The Rampage #4 March 2020

ISSUE No. 4 | March 2020

Bluefield College Student Newspaper

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Featured Stories

WhyVideoGames are a Good Thing 6

How to take Efficient Notes

Celebration of Love

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The Rampage

Table of Contents

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4

9

Opinions

Student Spotlights

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19

Stories

Artwork

Sports 23

27 Employee Features

The Rampage Student Newspaper © Bluefield College. Magazine design by Ben Ayers (template, p. 1-17) and Clara Blevins (p. 18-32); design revisions by Ben Ayers. Cover illustrations © Ben Ayers. Supplemental illustrations by Ben Ayers and Clara Blevins. Magazine printed by Wordsprint. Special thanks to Professor Chris Shoemaker and Dr. Cynthia Bascom for making our student newspaper possible and giving students a voice.

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Opinions

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Matters of Opi

The football locker rooms are old and moldy, and they need to get renovated.

OmegaWebb , Undecided

The cafeteria is still really bad.

I feel like campus security is not here to protect us, but to give us tickets.

Maclaine Kirkley , Business Management

Kristin Storer , Criminal Justice

There’s a huge disconnect when it comes to communication, not only between faculty and students but between faculty and other faculty and staff on campus.

Like we don’t have anything on campus. It’s really boring.

Tessa Saiia , Special Education

Like even the chairs outside (are) something, and we don’t have (them) anymore or anything.

Classes are weak. I feel like my high school was harder than this.

Farah Schweers , Forensic Science

Von Perry , Cybersecurity

I think they should color coordinate the parking spots to the dorms.

Chelsea Ford , Sports Management I like the Sims Center because it’s just a good environment to be there. I’m there every day. I like seeing people work hard, and Coach (Rodney) Kasey, he’s the man.

Madison Brewster , Accounting

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inion

Within the past three years I have been at Bluefield College, I have seen them change a budget for a sports team at the snap of their fingers. I know football has the biggest budget because of the number of players, but that doesn’t mean we get the luxury of what other teams have. After completing laundry from practice and games, I have to step into the locker rooms and put it back into their lockers. The lockers are extremely molded. Breathing in mold is not healthy for anyone. I am actually allergic to the strand of mold that is in the locker rooms. I can’t be in the locker rooms for more than five minutes without breaking into hives. Savannah Dame , Sports Management

I wish the criteria (for admission) was a little bit stronger, because a lot of times we bring in students that are not equipped for college. There’s no essay you have to write, and you can do not too hot on the SAT or ACT and still make it in. So sometimes I feel that we bring in students that we’re setting up for failure, and they’re going into debt and paying a lot of money without really knowing what college entails. I think you can look at their track record in high school and if they have a 1.7 GPA and we bring them in on academic probation, then is that really the right thing to do?

Benjamin Mays , History

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The Rampage

Opinions

Why

Video Games

are a Good Thing

W hy do so many students have trouble with time management when it comes to homework and the writing process? Most boomers will attribute it to video games, and while some students do focus their time on the “distracting” services games can provide (relaxation, escape, socialization), games are actually doing a lot of good for people. Let me just throw out there what I mean by the good that games do for people. This is all from personal experience and games that I have played, myself, so I can give anyone who disagrees with this list a piece of my 4.0 GPA mind with exact examples. Some of these benefits of gaming are: • Teach accurate history of amultitude of cultures Assassin’s Creed, Battlefield • Build vocabulary and reasoning skills Skyrim, LetterQuest • Encourage active problem-solving and “fixing” of issues Sherlock Holmes, Resident Evil • Teachmanners and proper ethics/morals/right vs. wrong Dishonored, Thief • Lots of hand-eye coordination Fortnite, but really any game • Again, socialization, relaxation, escape Anything online like PUBG or Call of Duty • Time-passers andmind breaks to help process learned information and recuperate Zombie Castaways, Left 4 Dead • Teach how to do “complex” math for code-solving Tomb Raider, escape games • How to look defensively for things out of the ordinary, which can further help with both defensive driving and awareness when in unfamiliar locations PUBG, Tom Clancy games • Self-defense techniques and how to properly respond quickly in trouble situations Remember Me, Blair Witch • Willpower and planning Pokemon, Fire Emblem The list really can go on much longer than this, but this is a good start to the many benefits of gaming. Since this is the case, why can’t we use them as a time management tool to get our work done, too? I know that I do. Here’s my personal writing process for those pesky research papers (or really any writing assignment). Feel free to take this rough example and tweak it to yourselves. •••

by Hayley Moore General Music and English Writing • 2020

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•••And How to Use Them to Write

12. Honestly, just rinse and repeat until you’ve finish that paper (minus the conclusion), nonsense and all, a paragraph or two (level or time limit) at a time. 13. Once you have the meat of the paper done, though, now is the time to add your in-text citations and such. I personally write what comes to my head, first. Once I do that, I go back and find things that either support what I’ve said and expand on it or challenge it. Then, I add those citations where they fit. 14. Now that you have your citations out of the way, it’s time to make the paper sound logical andmake sense . You have a few options here, depending if you’re like me and love revision and editing or if you’re like normal people and hate it. If you like doing it yourself, go for it. If not, go to the ACE or find one of your friends who is into English (like me) to help you out with it. 15. Now, you should pretty much be done. Go ahead and write that conclusion paragraph (it should be a quick summary of everything you’ve said. It should be pretty similar to your introduction paragraph, really). After you do so, give the whole paper another read to make sure you’ve fixed your typos and it makes sense. 16. Now that you’ve finished your conclusion and done your last proofing, you can now go ahead and play your games and have a good ol’ time. Just don’t forget to turn it in.

1. Pick a paper (I’ll use a big, final research paper as an example). 2. Create your title page and paste the instructions in the document. 3. Pick a game you want to play (I’ll use Fortnite, since everyone is obsessed with it still, for some reason). 4. Play amatch , and if you lose, fix your sources into an MLA or APA or whatever is required by your major works cited page. If you win, play one more before doing this. 5. After fixing your sources, pick out some key quotes that you can use in your paper (make sure you note the page that it’s on for your citations). 6. Play another match. 7. If you lose, write your first paragraph . If you win, play another, and then write your first paragraph. 8. Make sure your thesis has all of your main points in one (three is usually recommended, though it varies by subject). 9. Once your thesis is looking good and that first paragraph is out of the way, go ahead and play another match (just one this time because you’re getting into it, now). 10. Now that you’re a winner winner chicken dinner, go ahead and write a paragraph or two about the first part of your thesis . Just say anything you can think of about that point, even if it’s absolute gibberish. Just trust me. 11. After that first point is done, take you a few moments to check all your social media, maybe eat a snack, play another match. Just make sure you set a limit on it.

Now, this is a pretty specific example, and these steps can always be tweaked. There are times when I’m playing a game like Jedi or Tomb Raider, and I set time limits or goals for myself since they aren’t match or level-based. “I’ll just finish this objective and then do this amount of the paper,” or, “I’ll play until 7 p.m., and then I’ll do this amount of the paper.” Just like the settings in your games, tailor these steps to you and what you need and are doing, and you’re golden. You’ll be done in no time while making sure to take plenty of mental breaks so that you don’t get burned out while still accomplishing something. Really, when it comes down to it, use games as motivation and goal points to get things done. It works wonders. When all is said and done, stop shedding a negative light on gaming. Games can be used for a lot of good if we let them, even if that good is simply motivation to get things done. Gaming is a beautiful gift that we have been fortunate enough to experience, and we should be cherishing that and using it to help us, rather than allowing it to tear us down and keep us from the things that are important, such as writing for our classes. I hope that you gamers (and non-gamers) out there can take something from this and tweak it and apply it to your lives. Happy gaming, and happy writing!

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Student Spotlights

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Bluefield College Student to Open Local Coffee Shop by Kaleigh Compton Communication • 2020

B luefield College junior criminal justice major Collin O’Donnell traveled from his home in Buffalo, NY, to Bluefield College in southwest Virginia to pursue his passion for football and a college degree. Now that he’s here, not only is O’Donnell impacting the college community with his bright spirit, but he’s also making a difference in the Greater Bluefield community with his soon-to-be-open coffee shop, The Grind. Before making his way to Bluefield, O’Donnell served in the U.S. Army nearly four years. “I (was) in Afghanistan in 2014, and I got injured there,” O’Donnell said. “I was only there for four months, got injured, and then I spent two years in the hospital in Washington, D.C. When I (got) out of the military, I wanted to play football again. I was working a job, and I was like, ‘I got to do this.'”

So O’Donnell said he packed up his Jeep with what he could fit inside, put his dog in the front seat, and headed out on his new adventure. He said he wanted to get back to playing football for a number of reasons. “Generically, I like football because it is a team sport and it is challenging,” he said. “Intrinsically, I like football because you have to put your mind in such a place that is almost nomadic, and you also have this opportunity to go on the field and say, ‘Hey, we’re going up against you and let’s see who wins.’ I just like the physicality, the routine, and the discipline. I also love the work structure and pushing myself.” Even though O’Donnell is a criminal justice major, he is not focusing all of his energy in that area. O’Donnell is now a young business owner of The Grind Coffee Shop that is located in downtown Bluefield, VA

“There is so much going on right now,” O’Donnell said about getting The Grind ready to open soon. In addition to the local shop, The Grind will have an online presence at thegrindbluefield.com where patrons can buy local artisan coffee from all over Appalachia. The site features three companies and features coffee recognized as a “top roaster in the nation” by Forbes. •••

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Student Spotlights

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••• “We are creating this really unique e-commerce site that allows you to taste all these craft roasters from all over Appalachia that are super unique,” O’Donnell said. “Like 25/30 Expresso, their pitch is they only do women-owned farms in South America, fair-trade practices, and they have a cherry apple brown sugar roast. Like where do you find that?” O’Donnell said that he did not care much for coffee before pursuing his small business. When asked why he chose coffee as his trade he responded by saying, “I ask myself this every day.” When making the decision to pursue this business, O’Donnell said he was inspired by a person that did the unthinkable. “Elon Musk put his Tesla into space; he launched a vehicle into space!” O’Donnell exclaimed. “If he can do that, then I can figure out how to launch a coffee shop. So I did it.” O’Donnell said The Grind plans to have community events, too, such as book clubs. “I am trying to bring the college students in there and kind of create an evening life there,” he said. O’Donnell said that he has practically worked “every job under the sun,” and that he decided he had to do something different with this new venture. He encourages others with similar or completely different dreams or ambitions to “just start and stop being afraid.” “We are on a spinning rock right now, in case anyone forgot, hurling through time and space with absolutely nothing to lose in this lifetime,” O’Donnell said. “If we subject ourselves to our own fears of getting started, we’ll have a really bad time. So we might as well do it now.” O’Donnell hopes to open The Grind by June 1, 2020.

Emily Carlisle

Carlisle and friends in Ecuador.

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by Kaleigh Compton Senior Emily Carlisle Thankful She Came to BC C arlisle has lived in Bluefield ever since she moved here when she was seven years old. After a few setbacks during her college Communication • 2020

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Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if it had been my plan,” said Bluefield College senior Emily Carlisle. “Overall, I am glad I came to Bluefield.”

application process with another school, she was interviewed for the Presidential Scholarship at BC, which she received. As a result, she has called this campus home for the past three years. Carlisle is a double major in communication and graphic communication. Her hard work throughout the years was recently recognized by the BC community. In fall of 2019, she was awarded the Shott Excellence in Media Student Scholarship Award, presented annually to an outstanding BC communications student. In addition, Carlisle belongs to Alpha Chi National Honor Society, Kappa Pi National Art Society, was the former editor-in-chief of the college’s student newspaper, The Rampage , is a resident assistant (RA), and is an American Sign Language (ASL) teaching assistant. “I am really glad that I met the people I have,” said Carlisle about her thoughts on ending up at Bluefield College. “My professors and advisors are all fantastic. They are really great teachers who genuinely care about you and will go the next step to make sure your advising is right, to make sure you are doing well in your classes, and that you are okay.” Carlisle said the favorite thing she has been a part of at BC is being a part of the spring 2019 student mission team that traveled to Ecuador to share the Gospel. “I have had every missions experience that you can have in college,” she said. “I have done close domestic trips, the overseas trip where you are ‘boots on the ground,’ and helping start a church.” Carlisle said the mission trip to Ecuador was very structured with an agenda every day, which is something she added is not very common in Central and South American countries. “Just to kind of see how both of those were polar opposites,” she said. “For one, you are doing all of this work you are not going to see the fruit from, and last year’s you could immediately see your hard work because the kids would hug you and would say ‘thank you.’ They would show with their actions that they loved, appreciated you and how the work you were putting in was paying off.” This spring, Carlisle will head to Madrid, Spain for another mission trip, accompanied by other female classmates and Professor Henry Clary.

“I am super pumped about Madrid this year,” she said. “I don’t know what to expect, which is kind of good. I am terrified because we are talking to college students, which both challenges and terrifies me in a good way. There is a really small team of us going, and I think that is going to be a really cool experience. I have never spent a whole lot of time in a big city so I don’t know what to expect because I have grown up in Bluefield. It will be a little taste of what a big city feels like.” Carlisle used to aspire to be a journalist, but now she is leaning more toward public relations as her future profession. “It (PR) is so much more me,” she said. “It is so much more positive and light-hearted and shows the good in things. I would love to travel and show off really incredible organizations, towns, and be like ‘this is the good that is happening in the world.'” Carlisle would like to show consumers whatever company she is working for is actually doing good in the world with the money being sent in. “I don’t know if it would be PR for an agency and I would just work with these nonprofit companies, or if it would be for a specific company and then that is how I would do it,” she said. “If that could all roll together into one job, I would be so pumped.” After graduating from BC in May, Carlisle plans to continue her education by pursuing a master’s degree in digital media and advertising online at Liberty University. When asked what advice she would give to fellow classmates, she said “stress clean” and “be authentic.” “I always tell new students that it is okay to stress clean,” Carlisle said. “When I am really stressed, I feel this need to clean. My freshman year, I would wash every dish I had, and they would all be clean. It is actually so good for you because you get some of that stress out, you feel really productive, and then you see your work pay off as you are going, and it gives you that little confidence boost to go and tackle an assignment. For any BC student and their life in general, I would say to be really authentic and to not let your words speak for you, but let your actions speak for you.”

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Stories

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From One Student to Another: How to Take Efficient Notes by Sidney Smith English • 2020 L et’s be realistic. We college students are, for the most part, lazy. We don’t want to wake up at 8 a.m. to attend a lecture — even if it is the most exciting Disclaimer

I am not a note-taking specialist. These are just a few tips and tricks that have helped me. Therefore, I am not saying that in doing these things, you will automatically gain an immense amount of knowledge and pass every test you take. No, I ammerely sharing with you some of the hacks I have learned throughout my educational journey.

subject in the world — because we are too sleep- deprived to function as anything more than zombies. So, when considering the thought of studying for a quiz, or God forbid a final exam, we go into panic mode. Why? Because we are so lazy that at some point we decided there was no need to take notes. We are young; our minds are still fresh! Why would we need to take notes? Well, for one, I am 22 years old, and I cannot for the life of me remember the simplest things. So how in the world can I expect myself to remember a whole class lecture of information? I can’t. Instead, I have created a few note-taking tips and tricks — things I can do that are efficient, make sense, are incredibly simple and, dare I say, fun to prepare when my mind is in chaos.

1 Keep your notes in one place. I cannot tell you how many times that at the end of the semester I’ve needed to find my chapter 12.5 notes for English. Yet, I couldn’t find them because I had seven different notebooks filled with unlabeled scribbles. For whatever class you are in, keep your notes in one spot. You want to type? Type. Do you want to write? Write in a five-subject notebook. Whatever works best for you, great, but do it. Do not go back and forth between paper and digital note- taking. Choose what is best for you and stick with it.

2 Ask your professor about PowerPoints. It is as simple as that. If your professor is more structural, it is likely they will have pre-prepared PowerPoint presentations that you can easily download and print out before class. Through doing so, you would be cutting out more than half of the time spent hastily writing down every word the professor utters. Instead, you can simply write or highlight key terms and concepts on the printed slides. Work smarter, not harder, people.

3 This is where I may lose a few of you…but push down that lazy monster. Just a few more tips, and you are free to let your lazy flag fly. Tip #3 is read your book . Wow! Yeah, I just said that. I know some of you are probably flabbergasted by the idea of reading your book, but you don’t have to read it word-for-word. In fact, grab your favorite colored marker and flip through your book, highlighting all of the bold titles above each subsection. Next, I challenge you to skim a few paragraphs at a time. If you see something that is identifiably related to the section title, highlight it. However, there is such a thing as going highlight crazy. So, it is important to limit your highlighting to titles, bold or italicized terms and phrases, and any key concepts related to the topic. This will familiarize your mind with what is important to remember. The information will also be easier to remember, because you will have highlighted your text with a color specifically designated to whatever the subject may be. Separating which colored highlighter goes with which subject is a bonus tip to keep in mind.

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4 Choose themethod of note-taking that works best for you : Outline, Cornell, Boxing, or Mind-Mapping. Don’t be afraid to create a combination of methods to suit your individual style. Once you’ve chosen a method, or have created your own, prepare to take a majority of your notes in that format. Doing this may assist in the maintenance of a routine – providing a sense of comfort and confidence on where to begin when taking notes.

The Boxing Method

Subject 1 • • •

The Outline Method ◊ This is amain topic • This is a subtopic - Thoughts... - Supporting facts...

Subject 2

• • •

Subject 3

• • •

Cornell

Date

• Main Notes

Mind-Mapping

* Key Thoughts

Keywords Questions

Summary

5 Finally, the last stem is to review your notes – this is the refreshing part. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your notes. As you go back through your notes, add any extra examples or details you may have forgotten. Highlight your notes with a color system. For example, red indicates you don’t understand, green normally correlates positivity (you know the material and it is important), and yellow raises caution or awareness of information that you sort of understand, but have questions about. These colors can be interchanged with other colors, but it is important to give each color a purpose. Now that your notes are complete, whether you’ve written them in a five-subject notebook, typed them out on a computer or used an iPad, make sure to print them out and place them all in the same place (i.e. an organized binder, five-subject notebook, specific files, etc.).

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Water Floods Science Center by Jacob Underwood Exercise and Sport Science • 2020

B luefield College students, faculty and staff were met with a variety of unexpected inconveniences when the Science Center was flooded in January, causing classes to be moved, professors to be displaced from their offices, and damage to some parts of the building. Members of the BC family were notified about the flooding through a RamAlert issued by Chief Information Officer Chip Lambert on the afternoon of January 22. That afternoon, all power to the Science Center was cut off and the building was evacuated due to the flooding, which was caused by pipe fittings that were not tightened properly by the contractor who installed the HVAC system during the construction of the third floor of the Science Center this past fall. The water leak began in the HVAC room located directly beside the bathrooms on the new third floor. The water then proceeded to flow down the elevator shaft and into the stairwells. The water eventually reached the lower floors of the building, including a chemistry lab, the second floor break room, and the offices of Dr. Doug Minnix and Dr. Joe Saunders. “I was teaching the organic chemistry class that afternoon when students heard dripping in the hallway,” Dr. Saunders recalled about the discovery of the flooding. “I came out and saw water gushing out from the closed elevator doors. I foolishly assumed maintenance was pressure washing the elevator shaft — like that ever happens — so I went back and told the class that. Then, it started dripping from the class ceiling, and I knew that (my initial conclusion) was incorrect.” Regarding his office damage, Dr. Saunders said he saved his computer in time and his work is nearly all saved on OneDrive and class assignments are increasingly in MyBC, so he only lost printed lab safety agreement forms from his organic chemistry students. He said he was relocated to Easley Library for his office hours. There, he said he put together a 1,000-piece puzzle and graded assignments. “My students were perplexed at why I seemed to be happy, smiling with water sprinkling out of the light fixtures,” Dr. Saunders said. “I guess it was the excitement and the craziness of it all. Praise God no one was seriously injured in this adventure.”

The flooding, he said, did damage carpet in Science 227, so it was removed to avoid mold growth and is still bare plywood. Lambert added that several classrooms and computer labs were also damaged from the flooding, ranging fromminimal to substantial damage. “We had to replace almost all of the ceiling tiles in the chemistry lab, as well as the carpeting in Dr. Minnix’s office,” Lambert said. “The elevator was completely destroyed so we are in the process of getting bids to get it repaired and back up and running. The lyceum suffered some damage, as well, resulting in new carpet tiles being put in. Luckily, no technology or lab equipment was destroyed in the process.” While not all of the rooms in the Science Center were impacted, the entire building remained closed for six days through January 27, Lambert said, as a safety precaution. “We closed the entire building and brought in a company from Bristol, VA, to dry the building and perform the cleaning process,” he said. “This ensured that we would not have any future mold problems as a result of the moisture.” Lambert added that the biggest inconvenience was relocating classes scheduled in the building during the closure time. Ann Looney, director of academic programs, he said, worked around the clock to get all of the classes moved each day. “I greatly appreciate the flexibility that all of our faculty and students demonstrated during this time,” Lambert said. “It certainly made a terrible situation a lot better. Also, a huge amount of appreciation to Ann Looney for her work on finding new locations for class each day.” Leslie Flores, a freshman chemistry major, was one of the students affected by the relocation of classes. She said her chemistry labs were canceled and pushed back to a later date, but overall the inconveniences were manageable. “I’m glad they were able to re-open and fix the Science Center in a timely manner,” Flores said, “and how all the staff and everyone was able to work with moving classes to accommodate the incident that took place.” The Science Center has reopened and all classes are continuing as they previously were.

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New Additions to Food Services by Ariana Duron Graphic Communication • 2020 V alley Food Services is adding a number of new features to the cafeteria to improve the dining experience for Bluefield College students. Some of the new features being added are a new stand-alone salad bar, a heated flat plate on the grille, a rotisserie oven, and a Turbo Chef deli oven.

The addition of the rotisserie oven is to provide more healthy food options for students and employees. The addition of the deli oven will offer students fresh, heated and toasted sandwiches. In addition to the new regular lunch and dinner features, Valley Food Services will also be adding late night dinner specials, available to students from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night of the week at the Chicory Coffee Company. The late night dinner specials will include pizza, tacos, burgers and more.

The new additions, according to BC Associate Vice President of Student Development Josh Arnold, are designed to relieve congestion and waiting time around the main food bar. The additions, he added, are also designed to keep food hot and fresh. Increasing healthier food choices, he said, is always important. “Each semester represents a new beginning with opportunities for growth and change,” said Arnold about the changes with food services.

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Chris DeBerry

Finds His Calling at Bluefield College

by Kaleigh Compton

Communication • 2020

B luefield College senior Chris DeBerry originally came to Bluefield College to play football to prove himself to other schools who showed no interest in his football ability. When things did not go as planned, he proved himself in another area of life — creativity. A native of Richmond, VA, DeBerry is a communication major and graphic communication minor at BC. He agrees that his coming to a small town was a big change for him. “Originally it was really just because I wanted to ease the burden on my parents,” DeBerry said about his decision to attend Bluefield College. “I had other (football scholarship) offers, but they were out of state and it was more money to go there. I didn’t really know anybody at the other schools because they weren’t real big schools in the first place. I knew somebody that was here, and they had been trying to recruit me ever since I was a sophomore… I was like ‘okay, I guess I will go here.’” Despite making BC his choice for college, DeBerry admits it was initially just a temporary destination. “I never planned to be here for all four years,” he said. “I had other schools that basically wanted me to prove myself (in football) on this level first because I was undersized.” His plan was to transfer to Marshall University the following year, but after getting injured during his second week of training camp, his plans changed. “The worst part about it was, all I really had to do was not get injured,” DeBerry said. “I tore some ligaments in my ankle, so I was in a boot for a couple of weeks. I ended up twisting my ankle during a play, and I think I was out for three weeks.” When Marshall heard about the injury, they changed their mind on offering DeBerry a football scholarship. But even though he got injured, he was still able to earn a starting role for BC as a freshman. The younger players on the team were originally told they might not be spending a lot of time on the field, but that was subject to change after some of the older players got injured. “It ended up turning out to where we were playing a lot as freshmen,” DeBerry said. In addition to overcoming his football injury and the change of plans it caused, DeBerry said another major obstacle he has faced as a BC student has been dealing with isolation.

Chris DeBerry

“In Richmond, I had my family and my brothers. When I came here, the only person I knew ended up leaving the following year, and I was just like ‘wow,’” DeBerry said about feeling alone at BC. “When I first got here, my grandma had recently passed (away) and that was one of my closest family members. I just isolated myself in football, and I just played.” DeBerry said that after his freshman football season ended he began to question why he was still at BC. He said he spent a lot of time in reflection to find the answer to that question. “I then found my relationship with God again,” DeBerry said about his reflection time. “I decided to stick it out here. I was happy I ended up staying, because I got to build relationships. I just wanted to finish what I started here.” Recognizing his talents in his communication and graphic communication studies, the Town of Bramwell, WV, recently contacted DeBerry and asked him to make a promotional video of the town for an HGTV contest.

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“ “They wanted a video put together telling their story,” DeBerry said. And since that initial video production, the town has asked DeBerry to continue doing promotional work for them. “I am currently working on my senior (video) project, which is going to be a movie and some trailers I want to show around to get some feedback on,” DeBerry said. Titled “Misconception,” his senior film project is about “the struggles of how we see ourselves versus what we portray,” he said. “It is about that dynamic of how you can lose everything or you can never really have anything to begin with.” DeBerry said he has always liked art, but he never wanted to share his works with others. After taking a class in high school, he realized how much he enjoyed using his creativity to help others. “It all started back in high school,” he said. “I took a class kind of thinking like ‘hey, this will kill some time,’ and then I ended up getting into it.”

I then found my relationship with God again,” DeBerry said about his reflection time. “I decided to stick it out here. I was happy I ended up staying, because I got to build relationships. I just wanted to finish what I started here.”

DeBerry said he would like to help others, like small businesses, to better express themselves. In addition to his work with the Town of Bramwell, he has completed graphic design projects for the Bluefield College Advancement Office and plans to stick around after he graduates in May to help whoever he can with their design and creative needs.

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Sports

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New Men’s Volleyball Coach to ‘Set’ Team into New Era

by Kassidy Brown

Communication • 2022

B luefield College has a new men’s Alfonso Alvarez comes to Bluefield from Miami, Fla., where he has accumulated a wealth of coaching experience at many levels of the sport from club to collegiate, including most recently as the head coach for women’s volleyball at Florida Memorial University. Before that, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Trinity International University, his alma mater. Alvarez also coached an AAU club 10-under to 18-under squad, as well as a high school team. With these teams he earned many accolades, including an AAU National Championship, high school district championships, and many tournament titles. And while he has also set a number of school records for wins in a season, he said he never lets the wins distract him. “I’m always looking for the next one,” he said. The men’s volleyball coaching position became vacant this past fall after head coach Ray Vance departed to spend more time with his family. Coach Alvarez had recently moved to North Carolina for a different head coaching opportunity that didn’t pan out. He then inquired about the position at BC, which he said offered him “the chance to impact people, the game of volleyball, and Bluefield College as a whole.” Coach Alvarez also expressed admiration for BC’s athletic administration, especially Athletic Director Tonia Walker and her vision for the programs at Bluefield. He also spoke highly of the “Christian aspect” of Bluefield College. And while he’s thankful for the opportunity to serve at BC, when it comes to coaching volleyball, Alvarez said he never thought he would be coaching the sport. He had always played baseball and expected to end up in that profession. “If the Lord gives you lemons, make lemonade,” Alvarez said about the way in which he ended up a volleyball coach. In fact, he said he goes where God takes him. volleyball head coach, and he’s coming out swinging for the “kill.”

“ He’s a good coach and very determined,” said Now as the leader of the men’s volleyball program at BC, Coach Alvarez said he thinks there are no real challenges for him ••• sophomore Terrell Boston about the new coach’s style. “He likes to switch things up that we did in the past to make us look better.” Alvarez got into volleyball his sophomore year in college when the women’s coach took him under his wing as an intern assistant coach. Coach Alvarez said that he was just shagging balls during practice, but he built his all-around volleyball knowledge through translating for the head coach, who came to America from Cuba and spoke no English.

Alfonso Alvarez

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••• and the team, as they look at obstacles as opportunities instead of problems. He said he thinks his style of coaching is what will set Bluefield apart from its opponents. The team practices faster than they play, and the coach challenges the players to be fearless on the court. “He’s a good coach and very determined,” said sophomore Terrell Boston about the new coach’s style. “He likes to switch things up that we did in the past to make us look better.”

Senior Carleek Owens said Coach Alvarez “does things differently, and he came up with a system change so many teams don’t know what (we) will run.” Freshman General Smith agreed. “I like his style and that he is getting us better at our position,” Smith said. “He’s teaching us new things about the systems we run.” Now in his 22nd year of coaching, Coach Alvarez said he sometimes thinks about retirement, but then remembers everything he would miss about coaching. When asked what

he would miss the most, he said, “The relationships with the players is the thing that matters the most.” In fact, he went into detail about how he still keeps in touch with some of his previous players. The other aspects he said he would miss are practice planning and strategic planning. For now, Coach Alvarez said he wants to focus on making a difference for men’s volleyball at Bluefield College. He said he hopes everyone will come out to home matches to cheer on the team as they strive for a successful season. “ It is closer to campus, and that is an advantage because it is easier to keep up with players and things going on around the school,” The Sims Center also provides more space for football training. The players said the old weight room felt “closed in.” Dustin Barker said in the new facility the weight room feels more open and spacious. “We are putting in hard work,” Barker said, “and trusting Coach (Dino) Kaklis with what he has for us in the weight room.” Even though there are plenty of positives, there are some improvements to be made. Coach Lusk said that he would like to use some of the space in the Sims Center to eventually make a football locker room. With all of the space left in the center, there is a good chance of making that happen over time. One major improvement that stood out to Barker was that he would like to see the flooring improved in the Sims Center, including some that is not slick and that’s easy to clean. Overall, members of the football team say the move was good for Bluefield College, and it is putting the team in the right direction for success.

Football Team Adjusts to Life in Sims Center by Lowell Patron Sports Management • 2020

I n October 2019, Bluefield College secured the Herb Sims Wellness Center on Stadium Drive for its football training and administrative facilities. At that time, the football teammoved its weight room as well as coaches’ offices out of the old facility on North Street into the new Sims Center. Now, a little more than three months later the big question some might be asking is how well has the football team adjusted to the move? We sat down with two players and head coach Dewey Lusk to find the answer to that question. Coach Lusk said the new location and facility is definitely better than the old one, simply because of the easy access and short walking distance it is for the players, especially those who don’t have

a car to drive. He also mentioned how it is great for the students who want to work out at the Sims Center. “It is closer to campus, and that is an advantage because it is easier to keep up with players and things going on around the school,” Lusk said. With the previous facility some two miles away from Bluefield College, the coaches whose offices were housed at the North Street location felt disconnected from the students on the main campus. Now less than a mile away and just a 10 minute walk, the new football facilities keep the coaches right next to the players and make it is easier for the players to get to classes and the coaches to visit with recruits on the main campus.

Equipment in the Herb SimsWellness Center

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Thousand-Point Man by Chris DeBerry Graphic Communication • 2020

BC Hosting Winter Youth Basketball League by John Kollie Communication • 2024 Bluefield College is reaching out to the youth of Bluefield through a winter youth basketball league. The college is hosting the winter youth basketball league at the Herb Sims Wellness Center on Stadium Drive and the Bluefield College Dome Gymnasium on the main campus. According to Rodney Kasey, manager of the Sims Center, more than 100 youth are participating in the league on 12 teams in three age groups. “What I am really excited about is we have a lot of interested people,” Kasey said, “people who are looking to come into the program in the coming years.” Kasey said the teams are playing two games a week on Saturdays and Sundays. Games on Saturdays begin at 9 a.m. and go until noon, while games on Sundays begin at 2 p.m. The Sunday games are for the youth in the older age group, (ages 10-12), and they are being played at the Dome Gymnasium. Cost for participation in the youth basketball league is $40 per child, which includes registration and uniforms, and according to Kasey that price is cheaper than previous years. “We will start registration for next season as soon as this season is over and go until about November,”Kasey said. Those interested in playing, coaching or participating in any other way should contact Kasey by email at rkasey@bluefield.edu.

B luefield College men’s basketball player Niquan Cousins has had a stellar college basketball career, marked this year by a huge milestone. In his senior season as a Ram, Cousins scored his 1,000th career point. Originally from Raleigh, NC, Cousins came to Bluefield for the opportunity to play basketball and stay close to his family. “It was a journey coming to Bluefield only having two years of experience with basketball,” Cousins said about his career with basketball that started late in life. “However, it taught me how to work from being a role player to becoming a leader on and off the court.” A criminal justice major at BC, Cousins has averaged more than 12 points a game in his career with a career high 14.9 points per game this season. He hit the 1,000-point milestone in a home conference game against Allen University on January 22. The 1,000th point came on a basket just five minutes into the game. Cousins was fouled on the make and converted the free-throw and the three- point play for the milestone mark. The Rams also won the game, 92-76. Cousins said he appreciates the relationships he has built through his experiences on and off the court and believes his success has come from the support he has received from his friends and family. He said he also believes that his resilience, his ability to overcome struggles, and his capacity to stay on top of everything are the skills that have allowed him to be successful. In addition to his 1,000th point this season, Cousins is currently in the running for the Dark Horse Dunker award sponsored by State Farm. This is a fan voting contest for contestants based on their dunking ability and character. Cousins is looking to finish the season strong and walk across the stage to receive his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in May. He will be remembered for his play on the court and his character off the court, as well.

Niquan Cousins

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Employee Features

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Meet Professor Kevin Downer

by Jacob Underwood

Exercise and Sport Science • 2020

“ A pproaching a decade of teaching at Bluefield College, Dr. Kevin Downer has and continues to make an impact in the lives of his students. Through his dedication to the sport industry and his yearning to help young adults progress in life, he has been an excellent example of a role model to the Bluefield College community. Dr. Downer, who serves as director of the Sports Management program and assistant professor of exercise and sport science, has been at Bluefield College for the last nine years. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa, he relocated to Bluefield in the summer of 2011. Prior to joining the Ram family, Dr. Downer devoted more than 20 years of his life to the sports industry. Frommanaging a multi-purpose sports arena, to creating his own company, Sportangles, to

(Dr.) Downer has made my time at Bluefield enjoyable and made me feel like Bluefield was the right place for me,”

He earned a bachelor’s degree in geography at California University of Pennsylvania in 1991 and followed that with a master’s degree in sport management fromWest Virginia University in 2009. A number of current and former students all speak very highly of Dr. Downer. They say he genuinely has their best interest in mind, describing him as a man with strong faith that would do anything in his power to help his students succeed. “(Dr.) Downer has made my time at Bluefield enjoyable and made me feel like Bluefield was the right place for me,” one current student said. “(Dr.) Downer is a great professor and an even better man and friend,” another student said. The students said that Dr. Downer makes it clear that he will be there not only during a student’s time at Bluefield College, but also after graduation and even farther down the line. In his free time, Dr. Downer enjoys being with his family and cheering on his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers. But in the classroom and on the BC campus, he is a valuable part of the Ram family, and students say we are lucky to have him.

finally playing a key role in the planning of four Pro Golfers Association (PGA) tournaments, Dr. Downer has gathered copious amounts of knowledge and real- world experiences which he now shares with students in the classroom.

Professor Kevin Downer

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A Celebration of Love

BC Married Couples Set Example for

by Carrington Hawthorne

English and Theatre • 2020

Have you ever noticed that Bluefield College hires a lot of married couples? As Valentine’s Day approaches, BC’s married employees share fond memories and talk about what it is like to work for the same institution as your spouse.

D r. Rob Merritt currently serves as chair of the BC English Department. His wife, Mimi, previously served in multiple positions at Bluefield College, including associate professor of communication, faculty advisor for The Rampage , interim vice president for academic affairs, and dean of institutional effectiveness. They worked together for more than 20 years. “One time I was her boss, and one time she was my boss,” Dr. Merritt said. They agree that a major benefit of working for the same institution is the shared vacations, because they love to travel. Mimi said that one of her fun experiences while working alongside her husband was the convenience of having his office near hers. “My office was on the other side of the wall from his,” she said, “and I was always locking myself out. So, I’d get Rob to help me break back into my office.”

J ustin and Katie Morton recently joined the Bluefield College family. Justin is in his third year as head men’s soccer coach, while Katie has served as women’s residence director and assistant coach for women’s soccer for two years. Together, they live on campus in The Bluestone Commons with their two-year-old daughter, Elia.

“Having Elia a part of the college life has been the biggest blessing,” said Katie. “I love the saying ‘it takes a village to raise your children’. Bluefield has truly welcomed our family with open arms.” Soccer is what brought the Mortons together. They agree that their love of playing the game has helped them stay connected, despite their competitiveness. Justin jokes that the challenge of working

for the same institution is that they see each other “too much,” but that becomes a benefit when they are having a busy day at work and still have time together. “Marriage is a journey of constantly learning and sacrificing for the other person,” said Katie. “Our story is messy, and we don’t always have it together. And that’s the point. I think we live in a world where we look at social media and want that person’s life or want your future marriage to look like theirs.” Valentine’s Day is special for the Mortons because they got together on that day. Justin planned what he thought would be a “perfect” date for the two, but it turned out to be a little less than perfect when they were late for their dinner reservation. Following dinner, they were to go on a hike; however, Katie forgot to bring a change of clothes. It was dark by then, so Justin decided they’d go stargazing at the park, but that was cut short when police officers kicked themout because the park was closed. It seems the only thing that went right that night was that Justin asked Katie to be his girlfriend, and she agreed. While they know they are not perfect, Katie and Justin also know they can overcome any failures by choosing God. Their advice for couples: “Pray for your spouse, pursue always, never stop dating, and know that everyone has mess behind the Instagram world.”

Dr. Merritt said he always makes his wife a Valentine’s Day dinner. Mimi says, “he’s a really good chef.” They’ve often included friends in the dinner with Dr. Merritt leading the men in cooking dinner for their wives. “All the girls dressed up to the nines, and the men wore tuxedos,” Mimi said. And Dr. Merritt added, “These were doctors and lawyers. They wanted to pay back their wives for all the meals they had cooked all year.”