Volume 68 Number 10WVSU Yellow Jacket

First Copy Free April 20, 2010

YJ

“Sociology students relax in the Hill Hall Lounge”

-Achievement Gap Lecture Series page 2-Achievement Gap Lecture Series page 2

-Sports update pages 8 and 9-Social networking site causes a stir on campus page 4

“Sociology students relax in the Hill Hall Lounge”

-Sports update pages 8 and 9-Social networking site causes a stir on campus page 4

In This Issue:In This Issue:

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Campus News

ADVERTISE YOUR ORGANIZATION HERE!

WVSU Student Organizations get free advertisement through the Yellow Jacket Newspaper!

Have a meeting coming up? A fundraising or social event? Let us know and we’ll tell everyone else!

wvsuyj@gmail.com or visit our office in the Student Union room 214

Dr. Paul Mocombe, professor of sociology and philosophy at WVSU, and Dr. Carol Tomlin, senior lecturer and assistant professor at the University of Wolverhampton, UK, spoke to students on the topic of the black/white achieve-ment gap. Both professionals have done extensive research in this area and have been able to identify factors that have perpetuated this gap in various locations around the world.

One of the major factors that Mocombe cites is that of linguistics. The achievement gap in the state of Florida, which is key area of study for Mo-combe, has widened over the last twenty years. He points to the “mismatch of linguistic structure.” He said, “Language is the cause initially for the achieve-ment gap.” His studies indicate that there is an absence of an achievement gap between kindergarten and third grade. However by middle school “black youths were underachieving in areas dealing with grammar [as opposed] to their white middle class counter parts.” He also states that in regards to structural theory, the contemporary post-industrial economy has commoditized black inner-city culture thereby distracting black youth from academia. Mocombe cites a survey conducted by ESPN where 2000 students, one half of which was white and the other half was African-American, were asked what they hoped to be when they grew up. The white students responded that they wanted to be doctors and other professionals, while “all the black male students either wanted to be athletes or rappers.” He states that in the post-industrial economy these are the few suc-cessful images that are presented to African-American students.

Dr. Tomlin spoke of the achievement gap within the regions of the UK, India, Pakistan, Caribbean, and other European and Asian regions. Factors that contribute to her study not only include race but class and gender as well. She finds that schools that employ strong principals, “heads,” and place demands on their pupils and work well with them have a smaller gap in achievement.

Lecture highlights achievement gapLecture by Paul Mocombe and Dr. Carol Tomlin

by Lydia Withrow

The Daniel L. Ferguson So-ciological Society, also known as the Sociology Club, has revamped the lounge on the third floor of Hill Hall - Room 322.

Over the years the lounge gradu-ally lost its momentum and the room found itself reduced to a test taking space that carried virtually no aware-ness across college grounds. For many years only those passing by from ad-vising sessions were conscious of its existence.

Just recently, with the help of Sociology club members Mary Casto and Patti Harrison as well as Patti’s husband David Harrison, the Sociol-ogy lounge has fortunately found its footing again.

The revamped lounge includes new furniture and decorum that creates a welcoming spring-like atmosphere; ideal for conversing between students

Sociology Lounge Gets a Spring Makeover by Bryan Chin

and faculty members. Sociology students can gather to discuss social issues or just relax.

Daniel Leroy Ferguson Sr. taught

at WVSC for more than 40 years. Fer-guson served as Chair of both the Eco-nomics and Sociology Departments. He was the first dean of the college. He

also served as athletic director for 11 years. For more information on Daniel Ferguson check out the archives in the library or the new lounge.

Sociology Department Chair, Dr. Gail Mosby said, “The purpose of the lounge is not only to provide a retreat for Sociology majors, but to also sup-ply a repository for information per-taining to social issues and careers that are available in this particular field.”

“The lounge is no longer a test taking space, but a beautiful place for students to relax and enjoy socializing on campus,” said Patti Harrison, Vice-President of the club.

2nd Lt Daniel Leroy Ferguson WWI US Army 1917 - 1919

Lecture continued on page 10

The club will host a reception with refreshments in the

lounge on Wednesday, May 5, 2010

from 2:30-3:30.

Campus News

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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month,,there will be a “Take Back the Night” event to raise awareness on the seriousness of sexual violence.

The event will be held on Thursday, April 22nd, from 5:30 to 6:45 in the Student Plaza in front of Student Union.

If it rains, it will be held in Room 134 in Student Union. We will be having “free hot dogs and refreshments”.

“Sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking are serious issues on college campuses across the country. Our campus is no exception.

The violence will stop ONLY if you do your part. Learn about green dots and get involved.”

For more information contact:

Nola Willard, MA

Domestic Violence CounselorCollegiate Support and Counseling

West Virginia State University311 Sullivan Hall EastInstitute, WV 25112

(304) 204-4029

Zumba originated in Columbia, thanks to the creative genius of Beto Perez, an aerobics instructor who forgot his traditional work out music for class. In-stead he had to substitute his own personal listening music from his backpack and got lots of positive feedback. He then introduced this new form of aerobics to the United States when arriving in Florida in 2001. Fitness instructors all over the state of Florida embraced this new sensation and helped it spread worldwide.

One of the top Zumba instructors in the area is Ms. Debra Sizemore. She is the Zumba instructor for students registered to take Zumba as a class at West Virginia State University. She hails from Florida where she learned many ways to condition the cardio vascular system and has been doing so since the age of sixteen. She has taught classes for many years before bringing the wonderful world of Zumba to WVSU. She refers to Zumba as a way to have fun while keeping in touch with different cultural rhythms such as: Cumbia, Salsa, Meringue, Samba, Que Breda, Reggae ton, Calypso, Hip Hop, and Greek. “Ditch the treadmill. Join the party,” she said smilingly as if she was passing out slices of birthday cake.

Zumba is a great way to stay lean because of its fast pace, non-stop tempo. Ms. Sizemore ensures that each participant usually burns between seven hundred to nine hundred calories per hour in class. She also states that after a couple weeks most people begin to notice a change in their body’s appearance. “This positive body image is a great deterrent from negative behaviors such as drinking and smoking,” she says. Usually these are the top two behaviors that are counterproductive to the progress of the class. She also points out there are other health benefits as a direct result of the class, like lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels just to name a couple.

Because of all the wonderful benefits of Zumba it can never be started too early or too late. There are classes specifically designed for children and seniors. Ms. Sizemore suggests anyone interested in participating on those levels can find local class listings at www.zumba.com. Anyone wanting an introduction to what Zumba is about is welcome to participate in free classes held on Mondays here at WVSU in the Wilson Student Union. This class is open to the public at all ages and is not for academic credit. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the classes are instructed by Ms. Debra Sizemore in the gymnasium beginning at four a.m. and ending at five fifteen p.m., with a small break in-between music changes. No books are required, just athletic attire. It is a free elective two credit class. “Move fast, have fun” is Ms. Sizemore’s advice about the best attitude to have when taking the class. So remember to leave those boring stand still treadmills alone and join the party!

Backpacking Slacker Creates Fitness Crazeby Timothy Venning

Take Back the Night

Lecture continued on page 10

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Campus NewsIn recent years, the American

Public has not only witnessed some very impressive technological ad-vances, but has subsequently become consumed with the latest industrial accessories and online communities available in the United States.

One notable innovation is the online Facebook community that swept its way across the nation after its launch in February 2004, and has since accumulated over 130 million active users, surpassing its MySpace community competitor in April 2008. It is currently the most used online social network by worldwide monthly active users.

This social networking website is designed and ideal for messaging people such as friends and family, sharing photos, or updating personal profiles to notify acquaintances about personal changes and favorite hobbies, individual likes, and interests.

At first glance, it would appear

by Bryan ChinOnline Networking Takes a Turn for the worst

to be a fairly wholesome commodity. After all, one can actually restrict the privacy settings and consequently limit the personal network to that of only “friends,” and make it so that no one can add or view the private content on the webpage without consent from that person.

But one must never underestimate the adolescent antics from various us-ers within the Facebook community. A seemingly perfect condition is almost always determined to go awry. Simply put, nothing is so good it EVER lasts eternally.

Recent frolics from unidentified users have the rest of the online com-munity in a bit of a Facebook frenzy after multiple posts were made with of-fensive connotations in the last couple of months. Users have been arranging a “who vs. who” formatted webpage where they are pitting two persons on the West Virginia State University campus against each other in an at-tempt to unveil cruel and offensive conclusions that have no respectable credibility.

When loaded, the page displays two pictures placed side by side, each

one a student at W.V.S.U., and under-neath is an insulting caption that so far has been subject but not limited to titles like “Who is the gayer of the two? Who has the nicer butt? Who would you most like to sleep with? & Who do you think is smarter?”

However inappropriate all se-lected titles may be, the page may be considered deprecating and dehuman-izing to all parties involved and could only perpetuates the negative stereo-types that older generations have on the youth of America.

Note that by insulting and ridi-culing one another, people are being robbed of their humanity, and in turn, creating detrimental harm to their sense of self and personal identity. Make an effort to end harassment and bullying.

“I’m not concerned with your lik-ing or disliking me… All I ask is that you respect me as a human being,” Jackie Robinson.

Every eight years, the Social Work Program at WVSU undergoes a review by the Council of Social Work Education. Since its implementation in 1975, the program has been suc-cessfully “reaffirmed” thanks to the high achievement of the Social Work Department, which is chaired by Dr.

Health and Wellness Project at WVSUby Christine Agbanzo

Health continued on page 10

Brenda Wamsley. “In order to get a social work license to practice social work, you have to graduate from a program that is accredited” Dr Wamsley said. “That is why it is so important to maintain our accreditation.”

The department’s reaffirmation effort for the year 2009 gave birth to an alternative project called the Social Work Health and Wellness Project. “The HWP is an attempt to incorporate an umbrella of professional self-care into the curriculum of the school” Dr. Wamsley said. The project grew out of concern that, in focusing their energy on helping other people, social workers tend to neglect their own needs. Hence, the primary focus of the project, Dr. Wamsley said, is the health and wellness of students enrolled in the Social Work Program. “We encourage our students to be more physically active and to eat better.”

Several students came together to form the so-called “Student Wellness Committee” which functions as a collective brain power to suggest ideas on how to improve health behaviors among their peers. The committee issues mo-tivational posters designed to foster healthy lifestyles. Among others, the HWP coordinates physical activities such as “Group Walks” with students getting together to walk on campus, and “stair well projects” which encourage student’s use of stairs over elevators. On a broader level, the project also seeks to reach

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EditorialMaybe you’ve seen around cam-

pus the fliers with the strange headline “My God Is Better Than Your God.” How do you feel when you see that slogan? Does it make you uncomfort-able? Angry? Yesterday I saw where someone had written in angry pen on one of the fliers, “There is only one God, he just has many names.”

As president of the WVSU Uni-tarian Universalist Campus Ministry who put up those fliers, I just want to say that whoever wrote that addition to our fliers was right. Also, if you were angry or upset or confused at all by the message, then congratula-tions, because you got the point. As the paragraph below the slogan says, this is no way to talk about religion. And yet, isn’t that how most religious arguments break down? Why can’t people of all faiths and philosophies work together to find truth and mean-ing, and use their diverse points of view to come up with new ways to heal our world? If you agree, then consider

In the Communications program here at WVSU, there is one major require-ment after seven semesters. This is a 200 hour internship program. According to Professor Susan Marash-Minnerly, Chair of Communications, the internship is “something to give students the opportunity to work in the real world before they graduate.” Genuine experience is exceptionally important in any occupation so this is the main positive of the internship program, also Professor Marash-Minnerly said, “We have a lot of students who end up getting jobs with who they interned with.” This is also a major pro in the present job marketplace.

Becoming an intern involves an application process. Students are required to get an application from the Communications office; the application is essen-tially a composition on why you think the internship is significant. The faculty of the department reviews each application and individually approves or denies each applicant. The criteria are based on GPA, internship selected, and an essay with the application. The GPA requirement is a 2.75 and above, but what if a student does not meet this requirement? Prof. Minnerly’s explanation of the alternative to the internship “is to take an advanced class, only available if the faculty turns down your application generally due to GPA.”

On this line of reasoning, some students who are better in classes are re-quired to do the internship while others who don’t stand out in class are allowed to forgo the internship. This doesn’t seem like a bad deal for the high GPA stu-dents, getting the opportunity to experience an authentic work environment in

Is Your God Better Than Mine?Editorial by David Miller

Editorial by Tyler Riddle

Is the Communications Internship Program Fair for Everyone?

Clothes do not matternor my bodyor my heart.

It is my mind he wantsideas, theories…thoughts.

His voice dances in my ears through my head.

I feel my mind openeager to receive.

My body, my heart fade awayI am only hereCognitive Bliss

Intellectual Orgasm.

Poem by Patience DeWeeseThe College Experience

Internship continued on page 10

coming to our meetings.Unitarian Universalism is a re-

ligious movement that affirms every

individual human persons inherent worth and dignity, meaning all are welcome regardless of race, gender,

sexual orientation, or belief. We also believe in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning, so in our gather-ings you’ll meet Christians, Atheists, Jews, Buddhists, Pagans, and more. Whatever your personal faith (or lack thereof), if you are willing to share your search with us, and give support to ours, then we want you with us. At our meetings we seek ways to learn from each other, and look for oppor-tunities to live out our faith by helping heal our world. If you want more infor-mation, then join our Facebook group: “WVSU Unitarian Universalist.” Also, you can check out the website of our national association at UUA.org, or stop by Sunday morning at 11:00 to join our worship service at the Unitar-ian Universalist Church in Charleston, at 520 Kanawha Boulevard.

Wherever you are on your per-sonal journey, may you be blessed with an abundance of light, life, and love. Amen.

Health continued on page 10

Campus Events

Double Cherry blossoms outside East Hall Erickson Alumni Center

Students enjoy the Spring air while trekking to class

Students outside at Sullivan HallWVSU water tower photos by Katheryne Hawkins

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Campus EventsThe Long Show

April 1 - 22, 2010Della Brown Taylor Art GalleryD a v i s F i n e A r t s B u i l d i n g

April 1 - 22, 2010Della Brown Taylor Art GalleryD a v i s F i n e A r t s B u i l d i n g

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photos by Katheryne Hawkins

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Sports

The up and down season for the Lady Yellow Jackets ended March 1, 2010, in Fairmont. The women’s basketball team at West Virginia State University finished in 11th place in the WVIAC regular season standings. They drew the 6th seed, Fairmont State University, in the first round of the conference tournament. Because Fairmont State was the higher seed they had the honor of hosting the game in their home gym. The game started well for WVSU and they took a double digit lead into half time. Fairmont State came out on fire in the second half. They took their first lead midway through the second half and made their free throws down the stretch to hold

WVSU Women’s Basketball season comes to a closeby Scott Waggener

off the Lady Yellow Jackets and propel them into the second round.

Fairmont State eventually de-feated West Liberty to become the women’s 2010 WVIAC Tournament champions. This season was overall a positive one for the WVSU women’s

basketball team. They finished with a winning record (16-10) and produced a first team all-conference honoree, Alixandria Barnette. Barnette, a trans-fer from Marshall, helped her team achieve a winning season and scored 19.4 points per game. Barnette and

her teammates Danielle Davis, Tiffany Finkton, and Aisha Alleyne were the seniors and leaders of this team.

They leave behind a solid founda-tion for the program that Coach Renee Bostic is building here at WVSU. Coach Bostic just finished her second season as head coach. Bostic has been busy recruiting this spring and just signed two local high school stars, Dusti Chapman and Asia Greenleaf. WVSU has a lot of their core players coming back. With a few good addi-tions in recruiting, Coach Bostic looks forward to getting back to work next winter to try and achieve their goal of winning a conference championship.

As the buzzer sounded ending the game between West Virginia State University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania on March 14th, I had to take a deep breath at the end of one hell of a ride! Sure WVSU was eliminated from the Division II basketball tourna-ment in the second round by a tough and eventual DII tournament runner-up Indiana University; however, the thrill this year’s men’s basketball team gave us was monumental. Coach Bryan Poore’s 11th season at the helm of Division II powerhouse WVSU, he was able to lead the Yellow Jackets to a remarkable 29-4 season, WVIAC Tournament Champions, and runner-up in the loaded 16 team conference. Senior Darren “Doc” Jones ended his career at WVSU with numerous con-ference and region awards, recently participating in the NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star game in Spring-field, Mass., site of the DII Final Four this year.

The Yellow Jacket men entered the WVIAC Tournament as the #2 seed, and got off to a fast start March 2nd against Bluefield State, hammer-ing them 109-59 in Institute. Next, on Thursday at the Charleston Civic Center came Pitt/Johnstown, after a slow start, the Yellow Jackets were

Yellow Jacket men end Sensational Seasonby Bobby Miller

able to ride Junior Josh “Cookie” Miller’s NBA style play, producing 26 points, and Jones’ hard-fought 19 points, to escape with an 86-74 win. In the Friday night semi-final match-up against Alderson-Broaddus and DII All-American Terrell Eargle, Senior Jason Emerson showed why he has been the Yellow Jackets secret weapon the second half of the season, unload-ing six 3-pointers, including one to close the first half, allowing the Yellow Jackets to finish off AB, 90-65. This set up Saturday night’s championship

game against West liberty.From tip-off this game went back

and forth between the two-teams, with West liberty building a 15-point lead mid-way through the first half, only to watch the Yellow Jackets battle back before half-time to trail by only 3. The second half saw Emerson again step-up at the 3-point range, Junior’s Fred Harris and Will Collins take control underneath the basket, and senior Jones hitting the winning lay-up with 4 seconds remaining, giving the Yel-low Jackets a 108-107 wild victory,

the WVIAC Tournament Crown, and an automatic bid into the Atlantic Region of the Division II Tourna-ment. The Yellow Jackets travelled to the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, in Indiana, Pa., to take on East Stroudsburg University in the first round. The Yellow Jackets were able to defeat the Eastern Pennsylvania team, 89-79, lead by Emerson’s DII tournament record nine 3-pointers and 31 points. Harris went on a blocking terror, smacking away 3 in a row once, and Jones chipping in 19 points.

As mentioned, WVSU lost the following night to IUP, who lost the DII championship game to Cal-Poly. The Jackets were hampered by Miller’s ankle injury, (sustained in the championship game against West Lib-erty), and a very tall and talented IUP team, pushing the smaller, but quicker, Yellow Jackets to their physical limits. Coach Poores’ Yellow Jackets have much to be proud of; they managed to put a basically new ball team together at the beginning of the season, led by Jones, into a Division II contender. And if you think this year was exciting, wait until next year! Thanks to Coach Poore, Assistant Coaches Jason Slay and Matt Greene, and the entire Yel-low Jacket team for a memorable year!

Senior Darren “Doc” Jones - WVSU vs. Alderson Broaddus photo by Katheryne Hawkins

Coach Bostic and the WVSU Womens Basketball team photo by Katheryne Hawkins

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Sports

The softball season is in full swing and the West Virginia State team is sitting in seventh place in the conference. They are coming down the stretch of their grueling schedule. They have three more double headers before the WVIAC conference tournament starts on April 29th. Their record is 27-21 overall and 13-9 in conference play. Sophomores’ Brittany Hyatt and Kayla Sturms are leading the way for the Lady Yellow Jackets. Hyatt is batting .447 with three homeruns and 30 RBI. Sturms is batting .350 with three home runs and 35 RBI.

The ladies look to finish their regular season strong. They were picked in the preseason to finish in second place in the WVIAC and are slightly behind that pace. They reached the conference championship game last season and lost to Shepherd. Shepherd is sitting on top of the conference with another strong season so far. WVSU is 0-2 against Shepherd this season and did not score a run in either game.

WVSU has won their last six games by a total of 41-5 and all against conference opponents. They are playing well at the right time with the post season lurking.

Lady Jacket Softball Throw a Swinging Seasonby Scott Waggener

The WVSU Gridiron Committee is sponsoring a Fish Fry at Shawnee Park from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

in support of the Yellow Jacket football program.

Besides fish, the meal will include two side dishes and a desert.Come to Shawnee for the Fish Fry for some good food and you will have a chance to win a flat screen television.

WVSU Football Fish FrySaturday, April 24th

The West Virginia State Univer-sity baseball team is having a terrific season so far. They are 22-5 overall and 12-2 in conference play. Giving them the top spot in the conference with six double headers left before the WVIAC tournament starts on May 6th. The first regional rankings came out this week and it was full of WVIAC squads.

The WVSU baseball team is the highest ranked team in the WVIAC, currently #3 in the Atlantic region. The rest of the ranked WVIAC teams are #5 Seton Hill, #6 Concord, and #8 Wheeling Jesuit. WVSU has seven players batting .300 or better with at

WVSU Men’s Baseball Team Proves Determinedby Scott Waggener

least 30 at bats on the season. They score a lot of runs including a 21-6 victory against Ohio Valley on Sunday.

Bo Darby is batting .325 with

eight homeruns and 19 RBI. The se-nior Josh Bower is leading the team with a .376 average. He also has one homerun with 9 RBI and 10 stolen

bases. Also worth noting is a fantastic start for the freshman Garrett Kiser who is batting .353 in 68 at bats. The junior infielder Joey Jobst is also hit-ting the ball well with an average of .342 and 18 RBI.

Heading into the conference tournament, Coach Bailey has to be excited about the way his team is playing. He was concerned with the team’s lack of experience but that has not been a factor so far. The team has breezed through most of their schedule and look forward to a strong showing when they head to Pitt Johnstown for the Conference tournament in May.

After a long and successful winter of basketball, WVSU spring sports are well under way. Head Coach Cal Bailey, in his 32nd season as the Yellow Jackets Head Coach, referred to his squad as “young” at the beginning of the 2010 baseball season. It did not take long for the talented and gritty (and yes, young) Jackets to make their mark in the WVIAC. At press time they are 17-6 overall, 6-2 in the conference, and good enough to lead the Southern WVIAC division. The Yellow Jackets are led by senior’s Ryne Holstine and Josh Bower and 47 underclassmen on a 49 man roster. Look out next year! Along with baseball, the Lady Yellow Jackets softball season, led by Head Coach Bob Allen, is in full swing. The Lady Jackets are 24-20 overall, and 10-8 in the conference with just a few remaining games to playoff time. The team is led by Junior Margaret Osborne, sophomore’s Kayla Sturms and Brittany Hyatt, and freshman standout Poppy Ramey. Rounding out the spring sports season are the women tennis team, cur-rently ranked 6th in the Atlantic Region polls with a 13-7 overall record, and 12-6 in the region. Men’s golf, tennis and track and field are also under way, as well as women’s golf and track and field. Log onto wvsu.edu and click on the athletics link to get all scores, schedules, and news.

WVSU Spring Sports in Full Swingby Bobby Miller

Joey Jobst # 31 and his team prep for the game against WV Wesleyan. photo by Katheryne Hawkins

Yellow Jacket now hiring!to inquire for positions available email

wvsuyj@gmail.com

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Editor-in-ChiefMary Casto

Design Editor/Photographer Katheryne Hawkins

Ad ManagerBrett Mannon

Senior Copy EditorBrittani Stowers

Copy EditorLacy Kinsolving

Copy EditorScott Waggener

Copy EditorLydia Withrow

News EditorBryan Chin

Entertainment EditorWilliam Oldani

Opinion EditorSara Price

Sports EditorBobby Miller

Staff PhotographerMalcolm Bouldin

WebmasterRay Dolin

Office ManagerPatti Harrison

Faculty AdvisorDr. Robin Broughton

Office ContactsPhone: 766-3212

214 Wilson Student Union Institute, WV 25112.

EditorialYJTheYe l l o w

J a c k e t

On The Cover:

their field, but what if the student is required to work a full-time job elsewhere? Many of the students who attend WVSU are not only full-time students

but full-time employees as well; and many simply don’t have the remaining time after classes and work to do 13.3 hours a week of internship. Generally students at WVSU are on financial aid requiring a class schedule of a minimum of 12 hours (According to WVSU every hour in class is an hour out of class you should be studying). These students work 40 hours, and would be doing the internship for 13 hours. Adding up to 77 hours per week or 11 hours per day, this is still attainable for one semester, but what if a student is a head of household, has to care for children, or has any other number of responsibili-ties? In that circumstance, I guess the student shouldn’t have been so good in class and they would not be in this situation. That is the message that is sent to these students.

It is unfair to make some do and some not do the internship for the same degree. There are 3 reasonable options for fixing the issue: all Communications students do the internship, all students have the option to choose between the internship or the extra advanced class, or do away with the internship all together.

Internship continued from page 7

low-income families and help them develop healthy lifestyles. The Health and wellness project at West Virginia State University earned

critical acclaim at the 55th Annual Program Meeting (APM) held on November 6-9, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas. “Our program is highlighted on the website of the Council of Social Work Education,” Dr. Wamsley said. “For the last five years only sixteen of such programs have been approved. We have earned national recognition for that.”

The Social Work program at West Virginia State University is a four-year curriculum which prepares students for professional practice as social work generalists. Since its implementation in 1975, over six-hundred students have graduated from the SWP, serving in settings as varied as nursing homes, child welfares, healthcare, social justice programs, or pursuant of an advanced degree at other institutions. There are currently about one hundred students enrolled in the department.

For more information on the Social Work Program at WVSU, please call 304-766-3307.

Health continued from page 6

Sociology Club members Mary Casto and Patti Harrison relax in the freshly renovated lounge.

She also emphasizes the need for parental involvement. “Sixty-one percent of blacks come from single parent homes,” said Tomlin. Low parental academic achievement and low occupation are contributing factor in the achievement gap. She also says that parents who “navigate through the negative of racism” reduce the impact on the student’s education.

Lecture continued from page 2

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Entertainment

On Friday, March 12, 2010, I had the extreme pleasure to watch three WVSU student films at their premiere at the Capitol Theatre in Charleston. With-out a doubt, these filmmakers have great talent and I enjoyed their productions.

The first film, “Provident” was directed by Micheal Sydenstricker. The film was about theology and was directed toward the sacred belief of man versus theory of knowledge. It also mentioned science and how we should bring it together with theology and make peace within ourselves to incorporate the two as one. The cinematography was excellent and had a very engaging story and the use of lighting and angles were also top notch. Big thumbs up!

The second premiere, “Diary of An Aching Heart,” was directed by Miriam Kajomovitz and was a story of love, loss, and how the main character coped with it. I was very impressed with Miriam’s use of the camera; this film had a professional quality and an outsider would probably be surprised to know that it was in fact a student production. Sky is the limit for Miriam -- go get ‘em!

The third film, “Clockdown,” was Jan Bezouska’s production. It was extraordinary thanks to its awesome display of lighting, use of weather, sense of mystery, and the director’s ability to convey the story of being displaced. The short film is based on “Franz Kafka’s story”. I am very excited that we have Jan as a student film maker here and can’t wait to see more of his work!

This past Friday, 29 years after his original appearance, Perseus has once again battled his way into theaters. Sam Worthington plays an excellent role as the demigod Perseus sent to protect an oceanside city from an inevitable destruction. This film definitely delivered great entertainment and, unlike most remakes, lived up to the original.

The film is presented in 3D and although many moviegoers may have been excited by this, I must say it did not take full advantage of the potential that 3D offers. Personally, I feel that 3D tends to take away from the story by forcing directors to include shots simply for the 3D effect. However this film presented very few moments where it was evident that the film was even in 3-D.

The story begins with an aged fisherman who finds a floating casket that rises from the depths of the Mediterranean Sea. Further exploring the mysteri-ous box he finds an infant, still alive, cradled in the arms of a dead woman. The man, together with his wife, raises the child, Perseus, as his own. One day while out to sea, Perseus along with his father, mother, and baby sister, witness soldiers destroying a statue of Zeus. In retaliation Hades rises from the underworld and attacks the soldiers as well as the small family that were so happening bystanders. After viewing the death of his family, Perseus then goes on a quest to enact revenge on The Gods.

Remaking a classic is a risky move. There is much to live up to and at-tempting to add or remove elements could ruin all that has been worked for. In this case it was pulled off masterfully. There was even an appearance from the mechanical owl from the 1981 version. All though it was a very brief cameo it was a nice surprise for fans of the original Clash of the Titans.

This is a great film to see with the family offering fun and excitement for all. I give this film an outstanding 4 out of 5 yellow jackets. Check this one out while it is still in theaters.

I am not a fan of Twilight. Yes, I read the first two books before they were a tween sensation but no, I did not get addicted. Vampires are not human vegetarians; they are mysterious, dark creatures from the pages of Anne Rice. So it should come as no surprise that I dislike the movies.

I had the displeasure of watching both Twilight and New Moon and in both films, I cringed every time Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson shared the screen. Not because they are bad actors, but they lack chemistry. That, and Stewart looks like a deer in the headlights with her big eyes and open mouth, and Pattinson just looks like a creepy statue with moving eyes.

Although the Twilight series is amazing for their wallets and popular-ity, it’s not doing the actors any favors

Why Twilight Could be a Career Killerby Sara Price

for advancing their acting abilities. So far, the vampire roles seem to vary between only three emotions: “I love you,” “don’t eat me,” and “please

make me look like a walking corpse.” Recently, I watched the new re-

lease Remember Me, starring Robert Pattinson, and rented the year-old film

Adventureland, which stars Kristen Stewart. Both films are enjoyable and both Pattinson and Stewart are inter-esting to watch. The actors are very believable in edgier roles and their in-teractions with other actors are smooth and cohesive.

Both Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson show potential for becom-ing great actors, but they run the risk of only being known as Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. Just as it’s hard transitioning from child to adult actor, it’s equally hard going from an iconic tween franchise to respectable, mature actors. Stewart and Pattinson show promise but it’s hard to see if Twilight will be a career super-booster or a typecast nightmare.

A Night in Charleywoodby Billy Dillinger

Clash of the Titansby Bill Oldani

“Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position.” - Stephen King