WHY WAIT TILL THURSDAY? READ MYTJNOW.COM.
Dance professor’s ballet training led her to a famous dance company. See A&E, page 7
Talent show, float competition & car smash. Homecoming 2010 calendar. See News, page 2
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
WINTHROP UNIVERSITY
Soccer teams’ success split Women’s team triumphs in regular season; men’s finishes below par
mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com
Blackboard will replace WebCT as Winthrop’s primary online course management system next semester. WebCT, an online supplement for classes that was implemented at Winthrop in 1999, will slowly be phased out starting this spring, until it is completely gone by fall 2011. The reason: the version of WebCT Winthrop now uses is 4.1, while Blackboard has been updated to version 9.1, currently its latest and greatest course management system version. Once Blackboard is in use during the spring, students will be able to use its interactive journal tool
thackhamd@thejohnsonian. com
Winthrop women’s soccer coach Spencer Smith likes to lighten things up for his players the day before a big game. For example, after a small training session of one-on-one dribbling, the side that scores the least amount of goals must stand on the goal line facing the net, bend over and be a target for the winning side to shoot at. The side has put on a phenomenal run of six straight wins in their latter half of the season to put themselves in first place of the Big South conference and set up an easy path through the playoffs. “The locker room is buzzing,” forward Tricia Vensel said. “We like to win and we want to keep going with that. We have many seniors who want to get a (championship) ring.” The first half of the season put Winthrop up
See SOCCER page 10
BY JONATHAN MCFADDEN mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com
Midfielder Matt Stinson and defender Jordan Osborn battle for possession in the match versus Marshall University. Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@thejohnsonian.com
that program will be affiliated with another department in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Debra Boyd said the decision was made in April 2009 after the Speech Department conducted a selfstudy to get a clear picture of the state of Winthrop’s
speech communication disorders degree program. “All Winthrop degree programs conduct selfstudies periodically to make sure that our programs are offering the most effective programs of study to our students,” she said. The Speech Depart-
Student hit by car in stable condition douglasa@thejohnsonian. com
While crossing the road, a student was hit by a PT Cruiser in front of the West Center on Wednesday, Oct. 27. Shelby Presnell, sophomore psychology major, was concious and not bleeding when she was loaded onto a stretcher. A brace was placed around her neck. The driver of the vehicle, 19-year-old Jeremy Emanuel Durham, was arrested and charged with
See WEB page 2
Graduate program allows education majors to earn master’s degree in 1 year
Speech Department suspends communication disorders degree to make revisions to program
BY ANNA DOUGLAS
and virtual classroom option, which allows classroom meetings online in real time. “Everyone will be online at the same time and can collaborate that way,” said Kimarie Whetstone, online learning coordinator at Winthrop. Students can also post blogs and videos that relate to their classes. Erika Patterson, a graduate assistant working in the Instructional Technology Center in Withers, said some of her professors have used Ning, a course management site offered through the search engine Bing.
NEWS
NEWS
Last year, Winthrop announced the decision to suspend the bachelor’s degree in speech communication disorders, meaning after spring 2011, faculty teaching speech courses associated with
Blackboard to replace WebCT BY JONATHAN MCFADDEN
BY DAVID THACKHAM
kreberm@thejohnsonian. com
Issue 10 NEWS
SPORTS
BY MONICA KREBER
Want to try fencing? Read about the club. See Sports, page 11
driving under suspension and failure to yield, said Winthrop Police Officer Scott Rockholt. He was taken to Rock Hill City Jail and later released. Durham is not a Winthrop student, but told police a friend had asked him to drive her car from campus to her house, Rockholt said. The subject hit Presnell when she was already in the crosswalk. State law mandates vehicles must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
ment study included an analysis of the program’s current structure, research into other successful programs, survey data from our program graduates, and general program recommendations from the American Speech-Language-Hear-
See SPEECH page 3
Students who want to teach can earn their master’s degrees in one year thanks to a new graduate program, the Master’s of Arts in Teaching Five Year Option (MAT5). Graduates who want to teach math, political science, biology, social studies, English, French and Spanish will be able to walk across the stage with a master’s degree within a year after they walked the stage for their bachelor’s. “The program is open to anybody who has a major in one of those areas,” said Mark Dewalt, department chair of counseling, leadership and educational studies in the College of
Education. The program allows students to take a full load of courses in the summer, fall and spring and then graduate. The MAT5 has 33 credit hours, opposed to the traditional MAT program’s 45 hours. To be eligible for the program, students must have a 2.75 GPA or higher and must pass the PRAXIS exams available in those particular subject areas. One such area is social studies, which is not a major offered at Winthrop but is available to students majoring in history, politi-
See MAT page 2
DSU Eagle Flicks Catch these movies in Dina’s Place at the DiGiorgio Campus Center this week.
Time: 8 p.m. When: Wednesday
Times: 8 and 9:30 p.m. When: Saturday
See CROSSING page 4
Questions? Contact us at editors@thejohnsonian.com Serving Winthrop since 1923
I N D E X
CAMPUS NEWS
2-5
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
10-11
6-7
CULTURE
12-13
HEALTH & SCIENCE
8-9
SPORTS
14-15
OPINION
2
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
CLAIRE BYUN News Editor byunc@thejohnsonian.com JONATHAN MCFADDEN Assistant News Editor mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com
WebCT fades away, Winthrop adopts Blackboard Blackboard replaces WebCT as Winthrop’s course management system in spring 2011 WEB • from front Patterson’s professor for her writing 501 class assigned her students to post videos, websites and writing assignments online using Ning, which made the class more interactive. “I got to hear not only what my professor was saying, but everything my classmates were saying,” Patterson said. “The interaction with my classmates was great without having to wait for the classroom time.” Patterson, who helped provide many resources for students on the site, is confident Blackboard will be more helpful than both WebCT and Ning. If professors used both WebCT and Ning, students would have to post their assignments on Ning but view their grades on WebCT—using two different systems for one class. Blackboard eliminates the hassle by combining everything into one site. “Having everything in one place is going to be very effective,” Patterson said. Students needing accessibility can also incorporate JAWS (Job Access With Speech) into Blackboard. Blackboard also allows students to
submit papers online. Similar to Turnitin.com, Blackboard has the plagiarism protection feature. But this doesn’t necessarily mean Turnitin will go out of style; Blackboard just provides another option. “It’s something that’s available if the instructor wants to take advantage of it,” Whetstone said. Work on WebCT’s conversion to Blackboard began back in February, Whetstone said. A big chunk of that work has gone into training professors for its use next semester. “Some teachers have started preparing now for their courses for the spring,” she said. WebCT will be officially offline for Winthrop after summer 2011. Whetstone advises students to check with their instructors next semester to see which course management system will be in use. A “Blackboard for Students” page is now available on the WebCT tutorial page. The page provides videos and podcasts instructing students on how to take tests on Blackboard, navigate the site, check their grades and submit assignments.
The current “Blackboard for Students” web page allows students to take tutorials and watch videos that will help them learn how to access their grades, submit assignments and take tests. By summer 2011, all traces of Winthrop’s current online course management system, WebCT, will be gone. • Screeshot taken from the “Blackboard for Students” web page.
Homecoming 2010
Check out the Homecoming calendar and conjure up some Winthrop spirit Tuesday, Nov. 9:
Tipoff Banquet, guests must RSVP by Nov. 4 • Campus Center Ballroom • $20, 6:30 p.m.
MAT • from front
Wednesday, Nov. 10:
Volleyball, WU vs. Presbyterian College • $5 general admission, $3 seniors/children, 6 p.m. Student Talent Show, Homecoming Court will be announced • Tillman Auditorium • FREE, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 11:
Dinner in the Cafe, birthday bash dinner with games and prizes • Thomson Hall Cafeteria, 4-7 p.m. Float Construction, watch campus clubs build homecoming floats • Campus Green, 6-11 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12:
Garnet & Gold Friday Float Viewing Dodgeball Tournament, open to all students and faculty • West Center, 1 p.m. Car Smash & Spirit Gear Creation, show WU spirit by smashing a car and creating spirit gear • President’s Circle, 2:30 p.m. WU Classic Women’s Basketball Tournament, N.C. vs. Central Michigan, 5 p.m. • Winthrop vs. Belmont University, 7 p.m. Campus Center Tours for Alumni, FREE, 6 p.m. Campus Center Affinity Group Reunion, a get-together for all former student leaders • Campus Center Ballroom, 8 p.m. Homecoming Party, featuring live music, caricatures, photos and free food • Campus Center Ballroom, FREE, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 13:
Wesley Foundation Reunion, register by Nov. 5 • FREE, 11 a.m. Tailgating, Coliseum parking lots, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Volleyball, Winthrop vs. Gardner-Webb • Coliseum, 1 p.m. DSU Reunion, open to all alumni and current students • Campus Center room 114, 1-2 p.m. Cravin’ Melon Concert, outside Coliseum • FREE, noon-2 p.m. Alumni BBQ, outside Coliseum • FREE, noon Men’s Basketball, Winthrop vs. Queens University • Homecoming court winners, float and banner winners will be announced • Coliseum, 4 p.m. Eagle Flicks: The Other Guys- Dina’s Place, FREE, 7 and 9:30 p.m. NPHC Step Show, reserve tickets by Nov. 12 at noon • prior o Nov. 4 tickets are $8, after Nov. 4 tickets are $15 • 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.winthrop.edu/homecoming
Writing for us is almost as addicting as Facebook. Almost. Email Claire for more information
byunc@thejohnsonian.com
MAT5 gives students opportunity to teach cal science and sociology. To sweeten the pot, students who complete their master’s in one year will be paid at the master’s level on their first teaching contract, Dewalt said. Professional faculty who have a lot of experience in the public school system will teach in the program and will be able to talk with students about the history and philosophy of education, Dewalt said. Interest in the program has been relatively positive, Dewalt said. “…I’ve probably talked to 15 students since September,” Dewalt said. “Some are seniors, some are as young as freshmen.” Math and science students can have their education funded through the WISE (Winthrop Initiative for STEM Educators) grant, which provides scholarships and stipends for undergraduate and graduate students seeking teacher certification. Beth Costner, department chair of mathematics, was one of several faculty members instrumental in making WISE available to students. She said a large number of the WISE scholarships will go to students in biology, mathematics and chemistry who are pursuing the MAT5 program. Five MAT5 scholarships will be available this summer for math and biology, while chemistry is awaiting approval for summer 2012, Costner said. The first group of five students who receive the $5000 scholarship for the summer, and then again in the fall and spring, will also be supported in their senior years with a $2500 scholarship. “After graduation, students will be expected to teach in high-need
schools in exchange for the scholarship support,” Costner said. The MAT5 program is currently awaiting approval from the Commission on Higher Education but is set to begin in the summer of 2011 with the first group of students. “We are confident that we are going full speed ahead in the summer,” Dewalt said. Among that first group will be Tremayne McCray, a senior political science major and history minor, who is planning to teach and possibly delve into educational policies and the school board. For McCray, the five-year option has come just in time. “I always wanted to do a five year master’s program anyway, but Winthrop didn’t have one,” McCray said. Still, McCray planned on remaining at Winthrop to complete his graudate degree, with or without MAT5. Finishing undergrad in May and heading to graduate school in June isn’t too much of a bother for him. In fact, he’s pretty used to it. “I’ve been to summer school every semester I’ve been in college,” McCray said. McCray said the program provides an advantage because two degrees can be gained in the amount of time it takes some education majors to complete one. Some education majors have remained at Winthrop for five to five-and-a-half years to finish their bachelor degrees, McCray said. “…I might as well get two [degrees] by the time I could get one,” McCray said. Students will be able to talk with education faculty about the new program during common meeting time in the DiGiorgio Campus Center on November 4.
3
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
What’s your take?
“”
Education is the future of America.
Crop Walk 2010
Students give their opinion on the most important issue in this year’s state elections:
Kirby Center
Senior early childhood education major
“”
The most important issue in this election is educational funding.
Health care, because it’s going to determine Barack Obama’s future and how he is remembered, whether or not he gets the health bill passed.
Amber Harris
Will Anderson
“”
Senior early childhood education major
Covering 6.2 miles surrounding the Winthrop community, students participated in the Crop Walk by donating canned goods and raising money. With 864 walkers and 1,523 cans, the Eastern York County Walk raised $18,911.85. Proceeds benefit world hunger, and 25 percent of money raised stays in York County. Photos by Bryson Baxter • Special to The Johnsonian.
Senior management major
After self-study, Winthrop suspends communication disorders major, no new students admitted to major SPEECH • from front ing Association (ASHA), which is the association for communication disorders professionals, Boyd said. From that study, the department learned that the program needed some revisions that would require “substantial time to enact properly,” Boyd said. “With all this information in mind,” she said, “we made the decision in April 2009 to suspend – not eliminate – the program and stop admitting new students.” However, Boyd also said any student who was already in the program would be allowed to finish it and any new freshmen or transfer students who had already been admitted as speech communication disorders majors at that time would be allowed to complete the program. These students have been met with to plan out a course of study so that they will be able to finish required speech courses by Spring Semester 2011. Although the students have already been met with to plan out their courses, faculty has yet to secure where they will be working in the College of Arts and Sciences. “I will consult with those faculty
(members) regarding an appropriate departmental home for them,” Boyd said. Vice President for Academic Affairs Tom Moore said the reason the reason for the revisions that need to be made with the program rest with the lack of equipment Winthrop needs, and it is a large investment, which would affect the budget. “It has become a more and more high-tech professional area of equipment,” Moore said. “The alternative seemed to be to put (the program) on hold.” Moore said Winthrop is not alone in suspending the program, and the enrollment the university had of the major was not large. “We had accepted a small number of students and they were committed to complete the program,” he said, “but we didn’t have a large number of majors.” Moore said what is being done with the program right now, under revisions, is letting Boyd manage the process of course offerings to students, and trying to meet Winthrop’s budget. “Last year as we were facing severe budget issues,” he said. “It’s all been handled very smoothly.”
POLICE BLOTTER LARCENY OF IPOD (10/26/10) At 2:25 p.m., a reporting officer met with a student to investigate a missing iPod. The student said she was in class working and had the iPod on her work table. She left the room briefly and, while she was gone, a group of art students from Clinton Junior College toured the room. The group was on a planned tour escorted by their art professor. When the student came back into the room, she noticed her iPod was missing, although the earbuds were still left on the table. The officer spoke with the group of students and asked if they would volunteer to be searched. Most did. The art professor and student then searched the bus in which the group of Clinton students had arrived. The iPod was not found. The reporting officer then asked the professor to search the bus once the group returned to Clinton. The iPod did not turn up.
The officer approached the student, saw other red cups in the vehicle and smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from the student. The student handed the officer one of the cups. The officer smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from the cup and saw a small amount of beer inside the cup. The student said the cups belonged to his friends who had just boarded the “Party Bus.” The officer had the student step out of the vehicle and began a field sobriety test. The student passed the tests. However, he did admit he drank from one of the cups because his friend told him it was legal to drink in a vehicle as long as it was not from an actual beer can. The student was cited for open container of beer in a vehicle and then released. The student picked up all the empty cups and the beer can littering the ground in the vicinity of the vehicle and threw them away in a nearby trash can.
OPEN CONTAINER OF BEER (10/27/10) At 10:15 p.m., a reporting officer observed a student sitting in the driver’s seat of a 2011 Mazda that had a red cup and a Four Loco beer on the ground outside of it in Dinkins parking lot.
Compiled by Jonathan McFadden
The Police Blotter: the only time it’s not fun to be mentioned in the paper. www.mytjnow.com/police-blotter
La. presidential semi-finalist will remain at Winthrop By Claire Byun byunc@thejohnsonian.com
Winthrop will keep a valued faculty member after the search for a Louisiana univeristy president comes to an end. Tom Moore, vice president for academic affairs, was a presidential nominee for the Univeristy of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). Though the college appointed another candidate, Moore is thankful to be back at Winthrop. “The experience was very enjoyable, educational and valuable,” Moore said. “I’m very glad to still be at Winthrop doing a job I love.” The presidential search committee named three semi-finalists on Wednesday, Oct. 13. These included one man from Texas and one from Louisiana, and
the Louisiana veteran was appointed president. Along with visiting the university, Moore traveled to other cities in the area. “I had a very good trip to Monroe, La., and then to Baton Rouge,” he said. A popular candidate in the state, Moore has much support from students and staff at ULM. A Facebook page, created by a graduate student and titled “Dr. Thomas Moore for ULM President,” contained almost 200 members, according to a Monroe newspaper. “I saw and received several expressions of support, which I appreciate very much,” Moore said. The vice president might have another chance at president after current President DiGiorgio’s contract expires in 2016.
4
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
Office switches, space savers Offices such as the Department of Residence Life and Department of Clubs and Organizations have moved into the new student center, allowing for the International Center to occupy Dinkins. Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@thejohnsonian.com. Graphic by Shatesha Scales • scaless@thejohnsonian.com.
University College moves to Dinkins, student organizations offered locker option By Jonathan McFadden
mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian. com
As soon as clubs and organizations moved out of Dinkins, University College moved right in and made itself at home. Off the heels of displacement after the Owens fire last semester, University
College has found a new home in Dinkins, once the center for clubs and organizations. Gloria Jones, dean and associate professor of University College, has claimed the office of what was once the Office of Student Life, and said she loves it. In fact, she doesn’t miss
Bancroft too much, which once housed University College in its basement. “I was in Bancroft from 1991 until 2010; that’s a long time,” Jones said. Jones said, with all of University College based in Dinkins, it gives the different offices a chance to work more closely together.
Locker space proves to be of great use to clubs and organizations, allowing students to store craft supplies and other paraphanelia on campus. Delta Sigma Theta sorority keeps supplies for fliers in their alloted space. Photo by Jonathan McFadden • mcfaddenj@ thejohnsonian.com.
Walk2Campus purchases UP building, renames it Campus Walk By Jonathan McFadden
mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian. com
Walk2Campus Properties purchased a building at University Place and renamed it Campus Walk. Walk2Campus bought the building’s mortgage from a regional bank this past June, said Brad Hastings, Rock Hill development manager for Walk2Campus. The off-campus housing group was able to exchange the mortgage for the deed to the building in September. “…We had to jump through a few more hoops to purchase the building than a traditional process,” Hastings said. Now with a new apartment-style Walk2Campus property, students can either choose to live in a house or the apartmentstyle suites. Walk2Campus has also instituted a loyalty program, which gives students who live in any Walk2Campus property a guaranteed lease rate when they renew. “So they could try apartment living their junior
year and, because they are a Walk2Campus tenant, get the preferred renewal rate in one of our houses for senior year,” Hastings said. “…Or vice-versa.” Walk2Campus bought the building because of its long-term commitment to providing student housing near Winthrop, Hastings said. “The building has a great location and is a direct neighbor of WU,” Hastings said. Hastings said that when the management team first discussed purchasing the building, they all believed Walk2Campus could manage the building in an accountable fashion that would enhance the area around Winthrop University. As a private owner, Walk2Campus ensured the building would remain in the local tax base for Rock Hill, Hastings said. “Our business philosophy says we serve four distinct customers: students, parents, universities and towns,” Hastings said. “This building was a perfect opportunity to serve all four.”
An open house was held last week to garner feedback from students on how to improve the property and their own living experience. “We heard some great feedback,” Hastings said. “We are working on a few changes and improvements based off this feedback.” Walk2Campus currently owns 40 buildings, which represent about 250 bedrooms, in the Rock Hill community. Another Walk2Campus property deal, the Winthrop Lodge, is still in the works. Hastings said Walk2Campus has spent a lot of time and energy designing the project and coming up with a plan for the buildings. “It’s a challenging time to undertake new development projects,” Hastings said. “But we are looking for a way to make it work and considering all angles.” Hastings said Walk2Campus is hoping to make the Lodge project work, as it would boost the area around Winthrop. Campus Walk, formerly part of University Place Apartments, is now part of Walk2Campus’ 40-building property. The apartment building was bought from a regional bank this past June. Photo by Jonathan McFadden • mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com.
“That gives a feeling of continuity, of closeness and togetherness that we have not had before,” Jones said. One perk of clubs and organizations now being located in the new campus center is the opportunity for locker use. Stanley Jackson, assistant director for student clubs and organizations, said student clubs and organizations who hold meetings in the campus center can use the lockers as storage space for any pertinent materials they may need. With the lockers, students won’t have to lug any materials from their apartments or resident halls, Jackson said. He said it’s especially convenient for clubs or organizations that hold meetings every week. In early October, student organizations were
given the opportunity to apply for locker space. Students had to sign an agreement form, which detailed usage terms, such as a prohibition against storing firearms or anything else that may present a danger to other students. They also had to get their adviser to sign the form and consent to the maintenance of the lockers. While the time frame for locker use is this entire academic year, in future years students may have to reapply each semester to claim a locker. The reason for this stems from the misuse of lockers in Dinkins. “People would put stuff in them (the lockers) and they would leave it in there for three or four years,” Jackson said. For Jackson, the lockers idea is as new to him as it
is to students. “It’s one of those things that’s kind of nontraditional,” Jackson said. Still, he said it’s a great resource. For senior biology major Tiara Moore, also president of Delta Sigma Theta, using the lockers has been useful. While the sorority just received its locker assignment, Moore said they’ve already placed supplies used daily or weekly, such as a glue gun and materials for fliers. “Especially when you have Clubs and Orgs. Festival, we don’t have to bring it from our homes; we just go to our lockers and get it,” Moore said. Moore said since the sorority was one of the first clubs to apply, they are keeping their current locker for the rest of the year.
Psychology student hit by vehicle while crossing road; incident brings light to pedestrian safety CROSSING • from front Witnesses say Durham was exceeding the speed limit on Heritage Lane, which is 20 mph. Becca Rose, senior special education major, witnessed the accident. “I think people need to pay more attention when they’re driving,” Rose said. “This shouldn’t have happen ed.” Presnell’s condition is stable, and The Johnsonian contacted her for an interview. Due to time restrictions, Presnell was unable to give an interview by press time. To ensure student safety, Police
Chief Frank Zebedis encourages students to hang up their cell phones while crossing the street. “They may believe they are multitasking, but actually they are running the risk of getting struck by a vehicle because they are not paying attention or they can’t hear what is going on around them,” Zebedis said. If not currently in the crosswalk when a vehicle approaches, students should wait for the vehicle to pass before walking. If the student doesn’t yield, the vehicle is not to blame. “In that situation, the pedestrian will be at fault for the accident,” Zebedis said.
Safety Tips from the Chief of Police: • Pay attention to your surroundings; talking on your cell phone is distracting, and headphones cancel out cautionary noise. • Only cross the street at the crosswalk; according to state statute, a pedestrian only has the right-of-way to a vehicle if they are in the crosswalk when the car approaches. • Unless you are already in the crosswalk when the vehicle begins to move, you must wait for the vehicle to pass or stop. If an accident occurs in that event, the vehicle is not to blame. • Students are encouraged to call Campus Police during any signs of danger or if they need to report an accident. 3233333.
5 Our Say
Letter to the Editor concerning Jared Epps’s column published on Oct. 25.
WU needs better walkers, drivers Some people blame crazy walkers. Some people blame crazy drivers. No matter who is to blame, The Johnsonian thinks that standoffs between pedestrians and drivers on Winthrop’s campus are too frequent, especially considering that a student was hit last week while using a crosswalk. Winthrop’s campus is mostly conducive to pedestrians. Although people say they don’t like walking from the Dinkins commuter lot, the gravel faculty lot or the Legion Lot, the isolation of those parking lots is important to keeping pedestrians safe. When sophomore psychology major Shelby Presnell was hit by a car while walking between the West Center and Johnson last week, the driver was exiting an area not suited for student vehicle traffic. The vehicle involved had a resident parking pass on the window but the driver was not a Winthrop student. Witnesses say the driver exceeded
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
the posted 20 mph speed limit, but The Johnsonian could not confirm with police that speed was the cause. Even when adhering to speed limits, distracted drivers can still cause accidents. And, pedestrians on campus shouldn’t assume drivers will notice them and stop. South Carolina law mandates drivers yield to pedestrians already in the crosswalk, but they do not have to stop for jaywalkers. The Department of Motor Vehicles’ website also states, “A driver should always be willing to give the pedestrian the right of way, regardless of whether he has it or not.” The Johnsonian would like everyone to be more courteous while driving around campus. Don’t increase your speed just to beat a pedestrian to a crosswalk. One student hit by a car is one student too many. The Johnsonian is very thankful the student is not seriously injured.
I’d like to address some of the statements made by a guest columnist in “Student offers fun religious viewpoint.” After reading this article, I’m sitting at my desk feeling like I just got punched in the gut. It makes me so distraught to read how students view Christians as a bunch of fingerpointing vampires (my words, not his). I’m sure there are finger-pointing vampire ‘Christians’ out there, but is that the only type of encounter people are having? Stop by
CONNOR DE BRULER Opinion Editor debrulerc@thejohnsonian.com
any campus ministry and I bet you’ll find something much different. Now I’ll move on to some specifics. Epps says his advice to a friend resulted in his being deemed a “heathen, or whatever Christians call unbelievers of their religion.” Yikes! Do people think Christians sit around denouncing people like that? If you’ve witnessed this from Christians, point them to the book of Luke in the Bible where Jesus tells us, “Judge not…condemn not.” It’s a clear command, but lack of education can lead to Christians giving our beliefs a false reputation, which then leads columnists such as Epps to feel justified in describing Christians as ridiculous bigots.
Epps also asks, “Why do [Christians] feel the need to do God’s work and judge the rest of us?” Like I just pointed out, judging is in no way the job of Christians. However, we are called to be disciples and to spread God’s message and way of life. I’m sorry if the Christians you know got this mixed up with passing out tickets to hell. It upsets me, too, that fear tactics are used. However, I would like to point out that you keep throwing all Christians into a very ugly bag. You accuse Christians of discrimination, but is your article much different? Lastly, I find it interesting that you pose the question that if a god really exists, does he (or she, as you put it) “even care what happens on our tiny, inconsequential blue speck of a planet?” The answer is yes, he cares! Isn’t that so amazing?
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Lack of education can lead to Christians giving our religion a false reputation...
Jamie Sweatman Junior elementary education major
Vampire lifestyle appears uncomfortable I would much they need on a nightly barather be a sis? I imagine it’s similar werewolf than a to being a heroin addict. vampire. The only thing they can I’ve often think about is from whom thought about their next quart of hemowhat life would globin is coming. be like if I were That sounds like a terConnor de Bruler rible existence. to become a Opinion editor mythical creaVampires can only come ture and I have out at night. Everything’s often weighed closed at night. How do the pros and cons of each they time their shopping? I lifestyle. couldn’t go to the bookstore, In my opinion, being a vam- the comic shop or the skating pire would be a horrible fate. rink. Not only is the entire persona Being a vampire would be a and image of the vampire drag. based on an intrinsic sexualWerewolves, on the other ity, but it seems to me that hand are allowed to live most vampires, such as Count normal lives as exemplary Dracula, Carmelita and Mr. citizens. Things would only be Cullen, are quite vain. I try to complicated during waning expel as much vanity from my and waxing gibbous moons. life as I possibly can. I don’t I’m also attracted to the think seducing victims in a slightly woodsmen-like, pastocastle or making sure my hair ral image werewolves perpetuis properly moussed would ate. I could live in a cabin in suite me. Alaska and dress in flannel Another downside to vamshirts. I could get into fights pires is the constant need for with bears in the wilderness. blood. How much blood do In a way, we are all were-
wolves. Unlike vampires, humans are not consistent in our goals and needs. Sometimes a wave of emotion or energy can spur behavior we think to be out of our control. We’ve all woken up wondering where we were the night before. There are many different creatures to choose from: mummies, zombies, witches, demons and human resource directors. But werewolves and vampires are the most poignant because they illustrate the constant struggle within Illustration by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@thejohnsonian.com ourselves between instinct and desire. into wolves and bats. cash in on age-old folktales. At one point folklore, wereI’m not sure there’s much I’m just doing it in my own wolves and vampires were the of a point here, but in a world ridiculous way. same myth. Even in the claswhere “Twilight” has earned I hope you had a happy Halsics, such as “Carmelita” and billions of dollars, I suppose loween. “Dracula,” the vampires posevery writer is obligated to sess the power to transform
Student disillusioned with WU cafeteria When I pay $1225 live in filth and spread for something, I expect diseases with their legs. it to have certain According to aerias.org, qualities, one of which cockroach feces contain is cleanliness. many diseases, such as The type of sanitary Salmonella, Staphyloissues at Thomson coccus and StreptococCafeteria that have cus. Cockroaches can come to my attention Matthew Abraham even trigger allergic Guest columnist during my college reactions in humans career is unprecand have been known to edented. Winthrop University cause asthma. is supposed to be home away The reason I have stated the from home for many college danger of having cockroaches students. Well, does the kitchen around human beings is beat your house prepare food in cause I have discovered several an environment infested with instances in which cockroaches cockroaches? I think not. have been sighted in Thomson Cockroaches are known to Cafeteria.
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
• Sept. 13, 2010 at 4:19pm, Jonathon Willis, a sophomore Winthrop student, saw a very large cockroach on a wall in Thomson Cafeteria. • Sept. 23, 2010 Brittany Serago, a freshman Winthrop student saw a cockroach climbing up a wall in Thomson Cafeteria. • Oct. 2, 2010, 6:07pm, I found a dead cockroach under a drink dispenser in Thomson Cafeteria. In my opinion Thomson Cafeteria has a cockroach problem. Inadequately cleaning dirty dishes causes this problem. According to aerias.org cockroaches are attracted to dirty dishes.
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
Recently two students have complained about the cleanliness of the dishes at Thomson Cafeteria on Sept. 24, 2010 and Sept. 26, 2010. Thomson received an 89 out of 100 on a recent South Carolina Department of Health Services and Environmental Control inspection but the report did not mention anything about cockroaches. Although Thomson Cafeteria workers claim they clean the plates thoroughly, they do not deny the existence of dirty dishes. One comment card posted in the cafteria says, in response to
a student complaint, “Sorry if you have found some (dishes) dirty.” Another comment card claims the employees will “watch out better” for dirty dishes but I do not buy it. A comment on the DHEC report stated dishes were being stored on the floor. I am not trying to be Upton Sinclair, but I think there are serious sanitation violations frequently occuring in Thomson Cafeteria. These violations need not occur anywhere, especially in the place we eat.
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.
6
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
AMANDA PHIPPS Health & Science Editor phippsa@thejohnsonian.com
Warmer temperatures could endanger public health By Amanda Phipps
phippsa@thejohnsonian. com
Populations that depend on snow for water may need to find a new method of water attainment thanks to climate change, which has resulted in warmer temperatures globally, geology professor Marsha Bollinger said. Whether it is a normal change in weather or related to global warming, climate changes have resulted in a change in the timing of snow in certain areas that depends on snowmelt for their water supply, she said. “We assume that when we go to a water fountain, water will be available and suitable for drinking,” she said, “but other parts of the world could be in trouble if the availability of water changes.” Northern California currently has reservoirs that are engineered to catch snowmelt that will be used to supply water during dry periods, Bollinger said. The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) maintains a system to collect snow called SNOTEL (Snowpack Telemetry), which measures the snowfall in the western mountains and uses that
information to forecast water supply, according to the NRCS website. Places such as California, Washington and Oregon have already begun to experience a change in the amount and timing of snowfall, Bollinger said. The conclusion is that climate change is causing this, but the question remains if this is normal climate change or change related to human-induced global warming, she said. Climate change may also affect the world’s food supply, she said. “Water impacts where plants grow,” she said. If there is a change in the amount of water an area gets, it may result in certain crops not being able to thrive there, she said. This can affect overall food supply and public health. Climate change can also affect rain patterns, which can brimg more water to dry areas of the world and less in areas that are used to having a steady water supply, she said. This causes a change in the distribution of water and can affect how people maintain a water supply. “We would have to adapt to it,” Bollinger said. People in certain areas may have to move else-
where due to a lack of water because of global warming, political science professor Christopher Van Aller said. Certain countries will lose the availability of water if the time and amount of snowmelt changes due to warmer temperatures. These people may become environmental refugees and create overcrowding in refugee camps, further threatening public health. “Refugees are going to want to move to areas better for life,” he said, “but other countries are already there.” Psychology professor Jeffrey Sinn said most wars are fought over land and resources. As the arctic ice caps continue to melt, the problem will become figuring out who will own the oil beneath that area. If climate change makes some areas unable to support the same amount of resources and the populations continue to rise, tensions between territories may increase. “It will be a whole new level of chaos,” he said. “Countries will act in their own interest. We will not be together on this.” Climate change may also result in an increase of diseases, Van Aller said. An
increase in insect-spread diseases, such as malaria, may be a result of warmer temperatures, causing changes in water levels in certain areas. Climate change can lead to an increase of mosquitoes, which can carry malaria, because they thrive in warm weather, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website. Insects can also spread other vector-born diseases, including yellow fever and dengue fever. Overcrowding of refugees can increase the spread of disease, Van Aller said. Diseases depend on insects, such as mosquitoes, for transmission between hosts, biology professor Paula Mitchell said. “The disease organism is usually transmitted in the saliva when the insect feeds on the host’s blood,” she said. Malaria is a disease that is caused by a protozoan and is evolutionarily tied to very few mosquito species, Mitchell said. The species will not thrive in temperate environments. “The disease organism cannot complete its development in the mosquito at low temperatures,” she said. The vector that carries
the disease in the mosquito and the mosquito itself will do better in warmer conditions, Mitchell said. This will result in an increased abundance of mosquitoes. Global warming may result in an increase in temperature that will make the environment more tropical, and mosquito species will move from Central and South America to the U.S. and be able to populate and spread disease, Mitchell said. Dengue and yellow fever may also be able to spread with the increases in temperature, causing more regions to be able to hold the vector Aedes aegypti, a mosquito species that carries the disease, she said. Extreme temperatures can directly result in global loss of life, according to the EPA website. Changes in climate can cause ecological disturbances, such as “changes in the range of infective parasites,” which can indirectly impact health through the spreading of disease. Warm temperatures can also harm public health through an increase in air and water pollution. Van Aller said some benefits exist to climate change, but each one also affects something else.
Certain areas normally too cold for crops to grow may become available, and longer growing seasons may be a result of climate change, but other areas will be affected. “You can’t pretend that changing one massive thing will have no other effects,” he said. Van Aller said the problem with global warming is that it causes change too quickly. “It takes a long time for a biological system to adapt to a new environment,” he said. “If it changes too quickly, it can have adverse effects.” Sinn said it’s hard to tell exactly what climate change will result in. “There has never been this big of a shift (in environment) in human history,” he said. “It’s hard for social scientists to predict what’s going to happen.”
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It will be a whole new level of chaos. Jeffrey Sinn
Psychology professor
Google chrome prounounced winner in browser competition
Devang Joshi Webmaster
Whether you prefer Windows, Mac or Linux, the one thing people have in common is the use of a web browser. However, this one commonality leads to many different avenues in terms of what makes the “best browser.” So to help ease some of the frustration, let me give you a quick overview of what a browser is and what makes one better then another. For all intents and purposes, a web browser is a program that is able to access and read HTML files and displays them to the user. The web browser is, therefore, responsible for your interactions with the World Wide Web. However, all browsers are not created equally, and there are clear front-runners in the battle for browser supremacy. To make it to the top of my list, we must look at a few things: the engine used, ease of use and visible page area. The “engine” is what drives the program and what allows it to read the HTML code, process it and then display the final output to the users’ screen. Some
engines are obviously faster than other engines, and that all comes together when talking about pageload speed. “Ease of use” is an obvious trait we look for, and all boils down to how comfortable the user is with getting the full functionality out of the browser. “Visible page area” is how much of the page the person is able to see without having to scroll. Ideally, a browser should maximize the display area of the content in order to minimize scrolling and overall screen clutter. So, which browser is the best? Well, to start off, let me go ahead and trash both Internet Explorer and Safari. Personally, both browsers just can’t keep up with the Google Chrome’s and Mozilla Firefox’s of the world, both in ease of use and speed. Coming in a close second is the fabled Mozilla Firefox. For many of us, Firefox is nothing new, but Mozilla has been consistent in putting out a fast, easy to use browser. Another pro of Firefox is the ability to customize it. From themes to widgets, the options are endless. My personal favorite browser, the browser everyone should be using by the way, is Google Chrome. In terms of pageload speed, you would be hard-pressed to find another option that can keep up. Chrome isn’t just fast, it’s mind-numbingly
Graphic by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@thejohnsonian.com fast. Also, in more recent distributions of Chrome, Google has now given the user the ability to add widgets and apply themes. Also, Chrome minimizes the need to scroll. Finally, Chrome does away with toolbars, integrating the Google search feature right into the URL bar. Now there is no need to navigate to Google.com. You can
CORRECTION: In the Oct. 28 issue of The Johnsonian on page six, the story “Students wear pink to support breast cancer,” said the chairman of the AKA breast cancer program committee was Arieal Bernadette; her name is Arieal Mack. The story also said the event raised money for Susan G. Coleman for the Cure. The organization is named Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
simply type in your search query and hit enter. In terms of a safe browser, you start splitting hairs. There is no such thing as a “safe” browser. The best way to stay safe on the Internet is by being proactive. Keep your browsing safe by minimizing the “remember password” features and don’t ever send personal information
(social security numbers, bank account information, etc.) unless you’re sure of what you’re doing (keep in mind there are people who “spoof” bank web pages to steal information). Have any questions or comments? Want to learn more about the best browser? E-mail me at joshid@thejohnsonian. com.
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There are clear front-runners in the battle for browser supremacy.
Write for the health and science section. E-mail phippsa@thejohnsonian.com
7
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
JESSICA PICKENS Arts & Entertainment Editor pickensj@thejohnsonian.com ALISON ANGEL Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor angela@thejohnsonian.com
Professors’ background impresses students By Jessica Pickens
pickensj@thejohnsonian.com
Sandra Neels left home as a teenager to follow her dreams and now commemorates the choreographer who gave her success. “Ever since I can remember I’ve always wanted to be a dancer,” said dance professor Neels. For 10 years, from 1964 to 1974, Neels danced with Merce Cunningham’s dance company, the choreographer who influenced modern dance. “I read an essay Merce had written and was interested,” Neels said. “I am trained in tap and Russian ballet. I couldn’t see myself growing in ballet, but wanted to stay in ballet.” Neels went to New York and caught Cunningham’s attention by taking every class he taught and helping to make the
costumes, she said. When the Cunningham Company was going on a six-month world tour in 1964, Neels suggested he take her along as an understudy. “Merce told me to come to rehearsals but not let anyone know I was an understudy. I took notes wearing street clothes because he didn’t want anyone to feel threatened,” Neels said. The 1964 world tour took teenager Neels and the Cunningham Company to places such as France, Tokyo and behind the Iron Curtain. She had the opportunity to travel around the world. Neels said you really see the culture of a country when you are there as a worker. “Dancers got sick in places like India, but everyone was always expected to dance,” she said. “It was hard to find food the that we needed in order to dance well.
Arts Ball 2010: ‘Curse of the Creole’
One evening I did an entire performance on an orange.” Neels started the tour as an under study with only one role, but ended the tour with several more after dancers left the group. “My roommate got married so I got her parts,” Neels said. After leaving the company, Neels taught at colleges in Canada before moving to North Carolina. “It was so cold in Canada and I thought I’d freeze to death if I stayed there any longer,” she said. Neels came to Winthrop the same year as President DiGiorgio and choreographed his inauguration. She hasn’t performed since 1980, and is now interested in reviving and restaging Cunningham’s work. The Lincoln Center asked her to restage two of Cunningham’s works in 2002.
angela@thejohnsonian.com
CROSSWURD PUZZLE
Sandra Neels
Gallery Up auctions student, faculty art By Alison Angel
This year’s Arts Ball held on Oct. 29 focused on New Orleans and Creole culture. The play centered around hurricane’s rampage through Louisiana brought on by a voodoo witch doctor. Funds raised at the Arts Ball went to schools in New Orleans that are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Photo by Claire VanOstenbridge • Special to The Johnsonian
Since then Neels has reconstructed eight pieces. Neels is one of five people in the world qualified to teach Cunningham’s work, she said. “I was hungry to learn from him, and I am still learning from Merce all the time.”
Winthrop University is set to host the fifth annual Silent Art Auction on Nov. 10. The auction will last three days, and Nov. 13 is the last day to place bids on any items. The gallery features work done exclusively by Winthrop students, faculty and alumni. This year’s auction dovetails with an inaugural arts celebration called Muse Fest, which takes place on East Main Street in downtown Rock Hill. The Muse Fest, which also runs from Nov. 11 to Nov. 13, features live music and a wide variety of art exhibitions, including a photography show by senior Winthrop students and an outdoor graffiti
wall. This is the first time the auction of Winthrop art has taken place so early in the year. Stephanie McCloud, Gallery Up employee, said the auction usually takes place during the Christmas holidays. This year’s Silent Art Auction moved in order to be included in the Muse Fest. McCloud said the auction was adopted by Gallery Up after originally being started on campus. “It (the auction) used to take place on campus,” McCloud said. “It was started by a union of student artists, but they disbanded, so we (Gallery Up) adopted it.” While the number of entries in the auction is still up in the air, a good number is expected, Mc-
Cloud said. Last year alone the auction received more than 200 entries from various artists. Artists who are interested in submitting work can submit up to four pieces of work and must provide information about the piece at drop off. The maximum size of work is 40 inches. Artists will receive 60 percent of the final bid on their art work, according to the Gallery Up website. If you are interested in submitting a piece and would like more information on how to participate in the silent auction, visit galleryup.com or e-mail Gallery Up at info@galleryup.com.
When they were young Your Arts and Entertainment editors have started a new feature where students can see what their professors looked like during their college days. This week, we have mass communication professor Justin Brown. Want to give your
co-workers a good laugh? Want to see what your professors looked like when they were younger? Send us professor ideas or your college photos to pickensj@thejohnsonian. com. Professors you can submit photos of yourself too.
Across
1. What number Harry Potter movie is coming out on Nov. 19? 2. Who is the assistant director of campus programming? (two words) 4. Last name of the director of the International Center 6. Where will the winning homecoming float be displayed? (two words) 7. What building is the International Center being moved to? 9. Last name of the Johnsonian’s web master. 10. Last name of the department chair of counseling, leadership and educational studies. 11. Name of the gallery where the Winthrop silent auction takes place. (two words)
Down
1. What is the name of Winthrop women’s soccer coach? (two words) 3. What is replacing WebCT? (two words) 5. What is the name of the student center’s movie theater? (two words) 8. Which residence hall is being transformed into Hogwarts?
Then
Now
8
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
November 2010 Music Winthrop Clarinet Choir performs at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, in Barnes Recital Hall.
Float with school spirit Groups make floats to receive place of honor By Alison Angel
Hanson will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12, at Amos Southend in Charlotte. Tickets are $25. Motion City Soundtrack and Say Anything will perform at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13, at Amos Southend in Charlotte. Tickets are $23. Winthrop Chorale, Chamber Singers and Jazz Voices will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, in McBryde Hall. Cultural Event
DSU (Events are $5 with student I.D., $10 without and free with Fall Pass. Movies are $2 for students) Indie band “Barefoot Truth” will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5, in the “The Edge” in the DiGiorgio Food Court. Box office hit “Inception” will be showing at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, in Dina’s Place Theater. Watch Winthrop talent at the Homecoming Talent Show at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, in Tillman Auditorium. Free event
angela@thejohnsonain.com
Colorful paper and visions of school spirit. Homecoming this year marks a change at Winthrop as groups around campus compete to make floats. The homecoming committee and facilities management teamed up and decided to make floats for this year’s homecoming. The winning float will receive a place of honor on the Campus outside of the new DiGiorgio Center. Mike Rapay, assistant director of campus programming, is in charge of helping to coordinate
the event and competition with the floats. Rapay said in the past Winthrop has allowed student groups to make floats for events but this year is different. “There have been floats in the past, but not like this,” Rapay said. “We have told each group to create something that will allow the Winthrop community to know who made it immediately.” The student homecoming committee came up with this theme for the competing groups. “We wanted to make it a little different than the banners which are more about our basketball team beating the other team,” Rapay said. Each float will be judged based on artistic
appeal, as well as use of a fence piece provided by the committee and spirit of the organization who built the float. If you are interested in having your club or organization participate and build a float for this year’s homecoming, visit the homecoming website to register. The deadline to register is November 4. Homecoming week starts Nov. 9 and ends Nov. 13.
Rock band Lloyd Dobler Effect will perform at the Homecoming Party at 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12, in the DiGiorgio Banquet Hall. Free event The detective comedy “The Other Guys” will be showing at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13, in Dina’s Place Theater. Documentary about football player and soldier Pat Tilman, “The Tilman Story,” will be showing at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, in Dina’s Place Theater.
Deadline to enter is Nov. 15, 2010 Guidelines:
Singer/songwriter Tyrone Wells will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 19, in the DiGiorgio Food Court. Pianist Tim Brantley is opening for Wells. The comedy “Lottery Ticket” will be showing at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, in Dina’s Place Theater. The crime movie “Takers” will be showing at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, in Dina’s Place Theater.
Off-campus movies Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt and Tina Fey all star in the latest Pixar movie “Megamind.” The film premieres on Friday, Nov. 5. Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford star in “Morning Glory,” written by the same author of “Devil Wears Prada.” The film premieres on Wednesday, Nov. 10. Denzel Washington and Chris Pine stop a runaway train in “Unstoppable.” The film premiers on Friday, Nov. 12. The long anticipated “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1” premieres on Friday, Nov. 19. Christina Aguilera and Cher team up in the musical “Burlesque” premiering on Wednesday, Nov. 24.
Dance and plays The Winthrop Dance Theater will perform at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10, through Saturday, Nov. 13, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 14. The performance will be in Johnson Theater and tickets are $8 with student I.D. and $15 without. The Fall One-Act Plays will be at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, and Saturday, Nov. 19, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, and Sunday, Nov. 20. The performance is in Johnson Theater. Tickets are $8 with student I.D. and $15 without.
Upcoming on-campus films: Saturday, Nov. 6: “Inception”- The complex and popular Leonardo DiCaprio movie about dreams. Wednesday, Nov. 13: “The Other Guys”- Disgraced New York City police detectives take on a high-profile case.
--Images used must be owned by the artist or labeled for reuse by the owner. --Artwork should be in JPEG, TIFF, or PDF format. --The artwork does not have to be a traditional hand turkey. We will gravitate more towards artwork that is related to the Thanksgiving holiday though. --Group submissions will be accepted but only one prize will be given. Only one piece of artwork will be accepted per artist. --Hand outline must be drawn but can be scanned and combined with images. E-mail submissions to Jessica Pickens at pickensj@thejohnsonian.com
9
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
ALEXIS AUSTIN Culture Editor austina@thejohnsonian.com
MICA Institute students undergo cultural immersion By Sigourney Woodfork Special to The Johnsonian
Winthrop University was given the opportunity to host six students from Ahmedabad, India from Oct. 17 to Oct. 30. Originally, the students from the Mudra Institute of Ahmedabad (MICA) were composed of eight students. Postgraduate MICA student Anshual Bafna said two students had visa complications and were unable to participate in the cultural immersion. Dr. Padmini Patwardhan, Winthrop mass communication associate professor, arranged the students’ cultural immersion. The four-week trip was divided into two weeks spent in Illinois visiting Southern Illinois University, and two weeks here. Patwardhan said, while at Winthrop, the MICA students attended classes across campus, met with professors within their areas of interest and were provided with opportunities to interact with Winthrop students both within and outside of class. The MICA students attended an ice cream social held by the Culture Club, an on-campus organization established to educate and explore different cultures from around the world. The event was held on Oct. 27 in the lobby of the DiGiorgio Campus Center. Winthrop students were invited to meet and talk to the MICA students to better understand the similarities and differences of American and Indian culture. Fashion, food and everything in between were just a few of the topics students discussed. The MICA students described all the sightseeing and shopping adventures they had while in the Rock Hill and Charlotte area, including their trip to Concord Mills shopping center about 12 miles from downtown Charlotte. “We love Concord Mills,” said Sheena Agarwal, MICA grad student who plans on working in the image consulting field. During the MICA students’ visit, the group also went to Charlotte Media (Fox), NASCAR
Hall of Fame and Discovery Place. Food was a common area of interest of both Culture Club members and the MICA students. During the cultural immersion trip, the MICA students had many opportunities to try an assorted variety of American cuisine. “Wild Wings was really great. I especially liked the spicy mango wings,” Agarwal said. Popular Indian fast food, such as Pav Bhaji and Panipuri, was discussed in great detail. Panipuri is described as “bite-sized balls of flavor,” said Ritika Singh, MICA grad student who is in the process of creating a social media platform that connects parents and their children. “When we say we are homesick, this is what we miss—the junk food.” The MICA students compared Winthrop’s integrated marketing communication (IMC) curriculum to the IMC program at the Mudra Institute. “The classes are basically the same, just from a different perspective,” said Shweta Ravandran, MICA grad student who is focusing on irradicating childhood illiteracy with stimulating audio and visual children’s books. A major difference between the two programs is the entrepreneural aspect the Mudra Institute requires. The highly selective admission process requires applicants to devise a plan for a business that would better the surrounding community and ultimately the entire country of India. For his business plan, Siddharth Nakai is in the process of creating an eco-friendly consulting company that helps produce films in an earth-friendly way. “Big budget films, such as
Above and left: MICA Institute graduate students chat with Winthrop students at the Culture Club’s ice cream social on Oct. 27. The graduate students visited Winthrop as a part of cultural immersion experience. Photo by Kathleen Brown • brownk@thejohnsonian.com
Bollywood movies, use many of resources for building sets and for lighting. My company will help production teams waste less,” Nakai said. “This is something even American production companies could use help in.” Another riveting topic discussed at the ice cream social—cultural perceptions. Culture Club members wanted to know what the students from India thought about America before they came and if their expectations of Americans were met or shattered. “We weren’t surprised, that surprised us,” Agarwal said. Due to the media and other forms of communication, the
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.
Tongue-incheek- not to be taken seriously Example: The comment about his boss’ weight was tongue-in-cheek. Two centssomeone’s personal advice or opinion Example: She always puts her two cents in when no one is talking to her. Compiled by Alexis Austin
Indian students’ idea of America and its citizens was reinforced with the cultural immersion experience. Nakai, however, felt that “you can only have a blurred image until you actually go see a country.” The MICA students were curious to find out what Winthrop students knew about India and how Indian culture was view from an outside perspective. “I was surprised at how nonconservative they were,” Hien Dang, a finance major and president of the Culture Club said. “I didn't think they would be as outspoken as they were. I
guess I thought they would more quiet because that's how I would be in a foreign country, but they were so much fun,” broadcast major Norie Young said. Young met the students from India when they sat in on her International Communications class. Overall, the cultural immersion trip went well for both the MICA students and the Winthrop students who were able to interact with the visitors. “I believe it was a valuable experience for both sets of students,” said Dr. Patwardhan.
Did you see it? Or know someone who did? Did you hear about it? Or know someone who did? WRITE ABOUT IT! Get your news published in The Johnsonian Contact: editors@thejohnsonian.com
10
SPORTS BRIEFS No.1 seed for women’s soccer team After a slow start to the season, the women’s soccer team earned the No. 1 seed in the Big South Conference Tournament. The Eagles, who won five of their last six games, will play the number eight seed VMI. The game will be Thursday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. The tournament is being played in Radford, VA. Under new head coach Spencer Smith, Winthrop posted a 6-2-1 conference record. In last year’s tournament the Eagles made it to the championship round before losing to High Point University.
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
CHRIS McFADDEN Sports Editor mcfaddenc@thejohnsonian.com
Soccer teams prepare for Big South Conference Tournament The men’s soccer team was picked to finish second by conference coaches. However, the team has struggled to overcome the youth and inexperience on the roster. The team has lost four of their last five games. The Eagles will play in Big South Conference Tournament which begins Nov. 11 in High Point, N.C. The Eagles won last years tournament and advanced to the NCAA Soccer Tournament.
Golf’s fall season comes to an end The men’s golf team finished in 15th place and the women 17th place in their final tournament of the fall. The men were paced in the Humingbird Intercollegiate Tournament by sophmore Kamito Hirai who scored a 150 over 36 holes. Junior Kayla Cline led the Eagles at the Lady Paladin Invitational. She shot a 241 over 36 holes.
Cross country teams finish season Junior Adam Freudenthal finished in fifth place and led the men’s cross country team to a 4th place finish in the Big South Conference Tournament. The Lady Eagles finished in 7th place with Liberty winning the women’s title. Freudenthal and sophomore Jennifer Schofield were named to the All-Conference Academic team. Freudenthal also was named to the All-Conference team
Volleyball team ends losing streak The volleyball team beat the Liberty Flames in straight sets. The victory brought the Eagles their conference record to 8-5 with three games remaining in the season. Junior Becca Toor led the Eagles with 10 kills, while senior Kaley Viola had 13 digs. The Big South Conference Tournament will begin in Nov. 18 and will be played at the Winthrop Coliseum.
Men’s, women’s teams will attempt a run at the Big South title SOCCER • from front against a demanding non-conference schedule, which swept the Eagles off their feet. Despite keeping the score close (six losses were by just one goal), the women found themselves 0-7-1 by the end of September, rooted to the bottom of the table. “It was a mental thing,” Vensel said. “We were going 0-7 into conference, but we were always able to keep mentally strong, to keep working hard in practice for one another.” To finally get back into the win column, it all started with Gardner Webb. Realizing his team could work better in a different shape, Smith shuffled his midfield and changed the formation from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3, adding a striker and more balance to the top of the attack. “It took a little while to get used to [the new formation],” leading goalscorer Courtney Durbin said, “but when we did, we sure liked it.” Winthrop scored nine goals during their hot streak of five straight wins. The Eagles had a goal difference of -11 coming into the Gardner Webb matchup, but goalkeepers Kelsey Weavil and Sarah Schippers have now recorded five straight shutouts between themselves. “It was definitely hard to get scored on,” Weavil said, “but we hang in there and work on our mistakes that happen because of the goals so we’re able to fix them and prevent them, and that feels great.” The story of the women’s soccer team is one of redemption, to bounce back from last year’s woes of finishing last in conference play to potentially picking up the top spot for 2010. But for the men’s side, the tale is much different. Adam Skonicki is familiar with success. After all, it runs in the family. His brother, Matt, who graduated last year, is a Winthrop soccer legend, aiding the Eagles to two Big South championships and achieving the tournament MVP in his junior year. But this year, the sophomore forward and his team
Winthrop’s women’s soccer team ended their season winning five of their last six games. The Eagles earned the number one seed in the Big South Conference Tournament being held
have been more likely to end up on opposite side of the spectrum, currently struggling in sixth place out of nine teams. “It’s disappointing because the one thing I hate the most is losing. It takes the fun out of [the game] when you’re not winning,” Skonicki said. Unlike the women, the men have been unable to win two matches in a row this season. Skonicki accredits the inconsistency to youth. “We’re a young team,” the forward said. “Not all the experience is there, so [while] we all want to go out there and win, we still don’t know exactly what we’re doing and what lineup we need. It’s an adjusting year.” For this season, however, Winthrop must adjust quickly. The Big South tournament starts on Nov. 11 in High Point, N.C., the home of the conference champions, who clinched their top seed berth last Thursday with a 2-1 victory over Coastal Carolina. Unfortunately, the Eagles have been far from effective as visitors, with a 1-5-1 record on away turf. But for a team that has struggled so much during the regular season, there is nothing to do but look to the future. “We’ve got to stay working hard,” Skonicki said. “We’re here now and we have to put the season behind us. To get the results in the tournament, we have to go into it well and we’ll be looking at ourselves as champions again.” Whether this season turns out to be a banner year, it will be fascinating to see the rise of Winthrop men’s soccer throughout the next four years, especially with the proven
talent of freshmen Matt Stinson and Tinotenda Chibharo already making an impact. “I know this team is go-
ing to get better and better,” Skonicki said. “It’ll be exciting to see a win streak again because once we get on that, it’ll last for
a while.” Maybe it will all start with Gardner Webb. This past Thursday against the Bulldogs, Winthrop got back in the win column with a gritty 2-1 win at home, boosting them up from the bottom spot. “We were lucky to get [the win],” coach Richard Posipanko said, “but we’ll take it.”
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
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SPORTS
Club gives students a stab at fencing Fencing club gives members a chance to compete, make new relationships, have fun while participating in sport By Chris McFadden
mcfaddenc@thejohnsonian.com
They hold their weapon of choice as they practice techniques that will help them in their next battle. Later, the sound of metal striking metal fills the air in the West Center as they try to integrate the techniques they just learned into their strategy to defeat their opponent. These Winthrop students are engaged in an activity that can be seen in movies and TV shows, such as the Zorro television series. Fencing is one of the club sports offered by the Office of Recreational Services. The season lasts for the whole school year with fencers participating in tournaments throughout the year, according to fencing club member Josh Lindower. The club practices Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. in the West Center. Even though the club does compete in tournaments, the club, according to its club sport charter, is more interested in “having fun while improving our minds and bodies. Lindower, a mass communications major, is one of the 17 members of the
Fencing club member Josh Lindower competes with other students in tournaments nearby. At the Tiger Open at Clemson University, members advanced through the tournament bracket. Photo by Kathleen Brown • brownk@ thejohnsonian. com. club coached by Micheal Edgecomb. “Michael is a Winthrop alumni and a part of the Charlotte fencing academy,” Lindower said. Fencing is a sport not many people are familiar with, other than what is portrayed in movies and on television. Unlike those portray-
als, there are rules to the sport. “There are three, three minute periods that go to 15 points. Points are earned by hitting the target area with the tip of their blade on their opponents body,” Lindower said. “The target area is literally from the bottom of the foot to the head.”
Winthrop athletes work hard in the community By Hannah Schwartz
Special to the Johnsonian
Winthrop athletes do more than just work hard on the field. As part of the Eagles in Action program, the student-athletes make a difference off the field as well. Eagles in Action: Goals for Leadership, Education and Service was created by Norma McDuffie, director of the CHAMPS/Life Skills program. It consists of all of the community service done by Winthrop Athletes. “We try to get our student-athletes engaged in the community doing different types of projects,” McDuffie says. She added that the 250 student-athletes at Winthrop have performed more than 4,000 hours of community service over the past 2 years. For the past two years, Winthrop athletes have won the Kallander Cup, an award given to a Big South university for its outstanding service. Last year, the Eagles took part in a yearlong contest to help Samaritan’s Feet, a non-profit organization that distributes shoes around the world to those in need. In a friendly contest between fellow Big South Conference schools, Winthrop competed against the other universities to see who could collect the most shoes. The Eagles won the “contest” by collecting 1340 pairs of used shoes, 289 pairs of new shoes and over $2300 dollars earmarked to the organization. One of the ways Winthrop was able to collect so many shoes was by going to local schools and challenging the classes.
The winning classes received a “field day” in which the athletes went to the school and spent time playing games with the kids. “I would say that throughout the year, all of our student-athletes do something,” McDuffie said. Students from every team have been involved with projects such as Eagle Week through the Boys and Girls Club. The student-athletes spent five days playing sports and making crafts with local children. Other projects Winthrop athletes have been involved in include building houses for Habitat for Humanity, reading in local schools and visiting retirement homes. CHAMPS/Life Skills is a program implemented in 1994 by NCAA institutions that helps to enhance the experience of student-athletes in their universities. It consists of five goals: Commitment to Academic Excellence, Commitment to Athletic Excellence, Commitment to Personal Development, Commitment to Career Development, and Commitment to Service. The Eagles in Action program allows Winthrop in general and its studentathletes in particular to provide a link between the school and the community. The effort shows that Winthrop considers itself to be a part of the community and not a seperate entity oblivious to what goes on outside its walls. Also, athletes are able to learn what it means to be selfless, a lesson they can take with them when their Winthrop experience is over.
Fencing is an Olympic sport that has been a part of the modern games since their beginning and uses three weapons, the foil, epee and the saber, the USA Fencing Organization explained. Immigrant Germans brought the sport to the United States in the late 1800’s, according to the
United States Fencing Association. Recently, the club competed in the Tiger Open at Clemson University where some members advanced through the bracket, Lindower informed. The grace and the focus needed to participate in the sport is evident as fencing club continues its
practice. Just as evident is the fun the members are having. Anyone interested in joining the club just needs to attend a practice on Tuesday or Thursday and bring with them a photocopy of their insurance card.
Winthrop fall sports schedule Team Opponent Location Date Men’s soccer TBA Big South TBA Tournament Women’s soccer VMI Radford, VA Big South Tournament
11/4/10
Volleyball UNC-Asheville Away 11/5/10
Volleyball Presbyterian Home 11/10/10
Volleyball Gardner-Webb Home 11/13/10
Men’s tennis Alabama Invitational Away 11/5/10
Men’s basketball UNC-Pembroke Home 11/6/10
Women’s basketball
North Greenville
Home
11/6/10
THURSDAY November 4, 2010
THE JOHNSONIAN
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