Campus
Communicator
SEPTEMBER • 2014
WVNCC’s Toughest “Mudder”
obstacle course race open to elite athletes from throughout the world.
Stoffel has set a goal for himself in
this contest to run 50-plus miles in
the race which would be 10-plus laps
and 225-plus obstacles. “If I complete
more than 50 miles there is a great
chance that I will finish in the top five
in my age group, and a possibility that
I could win in that category,” he said.
And that’s not wishful boasting: David
is fresh off the Pittsburgh Gladiator race competition held Sept. 20 in
which he came in First Place in the
50-59 age category, which featured
37 individual competitors. He’ll be
running two Tough Mudder races the
weekend of Sept. 27-28 in Gerrardstown, WV.
David Stoffel poses with his first place
trophy won Sept. 20 in Pittsburgh.
David Stoffel, WVNCC’s computer
information technology program
director and instructor, obviously is
comfortable with computers but it’s
not widely known that he’s also one of
the toughest “Mudders” around. His
day job and his avocation have at least
one thing in common: both require
high levels of mental endurance to be
successful.
His students know all about his prowess in the classroom. Now they’ll
know that he’s in training to participate in the World’s Toughest Mudder
competition to be held on Nov. 15-16
in Las Vegas. The event is a 24-hour
challenge designed to find the toughest man, woman and 4-person team
on the planet.
Planners said the “World’s Toughest Mudder is the culminating event
of the Tough Mudder global calendar, and takes the concept of being
a Tough Mudder to a whole new
level. Designed to push Mudders to
their physical and mental limits, this
extreme competition puts the world’s
most hardcore Mudders through a
grueling 24-hour obstacle challenge
with double the obstacles per mile of
any other Tough Mudder event.”
The competition’s planners have
picked an unforgiving site in Nevada:
it “contains several hundred acres of
rolling desert landscape and runs
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the course design. Temperatures are
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continued next page...
Stoffel trudges through one of the obstacles in a Tough Mudder competition.
the event winners will be the man,
woman and team (4+) that achieve
the most laps in a 24-hour period
between 10 a.m. Nov. 15 and 10 a.m.
Nov. 16” at which time participants
will be given until noon to finish their
final lap.
For the November competition, Stoffel said, “My goal is a minimum of 50
miles. I’d like to do 75.” He pointed
out that most of the competitors will
be in the 28-35 age groups. In the
50-54 age category, he expects 1214 people to compete to become the
world’s toughest 50-year-old.
The Tough Mudder competitors, in
addition, often participate in the races
as a way of raising funds for charity.
David explained that “part of what
we are doing is raising funds” for the
Wounded Warrior Project, a charity
aimed at helping military veterans.
That charitable team, he said, is called
Hoorah 2 Heroes and has 300 members. They will be running in memory
of Stoffel’s brother, Dale, who was
killed in action in Iraq.
One of the most amazing aspects of
Stoffel’s hobby is that he’s been racing
for just a little more than a year. He’s
run in eight events so far and will be
running in two events to be held soon
near Martinsburg, WV. He got involved when a friend signed up to run
“so I joined up.” Part of the learning
process involved is “to not get hurt; as
an older runner, you have to become
much smarter in your approach. I
train as long as I can but cannot allow
myself to get hurt because it
takes longer to recuperate
from being hurt.” His regimen
includes weight training, cross
country work and obstacle course
running.
Stoffel said being a Tough Mudder
also involves helping others to have a
positive experience while running
the race. “You can’t imagine the
positive encouragement and
camaraderie; people will stop just to
help. Getting the experience of helping others is part of what you do in
Tough Mudder.”
WVNCC Celebrates Disabilities Awareness Month
During her run on the show she broke
barriers by addressing issues of disability awareness.
Those who have heard Jewell speak
say she has an uncanny ability to captivate the hearts of audiences by using
humor to facilitate attitude changes.
Geri brings to her presentations the
personal experience of having her
behavior and actions misunderstood
because of her cerebral palsy.
Geri Jewell
Geri Jewell, comedienne, actress and
in-demand motivational speaker,
is headlining a series of events at
WVNCC in celebration of Disabilities
Awareness Month in October.
The week-long commemoration will
be highlighted by an appearance by
Jewell at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 13,
in the B&O Building auditorium on
the Wheeling campus. Disabilities
Awareness Month activities, all open
to the public, are supported by funds
received by Northern as part of the
competitive Diversity for Equity grant
program through the West Virginia
Higher Education Policy Commission
and the West Virginia Community
and Technical College System.
Introduced to millions of television
viewers as “Cousin Geri,” Jewell has
risen to become a leading force in
disabilities advocacy. She started her
acting career as the personal choice of
famed producer Norman Lear for her
role as Cousin Geri on the groundbreaking NBC sitcom, “The Facts of
Life.” With this role she became the
first person with a visible disability
to become a regular performer on a
national, prime-time television show.
In her acting career, she was personally selected to be part of the Emmy
winning HBO series, “Deadwood”
where she became qualified to be
nominated for an individual Emmy
for her portrayal of “Jewell.” She also
is a re-occurring character on “The
Young and the Restless,” was recently
featured on “Strong Medicine” and
appeared in an episode of “Glee” last
season.
In April of 2011, she released her autobiography, “I’m Walking as Straight
as I Can: Transcending Disability in
Hollywood and Beyond.” Not only
does she write about her journey as
a person with a disability but for the
first time discusses her struggles with
her sexual identity throughout the
years.
The book also has opened many new
doors for her. She was selected to be a
keynote speaker at the National Gay
and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
and was recently selected by Ernst &
Young to be their featured speaker at
their annual luncheon at the Out &
Equal Business Summit which attracted 2,600 people from 46 states and 34
countries.
Also on Oct. 13, from 11:30 a.m.12:30 p.m., Wheeling campus faculty
and staff will participate in an open
house at Northwood Health Systems.
From 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct.
14, Physical Health will be the topic
on the Wheeling, Weirton and New
Martinsville campuses when personnel from the West Virginia Division
of Rehabilitation Services will present
information about how they assist
persons with disabilities. A question
and answer session will be included
with a light lunch provided. Those
sessions will be held in the auditorium
on the Wheeling campus, in room
249, Weirton campus, and in room
110, New Martinsville campus.
Emotional Health will be discussed
from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday,
Oct. 15, in the B&O Building auditorium. The program by WVNCC faculty member Joyce Britt will address
stress in life.
From 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursday,
Oct. 16, Mental Health will be the
topic for a presentation in the B&O
Building auditorium, Wheeling
campus. Chip Railing, community
outreach coordinator for Ohio Valley Medical Center, and Dr. Michael
Marshall from West Liberty University will discuss current issues within
mental health communities as well as
information on “Mental Health Concerns on Campus.” A light lunch will
be provided.
Wheeling Ca mpus
Culinary Fall Feast
Northern’s Culinary Arts department has announced its Fall semester schedule of meals open to the public. Reservations
can be made by email to culinary@wvncc.edu or by calling 304-214-8934. All meals are served in the Culinary Arts Dining Room (Room 215) in the EC on the Wheeling campus.
The popular A La Carte series features hot soups, salads, sandwiches and light dinner items. Luncheons will be served
from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesdays, Oct. 28, Nov. 4 and 11, and dinners will be available from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6 and 13. Prices vary and carryout is available.
Culinary’s traditional event, the department’s well-attended Harvest meal, a Thanksgiving buffet, is returning as well.
Reservations are strongly encouraged because of the limited number of seats available for these luncheons at noon on
Nov. 17 and 18 and for dinners at 6 p.m. on Nov. 19 and 20. Cost is $25 per person.
Filled to capacity each year is the department’s Yuletide offering, a lavish holiday feast of appetizers, beef with fresh
vegetables, breads, tempting desserts and some holiday cheer. Reservations are required for these events to be held as a
luncheon at noon on Dec. 1 and as dinners at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 4. Cost is $30 per person.
Fall Semester Begins with a Bang!
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Second Years Help Out
Nursing Class 2015 & 2016 with
Claire Blatt, Dr. Olshinsky, Larry
Tackett and Ina Robinson.
New Martinsville Ca mpus
winter. She demonstrated how to
cold-pack and hot-pack foods and
expained the best process for the type
of food being preserved. Those in
attendance received a canning kit to
help them get started. The second
workshop was Sept. 9 on how to save
your seeds so you can plant them
next year. This was an important topic
for those who want to keep growing
that favorite tomato or green pepper. Bob Allen shared his techniques
for seed saving with those attending.
This group sponsors a weekly local
Farmers Market at Bruce Park in New
Martinsville.
The 2015 Nursing Class remembers
the excitement and nervousness each
of them felt just last year as they began the nursing program on the New
Martinsville campus. To help reduce
some of the anxiety, the second year
students held the annual meet and
greet for the incoming 2016 nursing class. This dinner provides an
opportunity for the new students to
meet Claire Blatt, assistant professor,
nursing, their fellow classmates and
other staff of the College. Dr. Olshinsky and Dean Tacket offered welcomAttendees listen intently as Julia Boley
ing remarks and congratulated the
presents “Get Hooked on Canning.”
2016 class on their acceptance into
the nursing program. The students of
the 2015 class shared some study tips
Ice Cream Social
they learned during their first year in
the program, and the one most frequently repeated was, “Be prepared
and be on time for class.” This dinner
also signified a new beginning for
the 2015 class, as they will now begin
their second year of the program in a
new environment and new faculty, by
transitioning to the Wheeling campus.
Abby Gump, Andrea Higgins, Tiffany
Palmer, Shawni Winland and Geniver
Grow Local, Go Local
Cummings pose at the ice cream
A local community group, Grow
table.
Local, Go Local, recently held two
As the semester begins, Student Activworkshops at the New Martinsville
campus. Aug. 12 was “Get Hooked on ities and the Campus Activity Board
remind us that a good old-fashioned
Canning,” presented by Julia Boley,
ice cream sundae is just what we need
Tyler County nutritionist, who exto make us smile! Students, staff and
plained various food preservation
faculty were seen hovering around
techniques so that the garden crops
this table that was overflowing with
could be enjoyed throughout the
several flavors of ice cream, cones and
waffle bowls, and lots of their favorite
toppings. CAB members Tiffany and
Shawni dipped the ice cream for their
fellow students.
Resource Fair and Fun
Theresa Hoskins, Wetzel County Family Resources Network director, meets
with James Melott, student.
CJ Farnsworth, director of academic
student support services, organized
a great Resource Fair and Scavenger
Hunt for the students this Fall. Local organizations and agencies set
up displays on the New Martinsville
campus and provided a great deal of
information on topics such as Family Assistance Programs, Youth in
Action - Preparing for Your Future,
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
Helpline, and options in savings and
checking accounts. As the students
entered the room, CJ provided them
with a scavenger hunt form that sent
each scouring the campus to answer
the clues and fill in the blanks. They
soon discovered that they also were
rewarded with a “treat” at each location, a fun way to get the new students
to visit different service areas and
meet the staff so they would know the
services available to them.
New Martinsville Chicken Fest
Goldie DeRossier takes a shot at the Chicken Wing
Fling game.
The New Martinsville campus was filled with chicken-related
festivities again for Chicken Fest Week! Because it was raining the day of our event, (it was beautiful the day before!)
Kurt James brought some indoor games so the students
could compete for WVNCC logo items. They had to pass
the “egg” down the coop and put it into the basket at the
end without letting it fall to the floor. They soon discovered that it really wasn’t as easy as it looked. Then Goldie
DeRossier showed them how to toss the chickens into
the coop and win a t-shirt! This, too, proved more
challenging than some thought because that chicken
just doesn’t always cooperate! The rain stopped and
the sun came out, so Kurt James set up the Chicken
Run and several students tried to see how far they
could run before the bungee got them. Thanks
to Shannon Payton and Ida Williams for making the arrangements and to Ina Robinson for
coordinating with the campus CAB to bring
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the fun to the students.
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New Martinsville Friends of the College
ANNUAL FRIENDS DINNER PRESENTS...
HOW THE west was dumb
Mark Your Calendars!
The New Martinsville Friends of the College and the Foundation are excited to announce a
Mystery Dinner Theatre fund-raising event on Oct. 11. Proceeds will provide
scholarships to students attending courses at the New Martinsville
campus of WVNCC.
The evening will include wine tasting,
auctions and an Italian dinner buffet catered by La Pasta Bella. Guests then will
participate in an interactive game of “who
done it” as gunslingers in the Old West are
hunted by a clueless marshal, a sophisticated
Native American and a brassy bounty hunter.
“How the West was Dumb” will be presented
by Mystery Theatre Unlimited and is fun for
the whole family.
The event will be held at the Matthew Barker
Memorial Complex, 261 North Fourth Ave.,
Paden City. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $30 per person. For more information
contact Debbie Bennett at 304-510-8761 or via
email at dbennett@wvncc.edu.
race
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No “Sibling” Rivalry Here
Weirton Ca mpus
The “Big Brother/Big Sister Dinner” for Weirton campus nursing students was held on Sept. 11 at Mountaineer Race
Track in Chester. This is a yearly dinner for the first level students to meet the second level students. Those in the first
level are assigned a second level student to guide them and help them through the next two years of the nursing program.
In addition, at this dinner the second level students are recognized with a pin to signify that they have completed their
first year of nursing.
First Level Students
Second Level Students
Resource Fair & Open House
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1. CJ Farnsworth at the registration table for the Resource Fair. 2. Larry
DeRosa talking to vendor representatives in our Student Lounge. 3.
Weirton campus student Marissa Scott finding one of her clues for the
scavenger hunt. 4. Tillie Ossman representing the LRC at the Resource
Fair.