03.04.2020

Winthrop University

Wednesday

Rock Hill, SC

March 4, 2020

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Mahony addresses recent sale of university property A company connected to U.S. Congressman Ralph Norman has purchased the Coke Building on Cherry Rd.

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Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com In the final email update of his presidency at Winthrop University, Dan Mahony mentioned the recent sale of the property located at 520 Cherry Rd., often referred to as the Coke Building. The Johnsonian previously reported that the sale had been approved by the Board of Trustees during a meeting held on Jan. 31.

During the meeting, the reading of the resolution regarding the sale was suspended. The Johnsonian sent a Freedom of Information Act request for a copy of the resolution and any associated documents. According to the resolution, the university sold the property “in its existing condition” for $1,450,000 to Lancaster Land, LLC. The documents obtained under the FOIA show a purchaser’s statement which has a “Less Credits” section which lists $100,000 as “Earned Money Deposit held by Morton & Gettys, LLC” which results in a subtotal of $1,350,000. The “Plus Debits” section lists $1,900 as an “Attorney’s Fee,” a $40 “Wire Fee,” a “Fax/Copy” fee of $50 and a $400 “Title searchc/ update reimbursement fee,” all on behalf of Morton & Gettys, LLC. Additionally, a $15 debit for “Recording of Deed” and a $5,365 “SC Deed Recording Fee” on behalf of the York County Register of Deeds. Further debits listed include $2,880 for “Title Insurance Premium” and $550 for “Endorsement Premium” for Chicago Title Insurance Company, $150 for “Title Binder Fee” on behalf of Moffatt Title Agency, Inc., $58,000

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Matt Thrift/ The Johnsonian for a “Commission — 4 [percent]” on behalf of Warren Norman Company, LLC and $100,000 for “Return of EMD” on behalf of Lancaster Land, LLC. These debits are listed in total at $169,350 resulting in “Funds due from purchaser” at $1,519,350.

According to the quitclaim deed contained in the documents provided to The Johnsonian, “at its meeting on October 27, 2015, the State Fiscal Accountability Authority approved the disposition by the Grantor of 1.2779± acres and two buildings consisting of 14,882 square feet and 5,950 square feet at 520 Cherry Road in Rock Hill, South Carolina.”

The quitclaim deed lists the address of the Grantee of the sale as

Lancaster Land, LLC at the attention of R. Warren Norman III. According to an article published on Aug. 31, 2018 on the Rock Hill Herald’s website — where Norman is mentioned alongside Lancaster Land, LLC —he is described as the “development director” of the Warren Norman Co. The company was founded by Warren Norman Sr. and was “led more recently” by Ralph Norman, the Republican U.S. Congressman who currently represents South Carolina’s fifth district. Rep. Norman is currently listed as a “Senior Advisor” on the Warren Norman Co.’s website.

Mahony said in the email that the $1.45 million price tag on the land “was the last appraised value of the

property” although no date for that appraisal was given.

“For now the funds will go towards Winthrop’s net position, but the finance committee of the board will be discussing at upcoming meetings how best to invest the funds into the campus infrastructure,” Mahony wrote in the email.

The email goes on to say that the sale of property “means one less campus building to maintain,” which Mahony said is “good” for the university.

“From what we understand, there will be retail space coming, so that would be an improvement to the area and a benefit to our campus community,” Mahony said.

‘There’s no controversy here’ Winthrop’s most recent faculty conference saw four resolutions to be brought to the board of trustees advanced

Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com Friday’s faculty conference at Winthrop University covered an array of topics, some of which had been the subject of much discussion among students.

Political science professor Adolphus Belk Jr. opened the conference by recognizing Winthrop Board of Trustees member Jane LaRoche being in attendance which drew enthusiastic applause. Belk also took a moment at the opening of the conference to note the passing of former Winthrop faculty member Stevie Chepko who Belk said passed away at the beginning of the month, adding that she had helped students throughout her career.

Winthrop Provost Adrienne McCormick spoke next and said that she was there to “share a lot of key activity updates in terms of what’s happening in the provost’s office.”

McCormick said that Jamie Cooper will start as Winthrop’s “new vice provost for student success and dean of university college on April 6.”

“I’m very excited about that progress point,” McCormick said. “He’s going to be a really great resource as we think about moving forward with our student success initiatives.”

A math professor at Winthrop asked McCormick if there is “institutional planning” underway regarding the threat that the coronavirus/ COVID-19 could potentially pose to the university and how the university plans to relay the information to students, faculty and staff.

McCormick said that the “critical incident management team” had plans to hold a meeting this week to discuss the subject.

“We’ve already had a lot of conversations behind the scenes,” McCormick said, adding that the university has been in contact with students who are travelling abroad as well as students who are planning to study abroad. She said that they have been “updating” those students and their families “relative to threat levels in

there is “a lot of decision-making happening” in regards to on-campus issues, including weather and illnesses.

“There is no one person — especially not me — sitting in a back room making decisions about weather events,” Burkhalter said. “There are a variety of people who are involved in the decision-making that happens with this.”

Burkhalter said that in events of inclement or threatening weather,

“There is no one person — especially not me — sitting in a back room making decisions about weather events,” Burkhalter said. “There are a variety of people who are involved in the decision-making that happens with this.”

Sheila Burkhalter Vice President for Student Affairs

those areas.”

“We’re putting in place [a] contingency plan should there be any reported cases in South Carolina — there currently are none — but we don’t know where this is going. So yes, we will have more of a plan that [will] be fully communicated out after the team meets next week,” McCormick said.

Vice President for Student Affairs Shelia Higgs Burkhalter addressed the conference to talk about what was happening around campus “relative to student affairs.” Burkhalter said

someone from the Winthrop University Police Department works with local emergency operations while Burkhalter herself is “usually in communication with that person as well as emergency operations for the state of South Carolina.”

Burkhalter said that the university has access to “interesting” doppler radar which is used to track storms and help predict where the storms are going. Burkhalter said that people from various parts of the university look at available information in regards to threatening or inclement weather and

work together to “make a good, sound decision.”

“On the day of the tornado, I was actually out in that storm...having conversations about what the weather was doing in real-time with all those various players to make a decision about what would happen,” Burkhalter said.

Burkhalter also addressed the recent case of mumps that the campus was made aware of.

“What I need for you to understand is that we have to work with DHEC when it comes to these kinds of issues. Our first concern is to isolate whatever the issue is when it’s something like mumps. We want to check to make sure that individual or individuals involved has had the appropriate level of vaccinations and this instance, I can tell you that they did. This still happened, though,” Burkhalter said.

Burkhalter said that the search for a new chief and assistant chief for WUPD will be “going to a national search a little bit later this semester.”

She said that committees related to that search have not yet been formed but that the job descriptions for the positions are being rewritten, adding that “we don’t want to rush the process.”

“When you have leadership that leaves in that manner, you have an opportunity to really think about ‘what’s the appropriate structure?

How should those positions be structured? What are the things that you’re looking for?’” Burkhalter said. “So we want to be very mindful of that.”

4see Faculty pg. 2

Correction:The article which ran in the Feb. 26 issue of The Johnsonian under the headline ‘A call to order: the contract’ stated that the board of trustees approved Dr. George Hynd’s contract during executive session and had one opposing vote. The board met in executive session prior to the vote, however the approval of the contract was unanimously voted on publically. The article stated that five members were physically present, but only two were. Additionally, the Agency Head Salary Commission states that an interim president can receive only the minimum salary. The board does not set this amount.

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Index: News 3 | Science & Tech 5 | Sports 6 | Arts & Culture 8 | Opinion 10

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March 4, 2020

3Faculty from front Burkhalter has said that during her time at Winthrop, WUPD has had “a bit of a revolving door” and that it has been “difficult to keep things staffed up” but said the department is well-staffed right now.

She mentioned the new WUPD patrol cars and said that the department was “way past due” for new cars.

“The state finally said ‘we have to have the leased vehicles back, you’ve driven them for far too long,’” Burkhalter said.

She said that “some students thought” that WUPD was utilizing unmarked cars due to members of the department driving around campus in cars that had no markings or visible mounted lights. She said that it falls on the university to install lights and apply markings which can take

a while, adding that they use some of the materials from the old cars and install them on the new cars “so that it does not cost tens of thousands of dollars to upfit the new vehicles.”

Towards the end of the conference, four resolutions that were to be voted on were put on the projector screen. History professor Ginger Williams said that if the four requests were voted in favor of, then Belk — who serves as faculty representative to the board of trustees — would take them to the board.

According to an email provided to The Johnsonian, the four requests are as follows: “We request that the Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees deliver oral reports in addition to written reports. We request that, whenever possible, the Board

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of Trustees hold board meetings at Winthrop University, so that the Faculty and Student representatives to the Board of Trustees, as well as faulty, staff and Winthrop community members can easily attend. We request that the Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees be a member of the Search Committee for the next President of Winthrop University, as well as the Search Committees for all future executive officers of Winthrop University. We request that, whenever possible and appropriate, the Board of Trustees invite the Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees to participate in Executive Sessions of the Board of Trustees.”

Prior to the vote, Belk said these resolutions were about the position of the faculty representative to the

board which he said was bigger than any one person. He addressed the “current environment” and how some the board members “might feel under attack.”

“As I included in my report, there [were] the conversations [about what is] happening with this petition and this resolution over here and some things,” Belk said. “Some students were really ticked off about some processes and so you might feel a bit on edge if something else comes along.

There’s no controversy here and I don’t think these are big asks even in a moment where tensions are high and nerves might be raw.”

All four resolutions were advanced with no opposing votes.

In Dan’s ‘best interest’ Emails between board of trustees reveal reasoning for leadership change and confidentiality Anna Sharpe sharpea@mytjnow.com Emails between board of trustees obtained by The Johnsonian in a Freedom of Information Act request show that trustees believed they were acting in former president Dan Mahony’s “best interest” by keeping quiet about his departure.

On May 3, 2019 Chairman Glenn McCall thanked the board in an email for remaining quiet on the matter.

“I want to thank each of you for your thoughtfulness and willingness to keep these matters confidential.

It is in Dan’s best interest as well as Winthrop’s that we do not make public comments that may impede Dan’s ability to secure a new position,”

McCall wrote.

“By maintaining confidentiality, I believe we can work together to make his final year at Winthrop a productive, meaningful time for the university.”

In an earlier email sent on the same day, McCall wrote that the board “must look to a new leader with a different skill set.” “... Winthrop now needs to focus on the critical issues of enrollment growth, major gift fundraising/capital campaign, new and market-driven academic programs, and strengthening the ties to the local community as well as our State leaders and our national leaders,” McCall wrote.

Vice President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees Kimberley

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Faust sent an article to the Executive Committee of the board about the firings of four university presidents with little notice.

Vice-Chair Kathy Bigham responded and said it was “interesting to see how other institutions have handled their change in leadership.”

“It also makes me feel we have been extremely fair to our president by giving him a year without an announcement to strengthen his ability to get another presidency and to avoid being named in articles like this,” Bigham said. “Actually, this was in his best interest and not necessarily the best for Winthrop.”

On Dec. 5, 2019, Faust asked that the trustees check their email accounts for any emails pertaining to

Mahony’s contract for a FOIA request submitted by The Johnsonian.

Faust references an article published by The Johnsonian and an email from Faculty Representative Dr. Adolphus Belk querying the status of Mahony’s contract.

“With both Aldophus’ message and the Johnsonian article, it is now public knowledge that Dan’s contract was not renewed. You, as Trustees, were able to keep this information confidential in Dan’s best interests but the faculty and students have chosen to publicize it potentially harming Dan’s relationship with his new Board,” Faust wrote.

Late Night Pancake Breakfast

Global Chef International Flavors Visit winthrop.sodexomyway.com for more information.

About The Johnsonian

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 CONTACT Maggie Claytor year if you are a student; Letters and feedback INFORMATION claytorm@mytjnow.com Assistant Sports your name and title if can be sent to editors@ La J’ai Reed Our offices are located you are a professor, or mytjnow.com or by mail News Editor in suite 104 in the DiGiyour name and profes- Matt Thrift at The Johnsonian, 104 A&C Editor orgio Campus Center. sion if you are a member Campus Center, Rock Laura Munson Phone: of the community.

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Winthrop works to remain a ‘Voter Friendly Campus’ Téa Franco palmettoreport@gmail.com In recent years, Winthrop University has received national recognition from the Campus Vote Project and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators as a “Voter Friendly Campus.”

As South Carolina’s “First in the South” presidential primary approaches, the university plans to continue its campus-wide effort to maintain this designation during the 2020 election cycle.

Jennifer Disney, chair of the political science department, said she is leading a group of students to become voting ambassadors, who will serve as volunteers that will help students create a voting plan in order to increase voter turnout.

“For several election cycles we’ve been focused on political and civic engagement, and we’ve gotten accolades nationwide for the work that we’ve done,” Disney said. “We just want to continue that effort to make sure Winthrop University continues to be a national role model for how to get students active in political and civic engagement.”

Last year, Karen Kedrowski, who led many of Winthrop’s get-out-the-

vote efforts, left her position as director of the Center for Civic Learning for a job at Iowa State University.

According to Disney, the remaining Winthrop faculty have been working to figure out how to carry out the school’s usual efforts to encourage students to vote.

For example, Katarina Moyon, director of the John C. West Forum who worked closely with Kedrowski during the 2016 and 2018 elections, is now leading efforts to get students involved in 2020.

Moyon and Disney are both members of Winthrop’s Civic Learning Committee, which includes several other faculty members from various departments across campus, including visual and performing arts, social work and residence life.

According to Moyon, the committee has developed a three pillar plan that includes branding electionrelated events as “Decision 2020,” working with the art department to create informative get-out-the-vote posters and fliers and working with the voting ambassadors to get students registered.

Each midterm election, Tufts University conducts research to examine the voting rates among college students across the country

and Moyon said the study has shown that Winthrop typically ranks higher than the national average.

The reports showed that 20 percent of the Winthrop student body voted in 2014, and that number doubled in 2018, as 40 percent of students voted.

“In 2018 our turnout doubled, which is pretty impressive. South Carolina actually has a pretty high voter turnout rate, and our school is mirroring those numbers too, which is great,” Moyon said.

Ann Carrol, a voting ambassador, said the work of the Civic Learning Committee is important, because

Photo provided by Rebekah Davis it will encourage more students to vote.

“It is important for students to vote, because our age demographic is finally larger than the baby boomer generations,” Carrol said.

“Therefore we have just as much influence -- and more than they do -if we all could just vote. We deserve to have our voices heard, and I want to help others see what impact our voices can make if they just vote.”

This story was sourced from the Palmetto Report which can be found at palmettoreport.com

Police Blotter

Here is a rundown of calls WUPO received in February Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com An officer with the Winthrop University Police Department responded to the West Center on Feb. 10, “in reference to Vandalism inside the Polly Ford Conference Kitchen area.”

The report states that the officer met with two Winthrop-affiliated people, one of whom “advised that he had been notified of the coffee covering the counter and the floor” the day before. He told WUPD that he “was not aware of the fire extinguisher material that had been discharged in the room” until that morning. The officer “observed a large amount of coffee grounds in the top of the coffee maker.” The officer also observed coffee grounds on the counter and the floor. Furthermore, the officer observed that the material from the inside of a fire extinguisher had been discharged through the crack of the door that leads into the conference room. The officer noted that a “large amount” of the material “still clung to the inner side of the Conference room door.” WUPD then met with an instructor whose office in the West Center had been reportedly damaged and burglarized. The instructor said that items in the office had been “tossed” onto the floor and that “someone also broke the glass in a picture frame hanging on his wall.” Furthermore, the instructor “indicated that there was a penis drawn on his white dry erase board.” The officer “then was advised that several whiteboards in the areas had been vandalized at the same time with various racial slurs and cuss words.” The officer was further advised by the aforementioned instructor that there was damage in the form of what appeared to be marks made by a blade to the area above the doorway of another room.

A professor told WUPD that on Feb. 8, he was working in his office when he “heard at least 2 or 3 female voices just outside his office laughing.” The professor said that “he assumed the student staff was just horseplaying around, while locking down the building” although he said that he did not see the females in question. Upon further investigation of the incident by a high-ranking member of WUPD, the three females were discovered to have entered the

West Center after closing but it was “shown that the [three] females did not commit any of the vandalism or damage to property.” The three females were referred to the Dean of Students office “for other violations of the Student Code of Conduct.”

Further viewing of security footage showed two males who had entered and left campus on foot although they did not enter any buildings. Due to a lack of leads in the case, it has been administratively closed “pending any further developments.”

A WUPD officer responded to West Thomson Hall on Feb. 19 “in reference to the smell of marijuana” coming from a residential room.

Upon arrival to the room on the fourth floor, the officer “could smell the odor or marijuana coming from the room and perfume in which the occupants sprayed to try and mask the marijuana smell.” The officer spoke with the residents of the room and one denied that anyone had been smoking. The officer asked them “to be honest because it could go a whole lot better for them.” One of the students admitted that they had smoked marijuana but that “there was no more in the room.”

The officer asked the students to step into the hallway and began a search of the room. A sergeant with WUPD arrived and assisted with the search.

While looking through the room, WUPD found two bottles of wine and a “full bottle of liquor” but did not locate any marijuana. The alcohol was “discarded in the bathroom sink” and the bottles were disposed of. The officer informed that students “that underage drinking and smoking marijuana in the residence hall will not be tolerated.” The students were not arrested and were referred to the Dean of Students office.

On Feb. 20, a WUPD officer responded to Richardson Hall in regards to “a student who had been seen and reported by other students for smoking a ceramic bong.” The student was asked by WUPD about the reports of “him being seen in the bathroom with a ceramic bong he claimed that he was not aware of anyone having a bong in the bathroom.” The student consented to a search of the room but denied the officer access to a lockbox in the room. The responding officer noticed a “strong” odor of marijuana near

Matt Thrift | News Editor thriftm@mytjnow.com

the desk. The officer opened the desk and found “a pack of marijuana rolling papers, and a pack of marijuana cigarette filters.” The officer subsequently noticed “the top of a 2 liter bottle tapped [sic] to a clear plastic bag, resembling a homemade bong” which was “producing a strong odor of marijuana.” Another officer and sergeant with WUPD arrived to the room and the sergeant began searching the room. When he got to the lockbox, the student “jumped up” and told the sergeant he could not look in the lockbox.

The sergeant told the student that if he did not let him into it then he would “return with a search warrant and search it regardless.” The student then consented to the search of the lockbox. Inside the box, the sergeant discovered “1 small brushed metal marijuana grinder, 1 colorful marijuana grinder, 1 blue and purple smoke pipe, a red BIC lighter, and an orange cylender [sic] container holding small amounts of marijuana shake.” The items were confiscated and the student was referred to the Dean of Students “instead of being charged for the drug paraphernalia found in his room.”

On Feb. 22, WUPD dispatch received a fire alarm activation from a room in Margaret Nance Hall. The officer responded to the hall and spoke with a student who “stated she was drying her hair with her blow dryer and it set off the smoke detector in her room,” according to the report. The responding officer investigated and found no signs of damage in the room.

On Feb. 22, a call was received about “students being on the roof” of a building. The caller declined to leave a name but did give the name of someone who was alleged to be on the roof. A WUPD officer responded but did not find anyone on the roof.

Later that day, a sergeant with WUPD reached out to the person whose name was given in regards to the students who were on the roof. The student (referred to as The Accused in the report) met with the sergeant and said that “he had been sort of seeing another student, and that they had recently broken things off.” The Accused “stated that he had been hanging out with some other female friends” and that he had an idea of who the Complainant was.

Maggie Claytor/ The Johnsonian The Accused said that he had posted a photo on social media of himself and one of the women. He said he later received a call from the complainant on Feb. 20 and that “there was an indication that the Complainant knew that the Accused was on the roof of Rutledge.” The report goes on to state that the Accused “believed that the Complainant was jealous of the people he was hanging out with.” The Accused told WUPD that “he thought that the Complainant had managed to gain access into [his residence] and was in his apartment, and that is how the Complainant knew he was on the roof with other people.” The Accused stated to WUPD that “he had gained access to the roof area via a hatch in Room #212 of Rutledge Hall. The Accused said that there was a lock but that the hatch was improperly secured.”

The Accused showed members the department where the hatch was and the hatch was secured by an officer “preventing anyone else from going to the roof area.” The next day, an officer with the Complainant and learned that “The Complainant had recently shared some very personal stuff that was going on with her with the Accused. The Accused had apparently shared this information with the Complainant’s roommate without her knowledge or permission.” The Complainant said that she had attempted to contact the Accused while driving around but said that he had not answered her calls.

Additionally, she remained “adamant” that she had not entered the Accused’s residence. WUPD checked the security cameras in the Accused’s residence and determined that there was no evidence that the Complainant had entered the Accused’s room.

The Accused has been referred to the Dean of Students office regarding the “decision to access the roof of Rutledge with other individuals.”

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Do ask, do tell Accessibility on Winthrop’s Campus is addressed at event with Winthrop students with accommodations as panelists

Tate Walden/ The Johnsonian Panelists discussed accessibility on Winthrop’s Campus.

AnnMarie Juarez juarez@mytjnow.com Jean Marie Martin is a Spanish major at Winthrop who works with a medical alert dog who aids Martin with seizures and psychiatric disorders.

Martin talked about experience on campus and challenges faced as a student who needs a service animal. “Often times, people don’t understand my dog is not a guide dog,” Martin said.

Martin voiced frustration with faculty and professors that have not understood proper accommodation needs. Martin said that a professor said to sit in the back of the class permanently because the dog was a distraction to the professor. Martin said this experience made the class very uncomfortable to attend.

“It was hard to talk to anyone because I sat alone,” Martin said.

Kayla Bland is a business administration major at Winthrop with a double concentration in

accounting and marketing and a minor in human resources.

Bland has Crohn’s disease and an ileostomy bag attached to her abdomen. Bland said she has faced challenges related to the ileostomy bag, including during exams, and she said that instructors have not always been understanding of her needs and accommodations.

Laine Ciaramitaro is a biochemistry major at Winthrop who deals with dyslexia and migraines. Ciaramitaro explained some of the misconceptions she has experienced with having a learning disability.

“Some people think I can’t read,” Ciaramitaro said, adding that a lot of people think they are dsylexic off the general idea people have of dyslexia but actually are not. Ciaramitaro struggles with professors who are unsure of what she needs in terms of accommodations. Ciaramitaro said she struggles with explaining to professors that she does not have a normal headache but rather has

intense migraines which hinder her ability to do regular activities. Some days Ciaramitaro has to leave class early to inject medication to help with her symptoms, which cannot be done inside the classroom.

“I am not trying to be rude by leaving in the middle of their class or lecture. I am trying to take care of myself,” Ciaramitaro said.

Sidney Koch is a candidate for a master’s in social work at Winthrop.

Koch suffers from four disabilities and has had to utilize a wheelchair in the past year. Koch noted accessibility issues on campus, including the misuse of handicap parking by vehicles without the proper tags. Elevators on campus are a big issue for students like Koch. She said she has been late to classes when she is not in a wheelchair because other students in the elevator do not know she has a limitation.

Chris Mai is an MBA student who is visually impaired. He talked about how to approach conversations with faculty about accommodations.

Mai has benefitted from contacting professors with details about their accomodations after the professors have been notified by the Office of Accessibility, andhe detailed how transparency has helped him receive

Organization Spotlight: Winthrop American Marketing Association Student explain the importance and value of the university’s American Marketing Association Chapter AnnMarie Juarez juarez@mytjnow.com College is not often seen as being the ‘real world,’ but it is in many ways. At Winthrop University, some organizations have chapters on campus that can help students get started in the professional world.

One of these on-campus organizations is the American Marketing Association. Their purpose is to provide students with the skills needed to thrive in the always evolving world of business.

Luana Hughan is a sophomore at Winthrop who serves as the treasurer of the Winthrop American Marketing Association, or WAMA. Hughan is responsible for the finances of WAMA, which includes setting a budget for events/meetings and looking after the profits made by fundraisers. Hughan said the ability to “interact with marketing executives in the area and Winthrop faculty” is what makes WAMA special. Hughan said the opportunity to “meet people that have the same goal” makes WAMA a great organization for business and marketing students.

WAMA has regular meetings which consist of music, food, drinks, games and brainstorming ideas about what they could do next.

Going forward, one of their main focuses is striving towards having relevant speakers at each meeting whenever possible. Additionally, the group focuses on working with and building relationships with local businesses.

Maddie Ashwell is the social

media coordinator for WAMA and a senior at Winthrop. Ashwell explained that the organization is centered around Marketing but welcomes students of any major.

“We have people who are anywhere, from finance to political science,” Ashwell said.

Ashwell said her favorite WAMA event was held last semester and centered around the networking website LinkedIn. The event offered free headshots to members of WAMA for their LinkedIn profiles

while the speaker at the event helped students know what was important for a good profile.

WAMA Vice President Airyauna Walker is a junior at Winthrop.

Walker credited the organization’s importance to the ambition of its members.

“We have a group that truly believes not only in the potential of the [organization], but in themselves,” Walker said.

WAMA President Loren Allison is a junior at Winthrop. Allison

the appropriate accommodations in the classroom.

Panelists who have service animals talked about the appropriate behavior other students should practice when interacting with students who have service animals.

Human resource major Jamel McCants attended the event and said that “people may not be cognizant enough to remove themselves from an elevator to allow someone in a wheelchair or on crutches to get on instead.”

“I can not begin to fathom how it must feel for a person with a disability to go through this,” McCants said. “[It] really upsets me to see people use the elevator from floor 1-2. Doing that is taking away from others who actually need it.”

McCants said that Winthrop could do more for students with disabilities by having more informational events like this event.

“This would then incline knowledge on the disabled population and would enable the campus as a whole to slowly but surely become more aware of their student body’s needs,” McCants said.

said she believes that WAMA being the only marketing organization on campus sets it apart and makes it important to the students at Winthrop.

“We try to bring in marketing professionals to speak every other month to educate our chapter members more on what is going on in the marketing community around us,” Allison said When Allison became president, all of the groups previous members had graduated. In the beginning of Allison’s presidency, the organization started again from the ground up with only four members, all of whom are now on the executive board.

“Our organization has very unique and interesting members who are devoted not only to their education but the organization as well,” Allison said.

Photo provided by Loren Allison Members of Winthrop American Marketing Association dressing for success at an event.

Ann Marie Juarez | Assistant News Editor juareza@mytjnow.com

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theJohnsonian March 4, 2020

Awareness with blue and green In light of eating disorder awareness week, multiple organizations teamed to discuss attitudes around body image and food *Trigger warning: Talks about eating disorders*

Savannah Scott

scotts@mytjnow.com 30 million people in the United States of all genders and ages suffer from eating disorders, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. This is not including others that are undiagnosed and untreated. As a way to bring attention to eating disorders, the week of Feb. 24 to March 1 was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

Multiple organizations on campus teamed up and worked throughout the week to recognize this by tabling in the lobby of the DiGiorgio Campus Center.

“I think a lot of the problem is [people] get caught up in ‘oh I don't have an eating disorder.’ but their relationship with food is distorted or disordered. So they won't necessarily qualify … as someone with an eating disorder,” Karin Evans, a human nutrition professor and event organizer, said. “That's my kind of passion is the idea that healing your relationship with food and healing your relationship with your body is really crucial to development.”

Evans, the Winthrop Student Dietetic Association, the human nutrition department and counseling services at Winthrop teamed up to create different activities throughout the week to bring awareness and promote self-love.

“We really tried to mix up the activities and ideas because eating disorders have nothing to

Olivia Esselman/The Johnsonian do with food. It has to do with everything else that contributes to why people are choosing to use food in that way,” Evans said. “A lot of people will talk negatively about their bodies … and it [may] not [be] something you say a lot necessarily, but how you view food. It affects your relationship with your body.”

Each activity for the day of the week was different to give individuals a better understanding of the pressures that can lead to eating disorders. The groups focused on body positivity, mindful eating and emotional eating.

On Friday, Feb. 28, the Winthrop Chapter of the NAACP helped host Be Comfortable in Your Genes, a jean drive where people could donate their new or

gently used jeans.

“We are saying … ‘listen you deserve to live now, you don't need to wait until you fit into those jeans.’ So take those jeans and let's donate them,” Evans said. “It kinda frees us to be the body we are designed to be in without having to feel pressured to fit into something that will never fit.”

Along with the activities, counseling services were provided with pamphlets, mirror clings and other forms of information to give to students from the Renfrew Center.

Counseling services at Winthrop offer appointments and help for people who may suffer from an eating disorder or have symptoms of one.

“We see a lot of students who

use food or not food as their primary way of coping. Eating disorders have a lot of different factors that factor into it,” Jess Hudgens, Winthrop’s outreach manager for counseling services, said. “I think living in a culture that is so obsessed with the thin ideal definitely plays a role … and that's true for men and women.

Students with eating disorders use them as a way to self medicate.”

Counseling services offer sameday and ongoing appointments for students on campus who are struggling with an eating disorder.

You can contact them through their phone number at 803-3233290. Their hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.

The Homework App allows you to track homework and class scheduling. Stay on top of your work to combat the midterm scaries.

Kickoff for student innovations

The Technology Incubator and Winthrop are hosting an event where students can pitch their business models and win cash prizes

Savannah Scott scotts@mytjnow.com Winthrop students have the opportunity to pitch ideas and win money. On Feb. 27, Technology Incubator at Knowledge Park hosted its kickoff event for the College Student Innovation Challenge. The event was held to answer competitors' questions and give advice before the main event.

The event is in partnership with Winthrop and Coroplast.

Winthrop is hosting the event while Coroplast is donating the cash for the winners. Winners can win up to $1,500 for pitching their business model ideas.

“I think that it is a really good opportunity for students who have these interesting ideas and things they can think can really be something,” Téa Franco, an intern for the Technology Incubator, said. “[It] gives them a chance to figure out what it would be like to pitch that idea and it gets people listening to those ideas.”

Along with this, the competition offers real life experience for students who eventually want to pitch business model ideas.

“By doing this you get to learn and do something that you might get a chance to win either way

[when] you participate in this kind of event. This is a great educational experience,” David Warner, executive director of Technology Incubator said, adding that students will be able to learn how to thoroughly pitch an idea that is desirable to customers.

Even if students do not win the competition, they are still able to obtain opportunities.

“A lot of people who have won this competition in the past have gone on to be Technology Incubator interns or the judges who also have businesses and connections are like ‘oh that's really cool, let’s see if I can help

Tate Walden / The Johnsonian you push this further,’” Franco said. “Also with people. It's a great opportunity the cash prizes, that's a really good especially if you want to stay in the opportunity to fund their idea. It's Rock Hill area,” she said. a good learning experience and This year will be the sixth year gives students support for their the event has taken place. Students ideas.” had a mentoring session on March Cameron Mitchell, an executive 2 where they were able to speak assistant for Coroplast, was a with advisors to help them further former Winthrop student who create their business model ideas. participated in the event. She The main event will be held mentioned at the kickoff event that on March 6 in Dina’s Place at 6 she was able to get her position by p.m. There will be four cash prize connecting with the judges who winners based on first to third were at the competition from years place and the crowd pleaser. past.

“Even if you don’t win you can still meet some really great

Savannah Scott | Science & Technology Editor scotts@mytjnow.com

6

SPORTS theJohnsonian March 4, 2020

March Madness standings preview A look into the bracketology & team stats before the tournament begins Gweneshia Wadlington

staff writer Sports fans across the country are gearing up for one of the most exciting times of the year: March Madness.

With the ringing in of the third calendar month, friends, family and fans get together and cheer on their favorite team from different conferences across the country.

The collective group of eager viewers stare into various electronic screens to see which teams will outrank each other throughout the tournament. This year is no different when it comes to the appeal of the contenders and the amount of team spirit surrounding the NCAA. Number one seed contenders teams ranked first in their respective conference, include the expected “power five” names: Kentucky (SEC), Arizona State (Pac-12), Maryland (Big Ten), Baylor (Big 12), and Florida State (ACC).

Number two seeds in the overall conferences include, Louisville (ACC), Oregon (Pac-12), and Kansas (Big 12).

As a benefit for their play, these teams are deemed the number one and two seeds coming into the tour-

Maggie Claytor/The Johnsonian nament.

Along with the bragging rights that come with their rankings, these teams will also have the advantage of hosting parts of the tournament at home.

Last year the Final Four included Auburn, Virginia, Texas Tech, and MI State. Two of these contenders found their way back this year as top two seeds in their respective conferences.

As can be expected every year, there is always an upset that breaks brackets and spikes interest in the tournament that little to none saw coming. Last year a few major upsets included, Baylor, who was ranked number nine, beat number eight Syracuse; Liberty, ranked number 12, beat Mississippi State who was ranked number five; and number nine Oklahoma beat number eight Ole Miss.

This year, a few tournament predictions, according to the NCAA website include, a number one seed losing in the first weekend, a number one seed making the Final Four, Vernon Carey Jr. of Duke will be the leading scorer in the 2020 NCAA tournament, and there will be an ACC versus ACC match-up in the second weekend.

For most, it’s still a little too early to predict a solid team that could either make it to the Final Four or win the entire tournament, but for others that only means fair game and original brackets.

To keep up with the teams and the tournament, keep checking the NCAA March Madness webpage and tune in March 17 for the first tournament game of the 82nd annual NCAA March Madness Tournament.

Wide, Wide World of Basketball Dr. Dan Drane, sports marketing professor, discusses the regional and global impact on basketball

Gabby Gardner

gardnerg@mytjnow.com On Friday, Feb. 28 in Dina’s Place, the international center sponsored a cultural event, Wide, Wide World of Basketball.

The event was held to inform students of the regional and global impact of basketball.

Dr. Dan Drane, PESH department’s sports marketing professor, led the presentation along with testimonies given from our international Eagles on the men’s basketball team.

At the start of the event, the audience was invited to participate in a Poll Everywhere, with questions to spark their knowledge of globalization, with basketball particularly in mind. “What is the first word you think of when you hear globalization?” Drane asked, with responses including ‘worldwide’, ‘differences’, ‘growing’, ‘connectedness’, along with other words.

The globalization in sport has increased, particularly in the realm of basketball, involving 38 states outside of the country being represented in the NBA. Two major impacts due to NBA’s globalization are; international players give back to their communities overseas and encouraging youth overseas.

Not only does globalization impact big, well-known leagues, but it also impacts the play of basketball at the collegiate level. Collegiate level teams have a big international

representation in the states as well as impacting communities within their countries.

Tom Pupavac, from Geelong, Australia, is a center on the men’s basketball team. Pupavac grew up watching basketball back home in Australia which eventually led him to playing in the states as a Division I athlete.

“What got me into basketball was, I would go watch a lot of games back home [Australia] and those guys that I watched became my role models for me, all the guys I’m still in touch with these days and they inspire me in play,” Pupavac said.

Pupavac has impacted younger kids in Australia, encouraging them to follow their passion just like he did.

“Now we are role models to the kids that were like me back home and kind of got me into the love for that,” said Pupavac.

With the countries represented in the NBA, the most-represented countries are home to 108 international players on openingnight rosters this year, other than the United States, were Canada, with 16 players, Australia, with nine players, France, with eight, Croatia seven, and Serbia six.

The most representation at the collegiate level are from Canada and Australia.

Players from around the globe travel to the United States to display their passion for the hardwood, either at the professional or collegiate level.

Winthrop sport teams have

La J’ai Reed/The Johnsonian

Gabby Gardner | Sports Editor gardnerg@mytjnow.com

recruited more and more international student athletes within the past couple of years amongst every team. Representing their country on the men’s basketball team are Australia natives, Tom Pupavac and Kyle Zunic.

Traveling far away from home to be off at college can be an obstacle, leaving your family and hometown friends behind, but the Winthrop basketball program makes sure that not only international students but everyone feels at home.

“What made me choose Winthrop was the family structure of this program and the whole school. It’s not a huge school but it’s really tight knit, a lot of people that you know,” Pupavac said.

Pat Kelsey, American head basketball coach for the Eagles since 2012, has resurrected a winning tradition for the Eagles in the Big South Conference.

“Coach Kelsey, his energy, his passion for the game, and passion for the team, the program, and the school, he loves every player, every student, and every faculty member here and it’s just a really great program to be a part of,” Pupavac said.

The social impact of globalized sport are culture blending, diversifying playing experience, experiential advantage, benefits school reputations and expands the talent pool. With the combination of these social impacts the Winthrop men’s basketball team becomes even more well rounded in their

La J’ai Reed/ The Johnsonian dynamic and play.

“The style play of basketball back home in Australia is a lot slower, but it’s a lot more skillful in the sense that you have to run a lot more plays, playing here is a lot more physical, a lot more fastpaced, but here you learn so many different things from each style of play, which I am really thankful to see both sides of that,” Pupavac said.

Immersing these players into different cultures, players from different countries allows for the Americans to learn from the internationals and vice versa.

Winthrop has done a good job at not only diversity in the classroom but diversifying the playing experience on the court and in the locker rooms on a sports team.

Although these countries have their differences, bringing those aspects to the court educate players on the game of basketball on a global scale.

It is really about bringing different play styles to the court and learning how to execute each style to be a more well-rounded player in the game.

“Australia really focuses on team basketball where as in America it is more one on one style of play, when you come over here you really have to guard one on one and you have to have good moves that get you by the defenders. Whereas, in Australia we focus on a lot of plays, a lot of running stuff to get through the team, get a lot of people involved [to run plays and score points against their opponent],” Zunic said.

theJohnsonian

7

March 4, 2020

Senior softball star

A young Winthrop softball team is continuing to find their groove through the early part of the season

Photos Provided by Winthrop Athletics Lily Fremed

staff writer On Sunday, Feb. 23 the team entered a doubleheader away at Charlotte.

Although the Eagles were unsuccessful in both games, losing 2-10 and 2-9, senior Ashley Westbrooks led the team with two RBIs. With this performance, Westbrooks hit her third multi-RBI game of the season, leading her to pass Mallory Hogan for eighth on Winthrop’s all-time RBI list with 107.

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Eagles took on another doubleheader against Western Carolina. The first game was a narrow loss ending in a final score of 3-4, but the Eagles redeemed themselves, claiming a 9-6 victory in the second game.

While preparing for these games with Starbucks, roommates and music, Westbrooks emphasizes that “communication is key” in order to accomplish goals and work well together as a team.

“When you know you can be open and honest with your players and coaches, it makes playing for them and coaching the players a lot easier,” Westbrooks said.

Westbrooks, 24 on the field, a catcher and utility, has been at bat 48 times this season, earning 14 runs and 13 RBIs for the team, with two home runs, leading the team with 4 doubles.

“I started playing softball when I was 4 and haven’t taken a year off since then. I’m not sure what started me playing, but I know my dad was the one who signed me up for our town’s rec team,” Westbrooks said.

17 games into the season, Westbrooks currently has a batting average of 0.375 and has reached bases 28 times, the second highest amount on the team.

Enjoying her fourth year of athletics, Westbrooks reflects how she usually does not get nervous before a game, but sometimes doubt can take over.

“I always remind myself that I’ve worked hard to get here and if I doubt myself, everybody else is going to doubt me too. To play softball at the collegiate level, there has to be some sense of selfconfidence within you and if there’s not any, it’s hard to perform the way you’re expected to,” Westbooks said.

Once Westbrooks finishes her student teaching internship, the Early Childhood Education major, will be graduating in December 2020.

Photos Provided by Winthrop Athletics “My favorite player is definitely Sis Bates. She’s such a baller on the field and seems like such a cool person off the field too,” Westbrooks said.

All the way across the states, Bates is a senior at the University of Washington who has won multiple All-American awards and NFCA honors for her achievements in softball.

Originally from Chesnee, SC, Westbrooks is thankful she made that one hour journey away from home to attend school where she has gained “forever friends.”

“I’ve always [been] grateful to have met the people that I have in my life now. It’s also really cool to travel across the country and see so many cool places/fields,” Westbrooks said.

After a fun and successful game,

Westbooks makes time to celebrate by “going to grub on some good food,” but the preparations never stop.

“You can never get too comfortable when playing, because the game and teams are ALWAYS changing so you have to prepare yourself for what’s coming next,” Westbrooks said.

Last season, the Eagles softball team finished 30-25 overall and 1410 in the Big South Conference.

Westbrooks set a career-high RBI of 7 during the team’s 11-5 win against Binghamton on March 23, 2019. For the second time in her career, Westbrooks also hit two homeruns in the same game.

During her sophomore and junior years, Westbooks was named to the All-Big South Second Team.

“We have unfinished business

after last year and still have a bitter taste in our mouths after not winning the championship last year.

So any game that is going to get us to the championship game again is one I’m looking forward too,” Westbrooks said.

As of Feb. 25, the team is 9-8 this season. The Big South Conference will begin March 20. The Eagles will host Coastal Carolina on March 4 at Terry Field.

“Having the opportunity to play and coach softball has taught me so many valuable lessons in life,” Westbrooks said. “I’ve learned to work hard for what you want in life (nothing will be handed to you), to persevere when things get hard because it’s not going to last forever, to be a leader and the type of person that people want to play and work with.”

La J’ai Reed | Assistant Sports Editor reedl@mytjnow.com

8

March 4, 2020

A cordial debate about God and evil Ratio Christi to host debate between philosophers on opposite sides of the issue of faith Laura Munson munsonl@mytjnow.com Why does evil exist? If there is a God, why does He let evil exist in the world? These questions and more will be addressed in an upcoming debate hosted by Ratio Christi, a campus ministry dedicated to examining the historical, philosophical and scientific reasons for following Jesus Christ, partnering with Southern Evangelical Seminary. The title of the event is “Is a Good God Logically Possible?” and will take place on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in McBryde Hall.

The formal debate will be between two philosophers, Dr. James Sterba of the University of Notre Dame and Dr. Brian Huffling of the Southern Evangelical Seminary, centering around the logical problem of evil. This event will be the first formal debate between professional scholars hosted by Winthrop’s chapter of Ratio Christi. According to the organization’s president, junior math major Christian Alter, the debate began as a casual discussion between the two professors over email. “[Dr. Sterba] recently wrote a book on the problem of evil, and trying to take some of it into perspective,” Alter said. “[Dr. Huffling] actually was reading Dr. Sterba’s book and they were emailing each other back and forth, and they decided, ‘hey, this would be an easier conversation to have in person’.”

“From what I understand, not a lot of philosophers will use the logical problem of evil, so i’m really interested to see if Dr. Sterba is bringing a different perspective to that,” Alter said.

According to Ratio Christi’s co-chapter director Melissa Pellew, “They were having a friendly discussion back and forth,

Courtesy of Ratio Christi but some of these topics can be hard to have that discussion that way.”

Sophomore human nutrition major and RC secretary Eden Crain hopes people will benefit from hearing a respectful debate between the two different viewpoints. “They’re talking about the problem of evil from two different perspectives, so it’s really important for people on both sides to hear the other side and be challenged,” Crain said. “Whether you’re a Christian or an atheist or something else, you’re hearing different arguments and just having to really think about it in a way you probably haven’t thought about it before.”

“I’m excited to hear what they say. I’m just really interested in what the arguments are and what they’ll say in response to each other, and how they deal with different aspects of the issue. It’s just a really interesting topic,” Crain said.

Junior English and Spanish dou-

ble major Scarlett Black is the vice president of the organization, and also hopes to see a “calm discussion instead of angry arguments or just not thinking through what [they]’re saying on either side of things.”

Alter says the problem of evil can be difficult to approach, as people’s beliefs regarding evil often stem from trauma. “The problem of evil is a tricky one because people often come to this with a lot of traumatic experiences that have a huge emotional factor in them. And it’s tricky to really capture the significance of that in a debate, we’ll be talking mostly about how evil and god are compatible,” Alter said. “We don’t want to brush aside the emotional aspects of it, but we do want to sort of ground things in reality a little bit, that there’s still good in God.” According to Pellew, Winthrop’s campus has often been very open to discussing Christian apologetics and Christian philosophy. “The

environment here is open enough for these discussions to happen, and some environments are not.

So that is one of the reasons we chose to hold the debate here,” Pellew said.

Black says she hopes that people of various viewpoints will feel comfortable attending the event.

“I just really want people to feel welcome. If you come and you’re a Christian you’re not going to be smacked down for not knowing all the details of things, and if you come and you’re not a Christian then you’re not going to be hated on for not being a Christian. It’s supposed to be an open discussion. Come with your questions [and] be ready to engage,” Black said.

The debate between Dr. Sterba and Dr. Huffling will be Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in McBryde Hall. The event is open to the public, and a free cultural event.

Winthrop Wonder Women Accomplishments of three spectacular Winthrop women in honor of Women’s History Month Beneshia Wadlington staff writer

Laura Munson | A&C Editor munsonl@mytjnow.com

her own view of women’s history month.

“Women’s history month is a particularly special time because it highlights the contributions, achievements, and accomplishments of women to our communities and society,” Wilkerson said.

“Women are the backbone of our country, and I think it’s imperative to have opportunities that show the value of women and advance equality among all citizens.”

Wilkerson shared who her favorite woman is and what wonderful characteristics she displays.

“My favorite Wonder Woman is my mother,” Wilkerson said. “She always instilled in me that my life was important and that I could do anything I put my mind to. She continues to serve as my cheerleader, role model, and support system.” Wilkerson talked about how other “Wonder Women” played an impactful part in her life.

“Women have played a large instrumental role in impacting my

life. My mother, grandmothers, teachers, doctors and female leaders in my community are often credited for the valuable lessons learned and gained on my journey. I truly believe it’s because of all of them that I am who and where I am today.” Wilkerson also shared how she is striving to be an impactful woman and build her own legacy.

“First and foremost, I am a wife and mother of two girls. I strive to be the best example of a woman for them to have as a guide as they grow and develop into the women they will be. I also believe that when women work together, incredible things happen. I seek to empower all women and young ladies so that they, too, can achieve their dreams and achieve the goals they set for themselves. I encourage them to surround themselves with women and others who believe in them and their abilities and stay motivated and determined to accomplish what they set out to do.”

Olivia Esselman/The Johnsonian

March is known as Women’s history month. Women have had remarkable movements and made so much significant progress in history, from obtaining the right to vote to working towards more equality within the workplace.

According to Ashlye Wilkerson, a Winthrop alum, “Women are the carrier[s] of life and literally birth nations. We are the thread in the fabric of what ties humanity together. Our role of connecting communities, caring for families, advocating for rights and nurturing our children [is] important to the growth and development of our country.” The world has seen so many spectacular women. Of course, Winthrop has been graced with so many memorable women who have made powerful movements as well.

Martha Kime Piper was one of Winthrop’s most memorable women. In 1986, Piper made history by being named Winthrop’s first woman president.

While she was in leadership, the College of Visual and Performing Arts was established. Piper was also known for her efforts to make the campus more beautiful and appealing, as seen today-and she did an excellent job! She worked hard for many structural renovations around campus as well.

She passed away in 1988 as a legendary woman on campus and is remembered with her picture

displayed in Tillman Hall.

Cynthia Roddey Roddey was Winthrop’s first ever African-American woman and another significant figure in women’s history. Roddey was the first to enroll at the university and she was also the first African-American graduate student at Winthrop. The Rock Hill native came to Winthrop in 1964 with two bachelor’s degrees from Johnson C. Smith University. Roddey graduated with a master’s degree in library science in August 1967 and was also a member of the first Black Alumni Advisory Committee. Roddey shares the honor of a university scholarship named for her and Delores Johnson Hurt, Arnetta Gladden Mackey, and Sue Frances Meriwether Steed--three other Afro-American women. The Roddey-McMillan Record, Winthrop’s monthly multicultural student newspaper, also carries her name.

Ashlye Wilkerson is a more modern version of one of Winthrop’s finest women. Wilkerson graduated from Winthrop University back in 2002. She was Ms. Winthrop 2005, Ambassador, Student Alumni Council, AKPsi, Resident Assistant in Phelps and Lee Wicker, PSTA Chartering President, Alpha Omega, Model UN and Psychology Club. She now serves as a Winthrop University Board of Trustees member. She is also a wife and a mother of two.

She writes books and is the overseer of organizations across South Carolina. Wilkerson believes that women are powerful, and shares

9

A preview of “The Vagina Monologues” Three performers speak about their upcoming show and the importance of continuing to address women’s issues.

David Botzer botzerd@mytjnow.com The first weekend of March brings an intriguing show to Winthrop. Female and non-binary performers will be coming together to present Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” a series of monologues based on real interviews meant to empower women and remove the stigma of talking about the body. Some of the performers were willing to offer their insight into the show.

Amanda Light, an English major, is reading a monologue dubbed “Workshop.” According to her, this monologue deals “with a woman who had never considered her vagina as a part of her, just as an anatomical object. She attends a ‘Vagina Workshop,’ and through that gains a better understanding of her vagina.”

Light chose to audition for the show because of her friends auditioning and she is “glad [she] did.”

From the rehearsals she has gone through, she has “gained such a new appreciation for the work [of] actors…” and has realized “[her] own insecurities with [her] own body.”

She hopes that the audience sees her monologue and sees “that there is no need to fear the female body and the sexuality of it. The

same goes for men as well!” Light went on to say, “I think that a lot of women, including myself, are embarrassed to look at what’s down there. It exists as a foreign object. I want this production to open uncomfortable conversations between people that can lead to better self-love, confidence, and understanding. I want women to love every part of their bodies, instead of waiting for someone to do it for them. The word ‘vagina’ doesn’t have to be awkward.”

Joining Light is Carrington Wigfall, a theatre tech and design major. Carrington will be performing the “Not So Happy Fact” monologue, which addresses female genital mutilation, or FGM. She chose to do it “because it shines a light on the many things women have to go through in life” and she hopes that, “the audience realizes, especially with my monologue, how horrible some of the things women around the world have to go through.”

Another performer who offered insight was musical theatre major, T Mistretta. Mistretta will be playing one of the women in “They Beat the Girl Out of my Boy... Or So They Tried” and “I Was There in the Room”.

In regards to why they chose “The Vagina Monologues”, Mistretta said, “I find that this is a very important show in our

current day and was very excited to potentially be a part of it. For me, this show overall represents reclamation and emancipation, to some extent, for women. These women have struggled and hurt simply because of their biology, and this show feels like a reclamation of what is rightfully theirs.”

Mistretta wants the viewers of the show to understand, “while we have made great strides, women’s issues are still largely prevalent today, case and point, the abortion bans in Alabama and Georgia. I hope that the audience leaves with the motivation to do something to remedy the issues that women face and less concerned about that taboo that society has associated with women’s issues.”

They went on to say, “I am per-

sonally very grateful to be a part of this show because some of the issues presented in the monologues are issues that I deal with frequently. Despite the fact that I am nonbinary, I was born biologically female and therefore deal with many of the issues that those who present as female do. I believe that this show is incredibly important and hope that the audience finds it just as impactful as I do.”

“The Vagina Monologues” will run from March 6-7 at 8 p.m. in Plowden Auditorium in Withers.

Admission is free, however donations are welcomed and will go towards Safe Alliance’s Domestic Violence Relief Shelter in Charlotte, NC. This event is a cultural event.

Laura Munson/The Johnsonian

Artist Spotlight: A.G. Wilson Midsummer’s Lysander speaks about their ambitions as an actor.

David Botzer botzerd@mytjnow.com While it might have seemed ironic to perform Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream” in the middle of winter, the quality of the show was outstanding. This was in no short part because of the wonderful cast for the show, including the actor who played Lysander, Aimee Grace Wilson.

Wilson, better known as “A.G.” to most, is a junior theatre performance major and art history minor. While currently riding the wave of performing “Midsummer,” this was not their first appearance in a Winthrop production. They starred in two performances, “Precious Little” and the One Act Festival their freshman year and they were also in the play “Love Song” this year. During their sophomore year, Wilson helped stage manage and direct the One Acts performed each semester. While they currently are trying to catch their breath following the tough rehearsals for “Midsummer,” they plan on performing in a class-related show called “Cherry Orchard” as well this year.

Aside from performing, Wilson is also the president of Improv This, a club that meets every Thursday for an hour and a half of improv games. They are also the treasurer for Alpha Psi Omega, the national theatre honor society. For the

previous two years, many incoming freshmen may have also seen them as one of the Orientation Leaders.

Outside of Winthrop, their most notable performance related activity is their time as a viking in the Carolina Renaissance Festival last year in Huntersville, NC. When asked about why they chose theatre, Wilson said, “it was just the thing I had the most fun doing and the thing I think I’m the best at. Of all the hobbies, all that kind of stuff that I have, it’s what I think I do the best at and what I enjoy the most. And I’ve just had such a passion for it since I was a kid and it seems like the only fit.”

In regards to how it feels coming off a major performance weekend such as “Midsummer,” Wilson described it as “really sad, it’s sad and weird to not be doing something every single evening.”

However, they went on to also say that “it feels really good. I’m very very proud of it [and] the work that we did and looking back on it, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. I think from my personal standpoint it was a really really big accomplishment. It’s a good feeling.”

With the ease they played Lysander in the play, it had to be asked how Wilson was able to get so into the character. According to them, “I always start with the text because that’s the most important part because everything I’m going to learn about the character is

David Botzer | A&C Assistant Editor botzerd@mytjnow.com

Olivia Esselman/The Johnsonian everything the playwright gives me.” With the text as a base, Wilson used Lysander as an example of how they expanded upon that to make the character their own, saying, “First I looked at the text and I realized that Lysander is very confident… from the way that he talks and the evidence that is given there. The biggest thing is the fact that he proposed to Hermia instead of going to Hermia’s father. So, I found out about his confidence and also about his pride in himself and I started thinking about it, so he is really confident… my first initial thought was that he leads with his chest out, but then I was thinking he is prideful, but at the same, he is very relaxed because he is like ‘let’s go get married in the woods, we don’t need to do it the correct way, we don’t need to do it in any of these special ways…’ The evidence of him being really relaxed, but also really confident led me to find out that he leads more like with his pelvis. So it gives him a relaxed [walk], but at the same time it is like ‘I know who I am.

I’m proud of myself.’”

Wilson said that they “absolutely” plan to continue performing at Winthrop. In fact, they plan to start auditioning again “as soon as the possibly can.” However, their ambitions are set as high as the

stage lights.

Wilson is currently “looking for something in the summer to help enhance [their] resume as a performer.” Wilson continued, saying, “I’ve been looking at a job at Carowinds, a job at Disney, a job at Universal. And I’m going to a theatre conference that is in Boston this upcoming month where I’m going to be auditioning in front of a lot of potential job offers or grad school offers, but for me I’m more focused on the jobs than grad school.”

When asked what their plans were for life after Winthrop, Wilson said, “My initial thing after Winthrop is I’m gonna stay in Rock Hill for a year and just work my butt off and get as much money as I can and then I’m planning on moving to New York and working until I can’t anymore. Basically, I’m just gonna start in New York and then I might potentially do a grad school conservatory.”

As final remarks, Wilson said, “As an artist, always support the arts and always be on the lookout for what’s happening at Winthrop, not just in the theatre department, but over in Rutledge with all the art because there’s so much culture that I think everyone at Winthrop can immerse themselves in that is surrounding art that they don’t even realize.”

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OPINION

theJohnsonian

March 4, 2020

What the SC primary could mean How will information from South Carolina affect the election going forward

Victoria Howard

howardv@mytjnow.com

Joe Biden achieved an overwhelming victory on Saturday here in South Carolina, with 48 percent of the vote in his favor. The runner up, Bernie Sanders, received only 19 percent of the vote.

The win comes after disappointing results for the Biden campaign in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

Following the results of the South Carolina primary and before Super Tuesday, Tom Steyer and Pete Buttigieg have dropped from the race.

Buttigieg dropping comes as a surprise because of his win in Iowa and high polling results in some Super Tuesday states. Steyer seemed to be putting a lot of weight on a win in South Carolina and losing it was the last straw in a campaign that was already struggling.

Biden’s win has given his campaign a new sense of life that was much needed if he wants to succeed going forward into Super Tuesday.

One of the most surprising outcomes of the primary was the voters that propelled Biden forward.

Many did not expect Biden to be the favorite of black voters, but

according to CNN, he won the vote of about 3 in 5 black voters on Saturday. According to the same exit poll, Biden had the overwhelming support from black voters over 60, but was tied with Sanders when it came to black voters under 30.

This insight is important moving forward because South Carolina is the first state primary to have a majority-black precinct and this could reflect these delegates going forward.

Biden also had the overwhelming support of white voters over the age of 65, with CNN reporting that around two-thirds of the demographic supporting him. He also had the support of many moderate voters, with about half voting for him.

If the feelings of South Carolina voters reflect that of the rest of the country, we may start to see Biden overtaking his competitors in states that have more moderate and independent voters.

This is spelling a problem for people who are hoping to see a more radical Democrat like Sanders representing the party in November.

Some voters have expressed that if they can’t vote for a radical Democrat, then they will feel like they’ve wasted a vote or that they shouldn’t

vote at all. This is incorrect and flawed logic.

Even if the nominee elected for the Democratic party is not the ideal candidate that you might want, it is still important that we support the person running against Trump in November. This person will be our only hope to get him out of office and to start affecting any kind of good change in the federal government.

Anna Sharpe/The Johnsonian

America no longer needs a leader who refers to his political rival as “Sleepy Joe” on social media. We need someone who at least has experience and wants better for Americans and all of the Democratic candidates that could face off against Trump fit that description.

No matter who is on the ballot in November, we need to vote blue no matter who.

Who is the most inspiring woman in your life?

To celebrate women’s history month, we asked students about the most inspiring women to them

“Melody Herzfeld” The drama teacher at Parkland at the time of the Feb. 2018 shooting sheltered 65 students and recieved an award at the 2018 Tonys” Emily Krull, senior theatre education

“My mom. She is a single mom and battled breast cancer and is still fighting it. She works hard and is kind to everyone and after being a stay at home mom for ten years she is pursuing her dreams in interior design. It shows me that you can still follow your dreams at any age.”

Emma Teel, junior IMC

“Haliegh Atwell and Natalie Portman, the characters that they portrayed, specifically Peggy and padme, were the first real fictional role models I had and they mean a lot to me. And now they just continue to kick ass and empower women.”

Melanie Clark, sophomore art history major

Victoria Howard

howardv@mytjnow.com “My grandmother, because she battled through 3 different types of cancer and has won most of them.”

Kendall Howle, freshman mass communication

Victoria Howard | Opinion Editor howardv@mytjnow.com

“My mom, she is a doctor and she is a realtor and did that all while being a single mother. She’s a a bad bitch.”

Colleen Siebold, sophomore psychology

theJohnsonian

11

March 4, 2020

In Defense of the V The Vagina Monologues is controversial, but should we be silencing it?

Laura Munson

munsonl@mytjnow.com On Feb. 7, 2018, I stepped out onstage in Plowden Auditorium, which was packed with friends, acquaintances and strangers, in the smallest shirt I had ever worn, bike shorts and fishnets. I was about to deliver an eight minute long monologue about sex work and women’s sexual pleasure in the building where I’d had ACAD just a year prior. Shockingly, the monologue that had me moaning onstage at a free cultural event is one of the least controversial things about playwright and activist Eve Ensler’s magnum opus, “The Vagina Monologues.” “The Vagina Monologues” were based on interviews conducted with around 200 women about subjects ranging from sexuality and femininity, to domestic violence and sexual assault, to menstruation and childbirth.

The script is revised every year in order to stay as relevant as possible, sometimes with the addition or omission of entire monologues.

While the play is shockingly relevant, well-loved and has helped spark the annual V-Day campaign to end violence against women, it has had its fair share of controversy since its inception in 1996. Many believe that the play is born out of an outdated feminism, one that focuses solely on the experiences of white cisgender women. While our society needs to uplift more diverse stories by diverse artists, “The Vagina Monologues” does not have to be left behind. The play is a part of feminist history which must be acknowledged, and much of the potential for diversity lies in the casting and staging of it.

The most common criticism of the play in the last few years has been that by elevating the vagina as a feminist symbol, the play is inherently transphobic. While Ensler elevates the vagina in a variety of ways in her play, she does not intend for the message to be that vaginas are the be-all end-all. In a 2015 contribution to TIME magazine in response to Mount Holyoke College’s retiring of the play, Ensler wrote

that “‘The Vagina Monologues’ never intended to be a play about what it means to be a woman. It is and always has been a play about what it means to have a vagina.” Ensler also indicated that she has always encouraged trans women and trans men to perform in the show, and also worked closely with the first all-transgender cast of the show in 2004. Her interviews with these women resulted in a monologue that is performed to this day, titled “They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy… Or So They Tried.”

“The Vagina Monologues” views vaginas through the variety of ways they have been mistreated throughout history, and in modern times.

Having a vagina has historically been enough to sentence a woman to a life of being a second-class citizen, with her only true purpose being to use her organs to have children. Ensler writes that the play “is still relevant here in the U.S. and around the world. Over 51% of the population has vaginas, clitorises, vulvas, and many to this day do not feel comfortable, familiar, free, or endowed with agency over them.”

Ensler uplifts the vagina by reframing it as a symbol of self-actualization, of sexual pleasure and of reclaiming one’s body, especially after having been abused or violated. In addition, the monologues are written relatively vaguely in terms of biological sex, gender and race.

Like the works of Shakespeare, “The Vagina Monologues” can be performed in a way that reflects a modern, intersectional feminism by casting the right people — transgender women, non-binary people, racially diverse women and anyone who has experiences with vaginas or womanhood — it doesn’t have to be both. “The Vagina Monologues” are meant to spark conversations about varied and complex experiences, and performers often find themselves becoming more comfortable and accepting of their bodies and their sexualities.

For more information on this year’s production of “The Vagina Monologues” at Winthrop, visit the Arts & Culture section of this week’s issue.

Anna Sharpe/ The Johnsonian

Let’s talk about the junior scaries Ways to deal with stress most juniors face Victoria Howard

howardv@mytjnow.com Second-semester juniors are in a weird spot. This whole time, college has felt like you’re just gearing up for the ‘real world.’ Before this, you still had time to change your mind on your major and not have to stay any extra time. Now it’s hitting you.

You’re so deep into your degree that you’d have to stay a year if you wanted to change it. You’re doing the hardest projects and memorizing the hardest material that you’ve ever had. You’re starting to really think about the next step and going out into the ‘real world.’

I’ve been feeling this incredible stress recently and I didn’t realize that so many other people feel it too. I thought that having this sort of fear and existentialism wasn’t something that I was supposed to feel until my senior year. Because no one else seemed to be freaking out, I thought that maybe all this time I was working toward a goal that wasn’t what I should be doing.

Because I was so scared about what might come after college, I had a whole crisis about whether I should completely change my path.

This process, however, helped me to become happier and more passionate about what I want to do.

There’s no guide for how to get through this time of life and I’m

sure I’ll have more moments like these until I graduate and even after. I’ve come up with some ways to cope with this though.

Research. Do what you did when you were first trying to figure out what college you wanted to attend.

Look up the pros and cons of what you want to do and figure out the specific part of your discipline that you want to pursue.

Talk to people. LinkedIn is an incredibly helpful tool for making connections and you can start those now. Search up the job title that stood out to you and add people with that job title. Send them a message to ask about their experiences and if they can give you any tips to make yourself stand out in your last year of school.

Remind yourself that you still have time. Even after we graduate, there’s plenty of time to really figure out what you want to do. There’s a lot of pressure that we put on ourselves to get the perfect job right out of school. We lie to ourselves and think that these first jobs are going to be where we stay forever. They don’t have to be. There is always going to be a chance for you to get where you want to be, and that might not be right out of school.

Talk to your friends. They more than likely relate on some level.

Sometimes it’s hard to fully express how you feel, but if anything, they can support you and give you hugs when it gets really hard.

Katelyn Miller/The Johnsonian

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theJohnsonian

March 4, 2020

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Contact Lindsey Russell russelll10@winthrop.edu