ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

April 17, 2014 Volume #44 No. 11

Inside this Issue

Tuition Increase, Page: 3

Reflections on Iraq, Page: 6

Visit to Antarctica, Page: 7

Harlem Orchestra, Page: 10

by Candice Hoalcraft As the college community bids adieu to one President, another one rises. WVU Parkersburg’s Student Goverment Association organiza-tion held elections last week to implement their new President and Cabinet. Tyler Ohrn, current SGA President, will be succeed-ed by former Freshman Senator Ryan Garrett. Garret shares his goals and en-thusiasm about his term in office. His main focus is an outreach to students in hopes of receiving more feedback from the student body. Garrett’s experience with the SGA began at freshman orienta-tion where he spoke to Ohrn about the organization. After attending a meeting, he knew it was something in which he want-ed to be involved. “I like how they’re involved. We actually do something for the students and help out the school. SGA provides students with the op-portunity to be involved, which is ideal,” Garrett said. Another rewarding aspect of SGA is the opportunity to obtain and develop leadership skills. As a marketing and management major, Garrett will have the op-portunity to uphold a leadership role that will enhance his future endeavors. “It puts you in a posi-tion where you have to hear the

concerns of other people because it’s not about me,’’ Garrett said. “Politics get too caught up with it being about the person, and that’s not what it is.” Garrett also explained the im-portance of learning to recognize talent, which is also a quality of someone in a leadership role. “As a leader, I believe it’s impor-tant to cultivate independence in

order to allow individuals to fully utilize and further develop their skillsets,” Garrett said. After winning the elections, Garrett felt nothing but excite-ment and looks forward to what is in store for the future of the college. One of his goals is to become involved with the Park-ersburg parade next year, among many others.

New SGA President Focuses on Student Involvement

His major focus is to encour-age students’ involvement by building a better platform for reaching students more success-fully by doing things such as conducting surveys. “It’s unfair to make a decision in a room amongst 10 people for the voice of the students, if we don’t know what the students are saying.” Garrett said. Now that the elections are over, the planning phase will be taken into effect. Prepara-tions will include meeting with students and staff, and working with Vice President of Student Services Anthony Underwood and the Cabinet to come up with ideas of how to enhance our students’experience. The mechanics of SGA revolve around the decisions and views of the students. If students have an issue, it is the officer’s job to present an argument to the Board of Governors, which will then vote on the subject. Without feedback and opinions from the students, nothing will change or improve. Garrett offers an invitation to anybody who is interested in be-coming involved in the Student Goverment Association. “We have a lot of power as students and we don’t always re-alize it,” Garrett said. “We need more involvement to exercise that authority.”

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgApril 17, 2013 Page 3

ChronicleThe

at WVU Parkersburg

News Editor: Jeremy HarrisonAsst. News Editors: Justina Morris & Candice HoalcraftNews Reporting/Photography

Staff: Kyle Nichols Cora TiddShelby ThomasDaniel JacksonJason RossErika DavisRachael GantWhitney Liotti

Layout Editor: Corrissa WilliamsAsst. Layout Editor: Macie LynchLayout Staff: Shelby ThomasJeremy Harrison Jessica ThompsonTessa McAteeMacie LynchHannah DuffieldCandice HoalcraftCarle StewartMegan ValentineTia GoodrichAmanda HendricksTonya MarksBreyer White chronicle@wvup.edu

and find us on Facebook & Twitter@wvupchronicle

Advisor: Torie Jackson

Jacob AdkinsMegan NewlandAllison HilberKristiana HuntJason RossKyle NicholsJustina MorrisCora TiddJason WalkerKelly BozemanDaniel JacksonShalee LatheyWhitney Liotti

Tessa McAteeHannah DuffieldTia GoodrichMegan ValentineAllison HilberMegan NewlandAmanda Hendricks

Volume 44Produced by students of WVU Parkersburg by Hannah Duffield

A unanimous vote was cast to increase tuition by eight percent for WVU Parkersburg students on Wednesday, April 9, at WVU Parkersburg’s Board of Governors meeting. T h e “ Tu i t i o n a n d F e e Increase Proposal of Recom-mendation” was presented by Dr. Gnage, to the Board of Governors, explaining that there is a need for an increase in tuition, due to several ele-ments including a decrease in student enrollment. “It has been determined that in order to fill the 3.75 percent reduction gap as well as the de-crease in enrollment… it would ensure that we are able to carry the budget that we have devel-oped,” Dr. Marie Foster Gnage, WVU Parkersburg President, said during the meeting.

“We would increase our tu-ition by eight percent. That eight percent comes out to be $216 for the associate degree certifi-cate programs and $300 for the bachelorette degree programs,” Gnage said. Gnage explained that WVU Parkersburg administrators have been looking at tuition increases that other institutions are prepar-ing to initiate and they decided that the eight percent increase for WVU Parkersburg, “will be well in line with them [the other insti-tutions],” Gnage said. “But as we looked at the 3.7 percent gap in our budget and what we are not getting due to the decrease in enrollment, we felt that the eight percent in-crease is warranted,” Gnage said. Another area that was voted on was related to class and program fees. As far as an increase in fees,

Gnage explained that in most instances, fees were left as they were or reduced. “The faculty and administra-tors looked at the increases or fees to a minimum,” Gnage said. “Yet, there are certain pro-gram areas where fees were not being charged but where they were need. “In some cases the fees went up three dollars to cover an increase,” Gnage said. “For example the HESI (Health Edu-cation Systems Incorporated) Test for nursing students, the fees went up three dollars to cover the test.” The eight percent increase was reviewed and approved by the West Virginia Higher Edu-cation Policy Commission. The changes are expected to take effect in the fall 2014 semester.

A Decrease in Student Enrollment Will Raise Tuition by 8 Percent

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg April 17, 2014Page 4

by Kyle Nichols Snow pours onto the busy streets as freezing upset students huddle into WVU Parkersburg with nothing on their minds but warmth. For them, the environ-ment is the last thing they want to think of. Still, one group at WVU Parkersburg makes it their goal to think of the environment and the impact society has on it. The Environmental Action Group (EAG) is an organization at WVU Parkersburg that es-sentially looks for ways that the college and the community can

by Erika Davis WVU Parkersburg held its very first National Collegiate Table Tennis Championships on April 5, where numerous stu-dent athletes competed from all around the state. Among the athletes were WVU Parkersburg’s very own

Michael Swisher, Anthony Hess, Jason Workman, Jorge Meneses-Posada, Matthew Roberts, Tyler Ohrn, Jeff Bozeman and Zach Echard. WVU Parkersburg’s table ten-nis team pulled out all the stops as they claimed top spot in both singles and doubles competition.

Hess took first place in singles competition as the number one seed. As the number two seed, Mi-chael Swisher took home first place, while Roberts clinched the runner up position. Workman clinched runner up as the number three seed and Meneses-Posada wrapped things up as he swung his way to first place as the number four seed. In the doubles competition Swisher and Hess captured the title for first place. Roberts and Echard rounded out the competition with a fourth place finish for the WVU Park-ersburg’s B team. All of the athletes enjoyed their time at the tournament and had a lot of fun in the process. “This tournament was fun because I was able to play op-ponents I never played before, which added another level of competition since I had to adjust to their style of play and then try to defeat. I enjoy a challenge like that,” Swisher said.

Not every athlete that com-peted was able to come out on top, but they had a good time and made new friends. “I am learning a sport I can play for the rest of my life but I am also making many friends,”

Roberts said. WVU Parkersburg’s table tennis team ended their season on a very high note as the team captured first place overall in the National Collegiate State Table Tennis tournament.

Above: Michael Swisher (right) at the table tennis tournament

use energy more efficiently and be aware of the effects they have on the environment. According to treasurer of EAG Logan Mace, the whole group was revamped last semes-ter after laying inactive. He was approached by Dr. Rebecca Phil-ips, English professor and head of EAG, to reactivate the group. Mace said that even before he was in EAG, he still had similar ideals and goals towards the environment. “I’ve always been environmentally conscious. It has always spoke to me,” he said.

Last semester, EAG’s main ac-tivities were cleaning highways. Each month EAG has a new theme. Last month was Water Conservation, and on Jan. 29 they held a meeting where they discussed different ways people can utilize water more efficiently, such as water barrels. In previous months, themes for EAG have included alternative energy and food. A large upcoming event for EAG is Earth Day on April 22. The group will be sponsoring dif-ferent guest speakers to come to

WVU Parkersburg to talk about environmental consciousness. Although the event will mostly focus on the “...direct commu-nity, the information translates globally,” Mace said. Mace feels that Earth Day is important because he says that people have false conceptions about the environment and en-ergy. “People still have beliefs that coal is the only sure way,” he said. EAG is currently open for new members. Mace said that anyone interesting in learning how to

utilize the environment more ef-ficiently should stop by.

Table Tennis Team Claims Top Spot

Environmental Action Group Plans to Promote Environmental Awareness on Earth Day

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg Page 5April 17, 2014

by Cora Tidd Most people attend college to gain knowledge, but some stu-dents find something extra: their future spouses. It all began with a book and a look. The two students met the first day of college and noticed each other for much of the same reasons. “I noticed Jordan in my Eng-lish 101 class. I thought he was weird because of the group of people he was sitting with but I also found him quite handsome,” Bird said. “When I first saw Lindsay I initially thought she was pretty, and then she started to sniff her English book,” Anderson said. “She told me she loved the smell of new books and I thought she was one weird girl.” When people ask how they met, Lindsay Bird and Jordan Anderson answer simply: “Col-lege.” Bird was born and raised in Ravenswood, W.Va. and Ander-son spent his pre-college days traveling across the country,

racing motor cycles for GNCC (Grand National Cross Coun-try). The two might have never crossed paths if it had not been for WVU Parkersburg. The two classmates started going out on the weekends just as friends, but by the end of the semester, their friendship had evolved into something more. Anderson asked Bird to be his girlfriend on Dec. 4 2011, and from then on, the two became inseparable. Both students found support in one another throughout their col-lege career. According to Anderson, having a girlfriend who attends the same classes as him can really come in handy. Whenever he forgot to do an assignment, or needed help with his research paper, he knew he could rely on Bird for assis-tance and encouragement. “Having Jordan go to the same college as me was great. It’s like having your best friend with you in every class,” Bird said. Bird is currently working towards a bachelor’s degree

in early childhood education. Her expected graduation date is Spring 2015. Anderson on the other hand has already begun his dream career as a Deputy Sheriff for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. “Now that we don’t attend the same university things are a little different. I don’t get to see him every day like I used to because of his new job. He works mid-nights and I have college. We have to wait until the weekends when we are both free,” Bird said. Even though they are not able to spend every day together, the couple continues to maintain a close connection. On December 22, 2013, Anderson proposed to Bird in a very sentimental way. At the bottom of her stocking, Bird found an empty ring box. When she looked up Anderson was on bended knee and the rest is history. “I proposed to Lindsay during December because it was our two year mark and I know how much she loves the season. I got

the idea to put the ring in her stocking because it’s a special tradition we do every year,” An-derson said. According to Bird, she has much to look forward to and her future is bright. The wed-ding is going to be a traditional theme, set for summer 2015. The occasion will consist of loved ones and close family friends. The church is the same one that Anderson’s parents and brother were married in and a co-worker of Anderson and a family friend of Bird will marry the couple. Following the wedding Bird intends on starting her student teaching career. Anderson hopes to further his career as a law enforcement officer and start a family with his soon-to-be wife. “I think Lindsay is going to make a wonderful teacher, wife and mother. I see how she is with children and that enforces my belief that she will make a great mother someday,” Anderson said. They grew up with separate lives and later found one another in college. Each wanted a valu-

able relationship and found it with each other. “I look forward to starting my adult life with someone that I love. We both ac-cept each other for who we are and I think he will be a great hus-band, father and provider,” Bird said.

Jordan and Lindsay

College Becomes A L O V E S T O R Y

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg April 17, 2014Page 6

by Cora Tidd Courage, distress, optimism and hope are all words that can be used to describe the current state of Afghanistan or Iraq. When it comes to forming an opinion, it is important to under-stand how the other half-lives. WVU Parkersburg’s Hu-manities Speakers Series and the Office for Global Initiatives are hosting a presentation on April 17 that will give students a learn-ing experience about life in those countries. The presentation: Reflections on the Future of Afghanistan and Iraq will be held in WVU Park-ersburg’s College Theater (room 1305) at 11:00 a.m. WVU Parkersburg solar en-ergy technology student, Khalid Haider, is one of the guest presenters of the event. A U.S. Military Veteran, Haider worked in Iraq as a translator. The purpose of the presenta-tion is “To show the transition between the past, present and future of Afghanistan and Iraq, along with the suffering people have had or are still having,” Haider said. “I became interested in doing the presentation because people take the U.S. for granted and don’t know how hard it was for the country in the beginning to become this way,” Haider said. “I want people to understand the

challenges and realize it’s going to be a hard mission to accom-plish.” Those who attend the event will have a chance to interact with the speakers. A Q & A session will follow after the presentation. Guests will have a chance to share what they know, state their opinions and ask fol-low up questions. A c c o r d i n g t o H a i d e r , people have some common misconceptions when it comes to the countries. A majority of people think that everyone in the Middle East, or Iraq in particular, is Muslim. They hear about are the Kurds or the Arabs, but they hardly ever hear about the Sabi, the Assyrians or the Yazid. Born in the Sinjar District of Mosul Province in Iraq, Haider is a member of Iraq’s Yazid com-munity. The Yazid community is made up of the natives that come from a Babylonian and Samarian background. “I am a native Iraqi and I de-scend from the minority called Yazid. We are the natives and we have been there for thousands of years,” Haider said. According to Haider, it will take baby steps for the countries to grow. Situations often become aggravated because of everything that is going on within the coun-tries. Saudi Arabia is put on a side and Iraq is put on a side, like

a political game. “Politicians are just like pup-pets,” Haider said. “They are moved by other countries and the name of their religion.” Haider feels the future of Afghanistan and Iraq is hard to predict. If the political sides could work honestly and to-gether then it’s not that hard of a task to fix. Both countries are wealthy and have the potential to improve within a maximum of three years. The future could be brighter and more prosperous. When asked what he would like the audience to experience Haider commented, “I want the guests to imagine, live the life and see the truth. There is a huge difference be-tween what they hear and how it is. I have heard and saw every-thing.” Haider hopes to leave a mark on all those that attend the pre-sentation. “I want the viewers to pay close attention and compare my life to theirs. I want them to realize that there is a huge dif-ference between our cultures,” said Haider. “They grew up with this (freedom) they grew up with something else entirely.” For more information about the program, please contact Dr. Nancy Nanney at Nancy.Nanney@wvup.edu or 304-424-8361.

WVU Parkersburg’s Humanities

“Politicians are just like puppets. They are moved by other countries and the name of

their religion.”

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgApril 17, 2014 Page 7

by Hannah Duffield S h i p s , s n o w, i c e , Z o -d i a c s , p e n g u i n s , h e a v y parkas, ki l ler whales , Na-tional Geographic, scientists, naturalists, professional pho-tographers, and the South Pole all have one thing in common. Antarctica. A special program will be held Monday, April 21, at 11 a.m. in the College Theatre (room 1305). During the program, “Visit to Antarctica,” Sandy Swisher will share stories and photos of the journey that completed her goal of visiting all seven continents. “I was there [Antarctica] in early December…for about 6 days,” Sandy Swisher, Direc-tor of Career and Cooperative Education Services at WVU Parkersburg, said. “It takes almost two days to get there by sea. You go through the Beagle Channel and the Drake Passage by ship, from Ushuaia, Argentina,” Swisher said. Swisher briefly explained some of the interesting things she experienced while in Ant-arctica. Swisher intends to share

information depicting the vast landscape, the fluctuating tem-perature, and types of clothes that have to be worn. “The United States has three research stations at Antarctica,” Swisher said. Swisher’s ship came to rest in the Weddell Sea which is close to the Palmer Re-search Station is located midway down the Antarctic Peninsula. “We rescued five people from this station,” Swisher said. “We traveled with Lindblad/National Geographic,” Swisher said. “And on every trip they usually will have at least ten naturalists or professional pho-tographers or somebody like that. They give you a lot of informa-tion.” “We saw two different types of killer whales, and a humped back whale,” Swisher said. “We also saw all four different kinds of penguins.” Swisher explained that when out walking around, that it is not permitted by law to approach a penguin, but “If you sit still and a penguin walks up to you, then you’re okay,” Swisher said. “The closet a penguin ever got

to me was three or four feet,” Swisher said. She also explained that penguins are not afraid of people, “but when they see this big tall thing and they are try-ing to get from the shore to their nests, they see it as an object to go around.” Swisher’s stories range from getting to witness the killer whales’ migrating patterns after the Naturalists on board the ship went out in a boat and implanted tracking devices. To getting to eat dinner with Peter Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer, phi-lanthropist and writer. “Visit to Antarctica,” is a pro-gram that is included in WVU Parkersburg’s Humanities Speak-ers Series and the Office for Global Initiatives. The program is free and open to the public. Some WVU Park-ersburg instructors are giving extra credit to students who at-tend the program. Everyone is encouraged to sign in at the door. For more information about the program, please contact Dr. Nancy Nanney at nancy.nanney@wvup.edu or 304-424-8361.

Speakers Ser ies Presents“Visit to Antarctica”

“If you sit still and a penguin walks up to you, then

you’re okay.”

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 8 April 17, 2014

Incomprehensible Healthcare Law Confuses Manyby. Daniel Jackson

Students who thought they had lost the last chance for health coverage may have been mis-taken. With the Affordable Care Act sign-up deadline past, many students at WVU Parkersburg re-main uninsured but still have the opportunity to apply for health insurance through Medicaid. Sign-ups for Medicaid will be held in the multipurpose room on April 30 between 10 am and 2 pm. In person assessors will be present to help anyone wishing to apply. Some students still feel they have lost the last chance to ac-quire some sort of healthcare coverage. The Coordinator of the Well-ness Program, Pamela Santer, explained why many students are confused. “The confusion was in the marketplace. They thought since the deadline for the marketplace was March 31, they inferred that they couldn’t sign up for Medic-aid.”

Santer also explained that many people have misgivings about Medicaid. “A lot of people think or as-sociate it with poverty or income level. It is meant to help people, it’s free,” she explained. Medicaid is available to any legal U.S. Citizen or permanent resident who needs it. Those eli-gible for Medicaid include low income adults as well as their children. It also covers pregnant women and people with a wide range of disabilities. Medicaid is funded by both the federal and state govern-ments. Each state manages its own Medicaid program and de-termines who is eligible. Medicaid has been around since the 1960’s, when Title XIX was introduced into the Social Security Amendments of 1965 during the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Looking back at the Afford-able Care Act there has been some impressive progress made in West Virginia alone. Over 98,000 West Virgin-

ians have applied for Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act. “We have signed up more in West Virginia than any other state. We’ve actually exceeded the projected number,” said Sant-er. If anyone would like more information on the sign-up day or if they have any questions they can contact Pamela Santer through ext. 424-8205 or through email at psanter@wvup.edu.

Qualifying Incomes for Medicaid*

*Pregnant women qualify for Medicaid up to 158% FPL with family sizes and incomes as follows:

1=$18,156 2=$24,516 3=$30,8644=$37,212 5=$43,572 6=$49,920

**Federal Poverty Level

Health and Wellness Club Looking for New Members A Few Good Apples:

by. Tessa McAtee New things are blooming in the health and wellness division for the summer time. Health and wellness director Pamela Santer will be doing free yoga classes during the summer for students. The dates and times will be released on the health and wellness website later this

semester. Starting back up in mid May, the health and wellness division will start the produce stand. The produce stand will be open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be open till the middle of the fall semester. The produce stand is compiled of produce from local farmers

from a local produce auction called Chesterhill Produce Auc-tion. This auction is in existence to support local farmers. WVU Parkersburg found this auction through a program called Rural Action. Rural Action’s mission is to foster social, economic, and environmental justice in Appala-chian. The Environmental Action Group will be putting on an Earth Day Expo to showcase all things environmentally friendly. The Health and wellness divi-sion will have a booth set up at the Earth Day Expo giving out sample and recipes for all natu-ral cleaners for the home, face and body. Laundry detergent is another samples that will be pro-vided at the expo. Recruiting now, the Health and Wellness club is on the hunt

for new member! The health and wellness club is not only good for students but good for the community as well. In the year 2013 they volunteered 731 hours. The club is very involved in the community and concerned with the well being of themselves and others. The club is involved with many different events such as the health fair, yoga to elemen-tary schools, tobacco free issues, parks and recreation day, the produce stand and all things wellness for the college. “We are out in the community, we are volunteering but networking at the same time,” said Santer. Anyone that is interested in join-ing the club can contact Santer at pamela.santer@wvup.edu or stop by room 1535 for more informa-tion.

Join Health and Wellness Club because:

Better Self Health and Wellness

Help the Community

Volunteering

Fun People

Networking Opportunities

Medicaid Recipient Increase by County from 2011- 2014

County 2011 2014 Jackson

PleasantsRitchieRoaneTylerWirt

Wood

6,7531,3862,6144,2972,1001,58620,521

1,675304477

1,037549379

4,523

138% FPL

$15,856$21,404$26,951$32,499$38,047$43,594

100% FPL

$11,496$15,516$19,536$23,556$27,576$31,596

Family Size

123456

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgApril 17, 2014 Page 9

by Hannah Duffield White linen table cloths, spar-kling silverware and an array of delicious foods are a memory not soon forgotten. This scene is a work of art. Not by the everyday artist, but by a culinary special-ist. WVU Parkersburg’s culinary students partnered with AVI Food Systems to prepare and serve lunch to over 300 guests that attended the “Partnerships in Education” banquet in WVU Parkersburg’s multipurpose room on Wednesday, April 2. “Partnerships in Education” is a program by The Education Alliance to provide opportuni-ties for public schools in West Virginia to interact with local businesses by establishing mutu-ally beneficial partnerships. The program now is focused on nurturing and strengthening those partnerships that support college and career readiness. WVU Parkersburg’s Culinary

Students working in conjunc-tion with AVI’s Chef and staff to serve the banquet is a picture of what the “Partnerships in Educa-tion” program is all about. “The majority of the work was done by Chef Jeff and his crew,” Instructor and Program Coordinator of the Culinary Arts Program, Gene Evans said. “We offered our assistance in prepar-ing for this large function.” The culinary students arrived at the main campus at eight a.m. when they began preparing the food that would be served at lunch time and they worked until just after One p.m. The students helped prepare several items that AVI provided. “We did not create the menu, just helped Chef Jeff and his crew put the meal out.” Evans said. The menu consisted of a gar-den salad, steamed California blend vegetables, steamed red potatoes with herbs, sautéed chicken with boursin cheese

cream sauce, roasted flank steak with Chasseur sauce and assorted cookies and brownies for dessert. “This was the first time that any of my students served food on a larger scale,” Evans said. They served approximately 300 people. The culinary students will be serving at two more events during the spring. The first event is “Blues on the Bayou” event on April 25, hosted by WVU Parkersburg’s Student Government Association. “We will be preparing a menu of Ca-jun and Creole Cuisine to match the theme of the event,” Evans said. “The food will include ev-erything from jambalaya and gumbo, to red beans and rice and shrimp po' boys,” Evans said. The second event is on April 29, the culinary students will prepare breakfast for the HLC (Higher Learning Commission) accreditation team. “We plan on serving quiche,

garden frittatas, fresh fruit, pota-toes O'Brien, an imported cheese display, fresh apple turnover with a sugar glaze, homemade break-fast sausage and bacon,” Evans

Buttering Them Up: Culinary Program Makes Sure Students Can Get Jobs

Culinary Arts Students prepare for the "Partnerships in Education" banquet.said. They will also be serving, “fresh breakfast breads and muf-fins, and offering fresh squeezed orange juice and gourmet coffees and teas,” Evans said.

WVUP's Industrial Technologies Building

The WVUP industrial technologies building supplies students with state-of-the-art welding equipment and

Work stations and industrial tools provide industrial maintenance students a hands-on learning environment.

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgPage 10 April 17, 2014

by Candice Hoalcraft Music is what fills our lives with joy and richness. It comforts us when we are sad and give us a sense of escape from everyday life. Perhaps some of the most organic and pure music was pre-sented to the community at WVU Parkersburg on April 11. As part of the Distinguished Perfor-mance Series, students received the opportunity and pleasure to experience first-hand the award-winning group Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Before the show, I had the honor of joining in a Q and A session with Oscar Hernandez, the conductor and founder of the group. The chance to speak with a Grammy award winner is some-thing amazing by itself. That experience combined with the incredible show was truly some-thing memorable. Being able to learn some background informa-tion about the group before the show made it that much more enjoyable as well as getting an inside look on the passion behind the music that was played. Their style of music is reflec-tive of the culture in which many of the band members grew up: the Bronx in New York City. Latino music is known for its catchy rhythms and feel-good quality. The Orchestra plays a variety of original compositions as well as arrangements of other songs. They took their talents all over the world, playing in venues including jazz festivals and the Sydney Opera House. During the Q and A session, conductor and founder Oscar Hernandez talked about how mu-sic has changed over the past few

decades. “Over the last 25 years, music has become bland without the organic elements. [They] aren’t present today and that’s sad,” Hernandez said. Within the group, Hernandez explained the importance of fea-turing every member of the band. He said that although modern Latino musicians focus mostly on the main singer, he wants to maintain tradition to make sure to highlight each member of the band and their talents. It was evident during the performance that each band member is ap-preciated. Either at the beginning or end of the song, Hernandez introduced the musician and they showcased their immaculate tal-ent. While Hernandez answered questions from the audience, it was obvious that his passion for his music was like nothing I had seen before. With each and ev-ery response, he mentioned how much he loves it and how much he wants the audience to be edu-cated about the genre. “I want to leave the audience feeling good because we're having fun,” Her-nandez said. “It's the best music in the world.” After hearing about the group from the conductor, I was anxious to hear this Grammy award-winning group. I certainly was not disappointed in the talent of the group. From start to finish, the rich and distinct sounds of the complex rhythms filled the room with the pleasing sound of genuinely good music. I feel privileged that I had the oppor-tunity to hear this group. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am grateful I was able to experience it.

by Rachel Gant The Spanish Harlem Orchestra performed last Friday, April 11th in the multi-purpose room at 7 p.m. The orchestra is a two-time Grammy award winning orches-tra known for their intense New York style salsa. The orchestra originated in New York City, and two years later, they achieved their first Grammy for Best Salsa Album. In the same year, they also won a Latin Billboard Award for Salsa Album of the Year. They scored their second Grammy in 2010 with their album Viva La Tradicion. The orchestra consists of Os-car Hernandez, the bandleader as well as the pianist, George Del-gado on congas, Luisito Quintero on timbales, Jorge Gonzalez with percussion, Gerardo Madera on bass, Mitch Frohman on saxo-phone and flute, Reynaldo Jorge on trombone, Doug Beavers on trombone, Hector Colon on trumpet, and Manuel Ruiz on trumpet. The performance was full of life and the vocals were very en-ergetic. The three vocalists were Ray De La Plaz, Marco Bermu-dez, and Carlos Cascante. Their beautiful, rich harmonies blended together to create an amazing sound that flowed through the music. Not only did they sound great, their appearance and emo-

tions made the music even better. The Harlem Orchestra played an array of songs from their Grammy winning album Viva La Tradicion. The songs they play seem very easy to dance to, es-pecially salsa dancing, which is what the music is for. The listener feels like they are actually in Spain listening to them play on a summer day with the sun shining. It makes one wish they were somewhere tropi-cal. It would be great music to play at any party to liven up the place. Some slow tempo songs are on the album, but only a few, and the songs are not too much slower. A couple of fabulous solos were composed during the performances Friday evening, in-cluding trumpet, flute, trombone, piano, and drum solos through-out the songs. All the solos were incredible. The best solo, in my opinion, was the trombone. I loved the smooth and clear sound of the trombone on every note. The next best solo, I would have to say, was the trumpet. Again, the notes were clear and smooth for the most part. It got a little loud at times but what else can one expect from a concert? The next best solo I felt was the piano. The only thing I didn’t like was how soft the piano sounded compared to everyone else.

Since the piano was a grand pia-no and didn’t have a microphone on it, the acoustics weren’t in the piano’s favor. Last but absolutely not least, was the drum solo. It was brief but amazing. The tempo was so interesting and upbeat as well. The multi-purpose room came to life from the moment the Harlem Orchestra began to play until the second they finished. The band was also wonderful at interacting with the crowd through clapping and even danc-ing toward the end. The vocalists stole the crowd’s attention with their upbeat smiling faces and their choreo-graphed dances, matching their incredible harmonizing skills. Looking around, almost every-one in the audience was tapping a foot or clapping their hands. If they weren’t doing that, they were swaying or had a smile on their face. If salsa music and dancing around is appealing, I would definitely recommend pur-chasing one of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra’s albums. It’s rejuvenating and a positive mood setter. The Harlem Orchestra is defi-nitely worth seeing in concert and definitely worth spending money on an album. Their albums are available for pur-chasing on their website www.spanishharlemorchestra.com.

THE SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA Brought Life

TO WVU PARKERSBURG

GRAMMY AWARD Winning Group Shares Their Talent WITH STUDENTS

Upcoming Events

The Chronicle at WVU ParkersburgApril 17, 2014 Page 11

by Erika Davis The Men’s Basketball season at WVU Parkersburg has come to an end. With an acquired record of 2-12 the Men’s Basketball team started the season off on a slow note, but by the end of the sea-son the men were a tough team to play against no matter what the end result was, according to

Derek Fleming, head coach. As the season came to a close the team kept their head up and began looking forward to next season. Through the entire season the team had many hurdles to over-come. From missing practice due to weather and to players coming and going. According to Fleming, the

guys who stuck with it grew tre-mendously on and off the court. “I couldn’t be happier of the core group of guys,” Fleming said. A big accomplishment the team had this year was sticking together through the ups and downs and never giving up when the team came to an obstacle in the road.

“Dedication always pays off, no matter what you do. If you are dedicated, you will get good results,” Fleming said. “They tried their best and keeping them motivated and up-beat was probably what we all are most proud about,” Fleming said. Important advice Fleming would give to anyone is to prac-

tice, never settle, and always practice to get better. “If you want to be good at something whether basketball, accounting or business you have to practice that skill forever,” Fleming said. Fleming and the team would like to thank the college, the YMCA and the SGA for being involved and lending helping hand.

Men's Basketball Team Closes Out Season

EAG Environmental Film

Festival

Monday, April 21, in the student

lounge

11:00- Coal Country

12:30- A Forest Returns

2:00- Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to

Re-Energize America

7:00- Coal Country

EAG Earth Day Expo

Wednesday, April 23, 9:00 a.m. un-

til 2:30 p.m. in the College Activi-

ties Center

Events to include children's crafts,

exhibits ranging from a WV wildlife

booth to recycled-material sculp-

tures, pocket presentations and more.

Entertainment will include WVU

Parkersburg students Logan Mace

and Kodi Sells on guitar.A Visit to AntarcticaMonday, April 21, at 11 a.m.College Theatre (room 1305)With guest presenter: Sandy Swisher

The Chronicle at WVU Parkersburg April 17, 2014Page 12

Table Tennis is a sport in which players serve a ping-pong ball back and forth on a table that is 2.74 meters long, 1.525 meters wide, and .76 meters high. The table is divided with a net. The game may be played with singles, two players, or doubles, four players. Using paddles, players objective is to keep the ball in play, only letting the ball bounce on their side of the table only once, returning the ball to the other side of the net on the table, without hitting the ball into the net, off the table, and without touching the table.

3-on-3 Basketball is played with three players on each team with one substitution. The game is played on a half sized basketball court and with a size 6 ball. One point is awarded for each basket made inside the arc and two points for each basket made outside the arc. The game is won when a team reaches 21 points first or which ever team has the most points at the end of a 10-minute period.

Bowling is a sport which takes place on a 60 foot lane, with gutters on each side of the lane, and 10 pins at the end of the lane that must be knocked down. The players objective is to roll a ball down the lane knocking down all 10 pins within two tries. The player also has to be careful not to roll the ball into either gutter. Players get one point for each pin that is knocked down.

Wiffleball is played on a field with two teams. Each team plays with between 2-5 players. One team plays in the outfield throwing a ball with holes in it to the opposing team. The other team is required to hit the ball back out into the field. After hitting the ball the play is required to run to the first base, then second base, third base, then back to the home base where they batted from. A player may stop on a base if the other team has a player who obtained the ball and will make it to the next base first, making them out. If when the player hits the ball, the other team catches the ball without it hitting the ground first the hitting player is out. Six innings are played.

Pickle-ball is a sport that is played on a 20 foot by 44 foot court which is divided by a net. Once the ball is served it must bounce once before being allowed to volley it back. If the ball hits the net before being served then the ball must be reserved. The first side to score eleven points with a two-point lead wins.

Week 1Table

Tennis

Week 23-on-3

Basketball

Week 5Pickle-ball

Week 3Bowling

Week 4Wiffleball

The Riverhawk Games Continue

The SEA Winter Riverhawk Games were set up to give every student a chance to compete and win. Teams were put together with 4-10 students/faculty. Week 1 was table tennis, week two was 3-on-3 basketball, week 3 was bowling, week 4 was wiffleball, and week 5 was pickleball. In week one Team Purple won the table tennis competition. Then in week two Team Green took the win on the 3-on-3 basketball. In week three Team orange took the victory in bowling. They will be crowing the victors Monday May 14th.

Top: Players playing table tennis Bottom: The teams of the Riverhawk Games To the left and right players playing wiffleball