11.20.2019

Winthrop University

Wednesday

November 20, 2019

Rock Hill, SC

Serving Winthrop and Rock Hill Since 1923

In the shadows Tate Walden/ The Johnsonian

A student body of roughly 6,000, a security report with six reported sexual assaults and a multi-departmental team that works to keep campus safe Anna Sharpe sharpea@mytjnow.com

Posters with what to do in active shooter situations are located in classrooms across campus. They were put in place as part of Campus Safety Week in Sept.

Even with the numerous security measures that Winthrop boasts—the WU Alert System, open forums, police escorts and blue-light call boxes that are a direct line to campus police—there are still incidents that leave the campus feeling unsafe.

In the most recent Annual Security Report released by campus police, it was revealed that there were six reported rapes in 2018. Five were reported to happen in residence halls, while the other was reported to happen in a non-campus area. A non-campus area is a building that is not within on Winthrop’s physical campus, but is still affiliated with the university, such as greek housing or the Coliseum.

For undergraduate students, Winthrop has a two-year on campus residency requirement.

“All newly admitted full-time first year students and transfer students entering Winthrop University with less than 24 credit hours are required to live on campus for their first two years of attendance … unless they live within a 50-mile radius with a parent/guardian, are 21 years of age, are married or a single parent,” according to an exemption request form from the Department of Residence Life.

Interim Director of Residence Life Howard Seidler said that sexual assaults that happen in the residence halls are not always reported to campus police or a residence life staff member.

“These incidents are very sensitive and very confidential. So Residence Life is not aware of incidents unless they are reported to a Residence Life staff member, so sometimes they are not reported to us, and if they’re not reported to us, then we don’t know about them,” Seidler said. “[The] university provides options available to them, when students [that] are victims of sexual abuse do not report incidents to police these will not appear on [the] police statistics, of course. So that’s how that works and that’s how sometimes we maybe know about it, sometimes we don’t.”

When the ASR is compiled, it is delayed for nearly a year. This means that crimes that were reported in the

previous year are released to students in the fall of the following year. For example, the ASR that was released in Sept. 2019 was the 2018 ASR. The ASR is released by campus police as part of the Clery Act in an effort to maintain transparency of crime on-campus to students. However, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Conduct Anthony Davis said these reports have low readership.

“I don’t know if there’s a better way we could get students to pay more attention to it. In terms of the timing, we’re just following exactly what the government is saying, what the federal government is saying we should, in terms of whenever they get the numbers out. It’s always like delayed a year almost, by the way they report it,” Davis said.

Winthrop students take safety seriously, as evidenced in the after-

comes to students’ safety with robberies, rapes and other huge issues, their hands are off, and it’s the Rock Hill jurisdiction,” Beltzhoover said.

After this incident, there were forums and times for students to voice their concerns and get direct answers from WUPD and Winthrop administration. However, Davis said these forums were not well-attended.

“It’s really interesting when these situations happen because I know that it impacts students, but what we don’t see is many students showing up in any type of solidarity to use their voice to communicate,” Davis said.

Behind the scenes, there is a group that brings together campus police, academics, health and counseling, residence life, athletics and the Dean of Students office to talk about potential threats to campus safety.

The Behavioral Intervention Team

A 21-year-old student was robbed and sexually assaulted at gunpoint in February 2019. Students were alerted of the incident via Winthrop’s timely alert system. math of another sexual assault that happened in Feb. 2019. A student was sexually assaulted near the Campus Walk apartments on Rose Street. The suspect stole her ID, keys and car as well.

This incident turned the Winthrop community upside down. Students were angry, upset and left feeling unsafe in their homes. They called out administration, wrote to Winthrop President Dan Mahony and WUPD came under fire.

Hailee Beltzhoover, a senior theatre performance major, told The Johnsonian last semester that she felt the “priorities of the campus police are skewed.”

“They give out parking tickets and want to bust parties, but when it

Provost on

meets every Wednesday, Assistant Dean of Students Miranda Knight said.

“We meet to talk about incidents or things that may need our attention, because we’re trying to stop stuff from happening before it happens,” Knight said.

“We are looking at things that have happened, we’re looking at things that could potentially happen and also we’re looking at other things like other issues on campus, like safety concerns that we need to address,” Knight said.

WUPD Lt. Charles Yearta said these meetings are helpful in determining “trends” in behaviors and create a plan of action.

“If there were three cases in

Richardson Hall of sexual assault and none of them were reported to the police … but there were three cases of sexual assault [reported] to residence life … or the dean of students or health and counseling, then we can look at trends and make sure this isn’t a trend that is uprising,” Yearta said. “If we did see [a trend], then we would obviously have to delve into either getting campus police involved or sending out emergency or timely notifications depending on what the situation is.”

Yearta said that he did not believe the increase from zero to six reported rapes from 2017 to 2018 was indicative of a trend.

“These were, from what we’ve gathered, these were very similar to the case that was actually reported to us, instances not necessarily occurring at the same area during the same time, these were just six instances together, spread out over the whole university, over the whole year,” Yearta said.

Davis said getting the word out about these safety measures—the Behavioral Intervention Team, the Annual Security Report—could aid in creating a campus culture of trust.

“Right now the team kind of works in the shadows,” Davis said.

“We really just have to build a culture of reporting things. Sometimes students will see something odd or disturbing, and they’ll just go about their way. Well chances are, if a behavior occurs that is disturbing to the point of notice, it might not be the only place that that behavior is occurring,” Davis said. “We need to do a better job of educating students across the board. One, on what some of these behaviors look like, where they can report things, what happens when they report.”

Davis said that if a student reports an incident, it will be investigated.

“We need to improve on our efforts to educate students on when you report, we will investigate. I think sometimes that word can be scary to students. An investigation can be intrusive, but it’s something that we have to do,” Davis said.

Winthrop’s provost gives insight on the growing relationship between the university and the Carolina Panthers Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com As Rock Hill continues to grow and expand, the city is slated to get even more busy and crowded in the coming years, due in part to the Carolina Panthers moving their operation South.

While there is no definitive date for when the team will move to York County, Winthrop University is already in talks with the Panthers about how the two institutions will work together.

Winthrop Provost Adrienne McCormick said that Winthrop and the Panthers have been “having conversations since the news went public that they were going to be bringing their training and support facilities here to

Rock Hill.”

“We started to put together teams to have conversations about what we might do to leverage that relationship because we have a lot of other examples where we partner with entities in the community to the betterment of both,” McCormick said.

McCormick said that Winthrop has the “Carnegie classification for community engagement.” She explained that all institutions of higher learning are variously classified by the Carnegie Foundation according to different factors, including whether or not a university or college is a research institution and what types of degrees are offered at a given institution. She said that those classifications are not chosen by the institutions and come directly from the Carnegie Foundation, adding

mytjnow.com

that Winthrop is a “comprehensive institution,” which means that the university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees.

McCormick said that the Carnegie Foundation’s classification for community engagement is an elective classification and it means that an institution is “committed to having a lot of opportunities that build that community relationship and the key aspect of the relationship is that they have to be reciprocal.”

“The community partner gets the talent from Winthrop University [and] Winthrop University gets the experience for its students and faculty,” McCormick said.

McCormick said that Winthrop’s college of education was a “perfect example” of the community engagement. She said that partnering with

local school districts helps to get Winthrop graduates into those schools as teachers and that the public schools benefit by having teachers that have graduated from Winthrop.

“We would like to see all of our students have some kind of an opportunity,” McCormick said. “So we just started thinking, ‘If we’re going to have the Panthers here, what are the programs and the student opportunities we would have? What are the faculty opportunities we would have?’ and there’s a wide array of possibilities.”

There has already been a precedent set for institutions of higher learning partnering with NFL teams and McCormick said that Winthrop looked to one of these partnerships to see how it works.

4see Panthers pg. 2

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

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November 20, 2019

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3Panthers from front

Courtesy of Winthrop University

Adrienne McCormick

“One team actually travelled to Texas to look at what the University of North Texas does in partnering with the Dallas Cowboys, so we’re just look at other models for ways to build relationships when you have a partner like that who moves into you community with certain marketing and selling advantages of [an NFL] team like the Panthers,” McCormick said.

In terms of how the partnership is unfolding, McCormick said that “all of the deans” from the colleges at Winthrop are working on finding opportunities for a mutually beneficial relationship. She said that the CBA is looking at opportunities in terms of marketing and that the CBA is considering expanding/developing the hospitality management and entertainment management tracks for

December 15th

business majors with the reason being that there are talks of the Panthers opening a hotel at or near the new facility. She said that this new development in the Panthers move to Rock Hill has led Winthrop to consider if the university will “go in a different direction with our program development for new programs, now that we know this is happening” which she said will be part of the planning process for Winthrop’s Academic Master Plan.

“When you have a new opportunity like that [where] there are so many paths we can walk down, it makes sense to tailor some new program development to really maximize that opportunity,” McCormick said.

While aspects of business, economics, sports, human nutrition, exercise

science and athletic training could obviously be part of the partnership, there also exists a potential for artists to get involved.

With a large new facility being built, McCormick said that Winthrop is looking at the possibility for public art installations.

“[The Panthers] don’t think of themselves as just football. They’re an entertainment company that has a football team at the core of it. They’re going to be opening this training facility, but it would also be something that the community could schedule events in. They’re always thinking about ways to market the brand of the Panthers and it’s a lot more than just a team and a game,” McCormick said.

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3

WU talks climate change

November 20, 2019

Van Aller stressed that America’s number one competitor China is capitalizing on the environmental industry.

“China is the number one investor in renewable energy industry, which has sort of interesting, because President Clinton used to talk about the fact that we can make money having a green climate economy without necessarily dismantling capitalism per se. It is, I think, a very exciting point. Now, why should China go along with this?

Well, because the social compact in China basically means that they, the Chinese government, are going to take care of you even though you don’t get to, shall we say, have a lot of input,” Van Aller said.

“With that being the case, China year,” Lipscomb said. has taken care of their citizens in Newsome, who created Low Imterms of their health, and then just pact Carolinas — a Facebook group to repeat the last bullet point, China that aims to teach people how to live is going to make a ton of money on a more sustainable life — said that things like solar panels, and we are “there is a lot of information out losing that market to them, which is there and I kind of wanted to put it kind of sad,” he said. in one place that was easy to access.”

Another country that is making Newsome explained how people strides in the environmental world can better manage their waste and is right next to America’s southern be more conscious of what they are border, Mexico. Currently, Mexico consuming and how it affects the is one of the first countries to create planet. Her first point was the imclimate laws for reducing greenpact of voting. house gasses and gas emissions Newsome talked about the by 22 percent by importance of 2030. reduce, reuse, In the European recycle and Union, this is a hot The first thing we can do is to reduce our conhow it’s in this button issue with particular order sumption by not consuming things that we don’t countries such for a reason beneed ... In addition, you can reduce your consump- as Germany and cause this is the Norway leading the proper way to tion of products packaged in plastic as hard as it is campaigns against dispose of waste to do. It’s definitely possible, particularly where we climate change. after consumpNorway especially tion. live is making the tran“The first sition, considering thing we can do that they are one of Kayla Newsome is to reduce our the world’s major Senior consumption by oil exporting counPsychology and religious studies major not consuming tries.

Winthrop University things that we “Norway is one don’t need. For of the biggest oil example, when you go into Sam’s deaths related to things like malaria, producing countries in the world, [Club] or Costco and there are all malnutrition and heat exposure by but interestingly enough, they are tothese little samples in little plastic 2030. And it’s important to make tally worried about climate change, cups, it’s an unnecessary thing that actual change because we have about and they also realize that they do you don’t need-- saving novelty 12 years before we start experiencing not want their industry to continue,” items and stuff that you’re going to the worst effects. We can’t just sit by Van Aller said. use maybe once and thrown away. and act as if it’s this abstract thing “They’re planning to not have It’s unnecessary,” Newsome said. that might happen in the future. It’s oil at a certain point, but until that “In addition, you can reduce your happening now. Venice is underpoint, they’re interested in sequesconsumption of products packaged water right now for the first time in tering CO2 in manufacturing, which in plastic, as hard as it is to do. It’s years,” Newsome said. “You don’t is interesting because a lot of people definitely possible, particularly have to be perfect. Do what you can.” know that climate change comes where we live. We’re right next to Van Aller shared what other from a lot of other things other than Charlotte, and in addition, we have a countries are doing internationally vehicles. And so they’re interested store right up the road that has zeroin an effort to stop climate change. in ways in which you can do what’s waste groceries,” Newsome said.

In 2015, the Paris Climate Agreecalled ‘carbon capture’ in their vari“You can buy groceries at Earth Fare ment took place. The PCA is an ous industries, and they’re pioneerwithout plastic at all. Also, there’s international agreement over 150 ing that and they’re financing it with a farmer’s market right up the road countries signed. The United States taxes on the oil industry, which I where can get groceries. We’re in a withdrew from the agreement in think is fascinating.” very opportune place to make real June 2017 with Nov. 2020 being the change in our consumer habits.” earliest date that goes into effect.

Newsome proposed reducing

Panel responds to the 16-year-old environmental activist Greta Thunberg and discusses the effects of climate change Climate change is Kiki Todman todmank@mytjnow.com one of the most controversial and heavily-debated topics of our day.

Scientists have presented data that proposes to show the effects of CO2 emissions, but there remains much division over climate change, with some high-level government officials saying that they do not believe there is a problem.

Winthrop University’s political science department hosted a panel last week in response to the efforts of teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg. This discussion was led by Winthrop political science professors Christopher Van Aller and Michael Lipscomb, along with Kayla Newsome, a senior psychology and religious studies major at Winthrop.

The presentation featured a video that explained the meaning of what Thunberg aims to do with her movement: to get political leaders to think about climate change. For Thunberg, what started out as a small strike from school every Friday outside the Parliament House in Sweden expanded to something much larger.

Lipscomb read some excerpts from “The Uninhabitable Earth: Life after Warming” by David Wallace Wells.

“It is almost hard to believe just how much has happened and how quickly. In the late summer of 2017, three major hurricanes arose in the Atlantic at once preceding it. First of all, in the same group, as though they were battalions of an army on a large hurricane Harvey, when it struck Houston, delivered such epic rainfall it was described in some areas as a 500,000-year event, meaning that we should expect that amount of rain to hit that one that area once every five hundred million milenia. Part of the point that at Wallace Wells goes on today. We’re having these 500,000 events once a year or sometimes more than once a

Matt Thrift | News Editor thriftm@mytjnow.com

“”

meat consumption as a way to reduce one’s carbon footprint, though she said that the idea is not terribly popular. She said that animal agriculture is a leading cause of CO2 production.

“That doesn’t mean you have to go vegan. You can do meatless Mondays — reduce your consumption just a little bit. I eat meat probably twice a week, and it’s not that big of a deal,” Newsome said.

“Recycling should be your last resort. In America, most of our recycling is offshored, and most things don’t get recycled … glass can’t be in single-stream recycling. In Rock Hill, single stream recycling, you have to put glass somewhere else that you have to physically take it to the recycling facility because otherwise the glass is considered a safety hazard and the entire recycling batch goes to landfill, which is a waste of the effort,” Newsome said.

Newsome spoke about some of the claims made by the World Health Organization as well as claims that there is only a little more than a decade before the world begins to see catastrophic effects of climate change.

“The World Health Organization estimates that climate change is going to cost an additional 250,000

theJohnsonian November 20, 2019

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War, drought and progress Bryan McFadden gives an update on the current state of Syria Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com The global climate continues to be a hot topic of discussion, and last week Bryan McFadden, an instructor in Winthrop University’s geography department, gave a lecture on how Syria’s climate is doing in regards to the drought that the country has been experiencing.

McFadden was introduced by Ginger Williams, a professor of history and the director of the peace, justice and conflict resolution studies department at Winthrop.

Williams said that Syria has been in a state of crisis since 2011, pointing to the “political uprising” that took place that year and “led to civil war.”

“The Syrian crisis really hasn’t gotten any better — it’s really gotten worse. Over a third of the population of Syria has emigrated out of Syria since then, leading to one of the largest refugee crises in our world since the 1940s,” Williams said. “There are a lot of reasons for that but few people think of the geographical reasons for that and Mr. McFadden will talk to us tonight about the geographical reasons and the geographical issues that have exacerbated the refugee crisis in Syria.”

Williams added that the lecture was co-sponsored by the geography program, the department of interdisciplinary studies and the program of Peace, Justice and Conflict Resolution studies.

McFadden began the lecture by asking who knew that it was geography awareness week to which only

two people raised their hands.

McFadden followed this by noting that that day, Wednesday Nov. 13, was GIS day. GIS stands for geographic information systems which McFadden described as a “valuable tool” and a “powerful technology.”

McFadden said that there are “different measures” that he likes to use to “paint a picture of what’s

“”

rently ranks in the bottom five in the world among “failed states” which are marked by “a significant amount of instability” and are in “full civil war today.” He noted, however, that this was not always the case for Syria.

He said that he also uses data and information from the United Nations in studying how Syria is doing, particularly their development index

The Syrian crisis really hasn’t gotten any better — it’s really gotten worse. Over a third of the population of Syria has emigrated out of Syria since then, leading to one of the largest refugee crises in our world since the 1940s ...

Ginger Williams

History professor Peace, Justice, and Conflict Resolution studies Director Winthrop University

going on in the country.” One of the measures is the Fund For Peace, which “looks at the civility of a country and ranks the country...based on all these factors,” which includes cohesion, economic factors, whether or not a country has public services and population growth/decline.

McFadden said that adding up the various factors gives an idea of how civil a country is.

“Where do you think Syria ranks?

When you crunch all the numbers, it ranks pretty low,” McFadden said.

McFadden said that Syria cur-

which tracks health, wealth and education.

“When you look at the numbers for Syria, this is what’s happening: You never want to see something like this because what it’s showing is [that] they were progressing as they were developing,” McFadden said. “In 2000, that’s when Bashar al-Assad took over for his father... there was a few years in the mid2000s where people were having more access to things. They started getting cell phones, they started getting internet, things that we take

Seeking the Headhunter’s Power Winthrop professor Richard Chacon delivered a lecture on the effect of social status on collective action

Matt Thrift thriftm@mytjnow.com This past Friday featured a lecture on spiritual quests, warriors and how collective action functions in an egalitarian society in the Amazon.

Richard Chacon, an author and associate professor of anthropology at Winthrop University, delivered a lecture titled Seeking the Headhunter’s Power: The Quest for Arutam Among the Achuar of the Ecuadorian Amazon and the Development of Ranked Societies.

“This is a talk that combines sociological theory and anthropological theory,” Chacon said at the beginning of the lecture. “This investigation will document the relationship between incipient status hierarchy... incipient, not institutionalized.”

He explained that even in these egalitarian societies, members of the population who excel in certain areas still find themselves in a position of an elevated social status. He went on to say that the lecture examined how social status is gained in an egalitarian society and how that status can facilitate collective action. “[A young boy] is not going to have the same social status of the adults. Let’s just say for the sake of argument, [the young man pictured on the slide] is a really, really hunter: people will notice that and he will enjoy social status. Let’s say this

guy is a really extraordinary warrior: people will notice that and will reward him with high social status,” Chacon said.

“Now, that doesn’t mean this great warrior status will be inherited by his son...but you see how even in egalitarian societies not everybody is on the same page or status.”

Chacon explained the concept

“”

“claim to possess arutam, and it has an effect on them.”

One of these men is Chacon’s friend Chuji, who he described as having attained “kakaram” status though Chacon added that Chuji “never boasts” about having achieved kakaram status. He described having kakaram status as being the mark of having killed in

“Chuji’s elevated social position allowed him to be decisive and effective in coordinating an armed response ... He gave orders in an egalitarian society... he barked out orders like a sergeant in an egalitarian society...they obeyed his commands without hesitation.”

Richard Chaco

Anthropology associate professor Winthrop University

of “arutam,” which would continue to come up throughout the lecture.

Arutam, according to Chacon, is a “supernatural” force that protects those who possess it from harm even to the point of invincibility.

Chacon said that he knows men who

Kiki Todman | Assistant News Editor todmank@mytjnow.com

battle. Chacon said that Chuji’s social position “enhances his ability to coordinate the actions of others.”

“He’s a war hero. Think about how we have great respect for people who stormed the beaches at

for granted, they just starting to get those. They started seeing things, they started seeing how things were happening in other countries.”

McFadden went on to say that as the Syrian people began experiencing some of these “freedoms” that were “taken away” which created a culture of distrust towards the Syrian government.

McFadden said that there are stations in Syria that climatic data can be downloaded from but he noted that there has been a decrease in the number of stations which is an indication that Syrian infrastructure has been “destroyed by the civil war.”

He said that only three of these stations are currently operating in Syria but that the data that has been gathered from them indicates that the temperature in Syria has been going up.

McFadden also noted that the data from 2006-2010 on the drought in Syria is estimated to be the “worst drought in 900 years.”

Furthermore, there had been a marked decrease in the level of vegetation and that vegetation health as “dropped significantly.”

McFadden said that there has been “good news in terms of the weather” with Syria seeing “a lot of rain” at times last year. While this is a sign that things might be getting better, McFadden said that the increase in rainfall “has to happen for years on end” adding that “you don’t recover from a historic drought in one season.”

Normandy...those are war heroes,” Chacon said. “[Chuji] is a war hero.

He’s treated with great deference... he’s not a sociopathic killer. He’s a war hero.”

Chacon described arutam as a supernatural force that comes to seekers in a dream. Chacon described attaining arutam as a grueling process, an “ordeal” wherein men will go out away from the village for three to five days and not eat or drink anything aside from “tsaan” which is native tobacco mixed with enough water from the river make a “sludge.” Chacon emphasized that it is imperative that arutam-seekers not get sick from ingesting the tsaan.

Those who seek arutam will ask for it, look for signs of it and engage in ritual chants.

Chacon said that in the middle of the night back in the 1990s, an intruder was spotted in the village holding a shotgun outside of a hut that the village shaman was in. This intrusion came on the heels of potentially violent tension with another village. An alarm was raised and the entire village fled to one centralized area in the village. In the midst of the chaos and “pandemonium,” Chuji took charge of the situation.

Chacon said that Chuji began to yell over the noise of the panicked villagers, directing every man in the village who owned a functioning shotgun to go to their hut and return with their firearm. When the adult men returned, Chuji ordered them to team up and to go out on patrol around the village.

“Chuji’s elevated social position allowed him to be decisive and effective in coordinating an armed response,” Chacon said. “He gave orders in an egalitarian society...he barked out orders like a sergeant in an egalitarian society...they obeyed his commands without hesitation.”

S&T

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theJohnsonian November 20, 2019

Winthrop menu ranks up with PETA Winthrop Dining Services received an A+ from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Joseph Calamia

staff writer

Winthrop Dining Services recently received a high ranking from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

This semester has marked the return of new reusable to-go boxes and broader food options for students who are vegan at Winthrop University. While that might not call for celebration personally, it does for Winthrop’s Dining Services.

On National Vegan Day, Nov. 1, PETA awarded an A+ rating to Winthrop Dining Services. The award was given as a result of dining services having more food options for students and creating a more sustainable environment.

The dining services were rated highly thanks to student surveys and providing a menu with new entrees and desserts for vegans.

“We know there is a growing vegan community on campus and we continue to work towards program expansion so that these customers have a diverse food service offer,” said Bryan Harriss, general manager of Winthrop’s dining services.

Bill Hofmann, head chef of Winthrop’s dining services, received training to provide a better quality to the new vegan and vegetarian food options.

“This is really good for us because our vegan offerings have been a focus for us from the start,” Hofmann said. “Last year, our first year on campus, we received a "B".

I had received the PETA training

the year before and wanted to bring up our focus and quality to the vegan/vegetarian stations. We have seen a noticeable growth in this segment and to hear all the positive comments from students has made our efforts well worth [it].”

Winthrop Dining Services also hosts events based on student feedback to improve the experience with dining services.

“Student feedback is always important for us. We want to hear from students when they have had great dining experiences and also when they feel their experiences could have been better,” Harriss said. “Timely feedback allows our management team to respond to customer concerns enabling us to adapt our program where needed.”

With new items like the impossible burger, Winthrop Dining Services wants to expand more options for students next semester. “[The next step for us is to] continue to grow our offerings campus wide, working with our regional dietitian to identify more approved recipes, and show our students that there are many choices to pick from on our campus,” Hofmann said.

A challenge that the dining services face is the fluctuating dining habits of new or returning students, but has allowed them to be more creative with coming up with new options in Thomson.

“We don’t always know who the vegan customers are but those who we have relationships with have been very positive. We have just added some new vegan dessert options to our menu, and we have

Mars Hogue/ The Johnsonian received great feedback on this,” Harriss said.

Although this is only the second year of Sodexo working with dining services on campus, Winthrop students have responded positively to the quality of the food.

“This is our second year on campus and our team is committed to offer good food that students want to eat no matter what their food choices may be,” Hofmann said. “To have 100% student satisfaction means that we have listened and exceeded their expectations. Our team can celebrate their hard work and [the] love they put into each dish.”

Students will expect to see more options available on campus and Winthrop Dining Services are willing and ready to listen to student feedback.

“We appreciate the opportunity to share and communicate information about our dining services programs,” Harriss said.

For more information about Winthrop Dining Services follow their instagram @winthropdining1 or visit their website at https:// winthrop.sodexomyway.com.

Sick of unplugging and plugging in your holiday lights? The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug is a compatible plug that allows you to control your lights with your phone.

Top 10 Tech Gifts for the Holidays As the holidays are approaching, here are some technology gifts you can buy for friends or family

Savannah Scott scotts@mytjnow.com

1. Ninetendo released a classic gaming system called the NES Classic Edition. It is a replica of an original gaming station which was released in 1985 and comes with 30 preinstalled games.

2. Sony is releasing a new walkman model in celebration for its 40th anniversary. Walkman does not play cassettes but it comes with 16 gigabytes of storage and a microSD support.

3. Disney recently released its new streaming service called Disney+. The ad-free streaming service provides shows and movies from Disney, National Geographic, Star Wars, Marvel, 20th Century Fox and Pixar.

4. Roku is a TV-streaming service that allows customers to download all types of streaming service apps to watch on their TV. Some of the many apps include Netflix, Disney+, Spotify and YouTube.

5. Amazon released a new device called the Echo Show 5.

This smart speaker has Alexa and a visual display that allows buyers to watch videos, make video calls, control other smart home devices, amongst other features.

6. Canon has a mini photo printer called the IVY Mobile.

This device allows mobile phone users to connect to the printer through Bluetooth and print small photos.

7. For vinyl and music lovers, Victrola has a 3-speed Bluetooth turntable. It allows users to play vinyls as well as connect any mobile devices to play music.

8. JBL has a wireless, waterproof speaker. The JBL Flip 4 Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker can connect to two devices and has a battery life of 12 hours.

9. For virtual reality fans, Oculus Go created a VR headset.

The headset is wireless and allows users to play games, watch videos and more.

10. Samsung’s Gear 360 is a 360 degree camera. It uses two cameras to take any type of video or photo you want.

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

6

SPORTS theJohnsonian

Where sport meets education November 20, 2019

The West Center welcomed over 40 participants the evening of Nov. 13 as Winthrop participated in International Badminton Night La J’ai Reed

reedl@mytjnow.com International Badminton Night was held as a part of Winthrop’s International Education Week, sponsored by the International Center.

International Education Week is a worldwide event that promotes the sharing of cultures through the process of education. Winthrop annually participates in this celebration during the second week of November.

LeAnn Lowrey, assistant director of the Winthrop International Center, is proud of the hard work that goes into putting this program together.

“We have these events so we can share cultures with campus members,” Lowrey said. “This is a week that is not just for students, but faculty members as well.”

The week’s events also included the International Tea, a Study Abroad Panel, Global Trivia and Casual Friday — all of which were approved for global cultural event credit.

Wednesday’s event was a celebration of global athleticism, and the first of its kind on Winthrop’s campus.

International Badminton Night was held on courts three and four of the West Center, which are designated badminton courts — complete with badminton court lines.

To begin the festivities, Geoff Morrow, Winthrop’s basic instruction program director, discussed the history of badminton.

Historically, the game originated nearly 2,000 years ago as “Battledore and Shuttlecock.” This original version of the game was played without a net, and the goal was to simply tally the number of volleys made between players.

In the 1850s, English officers in Bristish India added a net, made the game more competitive and recoined the game as “Poona.”

After introduction of the game to the Duke of Cambridge, at his residence known as “Badminton,” the game eventually evolved into what it is known as today.

Following the telling of the sport’s history, Morrow shared basic rules of the game including: server position, how to score and how to serve — underhandedly, unlike in tennis.

Morrow was enthusiastic about the event.

“I love how novel experience can bring people together,” Morrow said.

He said that this factor further promotes Winthrop’s focus on community.

“Badminton becomes a shared experience and common space where outside things don’t matter,” Morrow said.

Morrow, who teaches a badminton course on campus, further said that his student’s excitement about learning about the sport is what

excites him as a professional.

The matches of the night were played in a modified version, where instead of playing to 21, participants played to 11. The night worked on a court rotation system, so that all of the attendees had a chance to play multiple times.

The night was enjoyable for not only students, but coordinators as well. Tabytha Beu is the graduate associate for the International Center, and she coordinated the night’s event.

In her position, Beu helps to serve over 100 international students who are currently attending Winthrop.

Along with student assistance, Beu is responsible for coordinating events for the International Ambassadors — a group of students who are eligible to receive in-state tuition after meeting certain criteria.

While working to help international students, Beu keeps in mind one main goal.

“My main goal is to bring global awareness to domestic students and create a relationship between domestic and international students,” Beu said.

Beu commented that the turnout was much better than she thought it would be, and that left her encouraged.

“It’s really great to see Winthrop students being able to go home, wherever they come from, and spread the word of the importance of being a global citizen,” Beu said.

Beu also finds this event not only symbolic for Winthrop, but for the region as well.

“I think it’s really good not only for Winthrop, but for this state and this region to know that there’s people out there who are more culturally aware and who want to be more culturally aware,” Beu said.

Not only does Winthrop offer a badminton course, detailing the principles of the game, but the university may soon see the Winthrop Badminton Club join the list of Winthrop clubs and organizations.

Leah Beckwith, sophomore psychology major, will serve as the chartering club president. Many universities across the nation offer badminton as an activity course, and increasing interest has sprung development of badminton clubs.

Beckwith said that she thinks this club will be beneficial for the game of badminton and for Winthrop students.

“I think making a club would increase the importance of the game,” Beckwith said. “It already draws a lot of people together who probably wouldn’t have otherwise known each other.”

Beckwith, like Beu, was also happy to see so many people at the event.

“It further affirms the fact that a lot of people are interested in this and it would succeed as a club, and that’s why I want to bring it,” Beckwith said.

The event was part of Winthrop’s International Education Week.

Over 40 people came out to learn about an play badminton.

Did you know?

Badminton was created nearly 2,000 years ago and was called “Battledore and Shuttlecock.”

International Badminton Night was held on Nov. 15.

A student carefully chooses her racket.

Attendees learned the rules of the game.

Photos by La J’ai Reed/ The Johnsonian

Gabby Gardner | Sports Editor gardnerg@mytjnow.com

theJohnsonian

7

November 20, 2019

Golfer from down under Lily Fremed

staff writer

When moving all the way from Auckland, New Zealand, Connor Barker never guessed he would be recognized for his efforts as a freshman golfer at the end of his first fall season at Winthrop.

From Nov. 3 to Nov. 5, Winthrop’s men’s golf team rode down to Kiawah Island to compete in the Kiawah Classic at Turtle Point. It was there where freshman golfer Connor Barker scored 218 and walked away as Big South Conference Men’s Golf Freshman of the Week.

The Eagles’ success bumped them up three spots, coming in 10th place with an overall score of 880.

Winthrop finished with twentytwo birdies and two eagles in the tournament.

Barker finished two-over-par with total scores from three rounds of 72, 76 and 70. Barker has come under par only three rounds in his collegiate career, and he tied for 34th overall.

Two other men had excellent performances at this event as well.

Senior Zak Butt ended 1-underpar in the final round, making this the second straight event he has went under par in the final round.

Ryan Tattan, a junior from Essex,

Other than this recent achievement, the only other sports award Barker has earned was the U17 Auckland Player of the Year by the Eagles Foundation back in 2016.

Earlier in the season, Barker tied for first at Par 3, scoring 1-under at the Firestone Invitational. In his final round, Barker birdied five holes to a 1-under 71, finishing the invitational 222 (+6).

After visiting the United States only once during the summer of 2018 to play a few sporting events and tour a couple colleges in California, Barker is completely new to life in America. He is still adjusting to his new lifestyle as not only an international student, but an international student athlete.

“Being not only a freshman but a student athlete has definitely had its challenges throughout this Photo Provided by Winthrop Athletics first semester,” Barker said. “The England, made one of the two busy schedule and a completely eagles during the tournament at the new environment thrown into one Par 4 third hole. These two, as well has definitely made for a chaotic as Barker, all tied with final scores but eventful first semester. I am of 218 (+2). just fortunate I have an awesome After the Classic, Barker was team of coach[es] and players alike “taken aback” when his coach sent around me who have all kept me a congratulatory text informing him going as well as plenty of backing about the award. from friends and family back home “I didn’t really have much who keep reminding me why I am knowledge that these kinds of here.” awards were presented week Barker is one of thirty-five to week. It was definitely a cool international athletes here at surprise though and a nice way to Winthrop. Within the men’s golf finish my week,” Barker said. team, he is one of four students

from another country. Holding a piece of home close to his heart, Barker makes sure to always wear his manaia. “[It] is a special necklace I received as a gift before I left for the US which I hold very dear to me,” Barker said. “It depicts from the Maori culture in New Zealand as a symbol of safety and warns of any such danger, while lifting courage and fight in its holder.”

Back in New Zealand, Barker started playing golf at the young age of four years old, but began using “plastic clubs almost as soon as [he] could stand.”

“Golf has always been an interest of mine from an early age although it was not always my main sport it has been something I couldn’t remember for a part of my childhood not playing,” Barker said.

Barker entered Winthrop as an undeclared major, but this first semester has slowly brought new light to a potential subject. He has “grown an interest in exercise science and plan[s] to declare at the start of the spring semester.”

The Kiawah Classic and Barker’s award marked the end of the fall season for the men’s golf team.

They will be back in action on Feb. 24-25, 2020 as they travel to Hilton Head, SC for the Wexford Intercollegiate.

Winthrop Volleyball earns Big South Title Winthrop Women’s Volleyball team is awarded title for undefeated season before the upcoming playoffs

Joseph Calamia

staff writer

With the volleyball regular season winding down and gearing up for the playoffs, it’s nice to appreciate the hard work that our student athletes do and how it pays to the current season. The regular season is ending, but the true test of athletic prowess is coming up after Homecoming for students to get excited over.

According to Winthrop Athletics, the Winthrop Women’s Volleyball team clinched the title of Big South Regular Season Champion following a four-set win over UNC Asheville on Nov. 9 at Winthrop Coliseum.

This victory not only marks an undefeated season for the team, but marks the second time the team has earned the title, with the first being when they were Co-Champions with Liberty in 2011.

Junior defensive specialist Savannah Roper noted how this title is important for the undefeated season to Winthrop University.

“The title of Regular Season conference champions is important because it shows this team’s grit and resilience to find a way to win every game. It could have been easy to

conference tournament champions is what we are working for,” Roper said.

One of the highlights of the game was senior Siani Yamaguchi playing an impressive defensive style, receiving a career-high 23 digs, to go along with 48 assists, four kills and three service aces during the match.

While finishing the season strong seems good, it provides motivation as the tournament comes at the end of the semester.

“It’s a great feeling being undefeated this season but now we have a target on our back, it’s important for us to stay disciplined and outwork whoever our next opponent may be,” Yamaguchi said. “When the Big South Tournament comes around, it’s 0-0, it’s anyone’s game and the season records won’t matter. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

Outside hitter Jace Kleffner played a big role in the game, helping earn the first set victory.

“It is super exciting and all the hard work from the summer and preseason has shown through and everyone on this team contributed to the title of regular season champions,” Kleffner said.

With the season winding down from tournaments at home and cities like Washington D.C., the

Gabby Gardner/ The Johnsonian slip up, but we kept our composure and willingness to win. But we don’t want to stop there!! The overall

members of the volleyball team were proud to see the hard work they put in paid off.

“Being undefeated in conference and at home is an amazing feeling!

It brings us [confidence] going into the conference tournament and we have proved to ourselves that we are fully capable of winning the tournament,” Roper said.

Throughout the season, the team participated in multiple tournaments and managed to pull through at home and away, causing a sense of accomplishment for the team’s hard work.

“A definite highlight was the weekend where we played High Point University and swept them and then the next day we played Radford University and won against them as well. Both those teams were major competitors and our rivals and we won,” Kleffner said.

The team focused on improving itself by looking at the camaraderie between the players and working that into the strategies on the court.

“The biggest improvement that became evident throughout the season was our team chemistry and paying attention to the small details that make us better,” Roper said.

Being undefeated this season was made possible by the team continuously working to improve themselves.

“One of our team goals we put together at the beginning of the season was to be undefeated at home, and we accomplished that. To be undefeated in our opponent’s gyms is just an added goal we achieved and it is really incredible,” Kleffner said.

Gabby Gardner/ The Johnsonian

At the beginning of the season, the women’s volleyball team focused on improving themselves every day to not burnout over the season by wasting energy and improving their stamina. This goal of not burning out helped engage the players during practice and translate to successes in the court.

“I think as the season goes on, most teams feel “burnt” out and start to go through the motions at practices. As a whole, our team did a good job staying engaged at every practice and I think that’s what helped us be successful this season,” Yamaguchi said.

Another area that the team improved on was one of adapting with every match as the season went on.

“We adapted to adversity and we changed things quickly. We used to not be very good at adaptation or we would adapt and it would be too late so I think we really developed and now we know how to change fast,” Kleffner said.

After the match against Gardner Webb with a senior recognition for the 2019 class before the match, the women’s volleyball team is now heading toward the tournament.

The Eagles are eager to show the hard work they put into this season.

“The tournament is going to be the true test of our program and what we can bring. Every member of the team has to be on and we can win the Championship for sure, but it will take all of us,” Kleffner said.

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

8

November 20, 2019

The 84th annual tree lighting

The Winthrop Student Alumni Council will be lighting the magnolia tree for the 84th year

For the past 84 years, the huge magnolia tree on campus has been lit for the holidays. The traditions started in 1935 and has continued to the current year, where Winthrop will be celebrating 84 years of the festive lights being hung around the tree.

The first evidence we see of the magnolia tree is a picture of the tree from a previous Johnsonian issue printed on Dec. 18,1964. Although the magnolia tree lighting started in 1935, an article was first written in the Dec. 11,1978 issued by Margaret Caroll and Bonnie Jerdan.

The tree, located on the lawn in front of Tillman adjacent to the fountain, is no ordinary tree, Margaret Caroll and Bonnie Jerdan The Johnsonian, 1964

“The huge magnolia blossomed into a colorful array of green, red, blue, and yellow at 4:30, Dec. 5, when Hill Culp, director of the physical plant, supervised the lighting ceremony after Rock Hill’s Christmas parade.”

At the time the article was written, the magnolia tree lighting was a part of the Winthrop campus for 43 years, and according to Caroll and Jerdan, the only time the tree was not lit was when there was an energy cut-back”. Other than that one year, the tree has continued as a tradition planned and played out by the Winthrop Student Alumni Council.

Shayna Foxworth, the staff advisor for the Winthrop Student Alumni Council, gave current information on the tradition of the tree lighting to go hand in hand with the information given by the previous staff writers of the Johnsonian.

“New and returning students that attend this event will learn

about the Southern Magnolia Tree and how this event came to be,” Foxworth said. “the tradition started in 1935 when members of the Young Women’s Christian Association asked the director of Winthrop’s physical plant to find a campus Christmas tree.”

The ladies at Winthrop sang Christmas carols and gathered together as a community of women to continue the tradition of lighting the tree.

This year, “the Annual Tree Lighting will provide an opportunity for Winthrop Students to count down to the lighting of the southern magnolia tree with regard to the students who took initiative to highlight a holiday that was important to them,” Foxworth said.

By continuing this tradition, students have been given the opportunity to participate in a community based event that brings all students together for

the holidays. The event will be held on Friday, December 2nd, beginning at 6 p.m. There will be performances, cider and cocoa, and dazzling lights from the tree.

4 Reasons to read X-Men

Why should we pay attention to this reboot of Marvel’s Merry Mutants?

In March of 2019, the X-Men line started barreling towards a reboot. With series like “Uncanny X-Men,” “X-Force” and “Mr. and Mrs. X” ending, Marvel announced a reboot of the X-Men franchise. A few days later, Marvel announced the “House of X” and the “Powers of X” (pronounced “Powers of Ten”). These two books told one story about a new mutant status quo, and spinning out of the two series are six new books. But why should comic book readers pay attention to this reboot, especially after every other reboot the X-Men have had in the past?

Mars Hogue/ The Johnsonian

Here’s why: Writer’s Lineup The writing lineup for the “Dawn of X” has diverse talent from all corners of the comic book industry. Jonathan Hickman is the head writer (with the nom de guerre of “Head of X”), so he has a presence in all of the stories being written. So far, Hickman is writing the new X-Men series and working with Ed Brission (writer of “Extermination”) on a new “New Mutants” series. Benjamin Percy, former “Nightwing” writer, will be helming the new X-Force series. Gerry Duggan, who wrote “Guardians of the Galaxy,” heads the “Marauders” series. Tini Howard, fresh off her “Strikeforce” debut, is writing the new “Excalibur” series, and Bryan Edward Hill from “Batman and the Outsiders” is rebooting “Fallen Angels” for a new generation.

Concepts The stories for the new “Dawn of X” series change the way readers see the X-Men. In the past, they have been hated and feared in a world that doesn’t want them.

Now they have their own world in the Nation State of Krakoa, and with it a new status quo. The books spin off on the ideas, but each have their own direction. While Hickman’s “X-Men” series explores mutants in general around the world, “Marauders” explores the world around mutantkind. “Excalibur” invokes feelings of adventure and magic, with a new Captain Britain rising

in order to protect Krakoa and the Otherworld. X-Force takes the nation’s security to the next level, and the team acts as the “CIA of Krakoa.” New Mutants kicks off with the team heading off to space to save their friend, and finally the new Fallen Angels series explores a “mission that could jeopardize all mutantkind” involving killing a god. The stories set a new tone for the X-Men. Lineups Every one of these new series has a team of old members and completely new ones. “X-Men” will have a rotating roster, with members like Storm, Emma Frost, and others being teased. Even though the “X-Men” will be the only one with a rotating roster, the other series will have set teams that will change over time. The new volume of “Excalibur” will feature Betsy Braddock as Captain Britain working with Jubilee, the newly-married Rogue and Gambit, Rictor and Apocalypse. “Marauders,” a brand new series, features Captain Kate Pryde as she works with Storm, Iceman, Bishop, Pyro, and Emma Frost as a source of funding for Krakoa and a team ready to free mutants who cannot reach the mystical “gateways” to Krakoa. The “Fallen Angels” reboot features Kwannon as Psylocke, and she teams up with X-23 and Kid Cable on her mission.

X-Force will feature two sets of teams, designed after the concept of “brains and brawn.” The brains will be Jean Grey, Beast, and Sage while the brawn will be Kid Omega, Wolverine, and Domino. The New Mutants return with Sunspot, Magik, Wolfsbane, Mirage, Karma, and two new members

from “Generation X,” Chamber and Mondo.

Diverse Art Previews of the artwork have been released on social media platforms like Twitter. The “X-Men” art by Lenil Yu gives the X-Men a new dynamic style that fits the flagship book, giving each character their moment to shine and shows off a heartwarming family moments with the Summers’ and their respective families. “Marauders” shows off a new dynamic for each member of the teams, highlighting Kate Pryde’s fighting style combined with her intangibility. “Excalibur” gives a brand new sense of the word “mystic,” with the art showcasing the new world for the team with a seemingly unstoppable force and the brand new Captain Britain rising to the occasion, much like how the original Excalibur was drawn from the stone. “New Mutants” captures an epic space odyssey, and explores the new team dynamic with some highlights including the conversations between Cypher and Mondo.

X-Force shows off the dark and gritty new landscape for the nation’s security, and ends with a moment that shakes up the rest of the series going forward. The art for the “Fallen Angels” preview tells the story of a woman vs a god, and what happens for those who choose the path of the warrior over the path of peace.

With reasons like these, the Dawn of X seems like the perfect starting point for old and new X-Men fans.

All 6 of these books are available at local comic shops OR online at https:/www./comicstore.marvel. com/.

“Out of the Rut”: A Friday Arts Project event Thursday night is Winthrop’s Union of Student Artists’ “Out of the Rut” Art Market

For the past four years, the Friday Arts Project has hosted an Art Party. Kirk Irwin, executive director of the organization, gives information on who the organization is, what they do, and how they are involved in the community. The arts collective plans to continue the events they have been hosting and further their impact on the community.

“Our mission as the Friday Arts Project is to foster craft and call forth a full human community through curating conversation,” Irwin said, “we believe that when people engage with creativity, especially through the arts, it creates a place for them to become better human beings, better citizens, and better neighbors.”

Kaitlyn Rodgers is an art student at Winthrop who is part of the Union of Students. Rodgers’ explained the Union of Students as having the same goal of “bringing people together with creative

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

ideas and opportunities,” just like the Friday Arts Project. “The Friday Arts Project has a strong base here at Winthrop,” Rodgers said, “the Union of Students works hand in hand with them in the sense of having the same goals of creating opportunities for the students.”

The Friday Arts Project gives students at Winthrop a chance to be a part of a bigger artist community in Rock Hill. Many of the students at Winthrop are already involved, but are encouraged to join the collective to experi-

ence how the “arts can make the community more captivating and inspiring,” Irwin said.

The Art Party started four years ago that stemmed from the holiday sale a local artist, Harriet Goode, did for years the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Goode invited Friday Arts Project to “take it on and see what would happen if more energy were put into it and ‘Art Party’ was born,” Irwin said.

For the first time this year there will be an event combining a short film and live comedy featuring

9 The 22 Tour organization and Ben Sliker. Irwin said, “the proceeds will be going toward an organization called ‘Stop Solider Suicide,” which is an organization that works to provide resources for veterans.

community that has merit and growing influence.” The Art Party gives students the opportunity to begin a platform for after they graduate from the university.

Those attending the event “can expect to see art done by people who are not professional or trained artists who are doing art regardless of who they are,” Irwin said. Rodgers’ statement paralleled with Irwins when she said,

The Art Market, “shows the art students the broader art community that exists in Rock Hill,” Irwin said, “it is a small but vital

“the Union of Students art market will be filled with student work where people can come and purchase art to support the students.”

A mixture of different types of people will be contributing their art, hoping to put their influence on the world.

Irwin closed the conversation with, “I once heard a lecture by a Hollywood screenwriter who said

there are two types of people in the world,” Irwin said, “artists and those that support them.’’

Winthrop’s Union of Student Artist’s will be participating in the “Out of the Rut” Art Market and Auction on Nov. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Courtroom in Getty’s Art Center, located at 201 E Main St.

Mason Foster/the johnsonian

A walk through time at Winthrop

Students perform classic and new show tunes during Homecoming week performed “Simple Joys of Maidenhood” from the musical “Camelot,” noting that students Whether on campus, at home had to audition the songs they or on Broadway itself, there is wanted to perform. a certain appeal to musical the- “The criteria was to bring a ater and opera in today’s world. memorized, musical theatre Nothing speaks to that more piece to the audition,” Strait than seeing students perform said. their favorite songs and chalStudents in the Winthrop lenge themselves to give a fun Opera Theater worked with rendition of classic songs that director of opera studies Jeffery we can enjoy listening to.

McEvoy and Lannia BroñoThe Winthrop department la-Dickert on the piano to of music hosted a special event practice their songs before the called “A Night of Musical The- performance. ater: A Walk through Time” on “I have a weekly voice lesson Nov. 11 in Barnes Recital Hall, with Dr. McEvoy where we are with performances by students able to progress with the rep in the Winthrop Opera Theatre. that I am working on,” Goldin Students performed songs from said. musicals such as “South Pacific” As the semester went on, and “Little Women,” allowing students were able to work with students such as senior musical McEvoy to learn how to pertheatre major Maggie Goldin to form in the recital hall and how share how musical theater can to be confident when singing to be impactful. the audience, either naturally or “Theatre shows you life on with operatic voices. stage, and teaches you lessons.

“When we went through Musical theatre gives you songs our dress rehearsals, he told to remember those lessons,” us where to stand and how to Goldin said. address the audience and the Sophomore vocal perforpianist who helped us so much. mance major Rachel Strait Shout out to Lannia,” said

freshmen musical theatre major Ian Latham.

Some of the songs at the performance included “Somewhere That’s Green” from “Little Shop of Horrors,” “I Know Things Now” from “Into the Woods” and “Corner of the Sky” from “Pippin.” These performances gave students the chance to express emotional moments in songs and convey them on stage through their voices and body language.

“Typical shows have a sort of cadence that all actors can feel as the show goes on, and while that’s not a bad thing, sometimes it’s important to break that and convey such strong emotion to the audience through song,” Latham said.

Sophomore vocal performance major Lauren Pace sang the song “Breaking Down” from the musical “Falsettos,” chronicling a woman losing her nerves. Pace used the jolly tempo of the piano and props such as a flask to convey humor to the audience, while using her voice to show the pressure on her.

“I chose this song because it

makes me feel really good to just be goofy on stage, and what college student doesn’t feel like they are breaking down at some point,” Pace said. “I honestly think there were two big challenges, remembering the words and finding a place to hide the flask.”

The song “Girl in 14G,” chronicled a new tenant caught between an opera singer and a fan of acapella music. Goldin was able to balance the different types of music, create contrast in the music and compliment the piano.

“It is a challenge for me, I have to access my entire range throughout the song, and those transitions can be tricky. This performance is a perfect opportunity for me to work on the song with the added pressure of an audience,” Goldin said.

“I am so happy that I could be a goofball on stage and receive positive feedback! I love performing and performances like this remind me that this is what I am supposed to be doing,” Pace said.

Student choreography shines in Johnson Theatre A preview of the Senior Choreography Showcase

The final mainstage show of the fall semester features the work of five student choreographers, brought to life by students in the department of theatre and dance. The Senior Choreography Showcase runs Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. in Johnson Theatre.

Sophomore theatre education major Ashlyn Chapiesky is in two dance pieces choreographed by senior dance majors Katelyn Haney and Kylah Gunter. Chapiesky says the process has been an overall positive experience and has helped her connect with her fellow performers.

“We usually rehearse once a week, every week, and we started back in October,” Chapiesky said.

“I have made so many friends, I feel like I’ve come out of my box a lot. It’s been hard work and long hours, but we’ve been working

really hard and it’s come together really beautifully.”

Unlike Winthrop Dance Theatre, the Senior Choreography Showcase is an opportunity for student work to be spotlighted.

“I think it’s really cool that we get to use our creativity and our imagination and present something to an audience,” Chapiesky said. “It’s really cool that they’re seniors and they’re choreographing already. It’s just amazing.”

Sophomore dance major Gracie Bennett is also in the modern dance piece by Kylah Gunter. According to Chapiesky and Bennett, the piece explores the “masks” that people hide behind to conform to social norms, and what happens when people are allowed to “unmask” their true selves.

“I’m the girl who’s ‘behind the mask’, and I try to take off my mask be who I am and people reject me,” Bennett said. “But people start to realize that they’re all behind the masks too, so they take off their masks and join me.”

Bennett is also in a swing dance

Madison Yarborough | Assistant A&C Editor yarboroughm@mytjnow.com

piece by faculty member Kelly Ozust. Originally choreographed to accompany the live band at the CVPA scholarship gala, the piece will be performed on the mainstage during the showcase.

Tickets for the Senior Choreography Showcase are $5 for students and $10 for the general public.

Lizzy Talbert/the johnsonian

10

OPINION

theJohnsonian

A look back at fall semester November 20, 2019

A look back at some of the highs and lows of events at Winthrop University this fall semester Joseph Calamia

staff writer

Final exams are around the corner and a lot has happened at Winthrop University this semester. It’s easy to forget the numerous cultural events, sporting events and programs with exams and projects going on. Here’s a look back at some of the interesting and surprising moments of this semester at Winthrop.

High Point: The way to the White House through Winthrop The 2020 presidential election is fast approaching and Winthrop was caught in a political fever among Democratic hopefuls. Among the presidential candidates, Marianne nianWilliamson, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders visited Winthrop and nearby Clinton College to hold rallies and encourage students to get involved in the election. Expect to see more political events to come to Winthrop, as issues such as climate change, student loans and Medicare remain hot button issues this election cycle.

Low Point: Alessia Cara canceled concert From the start of the semester, some students were excited to hear that Grammy award-winning singer Alessia Cara would be performing at the Winthrop Coliseum. Unfortunately, the concert was canceled two days before the scheduled date, with rumors beforehand floating around.

Due to the overpriced tickets and not enough excitement compared to other events, it’s fair to see how the cancellation became a historic meme to Winthrop students.

At least the students that bought tickets got a refund, we need all the money we can get.

High Point: Winthrop opens up during Hurricane Dorian When Hurricane Dorian was set to hit South Carolina, Winthrop opened its doors and invited students from the College of Charleston to take refuge for the week. For Winthrop students, we got to see some new faces around the university and make them feel at home by allowing them to participate in events like Open Mic Night. Truly one student’s campus is another student’s resort.

Low Point: The water pipe breaks In the middle of midterm exams, a sudden water pipe burst on Cherry Road caused a brief crisis for Rock Hill and Winthrop. Classes were canceled, buildings were shut down and Winthrop was left high and dry as toilets and showers were left without water. Many students left campus for an early fall break, while

those left behind made do with porta-potties and stocking up on water bottles. On the bright side, we got some pretty good memes for our extended fall break.

High Point: Sustainability and Sodexo Give Back One of the biggest changes of the year was the return of a long-requested item in Winthrop Dining: to-go boxes for Thomson Dining Hall. These to-go boxes not only were brought back for students but were designed to be reusable every day with a one-time fee throughout the semester. Another new development for our dining is the introduction of more vegan options such as the Impossible Burger and healthier options in Thomson, gaining them an A+ rating from PETA. Sodexo has been holding panels open to students to help them improve more this year, and student feedback has been positive so far.

To students, good luck to you during finals and continue to work hard at Winthrop. To faculty members, keep up the care and support you give to us students and helping us create stellar work. And to fellow graduates this December: We’ve made it at Winthrop, so we can make it out in the real world.

Have a great Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Winthrop Ever Stand!

Victoria Howard/The Johnsonian

Tate Walden/The Johnsonian

Mason Foster/The Johnsonian

Kevin Seabrook/The Johnsonian

Final exam tips for freshman Here’s how to ace your first college finals Beneshia Wadlington

staff writer

1. Don’t forget self-care!

Finals can be overwhelming. Take one day during the weekend before finals to mentally prepare.

2. Don’t cram!

You aren’t as likely to remember things if you’ve only been studying it for a night.

3. Study in increments.

Study a subject for 30 minutes, take a 10 minute break and repeat.

3. Use the Academic Success Center.

A lot of gen ed courses will have study sessions in Dinkins. Pop in to get some last-minute questions answered by your peer tutors!

4. Take advantage of the study session benefits.

You can find all kinds of perks around campus to help students stay motivated while studying. DiGs sometimes has donuts on study day! Thomson has previously had a pancake night after

Victoria Howard | Opinion Editor howardv@mytjnow.com

their regular hours on study day!

6. Don’t forget your blue books!

Some courses require you to purchase blue books from the bookstore for the final exam. You should purchase them as soon as they’re available.

7. Set your alarm!

You’re only allowed a certain amount of time for each exam.

Make sure you’re there on time!

8. Get your rest!

Make sure you’re getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep.

9. Organize a group study session!

You can learn a lot from your classmates and they can learn a lot from you. It’s a win-win!

10. Eat a healthy meal.

Don’t forget to eat when you’re studying — your brain can’t work if it’s not well fed!

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November 20, 2019

The best movies for the best season Nostalgia and escapism encompass what we need during the holidays

Mars Hogue/ The Johnsonian Victoria Howard

howardv@mytjnow.com It’s the most wonderful time of the year: time for Hallmark and Lifetime Movies to play Christmas movies 24/7. Sitting by a fire in cozy pajamas while drinking hot cocoa and watching the same cookie-cutter formula characters fall in love in hundreds of Christmas movies.

What’s more festive than that?

The general formula for these movies starts with either the male or female lead going home for the holidays and then reconnecting

with someone from their past. This connection from their past brings back the joy of Christmas and reminds them why they used to love Christmas. Other essential parts of these movies include nostalgic scenes putting up extravagant Christmas trees while eating impeccably decorated cookies, walking through small towns perfectly decorated for Christmas and time spent in the snow.

The love for these movies has increased throughout the years.

This holiday season, the Hallmark Channel is releasing 40 new Christmas movies, an increase from 37

being released last year. Lifetime is releasing 30, a significant increase from the 18 they released last year.

The CEO of Crown Media Networks, the parent company of the Hallmark Channel, William J. Abbott, said in a 2018 interview with Glamour that he credits the rise in popularity to how streaming has changed the way millennials consume media.

Michelle Vicary, the Hallmark Channel’s executive VP of programming and publicity, also credited the 24-hour news cycle.

“I think people can only take so much,” Vicary said to Glamour.

“We purposely look to be an escape.

We try not to be issues-oriented in terms of creating polarizing conversations, because there are places to get that. We are a place that is a haven from that. We’re just a different conversation.”

This escapism is the biggest reason we seem to love these movies. Instead of having to deal with real-world issues that make us feel helpless, we get to focus on predictable, easy to watch movies that remind us of the idealistic joy we hope for.

Ok, boomer

The origins and the implications of a controversial meme Matt Thrift

thriftm@mytjnow.com If you’ve spent any amount of time on social media in the last month, then it’s effectively guaranteed that you’ve heard the phrase “Ok, boomer.”

The word “boomer” here refers to baby boomers who were born between 1946 and 1964. While it is perhaps unfair to judge an entire generation based on stereotypes, many of these generational stereotypes exist for a reason.

These stereotypes about boomers largely stem from the massive numbers of boomers who acid-tripped their way through the peace and love days of the 1960s. Then, in the 1980s, took full advantage of the massive financial growth and either ardently embraced former president Ronald Reagan’s neoconservatism or became militant neoliberals in the style of former president Jimmy Carter.

The stereotype about boomers — wherever they may fall on the political spectrum — is that they are stingy, opinionated, greedy, entitled and right about absolutely everything. Furthermore, they don’t know how to use social media. They talk about how great things were back in their day without stopping. They make fun of millennials for being lazy socialists who want everything handed to them. They think jokes

about avocado toast are uproariously funny. They spend every last penny that they could pass onto their children. They will go nuclear if they don’t get their way when in a store or restaurant.

The fact of the matter is that baby boomers did, in fact, enjoy an extended period of unprecedented growth. There was a lot of money made in the 1980s. The baby boomers, much like some of the previous generations and the subsequent generations, were formed by the cultural, social and political forces of the era in which they came of age.

The ‘boomer meme’ as we know it today is a product of various influences. As memes grow and spread, they take on a life of their own.

However, the origins of the boomer meme appear to come from a series of satirical essays written by author, lecturer and YouTuber Jay Dyer and a friend of his.

In a recent video posted to IGTV, Dyer said that around 2008 he had been having humorous yet heated debates with his father — who he described as the “sort of quintessential boomer type of guy” — about topics such as banking, foreign policy and politics. Dyer said that he and a friend penned the essays the following year.

According to Dyer, the articles were shared among alternative media outlets and thus began the trend of boomer-posting. Dyer went on to say that as the boomer

meme began picking up steam, he began “hamming it up” with the boomer-posting which he described as “part of a schtick.” He said that the boomer-posting caught on with YouTube comedians and internet message boards and from there took on a life of its own.

While the boomer-posting and dismissing out-of-touch opinions with ‘ok, boomer’ can be humorous, the recent rise of this retort has exposed a new level of animosity, much of which is fueled by the culture that exists on social media.

As the United States has become hopelessly divided along political lines and the overwhelming majority of discourse on political and social issues takes place on social media, the long-standing tradition of debating issues and hearing the other side out has disintegrated. As political issues become more closely intertwined with specific generations, ‘ok, boomer’ has become a way to brush off and invalidate the opinions of people who have views on today’s issues that aren’t in line with the mainstream way of thinking.

Generational conflict is not a new phenomenon. Divisions and strife between older and younger people have existed since the dawn of time.

It is part of the human experience.

But the discourse surrounding ‘ok, boomer’ has taken a harsher turn.

Ageism is often seen as discrimination against older people, but

to view it only in that light ignores the vitriol that older generations employ against younger people.

Senior Vice President and Editorial Director at AARP Myrna Blyth recently came under fire for saying “OK millennials. But we’re the people that actually have the money.”

AARP disavowed the comment.

While Blyth’s comment was uncalled for, she does have a point.

The average boomer has far more wealth than the average millennial.

Since the last of the baby boomers graduated from college, the cost of living has skyrocketed while wages have stagnated. Jobs that pay a living wage have become increasingly more difficult to come by, partially because many boomers are still in the workforce and have not retired which would make room for millennials to move into those jobs. Many boomers own condos and homes in the suburbs that are far outside the price range for most millennials. The boomers have benefitted from the state of the economy but they did not directly cause it and now the prosperity they enjoyed is being used as a cudgel to beat down younger people who are struggling to make ends meet.

While humorous banter between generations is a time-honored tradition, what the boomer meme has morphed into is a distraction from the real causes of the issues that have arisen between the boomers and millennials and generation Z.

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November 20, 2019

Happy Holidays!

The Johnsonian will return in 2020