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A class project of CMA 304

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Author describes publishing journey

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Author Yaa Gyasi speaks to Hood students.

Author Yaa Gyasi speaks to Hood students.

By Maddie Collins//

Hood College hosted this year’s first-year read author Yaa Gyasi – the young writer behind the novel “Homegoing” – to campus on Wednesday, Oct. 25. to discuss her creative journey and how she came to publish her debut book.

Every freshman or transfer student who goes through the orientation process must read a book over the summer chosen by students, faculty and staff who are a part of the First-Year Read Program committee.  When they arrive at Hood, the freshman and transfer students then complete an assignment based on what they read. This is considered their first college-level assignment. Not only does the book serve an academic purpose, it usually prepares students for the next chapter they are about to begin in their lives as the committee hopes that “Homegoing” did.

Dr. Martha Bari who is the head of the program chose “Homegoing” because she said it was, “very meaty, very thoughtful and historical. It talked about a lot of complex issues which was something that was really good for first-year students so that when they went to discuss it during orientation there would be a lot of different ways to approach it.”

The night began with a reception in which students, faculty and staff welcomed Gyasi to Hood’s campus. She had some time to mingle with those who have read her book and answer any questions that her audience had for her.

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Filmmaker describes joys, sacrifices of craft

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Filmmaker Samuel Tressler IV tells Hood students about his struggles.

Filmmaker Samuel Tressler IV tells Hood students about his struggles.

By Kristina Hong//

An independent filmmaker spoke at Hood College last week about overcoming the trials and tribulations of following your dreams when there is no clear path.

Samuel Tressler, IV, 31, is a director of photography currently living in downtown Frederick, Maryland. Although multiple opportunities to really hone in on his aspirations have come his way, Tressler chose to stay close to home every time.

In his speech on Wednesday, Oct 18, Tressler said, “I got into NYU for screenwriting but decided to go to Stevenson University instead.” Due to his financial status, he attended Stevenson: “NYU was too expensive and I felt like a failure for that,” Tressler said.

Interested in writing for pictures, the Maryland school had more appeal to him, as one of their main focuses is archived motion pictures with projects involving 16mm film. However, his classmates were not as dedicated as himself to their studies. “My peers weren’t interested in putting in the work and I wasn’t focused on the grades,” Tressler said. “I wanted to make something that meant something and move further out beyond school.”

By graduation, he completed three 16mm projects and realized his true passion was right in front of him: film. “Stevenson was more hands on.. It was the full spectrum the whole time rather than just writing,” Tressler said. “Filmmaking is an art like no other and my love was in the whole process.”

After school, he flew to California to attend a camp and made a few friends interested in the same field. By the end of the camp, his friends urged him to stay in the area. However, he found it hard to find a place to fit in and grow. “The longer I was there,” Tressler said, “the more I realized that the film industry is a horrible place for an independent voice.”

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Companies and colleges need free speech

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Flying Dog Brewery CEO Jim Caruso

Flying Dog Brewery CEO Jim Caruso

By Tim Silvia//

As part of an ongoing effort to promote and educate on free speech, Hood College played host to Jim Caruso, CEO of Flying Dog Brewery, and his speech “Free Speech for Me, But Not For Thee?” The speech outlined the history of free speech in America and the challenges that truly free speech brings.

As a private institution, Hood has no obligation to provide students free speech. Regardless, Free speech is something that Hood College president Andrea Chapdelaine holds in the upmost importance.

“For me it is a core of a liberal arts education; that what is most important to me is for students to experience and learn and grow from here,” Chapdelaine said. “The opportunity to use their own voice, use their own mind, use their own talents and interests to learn. So that right to free speech, as I think about it, is so critical to fulfilling our mission.”

The president and, subsequently, the college’s dedication to the promotion of free speech were the main driving forces behind inviting Caruso to speak. Additionally, Chapdelaine awarded Caruso with the President’s Medal for Democracy for his work education the public on the principles of the First Amendment.

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Coaches look to build on young Blazer team

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blazers basketbball

By: Brandon Green

Even though the Hood College men’s basketball team lost three seniors last year, the coaches believe that five new freshman and 10 returning players strikes the balance between youth and experience.

“We have plenty of guys to fill those guy’s shoes,” head coach Chad Dickman said. “They’re big shoes to fill, but we have so many good players that we should be able to fill it by quality and quantity.”

This recruiting class is a little smaller than in years past, according to Dickman. The Blazer’s usually bring in about five to eight freshman players.

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New lights illuminate Hood athletics

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lightsBy Mason Cavalier//

You may have noticed a new figure protruding from the Rosemont Avenue skyline this fall, courtesy of Hood College. Those figures, especially after dark, reveal themselves to be the new floodlights that surround Hood College’s Thomas Athletic Field. The lights obviously offer illumination for those on the field, but according to Hood’s Associate Director of Athletics Jack “Coach” Mehl, they also offer much more than that.

The lights, which were installed in June last summer, had been a wish list item for the athletic department ever since the turf arrived in 2009, so what was the hold up? “Well it was expensive,” Said Mehl. “President Chapdelaine made a commitment to get the lights up and worked with the Athletic Department, her office, and [the Office of] Institutional Advancement, and they did some fundraising for the lights.”

The lights have given Hood’s Athletic Department more flexibility than ever, allowing practices to be held past sundown, and letting teams play “under the lights.” According to Mehl, “It’s been nice because we have some part-time coaches, so the best time for them to practice would be early in the morning, and it used to be that at 6 o’clock it’s light for a little while, but in the middle of September its darker.”

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Bertazzoni retiring after 31 years

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Professor Donna Bertazzoni

Professor Donna Bertazzoni

By Elmer Diaz//

In the winter of 1987, Donna Bertazzoni, at the time an editor at the Herald Mail in Hagerstown, bumped into her former coworker, Al Weinberg. While catching up, he told her he was preparing to return from his five-week Christmas break as a professor at Hood College, to which she jokingly replied, “Well, are there going to be any jobs there anytime soon?” A few months after that conversation her question was answered. On August 1st her journey as a professor began.

Bertazzoni has been a professor, mentor, advisor, and a role model to her students for 30 years. Although her professionalism has consistently been on display for three decades, it is undeniable that her influence was garnered long before she wore the title as a professor.

“I worked at daily newspapers in both Massachusetts and Maryland for 14 years. My jobs ranged from sports reporter to copy editor to lifestyle editor to Sunday editor,” she said.

Out of all her positions, her favorite newsroom job was being a city editor and assistant managing editor at The Daily Mail in Hagerstown. It is due to her vast experiences in journalism that she has been able to provide her students with such skills.

“I worked directly with reporters, assigning and editing their stories, laying out pages, selecting photographs and writing headlines,” she said while relating her experiences to her teaching material.

The courses that Bertazzoni has taught have been: Editing and Layout, Media History, Communications Law, Television in America and the Seminar in Media Issues. Although she has been resourceful to her students and advisees, her students recognize that she has many times exceeded the average expectations of a professor.

“She has been like a mom away from home,” says Communication Arts student, Brandon Green. “She recommended me for my internship at WHAG and at my summer job Suburban Video.”

After 30 years of engaging and interacting with what Hood College has provided and her proactive participation in Communication Arts, Bertazzoni has decided to end her journey as a professor and continue her life journey to accompany her husband as a retiree.

“Bittersweet, truly bittersweet,” she said describing her retirement. “I will miss interacting with students and colleagues. I will not miss grading papers,” she said.

Safe Harvest a treat for kids

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Frederick families enjoy Safe Harvest activities at Hood.

Frederick families enjoy Safe Harvest activities at Hood.

By Laurel Hill//

Trick-or-treaters descended upon Hood College Thursday evening in celebration of the college’s annual Safe Harvest event.

“Hood students started Safe Harvest a number of years ago to create a traditional Halloween with fall activities in a safe environment,” according to a press release from Hood.  Safe Harvest, which was sponsored by the Hood College chapter of the Mortar Board Honor Society and open to children age 12 and younger, is designed to serve as an alternative to trick-or-treating in the neighborhoods surrounding Hood.

The participant registration line, which was filled with excited superheroes, princesses, monsters and more, stretched around Whitaker Campus Center in anticipation of the event. The Safe Harvest festivities began in the Whitaker Campus

Commons at 5 p.m. with games and activities hosted by student volunteers and campus organizations. The room became a cacophony of enthusiastic chatter as children made their way around the stations, which included painting pumpkins, digging for treasure in sandboxes, and listening to Halloween stories.

Hood student Jennifer Dinterman, a first -time Safe Harvest volunteer, supervised children in a spider web search game. Sponsored by the Colleges Against Cancer student organization, the game challenged participants to retrieve objects out of a bucket with serving tongs while maneuvering around a web made of yarn. “I think it’s really cool that everyone from the community can come out with their kids with all the activities,” Dinterman said. “We can show the community how nice people are at Hood.”

During registration, participants were divided into numerous groups with unique Halloween-themed names and designated departure times to prevent the halls hosting trick-or-treaters from being overwhelmed with children. By 5:15 p.m., the first wave of children began making their way through the five trick or treat locations: Smith Hall, Shriner Hall, Meyran Hall, Memorial Hall and Coblentz Hall.

Senior Monica Shenton took groups of trick-or-treaters and their chaperones around campus during the event. Though Shenton has volunteered in the activities room of Safe Harvest for the last three years, this was her first year as a trick or treat guide. “My favorite thing is just seeing all the kids in their costumes and seeing how much joy it brings to them,” Shenton said. “I usually just work the activities, so I get to see them come up and it’s cool to see them get so excited, ” she said.  “I’m an education major so seeing kids is one of my favorite things.”

Each of the trick or treat destinations were decorated with a variety of Halloween scenes ranging from Harry Potter to a mock dorm room littered with fake body parts. Student volunteers, many of whom in costumes themselves, greeted the children and directed them to the candy as they made their way through the buildings.

Hood student Tiara Winston volunteered to give out candy on the second floor of the children’s last stop, Coblentz Hall, during the event. Though getting to the second floor proved to be a challenge for some of the trick-or-treaters, who could be seen being carried by their chaperones by the end of their long journey around Hood, those who did make it to the end were rewarded with a final round of treats.

“The kids are super, super, super cute,” Winston said as she dropped candy into a princess’ bag. “I love children.”

 

Zombies stalk Hood students

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Students prepare for Humans vs. Zombies game.

Students prepare for Humans vs. Zombies game.

By Luis Zuniga//

Students fled horde of “zombies” Wednesday across the Hood College campus. There were only two known survivors at the end of the night while everyone else left with smiles and a good workout.

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) gathered students for a modified game of Humans vs. Zombies which has become increasingly popular on college campuses over the past decade.

Students divided into groups by their years and received a corresponding bandana color. Afterwards the “Human” students were given one minute to leave Whitaker and prepare for the zombie onslaught.

CAB “Zombies” then hunted the fleeing students by throwing bundled socks at them (the socks would later be donated to the homeless). Students hit would be converted to “Zombies” and begin their own hunting.

Some students hid in trees, some in bushes, but all the ones that were found tried their best to run.

Kyle Lammey, a senior, came decorated in all black as well as black facepaint. Lammey was one of the few surviving humans in the final round.

“I hunkered down, stayed quiet, and didn’t move. It’s the golden strategy in the apocalypse” said Lammey.

While Lammey was a survivor, others weren’t as lucky and were quickly converted to zombies.

Caylee Winpigler, a freshman, was caught and zombified, but that didn’t slow her down. Winpigler made sure to chase after all the remaining humans and ended up converting the most humans to zombies in the end. “You have to be really fast, and I think a lot of coffee beforehand helps to” said Winpigler.

“When they get you prepared for college they never tell you it’s gonna be like this, and it was incredible” Winpigler said after the game had ended.

Carter Taliaferro set up the whole event with CAB and was happy with the event turnout. Many students asked when the next game would be.

“I’m hoping to run this event, or a very similar event, next semester toward the end when it’s warmer” said Taliaferro.

Although very few survived the night, it was a very lively night on campus with Humans vs. Zombies.

 

Students dispute new housing rules

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meyran sink

 

By Devon Wilson//

Hood College is implementing a new housing requirement for students enrolling in the upcoming fall semester that will require all freshman, sophomore, and junior students to live on-campus.

Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Life Olivia White wrote to all Hood students: “When students live on campus, they are more likely to take full advantage of academic resources, achieve greater academic success, and attain their degrees. They also are more likely to be involved with student organizations and projects.”

While White’s statement may be true, not all students subscribe to this theory as they believe this new housing requirement would be unfair for future Hood students.

“If you want to be involved, you’re going to be involved, and if you don’t, you don’t. I don’t think where you live determines that,” said sophomore Meyran Hall resident, Samy Brandt.

While administration believe future students who live on campus will have more opportunities to get involved, current students believe improvements need to be made to on-campus housing and the new rule may deter prospective students.

Katelyn Long, a junior who lived in Coblentz Hall last year, noticed some issues with the dorm.

“I lived on the second floor and there were always ants. We also only had two showers and two bathroom stalls…I think that they need to update it like they did to Memorial Hall’s bathrooms.”

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Health officials promote flu shots

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flu shot

By Nicole Prokopchak//

With the flu season already having started, health officials want students to know the importance of getting vaccinated.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their list of information for the 2017/2018 flu season that recommended to not use the nasal spray flu vaccine. “Flu vaccines have been updated to better match circulating viruses (the influenza A(H1N1) component was updated),” stated the CDC. Only injectable flu shots are recommended now, which are available to students at Hood College.

Teresa Cevallos, director of Health Services at the Hood College Health Center, strives to get the message across to students. “Prevention is always better than a cure. As with any immunization, it is there to prevent you from getting sick,” she stated.

Cevallos explained that while the health center does not see that many cases of the flu each year (less than 10 cases), she would like to attribute that to more students getting vaccinated.

Students live in close proximity to one another and are much more susceptible to catching sicknesses when living with each other. “The more students that get vaccinated, the less able the flu is to spread, it is important to protect yourself and others. This is a prime example of herd immunity,” explained Cevallos.

Hood College senior Melissa Sepe is a firm believer in getting vaccinated. “Not only is it protecting your health, its also helping from having the flu spead all over campus,” Sepe said. “This is my fourth year living on campus and I’ve seen first hand how fast sicknesses can spread. Do your job and get vaccinated just to be cautious. Its better to be safe than sorry.”

Flu symptoms that can run you bed-ridden for up to a week or more, which is keeps students out of class. Hood College senior Max Stankiewicz had the flu last year after not getting a flu shot. “I definitely regret not getting the vaccine last year,” Stankiewicz said. “I had to isolate myself from everyone else as to not get anyone sick. My symptoms lasted a week and I couldn’t go to class. This year I’ll definitely be heading to the campus health center to get the vaccine, I don’t want to risk what I went through last year,” Stankiewicz said.

The Hood College Health Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Flu vaccines are available at any time during their hours on a first come first serve basis. The vaccine is $15 out of pocket and they do not take insurance. The health center encourages students to get the vaccine even if students get it somewhere else through their insurance.

 

A class project of CMA 304.