WHY WAIT TILL THURSDAY? READ MYTJNOW.COM.
Men’s basketball team receives Big South rings at tip-off ceremony. See Sports, page 10
American students help Chinese students with English. See Culture, page 9
THURSDAY November 18, 2010
Winthrop student band releases war-themed CD. See A & E, page 8
WINTHROP UNIVERSITY
Issue 12
NEWS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Foundation pays partly for DiGiorgio’s off-campus living expenses
STRIKE A POSE
BY CLAIRE BYUN byunc@thejohnsonian.com
President Anthony DiGiorgio will recieve an annual $20,000 from the Winthrop Foundation for “comparable services’ expenses for the residence,” according to the Foundation’s website. The president’s contract appropriates the amount. The services include “phone, Internet and home security monitoring, insurance and other services,” said Kathy Bigham, chair of the Winthrop Board of Trustees, and Dalton Floyd, vice-chair of the board, in a letter sent to The Johnsonian on Nov. 10. During their thrice-yearly meeting in May, the Winthrop Foundation agreed to pay the allotted expenses to DiGiorgio’s off-campus residence. While DiGiorgio lived on campus, Winthrop paid related living expenses. But due to complicated paperwork and scarce university resources the Foundation agreed to pay, said Brien Lewis, executive director of the Foundation. “Sometimes the Foundation is the appropriate vehicle, and sometimes the university is the appropriate vehicle to pay,” Lewis said. “We take great care to make sure the right entity is paying the right expense.” In return for financing the president’s expenses, Winthrop will pay for certain Foundation mailings, according to the minutes supplied on the Foundation’s website.
An art student in figure drawing class sketches a drawing. The model in this photo is not a Winthrop student, but students can sign up for work study as a model. Photo by Stepahnie Eaton • eatons@thejohnsonian.com
BY JESSICA PICKENS
Models get paid to pose for figure-drawing students
douglasa@thejohnsonian.com
Students can practice their modeling on campus: clothed or costumed. Figure drawing classes need students to pose to help art students practice their drawing. “I heard about the job through an art student, and its pay was rather high, so it caught my interest almost immediately,” said junior integrated marketing major Amanda Taylor.
See FOUNDATION page 4
Figure drawing models receive $15 an hour, but the job isn’t for self-conscious students. The on-campus job description says the job “requires nude or semi-nude modeling, as well as being able to take and hold interesting poses while students draw.” The pay isn’t the only thing that attracted Taylor. She did it for the experience, too. “I decided to apply as a model because I began professionally modeling before I
See DRAWING page 7
SPORTS
NEWS
WU men’s basketball lords over Queens in Homecoming game BY DAVID THACKHAM thackhamd@thejohnsonian.com
Coach Randy Peele asked Winthrop junior forward George Valentine this summer to “step up” after his redshirt season. Valentine easily surpassed everyone’s expectations in Winthrop’s Homecoming
matchup against Queens, earning his first career double-double in a 70-61 win over the Royals. Winthrop easily dominated the opening period of play, going into the half with a 14-point lead. Although Queens came out of the half invigorated, the pressure eventually waned, and the Eagles kept their
West Center equipment feels like ‘running on the moon’
opponents at arms length to the delight of a particularly vocal home crowd. “I’m happy with it,” Peele said about the outcome of the game. A raucous student section was in full voice for Homecoming Week to support their Eagles as they began the 2010-2011
BY JOHNATHAN MCFADDEN
See HOMECOMING page 11
mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com
NEWS
Rutgers bullying brings light to minority acceptance BY MONICA KREBER
Related stories
kreberm@thejohnsonian.com
Graphic by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@ thejohnsonian.com
On Sept. 22, 18-year-old Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi leapt to his death from the George Washington Bridge in Piscataway Township, N.J. Clementi took his own life after his roommate, Dharun Ravi, allegedly video-streamed Clementi’s sexual encounter with another man over the Internet without Clementi’s consent. Ravi is one of two Rutgers students facing charges of invasion of privacy. Meanwhile, the story has shed light on the acceptance of minority students at other schools in the nation. At Winthrop, students of different sexual orientations find ways to express themselves through GLoBAL (Gay Lesbian Bisexual Allies). GloBAL’s president, senior physical education major Rachel Wyka, said she finds Winthrop
Questions? Contact us at editors@thejohnsonian.com Serving Winthrop since 1923
I N D E X
See what celebrities such as Demi Lovato have to say about cyber bullying. See A & E page 8 Cyber bullying has harmful psychological effects. See H & S page 6 to be “very accepting” of students of different sexual orientations and lesserknown religions. Wyka pointed out during the Evanglist’s protest on Oct. 13 many students stood up to the group of people who came to speak out against people of dif-
Austin Weiss biked uphill on Stormy Hollow for about 30 minutes and then went straight to Starbucks in the campus center to guzzle caffeine before class. One day soon, the junior biology major hopes to ride the trail of the 34-mile Virginia Creeper all from inside the West Center and still make it back in time to grab his favorite afternoon pick-me-up before his economics class. He’s no Superman - just a passionate biker taking advantage of free demo equipment in the West Center. Precor, the fitness equipment company that supplied the West Center with all of its cardio equipment, is letting Winthrop try out an interactive exercise bike called the Expresso Bike and the Adaptive Motion Trainer (AMT), a mix between a stairmaster and elliptical. If students show enough interest in the test drives, Winthrop may
See BULLY page 4
See WEST page 3
CAMPUS NEWS
2-5
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
10-11
OPINION
6-7
CULTURE
12-13
HEALTH & SCIENCE
8-9
SPORTS
14-15
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CLAIRE BYUN News Editor THURSDAY byunc@thejohnsonian.com November 18, 2010 JONATHAN MCFADDEN Assistant News Editor mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com
Screen-reading technology gives students without sight ability to read books, take tests By Jonathan McFadden mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com
Just like the average college student, senior business administration major Stephanie Maguras takes tests, writes papers, does homework and checks her e-mail regularly. Unlike the average college student, she’s legally blind. With a technology called JAWS (Job Access With Speech), reading has become a little easier for Maguras and other visually impaired individuals. JAWS, a screen-reading software program that reads out text on a computer screen via an electronic voice, is available on many ACC lab computers throughout campus. With JAWS, visually impaired students can read their e-mails, find information online, read textbooks if the publisher provides the book in a Word document format, write papers and even take tests.
Stephanie Maguras uses JAWS on her own personal laptop. With the program, Maguras can check her personal e-mail, look up information online and take tests. Photo by Jonathan McFadden • mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian. com
Using JAWS For Maguras, using JAWS is very helpful around test time. Though she didn’t start using JAWS until high school, Maguras is able to listen to the electronic computerized voice at a quick pace. “I use it to read pretty much everything,” Maguras said. When she has to take tests, she goes to the test center in the Services for Students with Disabilities Office in Crawford. She said JAWS allows her to hear everything she is typing and was a convenience in pleasing one teacher who wanted to see everything Maguras wrote. Using JAWS has been helpful in aiding Maguras exert her own independence, she said. In her 13 years as Winthrop’s program director for students with disabilities, Gena Smith said she could not think of any student she has met with significantly impaired vision who wasn’t familiar with JAWS technology. The software is only attached to an individual student’s user account, so they are able to access the program on any ACC computer on campus, Smith said. It also allows for any settings students have adapted for their personal needs to remain intact, such as variation in the electronic voice or punctuation settings. “Only the students who need it can access it,” Smith said. JAWS, which Smith said is a very essential tool for visually impaired students and non-students, has been in use since its introduction in 1989. While Smith does not provide JAWS for students’ personal use on their personal computers, she said many visually impaired students already come to college with it on their laptops. Smith said the software was available at Winthrop before she came in 1997, but it wasn’t available on as many computers. It wasn’t until Smith and the Services for Students with Disabilities enacted a campus-wide deployment of JAWS that
it was available on multiple ACC lab computers. Once an acronym used to describe Job Access with Windows Systems, JAWS is now referred to as Job Access with Speech and is used on computers operating through Windows systems. At Winthrop, JAWS currently operates on a five-user site license. Smith said the program doesn’t even have five users at the moment, though there have been times when there has been greater student need. Smith, who also works with visually impaired people at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, said she has met people who can listen to JAWS at such a speed that she herself is unable to understand what the electronic voice is dictating. Students who have grown up using JAWS are also able to efficiently use the program, which allows its user to control the speed at which the electronic voice dictates. “…I’m just not used to listening to the human voice—and it’s also an electronic voice—move that quickly,” Smith said. Yet, as with much software, there are some bugs in the system, such as JAWS’s problem with reading anything that’s not text. “As visually appealing as everything’s gotten, JAWS likes text,” Smith said. Smith said JAWS stumbles over pictures and has a problem reading complexities, similar to comprehensive graphs or charts. Smith said she advises people who are preparing anything written for a visually impaired student to keep it as simple and text-heavy as possible. While sighted students can utilize the look, point and click method to sift out needed or essential information, students using JAWS have to sit, listen and wait while JAWS goes through all the text on the screen—left to right, top to bottom.
Glitches in the system JAWS users may also run into obstacles in getting their textbooks in a Word document format so they can be read. If a publisher does happen to offer the book for the computer, usually it is in a PDF file, Smith said. JAWS and PDF files don’t get along too well. “There are conversions you can do for a PDF but they are not as effective as reading a straight Word document,” Smith said. Listening to JAWS can also be timeconsuming, even for the more skilled listeners. “…The amount of time it takes me to look and point and click is still so significantly less than the amount of time it takes to listen to all your steps,” Smith said. If students are faced with an extensive menu or list of items to choose from, they are forced to listen to all the items to choose the one they want. “There’s no point of reference,” Smith said. “All of that [lists, menus] has to be voice-guided.” Still, Smith said JAWS provides more independence for its users when it comes to reading text. “ [It’s] so much less time-consuming than having someone reading it to you,” Smith said. JAWS has also made surfing the web easier. Smith said websites, such as Winthrop’s homepage, have made their sites more accessible to screen-reading technology. JAWS does require some training, which is provided by the South Carolina Commission for the Blind.
Mechanism of independence Marty McKenzie, principal of visual outreach services for the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, has used
JAWS for almost 13 years. When he started, he found it wasn’t so easy to learn. “It was challenging for me,” McKenzie said. McKenzie, who said he is a visual learner, began to lose a substantial amount of his vision over the span of his career. While in graduate school, he used a magnifying glass to read print as his vision began to decline. “Switching to an auditory format has been challenging,” McKenzie said. Now, he has learned to appreciate the accessibility JAWS grants him. With JAWS, McKenzie can access his e-mail, navigate the Web and use Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. For McKenzie, one of the most important functions of JAWS is its ability to allow him to manage his personal finances using QuickBooks 2003. “Being able to manage my own checkbook without having to involve anyone else’s help is extremely important for me,” McKenzie said. JAWS allows McKenzie a level of independence he otherwise would not have, he said. McKenzie said one of the biggest bugs in the system he has run into is its incompatibility with other computer systems and applications. “One of the bugs right now is the slow response we get when we’re using the JAVA application,” McKenzie said. JAWS prevents access to anything that may use JAVA. JAWS allows users to listen to punctuation. McKenzie said JAWS comes with four levels of punctuation settings. • All: reads every character that is not a number or letter. • Most: reacts to common punctuation and leaves out anything that JAWS interprets as different or unusual. • Some: reacts to all punctuation, but JAWS will only read punctuation that may be accidentally entered. • None: does not read any punctuation, unless user is reading character by character.
One Act Plays Poetry Photography Art Prose Design Illustration Submission Deadline November 19
anthology@winthrop.edu www.winthropanthology.com
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THURSDAY November 18, 2010
WEST • from front purchase the equipment, which has been in the West Center for about a week and can be expected to stay for at least one more. So far, the feedback in that time has been very positive, said Laura Johnson, assistant director of the West Center for Operations. “I think they [students] like the interactive nature of that bike [Expresso] we have down there,” Johnson said. The Expresso Bike, outfitted with an interactive monitor, handlebars and pedals, allows students such as Weiss to bike on virtual trails ranging from the Adirondack Mountains to the Mayan Ruins. Though the machine is firmly fixed to the floor, all of the resistance, work and sweat are real, as the bike gives its riders the chance to experience biking through real trails from the comfort of the West Center. A true athlete at heart, Weiss has fallen in love with the competition the bike’s interactive features offer. Logging onto an Expresso.net user account, users can track the progress of their own workout and publish it on Facebook or Twitter. They can also copy down someone else’s progress
and race that person’s “ghost.” “It pushes you to catch up with the next person,” Weiss said. The bike also gives Weiss a little more mobility than a treadmill, even though he still technically isn’t going anywhere. “This [the bike] gives you like something to look forward to, like catching the next person,” he said. Weiss, who said he was an avid mountain biker before coming to Winthrop, said the Expresso Bike has helped to revitalize his hobby. “It gives me that little bit of escape,” Weiss said. If the bike’s popularity picks up, Weiss said he hopes more trails will be added, specifically the gradually uphill Virginia Creeper, which he biked once already. “It’s kind of like the bike version of a marathon,” Weiss said. “It’s a lot more fun downhill than up.” One of the bike’s other features is playing music only specific to certain terrains and courses.
The AMT Sybil Senn, senior Spanish major, runs on the moon at least three times a week. Well, sort of. Using the AMT demo three
times a week for about 15 to 30 minutes, Senn can run a full sprint, do lunges or work out on the stairstepper without the hassle of switching exercise machines. Senn said she likes the AMT because of its low impact. “It doesn’t feel as if you’re running on the ground,” Senn said. “It doesn’t hurt your knees at all because you’re suspended in the air.” Like Weiss, Senn is holding out hope that the AMT becomes part of the West Center’s regular arsenal of cardio equipment. “…It feels like you’re running on the moon,” Senn said. The AMT also gives her more The interactive monitor of the Expresso Bike allows riders to of a challenge than the tradi- race the “ghost,” or progress of other riders. Photo by Jonathan tional elliptical. McFadden • mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com “It motivates you to go faster,” Senn said. “It’s not terribly “We’d like to demo other The students decide hard; it’s more challenging in a equipment as well, just to get a good way.” Students can fill out surveys variety in here,” Johnson said. Assistant director of the West evaluating the equipment’s perMuch of this, though, depends Center for Operations Laura formance. on negotiations with other venJohnson said she thinks people Johnson said the tried-out dors. think the AMT may be harder equipment will be evaluated earSome vendors allow Winthrop than a regular elliptical, but then ly in the spring to give students to borrow some of their equipagain, that’s the purpose. adequate time to use the equip- ment, but others don’t, Johnson “It’s supposed to be a harder ment before final exams begin. said. workout,” Johnson said. “You’re This is the first time the West The AMT and Expresso Bike supposed to get a different type may not be the only demos to Center has tried out equipment of workout.” work their way onto campus. from a fitness company. “We like to give people options The possibility of other items about stuff,” Johnson said. from Precor isn’t ruled out.
ALUMNI FEATURE
WU Alumna marries WU alumnus By Shana Adams Special to The Johnsonian
The spring of 1999 was an exciting time for April Lovegrove. She was at the end of her journey as an undergraduate student at Winthrop University, obtaining her B.A. in Political Science. She would soon be trading her cap and gown for a veil and wedding dress. Lovegrove met her husband Lane while at Winthrop. “We were married in May of 1999, two weeks after I graduated from Winthrop,” Lovegrove said. While her new love was blossoming, Lovegrove busied herself with organizations on campus. “I participated in the Model United Nations program and served as Student Coordinator in 1998, the International Club, Lutheran Campus Ministries, and Pi Sigma Alpha (PLSC National Honor Society).” Working as one of the coordinators for the Model UN conference here taught me more about organization and professional communication than any other job. Lovegrove has come
April Lovegrove ‘99 full circle and now works for Winthrop as assistant to the dean for the college of arts & sciences. She feels that being at Winthrop has helped her develop in her current position. “ Knowing a lot of my colleagues from class before I came back to work here allowed for a much smoother transition from student to professional,” she said. Her position as one of the coordinators for the Model UN conference taught her more about organization and professional communication, skills she uses today. Lovegrove’s position comes with a list of duties that requires her to utilize these skills. “I handle the college and departmental budgets, manage grants, assist in procurement,
process temporary employee paperwork, serve as building coordinator for Kinard Hall and assist in scheduling classes each semester,” Lovegrove said. Lovegrove’s position also requires that she has tolerance for differences. “To do well in this job you have to be able to communicate effectively with dozens of different people and subsequently different personalities,” she said “We have to learn to work with those differences rather than constantly fighting against them.” Lovegrove has been successful maintaining the relationships that began at Winthrop 11 years ago. She still has friends from Model UN and her husband is close by, working on campus as the operations manager for the Social and Behavioral Research Lab. Lovegrove offers this bit of advice for future alumni. “Take advantage of every resource that Winthrop has to offer,” she said. “You have to do your part and go out in search of some things but you will find that that effort is easily rewarded.”
University discloses DIGS dedication cost By Claire Byun
byunc@thejohnsonian.com
Winthrop spent $13,325.12 on a special ceremony to dedicate the new campus center to its namesake: President Anthony DiGiorgio and his wife Gale. The ceremony was co-funded by the university and the Winthrop Foundation. DiGiorgio also personally funded some of the expenses related to the event. The total of $13,325.12 spent by Winthrop includes a dinner and reception for 51 people on Sept. 23 at an expense of $1,596.30. Winthrop also funded a lunch for 300 guests on Sept. 24 at an expense of $7,185. Supplies for the dedication included linen rentals and napkins from a Charlotte, N.C. company at a cost of $1,858.07 and invitations, postcards and programs printed using Winthrop’s in-house printing services at a cost of $843.51. Winthrop also spent $64.20 with Gala Affairs Party Rental of Rock Hill and $151.55 with Campbell’s Greenhouse and Nursery in Charlotte, N.C. The university paid $423.61 for flower arrangements from Jane’s Creative Designs in Rock Hill. The Winthrop Foundation provided the funding for the entertainment and alcohol. DiGiorgio privately financed six different meals between Sept. 22 and 25, refreshments on Sept. 23 and a rental van. DiGiorgio also purchased momentos from the campus bookstore for his guests;
those items totaled $273.02. In total, DiGiorgio contributed $2,043.63 to event-related expenses. Private and public recognition events are “standard protocol events for honoring building namesakes,” according to records provided by Winthrop University spokesperson Rebecca Masters following The Johnsonian’s request for financial information related to the campus center ceremony. The Lois Rhame West Center dedication, held in 2007, included similar events and meals. For that ceremony, Winthrop spent $11,342.44, according to financial documents. Only 35 people participated in the family dinner for the West Center opening, and a crowd of 270 ate lunch. An “inflationary adjustment since that time is approximately 6 percent,” Masters wrote in a response letter to The Johnsonian on Nov. 8. “The seating capacity of the respective venues involved resulted in a slightly different number of individuals involved in each event.” The dedication of the West Center’s “honoree public lunch” was held at a cost of $36.58 per person; the campus center dedication’s public lunch was held at a cost of $36.88 per person. Similar to how entertainment and alcohol services were funded for the DiGiorgio Campus Center event, the Winthrop Foundation provided funds for those expenses for the West Center dedication. Additional reporting for this story by Anna Douglas
POLICE BLOTTER PUBLIC DISORDERLY INTOXICATION (11/11/10) At 3:18 a.m., a reporting officer observed a silver Subaru parked in the south parking lot of the Winthrop Coliseum with the apparent driver asleep inside. The officer approached the driver and noticed he had bloody knuckles. The officer tried to wake the driver and found he was highly intoxicated. The driver was also very uncooperative with the officer. The officer discovered the subject had been involved in a bar fight with an unknown person. The officer arrested the driver and transported him to Rock Hill City Jail. PETTY LARCENY (COPPER ELECTRICAL WIRE) (11/4/10) At 3 p.m., a reporting officer was dispatched to Owens Hall to meet with a complainant about the theft of some copper wire. Upon arrival, the officer met with the complainant who said that at 3 p.m., he and the Leitner Construction supervisor were doing a walk-through of Owens when they both
noticed a 65-foot-long spool of copper wire laying on the floor of room 110. The wire was being used to power elements of Owens, and both parties agreed that the wire, which belonged to Winthrop, would be secured in the room for the night and employees would retrieve it later. On Nov. 8 at 3 p.m., the complainant and members of his staff went to retrieve the wire but found it missing from room 110. The complainant spoke with the Leitner Construction supervisor about the situation, and both agreed to search all of Owens’ construction area. They did not find the wire. The complainant and supervisor spoke to all individuals who were present during the time the wire was last seen and the Owens’ reconstruction team. No one admitted to taking the wire nor could anyone remember, with any certainty, when the last time the wire was seen. MISCHIEVOUS BEHAVIOR (11/5/10) At 8:27 a.m., a reporting officer met with Lee Miller, administrative specialist in Sims, as well as two custodial workers in reference
to an unknown person using chalk to write on the walls and a chair in Sims, according to an informational report from police. The person drew faces using the chalk. While walking around the building, the reporting officer noted someone had also drawn Pac-Man and another character using a dryerase marker on the window leading to one of the suites. The chalk and dry-erase drawings were easily removed, but Miller wanted to report them because they had be going on for about a week.
The Police Blotter: not underground enough for hipsters, but perfect for you. www.mytjnow.com/police-blotter
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THURSDAY November 18, 2010
Minority support copious on WU campus bully • from front ferent religions, sexual orientations and cultures. “They were saying blacks are going to hell, other sexual orientations are going to hell, and everyone was like, ‘Get off my campus,’” Wyka said. “Nobody stood for it here. So, especially because we’re a liberal arts college, I think we’re very against all that hatred.” Wyka said as awful as it was to hear about Clementi taking his own life after his sexual encounter was broadcasted on the Internet, she is glad the incident has been in the media because it brings attention to the idea of homosexual discrimination. “It’s sad that is has taken until 2010 for America to wake up and realize it’s happening in our schools,” she said. Wyka said she thinks harassment is something that needs to be talked about because it can happen in any residence hall at any school, including Winthrop. “It’s happened here in years past where students have gotten harassed to the point where they can’t live in the same residence hall as (their roommates) anymore,” she said. “I don’t know if anyone has committed suicide because of it, but there’s always harassment.”
Global works with students of any orientation, including straight students (who are called Allies), to get to know each other better and talk about goings-on within the community. Wyka said the group has an “ask, don’t tell” policy where students are not asked straight-forward if they are homosexual because some students are still trying to figure it out for themselves. While she has not faced harassment since being at Winthrop, Wyka said not all students are comfortable with coming out about their sexual orientation yet, and that puts them at a higher risk of depression. “I know some people who are seniors in college who are not comfortable with coming out,” she said, “and those are the most at risk for suicide because they are not comfortable with themselves yet and not ready for other people to know.” In correspondence with homosexuals, Wyka also thinks some students of lesser-known religions have had to face some sort of discrimination because other people are ignorant of their religion. “I think that is the main cause of hate,” she said. “Nowadays people are afraid of the unknown so they just hate it.” One thing Global does in order
foundation • from front DiGiorgio did not request, from either the university or the Foundation, any form of alternate provision of support services following his move to a personal residence, Bigham and Floyd said. “That potential was raised by trustees and discussed appropriately in executive session by members of the Board of Trustees,” Bigham and Floyd said, “who felt an alternative arrangement should be considered in fulfillment of the support services obligation to the president the Board has had in place for more than 20 years.” Winthrop has historically provided a home for presidents on campus and has supplied support services warranted by the “24/7” responsibilities of a president, the letter said. Thus the President’s House and certain support services have
to help homosexual students is train Winthrop faculty and staff to become “safe zone” members. If a staff member is part of Safe Zone, that means he/she has been trained to help counsel homosexual students who are facing discrimination and harassment. Junior interior design major Taylor Purser, who is a member of Global, said he thinks about 90 percent of Winthrop’s professors are within the Safe Zone. “If we had a suicide like (Clementi’s) here on this campus, it would not be because nobody tried to help them,” Purser said, “it would be because they were so out of touch with what happened.” Purser said Safe Zone professors are indicated by stickers they put out on their office doors. “You could walk into any building, on any floor, and you would see the stickers,” Purser said. “And actually there are a bunch of professors who have had gay students come and talk about how they wanted to commit suicide because people were harassing them about being gay.” Purser said he thinks that because there are so many Safe Zone professors that there really would not be any excuse for any
been appropriated in the president’s contract, which comes from state funding, Bigham and Floyd said. With DiGiorgio’s move to his eventual retirement home in Rock Hill, officials from both the university and Foundation decided the Foundation should provide the funding, the letter said. Comparable support services to those previously financed by the state funds would be an effective means of “near term, meeting Winthrop’s obligations to the president and long term, ensuring Winthrop would have the flexibility to offer a successor president comparable support services,” the letter said. Whether the state continues to provide funds for the services, the Foundation will be available to support the comparable services, Bigham and Floyd said. “It was important to President DiGiorgio that any alternative way of providing
homosexual student to not receive help. “If someone really did commit suicide, it would be a real tragedy because there are so many outlets for people who are gay to talk about it and feel better about it,” he said. Assistant professor to sociology and anthropology Kelly James, who is the adviser for Global, said Student Life at Winthrop is interested in providing programming and support for minorities, and knows there are professors who try to incorporate those issues in their classes. However, James said she also thinks some of Winthrop’s minority groups are so tiny they do not feel as if they are being addressed. “I think there are faculty and staff willing to help anyone who is dealing with diversity issues,” she said. “Do I think everybody gets heard and dealt with? No, of course not; we’re an imperfect system. And I think there are some conservative Christians who feel left out because the more education you get, the more liberal you get, so we have a fair number of non-conservative people.” Being adviser for Global, James said the hardest part of being part of the organization is the fact that so many of the
these support services to him not come from state operating funds,” according to the letter. Both university officials and the Foundation agreed to an annual review and “reconciliation of expenses to see if any adjustment would be necessary going forward,” the letter said. Foundation responsibilities The Winthrop Foundation was established in 1973 but expanded in 1993 to manage the assets and maintain gift records benefiting the university, according to the Foundation website. It is governed by a volunteer board that is nominated by a committee and solicited for what they can contribute to the organization, Lewis said. Members of the community and alumni participate in the board, but people
25 % off
students with different sexual orientations have struggled with family relationships. “We’ve had suicide attempts, we’ve had suicide threats, and so it’s real and it happens here,” she said. “And it’s not that straight people don’t have issues – they do – it’s just the number for gays is so much higher.” James thinks the conduciveness at Winthrop is getting better, but it is not great. She said while Global has the Safe Zone members, there are not many professors from different racial backgrounds who could be beneficial to students of lesserknown religions. “I think if I were a Muslim student and I was looking for a professor who understood what I went through…I think that would be harder,” she said. “So, I don’t know if we are adequate.” As for what happened with Clementi, James said she thinks when students are in that moment of hopelessness, they cannot see that support will be there. “We try to help students who are struggling, but their bonds to their families are the most significant ones they have,” she said, “and when they feel as if their families can’t accept them, it’s a really traumatic experience.”
outside of South Carolina also take part. “That allows us to get a nice, wide range of people,” Lewis said. “We try to have a nice mix; we don’t want a board of just accountants, or just medical doctors.” Seven members of the board are employed at Winthrop but are considered ex-officio members. Three of those members are non-voting, which include Lewis, DiGiorgio and Debbie Garrick, executive director of Winthrop Alumni Relations. The mission of the Foundation is to support Winthrop and its students by encouraging alumni and others to donate funds and other resources, all benefitting Winthrop. “Basically, it exists to support Winthrop University and its students, faculty and programs,” Lewis said.
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THURSDAY November 18, 2010
CONNOR DE BRULER Opinion Editor debrulerc@thejohnsonian.com
Our Say
State cutbacks justify increased spending on donor events?
When the WU community considers the amount of money spent on the campus center dedication ceremony, the number may seem too high. Almost $2,000 was spent for linen rentals and napkins; more than $7,000 was spent on lunch for 300 guests; a total amount of $13,325.12 spent by Winthrop for a two-day affair. See this week’s news story on the exact cost breakdown. Winthrop students who are paying more tuition and faculty who have experienced furlough days may not have the stomach for that kind of spending. And, looking back,
a similar amount, $11,342.44, was spent on the West Center’s dedication in 2007. The Johnsonian was interested in finding out the dollar amount spent on the most recent building dedication because the campus center is named after the sitting head of Winthrop, a state agency. In September, we said in an editorial that we didn’t think it was fair that the campus center and most of the dedication ceremony events were closed to the general Winthrop population. We still think that was wrong, but what’s at hand now is a more complex and more important
concern. Should this amount of money be spent on dedication and honoree events? It may be hard to measure, but how much money will Winthrop receive in donations as a direct result of September’s building- dedication events? We question whether the dedication ceremony should even be viewed as a donor event. We asked for a guest list but we were told in September that it wouldn’t be given because other organizations could utilize those names to seek donor support. But, not everyone who attended the ceremony is
a “donor.” Representatives from the architect and contractor companies and from ARAMARK and Follet, the Winthrop bookstore operator, were also present. We don’t like to see higher education get bogged down in returnon-investment-thinking, but what choice are universities left with? Given the cutbacks in state funding, clearly public institutions have no choice but to raise money in ways private schools have always solicited for cash: donor events. We understand that entertaining potential and current donors on campus is an essential
way of building a donor base. To entertain and to woo donors costs a certain amount of money. But where is public education headed when forced to go down this road? Where are Winthrop and other state colleges headed? Are there more ways to bring in cash other than by spending cash? Those aren’t easy questions to be answered. But, we hope Winthrop’s leaders, including those with the Winthrop Foundation, will take a hard look at how much is spent on dedication ceremonies.
Awareness of life eases strain of existence Take a some cases, to create thought breath. Pull it in. is far more otherworldly than Exhale slowly. our divine notions of death and Enjoy every last eternity. bit of it. I think the ephemeral is We perform more beautiful than the eternal. the most comWe don’t need to dabble plicated tasks in the occult. What use is the without thinkspiritual unknown? Life is the ing about them. unknown because of its rarity. People devote We all think about what we’ll their careers to Connor de Bruler see if we are to visit heaven Opinion editor studying celor any other possibility of the lular respiraafterlife. But the life we are livtion. American ing is the most fantastical, most universities say sublime experience of all. they teach us to become contribI am still very naive in my uting members of society. I want notions of living. I lose sight of its to know how to be alive first. importance almost every day. But Life is a skill. I look at everything I see day-inHumanity as a whole mediand-day-out and try to focus on it tates on the unknown too often. as if I’ve never seen it all before. Our poetry, literature and music It suddenly turns into a bright, are rife with thoughts and quesbizarre fantasy. tions concerning death. Life is painful. I think life is far more mysteI find that living wears me out rious. sometimes, and I feel empty and Life is so rare within the elderly before my time. Those universe. Most planets carry around me keep me going and, as on through existence without a though from thin air, my fascinashred of life. Our ability to react tion with life and existence itself to stimulus, use energy and, in is revived.
Getting too involved in the finer details of life causes people to feel trapped. I think we begin to suffocate on an emotional level. You may think I’m writing this for no particular reason. You may role your eyes and think, “He must be a Buddhist.” You may think I’ve been reading a self-help book or doing psychotropic drugs. I’ve been doing none of those things. Take this message seriously. I want everyone to start thinking about life. Our unawareness of the fact that we are alive is making our lives so much more painful. We need to acknowledge that our cells are converging in almost musical harmony to assist our brains and nervous systems in this paradox known as life. Stop thinking about everything and focus on the fact that you are alive. You exist within a universe on a planet containing more life than any other we know of. The realization is overwhelming.
Illustration by Courtney Niskala • nisakalac@thejohnsonian.com
Knowing signs of domestic abuse saves lives Third-graders one and don’t have tact. They her brow naively ask questions furrowed. with no particular Other times motive, no hidden she talked agendas. loudly and “Angel, your hair stood too looks nice today,” I close to Tiffany Barkley you. Maybe complimented my classmate. “What did Managing editor that’s why you do to it?” most of Angel was smart. my friends We were in our challenge didn’t like her. science class that day I had asked the queswaiting to get our tests tion conversationally. It back when I asked the was just what came out question. of my mouth after the “I brushed it,” she compliment. After her grumbled, not looking blunt answer, I didn’t say directly at me. another word. Neither did I regretted the quesshe. tion. Two years ago, Angel’s Angel had long boyfriend beat her to brown hair and bangs death. Police found her cut straight across in the in the woods near our front. Most days she came elementary school. to school with dishevWe went to Lemira eled hair and loose-fitting Elementary School on clothes. Sometimes she the south side of Sumter, grumbled responses S.C. I went there because to your questions and my mom taught second walked around with grade there. Angel went her bottom lip sticking there because her famout more than the top ily lived on that side of Editor ANNA DOUGLAS
Arts & entertainment editor JESSICA PICKENS
Managing editor TIFFANY BARKLEY
Assistant arts & entertainment editor ALISON ANGEL
News editor CLAIRE BYUN Assistant news editor JONATHAN MCFADDEN Opinion editor CONNOR DE BRULER Culture editor ALEXIS AUSTIN Health & science editor AMANDA PHIPPS
Sports editor CHRIS McFADDEN Graphic Designer COURTNEY NISKALA Copy editors BRITTANY GUILFOYLE BRANTLEY MCCANTS Ad designer SAMANTHA FURTICK
town – the side of town made upmostly of trailers, apartments and old, dilapidated houses. When I heard the news from my mom during my second year at Winthrop, I had been long-out-of-touch with Angel. She had moved away sometime after elementary school. We were never that close in elementary school, but I tried to be nice to her. One day, when I was already in high school, Angel called my house. She was living in Florida. She talked to me like I was an old friend. I was surprised she still remembered me. Not long after that, Angel called again. She had moved back to Sumter, she said. We should go to the mall sometime. Sure, I told her. I would call her back. But I was busy with my established group of Photographers KATHLEEN BROWN STEPHANIE EATON PAUL RICCIARDI Multimedia editors SHATESHA SCALES KAYLEE NICHOLS Webmaster DEVANG JOSHI Advertising manager KERRY SHERIN Ad sales team SARAH MACDONALD Faculty adviser LARRY TIMBS
friends. I wasn’t interested in seeing someone I hadn’t been that close to and hadn’t seen in years. That was the last time I ever talked to Angel. I don’t know how she got involved with a man so heartless and cold that he could beat her to death. I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend. Angel never seemed to have much confidence. Maybe she got into an abusive relationship because her boyfriend made her feel loved or special at first. I don’t know what the situation was. But I feel that if I had been around, if I had gone to the mall with her, rekindled a relationship and kept in touch, I may have eventually recognized signs of abuse. Almost one third of female homicide victims in the United States are killed by their intimate partner, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Domestic violence doesn’t have to be physi-
cal. One partner in the relationship tries to gain control over the other. It could be through isolation – trying to keep their partner away from friends and family. It could be verbal or emotional abuse, intimidation or threats. Whatever the case, we need to be aware of the signs of domestic violence. We can help. We can provide hope for a classmate, a friend or a co-worker in an abusive relationship. Some of the signs of abuse, according to the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, are: • Visible signs such as bruises, cuts, bite marks, and a delay in getting medical help for the injuries. • Stress-related illnesses, such as headaches, backaches, constant pain, gastrointestinal disorders, eating disorders and constant fatigue. • Anxiety-related ill-
nesses, such as heart palpitations, difficulty breathing or panic attacks. • Loss of concentration at work or not showing up for work repeatedly. Behavior changes, such as becoming jumpy or nervous, never being able to spend time with you even though they used to and checking in with their partner constantly when they’re not together. The best thing to do is to ask someone you suspect is being abused, but be sure to have the conversation in private. Contrary to common belief, victims of abuse don’t always want to hide their problems from everyone. They may be looking for someone to help them, according to this website. For more information about what you can do to help, go to opdv.state. ny.us. If you see signs of abuse, just ask. It could save a life.
About The Johnsonian The Johnsonian is the weekly student newspaper of Winthrop University. It is published during fall and spring semesters with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. CONTACT INFORMATION Our offices are located in suite 104 in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. Phone: (803) 323-3419 E-mail: editors@thejohnsonian. com Online: mytjnow.com LETTER POLICY Letters and feedback can be sent to editors@thejohnsonian.com or
by mail at The Johnsonian, 104 Campus Center, Rock Hill, S.C., 29733. Comments submitted online at www.mytjnow.com may be printed as letters and may be shortened for space and edited for clarity. Please include your name, major and year if you are a student; your name and title if you are a professor; or your name and
profession if you are a member of the community. Letters, cartoons and columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of The Johnsonian staff. CORRECTIONS Contact us if you find an error in an issue of the newspaper. We will correct it in the next issue.
By the numbers
2,500
November is National Skin Care Awareness Month.
deaths result each year in the U.S. from squamous cell carcinomas.
40
6
THURSDAY November 18, 2010
75
3
to 50 percent of percent of skin Americans who live cancer deaths are to the age of 65 will melanoma related. have skin cancer at least once.
AMANDA PHIPPS Health & Science Editor phippsa@thejohnsonian.com
percent of skin cancer cases are melonoma related.
7.5 million Americans have psoriasis.
Compiled with information from www.skincancer.org and www.psoriasis.org
Technology contributes to bullying, harm By Amanda Phipps
phippsa@thejohnsonian. com
Technology has allowed people to harm others from their computers. Revenge, retaliation and lack of empathy are some motives behind the phenomenon referred to as “cyberbullying,” psychology professor Melissa Reeves said. Cyberbullying refers to bullying through e-mail, instant messaging, website posts or other digital messages or images, according to the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program website. Similar to traditional bullying, cyberbullying has harmful psychological effects, including depression, anger, family problems, academic problems and low self-esteem, according to a Cyberbullying Research Center article. The phenomenon has also grown in popularity. “Psychologists have seen an increase in cyberbullying,” Reeves said. “Before, if someone wanted to bully another person, they had to have the guts to go up to that person.” Technology has allowed bullies to do harm without having to see the effects of their actions, Reeves said. With cyberbullying, the psychological and physical distance between the bully and the victim is greater. “It has become easier and more acceptable to type harmful words,” she said. “(The bullies) hide behind computers.” Cyberbullying occurs in chat rooms, and on social
networking sites, videosharing websites such as YouTube and portable gaming devices, according to a Cyberbullying Research Center article. This has also led to an increase in relational bullying, which includes the spreading of rumors and inaccurate information that can impact people’s reputations and their place in their social groups, Reeves said. Though traditional bullying has harmful psychological effects, cyberbullying puts the information where it is more widely seen, she said. This allows more people to know the victim was bullied, which can lead to suicide attempts. “It makes the victim believe everyone knows what happened,” she said. “This can make them feel there is no other way out.” While revenge is a common motive behind bullying, the person may also not understand the effects of their actions, Reeves said. “They see it as a joke in their mind,” she said. Peer pressure and lack of empathy are other factors that have contributed to cyberbullying, Reeves said. She has worked with bullies that had empathy and apologized for their actions, but has also worked and with people who were not affected by the results of their actions. Education and clearer laws are two changes needed to impact this growing phenomenon, she said. “Bystanders need to
be educated to stop their friends and to not engage in bullying,” Reeves said. “People need to be educated about the severe impacts of cyberbullying.” Though common in teenagers, bullying has occurred among adults as well, she said. “Bullying has no boundaries,” Reeves said. Victims need to have an adult they can trust to support them and help prevent bullying from happening, Reeves said. Crawford offers students advice on how to deal with bullying, clinical coordinator for counseling services Gretchen Baldwin said. “If Crawford was the student’s first stop, aside from offering personal counseling, a staff counselor would encourage the student to report the harassment to both the campus police and the dean of students,” she said. “This form of harassment is both illegal and against Winthrop’s student code of conduct. There would be support and advocacy for the student from both of those offices.” Crawford also offers students short-term counseling services, Baldwin said. Students can call counseling services to set up an appointment; same-day counseling is available for emergencies. The student will then meet with a counselor and establish goals for their counseling. “In a situation where the student has been a victim of bullying or harassment, it’s likely that the counseling process would focus
CYBERBULLYING
Photo illustration by Kathleen Brown • brownk@thejohnsonian.com on interpersonal issues of assertiveness, self esteem, and building healthy boundaries, she said. “An experience with bullying and harassment can be very damaging to an individual’s self-image.” Counselors also work with people who engage in bullying behaviors, Baldwin said. “A counselor would help (the bully) build a sense of empathy and understanding toward others and help explore his or her own personal dynamics behind tendencies to be aggressive toward others,” she said. “Odds are there is some form of pain or fear behind the aggression.” Currently, bullying is not a common issue in counseling, Baldwin said.
“This does not mean it doesn’t happen on campus,” she said, “but victims of bullying may not realize they have counseling as a resource.” The counseling Services at Crawford are free to students, Baldwin said. There is a cap at about 10 sessions per academic year due to student demand and staff resources. “Most students don’t need that many,” she said. “When it is apparent at the start of the process that a student will need longerterm counseling, we refer out.” To prevent the continuation of cyberbullying and its effects, parents need to teach their children how to handle those situations differently and educate themselves about technol-
“”
It has become easier and more acceptable to type harmful words. Melissa Reeves
Psychology professor
ogy, Reeves said. “Many parents are unaware of how easy it is for their child to be involved or become victims,” she said. “Technology has had unintended negative implications that people weren’t expecting.”
Month recognizes human body’s largest organ By Amanda Phipps
phippsa@thejohnsonian.com
It may look like a ring, but it has nothing to do with a worm. Tinea corporis, commonly referred to as “ringworm,” is a fungal infection that causes a round spot on the skin and continues to grow as the center becomes clearer, assistant director of health services Mary Jo Barreto said. Ringworm is curable and can appear anywhere on the body, including the scalp. Another type of infection is tinea versicolor. Warm and moist air can lead to yeast production, which can form a fungal infection on the skin, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology website. This infection has occurred on campus. “I have seen many students come in with this and not know what it is,” Barreto said. Yeast is a type of fungus and in moist air can grow and leak out acidic bleach. Pale or light reddish-brown patches then form on the skin. It is treated with medications and is usually worse in warm air. November is National Skin Care Awareness Month. Skin care expert Renee Rouleu founded the month in 1995, according to her website.
In her website, Rouleu states: “I saw a real need for consumers wanting truthful, accurate and no-nonsense information about how to care for their skin.” She said skin care products can help with problems, according to her website. She believes lifestyle choices, diet and habits also affect how skin looks and behaves. “It is my mission to use my almost 25 years of hands-on experience working with skin to share with you what I know to be true so you can have healthy, beautiful and glowing skin,” Rouleu stated on her website. Skin care is important for preventing disease and infections, Barreto said. “There are weird diseases that can manifest in skin,” she said. “Dermatology is a hard thing.” Rosacea is a skin infection that causes inflammation around the central portion of the face, she said. It can affect people of any age, but usually affects those after 30 years old. Dermatologists do not know the cause of this infection, but they speculate it may be linked to a vascular or vessel disorder because it causes the veins to grow and become visible. Rosacea is estimated to affect over 16 million Americans, most
of whom do not know they have it, according to the National Rosacea Society website. It can cause psychological, social and occupational problems because of the acne-like effects on the skin. “More than 76 percent of rosacea patients said their condition had lowered their self-confidence and self-esteem,” according to the article. Symptoms include redness, bumps or pimples on the face and watery eyes. Psoriasis is a skin disease caused by an over-proliferation of cells and results in a thick buildup of plaques in the skin, Barreto said. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation website, “(Psoriasis) occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells.” The most common type of psoriasis is plaque, which results in raised, red patches on the skin that are covered with a white buildup of dead skin cells, or scale. It is not contagious, but is incurable. It can, however, go in remission, Berreto said. It can affect any place on the skin, and usually infects people in their 20s and 30s. Psoriasis is also associated
with diabetes, heart disease and depression, according to the Foundation’s website. There are different forms of skin cancer that can affect people, as well. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation website. It is treatable if found early but can be deadly if it has advanced in the body. Melanoma is the form of skin cancer that is least common, but causes the most deaths. Skin cancer is influenced by sun exposure, moles, family history, personal history and a weakened immune system, according to the foundation’s website. Other types of skin cancer include actinic keratosis, which is the most common pre-cancer, basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, dysplastic nevi, or atypical moles; and squamous cell carcinoma, which occurs mainly in people with fair skin, light hair and blue, green or gray eyes, according to the foundation’s website. To prevent skin cancer, people should check themselves for unusual moles and watch to see if they change in shape or color, Barreto said. If an area keeps scaling, in which small pieces of
skin come lose, and doesn’t heal, it also needs to be checked. Eczema, or dermatitis, refers to various types of skin swelling, according to the Medline Plus website. It causes the skin to turn red, well up and itch, but is not dangerous or contagious. Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of eczema and is an allergic condition common in babies and children that results in dry and itchy skin, according to the website. It cannot be cured, but people can prevent eczema by avoiding things they are allergic to, stress and other irritants. Poison ivy is another type of dermatitis that does not cause infection, Barreto said. However, a person can get a secondary infection from scratching their skin. To prevent the spread of disease and infection, people need to wash their hands and keep cuts clean, Barreto said. They also need to use non-alcoholic moisturizers, especially during the winter when skin dries out more. Drinking fluids and avoiding hot showers can also keep skin moisturized. “It is important for people to take care of their skin at a young age,” she said. “Be sensitive to your skin.”
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JESSICA PICKENS Arts & Entertainment Editor THURSDAY pickensj@thejohnsonian.com November 18, 2010 ALISON ANGEL Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor angela@thejohnsonian.com
In the buff: Students pose for figure drawing Drawing • from front came to college,” Taylor said. “In high school I began putting together my portfolio, however, after classes began I realized time was an issue.” Since students may have to hold poses from a couple of minutes to several hours, according to the Winthrop job description, it is suggested, but not required, that students may have a background in theater or athletics where they are more accustomed to holding uncomfortable positions. “The modeling helped keep me practicing my poses and motivated to stay in shape,” Taylor said. With Taylor’s experience, modeling in the
nude isn’t always uncomfortable, but sometimes there are exceptions. “One time, this guy insisted on small talk while he was drawing me,” she said. “Doesn’t sound too odd until you remember that I am butt naked, holding poses, and the last thing I want to do is tell you why I chose Mass Communication as a major.” However, Taylor said she loved the job and would do it again. Taylor was unable to model this year due to class conflicts. “The first time is always awkward, however with my background in modeling and the professional attitudes both the professors and the students held, it easily became something I had no problem with whatsoever.”
“”
Doesn’t seem too odd until you remember I am butt naked, holding poses...
Students draw as a model poses for a figure drawing class. Students can get an on-campus job as a figure drawing model. Photos by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@thejohnsonian.com
Amanda Taylor
Junior Integrated Marketing Communication Major
Students act, write, direct One-Acts By Alison Angel angela@thejohnsonian.com
It’s that time of year again: the time when Winthrop students take the stage to showcase their talents in the Winthrop One-Act Festival. The Winthrop One-Acts are a tradition stemming from the creation of the theater department in 1954. Russell Luke, professor of theater and dance, said since the creation of the One-Acts, hundreds have been put on by students. “That first year there was only one One-Act and it has varied [ever since],” Luke said. “I think at the last count we’ve done over 800, close to 900 OneActs since then.” The One-Acts are productions that are student directed, designed and acted. The directors of the One-Acts come from Winthrop’s advanced directing class, which is offered in both the fall and spring. Each year brings two One-Act festivals, one around Thanksgiving and the other
WANT TO GO? What: One Act Play Where: Johnson Theater When: Friday, Nov. 19 to Sunday, Nov. 21 Time: 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Cost: $8 with I.D., $15 without in late spring. Luke said the entire production is in the hands of the students, with very little creative input from faculty. “The directors find their own plays, and we have a general audition that’s open to all on campus,” Luke said. “Then they go into the rehearsals and I sort of leave them alone and let them go on their own way. I’ll check in with them, but otherwise it’s really their baby.” This year’s festival features nine OneActs spread over a three-day period. Three of the nine acts this year are not only student directed and acted but also
Don’t get censored
“Mad Magazine” editor Joe Raiola is making a stop at Winthrop this week. Raiola began his career as a comedian in the late 1970s and started a controversial solo show, “Almost Obscene,” in 2002, according to his website. Raiola will be presenting his lecture “The Joy of Censorship” at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18, in Dina’s Place Theater. Tickets are $5 with Winthrop I.D. and free with a Fall Pass.
written by Winthrop students. “We have been trying to encourage student playwrights and we have in the past had student-written pieces,” Luke said. “This is the first time in a while we’ve had three.” Julia Benfield, freshman theater performance major, is participating in this year’s One-Acts. She said she got involved after hearing about it from others in the theater department, and is acting in a One Act called “The Bake Off.” “I am playing a character quite different from myself,” Benfield said. “I show a completely different part of myself that no one sees normally! That’s one of the fun parts about acting; it’s getting to be who you’re not for a while.” Benfield said each of the student directors have different ways of approaching the One-Acts and have different versions of how they want to portray content. She also said that because oftentimes it is the student’s first time directing a show by themselves, it creates an opportunity for the actors and director to work
in a certain way. “The cast is wonderful,” Benfield said. “We have a lot of fun and support each other. It’s neat for the actors and the directors to share a new experience with each other to make a certain vision happen.” Benfield recommends the one acts to all who are interested and encourages everyone to come out to the festival. “There is a wide variety of genres— comedies, tragedies and everything in between,” Benfield said. “They are short and to the point—they will keep and hold you attention.” While you must be a student in the Directing 2 class in order to direct a production, any major on campus is able to participate and act in the festival. The One-Acts will be performed at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 19, and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, and Sunday, Nov. 21, and are performed in the Johnson studio theater at Winthrop. The price of tickets is $8 with a Winthrop I.D. and $15 without.
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THURSDAY November 18, 2010
Celebrity Talk After the suicide of freshman Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, stars speak out against cyber bullying: Ellen DeGeneres: “This (Tyler Clementi suicide) needs to be a wake up call to everyone that teenage bullying and teasing is an epidemic in this country, and the death rate is climbing. We have an obligation to change this.”
Demi Lovato on Teens Against Bullying: “People say, ‘Sticks and stones may break your bones, but names can never hurt you.’ But that’s not true. Words can hurt. They hurt me. Things were said to me that I still haven’t forgotten.” Matthew Morrison: “I think it’s important that we talk about it and that we do something about it (cyber bullying). As someone who has been bullied before in the past, life gets better. This isn’t the end, and you can’t let other people dictate how you feel and who you are. “ Lance Bass: “It’s (cyber bullying) really important to me and it hits home, obviously, because I once was bullied, I once was a bully and I’m gay.”
CROSSWURD PUZZLE
Across
4. One residence hall up for renovations in the future. 5. Last name of Rutgers freshman who committed suicide. 7. Renovation that will be added to some residence hall bathrooms. 9. Name of one new exercise machine at the West Center. (two words) 10. What word means that people don’t think anything can happen to them? 11. Scientific name for “ringworm.” (two words)
Down
1. Name of band of Winthrop students. (two words) 2. Last name of Winthrop basketball foward. 3. Director of the fall One-Acts. (last name) 6. Group for international students that helps them network with students and faculty. 8. Last name of managing editor.
Upcoming on-campus films: Saturday, Nov. 20: Lottery Ticket (7 p.m.)- A down-on-his-luck guy is holding out on his friends with a $370 million lottery ticket. Takers (9:30 p.m.)- A group of criminals commits crimes without getting caught until a detective steps in.
Student band releases WWII-themed album By Claire Byun byunc@thejohnsonian.com
After months of recording, a local “femoral blob of bandness,” will put out its first CD. Senseless Beatings, made up of three current Winthrop students and one graduate, is putting the finishing touches on its first CD, “After History.” Unlike other projects, this album incorporates the theme of World War II. “It’s not like a collection of war stories or anything,” said Chase Brown, guitarist and vocalist. “We live in this era after war and genocide but it doesn’t really bother us, so there’s this sardonic happiness.” Along with the theme of war, history is a major point in many songs. The idea that history is over is analyzed in the album, though it does not necessarily jibe with the band members’ personal beliefs. “History is over is sort of a philosophical idea,” Brown said. “I don’t necessarily believe it’s over, but I want to explore the possibility of the discovery.” Brown started recruiting members in February 2009 and formed the complete band in January 2010. “I just started a band, though I didn’t know what kind of band I wanted to be in,” Brown said. “We just started collecting things until we got what we are today.” Thomas Alverson, bassist and vocalist, joined the group after Brown noticed him playing ukulele. Flutist and vocalist Jo Garnett joined after several months of being a fan. Ian Lee, the drummer, was the final element added to Senseless Beatings. During his free time over the summer, Brown watched videos concerning World War II and wrote lyrics based on what he saw. Though Brown wrote most of the lyrics, Garnett contributed to the lyrical portion of the album. “I’ve helped out a lot more with this album, and Thomas even wrote one all by himself,” Garnett said. Each member typically writes his own music per song, but, because Brown is
the only member not classically trained, the rest of the band has learned how to follow along. “We’ve become very good at just following Brown,” Lee said. The band received its name from Brown’s high school years, when he videotaped wrestling in his backyard and named the tapes “Senseless Beatings.” The guitarist then attempted to sell the videos to his friends. “My parents kept asking me to stop because they had sense, but I tried to sell the videos at school,” Brown said. Practicing and recording takes place in Brown and Alverson’s home, and the band is excited to be recording without any restrictions. “We’re pumped about recording it on our own,” Brown said. “It’s just kind of nice to do what we want, when we want.” Though enthusiastic about their new CD, the band has had some bumps in the production road. Multiple takes are needed for each instrument, and each member has different views about the audio mixing. “You can practice a song one time through perfectly, but when you press the little red button, you start messing up,” Lee said. However much the band argues, Alverson knows with whom he’ll agree. “Whoever buys my lunch that day, that’s who I’m siding with,” Alverson said. Looking into the future, Garnett said the band is not focusing on receiving fame, but would be grateful to earn money doing what they love. “I don’t know if it’s going to get mainstream and big, but it would be awesome if it did,” Garnett said. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind making my living this way.” Whatever the outcome of the CD, Senseless Beatings’ goal is to gain fans and to create fantastic music for both Winthrop students and the surrounding community. “Really, our band is just about being the good kind of assholes,” Garnett said. “We do our best to make it impossible to try and tune it out.”
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ALEXIS AUSTIN Culture Editor austina@thejohnsonian.com
THURSDAY November 18, 2010
Group helps Chinese students learn American culture, language By Alexis Austin austina@thejohnsonian.com
A friend is always there to lend a helping hand. At Winthrop, Pengyou does just that. Pronounced PONG YO, the group was formed to help Chinese students interact with their professors and peers. “Dr. Ardialo, Dr. Moore, the University College and Dr. Weikle, Dean of the College of Business Administration, saw a need for a group like this,” Residential Learning Coordinator Kat Callahan said. “English and CRTW professors found that Chinese students were struggling in their classes. They didn’t know American culture very well.” Callahan, who has an interest in global issues, was then put in charge of forming a group in which Chinese students could learn American culture and improve their English. “I had about one week to put something together,” Callahan said. In this short period of time, Callahan informed students of the group through Facebook and word of mouth. “I also contacted the Culture Club, the International Center, the College of Business and had Residential Learning Coordinators tell their Resident Assistants who work on the Around the World floors,” Callahan said. Assistant Dean of University College, David Harwell, assisted Callahan in getting things together for Pengyou. Before starting his position at Winthrop this fall, Harwell spent the last five years traveling throughout Asia and China. “I was treated well by the people in China and I wanted to make sure they got treated well here,” Harwell said. Approximately 40 students attended the first meeting in September. The students who attended decided to call the group Pengyou because it means friend in Mandarin Chinese. Students meet every Friday in Dinkins Student Center. “There are about 15 to 25 students a week. We either pair students off or work in groups, so students can work one on one,” Callahan said. Freshman digital information design major Sarah Auvil is an American student who has been participating in Pengyou since it started. Auvil, who said she is open to trying new things, learned about
Students from Pengyou pose for a group photo after a meeting. The group was formed this fall to help Chinese students get acclimated with American culture. Photo courtesy of Kat Callahan the group through Facebook. She also visited China this past summer. “It’s really helped me to get to know some of the Chinese students on campus better, and also to learn more about China,” she said. “Most of the students are from the Nantong area which I am not very familiar with.” Students also go on trips to help them get a global perspective on Winthrop and the world around them. Recently, they visited Brattonsville Plantation and attended the Renaissance Festival this month. Since the group has started meeting, both Harwell and Callahan have seen a change in the students who attend.
“The Chinese students are interacting more with students and their English has improved,” Callahan said. Auvil said she has learned some interesting things about China, as well. “There’s a city in China where people buy beer in plastic bags and sip it through a straw. Also, some cities on the east coast are very famous for their seafood,” she said. Pengyou is a pilot program. If things go well with getting the Chinese students acclimated, it will eventually expand to helping all international students adjust to American culture and language. “We hope to have a large group,” Harwell said. “We hope it’s an annual thing open to all international students
and have more contact with European, Latin American, African and Middle Eastern students.” Not only are there hopes that Pengyou will help international students, but there are also hopes that it will help the American students as well. “The program will help Winthrop’s reputation as being more welcoming to students, but also increase American students’ opportunities in going around the world,” Harwell said. “It’s a great platform for getting to know the Chinese students at Winthrop on a more personal level,” Auvil said. “It’s a great place to make friends from both here and abroad.”
Street Talk English you didn’t learn from your professors International students, you probably didn’t learn these phrases in your English classes. Here are a few that might make your coversations more interesting. Test your friends and see if they can correctly define them.
The 411- up to date information Example: Sally has the 411 on the new guy in town. Spiffy-cool, very nice Example: For the party, he purchased a spiffy new outfit.
Compiled by Alexis Austin
The Nu- Upsilon chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity would like to congratulate the Alpha Pi Pledge Class on getting Initiated, A.E.K. D.B
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THURSDAY November 18, 2010
CHRIS McFADDEN Sports Editor mcfaddenc@thejohnsonian.com
BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS BEGIN CONFERENCE REIGN
SPORTS BRIEFS Athlete of the Week Junior cross-country runner Adam Freudenthal continued his impressive season as he was named to the Big South All-Conference team, and named to the Big South Conference All-Academic Team. Freudenthal finished in fifth place at the Big South Conference Championship and was only 49 seconds behind the winner’s time. His fifth-place finish at the conference championship was his sixth-consecutive top-five finish. He will compete next in the NCAA Cross Country Regionals.
The men’s basketball team has won the Big South Conference twice in the last three years. The conference coaches picked the team to finish in second place this season. The team was presented with their 2009-2010 Big South Conference Championship rings. Photo by Kathleen Brown • brownk@thejohnsonian.com
Men’s soccer team season comes to an end The men’s soccer team season ended after they lost 2-0 to Gardner-Webb during the first round of the Big South Tournament Championship. The Eagles entered the tournament as the sixth seed. In the preseason, Conference coaches picked Winthrop to finish in second place in the conference, but instead had one of their most disappointing seasons. Winthrop’s 5-12-1 record was it’s worst since 2004. The team also has not lost in the first round since 2004. The Eagles won the 2009 Big South Conference title and earned a spot in the NCAA Soccer Tournament.
Men’s soccer team players earn honors Winthrop’s Matt Stinson and Tinotenda Chibharo were named to the Big South Conference All-Freshmen Team. Stinson was also named to the All-Big South Second Team. Senior forward Miquel Casajuana joind Stinson on the All-Conference Second Team as he led the Eagles in scoring with 11 points. Junior Matt Horn also earned a conference honor as he was named to the All-Academic Team and was named Big South Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Lady Eagles basketball team open season Winthrop women’s basketball team lost to Belmont 59-50 in their season opener as the Eagles could not overcome cold second-half shooting. The Eagles took a onepoint win into halftime and began the second half with a 9-3 run to take a seven-point lead. It was downhill for the team after that. Following the run, Winthrop finished the game going 4-20 from the field. Senior guard Lacey Lyons finished with a game-high 19 points, while freshman Tiffany Charles scored a careerhigh 12 points.
Men’s basketball team kicks off season with ring ceremony By David Thackham thackmand@thejohnsonian.com
After a lights-out college basketball career at Duke University, Jay Bilas proved on Tuesday he can still create a spectacle for a crowd. The 1986 National Championship winner was the keynote speaker in front of a crowd of nearly 300 in the DiGiorgio Campus Center Banquet Hall for Winthrop’s annual Tip-Off Dinner. The event was a special occasion that featured the unveiling of the men’s and women’s rosters, and the men’s squad was presented with their Big South Championship rings from last year’s campaign. “I believe in these young men who are pursuing excellence,” Bilas said. “Winthrop students are a tough group who are either going to meet or exceed expectations.” The current ESPN and CBS college basketball analyst also commended the Eagles’ fans for their support of the team. “What the fans are doing to encourage the young men and women on the Winthrop basketball teams really means a lot to them,” he said. Encouragement is certainly something men’s head basketball coach Randy Peele would like to see more of. Earlier this week, Peele visited several residence halls in an effort to talk with the public about the upcoming season and drum up support for the team’s homecoming face-off against Queens University of Charlotte.
“”
What the fans are doing to encourage the young men and women on the Winthrop basketball teams really means a lot to them. Jay Bilas
ESPN and CBS college basketball analyst
President Anthony DiGiorgio presented the team their conference rings. Photo by Kathleen Brown • brownk@thejohnsonian.com “I hope everyone will support the program,” Peele said, “because I think [the Winthrop Coliseum] should be sold out every single night.” President Anthony DiGiorgio echoed that sentiment. “The connection between the students and athletes is a partnership we cannot do without,” DiGiorgio said. This year’s squad should be a familiar sight for many Eagle fans. The conference champions return three starters and nine lettermen in their attempt to win their sixth Big South title in seven years. “It’s clear this team has an identity for success,” Bilas said. Peele has been adamant that the team’s penchant for victory does not translate into arrogance off the court. “We’re not prima donnas,” Peele said. “We have one of the best class attendance records of the athletic teams. The team eats breakfast every day in Thomson Cafeteria and I think that’s good to keep the connection between us and other students.” The Eagles will be counting on that connection to gain an extra boost from
the stands during the season. The conference should be competitive, especially with the development of Coastal Carolina’s dual forward forces Chad Gray and Michael Holmes. However, Peele embraces the diversity and challenges that come with defending his team’s record. “The key is to be the best team,” Peele said. “I think we can be very good, but along the way, you’re going to experience adversity, so you have to come back from that. In the end, it’s not where you start, but where you finish.” The guessing game has already begun. In the annual preseason coaches and media poll, Winthrop was picked to finish second in the conference behind the Chanticleers. Bilas, however, has already learned the value of never look-
ing too far forward. “We all say we want to play in a championship, so we have to prepare as if every game is,” he said. Peele admits the possibility that Winthrop could start off slow, pointing to the University of Tennessee’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of Division II Indianapolis by 15 points. He hopes the crowd judges the team when it truly matters at the end of the season. “You need to gauge a team by how they improve and by how they are come February just before we go into the [Big South] tournament, because that’s where it all comes together,” he said. Peele and the rest of his team hope they can, in addition to the fans, come together to dominate the Big South once again.
THURSDAY November 18, 2010
11
SPORTS
Athletic department uses social media to connect with students By Hannah Schwartz
Special to The Johnsonian
Today, there are several ways to follow Eagle Athletics, even when the teams are playing out of town. With the help of social media, people can follow all of the Winthrop athletic teams, home or away, no matter where they are. The Winthrop athletic department has a presence on both Twitter and Facebook, where fans can follow scores and news. Also, several of the individual teams have them as well. The men’s and women’s basketball team, volleyball team, track and field team and baseball team all have Facebook pages. “We try to keep people interested in what is going on,” director of new media for Winthrop athletics Everett Hutto said.
Hutto is in charge of maintaining the accounts. If he doesn’t travel with the teams to their games, staff members will. Whoever goes takes along with them Flip video cameras to capture the action of the game in addition to post-game interviews from coaches and players. They also provide in-game score updates. Hutto is also in charge of the athletic
department’s YouTube account. “The beauty of YouTube is it is centered into our website, so everything we put up on YouTube automatically is on the front page of our website winthropeagles.com,” Hutto said. The Website is also integrated with the Facebook and Twitter pages, so the videos show up on those sites automati-
cally as well. Hutto would like there to be more interactivity with the fans on the social media sites, but mostly fans are just going there for quick scores or updates. What makes the social media sites important is that while most college students don’t read a daily newspaper, almost all have a Facebook site, he said. It is easy to remind the students about a game, and the marketing department can hold Twitter or Facebook nights with specials. In addition to providing updates for students, the social media sites also are a way for out-of-town parents to keep track of their sons and daughters who are Winthrop athletes. “Parents aren’t getting The Rock Hill Herald; they aren’t able to follow Winthrop very easily,” Hutto said. “This way, they can get instant updates on their phones or in their e-mail if their kid scores a goal.”
WU players wear memorials on shoes Basketball team members use shoes as a way to pay tribute to loved ones who made an impact on their lives By Jeremy Wynder
Special to The Johnsonian
Matt Morgan uses his basketball shoes as a way to remember his grandmother. Photo by Jeremy Wynder • Special to The Johnsonian
For most basketball players, shoes are the final and most important part of their uniform. They have to fit good, look good and feel good. However, for Winthrop junior forward Matt Morgan his, shoes mean so much more. Prior to the season, Morgan lost his grandmother. Morgan wanted a way to pay tribute to her, so he decided to write RIP Grandma on his right shoe. “If I could I would pay tribute on my jersey, but I can’t do that,” Morgan said. With that being the case, Morgan decided to use both his shoes as a memorial. Morgan is not the only Eagle player
who has done this. Red-shirt freshman Julius Francis pays tribute to his mother on his shoes as well. “By me writing on my shoes, I have to take the time out to look at my shoes and tie them every day. That gives me a time to reflect and remember the good times I had with my loved ones,” Morgan said. Morgan was a key member of last year’s Big South Championship team, where he played well scoring key points in the championship game. This year, he plans on making even more contributions. “Writing on my shoes gives me comfort because I know they’re not here to watch me play, and I feel as if I’m playing for them when I walk out on the court,” Morgan said.
Men’s basketball team survives tenacious Queens University Homecoming • from front regular season. Memories from last season’s title-winning triumphs had to have been flowing back as Winthrop shot out of the gates and never looked back. Justin Burton (10 points/ 2 assts) and Matt Morgan (8 points/ 4 rebounds) broke the ice, taking the Eagles to a 1410 lead before a stellar defensive span by Winthrop stifled every Royal attack for nearly 4 minutes. The confidence in the backcourt allowed forwards Reggie Middleton and Valentine to rebound hard, accruing 12 unanswered points. “That stretch of time in the first half was the turning point,” Queens head coach Wes Long said. Winthrop’s lead never shrunk below eight points after that, and the Eagles coasted into halftime with a 14 point
lead. Queens came out of halftime regrouped, refocused and revitalized as the Royals’ defense created havoc for Winthrop, forcing the Eagles into 2 minute 48-second drought. Middleton ended the Royals’ run with a jumper from the baseline. Matt Morgan, who the Eagles are counting on to have a big season, got into early foul trouble and sat most of the game. “We almost played today without Morgan,” Peele said. “Not having Matt come up was tough, but it’s the stuff we have to work through to get better.” Forward George Valentine was able to pick up some of the slack left by Morgan’s absence. The junior from Fayetteville, NC had his first career double scoring 13 points and snagging 11 rebounds. “Valentine played tremendously,”
Peele said. “He rebounds the ball as well as anybody in our league.” Valentine, coming off a broken wrist that forced him to miss last year, shot 5-10 from the floor. In addition to Valentine’s efforts, Winthrop forced eight turnovers interrupting any momentum the Royals could muster. Middleton scored 15, while senior Justin Burton and junior Andre Jones chipped in 10 points each to help Winthrop finally put away the Royals. The Eagles’ next game will be Nov. 15 at 9:30 p.m. in Winston Salem, N.C. on
the campus of Wake Forest University when they take on Virginia Commonwealth University in the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament. VCU finished the 2009-2010 season with a 27-9 record. VCU is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association and the match-up will be the first meeting between the two schools. The tournament has 16 teams divided into four regions: North, South, East and West. The winner of each region will advance to the tournament final four being played in New York at Madison Square Garden.
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THURSDAY November 18, 2010
THE JOHNSONIAN
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