THE
IRON BLADE Vol. 60, No. 2
SINCE 1955
60 Years of Ferrum College News
November , 2015
50 Years at Ferrum: The Celebration of Dr. Anthony Giesen
By Allison Martin Ralph Arthur was the seventh Giesen spoke about his and say he helped them get over On Friday, Oct. 3, 2015, Ferrum president of Ferrum when Giesen memories of bonfires, pep rallies their fear of math and that they College held a celebration understand math a lot better for Dr. Anthony Giesen in thanks to him. the Blue Ridge Mountain According to the Room, marking his 50 years calculations of Gail Summer, at Ferrum College. Many vice president for academic of Giesen's colleagues and affairs, Giesen has taught former students attended the somewhere around 7,000 to celebration and shared stories 8,000 students in his time here about his time teaching at and it seems like he’s done Ferrum. great things with each and Giesen has been a math every one of his students. professor here at Ferrum In Franklin Hall there since 1965, but he began are 100 glass figurines. his Ferrum career as an When Giesen isn’t teaching equestrian teacher. That stint his students or dabbling at was brief, then he became a the piano, every once in a math professor. while, he collects these glass When Giesen started figurines. He started when he here, Ferrum was a junior was 15 years old. college. He has watched Asked when he thinks his Photo by Ferrum Ferrum build academically work here will be done, Giesen President Jennifer Braaten was among those who came to celebrate. as well as physically. When he said, “I’m 75 and not in a hurry started teaching. and football games. started here the only dorms were Giesen has seen changes – When asked why he's stayed to leave, but I want to travel to New Basset Hall and Chapman Hall. from the way that students dress, here as a professor for so long, Zealand and see new things. I want Stanley Library was in a basement to the amount of diversity here at Giesen said he feels he is making to be able to see the world and do where he would sometimes practice the college. He says has seen the a difference here at Ferrum and he things I haven’t done yet. But I do piano when no students were students get more serious about feels he is doing something great want to be able to come back and around. their studies over the years. when his students come to him help with math if I’m needed.”
Ferrum's New Football Turf Field
or architects would have thought.” game to be played on the new turf was finished in the middle of By Joey Pride Naff explained that the main has been pushed back multiple August” stated Naff. After coming One of the hotter athletic topics on campus this fall semester reason this permitting process took so times due to this unfortunate delay. to the realization that the field would not be ready in is not only the addition time, the contractors of a turf field in Adams planned to have the Stadium, but also the field finished by the delay surrounding it. For big homecoming the first couple weeks of game . Once again, the semester, it seemed the completion date as though no progress was pushed back to was being made on the October 10, which field and everyone had also proved to be a strong opinion about unsuccessful. The next the lack of work the estimated completion contractors were doing. date was Oct. 24. A lot of rumors have Naff was extremely been floating around hopeful tthe weather campus about the would cooperate delay in the progress. with the construction The big question is, because a new turf what is the hold up? field would be a Anyone who nice substitute to truly wanted to know the construction site that reasoning for the delay is currently planted could ask Abe Naff, the at Adams Stadium. director of athletics. Completion of the Naff says, “the Turf Field Project delay was based on the The new turf field has missed three scheduled completion dates. Photo by Ferrum College Athletics would also give student permitting process for the long was due to the “new regulations “Originally, the first game of the athletes, especially seniors, a chance storm water drainage through the dealing with storm water drainage.” season was scheduled to have been to play not only in Ferrum again, but county offices, and that took much The date of the first football played when the turf field project also on brand new, bright green turf. longer than any of our engineers
Page 2 - THE IRON BLADE - November, 2015
Ferrum Outdoors' Indoor Promo
By Quentin Mack On September 10, Ferrum Outdoors had a promotional event at the Panther’s Den in Franklin Hall. Heading this promotional event was Dan Caston, interim coordinator of the Ferrum Outdoors program, who was assisted by senior staff member, Max Ruozzi, and several volunteers hoping to attract new members. Despite the number of activities Ferrum Outdoors has planned for the semester, the program has recently run into a few problems. Aaron Conover, the director of Ferrum Outdoors, resigned to work
closer to his home in Roanoke, and thus has put Ferrum Outdoors in a troubling situation. “…Because the director resigned, we’ve had a few activities canceled,” said Ruozzi, who did not let this fact dampen his drive to introduce Ferrum Outdoors to freshmen and returning students. Ferrum Outdoors is a program that is dependent on professors willing to spare enough time to chaperone activities taking place outside the campus. Since this fall’s events range from four to five hours into the evening, most professors do not have the time to serve as chaperones, making it difficult for Ferrum
Outdoors to transport students to locations outside the campus. Despite the obstacles Ferrum Outdoors faces, Max Ruozzi and his fellow members were still very enthusiastic in their goals. He began introducing a handful of students with a schedule of planned events, then Max Ruozzi kicked off the promo with two simple yet thrilling games: Noodle Ninja, and Ninja. Both games test reflexes and quick thinking, two things Ferrum Outdoors hopes to instill in potential members The promo itself was fun and brief, but the point of the pro-
gram is to promote having a good time outdoors. If there are any students who did not know what was going on at Franklin Hall, they still have time to join Ferrum Outdoors and participate in future activities. The program’s office is near the Mercantile on Franklin Street, where students can go to register. The office hours are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Students can register online at www.ferrumoutdoors.eventbrite. com.
By Kaitlin Owens “If I had to give one piece of advice to incoming college freshmen, I’d say always be true to yourself.” -- Beverley Mitchell Just as the leaves change color in the fall, September is the time for high school seniors to become college freshmen and begin one of the biggest adventures one can begin. For many students, college may only be a couple hours away, for others college means crossing a state line. A major change from high school to college is the course workload and adjusting from living at home to living on a college campus. Though college gives more freedom than high
school when it comes to deciding classes and having breaks between classes, the workload does change because the level of work is more challenging. Ashley Musselman from Southampton County said “The workload is manageable, but also very time consuming.” That contrasts with her classmate Brandon Grueso from Leesburg who stated, “The course load is much harder with more work than high school.” Adjusting to college can come easily to some while others struggle with adapting to the freedom. Courtney Watt of Virginia Beach, said, “I’m struggling to adjust but I think I’m doing okay.” Her peer Jeremiah Fuller,
Annapolis, Maryland, is “adjusting very well to college and campus life.” Coming to college means getting to explore and expand our comfort zones and for some freshmen jumping into multiple clubs, organizations and sport teams helps make the transition easier. But for some, classes and work is enough for the first semesters. Neah King, of Richmond, and Watt have both joined multiple academic clubs such as Social Work, Psychology and Criminal Justice while others are anxious awaiting next semester to join Greek life. Some students like Vershawd Coleman, Chicago, IL, and Grueso are both active on the football and soccer teams. With all these different groups and classes to explore, finding time for a social
life can sometimes be stressful but these freshmen can handle it. King stated, “It’s easier balancing the two in college because you have classes at different times” making it easy to hang out when no one is in class. Fuller mentions “most of your academics are done on your own time where you have to balance more than when in high school all your word is done in class.” The most interesting things to find out from freshmen or even transfer students are what the likes and dislikes are about the campus because after a while we have grown to love or overlook the things that we didn’t like in the beginning. Many of the favorite things about Ferrum are the professors and just the general people here and how helpful, caring and polite they are.
Freshman Year: Pros and Cons
S TAFF Staff Writers, Photographers, and Other Contributors Kaitlin Roeper, Hunter Ferguson, Chris Rodgers, Michaela Reddick, Kayla McMillan, Myles Francisco, Alexis Witcher, Mary -Beth Worley, Deniz Isik, Quentin Mack, Allison Martin, Kaitlin Owens & Mallory Hall.
Letters Policy and Publication Details:
Opinions expressed in The Iron Blade do not necessarily reflect those of Ferrum College administration, staff, faculty, or students. The Iron Blade is published every week during the academic year at Ferrum College, Ferrum, Va. It is designed on Apple computers and printed at JS Printing in Montgomery, Ala. Material may be reprinted with the advisor’s written permission. To contact The Iron Blade, call 365-4304 or e-mail iblade@ferrum.edu. The crest on page one was designed by alumna Sandy Southard (’04) in 2005 and updated and colorized in 2009 by Glenn Thompson.
Join the Staff The Iron Blade is always looking for students who are interested in journalism, photography, or design. If you desire to contribute to The Iron Blade by being a writer, photographer, editor, or designer please contact Tim Thornton at tthornton@ferrum.edu.
Cont. on Page 4
Coach Chris Michael Women's Wrestling
By Hunter Ferguson Coach Chris Michael is a former wrestler himself, wrestling in high school at a school in Ohio, where he graduating in 2003. After high school he joined the navy, once he learned the navy had a wrestling team, he immediately joined. After his time in the navy, Michal coached for the Virginia Amateur wrestling program. Shortly after that, he founded Virginia women’s wrestling. This brought him to Ferrum because the Panthers have the only women’s wrestling program in the state. Michael tells me there are eight women currently wrestling, but he is actively recruiting for next
year. Seventeen young women have shown interest in wrestling for the school next year. The team has been training at 5:30 every morning, with the exception of Sunday, since school started. There have also been a couple meets planned already: December at 5:30 p.m. in Schwartz gym, there is also another meet on February 6 at the YMCA on campus. Michael expressed his genuine interest in the women’s success, saying, “I want to provide the best opportunities for the women on and off the mat and ultimately have them graduate with their degree.”
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BLUE RIDGE FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL Folklife Festival: Behind the Scenes
By Allison Martin On Saturday, Oct. 24, the annual folk life festival was held right here at Ferrum College. There was music, coon dog races, families, and food. The Folk Life Festival was held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Many people from the community came out to enjoy these festivities. Anyone can go to the festival and see that a lot of work had been put into it preparing for it. The students saw the setting up process the whole week leading up to the festival. Students saw men putting up tents on Monday and Tuesday and a lot of them thought the men were setting up pretty early. Most of the students probably thought
that they started preparation for this festival at the beginning of the week, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Preparation for the fall festival is a year round event. In fact, on Monday the individuals in charge of the festival start thinking about next year’s festival. The first half of the year the search for the musicians and craftspeople begin. By the summer time these people are booked for the festival in the fall. By mid-summer, letters start getting sent out to inform people of our festival. So, in truth, the fall festival is more than just a week or two of preparation. The people in charge of
the festival aren’t just adults. A significant number of students help out with the festival as well. Some of the sports teams help out on this day. “The fall festival is a community homecoming event for people to come out to … it’s an economic opportunity for tourists … a community history lesson,” said Vaughan Webb, who is the codirector of the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum. “The festival holds a lot of different community groups such as craftspeople, musicians, and car show people.” People wonder, why is the Festival held here at Ferrum? The festival has been held here
since 1973 because of the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum. The museum holds a lot of history and the festival is big on history and the way of life of historic Virginia, which is a main reason Ferrum’s festival is the among the most well known festivals in Virginia. Ferrum College is set apart from other festivals because Ferrum keeps the Virginia tradition of music and foods such as black pot bean stew and chittlins. Ferrum is known for many things such as academics and its beautiful campus. However, Ferrum’s fall festival is another thing that puts the school on the map.
1950 Chevrolet Panel courtsey of: Wilbur W. Worley & Bobby L. Worley
Cars are an important part of Appalachian culture, whether it’s a souped up vehicle to run moonshine, a working truck that’s sort of like a cowboy’s horse, or just a fancy machine to show off on the weekend.
Photos by: Kaitlin Owens
Page 4 - THE IRON BLADE - November, 2015
Dogs, mules and horses all have jobs on the farm. Hogs, on the other hand, serve a very different purpose.
Unlike horses, mules will jump a fence without any running start, making them the perfect nighttime ride for raccoon hunters in earlier times. The mules compete to see which can jump over the highest barrier.
RE-ENROLL TODAY! IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT SPRING 2016 REGISTRATION
FERRUM COLLEGE | ENROLLMENT SERVICES CURRENT STUDENTS! Complete these steps for a smooth transition to Spring Semester: STEP 1: Register for Your Spring Classes
• Student Planning Week: October 26 - 30 • Advising Week: November 2 - 6 - Be sure you have planned and approved courses in advance • Registration begins November 9
STEP 2: Take Care of Any Incomplete Financial Arrangements
• Check for alerts on your Panther Portal • If you have an alert, report to Student Accounts by December 4 • Any spring balances not covered by financial aid or payment plans are due December 15
STEP 3: Finish the Semester Strong
• Stay on schedule with your class projects and assignments • Prepare yourself to do well on your exams: December 10 - 14
STEP 4: Enjoy a relaxing Holiday Season!
• Make arrangements to leave campus the day after your last exam • Be safe and enjoy your break
STEP 5: Return refreshed & ready for a successful spring semester! • Beginning January 1, officially check-in online through your Panther Portal • Make plans to return to campus on Sunday, January 10 • Advisors will be available in their offices 2 – 4 p.m. on January 10 for schedule changes
There’s nothing more focused than a sheep dog on the job. Virginia’s finest farm dog trainer uses whistles to put his dogs and the sheep through their paces. Photos by: Kaitlin Owens
Quilter Bees
By Mary-Beth Worley On Oct. 26, 2015 Ferrum College held the Folklife Festival at which the Pleasant Quilters Bees presented their finished quilts. The Pleasant Quilters are based out of Franklin County. Their quilts normally take about two days to finish. They start at 9 a.m. and
work until noon. After lunch, they resume until around 3 p.m. They charge people according to the size of the quilt. Most of the money they make from their quilts goes to missions or the Salvation Army. These talented women love making quilts and they find it to be very therapeutic.
King said, “Everyone here is nice.” Coleman said, “My favorite thing about Ferrum is the support for the sport teams!” However where there are favorites, there are always less favorite things. Some of these are the size of the campus, campus location and the cafeteria hours. Musselman doesn’t care for the location of Ferrum, stating, “It’s in the middle of nowhere." Watt feels
similarly, saying, “I miss being around civilization.” College can be an easy change or the change can happen over time. Students come not only to further their education but also to explore themselves deeper and become the best they can be. The ups and downs are natural and sooner than later students will miss the rollercoaster called college.
Freshman FROM PAGE 2
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