Winthrop University
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Eric Hammett / The Johnsonian
Dr. Jeff Elwell one of three finalist vying to become Winthrop’s next president sits down with Jacob Hallex for an interview Sunday night in Winthrop’s Student Publications Office.
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Dr. Jeff Elwell, first of three finalists for Winthrop president opening visits campus Carolyn Rennix rennixc@mytjnow.com
Dr. Jeff Elwell was won over by the family atmosphere on the Winthrop campus, and with some convincing from his son, a freshman javelin thrower for the Eagles, decided to apply for the open presidential position. “It is clear that Winthrop cares about its students,” he said. “I would say that [Winthrop] is a family and that is important.” Elwell, Dean of College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, visited Winthrop University as one of the three finalists for the institution’s 11th president on Sunday. The Chattanooga, Tennessee native first visited the university in December 2013 with his son Preston, a freshman at Winthrop. Elwell recalled how welcoming and friendly the faculty and students were during their visit on campus. “We were completely stunned [by the
welcoming staff] and our experience the rest of the way quite honestly followed that,” he said. “During recruitment, enrollment and moving in, the experience has been great.” Elwell said that although there was instability after Comstock-Williamson’s termination, he was not uncertain about sending his son to study at Winthrop. “I felt quite good because it seemed that everybody else at the university was still doing what they needed to do. And it should be that way, because anything can happen, so you can’t be reliant on one person,” he said. “The important thing is that the university kept running.” If selected as president, Elwell said he does not plan on coming to the campus and making drastic changes. “This is something very new, so the best thing I should do [as a new president] would be to listen and get a lot of input before starting to change things,” he said. “There is no reason to fix things that are working well. On the other hand, there are probably some things that aren’t working that need to get jumped on and handled.” Elwell received his doctorate in speech communication and theatre from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Since then, he has served multiple roles at Auburn University, including Chief of Academic and Student Affairs, Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Dramatic Arts.
see ELWELL pg. 3
Index: News 3 | Science & Technology 5 | Sports 6 | Arts & Culture 8 | Opinion 10
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theJohnsonian February 26, 2015
While sexually transmitted infections are a taboo topic, they are worth talking about. New estimates show that there are about 20 million new infections in the United States each year. Young people ages 15 to 24 account for 50 percent of all new STIs, although they represent just 25 percent of the sexually experienced population. • • •
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In our world today, the human papillomavirus (HPV) is currently the fastest growing STI. A condom merely reduces—but does not eliminate—the risk of an STI. Approximately 75 percent of all reported gonorrhea is found in people age 15 to 29, with the highest infection rates found in teen girls age 15 to 19 and men ages 20-24. At Winthrop from Jan. 2014-Dec. 2014, Winthrop Health and Counseling services reported the following statistics: 17 students tested positive for Chlamydia 4 tested positive for Gonorrhea 2 tested positive for HIV 1 tested positive for Syphilis
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5 tested positive for Herpes The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are more than 110 million STIs among men and women in the US. This includes both new and existing infections. Direct medical costs associated with STIs in the United States are estimated at $13 billion per year. A female is four times more likely to contract an STI than she is to become pregnant. Pre-ejaculate can still transmit infection. Withdrawing before ejaculation also does not prevent STIs. Unprotected anal intercourse with a partner whose status for STIs is unknown is the highest-risk sexual practice, more so than vaginal or oral sex. One in two sexually active people will contact a STI before the age of 25. The only STI that affects more men than women is syphilis. Though one in five Americans has genital herpes, nearly 90 percent are unaware they have it. Some estimates suggest that by 2025 up to 40 percent of all men and half of all women could be infected.
Editor-in-Chief ADARRELL GADSDEN gadsdena@mytjnow.com Managing Editor MICHAEL OWENS owensm@mytjnow.com Webmaster REAGAN MARTIN martinr@mytjnow.com News Editor CAROLYN RENNIX Assistant News Editor CATHERINE LOWE
Opinion Editor TREY STOKES
Director of Digital Information JACOB HALLEX
Arts & Culture Editor DANIEL JAMES
Ad Manager AVERY OWENS
Science & Technology Editor DEBORAH CROCKER
Graphic Designer ALTHEA HOLENKO
Copy Editors FRANCES PARRISH ADAM MATONIC RACHEL SHAFFER
Faculty Adviser GUY REEL
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February 26, 2015
First presidential candidate visits WU The Johnsonian sits down with presidential candidate to talk enrollment, fundraising and transparency.
ELWELL • from front Aside from his academic successes, Elwell is also accomplished in theatre, having directed and produced more than 50 plays in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. With his background in theater and journalism, Elwell was drawn to Winthrop’s liberal arts diversity and culture. “The people, without a doubt, the people and culture is what makes Winthrop unique,” he said. Elwell also served as the Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications at East Carolina University from 2004-2010, where he aided in tripling annual giving and raising about $3.7 million specifically for music, theater, art and communications. Elwell said that with his experience as a dean and with fundraising, he is prepared to take on a presidential role. “Fundraising is a big part of being a dean, and I think it does help you prepare for presidency because one of the things you have to do is raise friends, then funds,” he said. If selected as the president, Elwell said he also hopes to increase enrollment by hosting events in larger cities and selling the great qualities the campus currently possesses. “I think Winthrop has a distinct
advantage because you already have a great campus, great faculty and the new facilities and amenities that attract students,” he said. “Winthrop should go out and sell these things and host an event in a larger city and advertise the heck out of it to recruit.” While increasing enrollment, Elwell said he would want to also increase the population of Hispanic students on campus. “The Hispanic population [in the U.S.] is growing and growing and we don’t have that many Hispanic students. It doesn’t make sense not to look for Hispanic students; it will help create diversity and also more activity on campus.” Elwell also said he believes in transparency with the faculty and students, when at all possible. “Obviously there are some things that everybody can’t know, but I think in terms of decision making, especially things effecting students, I think you need to get input, you need to listen and you need to be proactive,” he said. Elwell emphasized on the importance of understanding what the student body wants and needs before making any decisions. “If you don’t have the buy-end of students, you’re in a bad place,” he said. “Especially if it’s an issue such as tuition, these decisions can’t be made unilaterally and the students need to be taken seriously.” The family man also spoke with students on the opportunity to open the president’s house’s doors to students in a nonprofessional setting. “It’s the president’s house, but really it’s the university’s and the students’ house. It shouldn’t be this museum; it should be open,” he said. “For example, we could have a student journalist over for breakfast, just to talk about things, without some agenda. I think that is the best way to get information, because it is a two way street. “
Carolyn Rennix/ The Johnsonian Top: Dr. Jeff Elwell speaks with Winthrop students at the meet and greet Sunday. Bottom: Director of Digital Information Jacob Hallex conducts a one-on-one interview with Elwell. Elwell said he would also find ways to make Winthrop less of a “suitcase school.” “I would like to find out what would compel students to stay on campus, what events and activities we could hold that would make students want to stay on campus with their friends here,” he said. Elwell admitted that it was not
his original plan to apply for the presidential position and that the opportunity simply presented itself. However, he said that he hopes whoever becomes the next president will provide stability for the campus. “It would be great if I am that person, but if not, I hope the person does what is best, because the institution deserves it.”
Winthrop presidential finalists announced Three finalists from different backgrounds visit WU for presidential position Michael Owens owensm@mytjnow.com The road to choosing the next president of Winthrop University hit a proverbial straightaway on Wednesday, as the Board of Trustees announced their three finalists for the vacant presidency position. “We feel very good about how the situation progressed,” said board chair Kathy Bigham, regarding the six-month long search process. “In the end we interviewed and felt that we’re bringing the right people in the right time for this university.” The three finalists are Dr. Jeff Elwell (College of Arts and Sciences Dean, at the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga), Dr. Dan Mahony (College of Education Dean, Health and Human Services, Kent State University, Kent, OH) and Dr. Alan Shao (School of Business Dean and marketing professor at College of Charleston, Charleston, SC). The choices all are diverse in their nature with Elwell’s background in theater, Mahony’s sport management skills and Shao’s past in marketing and advertising. “All three are well-published,” Dr. Sue Smith-Rex said. “[They have] diversity in their areas of expertise and years of experience, and we’re pleased with that.” A question that many had going into the search is if Winthrop could find
a president who could balance both academic and fundraising responsibilities. The board said they felt as if they’ve nailed both categories with their choices. “I think you will find that all three of our finalists have a strong background in fundraising in their own areas,” Bigham said. They also emphasized that an educational background was just as important as a qualification in the process. “It will be very important to the faculty,” said Dr. John Bird regarding previous teaching experience among the candidates. “A president has to have a very complex role, but the center of our mission is education.” All three finalists will be on campus next week to meet students, faculty, staff and other members of the community. Dr. Elwell was on campus earlier this week, and Dr. Mahony will arrive on Feb. 27. Both will be hosting sessions at 11 a.m. on each day in Whitton Auditorium in Carroll Hall. Dr. Shao will be the final candidate to visit campus, and will have his session on March 3 at 11 a.m. in Whitton Auditorium. The board recognized the work that was put into narrowing 140 applicants down to three, and said that the excitement around campus will make the upcoming weeks interesting. “We hope that the campus community and the broader community will be very excited with the candidates that we have and with the eleventh president that we will ultimately choose,” Bird said.
Carolyn Rennix | News Editor rennixc@mytjnow.com
Althea Holenko/ The Johnsonian
Catherine Lowe | Assistant News Editor lowec@mytjnow.com
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February 26, 2015
Cyling for a cause PIKE brothers cycle and raise money for Rock Hill children Carolyn Rennix rennixc@mytjnow.com Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity (PIKE) will host their annual Bike-A-Thon event to spread awareness for their philanthropy this Saturday. “We really want Greek Life and Residence Life and Winthrop students to really get out,” said BikeA-Thon Publicity Chair Ethan Snipes regarding the student involvement. The Bike-A-Thon opening ceremony will take place outside Byrnes Auditorium Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. The Bike-A-Thon Friendly Community Ride event will be the following day at Dinkins Hall at 11 a.m. Both events will be free to the public. The PIKE brothers will participate in a 48-hour biking initiative along an 8-mile course in Rock Hill. The Bike-A-Thon community ride will cover the last five miles of the brothers’ cycling route. Snipes said that the history of PIKE’s involvement with biking goes back to their times traveling to Memphis, Washington D.C. and their founding college, the University of Virginia. “When we traveled to these destinations, we would raise money
and do great things, but then when we come back to Winthrop and no one would know about it,” Snipes said. “So what we decided to start the Bike-A-Thon with the City of Rock Hill.” The City of Rock Hill helped PIKE organize the biking routes and set up bike racks throughout the community and near campus. The brothers also received support from the Youth Cycling Endowment, which funds their annual event and the equipment that helps maintain the biking routes and racks. “Working with the city is great because we really wanted to transition into the community aspect of our biking philanthropy and now we can do things like the Youth Cycling Endowment,” Snipes said. Snipes also said that the purpose for this endowment and philanthropy event is to help children and students within the Rock Hill community. “We want to help keep kids off the streets, well on the streets, but on their bikes,” Snipes said. Snipes said he understands that many people may not be intrigued to go biking during this cold February, but he hopes that Winthrop students and families from the surrounding counties will join in on the festivities. “Right now, it’s the dead of winter and no one wants to ride a bike around, but we really want to push all of the community, especially the children and parents from Rock Hill to join us as well,” he said.
Police Blotters: Possession of marijuana and false information 2/20/2015
At approximately 8 p.m. on the above date, a reporting officer was dispatched to Lee Wicker Hall in report of illegal drug use. Upon arriving, the reporting officer made contact with a Residence Life staff member in the lobby and was escorted to the dorm room. The officer smelled marijuana inside the room and asked to speak to the first subject about the situation. The first subject admitted to the officer that he smoked marijuana today, but not in the dorm room. While completing a room search, the reporting officer found a cigarillo with green leafy substance inside of it with an odor of marijuana in the subject’s jacket pocket. The reporting officer then placed the first subject under arrest for possession of marijuana and transported him to the Rock Hill City Jail for booking. Upon arrest, the first subject admitted that he had an active warrant with Chesterfield County Sheriff Department. The reporting officer checked with Chesterfield Sheriff’s Department and was advised they did not have an active warrant on the subject. The officer then issued the first subject a South Carolina Traffic Ticket for Possession of Marijuana and False Information to Police. The marijuana was seized and placed into evidence for further investigation.
Violation of drug law 2/20/2015
At approximately 10 p.m. on the above date, a reporting officer was dispatched to Phelps Hall in reference to an odor of marijuana coming from the third floor. Upon arrival, the reporting officer was able to identify the source and knocked on the door. The first subject opened the door and was asked about the odor of marijuana coming from the room. After a discussion, the first subject admitted to using marijuana within the residence and also admitted to using a marijuana cigarette in her residence. The reporting officer asked the first subject if there was anyone else in the room smoking marijuana with her and she stated her suitemate, the third subject, was smoking with her.
The third subject was unable to get in contact with at the time. The reporting officer then requested permission to search the room for additional drugs. While completing a thorough search of the residence, the reporting officer located 1.7 grams of marijuana and a circular glass pipe with remnants of marijuana inside of it. The reporting officer then further observed a bottle of Bacardi vodka on the sink in the common area of the room. The first subject stated the bottle of vodka and marijuana belonged to her. After the third subject returned to her residence, she told the reporting officer that she did not smoke marijuana but was in the room with the first subject while she was smoking. The marijuana and circular glass pipe were seized and placed into evidence for further investigation. The first subject was issued a South Carolina Uniform Traffic Ticket for the possession of marijuana (1st offense) and possession of liquor under 21. The subject will be referred to Winthrop University’s Judicial Affairs for violations of the Student Conduct Code.
Breaking and entering 2/22/2015
At approximately 1:30 p.m. on the above date, a reporting officer was dispatched to the golf course parking lot in regards to a complainant and victim. The officer observed the front and noticed a broken passenger window broken on the victim’s vehicle. The victim stated that she had only arrived 20 minutes prior to attend the lacrosse game. The victim stated her purse was missing which was left on the front seat. While speaking with the victim, a witness approached the reporting officer and stated that he saw a white truck pulling into the parking lot. When the truck stopped, a black skinny male with black pants and a white shirt got out of the turck and started looking into windows of vehicles in the parking lot. The witness stated that he observed the suspect ducking between the vehicles ad also said that he observed this taking place at approximately 1 p.m. The reporting officer began patrolling around for the truck but was unable to locate it.
Graphic provided by Pi Kappa Alpha.
CSL searches for new positions The Council of Student Leaders is looking for a new president and vice president Catherine Lowe lowec@mytjnow.com The search has started for a new president and vice president of Winthrop University’s Council of Student Leaders. The council held a meet and greet Monday night for any potential applicants for the 2015-2016 academic year. Any student at Winthrop University can apply for these two positions. In order to be considered for applying, the student must attend one interest meeting listed below: Feb. 25, 12:00 p.m in DiGs 258 Feb. 26, 11:00 a.m. in DiGs 258 March 3, 11:00 a.m. in DiGs 114 At the interest meeting, CSL will explain the eligibility, expectations and benefits of the positions and as well as the history. The student will also receive an application at the meeting that must be filled out by March 5. In order for a student to be considered as a suitable candidate,
the student must have a minimum GPA of 2.75. Once the application is filled out and submitted, Dean Marlowe, the Dean of Students, will look at the applications and make sure that it is valid. If the application is valid, the applicant will be contacted for further interviews. Council of Student Leaders’ Election Chair Beth West said that the council encourages anyone who is interested to talk to the current president and vice president Ian Deas and Jarvis Jackson. “When meeting with Ian and Jarvis in person, it will give the candidate an opportunity to really look into the positions and see what the job entitles,” West said. “From then on, they’ll do the running and then the study body votes.” West said that she is expecting a good leader who is willing to obtain a positive role in the student body and who is going to be an inspiration to other students. “I think good qualities for both a president and vice president would be affective communication and good listeners,” West said. “I think it takes someone who is very personable.” For anyone who is interested in applying, the application is due by March 5. The candidates will be notified March 6 and voting amongst the council is March 6-8. For more information contact Beth West at weste8@winthrop.edu
Feature photo: career showcase
Carolyn Rennix / The Johnsonain
Students gathered in Richardson Ballroom at the Career Showcase last Thursday. Business organizations including The Rock Hill Herald, Rock Hill Police Department and Novant Health Rock Hill Family Medicine had the opportunity to speak with students about their career options offered this year.
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February 26, 2015
Skoop app takes a step forward in connecting university students Addarell Gadsden gadsdena@mytjnow.com A social network built entirely for college students allows students at a single university to connect with one another quickly and simply. Skoop is a micro social networking application for your iPhone or Android and is now available on the Winthrop University campus. The app is designed to connect students on the university’s campus with one another allowing them to communicate anything from news to where free food on campus might be. “The reason we built this application is to connect students,” Neil Patwardhan, CEO of Skoop said. “We sat down with students at different universities and asked the five different questions. Like where do you find out about campus news? Where free food on campus might be or what organizations on campus are holding events?” The app, which is comparable Neil Patwardhan, CEO of Skoop.
to many other social networks, is similar to the popular application Yik Yak where everyone is posting to an open community; however, their posts are not anonymous. Patwardhan made it clear that the purpose of Skoop is to keep students connected to one another and do it in a transparent way. He said that Skoop offers a lot more than just a newsfeed “The key difference between us and Yik Yak is nothing is anonymous on our app,” Patwardhan said. “We prefer that you not be anonymous because we strongly feel if you have something to say you should say it and not hide behind an anonymous account.” Skoop also offers users a Bazaar feature, enabling students to trade and sell items. Additionally, the app has a polling feature, which allows users to post questions publicly and measure the opinions of their peers. The app will also include a group chat in the next few weeks.
The application is currently available on 18 different university campuses. While Patwardhan doesn’t foresee Skoop ending up on hundreds of campuses, the application is looking to expand its reach. However, research and making sure they go to the right place is important for Patwardhan. “For now we’re happy on the campuses we’re on, we’re really seeing good traction, usage and feedback from students,” Patwardhan said. “We probably aren’t going to go crazy and go after 600 or 700 campuses. I would probably anticipate us touching west coast now and expanding into the Midwest.” Skoop also has what they call “Campus Influencers” who are students on Skoop campuses that serve as representatives or brand leaders on campus and are experts on Skoop. Skoop isn’t Patwardhan’s only connection to Winthrop. He is the son of Winthrop University professors Hemant and Padmini Patwardhan.
Photo courtesy of Skoop
How to purchase your new device with minimal hasses and headaches Gadget shopping doesn’t have to be difficult Deborah Crocker crockerd@mytjnow.com Research extensively before purchasing your new device. There are a lot of gadgets currently on the market, but you might regret your decision if you buy the first one you see. Read reviews, consumer reports and watch videos previewing the devices you’re interested in before putting your order in. You should also check the lifespans of the devices you find to be sure that their manufacturer does not have any plans to discontinue them. Travel to the store instead of ordering online. If you can, it’s better to go inside and talk to the sales associates before purchasing a new device. They will often give an honest opinion of the product, and will tell you whether or not you will be saving money by choosing something else. This
is also a good time to ask questions about the product that you might not easily find on the Internet, or to play with the in-store models to be sure you’re getting what you want. Talk to friends who own the device you’re interested in. This is the best way to get an honest review of a product, especially when it comes to phones. Your friends or family members will tell you if it’s a good investment or something they’re trying to get rid of as quickly as possible. They can also tell you which type of device works well for them, which may help you make a decision. Don’t be afraid to go back and do more research. If you’ve made it to the store and find yourself still unsure, there’s nothing wrong with turning back or telling the sales associate that you’ve changed your mind. You might even find something you like better than the device you came to purchase. Be careful when buying pre-owned devices. Buying a refurbished or pre-
owned device might save money initially, but be aware that what you’re purchasing might have problems or missing parts. You might also come across sellers who don’t deliver what they advertise, which can lead to a number of hassles in the attempt to get your money back. If possible, save up to buy a device brand-new to avoid having to repair it in the future. Don’t let people tell you what to buy. While asking for advice is helpful, stick to what you want. For instance, if you don’t need a lot of storage space, don’t let anyone talk you into spending more money for space you know you won’t fill. If you don’t need an Apple Watch, don’t buy an Apple Watch. Large, expensive gaming headsets might look appealing, but don’t buy the biggest and flashiest looking headset if you know it’s too much for you. What matters in the end is your choice and how comfortable you are with your decision.
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History of the Week February 26, 2007
On this day in 2007, in an effort to raise awareness of environmental issues, the Honda Formula One (F1) team unveiled its Earth Car, a race car emblazoned with a large image of the planet. Honda announced that people who made a donation to an environmental charity through a special Web site would get their name on the Earth Car. The vehicle’s debut came at a time when F1’s governing body was interested in shedding the sport’s reputation for gas-guzzling vehicles and wastefulness. Referred to as the world’s richest sport, Formula One is an elite level of racing in which competitors drive highly sophisticated and technologically advanced single-seat, openwheel vehicles capable of speeds well over 200 mph. The cars are typically built by large automakers, including Porsche, Ferrari and Toyota, who are known in the racing world as “constructors.” Formula One (individual F1 events are known as Grand Prix races) began in Europe, but later spread to other continents, with drivers competing for national teams that have corporate sponsors.
Deborah Crocker | Science & Technology Editor crockerd@mytjnow.com
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SPORTS
theJohnsonian
February 26, 2015
WHITE-OUT
Tuesday morning’s winter weather left the Winthrop athletic facilities across the street blanketed in snow. Pictured are the Winthrop golf course (top), Eagle Field (top left), the Terry Softball Complex (top right), Irwin Bell Track (center) and the Memorial Tennis Courts (bottom left) Photos by Michael Owens and Frances Parrish
Michael Owens | Sports Editor owensm@mytjnow.com
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Eagles wrapping up regular season this weekend Michael Owens owensm@mytjnow.com
Jacob Hallex / The Johnsonian Senior Andre Smith became the 21st Winthrop player to score 1,000 career points in the Eagles’ last home win over UNC Ashveille on Feb. 18. He and Keon Moore will be honored on Senior Day this Saturday before the Eagles take on Presbyterian.
In college basketball, there are some conferences that you can usually predict the eventual winner. In cases such as with the Big South Conference, a league that has been full of parody all season long, one game could change the entire dynamic of tournament seeding and if a team even plays beyond the conference tournament. The Winthrop men’s basketball team now finds themselves in a position to not only earn a first round bye in next week’s conference tournament, but, through an unlikely turn of events, could even win the regular season title. State of the Conference As of Feb. 26, the Eagles are currently in fifth in the Big South standings, and one of three teams with five conference losses. The other two teams are Radford and Coastal Carolina. The Eagles were swept in the two-game season series by the Highlanders, while they defeated the Chanticleers in their only regular season contest. If the season were to end today, Winthrop would have the last firstround bye in this year’s tournament, since there are 11 teams. Tonight at Campbell Before thinking about next week, however, the Eagles will put their
Track & Field
Big South Indoor Championship - 2/27
Men’s Tennis
vs. Georgia State - 2/27, 3 p.m. vs. UT-Chattanooga - 3/1, 12 p.m. vs. North Carolina Wesleyan - 3/1, 4 p.m.
Baseball
vs. Jacksonville - 2/27, 4 p.m. vs. Jacksonville - 2/28, 3 p.m. vs. Jacksonville - 3/1, 1 p.m. at Clemson - 3/3, 5 p.m.
focus in securing that bye should they sweep Campbell in their season series. Winthrop took care of business at home the last time these two teams played back on Jan. 24 with a 71-63 win. The Camels have struggled as of late, having dropped five-straight games including a loss against lastplace Liberty. Regardless, Andrew Ryan will be a key point on offense for the orange and black. He had 14 points in the last meeting and is their main source of offense. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff and can be seen on the Big South Network or heard on 104.1 FM with Dave Friedman on the call. Saturday vs. Presbyterian The Eagles will host the Blue Hose for the regular season finale at the Winthrop Coliseum for Senior Day, as both Keon Moore and Andre Smith will be honored. The two teams haven’t squared off since Winthrop won 57-56 in a very tight game in Clinton on Jan. 7. The Eagles were lifted by freshman Duby Okeke’s career-high 13 points in the victory, along with double-digit performances from Smith and Moore. The Blue Hose have two 16 point per game scorers in Jordan Downing and DeSean Murray, and they will have to be contained if Winthrop wants to win by a larger margin than last time. Saturday’s game is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Winthrop Coliseum.
Women’s Basketball at Presbyterian - 2/28, 2 p.m.
Women’s Tennis
at Prebyterian - 2/26, 2 p.m. vs. UNC Greensboro - 3/1, 2 p.m. vs. East Tennessee State - 3/4, 1 p.m.
Softball
vs. Coppin State - 2/27, 3 p.m. vs. Wagner - 2/27, 5 p.m. vs. Harvard - 2/28, 3 p.m. vs. USC Upstate - 2/28, 5 p.m.
Eagles outlast Wolverines in overtime thriller Kasmarik, Gallagher lead Eagles to nonconference victory over Michgan Adarrell Gadsden gadsdena@mytjnow.com In a game that had to be decided in overtime, the Lady Eagles of the Winthrop lacrosse team found a way to get an 11-10 win over the Michigan Wolverines. Playing at home in the rain Sunday afternoon the Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 run before the Wolverines could answer with goals coming off the crosses of Shannon Gallagher, Jenna Kasmarik and Abigail Blevins. The Eagles would go on another three-goal run after Michigan managed to put up two goals. Heading into the half Blevins and Kasmarik led the Eagles in scoring with two goals apiece and Blevins finished the half leading both teams in
overall points. The teams would trade goals with one another throughout the second half until Michigan took the lead with just over one minute in regulation. Down 10-9, with 14 seconds left on the clock with the game-tying goal would come off the cross of Shannon Gallagher. Both teams would go through the first overtime period without scoring. The winning goal wouldn’t come until the 1 minute mark in the second overtime period from the cross of Jenna Kasmarik. Kasmarik would finish the game as the leader in goals and points with four goals and four points followed by Abigail Blevins with two goals and three points, Shannon Gallagher also had two goals on the day. Freshman goalie Alaina Girani
finished the game with 13 saves. The Eagles had 18 turnovers on the day, two more than the Wolverines. Twice the Wolverines were called for playing with an illegal cross. One that caused a goal to be removed from the scoreboard. The Eagles moved to 3-1 with the only loss of the season coming from Ohio State University. Laxpower.com ranks Winthrop the 32nd best team in the nation after the win over the Wolverines. The website uses margin of victory to quality of the win as well as strength of schedule to calculate how teams are ranked. The Eagles return to action Sunday at home against Saint Francis University with the faceoff time set for 1 p.m.
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February 26, 2015
“Snapped” powerfully depicts domestic violence horrors Jami Hodgins hodginsj@mytjnow.com Skin Deep presented a powerful depiction of domestic violence in their production “Snapped.” The event featured unscripted improvisational performances from students of various majors who participate in Skin Deep or auditioned to play a role in the event. Skin Deep is an on-campus community service and theater organization. Their purpose is to “touch on a lot of social issues that people don’t want to talk about… we put all of that into theater,” said the organization’s president, Vaquacious Lundy. Statistics of domestic violence were reported as each of the cast members removed the white masks they wore at the opening of the event and each reported one fact about domestic violence. Lundy provided a definition for domestic violence and all the behaviors
encompassed by the term. Each scene performed was a dramatization reflecting the behaviors described. The first scene depicted a pregnant woman in an abusive situation with her boyfriend, who she intended to marry. The woman’s daughter urged her mother to see that she was worth more than the abuse she endured, but in the end, her mother did not listen. Following another scene involving an unemployed father’s abuse by his selfentitled wife, the cast of the scene engaged in unscripted in-character processing, during which they answered questions from the audience while remaining in character. One audience member asked the ‘wife’ from the scene, “How do you think your childhood and your parents’ relationship affected the way you treat your husband?” True to character, the ‘wife’ replied, “I mean, it didn’t. I treat him how I want to treat him. He doesn’t pay the bills.”
After one during which a man under the influence of alcohol abused his partner and ultimately committed suicide, there was a scene inspired by a domestic abuse survivor named Beverly. During this scene, a poem was read from the perspective of a victim, outlining the stages of an abusive relationship and voicing the isolation, guilt and conflicting feelings experienced by victims. In a scene entitled “Ready for Love,” the performers told a story through movement as a man and a woman, shadowed by masked figures, silently portrayed partners in an abusive relationship. Following this scene was an open discussion in which the audience could respond to what they had seen. “No one should put up with someone else putting their hands on them like that,” an audience member said. In a scene titled “Help,” two women sung a cappella, voicing the innermost feelings of a victim. Three other
Graphic Courtesy of Skin Deep women, joined in hands, stood to the side. In turn, each of them stepped out and gave a monologue describing the descent of their relationships, as the other two women chanted “help.” Following the monologues, the women hauntingly cried out “he was supposed to be different.” In the final scene, a woman who had previously witnessed her mother being abused suffered from abuse herself. At the end of the scene,
she snapped as her father directed his violent actions at her mother once again, and she killed him. Skin Deep staged the stories of many victims of domestic abuse, raising awareness of the horrors and repercussions of domestic violence. The cast powerfully depicted the isolation, suffering and confliction of domestic abuse victims through their heartbreaking and moving performances.
Movies in Review: “Kingsmen: The Secret Service” Allen Ownley ownleyj3@winthrop.edu Matthew Vaughn has proven himself a great director after revitalizing the X-Men franchise in 2011 but after first seeing the trailer to his follow-up film “Kingsmen: The Secret Service” (based on Mark Millar’s graphic novel), I was a bit let down, mainly because it looked like a generic spy movie with an unlikeable lead character. Now finally seeing it, I was surprised.
The actors Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong and Taron Edgerton. A twisted psychopath (Jackson) poses an international threat potentially wiping out most of the human race. Eggsy (Edgerton), a street smart teenager with great potential, is recruited by Harry Hart (Firth) to fulfill his destiny as a Kingsman agent and stop this madman from committing mass genocide. Right off the bat, the most
shocking thing to me was the level of violence in this film. The violence was usually played for laughs. Whether it was an exploding head or someone being sliced in half, it came across as so cartoony that it could not be taken seriously. Although this was the point, the story and characters were good enough that the movie could have done without the more over-the-top stuff. It was almost like combining a Tarentino movie and a Bond movie into one. I love that the movie got big names like Michael Caine, Sam Jackson and Colin Firth. Caine is always excellent. Jackson gave a great performance as the over-the-top supervillain role. Although I was iffy about his lisp at first, it was really humorous at some points. Firth was the biggest surprise to me, because this was not a role I would expect
Feb. 26 - Puzzle
Daniel James | A&C Editor jamesd@mytjnow.com
him in. Generally, I view him as a calm gentle Brit like in “The King’s Speech.” Here, he still had that calm gentlemen-like demeanor except he kicked butt. Firth did 80 percent of his own stunts which is impressive for someone his age. The real standout to me was the main character Eggsy. After seeing the trailer I thought this guy was just a thug. In the movie he is a thug but he really is a likeable character. I am betting this is Taron Edgerton’s breakout role. While watching this film, I could not help but draw similarities from Vaughn’s previous film, “X-Men: First Class.” A young boy is recruited by an organization. The middle section is all training the recruits. The last section is teaming up to stop the greater evil. The movie is set in modern times but the cinematography gives it a 1960s vibe, much
like First Class’s setting. The movie still stands on its own but I wish Vaughn was more original. The film’s greatest strength is its homage to the spy genre as a whole. The movie is littered with Bond references and even a Bourne one. I get the feeling Vaughn was trying to convey the fun but ridiculous tropes that appear in spy movies. Samuel L. Jackson plays the maniacal “bond villain.” There are crazy gadgets like lighters that turn into grenades and bulletproof umbrellas. There was even a kind of “bond girl.” Without giving anything away, it was handled in poor taste at the end. Some of the violence and the closing scene were unnecessary. Not to mention it was a little too reminiscent of “X-Men: First Class” for me. Overall, the characters were great and it was a fun ride. I give it 3/5 stars.
Feb. 19 - Solution
Beth West | Assistant A&C Editor westb@mytjnow.com
February 26, 2014
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“Into the Woods” tells new rendition of classic fairytales Broadway classic comes to Winthrop thanks to the hard work of students from the Theatre Department Brittany Rauch rauchb@mytjnow.com The success of Winthrop’s production of Into the Woods Beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 18 and running until Sunday, Feb. 22, Winthrop University’s department of theatre and dance in the college of visual and performing arts presented the production of “Into The Woods” directed by Stephen Gundersheim at the main stage in Johnson Hall. “Into the Woods” was arranged together with Music Theatre International, and students, faculty and the public were able to enjoy a variety of musical numbers throughout the production, including the popular number “Agony” sung by Cinderella’s Prince (Shivam Patel) and Rapunzel’s Prince (Trey King). The play, with a libretto written by James Lapine, combines the telling of several well-known fairytales such as Rapunzel, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding
Hood. Each story has its own cast of characters that interact between each other and each fairytale came to the expected happy ending just before intermission. Act two, similar to an after story, concludes with some of the original happy endings being changed and leads to several main characters ending up in a cluster of characters such as Cinderella, the Baker, Little Red Riding Hood and the Baker defeating a rampaging female giant. Scenic designer, Daniel Gordon, was able to present the set in such a way to rival the recent film adaptation’s own setting. With climbable trees needed for the female giant’s defeat, a large tower appropriate for the part of Rapunzel’s story and an aptly placed beanstalk banner to compliment the tale of Jack and the beanstalk, Gordon and the scenic construction and lighting crew associates enhanced the show for the audience’s viewing and made for a well-received production. Some costumes were designed similarly to the reminiscent of past productions and popular adaptations of each fairytale. Rapunzel’s gown was purple similar to Disney’s own concept in the film “Tangled” with its own unique twist. Each actor’s performance is worth noting, but standouts include Cinderella played by Hannah Hustad, Jack played by Kyle Bleau, The Witch played by Emily Cupit, The Baker and the Baker’s wife played
It’s story time...
Illustration Exhibition
There was none of this at the last showing of the Illustrations collection in the Lewandowski Student Gallery. There was laughter and appreciation galore as students gathered one last time on Friday evening to enjoy the various pieces of artwork. Allegra Payne There were such diverse works, paynea8@winthrop.edu from mythical scenes to comic strips and even a few portraits. The walls were alive with washes of color from Art is a tricky subject; it is in the eye of the beholder after all. It is such the work of eight different artists, including one Chelsea Chao. a broad term, encompassing paint“This year we went with the very ing, sculpture and abstract. Some loose theme of storytelling. But people can look at a piece of art and really it’s a mix of stuff we’ve done tell you all about their interpretation for school and personal work,” said and how the piece makes them feel, Chao, an illustration major. “We’re while others may stare confusedly at such a small department. In the juthe canvas and awkwardly shuffle on. nior class there are five of us. It’s fun to see what we’re doing in and out of class. The point is to realize there are a lot of talented students doing work here.” Students came to view the artwork one last time, some even taking slips of paper to order prints of the work at a later time. And as they roamed the walls there were smiles, laughter and even a few discussions. “I think it’s really good. It has really good line work. All of them have a coherent theme for each person,” painting major Amy Photo by Daniel James / The Johnsonian Ciravolo said.
Students take a final look at illustration majors’ gallery books
by Jonathan Hoskins and Taylor Neal, Cinderella’s Price played by Shivam Patel and Rapunzel’s Prince played by Trey King. The comedic relief of more serious scenes were enhanced by characters such as Milky White played by Sarah Fetner, Cinderella’s father and stepmother played by Timothy McFall and Lauren Roberts, CinderGraphic courtesy of the Winthrop University Theatre Department ella’s sisters pulled focus from the story or took Florinda and Lucinda played by away from the scene in any way. Michelle Perri and Brittani Grant, Every actor’s interpretation of their the Wolf played by Daniel Derrer characters was new and enjoyed by and the Steward played by Wesslen several nights of audience members. Romano. Impressed and happy audience Director Gundersheim put tomembers look forward to the theatre gether a show that was appealing department’s next production and to audience members with smooth congratulate all of the actors and scene changes and cohesive focus crew members to a successful endthroughout the story and between ing of “Into the Woods.” the actors themselves. No one actor
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February 26, 2015
Dr. Alan T. Shao offers local appeal to Winthrop presidency Trey Stokes Opinion Editor Last Wednesday, the search committee for the 11th President of Winthrop University announced that it had narrowed down its search from 84 applicants to just three finalists: Dr. Jeff Elwell, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga; Dr. Dan Mahony, Dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State University; and Dr. Alan Shao, Dean and professor of Marketing of the School of Business at College of Charleston. While no doubt Drs. Elwell and Mahony are more than qualified to serve as our next president, I believe that Dr. Alan Shao stands to offer the most to our university. “Winthrop and I are meant to be,” Shao states in his letter of application. “I am presently the Dean of the School of Business (professional program) at the College of Charleston (liberal arts institution), with a long career promoting globalization (global awareness) and solid contacts with business and various other communities, espe-
cially in Charlotte and Charleston (civic engagement).” First of all, as a resident of both Charlotte and Charleston, Dr. Shao has already established valuable connections throughout the Carolinas. He served for nearly 20 years at UNC Charlotte as the Associate Dean of Professional and Graduate Programs; there he helped to create business programs around the world. He also served as the President of the Charlotte World Trade Association and the North Carolina Trade Association, in addition to being the Dean of College of Charleston’s School of Business since 2009. In Charleston, upon becoming Dean of the College of Business, he inherited 32 members of an advisory board that were each less than enthusiastic about continuing their collaboration with the university. “I soon learned, though that this frustrated group of highly accomplished professionals were looking to be engaged in the business school — not there to simply donate money and listen to a Dean’s plans twice a year. . . . I responded to each board member’s statement the same way: ‘Please give me one year, and if you still feel frustrated, then I’ll open the door for you.’” At the end of not one but five years, he has not lost a single board member; instead, the size of the board has swelled to 50 members, including the “former Chairman and CEO of LaCoste, the wealthiest woman in SC and CEO of Intertech Group, former President/CEO of Polaroid and Black & Decker, former owner of Kiawah Resorts,
an automobile mogul, President/CEO of the SC State Ports Authority, former President/CEO of Blackbaud, CEO of Benefitfocus and numerous other business and government leaders.” In addition to his local experience, Shao promises to transfer the committment to student involvement that he cultivated at C of C to Winthrop by creating a Student Forum that would serve to bridge the gap between the administration and the student body. I firmly believe that Dr. Shao would bring the most to our university — I strongly urge the search committee to consider him.
Chillin’ out: a look into our chilly weather
Dave Birley Staff Writer If you are not originally from Rock Hill, our little gift from the weatherman last week may have come as a surprise. Actually, it came as a bit of a surprise to long-time residents of Rock Hill as well. I’m not talking about the shortlived visit from a little freezing rain. That conformed to our standard biennial winter weather event. It dumped its freezing precipitation on the ground, and 48 hours later hardly a trace of it was to be seen anywhere. What I am talking about is that spot of chill we had on Thursday morning. It broke a record for that date. Actually the old record for Feb. 20 was 20 degrees, and the weatherman gave us a nice brisk 7 degrees – a 13 degree drop from the old record. However, I would like to try to bring this into a little perspective. Back in 1816, there was an event known as the Year Without a Summer. Here’s what that totally un-citeable source Wikipedia has to say about it: “The year 1816 is known as the Year Without a Summer (also the Poverty Year, the Summer that Never Was, Year There Was No Summer and Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death) because of severe climate abnormalities that caused average global temperatures to decrease by 0.7–1.3 degrees F. This resulted in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere. Evidence suggests the anomaly was predominantly a volcanic winter event caused by the massive 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), the
largest eruption in at least 1,300 years.” Do you see how tiny those global temperature decreases were? Note the placement of the decimal point in them. However, the event was a worldwide disaster. Try something that lasted a bit longer. It has become known as the Little Ice Age. Here’s what The National Geographic has to say about it: “A sharp dip in temperatures between 1645 and 1715 coincided with a reduction in sunspots and the sun’s overall activity known as the Maunder Minimum. Researchers say those factors may have slowed tree growth, thereby creating the ideal building material for violins later manufactured.” “Much of Europe was gripped by the little ice age between around 1400 and 1800,” said Henri Grissino-Mayer, noting that the period of cold weather and long winters peaked between 1645 and 1715. Trees growing during that peak period, the so-called Maunder Minimum, “showed the slowest growth rates of the entire last 500 years … [C]limatic cooling over many decades affected rates of tree growth and may have contributed to the acoustic quality of the violins produced by Stradivari and his contemporaries.” I mention these two phenomena because they seem to originate from different causes. The Year Without a Summer was triggered by a massive volcanic eruption. Later that century, in 1883, Krakatoa may have contributed to the effects in the sky that were the basis for Edvard Munch’s famous painting “The Scream.” More recently, we have had disruption of trans-Atlantic flights caused by the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland in 2010. Those things can occur with no warning and have impacts that have a wide geographic reach. On the other hand, the Little Ice Age which spanned about four centuries was a cyclical
Trey Stokes | Opinion Editor stokest@mytjnow.com
phenomenon, which might possibly be predictable when (not “if”) it next occurs. That is part of what makes the current controversy about “Global Warming,” or, using its more politically correct name “Climate Change,” such a bad joke. Is the climate changing? Yes. Do we know precisely what is causing
the changes and how to control it? Simple answer is “no.” Students, your generation is going to have to live with it and whatever its consequences may be. My generation contributed to the problem, no denying that, and it’s a dirty trick that we’re handing it off to you to fix.
College of Charleston maymester/summer sessions 2015
theJohnsonian
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February 26, 2015
Special is our specialty. Before the sun comes up, our scratch-made bread is in our Bakery ovens. Before the store opens, we’re handcrafting desserts, designed to delight. Our Produce associates are selecting the freshest, juiciest fruit and cutting it by hand to prepare our Fresh Cut Fruit Salads. We’re always stocking the Deli with premium meats and cheeses, Boar’s Head® and Publix Brand, and the freshest toppings to layer on your favorite made-to-order sub. Because, before you come back, we want to give you every delicious reason to.
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February 26, 2015