The Little Butterfly That Could

On September 14^th, 2010, nationally recognized activist Julie “Butterfly” Hill paid a special visit to Frostburg State University and deliver her message of hope to students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Ms. Hill, given the nickname, “Butterfly,” as a young girl, gave up a successful career as a business consultant to live in a nearly 2,000 year old California Redwood named, “Luna” for 2 years and 8 days. This experience prompted Butterfly to travel around the nation and begin engaging and motivating people of all ages.

“Everyone’s an activist,” proclaimed Butterfly as she brushed back a few strands of gray hair, a testament to her wisdom. The main focus of Butterfly’s message emphasized the idea that even a single beat of a butterfly’s wings can cause a chain reaction leading to a tornado; simply put, every person makes a difference no matter how big or how small. “Some people will change the world for the worse, it’s inevitable.” This statement was used to mark the importance of making well-informed decisions daily, “It’s impossible not to change the world, you have already just by being in it, why not make a change you can be proud of?” The passion in Butterfly’s voice echoed through the room as she informed the audience that it takes about 25 times the amount of water in a typical water bottle to produce that 1 plastic bottle. This fact and several others drove the point home that simple everyday actions can make a huge difference.

Butterfly is a conversationalist, to say the least. The packed recital hall felt more like a group therapy session than a lecture. Butterfly’s ability to create an environment where the free exchanged of ideas is welcome could be felt by all in attendance; students, especially, were encouraged to ask question and voice their thoughts and opinions. This method of presenting and her passionate demeanor facilitated lengthy conversation that lasted well over her allotted time. Some students didn’t get to have their questions answered due to the lack of time, so Butterfly stayed after and made it a point to speak to each one of them individually.

Butterfly has written 2 books since her time spent in the tree. The first, published in 2000, titled, “The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree. A Woman. And the Struggle to Save The Redwoods,” made the National Best Sellers List. The book documents her time spent in the tree, her trials and tribulations, as well as insight into her life before Luna. The second, aptly titled, “One Makes The Difference: Inspiring Actions That Change Our World,” was published in 2002, and is an addendum of sorts to her presentation; it lays out the steps that a globally conscious citizen should take to help create a better world and also provides a vast number of resources for aiding in this process. Both books are made of environmentally sustainable materials and are available at your local book store or online.

Big Things Do Come in Small Packages

Markisha Barber, or Kisha as her friends call her, is only 4 foot 11” but, don’t let her size fool you. This young lady is doing big things. A 19 year old sophomore at Frostburg State University, she has already made her mark. Kisha is one of the founding members of Frostburg’s dancing team ( a student organization) Epitome. Dance is in her bones. Kisha started dancing when she was four and a half years old. After years of exploring different forms of dance she has come to love modern dance the most. This love of dancing led her to help start the club, which formerly did not exist at Frostburg. F.S.U. has a formal dance company, but as Kisha puts it, “They practice way too much.” With her already busy schedule she hasn’t got the time for more practices. Epitome performs at various functions around the University, including fashion shows and the annual block party.

Possibly the most interesting thing about Kisha is her career path. Kisha aspires to be a sportscaster. She is currently considering a degree in Mass Communication at Frostburg and hopes to one day be one of the university’s famed graduates. “I just want to help change the way people look at the school. I want people to say, ‘I went to the same school as her,’ and be proud of Frostburg.”

“I didn’t want to come to college and be miserable,” said Kisha as she waved and smiled at every passing person she knows. And what advice does she offer for the freshmen entering Frostburg? Kisha smiles very subtly as she confesses, “Something I do a lot is smile; people take life too seriously.” In addition to the dance club and her classes, Kisha likes to take a little time to herself to enjoy activities like cooking, singing, and writing poetry.

Next time you are not sure what to do on a cool mountain evening at Frostburg State, take a minute to laugh, sing, cook, go out and see a dance performance or whatever it is you do best . You never know when you’ll run into an interesting person like Kisha.

Star Poet

Tilmon Parker

Engl 336

Jonelle Clingman: Future Star Poet.

ENGL 336.003

            Jonelle Clingman, an English major at Frostburg State University, just might be the next Maya Angelou.  Jonelle was born in Cheverly, Maryland and raised in Prince George’s county and the District of Columbia.  One of her true passions is the game of basketball; she was the star player at Gwynn Park High School and played for the Ladies’s team here at Frostburg last year.  Some say that she plays like her two favorite players Dwayne Wade and Ray Allen.  She gets the Dwade comparisons from the buzzer beater she hit to win the 3 on 3 game last week and just last Wednesday when she dunked on the girl to win the game of 33.  When the fans see Jonelle’s jumper they automatically say “Jesus Shuttlesworth?”  Her jumper is automatic so she probably will be one of the top recruits in the intramural basketball league this year.  Even though Jonelle is a star athlete she plans to go pro in her other hobby. 

          Jonelle majors in English at Frostburg State and plans to publish books as a career.  I knew she loved literature when in our meeting she said “ I read 37 books this summer.”  That’s a lot of reading.  I was also lucky enough to learn what her first book would be about.  “My first book will be about me and the rest will probably be poems.”  But that’s just Jonelle the star.

          When Jonelle is on chill time at home with her aunt, hanging with her select group of amazing friends or catching up with her nine brothers and sisters she enjoys way more than just English and basketball.  She likes music, watching TV, and really just chilling.  Her favorite TV show is SpongeBob SquarePants but she has also taken a glimpse at other shows like monster quest and Man vs. Wild.  Let’s just say those two didn’t really make her list of hobbies.   When I asked her about music she said “I love Trey Sonz.”  She also told me that most of the music she listens to is either Rap, Hip-Hop, and R&B, and in the process was able to explain to me the difference between Rap and Hip-Hop.(Thank you Jonelle.)

          Jonelle said she wants to travel, “Hawaii is where I really want to go.”  She also told me that she wants to go to Jamaica and that she’s seen most of the east coast from her basketball travels(http://www.mdblc.com).  I asked her what she wanted to do before she died and of course she said “meet Trey Songz.”  She also wants to meet Dwayne Wade, sky dive, write a book about her life, and visit her mom’s grave site.  Finally I asked Jonelle what she wanted people to know about fher. “I’m a very good writer, and I love to have fun and smile.”

A High School Experience Never Forgotten

Christine Williams; An Unfair Ending to a Senior Year
By: Kelly Lake ENGL 336.002
Remember your high school senior year? The excitement, joy, and anticipation you had for your future? Remember the senior homecoming football game and the senior prom? Well for one senior her senior prom was nothing to celebrate about.
Christine Williams senior year of high school was just like anyone else. She hung out with her friends, did her school work, and prepared for college. Finally prom comes around, a girl’s favorite time of year. She got her prom dress and helped her date pick out the perfect color so that he would match her perfectly. They booked their limo and ordered their flowers and just waited for prom to come. When the day finally came she, along with the rest of her senior class, were so excited for their night. Williams along with all the other couples were taking pictures getting on the limo and letting one of the best nights being.
One of the girls in Christine’s limo brought a bottle of alcohol convincing the others to join her. The girls decided that it would be fine to start to drink because it was their senior prom and their last time all together. So, the whole way to prom the couples were drinking the bottle, thinking nothing of it because they would have a safe way to prom and back. Once the couples arrived to the prom, this is when the trouble started. When Christine walked into prom, the principle immediately approached her and claimed that he smelled alcohol on her. The principle dragged Williams to a small room, about closet size, and made her stand there for approximately 45 minutes. After the principle re-entered the ‘closet-like’ room, she was very rude towards Christine. “Why won’t you let me leave this closet this is unfair, you have told me nothing about what I have done?” The principle did not let her explain herself and continued to yell at her. Christine had an idea of what she did, but she knew she was in trouble. Williams did not get to enjoy her senior prom at all because her principle immediately kicked her out of the dance and told her she had future consequences.
The next week of school Christine was reported to the office to see what her consequences she was about to face. The principle enters the room and proceeds to explain to Christine that she will no longer be able to attend the graduation walk. After long negotiation, Christine was able to walk during her high school graduation and had to face the consequences of her actions during prom. Williams is now a successful college student here at Frostburg State University and is able to continue on with her scholars to continue onto a successful future.

HEADS!!!!!

This Sunday during the Giants vs. Colts game (aka "The Manning Bowl) Rb Brandon Jacobs through his helmet into the stands.  Some say now he is demanding to be traded. 

http://www.thirdage.com/news/brandon-jacobs-throws-helmet-sunday-demands-trade-monday_9-20-2010

They couldn't wait for the game to start!!!

Before the Ohio vs. Ohio State game this past weekend the mascots put on a show in pre-game.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Video-Ohio-s-mascot-is-a-better-tackler-than-Oh?urn=ncaaf-270984

Patricia Layne Alderton: The Bubbly Hardass.

Patricia Layne Alderton, orginially born February 8, in Baltimore, Maryland, loves to travel and vacation but hates moving. She credits her hatred towards the fact that she's been through four elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school and now one college. When asked why she didn't want to transfer to another college from FSU, she states, "I hate moving, and I'm done with having to start over." The only reason she has to relocate so much throughout her 19 years is because her mother simply "likes to move alot," but for now she's happily stationed herself on Paul Street in Frostburg for the school year. She still spends her summers with her mother being a beach bum in Delaware's well-known Rehoboth Beach. Due to her love of vacationing she has been to places such as New York, Florida, and Georgia. After visiting her father in Atlanta, Georgia, she's come to the conclusion that she would greatly enjoy living down South when she's older because, "people are much more relaxed and easy going down there." This lifestyle seems to fit her very well as she is quite bubbly with her curly blonde hair and laid back attitude.
However, she's got a bad side that comes out in the form of tattoos and color therapy. She currently has two tattoos; "AMR" behind her right ear, a tribute to her friends who's died, and a vine of roses on her right side. But she hoped one day to have an entire sleeve going down one of her arms. Her bad side is better reflected in her obsession over the show Sons of Anarchy, a drama about the lives of an outlaw motorcycle gang, and enjoys "Sons of Anarchy Nights" where her friends make no other plans but to watch the episode premieres and veg-out on popcorn. (http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa/) As for color therapy, she says she really doesn't have a favorite color but wants to start interpretting more red into her wardrobe because "people are subconsciously intimidated by the color red" she blames her choice on a "power thing."
At FSU Patricia is studying Mass Communication with Public Relations and Physcology minors, hoping one day to be either a news another or publicist. She keeps busy on campus working as a manager at the Tawes building, where she unlocks doors and patrols the hallways, she also holds the Student Affairs Chair in SGA, and is a sister of the nationally recognized Alpha Sigma Tau. Between her busy schedules she makes time for her boyfriend of almost 3 years, Jimmy, her eyes light up as she explains he is her best friend. She also stays occupied taking care of her "spoiled brat" cat, Big Pete, who lives with her here in town. She rescued Big Pete from behind the Food Lion in Rehoboth, where she worked during previous summers. She explains she loves Big Pete to much because, "He has been the only thing that has ever been all min. Since my mom pays for my car and phone, she can still take those away is she wants. But he's been the only thing I've ever taken care of since I found him when he was so small he could fit in just one hand."
Patricia enjoys spending any time away from class, work, Jimmy, Big Pete or her sorority sisters, reading as it's one of her favorite pastimes. She enjoys reading so much she even loves to watch movies with subtitles such as Pan's Labyrinth; however her favorite book is still Marley and Me by John Grogan. She also fancies the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, and says it still makes her cry every time she watches it. But she hates scary movies and states, "I can't even have ice cream before bed because it gives me nightmares." When given a puzzled look, she continues, "Sugar just excites me. I have ADD, so too much sugar just isn't good." When it comes to music she exclaims her favorite song is "Konstantine" by Something Corporate because she states, "It is the story of my life." (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/somethingcorporate/konstantine.html)
Patricia Layne Alderton is a typical happy-go-lucky sorority sister, but her bouncy exterior masks a studious "bad girl" who would do anything for her boyfriend and fat cat.

The Event of the year

By: Tom Ehrig

This weekend marked a popular event that is put on at Frostburg State University, the Appalacian Festival. The festival went from September 16th to September 18th and consisted of not just students, but local family members as well. The event on September 18th had a lot of children that came from the nearby high schools and elementary schools. The kids were very excited to be there, their faces just lit up as they walked around the upper quad. There was no shortage of activities to fill up someone's time. A kid could walk around all day and never get bored; the festival seemed to be mostly aimed at the countless children that showed up. There were tents everywhere that included making toys and arts and crafts which was put on by the national fraternity Alpha Phi Omega.
There were a lot of activities for children to do, but there were just as many for students and adults to do as well. The thing that I found so interesting and fun was the music selection. Music was playing on Saturday all day which included different bands from around the area. The festival had acts ranging from bag pipe players to folk musicians to scottish bands, they had it all. The music was so loud I could hear it all the way from my house on Spring Street which is a ways away from the upper quad. The band Mountain Therapy played at 1:20 saturday afternoon followed by the Garrett Highlands Pipe and drums at 2. Mountain Therapy is a contemporary band from Ohio while the Garrett Highlands is a scottish heritage band. Even though these are two way different styles of music, they worked very well going after eachother. A senior at Frostburg State University Michael Zapalowicz confronted me while I was watching the music. I asked how he liked the festival and the different music selections, he said, "I absolutely love being here, it's so nice out and the music is just mesmerizing." Mike was not the only person who was having a great time at the festival, it seemed as if everyone was having a blast.
The Appalacian Festival is a yearly event put on by Frostburg State University. Judging by the outcome and amount of excited people, it might be worthwhile to hold the event every semester which might make the community happier and become closer as a whole. This is the first time I have been to the festival in my 4 years as a student at Frostburg and I cant believe what I have missed out on throughout the years. The festival was very well organized and the people working there were very friendly and helpful. If you did not get to go to the festival this year, I would highly recommend going next year because it is quite a spectacle.

Appalachian Festival

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker "African American voices from spirituals to freedom".

Children’s laughter, informative seminars, and great music, are just some of the many sounds that could be herd at the Appalachian Festival this weekend. The festival was a three day event filled with a plethora of activities that many people had a chance to partake in. The atmosphere was real inviting, families gathered, people brought there pets, no one was turn away at any of the free events. Each day in the three day festival consist of different themes. The first day was “Appalachian Adventures: Celebrating the Region’s Entrepreneurial Spirit,” which carried over into the following day. This collection of activities was assembled, so different business could exchange knowledge towards making Frostburg community a much more lucrative community. They also had a talent portion where kids where able to showcase their talent.

Friday night was a film festival held at the historic Palace Theater. The film festivals showed two films “Bonecrusher,” and “Split Estates.” The two films chosen both give an example of the day to day human struggle. Bonecrusher is about an old man who takes pride in his job as miner, but at the same time the job he is taking pride in is also killing him slowly. Split Estates is about how major companies take the land of everyday Americans just to acquire the oil and energy that the land holds.

The final day of the festival was a big festival on the campus of Frostburg State University. Petting zoo, great food, interesting exhibits, and entertaining music performances where all present at the grand finale of the Appalachian Festival. One exhibit that caught the attention of a lot of people was the “Scales and Tales” exhibit. This exhibit showcased different animals that people usually do not get the opportunity to get very close to. For example; the animal handlers introduce several owls to the public, which a nocturnal animal, so it’s a privilege to get up close to such an amazing creature. One of the owl’s had a very interesting story off how they became apart of the Scales and Tales organization. He was found on the side of the road, being pursued by a cat, when a lady and her dog walks up, the lady commanded her dog to chase the cat a way, and then she got the owl the help it needed.

The festival also had a lot of great music acts through out the course of the 3 day celebration. One of the more popular acts was brought to Frostburg by Sparky and Rhonda Rucker, “African Americas Voices from Spirituals to Freedom.” Their musical performance was a display of how Negro spirituals help the progression of the African American race from the humble beginning of the Underground Railroad, until the Civil Rights Movement. Rhonda Rucker had this to say, “A lot of negro spirituals helped African American persevere through a lot of the trying times and tribulation they faced.” Sparky and Rhonda Rucker have been performing for sometime now, Sparky since the early 1970’s and Rhonda Rucker since 1989.

The Appalachian Festival was a treat for everyone who had the privilege to part take in it.

It is sad to see it come to an end, but it is a bitter sweat thing, because who knows what they have in stored for next years?

Frostburg Grad helping with Social Gaming Spending

2010 Young Entrepreneur Model Business Plans
By: Kelly Lake

Jeff Katz is a Frostburg State University graduate who is now working for American Express directing a new type of credit card aimed towards college students. Katz is a new successful business man who not only has a successful job with American Express, but he has also done some work with the Apple iphone applications.
Jeff Katz has this new idea of creating a credit card directed towards college students. In Katz presentation, he explained the millions of dollars that are going into online gaming (which can be from facebook, playstation, xbox, etc.) but the amount of money is out of this world in which people are spending. This new credit card idea from American Express would be called the ‘loot card’. This loot card would help their customers be able to earn points every time they buy something to do with online gaming. “Almost every college student you know, and the majority of a college staff has a facebook…” explains Katz. “…and the majority of the facebook users also interact in some type of gaming on facebook.” Facebook has completely changed the way people look at online social interaction. One of facebooks top online games is a game called Farmville. Farmville is an interactive game that only facebook users are able to access, that lets one create and run their own farm. Farmville players are able to build a house, grow and sell crops, obtain livestock, and interact with other Farmville players. Katz reports “Farmville makes at least $50 million per month between the advertising and buying facebook money. This being said, Farmville is one of the most successful games on facebook.”
With this loot card, students would be able to buy whatever they wanted with games such as Farmville and they would earn points that would help them in their purchases with online gaming. With this card, there is also almost no risk when using this card. Because the card is aimed towards college students, they would be able to set up a payment plan, similar to how they pay back student loans, which would have a lower risk in harming credit. During the question and answer segment of the presentation, former peer Nicole Pruitt had an interesting question she was willing to share. “Say I wanted to buy just facebook credits but not have those towards gaming?” Katz was able to explain that when dealing with this type of card, any online social gaming setting would be acceptable. They would not get as high as rewards compared to if they were spending it directly on Farmville, but they will still be able to receive points.
This new idea is a new innovation in the gaming world. College students will be able to spend what they would like on this online gaming, but they will also be able to manage their credit so they can keep their lives on track.

Appalachia: Taking a Step Back to Look at Heritage

As the afternoon sun shone brightly on the upper quad, visitors were greeted by the sound of drums and bagpipes from the Garrett Highlands Pipes and Drums. It is a welcoming sound of the heritage of the people in the Appalachian area. Many Scottish immigrants settle in the Appalachian area due to the fact of its similarities to their homeland. As the crowd watched, you could see the pride of the onlookers. Remembering where you come from and how far we have come is a part of the Appalachian Festival. From the Scottish bagpipers to the bluegrass bands the music of the times has certain been an influence on the area. We often forget how nice it was when neighbors would come together to celebrate the simplest things. They shared music, food, and friendship. This festival is a reminder of the times when convenience was an alien concept.

All afternoon as you walked around the grounds you can see signs of how far we come from the simple life this area has lead over the years. Underneath the huge tent were vendors displaying their craftsmanship. Walking by the tables you spot handmade baskets by Lori Senese, which we tend to take for granted, yet to the maker they are an accomplishment of their talent. Shawn Mencer an onlooker at the yarn table stated, “People don’t make things like these anymore. We have gotten away from simplistic things. Instead you can go down to the Walmart and simply pick this up.” It is true. We take for granted the idea of simply running down to the store and picking up a scarf, when once upon a time scarves had to be knitted and took hours or even a couple of days to make.

Even our food we take for granted. It does not take much to go to any store, and simply buy a gallon of lemonade. This weekend we got to sample a treat of what is now called “old-fashioned” lemonade. Though this may be deemed as such, we forget that long ago this was a way of life. If someone wanted to drink lemonade, they had to take the lemons, and make it themselves. As you walk by the Mennonite food stand, you see this sweets that tempt your palate. From the difficult steak/potato candy to the whoopie pies the served as a mouth watering reminds of the treats that filled this area.

This weekend served as a reminder. A reminder of a time when getting together with neighbors was a big thing. When sitting on the porch after a long hot day of work with a glass of lemonade was a treat. A time when having a hand knitted scarf was a sign of love from the one who made it with the intent of keeping us warm for winter. The simplistic lifestyle of the time may seem “old-fashioned” or out dated, but in a time where we are constantly on the run, we as a society yearn for this time. This leaves an open-ended question of, “What will the future generation learn about us?” It is strange to think that now when everyone lives for the moment. The Appalachian Festival gives us a reminder, a glimpse into the past so we can see where we have come from, and appreciate it.

All Ages Can Have Fun

By: Janine Fields

September 16, 17, and 18 marked the start of a special annual event hear at Frostburg which embraces the cultural background of the Appalachian area. This event called the Appalachian festival is a chance for the people of this area to share their talents with each other, with the students at Frostburg State University, and especially the children of Frostburg. The biggest turn out for children was September 18 when the festival was held in the upper quad of Frostburg State. One could not miss the packs of elementary school children running from tent to tent as their parents try to keep up with them, or see the impatient brother and sister waiting to see what was inside the art bus, or even friends racing each other on stilts by Old Main. Seeing these acts of innocence brought more life to the festival and to the various tents and presenters that day. Children completely enjoyed the musical performances and the different tents where they were creating different memorabilia from this event. In an age where art and music is fighting to stay in many schools, it is safe to know that children still have some outlet through the events Frostburg holds.

One of the big hits with the children was the arts and craft tent and the Art Bus. At the tent, children and students alike were creating corn husk dolls and cat's eyes. The art bus that was provided by the Allagheny Art Council, however was directed more for the younger children as they were able to create various mask to wear while they were walking around. The actual bus was rather small and could only fit about eight people. It was crowded and hot as the college volunteers, parents and children try to get pass each other for different reason. The climate of the bus was enough for most parents to stay outside and watch through one of the open windows. Their children however would of spend thirty minutes or more in the bus to perfect their pig face or explain to the volunteers why they colored their mask red. A senior at Frostburg State Victoria Keene commented saying “It is actually fun bringing a smile to a child's face once they put the mask on their face knowing that you helped them with it.”

The organizers did an good job placing this bus right next to the Sowers Stage so the children could hear acts such as the Time Travelers and “That's It” while they were doing the crafts.Inside the bus you saw make kids looking out of the window at the performance and swinging their legs to the song and smiling in complete bliss. Many even made the statement that they thought the art bus would be 'lame' but now were glad that they came inside. The one time one would see a disappointed child was when they heard the words 'It's time to go home' and they had to explain to their moms and dads that they HAD pet one of the goats one more time. Seeing that the committee made sure that the native children were surrounded by the rich music and art of their culture was a good choice and made it a good day not only for the child but for the whole family.

"We Love You" by Markisha Barber, 336.002

“We only have a few more days of nice weather in FROST-burg, so let’s sit outside,” said Richard “Ricky” Sours jokingly while preparing for the interview. Ricky was dressed very casually in a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops, the typical outfit for a college student. However, it was soon discovered that Ricky was far from your average student.

Ricky Sours was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. He is the oldest of three children, and also the only boy. Not only is he the only boy, Ricky also noted that he was the only homosexual child. At the age of 19, Ricky “came out” to his friends and family about his lifestyle. He explained that his friends were happy for him, but his parents were not happy at all. He was kicked out and forced to live on his own and he also had to pay his own college tuition. Therefore he had to put his dreams of a degree on hold, and work to support himself financially. As he was telling his story, he was not afraid to open his world and explain his struggle. Many people would be discouraged, and even ashamed to be a 25-year old college student. However, Ricky’s hardship gave him the edge he needed to push himself even harder to be successful. And successful he is. Ricky is an active member of AmeriCorps, President’s Leadership Circle, and Phi Mu Delta; he has recruited over 3,000 students for university and community events; he contributes over 1,700 community service hours annually; and he helps coordinate a trip New Orleans every January with sponsorship from groups like the Student Center for Volunteerism and also the Black Student Alliance (BSA). In New Orleans they volunteer at the zoo, build homes, plant trees where the vegetation has been destroyed by flooding, recycle Mardi Gras beads with the local ARC, and more.

Although he is a strong person today, he explained that there was a time when he wasn’t as confident about his identity. “I went through the all the phases,” he said, “but now I’m happy with just being me.” He pointed out that his sexual orientation is a part of who he is, but made it very clear that it does not define who he is. “I am Ricky, and I happen to be gay…I am not gay, and happen to be Ricky.” He also explained how hard it is being gay in today’s society, arguing that the homosexual community is the only minority that is still denied basic human rights by law. When asked what exactly he would want for the gay and lesbian community, “The same thing as everyone else.” And when asked what the gay community had to say to the straight community and he simply said “WE LOVE YOU.” There seems to be so much hostility towards homosexuality, and he explained to me that it is caused and continued by ignorance. He then proceeded to explain why he understands that there are so many people out there today living a lie, in fear of the danger. “I’m gay because I’m strong enough to be,” he said, stating that being gay is dangerous. But, he was as he said before, strong enough to withstand it.

Despite the obstacles he was faced with, Ricky kept his head up. Through his struggles, he realized that “People need other people,” so he does all he can to be that helping hand. He and his parents are on great terms now, although he explained that he remains independent of them. Ricky has been through so much, and has managed to pull through. He will be graduating in the Spring with a degree in Mass Communication. For more info on the importance of service or to learn more about gay rights, go to http://www.hrc.org/

Appalachian Festival

Friday night Frostburg State’s Appalachian fest continued at the Historic Palace Theatre in Frostburg, Maryland.  The theatre was showing two movies “Split Estate” and “Bonecrusher.”  The event was set to start at 7:30 P.M which is a new, earlier time slot according to the theater staff running the program.  The staff shared with the audience that the movies usually begin at 8:00 P.M but have now been moved to 7:30 P.M in order to accommodate the requests of multiple patrons. 

            “Split Estate” is a documentary and was the first movie shown Friday night.  According to the movie, Split Estate refers to when a land owner owns the land but not the mineral rights to the resources under their land.  With the current mineral boom, this is becoming a growing problem in the Rocky Mountain West.  The documentary shows the struggles of different families affected by drilling extremely close to their residential areas.  At one point in the movie, one of the people interviewed said that the oil and gas companies set wells near houses according to how tall the wells are.  For example, if the well is one hundred feet tall then the oil and gas companies would put that well one hundred and five feet from the house.  Apparently this is done to prevent the well from falling on the house if the well falls.

 A scenario within the movie that got a significant reaction from the crowd was one about a woman named Laura Amos.  Laura and her family live in Silt, Colorado.  In 2001 a gas company called the Encana Corporation drilled four different wells less than one-thousand feet away from Laura’s house.  At all four wells they used a technique called hydraulic fracturing.  During the drilling there was a breach in Laura’s water supply “filling it with gray sediment and fizz like soda pop.”  Laura and her family were told that their water was no longer safe to drink but ok to bath in.  A lady seated in front of me put her hand to her mouth in shock when Ali MacGraw informed the audience that in 2003 Laura was diagnosed with Hyper Aldosteronism (a rare condition involving a tumor in the adrenal gland that affects the thyroid and pituitary glands).  Somebody seated behind me also said, “Wow” when Laura in an earlier interview said that she didn’t only bathe herself in the contaminated water but she also bathed her newborn in the water.  Most people believe the contaminated water made her sick. 

            It was an emotional movie hearing Laura’s story and that of another individual, Gilbert Armenta, a man that has lived in Bloomfield, New Mexico, his whole life.  One could not help feeling sympathy for Gilbert and his family as oil and gas companies have literally taken over their land and have drilled wells everywhere.  The oil and gas companies displayed no respect for their family grave site as they moved head stones, dumped gravel on top of the graves, and placed portable toilets in the immediate area. 

            The second movie was a documentary called “Bonecrusher.”  The story setting is Dante, Virginia, a place where coal mining is a way of life.  Most of the people interviewed said that all of their male family members, e.g., grandfathers, fathers, and brothers all worked in the mine.  From the beginning it is clear how very close the community is and how most everyone knows each other. However, there was one man that everybody knew without question.  When the interviewer asked who he should talk to about working in the mines, everyone responded, “Bonecrusher, he has the best stories.”  One interview that got a chuckle out of the crowd was when he asked “Who knows Bonecrusher?” to three men.  One stood up and said, “I know him.  I used to work with him.”  So the interviewer followed up with, “Why do they call him Bonecrusher?”  After a long pause and a look, the man simply said, “I don’t know” which the audience found funny. 

            “Everybody’s got a nickname underground,” and they call Mr. Chaffin Bonecrusher.   Luther Chaffin is a sixty-one year old man that worked in the mines for a long time and never missed a day of work. He became a coal miner after his dad (who was a miner) died.  He has a son, Lucas Chaffin, who has recently started working in the mines.  Lucas said that a lot of the time they call him Bonecrusher Jr.  Most of the movie is about how Lucas loves working in the mines but how it’s already causing the twenty-five year old health problems.  The other part of the story is about how working in the mines for so long really affected Luther Chaffin.  Throughout the whole movie it was shown how he had to go to the hospital often because he had throat and lung cancer.  A lot of people call it the “Black Lung.”  A lot of people in the crowd enjoyed this movie; you could feel the sadness in the room when at the end of the movie we were informed Luther Chaffin passed away in 2007.  A woman to my right simply said, “Oh no” when a message from Lucas Chaffin was played. 

            Both movies were about seventy-five minutes long.  At the end a lady in front of me said, “It was great.”  Some people were talking about the movie, others left the theatre rather quickly, and one man was heard talking to a woman about how his home town was just hit by a tornado. 

            This was a nice event that most who attended seemed to enjoy.  The theater wasn’t filled but there were a good amount of students and local residents in attendance. 

http://www.bonecrusherfilm.com/
http://www.splitestate.com/

"Festival Festivities" by Markisha Barber, 336.002

Sounds of Bear Hill Bluegrass’ song, “Workin’ Man Blues,” filled the air along with the smell of fresh crab cakes and pulled pork at the Appalachian Festival this past Saturday. With so many stands and activities, it was probably very hard for those who attended to decide what to do first. Over at the “Sugar and Spice Bakery” table, there were dozens of cookies, cakes, pies and assorted jelly for sell. “Just about everything is homemade,” said Rachel D., who has been working for the company for over 16 years. “Our top seller is the pumpkin roll,” she said while pointing at a basket with only one pumpkin roll remaining (which was bought soon after.) Sugar and Spice is a regular to the festival, and they come have come every year since the festival started. They also set up a stand in Country Club Mall every Friday to sell even more sweets to this small town.

The festival was full of color, and one reason was because of the “Crazy Hair” stand. There were girls of all ages running around with bright ribbons tied to their hair and neon pipe cleaners bent into shapes of hearts and butterflies. And behind those girls, were the other girls begging their parents to take them to the stand where everyone was getting their hair styled. Although the sight of a girl with at least 4 colors in her hair may be amusing, the money spent went to a very serious cause. The “Crazy Hair” table was sponsored by The Mountain Maryland Public Charter School. The Mountain Maryland Public Charter School will be opening in September 2011with a total of 110 students, ranging in grades K-4. What makes this school so special is that it is the first charter school in Western Maryland. “We will add a grade every year until we get to the 8th grade,” said board member Yan Bao, who is also a faculty member of FSU. This means that by the school year of 2015-16, The Mountain Maryland Public Charter school will be a full K-8 grade school. MMPCS has received much support from the community including Frostburg State University, the Allegany Arts Council and the Mayor and City Council of Cumberland to name a few. And according to board member Mindy T., “MMPCS needs all the support we can get,” as she explained that charter schools are still public schools. Charter schools are publicly funded, which means they do not charge tuition. “There is a higher standard of learning, however, as opposed to the traditional public school,” said board member Jennifer A. As the first charter school in Western Maryland, MMPCS hopes to set a standard above other schools and hopefully stick around for a while.

Another interesting stand at the festival was “Wilson’s Hand-Made Glass” and the owner and founder, Tom Wilson, explained that it can take up to 14 hours to create the glass sculptures. An interesting piece was the flattened bottles of alcohol, which Tom said were given to him by friends. “I have had a heart and kidney transplant,” he said “so I don’t drink this stuff”. His wife Judy is a photographer, and when asked about a favorite picture she has taken, she pointed to a picture of hundreds of balloons in the sky. As Tom had previously stated, he had a kidney and heart transplant, and that picture was taken at a program sponsored by the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) honoring donors in 2009. “All of these pictures are special,” she noted, “but this one has a more significant meaning to us personally”. Wilson’s Hand-Made Glass has been a part of the festival for three years now, and plans on returning again next year.

What seemed like the children’s “favorite stand” among the others was the Capering Kids 4H Goat Club. There was a petting zoo, milking station, and an arts and crafts station. In the petting zoo, children were allowed to enter the pin with the goats and feed them hay. The milking station was where children two at a time got the chance to milk a goat. And at the arts and crafts station, they were able to color pictures of goats and paint goat figures. There are twenty-seven children in the actual club, and it is the only club in the area dedicated to goats. “Most clubs are livestock, which is a lot more than goats,” said Carol M., who herself owns about forty goats. The club was started in 2004 and they have been to the festival five times. The Capering Kids 4H Club meets once a month at Elliott Memorial in Cumberland, and they attend a variety of events in the area. They sponsor events like fundraisers as well.

There were many more stands and tables at the festival, and dozens of locals came out. Jacob M. comes every year, and stated this year was his favorite so far. The weather was nice, the music had everyone dancing, and it made for a perfect day to attend the Appalachian Festival.

Traditional Irish Folk Music, At Its Best

Irish folk musicians, Jeff Thomas and John Neral, graced the Appalachian Festival, on the Compton Stage, with their recreations of traditional Irish folk music during the Appalachian Festival on Saturday September 18. Both musicians appeared to have dedicated much time and effort to learning the traditional songs of Ireland, over the course of their lives, and played flawlessly to a medium sized audience. Thomas, who played the concertina, built a great relationship with the audience. Talking in between each song to encourage the audience to dance to the music and explaining the origin of the next song, helped create a strong connection between the artist and the audience. At one point, Thomas told the audience, “We are among the many great musicians here,” which showed his respectful nature towards the rest of the musicians that played at the festival that day. Over the course of the concert, young children could be seen dancing to the catchy Irish beats and the soothing sound of the concertina and guitar. This was especially interesting because it showed that different generations could enjoy the feel and sound of traditional folk music, no matter their age. John Neral accompanied, Thomas, on the acoustic guitar. The guitar added a distinct melody that enhanced the natural feel and rhythm of the traditional Irish folk songs. An audience member, Camille Duverger, who was enjoying the show immensely, commented, “After all the school work, it’s nice to come out here and enjoy it.” The difference in generations of people, among the audience, connecting with the artists and music, helped create a thriving atmosphere that went great with the music itself. One of the most noteworthy things that could be viewed was that neither artist played a percussion instrument, which would appear odd when playing folk music. The Irish drum, bodrahn, usually accompanies Irish folk music to create a driving beat that allows the music to be danceable. However, Jeff Thomas and John Neral relied solely on their own instruments and the tapping of their feet to create a rhythm that allowed the audience to stand up and dance to. In a way, this added to the overall authenticity, but also dedication of the musicians. It was obvious that both Thomas and Neral were well experienced with the music they played. Another thing that was astounding about the musicians, was the fact that neither used sheet music to play the long set of music. All of the music, passion and rhythm came from memory for both Thomas and Neral. Not all of the audience, however, was interested in dancing and enjoying the feel of traditional folk music. Sadly enough, some audience members could be heard worrying about more modern day problems such as, “The mall closes at 9:30 tonight,” or “I want to eat another corndog.” For both Thomas and Neral, this is disappointing. An event such as the Appalachian Festival, along with the performance of traditional Irish folk music, is a means to escape modern day worries and cares. It would appear that not all of the audience was capable of enjoying the sound of a rich, cultural history.

Appalachian Festival

On a beautiful fall weekend Frostburg State University welcomed the fifth annual Appalachian Festival to celebrate the rich cultural history of the region. People from all walks of life came out to enjoy the various homemade crafts and different festivities. Multiple tables were sat up under the tents to display all the homemade arts and crafts and items for sale. Children gathered at the 4H stand to participate in goat milking and to play with the baby goats. Participants gathered around to listen to various bands sing bluegrass melodies and people enjoyed the Amish made apple butter, cider and Marlyand style crab cakes. The festival was a traditional display of the areas deeply rooted mountain history.

Pacing through all the tables and stands one particularly interesting displayed was Carolyn Grove's Needle & Shuttle Tatting. Tatting invloves a traditional method of making embroidery lace by knotting thread together along the end of a needle. Much like crocheting or knitting, tatting is a favorite activivty used to embellish household linens. Tatting reached its popularity around the turn of the 20th century than slowly began to fadeout as in typical fad fashion. however, it has recently began to increase in popularity and now is being taught online my a multitude of people.

Another attraction was the Appalachian Independent stand. The online newspaper, a "Dialogue for Democracy" is comprised of citizen journalists who are "Giving voice to a diverse Appalachian Community." Raffling off a $120 Independent Ink gift certificate to entice bystanders to the table, they than handed out business cards and bumper stickers to better inform people of their business. The paper can be located at appindie.org, where people can create accounts and publish articles that pertain to community news, interesting culture, and various activities of the region. All the articles are reviewed by the newspaper's creators and website managers before publication. An article on the Appalachian Festival can be found at, http://www.appindie.org/index.php/appalachian-culture/55-appalachian-culture/1550-fsu-to-0host-fifth-annual-appalachian-festival.

The Western Maryland Chapter of the Archeological Society of Maryland table displayed various finds and information from the Barton excavation site. Items, such as ax heads and spears originated from over 12,000 years ago. The area was the location of a fenced in Indian village in the early 1400's. In 2006, the excavators found a house like structure in Keyser, WV, further digging later reveled charred bones, larger storage pits and ceramics. Josh Gilhart, a prospective archeologist was very intrigued by the stand stating, "I had no idea we had such a large digging site was located so close to Frostburg." Dr. Robert D. Wall of Towson University informed Josh that, "If you're going to go out digging its best to do it here and avoid all the spiders and malaria."

All in all the festival did a very good job at capturing our rich history and displaying the roots of our cultural backgrounds.

Two Films, two powerful messages. By Hillary Martin, ENGL 336.002

The two part film, which featured Split Estate and Bonecrusher, was one of many events of Frostburg's Appalachian Festival. Both films focused on the dangers of oil being our main source of energy. Split Estate, directed by Debora Anderson, was a film which interviewed homeowners dealing with split estate. A number of other individuals with knowledge and opinions on the matter were interviewed also. Split estate is when the homeowner owns the surface but not the resources under the land. Some of the people interviewed included; Amy Moul, Steve and Catherine Martinez, Duke Cox, Carol and Orlyn Bell, Gilbert Armenta, Lisa Bracken, Pepi Langegger, Chris and Steve Mobaldis, and Lance Astrella.

The regulation is that the gas and oil companies inform landowners before drilling, but if they do not respond companies can drill anyway. The Energy Act of 2005, passed by George W. Bush, awarded oil companies billions of dollars. This meant more money to take over other people's land. 85 percent of colorado homeowners do not own rights to the minerals under their land. In Garfield County, Colorado, since the 1990s gas and oil has boomed. Now it is no longer a quiet community. Mines all over Colorado used to be small, but now they are on a much larger scale.

Gilbert Armenta of San Juan County, New Mexico said, "When I first moved here with my father there wasn't a single well in sight, now it's so many you can't even count." Gilbert also said, "I can't even recognize it from the first day i saw it." Gas and oil companies build 350 new wells per year. They feel it is their land and the residence owners are in the way.

Toxins released during gas and oil operations cause illnesses. Also, the land looks really bad after drilling. Homeowners were very emotional as they talked about dealing with this issue. Some angry and some were almost in tears. For example, Laura Amos experienced health issues within her family. She was not able to speak in the film because of the company settlement. Laura's daughter developed a tumor due to methane found in her water. The methane was caused by hydraulic facturing. Gas and oil companies told her the water was safe, but she later found out the water was never tested. Another family moved from Colorado and found that their health issues disappeared.

Some land owners became activist. Gas and oil companies still insist that their operations do not cause illnesses. But, the landowners are still fighting for a change.

The second film, Bonecrusher, was directed by Michael F. Fountain. It was a documentary about a former coal miner Luther Chaffin, nicknamed "Bonecrusher." He got the nickname because when a 300 pound guy tried to mess with him, he said he'd break every bone in his body. Luther was a very skinny man.

Luther's dad was a coal miner, and after his death he decided to follow in his father's footsteps. He developed black lungs and lung cancer in 1994, as a result of working 20 years in the coal mines. His son, Lucas Chaffin decided to be a coal miner. Luther worried about him greatly.

"When I told my dad I wanted to be a coal miner he raised hell. He didn't like it." Lucas said. Luther was very concerned about the health issues. He asked his son numerous times to get into something else, but every time he refused. Lucas had a very close relationship with his father, even though his parents divorced when he was four.

The men who work in the coal mines have a very close relationship with one another. They always work as a team, and consider themselves to be a family. All the men have nicknames. The men trash talk each other to keep themselves entertained. Sometimes they work nonstop for 10 hours.

The coal miners never know when it's going to be their last day. There could be an explosion within the first five minutes. They could come out healthy or they could come out injured, they never know. The job requires them to put themselves at great risk. "It's tough, it's terrible worrying constantly," Lucas' wife said.

Luther "Bonecrusher" Chaffin died May 29, 2007. He passed two months before his granddaughter was born.

An audiance member said, "The movies were great for different reasons. The second was emotionally powerful, and the first was infromative."

The Appalachian Festival: A Source of Laughter and Enjoyment

Members of the community were thoroughly entertained by the Lickety Split Banjo Boys at the Appalachian Festival on Saturday. The band performed on the Sowers Stage in Frostburg State University’s Upper Quad. The four members of the band, Fred Revell, Frankie Revell, Dennis Crolley, and Uncle Junior, took the stage at 10:30 on the crisp, sunny morning. The performance had a dominate bluegrass theme that overpowered all the other musical groups at that time and drew in the one of the largest crowds of the morning performances. In addition to occupying listeners with their music, the Lickety Split Banjo Boys added humor to their routine. When the vocalist, Frankie Revell, inquired that the technicians must have fixed the microphone, Dennis Crolley jokingly said “now they need to work on your head.” It is evident that the audience enjoyed the band’s performance by their foot tapping, laughter, and applause after each song. Some fans even swayed with the music and verbally cheered for some songs. Leatrice Becker, a returning visitor of the Appalachian Festival, had never heard the Lickety Split Banjo Boys before and said, “I usually don’t like bluegrass, but they’re really good.” Many audience members particularly enjoyed when Frankie Revell played his banjo behind his head.
The rest of the festival was filled with lively musicians, talented artisans, educational displays, and informational presentations. Several tents were set up across the Upper Quad that housed all the participants of the Appalachian Festival open for visitors to leisurely wonder about. While walking around the grounds, visitors had a variety of different foods to choose from. Some found it hard to decide between the smell of the wood burning pot of apple butter from Sam Beachy & Sons Cider Mill, the scent of crab cakes from Jearbryo’s, or the whiff of relish on the hot dogs from Brian’s Old Fashioned Hot Dog Stand that all lingered in the air. They were also subjected to the sight of all the baked goods from Sugar & Spice Bakery and Cheese. Those with a sweet tooth couldn’t resist trying the delicious, autumn leaf sugar cookies and peanut butter fudge squares. After being exposed to a mixture of smells and tastes, visitors were torn between what they could hear. Sounds from two, sometimes three, different areas acted as a tug of war rope for some, drawing people in from each direction.
The Appalachian Festival is a growing tradition in the Frostburg community that holds a great value to society. In addition to allowing Frostburg State University students to get acquainted with their surrounding community, it is an opportunity for the community to support its own members and grow through togetherness. It was difficult for visitors to walk through the Upper Quad and not spot one of their friends walking among the festival. Activities such as the Appalachian Festival are the key to keeping small communities spirited. Not only can the community members support each other, they can take a break from their sometimes hectic lives. Relaxing at the Appalachian Festival on the gorgeous autumn day came to be a great stress reliever and a chance to spend time with family and friends. The Appalachian Festival was a very important event for most members of our community and many cannot wait for next year’s festivities.

By Ashley Swinford

Appalachian Festival

Bluegrass and Barbershops

by Geoff Lawhorne

This past Saturday, bands from all over the region came to participate in the Appalachian Festival on the campus of Frostburg State University. Two of these bands, That’s It! and Black Diamond, performed from 3:50 to a little past 5:00 PM on the Sowers Stage.

The Appalachian Festival is a cultural event designed to show off the local heritage and allow people from other parts of the country to experience Appalachian life. It started Thursday the 16^th and concluded Saturday night with a concert. In addition to music, there were speakers and discussion panels, poets, and local goods and cuisine to buy.

That’s It! and Black Diamond represent the breadth of Appalachian culture. That’s It! is a barber shop quartet, a style of music that does not use any musical instruments, instead relying solely on the vocal talents of the four performers, and is considered to be a subtype of A cappella. That’s It! is composed of tenor Kurt Lemmert, lead singer Kevin McKenzie, baritone Dan Hastings and bass Roger Anderson. While the songs they sang ranged on topics from the serious to the humorous, the tone was always upbeat. One song that particular stood out was “Mr. Natural”, a song about a man who, during the day, is obsessed with eating only all-natural, healthy foods, but at night when he’s alone, he breaks out his lock box full of Twinkies and other fatty foods. In between songs, the band members entertained the audience; in particular, Mr. Lemmert told several jokes like “How many bluegrass musicians does it take to change a light bulb? Two; one to change the bulb and the other to complain that it’s electric.” He had similar jokes for folk musicians (“Seven; one to put in the new bulb and six to reminisce about the old one) and choir directors (“No one knows; no one watches choir directors”) before finishing with tenors (“It takes the entire tenor section; one to climb up on the ladder to change the bulb and the rest to say, “Hey, isn’t that awfully high for you?”).

Black Diamond was more serious, and more traditionally Appalachian than That’s It! Black Diamond is a bluegrass group made up by Donnie Gibson, the banjoist, Nick Blough, the guitarist, Tom Wilson on the mandolin, and Bob Boyce on the bass. All four gentlemen also sang. Mr. Blough explained that they weren’t going to talk so much, in order to maximize their time for playing music, although they did start talking a bit more later in their set. Their tone, appropriate for a bluegrass band, was somber, and seemed especially so after That’s It!, although they did have some more comical songs of their own. They performed almost twice as many songs, ten to That’s It!’s six or so.

The audience’s response was overwhelmingly positive for both groups. A young woman named Caitlin saw both performances and said she felt both “Sounded really well”, and her friend Laura felt that That’s It! in particular was “really animated”. That’s It! can be booked for most occasions by contacting Mr. Lemmert by phone at (301) 689-2099 or by e-Mail at klemmert@frostburg.edu. Black Diamond plays every Tuesday night in the Queen City Creamery on Harrison Street in Cumberland.