February 17th, 2011

WHY WAIT TILL THURSDAY? READ MYTJNOW.COM.

Junior lives life in the fast lane.

This student has a passion for racing.

See Sports, page 11

Want to take a class online?

Winthrop added more options.

See News, page 4

THURSDAY February 17, 2011 CULTURE

What’s the meaning behind vulgar language?

See Opinion, page 5

WINTHROP UNIVERSITY

Issue 18

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Once Upon a Mattress’

Black faculty represent 5 percent at WU

Musical takes twist on classic fairy tale

BY JESSICA PICKENS

J

BY KARI CHRISENBERRY Special to The Johnsonian

Although Winthrop University’s student population is racially diverse, the percentage of minority teaching faculty on campus is not as high, according to data supplied

by Winthrop Human Resources and the Commission on Higher Education (CHE) in South Carolina.

Of the undergraduate

See MINORITY page 9

WU students weigh in on turmoil in Egypt

BY SUSAN CLARK clarks@mytjnow.com

After 30 years in office and 18 days of protests, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned. Vice President Omar Suleiman announced on state television that the president decided to leave his position and hand over authority to the Supreme Council of the armed forces.

Junior theater major Jesse Powers plays the role of Princess Winnifred in the musical “Once Upon a Mattress.” The play is a satire of the classic fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.” Photo by Paul Ricciardi • ricciardip@mytjnow.com

pickensj@mytjnow.com

esse Powers bought hiking boots to prepare for her role as a princess.

Outdoor footwear might seem like an odd clothing choice for a princess, but not when her family lives in the swamp.

“I tried out specifically for this role because Winnifred is a really strong character and something I’ve never played before,” said junior theater major Powers. “I feel like I can relate because my personality is crazy and loud.”

“Once Upon a Mattress” is a satire of the classic fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.” The play originated on Broadway in 1959 starring Carol Burnett as Princess Winnifred.

The play gives a zany spin on the story where the royal family lives in the swamp, and no one in the kingdom can get married until the prince weds.

“Winnifred isn’t your conventional princess,” said director Stephen Gundersheim. “She is loud, not graceful or feminine.”

“I’ve been working a lot on trying to make choices on how to move and walk,” Powers said. “She wore hiking boots because she’s from the swamps, so she walked heavy.

I’m trying to get to know her.”

Though “Mattress” isn’t the most conventional fairy tale, a few of the actors prepared for their roles by studying Disney films.

See MATTRESS page 7

See EGYPT page 9 NEWS

RAs start speed dating to give students shot at love, friendship

BY CLAIRE BYUN byunc@mytjnow.com

Some students may have found their soul mate last week in the student center, if only for a minute and a half.

Under the dimly lit ceiling of The Edge,

students gathered to speed date; females sat in booths or tables and the males rotated clockwise. Fake rose petals and Hershey’s Kisses adorned the tables, each with a card suggesting conversation topics. A live band provided background music and entertainment during the breaks.

The resident assistants (RAs) on cam-

pus, along with the Resident Students’ Association (RSA), sponsored the event, which took place on Wed., Feb. 9, from 9 to 11 p.m.

This is the second year of the event, but the first time it has been open to the campus as a whole. Last year, only residents could partake in the fun.

“I decided to do it last year when my residents were always talking about how they couldn’t meet any guys on campus,” said RA Beyanca Vinson. “What better way to meet someone without being awkward or having to stay for a long period

See DATE page 2

NEWS

Lell’s Cafe serves home-cooked meals with community support ANNA DOUGLAS douglasa@mytjnow.com

Lell’s Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday.

Owner Lell Trogdon started the business in November with the help of donors from the community. Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@ mytjnow.com

If we are what we eat, Rock Hill’s Lell Trogdon is on both ends of the spectrum.

She’s a little ham and Brie cheese French connection sandwich, a little mozzarella and roasted red pepper “tastes like summer” dish and a whole lot of authentic Southern Duke’s mayonnaise.

And her Cherry Road restaurant, Lell’s Café, is a reflection of her varying tastes and attitude. The café opened near Winthrop University in November, even after six banks turned down Trogdon’s request for a loan.

“I walked up to the cliff

and I did what I always do,” she said. “I didn’t look, just jumped.”

She opened the breakfast and lunch restaurant with three “angel” donors and a slew of supporters who bought in—both in principle and with financial backing—to the idea of a community-supported restaurant (CSR).

Individual investors say they are on board for the good food and the good person Trogdon is.

“We all just love her to bits,” said friend and CSR member Marie-Claire O’Reirdan. “It’s about two things. Above all else, it’s about Lell. Then it’s about local, sustainable food.”

O’Reirdan said she heard

about the CSR model being successful with produce from local growers, but never with restaurants, until Lell’s. She and Trogdon said they are unaware of any other Rock Hill or Charlotte restaurants using the CSR model.

‘Sit down, shut up’ At Lell’s Café, the food and Trogdon’s personality are inseparable. During the typical lunch rush, customers may hear what Trogdon and her staff call “barking” coming from the kitchen.

If things aren’t going just

See LELL’S page 3

Correction: Last week’s center-piece picture was of students making Valentines at DSU’s craft table.

Questions? Contact us at editors@mytjnow.com Serving Winthrop since 1923

I N D E X

CAMPUS NEWS

2-4

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OPINION

5

CULTURE

HEALTH & SCIENCE

6

SPORTS

7-8 9 10-11

2

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

Rushed rendezvous: DATE• from front for a long period of time.”

Students could purchase Valentine’s Day cards created by the Illustration department’s senior show, while RSA provided cupcakes, candy and sparkling grape juice to participants.

“I mean, this is the first time Winthrop has done something like this,” Vinson said.

With more than 100 students participating, the event was generally successful. Evan Harris, senior illustration major and RA, thinks the turnout might have something to do with boredom.

“Some may be looking for something to do on a Wednesday night,” Harris said. “Probably some of these guys are here because their girl friends are here; maybe some are looking for love.”

A fairly new development, speed dating was created in the 1990s by a New York rabbi who wanted a way for young Jewish people to meet, according to originaldating.com. Finding a partner for busy singles can be difficult, but the quick dates allow for meeting several people within short time periods.

Several ladies in the mix already had relationships but attended for their significant others. Kerin Gibson, junior exercise science major, watched as her boyfriend led the band.

“I came to support my boyfriend, but I thought it would be a great way to meet people,” Gibson said. “It’s really fun, and not awkward. I’m enjoying myself.”

Finding new friends on campus seemed to be the main reason for attendance.

Just ask Kourtman Haile, freshman biology major.

CLAIRE BYUN News Editor byunc@mytjnow.com JONATHAN MCFADDEN Assistant News Editor mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com

Students try speed dating “I just wanted to meet people,” Haile said.

While making new acquaintances has its benefits, some students came in hopes of meeting a future romance. Alina Vallario, junior social work major, is no exception.

“I had an option, but I realized I gave him my house phone number instead of my cell phone,” Vallario said.

“But luckily I’m friends with one of his friends on Facebook, so I can find him again.”

The only major worry about the event was the male-female ratio, seeing as Winthrop has two female students for every one male student, according to the Admissions website.

“I’ve met some really cool guys and had some really cool conversations,” said Krissy Jessop, junior psychology major. “We just need more guys.”

Master’s program promotes public literacy

By Jonathan McFadden mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com

Rock Hill will soon become a city full of proficient public school readers.

At least, that’s the aim of the new master’s of education in literacy program Winthrop is offering this summer.

The new two-year program, a revised edition of the master’s of education in reading, seeks to help meet current standards of the International Reading Association (IRA), said Jonatha Vare, department chair of curriculum and pedagogy in the College of Education.

Similar to the master’s in reading degree, the 36-semester-hour program serves to help prepare graduate students to become literacy teachers.

The new twist is that the program’s instructors will train their students to become literacy coaches.

By the program’s end, Vare said students will not only be prepared to be literacy teachers in their classrooms, but also in their schools and districts.

Another prominent component of the program is meeting the needs of students who have learning difficulties, Vare said.

In a state where many students have limited English proficiency, it’s imperative teachers are able to teach those students well and, as coaches, help others teach them too.

“South Carolina has literacy as a huge area of need,” Vare said.

Midway through the program, students will take reading 620, which teaches them strategies for helping struggling learners.

Toward the end of the second year, aspiring literacy teachers or coaches will receive practical field experi-

ence in which they tutor actual students. years of successful teaching experience.

Alongside Elke Schneider and Shawnna Helf, KaTo become a literacy coach, graduates must have five vin Ming, program director for the literacy program, years of teaching experience. reviewed the old reading program and found it did not Yet, the College of Education still plans to encourage meet the standards of the IRA. their undergraduates to pursue the program, despite “We’re supposed to graduate literacy coaches, but we the prior teaching requirements, Vare said. were not including literacy work or literacy-field-based “We want our undergraduates to know that if they experiences in our courses,” Ming said. would like to go into it, they can apply as well,” Vare Once the weak link was found, Ming and the other said. two faculty members worked throughout the fall 2009 Current undergrads will still have to have taught for semester to create new course objectives and learntwo years before entering the program. ing outcomes that would help form the content of new Officially approved in January, the degree program classes. was first considered by the Commission on Higher Now, prospective teachers are able to undergo practi- Education in October. cal field experience and tutor students while serving as Applications to the program must be submitted by coaches to undergraduate students.

March so they will be reviewed by the department in In order to become eligible for the program, prospec- April, Vare said. tive students must possess their South Carolina Class III Professional Certificate, which certifies them to teach in the state.

The department began receiving applications more than a year ago, though no new admissions were allowed.

“We finished up students who were currently in the pipeline to get the old degree,” Vare said. “We had to keep telling everybody, ‘You’ll have to wait a year.’”

After current reading degree students Consumption of liquor under trespassed from Winthrop for graduate in May, the new program will take 21 (2/12/11) one calendar year, police said. effect in June.

Due to the program requirements, both At 12:06 a.m., a reporting Driving under suspension/ Ming and Vare anticipate many current officer was patrolling the parkresisting police (2/13/11) teachers enrolling into the program. ing lot of the Student Activity Before becoming a certified literacy Center during a scheduled party At 1:01 a.m., police meateacher, applicants must have at least two when he observed a vehicle in sured a vehicle’s speed with the parking lot, the report said. radar at 47 mph in a 35 mph As police approached the zone. Police went after the vehicle, suspect A exited the vehicle, the report said. driver’s seat. When police At this time, the vehicle made contact with him, police made a quick left turn into the observed a strong odor of mariMcDonald’s parking lot at Camjuana coming from the vehicle. den Avenue and Cherry Road.

Suspect A said he had been The suspect quickly exited the smoking a Black and Mild cigar, driver’s seat of the vehicle. Popolice said. lice commanded the suspect to As the officer searched susget back in the vehicle. At this pect A, he could smell a strong time, the suspect fled through odor of alcohol. Suspect A the McDonald’s parking lot. stated that he had been drinkPolice, including officers of the ing and he was under the age Rock Hill Police Department, of 21. Police placed suspect A chased the suspect on foot. under arrest, the report said.

The suspect continued runPolice asked suspect B to exit ning and tripped on his own, the vehicle from the rear drivon a two-foot tall brick wall, er’s side. Police asked suspect B scraping his leg. The suspect if he had been drinking, and he then stood up and continued answered that he had. Suspect running through the Grouchos B was also found to be under Restaurant parking lot where he 21 years of age, and police put tripped on his own again, caushim under arrest, according to ing a small scrape on the top of police. his head, police said.

Police asked suspect C to step At this time, two officers got out of the vehicle from the rear on top of the suspect and quickpassenger side. Police began a ly placed him under arrest. The vehicle search and found .8g of suspect said he ran because he marijuana in the rear passenger did not have a driver’s license door panel, which was found and was currently on probation. to be in suspect C’s possession.

Police did a SCDMV check on Police then placed suspect C the suspect and found that the under arrest, according to the suspect himself was currently report. under suspension. The suspect Police found a liter of Svedka did not need medical attenCitron Vodka in suspect C’s tion for his minor scrapes, the purse. Police also found a red report said. cup that had a strong odor of The suspect was transported alcohol in the back seat. to Rock Hill City Jail. He was The owner of the vehicle, charged with driving under suspect A, was found to be insuspension 2nd offense, resistside the Student Activity Center ing police due to the foot chase party. Police concluded suspect and speeding 11-15 mph over A had not been involved in any the speed limit, according to of the illegal activities inside the report. the vehicle and gave him possession of her vehicle. All three suspects were arrested, transCompiled by Monica Kreber ported to Rock Hill City Jail and

POLICE BLOTTER

3

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

us Living… As Close as it Get

LELL’S • from front

ter Culture Coffee in the Charlotte area, Trogdon met then-Cupps owner, Chuck Robinson, as he was preparing to open in 2007. She was fired from Counter Culture and had the choice to stay in the coffee wholesale business with another roaster or help Robinson open Cupps.

Ready to be back in the kitchen, Rock Hill was the next stop for Trogdon.

“What happened at Cupps is what allowed me to have what I have now,” she said. “There’s a rhythm to everything.”

right, such as the grill not working quickly enough, the “barking” begins.

The café, set up with an open kitchen visible from the dining room, is like Trogdon’s personality: What you see is what you get.

Her toughness is buffered only by her mostly white apron, which is embroidered with a purple “Lell’s” logo.

She greets customers, regulars and first-timers with a friendly yell from the kitchen. But hungry people are just as likely to hear “thanks for coming in” as they are “sit down, shut up and eat what I put in front of you.”

It’s not mean, it’s just “Lell being Lell,” her work crew said.

Phoenix Cafe Feeding people is caring, she said, and caring is a family affair for the 50-yearold Biloxi, Miss., native.

“My sister’s a pediatrician and I feed people. We both care for people,” Trogdon said. “The way I do it is with food.

I’ve always done that.”

Cupps’ short tenure on Cherry Road across from Winthrop, however, came suddenly and shocked both employees and customers.

Trogdon helped Cupps staff members get jobs through local connections, but found herself not as employable partly because of age discrimination, she said.

“All of 2008 went by with me unemployed and earning minimum wage,” Trogdon said. “And all of 2009 was unemployment and working part-time for minimum wage.”

One weekend in the summer of 2008, she and Cupps colleague Serena Stout hammered out a business plan for a new restaurant called the Phoenix Café.

The logo would be a phoenix rising from a coffee cup, symbolic of triumph after the Cupps setback.

The next few months were spent in

Connection to Cupps Lell’s operates on a multi-tier individual investment system ranging from members who give $50 to $5,000. In return, those people are allotted varying amounts of credit to eat and drink coffee at the café.

At start-up, the only debt Lell’s has is in the 36-month lease-to-own contract for three pieces of restaurant equipment.

Not bad for what Trogdon calls “round two” of an earlier endeavor called Cupps, a restaurant and coffeehouse that closed in May 2008 after being open only 10 months.

Lell’s customer base is essentially the same crowd from Cupps, O’Reirdan said, a testament to how well-liked Trogdon and her culinary creations are.

“Cupps’ great advantage was Lell,” she said.

As a sales representative for Coun-

Above Left: Customers enjoy a meal, taking advantage of the breakfast and lunch menu offered daily. Above: The cafe opened up an opportunity for local food lovers and farmers, by purchasing supplies from businesses around the Rock Hill community. About 80 percent of Lell’s breakfast menu uses sustainable food. Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@mytjnow.com fruitless meetings with downtown planners and unsuccessful requests for bank loans.

By December, Trogdon walked away from the idea.

“I called everyone who was involved at that point and said, ‘I don’t want to talk about it anymore,’” she said. “It was painful to not get it.”

Community-supported restaurant The plan for the Phoenix Café was trashed, but Trogdon was determined to not let the passion for starting a new restaurant die. She still had a strong customer base in Rock Hill, specifically with faculty and staff of Winthrop.

In the spring of 2010, she resolved to find a way to start feeding and caring for people again.

Her sister e-mailed her an article from Gourmet Magazine that featured CSR’s as an up-and-coming business trend. Convinced, Trogdon pulled out her Cupps customer mailing list and test-drove the idea.

“All these people say they want you back…then put your money where your mouth is,” she said.

CSR members came out of the woodwork. With the help of local attorney Donovan Steltzner, Trogdon drafted the legal documents necessary for individual investors.

From that point, it was “stop talking; let’s start walking,” she said.

“When I started asking people for mon ey, I realized I had to put my name on (the restaurant),” Trogdon said. “The Phoenix came from a place of anger. When I let go of the Phoenix, everything else fell into place.”

Part of staying small is Trogdon’s dedication to buy from nearby farmers who produce food in a sustainable way.

Cindy Hamrick, owner of New Terra Farms in Chester, will soon be providing produce for the café. Like Trogdon, she is part of the “foodie” movement carving its niche in Rock Hill.

“It’s about a really deep appreciation for everyone and everything involved,” Hamrick said. “The person, the plant; you care about everything that’s tied into your food and what you’re eating.”

An increase in “big business” and chain-operated stores and restaurants has diminished the sense of community in America, Hamrick said.

But generous and committed people like Trogdon are building the community concept back up.

“She just has a real generous way of sharing her passion and sharing her food with other people,” Hamrick said.

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Cost of local food

Buying meat and produce locally can result in paying more for food in some cases, she said, but it is cheap to grow your own.

“If people prioritize price over community, then big business is going to grow, not the community,” Hamrick said.

At Lell’s, the cost of local food is an issue because Trogdon does not want to pass on those extra dollars to customers.

Not every ingredient can be local, sustainable food and stay at an attractive price.

Her beef comes from a farm in Charlotte about 30 minutes away, her pork from Caw Caw Creek farm in Columbia just more than an hour down the road and her bread from Breadsmith in Fort Mill just a few miles away.

Breakfast at Lell’s uses about 80 percent sustainable food.

“I’m on a soapbox (about local food), but I’m not interested in cramming it down people’s throat,” she said.

Seeing customers leave Lell’s happy after eating local, healthy food makes the long hours worth it for Trogdon.

Even after a day after breakfast and lunch on her feet, she sits in an empty booth and says, “There’s never a day I dread coming in here.”

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“Foodies” in Rock Hill

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Within two months of being open, the café outgrew the space, which formerly housed Luigi’s Pizza.

Business boomed to the point that after two months, Trogdon had made the money she thought she’d be bringing in at six months. Within a few weeks, she had already tripled the amount of staff members she originally thought she would need.

The challenge now, she said, is to “grow smart; don’t get too big for our britches.”

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reet Phone: 803.366.3400 www.universityplacerockhill.com 610 Rose Street Phone: 803.366.3400 www.universityplacerockhill.com Rock Hill, SC 29730 Fax: 803.366.3414

While state representatives have differing opinions on the state of Washington, D.C., Winthrop will host two South Carolina members of Congress who have divergent ideas.

The John C. West Forum on Politics and Policy will host a new lecture series this spring, which will be open to the C 29730 Fax: 803.366.3414 public and free of charge.

Rep. James E. Clyburn is first on the one: 803.366.3400 www.universityplacerockhill.com 610 Rose Street Phone: 803.366.3400 www.universityplacerockhill.com docket, addressing the forum on Feb. 23. x: 803.366.3414 Clyburn is the assistant Democratic Rock Hill, SC 29730 Fax: 803.366.3414 leader of the House and will give his re

marks in the DiGiorgio Student Center at 5:30 p.m.

On March 22, Rep. Mick Mulvaney, Republican of the Fifth District, will speak at a similar forum.

Mulvaney is the first Republican to represent the Fifth District since 1883.

“The mission of the John C. West Forum on Politics and Policy is to train the next generation of political and civic leaders in South Carolina,” according to the West Forum’s website.

For more information on the West Forum or the new spring series, visit www. winthrop.edu/westforum.

4

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

Get ‘digi’ with it Anthropology, counseling among classes offered online, more to come

By Jonathan McFadden mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com

Winthrop is getting wired, with 21 classes being offered online this summer.

The university is considering adding more online classes to the overall curriculum, said Kimarie Whetstone, online learning coordinator.

This semester, nine classes were piloted online, ranging from anthropology to counseling and development.

The benefit: students will be able to exercise greater flexibility with their schedules, especially during the summer.

“They’ll still have the opportunity to complete courses over the summer and not physically be here on campus,” Whetstone said.

Most often, courses placed online are still offered in the traditional face-to-face format, Whetstone said.

But this won’t always be the case.

Some new classes may be developed online for the first time.

Not only will students be able to rack up credits during the summer, but online courses may help them finish their degree faster.

Yet, taking an online class may not be the best route for everyone.

“They [students] really should consider whether online is the right format or method for their learning, because we all have different learning styles,” Whetstone said.

For Sierra Lewis, it was pretty good.

Taking a music appreciation class online, Lewis, sophomore integrated marketing communication major, said most of the readings were easy and she got an easy “A.” The online class wasn’t too time-consuming, either, Lewis said.

“You don’t have to go out of your room to do your work or anything,” Lewis said.

While online learning may be great for some, for others it may not be as easy.

“They [students] prefer the face-toface connection with their instructor,” Whetstone said.

Online classes have proven popular with professors, too.

Just ask Sarah Quick, professor of anthropology.

When Winthrop offered professors a trial run of online courses in the summer of 2010, Quick bit the bullet and tried it, offering her introduction to language and culture course online.

The results were effective.

Though she was reluctant to teach an anthropology course online, Quick said the online discussion forum helped foster more student perspectives in the class than it may have if it were only offered face-to-face.

Her verdict: online courses aren’t so bad; in fact, they may encourage students who otherwise wouldn’t speak or participate in class to open up.

“I didn’t even think about that going in; that you get more perspective in the discussion forum than you might get in the classroom,” Quick said. “In the classroom, you might ask a question and get three or four answers.”

Though transferring more courses online will save the university money, time is the biggest investment.

In terms of class development, instructors have to take the time to modify courses for online use.

Better late than never On another token, more classes will receive late-start dates in the near future.

Late-start dates, which basically consist of classes starting around March and ending in May or beginning in January and ending in March, is another example of the university’s effort to give students and faculty more flexibility in their choices.

Helping students walk across the stage upon graduation is also another reason to institute late-start dates, said Tim Drueke, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs.

Departments that have used late-start dates include: accounting, economics, psychology and chemistry.

There exists a challenge with late-start dates--scheduling.

“The challenge is getting a room you

As opposed to physical courses, Winthrop is offering online options for students during the summer. Late-start classes are also on the agenda for those interested. Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@mytjnow.com can use for two time blocks consecutively or five days a week,” Drueke said.

Barbara Pierce was all too familiar with this challenge and others when she taught an accounting 280 class, which started in mid-October during the fall 2009 semester.

Pierce, department chair of accounting, finance and economics in the College of Business, taught 10 students at 8 a.m., four days a week.

The conditions weren’t too favorable and attendance was somewhat dismal.

“That’s hard for anybody, professor or student,” Pierce said.

With only seven students left to count, Pierce stopped keeping roll mid-semester.

The purpose for offering the halfsemester accounting class was to help students who were doing poorly in the full-semester class, Pierce said.

That goal never came into fruition.

“Well, if you’re doing poorly in a full semester, how good are you going to be in a condensed half semester?” Pierce said.

Better planning and more marketing

aimed at students may be more helpful in the future, Pierce said, but students who are already struggling may not do any better in a faster-paced class.

Pierce said she thinks late-start classes are a good idea, but the mistake would be sticking them in the wrong time period, especially if they’re at 8 a.m.

The key is figuring out when to offer the classes, Pierce said.

“I think it can work, but someone’s got to figure out when to offer it that doesn’t interfere with everything else a student might have to take,” Pierce said.

Three-credit courses will have to stay that way, meaning the classes will have to meet for at least 100 minutes a week instead of the normal 50, Drueke said.

With classes lasting only seven to eight weeks, late-start classes may have to meet five times a week or in two timeblocks.

“If it’s half a semester, you’re going to double the daily time roughly or double the weekly time,” Drueke said.

Students critique, improve WU through class writing project

By Monica Kreber

kreberm@mytjnow.com

A Winthrop with earlier cultural events, mentoring programs and the end to early athletic registration could be in the realm of possibilities.

Students in Cynthia Macri’s writing 465 class seem to think so anyway.

Huddled together in groups of threes, students have moved chairs to sit with their classmates pulling “cover letters” out of folders and talking about “critiques” that need to be done.

These are no ordinary groups.

In fact, no one in each group is even working on the same thing. This is not a typical writing class–although ample writing is involved.

The class is filled with business majors, all with individual projects that involve proposing an issue that exists within the community (or within the Winthrop community) and finding a solution.

Senior business administration major Diane Vargas is striving to get Winthrop to reconsider cultural event times.

Vargas said so many cultural events are held at night, in the afternoon and during common hour at the earliest, but she is trying to find a way for students to attend

cultural events earlier in the day.

“If they can have more (early) cultural events, that would be great,” she said.

Senior business administration major Ryan Parker said his project involves trying to fix the priority registration student-athletes have at Winthrop.

Parker doesn’t agree with athletes registering for classes first.

“I understand why they register first,” he said, “but they shouldn’t get it.”

Instead of focusing strictly on Winthrop and college students, senior business administration major Lindsay Brown said her project focuses on a different demographic.

She proposes the idea of making more mentoring programs available for minority students (teenagers) within the community.

The students said the project lasts the entire semester and they are still at the beginning of their work.

“It’s not enjoyable,” Brown said, “but it helps.”

Because the whole class is based off the project, the issues the students have chosen to investigate have not yet been resolved. They have been proposed, and students

are now talking to committees and leaders at Winthrop to help with their projects.

The students must create project memos, cover letters, project proposals and reports, among other requirements, for the class project.

Vargas said she found the class stressful on top of having to take upperlevel management classes for her major.

“It is just helping me be more responsible,” she said, “and learn time management.”

Brown said the class has helped her with the business aspect.

“I needed more help on my resume,” she said.

“The cover letter was a lot of help.”

Parker said he did not find it particularly difficult, despite holding down a job and managing other classes.

“It (the work) is heavy,” he said, “but it all gets done.”

The students said that although they knew they were required to take the class, they had no idea what the class project would involve.

“I didn’t know what the class was going to be like,” Vargas said.

5

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

CONNOR DE BRULER Opinion Editor debrulerc@mytjnow.com

TJ accepts criticism, Student tackles challenge, remains puzzled gives up Facebook for week The abilculminating ity to accept in a walking criticism tour of the humbly is a new facilities valuable trait at the heart of for all of us. campus.”

It also hapIn hindpens to be a sight, we part of The should have Anna Douglas Editor-in-chief Johnsonian’s included mission Ardaiolo’s statement. answer either A Winthrop’s admin- in the editorial or in a istration staff member separate news piece. brought to my attenEven doing so, tion last week that however, we still would our editorial from the have been against this Feb. 10 edition did not double parking space provide readers with for the president bethe full context of the cause we do not think president’s parking the justification is space near the Campus sufficient. We were still Center. Our editorial a bit puzzled for two questioned why the reasons.

Office of the President Humbly puzzled, but needs a doublewide still, puzzled. parking space.

First, the parking Earlier that week, area behind McBryde is Frank Ardaiolo, vice dedicated solely to visipresident for student tors. Part of the basis life, provided an anof our questioning is swer to one of our staff we think those marked members via e-mail. visitor spaces could His response was, reasonably accom“Space for the Presimodate the president’s dent’s Office was visitors. We don’t see moved this year from the need for the large the front of Tillman to presidential space the heart of campus because visitor parking to facilitate his givalready exists. ing visitors, including Second, Johnsonian potential donors, an staff members have overall tour of both seen the president’s car main campus and parked in the middle of Winthrop Farm by car, the doublewide space

on occasion since the opening of the Campus Center last semester.

Our editorial, then, was questioning why a space intended for two cars has only one vehicle parked in the middle of it.

The basis of the criticism we received was that we had been told why the parking space was larger than the average slot yet we were still asking questions.

On the surface, this is an issue about a parking space.

On a deeper level, this is an issue about not having to accept “answers” as they are passed down to us—not just because we are “the media,” but also because we are students.

Students are the ones paying to attend Winthrop, so students should be able to ask all the questions they want.

Should any student, faculty or staff member have an opinion they’d like to share about this issue, or any other, we always welcome letters to the editor for publication to douglasa@ mytjnow.com.

I did it all day, every day.

I also watch a lot of movies. I’m tryI hovered over it at work, ing to see all the movies with certain with friends and family, while actors, as well as all 514 movies made in studying and when I was 1939. I found I wasn’t paying attention watching TV. to the movies while I had my nose in I was always on Facebook. my laptop. The movie would end, and I Facebook is something we didn’t know what had happened. all claim addiction to. I don’t I’ve considered just deleting my know if I really was addicted, Jessica Pickens Facebook several times. It sucks up A&E editor but I could easily be on there my time, and I really don’t care about all day if I was merely sitting anyone’s statuses. But as a trial run, I and watching TV with my lapdecided to give up Facebook this past top on my lap. week - oh the things I accomplished.

I enjoyed looking up the popular girls I finished a study guide in record time from high school to see if they had gotten and wrote a paper with no distractions; no fat. I judged people’s weddings of what I logging onto Facebook to watch videos I norliked and what I didn’t like with thoughts mally wouldn’t watch or commiserating with such as, “That cake is beautiful, but the giant others on their statuses who were writing pink and green monograms at the top are the same paper. tacky.” I would look up recent Winthrop For someone who was probably on grads to make sure they were OK and makFacebook six hours a day, giving up Faceing good. book was surprisingly easy, refreshing and I’d occasionally write on the walls of my freeing. best friends from high school saying we All of my e-mails haven’t been Facebook should all get together over spring break. I’d notifications, and I don’t feel shackled to show that I cared and wanted to see them, seeing what others do and think. but knew our schedules would never match There was a time pre-October 2006 when up to actually talk about “Valley of the Dolls” I had a life without Facebook, and I now while sipping wine or looking at Cosmo know I easily can have that same life again.

Magazine together in Barnes and Noble.

I’m even thinking about giving up FaceOver Christmas break, I discovered this book for Lent (from Ash Wednesday on compulsive Facebook stalking was getting to March 9 to Easter on April 23 for all of you be ridiculous, overwhelming and consuming. who don’t practice it).

Out of boredom, I wanted to make sure I don’t know if I will entirely give it up, people were “liking” my statuses, commentbut I know my time on Facebook will deing on my photo album of 70 pictures of my crease dramatically. sister and I taking my dog for a walk and In the future, if you want to get in touch seeing who was on Facebook chat to talk to. with me, text, call, e-mail or heck, even do A friend I was talking to on Facebook it the old-fashioned way and use a pen and chat would sign off and come back five hours paper. It will be greatly appreciated and later, and I was still online. cherished much more than a wall post.

Editor opposes decency standards

An Original Comic

By Courtney Niskala

I love vulgarity. actually offend anyway; it’s the manner in which For the sake of clarity, I’m not they’re used. I’d still be mad if my future kid going to censor myself in this told me to “fuck off” because of his disrespectful column. If any readers still want to implication, not his usage of a forbidden corner of pretend they’re not a free-thinking English vocabulary. adult capable of reading “bad I’d rather my kid cuss after falling off a bike words,” now would be a good time than say something like “lol” in a conversation. to turn the page.

I still stand behind a traditional approach to the I said the word English language, emancipated from the scourge Connor de Bruler 0000000000000” for the first of acronyms and numbers. College and high Opinion editor time when I was in fourth grade. school students are inducing a kind of linguistic It was a wonderful guilty pleasure inertia with textisms. similar to lighting a stolen cigarette behind a Waffle I don’t think it’s OK to insert profanities into House dumpster. every nook and cranny of your daily speech, nor The latest vulgar phrase I’ve added to the anshould we have an over-reliance on any single word. nals of my filthy mind isn’t even in English. It’s an Allowing kids to cuss more often and read books Afrikaans sentence: “Gaan kak op jou ma se poes!” I they might find more stimulating could be a great dare any reader to plug that into a translator. way to fight illiteracy. I’ll admit, this idea is pretty I think vulgarity enhances language. What’s the typical of a token liberal such as myself. When it harm of using words? Cutting words in half and comes to language, however, I’m a pretty hard-line mixing them severely diminishes a language and conservative, despite my lackluster writing. individuals’ ability to articulate. “Brb” and idk” are Here’s my conclusion (before I lose track); when not words. I’m aware “fuck” is an acronym by most society is not only censoring ideas but the very accounts, but my issue is not only with acronyms. I words we are using, we are creating rampant ignohate it when people substitute numbers for words rance. too.

There was a kid named Charlie from the Bronx Vulgarity, as defined by my built-in computer in my third grade class who could already swear dictionary, can be a crude and/or tasteless remark, fluently. He was a hero for all of us Southern Pujoke, idea or act. I’ve always thought crudeness and, ritan children. I first met him in time-out. I asked especially, tastelessness were subjective. Who’s him what he did, to which he replied, “Sayin’ bad to say if a joke is in bad taste? It depends on your woyds.” I got a real English education that day. perspective.

The late George Carlin, a legendary comic infamous for his use of vulgarity, once said, “You can appreciate a joke that incorporates the word ‘nigger’ if Eddie Murphy or Richard Pryor tell it. The same joke becomes offensive if someone of non-African heritage tells it. It’s not really the word; it’s the asshole saying it.”

Wikipedia defines vulgarity as being common, coarse or unrefined. Indeed, the word’s etymology can be traced to the Latin word “vulgaris” meaning “of the common people.”

We have stigmatized our roots as people. Culturally speaking, we could easily remove the momentum from these words. It’s never the words that

“”

Cutting words in half and mixing them severely diminishes a language...

Editor ANNA DOUGLAS

Arts & entertainment editor JESSICA PICKENS

Ad designer SAMANTHA FURTICK

Managing editor TIFFANY BARKLEY

Assistant arts & entertainment editor ALISON ANGEL

Photographers KATHLEEN BROWN STEPHANIE EATON

Sports editor JEFF BRODEUR

Multimedia editors SHATESHA SCALES KAYLEE NICHOLS

News editor CLAIRE BYUN Assistant news editor JONATHAN MCFADDEN Opinion editor CONNOR DE BRULER Culture editor ALEXIS AUSTIN Health & science editor AMANDA PHIPPS

Assistant sports editor DAVID THACKHAM Graphic Designer COURTNEY NISKALA Copy editors BRITTANY GUILFOYLE BRANTLEY MCCANTS

Webmaster DEVANG JOSHI Advertising manager SARAH MACDONALD Faculty adviser LARRY TIMBS

About The Johnsonian The Johnsonian is the weekly student newspaper of Winthrop University. It is published during fall and spring semesters with the exception of university holidays and exam periods.

CONTACT INFORMATION Our offices are located in suite 104 in the DiGiorgio Campus Center.

Phone: (803) 323-3419 E-mail: editors@mytjnow.com Online: mytjnow.com LETTER POLICY Letters and feedback can be sent to editors@mytjnow.com or by mail at The Johnsonian, 104

Campus Center, Rock Hill, S.C., 29733.

Comments submitted online at www.mytjnow.com may be printed as letters and may be shortened for space and edited for clarity.

Please include your name, major and year if you are a student; your name and title if you are a professor; or your name and profession if you are a member of

the community.

Letters, cartoons and columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of The Johnsonian staff.

CORRECTIONS Contact us if you find an error in an issue of the newspaper. We will correct it in the next issue.

6

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

AMANDA PHIPPS Health & Science Editor phippsa@mytjnow.com

Students devote spring break to helping others

By Amanda Phipps

phippsa@mytjnow.com Instead of partying, some students will use their spring break to rebuild houses, help the elderly and restore the environment, said Patricia Riley, AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America).

Riley works with the Center for Career and Civic Engagement, which coordinates the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program, where students commit to a week of service in different parts of the country, according to the Winthrop website.

This year, students will travel to Maryville, Tenn., Pensacola, Fla., and Pittsburgh, Pa., Riley said.

Groups went on the Tennessee trip last year, but this will be their first time going to Pennsylvania and Florida. They will participate in different projects at each of the sites and help the communities, she said.

“It is 100 percent volunteering through intense service,” Riley said.

Each group will have a student leader who has been to ASB before and either a faculty or staff member as a chaperone, she said.

The trips are $350 each, though some groups choose to do fundraising to help with the cost, Riley

Graphic by Kathleen Brown • brownk@mytjnow.com said. Spots are still available for the Florida and Tennessee trips, but the Pennsylvania trip is full.

She said if students are still interested in attending the ASB trips, they should talk to her and she might be able to work something out.

Some groups are participating in fundraising projects to pay for the trips.

One fundraiser involves sendng out Lincoln letters, which contain a penny and ask for the receiver to send back a $5 bill in its place, Riley said. Two students this year paid for their trips in full through fundraising.

The Pennsylvania trip focuses on urban poverty, according to the ASB application.

Working with the Pittsburgh Project, an organization dedicated to rebuilding the North side of

Interested in ASB? There are still spots available for the Maryville, Tenn. and Pensacola, Fla. trips.

Contact: Patricia Riley rileyp@winthrop.edu

Pittsburgh, students will help the elderly by restoring their homes, said senior early education major Autumn Mathis. She is the student leader for the Pittsburgh trip.

Mathis has done previous mission work through her church and the SOAR (Serving Others and Reflecting) group on campus.

She also volunteered with a food bank and helped them choose items for that week during last year’s New York ASB trip, she said.

“That was one of my favorite mission trips,” Mathis said.

After the New York trip,

Mathis said she wanted to see what the leadership role was like, so she applied to be a student leader this year.

The students will work from early in the morning to 4 p.m., painting and repairing houses, she said.

Mathis said she hopes her group members will learn something from this experience.

“Volunteering helps others and helps you grow as a person,” she said. “It is a whole different world when you are in someone else’s shoes.”

Students on the Florida trip will work with the non-profit organization Community Collaborations International in the Pensacola region to restore watersheds, oyster reefs, sea grass and salt marsh, senior psychology major Stephanie Wilburn said.

They will focus on environmental cleanup after a man-made disaster such as the BP oil spill.

Wilburn will lead the Florida group and they will work with the people in the community who are struggling economically due to the spill, she said. They will hold fundraisers and repair homes.

Wilburn encourages others to go on these trips.

“I would like to gain more education about what people go through with man-made disasters,”

Conference allows students to make connections, learn

By Amanda Phipps

phippsa@mytjnow.com Stereotyping, eating behaviors and Facebook friend request trends are some of the topics psychology students will be presenting at the Southeastern Psychology Association Annual Conference in Jacksonville, Fla. this March.

The conference will be held March 2-5 and will bring together psychology students, faculty, practitioners and experts for discussions and presentations, associate professor of psychology Merry Sleigh-Ritzer said.

Students had the chance to submit research they have done either in a class or independently for credit to be peer-reviewed by experts in the field, she said.

If accepted, the students will be presenting their projects at the conference; at least 26 Winthrop students will be presenting this year.

Psychology majors are required to take Psych 302, a research methods class, which requires them to do an individual or group research project and create a poster, said senior psychology major Adrianne Galassie. She will be one of the students at the conference presenting the poster from both the class research and individual research she did for credit.

Galassie will be presenting research she did on society’s perceptions of people with tattoos, she said. Working with a partner, Galassie sampled students and discovered that most people are open about tattoos, though some see them negatively.

Galassie will also present the independent research she did, which involved understanding what kind of people have selfpromotional or egotistical characteristics, she said. She and her partner compared groups such as Greek life members, athletes and honor students and found

no group had a higher level of these characteristics than another. However, they found males did.

Galassie wants to go into clinical psychology and said the research was a learning experience.

“It was good preparation for graduate school,” she said. “It’s what I will be expected to do in the future.”

Senior psychology major Rachel Wood will also present a project she worked on in 302 and continued with during independent research, she said.

Working with senior psychology major Lisa Wilkinson, Wood studied society’s attitude towards homosexuality, she said.

They found that, though most people are pretty open about homosexuals, liberals and women have a more positive view on homosexuality, Wood said.

“It’s nice to learn to do research,” she said. “It’s interesting.”

Wood said she wants to gain experience with presenting research and hopefully win an award.

Senior psychology major Amy Rivers studied the psychology behind Facebook friend requests. She set up four mock profiles using her sister and brother-in-law’s information, with their permission, to see how many people would add them even though they were complete strangers.

Rivers found that, though many people denied the requests or sent her messages asking who she was, some people did accept them without hesitation, she said. People were also more likely to accept her sister, showing people felt safer accepting a female than a male.

Rivers also used both real pictures and cartoons and said people favored real pictures, but added the ones with the cartoon

as well. She said people who had more friends were more likely to add the profiles.

“It surprised me (how many people added the profiles),” she said. “It’s interesting and unsettling.”

Rivers said she increased the security on her own Facebook page after finishing the project.

Rivers said she is looking forward to the conference.

“Going to conferences is fun,” she said. “You go out of town and see what other people are doing.”

Senior psychology majors Meagan Burns and Heather Ernst used surveys to study people’s perceptions of what is most valuable to learn in psychology, both in high school and college, Burns said.

People listed sleep and brain functions as important subjects, she said. She will present this at the conference.

“I hope to interact with professors from graduate schools I have applied to,” she said. “I want to gain a wider knowledge of what’s current in research and come up with some new ideas.”

The conference provides a networking opportunity for students, Sleigh-Ritzer said. It will allow them to hear from psychology experts and share their stories with students from different schools, she said.

Students will also have the chance to receive awards for their research. Winthrop students have sometimes won more awards than students from the bigger research universities, Sleigh-Ritzer said.

“We’ve had pretty good results from students,” she said.

“For us to outperform (the bigger schools) is very impressive.”

The awards reflect the psychology department’s emphasis on providing students with the skills and experience necessary for graduate and professional programs, said Joe Prus, chair

of the psychology department.

“Last year, over 60 psychology majors presented at professional conferences and 10 received research awards,” he said. “I wish we had the resources to do even more, for example, offering students quality summer research opportunities with faculty.”

The psychology department prepares students to do well and makes it possible and exciting for them to present, SleighRitzer said.

“We make sure students are putting their best foot forward,” she said. “We try to maintain an atmosphere to let them think about the opportunity and want to go.”

The psychology department has continued to mentor student research, Prus said.

“With the support of the University and some extraordinary effort on the part of faculty, the department has been particularly successful in getting students to conferences in more recent years,” he said.

Sleigh-Ritzer said this experience is important for students’ future education.

“This experience is critical for graduate school acceptance,” she said. “They have to have a research background.”

Other topics that students are presenting include music’s effect on mood and young adults’ perceptions of interracial relationships.

The trip is partially funded by the undergraduate research council in the College of Arts and Sciences and by SPAR (Office of Sponsored Programs and Research), Sleigh-Ritzer said.

She said the psychology department also contributes to the trip.

“We try to support the students financially, but there are always some costs they incur on their own,” she said. “We appreciate all the support we get.”

she said. “Even though this is not the typical spring break, we enjoy knowing we made a difference.”

Students on the Tennessee trip will focus on rural poverty and work with the organization Once Upon a Time in Appalachia, said sophomore special education major Alexis Clowney.

She is the student leader on the Tenn. trip and will lead reflections at the end of the night and make sure the group does what it needs to do.

Maryville has hosted ASB groups before, so they already have the projects organized, Clowney said.

The group will help rebuild homes, create paths in the mountain region and work in a child development center, Clowney said.

She said this experience will take her out of her comfort zone, which is why she chose this trip.

“I’m not a nature person,” Clowney said. “It will open my eyes to new types of surroundings, and I wouldn’t have learned anything from the other trips,” she said.

The group will get to know the Maryville people through bonfires and dinners, she said.

“We will see other people’s lifestyles and appreciate them,” Clowney said.

“We are different, but in a sense, we are the same.”

Each student leader

went on the New York ASB trip last year, which Frank Ardaiolo, vice president for student life, chaperoned.

“It was a mind-expanding experience,” he said. “It was rewarding for me as an educator.”

Clowney said service does not end after the trip.

“There are people in Rock Hill who need help, too,” she said. “Part of volunteer service is to carry it on.”

Clowney said she is excited about ASB this year and is positive about helping others.

“As time goes on, people need to be more selfless,” she said. “If everybody gave a little something, the world would be a better place.”

“”

As time goes on, people need to be more selfless.

Alexis Clowney

Sophomore special education major

Do you like the mind?

Join the Psychology club • A place to bring together anyone interested in psychology • Your major doesn’t matter •Have fun and join in different psychology events and programs • Meeting times vary Contact: hayesm@winthrop.edu

Join the Psi Chi honor society • For psychology majors • Applications due Feb. 28 • Meetings: When: last Thursday, every month Where:Kinard 101 Time: 11-12 p.m.

Contact: brockb2@wnthrop.edu

Corrections: The picture from last week’s issue is of senior broadcasting major Chantel Belk selling candy Valentine’s Day grams for the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority.

The AIDS story last week stated that the studies for CD4 and viral load count for Winthrop had not been completed. Winthrop actually does not conduct these studies. We’d like to clarify that the sentence that stated there is no increase in positive HIV tests in DHEC lab results was meant to be for York County results.

7

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

JESSICA PICKENS Arts & Entertainment Editor pickensj@myjnow.com ALISON ANGEL Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor angela@mytjnow.com

Left: Junior theatre major Jesse Powers plays the uncivilized Princess Winnifred in the musical“Once Upon a Mattress.”

Winnifred isn’t a conventional princess because the royal family is from the swamp. Above: Powers sings about the swamps of home with the cast of “Once Upon a Mattress.” Last year, the musical was “Godspell.” Photos by Paul Ricciardi • ricciardip@mytjnow.com.

Do you feel the pea?

Winthrop play satirizes classic fairy tale MATTRESS • from front “I prepared for my role by studying every Disney princess known to man,” said senior music major Meghan Whitney.

Whitney plays the role of Lady Larken, who she said is happygo-lucky and postivie.

Colin Ruffer also looked to Disney characters for his role as Sir Harry, Lady Larken’s love interest.

“I tried to think of as many characters from different shows to have the same character traits,” said junior music education major Ruffer. “Since my character is a hybrid of Gaston

and Prince Charming, there are many facets of Sir Harry’s personality.”

A fairy tale is also never complete without the villain.

Junior theatre major Cecily Bigham’s role as Queen Aggravain is one of the greatest roles she’s ever played.

“It’s always fun to play a villain,” Bigham said. “There is something really fun and funny about playing a character like the Queen. She is able to control a scene by snapping or clapping in order to hush others on the stage.”

With singing, dancing and act-

WANT TO GO? What: “Once Upon a Mattress” Where: Johnson Theater When: Wednesday, Feb. 23, to Sunday, Feb. 27 Time: 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Price: $10 with Winthrop I.D. and $15 for general public Worth: Cultural event ing combined, musicals are a lot of work, but the staff said it’s a joy.

“I love musicals,” Ruffer said.

“What could be better than singing, acting and dancing all slam-packed into two and a half hours?”

Dancing has caused problems for some, though. During rehearsals, Powers got tendonitis in her knee due to the stress of training for a marathon and practicing choreography.

“I’ve been sitting in the audience but still doing the vocal work,” she said. “The thing I’m most nervous about is the dancing because choreography is not my strongest area.”

Power’s role as Winnifred isn’t

as graceful as Sleeping Beauty or as beautiful as Belle, but Gundersheim thinks the princess is a good role model.

“Winnifred is a really positive role,” he said. “I have children and I like for them to see that you don’t have to look like everyone else, but you can be free to be yourself.”

“Once Upon a Mattress” premieres at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23, and plays through Saturday, Feb. 26, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27, in Johnson Theater. Tickets are $10 with Winthrop I.D. and $15 for the public.

8

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

Winthrop As a Movie During fall 2009 and spring 2010, the Arts and Entertainment section featured Winthrop faculty and staff and their celebrity look-a-likes. Now it’s back.

The Johnsonian uses the family networking website, MyHeritage.com, to generate the look-a-likes.

This week, the celebrity comparison is the director of Career and Civic Engagement, Amy Sullivan.

According to Myheritage. com, Sullivan looks 72 percent like Felicity Huffman of “Desperate Housewives” fame.

Feb. 17 to Feb. 28 Music

Black Week 2011 presents Open Mic Night at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, in Dina’s Place Theatre.

Winthrop Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, in Byrnes Auditorium.

DSU-All DSU events are $5 with I.D., $10 for the public and free with DSU Spring Pass.

Music major Alex Skiro is performing at 11 a.m. during common time on Thursday, Feb. 17, in The Edge. (free event) Nelly’s Echo, a Nigerian singer/songwriter, is performing at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. (cultural event) Theatre troop Mayhem Poets will perform improv, music and comedy on Friday, Feb. 25, in Dina’s Place Theater. (cultural event)

On-Campus Movies - All movies are $2 with I.D., $5 without and are in Dina’s Place Theater.

The sixth Harry Potter movie, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” will be playing at 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19.

Disney’s adaptation of “Rapunzel,” “Tangled,” will be playing at 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26.

Art

Amy Sullivan

Felicity Huffman

The 23rd Annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition will begin on Thursday, Feb. 17, in the Rutledge Gallery. The exhibit will display student work in the form of drawing, painting, sculpting, metal work, photography and ceramics.

Plays

Send your celebrity look-a-like ideas to pickensj@mytjnow.com.

The musical “Once Upon a Mattress,” a satire of “Princess and the Pea,” will be performed at 8 p.m. starting Wednesday, Feb. 23, through Saturday, Feb. 26, in Johnson Theater. There will also be a performance at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27. Tickets are $10 with I.D. and $15 for the public. (cultural event)

Other

Ultimate frisbee will be played at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, and Thursday, Feb. 24, on Dinkins lawn.

Bible study group Boyz 2 Men is hosting a “Family Feud” game about famous African-Americans at 8 p.m. on Feb. 24 in Dalton Hall (formally known as Sims) 215.

CrossWUrd Puzzle

Across 1. Residence Life helped students find a common connection through what? (two words) 3. Last name of the department chair of curriculum and pedagogy in the College of Education.

6. Where does the princess live from “Once Upon a Mattress?”

8. What farm does Lell’s get its beef from? (three words) 9. What is one state students can visit for an alternative spring break?

10. Last name of the lead of “Once Upon a Mattress.”

11. Where is Lell’s owner, Lell Trogdon, from?

Down 2. Who is the director of “Once Upon a Mattress?”

4. What are some of the problems WRIT 465 is proposing to be fixed? (two words) 5. What is Coastal Carolina’s mascot?

7. How many classes are offered online this summer?

12. Last name of The Johnsonian’s multimedia editor.

9

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

ALEXIS AUSTIN Culture Editor austina@mytjnow.com

Winthrop lacks minority professors MINORITY • from front student population, 26 percent of Winthrop students are African-American, according to 2008-2009 enrollment figures. Of Winthrop’s faculty, 5 percent of professors (full, associate, assistant, instructors and lecturers) are AfricanAmerican.

Winthrop is aware of this percentage difference but remains an institution welcoming for students of any race or ethnicity, said Tom Moore, vice president for academic affairs.

“We have been very aware of the difference in the percent of AfricanAmerican students and the percent of African-American faculty,” Moore said.

“We have a sense that we need to close that gap. I think [students, current faculty and administration] are aware of this difference in percent. All three would like for that difference to be smaller, but I think all three recognize we have a very welcoming and supportive campus for all students and faculty.”

Cruz Wood, sophomore English major, is aware of the large percentage gap and thinks the disparity occurs because of a problem in targeting of minorities.

“Universities are not giving opportunities to minorities. We are still lacking an understanding of what it means to not be white; we have a hard time targeting. I don’t think it’s contradictory - I just think we don’t know how to target toward different ethnicities,” Wood said Winthrop, however, does everything it can to recruit minorities, Moore said.

“Since I became vice president in 2003,” Moore said, “we’ve had two looks at what we do to recruit minorities. We have a workshop for all people involved in recruiting faculty. We advertise in the appropriate places. I am convinced we are employing the best practices for recruiting minority applicants given the looks we have taken.”

LaShera Hayward, senior psychology major, thinks this gap is both contradictory and understandable in relation to Winthrop’s message of cultural

diversity.

“It’s not equal, but at the same time, if the people who are applying are Caucasian professors, what can you do?” she said.

Lack of open professor positions is also a factor in the ability to diversify Winthrop’s faculty.

Gail O’Steen of Human Resources said Winthrop has not recruited any more full-time professors during the last reporting year, which spanned from Oct. 1, 2009, to Sept. 30, 2010. Winthrop is strong in maintaining the existing diversity among faculty currently employed, Moore said.

“In recent years, we have retained minority faculty who we have hired. Over the years, we have hired some [minority faculty] who have then been bought away by other larger institutions,” he said.

Moore also said Winthrop’s hiring and recruiting practices are in line with other similar South Carolina institutions.

“Given our location and the type of institution we are, I think we do well,” he said. “This is born out of our comparison to other South Carolina institutions; the percentages are not significantly different from our peer institutions.”

African-American faculty representation at other four-year South Carolina institutions is largely similar to Winthrop’s African-American faculty representation, according to data on CHE’s website.

The University of South Carolina’s faculty is 5 percent African-American, Clemson University is 3 percent, The Citadel is 4 percent and Coastal Carolina is 3.5 percent. South Carolina State University has the highest percentage of African-American teaching faculty with 68 percent.

Technical schools, on average, have a higher percentage of AfricanAmerican faculty members than fouryear schools in the state. Aiken Tech’s faculty is 21 percent African-American, Central Carolina Tech is 13 percent and Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech is 22 percent.

At Winthrop, the 5 percent of teaching faculty who are African-American equals

five men and 10 women. Only two of the members, according to CHE data.

Graphic by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@mytjnow.com African-American faculty members are Women faculty members outnumber “full professors,” the others fall into the men, with 152 women and 126 men, category of associate, assistant, instructor according to Winthrop’s human resource or lecturer, according to Winthrop’s data. human resource data.

Wood said he thinks incorporating “Yes, I do wish we had more African- more diversity within faculty and staff is American faculty, however, we do have an attainable goal. a very high graduation rate for African“We have to leave all preconceived American students [despite the lack of notions at the door,” the student said. “It’s African-American professors],” Moore the university’s responsibility to teach said. “The six-year graduation rate for us that the world is not just black and African-Americans is higher than for white; the purpose of higher education Caucasian students [at Winthrop].” is to learn to think differently. You have Other minorities represented in to analyze things more and realize color Winthrop’s faculty are 1 percent Hispanic, does not matter.” less than 1 percent American Indian or Alaska Native and 2 percent Asian faculty

Students keep in contact with friends, family in Egypt EGYPT • from front Despite Mubarak’s resignation and armed forces now in control, the movement in Egypt is not over. Some Egyptian citizens are weary of the armed forces. The armed forces have not been clear on where their loyalties lie, and citizens are hesitant to fully trust them. Some Egyptian citizens have stated that the movement will not end until a new president is in power.

Senior sociology major LaKeisha Myers studied in Cairo, Egypt last semester.

“The unity the people of Egypt are displaying by coming together to demand change is beyond admirable,” Myers said.

Myers says her experience in Egypt was very positive.

“Being a part of the Egyptian culture for four months was such an exceptional experience.

I cannot tell you how many times someone would strike up a friendly conversation, just wanting

to chat, or the number of times I was told, ‘Welcome!

Welcome to Egypt’. I have never met a more gracious, compassionate, friendly and down-to-earth group of people,” Myers said.

While in Egypt, Myers did not hear of any nationwide protest or talk about the government.

However, while Myers was there, American University of Cairo did experience a protest, but it wasn’t political.

“The protest, mainly involving sit-ins and speeches, was directed towards the university, which had decided to make changes to the schedules and pay of the custodial staff. Students and staff members came together to protest against this injustice, as the staff was already working six days a week on a very, very low salary,” Myers said.

Since the nationwide protests, Myers has been staying in contact with her friends still in Egypt.

“I have been able to speak with several friends who are still in Egypt and who have no plans to leave,” Myers said.

One of her friends, Kathleen Riffe, an American graduate student at AUC, says she has attended some of the protests to witness the history.

“It’s been amazing to watch this youthled demonstration turn into a revolution for Egypt. Things truly are changing because of the brave patriots in Tahrir Square,” Riffe said. “The only black marks on the peaceful protest were the days President Mubarak’s ‘supporters’ infiltrated the protest and caused violence and chaos. I hope the protesters continue to stay strong and are able to achieve their demands.”

Alex Alsaba has also been to Egypt and knows the situation. Alsaba is an international student from Saudi Arabia, but his

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father lives in Egypt.

“There are a lot of poor people. When I was there, people would do anything to try to get money from you. Its a poor country,” said Alsaba, a junior human resource management major.

“The people are nice and the country is beautiful, but unfortunately, the government is very bad.

In my perspective, Hosni Murbarak not being president will be good for

the people.”

With Mubarak out of Egypt, attention is turning to other countries to see who will be next. Attention is especially focused on Yemen and Bahrain.

Yasmine Alkema, sophomore, says “violent demonstrations” have already been happening in her home country of Algeria.

“People went out on the streets and started demonstrating because

of the increase in prices of sugar and oil,” Alkema said.

Alsaba does not think anything like that will happen in Saudi Arabia.

“People in Saudi Arabia have a better life. In Saudi Arabia if you have a high school degree you can get a job and put food on the table,” Alsaba said. “In Egypt you can get a college degree but still not get a job.”

10 SPORTS BRIEFS Track and field running strong in Akron Senior Keary Simms completed the 60 meter hurdles in 8.08 seconds, earning him a 4th place finish in the Gold Division this past weekend at the Akron Invitational.

The performance puts Simms as the No. 2 performer of all time, trailing only Kandrick Cooper’s conference record of 7.87 seconds.

Junior Adam Leroux also earned a 4th place finish last weekend in the 800m in the Blue Division with a time of 1:53.6.

His time ranks second in the Big South Conference behind Matt Elliot.

First-timer wins Big South player of the week Junior Taylor Wright was announced as the Big South Conference Choice Hotels softball player of the week on Monday.

Over the weekend, Wright tallied a .538 batting average and had two crucial hits in the wins against Furman and Charleston Southern.

It was Wright’s first time receiving the award.

Women’s tennis can’t pull off upset against ranked foe The Lady Eagles were unable to compete with the 25th-ranked Virginia squad, falling 7-0.

Winthrop failed to win a set on Saturday against the now 8-0 ACC powerhouse.

The Eagles drop to 5-6 on the season and will

return to action Feb. 18 when they travel to Furman

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

JEFF BRODEUR Sports Editor brodeurj@mytjnow.com DAVID THACKHAM Assistant Sports Editor thackhamd@mytjnow.com

END OF 3-GAME WINNING STREAK FOR WINTHROP

WU freshman soccer player scores goal for Toronto FC Last Sunday, Winthrop freshman Matt Stinson scored the game’s only goal for Toronto FC in an exhibition victory over Red Star Belgrade.

The goal came in the 41st minute on a cross from Javier Martina to give the club the lead.

Gist named Winthrop athlete of the week Senior men’s outdoor track and field athlete Devin Gist was named athlete of the week on the school’s website.

He upped his record of the 35-lb weight throw for the fourth time this season.

His last heave of 16.76 meters was 4 feet better than his previous record and good for a 7th place finish.

Coach Peele reprimanded by Big South Men’s basketball coach Randy Peele was publicly reprimanded by the Big South for violating the conference’s Ethical Conduct Policy.

The incident occurred following the game against Presbyterian College on Jan. 29.

No further actions will be taken (fine, suspension) regarding the incident and the matter has been “considered closed” by the conference, according to Big South public relations.

Despite jumping out to an eight-point lead at halftime, the Eagles couldn’t stop Coastal Carolina and their 22-game winning streak. Photo by Claire VanOstenbridge • vanostenbridgec@mytjnow.com

Eagles unable to break Chanticleers’ dominance

By Steven Bowers

Special to The Johnsonian

Big South rival Coastal Carolina continued in their quest to become the second team to ever complete a perfect season in the conference Saturday night at the Winthrop Coliseum. The Chanticleers (24-2, 15-0) shot over 56 percent in the second half to erase an 11-point deficit and end Winthrop’s three-game winning streak with the score of 61-56. Coastal

We’re now accepting applications for next year’s editor-in-chief for Student Publications! All students interested in journalism and leadership are encouraged to apply.

The Johnsonian is published weekly, The RMR is published monthly and The Anthology is published annually. The editor for each publication will be chosen by Winthrop’s Student Publications Board. All other positions available for next year on each respective staff will be advertised later this spring.

The Johnsonian, The RMR and The Anthology give an opportunity for students regardless of their major to learn and apply journalism skills.

Please e-mail Student Publications Graduate Associate Joseph Henderson at hendersonj5@winthrop.edu for an application and more information on the editor positions.

The deadline to apply is March 3, 2011.

extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 22 games as they try to join the 2006-2007 Winthrop team as the only other team to go undefeated in the Big South.

Sophomore guard Anthony Raffa came off the bench to score a careerhigh 23 points for the Chants and to pick up the slack for the conference’s leading scorer, junior guard Desmond Holloway. Holloway, who did not play in the first meeting between the teams, came in leading the Big South at 19.3 points per game. He only scored nine in this game but he did have 12 rebounds and two huge shots, including a 3-pointer from deep in the corner to beat the shot clock. That gave Coastal a 50-42 lead with five minutes remaining.

“Those were two unbelievable shots,” Winthrop coach Randy Peele said.

“He broke our back.”

The Eagles (12-13, 8-7) held Coastal to 20 first-half points and led by eight at the break, the first time the Chants had trailed at intermission in 14 games. A straightaway 3-pointer from junior guard Reggie Middleton to open

the second half pushed Winthrop to its largest lead of 31-20. Coastal Carolina answered with a 10-0 run over the next six minutes to get right back in the game. The Eagles had also let an 18-point second-half lead Thursday against Charleston Southern almost completely dissolve before rebounding to win. Raffa tied the score at 37 with a little over 10 minutes to go, and when sophomore guard Kierre Greenwood scored at 9:52, the Chanticleers had their first lead since they led 6-5. Junior guard Andre Jones’ two free throws pulled Winthrop even at 40 before starting to pull away.

Senior forward Charles Corbin had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles while sophomore guard Robbie Dreher was their leading scorer with 16.

Coastal Carolina, the top defensive team in the Big South, held the Eagles to 29 percent shooting.

The Chanticleers now sweep the season series with the Eagles and win in Rock Hill for the first time since the 2005-2006 season. They came into the game ranked number five in the collegeinsider.

com mid-major poll and received 26 votes to rank 28th in the AP poll, just behind Wichita State.

Their coach, Cliff Ellis, who recorded his 610th win and ranks as the 9th most winning active college coach expects his team to get more attention.

“We’re gaining national attention and I think that’s something good for our league, school and program. That’s good for everybody,” Coach Ellis said. “I don’t see how they could leave us out of the top 25 this week.”

After the game, Coach Peele took the microphone and thanked the crowd of 3,604 for their support and enthusiasm.

“We can win this,” Peele said. “The NCAA tournament berth was not won today.”

Last season, the Eagles defeated Big South regular season champion Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C. to win the conference tournament and the NCAA berth that goes with it.

Winthrop returns to action Saturday at 7 p.m. against Ohio University in an ESPN Bracketbuster game.

Rock Hill Parks, Recreation and Tourism’s Youth Soccer program is currently looking for volunteer coaches & paid referees for the Spring 2011 season.

If you are interested, please contact Leslie Ballard at 329-5673 or lballard@cityofrockhill.com.

WANTED Men’s Soccer Managers Freshman/Sophomore Preferred Some Soccer Past Recommended MUST HAVE TRANSPORTATION Compensation Available Contact Patrick Turney at: turneyp2@winthrop.edu

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

11

SPORTS

Junior driver excels on the race track

By Jeff Brodeur brodeurj@mytjnow.com

When people think of typical college athletes, some of the first things that probably come to mind are baseball, basketball, tennis and soccer players.

Winthrop junior Tyler English prefers to jump into his car and tear up the racetrack on the weekends.

However, the integrated marking communication major from Wallace, S.C. hasn’t always had this passion for racing.

“When I was about 14, my dad started racing, and at first I was really into golf and wanted to play somewhere collegiate. I hadn’t put much thought into racing,” English said.

Instead, the opportunity was first presented to him when his dad had

“”

It’s like a roller coaster on steroids.

Tyler English Junior racer

to undergo heart surgery, forcing him to leave the sport; paving the way for English to take the reins.

“It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had; I kicked him out of the car and he hasn’t got back in since,” he said.

From that point forward, English knew he had found a new love for racing as well as the rush he describes as being like “a roller coaster on steroids.”

Don’t be fooled by what you see on T.V., this sport isn’t as simple as hopping into a cool car and driving at outrageous speeds. A typical day at the racetrack is anything but an easy task.

“The day probably starts around 4 a.m.,” he said. “We have five guys on the team and we’re still constantly running around doing stuff.”

After all the preparation is taken care of, the racers finally get to hit the track and “show what they’ve got.”

As for English, he’s fared quite well, especially at his home track of Dillon Motor Speedway, where he tallied 11th and 13th place finishes last season.

“It’s physically and mentally draining. It’s a lot of head games; you’ve got to be on your game to

Tyler English hopes to continue his success this season in the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) Series.

For more information, visit TylerEnglish.com. Photo courtesy of Tyler English go out there and really be competitive,” he said.

When it’s all said and done, an entire day at the track is usually between 13 and 14 hours long.

The hefty schedule isn’t anything new to English, who is also the community service chair for Kappa Sigma, a competitive golfer, guitarist, stand-up comedian and full time student. “I stay pretty

busy,” he said.

English hopes to continue racing even after he graduates, but there are a few concerns with racing that other athletes normally don’t have to worry about.

“The biggest things that will keep me from continuing to do this are my job and being able to support it financially. This sport is extremely expen-

sive,” he said.

English recalled one incident in particular when he crashed into another car and went over the wall.

“It cost about $15,000 dollars worth of damage to the car,” he said. “More or less, your feelings are hurt and your wallet hurts more than anything.”

None of this has put the brakes on his racing

career. English plans to continue racing for many years to come, including this upcoming season, which kicks off Mar. 12 in Hickory, N.C. “They’re anticipating more competition this year than ever in the series I race in. It’s going to be tough, but I’m looking for ward to it.”

Early signing class stacked with promising talent Baseball team signs players from 5 states, coach says he’s ‘not afraid to play freshmen’

By David Thackham

thackhamd@mytjnow.com

The Winthrop Eagles baseball squad is likely to have a youthful look in this upcoming 2011 season. First-year head coach Tom Riginos announced an early signing class of eight high school and junior college prospects in December, which he believes will make “an immediate impact” on the team. The signees, which will begin play in 2012, consist of five pitchers, one infielder/outfielder, one catcher/first baseman and an infielder, and claim hometowns in Pennsylvania, Florida, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia.

“We go where there are the best players possible,” said Riginos, speaking on the pervasive nature of the recruitment.

Pitchers Michael Gilroy, Stephen Howell, Patrick O’Leary, Preston Johnson and Josh Strong, along with fielders,Elliott Caldwell, Clay Altman and Patrick McLendon, have been brought

to the Eagles in order to improve on last year’s disappointing 6th place finish in the Big South standings.

Six out of eight of the new signees are ranked among the top 1000 prospects in America, with four of those being within the top 40 players in their respective states.

“I’m very happy with [the class],” Riginos said. “All of them will have an impact in the program; they have a chance to come in and compete.”

To help speed up the improvement, the former Clemson University recruiting coordinator is willing to do what it takes to win: even if it means breaking in his new talent early.

“I’m not afraid to play freshmen,” Riginos said. “You build [a program] with continuity and a lot of time. If you have freshmen, you have them for about 3 years, so you have chemistry that will build continuity [and] experience.”

The team will need its out-of-state talent to provide better luck for road

games. In the 2010 season, the Eagles were 7-18 away from the Winthrop Ballpark. However, Riginos can look forward to getting off to a good start with his new recruits. Winthrop was the victor in the first six games of the season for the last two years.

The Eagles’ head coach has had much success on the recruiting trail. His work in the Atlantic Sun Conference as a recruiting coordinator with Stetson University translated into a lucrative opportunity in the same position in the ACC with Clemson University in 2002.

His 2009 incoming class was ranked 9th best in the country by baseballnews.com, while his 2010 Tiger class was billed as 20th in all Division I squads.

Despite his move to Rock Hill, his commitment to a solid team has stays constant.

“It’s about relationships,” said Riginos, after what he described as a “clean” scrimmage on Saturday. “If you’re recruiting the right guys, you don’t have

to recruit the best [players]. You get to know the kids, the parents and how they are.”

The incoming class, which will consist mostly of freshmen, will bring a wellspring of youth to a Winthrop team with 15 players in either their junior or senior year.

Yet, the Winthrop head coach expects his new talent to meld “right away” with the rest of his squad.

“I’m very happy with [the class],” Riginos said. “We were a little behind track after the coaching changes [the addition of pitching coach Clint Chrysler], but we hit the road running and evaluated a lot of guys.”

The Eagles travel to San Diego, C.A. to take on the Aztecs of San Diego State University on Feb. 18. Their first home game is against Wagner College on the 25th.

THURSDAY February 17, 2011

THE JOHNSONIAN

12