Gardner-Webb University Communication and New Media Studies' Illustrated Profiles by GWUDesign

Illustrated Profiles GWU Communication & New Media Studiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Fall 2019

Table of Contents

Contents 3

Mac’s Mightnight Cookies Story by Mac Inscore Design by Abbey Sprinkle

22-Month-Old Undergoes Brain Surgery Story by Abbey Sprinkle Design by Elizabeth Covington

Nate Johnson Story by Bless Bull Design by Garrett Blanton

KY’s Kinis Story and Design by Brooke Myrick

She Calls Her Cinderella Story and Design by Blanton Leigh

Family Reflects Story by Carolina Sloan Design by Jamaica Carby

Police Officer Treatment Story by Eric Pack Design by Kailey Conklin

Sick Not Skinny Story by Elizabeth Covington Design by Corinna Wiegand

40 When One Dream Ends Story by Kyle Ruehlman Design by Elaine Kennedy 44 A True Story of Perserverance Story and Design by Dexter Brown

22- Month-Old Undergoes Brain Surgery By Abbey Sprinkle

amuel Josiah Sprinkle was 22 months old when his parents Aimee and Jesse Sprinkle first started noticing him acting somewhat strange. They did not know exactly what was going on, but they knew that something was off. For Jesse, he began to notice signs one day while they were on a family vacation at the beach. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He came down, we were playing with him in the den and he kept falling down and I thought that was kind of odd.â&#x20AC;? For awhile he wracked his brain to try to figure out what was wrong. He even thought that maybe the house they were staying in was throwing off his equilibrium, but he was not sure.

t was a normal day, and Samuel was waking up from a nap one afternoon around 4 p.m. His mom, Aimee, took him outside to swing on the swing set, and while he was swinging, he kept falling forward. “I thought that was so odd,” said Aimee. She then proceeded to get him out of the swing and was walking hand in hand with her son heading back up to the house when once again, he fell forward. “Luckily our neighbor across the street had two of her in-laws over, and they were both ER nurses.” Her neighbor asked her in-laws what they thought it might be, and they both immediately thought seizures. They told Aimee that she should take her son to the doctor as soon as possible and that is exactly what she did. Both she and her husband took Samuel to his pediatrician the next day, and the doctor sent him straight to the neurologist in Greenville, S.C. After visiting the doctor, they received the results that Samuel had epilepsy. Normally, anyone who receives this news might be shocked by it and really upset

22-Month-Old Undergoes Brain Surgery over it all, but all Jesse and Aimee wanted to do was help their son get better. The Doctors tried to take the approach of just using medication to help Samuel’s seizures, but they soon realized that this was not working. This is when they learned he has intractable seizures which means that medication would not alleviate the seizures on its own. Samuel ended up having to go through brain surgery at the age of 22 months. Aimee said, “We had time to process what epilepsy was and what that meant for Samuel’s future cognitively and socially, so we had time to adjust before we got the surgery word.”

amuel’s parents knew that this was the only option they had to help him get better. The medication was not working on its own, and Samuel was beginning to lose some of his speech, physical and cognitive abilities. Surgery was the best way to help Samuel not to be in pain, and allow him to have a happy childhood, so they took the risk. Jesse said, “We had done so much research about epilepsy that we were almost prepared for the surgery. However, no one is really prepared to hand their child over for brain surgery at any point in their life, but especially a 22-month-old baby boy.”

“He’s just an odd case, a miracle child”

At the time, they were, of 8 course, worried about the sur-

gery and all the risks involved with it, but they knew that God had a plan and would take care of him. “We were just focusing on him at the time and you know he has epilepsy, so what? So, what’s the first step to making him where he doesn’t feel himself having these seizures, and he can function normally every day.” During his surgery, the doctors had to split the center of the brain, the corpus collosum, which connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Splitting this helped prevent the electrical activity from hopping from one side of the brain to the other; therefore, stopping him from having “drop-attack” seizures. The surgery did not completely get rid of the seizure activity in the brain, but it did help by focalizing the location of those seizures in the brain.

imee mentions that typically when people are operated on with this surgery, they normally have to go back in once they are older to remove the section of the brain where the seizures are occurring, but Samuel has not had to do that yet. “He’s just an odd case, a miracle child, or whatever you want to call him.” Samuel does still have some seizures, but they are typically at night, and he doesn’t notice them, so they are not necessarily a threat to him at the moment.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;No one is really prepared to hand their

Samuel Josiah Sprinkel

child over for brain surgeryâ&#x20AC;?

Samuel Josiah Sprinkle, age 1 9

22-Month-Old Undergoes Brain Surgery

he doctor assured the parents with statistics that 95% of the seizures would stop after having the surgery, and he was right. The majority of the seizures have stopped for Samuel which is amazing news. “Now all he has to do is live with the other 5% if it’s even that much for Samuel,” says Aimee.

ome of the parent’s biggest fears were of course the factor of death, but they were confident in the surgeons operating on Samuel, and

they were 100% confident that God would take care of him through the surgery. They were also concerned about the side effects post surgery that could happen, including not being able to walk or talk, but he also was not able to do those things well before the surgery due to his epilepsy.

ow Samuel is 14 years old and is doing exceptionally well for his circumstances. When asking the parents if they would change this journey they have been on with Samuel they both agreed that yes, if they could they would. “If I could choose whether he had epilepsy as a disease or not, absolutely, I think I would take it away in a heartbeat,” said Jesse. The same went for Aimee when she said, “I think that with any parent with their children you don’t want them to have any problems whether that be medically or not. You don’t want to see your child having to suffer through something, but has Samuel changed our outlook on life? Yes.”

ven though Samuel’s epilepsy has been a long journey for the Sprinkle family, and will continue on throughout his life, the family is very grateful to have Samuel in their lives. Samuel has been one of their family’s biggest blessings and continues to amaze them every day. He knows everything about the Bible which is completely and totally a God thing, and he shines his light for Jesus to others on a daily basis. He is truly a miracle child.

Sprinkle doing homework after school 10

NATE JOHNSON

# 13

or the first time in history, Gardner-Webb men’s basketball had a very shocking season—One player on the team, Nate Johnson, shared his story of how it felt mentally and physically winning the Big South Championship and going to March Madness. Nate Johnson, 21, is a senior at GardnerWebb University, with a class rank as a junior on the basketball court. His major is communications with a concentration in Public Relations. Johnson says that it takes hard work and focus being a student and an athlete. He states that he has to “try to get homework done before late nights and just wake up early, and get workouts in and weights and stuff, and try to get some social time in as well.” In his early years around second grade, he began to love the game of basketball. His family and friends influenced him into playing basketball just by watching them play all the time. His ritual before a game is to listen to rapper Kodak Black because his music settles Johnson’s mind and also gets him ready for war on the court at the same time. The young baller says that it has not always been peaches and cream when he played ball, but that there were times where he wanted to quit basketball. Johnson’s position on the court is shooting guard. During 2018-2019, Johnson ranked third on the team with an average of 31.0 minutes per game—Averaged 9.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game and led the team with 53 steals, which ranked fourth in the Big South conference which GWU is apart of. Gardner-Webb’s men basketball team had never won the Big South Championship since they became a NCAA Division I program in 2000. On March 10, 2019, the team went on to face Radford University on Radford’s turf. Gardner-Webb scored 76-64, leaving with a victory to go on 14

to the first round of March Madness. On March 22 the Runnin’ Bulldogs, being the No. 16 seed in the South Region, went to battle No. 1 seed Virginia in Columbia, S.C. Gardner-Webb basketball put Boiling Springs, N.C. on the map. People all over the media were talking about this team which some had never known about. This was a huge accomplishment and made school history. Johnson said that he felt really good about going to the first round of March Madness. “It was an incredible feeling just seeing everybody in the crowd, the whole arena was filled, and our fan base was amazing. And it was just an unbelievable feeling.” He says when he is on the court, he thinks about what he has to do to not only make himself look good but for the team to be successful. Not only is Johnson an outstanding player on the court, but he is also a very good communicator off the court. If there was any improvement that he has made for himself he said, “I have improved my leadership role and vocal skills. My basketball skills are always going to improve whether during the season or after … ” This young man plans to do great things in his future. After graduation, Johnson plans to play professional basketball either overseas or in the

Well junior year when I wasn’t “ receiving any basketball offers

yet and it was just a low moment for me, but then my senior year came and I started receiving a lot of offers

”

2018-2019 STATISTICS

NBA, and support his family through the ups and downs. He always lived by his quote “first strategy we used was coming together playing for the team, playing for each other and just going and working hard.” That quote has never let him down throughout his career at Gardner-Webb, and he doubts that it ever truly will.

AVG PLAY TIME 31 MINS AVG

RANKED THIRD ON THE TEAM

AVG ASSISTS 1.7 ASSISTS AVG POINTS 9.7 POINTS

“

” 15

Nineteen & an Entrepreneur

Br,BrookeMyrick

j{,e-. 19, wrren!y liYeSon the island oatu in Hawai and owns and runsher own highty suc cessful bikini company. Ky's Kinis is Kyie's person alcrea1ive outlet where she designs herown swimwear. Shecreates reYersible styl ish bikinis and swinweartha1 are durable, funcfl0M1 and colorful that girls all over the world are obsessing over.

Kylie a 1 the age 15, look a lrip with her famly to ()ah.Iduring Christmasbreak- Whi le she was there she <isoovered the ridiculous prices forj usta top or bottom ofa bikii . When het fami yl returned home, toLe..., DE Kyli e and her mom, Susan Whee ler, thought they could trymal<ing a bikini oul offabric themselves. Kylie began wearing the b ikinis that her and hermom had made to the beach thal summer and all of Kylie� friends asked if they ooutd have one made as wel . Git& everywhere began buzzing and askingwhere these cute bik.ns were bes,gsolcl. When asked how Ky's Kin�got started Kyle said, •mymom and I came up with the idea to buy fabric onine and make our own, hand make and sewal of ... own swff for fun just for me and my friendstowe,,, """""and people ended up more interested inthem then we thought and ended just buyi,gsome and iijust gotbiggerfrom there .' B y the public's demand, they made a lnstagram for people co order bikinis . The b ikinis were being wom by almost every gi� in DE. When Kylie and her familywenl lo the beach that&1.lllmet, all they oould see were their hand made bi:in is on al the young girls aroundthem. Receivi'lg ordersthrough lnstagram direct messaging and comments eventuallybecame loo <ifficul t 1"1ich forced themto crute a website which allowed wstomers to browse and buy their biijnis . K�ie oays, "social me<ia defini tely had positiYe influence, w e uarted Ky's Kinis from lnstagram and that was our� base of markeling an d promoting ow stuff. That's how we gol so much attention in the first piace, so i's kinda vtry we are where we are today.•Kylie and her mom wouk:I not have beenso popularand successfiA w:thout social media . Kylie and her family mOYed to Hawai in 2016, andthei- bikini business and amCMl'\tof orderspea':ed. 'Part mthe reason we moYed lo Hawailoll'years ago was partialybecause of the bikini bu&ine&S soi would

flourish here, which it has.. Buf thatwas a big thin g . l\te never mewed any-. sofar from my fami ly and friendsand especially in high sct.ool tt was hard sothat changed a lolbutii was all for the better,' says Kylie. She attendedschooJ in Hawai ibr hers:enior'feiJtlof high school It was difficult lojoin a class that has so ITUCh history butto also join a culture that was so different than anythi'lg6fle had experienced was a challenge. Kylie adjustedtothe Hawai ian cultl.re and was able to make countless new friends and many friendships that would lasta lifeline. Ky's Kinis began receiving loo many orders for Kyle and t-... momto hand-makeby themselves. Kylie and her mom took a trip lo Bal i and melw ith facloryowners and tool<advantage o fthe beau[lful views there and had many photoshc>ots. They row have a fadurer i'J B ali that mal<e& thew bikin� in bulk and then6llip& themto Kylie's hou&e in Hawai"'1ere Kylie and het mom send out the orders. Kylie ha< decided to pursue Ky's Kini• a& a her full-tine job because it is flourishing and has s o much untapped potential Kylie has never k>vedattending school or sitting i1 clas ses because there was a lack of creativity within the things she was learnin g . She isvery art i&1icaly talented with a sou! lhat a-aves adffllture. �faijng busy work, writingpapers and &pending majorily of the day inside a schoolis miserablefol her. Since she has madethe decisi on tofully pursue Ky's Kini& as lier priority she hasenjoyedthe creative outlet that combines creativilyand adYenturemaking "work" fun. Kylie selects all the patterns, colors and styles fo, Ky's Kini& t-....el f , and she get& a lof of her inq,i-a1ion from the narrve plants and co l or&she seesin Hawai ieveryday. Kylie enjoys nature, h iki'lg and taki'lg rists which makes Hawai ia havenfor her actventurou& se lf .

'' A lot of the flowers & plants you can see in our flower patterns on our bikinis & also the native plants. I would definitely say the color scheme & patterns are influenced from nature in Hawaii ,,

Kylie Wheeler Apr il 9, 2018 Kylie erjoys the challenge of caplllingIlle vl>es and beauly around her ffll)'day in the biinis . K ylie also expanded intosandals, dresses, beach bags and other accessories and has named !hem part ofthe 'Ky the�oolledian . Even though K ylie rarel y eire,wean: anythingbeside& a bikini she and her mom have enjoyed ooftaborating and makng cutebeach accessories for the everyday beach goer orfot a fun outfit during vacation. We started expand ing i'ltoshoes, l ike s l des i and dre&Ses and a few other dofhing ilems Ilebag&butright 1111W we kma keeping!hat part smaH andjust sticijngW: th the bil<in is but we have hopes toexpand oome more into clollwlg later on; says Kylie. Kyli e'• hopes for Ky's Ki'il:is,

'' that it expands enough so that I that I am able to travel & see people wearing my bikinis which is something I do now but more of that and seeing people happy wearing them taking pictures & stoked to be wearing them '' Kylie has: said that herdream isto travel the world and se e everything possible . "I love traveing and seeing differentcultures. When I moved here I witnessed a whole new cultwe l img here which m ade me love traveing eiren more.• "I definitety want customers to know it's a sma11 bus iness, it's ust me and my mom j dor,g i t and to!his day for the past foll' yea,< we have grown RaD by oursei... and-ed re,ty hald doing and if sjust greal seeing everybody so wearing our stuff so Ijust want tothan k you to an of our customers!'

Shop & learn more about l{y s Kinis at the website:

SHE CALLS HER...

CINDERELLA by: Blanton Leigh

A TRUE STORY OF A DAUGHTER WHO HAD TO BE A MOTHER What do you think of when you think a “normal” family? Do think of the loving, caring mother and father? Their beautiful children they love unconditionally? Not all families are lucky enough to grow up with unconditional love from their parents. No one knows this better than Sharon Caricofe Leigh, born to Ronald and Jeanette Caricofe on March 28, 1963. Leigh loves both of her parents, and they love her, but it’s not as cut and dry as that, but as with most families how you grow up and how you receive love from your parents comes in many different forms. During her first four years of childhood, Leigh did not see her father a lot of the time, because he had a job during the day and was going to nigschool; finish up his B.S. degree, and

then going on for his Masters. “We, my mother and I, had to keep the TV turned down very low, because everything had to be extremely quiet while he was studying,” Leigh recalls. Her father would also ask a lot of her, especially when it came to her mother. It is those times that she felt the most love from him. As a father and husband, he was very controlling; he wanted things his way, because in his mind his way, was the right and most logical way. Her mother is a far different story altogether; she, Jeanette, was diagnosed as manic depressive with bipolar tendencies, which causes mood swings from very depressive lows to very manic highs. “My mom and I are friends. I love my mom,” Leigh says, “most kids would 22

depend on their mom, or lean on their mom, but it’s not that kind of relationship.” Her mother, emotionally, could not take many thing. Leigh was a very compliant child and did as they asked of her and more, because that is when she felt their love for her the most. She took care of her mother more than her mother did for her, and she still does. She did everything that was asked of her so that her mother would not get upset. She was always there to help her dad make sure that her mother was okay by helping with her younger brother and sister. The mood swings would come and go. Leigh’s family could go a long time and things would be somewhat normal. There were many times when they would be out in public, especially at church,

and her mom would be the life of the party, so happy and laughing, but once the door at home would shut, her mother’s eyes would change, and she, Leigh, knew what was coming. The yelling would start, and she would begin trying to fix, pick up, or change anything that was setting her mother off. Sometimes it would make things better and sometimes not. She really didn’t know what verbal abuse was at that time, there was never anything physical, except for once, and she never let that happen again. “I don’t have any relationship with my brother whatsoever,” Leigh says. Her parents would tell her to ignore her brother, Ronald, Jr., because he was four years younger than her and she did. When most brothers and sisters argue, disagree or are just picking and antagonizing each other it is normal. She thinks that was too much for her mother, so they said ignore him, and she did completely. “I felt more like an aunt than a sibling to him,” Leigh says about their relationship growing up. She never felt like she was on the same level as him. She is proud of him and says, “He is a good provider for his family and is very successful in his career, and she loves him, but as for being adult friends and keeping in close touch, that does not happen.” Her relationship with their younger sister was a little bit different, as well. When her younger sister, Katherine, came along when Leigh was eight years old. “I was more like a mother to her. She always wanted to be with me, so I took her with me

“He loves me just for who I am, and just the way I am. It was that unconditional love that I didn’t

feel from my parents.” - Sharon Leigh whenever I would go anywhere,” Leigh says of her strange relationship with her young sister. “I don’t believe my sister and I would be friends, if she wasn’t my sister. We are nothing alike.” Although she loves and will support her sister 100%, they do not keep in touch and are not a part of each other’s daily lives. When she went off to school her brother was fourteen, and her sister was ten, and she didn’t really have a whole lot of interaction with them after that. When it came to spending time together as a family, Leigh’s parents encouraged alone time with each of their children. “My parents wanted time with each of us separately, and they never really encouraged family time with all three of us together,” recalls Leigh. They also tend to 23

focus on their family, and not the families of children. “Grand-parenting”, did not come naturally. She is not sure how to describe it; Leigh knows and feels the love of her parents, and feels the love of the affections they feel for her children, but it is not the relationship she sees in other families. Seeing her parents’ relationship as a married couple growing up, Leigh knew she wanted something completely different for her marriage and family. She found that in her husband David Lane Leigh, with whom she has been married for 31 years. The type of love she received from her husband was very different than that of her parents. “He loves me just for who I am, and just the way I am. It was that unconditional

love that I didn’t feel from my parents,” says Leigh. In David, she found someone who had a sense of humor and that made her laugh. Her father was an accountant, and all the stereotypes of numbers, logical thinking and routine did not lend itself to much humor. Leigh wanted to raise her children differently than the way she was raised. She wanted her children to see and feel unconditional always just because they were hers. Not only did she feel unconditional love from her husband, she also felt it from her mother-in-law Martha Blanton Leigh. Martha taught her how to love by her life and how she interacted with her seven children. That is the life Leigh wanted for her children. Leigh and her husband David, are a team, they

both have taken on certain roles and “chores,” and work together to accomplish what they want for their family. She does feel at times that she carries most of the load, but still allows her husband lead the family, she just gets stuck with all the grunt work, and he is the big picture guy. Her parents were not all on board with Leigh’s decision to marry. They did not feel that David was good enough for their daughter, and by good enough they meant monetarily. They wanted her to marry a “professional” someone with more ambition that could take care of her, but that is not what she wanted. It became worse when Leigh and David decided to move to Shelby, North Carolina, about 350 miles from where Leigh was born and raised. Leigh says, “Looking back, that is the best decision she ever made.” Distance

for Leigh allowed her to become the person she wanted to be, and not for whose she was. She continues to visit her family on a regular basis and care for them when she is needed, but her family is her primary focus. Leigh’s mother-in-law was very maternal and filled the void she was feeling, along with David’s sisters and the rest of his family. They truly became a part of who she is today. I would do anything for my parents and always have. As they have gotten older and requiring more of their physical needs to be done by others, but what is hard and what Leigh says she cannot do is give them 100% of her attention on an ongoing basis. Having a family, church involvement and a career does not allow her to be a primary caregiver for her parents at this time in her life. And, to be quite honest the distance

The one who cleaned, washed the clothes, ran errands and helped to watch the children. does not allow her to do as much as she would like, and they have no intentions of moving to Shelby, NC. She says it is all a balancing act. She goes on further to say, that when you hear women can have it all, to her it means, they can have it all, but not all at the same time. Somethings, will just not get done, sometimes her children are first, sometimes her husband, and so on . Leigh has many good memories, and many not so good, and her story is not over. Her parents are both doing very well, and from time to time they are still able to come to Shelby and visit, but most times she goes to Virginia to visit them. She has also learned a lot of the years and realizes her mother would not wish to be the way she is, and she would change it if she could. Leigh says one of the biggest lessons that she has learned is that, even though at times she just

wishes her mother would just snap out of it and act “normal”, she has to remember she does have a mental illness, and that it is a disease like any physical problem and needs to be treated as such. Leigh’s mother called her “Cinderella,” thinking it’s cute and humorous. The one who cleaned, washed the clothes, ran errands and helped to watch the children. Even though her mother meant it in the best possible way, Leigh says it always used to it “sting” a little. Leigh’s dad is now in his early eighties, still very much controlling his wife because she has taken to her bed, even though there is nothing physically wrong with her. The fact is she just doesn’t want to do anything, she just wants to lay in bed and watch television. She is in her late seventies, and at this point of her life, “We let them do their own thing,” says Leigh.

What hurts the most for Leigh is that her parents have not taken opportunities to have more of a relationship with her children. She never worried too much about herself, but it breaks her heart for her children. E

Since the article was first written, Leigh’s mother has passed away, and she is still learning to deal with the loss and processing her grief. Leigh said, as ironic as it seems, what she misses most, is not being able to tough her hands, feel her touch, or smell her. Old habits die hard, as they say and still true for her ever domineering father. The funeral and all her planned by Leigh’s father, and he even reminded everyone that where would be no tears. Always, the 3 C’s, calm, cool collected!! He had no patience with anything that did not show a “perfect appearance”, as much as it could be perfect. Leigh knows that living a lifetime will never erase the pain of losing your mother, no matter what the circumstances.

L Y

Family

Reflects on Deceased Loved one’s Radically changed life Lexington, N.C. — Before unexpectedly passing away on May 3, 2018, local man James “Robert” Everett was able to mend broken relationships with his family that once seemed impossible. After serving in juvenile detention, running off to Key West, becoming homeless, and selling drugs on the streets, Robert seemed to be doomed for life. He was genuinely a good person with a big heart; he just made poor choices. 27

By: Carolina Sloan

November 21, 2019

Family poses in their church parking lot on a Sunday afternoon before Robert disappears. Back row, left to right: Robert, Margaret, Steve, Perry Front row, left to right: Lori, Yvonne

obert was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1953. His father “Bob” was in the Air Force, which caused the family to relocate all over the United States. Eventually his parents divorced; his mother Margaret married Jim Tilly, and they moved to Winston-Salem, N.C. This was not an easy transition for Robert. Jim did not care for him, and it caused a strain in the relationship between Robert and his mother. Between the late 1950s and 1960s, Margaret had four children with Jim: Perry, Steve, Yvonne and Lori. Robert was 14 years old when the last sibling, Lori, was born. Being the oldest of five siblings with a single, full-time working mom was difficult. Robert was expected to act as a father figure around the house. His mother Margaret worked any shift that was available at Owens Illinois, the prominent glass factory in Lexington. Before he started acting out, Robert was a faithful

member of the Boy Scouts of America. “I remember whenever he was in Boy Scouts and how good-looking he was in the outfit he had to wear,” sister Yvonne said. Robert at age 15 posing with his Boy Scouts of America uniform. Boy Scouts was not the only fond memory that Yvonne shared with him as a kid. “He gave me my first cigarette,” she said, “My very first cigarette and I about choked to death on it.”

I remember whenever he was in Boy Scouts and how good-looking he was in the outfit he had to wear

obert’s younger sister Lori reflected on the few memories she had with him as a kid. Since they were 14 years apart, he was on his own for most of Lori’s life.

Since they lived with with Robert for the last five years, Yvonne and Perry were around him the most toward the end of his life. “He was very thoughtful, and he cared deeply about people,” Margaret said. “He would have given you the shirt off his back. He’d help out anybody that needed help,” Yvonne added.

“As a teenager I remember him being at some facility,” she said. When he was in his early-tomid 20s, Robert was arrested for a combination of felonies, including the possession of cocaine.

“About two weeks before I found him unresponsive and he was rushed to the hospital, I overheard Robert praying in his room,” Perry said. “He begged God for forgiveness and broke down crying.”

“We all went as a family and met with him outside at a picnic table and had lunch,” she said. “Mom had baked Chef Boyardee pizzas before we went.” During the 1990s, Robert disappeared. No one knew where he was or if he was even alive. This went on for several years.

I am Lori Sloan’s daughter, born in 1998 without knowledge of my uncle. His coming home was the answer to my family’s prayers. I was able to get to know him and form a strong relationship with him during my childhood. I spent more time with him as a kid than my mom was ever able to.

As time passed, everyone continued with their lives but still thought about Robert’s whereabouts every day. Then one day, his mother and siblings began receiving mail on their birthdays and Christmas.

Before Uncle Robert lived with Aunt Yvonne and Uncle Perry, he lived next to my grandmother. We bonded the most during the summers as we watched Tom and Jerry reruns together. Once a week he left a grocery bag in the refrigerator with a sticky note on the counter that read: “Cinn. buns in fridge. Love you, Uncle R.”

“It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe,” mother Margaret said while reflecting on this moment. “It scares you because when somebody drops out of your life like that, you don’t know if they’re dead or alive, sometimes for a while.” One day Perry received a phone call from the operator claiming to have Robert on the other end of the phone. Perry was able to talk to his brother after years of not knowing if he was still alive.

Not only do I have the privilege of calling this man my Uncle Robert, but I have peace knowing he is resting with Jesus.

“Perry gave him our numbers, and he’d call me collect,” Yvonne said. “One day he called, and he said he was at the tennis courts there in Key West at the payphone. He was part of the homeless community.” The family was relieved that he had stayed safe during the Florida hurricanes. Years later Robert finally returned home. While he was gone, all of his siblings had children and started families of their own — even his baby sister Lori. She married one of her co-workers in 1991 and had her first child seven years later, whom Robert had never met.Robert missed so much of everyone’s life, but what mattered most is that he had come back. He created new memories with his mom, siblings, and new niece and nephews.

About two weeks before I found him unresponsive and he was rushed to the hospital, I overheard Robert praying in his room 30

From left to right: brother Steve, sister Yvonne, brother Perry and James Robert Everett holding baby sister Lori on their front porch in WinstonSalem, N.C. 31

Police Officer Treatment

ack written by: Eric P 32

“Shot and Killed,” these are the words that are constantly heard through news outlets and radio broadcasts in today’s world. Either one civilian has killed another or a criminal has shot a cop or vice versa. It seems that in most cases the cop is supposedly at fault. However, the case is officers are always putting their lives on the line and they are always at risk when they investigate or resolve a violent situation.

“ I think that there’s a lot of scrutiny on the way that we do our jobs today and I think that a lot of that is due to social media.”

- Jason Moore, Alexander County N.C. Police Captain

Every officer is aware of what they are signing up for, and they know what their responsibilities are. They are willing to put other’s lives before their own. Their job is to uphold the law and to be the line between chaos and stability in everyday life. Jason Moore has been a captain in the Alexander County N.C. police force for 26 years. Jason faces challenges each day in the work he does, not because he didn’t expect it but because he chose this job. He wants to protect people and help others for a living. Moore became interested in this profession through a close friend whose father was a deputy sheriff, and Moore respected him and what he did. He continued to dig deeper into the profession by joining the law enforcement explorers when he was 14. These “explorers” were like the Boy Scouts but for those interested in pursuing law enforcement and bettering their skills, by working with local law enforcement. This included ride alongs and learning radio communications, and learning CPR. While being a part of the explorers, Moore’s parents, Wanda and Billy, were constantly supporting him and his choices. They continued to support him when he decided to go off to college and pursue a degree in criminal justice. After college and obtaining his degree, Moore went on to complete his basic academy training and work his way through the ranks. Moore now sits at the rank of captain, where he is responsible for overseeing the patrol officers and taking complaints. These complaints can really show how others feel about officers. Whether or not the citizen actually has a basis for their argument is an important factor when taking complaints. Did the one making the complaint actually have a real problem with the officer, or are they just mad they got caught? Now other citizens may have a valid point, some officers have the intent of upholding the law but doing so in an unruly or rude manor. As Moore says “There are bad apples in every profession and there always has been and always will be.” This is a factor wherever you go, you come across those who are disrespectful in their profession or sometimes just want to get through their day and get a paycheck. These are the officers and other employees that give department’s bad names according to Moore. Moore explains that these “bad apples” are the ones that the media will eat up because it will easily grab people’s attention. Through these certain articles people become riled up and have a negative outlook on law enforcement. These instances place everyday officers under a microscope, so that they have to watch what they do and how they look to the public. Moore goes on to describe that this negative outlook is usually worse in big cities than it is in a small town because in these bigger cities there is more mass media and usually the negative outlooks overwhelm the good. 33

Now sometimes there is a good call made, but different people see certain events in a different light. These events usually involve issues of race and appearance. Moore explains that in these cases the officer is usually faced with having to defend themselves whenever a criminal raises their weapon. However those who were close to the criminal or relate to them see the act as justified. This whole issue is usually solved in court and the officer is completely justified. Moore tells us that the people who relate to the criminal the most are not satisfied and go to further lengths to make the officer’s life harder. The individuals who side with the criminal who was killed are the ones who get the attention of the media according to Moore. He believes that the media then takes different sides of the story, each news outlet taking a side or twisting it in their own way. Then each individual takes the side of the news outlet they relate to most. This causes certain people to have a hatred towards anyone wearing the uniform. Moore said, “ I think that there’s a lot more scrutiny on the way that we do our jobs today and I think that a lot of that is due to social media.” This supports the idea that people take most of what they believe from social media and news outlets. Others take what they hear on social media and draw their own conclusions. Moore goes on to say that, “I work in a small county, so I lost those things to see the positive side of it. This is a large difference from the happenings in bigger cities where

cops are treated like a lower class. In these small towns, citizens are able to see first hand what cops do for them and how they keep the town safe. These citizens take what the cops do into consideration and want to do something good for them.” Moore gives an example as to what the grateful individuals do: “It seems like there’s a lot more people that come up to us and thank us for doing our jobs. And we have a lot more people doing nice things for us. You know as far as coming and bringing us little goodie bags and making us cookies and stuff like that.” It’s not that citizens are expected to bring officers “goodie bags,” but an everyday “thank you,” goes a long way. Moore tells us that, just a simple thank you is one of the most powerful things for an officer, to know that people are thankful for what they do. These kinds of things keep an officer going, it gives him or her a reason to keep doing what their doing, according to Moore. Knowing that they are really helping people and making an impact on their life. Smaller towns such as Alexander County have a smaller population than these bigger cities. In these towns, according to Moore, families are more likely to know one another and are less influenced by mass media. They are able to go to town and speak to others who will most likely know each other and be able to talk it out. This is not to say that small towns don’t have instances where an officer must protect themselves or others followed by controversy as to who was in the right. However, Moore explains that when there is controversy in these smaller 34

towns the relation to the criminal is more personal. This is unlike larger cities where they have those who are personally related, but also those who relate to the idea of the criminal through social media. Social media has a huge part to play in how opinions travel these days. Moore expands on the idea of social media saying, “I think with the social media stuff that you see a lot now, like the advancements that we have in cell phones and electronics I think that really puts a lot of pressure on officers and we’re being watched more closely, plus there’s more hatred towards us as well.” This idea of advancements in cell phones, usually refers to the camera function available on all cell phones in today’s world. These cameras can be quickly accessed to film any event in society such as a police encounter. This places pressure on officers to do everything in a certain way. This is a good way to keep officers in check.

“ Just a simple thank you is one of the most powerful things for an officer, to know that people are thankful for what they do.”

“ “I always know that when I leave that I may be forced with having to use deadly force. Or I may become, you know, a victim of deadly force.”

Individuals attest that being followed around by a camera would be annoying. However, some officers lose their cool when being videotaped. They become extremely frustrated and may even demand that the individual put the phone down. Moore explains that this gives officers a bad reputation, and could be avoided if officers learn how to control how they face these new challenges. While they can be annoying, these cameras also provide officers with the proof they need to be justified. Other times the footage is not very clear, and this causes more speculation and does not clear things up, but only bring more questions into the mix. However, every citizen has the right to record an officer in public as long as you are not interfering with their work. When asked how Moore responds to any negativity or recording such as these he said, “ I mean I took an oath to protect and serve the public so I’m going to be as professional about it as I can even though sometimes I may be upset, but I’m going to treat everybody the same in every situation that I can.” This is one of the best outlooks you can have as an officer in today’s world. Every officer should remember the oath that they took, and serve the public no matter how difficult the job is.

With this job comes a multitude of hardship involving dealing with unruly individuals in public and facing uncertain dangers. When asked how Moore prepares for each day he said, “I always know that when I leave that I may be forced with having to use deadly force. Or I may become, you know, a victim of deadly force.” He explains that knowing this does weigh heavily on your mind, but that you also must “come to work being prepared to do what your trained to do. Even if that means having to use deadly force to protect yourself or somebody else. You have that mind set that you know I’m going to come home at the end of the day no matter what.” This is one of the most important factors in the mindset of an officer, they must be willing to take a life in order to save another but know that they are going home at the end of the day. Having a family to come home to will keep an officer on his or her toes. All in all, officers must be aware that they may encounter tough decisions, but be willing to make the right choice in order to stay alive and save others. While Moore explains that this is a difficult job and that it can affect your daily life. He goes on explaining that this is more than a job you get paid for, this is a position of responsibility and one that provides hope for others.

Seeking Help

arah Covington, age 23, is a victim of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assault on the human brain. As a child and through her teenage years she had experienced many lashes from the whip of verbal bullying. These lashes caused her to develop an eating disorder. When coming to Gardner-Webb, she knew that she had been

by Elizabeth Covington

plagued with this disease, and she knew named Kelly. Kelly had understood the that she needed help; however, she severity of her condition. Although didn’t wish to seek it. Gardner-Webb, there was not much she could do which she graduated from, has always because of her status, she made her been very open about getting people best efforts to help Covington. She to come and seek counseling for those sent Covington to Renfrew, which was who needed it, but Covington had been a night recovery rehab that Covington sheepish at first. She knew attended for that when she admitted “She knew that She six weeks. that she needed help that it needed help; however, Although she made it a truth she did not She didn’t wiSh to had spent all want to have. Being a part the time at the Seek it.” of the music department at rehab center the University, she had gained the trust Covington did not feel as though she of friends who then convinced her to really had recovery. So she met a new go seek help at the counseling center in counselor named Stephanie Allen, and September of 2014. she could finally get a diagnosis for her When Covington finally went to the mental disability. Covington had Allen counseling center to receive help for as a counselor her second semester of her to recover, she met an intern there her freshman year at Gardner-Webb,

and Allen told Covington that they needed to get everything under control. She told Covington to take a year off from school and go to treatment.

Carolina House

ovington enrolled in the Carolina House August of 2015. So when all her friends had started to move into dorms at Gardner-Webb, she moved into a rehab center six hours from her friends. She was in the Durham location for Carolina House for 6 months under 24/7 surveillance. Covington had not been very open with accepting her fate at the Carolina House because it was very overwhelming. She staged many attempts of running away but was never successful. Where she had been

When One Dream Ends... 40

Another One Begins

BASEBALL VS By Kyle Ruehlman

laying down the glove an “

Wright State Baseball Player Refuses to Give Up After a Serious Injury Everyone has goals, and everyone has dreams, right? Whether they are big or small we all have them. The majority of the time people try to set these dreams and goals for them to achieve later on in life so that they can do what makes everyone happy and what also makes everyone proud of one another. Well for Josh Wilson, he decided to throw a little curveball into his life and has changed it in more ways than one. Wilson, 21, is currently a business major at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio and plans to graduate this upcoming spring of 2020. He is also running his own social media marketing business, but this was not always Wilson’s plan. Wilson started his college career at Sinclair Community College where he was also a part of their very successful and highly skilled baseball team. He had played baseball his whole life; and while also playing other sports like football and soccer in high school, he knew baseball was the one

he wanted to pursue the most. “My passion for baseball started when I was around 3 years old,” Wilson said in a recent interview. “I was always at my older brother’s baseball games, and by the time I was 4 or 5 years old I decided to start playing myself, and from there I knew it was the sport for me.” Wilson’s dream for baseball was starting to end though. In his freshman year at Sinclair, Josh sustained a serious arm injury in his pitching arm, leading him to get what is known as Tommy John (the most common arm injury/surgery a baseball player can get). Even though he was able to

S. ACADEMICS

nd picking up the books come back fully healthy from the surgery and was back to pitching after a year of rehab, Wilson’s love for the game was vanishing. “There was a voice in my head that was just telling me every day that it’s time for me to sit down and focus on school rather than be just mediocre at both baseball and school, I wanted to be the best at just one of those two now. And for me school was just more important.” Although what was once a childhood dream had finally ended, another dream began. Once Wilson had quit baseball he had begun thriving in his school work but was still needing something to fill the void of all the free time he had. He decided to take a huge risk financially and started his own social media marketing business from the ground up. “Do I miss baseball? Yes, of course. I miss being a part of a team, competing, the whole nine yards, but with all this extra free time I’m getting it’s given me the chance to really focus on myself, my career in life, and my family,” Said Wilson. When asked if he regrets quitting

“

baseball Wilson said: “It’s easy to live our lives with regret, especially when we make big changes in our lives, but if you do what makes you happy and what is the best for you there’s no reason to live your life with regret.” The reporter has had the pleasure of knowing Wilson for about four years now and is proud to call him his best friend. If there is one thing about Wilson that people should know it is that you will never meet a harder-working, goal-driven and determined person than you will with Wilson. Wilson is currently staying busy with both school and his successful business but is always making time for the ones he loves. He plans on getting married to his fiancé Shelby in the summer of 2021. He also plans to keep his business up and running for as long as he possibly can but is also wanting to pursue a career with an even bigger company at some point. For now he says, “I’m taking one day at a time and enjoying every second of it.”

Travis Melton

Former Baseball Player 43

#23

“My grandmother moved heaven and earth for me to get to the point I’m at in life now.”

bond between Antwann and his grandmother is there and will never waiver.

“The shots you don’t take, you miss all of them.”

Thankfully it wasn’t too late for him, and he

and said, “My biggest accomplishment was probably making it to Division I football. I was recruited as a linebacker by a couple of D2 schools, but I felt like I was meant for me.”

year.” There are cases of people with talent who realize too late and can never really put it to good use.