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In the latest Student Government Association (SGA) meeting given to us by our reporter Courtney Blank- The EPTA bus service for students has been a topic of debate in recent times. Shepherd administration has been considering getting rid of EPTA buses. Students have been filling out forms to speak their mind on the EPTA bus service online. The buses, Ram Express and Ram Force One, are ideal modes of transportation for many students on campus.
Reporter Luna Barr has let us know about some big Changes that are set to happen on Shepherd’s Campus, with project completion set for June 1, 2026. Shepherd was awarded a grant of $30 million to be used for big projects. Reporter Luna Barr writes “Roughly $23 million of grant money will be used for a new joint dining/athletics facility. The building’s dimensions will be 52,000 square feet by 13,000 square feet including a 7,900 square foot weight room.
$2 million dollars of the grant money will be put towards residence hall improvements. The remaining $3.5 million will be allocated for field improvements. The BOG meeting also stated In and Out of state tuition is proposed to be raised by 3%. Also, West Virginia House Bill 4654 passed, making Shepherd’s Scarborough Library relocate any sexually explicit material to a separate place.
Our next story is given to us by reporter Elayna Sylvester. As you may have noticed, the bookstore location has been temporarily moved. Relocated to the Potomac Place Classroom, as Elayna highlighted,” [With] Midterms week occurring at the same time, students have expressed concerns.” Taking matters into her own hands to hear from fellow students through on the street interviews. To find out what they said and more, check out the picket’s Instagram @supicketgram where there’s a link tree to our other socials as well. The hours of operation at the bookstore temporary location are Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3pm.
Speaking of the bookstore, Attention all first year and seniors don’t forget to fill out the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE for short) to get entered into a drawing for 1 out of 20 Shepherd University bookstore gift cards. Fill out the survey by Friday, March 21, for a chance to win.
A riveting review given by one of The Picket’s talented writers, Fiona Everline, spotlights The Safety Zone. Put on by Shepherd’s Contemporary Theater Studies program on February 20-23rd with a gameshow style and “commercial breaks,” The Safety Zone delved into as Fiona writes,” skits about fears and scenarios.” Thank you to all the students for amazing performances, helping create a safe space of transparency, and helping put on the show.
One student in particular was under the spotlight as the gameshow host, Avery Copenhaver, also known as Cope, online. Avery is a third-year student here at Shepherd. One of two fellow students covered by Elizabeth Walsh starting their stardom and following their dreams as musicians while pursuing their diplomas.
As well as being a theatre student, Avery also has a thriving music career. He has a single titled In Person out, which is available on all streaming platforms. You can follow him on Spotify, Apple Music, and on TikTok at AV.Cope.
Another student artist is Matt Slavinsky who is a performer and DJ. Matt has almost 15,000 monthly listeners, and his hit “Barstruck” with nearly 400,000 hits on Spotify.
Important Dates
- 1. Holi (Hol-ie) Festival of Lights- held on the Robert Byrd Science Lawn across from the Student Center at 3pm, this Monday, March 3rd.
- 2.A memorial event for the deeply missed and beloved Grace Ortega will be happening this Tuesday on March 4th. The memorial will be held in the Phase 2 gallery from 5-6pm. Followed by a Gathering of Remembrance held in the Marinoff Theater.
- The kickoff for Day of Giving started February 14th, and will end on March 19th the campaign is aiming to raise $200,000