by Brittany G., Panther Blogger

As a requirement, students at Ferrum College must complete an E-Term course, which is simply one class for three weeks during the month of May.  These E-Terms range from mathematics courses to crime scene photography to study abroad trips to places like Peru.  Some of the classes have the students traveling, which requires a fee, but if the student can pay the fee, these are excellent learning and cultural experiences for every student.  I had the privilege of attending the Science of Crime E-Term this year with Dr. Goff and Professor Minter.

This class was amazing for so many reasons!  Although we had the first and third week of class here on campus, we traveled during the middle week to the University of Tennessee.  We had lectures and labs from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on the first three days, then a day of case work, and a day of lectures, and finally a visit to the "Body Farm," more accurately known as the Anthropology Research Facility.  During the lectures and labs, we were in an intense crash course of forensic anthropology. It was taught by many graduate degree-seeking students and PhDs who were working on their own research but who took the time to help pass on their knowledge.


Over the course of the week, we had crammed so much new information into our heads to use for our case work and presentation. We were taught how to determine the biological profile of skeletons which included the sex, age, stature, and ancestry of the remains, as well as any trauma if it was present. It is amazing that each of those categories can be learned by the structure of the skeleton and marking on the bones! 

Did you know that sex can be estimated by the cranium, pelvis, and measurements of long bones, or that ancestry is estimated through cranial measurements?

After learning as much as we possibly could in two and a half days, Wednesday afternoon involved a practical exam where we tested our knowledge to see how well we grasped the concepts. Thankfully, we all did pretty well!  We put everything we learned together through a case work study where we were given a box of skeletal remains and we had to use every technique we could to determine the biological profile before presenting it to many of the instructors who taught the class.  It was a reassuring moment when the entire class really understood how much we learned in just those few days.

Finally, the day we were all waiting for was Friday morning when we completed our last lecture and journeyed to the "Body Farm."  It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see such a facility where their focus is based on body decomposition in different situations as well as animal scavenging.  At maximum capacity for the bodies, they needed to "push" along the decomposition of some bodies, but it was amazing to see the difference in stages of "time since death."  They are currently studying the differences in having a donor body in the shade, in the open, or even buried as if natural burial had occurred.


The one problem with the facility being out in nature is the scavenging from animals like raccoons and rodents. Currently, they are trying different techniques to possibly keep them away from the bodies so they do not have to search yards away for bones that belong to the skeleton. Luckily, there are a few students who are working on the taphonomy, but they will still have some issues with keeping every predator out. 

No matter what theories were being tested and despite animals scavenging for bones and muscles, the facility is a prime opportunity to experience what you might be interested in studying.  All of us as a class were so thrilled to be a part of such an elite group that we would take the class again if we could!  E-Term is an opportunity to experience something that most people do not get a chance to do, so I recommend that students try to take whichever one they would be most interested in. 

Who knows, maybe you will be able to go on a trip to Peru or to the Virgin Islands, or maybe even make connections for potential internships or other opportunities after graduation!

by Brittany G., Panther Blogger

There are so many classes at Ferrum that you can take in order to gain a better knowledge and courage in what you may want to do when you graduate. One of the best classes I have been a part of is a Practicum for Anatomy & Physiology.  It requires you to take the actual class and get referred by the professors to help the next class in the upcoming year. Completing the class the first time and getting enrolled into Practicum served as a teaching aide not only for the professors, but also for me and the new class of students taking the course for the first time.  It helped me gain a confidence in my knowledge of the material that I had learned during my first time taking the class.



In my Practicum for Anatomy & Physiology, I got to help with labs every Tuesday with a wonderful professor and mentor.  There is not much required for the class but to help set up labs and guide the other students to what they should be doing during those few hours.  We came in on a weekend before midterms and finals in order to set up a practical exam that would test what the students had learned so far. This Practicum class also required me to write a one-page paper about what was covered, how the students responded, what could have been better, and what I learned from the experience.  It served as a reflection paper to see what things can be improved for the next year to increase the success of how the labs work and how much more the students can learn. 

Being in a practicum has helped instill in me what I had previously learned in that class, as well as helped me gain more knowledge from what I did not quite pick up on the first time. It allowed me to connect to the students since I knew what the class required, as well as get a better feeling for what it would be like to teach the class on a regular basis. Furthermore, it helped me understand exactly how the students feel when they enter the laboratory or lecture period. If you ever have an opportunity to participate in a practicum, I would recommend that you do it! 

by Blake S., Panther Blogger

I can't believe that it's finally here, but my first year at Ferrum College is coming to an end. After reflecting and looking back at the past two semesters and how fast they have gone, I'm beginning to realize just how precious and valuable time really is. This has encouraged me to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way to ensure that each minute is well-spent, allowing me to enjoy and look back at my life later on and have a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Light art from Ferrum College's Digital Photography course

To begin this process, I have applied to various programs and activities to keep me busy throughout this summer. A few of the activities that I will be participating in are the Science of Crime E-Term course, the Microbiology Research Education for Undergraduates program at nearby Virginia Tech, and Resident Assistant training. These events are not only great for providing a fun and enjoyable summer, but also aid in building a strong and unique resume. However, I would not have been introduced to any of these affairs had it not been for the professors here on the Ferrum College campus. This shows just how dedicated the faculty and staff are to helping their students become successful, providing rare opportunities that will be very beneficial and help them stand out among the crowd.

Exploring a mall in Roanoke with friends

The Science of Crime E-Term is a three-week experience in which I, along with a great group of friends, will get to learn about the scientific principles behind forensic criminal investigations. A few of the aspects we will be learning about include fingerprint detection and identification, blood analysis, and ink and handwriting analysis. We will also get to take a trip to the University of Tennessee's body farm -- a unique lab that studies the stages of human decomposition and how decomposition is affected by different environments. This is a definite highlight for the summer.

After the E-Term course, I get to attend the Microbiology Research Education for Undergraduates program at Virginia Tech. This is a rare opportunity in which I will be able to perform microbiological research alongside a professional mentor and professor at the university. Throughout the program, I will learn new laboratory techniques, be introduced to new pathogenic bacteria, and make professional presentations about everything I learn over the course of the program. Along with being given this unbelievable and awesome chance to build my resume and make new connections, we are being provided with free housing, meals, and a $5,000 stipend!  What more could one ask for?

Finally, I will get to undergo resident assistant training to prepare for being a resident assistant this upcoming fall semester. For those of you who are going to be students at Ferrum and living in Bassett Hall, there is a good possibility that I will have the honor of learning who you are and help you with any sort of problems you may have. I'm greatly looking forward to this, mainly because I will get to make new friends and act as a mentor for them, helping them to learn the ins and outs of Ferrum College and learn their full potential.

As you can see, it's going to be a very long and eventful summer, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I look forward to letting everyone know how these programs go and what all I learn from them. I hope everyone has a great and relaxing summer, and we hope to see you in the fall!

- Blake

The Corvette Club passing by Ferrum College

by Delana S., Panther Blogger

The semester is coming to an end and I have accomplished a lot over the past couple of weeks. For starters, I was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha -- the National Political Science Honor Society -- and received recognition for best delegation during Model United Nations. I was also recognized as Sophomore of the Year, along with one of my good friends. These three things have shown me that hard work, dedication, and patience pay off in the end. Each of these recognitions and honors surprised me in many ways because it showed me that people really pay attention to the little things that you do on campus, and it is an honor to know that my name was the first one that came to mind.

To add more icing to the cake, I made it into Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, and most importantly, I was accepted to attend the Washington Semester Program at American University. I was specifically accepted into the Peace and Conflict Resolution program at the school, and let me just say that I am very excited to be able to participate in a program such as this one. Within the program, I am able to take classes in which the credits will transfer back to Ferrum and I will be able to participate in an internship. At the same time, I will also have the opportunity to travel abroad, and this is all within one semester!  At first this all seems overwhelming, but for me, it feels just right, especially since I have to do so much on my own and figure out a lot of specifics, such as my classes, my meal plan, and where I am going to live.

My parents are very proud of me because this is a wonderful opportunity to start focusing on what I really want to do for the future and the direction that my life is going. Honestly, my uncle seems like he is more excited for me to attend the program because he lives close to DC and knows exactly where the school is located. He has already told me that as soon as I start getting settled in at the school, he is going to take me out around the city and show me some of the cool places to go up there. I love being at Ferrum with all of my heart, but when an opportunity such as this one presents itself, you have to take it because you don't want to live your life with "what if's...".  The good thing though is that I will be back for spring semester with a lot more knowledge, as well as a few stories.

Ferrum opens a lot of doors for students, and it is up to us to figure out which ones we want to open and which ones we want to leave closed, but you always have to remember that it is always good to pick the one that will benefit you in the future.

by Blake S., Panther Blogger

Perhaps one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences that I have had thus far in my life was the transition from being a community college student to becoming a Ferrum College student. The main reason this was so challenging for me was because of the new environment I was being placed into. I was going from a community where I felt very comfortable to somewhere that I knew very little about. I was transferring into a college where I didn't know anyone, was going to live on my own, and take classes that I had never even heard of before. I was very nervous but excited at the same time to embrace this new stage of my life. I thought that attending Ferrum College would be just like the community college except even better now that I was able to be more independent.  However, after a few weeks of my first semester at Ferrum, I learned that there were very few similarities between this private four-year college and the community college.

At the community college, I was able to both be a full-time student and have a full-time job, working anywhere from thirty to forty hours a week without becoming overwhelmed. The classes I took were not very demanding, and many of the professors were very lenient on the assigned coursework. I also had tons of free time throughout the week and in between classes to go grab a bit to eat, hang out with friends, and just relax. Life was easily lived and not challenging at all.

Playing volleyball with friends back home

Unfortunately, I had the mindset that Ferrum College would be the same way. I actually expected that attending Ferrum would be a little easier than community college since I did not plan to work a full-time job while taking classes at the same time. However, I soon learned that being a student at Ferrum College was a full-time job in itself.

Since I transferred into Ferrum as a junior, most of my classes are advanced upper level courses. These are much more challenging than the introductory and basic level courses that I had taken throughout my two semesters at the community college. In the fall, I was also exposed to professors I had never worked with before and teaching styles that were very different from what I was used to. I learned very quickly that if I wanted to be successful in my college career here at Ferrum, I would need to develop time management and organizational skills. These were not easy things to do, especially since I never had to worry much about them beforehand, but once I learned how to execute them effectively, my life became much easier and the semester became more enjoyable.

Presenting independent research at the Blue Ridge Undergraduate Research conference

It was also a new experience for me to live on a college campus. One of the main reasons I decided to attend Ferrum College was because it was away from home. I was ready to see what it was like to have to support oneself. I thought that it would be a great eye-opener to have the responsibility of being a full-time student and making good grades while at the same time carrying on with life without my family there to provide for me. This is perhaps the challenge I have enjoyed the most. I learned that living on my own is actually much more enjoyable than living at home, and the responsibility has encouraged me to mature and become more determined to succeed.

An afternoon of hiking with friends at Ferrum College

My first semester at Ferrum College was not an easy one. However, after developing time management and organizational skills, making new friends, and building professional relationships with the faculty on campus, I was able to overcome my struggles and be successful. Being introduced to the new and more educationally-developed environment at Ferrum College has allowed me to grow in knowledge and become prepared for life in the real world. I feel that my experience of transferring from a community college into Ferrum College has transformed me into a new and better person.

by Maryann C., Panther Blogger

The weather is finally starting to warm up! This is one of my favorite times of year!  I love being outside, and one of the great things about going to Ferrum College is that there are plenty of places to go spend time outside.

First, the Ferrum College campus has plenty of open grass space for playing games or just relaxing. Now that the weather is warming up, there are students already taking advantage of the space playing frisbee, football, and cornhole. Another great part about attending Ferrum College is that there are many parks within a close drive that are great places to spend time outdoors.

One of the parks my friends and I love to visit is Fairy Stone State Park. There is a large lake, a sandy beach area, as well as wooded trails and grassy, flat spots. What's great about this park is that it's only about a 15-minute drive from Ferrum, it is a beautiful area, and there is plenty to do there.

Another park my friends and I enjoy visiting is Waid Park. This park is a little over 10 minutes away from campus. It has lots of open field space for soccer and lacrosse games, goals included!  There is a huge playground area where we enjoy swinging on swings. There are lots of trails at this park as well, and I love walking and running them. There is also a creek that runs through the park, so when it gets really warm outside, we wade in the creek and skip rocks.


There are also other great outdoor sites that are a bit farther away but always enjoyable to visit. Smith Mountain Lake is about 40 minutes from the college and is a great place for swimming and relaxing when it gets really hot. Roanoke, which is about 45 minutes away, also has some great outdoor trails and parks. My point is that now that the weather is warming up, there are plenty of places to go to spend a great day outside!