20100225

Page 1

OLD GOLD&BLACK W A K E

F O R E S T

U N I V E R S I T Y

T H U R S D AY, F E B R U A RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 0

VOL. 93, NO. 22

“Covers the campus like the magnolias”

Schools of Business rank first on CPA

Outside the Bubble...

By Katie Phillips | Staff writer

Toyota says growth trumped safety, vows changes The world’s largest automaker is seeking to repair damage over unintended acceleration and braking problems that have led to the recall of more than 8.5 million vehicles globally. On Feb. 19, the head of Toyota Motor Corporation issued a statement blaming the company’s drive for rapid growth for slipping safety standards and said he was “deeply sorry” for accidents caused by problems with Toyota vehicles.

Graduates of the university’s accountancy program in Calloway have yet again attained the highest passing rate in the nation for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. This is the 5th consecutive year. Graduates achieved an overall passing rate of 89.74 percent for the 2008 exam. Out of the total pool, only 7.8 percent passed all four sections of the exam on their first try. The accounting program was established in 1997. Since then the graduates have achieved national rankings eight times. On individual sections of the exam, Wake Forest graduates achieved a 93.02 percent passing rate (first place) on the financial accounting and report-

Forsyth commissioners to appeal ruling on prayer The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 the night of Feb. 22 to appeal a federal judge’s decision to ban sectarian prayer before board meetings. While the case is under appeal, the county still will not be able to allow sectarian prayers until the case is settled. The issue has caused a lot of controversy in the local area as of late.

Former Vice President has mild heart attack Former Vice President Dick Cheney suffered a mild heart attack, his fifth in 32 years, but his office said on Feb. 23 he felt good and will leave the hospital in a day or two back in good health. Cheney, 69, who was vice president under President George W. Bush, was hospitalized on Feb.22 after suffering chest pains.

Winston-Salem health lags behind rest of state

RISE THE By Caroline Edgeton | Managing editor

“I don’t own a pair of Uggs or Sperry’s; I wear skinny jeans,” freshman Laura Chin said. “All the students here have a similar interest in academics and we all have different drives, so I don’t think this change in the freshman class solely depends on the university’s efforts but the change in style and confidence is a trend happening all over.” Now that over a semester has passed since the welcoming of the class of 2013, first year students like Chin seem to have set a new presence on our university’s campus by not appearing to be in the “mold.” First year student Chin, a New Jersey native, said applying to the university was a gamble on her part simply because she had applied to mostly north eastern schools. “When I came down here for my first tour, I absolutely loved it; I knew instantly this was where I wanted to go,” Chin said. Chin said that her style may differ but her interest in academics, like other students here, is on the same level. When we take just a moment to pause and observe the appearance of our student body, we generally see an assortment of polo shirts, khakis, Sperry boat shoes, cardigans and rain boots. For a university that is stereotypically labeled as “preppy,” we now see more students with a different approach to fashion (skinny jeans, piercings, multicolored hair, etc.), and they seem to come mostly from the freshman class – even though this may not be the foundation to this change. In light of the change in requiring the SAT for freshman admissions, has this influenced a call for “diversity” among our students? With the same size of enrolled freshmen as last year – 1,200 students – the removal of the SAT and the requirement of the interview process, what appears to be taking flight, though not drastically, is the university’s push for making a more eclectic campus through the admission’s process.

See Freshmen, Page A3

By Meenu Krishnan | Staff writer

Convocation broadens to include orations By Christine Kim | Contributing writer

Rachel Cameron/Old Gold & Black

Provost Jill Tiefenthaler was one of several speakers at the Founder’s Day Convocation Feb. 18 in Wait Chapel.

This year’s Founder’s Day Convocation, held on February 18th in Wait Chapel, was distinctly different from those in the past. Unlike previous convocations in which university professors, political figures and authors have delivered the address, three seniors spoke. Each senior gave a separate speech based on his or her experience at Wake Forest. Alum and Provost Emeritus Wilson explained that this change was a nod to the early days of Wake Forest College in Wake Forest, N.C., in which all seniors addressed the university. Senior orations and the inclusion of a video for the senior class reflected a clear shift towards making the ceremony more student-centered. After students and faculty were recognized for their achievements, the convocation directed its attention to the entire senior class.

Life | B5

INSIDE: Brieflies

A2

Local charities need students’ help

Police Beat

A2

Various of local charity oppor-

Spotlight

B2

tunites are “pro humanitate”

The Hot List

B6

Sudoku

B6

In Other News

• Former university art professor dies | A3 • Lecture given on child homicide | A8

Student Government President Meghan Haenn presented the video which included a compilation of interviews with members of the class of 2010. Senior Lauren Kulp expressed appreciation for the senior video and said that it emotionally affected her and her fellow seniors. “Everyone around me was almost in tears…It was a really nice end [for] the year that I just didn’t imagine we were ever going to make,” she said. Students spoke about aspects of Wake Forest that they felt connected to, including their fraternities and sororities, their majors, and university athletics. They spoke of study abroad programs which gave them rich experiences, professors that surprised and challenged them, and collective memories, including watching the basketball team play at the ACC championship, participating in the rave in the library, and hearing Hilary Clinton speak.

See Convocation, Page A2

Sports | B1 Olympic Diary The university’s own senior Alex Botoman travels to crowded Vancouver for Olympic games.

can Institute of Certified Public Accountants and administered by the NASBA. “Our emphasis on small class sizes, personal instruction and professional internships prepares our graduates to excel in their careers, from the CPA exam to the real-world situations they will face beyond,” Hinson said. Before 2004, a comprehensive paper exam was administered over two days at certified testing centers twice each year. Since then, candidates have been able to take any of four sections of a computer-based exam during any of eight months throughout the year. Calloway is currently ranked 14th among the top 50 undergraduate business programs in the US according to the 2009 BusinessWeek rankings report.

Rune Olsen opens show in Hanes gallery

Graphic by Bobby O’Connor/Old Gold & Black

Forsyth county was ranked 20th in the state in both categories, and ranked fifth among urban counties behind Wake, Mecklenburg, Guilford and Durham in two categories: health outcomes, which represent mortality and morbidity; and health factors, which represent behavior, clinical care, socioeconomic conditions and physical environment. The national health-care study released Feb. 21 shows Forsyth County’s predicament is more related to socioeconomic reasons than to lack of care.

ON

ing section, an 87.5 percent passing rate (second place) on the auditing section, an 83.22 percent passing rate (second place) on the regulation section and an 93.75 percent passing rate (first place) on the portion devoted to business environment and concepts. “These results are a tribute to the hard-working students who complete our rigorous accounting course work and the tremendous faculty who teach in the program,” Yvonne Hinson, PriceWaterhouseCoopers Faculty Fellow, associate professor of accountancy and director of the undergraduate and graduate accountancy programs, said. Successful completion of the CPA exam is required for licensure to practice public accountancy in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and U.S. territories. The exam is written and graded by the Ameri-

“Eerie, disconcerting, fearsome.” (Art in America) “Freaky, intimate, underappreciated” (Sculpture Magazine).These are all adjectives used to describe the often-provocative and always-shocking work of Norwegian-born artist Rune Olsen. Dealing with themes as diverse as animal sexuality, love and the power of rumors, Olsen has created works that respond to “obsessive thoughts and questions,” as he writes on his Web site. “How do essential instincts govern our actions? What makes us behave in a certain way? How do we make decisions?” he says. Olsen, who now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., will be exhibiting a mixed-media sculpture in the Charlotte and Philip Hanes Art Gallery. Since graduating from the prestigious Goldsmith College in London, Olsen has created sculptures and installations that have appeared in galleries and museums throughout the United States and Europe. The majority of his controversial works explore the physicality and sexuality of animals. He is especially interested in researching the differences between human and animal, what defines and distinguishes one from the other. Each of his works is obsessively researched, as each sculpture is based on a real-life image. “I go through hundreds of Web sites . . . I meticulously research real and recorded imagery of animals and people at their most primal,” Olsen said. The materials used in his sculptures reflect this desire to access the most primitive and instinctual parts of animal and human behavior. He mainly works with newspaper, aluminum foil, tape and graphite, all easily malleable materials that “allow (him) to work with a sense of immediacy.” A distinctive aspect of his work is the inclusion of glass eyes, which were hand-painted in Germany to look like Olsen’s eyes. “There’s Something Deep Inside of Me” is a work that is indicative of Olsen’s exploration of the interaction between humans and animals. Based on the myth of Romulus and Remus, the sculpture depicts a boy and a wolf. Although the work is undoubtedly erotic, Olsen is more interested in the boundaries between human and animal. “When does an animal become human? Many say that animals cannot experience consciousness and sexuality the same way as humans. But I disagree,” he said. “I’m interested in the psychology of animals. They do have abstract thinking like humans.” His work is often a direct reflection of the world around him; it is tactile and natural. Much of his art is also very personal and serves as a representation of his artistic and individual journey. His pieces tackle the issues of overcoming inhibitions, exploring relationships and assimilating into cultures. In his exhibit “Escaping Freedom,” Olsen confronts the issue of free will and propaganda. Based on the 1941 book Escape From Freedom by Erich Fromm, the exhibit features a man suspended in mid-air, his arms thrust to the side, a work that is at once liberating and sinister. Although his works are often blatantly risqué, Olsen disavows any notion that his work is based solely on shock value. “I don’t have any particular interest in shocking people. I actually have a reason for making the art that I do,” Olsen said.

Opinion | A4 Dealing with Issues and the Bible Religion givers people a way to cope with the inevitability of life.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.