Tuesday, October 30, 2012

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

by Laken P., Panther Blogger

Fall has always been a favorite season of mine for many reasons, but since experiencing it in true Ferrum fashion, it is clear that it seems to be a favorite of almost everyone. There is always something to do on campus and the location of campus makes it a prime example of the beauty in God’s work.

Fall brings one of the most anticipated events on campus: Fall Break. Between all of my extra-curricular activities and honors classes, the stress of adjusting to college life can sometimes be overwhelming. I was very appreciative for the break where I was able to go back home for a few days. Getting the opportunity to see family, friends, pets, and eat at hometown restaurants on top of having a break from classes was more than welcomed. I enjoyed being home for a few days, but at the same time I missed my new friends that I have grown close to in my first two months on campus. Now that Fall Break is over, it is time to get back into the middle of all the beauty and activity that Ferrum has to offer this time of year.

Being a student athlete and a sports fan, fall is the perfect season for me. Football is in its prime, meaning that there is plenty of school spirit radiating across the campus nearly every weekend. While our boys are continuing on in search of a championship, the rest of the fall sports are wrapping up their seasons and making their way to playoff games. The winter sports teams are beginning to practice and prepare for the upcoming season, which is sure to bring continuous success to the athletic department this year.

Cheerleading pumkin-carving contest!

Not only are athletics in full swing, but so are the fall-themed activities. From the pumpkin carving contests to the Halloween parties and costume events, these days are very busy with scheduled campus events. Take a glance into a student planner and you will quickly find that the falling leaves are not the only sign that the fall season has arrived. There are so many events, seminars, and games to choose from that boredom is simply not possible in the upcoming weeks.

It is hard to believe that the semester is more than half over already. I can now successfully say that I survived my first midterm week, and however hard it is to believe, I am 1/10th of the way through with my undergraduate career! Time is flying by, but I am loving every minute of it. Ferrum has definitely grown on me, and the fall backdrop has only increased my love and Panther Pride.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

My First College Homecoming

by Laken P., Panther Blogger

Cheering on the sidelines for my first college Homecoming game is a feeling I will never forget. Between the pre-game tailgates, the spirit of the fans, and the joy of defeat, I was easily reminded of how much I love Ferrum. I enjoy being able to be on the field to cheer on our boys, keep the fans involved in the game, and “wow” the crowd with our pyramids and tumbling. The experience of a college football game is not one that can merely be described; it must be experienced.

Any given weekend this time of year is an opportune time to enjoy the full atmosphere of college football, but no game is as magical as Homecoming. Saturday afternoons are all about Ferrum pride, and on Homecoming weekend, the heart of the Black and Gold radiated across campus. Perhaps it is the anxiousness of the crowning of Homecoming Court and the collection of alumni sprinkled throughout the stands; maybe it’s the beauty of the mountains and autumn colors that surround the football field. Regardless of the factors that make it so special, Homecoming never fails to be the biggest game of the season. 

Not only will it forever hold a special place in my heart because it was my first college Homecoming, but it was also the biggest victory of the season! The Ferrum Panthers defeated the North Carolina Wesleyan Bishops with a final score of 51-35. In a game that began with a rough start, the Panthers were able to press on and reach a victory in a huge conference match-up. Winning the game has helped propel the Black Hats to be ranked as one of the top teams in the USA South Conference.


Because the Panthers were so successful in their pursuit of a win, the bookstore backed up the team with their tradition of “Pigskin Payoff.” Every Monday after a game, the bookstore will give students 5% off Panther merchandise for every touchdown that is scored up to 25%! Because the football players were so dominant on the field Saturday, we all received 25% off of some already great deals!

The big win at Homecoming got both the players and fans seeking more. The Ferrum Black Hats football team has three more conference games to close out the regular season. If you get the chance to schedule a visit, come support Ferrum as we move our way toward a conference championship. Let’s Go Panthers, Panthers Let’s Go!



Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Taking Online Classes

by Victoria B., Panther Blogger

During your college years, you will have the opportunity to take online classes. Some people do not like these classes because feel they learn better in a classroom environment. I personally like online classes because I think they give me more free time! It gives you more responsibility because you have to do all of your homework and assignments without relying on your teacher to lecture you the material.

In most lecture classes, students do not take the time to read their textbooks for class. In online classes, you have to and I think that it makes you feel more obligated to actually learn the material. Online classes are for students who are mature enough to handle the responsibility of learning the material for the class by themselves.  Even with the responsibility of taking online classes, there are some rewards. For example, you will spend less time in a classroom during the week. This semester, I took advantage of this and only have one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays because of it. I recommend taking online classes to anyone who feels that they will be successful in them.

The online class that I am currently taking is State and Local Government with Dr. Hally. I chose to take this class online so that I could keep my Tuesdays and Thursdays less busy because I have four classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I also like to limit my Tuesday/Thursday classes because they last for an hour and twenty minutes and I prefer to have shorter classes.  The extra time that my online class allows me to have outside of the classroom lets me have time to get homework for my other classes done. In Dr. Hally's class, we are required to do one reading response or discussion board per week to show what we have learned from the reading. As long as you have read the material and applied yourself, you will do well in class. I hope to take more online classes in my future semesters at Ferrum!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Mascotting!

by Brett W., Panther Blogger

In high school, my four years were split between two commitments during football season: marching band and being the mascot. The two activities were not mutually exclusive though; when I was in the marching band, we would dance like crazy when the mascot was out, and then while I acted as the mascot, so much of my energy and movement came from the band in the stands. So, when I heard that Ferrum had no marching band at all – not even a small pep band – it made my job of “mascotting” a little bit harder and a whole lot less fun. During the first two games here at Ferrum, with my debut of being the new Panther, I had to play songs in my head and just feed myself my own crazy stunts, which is fortunately not that hard.

When Ferrum’s Homecoming came around on October 13th, I expected to do the same thing as usual. Well, I was in for a pleasant surprise. As the cheerleaders and I were walking to the stadium, the band was walking up with music stands and instruments! Though the Ferrum band is small, I guess the new director they hired this year decided to bring the band out and give it a try. I was so excited to hear what they would play and be able to once again feed off of the band’s music.

Well, as the game went on, the band did little ditties such as a kickoff drumroll, the Imperial March from Star Wars, and even a fight song with a chant to go along as well! In high school, when the band played the fight song, there was always a dance that I did as the Eagle; I figured, why not create a dance for the Panther? So I did. Anytime the pep band played a song, I did my own little dance which I now call the Panther Trot. (Yes, I know panthers don’t trot; horses trot. But there is a dance called the foxtrot, so does that make any more sense than this?) So next time the band plays and you see the Panther doing a dance, come join me and learn the Panther Trot!

As the game ended and everything started slowing down, I was so ecstatic about the experience of having Ferrum’s very own band play at the game, but I assumed that was where it ended and that this had been a one-time deal for Homecoming. Little did I know then, but as I learned later after receiving a campus email about it, Ferrum just recently got permission to start an actual, full-fledged pep band!  Hopefully now, the band will be at every game! My first homecoming experience as a whole was completely amazing with the band making it so much better. I look forward to my homecomings still to come, and a lot more crazy dancing memories I still have to make.

Also, I realize “mascotting” isn’t an actual word, but I’m coining it as a word. The act of being in a boycott is boycotting, so why shouldn’t the act of being a mascot be called mascotting? Think about it!


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Panther Packs

by Maryann C., Panther Blogger
 
For the past three years, I have been a Gateway Seminar mentor. For those who don’t know, Gateway Seminar is a class that all incoming freshmen have to take during their first semester here at Ferrum College. My job as a mentor is to, well, be a mentor – help them in any way I can. During their Gateway class, the freshmen have a few big assignments to complete, and one of those assignments is to do a service project. This semester, the instructor I am working with for Gateway asked me to coordinate the service project. At first, I was very nervous to do this, but so far it is going great.

The service project I have planned involves working with Panther Packs. Panther Packs is a nonprofit organization that works with the local elementary school, Ferrum Elementary. Each week, Panther Packs makes packs full of food to give students to take home over the weekend. Essentially, the food is going to kids who, without the packs, may not get enough to eat while they are at home over the weekend. The kids’ families who are interested have to apply to receive the Panther Packs. This year, the program is feeding 51 kids each week.

Wal-Mart shopping group
This past week was my Gateway Class’s first experience in working with Panther Packs. Like I mentioned before, it was a great success. At the beginning of the week, I took a few of the students from the class into town to buy food to go into the packs. We had a set amount of money to spend, and we thought we would not be able to accomplish much. How wrong we were! With the amount of money we did have, we were able to get a lot of food that ended up being a great help to the Panther Packs Program.



Packing group
Later that same week, the professor of the Gateway class and I took some of the other students from the class to pack the Panther Packs. We met with a couple of ladies who help with packing the packs each week and they directed us so we would be able to successfully pack each pack. Each pack has to have a certain number of items in it, so it was good to have experienced hands assisting us in the packing. We got all 51 packs made in no time at all. We then delivered the packs to the elementary school where the students would get them on Friday afternoon to take them home for the weekend.


There were so many great things that came out of this whole experience. I was very pleased with myself for putting together a great service project for the Ferrum students and me to get involved in. I was also very excited about seeing the students happy to do the work. They knew they were making a difference for a few kids who live right here in our area, and I think that made them feel like they made a difference. I know that’s how I feel about it. Ferrum’s campus motto is “Not Self, But Others,” and I think this project resonated with that idea. I am pleased that the freshmen were able to get involved and help out the community. We are planning to do this again – hopefully multiple times through out the semester. I am even hoping to get some of the clubs I am involved in on board with this project as well. This was definitely the highlight of my week!

Monday, October 15, 2012

My Last Homecoming as a Student


by Keenan L., Panther Blogger

Hello, everyone!!

This past weekend here at Ferrum was our Homecoming! It was such an amazing weekend for me to hang out with all my friends who are seniors and also seeing friends who have graduated within the last few years. Being a part of Student Government Association (SGA) allowed me to be hands-on with some of the events that were going on around campus! I think it was great to hang out with my other SGA members and decorate the campus for our homecoming.

This year’s theme for homecoming was “A Haunted Homecoming.” Everyone around campus got the into the Halloween spirit with the all the homecoming activities.

My most memorable part of homecoming this year was attending the football game with my friends, and a few new friends I met who attend Virginia Wesleyan College. Jasmine, Brittany, Katie, and Deven are four of the nicest girls that I have ever met, and they were very interested in student life at Ferrum College. Overall, our conversations comparing schools were GREAT, and I have decided that a few friends from Ferrum and I will visit Virginia Wesleyan to hangout with them and learn the way of life at their school. Being a senior Resident Assistant (RA) allowed me to have one night off from duty and I really got to enjoy my last homecoming as a student of Ferrum College.



Homecoming is one of the greatest moments in your life as a college student, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of it! Hope everyone enjoyed his or her weekend!











Thursday, October 11, 2012

Home Away from Home

by Cari A., Panther Blogger

Finally, after being here at Ferrum for a month and some change, I think I got my dorm room right. I have never had to share a room with anyone before, and I can’t say that it was an easy transition. Most college students have the homesickness soon after moving in; for me, I was ready to go home the Saturday after arriving on campus. It wasn’t that I hated it here, it was just that I hadn’t gotten my “space” just right yet.

After a night of wanting to get in my car and drive home, I realized the potential for me here. I will be offered unique opportunities here that some of my other college friends will not have the chance to take part in. Part of the reason for that is because of Ferrum’s location and size. Being out in the middle of nowhere (well, sort of) isn’t where most “city folk” see themselves, but because we are in the woods, the activities seem to be endless. From trips to Rocky Mount for Sheetz or Wal-Mart runs to going to a cave in Blacksburg – the list goes on and on.


Being here for a month has given me a new perspective on how I see things; for example, I never thought about the effect we humans had on water quality and marine life, especially not such a small college campus like Ferrum. One very special opportunity I have taken part in this semester is a SCUBA certification class. Even though the wetsuits didn’t always dry and the water wasn’t always warm, it is an experience I can mark down in the story of my life. I met people that I may not have otherwise met outside of the course, and we all blended as a group really well. Bonds were formed that shall definitely last a lifetime.


Also this past August, through research with Dr. Dave Johnson, I have been able to see the true value of what we have out here. The relationships I have formed in just these few short weeks have turned out to be the absolute highlight of my life. I have met an amazing friend who understands me and my crazy road trip CDs, as well as a guy best friend who knows the jokes before they come out of my mouth. I haven’t just gained knowledge while here at Ferrum; I have gained a separated-at-birth twin and indescribably amazing friends.


I recently went to Salem to see my new niece Elise, who was born almost 3 weeks ago. When I was saying my goodbyes to my brother and my mom, she said the normal mom saying: “make sure you let me know when you get back,” and I followed with “I promise I will text you as soon as I get home.” Hearing myself utter those words, especially to the woman who gave me life, caught me off guard. Ferrum life and the family aspect of this campus give its students the feeling of home away from home.

Proud to be a Panther

See you around,

Cari A.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Pledging!

by Victoria B., Panther Blogger

Everyone is somewhat familiar with fraternities and sororities in college. For the past two years that I have been a student at Ferrum College, I have not been a part of a sorority. This semester, I decided to pledge for Zeta Chi Epsilon (ZXE). I have been friends with most of the members for a long time, and I finally decided that I wanted to join their sorority.
Me and a future sorority sister!

I am excited to go through the pledging process and to finally be a part of the Greek life on campus. Sororities and fraternities give you a family that you can count on to have your back and help you when you need it. I have just started the pledging process, but the members of ZXE already feel like family to me and I don't know where I would be without them.



My advice to you is that if you are thinking about joining a fraternity or sorority, GO FOR IT!  You only go to college once, and you can have a lot of great experiences with these groups. Just make sure that your grades and school work are your main priority!

Me with some friends in different sororities

Monday, October 1, 2012

Greetings from a New Panther Blogger!

by Keenan L., Panther Blogger

Hello! My name is Keenan, and I am currently a senior here at Ferrum College. I am originally from Hagerstown, Maryland and graduated from North Hagerstown High School. I am an only child on my mother's side of the family and the youngest of 7 on my father's side. I am extremely close to my mother, and she is one of the most inspirational people in my life. My short-term goal is to graduate from college, and my long-term goal is ultimately to teach in an elementary school either in Maryland or Virginia.

I found out about Ferrum through a phone call during my senior year in high school. Ferrum contacted me about 3 times a month and also sent me a birthday card when I turned 18. When I received the birthday card, I was super excited because I never had colleges or universities send me something so personal, which showed me that Ferrum cares about their students. Ferrum became my first choice of schools because everyone I talked to was super nice and very caring. I applied to Ferrum and got accepted! After getting accepted, I met one of the nicest people who helped me get through the process of getting all the important paperwork completed and turned in on time. I owe a lot of my freshman year accomplishments to Mr. Jason Byrd, who helped me a lot. Without him, I think I would have been lost!

I love the culture and atmosphere around Ferrum. Coming from a place about the size of Roanoke, Ferrum was a little different for me. I love the people around the area. Everyone is very nice and are ready to help you whenever you need it. Ferrum also has a very pretty campus. I love the beginning of fall around the campus because it is just BEAUTIFUL!  I would definitely recommend Ferrum to other students because it is one of the best places you will ever go. My favorite memory here at Ferrum has been the past Homecomings. My friends and I have had the best time at the sporting events that have been offered on campus.

Last year's Homecoming (2011) - can't wait until this year's!

Ferrum has been very beneficial in preparing me for the future. I have been lucky to be able to be a part of the wonderful education department. The education program has helped me learn the fundamentals of being a teacher! Currently, on campus, I am a Resident Assistant in Bassett Hall, the treasurer for Student Government Association, and a member of Resident Hall Association (RHA).

I am looking forward to talking to everyone!  Feel free to contact me.  :)