Flexicon

FLEXICON “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” ~Proverbs 18:21

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YOURS TRULY Hey You! This is just for you.

That’s right. YOU. Okay, so this might have started as a homework assignment, too, but you’re definitely my first thought.

I’ve always loved words and there’s nothing more common in the world than the way people communicate. But a lot of people don’t give a second thought to what they say or how they say it! Take a look inside and find out what goes on around Southeastern’s campus—talking, of course— and think about some of the things you say. Pay attention to the words we use in this magazine—did we choose our words well?

This is for you. Take a look.

Kurk Pyros Nicole Tillotson Andrea Reeves

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Executive Editor Principle Photographer Copy Editor

Kurk Pyros

Graphic Design Artist

Kurk Pyros

Lead Writer

Rachel Costadini

Contributor

Kayla Manubens

Contributor

pg. 2

editor’s letter

pg. 3

table of contents

pg. 4

slang sports say

pg. 6

top 10 photos

pg. 8

pastors’ power phrases

pg. 10

spotlights

pg. 12

cultural issues

pg. 14

ways to stay professional

pg. 16

faculty feature

pg. 18

take a look!

inside 303

PC: kurk pyros

SLANG SPORTS say

Sports teams around our campus are

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constantly making an impact and changing the culture of Southeastern. The at-

mosphere of the campus is changed by the sports teams that are brought into the university, and their language plays a role in the academic stability as well as the cultural consequences of the students. There are three main ways the sports teams have changed the school; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Sports provide a heightened sense of diversity. Many

whatsup, yo???

athletes come from different nations with different cul-

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tures and languages, providing students an opportunity to experience situations that are atypical in America. The teams of sports have great diversity and their language is also diverse. Caleb Winters, #29 on the football team, said, “We use so many different terms of greetings around here. Jameil always says, ‘what’s up, yo?’ and Parker says, ‘hey, hey, hey!’ we’re a very diverse team.”

Everyone is unique. There are a lot of students on campus who would not know what a sports team is like or what common athlete slang is; some have grown up in an isolated, homeschooled

background. The college athletic depart-

pus through sports teams. Athletes are

ment has brought in such a wide range

often focused on their performance on

of sports teams and their language and

the field, course, court, or track, rather

their bearing on campus has added di-

than their performance in the classroom.

versity and a new flavor to the campus.

However, not all is good. There is also a devaluation of language and an increase of crude and coarse language due to the rough behavior of some of the male athletes. Joe Little on the basketball team said, “there’s a lot of crude talk. I can see sometimes how the talk on the team is affecting my mentality, and I

added diversity & a New flavor

The words of a person’s mouth reflect the attitude of their heart, and there can be a negative attitude on

campus to the academics because of the words used by athletes.

have to fight against it.” This isn’t uncom-

What will this campus look like in the

mon for any school or any person, but it

future? There are a lot of stereotypes

is a factor to consider when looking at

that are projected onto sports teams, but

the sports teams and the atmosphere in

there are more sports teams being add-

general of a university.

ed in the future as theater programs are

There can also be a general degradation of academics brought onto the cam-

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TOP 10 CATCHPHRASES

BAUER BROS PORTICO COFFEHOUSE

the quad

Chartwells / Tuscana

WALKING DOWN EL PRADO 6

PHOTOS AROUND CAMPUS

THE FURNACE

the jesus fountain #FAITHTOBELIEVE

divine design

VICTORY FIELD

photos © 2014 seu.edu used with permission

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PASTORS’ POWER PHRASES kurk pyros

Pastors of Southeastern play a huge role

help define this culture, and since there

in defining the culture of the campus.

are two main pastors, we will focus on

The way they interact with students and

each of them in turn.

the words they use from the pulpit have so much impact on the students, faculty, and people around the world who watch chapel services. It’s important to censor and pay close attention to any influences on a college campus, which is why another article will focus on

stop me when i’m lying

the faculty and their words. The pastors and their word choices and their slang

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Pastor Andrew Gard has played a large role in shaping the university. He continues to preach God’s word with fervor and power. He uses his words in specific ways so they are easy for the audience to understand and so they can learn from it. He carefully picks topics that are relevant to this age group of college students and their academic and specific struggles that make up who they are and what they are learning about themselves through their college experiences. He has

several character traits that are recog-

sight into life. He has a couple traits of his

nizable and distinctive to his preaching

own, like always using slang like, “Hello!”

style. One that is funny is his stuttering. He

and “stop me when I’m lying.” These are

stutters a lot in his sermons, and people often make fun of him for that. He also makes crazy faces when he’s telling stories. He often looks like he can’t believe what he just said. Lastly, he almost always says, “this is my point, my one and only point.” This is something for the audience to recognize, and can even provide a lesson of focusing our thoughts and not letting them run free and scatterbrained.

Free and scatterbrained is what defines pastor Phil Urdiales. He is a crazy Hispanic preacher who currently serves as the athletic pastor. He is extremely energetic and enthusiastic. His preaching is always

my one and only point

funny phrases that many people now use on campus, but they could be a

life lesson to always tell the truth and to greet other people correctly.

These pastors play a huge part in changing and shaping the culture of the campus of Southeastern University. Their role is massive and is a great way to measure the temperature of the campus. They should

lively and interesting. The students can easily relate to the multitude of stories that he tells and the ways that he continues to provide crazy information that often doesn’t make sense and seems unapplicable to life. However, it is always interesting and his sermons provide great in-

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speak that CODY BROCK M.

SPOT

Cody Brock Menefee is a poet. Or more accurately, “a collector of words that pieces together the stories of many to impact others.” Cody competed in FineArts competitions and won Nationals in 2013 for Spoken word. He currently serves as a member of the leadership core of SpeakThat, an organization on campus dedicated to impacting students for Christ through spoken word, rap, song, and dance.

He writes constantly. Words help him process life events that he is going through and allows him to relax and understand better what he is facing. “There’s a very spiritual aspect as well,” Cody said, “the words that we use and the words that we listen to impact our soul.” Recognizing the power of words was a big motivator for Cody to begin making a difference with his. After experiencing the sudden death of three close friends in high school, he decided to step out and use their stories to help others overcome their struggles.

His spoken word performances are designed with others in mind so they can listen to them and learn that overcoming is not impossible.

“My parents have always supported me and provided this foundation of love and encouragement. They’ve always lifted me up, and I think that everyone should

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CODY MENEFEE SpeakThat leader @cbmenefee cbmenefee@seu.edu

LIGHTS

debate team Victoria Cooke Victoria Cooke is the current student body vice president and also a member of the debate team. She grew up in a small home with her younger sister in Orlando Florida. She loved giving speeches in high school and graduated valedictorian of her class. She knows firsthand the impact that strong words can have. As a member of the current Southeastern debate team, she has won numerous rounds with her persuasive skills and logical arguments. She told the Flexicon staff, “There’s so much power in your words. If you say one thing, the judges will believe you. If you use the wrong words or an unflattering tone, you will lose connection very quickly.” We can see that there’s a lot at

VICTORIA COOKE

stake with the words that we use. Victoria,

student body VP @victoriarosecooke vrcooke@seu.edu

with students on campus so she can bet-

as student body vice president, tries to make sure that she remains connected ter understand their problems and serve them as a community. Continually meeting with students and listening to their complaints helps her see the culture of the campus and the atmosphere that defines us. Victoria commented, “The ways students talk to me and the words they choose sometimes show me more about the campus and them as a person than the actual content of what they’re say-

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cultural Clash kurk pyros

The culture around us often defines our

to our morals and our beliefs and that

words and how we use them. Take curse

we aren’t allowing culture to influence

words for example. Many words that we

our words to the extent that we be-

use today flippantly and without mean-

come numb to their effects. There are

ing would have been considered coarse

three main issues that we think are the

and inappropriate many years ago,

most prevalent on this campus today,

and vice versa. Our words often reflect

so we’ll address those each individual.

the culture even when we don’t recognize the effects of it. Therefore, we should evaluate our words and the culture around us to make sure that we are staying true

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words OFTEN REFLECT CULTURE

The first issue is that of race. This is a hot topic today, and there is a lot of controversy regarding racism and equality today. Our generation is the first to grow up in a time where we can’t remember Jim Crow laws or segregation. Do our words then convey racism? How can we be understanding of races without

being racist? Expert Dr. Mitchell Hayes

across America. Transgender individuals

from the Penn State University says that

are contesting the standard gender roles

“There is an inherent understanding

in society. This can be good or bad de-

of the difference in races that is only

pending on your religious beliefs. Either

strengthened

way, our words and slang terms reflect

by

cultural

teachings

learned at a very young age. In a few generations, the teaching a young child receives should be neutral enough that

HIT LIKE A GIRL

racism won’t be an issue. But that is still generations away.”

the cultural beliefs on gender and the roles they play. Women are almost always viewed worse than men, and our words often reflect this trend.

The third cultural issue is age. This isn’t

The second issue is gender. We say things

as often recognized or controversially

like “hit like a girl,” “tomboyish,” and

discussed, but our words show the way

“make me a sandwich.” These phras-

we feel about different ages. Teen-

es can be very sexist and derogatory is

agers are constantly expected to be

used in that way. Many people today

stupid, unmotivated, and apathetic.

struggle with understanding the prop-

We use excuses like, “the teenage

er way to address this issue because

years” and “I’m just a kid,” to justify our

gender is being called into question all

actions. Society portrays older people as irrelevant and not applicable to our lives. Children are expected to be

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be a

PROFESSIONAL WORDS TO AVOID

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FILLER WORDS

avoid using words such as “um,” “like,” “as,” “you know,” “right?” and other words that don’t add any content to the conversation

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SLANG TERMS

Especially in an interview or at a business, don’t talk like you would with your friends. Avoid words like “gotta,” “just chilling,” and “totes

CONTRACTIONS

avoid using words such as “um,” “like,” “as,” “you know,” “right?” and other words that don’t add any content to the conversation

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PASSIVITY

Use strong words that provide vivid imagery. Instead of saying something like, “He put the cup down angrily,” say, “He slammed the cup

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GENERIC WORDS

Be specific. Don’t say “mom,” “school,” or “best friend.” Instead give names and information that provides a more precise identifica-

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TECHNIQUES TO ADOPT

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SMILE WHEN YOU TALK

Your voice can change based on the posture of your mouth. Smiling when you talk makes your voice easier to listen to and more likeable.

People will respect your opinion and

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STAY HEALTHY

Drink lots of water and tea. Nothing is less attractive and professional than a hoarse throat or a scratchy voice. Give yourself a break from

USE COMPLETE SENTENCES

Nothing is worse than trailing off at the end of a sentence or saying something that doesn’t make sense.

Communicate clearly by finishing

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LISTEN

Being able to listen to what person tells you, no matter what they situation, shows that you care and that you like the person you’re talking to!

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BODY LANGUAGE

How are you sitting or standing when in a professional setting?

Hopefully you’re not slouching! Body language communicates more to

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Faculty Feature kurk pyros

Education plays perhaps the most im-

man, professor of graphic design at

portant role in our society and in shaping

southeastern, has always made it a point

students and citizens. How professors

to be relevant with his students. The oth-

use their words is a key component that

er day he said, “Isn’t SnapChat just for

should be carefully monitored and stu-

sending nudes?” Comments like this and

dents should critically analyze everything

other areas where he is able to remain

that they hear and not take things at

up to date with society make him an ex-

face value. In this faculty feature we

cellent teacher that connects well with

want to show you some faculty who

his students. Several have approached

show outstanding use of their language and the students they have impacted.

Dr.

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Chad

Neu-

us, unanticipated, and made comments

No words are better than empty words

such as this one from Andrea Reeves: “Rude!” this is an exemplary model of the way his teaching is impacting students.

Another stellar case of using words to impact the students is Professor Sheila Skip-

per of the Public Relations major. Her stu-

ods for students to study their language

dents always come to class excited and

and recognize the effect of their words.

anticipating animated discussions. She

Dramatic reactions to offensive state-

seeks to have her students learn by us-

ments and playing devil’s advocate to

ing their own words and figuring out for

make students think about the full conse-

themselves the power of their words, rath-

quences of what they are saying allows

er than presenting boring lectures and

him to provide stimulating and energetic

self-answering boring questions. Students

conversations that grow the students

like Taylor Murray say, “Skipper is a great

academically. This is an excellent exam-

professor. Her abilities are stellar and her

ple of faculty who don’t even have to

knowledge is formidable. In the class-

use their own words all the time because

room, she comes alive.” Making a point

sometimes no words are better than

to maintain open lines of communica-

empty words. Said Nathaniel Jordan,

tion is a major factor in Skipper’s success.

“Dr. Miller always make me think about

Dr. Gordon Miller, Director of the Honors Program, has found his niche in the field of education. He provides meth-

what I’m saying and how I want to portray my thoughts and feelings. I wouldn’t have become such a critical thinker if it

Relevancy is key

hadn’t been for him.”

These faculty members show that the way words are used doesn’t always have to be in the same manner, but they

all affect students and their education greatly. Communication provides the biggest influencer of students, and facul-

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