Winthrop University
Wednesday
March 20, 2019
Rock Hill, SC
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A mouse with a meal plan
Students spotted a mouse in Thomson Hall, which houses both student dorms and a dining hall
After a mouse was seen in Thomson, questions surrounding the cleanliness of the cafeteria were raised. Anna Sharpe sharpea@mytjnow.com A mouse was spotted in Thomson cafeteria, raising student concerns about sanitation and cleanliness in the dining hall. Beth Warnken, a sophomore English major, was eating in Thomson the day the mouse was seen. “I was by myself and had my headphones in. Then I saw a worker run by me and I was like, ‘what is happening?’ I looked, and there was a mouse and this girl was screaming about it,” Warnken said. “There was one little gray mouse in the cafeteria near the food and then it was running all over the place. There were like five workers running around trying to catch it and then everyone was filming it and following it around,” Warnken said. A second mouse was reported near Eagle Express. The sightings prompted Bryan Harriss, general manager for Sodexo dining at Winthrop, to call Sodexo’s pest control for a follow-up inspection. “When they come out here, not only do they do an overview of all the buildings, they also go underneath the building which oftentimes is where problems exist. We made sure that they went underneath the building last time they were here, which was last month. I actually met with them last month when they were here just to make sure that they were doing a thorough inspection and review of the whole building. They’ll have to come out
The Inn at Winthrop will be closing its doors in July Gweneshia Wadlington Staff Writer Winthrop University’s accommodations for visiting families and prospective students is shutting down after running for nearly 16 years. Located in Joynes Hall is Winthrop’s motel, The Inn At Winthrop. Opened in 2003, its main purpose was to accommodate parents and guardians who wanted to be closer to their children without paying steep hotel prices. It also accommodated travelers, participants of the U.S. Disc Golf championship hosted at the Winthrop Coliseum, those who were a part of the national psychology association, international teachers and more. Before Joynes held Admissions and The Inn, it first was established in 1926 as a teacher’s dormitory. In 1965, Joynes Hall was converted into a student dormitory due to
with their expertise to determine what else needs to be done,” Harriss said. Following the sightings, the kitchen and food prep areas were inspected and found to have no sign of rodents. “We’ve not seen any evidence. You don’t always necessarily have
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“There’s no certainty where it came from. We have never seen any in a food service area at all this year. It wouldn’t have surprised me if we had because of the conditions. They want warmth, and they don’t want [to be] wet. With all the rain and the cold, we hadn’t seen any and then the one that was this
There was one little gray mouse in the cafeteria near the food and then it was running all over the place. There were like five workers running around trying to catch it and then everyone was filming it and following it around -Beth Warken, Sophomore
to see a rodent. Sometimes there’s evidence, droppings and those sorts of things. We haven’t seen any of that anywhere, even in here. Our chef who has been here for several years has said that in previous years they did have problems, but he’s in there every day so he was a little surprised to hear that there was one even out here,” Harriss said. Though unsure of exactly where the mouse came from, Harriss said the recent temperature and weather patterns could be the reason for the mouse’s appearance.
weekend was out in the hallway [by Eagle Express]. How they’re getting in here, no idea at this point,” Harriss said. Thomson cafeteria recently passed its health inspection, receiving a grade A evaluation. “[The health department] do a thorough inspection of the whole facility, so they check the kitchen, they check the front of the house and they’re not just here for sanitation, they’re also here making sure the food is safe and those sorts of things,” Harriss said. Despite the cafeteria’s passing
evaluation, Warnken said there are still areas where the sanitation has been lacking. “I always have to check the cups I get before because there’s usually food on it, and same with plates and forks. It’s all very gross. I was actually going to write a letter to Dan Mahony because it’s so bad. We’ve tried talking to some of the workers, but if feels like nothing really happens ever,” Warnken said. “I go through like ten plates before I find one where there’s nothing on it.” Thomson cafeteria is a popular part of campus that can see hundreds of customers a day. Keeping it clean in those busy spurts, Harriss said, can be difficult but sanitation is of the utmost importance. “There are times when we have four or five hundred people in here in a short period of time. We use sanitizer on all our tables and that requires a certain solution that we use, the health department checks that, to make sure that our sanitizer is at the level it needs to be so that we’re not just wiping a table with water, that we have a sanitizer solution that’s doing what it’s supposed to be doing, cleaning and sanitizing the surfaces that we’re touching,” Harriss said. “We’re making sure that when these folks come out again that they take extra precaution and care to make sure that we have all the safeguards that are needed to try to limit and avoid having these kinds of situations,” Harriss said.
Out with The Inn increased freshman enrollment. From 1969 to 1973, international students were housed in Joynes when the building was converted into a center for the Winthrop outreach program and the center for continuing education. After doing so, renovations were made to dismantle a few of the suites on the first floor to create conference rooms. In 2003, Joynes was converted into housing for admissions and The Inn at Winthrop. According to the Winthrop University Archives, “designed in the Neo-Georgian architectural style, Joynes Hall (1926) offers the conveniences and amenities of a modern lodging facility, but in a historic, traditional setting… Dr. Edward S. Joynes, its namesake, was a charter member of the board of trustees and one of the guiding forces behind Winthrop’s founding in 1886.” Kelly Shelton, Winthrop’s housing specialist, stated the reason for the closing is “because we’re going to have competition downtown, and we can’t provide the amenities that other hotels can provide. They’re bringing alumni to this building
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Food allergies with a meal plan
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mytjnow.com
Anna Sharpe / The Johnsonian The Inn at Winthrop opened in 2003 son or daughter lives in Phelps or and converting it into the Morgan Lee Wicker. It was also super conHolcomb Alumni Center. So they’ll venient for the many conferences update Joynes and dismantle The that Winthrop holds, from group Inn.” Shelton has been at Winthrop for singers, to Model UN groups and members from Winthrop’s board of 33 years and said she has enjoyed trustees,” Shelton said. the benefits The Inn brought to The Inn will be closing July 1 of campus. this year. “No we don’t make a million dollars, there’s 12 rooms, but I do make a profit, and it’s convenient for the parents, especially if their
Sports
Women’s basketball tournament
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Opinion Are honors socieites worth the price?
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Index: News 3 | Science & Tech 5 | Sports 6 | Arts & Culture 8 | Opinion 10
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PAGE 2 theJohnsonian March 20, 2019
About The Johnsonian The Johnsonian is the weekly student newspaper of Winthrop University.
CONTACT INFORMATION Our offices are located in suite 104 in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. Phone: (803) 323-3419 Email: editors@mytjnow.com Online: mytjnow.com
LETTER POLICY Letters and feedback can be sent to editors@ mytjnow.com or by mail at The Johnsonian, 104 Campus Center, Rock Hill, S.C. 29733. Comments submitted online at www.mytjnow.com may be printed as letters and may be shortened for space and edited for clarity. Please include
your name, major and year if you are a student; your name and title if you are a professor, or your name and profession if you are a member of the community. Letters, cartoons and columns reflect the opinion of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of The Johnsonian Staff.
Editor-in-Chief TĂŠa Franco francot@mytjnow.com Managing Editor Cheyenne Walsh walshc@mytjnow.com
Sports Editor Greta Conboy Assistant Sports Gabby Gardner
A&C Editor Ad Manager Dillon Oneill Victoria Howard howardv@mytjnow.com News Editor Anna Sharpe Assistant News Oriana Gilmore S&T Editor Mikayla Mangle
Assitant A&C Caleb Hinkley Opinion Editor Erin Streetman
Layout Editor Carmen Little Graphic Designer Jordan Farrell Photographers Sam Ross Camille Riddle Copy Editors Casey Smith Matt Thrift Haleigh Altman
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NEWS theJohnsonian
I like my breaks how I like my music: Alternative March 20, 2019
Photo courtesy of Allison Stewart The group hardly knew each other before the trip, but after working together at Thrive D.C. they became closer
The Johnsonian’s social media editor gives her account of her alternative spring break trip to Washington, D.C. Maggie Claytor claytorm@mytjnow.com Most college students spend their spring breaks on the beach soaking up the rays to forget about the stresses of exams while listening to the latest Ariana Grande album, but not this girl. Not because I do not like the beach or Ari, but because back in the fall semester I spontaneously decided to sign up for something that would challenge me and provide an experience that can only be described as alternative. Every spring break, groups of Winthrop University students spend their break volunteering through the Alternative Spring Break program. ASB is organized under the office of career and civic engagement on campus and aims to help students engage in other communities in meaningful service in hopes that it will educate, positively impact the community and build leadership skills. This year’s trip took me, 12 other students and one faculty member to Washington, D.C. to focus on poverty and homelessness in the nation’s capital. Prior to leaving on March 10, the 14 of us had never all interacted together. There were informative meetings for logistical planning and scheduling, but with crazy schedules many people could not attend. Leaving on a six day trip with 13 almoststrangers made my shy stomach wish that I was on a beach listening to Ari instead of packing the Saturday night before leaving. Little did I know that the next six days would be more impactful, special and fun than I could ever imagine. We hopped into two Dodge Grand Caravans at eight o’clock in the morning on Sunday, March 10 and headed to Luther Place Memorial Church, which we would call home for the next five nights. Located in Luther Place
is The Steinbruck Center, which educates volunteers on poverty and homelessness in the N-Street village and surrounding communities through transformative education, experiential learning, community living and service opportunities. We stayed in the Center’s hostel on the fourth floor of the church along with three other visiting schools: Pratt, Stonebridge and Southern
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a day, and our group was able to help in that special mission by making sure donated items were excellent quality and restocking the showrooms. On March 12, we woke up bright and early in order to catch the bus to Thrive D.C. The program we volunteered at served breakfast and provided clean bathrooms to shower in for the homeless community of D.C. Thrive D.C.’s goal is to prevent and end the issue of homelessness
I was able to directly impact a community in need and bring back valuable knowledge to implement in my own community back here at Winthrop. I am now also able to call thirteen strangers my friends now and look forward to seeing them around campus. ASB you get a 10/10 yelp review from me! -Maggie Claytor
New Hampshire University. The environment was inclusive and inviting with gender neutral bathrooms and rooms full of bunk beds. My fear of not bonding with any of my group members was easily erased at The Steinbruck Center because it would be really hard not to bond with the people I heard snoring or get locked out of the room in the middle of the night. Our time serving the community started on March 11 at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring, Maryland. A Wider Circle provides furniture, children’s clothing, job training and support to families in poverty. They are able to furnish 20 homes
Anna Sharpe | News Editor sharpea@mytjnow.com
by providing the necessary services and support to those in need. The experience at Thrive D.C. was humbling and special, being able to provide a need to others while also being able to share simple conversations that were special to both parties. Our last service sites were located at two new Rocketship Academy schools, RISE and Legacy. Each week Martha’s Market provides free bags of fresh produce and nonperishable food items to students to promote healthy eating. Our group helped bag an assortment of fruits and vegetables for the kids to take home. A healthy banana
and spinach smoothie was offered to the students, and fun music was played to make the environment exciting, so the kids were excited to eat right. Two friends were even able to join the kids dancing while they wore produce costumes. Kimberly Cobb, a graduate student seeking her masters in education and fellow ASBer, saw this experience as humbling and motivating. “I can see that there are ways for me to make direct impact and advocate for the change needed to lessen homelessness and help those in need,” Cobb said While on Alternative Spring Break, not only do students gain service hours, but cultural event credit is given based on activities done on the free day. Washington, D.C. provided countless opportunities for us to get cultured on our free day. We circulated the city visiting museums, monuments, and the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. My favorite experience was being able to see the portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama in person. As an art major, I was living my best life in the National Portrait Gallery. Seeing the history and sights of D.C. was a nice cherry on top to the entire experience while on ASB. At the beginning of my spring break, I was worried that going on ASB would be a mistake, but it turned out to the furthest thing from a mistake. I was able to directly impact a community in need and bring back valuable knowledge to implement in my own community back at Winthrop. I am now also able to call 13 strangers my friends and look forward to seeing them around campus. ASB you get a 10/10 Yelp review from me!
theJohnsonian March 20, 2019
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Student organizes ‘‘Dog Pack’’ for Campus Walk resi-
A group of dog owners have come together to train and bond with their pets Oriana Gilmore gilmoreo@mytjnow.com Students’ furry friends can now make other furry friends due to the efforts of a student who founded a community walking group to allow dog owners to get together and spend time with their pets. The group began March 1 with only Campus Walk tenants. Campus Walk’s new ‘Dog Pack’ is being extended to residents of the Walk2Campus houses. The ‘Dog Pack’ allows dog owners at Campus Walk to safely train, exercise and bond with their dogs, founder Mariah Houser said. Houser, a junior creative business major, said she started the pack after she realized she and her dog, Whiskey, became “bored” of the same walking routine. Whiskey is an active 2-year-old Miniature Australian Shepherd, Houser said. Houser said Whiskey is very active and “learns quickly.” “On hikes, he likes to run ahead about 20 feet then wait for us,” Houser said. “If he thinks we’re taking too long to catch up he’ll run to the last person in our group and walk with them to help get us moving along—a true shepherd.” Although Houser and Whiskey enjoy hikes together, Houser said she did not feel safe leaving the Winthrop area to walk her dog alone. “This all sparked the idea for the community dog walking group. It’s a great opportunity for owners not only to connect and form a community with one another, but also to
Oriana Gilmore/ The Johnsonian
Whiskey is a 2-year-old Miniature Australian Shepherd. Whiskey’s owner, Mariah Houser, said he is very active, intelligent and loves to go hiking in the forest, snow or desert. further their bond with their dog,” Houser said. The ‘Dog Pack’ is not just a group for dogs to play together, but a chance for dogs and their owners to train together, explore other areas and learn how to remain calm and attentive around other dogs. Campus Walk resident Shelbie Broach is a puppy raiser for Southeastern Guide Dogs, a service dog organization who forms partnerships between dogs and disabled veterans or people who are visually impaired. Broach is raising a one-year-old
lab named Amanda. She is responsible for Amanda’s basic training, daily care and social development. Broach said she joined the ‘Dog Pack’ because it would help Amanda learn how to behave around other dogs. “I like that the ‘Dog Pack’ gives us an option to walk with other owners who are working on getting their dogs out for exercise and to help them get better on a leash and around other dogs,” Broach said. Amanda will live with Broach for just over a year before she returns to Southeastern Guide Dogs to com-
plete her training and be paired with a new owner. In the meantime, Broach and Amanda are enjoying the ‘Dog Pack’ community. “It is great to be able to meet up, work with our dogs and just chat and have a good time,” Broach said. Houser said Campus Walk has been supportive of the ‘Dog Pack’ by providing essential materials for the dogs and their owners including pet waste bags and pop-up water bowls. The ‘Dog Pack’ meets twice a week, one weekday and one day during the weekend, but meetings are not mandatory and this may exclude holidays. Houser said there a few guidelines to ensure the safety of all dogs and their owners. All dogs should be on a leash of six feet or shorter. Owners should remain aware of their dog’s body language at all times. The dogs must have updated vaccinations and female dogs who are “currently in heat” should wait until their menstrual cycle has ended. Houser said she encourages dog owners to bring an extra pop-up water bowl, waste bags and training treats for their pet. If Campus Walk and Walk2Campus dog owners are interested in joining the ‘Dog Pack’, contact Houser at houserm2@winthrop. edu. In the email, add the dog’s name, any accommodations they may need and the email you use for GroupMe so you can be added to the ‘Dog Pack’ group message. Houser said she encourages new members to introduce themselves and their dog to the group once they are added. “Walking dogs together is actually the best and safest way for dogs to meet and get to know each other,” Houser said. “Exercised dogs are happy dogs.”
Statewide school funding on the decline
A common book event reveals the state of South Carolina’s education funding Sarah Delventhal Staff Writer South Carolina is ranked 44 in the nation in education, with many underfunded and underperforming schools. Laura Dawson Ullrich, an employee at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and a economics professor at Winthrop, presented ‘Education Equity, Adequacy and Justice,’ a presentation about school funding on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Funding for school mainly comes from “state and local governments” with each state taxing differently, Ullrich said. In South Carolina there is an income tax, however Act 388 limits how the state taxes properties for schools. In the PowerPoint it was written that “historically local governments collected tax revenue for their local share and states provided school districts with a per student level of spending.” Originally, the state set a value for each student and would give that amount of money based on how many students were in each district. “A child in Rock Hill would get the same amount as someone in in Mount Pleasant,” Ullrich said. The problem with that statement is that property tax varies by county, so people in Rock Hill are not paying the same for their house as someone in Mount Pleasant is.
“This left lower income, often minority areas, with less money to fund schools. As a response to this, people started to sue,” Ulrich said. Ulrich presented a few of the cases that resulted from school funding inequality. In San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, the argument was that “using property taxes to fund schools disproportionately hurt poor and minority students in Texas, and therefore violated the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” Ulrich wrote in her presentation. The court ruled in Texas’s favor. The reason for this is “an education is not guaranteed in the constitution,” Ullrich said. However, “all state constitutions mention education,” meaning that the right to an education is a state right, not a federal right. Ullrich broke down the type of education each state says it will provide. There are four categories that they can fall under: the provision of public schools (16 states), the provision of public schools that reach certain standards (18 states), the provision of public schools that meet more standards and mandates (8 states) and the provision of schools as the “primary” “fundamental” or “paramount” function of the state legislature (8 states). Ullrich went on to talk about the case Serrano v. Priest. In this case,
Oriana Gilmore| Assistant News Editor gilmoreo@mytjnow.com
it was decided that by 1980 the state of California could have no more than $100 in disparities between funding for school districts. “All but five have had lawsuits against schools,” Ullrich said. Hawaii is one of them because it only has one school district and no disparities. At the beginning, “these cases were equity cases,” Ullrich said. People were forming lawsuits because the states were not following their state constitution on the right to education. Then in the late 1980s, there were more adequacy cases. Ullrich says adequacy cases are those where the plaintiff is saying, “what you are giving me is not adequate at all.” Some states have had both types of cases brought against them. In an effort for better funding, some states have started equalization plans, “some states have taken it to the extreme and spends the same amount of money on each district.” However, this does not limit a district from private funding. LaRaven Temony, a Winthrop alumna who is getting a graduate degree at University of Florida, also spoke about education issues in South Carolina. Temony first brought up the ‘corridor of shame,’ a string of districts in the state that have inadequate and underperforming schools. “Some schools where there were leaks and places in South Carolina
that were being powered by coal,” Temony said. Temony brought up the 21-year case of Abbeville vs. the State of South Carolina. In 2005 it was ruled that the state did do their part to provide the minimum adequate education. However, in 2014 the court said the state was not doing enough, contrary to the opinion of state leaders. “They don’t feel that funding is an issue,” Temony said. Temony also brought up how more students are qualifying for the Life Scholarship because of the change in the grading scale. This is a problem because the state is lowering their standards for education, which is not preparing students adequately for their futures. The problem has gotten so bad that the state has had to step in for some districts. It is also hurting the number of teachers in the state. The average turnover rate for teachers in South Carolina last year was 7.7 percent. Yet the amount of high school graduates is going up because students are not held back if they do not have the skills they need. Ullrich’s final point was, “look at the full education system not just the shiny new thing.” Our state needs to fix the problems it has created for education not just build a new school in hopes it will distract citizens from the real problems.
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theJohnsonian
Food allergies with a meal plan March 20, 2019
Winthrop dining services' current and expanding initiative for food allergy accommodation Zuri Anderson Staff Writer Food allergies are a common concern when it comes to food services and operations. Dining services have a few methods for accommodating students with food allergies. People with specific diets or medical needs can come into the office of dining services to discuss their options, according to Sodexo general manager Bryan Harriss. “We normally invite them in and sit down with them and [chef Bill Hofmann], and we go over what specific needs they need. We try to do it during a meal period, and then we’ll tour the operation and try to point out where they might want to be looking. That will allow them to follow the dietary restrictions we have,” Harriss said. This process also includes exploring menus for the week so the person can plan their meals accordingly. “Sometimes, each situation is very different or unique. Sometimes it happens on the phone, sometimes it happens with their parents,” Harriss said. However, there was one incident where dining services was not able to accomodate for a student’s diet. “This student’s dietary restrictions were such that I went to the school and told them ‘I don’t know if we can properly give them enough menu restrictions to have them eat on a regular basis,’” Harriss said. “They would’ve been eating almost the same thing everyday.” Inquiries into food allergies usually concern Thomson cafeteria. Harriss said that if students felt like they were not getting enough variety, they also have the option of going to Markley’s, Starbucks, or
Subway. dining services does not always have to worry about having discussions with people with food allergies. He said people with food allergies “[are] good with figuring out for themselves what they need to eat and what they need to avoid.” The nutrition cards that accompanies every meal are required to display various ingredients in a dish. Harriss cited the example of Worcestershire sauce, which contain sardines. “It’s used in a lot of dishes. You wouldn’t know that normally, but if you were allergic to fish, it’s important for people to know that,” he said. Other ways Thomson cafeteria accommodates people with other conditions (e.g. lactose intolerance, high blood pressure) include minimal or low seasoning and various lactose-free options (e.g. almond milk, soy milk). 'Simple servings' and challenges to accomodation 'Simple servings' is a mini-station in Thomson that serves allergy-free meals only offered during lunch and dinner. It is located near the grill area to avoid cross-contamination. “We have one person that prepares that food each day, because we can’t have crosscontamination. It’s made in a certain area. It’s stored in a certain area after its prepared,” Harriss said. “It offers ready-to-eat fresh and flavorful meals prepared without milk, eggs, wheat, shellfish, soy, peanuts, tree nuts or gluten.” Harriss also said that anybody can eat there and cited an individual that gets their meals solely from the station, even though they have no food allergies. A common issue with the 'simple servings' station is that it goes largely unnoticed. Harriss said he
could not put it out in the main serving areas of Thomson because there needs to be “segregation of product.” “It’s not overly exposed, therefore people don’t notice it. People who just come in and eat pizza every time never go to the Grill area and don’t see it,” Harriss said. If people inquire about its location, dining services can direct them to it. Harriss said that they plan on doing a “refresh” of Thomson cafeteria, which includes replacing current furniture, carpeting and constructing new spaces. Harriss said he would ideally like a standalone space for 'simple servings' toward the front. Combining Simple Service with vegetarian options was also a consideration. He plans on expanding serving areas to put out more food. Currently, there are small heat tables and a limited amount of heat lamps, limiting food output. Harriss said this is why there are not as many vegetarian options in Thomson. “Not enough room to put more stuff out,” he said. “If they’re not perfectly under those heat lamps, they fall out of the proper temperature zone. And if they fall out of the zone for a certain amount of time, you either need to toss the food or reheat it. You can’t just pop things out.” Customer service and accommodation While there are options for accomodation, execution may be lacking in some areas. An anonymous female on Winthrop’s campus received an unsatisfactory customer service experience when inquiring about the oil used in dining services operations. The female asked to remain anonymous
for personal reasons. Her incident began when she went to Markley’s to purchase nachos from Tres Habaneros. She asked one of the workers whether they use peanut oil to fry their nachos. “I have a severe nut allergy, particular to peanuts. If I come into contact with them I get hives, my skin itches, my throat closes, and pretty much I balloon up and itch,” she said. The female avoided Chick-fil-A under the assumption they used peanut oil; at other main stores, the fried chicken chain does use peanut oil. Sodexo does not use peanut oil in any dining operations, including Chick-fil-A. “The workers at Tres Habaneros did not know the type of oil they were using. I asked if they could check and they called a manager out, who also could not answer me. I asked if he could read the ingredients for me to check if it had nuts. They refused and started helping the next person,” the female said. She later brought up the incident with Sodexo management but received no response. “I figured it was an honest mistake. Because they were new, I let it go,” the female said. “I recently tried again, figuring that the employees have had enough time to be trained on what they are using. I went to the counter and asked the worker about the oil they used for the chips. She not only told me she did not know, was rude and dismissed me for the next customer immediately.” The female said she tried to get a manager for assistance again, but there were not available at the time. Now, he said she will not eat on campus anymore unless “it is prepackaged, and [she] can read the ingredients [herself].”
Instagrams’s close friends feature allows users to handpick a group of friends or followers to share private Instagram stories with. A story just shared with only close friends will stand out due to the
New tech from Samsung Samsung creates a new Galaxy generation
Gweneshia Wadlington Staff Writer Since the original Galaxy S release, Samsung has released new technology that has pioneered the revolution of tech and altered the way we think of it. Recently, at Samsung’s Unpacked 2019 conference, Samsung has ‘unpacked’ 9 different devices that are part of what Samsung calls it’s newest Galaxy ecosystem and next generation of tech. Here are a look at some of those devices: Galaxy Buds The first unpacked device is the Galaxy Buds. The Buds are very similar to Apple’s AirPods, but different in many ways. The set up for the Buds is designed to be extremely simple. All that is required is to open the case and wait for your phone to pick them up upon opening the phone, as with AirPods. If for some reason they aren’t being picked up by your device, simply open the case, place the Buds in your ear, and hold the built-in touchpads on the Buds for 3 seconds to place the Buds in pair mode, next open your bluetooth settings and choose them from your list of Bluetooth pairing options. The Buds are small, unnoticeable and round. With this design, unlike Airpods, they were made to fit perfectly into any ear no matter the size or shape. This prevents the
Buds from slipping out of one’s ear Similar to AirPods, if somehow you in fear of becoming lost, unlike the misplace your Buds you can use the Airpods. App to have them ring until you find The Buds come with a dedicated them. The Buds are being placed at App that allows you to change the $130, which is cheaper than Apple’s settings, equalizer, and request for AirPods. the Buds. Some of the different request include touching to play/ Galaxy S10, S10e, & S10+ pause music, connecting with Bixby The Galaxy S10 is equipped with and using Cinematic ambient Infinity sound. A O-display great feature with these bud AMOLED. are designed Which makes with is the this set of inner and phones the outer mics most Color used to hear accurate the user. display ever While on on a mobile a phone device (100 call or just percent color saying a accurate). command, These devices the Buds are equipped can sense with if the user Ultrasonic is in a fingerprint quiet area ID scanners Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian or a noisy which are one, using this information the used to unlock them. When a finger Buds switch from the outer mics is placed on phone, the Ultrasonic to the inner mics or vise versa so scanners scan even the tiniest of the person will always hear you. fingers and is then sent back to Another great feature the Buds the scanner that judges to see if come with is a Find my Buds the finger used matches the one feature.Now the Buds can be registered with the phone. This commands in three new languages, process, although done in the blink German, Italian and Spanish. of an eye, allows for a more precise
Mikayla Mangle | Science & Technology Editor manglem@mytjnow.com
and accurate scan. For the Galaxy Use this feature is placed on the side of the device. Included on both the S10 and the S10+ Samsung has provided each phone with a heart rate and oxygen level meter which has never been done before in a smartphone. Also, each phone is equipped with two to five different cameras on the back and each camera has three new features that Samsung believes is going to wow their audiences. These phones are designed with all day 24 hour batteries. These devices are available in Ceramic White/Black, and Prism White/ Black/and Blue. These products became available March 8. Galaxy Tab5Se/ Galaxy Active, Galaxy Fit Samsung's newest tablet is 5.5 mm thin, has an 82 percent screen to body ratio, a AMOLED screen display and 4/6 GB RAM that can be expanded with a Micro SD. The new tablet supports Bixby, has a 13mp camera with a sharing tool that makes sharing photos and videos a lot easier. Family share is a feature that allows users to share pictures, videos and files a lot easier. The tablet has features for a pogo stand as well as a keyboard and has Quad speakers that produce clear sound by Dolby and has a long battery life of 14.5 hours. This product is available for preorder starting in March.
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SPORTS theJohnsonian March 20, 2019
SAAC athletes help Habitat for Humanity
A look back at our student athletes giving back to Rock Hill with a service project in collaboration with the local branch of Habitat for Humanity.
Greta Conboy/The Johnsonian
Winthrop athletes do more than just hustle on the field and in the classroom, they also give back to the community.
Joseph Calamia Staff Writer While organizing items and house repair doesn’t sound glamorous, these services can mean a lot to families in need in Rock Hill. On March 1, the Winthrop Student Athlete Assistant Council teamed up with Habitat for Humanity. Over 40 student athletes worked in three different areas in Rock Hill, building homes, repairing and organizing to help give back to the community. Winthrop Compliance and Student Services Coordinator, Valerie Dunlap, commented that the event allowed students to help impact people who live in Rock Hill. “Winthrop Athletics stresses the importance of giving back, as we are incredibly fortunate to receive the support from so many community members and service helps one grow as a person,” unlap said. Winthrop women’s volleyball player and junior art history major Jace Kleffner, along with other
athletes, signed up through EagleImpact. She has experience from other volunteer opportunities. “I have participated in Adopt a Highway, where myself and two others walked a stretch of highway and picked up trash. I am also a trainee for the American Red Cross on the Disaster Action Team, and we are the second response in the case of a fire,” Kleffner said. Winthrop track and field athlete and junior exercise science major Colby Thorn noted the importance of giving athletes the chance to give back to the community. “I believe that it is always important to give back to the community no matter who you are, but especially as athletes since we are looked up to by many people, especially younger kids. We need to be an example and I think it is great to show people that we really care about them and that we are more than just an athlete,” Thorn said. The volunteers were scheduled in three different areas during the event. One group was focused on home construction, one was focused
on a home repair project and the last group was organizing inventory at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Rock Hill, near Winthrop. Kleffner and Thorn were in the group that helped in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, organizing items for purchase and cleaning up items for the store’s inventory. “My teammate and I organized the CDs and DVD movies and then we went and organized the book section. We also dusted the lamps and furniture,” Kleffner said. Dunlap also confirmed that after the event, the SAAC will have more events later this semester for students to volunteer in and give back to Rock Hill while attending Winthrop University. “During the remainder of the semester, Winthrop student athletes will read to students at Rosewood Elementary, host a bone marrow donor registration drive in conjunction with Project Life Movement, collect supplies for Safe Passage and volunteer at the annual Eagle Club Scholarship Auction,”Dunlap said.
Women’s Basketball
Santoro and Nwabudu awarded Big South All-Conference honors as season draws to a close Gabby Gardner gardenerg@mytjnow.com The women’s basketball team hosted Presbyterian on March 12 in the Big South Tournament for the opening round. The Winthrop women’s basketball team saw its season come to an end Tuesday evening as the Eagles fell 52-64 to Presbyterian in the first round of the Big South Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Lady Eagles finish the season at 10-20 overall. The Lady Eagles may have not finished the season off as they had hoped but the Lady Eagles have many things to be proud of this season. Kem Nwabudu and Miquela Santoro earned Big South All-Conference honors.
Matthew Shealy/ The Johnsonian
Junior guard Miquela Santoro and Freshman forward Kem Nwabudu score big for their team. Nwabudu, a forward from Elmont, New York, was voted to the Big South All-Freshman Team. Nwabudu averaged 10.7 points per game in conference play and 9.8 points per game overall. Both of these averages lead the Winthrop team. Nwabudu also averaged 5.8 rebounds per game. She finished one game in double-figure scoring
Greta Conboy | Sports Editor conboyg@mytjnow.com
including a career-high 25 points in the season finale at Hampton. She recorded four double-doubles for the season. Santoro, a junior guard from Clarksville, Ohio, was named to the Big South All-Academic Team. Santoro is an exercise science major and currently has a 3.884 grade point average. She has played in
25 games this year, averaged 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and just short of three assists per game. The Lady Eagles will be losing two seniors this year. Courtney Hagaman, who, in her senior season averaged 6.8 points per game, 1.5 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. The Eagles will also be losing senior Kayla Atkins.
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March 20, 2019
And the WUSPY goes to…. The meaning of and importance behind the athletic awards program
Beneshia Wadlington Staff Writer The Winthrop Athletic Department celebrates the end of the school year with the WUSPYs. Created by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Office of Student Success, studentathletes, coaches and staff members will gather for a fun evening with the new format of the studentathlete end of the year event. It is planned and created by SAAC. Hank Harrawood, the Associate AD for Student Success and Compliance, shared a little more insight to what this event is. “The WUSPYs are an amazing opportunity to recognize and celebrate our student athletes and their success,” Harrawood said. “It is also a great time to let them relax and have fun. We highlight sports teams and certain athletes as well as those who have excelled off the field with academics and community service.” Joey Jennings, senior psychology major and president of SAAC, shared his views of the WUSPYs from a more personal insight. “The WUSPYs are special to me,”Jennings said. “My freshman and sophomore years, it was a just a boring awards ceremony that we felt like we were forced to attend in the midst of finals week. Now, it’s something special, fun and allows for us to breathe and celebrate what we have done. Seasons can be frustrating, but this is a good and reflective time.” Emily Torris, senior history major, also shared her thoughts on the event, as well as Dylan Patterson, junior sports management major. “The WUSPYs are a time for all of the athletes to come together at the end of the year and celebrate all of our hard work,” Torris said. “It makes the athletic department feel
like a community, and it is a fun way to close out the year.” “The WUSPYS mean a lot to me. It’s a chance to dress up and honor the student athletes for excelling in their sport or in the classroom. It’s fun to see my friends get recognized for their hard work,” Patterson said. Both Jennings and Torris went in to further detail about this year’s event. “This year we are planning to have a Red Carpet theme,” Jennings said. “So, we are intending on showing the athletes a good time, allowing for them to reflect on the successes of the season in a fancy way. Hopefully, this will give the athletes a sense of accomplishment and gratitude towards their efforts. Last year was our first WUSPYs, so obviously there were some good things and some things that went wrong. We’re hoping to build off of what was good and fix what went wrong. For example, we want to have more awards for things that often go unnoticed but deserve recognition, we want to include better videos, honor the seniors in a special way, etc.” “The planning that goes behind it is coming up with a theme, figuring out ways to implement the theme throughout the WUSPYs, coming up with unique awards and picking MCs are our main tasks. My favorite part is being able to dress up and hang out with my friends on my own team as well as those on other teams,” Torris said. “My absolute favorite part is dressing up, only because we don’t have many opportunities and/or events where we are able to dress up. Also, I love the dessert served at the event,” Patterson said. Student-athletes can expect to be recognized for awards such as, best performance, rookie of the year, best male and female athlete, best game face, best team and more.
Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian
Senior Bjorn Broman was honored as the Comporium Player of the senior night game
UPCOMING HOME GAMES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 Women’s Tennis vs Gardner-Webb 2 PM Baseball vs The Citadel 6 PM
SUNDAY, MARCH 24 Men’s Tennis vs UNC Asheville
TUESDAY, MARCH 26 Baseball vs Furman
THURSDAY, MARCH 21 Men and Women’s Track & Field at the Adidas Invitational
FRIDAY, MARCH 22 Men and Women’s Track & Field at the Adidas Invitational Softball vs Binghamton 2 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 23 Men and Women’s Track & Field at the Adidas Invitational Women’s Lacross vs Mercer 1 PM Softball vs Binghamton 12 & 2 PM
Gabby Gardner | Assistant Sports Editor gardnerg@mytjnow.com
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A&CtheJohnsonian March 20, 2019
From pirates to painting Union of Student Artists’ Spring Break Trip
Sam Ross/ The Johnsonian The fearless members of the USA who took on DC during their Spring Break.
Sam Ross rosss@mytjnow.com Winthrop University’s Union of Student Artists took their annual Spring Break trip to Washington, DC. Their five-day trip included many stops to museums and to the sites of the capital city. As the name of their organization suggests, USA’s time was mostly spent in the galleries that populate Washington. They spent some time in the Renwick Gallery, the Hirshhorn Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Art. The members use this trip to see artwork they normally only see in a classroom setting. They also use this experience to further their own practices and look at their own work with a new and refreshed perspective. As can be expected, however, there were experiences outside of visits to museums. On one of several bus rides from Charlotte, North Carolina to Washington, D.C., USA members met and heard stories from a self-proclaimed treasure
hunter and pirate named Jason. He discussed his previous and diverse careers before his archaeological adventures including experience as a fashion photographer and a sculptor. Before they parted ways, he told USA members about some of his favorite galleries and artists that were displayed in Washington over the last week. Works seen included a set of interactive installations at the Hirshhorn by Rafael LozanoHemmer that added each participants heartbeat and pulse into a pool of water or room of lightbulbs. The USA members also attended the collected exhibit Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now at the National Portrait Gallery where they saw works by Kara Walker, Kristi Malakoff, Camille Utterback and Kumi Yamashita. Black Out explores our past and present in regard to how notions of race, power, individualism and even our digital selves can be reexamined. The paintings, installations, sculptures, photographs and more were exactly the treasure these Winthrop travelers were looking for.
Sam Ross/ The Johnsonian Peice from the “Black Out: Sihouettes Then and Now” Exhibition on display at at the National Portrait Gallery.
Sam Ross/ The Johnsonian Close up of“Wake II” by Dustin Farnsworth, as seen on display at the Smithsonian Museum
“Captain Marvel” spoilerfree film review
The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a strong female lead front and center. Jacob Weis Staff Writer It took 21 films but it’s finally here; the first solo film with a female lead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This film functions as a sort of buddy-cop adventure following Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as they venture through the 90’s trying to help Carol remember her past and stop an invading group of aliens. The theme of female empowerment is present and welcome as we also have the first female director of the MCU, Anna Boden, who co-directs alongside Ryan Fleck. There was a lot of excitement leading up to this movie as well as a lot of controversy surrounding it. There are of course the typical group of men that can’t accept a female-led superhero movie, but there are also those who talk about how men aren’t allowed to have an opinion on a movie about a woman. I think that both extremes of this argument are being ridiculous and I wish people would stop focusing so much on arguments and start judging a film based on its quality. Controversy aside, this is without a doubt a culturally important movie, along the same lines as “Wonder Woman” and “Black Panther,” however cultural importance does not equal quality. I went into the theater with high hopes for a fun and well-made movie
Dillon O’Neill | A&C Editor oneilld@mytjnow.com
Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian
but left with some pretty mixed reactions. Let’s start with what I liked. It was so much fun seeing Jackson take on a central role, and I must say the de-aging CGI effects were incredible and looked so real for all the characters it was used on. Ben Mendelson did an incredible job, per usual, playing Talos, leader of the shapeshifting Skrulls. He was easily one of the more fun characters to watch on screen. There were some big twists in the film that I absolutely loved and didn’t expect at all. The fact you never know who is and isn’t an imposter keeps you on the edge of your seat. The film’s production design was great, and they really captured the look and feel of the 90s, which served as a fun setting and welcome change of pace from recent superhero flicks. Something that stood out me, in a good way, is that Captain Marvel had no love interest in this movie. This was a breath of fresh air and it was nice watching a movie where there
was no pointless romance and the woman didn’t rely on the man to save her. One of my main issues with the film is that it doesn’t feel as grounded as past movies in the MCU. I had to stretch my imagination a few too many times for my taste. The action scenes were also lackluster and didn’t do anything fun or inventive. I saw the movie only a few days ago and remember hardly any of the fight sequences at all. Although the de-aging CGI effects were great, as well as the Skrull transformation effects, some of the other CGI work was rather poor during certain action sequences and shots involving a cat. The humor throughout film was very hit-or-miss. Some jokes landed well but quite a few fell flat. The acting was pretty hit or miss as well. Some performances, for example, Lashana Lynch, who played Danver’s best friend Maria Rambeau, were shaky and felt a bit cheesy. The child acting wasn’t all that great either. My biggest issue with film is the character Captain Marvel herself. She is honestly a pretty onenote character and Brie Larsen’s performance is rather bland. I don’t necessarily blame that as much on her, because I’ve seen some stellar performances from her in the past, as much as I blame it on poor writing. “Captain Marvel” isn’t by any means a bad film, but it isn’t exactly great either. I would recommend this movie to fans of the superhero genre, especially if you plan on seeing “Avengers: Endgame” next month. However, if you just want to watch a movie with a well-written, strong female lead, your time would be better spent watching “Aliens” or “The Silence of the Lambs” instead.
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March 20, 2019
Manuscripts, armor and dragons A look at one of Winthrop’s most interesting minors
Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com While most students choose a minor based off of what they are interested in or what they think may help them find a job after graduation, Winthrop University offers a minor that may give students a leg-up on the competition in the search for employment and revolves around one of the most fascinating times in history: the Middle Ages. Winthrop’s Medieval Studies program is a minor that was founded in 2010 and serves as an intersection of religion, literature, history and art as they relate to the Medieval period. The webpage for the Medieval studies minor describes the program as offering students “[t]he opportunity to acquire an understanding of the historical, cultural, and social forces that shaped Western civilization during the Middle Ages.” Within this particular minor, students have the choice of taking a variety of different courses, some of which may be tailored towards niche interests. Jo Koster, the Margaret M. Bryant professor of English at Winthrop and a founding member of the Medieval Studies program, gave insight into the progressive nature of the minor in terms of how studying the Middle Ages can be of use to those who aspire to work in digital fields. “A lot of gamers are interested in the Middle Ages for game design purposes. There was a class about a year ago that focused on writing for Medieval role-playing games,” Koster said. Koster said that the heavily interdisciplinary nature of the Medieval studies program is a strength in terms of helping students gain a better understanding of the Medieval period. She said that there is a lot that students can take away from studying the Middle Ages — some of which can help us better understand certain mindsets, conflicts and cultural practices that are still in place in the 21st century. “So many of today’s issues have roots deep within the Middle Ages—the conflicts over the Middle East go back to the Crusades. Our
understanding of what women’s roles are in the world, of how we define sexual identities and who gets to wield power and whose laws will rule us, all come largely from the Middle Ages,” Koster said. “They faced environmental crises and pandemics and figured out how to deal with them; we can learn a lot from their efforts. Religion, politics—if you’re interested in any of these areas, you’ll find that the Middle Ages have a lot to do with what we’re seeing in the world now.” Gregory Bell, a professor of history at Winthrop and the director of the Medieval studies program, emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of Medieval studies at Winthrop and spoke about the importance of Medieval studies in how it can benefit students as they enter the workforce. “There are all kinds of transferable skills that you get in college that are like the old liberal arts idea that you get from a Medieval studies minor that you hone. It makes you a more well-rounded applicant on the job market,” Bell said. “When you do a minor like Medieval studies, it can really round out how good your candidacy is — plus it’s interesting [to employers].” The Medieval studies department maintains an active role in on-campus activities, including sponsoring cultural events. One recent cultural event was “Landmark Ladies: Women and the Christianization of Early Medieval Rome.” The event, which took place on March 5, was a lecture given by Aneilya Barnes, a professor of history at Coastal Carolina University, and was held as part of Winthrop’s Medieval Studies Week. Barnes delivered a fascinating talk to a large and attentive audience on the role of women during the days of the Roman Empire — largely focusing on the rule of Constantine the Great— and pulled from the fields of architecture, history, art and religion to give a well-rounded view of the topic at hand. Barnes began by emphasizing that understanding Roman culture through architecture and ritual gives scholars the best picture of what daily life was like for women in the Roman Empire. She expanded on this point and said that early Christian practices “began in
the home” and were subsequently implemented on a cultural level by Constantine, who was a devout Christian. While much of Roman history focuses on the power held by male leaders, Barnes explored the positions held by some of the women in Constantine’s family. Barnes said that while Constantine was the sole emperor of Rome by 325 A.D., he spent very little time in Rome, opting instead to build a “power base” in Constantinople. Constantine’s mother Helena, who, according to Barnes, is more remembered for her piety rather than her role in politics, lived in Rome. Barnes said that Helena was given the title of “Augusta” which endowed her with a great deal of power and influence. Furthermore, Barnes said that Helena was “equally responsible for St. Peter’s [Basilica].” Barnes followed this by saying that Constantine’s daughter Constantina was responsible for the mausoleum of St. Agnes. Barnes said that the role of the two women in orchestrating the construction of these sites combined with Constantina’s attendance at the Council of Nicea “overturns that narrative” of Roman women not being involved in politics, including church politics. As for the future of the Medieval studies minor, both Koster and Bell are optimistic. Both professors stressed the importance of studying and understanding cultures across the globe during the Middle Ages, not just the Western European cultures that tend to make up most of what we think of as Medieval history. Bell said that he thinks that “Medieval studies is a wonderful minor” and draws students from a wide variety of majors. “Anyone is welcome as far as I’m concerned,” Bell said. Koster said that she has “absolutely” seen growth in the Medieval studies minor. “Of course, we have manuscripts and armor and dragons. So it’s a win-win situation,” Koster said.
Bards and Ballads at Winthrop Music department professors brought the spirit of the classics alive with their show “Bards and Ballads” Joseph Calamia Staff Writer Music has a way of influencing how jazz can move our minds and use lines from populate poetry to make new music and cause people to think. The music faculty at Winthrop University hosted an event called “Bards and Ballads” on March 4 at Barnes Recital Hall. “Bards and Ballads” was open to the public and students, where they were entranced with heartfelt stories and melancholy jazz music telling the ideas of lost love and journey through original songs, covers and readings of poems. Professor of music Leonard Lewis noted that the event was focused on providing students with original jazz music. “[The goal of Bards and Ballads is] to bring new and standard songs to the Winthrop community. [As well as] to help foster a sense of connectivity,” Lewis said. Associate professor of saxophone and jazz Tracy Patterson was one of the soloists and among the professors that teamed up with the music faculty to plan the concert. “I was approached by Dr. Mark Lewis to perform on the concert. There were no students involved in the planning or performance. I am always excited to collaborate with other faculty members, especially when it involves original music by Mark. I really enjoy playing his compositions,” Patterson said. The event of Bards and Ballads
has students listen to jazz music with members where Lewis had introduced multiple moments such as using jazz music in the original music, music in the 1920s and use the included moments of poetry by Robert Frost. The music professor spent time rehearsing with each other before the event started, devoting their time to work together for the beat during the performance. “We love to perform music with others. This is why we are in the business. We teamed up with our colleagues and put it in the calendar,” Lewis said. “As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoy playing and hearing Dr. Lewis’ pieces. Additionally, performing with my colleagues is always a treat. We rarely get to play music together even though we work in such close proximity daily,” Patterson said. A highlight of the event was a use of original jazz composition with Lewis on the piano and Kristen Wunderlich providing a soprano voice in the piece. The song, “Bard’s Remorse” showed a very melancholy beat with a romantic piano accompanying the flow of the voice in the song. This moment was a fantastic moment for peering into the program of the event. “The new song cycle was written by me for our soloist, Kristen Wunderlich. The jazz ballad, “Bard’s Remorse” is also an original composition from me. The jazz standards were selected by our soloist,” said Lewis.
Caleb Hinkley | Assistant A&C Editor hinkleyc@mytjnow.com
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OPINION
theJohnsonian
Big money for a small prize March 20, 2019
As organization letters start pooling in, I am left wondering: “Why would I pay big money for one line on my resume?”
Erin Streetman streetmane@mytjnow.com Various organizations, from Psi Chi to The National Society of Leadership and Success, boast a long line of reasons to join their organizations. Community service, national or campus recognition and being a part of a hard-working community are just some of the reasons they name. The most common reason, however, is that being a part of these organizations looks really good on a resume. Writing that you were a part of a national honors society can really catch the eye of potential employers. Each of these organizations also comes with a hefty fee, most commonly around $75-$100. For many, it leaves the feeling that we are paying for lines on our resume, around $100 per line. Each time I get a letter in the mail or an email regarding a national or campus society, I almost immediately want to ignore it. When I was a freshman, I would open each one and read about each of the benefits involved. The letters begin with a congratulations and then begin boasting about how incredibly hard working the receiver must be in order to be invited to be a part of the organization. At the end of the letter, however, they hit you with a fee. $75, $100, $200, sometimes it feels like the prices keep rising. I immediately put down the letter. I am a full-
time college student. I do not have hundreds of dollars to blow so that I can add three lines to my resume about organizations that I will barely have time to be a part of. Don’t get me wrong, these organizations can be great. Organizations like Psi Chi require community service and can help students get involved with connections outside of campus. The NSLS hosts workshops for resume building, networking, and various other tools for academic and professional success. Plenty of these organizations offer academic and professional tools to help students succeed on and off campus. However, where do we learn to draw the line? How many honors, sports or cultural organizations should Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian we pay hundreds of dollars to be a part of before we are all doing too can be helpful. For those who have the time and much? Where do we find time to be involved in these organizations that require more the money, being deeply involved in a nationally recognized community can be very rewarding. time from our already heavily booked schedules? But for those of us who work, go to school, have Being deeply involved in a few organizations is internships or demanding majors or are already far better than being in name only for many, but involved in multiple organizations on campus, we how will that be reflected in our resumes? always have to ask ourselves: is this worth it? I am always left wondering whether or not I am doing too little. For some, these organizations
Breaking down the term “gamer” With esports coming to campus, what does it mean to be a gamer? .
Zuri Anderson Staff Writer Heat tickled my cheeks and neck when someone told me once, “Oh, you’re a gamer? Does that mean you play ‘Fortnite?’” Now, I cannot deny the significant influence Fortnite had on gaming, both in its inner circle and larger society. Epic Games’ battle royale money machine thrusted gaming and its industry in the mainstream spotlight for both good and bad reasons. I’m seeing revitalized talks about how video games are bad for the youth, incidents of kids stealing their moms’ credit cards for new skins and emotes and even video gaming addiction as a legitimate mental illness in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” the complete and official book of psychological illnesses and disorders. However, I’m also seeing the useful applications of video gaming, such as its effects on mental performance, how it’s being used for education purposes and its social functions in an increasingly digital world. I can’t fault people for confusing “Fortnite” with the the whole of the gaming community; if you look at any other generic news site, “Fortnite” is the only game mainstream media outlets touch on. The only mainstream website I know that regularly covers gaming is Forbes, and even then, it’s usually the same guy reporting on it. “Fortnite” is a social phenomenon, just like “Minecraft” in the early 2010s, “Grand Theft Auto” in the early 2000s and “Mortal Kombat” in the 1990s. Most people don’t know what occurs in the video game atmosphere. So I had to ask myself: what does it mean to be a gamer? Before we get to the main point, let’s clarify some things: you are not a gamer if you solely play “Fortnite.” I’m sorry, but it’s true. Let’s take the example of sports. Say I love baseball --I watch it on television, maybe collect some cards, and go see some games in-person, both college and
professional. Am I a sports fan? No, I’m merely a baseball fan. If I was a real sports fan, I would have extensive knowledge of other sports, their teams, players, systems and strategies, etc. With that said, it’s okay to only play “Fortnite.” There’s absolutely nothing wrong with playing that game; it’s popular for a reason. But you’re only a “Fortnite” player, not a gamer. Ninja, one of the most popular Twitch streamers, got popular because Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian he was only good Gamers either have a diverse collection of games across multiple genres, modes or at “Fortnite” and platforms, or stay within one area or genre. no other game at Duty” franchise. (Plus, OW and work major, considers herself more the time. WF are more than just shooters). I of a casual gamer due to obligations This means that you need to be usually play roleplaying games (e.g. to school. at least aware of generic terms or “Pokemon,” “Kingdom Hearts”) and “I get to play whenever I can. I issues that come along with gaming hack-and-slash (e.g. “Devil May Cry, don’t have time to be as competitive and the industry. Microtransactions, “Darksiders,” “Bayonetta”). I never as I used to be. Sometimes school major developers and publishers, play strategy or turn-based games. comes up and I can’t get to it, but distribution means (e.g. GameStop, You don’t need to indulge yourI think it’s fine to just play what Steam), first-person shooter, grindself in every conceivable genre or you want,” Salters said. She plays ing, farming, different genres (e.g. game known to be a gamer (not even a variety of games such as FPS, platformer, rogue, Metrovania), gamers have time for all of that). RPG, real-time strategy and advenping, and other things I’m not getThere are plenty of people who ture games. Her favorite titles are ting into. Depending on which genre make their living as gaming YouTu“Rainbow Six Siege” and “Red Dead or area you’re involved in, you may bers or streamers by appealing to Redemption 2.” or may not be exposed to some of certain niches. The Sphere Hunter In the end, it honestly comes these terms, people and influencers. usually speaks about survival horror down to passion. It is similar to how You might be introduced to other games, such as “Resident Evil” and gardeners care for certain species of terms that are separate from other “Devil May Cry.” There are gamplants and rainy seasons and how areas. ing channels dedicated to fighting sports fans represent and cheer for So, what does that mean for games (e.g. “Street Fighter,” “Mortheir favorite team. other people who game? Are you a tal Kombat”). There are streamers There are many ways to be a gamer if you’re only constricted to whose main appeal comes from a gamer. If you have a real passion for one genre? Are you a gamer if you certain video game, but they make the games you play and are aware of restrict yourself to certain series or it known that they’ve played other trends, especially trends that affect franchises? Yes, and yes. games in the past; most of the time, you as a gaming consumer, then For example, I play two shootthey become variety streamers, and you’re a gamer in my book. er-based games “Warframe” and I’m not even touching on the realm “Overwatch” but I’ve never played of tabletop, card games or esports. other shooter titles, such as “BatJordan Salters, a junior social tlefield” and the infamous “Call of
Erin Streetman | Opinion Editor streetmane@mytjnow.com
theJohnsonian
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March 20, 2019
Is my social media...following me? The truth behind specific targeted ads in your social media.
Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian
Beneshia Wadlington Staff Writer Have you ever searched for something on your phone (obviously you have) like a shirt from your favorite store or customized bracelets? Have you ever found it funny that not even minutes later, when you’re scrolling on social media
platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, an ad for that exact same product constantly appears on your feed? Maybe you didn’t even search it; have you ever just had a conversation about said product and the same thing happens? Yeah, we get it too, you’re not alone. There could be a number of possible reasons for this. Either algorithms are much more sophisticated than we thought
or your FBI agent that watches through your camera is doing an amazing job! Just kidding (or am I). We give sensitive information to all sorts of receiving technology throughout the day, from the moment we wake up until the moment we fall asleep. Our technological mediums know our location, the route we used to get there, and can even predict when we’ll be on the move again. That’s readily available, automatic information; just think about what we manually input. Do you take photos of your food? Do you track your steps and calorie intake? Do you use online banking? Technology knows a LOT about us. Over the past few years, some have even suspected that your social media platforms can listen in on your conversations, too. After the emergence of virtual assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Home, it’s quite obvious as to why people may think this. Google and Facebook categorically rejected accusations of listening to our conversations to advertise, BUT that doesn’t mean they aren’t listening. Google is listening and recording your conversations, especially if you have an Android phone. Don’t get too happy Apple users; it’s also highly likely that you have the same issue and there’s just not a way to turn it off yet.
Every social media platform is governed by algorithms. Twitter is a great example of this with its trending topics, using a live, fast-moving algorithm that displays the most popular topics based on a number of rules such as how many people are talking about the topic, if it’s a breaking news item, etc. Facebook probably uses even more advanced algorithms. They benefit from having not only your data but your friends and your friends’ friends data as well. It can be assumed that things your friends like, read, or search for could also be of interest to you. This is a probably a good time to remind you that Facebook owns Instagram and Google owns YouTube, so they will both use similar algorithms. Clever target advertising, am I right? So what should we do? Not very much. There’s no evidence that there’s any wrong doing behind these algorithms (or your FBI agent) and there’s no harm behind it, besides the fact that it’s really creepy. You can start by clearing your browser’s history, blocking cookies, and controlling your Facebook ads through your settings. Other then that, just sit back, relax, and smile and wave.
“Treehouse”: an “ehh” horror movie
While not the best horror movie to come out in recent decades, Jimmi Simpson carries the movie with great cinematography and light plot twists. Zuri Anderson Staff Writer If a new subgenre of cinema is going to be made, especially in response to societal trends, then “Treehouse” would’ve been the one to lead the charge. Unfortunately, it falls short of what it sets out to be. “Treehouse” was released on March 1 as a Hulu Original, which means you have to have a subscription to Hulu to watch. It’s part of the “Into the Dark” horror anthology series, composed of various movies created and produced by Blumhouse Productions, the big horror movie factory of the last two decades. They produced hits like “Paranormal Activity,” “Insidious,” “Split” and “Halloween” (2018). Peter Rake, the main character, has a strong establishing character scene in the first seven minutes of the movie, personified as a Gordon Ramsay-like celebrity chef known for his scathing remarks to amateur cooks he encounters on his show. The difference between Ramsay and Rake is that Rake can carry the hostility off the camera. Immediately following that short cooking scene, he interacts with his daughter Riley, who wants Rake to be at his ex-wife’s wedding for company. While Rake is pretty tender with his daughter, he demonstrates his next defining character trait: lying. Rake lies to Riley about some business he needs to attend to this weekend, and Riley accepts this with disappointment. After she leaves the scene, he gets a phone call telling someone that he’s “ready to skip town for the weekend.” He’s a fast speaker with a propensity to make somewhat inappropriate jokes but also charm you in the same breath. However, only the young and gullible would take his words as genuine, as shown through his interactions with Riley and a man named Lonnie, who Peter attended high school with. At one point during the movie, Lonnie comments that it was just him and his mother living in their fishing shop, to which Rake responds “yeah, just add a few rooms, poke a few holes and call it Bates Motel, eh? I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Anyway, Rake uses the weekend to catch up with his sister Gwen at their family home. Gwen, however, had to depart for some business at her job, leaving Peter with Agnes. Agnes is the longtime maid to the Rake family, and is, in my opinion, the best character. Her snarky, honest and no-holds-barred attitude lightens the narrative and gives you a hearty laugh. She’s a joy in-scene, even though she doesn’t want to be there. Things take a turn when a group of women on
Jordan Farrell/The Johnsonian a bachelorette retreat get stranded without light. Rake offers them to stay in his old home and cook for them. Alcohol and libations are shared, and Rake has a little too much. Rake imparts some unsavory, misogynistic things to the women before passing out. When he awakens, there is a steel collar around his neck and a crossbow aimed at his crotch. Yikes. Oh yeah, and the women are witches. Double yikes. This little coven decides to target Rake for past transgressions, revealed steadily throughout the movie. Rake does not back down, despite the clear danger he’s in. He keeps his snarky attitude and verbally attacks the women a lot. There are some jolts, whimpers and even resignation at one point, but not complete defeat. In many horror movies, characters don’t often fight back against their assailants and completely resign themselves to fate. Rake’s opposition to this trope makes the movie more engaging and entertaining. He even beats some of the women at their own mental games and outsmarts them. There seems to be a resurgence of witches laterly in horror media (e.g. “VVitch,” “Blair Witch”). But it can either be done really well or really poorly. “Treehouse” falls in between. While the use of witches is an interesting allegory for current wave of feminism, especially in light of the #MeToo movement, I feel like it doesn’t tackle the themes hard enough. It’s more of a surface-level vengeance story with the backdrop of feminism and #MeToo. It doesn’t quite live up to the potential it posed for social commentary. This is minor, but I wonder why they couldn’t tweak the appearance of Elena or Morgan. They’re both brunettes with layered bangs and wavy hair down to their chin or neck area. It’s easy to get them mixed up in scenes when they’re not talking. Elena is of Hispanic heritage and has an accent, and Morgan is British, but that’s not
enough to separate them visually. I also wonder about the name of the movie, to be honest. The actual treehouse does play a plot-related role in the story, but does not go beyond that. This again addresses the issue of the movie -- it has a great opportunity to use iconography and social commentary for meaningful storytelling but doesn’t take advantage of the opportunities it poses. What does the treehouse mean to Rake besides a memory that he barely regrets? What does it mean to Gwen? Is it a stretched metaphor for family bonds? I don’t know, I’m trying here. Cinematography is a a huge plus in this movie. It is simple and controlled, and if you’re careful watching, can reveal a lot more about the story. You can also get some insight and even foreshadowing into Rake’s relationship dynamics by the camera angles and shot composition. When we first meet Riley, she is standing up on the counter of Rake’s restaurant, and he lets her down like a princess. It shows that Riley is one of the highest priorities in Rake’s life and then only thing that comes before his ego. His brief talk with Gwen reveals a lot about their relationship with isolated shots of both characters when they are talking about their deceased father; it shows that while they are cordial, they can easily devolve into opposing sides of a matter or incident. Simpson’s Peter Rake character and cinematography are the best assets of “Treehouse.” While it has a culturally-relevant premise and revisits classic horror tropes, the movie does not deliver on its promise and muddles its narrative with an aggressive revenge plot and introduces commentary on other social issues. So, would I recommend it? If you like good cinematography and a strong Jimmi Simpson performance, go for it.
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theJohnsonian
March 20, 2019
Winthrop Summer Session 2019 2005 Summer 2019 at Winthrop Q & A
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