A Great Experience at the VAHPERD Conference!

by Amanda Roberts, Guest Blogger
 
Hi, everyone!  My name is Amanda and I am in my second year here at Ferrum College. I am a Health and Human Performance major for Physical Education, and I have a minor in Coaching.  I am the Physical Activities Club Secretary and am also a member of Ferrum's softball team.

On Nov. 7th, twelve of my classmates and I traveled to Virginia Beach for a Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (VAHPERD) Conference for the weekend.  This conference is for Physical Education teachers to explore and learn about different teaching strategies to use in their own classrooms. I attended multiple sessions throughout the weekend, but one of my favorites was watching a new sport called Spikeball.

Our class presented "Ballroom Dancing in Physical Education."  Ballroom dancing is an excellent method to train the body and improve coordination.  This presentation focused on introducing basic ballroom dance steps into PE classes.  From recent studies, we have learned that many school systems are removing dancing from their Physical Education departments, especially partner dancing.  We demonstrated different dances, including the Cha-Cha, Slow Waltz, and Tango, to name a few.  The feedback we received from the members attending the session was amazing!  Many attendees wanted the link to our video to teach their own classrooms.

My partner, Jesse Wall, and I before our performance

We also had two other students, Michael Rucinski and Melva Herron, who performed in the Kaleidoscope Dance Performance on Saturday night.  They choreographed their own routine while putting a twist on ballroom dancing with modern music. The video can be viewed below or by following this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrHu-PsTuC8&feature=youtu.be

 

Overall, I loved attending the conference. We had the privilege to interact with teachers all over the state of Virginia.  By having the opportunity to do this, I know that choosing to be a Physical Education teacher is the right path for me. I can't wait to attend another conference in the future!

Conference Opportunities

by Brittany G., Panther Blogger

As I am continuing my work through the science department on entomology research, I was given the opportunity to be a part of an Entomology Regional Meeting in Williamsburg, VA.  This was a chance to be included in four days of meetings, lectures, Ph.D. and Masters research presentations, games, food, and hundreds of other people studying and researching the same things I have been working with this past year. Most of those who read this may automatically think:  Geek!  Well, there is no such thing as a Geek status when it has given me the chance to be within a community that is interested in learning the techniques and results that others in the same field have been studying.

I had the pleasure of sitting through the Masters and Ph.D. presentations which provided me the chance to ask questions and connect to other students who are conducting their research and still attending class.  I met several students from the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell, Rutgers, and Virginia Tech.  After their talks, I went to an arthropod lecture where I connected with several professors from other schools about how we can understand these creatures in our world.  These lectures had one thing in common:  they want to figure out why some insects are the way they are and how to control pests when many do not like them in their homes or around the plants.

After all of the major sessions were done and there was some down time, there was plenty of food offered, as well as fun and games.  This is where many of my personal sit-down meetings with professors and other students happened. I met one student from Pennsylvania and he was interested in veterinarian sciences, but he ended up studying entomology through his school.  This just proves that along with myself, many students change their minds about jobs or graduate programs even as late as their very last year in college!  The best part of this weekend meeting was gaining these connections with other schools and professors.

Before I left the conference, I walked away having met several more people and I have kept in touch with many since then. The professors who were there were very knowledgeable and so friendly that they would literally walk up to you and start a conversation to learn everyone's interests in that type of field.  I am proud to say that I have met a lovely crew at Virginia Tech and have been in contact with them to continue my education through their Master's Program in Entomology. So before anyone turns down an opportunity, at least try it once!  I had no idea this would be the outcome of such a conference, and I have gained so much experience by talking to other entomologists in the field.

Attending an Aging Conference

by Rachel W., Panther Blogger

Early one recent Wednesday morning, three professors, a fellow Social Work major, and I climbed into a van to make a three and a half hour trip to Raleigh, North Carolina.  We made this trip in order to attend the "Aging Conference" at North Carolina State University!

The conference itself was extremely educational!  It not only reestablished my desire to work with the aging population, but it also opened up my mind to graduate school.  Ferrum College is providing me with all the tools I need to succeed in not only my undergraduate degree but also to move forward and earn a master's in social work further down the road.

We even stopped at Red Robbin for dinner and
enjoyed an onion ring tower!

During this trip, I got some one-on-one time with my amazing professors who gave me advice on graduate school, internships, and the social work field in general.  It is so rewarding to go to a small school where I can have these kinds of experiences with my professors who truly know my story.

Also on this trip, I got to spend time with another social work major, Taylor.  Taylor and I have a lot of the same interests.  We both want to work with the older population and really love the degree we are earning.  Another great aspect of being in the Social Work Program at Ferrum College is that the program has a very tight knit group of students. We are all willing to help each other with things both academically and personally.  Taylor is going through a lot of the same things as I am as far as planning the future (including graduate school, next semester's classes, and planning internships), and it is so nice to have someone who can relate and understand!

Ferrum's 2014 Women's Leadership Conference

by Jessa K., Panther Blogger

On March 11, 2014, Ferrum College hosted the Women's Leadership Conference.  The annual conference focused on immigration issues this year.  There was an alumni panel, a panel of young women from Bassett High School, a keynote speaker, a movie, a call to action, a parade, and an artist speaker.  The entire day was filled with a lot of great information.  It was helpful to those who agree with the subject matter as a rallying event, but it was also really great for those who may not agree with immigration reform or who may not have understood what immigration reform was all about.

For me, the best part of the event was the panel of seniors from Bassett High School.  There were two undocumented young women as well as two first-generation U.S. citizens.  Their stories were truly touching - there was not a dry eye in the room.  These young women have had to face the difficulty of their family members having to return to Mexico, as well as face the realization that those who are undocumented will not be able to attend a college or university the same way their U.S. citizen friends will be able to.  One of the alumni on the alumni panel, Norma Valez, explained the response to the panel of Bassett High School girls when she said "if you don't agree with immigration reform, go talk to someone who is undocumented. If your opinion is still the same after you have heard their story, I will respect your opinion."

In order to create a documentary about immigration reform, my Spanish 302 classmates and I videoed the majority of the speakers and got interviews with many of them.  It was truly amazing to be a part of the 2014 Women's Leadership Conference on campus. At Ferrum, there is no shortage of ways to make our country a better place!

The College Republican Federation of Virginia Convention

by Paige R., Panther Blogger

The most important thing to do (other than go to class and do homework) as a Ferrum College student is to join clubs and get involved on campus.  Since Ferrum is far away from a large town, being involved on campus gives students something to do.  There are community service clubs, clubs that are related to different majors, and even political clubs that students can join.

I am Chair of Ferrum's College Republicans (CR) Club.  The club functions as a way for like-minded college students to discuss their political views.  Club members participate in community service events, campus events, and campaign for candidates.

Ferrum College CRs:  Alex T., Vice Chair Tim L.,
Chair Paige R., and Wes F.

During the weekend of February 8th, three other Ferrum students and I had the opportunity to attend the College Republican Federation of Virginia (CRFV) Convention in Richmond.  The convention included a dinner on Friday evening, a business convention on Saturday, and a social event on Saturday evening.

Ferrum College CR Chair,
Paige R., and Ferrum College
CR Vice Chair, Tim L.

Listening to current representatives such as Senator Warner, Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Mullins, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor speak reminded me that there are people who care about my generation.  These speakers discussed increasing the number of jobs so that college students can be employed after graduation.  They also discussed working on policies to improve the economic situations of southwest Virginia and to encourage the American dream.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor
addressing Virginia CRS

Me with ODU College Republican
secretary, Chelsi K.

At the convention, I had the opportunity to spend time with my fellow CRs and get to know CRs from other schools.  I stayed with CRs from Old Dominion University:  Chelsi K. (secretary), Sarah B. (second vice chair), and Martha C. (the past CRFV secretary).  I built a new bond with the CRs from Ferrum as well as CRs from other schools.

Being a college student with a strong political opinion can be very difficult, regardless of your party affiliation.  Without College Republicans at Ferrum, I would not have found the group of people who have similar views as me, and it would have been much more difficult for me to feel at home on this campus.  Obviously, being a Republican on a college campus is the unpopular opinion.  The majority of people our age have liberal views or choose not to get involved in politics.  Despite having the unpopular opinion, I feel like many of my fellow students and professors are supportive of me and other members of the club because we are active participants in our party.

National Collegiate Honors Council in New Orleans!

by Jessa K., Panther Blogger

On Wednesday, Nov. 6th, myself along with two fellow students and two faculty members traveled to New Orleans, Lousiana to attend the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC).  Our first full day in New Orleans was spent participating in a program called City as Text. This event is used to help students become more familiar with the city where the conference is held.  My City as Text destination was the Presbytere, focusing on Mardi Gras.  My group learned all about the history of Mardi Gras from its conception through today.  We learned about the importance of costumes and how the different groups who throw trinkets to the crowds came to be.

After our time at the Presbytere, we went to Café du Monde for lunch where we had Café au Lait and beignettes.

The next day, I presented at one of the student poster sessions.  My poster encompassed the research that I worked on about The Taming of the Shrew during the previous spring semester. After my poster session, I attended two other sessions:  one about writing newsletters within the honors program and another about the over-involved student. All three sessions were extremely informative and I was able to not only bring back new knowledge for myself but also for the honors program.

On Thursday and Friday night, we all went out to local restaurants to get an authentic taste of New Orleans.  One night during one of our outings, we ran into Aaron Sanchez, a celebrity judge on the show Chopped.  We were all too chicken to approach him except for Paige, who walked right up to him and asked for a photograph.  I am so glad she did because my mom, who is a major fan of the show, was able to see the picture.

Our trip to New Orleans for the NCHC was one of the best I've had so far at Ferrum. I had fun, I made new friends from all across the country, I was able to work on my professional skills in a low-stress environment, and I also learned that I really do not take enough pictures of everything (thanks, Paige, for letting me use all of your great pictures).  I have already started working on literary research to present at next year's conference in Denver, Colorado!

Opportunities!

by Delana S., Panther Blogger

This past week was been an interesting one. I was honored at the Women's Leadership Conference for my leadership, was accepted to be in Phi Alpha Theta, and have the opportunity to apply for an internship in Washington D.C.  To have all of these opportunities means a lot to me because I have the chance to show who I am and also create a future for myself that I am actively choosing and taking part in.

Phi Alpha Theta is the international honor society in history, and you have to be invited to join. For me, this is really big because it is starting to show how involved I am with my studies and how that is making a difference in my life. I am very excited about this!

I am also excited for the internship that I am applying for because by participating in that program, I would be able to work within my major and meet experts in the field. It would give me a good glimpse into many different fields of study that I am interested in and allow me to network with future employers.

Other than that, the only things that take up a lot of my time are finishing my degree plan, which is my plan for graduating on time, and doing homework for all of my classes. Things seem to be getting more promising for the upcoming weeks, so I can't wait to see what is in store for me.

Honors Conference: Our First Time in Boston!

by Jessa K. and Paige R., guest student bloggers

Before the sun came up on November 15th, we left for the Roanoke airport to begin our journey to Boston, Massachusetts for the National Collegiate Honors Conference. We were there with Dr. Stevens and Dr. Via, and it was the first time any of us had been to Boston. Everything was so new for us!  The view from our hotel room was amazing!  We agree that Boston is absolutely one of the most beautiful cities we had aver seen.

Dr. Stevens, Dr. Via, & us at the Old South
Meeting House

The first night, we were able to do a little exploring before the keynote speaker and the welcome reception. The conference did not really get underway until Friday. On Friday, Paige mentored two sessions. During the sessions, there was anywhere between one to six main speakers who took turns presenting research they had been working on during the year. The topics presented ranged from how to write a good honors program newsletter to analyzing surveys that honors students take about their courses. All of the sessions were extremely informative, and we were able to return to Ferrum with many ideas that we were excited to implement in our own Boone Honors Program.

Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory!

On Saturday, we were able to go sightseeing in historical Boston. We saw all the major sites: Paul Revere's home, the Massachusetts Statehouse, the Commons, the Old Statehouse, Faneuil Hall, and Harvard College. Our favorite part was definitely the visit to Harvard. It was so beautiful and historical.

Visiting Harvard

As we traveled through the historical area, we did a lot of shopping and eating. We both tried oysters for the first time at Dr. Stevens' advice. They were very intriguing, but we're pretty certain that neither of us will be trying oysters again. We had a blast on the subway and found out the hard way that it is essential to hold onto something -- anything -- when the train takes off!

The Honors Conference was a very interesting experience. We are so glad that we had the opportunity to go and represent Ferrum College. It was so much fun to learn about another place, especially a place that holds such important historical value for our country. Next year, the conference will be held in New Orleans. We know that will be another great opportunity for Ferrum students to learn from other honors programs as well as bring research to present to help other programs.

In the Life of a Resident Assistant

by Keenan L., Panther Blogger

This past week has been very busy but productive. I have been preparing for VAUCHO, which is the annual Virginia RA conference. I am really excited because I did not get to go to the conference last year, so it is my first time ever! This year, the conference will be held at Virginia Tech, and it will be my first time on that campus.

At VAUCHO, all schools from around Virginia send people from Residence Life and Housing to the conference to represent their school, and we will compete in numerous spirit competitions. I bet this will be one of the best experiences I have been able to take since being in Residence Life.

This month as a Resident Assistant in Bassett Hall, we had a program about health awareness. One of the main health topics that we covered was breast cancer. To the residents who stopped at our tables in the lobby, we passed out cupcakes and bags filled with information about health; residents wrote notes of encouragement to patients or survivors. We had a great turnout. As RA staff in Bassett, we took the time to decorate bras for Breast Cancer Awareness. We took the bras and decorated the tables with them. We will donate the bras to Roanoke Oncology for office decorations.

Hope everyone is having a GREAT week and staying safe during Hurricane Sandy!

Sweet Summertime!

By Grant W., Panther Blogger

As it is for many students, summer is a precious time to me. It is a time to be outside enjoying the entirety of what this world has to offer. Families go on vacation, friends visit friends, and we all get to kick back and soak up some rays. Along with all the fun in the sun comes some hard work though! Summer offers all of us some valuable time to try and strengthen our resumes, and get a head start for next semester.

This summer, I have traveled to Cocoa Beach, Florida, Charleston, South Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia, Chesapeake, Virginia, and have made countless trips to the lake; in the midst of all this traveling, I have been working at Richland Creek Animal Hospital to gain experience for my future career.

Preparing for graduating from college and applying to vet school are both processes that I began well before my senior year of college.  Preparing for vet school at the University of Georgia has been an ongoing process throughout my scholastic career. As a minimum requirement for the University of Georgia's Vet School, an applicant has to have a minimum of 350 hours of experience in the field. Well, for the past few years, I have been working on just that -- gaining experience.

Through my job this summer, not only have I gained some cash for books and other college needs, but I have also gained many priceless pieces of knowledge. I have been trained to administer vaccines and draw blood and have enjoyed many other great learning experiences at the animal hospital.  Over the years of preparation for my future degree(s), I have observed many different surgical procedures including declaws, spays, neuters, amputations, tooth removals, tail dockings, and intestinal obstruction removals; all of these add to my desire to become a veterinarian. I still have a long way to go to be fully prepared for applying to vet school, but I have accepted the challenge, and now I'm striving for my dream one step at a time. I hope that any of you reading this would realize one thing:  all dreams require hard, persistent work.

But enough of work, work, and more work; in my life there is always time for play. During the days I have had off, I have taken the time to go fishing, swimming, kayaking, and hiking. I have visited friends in Atlanta and Cocoa Beach, spending some needed time just enjoying the beach and city life, as well as enjoying time with family on the intercoastal waterways of Charleston crabbing, fishing, and cast netting. My summer has also included a visit to Athens, Georgia, where a Ferrum friend and I made a special trip to the University of Georgia, the Georgia Aquarium, the CNN building, and the Centennial Park. Of course, I can't forget the event that kicked my summer off:  representing Ferrum College at Norfolk State University for the Virginia Academy of Science Conference for my research work on bacteria and antibiotics.

All in all, this summer has been one of the best. I am anxiously anticipating the start of my junior year at Ferrum College, and I can't wait to see what Ferrum has in store for all of us this year. Just remember:  always make room for some fun in between the hard work for the future. Life is all about balance, as it will be again this school year when it comes to my classes and social life!

How Does This Apply to Real Life?

BY BRITTANY, PANTHER BLOGGER

Throughout school, many of us ask ourselves how our classes apply to the daily lives we have, or even how the things being taught will be used in our future. I was one of those students last year until I started to see the opportunities that became available to me with my knowledge and desire to learn. I am majoring in Pre-Professional Sciences, and the science classes are just one of many topics which have a lot of information that must be retained. Pushing myself through grueling hours of homework and study sessions to pass exams, I have had both ups and downs with the sciences, and I almost changed my mind about what I really wanted to do. As quick as I began to question my abilities, I was asked to do several outside things that showed I was in this for the long haul.

I was asked to join the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, which is a week-long, interactive, conference-style meeting where interested students from several areas come together for the common interest. It allowed us to learn in a classroom environment, attend several meetings and medical school tours. It was at this point that I understood my true passion for the science field and the amount of knowledge one must have to pursue their dreams in the field. As I returned to school this year, I came full force and ready to learn about everything and anything I could. My next opportunity was when I was offered several positions to shadow doctors in Fredericksburg, as well as attend a second Forum that was held outside of the United States.

Slide with a fixed part of a mammal’s trachea (windpipe)

Science classes can simply be applied to almost everything that has evolved in and around the Earth. I have been able to apply my knowledge through other situations, like helping family and friends with health concerns, studying different diseases in microbiology, as well as explaining things like why we breathe from anatomy to friends. With all of the random things I know about the body, I’m sure some of my family and friends think that I may be a little crazy, but with this knowledge I gain from school, I will go further in life. It is kind of crazy how the sciences can lead to numerous opportunities and learning experiences, but there is a way that every class taken can be connected to real life.

Agar tubes to identify unknown bacteria growth