Fannin in Columbus, OH who then prepares the beans for roasting. The Fannin utilizes a “small-batch” roasting process, only roasting a couple batches at a time. Because of this, he is able to give each batch more attention, much like teachers can give students more of their time in a small classroom. Additionally, much care is given to way the coffees are brewed. The company has three styles of brewing to choose from. The first is a more traditional drip style brew. The drip brew is made in smaller batches than typical coffee houses, usually only 5 cups at a time, and is brewed hourly. Another brew style is the pour-over brew. In this process the beans are ground fresh for each cup and hot water is introduced s lowly over an individual cup. The acid is reduced by approximately 45% in this process; giving the cofee a fresh, clean flavor.

The third style of brew is the classic French-press method. This style gives off the boldest flavor and may give off a grainy texture. Upon visiting the Coffee Bar one will find some signature drinks like the “Goldie Hawn,” or the “John Wayne”. You will also find specialty food made fresh daily with only the best ingredients. The Coffee Bar is also is a nice place to hang out. They offer free Wi-Fi, a variety of attractive a n d c o m f o r t a b l e s e a t i n g arrangements, and soothing music. They have special events like movie night, date night, and poetry night. Another unique amenity is the Coffee Bar’s delivery service. Deliveries are available for a minimum order depending on the distance traveled, with free deliveries to locations on Market Street. Huffman showed appreciation for everyone who supports local businesses. Their mission statement includes attributes such as community over corporate, quality over convenience, and quality over cost. “We’re certainly never going to do something just because it is cheap. Everything is going to be premium, everything you get,” Huffman declared. Huffman plans to open a sister store in Marietta at some point in April. The store will be located at 215 Front Street and will give Marietta College students an alternative place to enjoy quality coffee while they study. The hours of operation for the Coffee Bar are from 7a.m. till 9p.m. Monday through Friday. The Coffee Bar is closed on the weekends. You can find them on Facebook or call (304) 900-3492 to place an order.

The Coffee Bar Staff at working hard How The Coffee Bar steeps the coffee

The wide variety and affordable menu offered at The Coffee Bar during the weekdays

The Coffee Bar's friendly staff at work Some of the pastries at The Coffee Bar

The Coffee BarThe Third Wave Coffee Movement Makes its Way to the Mid-Ohio Valley

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgMarch 26, 2015 Page 7

by Kelly Matthews Where do you study? What is going on around you while you do schoolwork? These factors can affect your retention of the material as discussed in the Fo-cus and Concentration workshop with Pamela Santer on March 11th. Santer started off the workshop with a student reading from a piece of paper while she made distracting noises. The student was able to read, but stated after-ward that she didn’t understand what she had read. Santer suggested many tech-niques as ways to improve ones focus and concentration. Santer also pointed out that “white noise,” a constant hum-

ming, that can be created by a noise machine or fan is a great way to drown out other noises around. The way you sit, what you have in your mouth and the way you think are also factors in fo-cusing and concentration. Using a ball chair that allows you to sit up straight and move a little will help. Wedges and disks are another option to put on your chair. These help again for posture and movement and are available for checkout with Santer in the aerobics room. Chewing gum is another trick to keeping your concentration on track. Peppermint gum has been proven to be the best at helping to focus.

Another tip to help focus is exercise. Taking a walk or run-ning, jumping jacks or zumba are a few ideas of doing cardio. Doing cardio before studying can bring your mental state into one of relaxation which in turn helps to concentrate. Breathing techniques are an-other way to center your thoughts in preparation of studying. A list of several breathing techniques can be obtained by Santer in her office. Thinking positively and seeing the end result can do wonders for completing the task at hand. When a bump in your study time arises, think of 5, study for 5 more minutes, complete 5 more problems.

by Candice HoalcraftAmong the dozens of novels with themes of teenage angst, none are quite so compelling as the controversial story of Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s ‘The Catcher in the Rye.’ Whether their feelings be expressed in music, poetry or novels, some of the most difficult years in a person’s life can pro-duce some of the greatest pieces of literature. This novel is the prime example of that. Caulfield finds himself in a dif-ficult place when he gets kicked out of yet another private school. After attending (and failing) at several other schools, he is not sure which direction to go next.

In hopes of avoiding his family for a few days, Caulfield leaves school early and experiences a taste of what the ‘adult’ life is like. After a dispute with his room-mate, he decides to leave for New York City. During this trip, Caulfield faces loneliness, feelings of nostalgia and the pressures that most people go through at some point in their lifetime. With Caulfield as the narrator, the reader is able to absorb some of the raw emotion that comes with such feelings. During his exciting and some-times dangerous experiences, he often finds comfort in thinking of friends and family. It is obvious

that Caulfield’s character is not one to build relationships with people. However, those small, and sometimes unhealthy rela-tionships end up being a solace for him. This aspect of the novel is interesting because in life, we may not always realize the im-portance of the people we come into contact with. Before reading the book, I knew that it was on the list of novels that were banned in schools. I did some research and found that some thought it was too ‘rebellious’ for young minds. I could not disagree more. This classic novel holds moral value and teaches many life lessons.

Another way to clear your mind and help with focusing and concentration can be found in the aerobics room during mid terms and finals and that is the Laby-rinth. The Labyrinth is a large mat that you can walk through to center your mind and body which in turn can have calming effects that help to focus and concen-trate. Walking the Labyrinth is a rewarding experience that dates back to 3500 BC There is no right or wrong way, just your way and your experience. Santer can help in a variety of ways to calm the mind and help with focusing and concentration including a yoga class that she

teaches. For more information on these ideas, checking out a wedge or disk to sit on, walking the laby-rinth or taking her yoga class, contact her at pamela.santer@wvup.edu or stop by her office.

Labyrinth example

Quote from the Book "Catcher in the Rye"

Catcher in the Rye: The Classic Novel Still has Value

Focus and ConcentrationWorkshop provides tips and tricks

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 8 March 26, 2015

by Sheena Thorn It seemed impossible. Hungry, cranky and completely adjust-ing the way I ate was something I could not seem to make it through. I did, though, and I feel so much better because of the choices I made. My goal for going Paleo was not to lose weight but to simply make sure everything I was eat-ing and putting into my body was the best choice for my health. Paleo took dairy, bread and processed foods out of my diet. I did not realize how much of what I was eating fell into each of those categories. No milk, ice cream, bread, cake or eggs. Most importantly, for me, no cheese. As hard as it was at first to consciously make these diet choices (and trust me I love bread and cheese), it be-came second nature after week two. It is said that if someone performs the same actions day after day, after 18 days it will become second nature to you. This is something I can now firmly attest to. Giving up everything I had grown accustomed to in my diet was difficult. It made me irri-table, tired and sometimes I was downright mean. Bless those, like my family, friends and boy-friend, who had to witness my struggle. It seemed that I would always find myself hungry during the first week. It was hard to see, through my blinding hunger and cravings, where I was going wrong. I was eating all the right

things, I was eating frequently and I tried not to cheat. Even-tually, it occurred to me that protein was what I needed. With that in mind, I made sure to have some form of Paleo approved protein every time I ate. In the first few days, I focused on eating more fruit and veg-etables that are Paleo acceptable. I, therefore, could not eat white potatoes in any kind of form. Does anyone know what kind of torture it is to witness your family eating creamy, buttery, whipped potatoes while eating mashed cauliflower? It was more than painful. As time passed, though, I grew to like the elements I was substituting in my diet. I can now proudly say that I will toler-ate a Brussel sprout every once in a while, but still preferably never. All jokes aside, at least I can say that I tried it and, push comes to shove, I will eat them if I have to. I am mostly hoping, though, that I will not have to. I learned about all the good fats that are out there in the culinary world that are Paleo approved. Avocado being one of them I used it as a substitute on everything when and where I could. Not only was this the most delicious, mouth-watering diet choice I was able to make, you can literally put avocado in anything and it will make it taste better. Thanks to my Paleo Pinterest board, I was able to make avo-cado muffins, cookies, and bread that, yes – would have been

better with all the sugar and lard – but still ended up tasting pretty yummy. The PaleoLeap.com website helped keep me motivated and on track with this diet and so did the Paleo Central app that I downloaded for .99 cents in the app store. I was supplied with daily tips, tricks and pieces of advice from others who have gone Paleo as well as diet ex-perts. I exercised three or four times a week for thirty minutes or whatever amount of time I could set aside for myself. I managed to drop a whopping five pounds in the 30 days I participated in this diet. Again, weight loss was not my goal in doing this. I simply wanted to feel better about what I was eat-ing and putting into my body. Since my 30 days are over, it is not mandatory that I stick with this diet. However, I do be-lieve that when and where I can, I will continue to make health conscious decisions and make Paleo recipes because they are tasty and there are so many food options out there that are good for you. My overall review for going Paleo? Have strong willpower. Do it and stick with it because you will see a great change in your health, even after only 30 days. It was worth it for me to try this and see how it worked, and I think it would be worth it for those who want to try a diet that does what it says it will do.

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Should you take the "leap?"