October 14th, 2010 Issue

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Enter the World AIDS Day Video Competition.

See News, page 2

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

WINTHROP UNIVERSITY

Issue 8

NEWS

NEWS

OIL CHANGES, TIRE CHANGES

La. university names WU faculty as semi-finalist for presidency Moore is second VP to be considered for presidency at another institution

BY CLAIRE BYUN byunc@thejohnsonian.com

Junior Mike Stavick checks under the hood of his Mustang. Stavick is looking for students interested in forming an automotive club. Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@thejohnsonian.com

Auto Club educates students about car care

BY CLAIRE BYUN byunc@thejohnsonian.com

Automotive enthusiasts and novices alike can look forward to a new club on Winthrop’s campus.

Mike Stavick, junior business administration major, is currently looking for interested students to form an automotive club.

“I’ve always been interested in (automobiles), and from observation I thought other people probably would be,” Stavick said.

After discussing the idea with two fellow students, Stavick started a Facebook group to gain interest.

The group currently contains 34 members, but Stavick doubts the sincerety of that number.

“Well, Facebook says we have 30 members, so prob-

ably about 12 people are actually interested.”

Not only will the club hold events involving racetracks and vehicle museums, but educational demonstrations as well.

Oil changes, tire replacements and other classes will hopefully be a part of the club, Stavick said.

Though females are stereotypically uninterested in the automotive world, Stavick is trying to appeal to the feminine population at Winthrop.

Several weeks ago, Stavick held a program in Lee Wicker showing students how to jump start a vehicle.

“Actually, the majority of people at the Lee Wicker program were girls,” Stavick said.

During the middle of the program, Stavick received a call from a friend asking him to actually jump start

See AUTO page 2

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Senior interns with “The Late Show”

BY JESSICA PICKENS pickensj@thejohnsonian.com

How many students can say they spent their summer with celebrities?

Senior broadcast major Ann Lutzenkirchen did during her internship this summer at “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

“I had always wanted to try and get an internship the summer before my senior year and wanted to try and go to New York City,” she said. “I have family who live up there and they suggested (David) Letterman, because they knew some people who work there and thought a connection might help.”

Getting the job

Lutzenkirchen submitted a resume and cover letter and in April, flew to New York for an interview.

While Winthrop’s current president goes on his 22nd year here, two other faculty have been finalists for the president position elsewhere.

Tom Moore, vice president for academic affairs, is a semi-finalist for the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) president position.

The presidential search committee at ULM named four semifinalists, including two men from Texas and one from Louisiana.

According to The News Star, a Louisiana paper, the president is expected to be chosen Oct. 20.

Last spring, another Winthrop faculty was named a presidential finalist at the University of Findlay in Ohio.

Brien Lewis, vice presidentof development, was approached by a consultant for Findlay and asked to apply.

Tom Moore

Vice president for academic affairs

Brien Lewis

Vice president of development

“The consultant thought there might be a good match of Findlay’s needs/ priorities and my experience,” Lewis said.

Though he did not re-

See PRESIDENT page 3

SPORTS

WE’VE GOT SPIRIT. YES, WE DO. Dance, cheerleading teams combine to form spirit squad

BY CHELSEA BROWN Special to The Johnsonian

Winthrop’s Cheer and Dance teams have provided a source of energy and entertainment at sporting events. But this year, don’t expect to see a distinct difference between the two.

The Cheer Squad and the Dance Team have combined to form the Winthrop Spirit Squad.

“Our dance team had been declining in numbers for a couple of years, and we were getting to the point where there were too many coaches and advisers involved with the two different squads,” director of athletics Tom Hickman said.

See SPIRIT page 10

See LETTERMAN page 8

Winthrop’s Spirit Squad helps Big Stuff pump up the fans at games. Eiesha Williamson, the new coach, is a professional cheerleader for the Panthers. Photo

by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@thejohnsonian.com

JOBS 2010

Education graduates struggle to find teaching jobs where they live

BY JONATHAN MCFADDEN mcfaddenj@thejohnsonian.com

Editor’s note: Keep up with the job market for Winthrop graduates with reporter Jonathan McFadden. This is the second story in a three-part series about where alumni are now.

Since the recession began in December 2007, the job market for graduates nationwide has been fragile.

Education has been one industry hit the hardest.

In June 2010, Charlotte-Mecklenberg Schools cut 804 teaching jobs.

Competition in the field is fierce as

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

I N D E X

laid-off teachers seek employment alongside recent college graduates, who are being passed up in favor of teachers with actual classroom experience.

Winthrop graduates aren’t immune.

Like Kendrick, Patrick Roddey finds himself in the same boat, but his story is a little different.

CAMPUS NEWS

The 29-year-old grad student, seeking a master’s in history, completed his undergrad at Winthrop with a bachelor’s in history and a minor in secondary education.

With the South’s beckoning of teachers

See JOBS page 3

2-5

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

10-11

6-7

CULTURE

12-13

HEALTH & SCIENCE

8-9

SPORTS

14-15

OPINION

2

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

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

Prospective club races to find footing AUTO • from front

Stavick brought his 1998 GT Mustang to Winthrop this year, unlike years past. The vehicle contains a 4.6 liter engine. He hopes to generate interest in the prospective club and to encourage automotive education.

Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@thejohnsonian.com.

UNEMPLOYMENT AWARENESS Political science honors society participates in “punk rock” unemployment event downtown

By James Prioleau Special to The Johnsonian

Winthrop’s political science honors society, Pi Sigma Alpha, is taking part in an event that will tackle subjects such as unemployment, punk rock and the Knowledge Economy from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Oct. 22.

The 2010 Old Town New World Conference is an event that provides insight about the high unemployment rate in Rock Hill and Charlotte.

The “do it yourself” attitude of punk rock music and the Creative Knowledge Economy, which is a list of self-organizing principles for those who are in the music and art scene, are topics of the event.

Participants in the event can take part in gathering information from several

guest speakers including: director of production at Apostle, Bartow Church; the founding artistic director of Shakespeare Carolina, Chris O’ Neill; manager and partner of Rock Hill Institution, Indigo Moon Dee Sullivan and Jason Broadwater, the founder and president of RevenFlo, an internet marketing company based in Old Town Rock Hill.

The day will start with speakers and presentations and end with a concert by Grand Champeen from Austin, Texas, Birds of Avalon from Raleigh, N.C., and Motel Glory from Rock Hill, S.C. The City of Rock Hill will provide lunch and dinner.

For more information ,visit their website oldtownnewworld.net.

his vehicle.

The club will not solely be about vehicles, however.

“Doing non-relevant stuff would be cool too, just to show everyone we’re not all about cars 24/7,” he said.

Similar to many enthusiasts, the hopeful president gained his love of autos from his father who worked as a mechanic.

“I always would go out and hang out with him in the garage, and it just kind of went downhill from there,” Stavick said.

Though only in the beginning stages of starting the organization, Stavick has high hopes for his

group.

“I hope I can get a big membership here, and that the club will outlast me.”

For more information, e-mail Stavick at stavickm2@winthrop.edu, or join the Facebook group titled Winthrop Auto Club.

GET INVOLVED What: Auto Club Contact: stavickm2@ winthrop.edu Facebook: Winthrop Auto Club

Common book author encourages students to be solution to poverty

By David Thackham

thackhamd@thejohnsonian.com

The freshman class of 2014 was assigned summer reading: “Making the Impossible Possible,” penned by Vince Rause on the experiences and life story of CEO and social activist Bill Strickland.

Fans of Strickland’s life and book got even more from the author on Oct. 7 during his visit to Winthrop University.

The Pittsburgh native spoke in front of the freshman class at 7:45 p.m. in Byrnes Auditorium to a nearly packed audience.

A large roar of approval met Strickland as he made his way to the podium. Using his trademark PowerPoint presentation, he proceeded to tell what he describes as his “life story.”

Quoting his book several times, he recounted important moments of his career, including a meeting with the heir of the Heinz Ketchup fortune, his introduction to pottery and a fortuitous encounter with an Episcopal priest.

The author told students they were very lucky to be in an environment that cares about them.

“Regardless of background,

what your parents make and what you’ve done before, you have been given the gift of life,” he said.

In his presentation, he introduced and explained many views of his Manchester Bidwell Training Center, a jobs training field for underprivileged people.

He explained that the motivation for building his center was to “change the perception of the inner city” by allowing individuals from poorer backgrounds to train and work in a “beautiful place, because environment drives behavior.”

Examples of the Manchester Bidwell culinary program, pharmaceutical division, literacy division, library and arts program appeared before the students in the auditorium.

Students found themselves transfixed by both the images and the speech. Freshman music education major Ben Surber said he was struck by the thought that “anything less than amazing just simply isn’t good enough.”

Strickland has spread his message of social activism beyond the city limits of Pittsburgh, adding training centers in Cincinatti, Grand Rapids, San Fran-

cisco as well as four different locations abroad, including Jamaica and South Africa.

In the end, he implored his audience to “be part of the solution in solving poverty.”

“I am betting my life that you all are the answer,” Strickland said.

“”

Regardless of background, what your parents make and what you’ve done before, you have been given the gift of life.

Bill Strickland Author

Video competition open to students

By Claire Byun

byunc@thejohnsonian.com

Students can earn a first-place award of $200 for submitting homemade videos on the topic of HIV, AIDS or STD prevention.

Catabwa Care Center, along with the Center for Career and Civic Engagement, is hosting the program.

Each work will be presented on World AIDS Day

in the DiGiorgio Student Center’s theater.

The contest is open to all full-time students.

Both individuals and teams can create a video no longer than 7 minutes, and no larger than one gigabyte.

One person or a group can submit multiple videos.

A panel of judges will review each entry, and criteria will include presentation, educational material and degree of excitement.

Second place winners will receive $100 and third place $50.

Submissions are due on Nov. 12.

Entries cannot contain nudity, obscenity or lewd material and must be sent to Catabwa Care.

For more information, and to learn all rules and regulations, visit catabwacare.org.

The Facts:

• due Nov. 12 • topic must cover either HIV, AIDS or STD prevention • individuals and groups may participate • students can submit more than one video • first-place winner will receive $200 • Submit videos to Catabwa Care

3

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

JOBS • from front on the news, Roddey thought he would definitely get a job once finishing his two years as a grad, so he entered the program. He decided on history because it’s what he had the most credit hours in.

“There were several seminars that I attended that said the southeast was the growing part of the United States and that the urban sprawl would take over and they would need all these different jobs,” Roddey said.

He held on to that belief for two years. “…The economy just demolished any of that,” he said.

After working 10 years in the transportation industry, Roddey was laid off in 2008. He decided to pursue a passion he’d had for a long time…

Patrick Roddey ‘10 teaching.

Photo by Stephanie So he returned Eaton • eatons@theto school to johnsonian.com bring his passion to life.

After graduating, Roddey said he applied to a total of 15 jobs. Because his wife had a job, the location really mattered to him. He and his wife live in Fort Lawn, S.C., which he said is 30 minutes from Rock Hill. “ …Even Charlotte was right on the edge to where I could get,” he said.

Because of some connections he had, Roddey thought he would be able to find employment somewhere. Those connections were duds and, because of cutbacks, teachers with classroom experience were filling any vacancies.

He managed to get two or three interviews, but those fell through as well.

Roddey, who desired to decorate his classroom with a copy of the Constitution on the wall, quotes from famous historical figures and a map of the world, said if he could do things differently two years ago, he would take a better look at the economy.

He still plans on teaching, though. Next summer or fall he wants to find a way to continue teaching while finishing his graduate degree. Currently, he substitute teaches in Rock Hill and Chester and is working on networking.

At some point, he said he wants to earn a Ph.D. in history and teach at the university level.

“I still think teaching is what I am meant to do,” Roddey said.

Dr. Charles Alvis, associate professor and director of professional opportunities for the College of Business, said most employers are moving in a “deliberate manner,” that is, they are being very cautious in their hiring plans due to the high degree of uncertainty in the job market.

“I think until employers get more confident about how the economy is going—

Display head by Mika Parajon Graphic by Anna Douglas

the pace of recovery—then employers will simply take kind in measured steps as opposed to ‘We need to hire a bunch of people, let’s go hire them,’” Alvis said.

While there have been some reports the job market could be rebounding, Alvis said he hasn’t heard this across the board. Students still have the power to affect the outcome, though.

Similar to Sullivan, Alvis said students should network and do internships in their fields. Alvis said developing contacts within an organization can help students with the application process.

With many big companies requiring resumes submitted online and using software that scans resumes for key words, Alvis said it is important for job applicants to have a flesh and blood human being advocate for them.

Such contacts can also aid students on the competition scale. College students will have to compete with people who have the education and experience in certain job fields, but may have been displaced due to downsizing.

“What that means, for alumni, you’ve

Community gathers to remember faculty member

By Alison Angel angela@thejohnsonian.com

Students and faculty gathered Friday, October 8 to honor Dr. Cynthia Furr a year and a half after her death.

A tree was planted on campus outside of Kinard in her honor and a plaque was bestowed outside her former office, Bancroft 254, to commemorate her life.

Furr worked in the College of Education at Winthrop University for two years before joining Winthrop’s English department in 2004. She and her 2-year-old daughter, McAllister Price, died in April 2009 after another car, which appeared to be racing., struck her car.

Furr was loved and respected by all who knew her, and is greatly missed by many of her students and friends.

A tree was planted on the grassy slope between Kinard and Bancroft in memory of the much-loved educator. An intimate ceremony took place in the shade of the two buildings as faculty and former students gathered around, celebrating the life of their beloved colleague.

Memories were shared and words spoken honoring the life Furr led as smiles were exchanged and tears shed. After the dedication, all joined in to sing one of Furr’s favorite songs, “Amazing Grace.”

Friends reminisced that Furr, who was a passionate music lover, used to sing the song to her daughter every night.

Dr. Kelly Richardson, a professor in the English department, was a good friend of

Furr’s. She said she thought the memorial was very well done and really captured who she was.

“I thought the entire gathering and program—the words Cynthia Furr that people shared, Former English the student involveprofessor ment and the music—captured her spirit and the impact she had,” Richardson said. “She was a wonderful person and colleague.”

After the ceremony, the group retreated to Bancroft. They gathered outside Furr’s former office on the second floor to witness the unveiling of a trophy case in her honor, which displays photos of Furr as well as a tribute to the Cynthia Mackey Scholarship. The scholarship is in memory of Furr and is allotted to students to give opportunities in English literature and the performing arts.

Kelly Salyer, senior English education major, is this year’s scholarship recipient.

As the case was unveiled, she spoke tearfully about her former professor, thanking her for giving her all she had.

“I loved Dr. Furr,” she said. “She was an amazing teacher…If I could just be half the teacher she was, I’d feel so accomplished in myself. Dr. Furr and the English department have done so much for me. I can’t tell you how thankful I am.”

got to look at your package of what you have to offer the employer and access on the competitive scale, ‘Where do I stand?’” Alvis said.

Jennie Rakestraw, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, is confident that education graduates’ difficulty in the job market will not affect Winthrop’s standing as one of the top-education degreeoffering schools in the nation.

Rakestraw said, with the United States’ continual population growth, helpful teachers are continuously needed.

“We’re always going to need teachers,” Rakestraw said. “School districts, now more than ever, need good teachers who can really help every child in the classroom learn.”

What is happening, Rakestraw said, is that the economic downturn has really affected the state budget, thereby impacting the amount of money available to go to school districts.

Without that added money supply, school districts are no longer able to hire the number of teachers they once were.

They also have had to cut out some pro-

grams in schools and increase class sizes.

“Many school districts are still hiring, it’s just that they may be hiring in different areas,” Rakestraw said.

Some districts still need math, science and special education teachers but they may not need many elementary teachers or teachers in certain subjects, Rakestraw said.

The forecast may not be too gloomy for graduates. Teachers who are ready to retire will retire, Rakestraw said.

“I think although the situation has not been really good for our graduates, it’s the same for those who graduate from every other college in the state,” Rakestraw said.

Still, Rakestraw said students who may have thought about going into education may decide to major in something else.

“I hope that’s not the case,” Rakestraw said, “but it may affect the number of students who want to go into teaching.”

It wasn’t always this way. Once upon a time, when the economy experienced a downturn, jobs in education were secure.

Now, the College of Education tells its students jobs are available but maybe not in the geographical location certain students may want to work in.

“If they want to go and work in a more rural district of the state, they might have better luck finding a job because generally they have more trouble recruiting teachers,” Rakestraw said.

Teachers now have to be ready to encounter anything in the classroom, including students who may not have a home to go to once the bell rings.

“There’s a growing number of homeless families with school-aged children in Rock Hill,” Rakestraw said.

Rakestraw said students may have to be willing to go where the jobs are if they seek employment.

No matter the location, schools are still searching for caring teachers who will be able to educate children and be a support system.

As dean, Rakestraw hasn’t seen many students frantic about the possibility of jobs. Rakestraw also said she’s had some great students who were still unable to find employment in the school system.

Yet, having Winthrop on one’s resume may provide some leverage.

“I’ve been told that they [employers, superintendents] really look for Winthrop graduates,” Rakestraw said. “It really is a nice thing to hear; they know they’re well -prepared if they come from Winthrop.”

Winthrop, which earlier this year formed a partnership with nine school districts, including Chester and Lancaster, is helping schools in certain areas while also providing Winthrop students with sites to complete field work.

“I’m hoping these relationships with our school districts will benefit our students,” Rakestraw said.

Winthrop was also awarded a sevenmillion-dollar grant to help principals and other educators develop their skills.

WU’s VP for Academic Affiars named semi-finalist for presidency at University of La. PRESIDENT • from front cieve the position, Lewis is uncertain whether he would have accepted the offer at all.

At Winthrop, however, there is talk of Lewis’ potential candidacy for president.

If the position opens, Lewis said he would consider applying.

“I love Winthrop and care deeply about its future, so I would certainly give it very careful consideration,” Lewis said. “A lot would depend on circumstances at the time if such an

opportunity became available.”

Similar to other colleges, Winthrop’s presidential selection process is determined by the board of trustees, said Rebecca Masters, assistant to the president for public affairs. The board then coordinates with the state’s Agency Head Salary Commission to establish the president’s salary.

President DiGiorgio is currently in the middle of his contract which extends to 2016, Masters said.

4

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

Computer lab added to Margaret Nance; empty Java City may house ice cream shop

By Monica Kreber

kreberm@thejohnsonian.com

Starbucks in the new campus center replaced Java City, and a computer lab has been added to Margaret Nance.

The new lab consists of eight computers in the former lounge area on the first floor, said Frank Ardiaolo, vice president for student life.

“The computer center was placed in Margaret Nance because the one in Phelps

“”

We eliminated Java City in lieu of the bigger and better Starbucks opening in the campus center just a few hundred feet from it.

Frank Ardaiolo

Vice President for Student Life

had to be closed because of that hall’s renovation,” he said.

Space on the first floor now consists of the lab and an empty former coffee shop.

“We eliminated Java City in lieu of the bigger and better Starbucks opening in the campus center just a few hundred feet from it,” Ardaiolo said.

Freshman early childhood education major Lisa Merrill, who lives in Margaret Nance, said she has not found a need to use the residence hall’s new computer center yet.

“I have my own laptop in my room,” she said, “I have not used it [the lab] yet but I am sure it is great. I might use it if my computer crashes.”

Freshman pre-major Teeshia Barr said she likes having the lab in her residence hall.

“It’s nice for Margaret Nance [residents], but it’s a far walk for everyone else,” she said.

Bar also said she likes that it’s a 24-hour lab.

“It’s open late enough for responsible students,” she

said.

Although the computer lab takes up the entire lounge room on the first floor, the room where Java City used to be is still vacant.

Junior psychology major Laurie Gueits, another Margaret Nance resident, said without Java City there seems to be too much additional space on the first floor.

“We already have a lot of lounges in Margaret Nance because it is a big building,” she said.

The absence of Java City has only made too much space, Gueits said, but she likes having Starbucks in the new campus center even better.

“I loved Java City,” she said, “but Starbucks is awesome, so I don’t miss it. Margaret Nance is right across from the student center, so I don’t mind the walk.”

Though there are many ideas as to what the old coffee shop will become, Rebecca Masters, assistant to the president for public affairs, said an old-fashioned ice cream shop may be in the works.

Students use the new Margaret Nance computer lab located on the first floor. The lab has eight computers and was put in place to compensate for the temporary loss of Phelps’ computer lab. Photos by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@ thejohnsonian.com

Did you know?

WU professors earn awards, step into new roles David Vehaun

Gary Stone

Almost 50 percent of likely voters in South Carolina said they agree with the Tea Party’s principles, according to a recent Winthrop Poll. Go to www.mytjnow.com/winthrop-poll to read about the rest of the Winthrop Poll results.

Winthrop produced another political leader last week when David Vehaun, political science professor, was appointed Rock Hill’s new city manager.

Vehaun, who has taught at the university for 20 years, plans on giving up his teaching to fulfill his new duties. Vehaun will reportedly be paid an annual salary of $158,000. Vehaun is an alumnus of Winthrop University and earned his master’s at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Economics professor Gary Stone received the Bessie B. Moore Service Award on Oct. 7 for his work in enhancing economic education on state, national and international levels.

Stone has been director for Winthrop’s Center for Economic Education since 1975 and has worked with educators in dozens of other countries to improve economic education.

He received the award at a joint national confeence of economic educators in Miami, Fla.

By Claire Byun & Jonathan McFadden

POLICE BLOTTER LARCENY OF MONEY ($1000 OR LESS) (10/1/10)

tion.

The officer then asked the driver The female said she hadn’t. to perform standardized field soThe officer told the female she D.U.I.; V.D.L. GENERIC XANAX; briety tests. was going to be tested on the PassAt 5:47 p.m., a reporting officer POSSESSION/CONSUMPTION OF During the first test, the Hori- Vr alcohol sensor to confirm if she arrived at the Winthrop Coliseum ALCOHOL UNDER 21 (10/3/10) zontal Gaze Nystagmus Test, the had any alcohol in her system. in response to complaints about driver was unable to keep his head She said she didn’t have any allarceny of money from the locker At 2:12 a.m., an officer observed still. cohol but agreed to the test. The room of the men’s soccer team. a highly intoxicated white male Before taking the second test, officer conducted the test to find The officer met with the coach walking to his vehicle near College the Nine Step Walk and Turn Test, that she did have alcohol in her and three players. Two of the play- Avenue and Cherry Road. the driver lost his balance and fell system. ers said an unknown person had The officer noticed the male fell to the right twice.

The female said she did not untaken money from their wallets to the ground twice while walkWhile taking the test, the driver derstand what the officer had between 2 and 7 p.m. on Sept. 23. ing. The male then got in the driv- took two steps and began to hold asked her before. She said she had They said their wallets were left er’s seat of a Cadillac Deville and his arms away from his body to a drink earlier in the night. unsecured in their respective lock- drove down College Avenue in the help maintain his balance.

The female was arrested and er areas. direction of Eden Terrace.

The driver walked straight, transported to Rock Hill City Jail, The first player said $50 had The driver turned left from Col- counting out loud with each step along with the driver. been taken from his wallet, while lege Avenue onto Eden Terrace, until he reached step 11 and fell Once at the jail, the driver rethe other player said $60 had been while another officer watched to the left. fused to provide a sample for testtaken from his. from the parking lot of Withers.

The driver turned around and ing. The officer booked the driver They went on to say they had The driver turned right onto continued to count each step out to the jail for D.U.I. The reporting again left their wallets unsecured Charlotte Avenue but the officer loud, starting at 16 and ending at officer returned to the Winthrop in their respective dressing areas caught up with him near Myrtle 29.

Police Department and searched of the locker room.

Drive.

During the final test, the One Leg the rear seat of his patrol vehicle.

None of them could provide inAs the reporting officer contin- Stand Test, the driver lost his balHe found that the driver had information on a potential suspect. ued to follow the driver, the ve- ance and fell backwards on three tentionally pushed two Alprazolam Police inspected the main locker hicle began to sway to the left, separate counts. pills (generic Xanax) between the room door and found no attempts crossing the center line on CharThe officer then placed the driv- seat cushions and under the seat. of forced entry. lotte Avenue just before Sumter er under arrest and placed him in The driver is the only person to The lock on the door appeared Avenue. the patrol vehicle. have entered that particular pato be in good repair and functionThe driver turned left onto SumThe officer then returned to the trol vehicle that day, the police ing properly. ter and drove in the center of the driver’s vehicle and found a fe- report said.

Each dressing space/locker in roadway. male in the backseat of the car. He the room has a lockable storage The driver then took a wide right took her ID and learned that she Compiled by Jonathan McFadden bin, but most players elect not to turn onto Forrest Lane and began was under 21. use it, the police report said. to steer the vehicle to the right The officer asked the female to The men’s basketball team’s side of the roadway, then to the step out of the vehicle and asked locker room is adjacent to the left and then into the center of if she had consumed any alcohol. soccer team’s locker room. Both the road. teams also share a common showThe vehicle continued to sway er room. to the left and right as it traveled The inspection found that all down Forrest Lane. the main and connecting doors to The officer following the vehicle the locker rooms were closed and turned on the blue lights of his palocked. trol vehicle to signal the driver to The players and coach said, to pull over. the best of their knowledge, all The driver pulled over at a stop the doors had been closed and sign. The officer asked the driver if locked during the times the inci- he had been drinking. dents took place.

“No,” the driver said.

They did say someone with acThe officer asked the driver to cess could have propped a door or step out of the vehicle and to the doors open. rear. Once at the rear of the veThe coach said the combination hicle, the officer asked the driver on the main locker room door has again if he had been drinking. not been changed for an extended “No,” the driver said again. www.mytjnow.com/police-blotter period. Many previous team memDuring this time, the driver had bers still have the combination. chewing gum in his mouth and the Several other key athletics em- officer could smell alcohol coming ployees also have the combina- from him.

See whose poker face flopped in front of the cops

5

Student: No such thing as true love Does true love exist? That love as in “The Notebook,” “Titanic,” “Pretty Woman,” “You’ve Got Mail” and “Pride and Prejudice” - must I keep naming? Simply too many delightful films exist to name. But what do all these have in common?

They are well-known motion picture films, not factual events.

In a country where the divorce rate is estimated to be between 40 and 50 percent, it doesn’t seem as if it exists. What exactly is love?

Our definition of true love is warped. We’ve watched too many romantic movies and too many films with happy endings.

Honestly, that’s not what true love is.

My boyfriend and I were talking about true love when he told me he does not feel “true love” toward me. I was extremely relieved because I don’t feel that way ei-

Susan Clark

Guest columnist

ther. I don’t feel that whimsical feeling shown in the movies. My foot does not “pop” when we kiss. In fact, our relationship is nothing similar to a romance movie, because true love doesn’t exist.

True love is loving without conditions. True love is loving without expecting something in return.

And when we are in a relationship, we expect things from our partners.

For example, if I’m considerate of my boyfriend’s feelings and beliefs, I expect him to be considerate of mine. I am expecting something from him; therefore, our love is

not “true.” We all expect things whether they are small or great.

I agree with opinion editor Connor de Bruler when he says,“True love does not exist.” It is not like the movies. Love requires hard work, dedication and compassion among other things, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less wonderful than the true love you see in the movies.

When you find a person who makes you happy, ask yourself if you are in a healthy relationship. Does this person genuinely care about you and do you care about them? Can you picture yourself with this one person for the rest of your life? Can you live without this person?

Think about these questions deeply, and if that person is worth it, put in time and hard work. Then you will have real true love.

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

CONNOR DE BRULER Opinion Editor debrulerc@thejohnsonian.com

Our Say

Update for our readers

Winthrop responds, ceremony cost still not known to campus The university responded this past weekend to our request for the cost of the DiGiorgio Campus Center dedication ceremony in September.

The actual cost of the dedication ceremony was not a part of the response, but the university did provide justification for not providing financial records.

The letter said: “…Please be advised that the University can provide no additional information to you at this time beyond that already provided because the normal billing cycle for University Events has not yet completed its course for the timeframe that is the topic of your inquiry. We anticipate that cycle will take about 30 days to be complete.”

Our Freedom of Information Act request, filed Oct. 5, required that the university respond within 15 days.

The requested information does not have to be given in 15 days. The law only states that a response must be provided within 15 days including a determination of whether that infor-

mation is public record and in what timeframe it will be made available.

We received an e-mail from Rebecca Masters, university spokesperson, three days after our written Freedom of Information Act request.

We sincerely appreciate the speedy response.

The Johnsonian looks forward to the university providing this financial information to the campus community when the billing cycle is complete.

We were originally told that three funds provided support for the dedication ceremony: the university events fund, the 125th anniversary fund and the Winthrop Foundation.

Although not specifically noted in the response, The Johnsonian hopes that the university intends to provide financial information from all three funds.

The Johnsonian is pleased the university has not denied this information. The spirit of transparency and openness is crucial to educational institutions such as Winthrop.

Crying proves to be helpful habit Connor de Bruler Opinion editor

I haven’t cried in a while.

I typically don’t cry very much. Apparently, I cried for the first six months of my life, and after that I suppose I purged a good amount of salt from my system.

I once went four years without crying. However, emoting in such an overt and involuntary manner can be extremely therapeutic for many people, and I often wonder just how important it is for human beings to cry.

I was never able to make myself cry at will. I tend to venerate theater majors who have this ability.

As a child, I remember my mom crying all too often. I quickly equated crying to very negative memories. My dad, on the other hand, never cried. He was an emotional enigma. I could only detect anger and joy.

Anything in between was too subtle.

I grew up with the assumption that crying was a feeble attempt to illicit sympathy from others, so I cried alone. Only recently have I begun to

Courtney Niskala • niskalac@thejohnsonian.com accept tears as a natural and necessary component to coping with the inherent suffering of human existence.

Three kinds of tears exist. Basal tears are the continuous lubricant for our eyes. Our bodies shed reflex tears as a reaction to potentially dangerous stimuli, such as noxious fumes or fist fights. And finally, there are emotional tears, which are caused by psychological stimuli.

Scientists have differ-

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

ent theories about crying, but it is generally accepted that crying is the body’s way of discharging trauma. Essentially, the body is calming itself down after going into survival mode, according to emotionalprocessing. com. Some researchers claim emotional tears have 24 percent more protein, and the nervous system actually rids itself of toxic chemicals during crying spells, thus making it as physically healthy as Photographers KATHLEEN BROWN STEPHANIE EATON Multimedia editors SHATESHA SCALES KAYLEE NICHOLS Webmaster DEVANG JOSHI Advertising manager KERRY SHERIN Ad sales team SARAH MACDONALD DEBRA SETH WILLIAM NORTON Faculty adviser LARRY TIMBS

it is emotionally healthy, according to the website.

I can always empathize, but I still don’t like to be around people when they cry. It makes me uncomfortable.

My roommate is moving to Colorado next semester. He expressed fear about the transition, saying he had never been on his own before. He said he might cry the first night he is there. I was not very helpful with my advice.

I can be exceptionally

insensitive sometimes and I’m not sure why. Deep down, I know better.

I cried when I read the last three pages of John O’Brien’s rather disturbing novel “Leaving Las Vegas.” I burst into tears after listening to the song “Unknown Awareness” by Kylesa. I cried after my last breakup. And I’ll admit to weeping when new evidence of Bigfoot or the moth man surfaces.

There’s nothing wrong with crying, just don’t do

around me, please.

“”

I quickly equated crying to very negative memories.

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

By the numbers This month is Sexual Education Month. Students can be at risk for STI’s if they do not take precautions.

28

1.2

cases of Syphilis in black men for a population of 100,000 people were observed in 2008.

million cases of sexually transmitted Chlamydia infections were reported to the CDC in 2008.

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

AMANDA PHIPPS Health & Science Editor phippsa@thejohnsonian.com

111.6 431 cases of Gonorrhea were reported for a population of 100,000 people in the United States in 2008.

cases of congenital Syphilis were reported in 2008.

Compiled with information from www.cdc.gov.

On-campus STI screenings not common for students

By Amanda Phipps

phippsa@thejohnsonian.com

Six percent of the Winthrop student body was screened for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia last year, according to the university’s health and counseling services.

October is Sexual Education Month.

Health and counseling services offer students programs to make sure they stay sexually healthy.

Last year, the health and counseling services performed 82 HIV tests and 80 Syphilis tests, family nurse practitioner Jill Simpson said.

“A little more than one percent of the student population was screened for both HIV and Syphilis last year,” she said. “Nobody tested positive (for HIV or Syphilis).”

In total, 6 percent of the student population was screened for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia at health and counseling services, Simpson said.

Gonorrhea is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease (STD), also referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STI).

Gonorrhea is caused by a bacterium and grows in the reproductive tract in women

and the urinary tract in men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. It can also grow in the throat, mouth and eyes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website estimates that more than 700,000 people in the U.S. get Gonorrheal diseases each year. The disease is spread through contact with sexual organs and the mouth and can also be spread from a mother to a baby during birth, according to the website. Most people do not have any symptoms. However, some people experience burning when they urinate or discolored discharge.

Chlamydia is the most common STD reported, according to the website. It is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium that can damage the reproductive tract in women.

It usually shows no symptoms, but can cause discharge in men.

If caught in time to not create serious complica-

tions, both Gonorrhea and Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Sixty men were screened for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia last year, Simpson said. Seventeen percent of those men tested positive for

Chlamydia while 5 percent tested positive for Gonorrhea.

Last year, 311 Gonorrhea and Chlamydia tests were obtained for females, Simpson said. Out of the women tested, a little more than 1 percent of the females tested positive for Gonorrhea and 7 percent tested positive for Chlamyd-

ia.

“A lot of people have no symptoms,” Simpson said, “but they get checked and find out they have something.”

Females can have the well-women test at health and counseling services after taking the well-women exam class, Simpson said.

Females interested in learning about the

well-women exam or in getting birth control should register for the class online.

The fee for the test is $65, which is what the lab charges health and counseling services to run the tests and includes a pap test, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia test, hemoglobin screening for anemia and a full physical, Simpson said. HIV tests are obtained by drawing blood and cost $19.

Students who just want to be screened for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia need to give a urine sample; this test costs $25.

The results for the Gonorrhea and Chlamydia test are usually back the next day, Simpson said. Pap test and HIV test results can take one to two weeks and Syhilis results usually come back within 48 hours.

The Catawba Care Coalition offers people free HIV testing with same-day results, said Tellus Good, a HIV prevention specialist at Catawba Care Coalition The Coalition also makes referrals to a person’s Graphic by Courtney Niskala • niskalac@thejohnsonian.com primary care doc-

Youths can vote on Nov. 2 to protect dependent health coverage.

People who are registered to vote

by Nov. 2 can vote for this bill. Find out more information at www.voteagain2010.com.

Campus Progress Action and Young Invincibles released “Back Off My Coverage,” a video that encourages young voters to vote for the bill that will extend health coverage to the age of 26.

People can also take a pledge to defend dependent coverage by going to www.gettingcovered.org. They can also take the pledge on Facebook.

Information provided by Katie Andriulli, center for American Progress and Aaron Smith,Youth Invincibles

tor for STD screening.

Simpson urges students to get screened.

“It is such a common age group to have infections,” she said.

“It is worthwhile to get checked if they are sexually active.”

Health and counseling services also offers a combined HIV and Syphilis test for $20, Simpson said.

All test results are kept completely confidential, Simpson said.

To prevent spreading infections, students should abstain from sex or use a condom and get tested before they decide to have sex, Simpson said.

“STI’s are 100 percent preventable,” she said. “People take their health for granted until something happens.”

People tend to think they will never contract something, Simpson said.

“Odds are if they have had sex as a teenager, they contracted an STI,” she said.

Simpson said Sexual Education Month is a good way to get people aware.

“It is good to get the information,” she said. “Hopefully, people will apply it to their lives.”

Winthrop seeks to fill vacant wellness position Health and counseling services has posted the wellness coordinator position as available. The university hopes to hire someone by Jan 1, 2011, said Michelle Mann, director of health and counseling services.

7

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

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

Halloweek: Student wears costumes to de-stress Halloween is week-long event for design student

By Jessica Pickens pickensj@thejohnsonian.com

Vanessa Thompson, senior graphic design major, dresses in costumes the week before Halloween to relax around midterms. Above she is dressed as a “pink-haired anime fanatic” and to the right she is dressed as “Blackanese girl.” Thompson saves money by reusing costumes and only buying new accessories. Photos courtesy of Vanessa Thompson.

For some, Halloween is just one night of candy and costumes. But for Vanessa Thompson, it is a whole week.

Dubbed “Halloweek,” Thompson, senior graphic design major, dresses up in costumes every day of the week of Halloween.

“Halloweek falls either before, during or after midterms, which is a very stressful time for everyone,” she said. “Dressing up in strange costumes gives people comic relief from some stresses of those exams and projects that are pending.”

Thompson started Halloweek at Winthrop in 2008 and has mixed and matched costumes ever since.

Her first year, Thompson only wore a few costumes such as Pop Art Barbie and a sorceress, but she went all out the next year.

“In 2009, I had even more flamboyant costumes such as Blackenese girl, nerdy school girl, pink-haired anime fanatic, Sailah Vee and Sailor Moon,” Thompson said.

To save money, she either

re-wears costumes or does different variations of the characters.

For example, she will be wearing a sailor suit for the third time. Thompson does, however, buy new wigs or accessories.

“This year I’m going to have a few new ones, but I haven’t made any final decisions yet,” she said.

“Right now, I am thinking about being an aviator chick and sailor American just to name a few.”

Thompson receives a variation of reactions while wearing her costumes.

“The reactions of professors depend on whether or not they know me or if I took one of their classes,” Thompson said.

“Reactions from students on campus have ranged from bright smiles to condescending grimaces, but I don’t really care either way.”

In years past,

Thompson either dressed up by herself or had only one friend dress up with her. This year, she has a few friends interested in joining in dressing up.

“I got the idea to do Halloweek because frankly, I felt the need to be different,” Thompson said. “But Halloweek is meant to be a stress relief during midterm period.”

Professor puts pottery on hold for parenthood CROSSWURD PUZZLE

By Alison Angel angela@thejohnsonian.com

A studio on the back porch is where the magic happens for fine arts professor Jennifer Lawler-Mecca.

Mecca teaches but is also a pottery artist who creates her pieces in her screened-in back porch, which she’s converted to her own personal pottery studio.

Mecca has been making her own pottery pieces for 11 years.

After getting a degree in interior design in the 1990s, she took a few pottery classes and decided to go back for her undergraduate and master’s in 1995 to become a potter.

“I don’t do traditional pottery, and none of my stuff is really taken from historical forms,” Mecca said. “They’re more funky, sort of contemporary pieces I would say.”

Mecca said all of her pieces are thrown and altered, a technique in pottery where a piece of clay is thrown onto a pottery wheel and then made into a certain shape.

She then fires them in an electric kiln, which is known as oxidation firing.

This technique is what gives her pieces their unique, bright look, Mecca said.

“That’s what gives my glazes such a bright color and they’re on a white clay body, so they’re really bright,” Mecca said.

Mecca also uses an X-Acto knife to cut into her clay pieces and then inlays slips in the cuts to produce a very thin black line. This is how she decorates most of the pieces.

When she bought the home in York, there was a lot of land behind it, spurring the idea of making her own studio on a back screened porch.

She said when it comes to making pieces in the colder months, she gets creative in order to stay on the porch where her pottery wheel is.

“In the winter time, I have to put plastic up all around it and I sit out there with heaters; it’s pretty cold,” she said.

“I’m a mom, so I’m pretty busy with everything. My studio is pretty nonde-

script.”

Mecca keeps her glaze materials in a shed out back along with her kiln.

She has kept a blog online documenting her work for the past four or five years.

However, she just recently announced to her followers the blog is ending due to her busy schedule.

“I’m kind of at the point where I’m scaling back on trying to get my name out there more and I’m just trying to focus on not so much production and more on one-of-a-kind pieces,” Mecca said. “To sort of focus on getting better at my work and not try to focus so much on selling a whole lot.”

Although her blogging days are ending, she does have a Facebook page where she can get the word out about her pieces, and said she gets much business that way.

Above all, she said she’s come to a point in her life where her children are the most important thing.

“My kids are at a point where they kind of need me more,” Mecca said. “I kind of have a split personality-- I have this tug to always be keeping up with the ceramic people and also try to be the best mom I can, and the mom things are winning out at the moment.”

Being a professor is what keeps her in the loop when it comes to ceramics, which Mecca said has become an increasingly competitive field in the past 20 years.

She said college pottery departments have become popular, which helps to keep her involved.

Although she is scaling back when it comes to ceramics, she still loves teaching and loves what she does in the studio.

“I love working in my studio and I try to get out there as much as I can, but I’ve sort of gotten to the age now where I can’t do everything,” Mecca said. “Being an artist is a strange universe to live in I guess.”

Across 4. Which fraternity organized “Sleep Out For the Homeless?” (three words) 8. Author of this year’s common book. (last name) 9. What does Vanessa Thompson call the week before Halloween?

10. What new addition will be added to Margaret Nance? (two words) Down 1. What is the most common STD? 2. Last name of student who was awarded the Cynthia Furr Scholarship.

3. Which late night talk show host did Ann Lutzenkirchen intern with? (two words) 5. Where is professor Jennifer Mecca’s home studio located? (two words) 6. Eight students are coming to Winthrop from what country?

7. What month is Sexual Education month?

8

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

Student mingles with celebrities Internship offers hands-on experience LETTERMAN• from front Two weeks later, she got the job.

Besides doing intern duties, such as running errands, making copies and getting coffee, Lutzenkirchen was able to have hands-on interaction with the show.

“I was the music production intern and worked for Paul Shaffer and the CBS orchestra,” she said. “During commercial breaks, I would go on stage and make sure everything was going smoothly with the band.”

Meeting celebrities

One of her favorite days at work was when Jay-Z and Eminem were surprise guests on “David Letterman” and they performed on the roof of the theater.

Along with getting hands on experience, Lutzenkirchen met several celebrities who guest starred on the talk show such as Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher and Billy Murray.

“One of my favorites was Dolly Parton,” she said.

“Before she came, I wasn’t a fan of hers, but she was so nice and cute that after meeting her I became a big fan.”

Senior broadcast major, Ann Lutzenkirchen interned at “The Late Show with David Letterman” this summer. Lutzenkirchen met several famous people such as Dolly Parton and Jay-Z. Courtesy of Ann Lutzenkirchen.

Horror film fans overlook ‘Virus’ Student saves money, watches old horror films It’s October again and Halloween is around the corner, which always gets me in the mood for horror movies.

A trip to the movie theater to see the latest horror movies, such as “My Soul to Take” or “Let Me In” is tempting, but the ticket prices can wreak havoc on your wallet.

Therefore, I recommend renting the 1999 horror movie “Virus” directed by John Bruno.

The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland as members of a rag-tag tugboat crew who sail into the eye of a terrible storm.

In the storm, they discover an abandoned hightech Russian research vessel.

Hoping to make a fortune off finding the ship, the crew boards it and discovers a lone female crew member who warns them about “intelligent lightning.”

The crew soon discovers

Jeremy Gatlin Mass communication major

that an alien life form has commandeered the ship’s computers and has targeted them as a virus that must be destroyed.

The events that follow after the crew makes its discovery appear to fall into the typical: 1. Dwindling of numbers by gruesome deaths 2. Arguing amongst the characters about greed 3. The final stand off The movie wasn’t critically or financially successful, which would suggest it’s a run-of-themill horror film, according to IMDB.com.

However, what keeps this movie from being typical is the idea of computers turning against humans and never actually seeing the alien life form.

Instead of seeing the

alien, we see its grotesque mechanical warriors made out of the crew and machinery.

In a very creepy scene, the main characters try to use a computer to get help and the alien life form communicates with them.

At one point, the alien prints words on the screen that read, “You are virus.

You must die.”

This creepy scene leads to more bizarre scenes where the surviving characters discover their mechanized friends and have to fight them.

The special effects in these scenes, as well as in the climax, are impressive and add to the movie’s excitement.

The good pacing of the movie and the claustrophobic feel of the inside of the ship work together to ratchet up the suspense of the unfolding mystery of how, and if, the main characters are going to defeat the “intelligent lightning.”

“Virus” is an underappreciated horror movie that was ahead of its time when it was released and deserves a viewing.

Upcoming on-campus films: Wednesday, Oct. 20: “The Kids Are All Right”-The comedy, starring Julianne Moore and Annette Benning, is about two artificially inseminated children meeting their birth father.

Saturday, Oct. 23: “Despicable Me”- An animated film about a criminal raising three orphan children.

Intern sandwich Lutzenkirchen even had a sandwich named after her at the famous Rupert’s Deli.

“There are a bunch of sandwichs there such as ‘the Letterman,’ ‘the Shaffer’ and now there is an ‘Intern Annie,’” she said.

“It is a grilled cheese sandwich and its the cheapest at the deli because that’s all an intern can afford.”

ship at “David Letterman.”

“I am glad I had this internship because I now know a little bit about what it is like working full time,” she said. “I had an incredible summer and learned a lot about what it would be like living on your own as an adult.”

Family most important For the summer, Lutzenkirchen lived with her aunt and uncle in Stamford, Conn., or with her cousins in the upper west side in New York.

“I was really lucky that I got to stay with my family up there,” she said. “Getting to know them better was my favorite part of the summer. Even though I got to do some really cool stuff at “Letterman,” getting to be with my family whom I rarely see was my favorite part.”

Being an adult Lutzenkirchen learned much about her field and major during her intern-

“”

Even though I got to do some really cool stuff at “Letterman,” getting to be with my family whom I rarely see, was my favorite part.

Ann Lutzenkirchen

Senior broadcast major

9

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

ALEXIS AUSTIN Culture Editor austina@thejohnsonian.com

Annual Winthrop event raises awareness about poverty

The Johnsonian’s opinion editor Connor De Bruler participated in “Sleepout for the Homeless” on Oct. 8. Students spent one night sleeping on the lawn of Dinkins to experience what homelessness is really like.

Photo by Paul Ricciardi • ricciardip@thejohnsonian.com

Students experience one night of homelessness

By Connor De Bruler and Devang Joshi

debrulerc@thejohnsonian.com joshid@thejohnsonian.com

Fifteen cardboard boxes were strewn out on the Dinkins lawn like an unrealized refugee camp in the dim halogen glow of the street lamps. Each square represented an uneaten meal, an un-cashed paycheck and another lonely night.

“Sleeping Out for the Homeless” is an annual Winthrop event in which students sleep outside to raise awareness of homelessness.

Participants can also donate canned goods or clothing to the Salvation Army.

Bobby Kirkland, a senior music major, started the “Sleep

Out for the Homeless” event this year by setting up posters around the Dinkins grounds illustrating the facts about poverty in America and around the world. The poster said, ‘The average American eats 6 pounds of food a day and throws out 500 pounds of food a year.’

‘South Carolina ranks 40th for national child poverty,’ read another.

Kirkland is a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. The fraternity organizes the event each year with Zeta Phi Beta sorority.

“We typically get about fifty people sleeping out on the lawn at night,” he said.

The night gave individuals time to reflect on a situation

many people go through in this country.

Kirkland spent many moments in deep reflection, taking time to walk away from the group and gaze upon the somber information on the posters.

The moment was truly captured when a few individuals found themselves silently trekking through the lonely cardboard squares, taking time perhaps to be thankful of the luxuries they enjoy in their lives, thinking about those less fortunate who live through this reality every day.

T h e turnout for this event

Students will visit WU for cultural immersion

By Sigourney Woodfork Special to The Johnsonian

Winthrop University is adding Indian students to its international repertoire.

Eight students and one professor from Ahmebad, India, are planning to come to Winthrop on Oct. 17 for a two-week stay on campus as part of their fourweek trip to America.

The visitors are postgraduate students who attend the Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA).

MICA was established in 1991 and is currently the top integrated marketing communication institution in India, according to the MICA Web site.

The students are coming for a cultural immersion experience in order to better understand American culture and to observe American student behaviors.

They will also get the chance to compare and contrast the IMC program at Winthrop with their IMC curriculum at MICA. Dr. Padmini Patwardhan, Winthrop mass communication associate professor, is facilitating the cultural immersion trip. Patwardhan was born in Pune, India, and has used the MICA institute for IMC research. Patwardhan said the students are going to spend two weeks at a university in Illinois and then finish the remainder of their trip at Winthrop. While here, the students will sit in on IMC and mass communication classes and visit businesses in Rock Hill and Charlotte.

Patwardhan said Winthrop students will gain a global perspective for the IMC major by hosting the international students.

“IMC students get to know the French students because they stay for the semester. The Asian students are a part of the college of business, so meeting the Indian students will be a treat for the IMC students,” Patwardhan said.

The International Center is working with the mass communication department to help introduce the Indian students to the rest of the Winthrop population. Angie Edwards, director of the International Center, and Lindsey Hill, assistant director of the International Center, plan to hold social mixers for the Indian students. “If this goes well, this could become an annual thing,” said Hill, a Winthrop graduate.

Vicky Tang, accounting major and one of the 180 current international students at Winthrop, has some advice for the incoming Indian students. To adjust to the American lifestyle, Tang suggests attending many social activities, such as parties or other events, that encourage interaction with American students.

“The best way to acclimate is to learn from life,” Tang said.

“”

If this goes well, this could become an annual thing.

Lindsey Hill

International center assistant director

was not very good. Of the few people who came, even fewer decided to spend the night in the damp, October chill.

Chelsea Brown, a freshman broadcasting major, came by to offer hot chocolate to those roughing the night.

“To be honest, my friends in the sorority asked me to come,” she said. “The advertising for this event wasn’t very good. It was on Facebook.”

Alexdra Brown, a freshman integrated marketing communication major, said she believes whole-heartedly in the

cause.

“I’m not in Zeta Phi Beta but these people are my friends and I thought it was important to make them hot chocolate,” she said.

Despite the low turnout, the event was able to move forward on a positive note as students came and went. As the hours continued to churn away and the cold air gave way to the clear night sky, students continued to socialize and ruminate on those less fortunate.

10

SPORTS BRIEFS Athletes of the week announced Junior Dejon Bivens and sophmore Sarah Schippers were named Athletes of the Week.

Bivens and the men’s tennis team took part in the Georgia Tech Fall Invitational. He won his division’s championship after beating players from the University of Georgia, Vanderbilt University, Middle Tennessee University and Armstrong Atlantic.

Schippers, a goalie, earned the first win of her collegiate career. She only allowed one goal and had four saves in the team’s victory over GardnerWebb.

Volleyball player earns conference honor Junior Becca Toor was named Big South Conference Choice Hotels volleyball Player of the Week.

Toor had 16 kills versus Coastal Carolina and 12 against UNC-Asheville.

Her hitting percentage against Coastal was .056, which was only .011 off her career high.

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

CHRIS McFADDEN Sports Editor mcfaddenc@thejohnsonian.com

Athletic trainers help WU players heal, get back on the courts

By Jeremy Wynder Special to The Johnsonian

For most of the fall sports teams at Winthrop the season is in full swing.

That means multiple games each week along with practice and, for some, daily trips to the training room.

Injured athletes receive top notch care from the Winthrop University Athletic Training program.

The head athletic trainer at Winthrop is Jeff Lahr. Lahr has served at Winthrop for 17 years.

During that time, the Athletic Training program at Winthrop has experienced much growth.

When Lahr arrived at Winthrop from North Carolina Central, the program only consisted of him and two graduate assistants.

Now, Lahr has four full-time assistant athletic trainers and three graduate assistants. This allows for each team to have its own trainer.

Although the trainers have to attend practice and rehab injured players, they also have to do many other things including ordering supplies and scheduling weekly visits with physicians.

Kasey West helps get athletes back on their feet after injuries.

Photo by Kathleen Brown brownk@thejohnsonian.com Another key part of the Athletic Training program is the student trainers.

Winthrop offers athletic training as a major. The program has been going on for only six years, but has seen many students move on to find jobs all over America.

“We’ve done pretty well with students we’ve placed in different positions,” said Lahr.

When students enter the major they are assigned to specific sports teams for a specific time.

Some students are even sent to area high schools to assist them

with football.

One of those students is Kasey West a senior athletic training major.

Last year, West spent most of her time at the Coliseum taping members of the Men’s basketball team.

This semester she’s serving at Clover High School.

“It’s more hectic working with their football team, and there are just a lot more athletes to deal with on a daily basis, compared to the basketball team last year,” West said.

West plans to attend the Medi-

cal University of South Carolina after graduating from Winthrop.

“My dream job is to become a Physical Therapist and open up my own clinic, or even working for a professional sports team,” Westsaid.

West is just one of many student trainers who can be seen in the crowded Winthrop training room.

Lahr believes the current training room can be a little cramped at times.

“It’s nice, but it’s too small,” he said.

Aside from that, all seems well for Lahr and the Athletic Training program at Winthrop.

“The most enjoyable part is the friendships, getting to know athletes. They know you care,” he said.

One such friendship is Lahr’s relationship with Kevin Slowey of the Minnesota Twins.

Slowey played at Winthrop until 2005.

“He still sends me Christmas Cards,” Lahr said.

Lahr said he is always looking for assistants. Any student can help out no matter the major.

If interested, contact Lahr at 323-2129 ext. 6248 or at lahrj@ winthrop.edu.

Spirit squad members adjust to team’s requirements SPIRIT • from front Cheer and dance teams are not recognized by the NCAA or U.S. Department of Education as Title IX sports, Hickman said.

“Title IX requires that students who participate in sports receive the benefits of competitive athletics, whether male or female,” he said.

The new Spirit Squad called for a new coach. Eiesha Williamson, current NFL professional cheerleader for the Carolina Panthers, took on the position.

Williamson also owns a cheer, dance and gymnastics company called “Made Today Incorporated,” with 200 participants from the ages of two to 15.

Williamson is the dance director at Johnson C. Smith University for the band and has been cheering and dancing for 25 years as well.

Williamson came to the job both excited and anxious for a new beginning.

“I knew the vision the athletic department had this year,” she said, “and I was in great favor of it because my background is in both cheerleading and dance, and to combine the two is extraordinary.”

The Winthrop Spirit Squad embodies the basic techniques of both dance and cheer, combining stunts, leaps, turns and jumps.

But the squad only has five members right now.

Because of a lack of advertising, the turnout at tryouts was low, Williamson said. Williamson plans to hold at least one more tryout session this year.

Eight girls originally made the squad after August tryouts. They were judged on showmanship, technique, coordination, crowd entertainment, overall routine and a combination of their dance and cheer skills.

Toward the beginning

of conditioning and training, the three freshman quit because they couldn’t meet the time and money commitments the squad required. With morning practices Monday through Friday, many freshmen said it interfered with class attendance and the quality of their schoolwork.

Former Spirit Squad member Amberlyn Jones said she fell asleep one morning and almost missed a class.

“After practice one morning, I came back and went to sleep before my 9:30 a.m. class. I ended up waking up at 9:40 a.m. and was rushing to get to my class,” the freshman exercise science major said.

Jones also said the financial burdens of being on the squad were taking a toll.

“Some of the students who had thinner hair, Mrs. Eiesha wanted them to get weave to make their hair look fuller. The coach wanted the team to look uniform,” Jones said. “She suggested wearing a certain type of makeup; we had to buy the same earrings and a specific brand of dance tights.”

The pressures of image and weight soon became an issue for the freshmen on the team, Jones said.

“If you didn’t lose the required weight, you would be put on weight restrictions and would not be able to perform for the first game of the season,” she said.

But Williamson said appearance is important for her (the?) team.

“We always have to enhance our appearance,” Williamson said. “We represent the school.”

Shana Floyd, a member of the Spirit Squad, agrees.

“We all knew what we were getting into when we tried out for the team,” Floyd said. “So, for the girls who had to slim down

their body, I think they are fine with that because they are seeing it as a challenge to make them a healthier person.”

Floyd, junior family and consumer sciences major, was a member of the Winthrop Cheerleading Squad

last year, which she said students criticized.

“There were times when we failed to meet the standards of Winthrop University’s fans and students because they said we sucked or the members were overweight,”

she said, “so now that we have smaller women on the team and a more experienced coach, I wonder what they will have to say this season.”

Floyd said she believes in the new energy and standards of the Spirit

Squad this year and is excited about future performances.

“As a member of this year’s squad, I can honestly say we are ready to display our talents flawlessly,” she said.

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

11

SPORTS

Men’s soccer team struggles to defend goal

By David Thackham

thackhamd@thejohnsonian.com

It has always been said that to give your best performance, you need to lead with your best foot forward.

Unfortunately, the Winthrop men’s soccer team has spent a majority of their games on the back foot.

In all six of the Eagles’ losses this season, their opponents have scored within the first 30 minutes of play. Defender Josh Choice admits he used to feel a sense of “here we go again,” whenever the first blow was struck.

“It makes it look like the defense isn’t doing a good job, so when the ball comes back, it’s so much more pressure,” said the freshman.

Freshman midfielder Matt Stinson added to that, explaining, “It [was] frustrating because it puts a lot of pressure on the defense, and they’ll make mistakes from nerves and stress.”

With the team having to redouble their efforts to help out in their own half, less and less opportunities become avail-

able for the Eagles’ own attacking front.

During their longest losing streak of four games this September, Winthrop was unable to score in nearly seven-and-a half hours of open play.

“We can’t let that happen,” said sophomore defender Daniel DiBiagio before the most recent conference loss against the High Point Panthers.

“Things could have been avoided, but we need to all take responsibility, help each other and not blame anything or anyone.”

The team has also seen its share of bad luck, including number one goalkeeper, Tom Banfield getting knocked out in the preseason. Banfield was unavailable to the team for a month.

More recently, Zachary Capito, a junior, was arrested for disorderly conduct. Add to those issues Winthrop’s need to win the remaining conference matches in order to make the Big South Conference playoffs, and the pressure

becomes palpable.

Despite the reality of those sobering statistics and the brutal schedule that lies ahead, the Eagles are refusing to lose their grit.

“You have got to believe in yourself to come back,” freshman midfielder Tinotenda Chibharo said.

Whether or not that sentiment is enough to improve the team has yet to be seen.

What has proved effective, at least in the short term, is a maneuver that Coach Richard Posipanko tested early in the second half of October 2nd’s draw with Wofford College.

“After we went down [in the 3rd minute] we changed our style of play, pushing more of our outside players to help with the attack . It worked well to create a lot of chances,” Stinson said.

The ploy proved effective, as Stinson himself was able to steal a late goal from the Terriers and help Winthrop to its

first draw of the season. It was also the first time the Eagles have been able to fight back into contention after being scored against.

With Winthrop looking to get back into the Big South race, they will need that type of effort and focused play.

“Our work rate has got to be better, regardless [of the results],” DiBiagio said.

“Earlier in the season, our heads went down whenever we got scored on, but now we believe that we can come back and it makes us play harder.”

Winthrop will need this mentality as they prepare for rough the patch of upcoming games.

The Eagles will face conference foe Virginia Military Institute at home on Oct. 12th and then face another conference opponent when they travel to Radford University on Oct. 16th.

New women’s assistant WU Crew brings fun, basketball returns to support to Eagles Winthrop games

By Devonne Good

Special to the Johnsonian

Winthrop women’s basketball coach, Bud Childers, added a familar face to his coaching staff.

Childers announced on Aug. 18 the hiring of Tuonisia Turner-Lewis, who played for him at the University of Louisville, as the team’s new assistant coach.

Prior to coming to Winthrop, TurnerLewis was the head coach of California State University-Los Angeles for the past three seasons.

She was Childers’ assistant coach at Winthrop until 2005 when she left to become head coach at JSerra Catholic School.

She left JSerra in 2007 to coach at California State-Los Angeles.

Although she said California was a beautiful place and California State University-Los Angeles was a good school, it wasn’t a good fit for her.

Childers and Turner-Lewis remained

in contact while she was at CSU-Los Angeles. When a position on his staff came open, Turner-Lewis interviewed for the position.

Assistant coaches have multiple roles on the team. Turner-Lewis will be in charge of recruiting the mid-west for the Eagles, and also will watch the academic status of certain players.

The new assistant coach has high expectations for the team this season.

Although the team is young, with five freshmen joining the roster, TurnerLewis is excited about their potential.

“They’re young but they’re energized and eager to learn the skills needed to make the team successful,” TurnerLewis said.

She believes motivation and energy will be key to the Eagles’ success this year.

With her 17 years of experience, love for the game, and dedication to her players, Turner-Lewis should be a positive addition to the team.

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Contact Chris McFadden at mcfaddenc@thejohnsonian.com

By Hannah Schwartz

Special to the Johnsonian

The WU Crew cheering on the Eagles at basketball games is not an unusal sight, but club president Brandon McGinnis wants to make the group even bigger and better this year.

The WU Crew already has over 200 students and it is still growing. McGinnis said 100 plus students signed up at convocation and they weren’t all freshmen.

Several upperclassmen also signed up to help support Winthrop Athletics.

The group shows up to support the Eagles in all athletic events.

They have already gone out to support the volleyball team and the soccer team, and will continue to attend events throughout the year.

“Having fun is the main thing,” McGinnis said. “The athletes do so much and they want our support. The goal of the WU Crew is to help them out as much as possible.”

The WU Crew started in the late 1990s as a student-run organization.

“It was started up by students, student-run, and student-supported until the athletic department stepped in to help,” McGinnis said.

He said the club has grown and changed throughout the years, but the goal is still the same; to get the student body involved and to support the Winthrop Eagles.

This year the membership fee is $10, which includes a t-shirt, reserved seats at basketball games, discounts at local businesses and other perks.

McGinnis hopes the fee will also help provide more benefits than have been available in years past.

Some of the promotions planned for this year are window decals for members and a limited-edition t-shirt. The first 150 people to purchase one will be able to have their names printed on the t-shirt.

McGinnis said he hopes efforts like this will help the club be more exclusive, as the promotions and give-aways will only be available to those who join.

He also hopes to make the club even more involved with Winthrop teams than it already is by planning more events, such as trips to support the Eagles on the road.

“Showing up is huge,” McGinnis said.

His ultimate goal is for other teams to come to Winthrop and be intimidated by the support shown by our student body.

The WU Crew has meetings once a month in addition to the sporting events they attend. Anyone interested in joining the WU Crew can sign up at the Eagle Empire table set up at every sporting event.

Also, interested parties can contact Aimee Kline at klinea@winthrop.edu.

Hard work pays off for Eagles runner

By Chris McFadden

mcfaddenc@thejohnsonian.com

Focus, determination and commitment are the ingredients freshman cross country runner Jeanne Stroud says are needed to be successful in the sport.

Looking at the results Stroud has posted during her first year, she seems to have gotten a handle on these attributes.

“It is very exciting,” she said of the achievement she has experienced so early in her career.

Stroud, from Charleston, S.C., has finished in at least the top 10 in every meet this season. That streak includes back-to-back top 5 finishes.

“My coach and my team have been pushing really hard, so it feels great to see that hard work pay off,” she said.

Stroud’s journey to Winthrop’s cross country team began in 2003, her freshman year of high school, after

getting inspiration from her older bother.

“My older brother, Lawton, ran cross country his first two years of high school and it looked like fun,” Stroud said. “I couldn’t wait to try it myself.”

Despite the triumphs she has experienced in the sport, Stroud confessed it has not always been her favorite.

“I really used to love soccer and volleyball when I was younger,” she said. “Soccer was my main sport and I played for eight years.”

While her early accomplishments may suggest the sport comes easy to her, Stroud puts in hard work to be the runner she is.

“You have to train every day and it requires a lot of focus over a long period of time which, can be exhausting,” she said. “Also, most of the training is in the summer when it is extremely hot.”

Freshmen students have to make an adjustment

when moving from high school to college.

Freshmen student-athletes not only deal with the adjustments in the classroom, but also in their sport of choice.

“Cross country in college is a much bigger commitment, and the practices are longer and more frequent,” Stroud said.

There is one adjustment Stroud is happy about.

“Everyone in college is a lot more serious about the sport. This is wonderful because it is annoying being on a team when some people don’t want to be there,” she said.

As the fall cross country season draws to a close with only two meets left, Stroud wants to do her best to build on the strong start to her career.

“I just want to become accustomed to the college-level competition and to do the best I can with no regrets,” she said.

THURSDAY October 14, 2010

THE JOHNSONIAN

12

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