Winthrop University
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February 5, 2020
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‘I think the students need to know
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he did not want to leave Winthrop’ George Hynd addressed faculty and student questions during a press conference on Friday, Jan. 31. He was selected as Winthrop’s interim president following the resignation of Daniel F. Mahony.
New interim president of Winthrop is chosen following impassioned dissent Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com
George Hynd has been confirmed as Winthrop University’s interim president by the school’s Board of Trustees with only one opposing vote. Prior to voting Hynd in as interim president, the board returned from executive session to vote on what Board of Trustees Chairman Glenn McCall said was “a resolution authorizing the sale of a property located on Cherry Road [in] Rock Hill, South Carolina known as the Coke Building by Winthrop University to Lancaster Land LLC.” McCall requested to suspend the reading of the resolution and to take a vote on the sale which the board voted unanimously in favor of the sale. Before the vote on Hynd’s hiring was taken, board member Jane LaRoche addressed the room and said the decision to make Hynd the interim president is a “huge mistake.” She said Winthrop President Dan Mahony had not been treated “fairly” which led to him seeking employment elsewhere.
“[Mahony] loves Winthrop...he loves the faculty, staff and adores the students,” LaRoche said, adding that “he didn’t want to leave. I think the students need to know: he did not want to leave Winthrop. He adores them.” LaRoche went on to say that she would prefer to see former Winthrop Dean of Education and former South Carolina Superintendent of Education Jim Rex be named as the university’s interim president and if not Rex then Winthrop Provost Adrienne McCormick, citing McCormick having “proven her leadership in just two years.” Adolphus Belk Jr. is a professor in Winthrop’s political science department, the chair of the Faculty Conference and faculty representative to the Board of Trustees. In an interview with The Johnsonian following the conclusion of the meeting, Belk said given the meeting running longer than anticipated, there was “likely some spirited discussion” taking place. “I think about the importance of dissent in a democratic society. Even when decisions are made by legislative bodies that reflect the will of the majority, the minority sometimes
does not agree with those decisions and has the right to express those concerns,” Belk said. Belk added that “the idea of having a dissenting opinion is something that is worth defending because there have been times where history has demonstrated that the dissenters raised really important, critical points that ought to have been considered. [LaRoche] gave an impassioned defense of a president that has enjoyed the support of the faculty and staff and was very popular with students.” Shortly after the meeting, a press conference/formal announcement on the approval of Hynd as interim president was held in Dina’s Place. Hynd said that he appreciated the “opportunity to be [at Winthrop] as the interim president” and that he has been watching “from afar” what has been taking place at the university since 2010, which was when he moved to South Carolina to work for the College of Charleston. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to kind of continue the great things that I think President Mahony has accomplished,” Hynd said. “The Winthrop Plan has all the right elements that I can see, looking at the
university. It’s a wonderful plan that engaged the community, it engaged the students, it engaged the faculty, it engaged basically everybody on campus and off-campus.” Hynd said that he had “accomplishments” that he would like to make, one of which he said is to “make sure the initiatives that are currently underway do not lose momentum.” Following the initial announcement as interim president, there were concerns on campus regarding tuition rates after several articles circulated among students, one of which detailed how Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan (where Hynd served as president) had raised tuition rates by 8.48 percent in 2015. The Detroit Free Press reported that a tuition hike of that size violated Michigan’s “state-imposed tuition cap” of 3.2 percent. The Johnsonian raised these concerns to Hynd during the press conference and he said that he had no plans of raising tuition at Winthrop. He elaborated on the tuition increase at Oakland University and defended the decision, laying out reasons as to why the increase was
A farewell but not a goodbye
4see President pg. 2
Dr. Joseph Prus, psychology department chair, is retiring after 40 years at Winthrop
Savannah Scott scotts@mytjnow.com Dr. Joseph Prus is not just the chair for the psychology department. He is also a friend, husband, father, role model and a support system for many. After this semester, Prus will be stepping down from his position as the department head to retire. This is his 40th year working at Winthrop and his 15th being the chair. Prus moved from his old job as a school psychologist for a school district in Kentucky to take an associate professor position at Winthrop in 1980. When he came to do an evaluation of Winthrop’s Human Development Center, prior to obtaining this job, he knew this was the place for him. “I came here [and] I really liked the people here. They were very friendly [and I] really enjoyed my visit,” Prus said. “I was really impressed with the people and administration.” Prus and his wife moved here to Winthrop when they both were hired
by the university. Since his time here, Prus has made a significant impact on the psychology department and Winthrop. He also has made numerous contributions to the world of psychology. Prus was a director of the School Psychology Program for 27 years — while doing this the program saw an increase of 60 applicants a year. He also worked with a former professor to help fashion a cooperative professional development program, CPD, with Winthrop and the South Carolina Association of School Psychologists. Prus wrote the grant that established Winthrop’s Office of Assessment and was the director for 16 years. He has published and presented many works and has received four awards recognizing his leadership and impact. Prus was also the chair for multiple national organizations and created the Psychology Student Organization & Support Committee, where students can provide feedback on things pertaining to the department.
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Prus has built Winthrop’s psychology department to become a nationally recognized program which draws applicants from all over the country because of its success. Part of his successful resume is the quality of his leadership, his humble demeanor and the support he gives to the students and faculty in the department. Despite his long list of accomplishments, his biggest concern is how he impacted the people he works with. “I think if you are a professor, [the biggest accomplishment] comes from what students go on to do,” he said. “One of the things I would say with students is even when I had to deal with difficult situations with students … I like to think that every student would feel like I tried to do my best to support them. I also would say the same thing for faculty.” Part of the psychology department’s success is because of Prus’s ability to bring people and faculty members together. This does not go unnoticed. “He has this touch and is the whis-
Savannah Scott/ The Johnsonian Dr. Joseph Prus will retire in June 2020 perer of pulling people together [to] collaborate [and] connect,” Dr. Gary Alderman, director of Winthrop’s psychology graduate program and friend of Prus, said. “He has always been an artist at making sure that [he helps] faculty with their teaching, making sure their load is reasonable [and] being flexible with their own schedule.”4see Farewell pg. 5
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February 5, 2020
3President from front implemented. He said that in Michigan, every institution of higher education is a “ship in its own bottle.” He said that each institution has its own board of trustees and that there is “absolutely no state oversight.” He went on to say that any college or university in Michigan can “do whatever they want” in regards to raising or lowering tuition rates. He said that the tuition at Oakland University was “all-in” which meant that it did not charge the students fees, unlike the University of Michigan, for example. “The fact of the matter is, Oakland University had the
second-to-lowest tuition in the entire state so yes, I did recommend to the board of trustees that we raise our tuition [8.5 percent] to generate essentially $12 million more a year,” Hynd said, adding that the money generated by the increased tuition “allowed” the school to begin the process of building a new residence hall as well as renovating the student center and putting money into scholarships. “I look at that as one of our major accomplishments,” Hynd said. Hynd said at the end of the press conference that he had interviewed for the position of Winthrop’s presi-
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dent in 2012 although he “withdrew from consideration” for the job, citing the timing not being right for his family. He said that he had a “good opportunity” to meet with the Board of Trustees and that he “really, really enjoyed that opportunity.” After the press conference, Winthrop student body President Imani Belton told The Johnsonian that she was “not surprised” about the events that transpired during the board meeting following the end of the executive session. “This has been a process that has been very exclusive of key Winthrop
figures — the student representative, the faculty representative — and to know that it was not a full board decision, that was very disappointing to find out,” Belton said. Despite the changes in leadership, Belk said that there is still work to continue at the university regardless of who is president. “President Mahony is on his way out. Dr. Hynd is on his way in. For those of us that remain, we still have work to do to make Winthrop the best possible place that it can be for all the constituencies that it serves,” Belk said.
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Editor-in-Chief S&T Editor Anna Sharpe Savannah Scott sharpea@mytjnow.com The Johnsonian is the weekly student newspaper of Winthrop University. Sports Editor Gabby Gardner Managing Editor your name, major and LETTER POLICY Maggie Claytor year if you are a student; Letters and feedback claytorm@mytjnow.com Assistant Sports your name and title if can be sent to editors@ La J’ai Reed CONTACT mytjnow.com or by mail you are a professor, or News Editor INFORMATION your name and profes- Matt Thrift at The Johnsonian, 104 A&C Editor Our offices are located sion if you are a member Campus Center, Rock Laura Munson in suite 104 in the DiGiof the community. Assistant News Hill, S.C. 29733. Comorgio Campus Center. Letters, cartoons and Ann Marie Juarez Photography Editor ments submitted online Phone: columns reflect the Tate Walden at www.mytjnow.com
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February 5, 2020
WUPD undergoing leadership changes The Johnsonian sat down with Assistant Interim Chief Charles Yearta to discuss recent changes at the university’s police department
Winthrop University is undergoing a number of changes, most notably a change in leadership at the top. The Winthrop University Police Department is also in a period of transition with their top leader following the recent retirement of Chief Ken Scoggins. An email was sent out to students on Jan. 22 announcing the retirement of Scoggins, as well as informing the student body that Winthrop alum and WUPD Lieutenant Charles Yearta would be taking over as interim assistant chief. In the email, Vice President for Student Affairs Sheila Higgs Burkhalter said that Scoggins “chose to depart without the usual fanfare.” According to Burkhalter’s email, the university was beginning the process of searching for an assistant chief and that following the
naming of Yearta as interim assistant chief, a national search for the positions of chief and assistant chief would be underway. Yearta emphasized the fact that WUPD will continue operating as normal during this period of transition, largely due to the structure of ranking within the department. “Because we’re in that organizational structure, it’s always understood that underneath the chief, that person knows how to do the chief’s job. Underneath the assistant chief or major, that person knows how to do their job,” Yearta said. Yearta said that WUPD’s assistant chief retired in September and that following the retirement of Scoggins, he began to “take up the slack for the most important things.” “Even with this change in leadership — which isn’t uncommon — the patrol is the backbone of any police department and at Winthrop University, that is the backbone.
Those are the guys you see in the marked cars and the uniforms, driving around, taking care of business [and] being visible,” Yearta said. “Nothing has changed there at all. Everything is status quo, and we’re going to keep doing business the way we’ve done business. As far as the duties the assistant chief and the chief were doing, I’ve taken over a lot of them. Some of them I’ve doled out where we can, but for the most part it just makes my day a little bit more [busy].” While finding the right person for the job can take time, especially when searching on a national scale, Yearta said that filling the vacant leadership roles is a priority for the university. “VP Burkhalter has made it very clear that the police chief role is vital here — it’s a major role. She’s going to be thorough, and she’s going to do a national search, but it’s not something the university is going to drag their feet on. Ideally, we would like to see someone in place [by the] end of this semester [or] summer, no later than that is what we’re assuming. We will have somebody in place before the start of fall semester. It’s a different level than obviously a presidential search like we’re going through also, but it won’t be something that takes that long,” Yearta said. In the email that was sent to
Photo provided by Winthrop University Charles Yearta was named the interim assistant chief following Chief Ken Scoggins’ retirement. students, Burkhalter said that the university is “confident” in Yearta’s leadership and described some of the work he has done over his 12 years with WUPD as well as some of the accolades he has received. “[On Jan. 21] at Staff Conference he was recognized for being a stabilizing force in the department during leadership transitions,” Burkhalter said.
The Reverse Underground Railroad A University of Maryland professor made a stop at WU last week to discuss his new book Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com Ann Marie Juarez juareza@mytjnow.com While many Americans are likely familiar with the Underground Railroad that was active during the 19th century, far fewer are familiar with what has been dubbed the Reverse Underground Railroad. Last week, Winthrop University hosted Richard Bell, a researcher and associate professor of history at the University of Maryland, to talk about his new book “Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home.” According to Bell’s website, the book is about five black children who were kidnapped by a gang of slavers and taken off to be sold into slavery. In an essay titled “Counterfeit Kin: Kidnappers of Color, the Reverse Underground Railroad, and the Origins of Practical Abolition” which was published in the Journal of the Early Republic, Bell elaborated on the definition of the Reverse Underground Railroad. He wrote that is a term he uses “advisedly, keenly aware of the important differences between the experiences of freedom-seekers exiting slavery and free persons enslaved and trafficked into it. Yet, the two migrations were in other ways comparable. Both trafficking networks were loosely organized, sporadic, ad hoc, and essentially opportunistic. Each made use of an everchanging roster of trusted
allies to conceal black migrants in private homes, warehouses, stables, barns, cellars, and attics, and in various smaller outbuildings all hidden in plain sight. Participants in both networks relied on false documents, fake identities, and disguise, and undertook considerable legal and physical risk to travel undetected and undisturbed over vast distances.” The boys who are the subject of “Stolen” were residing in the Northern United States when they were kidnapped. Although slavery in the U.S. was only practied in the South at that time, Northern cities such as Philadelphia were prime hunting ground for kidnappers due to the large population of African Americans, which included a large number of children. Describing the experiences of Cornelius Sinclair and the other five kidnapped children, Bell said that “yesterday, all five boys had been free. But today, they were suddenly slaves. Prisoners of a gang of child snatchers, who planned to sell their lives and their labor, most likely to plantation owners in the deep, deep South.” He went on to say that there were “dozens” of African American children who “vanished in similar circumstances” in Philadelphia in 1825. “In the early nineteenth century, the city, Philadelphia, was the hub of American slavery’s blackest market. Philadelphia’s gridded streets and its tangled alleys were hunting grounds for crews of professional kidnappers who made their livings turning free
Matt Thrift | News Editor thriftm@mytjnow.com
black kids like Cornelius into sudden slaves,” Bell said. Bell said that the children were loaded onto ships just outside of the city after being kidnapped, and were then “warehoused” for a period of time in a “pair of safehouses down on the DelMarVa Peninsula.” After that, their “captors marched them halfway across this enormous continent to the Deep South, where they tried to sell all five boys for slaves.” In an interview with The Johnsonian, assistant professor in Winthrop’s interdisciplinary studies department Margaret Gillikin said the story of the five boys who are the subject of Bell’s book challenges long-held ideas about the North and the South in the era of slavery in the U.S. “His story also throws into question the understanding we’ve had [of the] ‘good North, bad South’ [and] the ‘free North, enslaved South,’” Gillikin said. “Because you had these people who were disappearing from the streets of Philadelphia and every major city in the North and the white people in power just looked the other way.” The Reverse Underground Railroad is a subject that has not been extensively researched and information on African American children from the North who went missing is hard to come by. Gillikin said that the “fragments” of information that Bell had to work with while writing “Stolen” were “minute.” Gillikin said that Bell initially became interested in the subject while working on a book on “suicide in the
Early Republic.” “He talked about how when he was working on that book, everybody he knew who knew he was working on suicide would send him accounts whenever they came across a suicide in their own research,” Gillikin said. “He got an account from somebody of this woman who had committed suicide — or [it] seemed that she had — in jail and he started doing some [research on the woman] and she was one of the kidnappers who is in [‘Stolen’].” She said that Bell continued his research until he “found enough evidence to make an argument and to tell a story.” During his presentation, Bell said that he would not give too much away in terms of the ending or the twists and turns of the lives of the five boys, but he described some of the events of the book which includes several events that are important in the history of the U.S. “What I will say here is what did happen next to Cornelius Sinclair and these four other boys who met in the belly of that ship outside Philly — what did happen next was indeed astonishing. It was astonishing to them, it was astonishing to people that knew them and it was astonishing to me as I wrote this book and learned about it. What did happen next over the next two years would involve two murders, three exhumations of dead bodies from the earth, an escape, a recapture, a suicide, a race riot, a lawsuit, the nation’s first most wanted list and America’s largest manhunt so far,” Bell said.
theJohnsonian February 5, 2020
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News editor’s note: The following is a careful transcription of remarks made by Winthrop University Board of Trustees member Jane LaRoche in the Gold Room of the DiGiorgio Campus Center on Jan. 31 prior to the board voting to officially hire George Hynd as interim president of the university. It is worth mentioning that minor edits have been made to the transcript for clarity and to account for words that are unclear on the recording, all of which are noted. Furthermore, some parts of the recording are unclear due to repeated interruptions by Board of Trustees Chairman Glenn McCall and the ensuing crosstalk. The Johnsonian feels that it is important to archive these remarks and to make them available to those who wish to read a moving and impassioned statement of dissent regarding the hiring of Hynd in the wake of the announcement of Winthrop President Dan Mahony’s departure from the university. LaRoche was met with an extended round of applause following the conclusion of her remarks by many observers who were seated around the room. “First off, this is not easy for me, and second of all, I want every board member to know how much you mean to me [crosstalk]. I care about each and every one of you, but I feel I have to speak with what I [unclear]. This is the third time I’ve said this: this is a huge mistake. I feel we’ve had a huge mistake losing our [unclear] president Dan Mahony. I think he did everything right. He did everything he came here to do. He set the strategic plan for 2025, and he met two of those in 2019. He loves Winthrop. He loves the people in the Rock Hill community. He loves the faculty, staff and adores the students. His wife adores the students and is very passionate about the students, particularly the students whose families have never had a chance. To accolade her, she started the Winthrop Women’s Coalition, [which] has brought great [unclear] to this community, this institution. Dan was not treated fairly, causing him to have to look elsewhere for a job, and you all know what I’m talking about. He didn’t want to leave. I think the students need to know he did not want to leave Winthrop. He adores them. I spoke with one of my friends of whom I have utmost respect. He served under six presidents, and he said Dan is the best one he’s served under by far. As for the contract, the contract lacks transparency, and it lacks fairness. This plan was not set into motion two weeks ago. It was
set into motion over a year ago. My opinion started with the [unclear] not this past June, but also the June before that. [Mahony] doesn’t meet, he exceeds. He’s a ten. He is summa cum laude with honors. He’s not a diamond in the rough — he’s a diamond. He’s not the cat meow — he’s the lion’s roar in a quiet way. I have to accolade. You have to let me speak [in response to interruption by McCall]. You have to let me speak. The second lack of transparency was our faculty rep was not allowed in the meeting between the two graduations. He asked to be there. He said he would be very supportive to us and promised to let us know how the faculty felt, so not only did we cut off the faculty rep, we cut off the [unclear] of every faculty member. Imani [Belton, student body president] has a right to be here. They don’t have a vote but they sure deserve to be represented by our students and our faculty. [That] is what this university is all about. Third, this decision was not made by the full board. It was made by the executive board — all of them I adore, every one of them — but, it was not made by the full board, and I resent that. Jim Rex was one of the candidates, and he also meets the criteria to be president here. He was never given a chance to come to the university with the full board as Hynd was. He came before the full board and interviewed, and the other candidates were not. Jim Rex loves
Winthrop and knows Winthrop. He would never let his political position hurt this university or take over his leadership. He’s trying to pull the Democratic and the Republican parties together so they can actually do something for this great nation of ours and keep us undivided, with liberty and justice for everyone. You have to let me speak [in response to McCall saying that LaRoche was speaking about ‘items’ that were discussed in ‘executive session’ which under ‘state law’ cannot be discussed publicly, according to McCall]. Well I need [crosstalk]. These
our [Olde Stone House] and bring much money into Winthrop. Our enrollment person has a very thankless job, but he, along with Dan and his staff and committee members, actually got enrollment up at a time when the whole nation is done with enrollment, and we don’t have a football team — he still got it up. I want to talk about advancement. He’s come up with wonderful ideas [crosstalk] you’ve got to let me talk [in response to another interruption by McCall]. You’ve got to let me talk. I would like to let you know for these reasons I am going to vote no [cross-
Anna Sharpe/ The Johnsonian Trustee Gary Williams comforts Dr. Jane LaRoche following her emotional remarks. items [crosstalk] that people outside know [crosstalk]. I would praise some of the people that — I fear this man is going to be a hatchet man. I feel that some of the wonderful vice presidents and deans of the school — [College of Business Administration Dean P.N.] Saksena is a pistol. The athletic director has brought up beautiful ideas [regarding Winthrop becoming] one of the first [universities with] esports, and he has found ways with [Executive Director of University Events] Neal Miller to rent out our coliseum and rent out
talk] other members have [unclear] sadness with the loss of our president will stand with me. I hope other board members will come across and stand with me. I would like Jim Rex to be our president. If he can’t be our president, I would like our provost [Adrienne McCormick] — who’s proven her leadership in just two years — to be our acting president [crosstalk] a proper search, take the proper amount of time to make this search fair, transparent and take the time we need to get the right president.”
Unheard Voices
Members of the community weigh in on what it means to be an immigrant college student.
Undocumented immigrants who enter the United States unlawfully face a number of challenges, and last week Winthrop Univesity held an event addressing some of those challenges, particularly those faced by college students who do not have documentation. In 2012, former U.S. President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which afforded immigrants who were under the age of 31 and were brought to the U.S. under the age of 16 the opportunity to apply for deferred action on deportation. While immigrants protected under DACA can attend some colleges — and those with legal residence
can attend most universities — this is not the case with undocumented immigrants. There are efforts being made for young adults who are undocumented to attend college still in its infancy. Laura Govea said that she struggled as a student learning a new language. When it was time for her to attend college as an undocumented immigrant, she learned that in South Carolina, colleges would not accept her, no matter what. The reason for this is that undocumented immigrants have no way to obtain a state ID or a social security number, both of which are needed for college admission. While some colleges and universities (including some in North Carolina) accept undocumented students, they must pay out-of-state tuition. Govea’s family worked hard
Ann Marie Juarez | Assistant News Editor juareza@mytjnow.com
to provide her with an education and pay the out-of-state cost although she could only afford to take one class per semester. Govea continued her education at Gaston College in Gastonia, North Carolina. Govea couldn’t afford the course load of other students taking multiple classes but she credits her strength to “never giving up.” This allowed Govea to obtain a driver’s license and social security number. In North Carolina, Govea was given the opportunity to start working for a company and if they decided to hire her and sponsor her, she would receive in-state tuition. “It’s hard to find someone that is willing to help you,” Govea said about the transition from part-time to full-time student. In 2015, Govea and her husband started a business to help provide and create jobs for undocumented immigrants like her. Having DACA allowed Govea to obtain the right licenses to obtain her business. “I think we deserve more,” Govea said. Jeylinn Davila is a sophmore at Winthrop whose parents are immigrants. She said that her parents were unfamiliar with the college admission process which made it harder to communicate about what needed to be done during the admission process. In reference to the college admission process, Davila said that her parents “did
their best to understand,” but that college admissions “is a world with many layers.” She said her hardest challenge was trying to get her parents to understand why her high school schedule was so busy. Davila’s parents understood grades were important, but didn’t know why she also had to be active in organizations in high school despite her already hectic schedule. Winthrop alum Lois Sisk was the first child in her family to go to college. Her parents came to the United States with the hopes of securing an education for their future children. Sisk’s parents supported her any way they could but were unfamiliar and lost with the federal loan process. Sisk was left with the “daunting” task of figuring out how to navigate federal loans to begin her education. Sisk said she “had to learn the hard way,” and sometimes the mistakes she made in correlation with federal loans turned out to be “expensive” mistakes to make. Winthrop alum Melody LeCroy said she didn’t understand how her classmates didn’t go home more. LeCroy said her immigrant parents and siblings being close by led to her going home most weekends. LeCroy said she didn’t understand why students could spend such time away from their families and be fine, which she said made a barrier between herself and other students, as she felt she couldn’t relate to them.
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theJohnsonian
The Outbreak of 2020 February 5, 2020
The outbreak of the coronavirus has infected thousands and has killed hundreds. However, there is also another virus that has spread quickly on campus Beneshia Wadlington
staff writer
Influenza season is at its peak during the winter, causing many to become sick with the virus. However, there is a new strain of sickness that has made its way around the world and has scared many — the coronavirus. The novel coronavirus causes infection in the upper throat, nose and sinuses. It was first identified in the 1960s and its origin is unknown, according to Science Alert. Less than 70 years later, another outbreak has sparked in China. Similar to the common cold, symptoms can include coughing, fever, sore throat and runny nose. It may even cause ear infections in children. “The common cold and the coronavirus have very similar symptoms,” Bethany Wise, a sophomore biology major, said. “That is what makes this new virus so scary because if it goes misdiagnosed then the symptoms could develop into something much worse than the common cold.” In some cases, infected patients may not even show symptoms, making it even more difficult to distinguish between a simple cold and the virus. People with strong immune systems can fight off the illness just like a cold, while it can be fatal to others, according to WebMD. Wise researches bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, which could be used as a form of medical treatment if the coronavirus is a bacterial strain of infection. “If the specific strain of coronavirus was bacterial, then that is where phages could potentially eradicate the bacterial infection through a new medicinal
practice called phage therapy,” Wise said. “This is so because bacteriophages are viruses … that kill bacterial cells. As far as I know, this method of therapy has not been used on anybody with a bacterial case of coronavirus.” So far, there are at least 250 deaths because of the virus, and about 12,000 cases confirmed, according to the New York Times. Because of the quickly spreading disease, almost 60 million people have been under lockdown in China for a week. If a person on campus was infected with the virus, Winthrop’s Health Services has methods to reduce the spread of the virus. “We ask any student coming into Health Services if they have traveled recently and where the travel took them. [As well as] if they have had any potential known exposure to anyone that has traveled abroad,” Mary Barreto, the assistant director of Winthrop Health Services, said. “The incubation is 2 to 14 days. If we had a student that developed symptoms and had been to Wuhan or exposed to someone who had been to Wuhan, we would isolate that patient, contact DHEC and take appropriate measures with DHEC guidance. The campus community would be notified.” The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus a global health emergency. However, there are preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the chances of getting the virus. “The best way to prevent the transmission of this disease is to constantly wash your hands, refrain from touching your face and take caution when drinking after others,” Wise said. “It’s also important to wash your hands
after touching public items that are used daily, such as door knobs and handrails on staircases.” The coronavirus isn’t the only disease that’s spreading quickly — the flu is showing an increase on campus. “Since we have been back from winter break we have seen 11 students with the flu or a flu like illness,” Barreto said. ”We do not see all the student body so I am sure there is more on campus. As you read in the news, the flu is widespread.” Students can use preventative methods to reduce or avoid the contracting of the flu. “The first recommendation is to get an annual flu vaccine. The vaccine takes two weeks to become effective but may help during this flu season. Second is to use good, frequent handwashing [and] do not touch [the] eyes, mouth [and] nose,” Barreto said. “[As well as keeping] their immune system strong by eating healthy [and] getting enough rest.”
Maggie Claytor/ The Johnsonian
Shaniah Garrick/ The Johnsonian
Want to know about upcoming technological tips? Listen to the Kennedy-Mighell Report podcast for tips that are relevant to your everyday life. Farewell from front Prus has become a role model to Alderman in his leadership and feels that there are not enough words to describe the significance he has made for Winthrop and himself personally. “He has helped me develop as a faculty member through just his example. He has always been one who seeks input about what we are doing,” Alderman said. “He
operates on that basis which is a great model for me. He taught me to listen to students. To me he is the epitome, the model of a way an administrator should be.” To emphasize the love he has for this program and job, Prus is doing something different for his retirement party. “Even as we are planning his retirement he doesn't want it to
be about him. He asked that for the people [invited he] would like to send an email out to all of [them] and ask them to contribute to the school psychology fund,” Alderman said. “[He said] if my retirement can have an impact on building that then that would be the thing [he] would wish the most. That is epitome to who he is.”
Savannah Scott | Science & Technology Editor scotts@mytjnow.com
In Prus’s retirement, he hopes to spend more time with his wife, three grandkids and two daughters. He also plans to golf more and travel with his wife.
6
SPORTS theJohnsonian
Mahomes leads the Chiefs to Super Bowl victory February 5, 2020
NFL celebrates their 100th year, with SuperBowl LVI in Miami between the San Francisco 49ers versus the Kansas City Chiefs Gabby Gardner
gardnerg@mytjnow.com Super Bowl LIV kicked off on Sunday night between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco won the coin toss with cornerback, Richard Sherman’s, call of tails, the team deferred the choice, resulting in Kansas City starting with the ball and defending the west end zone to start the game. The Chiefs first drive with the ball didn’t go very far, making the 49ers decision to defer on the kickoff look brilliant. The 49ers then went on to make the first drive of the night for the team but eventually stalled out. Robbie Gould scored the first points of the night with his 38-yard field goal, putting the 49ers in the lead 3-0, with 7:57 in the first quarter. Shortly after San Francisco’s field goal the Chiefs responded with a touchdown, Patrick Mahomes ran the ball into the endzone from the 1 yard line, putting Kansas City in the lead, 7-3, with only 31 seconds left in the first quarter. To start the second quarter the Chiefs followed up their first touchdown with the first turnover of the game, an interception by cornerback, Bashaud Breeland. The Chiefs continued to be aggressive in efforts to score a touchdown but had to settle for a 31-yard field goal
Maggie Claytor/The Johnsonian by Harrison Butker, putting them ahead 10-3. San Francisco has shown to be a strong team with running the ball all postseason and this game was no exception. Kyle Juszcyk, 49ers’ fullback, catching a short pass, diving into the end zone for a touchtown, along with the extra point scored by Gould, bringing the game to a tie, 10-10. Despite the effort made from both teams, neither scored before the end of the half, resulting in both teams heading back to the locker room with a score of 10-10 at halftime. The 49ers at the start of the second half drove for a field goal, taking the lead 13-10 to open the third quarter. Mahomes then went on to throw an interception that was caught by line-backer, Fred Warner.
49ers immediately showed aggression and Garoppolo completed a 16-yard pass to wide receiver, Deebo Samuel. Raheem Mostert drove the ball into the end zone for a the lead for Kansas City, 20-10, nearing the end of the third quarter. Exhilarating turn of events, as the Kansas City Chiefs scored a touchdown to catch up, bringing the score to 20-17. Patrick Mahomes launched a ball down the field to wide-open, wide receiver, Tyreek Hillthrew, for a 44-yard gain, placing the Chiefs in a good position just outside the red zone, later resulting in a touchdown by Travis Kelce. Kansas City determined to hold up a fight, continued to run the ball, scoring a touchdown to take the lead, 24-20. The touchdown to put the Chiefs on top was scored by
Damien Williams as he reached over the goal line for the touchdown. Only minutes later, Williams, yet again scored a touchdown for the Chiefs, with a short pass and 38yard run, taking the lead to 31-20. The Kansas City Chiefs won Superbowl LIV 31-20. After the game quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, was named Super Bowl MVP after leading the Kansas City Chiefs to victory after facing a 10 point deficit. In 2013, Mahomes tweeted “I bet it feels amazing to be the quarterback who says ‘I’m going to Disney World’ after winning the Super Bowl.” He got to fulfill that amazing feeling Sunday night. “Something I’ve wanted to say my whole life, I’m going to Disney World,” Mahomes said.
Eagles still fighting No win too great, no loss too small
La J’ai Reed
reedl@mytjnow.com The Eagles fell to a 9-11 record after playing four games within the past two weeks of play. On Jan. 21, the Eagles carried high intensity into a home matchup against the Longwood Lancers. From the opening tip, both teams’ play nearly mirrored each other. The game was slow paced, but the Eagles and the Lancers both battled through the offensive and defensive positions closely. The home team handled the pressure well, and a few key plays — including a big steal from Maleeah Langstaff — would help the Eagles tie the score at the end of the first quarter, 14-14. During the second quarter, Langstaff would continue to dazzle the crowd sporting textbook moves and securing steals. Along with Langstaff, Anika Riley, Myra Strickland, Jah’Che Whitfield and Miquela Santoro also contributed to the successful second quarter. Winthrop finished out the first half with a 43% shooting average. Coupled with sturdy defense, the Eagles took a nine point lead into the locker room at halftime. By mid-game break, the first 20 minutes of play had seen six ties and eight lead changes. Forward Kem Nwabudu, who saw her first action of the game at the 7:37 mark of the third quarter, would then seal the lead by hitting a two-point jumper. With the game so close, Winthrop never stopped attacking. Langstaff and Nwabudu continued their power-punching and helped build the team up to the final minutes of play. “Longwood was a big game for us
that we knew we needed to win and I just wanted to do whatever I could to help my team,” Langstaff said. The Eagles powered through to take a nine-point victory over the Lancers, 74-63. The team would then travel to South Carolina’s lowcountry on Jan. 25 to take on the Buccaneers of Charleston Southern University. The game presented the 85th alltime meeting of the two teams and proved to be a battle. Winthrop went in wanting their second consecutive win, while Charleston Southern was looking to bounce back from a loss. The Eagles outscored the Bucs three out of the four quarters, and tallied 18 second chance points — to the opponent’s three. A five-point win, 58-53, gave Winthrop a two-win streak, they could pack back to Rock Hill. For Langstaff and Nwabudu their performances prove their growth as players. “The difference is I feel more molded,” Nwabudu said. “Last year I was kind of this unchained freshman girl, I didn’t fear anything. This year I feel more level headed and mature. I access my opportunities,” Nwabudu said. Langstaff credits the new team dynamic. “There’s been a difference in the style of coaching and the way we run offenses and defenses,” Langstaff said. “It’s been a season of a lot of changes and really just learning and improving the teams game.” After defeating Charleston Southern, Winthrop went in search of a three-win streak as the Eagles met up with the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in the Winthrop Coliseum on Jan. 28. Winthrop started the game out slow and were down 15-4 at the end of the first quarter.
Gabby Gardner | Sports Editor gardnerg@mytjnow.com
Gabby Gardner/ The Johnsonian Points in the paint carried Asheville during the first half, with 22 out of their 27 points coming from down low. However, a resurgence of energy lifted the Eagles, and put them within five points at the half, 22-27. In the second half, despite good ball movement, Winthrop still could not overcome the scoring spell of Asheville. Whitfield and Strickland, freshman guard, led the team with 15 and 14 points. Strickland tallied her career high in points, going 4-of-6 from behind the arc. The Eagles then traveled to face the High Point Panthers to open the month of February. Langstaff and Nwabudu continued their high performances as some of the squad’s top performers, scoring 15 and 13 at the game on Feb. 1. Turnovers told the tale for the Eagles, as the Panthers scored 18 points off of Winthrop’s miscommunications. In this duel, the high for Winthrop came through second
chance points — a statistic where they led the Panthers 8-6. Another high came at the free throw line, where the Eagles completed 82% of their foul shots. At the final buzzer, the score remained in favor of the Panthers at 94-61. Despite the recent losses, the Eagles continue to look forward and keep their eyes open. Players like Nwabudu seek to feed off her big performances earlier in the season. “I am looking to feed off that energy and remind myself how great it felt at Radford, despite the loss and just remind myself to stay focused,” Nwabudu said. The Eagles have displayed a surplus of energy throughout the season and time is not up yet. “We have a job to accomplish and I think we are very motivated to continue to win and establish ourselves as a top team in the Big South conference,” Langstaff said.
theJohnsonian
7
February 5, 2020
Hey Batter, Batter The Winthrop baseball season tickets are now available for sale
Gweneshia Wadlington
staff writer
Baseball season tickets are available for sale and you know what that means — it’s almost baseball season. “I’m looking forward to coming off a strong past year and winning the Big South Championship this year,” Ryan Watson, a junior and catcher on the baseball team, said. The Eagles faced a couple of injuries last year and as they move forward into the new season, the team hopes to remain healthy. Sophomore pitcher Cody Whitten is one of the players who suffered an injury last season. He has his hope for his teammates this season. “Since I’m not playing because I had Tommy John surgery last year I’m really excited to see the boys go out and compete and just have fun with the game,” Whitten said. Tommy John surgery, or ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure that repairs an injured elbow ligament, according to WebMD. This surgery is named after former Major League Baseball pitcher, Tommy John, and is most commonly done on college and pro athletes, particularly
baseball pitchers. Both Watson and Whitten first got into the sport at a pretty young age and ever since then fell in love with the game. “My dad played baseball his whole life and in college and I just fell in love with the game at a young age,” Whitten said. As for Watson, “I first started baseball at a very young age playing Little League with friends and stayed in the sport and started playing competitively and traveling when I was in middle school and eventually got the opportunity to play at the college level,” he said. The quid pro quo with athletes who start at a pretty young age, is that they usually always bring something great to the team, adding to its other assets. “I think I’ve brought a lot of leadership this year as an upperclassman and catcher on the team,” Watson said. Although Whitten is redshirted, he still gets excited for the game and is doing great things to keep the team venturing forward. “I think with being out I’ve gotten to watch some of the younger guys a lot more and help them grow,” Whitten said. How do they emanate such great
Maggie Claytor/The Johnsonian things and prepare for the battle on the field? “My pregame rituals are pretty simple; listen to some music, stay hydrated,” Whitten said. “Before the game I always get there early and do some stretching and pre-work before we get started with team stuff. I try to do some[thing] calm and relaxing to get myself into the right state of
mind by listening to music and focusing on my breathing,” Watson said. Be sure to catch the season opener, a triple feature, against the University of Maine Black Bears Feb. 14 at 4 p.m., Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 1 p.m., at the Winthrop Ballpark.
Win the moment
Winthrop lacrosse players make the Big South Lacrosse Preseason All-Conference Team Lily Fremed
staff writer
On Jan. 21, Lauren Morris, McKenna Blick and Mia Creighton’s dedication, effort and excellence earned them spots on the Big South Lacrosse Preseason All-Conference Team. “It is a nice feeling knowing our hard work has paid off and we are excited for a great season,” Morris said. This is not Morris’ first recognition for lacrosse. Just last season Morris, a (now) junior midfielder from Ohio, earned the Big South honor of First-Team. Morris excelled with a total of 73 points for the season and 27 assists, the most in both categories for the entire team, with her highest scoring game against Gardner-Webb on April 6, 2019 with 8 points. “Our team lives by the quote, “Win the Moment”. If we focus on winning each individual moment, then we will come out with a victory,” Morris said. With scattered wins throughout the 2019 season, the Eagles had a five game winning streak at one point, but it sadly came to an end when they lost 6-17 against High Point on April 20. The Eagles finished the season with an overall record of 8-11, and 4-2 in conference. After a successful match during the Big South Tournament, their
reign ended yet again against High Point. On the plus side, this second defeat shortened the gap with a final score of 10-17. On the field, Morris describes herself as a “team player,” loving how being a college athlete means “being a part of something bigger than [her]self.” “Playing a sport gives you a second family and it is good to know that you have an entire group of teammates and coaches by your side,” Morris said. As a healthcare management major, Morris finds being an athlete comes with benefits other than playing the sport she loves. “Being a part of a team has increased my leadership and teamwork skills, which are important skills to have outside of lacrosse,” Morris said. Creighton, a sophomore from Maryland, is an attacker on the field. During the 2019 season she raked in 45 points, 7 being the largest amount in a single game against Presbyterian College on April 10, 2019. Creighton was Big South Conference Freshman of the Year and earned Second-Team Honors for the 2019 season. McKenna Blick, junior attacker, who is also from Maryland, felt “proud and motivated when [she] was recognized” for her accomplishments on the team. Blick, a sports management major, states she would probably play field hockey if she had the chance to
experiment outside of lacrosse. “I think playing various sports makes a player more dynamic and a better athlete,” Blick said. Similarly being interested in other sports, Morris did not start practicing lacrosse until the seventh grade, playing basketball and soccer beforehand. “I know that if I never started playing lacrosse, I would have con-
Photos provided by Winthrop Athletics tinued playing basketball,” Morris said. Music and spending time with family is a popular pastime before and after a game for both Blick and Morris. Listening to their favorite tunes calms them down before they hit the field, whereas catching up with their family is the best way to celebrate a triumphant game. Being known for her integrity on the field, Blick is now captain for the 2020 season. “I have always looked up to Mia Hamm, she is humble and works relentlessly hard to get better and for her team to get better as well,” Blick said. Blick earned a sum of 50 points last season, the second most points on the whole team. Similar to teammate Creighton, Blick’s best game was against Presbyterian where she scored 6 points. She also had a total of 13 assists for the season. “I love competition, being a college athlete is always about being a competitor,” Blick said. A Big South Women’s Lacrosse Poll lists Winthrop coming in second this 2020 season, but the team knows that with passion, teamwork and focus, anything is possible. Their season opens on Feb. 15 with a home game against Old Dominion at 1 p.m.
La J’ai Reed | Assistant Sports Editor reedl@mytjnow.com
8
February 5, 2020
Experience “De Novo” CVPA professors share their craft in Rutledge Gallery Laura Munson munsonl@mytjnow.com The De Novo exhibition in Rutledge Gallery showcases the work of seven new faculty members in the visual art and design departments. The name “De Novo” comes from Latin and means “anew” or “from the beginning.” The works displayed include jewelry, metalwork and more. The exhibition will be on display through March 6, 2020.
Photos by Sam Ross/The Johnsonian
De Novo is accompanied by a series of artist talks, which are approved cultural events. The three remaining artist talks are assistant professor of fine arts Claudia O’Steen, instructor of fine arts Sara Brown and fine arts department chair Karen Oremus. All three will be in Rutledge 119.
Claudia O’Steen - Monday, Feb. 10 from 7 - 8 p.m. Sara Brown - Tuesday, Feb. 11 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Karen Oremus - Tuesday, March 3 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
We are hiring! ASSISTANT ARTS&CULTURE EDITOR Create local, national, and international arts and cultural stories for the Winthrop Community
Work closely with writers and photographers
Build connections with arts and culture contacts around campus
contact Anna Sharpe or Laura Munson for more information sharpea@mytjnow.com
Laura Munson | A&C Editor munsonl@mytjnow.com
munsonl@mytjnow.com
9
Swinging into spring semester New organization brings swing dancing to campus
Laura Munson munsonl@mytjnow.com One of WU’s newest organizations is bringing high energy, jazzbased dancing to the Student Activities Center. The Winthrop University Lindy Hoppers holds weekly swing dancing nights on Tuesday nights from 7 - 10 p.m. Freshman Catherine Evans started the organization last semester and is the current president. “I missed swing dancing, and the closest swing dancing place is in Charlotte,” Evans said. “They don’t even do it every week, so I figured I would just start up my
own club since they made it available to do so on campus.” While the organization was not officially active last semester, Evans says they hosted a “trial month,” which was popular on its first night. However, the club hopes to gain more members as the semester goes on. “There are not really that many [people] just because I’m having issues with the publicity,” Evans said. “People come once and then we never see them again, which is kind of sad because I teach something different in every lesson, or I have guest teachers come in, and we all don’t teach the same.” According to Evans, each evening begins with a swing dancing lesson at 7 p.m. “Depending on who comes and how
many people there are, we base what the lesson is going to be on and how long it’s going to be on that. Then, from 8 to around 10 is open dancing.” The club’s vice president, freshman musical theatre major Isabella Ferretti says the club will host a Valentine’s Day swing dance on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. for “significant others and best friends.” Evans says the club often does “birthday dances” for members’ birthdays, something that “freaked out” Ferretti the first time she participated in one. “It’s really fun because a lot of people mess up. Even the pros mess this up because it’s just so weird,” Evans said. “You get everyone in a circle and the birthday people or person stands in the middle. You start off dancing with
one partner and then you just swap out [partners]. It’s not easy to do, so it’s just a funny time.” Evans and Ferretti said students often are not interested in swing dancing due to misconceptions about the dance style, which originated during the Jazz Age and has roots in the Harlem Renaissance. “A couple reasons I’ve heard as to why people won’t go swing dancing is because they think it’s ‘country dancing’. It’s jazzy, it was invented by African Americans. It has more rhythm than ‘country dancing,’” Evans said. The WU Lindy Hoppers meet every Tuesday night from 7 - 10 p.m. in the SAC, located behind Withers Building. There is a onetime $5 cover charge for students, and a $3 cover charge each night for non-students.
Club president Catherine Evans demonstates a “princess dip” with a partner.
Photos by Marisa Fields-Williams/The Johnsonian
Tea, trash and tunes
Eagle Air’s popular radio show “Trash Talk” returns with new members Laura Munson munsonl@mytjnow.com Despite cast members being locked out of the studio, the radio show “Trash Talk” is entering its third semester on WINR Eagle Air, Winthrop’s radio station run through the Department of Mass Communication. The two-hour student-run talk show covers topics such as politics, pop culture, music, fashion and on-campus issues through the lens of six Winthrop students. Cast members Ryen Cohen, Evan Santiago, Sadie Glaze and Spencer Langston are returning members, along with newcomers Tate Walden and Grace Johnson. Junior mass communication major Evan Santiago says the first episode of the semester was delayed by 50 minutes due to the studio door being locked. “It was really crazy. The content was great, the episode went smoothly except for the fact that we got locked out of the studio. We arrived at the studio probably 15 minutes early to find nobody there, so that was challenging having to overcome that. But we’re constantly put in the position where we have to overcome challenges in order to
get an episode out,” Santiago said. According to Santiago, the cast members went live on Instagram to engage with their audience members. “We’re hoping that our listeners kind-of transferred from Instagram live onto the TuneIn app to listen to us go live on air,” Santiago said. “But we’re never provided statistics on how many listeners we get for a show, so there’s not really any way to know.” New cast members Grace Johnson and Tate Walden were separated between the two hours in order to place them with “veteran” members. “We’re fairly confident that they are already fitting in very nicely,” Santiago said. “We separated the two new onair talents just so they could both kind-of ease in more comfortably, and so we had veterans sort-of leading the conversation,” said junior mass communication major Spencer Langston. “But they both did very well, and I think they more than proved themselves to be very good on-air.” Johnson, a sophomore theatre major, also felt that she and Walden fit in effectively with the rest of the cast. “I think it went really well. I was really proud of myself because I feel like I was
very nervous, and I had a lot happening beforehand,” Johnson said. “Being able to still put out such good content, I think it went really well. All of us as a group did really awesome, especially for the first episode.” In this season of the show, cast members will reportedly be introducing more opinion and debate-based content. “I think last season we kind-of held back from major controversial topics,” Santiago said. “And whenever we would talk about controversial topics we would place ourselves with other on-air talents that agreed with us, and there was never any sort of friction on air. We think it’s important to present both sides of any important topic.” The first episode included a debate between Santiago and Langston about diversity during homecoming. “Spencer and I didn’t necessarily agree on [the] topic, and although we’re still great friends and colleagues outside of the studio, it was refreshing for us and our listeners for us to butt heads a little bit and present two sides to a situation,” Santiago said. Johnson said she and Walden will also bring unique experiences and viewpoints to future debates.
“We have a lot of interesting topics coming and I think especially with myself and Tate being added onto the crew, we bring in different perspectives,” Johnson said. “I’m a member of the LGBTQ community, and we both have different perspectives on different things. I would expect more perspective-based conversations and tea. We’re going to be spilling some tea.” Langston says listeners can expect “more trashiness, more hilarity, and less censorship” from the upcoming season, and also says the show will feature segments based around the individual cast members’ personalities. According to Santiago, the show will also become more accessible for listeners. “We are also working on going digital, which means that our listeners will soon be able to stream us from our own personal website instead of having to go to the TuneIn app. They can stream previous episodes instead of having to catch us live on air,” Santiago said. “Trash Talk” is on Eagle Air from 8 - 10 p.m. on Monday nights. Students can listen using the TuneIn app, or by visiting @WUEagleAir on Twitter and using the link in the bio.
10
OPINION
theJohnsonian
February 5, 2020
Student reactions to the new interim president
After the announcement of George Hynd as the preferred candidate for interim president, students took to social media to share their reactions Victoria Howard
howardv@mytjnow.com
When an all-student email went out on Wednesday, Jan. 29 announcing the preferred candidate for the new interim president, students didn’t have very positive reactions. It didn’t take long for the Winthrop related meme pages on Instagram to start talking about George Hynd, his history and how he might compare to Dan Mahony, who is stepping down in March. Instagram page @winrthropu was the first to post a screenshot of part of an article talking about fees accrued by Oakland University officials. The article they shared was published by the Detroit Free Press in June 2016 and talked about a trip to Florida that Hynd was on. The trip cost Oakland University $155,000 and included Hynd and his wife as well as 42 university employees and board members. The trip took place less than seven months after the university raised tuition by 8.4 percent.
Courtesy of winthrop.edu Winthrop student @shelbyjamie99 commented on the post, “We gon keep an eye on him.” Another Winthrop student, @ original.wik commented “WTH” in reaction to the information about Hynd’s past with Oakland University. The official university Instagram
account, @winthropu, posted about Hynd’s selection and the Board’s final vote which took place on Friday. Winthrop student @_.melegida._ commented, “Is the meeting at a resort in Florida.” The Winthrop account did not respond. At the board meeting where the Winthrop Board of Trustees voted on Hynd, student council chair Imani Belton said that the board did not take student thoughts and opinions into consideration when deciding on Hynd’s appointment. Despite many trepidations from students about the newly elected president, some are still remaining hopeful about what Hynd’s term as president may hold. “There is already an uncomfortable disconnect between Winthrop students and the board of trustees with the exception of our alumni, faculty, staff, and student representatives. In his past, it’s clear that he had no problem encouraging this kind of behavior,” Joseph Robinson, senior IMC major said on Facebook, “However, I see positive marks throughout his career that make me
excited for his time here. My hope is that he will leave Winthrop better than he found it.” Some students aren’t specifically upset about Hynd himself, but instead about the lack of diversity in the office. “We’ve had only two presidents out of 11 (soon to be 12) that have been women and absolutely [none] who are minorities. For a fairly progressive school, WU could be doing better and setting a better example, especially given the location of the school and the surrounding political/social climate,” Kiri Ashley, a freshman anthropology major, said in a Facebook comment Winthrop students want the best for their school. They are paying to go here and they expect those in charge of their education to be qualified and reflect their values. The board of trustees should be taking these criticisms seriously and should address Hynd’s past as well as take the opinions of students more seriously going forward.
Controversy over Democratic candidate’s statements
Clinton and Warren accuse Sanders of not being supported by anyone and saying that a woman cannot win the presidency Sarah Delventhal
staff writer
With the Democratic primaries coming up soon, people are doing whatever it takes to make sure the person they want wins. The Hollywood Reporter quoted Hilary Clinton in her documentary saying, “Nobody likes him, nobody works with him, he got nothing done” referring to Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. Clinton further went on to say that Bernie makes empty promises because he is a “career politician” and that she feels sorry for those who fall for it. Clinton is not the only one making statements about Sanders. According to an article published by CNN, “Sen. Elizabeth Warren publicly accused Sen. Bernie Sanders of telling her during a private meeting in December 2018 that he didn’t think a woman could win.” Sanders has since denounced these allegations, insisting that he did not say such a thing. What do people on campus think of these allegations? Jared Maraj, a junior business administration student, said of the allegations that, “it is true.” Maraj thinks that strife between Warren and Sanders at the debate might have been because of this. “Bernie was trying to shove it off and Warren walked off and Bernie kind of rolled his eyes and all that,” Maraj said. Both Jordan Owens, a freshman early childhood education major, and Dr. Brandon Ranallo-Benavidez, a professor of the political science department, thought that these statements might have some truth to them but also are not completely accurate. Ranallo-Benavidez said he does not know whether Sanders said those things about women not being able to win the presidency because
he wasn’t there. As for the statement Clinton made, Ranallo-Benavidez said, “he only had one endorsement from a different U.S. senator” and that the rest is opinion-based on how she feels about Bernie. The senator he was referring to was Jeff Merkley from Oregon. In an op-ed for the New York Times in 2016 Merkley wrote, “I have decided to become the first member of the Senate to support my colleague Bernie Sanders for president. Bernie Sanders is boldly and fiercely addressing the biggest challenges facing our country.” These statements could either have a great effect on Sanders’ campaign or no effect at all. With the primaries coming up in less than a month in South Carolina, “you are probably either already pretty strongly affiliated with one of them or you’ll make your decision the last couple of days before looking at who the options are,” said Ranallo-Benavidez. Ranallo-Benavidez feels as though these acts on each other do not necessarily change who people might vote for but might change how they feel about their candidate. Others on campus feel it will hurt the campaign. “I personally think it is going to hurt Bernie,” Maraj said. What worries Maraj is the supposed fact that Sanders made the statement in the first place and now seems to be trying to take it back. Owens said that “it wouldn’t change a person’s view on him because we don’t know if he said it for sure or not.” With primary elections fast approaching, where one stands in the polls does matter. Having a statement come out can cause people to change their mind or further confirm their opinion on who is best. When looking for presidential candidates, students and faculty look for confidence, intelligence,
Victoria Howard | Opinion Editor howardv@mytjnow.com
Victoria Howard/The Johnsonian someone who does what they say they will, a leader who thoroughly thinks about the decisions they are about to make, someone who knows that there is a difference between being a good president and a good politician. “I like when they are confident when they are speaking,” Maraj said. Speaking with confidence shows that they are willing to stand up for their beliefs and that they believe in what they are saying and are not just trying to win the vote when they speak up. It is also important because it allows the American people to hear their perspective and decide if they are the candidate for them. Owens said she wants them to keep the promises that they made on the campaign trail. People want change to happen. That’s why we vote for the candidates who make
promises that appeal to us. For Ranallo-Benavidez, being a president is much more about dealing with foreign affairs as Commander in Chief. We need to keep our alliances and make new ones as well. “Work with treaties instead of ripping them up,” Ranallo-Benavidez said. Lastly, the president should be intelligent — “someone who is intelligent and thoughtful when it comes to diplomacy,” Ranallo-Benavidez said. High intelligence shows that they have control and know the policy well enough to make the correct decision for our country. The South Carolina Democratic presidential primary is on Saturday, Feb. 29. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and voting absentee is also an option — don’t forget to vote.
theJohnsonian
11
February 5, 2020
The kids are alright
Gen Z doesn’t deserve all the hate they get from older generations
Victoria Howard/ The Johnsonian Laura Munson
munsonl@mytjnow.com Generation Z, often called “Gen Z” or “zoomers” get a lot of flak, probably even more than millennials did before the Gen Zs started to come of age. People born in the last years of the 90s constantly assert that they are millennials or on the cusp (I consider myself a 1998 “zillennial”) because they don’t want to be associated with the stereotype of the cringe-inducing, obnoxious, iPhone-obsessed Gen Z. However, the thing most Gen Z haters don’t take into consideration is that while they range in age from 10-24, most Gen Zs are still kids. We can’t blame kids for acting like kids — especially when they have an entire internet at their disposal — but the kids of Gen Z are more empowered, involved, creative and connected than we give them credit for. They’re constantly exchanging information, opinions and experiences, which can often make them very well-rounded. They have a
bizarre sense of humor, but their jokes are often very clever and sophisticated. In spite of the stereotype of Gen Z as addicted to social media, brainwashed by technology and anti-social, the reality is that this generation uses media and technology to connect with others and share information like never before. An hour or so of scrolling through the much-despised app TikTok will show kids using songs and sound bytes for creative and weird creations, young indigenous people uplifting their cultures and spreading awareness of Native issues, transgender teens sharing highlights of their transitions — and sometimes joking about them — and even history and literature jokes. These Gen Z kids are doing more for raising awareness of important issues than many twice their age. Just look at Time’s Person of the Year for 2019. Greta Thunberg is a teenager who has made a small motion a huge movement in a short span of time. She went from protesting alone outside of
her embassy to being the forefront of a movement of young people around the world demanding policy changes to protect the world against climate change. Another notable Gen Zer, 18-yearold Billie Eilish, is one of the most popular artists of the past year, having recently become the youngest person and first woman to win the Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year all in the same year. She also makes a powerful statement about the sexualization of female artists with her decision to wear shapeless, baggy clothing — a way of protecting herself from the body-shaming so many high-profile women experience. Issues that Gen Zs are facing are something to which people in these older generations can’t relate. The fast spread of information on the internet is creating a culture that requires people to always be tuned in to the horrible things happening around the world. Social media often forces people to have opinions
on these things, especially young people who are now dealing with pressure when they’re at home and away from school. However, the immersion in these issues makes for a unique level of passion and advocacy. The Gen Zs know what they want and what they believe in. They are willing to fight for it and they use humor to cope with it (just look at all the World War 3 and Camp Pence jokes). According to BusinessInsider. com, the next generation after Gen Z is known as Generation Alpha, anyone born after 2010. Once these children are old enough to start making an impact on the world, Millennials and Generation Z will probably make fun of their every move as well. In the end, we all end up shaking our fist at “these darned kids!” The best we can do is make an effort to understand the people who will build our future, and pay more attention to the ideas they bring to the table.
There is nothing good about fast fashion The environment is being negatively impacted and people are being poorly treated so that we can stay on trend Victoria Howard
howardv@mytjnow.com In 2020 we are going to experience a lot of trends, especially when it comes to fashion. The early 2000s and e-girl trends took off in 2019 and will continue to do so in 2020, with minor adjustments of course. These fashion trends are maintained through the mass consumption of textile products by people across the world. In order to stay on top of the newest trends, people go to stores that sell cheap clothes and then in a year when the trend is dead, they throw them out. According to a report released by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Circular Fibres Initiative, the equivalent of one garbage truck of clothes is sent to landfills or to be burned every second. All of this waste culminates into a serious effect on the environment. According to the Circular Fibres report, “total greenhouse gas emissions from textiles production, at 1.2 billion tonnes annually, are more than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined.” Making a single pair of jeans produces as much emission as driving a car 80 miles, Levi’s released in an environmental report. All of these numbers are made even worse when you take into consideration a report by McKinsey & Company that in 2014, consumers were purchasing 60 percent more clothes per year than they were in 2000. We are now producing more clothing and going through it at a higher rate than ever before. And for what? To stay up to date on what’s trending? So that no one sees you rewear outfits?
Olivia Esselman/ The Johnsonian The effect of buying one piece of clothing from a retailer like H&M, ASOS, or Forever 21 is more than just being able to flex your new threads. The production of these clothes not only harms the environment but the workers that have to create them. In order to keep production costs down, so that people are more likely to buy more items, producers almost always underpay and overwork the staff who creates their clothing. A report published by Oxfam Australia in 2019 found that only 1% of Vietnamese and 0% of Bangladeshi garment workers were paid a living wage. These people are barely able
to make enough money to survive, much less to save money so that they can move upwards. According to Green America, these workers are not employed by the company that will be selling the clothes that are being produced. Instead, fast-fashion companies have contracts with other companies, called Tier 1 companies, in the producing countries that have contracts with factories. Garment workers are employed by the factories and not the companies that have contracted the factories out. Because of this, the fast-fashion corporations don’t have any legal obligation to oversee the production of their products. The production of fast fashion
items is not ethical to produce or consume and we need to do better about our purchases. The first step to reduce or cut off your consumption of fast fashion is to establish your style. When you have established your style, you won’t feel the need to go out and buy new things constantly in order to always switch it up. Then, it’s important to buy clothes that last. Many items from places like H&M and Forever 21 are made quickly and cheaply, with little thought into how long they will be wearable. When your clothes aren’t lasting long, you are forced to throw them out and have to buy new ones. Invest in some good quality clothes, especially basics, from sustainable brands. Brands you can look into are Dorsu (dorsu.org) and Mayamiko (mayamiko.com). Finally, buy secondhand. Buying from thrift stores is cheaper than buying from anywhere else and they are a lot more sustainable because you are saving clothes from being thrown away. If thrift shopping at places like Goodwill is too overwhelming for you, you can try places like Plato’s Closet or Clothes Mentor. These places buy clothes and then resell them, so their selection is more specific. If you want to shop from home, you can browse some Instagram thrift pages. Owners of Instagram accounts like @vellavintage and @ursistersclosett thrift for you and then list their prices either on the page or on their own website. There is no excuse to support the fast fashion companies anymore, at least not in the capacity that we have. Learning about the source of the products we consume and taking those into consideration when we make purchases is how we can start to effect change and speak with our dollars.
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theJohnsonian
February 5, 2020
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