The Johnsonian - Mar. 9, 2016

INSIDE

NEWS SPORTS Athlete of Reality of human the week: trafficking Xavier Cooks in SC 4PG 4 4PG 6

Winthrop University

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Rock Hill, South Carolina

ON-CAMPUS ARMED ROBBERY Composite of suspect in armed robbery released Carolyn Rennix rennixc@mytjnow.com Editor’s Note: This is an active story, and we will continue to add information as we learn more.

At 11:09 p.m. on Feb. 29, Winthrop students’ phones started to ring and buzz; a WU Alert flashed on their bright iPhone screens, notifying them that there was an armed robbery behind Margaret Nance Residence Hall.

About 30 minutes earlier, at 10:38 p.m., an 18-year-old female student was walking from Starbucks to her nearby Margaret Nance dorm room, according to the university police report.

The victim was texting her mom as she approached the rear parking lot of the residence hall when a black male in a black hoodie and jeans approached her from behind on his bike. The suspect jumped off the bike, grabbed the victim’s hands and yelled at her to give him all of her belongings, according to the report.

The female student did not comply and began to fight back and scream.

After struggling with the male suspect, she decided to throw her wallet and phone underneath a nearby parked vehicle.

During the scuffle, the male suspect pulled a handgun out of the front pocket of his hoodie and presented it to the suspect. At one point in the fight, the suspect dropped the handgun on the ground, which caused the magazine clip to fall out.

The victim then attempted to kick the gun away; however, the suspect managed to retrieve the gun and put the clip back in place. The suspect then picked up the victim’s cell phone, got back on his bike and fled the scene.

Sketch courtesy of Campus Police

Composite of the suspect in the armed robbery at Winthrop on Feb. 29.

Déjà vu 4see ROBBERY pg. 3

Jacob Hallex/ The Johnsonian

(Left) Guard Keon Johnson had a cold shooting game on Sunday. Johnson shot 1 for 16 from the field. (Right) This is the third year in a row Pat Kelsey has coached a team to the conference tournament championship game.

Eagles lose the Big South Championship game for third straight year Jacob Hallex hallexj@mytjnow.com Winthrop lost the Big South Tournament Championship game for a third year in a row on Sunday.

UNC Asheville beat the Eagles 77-

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68, punching their ticket to the NCAA tournament.

The Eagles and Bulldogs faced off twice in the regular season. Both teams walked away with single point victories. “They bring out the best in us,” said Asheville head coach Nick McDevitt.

Sophomore guard Ahmad Thomas spoke to reporters with a smile on his face and a piece of net in his hat. “It’s been a great ride,” he said.

The star of the game was Asheville’s Dwayne Sutton. Sutton netted 25 points and brought down 18 rebounds. His

stellar performance earned him all tournament team as well as the title of tournament MVP. “I’m one of the biggest guards in the Big South, so I just tried to crash with a lot of aggressiveness,” Sutton said.

For Winthrop, it all fell apart in the second half. The Eagles had a 33-24 lead at halftime that couldn’t be sustained.

Foul trouble and cold shooting led to Winthrop’s demise in the second half of Saturday’s contest.

4see BIGSOUTH pg. 6

Index: News 3 | Science & Tech 5 | Sports 6 | Arts & Culture 8 | Opinion 10

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March 9, 2016

FEATURED PHOTO: Big Stuff cheers into the camera during the Men’s Big South Conference Tournament Championship. The Eagles were defeated by UNC Asheville Sunday afternoon after winning against Gardner-Webb Saturday and Presbyterian College Friday.

Jacob Hallex/ The Johnsonian

WEATHER Police Blotter Wednesday Mostly Sunny 76 °/ 53 ° F

Saturday PM Showers 75 °/ 57 ° F

Sunday Thursday Partly Cloudy Thunderstorms 75 °/ 52 ° F 77 °/ 57 ° F

Friday Monday Partly Cloudy Mostly Sunny 78 °/ 58 ° F 77 °/ 53 ° F

Tuesday Sunny 76 °/ 51 ° F

Missing student

The parent of a Winthrop University student came to Winthrop Police out of concern for their daughter. They had not heard from the student in several days and became even more concerned after learning that the student had been previously arrested by Winthrop Police.

After talking and getting more information from the parent, Winthrop Police gathered information on the student and attempted to contact her. They were unable to get in contact because the student’s cellphone went directly to voicemail and the voice mailbox was full. Officers were then sent to Margaret Nance in to locate the student but were unable to find her. After checking with Residence Life to see if the student was sent to the hospital for a medical emergency, the police then searched campus and the surrounding area but could not find the student or their vehicle.

Checking with Aramark, the police were able to find out that the last time that the student used her ID to buy food on campus was on Feb. 27 at 2:16 pm in DiGs. Further investigation found that she entered Margaret Nance at 3:25 pm that same day. After more attempts to contact the student via email, police contacted her professors and found that she had not been attending classes for weeks.

After talking with the victim’s parents, the mother said that on Feb. 28 the student contacted her parents saying that she was thinking about dropping out and finding her own way in Columbia. She told her parents that she left her car at Winthrop, but that was untrue.

Winthrop Police believe that the victim is upset with her parents and does not want to speak with them. As the student did not leave under threat or appear to be in any danger, the case was submitted as a missing persons case and is still ongoing.

Ex-boyfriend assaults female student Officers met with a Richardson resident who stated that her exboyfriend came by her room and tried to get her to come out and talk with him. She did not come out of the doorway. The ex pulled her out and slammed her to the floor of the hallway. The ex then fled. The resident said that she was shaken up but fine and that she did not want to prosecute.

The ex said that he tried to get the victim to talk but got upset and pulled the victim out of the doorway and then threw her down in the hall and then left. Police advised him to not have any contact with the resident and that a report will be made for an assault. The ex will be turned over to Winthrop Judicial Affairs for assault.

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NEWS

theJohnsonian March 9, 2016

End the “R Word”

Students make the pledge to “End The R Word” Thomas Calamia calamiat@mytjnow.com One of the things that Winthrop prides itself on is its diversity.

People from all walks of life come to learn and better themselves at our institution. While when the word diversity comes to mind, most people think of nationality, race, or socioeconomic background.

However, this applies to everyone, even to people with disabilities.

Winthrop, along with the Winthrop Think College, held the End The R Word rally last Wednesday in Plowden auditorium in an effort to promote awareness and respect to students with developmental disabilities. The rally looked to students to respect and advocate against the use of the word ‘retarded.’

“The R word isn’t something that is talked about a lot,” said Emily Sirico, a Winthrop Alumni and Special Education teacher at Chester High School. “It isn’t something that hasn’t had a lot of light shed on it yet. The R word is a very derogative word that a lot of times people don’t understand.”

The Winthrop Think College is a post-secondary program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It gives them an inclusive education within the Winthrop population.

The Think College has specially designed classes for the students, but they also have the opportunity to take regular Winthrop courses.

Kevin Rauppius, a Winthrop senior, has felt this and experienced what it is like to be treated this way.

Kevin was diagnosed with Autism in middle school and has been working to deal with and overcome his disability.

“It was hard in middle school, because I moved around a lot because they didn’t know my disability yet,” Rauppius said.

“After several doctors and moving to different schools with class rooms and teachers who didn’t understand me.”

Kevin has also dealt with people who did not understand him or his disability.

“In second grade I had an aid who helped me in my classes,” Rauppius said. “At this point in time, I was not diagnosed yet. She saw me as more of a behavioral problem. I remember one time she didn’t treat me right. It was embarrassing.”

These types of issues happen all too often, along with the use of the R word. Often times, people Thomas Calamia / The Johnsonian view people with disabilities as people with problems that prevent “End The R Word” rally spreads awareness about students with disabilities. them from achieving anything, Community members signing a pledge to stop using the “r word” and prevent or as less of people. From this it from being spread. misunderstanding comes the disrespectful treatment of people conversation, to use the R word just as hurtful when they hear it, as with disabilities. repeatedly in reference to foolish if it was said to them.”

“They’re not just students with actions that their friends had done.

This word, regardless of how it is disabilities,” said Britney Black, Black offered to her friend with used, has many different effects on a junior special education major. disabilities that they move because different people and has a negative “They have abilities. it was obviously connotation to everyone. It hurts They’re just a little bit bothering her friends. both students who have disabilities, different than ours.

As they got up to students who are friends with That’s what we should move, her friend with people with disabilities and be focusing on.”

They’re not just disabilities got up an students who have family members Black has worked approached the two or loved ones with disabilities. students with with the Winthrop students and said: “I don’t like hearing the R word,” Think College for two disabilities. They “That word that Rauppius said. “It makes me feel years. Many of the have abilities. you’ve been using. bad for all those who had been students that have The R Word. It hurts called the R word. Using this word come to Think College They’re just a little my feelings when is very disrespectful to those with have become some of bit different than you say that. We disabilities.”

Black’s closest friends. ours. That’s what we shouldn’t say that The End The R Word Rally urged Black, in her word, because it hurts everyone in attendance to take the speech, recounted one should be focusing people’s feelings. pledge to stand up against it and of her experiences on.

Please try to use sought to replace the R word with a with the R word. She another word.” new one: Respect. and her friends with Britney Black “A lot of times “We take offense at being Special education major the Winthrop Think people don’t categorized by and labeled by other College were getting call people with students,” Black said. “So students something to eat in disabilities the R with disabilities feel the exact DiGs when two people nearby saw a word,” Sirico said. “They’ll say it same way. Why should they be student with disabilities and began jokingly or they’ll say it to a friend. categorized?” to laugh.

But other people hear that, and it’s They began, in their own

“”

ROBBERY • from front When the victim reported the incident to the police, she said the man was approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed about 175 pounds.

She also said the suspect appeared to be “highly intoxicated” and his speech was slurred.

The victim also said that she saw another black male with him earlier during the incident and she said she believed that he was the suspect’s “look out.” The alleged acquaintance was seen standing near McBryde Hall and was wearing a gray hoodie, blue jeans and white shoes with red bases.

The victim stated that she attempted to use the “Find My Phone” app to relocate her device; however, the service was offline.

After a immediate sweep of campus and surrounding areas, the suspects were not found.

A follow-up WU Alert was sent to students at 11:59 p.m., notifying them that they had not located the suspects and to report any information to the campus police.

The university sent a composite of the suspect to the media in the area on March 7.

The larger issue

After receiving the initial WU Alert, students and faculty took to social media to spread the word and make sure that students were walking safely around campus.

A female student was also sexually assaulted in the same vicinity in November 2014.

On Tuesday afternoon, social work majors Jesse Grainger and Hannah Keenon started a petition in hopes that campus police will put an emergency phone in the Margaret Nance parking lot.

“We were told to put in a formal complaint by student services, but I don’t think one complaint is going to do anything,” Grainger said. “We wanted the campus to speak up in a collective

Jacob Hallex / The Johnsonian

After a recent armed robbery on campus, students are demanding an emergency light outside of Margaret Nance Residence Hall. effort where everyone’s concerns were heard.”

The online petition says: “As many students and faculty are aware, recently there was an armed robbery behind Margaret Nance. Just last year, there was also a sexual assault in the area.

The closest emergency phone is on the far end of the West Center. As concerned students, we feel that there should be an emergency phone behind or in front of Margaret Nance to ensure the safety of Winthrop’s student body. I think we all can agree that with the amount of money that we pay to Winthrop for their services, we deserve adequate safety measures. Please sign this petition to let Winthrop’s campus police know that you are in support of placing an emergency phone near Margaret Nance for student safety.”

The petition was shared throughout the

Thomas Calamia | News Editor calamiat@mytjnow.com

week on Facebook by many concerned students, including social work senior Krystal Frisbie.

“To ensure student safety it is critical to sign this petition and have campus authorities implant and place an emergency phone tower in the middle of this zone,” Frisbie wrote. “With adequate safety measures, we can reaffirm the rights of individuals to not fear walking from the library or on campus in general when getting back to their dorm.”

There were 846 electronic signatures as of 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Grainger and Keenon have a meeting set up with Campus Police Chief Frank Zebedis and President Mahony on March 9 to discuss the petition.

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March 9, 2016

SC lawmakers fight human trafficking SC Attorney General speaks to Winthrop about human trafficking Thomas Calamia calamiat@mytjnow.com When thinking of human trafficking, the first thing that comes to mind is the plot to the movie “Taken”.

A group of Russian mobsters or European gangsters kidnapping a young girl backpacking through Europe on a graduation trip and being saved by her father in the CIA. It is seen as a foreign or exotic crime that happens only in other big cities, certainly not in South Carolina. This could not be further from the truth.

Human trafficking is a $150 billion a year industry and the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. There 21 million human trafficking victims a year according to the International Labor Organization.

One out of six runaways is a human trafficking victim and 70 percent of these victims are from social services or foster homes.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson came to Winthrop last Tuesday to do a talk put on by the West Forum in order to educate students on the serious issue of human trafficking in South Carolina.

“One of the best things about being the attorney general is that I get to weigh in on some extremely heavy issues,” Wilson said. “I never dreamed in a million years that it would be a problem in South Carolina.”

Wilson, to help illustrate the issue told the story of Theresa Flores, the author of “Slave Across the Country”, and is an advocate and survivor of human trafficking.

Flores grew up in Michigan in the 1980’s. One day in high school, a cute boy whom she knew and admired from afar and offered her a ride home.

He took her back to his place and drugged her.

When Flores came back to consciousness, she knew that she had been raped.

The next day the boy approached her with an envelope with photos of him and about five other men sexually assaulting her unconscious body.

He threatened that if she did not do exactly what they said, then they would post the photos all around school.

They also said if she went to the police that they would kill her and her family. Flores then began going to locations in the dead of night and was sold several times over the course of two years.

“She was not kidnapped,” Wilson said. “She went home every day…She wasn’t backpacking in some third world country. She was by all accounts in a safe area.”

Many instances of human trafficking are like this. The victims are either forced into the life by threats of ruining their reputation, threats of violence, or by hooking them on drugs.

South Carolina used to be one of the worst states in the country for human trafficking.

However, after hearing Flores’s story, Wilson enacted change.

“We got together with groups and law enforcement and wrote one of the most comprehensive human trafficking statutes on the books anywhere in the country,” Wilson said. “Now we are ranked as one of the best

states on human trafficking enforcement.”

This law covered almost all aspects of human trafficking and allows all involved, even those who do not do the trafficking themselves and just scout out potential victims, to be prosecuted by a state grand jury.

“State grand juries have investigative powers,” Wilson said. “It has the ability to compel people to attend. It can do things secretly, and most importantly it doesn’t stop at a county line.”

Not only that, but law enforcement is now receiving additional training to be on the look out for potential victims by being trained to identify clues that indicate human trafficking and asking more questions.

David Meeler, director of the legal studies minor program at Winthrop, help put on this program with the West Forum in order to educate students on this issue.

Meeler has been working on putting this Reagan Martin / The Johnsonian event together since last year.

“How bizarre that human trafficking is this sort of phenomena that you can just find,” Meeler said. “First of all that there are people who are part of their mission to target young people and that they can spot them so quickly and that they can be going back home and then going out and being coerced and trafficked.

It’s not this perception that is displayed on television.”

GOP debate watch party

Campus political organizations come together for civil bureaucratic discourse Hannah Strong Special to The Johnsonian Thursday night students from all political backgrounds gathered around a SmartBoard in DiGs with pizza to watch Fox News’ GOP debate.

Students from the College Republicans, College Democrats and Socialist Student Union shared conversation and educated one another on the presidential candidates.

They talked about the FDA and private education during commercial breaks. Students expressed concerns about Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall and that he continually says he expects Mexico to pay for it.

The students found common ground on immigration in the United States and agreed that expanding business with laborers is necessary.

President of the College Republicans Kat Yoffie said they like to watch the debates together to bond. “It’s important that people from other parties are here to share their ideas,” Yoffie said. “It’s also important because one of the guys on stage is going to be our nominee probably against Hillary Clinton in November.”

Trump began the night defending his small hands, but overall the presidential candidates covered topics from immigration to Trump University.

Junior Leslie Lovett said he enjoys talking with others who have different opinions. “It’s good, because we all identify with each candidate and some of our views line with the candidates and it gives us a chance to discuss ideas,” Lovett said.

John Kasich stood out from the other candidates with responses that differed from the other four candidates.

The main moderator for the evening Megyn Kelly did not hold back when she was questioning Trump, Cruz or Rubio on previously held positions.

At the end of the night students exchanged final thoughts and agreed that Kasich generally performed better than the other candidates.

The College Republicans meet every Thursday in DiGs 221 at 5:30 p.m.

Hannah Strong / The Johnsonian

Students spoke about the FDA and private education during the GOP debate watch party Thursday evening.

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S&T

theJohnsonian March 9, 2016

Learning a new sport?

Study suggests sports video games can significantly increase knowledge Daniel James jamesd@mytjnow.com The next time you consider learning a new sport, it might be a good idea to play a video game version of it first, according to a study out of Winthrop University’s Department of Physical Education.

In 2014, assistant professors of physical education Seth Jenny and David Schary conducted a study on using Madden NFL to learn how to play football.

This study used volunteer international students that had no previous experiment with the game.

While the results suggested ability to learn the rules of a sports game through video games, they were not statistically significant.

This changed with their most recent study, conducted in Fall 2015. This time using American students and Don Bradman Cricket, the study showed

significant results in four out of five categories.

The categories tested were rules, terminology, field layout, player positions and umpire signals.

Knowledge in each of these areas was tested with an exam before and after the gaming composed of 50 questions, 10 in each area.

Out of 98 volunteers in the study, 48 played video games as the experimental group. The rest of the volunteers acted as a control, simply taking the test twice with no gaming to help.

The 48 volunteers who played the game performed much better in the second test than the control group in every area except umpire signals. Umpire signals did see an improvement, but it was not a substantial improvement.

Why did this study show better differentiation than the 2014 study? Jenny has a few ideas.

“In the Madden study, it took them about an hour to an hour and a half of gaming to learn the controls,” Jenny said. “One of the things that helped in this study is they played the game tutorial in how to bowl and how to bat at the very beginning.”

Jenny said that the tutorial was excluded in the 2014 study since they wanted any learning to be from playing football in the game, but he did not realize at the time how difficult it would be to learn the controls by trial and error.

Because of this change, the majority of time in the 3 gaming sessions was spent was on playing the game, not learning the controls.

While the study suggests that

Photo courtesy of Seth Jenny

A student playing a cricket video game. In the study, those that played the game greatly improved their knowledge of cricket in 4 out of 5 tested areas. video games can be used to teach sports games, one of the issues with using video games for teaching purposes is that the game has to be realistic.

“We looked at rugby,” Jenny said.

“The rugby games got bad game reviews. It wasn’t realistic and that’s sort of the point of the study, to learn about the game.”

Teachers thinking of using video games as a teaching tool in the future should take this into consideration and be knowledgeable about the game mechanics and their accuracy.

Jenny said that he could not have done the study without the help of the volunteers, Jason Chung, David

Schary, and Scot Rademaker.

The next study that Jenny is planning will take a further look at video games as a teaching tool by comparing Don Bradman Cricket to instruction from a professor.

“Seeing the people learning about cricket in the study was my favorite part,” Jenny said. “What my hope is that people can gain an interest in a sport by playing a video game version of it. That’s why we’re doing the research. We’re trying to figure out ways to motivate people.”

For more information on this study or the upcoming Cricket study, contact Seth Jenny at jennys@winthrop.edu.

Winthrop University gives students the ability to use ExpressionWeb to design websites and post them on birdnest.org for free. When using ExpressionWeb go to Site > Open site and type in your birdnest address. If your student email is smithj0, this would be http://www.birdnest.org/ smithj0. You will be asked to log in with your acc username (acc\smithj0 in this case). This will give you access to a folder in which you can design and post pages. For more information, type ExpressionWeb on Winthrop’s search bar. They have several tutorials and guides available.

Endometriosis silently affects 1 in 10 females in US Elizabeth McKnight mcknighte@mytjnow.com The month of March, like many other months in the year, is a month of awareness.

This month marks bringing awareness to different issues such as ovarian cancer, selfharm, muscular dystrophy (this month is muscular dystrophy education, as opposed to MS awareness itself), HIV/AIDS, epilepsy awareness and so on.

March is also for endometriosis awareness.

This is a difficult and life altering disease.

Endometriosis, to put it simply, is when the lining of the uterus is found around other parts of the body.

Commonly, it is found on reproductive organs (fallopian tubes, ovaries and the like).

There are some more extreme cases, though, where it can be found on the intestines, appendix, and other unsuspecting areas.

Cases of endometriosis go untreated for significant amounts of time because they are usually misdiagnosed, the most common misdiagnoses being Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Symptoms of endometriosis range from unusually painful cramps, changes in menstrual cycle (length or flow), changes in bowel movements, nausea or vomiting, and

pain during intercourse. Of course, these are not all the symptoms, and symptoms can vary from person to person.

Since endometriosis is caused from the uterus lining, it does not usually develop until girls have hit puberty. But, if and when it is properly diagnosed, it can take years. No specific cause has been pinpointed, and there is no known cure.

There are treatments to lessen the amount of endometriosis found in the body, such as different medications. The more popular medication given to those suffering is Lupron, however, this is proven to be more harmful than helpful. While Lupron lessens the disease and its effects, once a woman is done with her treatment, she can experience many side effects such as osteoporosis and hair loss.

Treatments also include surgery to remove the endometriosis, though the endometriosis can return. Hysterectomies are the common decision among those suffering, as the reproductive system is usually the affected

Daniel James | Science & Technology Editor jamesd@mytjnow.com

area. Infertility, aside from excruciating abdominal pain, is the biggest side effect of endometriosis.

Of course, it is not unheard of for those suffering to be able to have children, but it is extremely difficult, and they usually turn to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Hysterectomies, therefore, are usually left as a last resort because women don't want to rule out the option of ever being able to have children themselves.

Women suffering from endometriosis deal with incredible pain, chronic fatigue, depression and weight gain.

Endometriosis triggers an endless list of issues for women, because the body is affected in so many ways.

For so many women that suffer, and for how much they suffer, the world is certainly quiet about raising awareness for them.

Friends and family all around us are suffering, and someone is diagnosed every minute after suffering in silence for so long, unsure of what has been happening with their bodies.

Wear yellow, support endometriosis. Find a cure.

Endometriosis triggers an endless list of issues for women, because the body is affected in so many ways.

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SPORTS

theJohnsonian

March 9, 2016

Jacob Hallex / The Johnsonian

Winthrop’s high paced offense struggled to get moving. Winthrop’s Jimmy Gavin put up 31 points, but that still wasn’t enough to give the Eagles a win.

BIGSOUTH • from front The Eagles shot 6.3 percent from three point range and 34.2 percent from the field in the second half.

“We picked a bad day to not have our best shooting night,” said Winthrop head coach Pat Kelsey.

Master’s student Jimmy Gavin said this team wasn’t feeling sorry for itself. “We weren’t good enough today, josh played his heart out Duby played his heart out. We win as a team we lose on as a team,” said Gavin.

Jimmy Gavin was the driving force behind Winthrop’s offense in the championship game. Gavin scored 31 points, 24 of which came from two point range. Gavin was two points shy of tieing the record for points made in a Big South conference championship game.

Gavin’s performance over the long weekend earned him all tournament team honors. Gavin’s tenure with the team was short. His

presence will be missed, “To not have the opportunity to coach a guy like Jimmy Gavin is a sad sad day,” Kelsey said.

An emotional Jimmy Gavin spoke with reporters after the game, “to represent Winthrop this year has been the opportunity of a lifetime... it’s been the absolute best year of my life.”

Winthrop came into the tournament as the number two seed. The Eagles had a tremendous season and finished as co-champions with High Point University. High Point held the conference tiebreaker over Winthrop which gave them an automatic bid into the National Invitational Tournament.

The Eagles won their first two contests of the tournament with wins over Presbyterian College and Gardner-Webb. Asheville advanced to the tournament final with wins over five seed Liberty and one seed High Point.

During Winthrop’s game against

UNC Asheville players celebrate after winning the Big South Conference Tournament.

Gardner-Webb sophomore center Duby Okeke broke the single season record for blocked shots. Xavier Cooks also had a solid weekend in Buies Creek. Cooks averaged 17 points a game in the tournament.

With postseason hopes dashed, the Eagles are already looking toward next fall. Guard Keon

Aussie! Aussie! Ausie!

Oi! Oi! Oi! Emily Gill gille@mytjnow.com Xavier Cooks is a distinctive person on and off the court: tall, talented, and deemed “best hair in the Big South” by a conference commentator.

The sophomore sports management from Wollongong, Australia was recruited

by Coach Pat Kelsey. Cooks said he trusted that Kelsey and the rest of the coaching staff to not only better him as a player but make transitioning between countries easier.

Cooks started playing basketball when he was four, but basketball was a part of his life even before then.

In an interview with Aussie Hoopla, Kelsey said “A basketball was in his crib from day one and his basketball IQ reflects that.”

Cooks’ father, Eric Cooks, played at St. Mary’s University in Texas. He later played for two Australian teams, the Ballarat Miners and the Wollongong Hawks. After retiring as a player, he was the head coach for the Hawks for two years and is now an assistant coach for the team.

Cooks older brother, Dominque Cooks, played at Utah State and later at Chaminade University in Hawaii.

Winthrop basketball has been a more intense experience than his previous teams.

“This is the first American basketball team I’ve been apart of so I’m not sure how this team differs… but it is a lot more competitive than other teams I’ve been a part of. The practices are different. We battle everyday against each other to the point we almost fight,” Cooks said.

Johnson will be a veteran senior.

Anders Broman, the brother of Bjorn Broman, will likely replace Jimmy Gavin as a primary offensive threat.

A gallery of photos from the weekend’s action can be viewed at mytjnow.com.

College of Charleston maymester/summer sessions 2016

Photo courtesy of Winthrop Athletics

Cooks believes games this year have been particularly exciting for fans.

“We play a fast paced game style with lots of exciting plays. We have exciting players like Keon Johnson, Jimmy Gavin and Duby Okeke who make the game fun to watch,” Cooks said.

Cooks’ favorite team bonding moment was when they went on a team retreat to Greensboro. Cooks said they “established our team and personal goals about basketball and other aspects about our lives” while they were there.

The closeness of a team is important to any athlete, but especially athletes from out of the country. With almost 10,000 miles between him and his family, Cooks looks to his friends and teammates.

“When I encounter an issue, which my family would usually help me get through, I have to rely on the support from my friends over here,” Cooks said.

Although Cooks may not know the whole student body personally, their support for him is evident too. The crowd’s favorite chant shows it: Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!

Emily Gill | Sports Editor gille@mytjnow.com

summer sessions can help you: accelerate your degree program. focus on tougher courses. graduate on time. more than 300 courses will be offered this summer, including study abroad and online classes, independent studies and internships.

for more information:

843.953.4831 summer@cofc.edu | go.cofc.edu/summer

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7

March 9, 2016

Lady Eagles prepare for Big South Tournament Taylor Simpson simpsont@mytjnow.com

The women’s basketball team will be traveling to Asheville on March 10 for the Big South Conference Championship. The Eagles are entering the tournament as an eleven seed and will take on the six seed High Point in their first game of the conference tournament.

Winthrop lost both games to High Point 74-67 at home on Jan. 19 and 80-60 at High Point on Feb. 20. The Eagles have been battling adversity before the season even started when head coach Kevin Cook was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Coach Cook underwent a successful surgery called deep brain stimulation in April which helped him with the fight of Parkinson’s and led him back to coaching this season.

During the entire season injuries was the name of the game. The injuries first started on Nov. 10 when senior center Schaquilla Nunn who was a preseason First Team All-Big South Conference selection suffered a broken foot and was forced redshirt this season.

Then on Jan. 12 sophomore point guard Jimecheia Banks got terrible news when she was told she would have to miss the remainder of the season with a broken ankle. This was another big hit to the team as Jimecheia started nine of the first fourteen games.

Later on Feb. 1 the injury bug kept attacking the Eagles as leading scorer Erika Williams who was averaging 16.4 points this season and 19.3 points in conference play was sidelined for the rest of the season after she suffered a foot injury. During the season the Eagles were forced to play some games with only eight players and they had to go out and find additional players to add to their injury bitten roster.

With the conference tournament starting on Thursday

FREAKY FAST! FREAKY

Jacob Hallex / The Johnsonian

Nuba Jackson prepares to take a shot in a game against the Campbell Camels.

Winthrop will be led by redshirt junior guard Aliyah Kilpatrick who has been averaging 15.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game throughout conference play.

The Eagles will need to use their adversity with all the injuries this season to help them compete and make a run in the Big South Conference tournament.

This is the month of March where extraordinary buzzer beaters, upsets, and dreams are accomplished, so the Winthrop Eagles just need to believe and shock the Big South Conference and go dancing into the NCAA tournament.

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Men’s Tennis 3/4 - 3/6 Winthrop Invitational Terry Softball Complex

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Taylor Simpson | Assistant Sports Editor simpsont@mytjnow.com

8

A&C

theJohnsonian March 9, 2016

Winthrop art on display

Lillian Peel, Hayley Neiling, Caroline Kalayjian, Amy Ciravolo and Lindsey Bargar hung on the walls. The other hallway featured Friday was a big day for work from Amelia Stockman, Winthrop art. Will Lattman, Taylor McGuirt, Emily Furr, an art major, held his fourth Jordan Sommer and Jessie solo-exhibition in the McLaurin Hawkins.

Student Galleries.

Emily Fitzgerald, a senior Lattman’s exhibition was English major, put this event entitled “Stillness (In Woe)”. together. She became involved It included a with doing the art performance aspect show through her from Lattman participation in the featuring songs such American Association as “Intro” by alt-j, of University Women, “Stillness in Woe” by of which she is the Purity Ring, “Your president at Winthrop.

Hand In Mine” by “Part of what we do Explosions In the is promote women Sky, while his pieces and women’s rights,” were displayed Fitzgerald said. around the rooms.

The show was open “This body of work to any female student is meant to act as wanting to showcase a metaphor of how their art, whether they we may take our are an art major or negative feelings not. A flyer hanging on and push them in one of the doors read, our subconscious, “Why? Because the time so we don’t have to for underrepresented deal with them,” female artists is over.”

Emily Fitzgerald read a sign for the “I know female Senior English major exhibition. artists aren’t really In the next exhibited very often by building over, the Winthrop themselves unless they host their Female Art Exhibit held its own show, which is a lot of work,” opening in the Rutledge 1st Floor Fitzgerald said.

Hallways.

Fitzgerald said she thought it On one hallway, work from was important to feature works female students Alexis Howard, by female artists, which is how Kali Coleman colemank@mytjnow.com

“”

I know female artists aren’t really exhibited very often by themselves unless they host their own show, which is a lot of work.

Kali Coleman / The Johnsonian

Winthrop student studies Hayley Neiling’s “Musically Inclined” acrylic piece she came about hosting this event. She said she already had a lot of friends in the department willing to participate and found more contributors through them.

“Jessie Hawkins, hers is graphite and it’s like a picture of her grandparents, and I know she really admires their relationship, so it was important for her to capture that,” said Fitzgerald on one of the artists featured.

She said she just knew that they wanted somewhere to show off their work. She also said that a lot of the pieces were of women as well.

“I think that those of us that

have a voice need to use it.

Women in general are a minority and an oppressed group, but I think it’s important to stay together and realize we’re all in this together. I just think it’s important to support each other because other people may not,” Fitzgerald said.

While Fitzgerald will graduate this year, she said that she hopes whoever takes over as president will continue this event as an annual one.

“I hope this is something that continues, because talent doesn’t go away so I want it to be shown,” Fitzgerald said.

Gay Code: #ItGetsBetter Janay Reece reecej@mytjnow.com You could feel the excitement rise as students, parents and friends filled Dina’s Place two by two. Everyone’s hushed conversations were about how this is the beginning of something new and exciting at Winthrop.

No one could wait. As seven o’clock hit, the lights dimmed slowly and the audience’s loud roar came to a silent whisper and the Gay Code begun.

Topics from the ‘coming out experience’ to ‘dear straight people’, Gay Code was a tell all of being a part of the LGBTQ community.

Mashario Morton, the executive producer, used to production as a way to premiere her up and coming production company Morton Works Productions. Not only was this the premiere of Morton Works, Gay Code represented many larger issues.

“You choose to have premarital sex but I don’t judge you,” said Markia Montgomery in her segment of the show.

Judgement and misconceptions were issues that were discussed in Gay Code and offered a

Kali Coleman | A&C Editor colemank@mytjnow.com

new perspective for those who have not gotten a chance to get to know someone in the LGBTQ community.

It was emphasized that those who participated in Gay Code were just like everyone else. The participants of the film let the world know that they go through heartbreak, cheating and hard relationships or friendships just like the rest of the world.

“I’m happy with me,” said Marquise Jones as he told his story of how he overcame many obstacles when he first came out as a gay man many years ago.

Jones was one of the many students in Gay Code that opened up about his personal life before the production. In the film, he went on to say that he is gay, but it does not make him any less than a man.

There were cries of laughter echoed as the audience continued to watch the code unfold. Little did everyone know, there was a message of faith and strength that Morton and the cast wanted to leave in the minds of who came to watch the premiere.

It gets better.

A phrase that was repeated over and over in utter silence as more and more people came on the screen letting anyone who has thought of suicide that life gets better.

Gay Code was a fun way to get the Winthrop community together to create a new tradition but it was a project that drew eyes to the realities that members of the LGBTQ community face.

Suicide is a real issue and Morton and the cast wanted to acknowledge those who lost their lives to the LGBTQ community, people they consider to be family.

"I just want to thank everyone that came out to make Gay Code a major success. Thank you to the wonderful cast that were bold enough to share their stories with the world. You all believed in the vision I had and it's just a humbling experience all the way through," said Morton.

Morton and the cast knew that they shook the world at the premiere of Gay Code leaving a message of hope for all.

[It was] a new perspective for those who have not had a chance to get to know someone in the LGBTQ community.

theJohnsonian

9

March 9, 2016

Did the Oscars get it right?

Kristin Streetman Staff Writer Awards season is upon us, and with it comes the casualties of the popularity contest that is Hollywood. That is, the films that are unfairly looked over for the larger budget, star spangled productions that inevitably take home the gold.

What qualifies a snubbed film? In this case we are looking at films that were either not nominated or were nominated but were not winners in their category.

This is not to say that all of the winners were undeserving of their wins, personally I feel that “Mad Max” and “The Revenant” were beautiful films, but there may have been a few categories that should have been awarded to other films. Other winners and nominees that are beautiful and deserving films are “Son of Saul”, “Brooklyn” and “The Room”.

Creed: Best Actor Michael B. Jordan

“Creed” is the story of Adonis Johnson, the son of (fictional) boxing legend Apollo Creed (who died in a boxing match in Rocky IV) and his personal journey alongside his trainer, “Rocky Balboa”. The film did well commercially earning $109,712,885 in the U.S. and receiving a 94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Creed breathed a very interesting breath of life into the seventh installation of the Rocky franchise in a way that honored its predecessors and was connected enough to today’s audiences to remain relevant. “Creed” did receive one nomination, however it was for Sylvester Stallone in Best Supporting Actor, which he lost to Mark Rylance for “Bridge of Spies”.

However, Jordan (who was previously snubbed in 2013 for Fruitvale Station) was left out of the category of Best Actor.

“Stallone was snubbed for Best Supporting Actor in ‘Creed’. In my opinion he gave the performance of his life time. It was literally him passing down the legacy of his movies to the new generation,” said senior political scince major Joseph Ferguson.

Beasts of No Nation: Best Adapted Screenplay

“Beasts of No Nation” is a drama based on the experiences of Agu (Abraham Attah), a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country. The film received a 91 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but did not earn much especially considering the brilliant storytelling in this film.

The film reaches incredible emotional depths and is both uplifting yet incredibly heart breaking as you watch the eventual loss of evidence in young Agu. The cinematography is awe inspiring as it transports you to the dirty and ugly aspects of war, yet dazzles you with the landscapes of the African jungle.

“Beasts of No Nation” is on Netflix if you would like to see it, but viewer discretion is advised as the film depicts violence, drug use, sexual situations and contains inappropriate language.

Trumbo: Best Director

“Trumbo” is a film centered on successful screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) and other 1947 Hollywood figures when get blacklisted for their political beliefs. The film received a surprisingly low rating of a 74 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and was unfortunately not only snubbed but under viewed and underrated.

The film is poignant and tackles the absurdity and

Kristen Streetman / The Johnsonian

unfortunate nature of gossip in Hollywood.

“I think ‘The Martian’ was snubbed for Best Director. Ridley Scott did a great job at telling the story and the visual effects were stunning. ‘The Martian’ is absolutely worthy of all the acclaim it has received,” said mathematics sophomore Austin Dover.

Listen to Me Marlon: Best Documentary

“Listen to Me Marlon” offers a fascinating look at the inner life of a Hollywood icon, told in his own words. The idea of the film, audio tapes and clips from the famously mysterious actor Marlon Brando, seems far fetched at best, but the film is hypnotic, stunning, and simply mesmerizing.

It does something that has not been seen in many other bio-pic documentaries in that it engrosses the viewer in the life of a former star.

Star Wars The Force Awakens: Best Score

It is hard to believe that a Star Wars film, which grossed $925,988,323 (so far), was snubbed for anything. However, a sad fact of most awards shows is that they often do not include any kind of sci-fi, superhero, or book adaptations such as Harry Potter, in their nominations.

This film has an unbelievably brilliant score. John Williams uses the score to characterize the protagonists in a way very rarely seen and difficult to achieve.

For example, in the film the new trio is somewhat of a reincarnation of the original trio and you can actually hear that connection in Rey and Luke’s scores. Williams is a brilliant composer and certainly deserved to be rewarded for his unparalleled work.

“I believe that ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ should have won best effects for the oscars. All the light saber, action scenes and space scenes are just CGI dopeness. It was a revival of a classic, any Star Wars fan would fight for it,” said graphic design freshman Carmen Little.

Artists on the rise Jay Grice gricej@mytjnow.com

John Bazemore / Associated Press

Andra Day The new age queen of soul, Andra Day, has burst onto the music scene in the first few months of 2016. After her Grammy Awards performance with British pop star, Ellie Goulding, searches for Day’s music greatly increased across the web.

Some may remember her 2012 cover of Jessie J’s “Mamma Knows Best” that was published on YouTube. This was her first viral moment, a moment quite rare. Nearly four years later, Day released her first studio album. “Cheers to the Fall” peaked at number three on the US R&B charts.

Day’s second single, “Rise Up” has become a pop radio hit. “Rise Up” is truly becoming an empowerment anthem for many people, and giving rise to a career that is sure to continue growing throughout the year.

Evan Agostini / Invision / Associated Press

Alabama Shakes While Alabama Shakes have been around for almost six years now, it seems that the band’s popularity has capitulated over the past year. The group’s 2012 premier album “Boys and Girls” was an extreme success for the band.

The album’s lead single “Hold On” was even named best song of the year by Rolling Stone magazine. The band has been quoted granting their success to the lead singer. Brittany Howard’s incredible stage presence and out of this world vocal abilities are no doubt the group’s key element of success. Howard also released a solo album last year entitled “Thunderbitch” which delightfully surprised the entire fanbase. Look out for more music from Alabama Shakes later this year.

Scott Gries / Invision / Associated Press

Troye Sivan While certainly not the first YouTube personality to popular music star success story, Troye Sivan’s career as a singer/ songwriter is sure to last quite longer than most.

Sivan also has quite the background in acting, starring as a young James Howlett in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Sivan wrote an original song inspired by fellow YouTuber John Green’s book The Fault In Our Stars.

The song was picked up by Green for the film adaptation. Sivan has now released two EPs, “TRXYE” and “Wild”. “Wild” was followed quickly by a studio album entitled “Blue Neighborhood”.

The Guardian praised Sivan for “capturing the sound of now so well” and that he truly has.

Jay Grice | Assistant A&C Editor gricej@mytjnow.com

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OPINION

theJohnsonian

March 9, 2016

Challenges to the dark side of YA Brittany Rauch rauchb@mytjnow.com Because Young Adult literature is so popular in our society, reaching past the intended audience of 12 - 17/18, the fact that it tends to be the most challenged of genres doesn’t surprise me.

The YA genre can be fiercely dark and depressing. It showcases many different subjects such as teenage suicide or drug use, sexuality, identity, as well as violence.

So I understand why parents would want to censor certain books, or even take it a step further and remove the “temptation” from the places that their child visits. Now, I say “understand,” not “agree.”

To me, there is absolutely no reason in the world to ban a book. Simply disallowing a child to read a book that has subjects such as sex or drug will not ensure that they never read it.

While I believe that 16-yearolds should be allowed to read books that contain sex, drugs and violence, I do not in the same breath condone having sex, doing drugs or committing violent acts at 16.

Primarily, I think books are wonderful tools that allow people to learn about themselves as much as they do about the themes within the stories. Many “challenged” and even “banned” novels are critically acclaimed, and they are so for a reason.

They do more than tell fairytales about fluffy bunnies who never get into trouble, they tell heart-wrenching stories about real problems and obstacles that people face in real life.

Many YA books, although dark in subject choice, are necessary. They help teens deal with the changes in their body and their minds. They help understand death, life, friendship and even society.

According to the American Librarian Association, between 2000-2009, Harry Potter

was the most frequently banned/challenged book. As a reader, but not a superfan, of Harry Potter, it boggles my mind.

This book teaches readers the importance of wisdom, bravery, loyalty and friendship.

How could this book possibly be so horrid that others deem it “inappropriate?” Because it talks about magic? Magic is simply a tool used, much like a lightbulb in a lamp, to light the true themes of the story.

Usually YA is deemed inappropriate because of the age group that these books are targeted to. The reasons, while I can understand a few, don’t always seem plausible or appropriate.

Some reasons to challenge books include, but are not limited to: not being age appropriate, the book gives the “wrong impression,” has a poor ethical influence, the themes of the book are against the group/society norms, or they inspire “bad” behavior.

I support Young Adult literature in almost all forms, though. I support intellectual freedom for all ages.

I trust teachers who teach Young Adult literature because they are professionals and I respect that.

I even respect everyone’s right to “challenge” a book. Now, when I say “challenge,” I don’t mean “ban.”

Once a book is banned, it takes away the availability of that book to a community of people, not just a single individual.

That I can simply not accept. It goes against what defines America.

Taking away someone’s right to read a document because of one’s own beliefs is so incredibly selfish and unethical that I see it to be un-American, unappreciated and certainly refusable.

So, do I think Young Adult literature is too dark? No. I think it’s dark enough.

Life is not about kissing cheeks, frolicking in fields of baby’s breath or singing “Kumbaya.”

Life, itself, is so much darker than that. So, of course it makes sense that our literature - in most genres - would be like that.

Literature mimics life. Sure, there might be an alien here or an alternate universe there. But, in essence, literature - books - are pulled from experiences.

They help teens deal with the changes in their body and their minds.

They help understand death, life, friendship and even society.

Courtesy of Scholastic News Room

Original cover of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, No. 1 most challenged/banned book of 2000-2009.

I urge future middle and high school teachers to understand this. You will get a “concerned” parent or guardian that will question you.

I hope you don’t think that YA literature is too dark. I won’t say they can’t have their opinion.

I won’t say that you shouldn’t agree to disagree and move on, because you should.

If a parent says “I don’t want my child reading this,” then fine. Go through protocol. Give the student a different assignment. They are entitled to it and you shouldn’t force them to agree with you.

But don’t let anyone tell you that something like Harry Potter, Go Ask Alice, Of Mice and Men or To Kill a Mockingbird should be banned in your own community because they don’t want their child getting ahold of it.

Health care needs to help, not hurt Will health care change with the election of a new president?

Shakora Bamberg Staff Writer As we gear up for a new election year and a new president, we must think of many policies that have and will change.

The Obama Health Care Bill is President Obama’s bill of reform to the insurance industry.

The bill reforms the healthcare industry simply by expanding Medicare and Medicaid and providing affordable insurance to low-middle income Americans.

Obama Care focuses on expanding quality, affordable healthcare coverage in an effort to help millions of Americans who can’t afford coverage.

President Obama’s Health Care Bill reforms has addresses many problems.

The Affordable Care Act enacts reforms that help with insurance cost, increasing quality of health care and expanding rights and protection of its consumers.

The new healthcare bill focuses on improving employer based health care so that it may be available to more employees.

More specifically, the bill has been improved to care for certain groups such as senior citizens and women and others who didn’t originally qualify for Medicaid.

The idea behind Obama’s health care reform bill is to ensure that the people can afford to buy health insurance will be able to buy better

About The Johnsonian The Johnsonian is the weekly student newspaper of Winthrop University.

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Phone: (803) 323-3419 E-mail: editors@mytjnow.com Online: mytjnow.com

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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.

Brittany Rauch | Opinion Editor rauchb@mytjnow.com

quality insurance. According to Obamacarefacts.com, one of the biggest changes has been the creation of “health insurance exchanges.”

From a college student’s perspective, the Health Care Bill has been able to impact college student’s lives in several ways.

The Affordable Care Act has changed student’s accessibility to health insurance when raising the age a student can stay on family policy to 26.

This has opened up to many colleges, many universities provide comprehensive health plans for students however, many universities health plans aren’t up to date with federal regulations.

The big question remains: Do college students need health insurance? And if they do, what are they going to do?

As I did more research online I learned that college students cannot go without health

Editor-in-Chief CAROLYN RENNIX rennixc@mytjnow.com Managing Editor JACOB HALLEX hallexj@mytjnow.com Ad Manager NYKIA MCKENZIE mckenzien@mytjnow.com News Editor THOMAS CALAMIA

insurance. However, college students face different health problems through their years in school. Without insurance, we can go into debt and won’t receive proper care as we need it.

The saying “college students are broke” is so true. So, it wouldn’t be logical to expect college students to pay for the insurance.

The Affordable Care Act has been beneficial to college student in many ways such as: pre-existing conditions, parent’s coverage, loan repayment program and improved school health plans.

The new president, whoever he or she may be, has a lot to take on. I hope the candidate that wins will take into consideration all the benefits Obama Health Care Act has contributed to the people it has helped and that they will bring in even more better and brighter ideas that will cover those who are less fortunate.

Opinion Editor BRITTANY RAUCH

Assistant Sports Editor TAYLOR SIMPSON

Lead Graphic Designer ALTHEA HOLENKO

Arts & Culture Editor KALI COLEMAN

Head Copy Editor ADAM MATONIC

Graphic Designer REAGAN MARTIN

Assistant Arts & Culture Editor JAY GRICE

Copy Editors ELIZABETH MCKNIGHT ADAM CARATENUTO

Multimedia Editor JANAY REECE

Science & Tech Editor DANIEL JAMES

Layout Editor ERIKA SMITH

Sports Editor EMILY GILL

Faculty Advisor GUY REEL Webmaster ROMAN VITANZA

theJohnsonian

Our Say Editorial Board Brittany Rauch Opinion Editor

Jacob Hallex Managing Editor

Jay Grice Assistant A&C Editor

11

March 9, 2016

Emily Gill Sports Editor Thomas Calamia News Editor

Althea Holenko Head Graphic Designer

It is an incredible thing when people realize that being in college isn’t just about going out with friends and showing up to class; it’s a lot harder than that.

The Winthrop Project is an organization that tries to bring events related to stress relief to our campus.

According to the Huffington Post, millennials are America’s most stressed out generation to date.

The Winthrop Project posts tips and stories for students that show how we can relieve the stresses brought about by our daily lives, packed schedules and classes.

They do so in simple and easy ways,

encouraging Winthrop students to use the resources available to them such as the Counseling Center.

They urge us to concentrate on relaxing when we need it and even post and advertise campus events that teach students how to stay alert and recognize the signs that they aren’t coping well with stress.

The Winthrop Project has worked with students such as Jessica Van Cleave and Joseph Ferguson in order to release a YouTube video entitled, “What Stresses You Out, WU?” Students can check them out there or on their Facebook page at facebook. com/thewinthropexperiment.

Are loners lonely?

Dave Birley Staff Writer I had an unexpected flash of enlightenment the other day. I had just installed some new app on my computer, and was adding my user name and password.

As part of the password process, I was invited to enter some information for a “password reminder.”

The first suggested question was “First name of your best friend.” That hit me like an electric shock. I realized I don’t have a “best friend.” The acronym BFF has no application in my life. I am a loner.

Thus began a process of extensive introspection. Why do I not have a best friend? Why has this not bothered me, and I have reached the age of 81 not being bothered by it.

Lord knows, I’ve been married, twice actually, outlived the first. I have five kids, so apparently there’s nothing wrong with my “plumbing.”

Then I thought that perhaps I should indulge in a little evaluation of how I came to be thus.

After all, I am sure that my “loner” status isn’t all that unusual. It appears to me that the phenomenon is fairly common here on the Winthrop campus. I believe I shall attempt a study of the issue.

Let’s see, in MATH 150 we learn about

sets, and we learn that the efficiency of a probability problem being solved is enhanced by the size of the sample. In my case the sample has a size of one. Me. So, if you are a social scientist or a student of that discipline, what I have to offer her may be complete and utter tripe. Of course that wouldn’t be all that different from other offerings I have made here in the past, would it?

All right. Introspection lens on! Where did my loner status have its origins? Hmmm.

I know that father/son relationships are developed and nurtured from an early age.

When the father is an absent component of the family environment, then the relationship often transfers to the mother. How did that work for me?

When I was 7-years-old, World War II was just getting up steam. My father, an architect by profession, had joined the Royal Canadian Navy, Voluntary Reserve – RCNVR. He would be helping the Canadian navy by designing buildings they would need for offices, maintenance and other services.

In 1942 he was posted to Vancouver, a location that was totally out of any chance of him ever being in combat. He would later be transferred to Ottawa, Ontario, and continue fulfilling the same responsibilities.

He would be home for the occasional 48hour pass from Vancouver, and a quarterly one week of vacation. The 48-hour passes ceased with his posting to Ottawa, but we did get to see him four times a year – and for a whole week each time.

Meanwhile, my mother was pursuing her work as a portrait painter. She had a studio set up in what was once a bedroom in our

large house in Victoria, B.C., and was able to work mostly uninterrupted. Initially I wiled away my time by doing a lot of reading. Of course, by age 7, the need for me to receive an education loomed.

I was sent to a local boys’ boarding school, my sister, three years older than me, was sent to one for girls. We seldom saw one another except for school holidays, a time conveniently merged with my father’s vacations.

So my family was a classic “absentee father” situation, however this was extended by my mother’s absentee status of being in her studio painting. I learned that families were not organizations that spent time together.

Over 25 years later, when I first got married and started having kids, I was off doing engineering work and felt like I was providing for my family.

I enjoyed living alone in motel units, and seldom shared time more than briefly with my co-workers. I got a computer and learned to play with it, I had books and I was reasonably contented most of the time.

And I now realize I didn’t have friends. And I got home from time to time.

But I wasn’t lonely – by which I mean “longing for companionship.” I may not have been particularly “happy,” but I believe that for the most part I was “content.” And I now realize that I was an especially lousy father.

So I offer this question to my readers: “Are you a loner? If so, are you lonely, or are you content, or are you perplexed by being as you are?” Regardless of which hat fits you, it would be my wish for you that you would not wait until you are 81-year- old to try to figure it out!

Are you lonely, or are you content, or are you perplexed by being as you are?

Mars vs. Venus: ending double standards Janay Reece reecej@mytjnow.com Members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated held an event titled Mars vs. Venus where the untold truths of relationships were discussed.

A panel of four students discussed topics from double standards to best friends and sex, but what was evident at the event is that times have changed.

There was laughter and advice exchanged in the discussion of the realities of relationships in our generation between the audience and the panelists, but the conversations all embodied one thing: double standards.

Some hate them and others do not realize that they are real.

Roles in relationships are no longer the stereotypical ‘man’ or ‘woman,’ but have transformed into the total opposite.

Our generation is beginning to focus on remaining an individual in a relationship rather than having double standards.

Women have become more dominant, while men have fallen in between being submissive and

dominant. The reason for that is that double standards have caused women to want to change their roles in relationships.

No one wants to be limited by what people think they should be doing because it can feel like you are stuck in a box.

Not just man and woman have changed roles, but anyone who is in a relationship because no one wants to be treated unequally.

I know that the relationship I am in now, I make sure I stay true to how I define a strong woman should be and yet keep an open mind we move forward in life together.

No one deserves to be pushed into a role that does not embody who they are as a person.

You cannot expect your significant other to be who you want them to be. A relationship is about still being an individual but embracing it with someone who accepts you for who you are.

We need to come to the realization that times have changed and double standards in relationships are ending. People want what they give in return from

Roles in relationships are no longer the stereotypical “man” or “woman”

Courtesy of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.

Students discussed gender roles in relationships on March 2. the person they care about whether it is sex, time or commitment.

In my experiences with dating is that having double standards can hurt a relationship.

You can not expect someone to have the stereotypical ‘man’ or ‘woman’ role anymore because our generation and younger have evolved. We have evolved by becoming more accepting of new roles in relationships.

Women have begun to see that their position in a relationship is not to be only submissive but to be dominant. At the Mars vs.

Venus the panel even said that it is preferred for a woman to step up in her relationship and have balls

from time to time.

I am not saying that there should be one dominant person in a relationship, but I believe that both people in a relationship should have a balance between who is dominant and submissive.

I am a firm believer in equality in all many aspects of society but no one should be confined to a stereotypical role in a relationship because you never know what someone could offer you mentally or physically.

Try to go into relationships with an open mind because you might end up discovering more about yourself than anything.

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theJohnsonian

March 9, 2016