Winthrop University
Wednesday
April 3, 2019
Rock Hill, SC
Serving Winthrop and Rock Hill Since 1923
Jordan Farrel/ The Johnsonian Facilities management, faculty and students are still looking for the source of a “rotten fruit and meat” like odor in Rutledge building.
What’s that smell?
A mysterious smell filled Rutledge, the source of which is still unknown. Oriana Gilmore gilmoreo@mytjnow.com Sewage, swamp gas, garbage, animal feces and rotten eggs are the various smells faculty, staff and students in Rutledge said they have experienced occasionally for years. Recently, “the smell” has resurfaced and caught the attention of current students and faculty. “the smell” has been described as a “gas leak” due to a hissing noise paired with it, but there has been no evidence of an actual gas leak. Design department chair Chad Dresbach has been teaching in Rutledge for about 24 years. Dresbach said “the smell” is inconsistent in how often it appears and in its strength of odor. “There are days when you can only lightly smell it,” he said. “There are days “the smell” is so thick it nauseates people in classrooms separated by some distance.” Dresbach said “the smell” does not seem to be associated with any particular weather conditions, season or time of day. “It’s truly unpredictable when “the smell” appears, and why it’s sometimes strong or mild. So tracking this–from the point of view of facilities–is just especially tricky.” Dresbach said each time the “rotten fruit and meat” smell
has been reported, facilities followed-up on the call, but the timing of “the smell”, various descriptions of “the smell” and availability of facilities staff may have added more difficulty in identifying the source of “the smell”. Facilities management project manager, Wes Love, and Director of Operations, Chris Rousseau, said they have received several calls in past years about ““the smell”” in Rutledge, but it has become difficult to pinpoint the source of “the smell”. “This issue never seems to last for any long period of time. Recently, facilities has received three calls about ‘“the smell”.’ Facilities has responded each time and tried to identify the source. Recently, ““the smell”” has not been observed when facilities has been in the building,” they said. When facilities is contacted about a suspicious smell, they send a technician to enter cavities, ceilings and other spaces throughout the building to try and identify a source. Once a source is identified, facilities will take necessary action and if there is not an identified source, they will follow up at a later time to make sure the building is safe. On Sunday, March 24, Dresbach received an email from a freshman student who works as a lab monitor in the Rutledge Visual Resource
Center about a “bad smell.” Dresbach said the student, who was less familiar with “the smell”, checked the hallways to search for “the smell”’s source before she emailed him. The student’s concern rose after she stopped in front of two restrooms, a water fountain and a “hissing” air vent above them. It was the air vent’s hissing noise which caught her attention. “the smell” and the hissing sound caused the student to believe there was a possible gas leak in the building. Dresbach, although familiar with “the smell”, said student safety was his primary concern and he told her to open the windows in the RVRC lab, call Winthrop police and evacuate the second floor of Rutledge. Dresbach also notified the dean of the situation. After speaking with Winthrop police, the student was notified that there was no gas leak but they suggested students and faculty not to use the RVRC because of “the smell”. Tuesday, March 26, “the smell” resurfaced around 6:30 p.m. while Dresbach was still working in Rutledge. He said “the smell” seems to be coming from a vent on the second floor right outside the two restrooms and water fountain where the student had noticed “the smell” two days earlier.
“If a gas leak were ever detected, the building would be evacuated and facilities would take the necessary precautions to solve the problem starting with shutting off the main gas supply to the building immediately,” they said. “Once out of the vent, [“the smell”] permeates the second floor hallway and associated classroom space. And it’s… it’s disgusting, man. Smells like bad, egg farts,” Dresbach said. Facilities management said they are not sure what is causing “the smell”, but they are sure it’s not a gas leak. “If a gas leak were ever detected, the building would be evacuated and Facilities would take the necessary precautions to solve the problem starting with shutting off the main gas supply to the building immediately,” they said. Now that Facilities has established “the smell” is not the result of a gas leak, Dresbach said his biggest concern is how “the smell” will reflect on the university for prospective students and their families. “It’s unattractive; it reflects poorly on the institution. We have had students who have left the institution because of the state of facilities,” he said.
Man arrested on campus following reports of indecent exposure Victoria Howard howardv@mytjnow.com
He was parked outside of Phelps, and he wasn’t wearing pants. A man was arrested on campus last Saturday, March 23, after students reported that he was parked pantsless, according to a WUPD police report. The man, who was later identified as David Atkinson, 23, of York County, was seen in the parking lot outside of Phelps. According to the police report, two students called the Winthrop University police department to report they had witnessed a man touching himself inappropriately in his car. Police responded to the scene and pulled Atkinson over. When questioned at the scene, he claimed that he had been searching for his wallet and was on campus in an attempt to make friends. Atkinson was then transported to the WUPD station where
he spoke to Lieutenant Charles Yearta. According to the report, in this conversation, Atkinson admitted that he was on campus with the goal of “sexual gratification.” He stated that after parking his car outside of the Phelps residence hall, he watched female students. Eventually, he removed his penis from his pants in order to masturbate. He then drove around campus, seeking out female students to masturbate and expose himself to. Atkinson told police that he knows he has a problem and that he is “sick.” After reports of the incident were released in The Herald, some Winthrop students expressed that they wanted a better notification system for incidents like these. “I just wish that I was more aware of things like this. You hear about what happened at Campus Walk, but we don’t get notified about things like this, which can be really frustrating,” Danielle Owen, a
S&T
Down with plastic
•pg.5
mytjnow.com
Mugshot from York County Sherrif’s Office David Atkinson was arrested and charged with trespassing, indecent exposure and possession of marijuana. working hard to reassure students freshman dance major said. of their safety. The arrest of Atkinson After the arrest, Atkinson comes after an assault on the has been issued a trespass warning Walk2Campus property and an and will not be allowed to return incident of a man streaking across on campus in the near future. He campus before the start of fall 2018 was also charged with possession of semester. As students’ concern for marijuana alongside the charge for the possibility of serious events indecent exposure. like these grows, campus police are
Sports
Girls on fire
•pg.6
Opinion
Ignore the old, build the new
•pg.10
Index: News 3 | Science & Tech 5 | Sports 6 | Arts & Culture 8 | Opinion 10
2
PAGE 2 theJohnsonian April 3, 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
3
NEWS theJohnsonian April 3, 2019
March Madness: provost edition The provost search nears an end as four finalists are left. Anna Sharpe sharpea@mytjnow.com
While the rest of the country was concerned with their final four picks for their fantasy basketball brackets, Winthrop was focused on its own final four picks. The search for the new provost and chief operating officer is coming to a close as the search committee, chaired by Sheila Burkhalter, vice president of student affairs, and Justin Oates, vice president of finance, narrowed down the candidates to four. The finalists are:
Dr. Melanie Hatch Hatch is currently the associate provost at Albany State University in Albany, Georgia. She earned her Ph.D. in management science. According to Hatch, the role of the provost is one for innovation, developing the faculty, staff, and academic affairs in a way that will benefit the university and advance the Winthrop Plan. In order to have this sort of innovation, Hatch hopes to implement an environment of intelligent risk taking. “In order to create a climate of [risk taking], you’ve got to have a tolerance for failure, because again, not everything works. If you are willing to try something and you want your people to try something, then you better not be punitive if it doesn’t work out,” Hatch said. Hatch concluded her visit on March 19. “I came here ready to be impressed and I have been. I felt that [Winthrop] has a sense of purpose. You have a vision. Your president has a vision. You want to support that. You know where you’re going; you’ve got metrics to support that on how to get that. I really see a sense of purpose here at the institution,” Hatch said.
Photo courtesy of Winthrop University
Dr. Jie Chen Chen is currently the dean of the graduate school of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He earned his Ph.D. in political science. His goal for the provost is turning challenges into opportunities. At Winthrop, he identified challenges in enrollment, student retention and innovation and technology. Transforming these challenges into opportunities would involve looking at the challenge on a national level and then targeting the solution towards Winthrop. Chen concluded his visit on March 26. “I believe that this is a good opportunity, a good university, institution to be with for several reasons. First of all, this university, to be honest, ranks pretty decently...also you have pretty good teacher-student ratio. I really value direct interaction with the student. I believe that this is one of the most important values of higher education in this country. You really care for students, for future students well-being and you have a very close category of frequent interaction of students,” Chen said.
Photo courtesy of Winthrop University
Dr. Adrienne McCormick McCormick joined Winthrop as the dean of the college of arts and sciences in 2018. She earned her Ph.D. in literature in English. If she were to gain the position as provost, she would work to further the Winthrop Plan through implementing “next-generation advising practices,” advancing online programming and professional development for faculty. McCormick sees her style of leadership as service-based and feels this will benefit her in the role of Provost. “The main call to leadership for me is to lead to serve, to be in service to others, and also to create an environment where those that I work with also have the ability to improve in their service, to be motivational and to always practice shared governance and sharing in that decision making process,” McCormick said.
Photo courtesy of Winthrop University
Dr. Robert “Bud” Fischer Fischer is currently the dean and a professor of college of basic and applied sciences at Middle Tennessee State University. He earned his Ph.D in evolutionary biology. He said the role of the provost is learning to balance the duties of being both the chief academic officer and the chief operating officer in working to find ways to advance the Winthrop plan that are efficient and feasible for the university. “In this day and age of ever changing times in higher education, you are going to have to figure out how to be in the room, having conversations and creating groups and creating relationships with all constituents across the campus to be able to come to some conclusions. On the other side of the coin, which is the COO, what you’re going to have to do is put everybody together to really handle some of the other difficult problems that are associated with universities in these ever changing times,” Fischer said. Fischer concluded his visit on March 29. “Winthrop has a bunch of commitments that I believe in. A couple of them being: I believe in diversity, accessibility and affordability. I believe that [Winthrop] has a commitment to academic quality, and I do too. I believe that you have a commitment to the teacher-scholar model. Lastly, I think you have a commitment to being part of this community and this greater area,” Fischer said. Photo courtesy of Winthrop University
Anna Sharpe | News Editor sharpea@mytjnow.com
4
theJohnsonian April 3, 2019
Figuring out the future
News deserts, citizen journalism and the balkanization of media. Just where in the world is the future of journalism headed? Anna Sharpe sharpea@mytjnow.com Local newspapers are on the decline as more and more publications are forced to shut down or merge. On March 26, The Future of Journalism welcomed a panel made up of Kelly Kaufhold, a professor of mass communication at Texas State University, Gene Policinski, chief operating officer of Freedom Institute and the Institute’s First Amendment Center, Graham Osteen, the executive editor of the Sumter Item to discuss where the industry is headed. The panel was moderated by Glenn Burkins, publisher and founder of Q City Metro. “The Future of Journalism” was part of the The News Literacy and the Future of Journalism series. News Deserts Burkins opened the discussion on the topic of news deserts. News deserts are areas that have no media sources specific to the local area. Since 2004, 1,800 newspapers have closed or merged in the U.S. When publications merge or shut down, there is a loss of coverage for community issues. Being informed on a local level is just as important as being tuned in on the national level. Keeping up with the activity in Congress and the White House is important, however it is just as vital to be aware of what is happening in your town hall and state house. The decisions that are made here affect you directly and can have a bigger impact on your life. Communities that lose their local papers also lose out on a major way to get information about these decisions. “We need to be an informed democracy to make intelligent decisions. You hear this and it’s a cliche about national politics, but it’s not always about national politics,” Kaufhold said. “It’s about your local budget, it’s about your traffic, where you’re going to park, where you’re going to work right here in South Carolina. If we don’t have a robust, vibrant local information source... then there’s a hole in the information you need to be free and self governing.”
Through the gloom, Osteen sees a bright potential future for newspapers. “Good newspapers can survive anywhere if you’ve got the right people, if you’ve got the right business mix and you’re committed to trying to make them succeed,” Osteen said. “We think that there is a great future for them. When I say ‘the paper,’ I don’t mean just the paper. Obviously, I mean the website and the brand that’s built around the paper.” He said digital initiatives, such as email newsletters and audience interaction focusing on the achievements of the community are ways he has found success in maintaining local papers. “Build your brand by covering the community that way. That’s, I think, a good model for the future, if we can sustain that. I hope that we’ll all remain vibrant newspapers in the communities that they serve,” Osteen said. User-generated content Sometimes when it is noticed that there is a lack of coverage or attention to an issue in the community, a citizen will take it upon themselves to cover it. This user-generated content is produced voluntarily and typically by someone with no background in journalism. Policinski is wary of this type of coverage because of its natural arch of interest. “When it’s not your job that you’ve committed to or your profession, what you get is someone who is very interested, often, in an issue or in a period of time-when their kids are in school. What happens is you have that arch that you don’t get when you have a person covering the school board full time,” Policinski said. After the arch of interest is finished, for example when the child graduates or switches schools, there is no one to pick up where the parent left off. Even if someone were to pick it back up, there is no “institutional memory” to hold the school board, government, etc., accountable. Another potential issue with user-generated content is activism.
Anna Sharpe/ The Johnsonian Gene Policinski, Graham Osteen, Kelly Kaufhold, and Glenn Burkins discussed the possible future of journalism. If someone feels so deeply about an issue that they create their own coverage for it, it can be difficult to remain unbiased. “That’s a potential danger as well. Because as [Policinski] said, you end up with people who care very deeply about a topic and you hope that they’re able to put aside their bias or their deep interest,” Burkins said. Balkanization of media As people are turning to niche news sources as opposed to one objective source, the question of what partisan media is doing to our society arises. Burkins asked the panelists if they thought the balkanization, or division, of media was hurting the public. Kaufhold consults news sources of all backgrounds, reading traditionally conservative publications while also visiting more liberal ones. He said he does not oppose to media with political leanings. “It’s a mistake to think journalism has always been objective or journalism has never been profitable. Both of those things are wrong. I don’t object at all to balkanized, partisan media as long as I still have an objective source to go to,” Kaufhold said. Policinski said he preferred “some media to no media” but there should be a baseline of truth connecting all newspapers, no matter the intended
audience. “I do think at some point we need to have a shared set of facts. I refuse to accept the idea that the markets we identify now, they’re markets of opportunity, but they are not the markets of a community,” Policinski said. These hyper-specific newspapers, magazines, publications of any kind can tend to disregard the greater communities. “The community exists together. We drive on the same streets; we go to the same schools. I worry that the opportunities are ignoring the communities, the broader communities. We have a history in this business of ignoring communities, of under-serving racial communities, sometimes religious communities. I’ll choose that system right now to get news out to people and to keep news flowing, but I think at some point we need to take the opportunity and make it community wide. I think that starts with the most local enterprises because you know your readers the best,” Policinski said. To grow the local coverage that is necessary for a united and informed community, Osteen said dedicated reporters are critical. “I think that we need people who are committed to the community that they are living in. That’s where it starts,” Osteen said.
More than my Autism Joseph Calamia Staff Writer In today’s world, there are people who are born with their own quirks and learn in a different way than everyone else. It’s important to not only treat everyone with respect, but also to help everyone reach their full potential in the world. On March 25, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. hosted a cultural event on their second annual “More than my Autism” event in Dina’s Place. The event featured Winthrop alumna Antwenette Scrivien, who focused on working with special needs kids and autism programs in the Rock Hill area. “My work with autism in the Carolinas involves working with the Early Autism Project as well as Solving Autism. These two companies cater to the needs of multiple families and provide intensive therapy for children with autism,” Scrivien said. Timarah Chisolm, senior exercise science major and member of Sigma Gamma Rho, was one of the organizers of the event. She worked with Scrivien and shared their achievements in helping kids with Autism in South Carolina. “As a service based sorority, we do numerous community service activities throughout the year, such as Operation Big Book Bag, where we donate school supplies to Title IV
schools here in Rock Hill. We also organize a program every October that is dedicated to breast cancer awareness with our national Hattie McDaniel cancer awareness and health program,” Chisolm said. One highlight of the event was Scrivien showing videos of achievements done by people who were on the autism spectrum, including a car wash that hires autistic people and praises them for their attention to detail. “From the videos, it eliminates the negative stigmas by showing that individuals with autism can still make a difference in society and can still achieve their goals,” Scrivien said. During the presentation, there was a discussion on how ignorance about people with autism can give a sense that people with autism can’t accomplish anything and how this stigma would cause them to feel isolated. “I feel that there is a negative stigma about the disorder because many people do not try to interact with them because they feel that they are different, but truly they are just regular students,” Chisolm said. The presentation drew from Scrivien’s personal experience, and discussed how when an individual is helping students with special needs, it is important for them to know how to work with those kids. “Autism is a number one concern
Oriana Gilmore| Assistant News Editor gilmoreo@mytjnow.com
Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian in school settings, especially involving whether or not to incorporate students in regular education classes. Therefore, it’s important to have people knowledgeable about autism to help those in need,” Scrivien said. With that said, the presentation acknowledged that there are improvements to be made regarding not only accepting people on the spectrum, but also helping them live to their full potential. “In America, I feel that there has been improvements towards inclu-
sion of people with the disorder. From working with adults who have autism, I have seen them be more accepted in the workforce. As far as academics, I feel that there could be more room for inclusion in public schools and universities because I think that many times there seems to be a separation just because people may not know how to handle their behavior at times,” Chisolm said.
S&T
5
theJohnsonian
Down With Plastic April 3, 2019
The impacts of the worlds abundant plastic use proves to be critical after a juvenile whale is found dead with 88 pounds of plastic in its stomach Mikayla Mangle manglem@mytjnow.com In Davao City, Philippines, a young, emaciated whale was found to be vomiting blood, having trouble swimming and ultimately looked like it would die soon. The whale did eventually die shortly after the sighting by a local marine agency. A necropsy performed by a curator at the D’Bone Collector Museum, found 88 pounds of plastic in the whale's stomach. The whale likely died of starvation and dehydration due to all the plastic inside of its stomach. The curator describes that plastic possibly caused the whale to starve to death due to the fact the plastic blocks food from traveling from the stomach to the intestine. This issue of plastic pollution affecting animals and the ecosystem is not a new issue. Animals have been ingesting plastic left about by humans for many years all over the world. According to National Geographic, a 2015 report estimated that around 90 percent of all seabirds have ingested some amount of plastic. National Geographic also says a study by UNESCO estimates that 100,000 marine mammals die each year due to plastic pollution. The large amount of animals being harmed and even dying due to plastic pollution has caused great concerns from environmental activists across the world and many are stepping up to do something. The fight against plastic pollution is even being taken here at Winthrop’s with many students attempting to lower their own plastic consumption to better the environment. Environmental studies major, Heidi Hearne is well aware of the dangers of plastic pollution and the harm it can do to wildlife and the ecosystem. “Plastic pollution is harmful due to its inability to decompose. Plastics will outlive humans causing damage in many different ways.
Most infamously, becoming food for marine life and birds,” Hearne said. Hearne does what she can on the individual level to cut down on plastic waste. “Personally, I try to cut down on plastic waste by using reusable water bottles, straws and limiting the amount of food I buy that is packaged in plastic. At Winthrop, the best way to prevent plastic from ending up in landfills is to use the recycling receptacles across campus,” Hearne said. As far as limiting single use plastic waste at Winthrop specifically, there seems to be only Mikayla Mangle/ The Johnsonian a few initiatives actually A 2018 study found that only nine percent of plastic is actually getting recybeing taken. “I know Sodexo nine percent of plastic is getting [food company at is for Tossers. Singer is known to recycled. Therefore, according to Winthrop] tried compostable be a “zero waste guru” in that all Zero-Wasters, it only makes sense plastic cups but then switched of the waste she has produced in to not create the plastic waste in the the past five years fits inside of to the paper ones in Markleys. first place. There are no more plastic straws a 16oz mason jar. Package Free The Zero Waste Movement in Thompson, only paper,” Sara Shop has everything from bamboo has pushed for the creation of Mulligan, president of Winthrop’s toothbrushes to reusable sandwich expanding bulk sections in grocery SEAC, said. bags. Package Free has an online stores so one can buy staple goods store, ships anywhere in the United such as rice, beans, nuts, baking There is a growing States and no plastic is used in the good items and various snacks in movement happening currently packaging when being shipped, of a zero waste way by placing these across the globe to drastically course. goods into a reusable bag instead reduce plastic use, it is called the Most zero waste veterans of a plastic one. There are also Zero Waste Movement. The Zero recommend to begin a zero waste fully zero waste stores becoming Waste Movement is a consumerjourney doing one’s own research more popular, mostly in European led, grassroots movement of and not being afraid to mess up and countries. However, there have individuals who are advocating fail. In all, the zero waste movement been a few completely zero waste for consumers to limit their waste seems to be expanding across the stores built in the United States. and for businesses to develop more globe quite rapidly and perhaps in One of the most famous ones is sustainable practices such as using the near future could even catch on Package Free Shop. less plastic when packaging their right here at Winthrop. Package Free is located items. in Brooklyn, New York. Lauren Theses zero waste Singer founded Package Free activists argue that recycling is no Shop after she gained popularity longer enough to save the planet. According to a National Geographic for herself and the Zero Waste Movement through her blog, Trash article written in 2018 only
Interested in becoming low or zero waste? Here are some Instagram blogs to follow that can help you make the transition: @stevieyaaaay @trashisfortossers @_wastelandrebel_ @zerowastehome
Review: The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince
Joseph Calamia Staff Writer
We all remember hearing bedtime stories as kids, hearing tales such as “Little Red Riding Hood” or “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” But it’s something else to play a video game inspired by the fairy tales that we grew up with and be engrossed in a sad yet heartwarming story. “The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince” is a puzzle video game by Japanese game company Nippon Ichi Software. The game was released in 2018 for Japanese audiences, which in turn was localized by the American branch NIS America this year for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. The game has been met with positive reviews from critics and gamers alike for its intriguing story, unique storybook visuals and challenging gameplay. But before starting the game, it’s best to start with a little story. In a monster-filled forest, a wolf with a beautiful singing voice sings to the night, which attracts the admiration of a young prince who applauds the singing. Fearful
that the prince would reject her on knowing her identity, she accidently claws out his eyes in an attempt to cover them when he tries to meet her. Feeling guilty for causing the prince to be shamed by his parents for his injury, she resolves to make amends by bringing him to the mysterious witch who can heal his eyes. Earlier, she lies to him saying that she is a princess, which she trades her singing voice to the witch to transform between her wolf form and a young princess to escort him. Together, the princess and the prince embark on a journey through monster-ridden forests, face harrowing obstacles and bond with each other along the way. As the wolf, the player must balance playing as a wolf in fighting monsters and escorting the prince as a princess through a variety of areas from mushroom forest and caverns with riddles. The player will have to be careful not to let the prince get hurt or as the princess not fall from such great heights. Besides fighting monsters and leading the princess, the wolf will solve puzzles such as using flowers that shoot projectiles, breaking platforms, balancing on breakable
paths, activating buttons, using portals and solving challenging riddles. Eventually, the prince can be ordered to move to various locations or to carry items such as a heavy rock or a lantern. The player will get a nice challenge from each puzzle, without feeling frustrated on the difficulty of the game. In terms of graphics, “The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince” has a hand drawn feel combined with an imaginative look. The environments have a 2-D look to them, giving the player immersion to a really creative and mysterious forest. The cutscenes and character sprites show influence from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson, giving players the feeling their reading a classic fairytale. There are also little character details that make the game feel unique such as the wolf brushing herself when turning back into a princess or both the prince and princess smiling when they walk holding hands. With a run time of about five hours, the game could be completed in an afternoon or evening. Despite the run time, the player can replay levels for a variety of collectibles in
Mikayla Mangle | Science & Technology Editor manglem@mytjnow.com
each level from petals and flowers that the princess could find and give to the prince. These can unlock concept art for the characters and environments as well as learning about the in-game fairytale about the mysterious witch of the forest. The music in the game is also very beautiful, with a whimsical sound that makes the environment feel like an animated movie of that tale. In summary, “The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince” is a heartwarming adventure through familiar archetypes of fantasy stories while challenging players with creative puzzles and delivering a fun narrative that is reminiscent of a good old fashioned bedtime story that will delight the player and deliver a sense of nostalgia. If you’re interested to see if the wolf princess and prince will live happily ever after, then be sure to find out in this harrowing tale of love and lies. “The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince” is available on the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4 for both digital and physical purchase. The game is rated Everyone 10+ for fantasy violence and mild blood.
6
SPORTS theJohnsonian April 3, 2019
Eagles beat Bearcats Westbrooks launches four homers, Eagles win two of three
Greta Conboy/The Johnsonian
Broman becomes the 25th player to hit 1,000 points and 5th highest in total three pointers in Winthrop history.
Matthew Shealy Staff Writer After facing Campbell and Longwood in the first two conference series of the season, Winthrop’s softball team played host to the Binghamton Bearcats on March 22 and 23. In what was a three-game, non-conference series, the Lady Eagles earned two wins and one loss. It was not a good start for the Eagles, as they lost the opening game 7-2. After the Bearcats got on the board with three runs in the second inning, Winthrop responded with a two-run homer from junior Ashley Westbrooks, which was her first home run of the season. Binghamton scored three more in the fifth and another in the seventh, and Winthrop had no answer. Madyson Watson, a junior, earned five strikeouts but allowed three runs on five hits and two walks, giving her the loss to make her record 5-3. Game two of the series once again got off to a shaky start as the Bearcats took a 5-0 lead. The Eagles showed up in the bottom of the third, as
Ashley Westbrooks hit a three-run bomb, her second home run of the series. Senior Blake Wallert also scored in the third, making the Eagles deficit only one run. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, it was none other than Ashley Westbrooks to come to the plate. For the third time in the series, Westbrooks put the ball over the fence, giving the Eagles an 8-5 lead. Winthrop scored three more unanswered to win game two 11-5. Senior Kiley Majette earned the win, throwing five strikeouts and allowing only one run on seven hits and three walks through 5.2 innings pitched. The third game was almost completely controlled by Winthrop, as the Eagles scored one run in each of the first two innings. When Binghamton recorded two runs in the fourth, Winthrop replied with two of their own in the fifth. As insurance, the Eagles scored three more runs in the sixth, including a two-run shot by Ashley Westbrooks, her fourth home run of the series. Madyson Watson earned the win by pitching a complete game with six strikeouts and allowing only two runs on five hits and one walk.
Westbrooks ended the series with 12 RBI and a .600 batting average behind her four-home run effort, earning her Big South Player of the Week honors. “Being selected as Big South Player of the Week is such an amazing feeling. I’ve been struggling this year at the plate, and finally getting out of that slump definitely helped me continue hitting the ball hard all weekend,” Westbrooks said. “This game is such a mental game and Coach Savannah has told me countless times that there is nothing physically wrong with my swing; it’s all mental and in my head. So this weekend, I just went into it thinking, ‘I’m going to hit the ball hard and eventually it’ll drop.’” The Lady Eagles are now 3-3 at home and 2-4 in conference play. “As conference play is starting to heat up, I really hope to continue being a leader on and off the field. Whether I’m in the box hitting, or at 3rd on defense, I hope to be the teammate that the rest of the players know they can count on to make a play or pick them up when they are down. Being able to rely on each other is key, and I hope that I can continue being that teammate for everybody around me,” Westbrooks said.
Girls on fire
Winthrop Athletics holds cultural event to empower Winthrop’s Lady Eagles Greta Conboy conboyg@mytjnow.com “Girls on Fire” is an annual cultural event in Dina’s Place for the female student-athletes of Winthrop Athletics. This night is created by the administration in the athletic department to enhance development in the classroom, on the court and field and in life. The night contains various speakers from the department, university and local businesses. Tara Harrawood, associate attorney for Marcellino and Tysons Attorneys at Law in Charlotte, spoke to the female athletes to encourage the Lady Eagles on how to accomplish their goals. “I was truly honored to be asked to speak at the Girls on Fire’ event,” Harrawood said. “When empowering other women, it is important to remind them that they are capable. It is truly amazing what women are able to accomplish when you simply remind them that they can.” The main focus of this event was for the athletes to feel encouraged and empowered to accomplish their goals. “It is easy to get caught up in academics and athletics as a student -athlete, but this event helped me understand how important it is to build yourself and your confidence to compete when trying to achieve a certain career,” said sophomore women’s soccer player Megan Loveland.
Jordan Farrell/The Johnsonian
“Being a positive role model and source of encouragement for young women is important to me because of the great influences I was fortunate to have at that time in my life,” Harrawood said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without
Greta Conboy | Sports Editor conboyg@mytjnow.com
the support of other strong women, and I want to make sure I continue to pay that forward to young women in my life.” The next “Girls On Fire” will be held in March of 2020.
theJohnsonian
7
April 3, 2019
Winthrop Lacrosse victory before conference A profile on the recent victory and achievements of the Winthrop Women’s Lacrosse Joseph Calamia Staff Writer The spring semester is nearing its close for students and athletes. It’s a phenomenal feat for us to recognize our accomplishments over the semester, and celebrate the camaraderie of our fellow students and teammates. On March 23, the Winthrop University lacrosse team played against Mercer University at Eagle Field in the final non-conference game of the season. Although the game was close, the Winthrop Eagles managed to score victory with the final score at 14-12 against the Mercer Bears with a strong second half. Sophomore and middle lacrosse player Lauren Morris noted the performance of the game was for both teams and how Winthrop managed to prevail. “Mercer was hands down the best team win we have had all season. The game was not won because of the performance of a select few, but by each and every girl on the field giving their best and contributing,” Morris said. Sophomore exercise science major and attacker Olivia Deaver commented on how the game was an intense experience and how the team prepared. “In order to prepare for the game, we practice all week, watch film and work in the weight room. We watched film on Mercer and our coaches were able to come up with both an offensive and defensive plan to tackle mercer’s weak spots,” Deaver said. The lacrosse team is hoping to change the perception of the fastpaced sport by students. “Lacrosse is a very fast-paced, unique sport, and not too many people are familiar with the game,
Photo provided by Winthrop Athletics
Sophomore, Lauren Morris earned Attacking Player of the Week, thanks to her performance during the lacrosse game agaisnt Mercer especially in the Rock Hill area where there is little to no lacrosse. We do not get as many fans out to our games as we would like, but hopefully that will change,” Morris said. With the end of the nonconference season, it speaks volumes on how Winthrop managed to finish strong and how they plan to keep that momentum for the conference games in April. “We had a rough start to our nonconference play this season but have definitely improved tremendously from the start in February. We are continuously learning from both our mistakes and our successes in every game we play and can’t wait to take
on Campbell on April 3,” Deaver said. Morris said that one of the important things that the team improved on is how they developed their teamwork with each other and to grow in future seasons. “Coming into this season I knew was going to be a completely different feeling that last year. The only personal goal I set for myself was to use this year to grow as a player and better develop my skills in hopes to be the best teammate I can be,” Morris said. Recently, Winthrop Athletics reported that the Winthrop lacrosse team received multiple awards from the Big South weekly
awards. Morris earned the title of Attacking Player of the Week, which compliments her role on the offensive but noted how the team really pulled through during the match. “Our game against Mercer has been our best overall team performance yet. We played as a unit and really came out with confidence in ourselves and one another. I’m proud of how my team played and am excited to start conference tournament with the same energy that we showed Mercer,” Morris said. The Winthrop lacrosse team is working hard to play in the Big South Tournament on April 3.
Batter Up!
Winthrop baseball team loses eight game winning streak but is determined to make a comeback Beneshia Wadlington Staff Writer On March 24, the Winthrop baseball team successfully claimed a victory against Longwood, beating the Lancers 10-3 and extended their winning streak to eight games, making them 6-0 in the Big South play-to-stay atop the league standings. Ryan Watson, sophomore sports management major, is the catcher for the team and was excited about the streak. “The team feels really good about where we’re at,” Watson said. “We hope to continue to play the way that we’ve been playing. Conference is starting up, and I feel we have a very good chance of winning it all this year.” Cody Whitten, a sophomore finance major, plays as a left hand pitcher. “It’s great to finally start putting things together and playing like we should,” Whitten said. Tyler Baker, a junior psychology major, is a shortstop for the team and was also excited for the winning streak. “It feels good,” Baker said. “Especially after all the days and hours put into it finally paying off.” Throughout these wins, the team is doing its best to continue to stay focused. “We build on wins and focus on what we did right and how to continue doing so,” Baker said. “A win is always great and winning streaks are better, but no matter what our record is or who we’re playing, we play like we have to win and nothing is given and we work
hard every day to play the best that we can,” Watson said. “We’re just enjoying that feeling and want to keep winning,” Whitten added. Unfortunately, after last Tuesday’s game, the streak has come to an end as the Eagles were defeated by the Paladins of Furman University. Despite the loss, the team manages to keep a positive spirit and is even motivated for the next game. “After our last loss, our team has a 12 o’clock rule where on the day of the game, once it’s midnight it’s a new day,” Watson said. “That day is over; that loss is in the past and I think everyone on our team really has the mentality and our coach really believes in us as well and that helps.” Similarly, Baker said, “The first thing we do is forget Photo provided by Winthrop Athletics about it and move onto the next Pitchers on the team, like Zach Peek, continue to keep pushing and objective. give it their all for their team “We realize that some days our own or as a team, and everyone working for each other, understandwe’re gonna get beat but use that wants to get better. We have a great ing roles and finding ways to help as motivation to win the next one,” culture as the team and everyone one another. We prepare by preWhitten said. wants the best for the person next paring. Each day we are working on The Eagles are still focusing on to them. It keeps them accountable things to help us improve our game. sharpening their strengths and and make sure that they’re doing We work on mistakes made during working on game plans to make a the work and doing everything the games. We also work on putting comeback. “Some of our strengths, I right way. We’re looking forward to ourselves in situations before the believe, would definitely include our continuing conference play.” situation happens so that we are weakened rotation,” Watson said. “Our starting pitchers are very already prepared.” “It’s been electric so far in congood and as of lately our bats have After games all weekend against ference and especially our Friday been swinging it very well,” Whitten Radford and a rematch against and Saturday guys, Zach Peek and said. “We plan to just go out and Furman on Tuesday, the Eagles are Nathan Pawelczyk, they’ve been work hard everyday to make the preparing for their next game on out there dealing which gives a real team better.” Friday, April 5, against High Point good feeling to the team. That way “We are very talented hitting team University. we can be really successful and the this year,” Baker said. “Also, we are hitters go up and do their job. We very good at coming together and practice every day, whether it’s on
Gabby Gardner | Assistant Sports Editor gardnerg@mytjnow.com
8
A&CtheJohnsonian April 3, 2019
Changing the conductor It was recently announced that the music department will receive a new chair and retire the current chair in August
Caleb Hinkley hinkleyc@mytjnow.com Just as classes, semesters and grades change, so do the faculty and staff at Winthrop University. With these changes come new leaders with new experiences and those experiences can help enrich students experiences. The music department recently announced Elisa Koehler as the new department chair, meaning that the current chair, Don Rogers, will retire after this semester. Rogers has been with the department for over 23 years. He has been able to see countless students enter and graduate. Rogers is credited by Winthrop as “having elevated the department of music to one of the best in the southeast.” Current students have expressed their sadness about Rogers’ retirement but also expressed their good memories of him. “It is sad that Rovers is leaving but he did amazing things for the music department,” senior music education major Alex Sisk said. “He cared so much about how each one of us were doing. He was very personable with students he would come out into the lobby frequently to just get away from his desk and strike up a conversation with us and see how things were going. He wanted to provide us with the best that he could offer, whether that be bringing in guests from other establishments to do master classes and or what not. Overall he took pride in the department he established and he cared about the accomplishments of all of us and wanted nothing but for us to be better.” Sophomore music major Michelle Studer has also been impacted by Rogers. “He always does his best to fight for what the students need for classes weather it’s overrides or even sometimes just checking in with us when
Photo provided by Music Department
Elisa Koehler is excited to start as the new music department chair in August. he sees us in the hallway. He walks through the lobby with a smile on his face,” Studer said. Koehler will replace Rogers as the department chair beginning Aug. 1. Koehler is currently a professor of music and director of the Center for Dance, Music and Theatre at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. Koehler expressed her excitement about joining the music department as the new chair and shared what students can expect. “Students can expect me to be laser focused on their needs and I am eager to get to know them,” Kohler said. The new chair also mentioned some plans and procedures she would like to implement in the music department. “Some of the things that I would like to
accomplish for the music department include a series of career development workshops for music majors, outreach to alumni, increased transparency in budget management for faculty, and strengthening the string education and orchestra programs on campus. I am also excited to work with Dean Jeff Bellantoni to support plans for the new SMaR+T building in any way I can,” Koehler said. A change in leadership is coming to Winthrop’s music department this fall. While Rogers is sure to be missed, he will certainly not be forgotten. Koehler’s plans for the music department seem promising and are sure to honor Rogers’ legacy of engagement and wanting what is best for music students.
Preview of “In The Red and Brown Water” “In The Red and Brown Water” is a play that presents and deals with real life issues and will play in Johnson Theatre April 3-7. Caleb Hinkley hinkleyc@mytjnow.com Every student can relate to questioning whether or not they made the right choice in their major, class schedule and even in their personal lives. Everyone has to make choices and each choice has positive and negative consequences. “In The Red and Brown Water” is a play that examines this with humor and heart. The play is written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter for Moonlight. Since July 2017, McCraney has been the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama. “In The Red and Brown Water” is a part of McCraney’s Brother/Sister play trilogy. Some of McCraney’s other works include the Broadway hit Choir Boy and Wig Out! The cast and crew have been working on the show since February. Some of them shared what the show means to them and why it is important for this show to be performed at Winthrop. Theatre major Shakira Wiggins plays Aunt Elegua in the show. She explained the story and her role. “The show is about a young runner named Oya who has to choose between taking a life changing scholarship or staying and helping those she loves” Wiggins said. Regarding her character, Wiggins said, “Although, Elegua has a playful nature about her, she is a guide to many characters.”. Regarding her personal experience with the show, Wiggins said, “This show has been an amazing experience and is filled with a wonderful cast and crew. I believe it is extremely
Dillon O’Neill | A&C Editor oneilld@mytjnow.com
important for the growth of our theatre department to experience different stories on stage.” Kj Adams is a freshman theatre major who plays Ogun in the show. “To me the show means love will always be a rollercoaster. just don’t forget your seatbelt,” Adams said. Keshawna “Kiki” Brown, a tech theatre and design major plays Mama Moja. Brown explained a personal connection she has to the characters. “They remind me of my family and it gives me a spiritual connection I embrace in order to take on the role,” Brown said. Theatre education major Coby Bloomer plays The Man from the State. “This show is important because it features an African American woman as the lead,” Bloomer said. “It also presents and deals with real topics and we can all relate to Oya’s battle with herself and her situation.” “In The Red and Brown Water” will play in Johnson Theatre from Wednesday, April 3 through Saturday, April 6 at 8:00 p.m, with a final performance April 7 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are only $8 with a Winthrop ID and can be purchased at the box office or online. The production does contain strong language and is not suitable for children. The performance is also a part of Rock Hill’s Come See Me Festival, so those planning to attend should buy tickets in advance.
Photo Provided by Winthrop Theatre and Dance department
“In The Red and Brown Water” tells the story of a young girl who gets a big opportunity but has to choose between pursuing her dreams or helping those she loves.
theJohnsonian
9
April 3, 2019
Artist Spotlight: “Just do it” Winthrop student self-publishes her 10-year-old dream comic
Zuri Anderson Staff Writer “Star Wars” sparked her passion for drawing. Ten years later, senior illustration major Lizzie Shepard is making her dream come true with her original comic “Hail to the Freaks.” She did the entire layout, panelwork and coloring for the first issue. The original hand-drawn pages were monochromatic with black ink; the pages were digitally colored for the final product. The illustration major self-published “Hail to the Freaks” for a course called Sequential Art. While Shepard said she enjoyed the process, she encountered some challenges. The websites she utilized took “a long time” to get the final product out to her. “I would rather be part of a company that publishes the stuff for me… I don’t want to do Marvel or DC because I don’t want to be thirdwheeled. I’m thinking about Dark Horse,” Shepard said. Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book and manga publisher, best known for works like “Hellboy” and Frank Miller’s “Sin City.” Shepard said she wants to get involved in the film or comic book industry following graduation in May. Film concept art, production design, set design and costume design are areas of her interest. One of her final career goals include becoming an art director. Inspiration for a career involving illustration and drawing came from watching “Star Wars” behind-the-scenes extras. Shepard called the artwork behind “Star Wars” beautiful. “I always watched behind-the-scenes of how they made stuff in the movie. Eden McKeg… he did all the costumes for the prequels, at least Queen Amidala’s clothes. I loved seeing how he drew all that. It really fascinates me,” she said.
“”
Zuri Anderson/ The Johnsonian
I thought it would be interesting to reflect that composition on that page since the story takes place during the supposed fall of communism, the Berlin Wall. - senior illustration major Lizzie Shepard
industry as potential career paths in middle school, wanting “to be part of something bigger than [her]self” and “inspire other artists.” “I moved around a lot, and I had friends but they never really last long. Usually it was me, my notebook and movies I watched. That’s why I’m so attached to film,” she said. “I want to be that cool comic book artist no one’s ever heard about until someone else gets inspired by me.”
Inspiration behind “Hail to the Freaks” The Berlin Wall was the result of Germany being carved into four occupation zones after the end of World War II in 1945. Half of Germany went to the United States, France and Great Britain (the Allies), and the other half was occupied by the Soviet Union. These zones were called West and East Germany respectively. “Hail to the Freaks’” setting is based in Germany during communist occupation and the conflict between East and West Germany. Shepard said she wanted to diverge from the traditional comic book premise of superheroes in metropolitan cities, like New York. She also Zuri Anderson/The Johnsonian said she was a history Shepard practices her drawing skills daily, whether it’s enthusiast. simple doodles or full comic pages. The 2009 movie “Push,” starring Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning, inspired Shepard The self-taught artist was also influenced by to take a more realistic approach to “Hail to the animated works, including Disney and Studio Freaks.” She affectionately referred to the movie Ghibli. Studio Ghibli is a Japanese anime studio as her “Holy Bible” for narrative and thematic known for its distinct art style, fantastic themes structure. and emotional plots and storytelling. A few of “They are real people with real struggles with their notable works include “Princess Monontheir power. It was more realistic. The average oke,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” and “Howl’s Moving person with strange abilities,” Shepard said. She Castle.” developed her characters from brainstorming “Seeing ‘Spirited Away’ for the first time sessions with a friend. really blew my mind, because it was different,” The research for “Hail to the Freaks” included Shepard said. “When I was seven, I started learnthe lifestyle of the late 80s and 90s of West and ing to draw when I watched ‘Spirited Away,’” she East Germans, including housing, clothing, strugsaid. “I would draw the characters all the time. gles and social norms. Now I draw things I like, like ‘Harry Potter’ or “I watched a lot of documentaries about the ‘Star Wars.’” lifestyle of East and West Germans,” Shepard Shepard decided on the film and comic book said. “People try to escape all the time, and peo-
ple got killed for it. It was a very big problem. I observed the clothes and music was a big component.” The illustration major said she loved listening to music like Nirvana, and the music helped her understand the world as she drew her comics and panels. “It has a very Grunge-y feel, which is reflected in the artwork… the aesthetic. Splashed inks and gritty,” she said. Synopsis of “Hail to the Freaks” The story of “Hail to the Freaks” begins with the Berlin Wall falling and the divided German capital. “A disease happened around the world, and it’s affecting everyone; it’s changing their DNA. People in the West are more acceptable about it... People use it within their jobs, in their companies. It’s very natural. But in the Eastern side with communism, that’s a big no-no,”Shepard said. A company called IPCO gathered people with powers, molding them into weapons for Soviet use. Biotechnology is a recurring theme and motif in the comic. “Micah is the son of one of the co-partners of the facility,” Shepard said. “He has the power to absorb energy. The company fears that he can absorb other people’s powers as well, and he can. They shut him off from everyone else, and they are slowly killing him off.” Micah is featured on the cover of “Hail to the Freaks,” and the skeletal half of his lower face is the result of his torture. “He can make himself look normal, he just has to constantly absorb things, whether it’s nature, people or matter,” she said. Shepard said she always draws Micah with a cigarette in his mouth, because inhaling cigarette smoke counts as the matter he can break down. When the Berlin Wall falls, many people break out of prison or escape from the IPCO facility to reunite with their families. “It’s like this big revolt… People in West Germany didn’t know people were being kidnapped in East Germany,” Shepard said. Shepard’s advice to people interested in pursuing a career in illustration: “Just do it.” “When I was a kid, I felt like it would never happen. A lot of art people are quiet about their work,” she said. “I was for the longest time. Don’t be afraid to tell people about it. That’s how people got interested when I was growing up. I didn’t think I was going to do it, but here I am.” Shepard regularly posts her drawings, doodles and even pages for her second issue of “Hail to the Freaks” on her Instagram, @idgylizzie.
Caleb Hinkley | Assistant A&C Editor hinkleyc@mytjnow.com
10
OPINION
theJohnsonian
Ignore the old, build the new April 3, 2019
Joseph Calamia Staff Writer
During my time at Winthrop University, I’ve been around most of all the buildings on campus and garnered an appreciation toward both old and new buildings. Though the outsides have interesting designs, I’ve heard students talking about possible ways for certain buildings to be funded for repairs. However, it is questionable whether funding should be focused on new buildings instead of repairing the current ones. Since January of this year, The Rock Hill Planning Commission announced the planned construction of a new residence hall called
the Nest on Stewart Avenue and White Street. The construction is planned to start in June of this year and finish in time for fall 2020, but this construction comes from skewed priorities. While not officially headed by Winthrop University, this building would be housing new students in the Rock Hill Area. But with reports of what could have been a gas leak in the Rutledge building and complaints of the Courtyard residency falling apart, it begs the question of what takes priority in Winthrop’s construction funds. Winthrop University chief financial officer Justin Oates noted
how the Winthrop controllers dealt with rumors of the gas leak. “There has been a report of a smell that resembles a gas leak, but based on the facilities team’s follow-up work, there is no gas leak and the smells cause has not been confirmed. It is important to note, gas is not even connected to Rutledge which further confirms there is not a gas leak,” said Oates. Oates noted the importance of renovations in buildings to help with safety on campus while balancing out the budget for the university. “Renovations are important for
many reasons, but most importantly to ensure the safety & security of the Winthrop Community including students, faculty, & staff. It is also important that we prioritize safety and security renovations first vs. cosmetic renovations which might be nice, but we have to balance with the funding available,” said Oates. One way that Winthrop Controllers have tried to work with the Winthrop housing is to help improve the image of on campus residency and address needs to current buildings.
Photo provided by Emma Lindenberg
While building plans for a new residency hall have been approved, other building on campus crumble; begging the question, how is Winthrop prioritizing its construction funds?
Research methods: a method to the madness
While not the best horror movie to come out in recent decades, Jimmi Simpson carries the movie with great cinematography and light plot twists. Erin Streetman streetmane@mytjnow.com As a psychology major, there is one class that I have heard rumors about ever since I got to college. The infamous research methods class is a group work class focused on creating research projects within the field of psychology. Despite all of the rumors about how hard of a class it was and how much work it entailed, I still had no idea what to expect when I began the class. The class is a highly structured lecture and lab class that involves planning and creating your own research project. This includes coming up with an idea for the project, creating a survey for data collection, data analysis, implications of your findings, the whole shebang. Including preparing and executing the project itself, a full final research paper is also required from each person in the class. At the end of the class, each group creates a poster and presents their project summary. On top of this is the regular lecture classwork, which tackles the ins and outs of psychological research, such as data analysis and ethics. Overall, the class is a nightmare of workload. But is it worth it? The short answer is: mostly. The longer answer is that the class prepared me for the good and the bad of group work. From people not showing up and not completing their assigned sections to having to rely on that same person later on when you simply can’t keep up, group work is hard. In the end, everyone pulled through and did their best. My group had a solid project and just recently came back from our trip in Jacksonville, Florida where we presented our research methods project at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. However, to get to this point, my group and I had to go through several breakdowns, annoyances, last minute trips to the library and more. We grated
Erin Streetman/ The Johnsonian
Tara Collins, Erin Streetman, Jasmin Harrell, Vanesha Paul and Emmy Gillespie present their poster at the SEPA conference in Jacksonville, Florida.
on each other’s nerves but came out best friends. Many other disciplines include classes like research methods, where group work and class work go hand in hand. A lot of the time I felt like I was drowning in coursework, but the worst part was not really knowing how my grade would turn out at the end of the semester. The class was a lot of work in a short period of time, but in the end, I was able to present at the SEPA conference, made new friends, and learned a lot about time management and how to tackle tough tasks. So in
Erin Streetman | Opinion Editor streetmane@mytjnow.com
the end, the class was worth the long nights, the arguing, and the coursework, but I will admit that I stressed myself out a lot more than I needed to. Would I voluntarily take the class again? No. Am I happy that I was able to take the class once? Absolutely. In terms of course load, research methods was the most difficult class I have ever had to take, but it prepared me for the work I will have to do in upper level classes, grad school and future jobs and gave me the opportunity to present at a psychological conference.
theJohnsonian
11
April 3, 2019
From Full House to the big house
How Lori Loughlin & many other celebrities paid for college admissions letters
Gweneshia Wadlington Staff Writer The famous saying “smarts get you further than money can,” may not be very accurate anymore. Most of us, when applying to college, chose to be accepted the old fashioned way. If your academics match up with the university standards, you get an acceptance letter in the
through high school, both of which are now in college. Both girls attend University of California. Loughlin’s youngest daughter, Olivia Jade, is a YouTube star who started her own fashion and makeup collection with 1.9 million subscribers. Loughlin and her husband connected with a college admissions consultant, William ‘Rick’ Singer. Singer promised to guarantee admission into USC for both daughters as recruits for the crew team, although neither participated in sports. Their parents sent $200,000 per daughter through his non-profit, plus another $50,000 per kid to USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel. After sending the money to Singer, he set up Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian fake athletic pages to get the girls admitted, according to mail after anxiously waiting and the feds, he only required pictures anticipating the institution’s anof the girls using ergometers, meters swer. Others of us have our parents/ that measure the work someone has guardians pay thousands of dollars put in exercising. for an acceptance letter, only to As if this wasn’t a big enough later pay thousands more dollars in scandal, federal prosecutors indicttuition. ed 33 other famous couples in a If this scenario sounds familiar, massive bribery case that the U.S. it’s actually a recent thing that hapDepartment of Justice declared pened. Lori Loughlin, better known was the biggest college admissions as Aunt Becky of the TV series “Full scandal it has ever had to deal with. House,” has had two daughters go
Between 2011 and 2019, according to websource Town and Country magazine, ‘Singer racked up on about $25 million through the scheme from big wigs in various industries including gaming executive, a Napa Valley vinter, co-chair of an international law firm, prominent Silicon Valley investor who advocates for social responsibility, and actress Felicity Huffman.’ All 33 of them paid either Singer or his close friends to help their child(ren) cheat on the ACT/SAT college admission test, or pretend to be an athlete to land a spot at one of America’s elite colleges/universities, or both. Donating a building or donating to the schools’ scholarship funding is one thing, but committing deception and fraud to admit your child(ren) into school is completely different. Especially when they don’t actually care about attending school for higher education in the first place, according to Jade. While vlogging on her YouTube channel, Jade said that she didn’t care much about school, but wanted the experience of college parties, and would continue her channel no matter what. Which seems like a rather silly thing to be investigated for; ‘parents pay to get their child into college, child couldn’t care less.’ We’re not completely sure whether or not these celebrities will actually be locked up for fraudulent activities, but one thing is certain:
Erin Streetman/ The Johnsonian
12
2005
theJohnsonian
April 3, 2019