sept 24 highland cavalier issue
DESCRIPTION
The September 24th highland cavalier issueTRANSCRIPT
C
C-54E Spirit of Freedom and many
more planes fly into Lonesome Pine
Regional Airport for festival.
See more on page 4.
The Highland
AVA L I ER Volume 66, Issue 2
The Official Student
Newspaper of UVa-Wise
highlandcavalier.com
September 24, 2014
Safety efforts increasing on campus
Damean Mathews
Senior News Writer
Campus safety is something UVa-Wise of-
ficials take seriously.
With reports of missing and dead students in
colleges around the country, security measures
have been brought to a new level of intensity
recently.
UVa-Wise has been right on track, if not a
little ahead, of the mandatory Title IX and Clery
Act modified training, campus police said.
Title IX and the Clery Act are federal man-
dates that help ensure equal and fair treatment
of opportunities as well as full disclosure of any
crimes so that people can make informed deci-
sions about where they want to go to school.
Both have been emphasized heavily lately, par-
ticularly in relation to Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s
plan to take more stringent action in relation to
sexual assault.
One of the efforts in place to ensure campus
safety is the campus Crisis Management Team
that has monthly meetings and training sessions
to stay on top of every potential situation.
Kathy Still, director of news and media re-
lations, had plenty to say on the efforts being
made to keep the students of UVa-Wise safe.
Justin David | The Highland Cavalier
Dean Jewell Worley and Ronnie Shortt, chief of police and director of public safety, look over
plans for campus safety procedures.
“We consider this campus family, and we look after family,” Still said.
The team has been around since before the
new regulations arose.
The steps taken in an emergency are to put
campus safety first, according to Still and other
members of the team.
The first thing that is done in the event of
an emergency is police use the emergency alert system to get the message out, said Campus Po-
lice Sgt. Kevin Yates.
The two types of alert used are the immedi-
ate alert and the timely notice. The first is used
typically when campus is thought to be in po-
tential danger and the second when the threat is
less severe.
The immediate alert has to go out in a matter of minutes in order to ensure the safety of every-
one involved, Still said. She said the message
might not always be pretty and may even be as
simple as “hunker down.”
One upcoming feature that is going to be
used to assist in campus safety is an app called
“In Case of Crisis.”
Search for a new vice chancellor see Safety, page 3
Islamic reformist lecture
Jaime Robinson | The Highland Cavalier
Shannon Blevins speaks with potential vice
chancellor candidates.
Zemery Gilliam Staff
Writer
After more than three decades of service to
UVa-Wise, Tami Ely, vice chancellor of devel-
opment and college relations, is retiring. There
is an ongoing search for a suitable replacement
with a search committee of nine members in-
cluding Shannon Blevins, the college’s director
of economic development, who is the chair of
the committee.
Upcoming
Each individual of the committee represents
each stakeholder group of UVa-Wise, including
staff, faculty, foundation, alumni board, enroll-
ment management and athletics. The committee
will determine who the final candidates are and
submit them to Chancellor Donna Henry, who
will make the final decision.
When asked about a time frame for this
committee, Shannon Blevins said, “This is a
mission critical position.”
“We need to fill this position as soon as we
possibly can,” she said. “Because this position
is so important we do not want to rush so we can
select just the right person.”
Blevins said the new hire will inherit an “al-
ready-established, experienced and professional
team” and will have to follow a record annual
giving year for UVa-Wise.
“We have had one of the largest endow-
ments of any college our size, and this position
is one of the key positions that enables scholar-
ships,” she said.
The committee is looking for people with
an accomplished record in fundraising, Blevins
said.
“We are looking for people that are detail
oriented, but can also see the big picture be-
cause this person will be leading and supporting
a team,” she said.
This is an executive level position and is
a key role in the college’s “Envisioning 2020”
strategic plan. There is a banner at the bottom
of UVa-Wise’s homepage with more details re-
garding the search and the position.
Chelsea Justice Staff
Writer
An Islamic reformist from Canada will
speak today in the David J. Prior Convocation
Center as part of the Colgate Darden Lecture
Series.
Irshad Manji, a professor at New York Uni-
versity, has been on a mission since her youth to
help others speak out against conforming ideas
within society.
She refers to herself as a “Muslim refuse-
nik,” who addresses issues related to Muslim
stereotypes and norms that are counterproduc-
tive to the religious group.
She will talk about the Moral Courage Proj-
ect and explain how people should make value
based decisions in everyday life.
Manji, has also been on television newscast
stations such as CNN, PBS and BBC where she
discussed her views, her books and her Moral
Courage Project. MCP is a YouTube channel
Manji started to tell the stories of people rising
up against backlash as they progress socially.
In her program, Manji encourages her audi-
ences to “challenge conformity … be they reli-
gious, cultural, ideological or professional and
do so for a more universal good.”
“From what I’ve heard about Manji, I think
see Lecture, page 3
Index
Travis Tritt
American country singer
Travis Tritt will be per-
forming in the David J. Pri-
or Convocation Center on
Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.
Graduation
Applications
Graduation applications for
those wishing to graduate in
May 2014 are due on Sept.
30 by 5 p.m.
Homecoming
The Homecoming football
game against Notre Dame
College will kick off at 1
p.m. on Oct. 4. The annual
dance will follow at 10 p.m.
news
et cetera
opinion
sports
page 2
page 4
page 6
page 8
news The Highland Cavalier Sept. 24, 2014 Page 2
Senator Warner addresses college debt
Photo courtesy Sen. Mark Warner’s website
Virginia State Sen. Mark Warner is running
for reelection. His opponent is Republican Ed
Gillespie.
Damean Mathews
Senior News Writer
College debt is a problem that almost all stu-
dents end up facing after graduation.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, who
had over $15,000 in debt when he graduated,
understands this and is touring a number of col-
leges with plans that he hopes will help limit
these sometimes almost crippling amounts of
debt.
Warner, who attempted to begin a business
twice before successfully co-founding the cell
phone company Nextel, said that debt is quickly
becoming a national crisis.
“Student debt now is $1.2 trillion, so there’s
more student debt then there is actually credit
card debt,” Warner said in a recent phone inter-
view.
Warner has proposed his ideas that, admittedly,
are not going to completely solve the problem
on college campuses across the country.
Two of these plans are for people to use be-
fore they get to college, and two are for after
people graduate, according to Warner.
“Before you go to college, what I’ve been work-
ing on is how we can allow more students to
earn college credit in high school,” he said. “Ei-
ther with dual enrollment, particularly with dual
enrollment in community colleges.”
By doing this, and by ensuring that the cred-
its taken would be counted at the colleges stu-
dents intend on going to, a semester or even an
entire year could be taken off of a student’s total
time in college, thus saving that money and lim-
iting their debt.
Another approach is something Warner
says would take 10 percent of one’s income and
make their loan payment limited to that amount.
In this case, if one’s income went up, their pay-
ment would as well, but this would allow the
payment to be capped permanently until all debt
was paid back.
Other plans, such as the Stafford Loan re-
payment plan, work in such a way that they al-
low a person to request a limit or cap on their
payment for a certain amount of time, but it will
go up after a set amount of time. This plan, ac-
cording to Warner, could take a while longer to
pay back, but would be permanently capped and
would not change, thus making the student more
secure in their ability to pay the debt back.
These plans, along with two others Warner
is proposing, are being discussed at the colleges
on his tour and within his campaign for re-elec-
tion. Warner is running against Republican Ed
Gillespie.
The debt at UVa-Wise has been listed as
one of the lowest in the country, but over half
of graduates from the college still face debt to
some extent, according to data kept by the col-
lege. Statistics show that over 66 percent of
graduates had some amount of debt in 2012.
Dr. Smith goes in depth about ISIL
Eric Drummond Smith
Assistant Professor of Political Science
I was asked recently by the editor of The
Highland Cavalier to briefly address the nature
and history of the organization known in Eng-
lish variously as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI),
the Islamic State of Iran and Syria (ISIS), the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and
most recently as simply the Islamic State (IS)
just to name a few.
Where did the ISIL come from?
There are many ways to tell this origin sto-
ry, but I’m going to try an instructional tack. In
political science there is an umbrella term we
use to describe all the types of events that are
the result of states losing control of their society
and territory or, like an autoimmune disease, at-
tacking and destroying large parts of their own
society – we call these state failures. These
state failures are generally periods of violence
and terror for the populations of these states, but
they present opportunities for groups looking to
establish their own political base – a territory
with no one really in control of it and a popula-
tion that is desperate and alienated from its own
government. The states that emerge under these
conditions are often radical, unwilling to follow
the human rights and international norms which
most political systems obey in the contempo-
rary world system, resulting in them remaining
unrecognized states, pariahs. While this prob-
lem is not new, there has been a flurry of these
The Highland Cavalier
Dr. Eric Drummond Smith, assistant
professor of political science
unrecognized states in the last two decades, tak-
ing advantage of state failures in the wake of the
Cold War and the international order that was
defined by it.
Problematically, many of these state failures
have been in nations or regions of nations with
significant Sunni Muslim populations, places
as diverse as Afghanistan, Somalia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Chechnya, Dagestan, Mali, Nige-
ria, the Philippines, Yemen, Iraq and Syria. This
has been a particular boon to radical fundamen-
talist Salafi and Wahhabi Muslim groups (not
all Salafi and Wahhabi are radicals, it should
be noted) – most infamously (at least to Ameri-
cans) the group al-Qaeda and their political al-
lies the Taliban. These groups have been par-
ticularly bolstered because they are pan-Islamic,
rejecting the boundaries imposed by national al-
legiances, meaning they are drawn to both take
advantage of state failures and to use them as
recruitment opportunities.
These groups are surprisingly fluid – their
organizations are typically cellular and their re-
liance on traditional state and economic infra-
structure limited – which means they are very
difficult to destroy. Indeed, even when one
powerbase is conquered or destroyed and one
generation of leaders is killed or captured it is
not unusual for the members of these organiza-
tions to disperse, with all their experience and
expertise, political, propagandic and military,
and either join other existing organizations or
build new ones in a different place.
So, where did the ISIL come from? They
are a manifestation of a transnational, radical
movement matured in the Soviet-Afghanistani
war, redispersed into the international system
by American, Russian and other efforts to quash
al-Qaeda and its ilk, and reformulating as Al-
Qaeda in Iraq and then changing over and over
again in response to both the American with-
drawal from Iraq and the collapse of authority
in Syria with the emergence of the civil war.
To read the rest of Dr. Smith’s Q&A visit
www.highlandcavalier.com.
Survival challenge tests those who attempt
Darrian Pickett
Sports Editor
Earlier this semester, UVa-Wise Intramurals
and the ROTC sponsored the first “UVa-Wise
Survival Challenge.”
“Sgt. Thomas Scholl decided that he want-
ed to do a survivor challenge, tough mudder or
something to that effect,” said ROTC member
Olivia Rowe, a senior Spanish major. “The ob-
stacles are obstacles that almost any military ob-
stacle course you go to has. It was meant to be
for civilians as well military people to enjoy.”
Assistant Director of the Winston Ely Health
and Wellness Center Sarah Smith and Assistant
Director of Intramurals Nick Marshall helped
ROTC members create and raise awareness
about the challenge over the summer.
“ROTC came to us and said that they want-
ed to do a challenge and they needed help put-
ting it on,” Smith said. “Really, they did all of
see Survival Challenge, page 7
Darrian Pickett | The Highland Cavalier
Sgt. Thomas Scholl and Cadet Clint Womack coach civilians participating in survival
challenge.
news The Highland Cavalier Sept. 24, 2014 Page 3
O’D writes
second
book Damean Mathews
Senior News Writer
Remembering Betty Humphreys
Photo courtesy Tim Cox
Homecoming weekend will involve more
than just a football game this year.
French professor Michael O’Donnell’s book
signing for his second essay collection will be
held Oct. 2.
O’D has taught on campus for 47 years, and
is a professor that has made an impact on the
college in a number of ways.
One new way that has come about is brought
on by the sale of his books.
The O’D Scholarship Fund is a scholarship
set up in conjunction with the college for stu-
dents who have shown financial need.
The money behind this scholarship is sup-
plied entirely by O’D himself.
O’D accepted no profits from the sale of
his books, instead putting them all in the fund-
ing for this scholarship in addition to putting in
$10,000 of his own money over the next five
years toward it.
“O’D is certainly deserving of a legacy that
will assist others and our college is pleased to
have a scholarship bearing his name. We will
work hard to be good stewards of his generosity
and caring,” Tami Ely, vice chancellor of devel-
opment and college relations, said.
The book signing, set up with the campus
bookstore, is a way for students to get involved
with a man who admittedly strives to make a
difference in the lives of as many people as pos-
sible.
“I’m hauling butt and trying to get as much
done as I can before I die and, frankly, help as
many people as I can too. It’s what I’m here for,”
O’D said. “The kids always say that, in addition
to French, they learn life lessons in my class.”
William Yearout
Senior Features Writer
Students and faculty at the University of
Virginia’s College at Wise were saddened to
learn of the death of professor Betty Humphreys
over the summer. Humphreys was the faculty’s
oldest member, and began her work at the col-
lege in 1968. She died in June.
Her position as Grand Marshal involved the
symbolic duty of carrying the UVa-Wise mace
and preceding the chancellor at all formal aca-
demic events. Humphreys remained an associ-
ate professor of business, active in teaching, un-
til the time of her death.
Humphreys saw many changes at the col-
lege during her time here, including an almost
complete change of the landscape.
“Over her long career, I believe she did
much to shape the character of the college and
of the business program, in particular,” said Pro-
vost Sanders Huguenin. “She loved to teach and
was still teaching one course online at the time
Image courtesy Michael E. O’Donnell
In anticipation for the release of the second
book, O’D revealed that there will be a third that
will be exclusively on world travels with the
subtitle Odyssey.
O’D said, “Somebody in the Bible asked
someone else, ‘What return shall I make for all
the good things the Lord has given me?’ That’s
what I’m trying to do. That’s who I am.”
The book, titled “O’D Book II: Life Les-
sons” will be featured in the Slemp Student
Center on Thursday Oct. 2 and at the bookstore
at Carl Smith Stadium on Oct. 4. O’D will sign
books on both days.
of her death. I know that the connections that
she made with students changed many lives for
the better. She was opinionated, but patient with
both students and colleagues. She worked very
hard, both on her teaching and her professional
activities, but she was usually humble about her
accomplishments.”
After Humphreys’ death, the position of
Grand Marshal went to the next willing senior
faculty member, Dr. Garrett Sheldon.
Sheldon, who began teaching at the college
in 1983, was very fond of Humphreys.
“I knew Betty for many years,” Sheldon
said. “She had an incredibly bright and quick
intellect. She was very dedicated to her field,
to teaching business ... Let me just say she was
very self-confident. She was not afraid to ex-
press her views to anyone, in any position, in
any terms. What you see is what you get with
Betty.”An attitude of respect surrounds all sto-
ries of Humphreys, Sheldon himself saying that
he has very big shoes to fill.
“She really was a genuinely warm and car-
ing person,” said Huguenin. “We all miss her.”
Safety Continued from page 1
The app, available for both iPhone and An-
droid services, does not have an official release
date, but is free, interactive and acts similarly to
the Amber Alert system.
The members of the Crisis Management
Team and Campus Police both work around the
clock to maintain the integrity of the campus
and, as the gunman hoax of 2013 showed, go
into action at the first sign of danger.
UVa-Wise was briefly sent into lockdown
in late January 2013 because a student claimed
there was a gunman on campus. Police discov-
ered that was not the case, and a student admit-
ted to police the story was made up. Yates said
there a few things students can do to make sure
they stay safe in the event of a crisis.
“Heed warnings,” he said. “Pay attention to
notices and don’t go outside in the event of an
emergency. Make it as difficult as possible for
someone to make you an easy target.” One thing
that can hinder the investigation of a crisis, said
Yates, is the use of social media.
“If we are trying to track a threatening per-
son down and there are people out there tweet-
ing about us passing their room, it both puts us
in danger and breaks the advantage of our si-
lence,” Yates said.
Whether a student, professor or a member
of the crisis team, both Yates and Still said it is
everyone’s job to help keep campus safe.
Lecture Continued from page 1
the lecture will be interesting and plan to at-
tend,” said student Vince Freels when asked
about the event.
The lecture, which is free and open to the
public, is set for 7 p.m.
UVA-Wise Entrepreneurial Cup
"Get cash to start your business!"
The UVa-Wise Cup has a total prize package of
$5,500 - first place will receive $2,500 and there
runner up prizes will be awarded for $1,000 each.
The winner has the opportunity to compete in the
UVa Cup for a total prize package of $40,000.
UVa-Wise Cup – Project Timeline
• 9/23 – Attend CEO meeting in Smiddy 266 at 5 p.m. for Business
Concept Workshop & meeting with Tim Blankebecler from the
Small Business Development Center to begin working on financials.
• 9/30 – Attend CEO meeting in Smiddy 266 at 5 p.m. for Pablo
Alavez’ presentation to CEO group as a demonstration of the UVA
Cup finals.
• 10/6 – Submit draft concept paper to Shannon Blevins via email
For the rest of the time-line contact Shannon Blevins at srb8q@uvawise.
edu.
Save a tree...
Recycle me.
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Stella Matheos at
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et cetera The Highland Cavalier Sept. 24, 2014 Page 4
Airplane festival excites Wise William Yearout
Senior Features Writer
Lonesome Pine Regional Airport was host
to the Let Freedom Ring festival this past week-
end. The festival, which was open to the com-
munity but geared particularly towards students,
invited attendees to see and tour aircraft from
the World War II and Cold War eras. Also on
site were historical organizations and a travel-
ing film exhibit.
Helping to organize this festival was Bob
Spera, manager of the Lonesome Pine Airport
and president of the local chapter of the Experi-
mental Aircraft Association. Spera’s interests in
this festival were both getting the community
interested in aviation as well as teaching them
about important aspects of American history.
“Our emphasis for this event is on the recent
70th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion,” Spera
said. “We want to emphasize the role that the
Tuskegee Airmen played in our history. They
came from obscurity and adverse circumstances
to become great individuals. We’re bringing all
the local schoolkids in to watch our movie and
tour the planes.”
The film, entitled “Rise Above,” is hosted
by The Red Tail Squadron. The Red Tail Squad-
ron is an organization dedicated to keeping the
memory of the airmen alive through the use of
their film as well as exhibiting their fully-re-
stored P-51C Mustang, the same plane used by
the airmen.
The film tells the emotionally-charged story
of the Tuskegee Airmen. During World War II,
the black community continued to face the chal-
lenges of discrimination. There were no black
airmen, with a majority of black soldiers being
relegated to basic positions.
Damean Mathews | The Highland Cavalier
Damean Mathews | The Highland Cavalier
Above: P-51C mustang named Tuskegee Airmen. Below: C-54E named Spirit of Freedom.
A very basic program was established in
Tuskegee, Alabama to train black soldiers for
combat flight. While the program was initially
given little consideration it later found national
coverage after first lady Eleanor Roosevelt was
famously photographed on tour of the Tuskegee
base.
The Tuskegee Airmen went on to become
one of the most famous air squadrons of the war
and an inspiration to Americans throughout the
nation.
Among the most prominent exhibits at the
festival was the “Spirit of Freedom”, an interac-
tive museum housed inside a C-54E transport
plane used during the Berlin Airlift. After the
fall of the Nazi regime Germany was divided
between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Berlin, despite being in the Soviet-controlled
east, was quartered between the Americans,
British, French and Soviets.
“The Soviets didn’t particularly like the al-
lies marching through to supply them,” Spera
said. “So they blockaded it. We couldn’t get in
on the land, the water or anywhere. So we flew
it in. These planes were going in about every
minute for days at a time. After 15 months of us
flying across the border the Soviet Union cried
‘Uncle!’ ... Then, of course, they built the wall.
And then the wall got torn down and here we
are.”
Spera has a firm belief that events like these
serve to better our understanding of history,
helping us to correctly shape our future by un-
derstanding our past.
“In order to chart a good course for the future
you need to know where you came from,” Spera
said. “If you don’t you make the same mistakes
over and over. You can learn from these things
and, hopefully, benefit from that experience and
the experience of those who went through it.
“We don’t want to go through another world
war, that’s for sure, because the next one will
probably be disastrous. If we can hold that at
bay and use our heads instead of our brawn
we’ll be better off.”
Campus community welcomes Papa John’s Anthony Lamb Staff
Writer
Many returning students here at UVa-Wise
noticed a big transition that occurred on campus
during the past two semesters.
Papa Joe’s, a campus pizza joint, is now a
franchised Papa John’s.
This new addition to the college campus
quickly brought attention to those who frequent-
ly pass the Smith Dining Commons, where the
restaurant is located.
Papa John’s has selections varying from
pizza, breadsticks, chicken wings, cookie cake
and more. A few students have shared their
thoughts on the new addition.
“You know, Papa John’s is a great place,”
said junior business major Christopher Flood.
“When I’m hungry and I don’t feel like cooking
at home or my girlfriend doesn’t cook, I come
grab some chicken wings. A cheese pizza too.”
“Dude; I got like 50 swipes left and it’s only
the third week of school,” said freshman Trevor
Mike. “The wings was the worst things they put
on the menu because they took all my swipes.
They so good though. Papa John’s is a set up.”
Brett Lawson, head of Smith Dining Com-
mons and Papa John’s, said, “Papa John’s was a
big step for our campus. We have had tremen-
dous outcome the first few weeks it has been
here. Papa John’s in town was shut down, so I
strived to get one right here on campus and here
it is."
Photo courtesy of Jordan Viars
et cetera The Highland Cavalier Sept. 24, 2014 Page 5
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opinion The Highland Cavalier Sept. 24, 2014 Page 6
Jaime Robinson
Damean Mathews
Editor-in-Chief
Senior News Writer
Zemery Gilliam
Maegan Perkey
Virginia’s College at Wise. The newspaper is published bi-weekly on Wednesday. It
functions to inform, educate and entertain readers accurately and responsibly. It does
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the college’s administration, faculty or staff.
Justin David Photo Editor Madison Ray Also, the opinions expressed on the Opinion Page are those of the individual writers
Darrian Pickett Sports Editor Jacob Stallard and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of newspaper editors and staff members.
Hannah McNew Opinion Editor Anthony Lamb The Highland Cavalier welcomes all contributions, which can be delivered to
Dalena Adams Copy Editor Zachary Castle Box 4682, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, 1 College Avenue, Wise,
William Yearout Senior Features Writer VA 24293); by phone (328-0170); or via e-mail ([email protected]).
Privacy vs. Security
Cavalier Review Damean Mathews
Senior News Writer
Zackery Castle Staff
Writer
“Those who would give up essential liberty,
to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve
neither liberty nor safety.”
These wise words, uttered by Benjamin
Franklin, serve as a reminder of what our coun-
try stands for - liberty.
In modern times, the line between having
liberty and having a nation that is secure is one
that is thin and controversial. Some people argue
that our country requires a government that can
freely monitor forms of communication to pro-
tect the people from potential terrorist threats.
Others, however, bring up the argument of the
Fourth Amendment, the right to be secure from
unreasonable searches.
Regardless, the time has come for the people
of America to either take a seat or take a stand.
If the people choose to take a seat and choose
security over privacy, there are several things to
take note of. Allowing the government to moni-
tor the communications of everyone in the name
of national security would be an outright viola-
tion of our Fourth Amendment right.
If the people are fine with having this right
violated, there is also the problem of an over-
bearing government. Who’s to say that the US
government would simply stop at monitoring
emails or phone calls? Some may say it would
never go further than that, but ask yourself:
Didn’t we as a people think the same thing 15
years ago when there were conspiracy theories
of government phone tapping and monitoring?
These conspiracies were considered insane,
at least until Edward Snowden leaked sensitive
information last year proving the National Se-
curity Agency’s involvement in surveillance, al-
legations the group publically took blame for.
Why, then, is it suddenly so acceptable to have
a monitoring government now? The answer is
fear.
Following the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, our
country was plunged into a state of panic. Our
airports tripled security, the NSA became tighter
and more focused on finding terrorists before
they attacked and we gladly welcomed these
changes. Blinded by our terror, we chose to give
a little liberty in the sake of ensuring something
as terrible as 9/11 never happened again.
Making changes in security following a na-
tional disaster is completely understandable, but
the question we must ask ourselves is where will
it stop? How many more pieces of privacy must
be chipped away before our concept of freedom
utterly crumbles?
I believe a line must be drawn somewhere
to ensure this never happens. For if it does, the
terrorists have done what they set out to do. Fear
of another attack has already led this country to
give up some of its own privacies. Giving any
more would only give terrorists what they want.
If we choose to stand up against this, we
would not only gain our constitutional rights but
not have to live in fear of the possibility of mass
government surveillance. Personally, I would
feel far more comfortable knowing that govern-
ment officials were not sitting in a room watch-
ing everything I do.
Maybe government surveillance won’t ever
reach a point that extreme, but haven’t we made
that same incorrect assumption before? The
NSA has already misled Americans about sur-
veillance before, so what’s stopping them from
doing it again, on a grander scale? Hopefully it
is us, by ensuring that no more of our privacies
are stolen from us in the name of security.
Marvel has announced the total and final
death of Wolverine. The 5’3” Canadian has fi-
nally come upon a battle he can’t slash his way
out of.
Marvel began leading to the “Death of Wol-
verine” with the “Three Months to Live” strain,
which saw him lose his iconic healing factor in a
way even the genius Reed Richards couldn’t re-
verse. Being Wolverine, the second his enemies
learned he could die, the trouble began.
The Marvel Universe has definitely devel-
oped one of the most well-known characters of
all time with Wolverine, and as a fan I am ec-
static to see how the ultimate anti-hero goes out.
The final death, originally slated for a Sept.
24 release, has been moved to Oct. 15, so there’s
plenty of time to get caught up on the first two
issues of the four-part “Death of Wolverine” se-
ries. No matter how big of a fan you are, this is
one series you do not want to miss so don’t go
home without it, bub.
Is online learning
beneficial? Hannah McNew
Opinion Editor
As online learning continues to become
more popular with advancing technology and
course variations, classroom learning is still
considered to be a highly important element in
education development or enhancement.
More and more students are enrolling in on-
line classes, but are their learning experiences
still as well-rounded as they are in a classroom
setting?
Online learning can be preferred by stu-
dents who enjoy freedom with how they man-
age time. A greater range of courses one can
iPhone 6 makes an entrance
Zemery Gillam Staff
Writer
The new iPhone is out and people are seem-
ingly losing their minds over it, but why? What
makes this new iPhone different and why would
anyone consider upgrading from their current
one? The easy answer is size.
The iPhone 6 has caught up to the Samsung
Galaxy phones and the HTC One with a 4.7 inch
screen, which to most people is a massive boost
in screen real estate and the crazy thing is, if that
is not big enough, Apple is offering the iPhone 6
Plus which sports a humongous 5.5 inch screen.
A screen that size is the closest thing to hav-
ing an iPad in your pocket. The reason that this
size improvement has taken so long is Apple’s
take is highly favored as well. They also tend to
be more cost-effective.
Nonetheless, there are definitely some neg-
ative aspects to explore.
One drawback about taking online courses
is that they lack interpersonal communication,
which is basically face-to-face communication.
It includes what people say, how they say it and
what their behavioral actions are when they say
it. These are important skills to have in a learn-
ing environment.
Usually students can gain more insight on
a subject simply by listening to what the other
students have to say. In turn, those that are lis-
tening will also be able to provide feedback. A
classroom setting will allow students to imple-
ment those interpersonal communication skills
by participating in class discussions.
While most online classes have discussion
boards, it is sometimes hard to interpret mean-
ing based on what you read on a post. A class-
room setting would allow students to develop
an understanding of the subject all the while
belief in having your phone in one hand and be-
ing able to maneuver with just one thumb -- a
one-size-fits-all approach. However, with Sam-
sung’s success with the Galaxy series (minus the
recent S5, which has a back that looks and feels
like a Band-Aid), Apple had no choice.
Should you upgrade? It depends on what
phone you currently have. If you have an iPhone
4 or 4s, I would say, without hesitation, yes. Ap-
ple has started to not support your phone with
software updates and thats not a bad thing.
All phones are designed to have a two year
shelf life to go along with contracts. When it
comes to speed and performance, moving from
the 4 to the 6 will be like trading in your Ford
Focus for a Lambo.
If you have an iPhone 5 or 5s, I wouldn’t
upgrade unless the newer size intrigues you.
From the 5 to the 6, the speed is not noticeably
better, and the camera is exactly the same.
As the case with most phones, if you have
Photo courtesy of Apple.com
The sizes of the two new iPhone 6 are
compared. last year’s model, you are pretty much set.
If you have a Samsung, Motorola or HTC
Android phone, chances are you could not give
a care less about iPhone and Apple.
However, if you have ever wondered what
the fuss is about when it comes to iPhone, this is
the phone to try. While you will lose a lot of the
customization you are used to, you will gain the
best App Store, cohesiveness, accuracy and the
freakish smoothness of iOS.
I currently have a great phone, the HTC One
and previously had an iPhone 4. I jumped ship
because the size of the 4 was a hinderance.
My thumb covered half the keyboard but lo
and behold, a bigger screen has arrived. Apple,
shut up and take my money.
enhancing their verbal skills. These are skills
that will be helpful to have when searching for
competitive jobs.
Taking courses in a classroom setting will
guarantee that the student has those opportuni-
ties to speak with his or her professors. There-
fore, immediate help and support can be pro-
vided if needed.
The last major disadvantage of having on-
line-based classes is that they cannot provide
hands-on activities for students. Certain proj-
ects and techniques can be used that can influ-
ence someone’s understanding of the subject.
Taking a course set in a classroom will en-
able professors to use these hands on activities
to help their students better understand the ma-
terial.
As much as online learning is becoming
more appealing to students, I do not believe that
we are at the point in which we can rely solely
on online courses to enhance our education.
Editorial Board
Stella Matheos
Dakota Gallimore
Allie Gibson
Ad Manager
Web Master
Staff Adviser
Staff Writers/Photographers
The Highland Cavalier is the official student newspaper of The University of
the newspaper in person (317 Slemp Student Center); by standard mail (Campus
Letters to the editor can also be e-mailed to Opinion Editor Kandee
Wallace([email protected]). All letters to the editor must be signed — including
the writer’s department or major, address and telephone number. Letters may be
edited for length, grammar, clarity and libel.
sports The Highland Cavalier Sept. 24, 2014 Page 7
Football starts off year with a loss
Senior running back Andre Dickenson (21) scores the first home touch down against Wesleyan. Justin David | The Highland Cavalier
Darrian Pickett
Sports Editor
The Cavaliers allowed a home opener win
to slip away from them Sept. 13 against West
Virginia Wesleyan College, losing 23-7.
It seemed that small mistakes on both sides
of the ball led the Cavaliers to their loss against
the Bobcats.
The Cavs’ senior running back, Andre Dick-
erson (21), scored the team’s only touchdown
early in the first quarter.
The Cavaliers held the Bobcats 7-6 going
into halftime, until the beginning of the 3rd
quarter when West Virginia Wesleyan’s quarter-
back scored a touchdown to give the Bobcats
the lead.
Head Coach Dewey Lusk, said the team ran
97 offensive plays, 31 first downs and held pos-
session for 35 minutes.
“They ran 58 plays, 16 first downs, with 25
minutes of possession time. We had two critical
turnovers in the red zone, and three missed op-
portunities on field goals,” Lusk said. “Defen-
sively we played well for 47 plays, but gave up
11 big plays. We must become more consistent
in all three phases, offense, defense and kicking
game.”
Sophomore quarterback Ty Ryans (11)
threw for 268 yards and completed 27-43 passes
but also recorded two interceptions in the game.
“We just had a few miscues offensively and
there were times the big play, was there, but we
failed to make it,” Ryans said. “If we had made
the big plays the game would have had a differ-
ent outcome, I believe.”
Sophomore middle linebacker Zack Blair
(42) led the team in tackles and sacks in the
competition against West Virginia Wesleyan.
“We didn’t make enough plays on either side
of the ball. We didn’t get turnovers when we had
the chance, and we didn’t get touchdowns when
we had the chance,” Blair said.
“Offense moved the ball well and defense
had a lot of nice stops, but it doesn’t matter if
you don’t get touchdowns or get turnovers.”
Although the Cavaliers lost the lead in the
third quarter after holding it for the entire first
half, according to Blair they remained confident
that the game was still within reach.
“I wasn’t worried,” he said. “I thought we
were going to get it back, our offense had been
moving the ball well all game. I wasn’t really
concerned, I was like, ‘They have the lead right
now, but we’re about to score.’ I probably got
worried after they kicked the additional field
goal after the third.
“When they went up by two scores, that’s
when it becomes a serious and urgent situation.”
The next home game is Homecoming, Oct.
4, when the Cavaliers will take on Notre Dame
College at 1 p.m.
Student joins Puerto Rican National Team
Darrian Pickett
Sports Editor
Survival Challenge
Continued from page 1
Over the summer, a member of the UVa-
Wise softball team, sophomore second baseman
Alexa Hernandez, was selected to become a
member of the Puerto Rican National Softball
Team.
For the Cavaliers, Hernandez holds the
fifth highest batting average on the team, col-
lected 25 runs, three home runs, and 16 RBIs in
her freshman season. She also played in more
games than any of the freshmen in 2014.
Deciding to try out for the national team was
a decision that Hernandez did not take lightly.
“I had taken into a lot of consideration
about how trying out would affect my family,”
she said. “The decision was that this was an op-
portunity I should take for experience. The only
requirements were to come to tryouts in Salinas,
Puerto Rico.”
Once in Salinas, Hernandez took part in a
week long tryout that started every day at 7 a.m.
and ended every night at 10 p.m.
“There were 20 girls at tryouts for a 16 slot-
ted roster,” she said. “It was a week long pro-
cess where each day was planned out.”
According to Hernandez, the tryout was
held to select the 16 girls who would compete
in the tournament held in Canada and Holland.
Hernandez would return to Salinas to come
back to compete in a competition held in the
Netherlands.
“When I found out I was on the team, I was
relieved to hear the news, however I wasn’t on
the roster for Canada and Holland. I had called
my parents and told them the news and that I
would be asked to come back for the North-
Photo courtesy Alexa Hernandez
easter District, or NED competitions they would
compete in. The next competition scheduled is
the Pan-American Games in Mexico,” she said.
Hernandez was on a team with girls she rec-
ognized from colleges and universities she had
seen playing on television or had played against
before. “The girls are very friendly and comfort-
ing,” she said.
“Many of the girls I have seen on TV play-
ing college softball or have played against in
travel softball years ago. The competition level
was extremely high, and I had learned a lot from
the entire group of girls. They, overall, made the
trip very enjoyable.”
“It was a great experience that I had learned
a lot from, not just only with softball, but per-
sonally as well,” she said. “It will be something
that I’ll always be thankful for getting the op-
portunity to participate in.
“I was honored to get the chance to repre-
sent my family and friends as well as our college
and the softball team. Overall, I am just grateful,
and always will be.”
Darrian Pickett | The Highland Cavalier
Two women lift tires as part of the sur- vival challenge.
the grunt work on the course, we put everything
else together.”
Smith competed in the challenge as well on
Aug. 30 with a group of four.
“It was a lot of fun. That was the second
time I did the race,” Smith said.
“We actually did a trial run two weeks ago
just to try out the course, but we did the whole
thing on Saturday. I finished the weaver, so I
was pretty happy about that.”
The weaver, according to Rowe, is a 16-
foot structure that requires people to use a great
amount of upper body strength.
According to Marshall, ROTC members are
already planning for next year’s challenge, and
with a whole year to prepare participants can
expect the race to be on a whole new level in
the future.
Women’s golf gets fifth Darrian Pickett
Sports Editor
sports
The Highland Cavalier
Sept. 24, 2014
Page 8
Mountain East champions
Photo courtesy Donna Hale
Above photo taken after UVa-Wise softball won the MEC Championships againast West Va. Wesleyann in Salem, Va.
Darrian Pickett
Sports Editor
“Everyone, at point or another, stepped up.
There were games where I look back and the
it.”
Sophomore pitcher Taylor Brandts collected
The UVa-Wise softball team brought home
the school’s first division II championship last
year, during its first year in the Mountain East
Conference.
On May 4, 2014, the team won the MEC Di-
vision II conference championship against the
West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats.
As the school’s 15th softball team, they had
a tremendous season as they faced all new com-
petition.
Head Coach Karen Bitter started her third
year at UVa-Wise in 2014.
“The softball program has a history of win-
ning championships, and we were just trying to
build on that,” Bitter said. “When I arrived three
years ago, I had a core group of young ladies
who were sophomores. This past season they
were seniors. We were able to put some key
players around them and together they made a
great team.”
The Cavaliers had a winning season of 37-
14 overall and 20-6 in the MEC with each player
stepping up at different points in the season.
freshmen saved us, or the sophomores, or the
seniors.
“Then there were games where we’re un-
stoppable because everyone came to play,” Bit-
ter said. “They were strong and fit from their
strength and conditioning program. Everyone
was healthy, for the most part. They continued
to make improvements with their swing, and
pitch selection. They worked really hard for that
championship and I’m really proud of them for
grinding it out.”
Junior outfielder Christina Ziemba had the
highest batting average for the Cavaliers last
season and collected two out of the team’s six
runs in the championship game.
“I felt that I stepped up on the field and when
I was at the plate when my team need me most,
minus the pressure that came with it. I stayed
positive and I knew I needed to get some type of
job done,” Ziemba said.
According to Ziemba, “team 15,” or the
15th softball team at UVa-Wise, was a family.
“We truly acted as sisters and stood by each
other no matter the circumstances,” she said.
“We started with a strong bond and ended with
her 22nd win in the conference championship
last season as a freshman.
“There is always going to be a little pres-
sure, but I have learned how to not mind it and
let it motivate me through the game,” Brandts
said.
“My teammates helped me keep my compo-
sure and keep calm as the game went on. They
just kept telling me that they were going to get
runs on the board for me.”
When the seventh inning ended and the
Cavaliers had officially won the championship,
emotions were running high amongst the team.
“The win was so important to everyone, es-
pecially our seniors,” Brandts said. “Then when
we got our escort back to campus it felt like a
dream.”
Christina Ziemba added: “For one, it was
the best feeling in the world since it was our first
NCAA Division II championship.
“Secondly, at the beginning of the season
many teams or prospects wrote us off since it
was our first year being in this new conference.
Minus the jewelry we get with it, I loved being
there with the girls I called my family.”
This past week, women’s golf finished a
competition in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
According to notes provided by the col-
lege, the women’s team finished in fifth place
overall in the tournament with a team score of
771. Freshman, Katie Brownschildle led the
team and finished in 15th place overall with ju-
nior, Makenzie Cluesman in seventeenth place.
Brownschildle recorded a score of 182 while
Cluesman scored 186.
“Coach [Leigh] Clark gave me a few as-
pects of my game that I could work on that she
noticed in the first tournament that I focused on
in practice,” said Brownschildle. “Also, watch-
ing Makenzie play helped me a lot. I tried to fo-
cus like she does and relax like her. She’s been a
great role model for us freshmen. I also wanted
to show her and coach that I was capable of
playing well. I’ve been improved by gaining a
little distance, and focusing on my short game
and draining putts when it is necessary.”
Cluesman serves as the captain of the 2014
golf team, and finished fifth in the last tourna-
ment Mechanicsburg, Ohio.
“I like all of the girls. We’re all really close,
and it’s easy to lead a team when we have a
close bond,” Cluesman said.
The women’s golf team will travel to Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina in October to compete
in the Myrtle Beach Intercollegiate Tournament.
Photo courtesy UVa-Wise athletics website
Makenzie Cluesman putts on the green in Mechanicsville, Ohio, at the first golf
tournament of 2014.