The Peace Times Spring 2023

PACERS AT PLAY

MaSS ShootingS and MentaL heaLth: how to heaL?

By Adanya Day

In light of the recent bouts of mass shootings and the midst of the mental health crisis, college students are asking “How do we heal?”

Six people died from a school shooting in Nashville in March, three of them children. Three students were killed at Michigan State University on Feb. 14. Eight N.C. State University students who have died this school year, five of them from suicide.

Data collected by the Rockefeller Institute of Government shows that just between 2011-2020, there were 160 mass shootings reported, 25% of which occurred in schools.

For many of those in college, mass shootings have been an essential part of their school experience. Such incidents have been in every form of media they digest throughout their daily lives for much of their teenage and early adult lives.

By Brian Martinez & Emerson Scollo

The saying goes that if one works hard, they play hard. That is no exception for college students. William Peace University Pacers participate in a variety of activities that showcase the drive and dedication that they have for their craft, whether they be sports, or theatre productions, or even competitive and noncompetitive gaming.

Pursuing these kinds of play in college while juggling classes and jobs can be a challenge, but can be equally rewarding. Studies have shown that being involved in extracurricular activities can boost grades, leadership

By Joley Cabe and Cora Rebert

One hundred and fifty student presenters, musical performances, lunch on the lawn, and more will be part of William Peace University’s Showcase, happening all day today on locations throughout campus.

Students will share their accomplishments at the 18th annual event, which runs from from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and is open to visitors. See the full schedule at bit.ly/ WPUShowcase.

This year, students will present at a total of 21 panels in a format similar to an academic conference,

skills, and can help students declutter the mind and shift focus. According to the U.S. Department of Education, there is an increase of math and science test scores of 2% in those students who are involved in extracurricular activities. By students being involved and playing, they are gaining new skills that they can incorporate into anything they get involved in.

Why we play

Student athletes are a prime example of students who work hard and

including “Taking the Leap into Immersive Learning,” “Race, Gender, and Sport,” and “Healthcare Informatics.” Students do not have class

play hard. Competitive sports require student athletes to train and condition their bodies before the season even starts. Even though it can be tiring, the benefits and enjoyment of the sport beat all the negatives out.

Keslee Hylton, a junior on the WPU volleyball and lacrosse teams, says she loves the energy of the game and comeraderie with her teammates.

“It’s a fast pace, high energy. I’m a very high energy person, you know, bouncing off the walls,” says

Students sing at the opening of Showcase in 2022. This year’s event will also feature musical performances. Photo courtesy of WPU.

on Showcase day.

“Hopefully imaginations get stirred by all of the work that’s done in the various majors and the disciplines,” said Dr. Eliza Laskowski, an English professor at WPU and chair of the speakers and events committee, which plans Showcase. “The opportunity that everyone here has for this specific kind of event and academic style conference is really special.”

New to the schedule this (Continued on page 2)

Not only have mass shootings been a part of their lives, but so has the mental health crisis. Nearly 44% of college students have reported being depressed and anxious, with suicide being the second most common reason of death among college students, according to the Mayo Health Clinic.

Statistics collected by the Violence Project show an even more gruesome connection between mental health and violence: 80% of mass shooters were in a major mental crisis prior to the shooting including showing signs of increased violence. And in school shootings alone, 62% of shooters had signs of mental health problems.

According to the National Conference Of State Legislation, in the state of North Carolina, a permit to purchase a handgun may not be issued to someone with mental health issues, or one who has been adjudicated mentally incompetent or has been committed to any mental health institution.

But many students don’t feel safe with those protections in place.

“I think that our screening process has a lot of loopholes in it, which creates opportunities for people with mental health issues to obtain a gun,” said WPU student Victoria Williams.

In terms of overall student mental health, students see a variety of factors that have led to the decline.

“I believe that society has enforced a work culture into the younger generation. This work culture creates mental illness with many people believing they need to be perfect in order to succeed,” says Cora Rebert, a WPU sophomore.

Many other students believe that this stress, coupled with the increased amount of mass shootings, is the primary cause for the extreme dip

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Students prepare to take the stage for the WPU production of Burial at Thebes in March. Read more stories about how Pacers play, and the players themselves, on p. 4-5. Photo by Khalil Tompkins.

By Elijah Horman

Red Rose Ball is a recurring tradition here at peace, this year taking place on March 31 at the Tobacco Road Sports Bar.

Though Red Rose is a formal dance, every year a theme is selected. This year was centered around 70s disco. Some students opted to wear simple formal wear, but there were a handful of students sporting sequined coats and 70s style wigs.

The venue itself contributed to the excitement of the evening. Apart from the dance floor, the venue provided hor d’oeuvres including lighter items such as crackers and cheese, some more substantial foods like chicken and burgers, as well as an array of desserts including hand pies, chocolate moose, and

Scenes from the disco-themed Red Rose Ball held at the Tobacco Road Sports Bar on March 31. Some students chose disco-themed outfits to fit the theme, and the dance floor was busy throughout the night. Photos courtesy of WPU SGPA.

cheesecake.

Students enjoyed a 360 degree photo booth with props. The booth took a 10-second video while rotating around the subject.

Overall the atmosphere of the event was electric. The venue was split between two levels. The first level was of course the dance floor, while the second floor was more for pictures and general socializing.

Before and after the event, the school provided transportation both to campus as well as Village Green. This year however, Peace decided to forgo the traditional vans or buses and instead partnered with the Raleigh Trolley, allowing for a unique transport experience to start off or finish a night of fun.

S tudent d ebt r e L ie F on h o L d

By Lillian Lewis

On Feb. 28, The Student Loan Debt Relief Plan made its way to the Supreme Court. Until two cases are decided, students can no longer apply for Student Loan Debt Relief.

The student loan payment pause that was planned to expire on Dec. 31 of last year was extended until the end of June to allow for the Supreme Court to hear the two lawsuits. If the debt relief program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been settled on June 30, 2023, student payments will resume 60 days after.

Two significant lawsuits block student loan forgiveness. Biden v. Nebraska was filed by Republican officials in six states who argue that President Biden was overstepping his authority as president by planning to cancel these loans. These states also claim that the cancellation of these loans would leave financial harm to businesses that service loans.

U.S. Department of Education v. Brown was filed by the Job Creators Network Foundation on behalf of student loan borrowers Alexander Taylor and Myra Brown. Under Biden’s plan, Taylor qualifies for $10,000 of debt relief; however, he does not qualify for the $10,000 in forgiveness reserved for recipients of Pell Grants, a form of federal aid for low-income students.

hea L ing

a bout P eace t i M e S M edia

Our content represents original reporting by WPU students and upholds the journalistic standards of accuracy, independence and transparency. We cover events, trends and ideas on the WPU campus, in downtown Raleigh and beyond in our online edition, peacetimesmedia.com, updated continually during the school year; in a print edition once a semester; and on our social media channels.

Want to join the PTM staff? Sign up for COM 230 or email adviserMarti Maguire at mamaguire@peace.edu.

(Continued from page 1)

in student mental health.

Going back to the MSU shooting, many Peace students believe that the university did not do enough to support students; MSU students returned to school that following Monday, Feb. 13. The school had service dogs on campus and counseling for the students.

“I feel like a week or so is not enough time to really process the impact of the mass shooting incident,” says Morgan May, a junior at Peace.

Many psychologists echo this concern. According to the American Psychological Association, nearly 28% of those who have witnessed a mass shooting develop PTSD following the event and nearly a third develop acute stress disorder. To only allow students a couple of days to heal from such a traumatic event is not truly allowing time to heal andis only adding to the decline of students’ mental health.

Some of the lasting effects can be seen in many communities.

“Having the trumau of ‘it could have been me’ is a big issue,” says WPU

student Tre’quan Harmon.

At the root of how we heal, the main objective seems to be time. Allow students the time to breathe and to actually feel and understand what’s going on in their heads. Many students will tend to shut down when it comes to speaking of such traumatic events.

Megan McAnany, a sophomore at Peace, sympathizes with this.

“Healing means being able to talk about an event that hurt me without completely shutting down,” says McAnany. “In the past, I used to not be able to talk about certain things within my life without shutting down, but now while I might have the urge to shut down or want to I don’t because I am better equipped to handle it.”

Healing is not an easy process for anyone, especially college students that are still actively trying to find their place in the world. With the risk of mass shootings at their highest and mental health on a steady decline, it is up to the universities to provide students with the tools they need to maintain their mental health especially in times of crisis.

If we can’t heal, we will never change.

Contributors: Jacob Trump, Alex Garcia

Corrections: Feedback or requests for correction can be sent to tptwpunews@ gmail.com. The print edition published Nov. 28, 2022 incorrectly identified the location of an incident involving the women’s basketball team. The incident occurred at Mary Baldwin University. The corrected online version of the story can be found at http://bit.ly/415CqW9.

Spring 2023 Staff (Left to Right): Emerson Scollo, Ben Maske, Brian Martinez, Noah Jimison, Kyle Stengel, Elijah Horman, Kathleen Howe, David

Pacer volleyball takes on the Liberty Flames

By Emerson Scollo

The idea of Student Debt Relief is not a new or unique one. Many states have their own version of student debt relief. North Carolina has the Forgivable Education Loans for Service. This service is available to NC residents seeking jobs that have an employment shortage such as teachers, dental hygienists, and lawyers.

Valerie Clem-Brown, William Peace University’s financial aid director, entered the financial aid field because she wanted to help other students understand their financial responsibilities, having similar struggles when she was a student.

Brown insists that students need to understand the pros and cons of these loans when signing up for these programs.

“The programs like that can be great,” she said. “But you do have to do your research on them and know what you’re agreeing to and know what the consequences are if you can’t meet that agreement.”

Brown encourages students to finish their degree no matter the financial situation or how long it may take. “ I always tell students, no matter what your goal is, like, as long as you’re working toward it, the timeline doesn’t matter,” she said. “It took me 10 years to finish my bachelor’s degree, and I’m perfectly fine with that.”

Students are encouraged to visit the financial aid office with any questions they may have about their financial issues, particularly in regards to the new FASFA change for the 2023-2024 school year.

William Peace University’s volleyball team had its spring season match against Liberty University on April 6, the first time the program has faced a Division 1 NCAA team.

“We’ve worked super hard in the offseason, in the weight room, and during our practices to prepare not only for the scrimmage, but also for the fall,” said Georgia Grace Anderson, a sophomore captain on the WPU Volleyball team. “We’re all super excited to be in that competitive atmosphere again.”

Liberty is a Division 1 school located in Lynchburg, Virginia. D1 is considered the highest level of college athletics.

Keslee Hylton, a junior, said the team went in “seeing it as just a good opportunity and to have fun and to just accept the challenge and not get mad if things go badly.”

“I’m really excited just for the opportunity to play against a D1 school and to just be in the gym, with the facilities that they have, because I grew up in Virginia and I’ve been to Liberty so many times,” Hylton said.

To finish off the spring season, the Pacers played an intersquad scrimmage at WPU on April 10.

The team hit the ground running in the spring season to prepare for a strong fall regular season.

“As a team, we discuss what kind of legacy we want to leave behind us,” said Hannah Collier, a junior captain on the team. “From every game to every rep, we are focused on being intentional about progressing as athletes and as people. We have created a strong family atmosphere within the team and I see it only growing and achieving

r ecent S ucce SS F or ba S eba LL and track

By Todd Shorts

Baseball Mary Baldwin win

The Peace Pacer’s baseball team got a huge first game series win against Mary Baldwin in late March.

The key players for the Pacers were Brett Kemp and Philip Berger. Kemp went 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs. Berger tallied 4 strikeouts. This helped the Peace Pacers takeover the game, beating Mary Baldwin 16-3. In the second game of the series, the Pacers won 10-8. Track in Mount Olive

The Peace track team went to Mount Olive University to compete at the Adidas Trojan Challenge.

Peace had a good track meet with some top place finishers and some personal records, starting with Miradi Kusikumala for women’s long jump. She placed 26th, jumping 3.2 meters.

“I’m happy how the meet went, we had a lot of PR’s at this meet,” said

temporary sprint coach Solomon Womble. “I’m looking forward to it because we’ve been working on the endurance part of our race.”

In women’s shot put, Majesty Smith placed 11th, throwing 11.03m.

Myla Branes placed 12th, throwing 10.78m, and TJ Hill-Johnson placed 20th, throwing for for 9.96m.

Barnes also did Discus and she placed 19th and she threw 31.84m. Majesty Smith also did Hammer Throw and she placed 13th and she threw 41.10m.

Now on to the men’s side, starting with Miles Scott, who placed 12th in the 100 meter dash,running a 11.23.

Peace had 4 sprinters run in the 400m dash with Miles Scott placing 16th, running a 52.64, Sharif Blount placing 19th, running a 53.20, Sean Todd placing 22nd, running a 54.34, and Joshua Macklin placing 23rd running 54.66.

Miles Soza placed 15th in the 800m running a 2:20.14 and he ran the 400m hurdles placing 7th and running 58.87.

greater things each year.”

Coach Hannah Marshall is off to her second year coaching WPU’s volleyball team and has seen major success and growth within the program. She led the team to a record-breaking season in her first fall season with the most wins in a single season for the WPU volleyball program.

“I think there has been a phenomenal foundation laid out by previous coaches, senior players, and we have a lot of returners coming in,” said Marshall.

“We continue to focus on our core values, which would be academic excellence, winning culture, and family. Then if we continue to strengthen that

and really focus on those values, I can see us going really, really far next year and growing not only as individuals but as a team as a whole.”

90 Feet with nick tyLer

By Mitch Baddour

Meet Nick Tyler, a junior outfielder from Corinth Holders High School in Zebulon, NC. As a sophomore center fielder on last year’s squad, Nick proved to be the spark plug to the success of the baseball team offensively. During his 2022 campaign, he finished with a .333 batting average accompanied by a .435 on base percentage.

Tyler is a dedicated student-athlete who has become very involved with campus activities ranging far beyond athletics. Currently, he is the president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and serves as an admissions ambassador to help guide high school students through their college decision process. Being a motivated leader is something Tyler has been developing since his early exposure in youth sports.

Tyler has enjoyed his time at WPU so far.

“Baseball and the degree led me here. The Peace family kept me here,” Tyler said. “Your professors are here to prepare you for the real world and genuinely care for your success and well-being. You begin to build a relationship

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year are evening events, including a mocktail class and a student musical performance, “In Full Swing: Music of the 30s, 40s, and 50s.” The event also includes an academic awards ceremony and community lunch on the lawn. Showcase is important for all students, whether presenting or observing. “For presenters, you get to show off your best work, you get to stretch and show your academic and professional skills in a more professional setting than just a classroom,” Laskowski said. “For those who are coming as audience members, they get to see what they could be capable of in a semester or next year or a couple of years.”

At the afternoon internship showcase, 55 internships will be presented, with students sharing what the internship was, what they did, and what skills they learned.

Yamila Emanuel, a biology major and DEEP leader, presented her Lung Cancer Initiative internship at the 2021 virtual showcase.

“I learned more about other internships that students had participated in and I was building connections that can possibly help in the long run,” said Emanuel.

with your fellow classmates that extends beyond the classroom. If I had the opportunity to go back in time and be a high school senior, I would choose William Peace University every single time.”

Photo courtesy of WPU Athletics.

Photo courtesy of WPU Athletics.

William Peace University’s volleyball team had its spring season match against Liberty University on April 6, the first time the program has faced a Division 1 NCAA team. Photo by Emerson Scollo

PACERS AT PLAY

Play is central to the lives of WPU students, whether they are actors on the stage, athletes on the field or gamers on the console. These stories focus on the many types of play found at WPU and the players themselves.

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Hylton. “I also just like being on a team…I just really like the family atmosphere that we have.”

For simulation and game design students, playing games is not only a form of entertainment but it is also a big part of their future careers.

“I would consider myself a gamer, not just because I play video games, but to an extent also because I make them now,” said Jacob Roe, a junior simulation and game design student at WPU.

As for why he plays, Roe says it “depends on the game. It can be for the entertainment alone, the story, the world building, the characters, the environment, the overall feel, maybe just for the fun of it. If I want to play a silly little game with friends, or play a silly little game on my own, I can do that.”

By playing and being involved, students can destress from the pressures of being a young adult in college. Whether that be playing video games or just shooting hoops, these forms of playing keep students mentally and physically active while not being too heavy for the brain.

Through the art of playing, students are developing skills that can’t be taught in any other form. Depending on the student’s preference of play, they are in positions that require them to be

By Alex Garcia

Just 15 minutes east of Raleigh is the small town of Clayton, which has that small-town charm and another notable distinction: four Major League Baseball players grew up playing baseball in Clayton, a surprising number for a town of about 30,000 people.

This is where William Peace University baseball player Zach Blailock comes from. Blailock, 18, is a first-year student majoring in business management.

He grew up in a small family with just his parents and older brother. As a young child, he says his brother had no one else to play catch with. He gives his brother credit for introducing him to the game of baseball.

“I remember my brother making me play catch with him when I was 5 years old,” said Blailock.

Baseball has played a major role throughout American history. It has been called America’s pastime. According to Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN), between 2013 and 2018 the number of U.S kids playing baseball increased by nearly 3 million.

About 14 percent of children participated in baseball on a regular basis, and an estimated 17.1 million

more active and to lead a group of fellow students.

No one can out play a theatre student when it comes to playtime. Theatre students are either playing with lights and sound or playing as characters that are out of this world. Junior theatre student Emma Roe says playing characters helps her learn thing about herself.

“We’re always taught to bring ourselves into the characters in any way that feels authentic,” says Roe, Jacob Roe’s sister. “So it helps me fig-

Kelsee Hylton, who plays volleyball and lacrosse, shows her strength.

ure out things about myself and become more self aware. Yes, I get to play a different person. But at the end of the day, It’ll always be me. So why don’t I just try and figure out different techniques and methods that characters use and use them to help myself.”

Getting Started

Roe says acting was part of her life from a young age.

“When I was a kid, the idea of performing started out more as, ‘Oh, I get to go do something fun in front of people.’ I’ve always had a really out there personality,” said Roe. “My parents would say I would just be singing around the house or like on the table

people have played the game, according to ESPN.

Blailock’s first stepping stone on his path to playing baseball was at the age of 3 when he started playing T-ball. He would eventually move up into more advanced levels of the game, from little league to high school baseball, and now at the college level.

While in middle school, Blailock played in the infield and really enjoyed that position. Once he transitioned into high school level baseball, he became an outfielder while playing for Cleveland High sSchool in Clayton. Though Blailock wasn’t happy with the change in position, he still continued to excel at the game.

“I hated playing outfield,” said Blailock.

Reaching the collegiate level in baseball is no small feat, with no shortcuts or guarantees. It requires hours upon hours of constant practice to perfect their skills. In addition to being good, players need to be standouts at their high schools as well as impressing those college scouts.

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), less than 8% of high school baseball players will move on to the college

Hylton’s path was less clear.

“I never expected myself to play volleyball in my life,” she said. “And then in seventh grade. My gym teacher was like, Keslee, you play all these sports. Why don’t you play volleyball and why don’t you give it a try? I never really saw myself doing it. She’s like, well, at least just try out for JV. I was like, Okay, I’ll give it a shot. And I did. And I quickly fell in love with the game,”

Pushing through challanges

Players on the field and off also have to work through challenges.

“I think the hardest thing for me was just realizing that just because I don’t play as much or I didn’t start doesn’t make me any less of a volleyball player or person.” Hylton said, “I just had to tell myself that even though I wasn’t getting the playing time I wanted, I was still I still had a purpose on the team and I’m still doing my job as a teammate.”

Roe was challenged in a different way.

“I didn’t really have any proper theater training until I was in my senior

year of high school,” Roe said. “Since I was young, I was always in the ensemble roles and I really thought that I was going to step away because I’m like I’m not benefiting from continuously being cast as an ensemble. But then I started getting bigger roles and I was like oh, it’s really nice to know that they’re seeing my growth.”

Play helps students relax and let go of the stress that comes from school. These activities are something that is beyond college. Sometimes they are just for fun while other times they can pave the way for the future. No matter what form of play Pacers choose they are bound for success.

for the Atlanta Braves and made his MLB debut in 2022. A major part of Harris being Blailock’s favorite player is largely due to Harris playing the same position as him.

level.

“I enjoy playing so I found it pretty easy to stay motivated,” said Blailock. “I wanted to be the best player I could be.”

Blailock has credited some of his success to having such mentors and coaches. These individuals have helped and guided him to making it to where he is today.

“I look up to a lot of the coaches I have had, especially my high school coach,” said Blailock. “He not only not only wanted us to be the best players we could be, but also the best men we could be.”

Not only does Blailock love playing the game of baseball, but he also enjoys watching it. One of his favorite players in Major League Baseball is outfielder Michael Harris, who plays

Blailock’s college career looks bright and promising. With four years left of eligibility, he hopes his future as a Pacer will hopefully lead him into becoming a professional baseball player someday, which in the baseball world is referred to as, “making it to the big leagues.”

“I want to be able to play baseball for as long as I can, whether that is my four years in college or something after college,” said Blailock.

The WPU baseball season is still ongoing; their current record is 1513 overall and 8-4 in their respective conference. Before the season started, the team came together and created goals to reach during the 2023 season. Some of them included winning their conference, and of course winning the national championship.

“It would be a monumental moment in my baseball career to be part of a team that won a national championship,” said Blailock. Come out and support your very own Pacer baseball team at their next home game. Find game schedules at https://gopeacepacers.com/

Photo by Emerson Scollo.

Theatre students in Burual at Thebes. Photos by Khalil Tompkins. performing scenes from movies I’ve watched. So like, I don’t know, it’s just been in me since day one.”

Photo courtesy of WPU Athletics

w P u e SP ort S a dd S S M a S h b ro S

By Elijah Horman

WPU esports has been an integral part of our school for the past few years. This year WPU had the inaugural season for our Super Smash Bros Ultimate (SSBU) team.

Though this is the first season for the team, they are already competing at a high level and have had several tournaments in the past few weeks with one more upcoming before the end of the year.

Looking forward, the team will be hosting an intrasquad tournament in the simulation and game design lab (Pressley 301) on April 20. The team will be competing, but the tournament will also be open to the student body as a whole. The team hopes that this will provide good practice while also introducing the sport to new people.

Most recently, two WPU players, Nathan Hawxwell (Hawx) and Donolique Tyrell (Leek) competed in an invitational tournament at NC State. This tournament invited the top players from a large selection of schools from across the state.

This tournament began with a round robin style of play. Each participant was placed into a pool and then competed against each other member in that pool in five total rounds. These results would then be used to seed the single elimination bracket.

Unfortunately, once the final

bracket started both of our players were eliminated in the first round. Despite this both players had an optimistic outlook about the future of the program.

To be in the first season of competition and already competing at a high level is an extremely good sign for the team.

The team also recently competed at Playthrough gaming convention, the biggest gaming convention in Raleigh on March 18.

This tournament’s style was a double elimination bracket meaning that at first seeds are entirely random, and each competitor can lose twice before being eliminated from the tournament. The event started with 80 participants in a single bracket. After the first round of matches anyone who lost was moved to a separate losers bracket. Players who fall to the losers bracket still have a chance to win first place, they just can’t lose again once being placed in the bracket.

For this tournament all rounds were conducted best two out of three until the top 8 which were played best three out of five. In addition to this, once the top eight were decided the competition moved to the main stage area to be viewed by the rest of the convention. Notably there was a $500 prize pool for this event distributed between the top four finishers.

In the first round WPU took

two wins and two loses with Hawxwell and Jared Howard (FLD_Bluejay) emerging victorious from their matches. Despite skilled gameplay, Tyrell and Steven Miles (St3v3n) were moved to the losers bracket.

In round two, Howard continued his winning streak remaining in the winners bracket, but the remaining of our competitors took a loss. This knocked Tyrell and Miles from the tournament.

According to Hawxwell, who competed and is a coach for the team. “All of the players are improving a lot and we’re starting to see the results.”

In the third round Hawxwell

b enja M in g onza L e S : c reator o F S i LLy creature S

By Jacob Roe

Benjamin Gonzales has been drawing 2D characters and designs as long as he can remember, drawing things both from and inspired by games such as Donkey Kong Country Returns and the Pokemon franchise since he was in the fifth grade.

That passion he had to create 2D art as a child only grew, and has become a focus area he hopes to pursue after he receives his bachelor’s degree in simulation and game design at William Peace University.

“Drawing characters, coming up with silly little designs, was always my favorite thing to do. And I figure if I can make a career out of it, I might as well,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales, 21, is able to take a personal passion of his and turn it into something he can use in everyday life, not only as a hobby but as a potential career in the future as well.

“I went through three or four pages [in my sketchbook] just trying to get down to one solid design based off of the same prompt of a short little imp, demon-y type character,” said Gonzales.

Gonzales hails from the state of California but grew up in the small

town of Wallace, North Carolina. As a kid he joined up with the Cub Scouts, dedicating years of his life to climbing the ranks and eventually becoming a full-fledged Eagle Scout, the highest rank one can achieve in the Boy Scouts of America.

He claims that working up to Eagle Scout and lessons from his parents helped instill a sense of dedication in him that he still carries today. He attended Wallace Rose-Hill High School in nearby Teachey, North Carolina, and participated in the school’s dual enrollment program.

The dual enrollment program gave him enough college credits to be able to graduate a semester early once in college, which is now the case at WPU, where he currently has one more semester left to complete after finishing the ongoing one.

“I can definitely see a future for him with the art that he’s doing if he keeps on improving because there’s always room for improvement,” said David Moore, another 21-year-old senior in the simulation and game design program. Moore has become one of Gonzales’ close friends and is his current suite mate at WPU.

Moore has been friends with Gonzales since the first day of classes together during Gonzales’ freshman year. Ever since they met, the pair, along with a small group of friends also in the program, have been together in nearly

claimed victory, progressing his way through the losers bracket, and Howard received his first loss moving to the losers bracket. At this point a significant number of the competitors had been removed from the tournament. Those who remained were veterans of the game.

In round four, both of our remaining competitors lost, removing them from the tournament. Despite no one making it to the finals, the team seemed pleased with their performance. This tournament was larger than any that the team has competed at before, which contributed to a higher number of more skilled players.

every game design class that WPU has to offer.

“[There’s] how much he puts out, how much he dedicates to drawing and making new iterations when he needs to, and just pumping out a lot of work,” Moore said. “Even though it’s just some 3D drawings of little characters, that’s still something to work towards.”

There is always something else going on in the background when Gonzales is drawing. Sometimes he is just listening to music, which often consists of classic rock, Nintendo video game music, or song mashups he has found.

He has a small notebook on him at almost all times that he uses to sketch out character concepts such as a little creature he has in mind with a literal bucket comprising most of the design. After grabbing a picture of the sketch on his phone, he brings it over to Aseprite, a pixel art program, and completes the character he is making there.

No matter what setting he finds himself in at times, Gonzales will always have the urge to draw something with whatever is available to him. In the past, it was napkins or note cards at church with the pencils in the pews along with the notes from his Scout meetings.

Now he doodles concepts that he is able to use in future projects whenever he fancies it and brings some of the concepts he makes into the digital realm to make concepts full-fledged characters.

“I’m just always drawing something,” Gonzales concluded.

Donolique Tyrell competes at the N.C. State University Invitational. Photo by Elijah Horman.

Photo by Jacob Roe

By Kyle Stengel

The Carolina Hurricanes played the Washington Capitals in the 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game this year at Carter Finley Stadium, home to the NC State football team.

Out of the 82 games that NHL teams play during the regular season, only one game is played outside, with only two teams out of 32 getting to play outside. This is the first ever time the Carolina Hurricanes have been elected to not only host one of these games, but to play in one.

The game on Feb. 18 was electric. Throughout the whole day, you could feel the excitement in the air.

Upon arriving at the game after waiting in the traffic for an hour with everybody else entering the lots, I could see people walking around with their jerseys on, hanging out with their family and friends, tailgating with pure smiles on their faces.

I helped my family and tailgating friends by setting up our table with the food we got from Bojangles, called the tailgate special. While doing this, we could see traffic still steadily flowing in. People were playing corn hole, and kids were running around joyfully.

Over by the PNC arena, there was a fan festival area set up. There were places to shoot a puck, watch professionals play the NHL video game, watch a live concert by local bands, take a picture with the Stanley Cup, and get a picture with 2006 Stanley Cup champion goaltender Cam Ward. My friends and I did all of the above and had the time of our lives. Ward was super kind, signed a towel while waiting in line, and talked to us.

At around 5 p.m, the Hurricanes made the march of champions walk over from PNC arena to Carter Finley, where the game was held. The NC State band, dance team, and cheerleaders led out the players, and the band played songs like the NC fight song. Seeing how much NC State collaborated with the Canes was super cool.

When we headed in and took our seats; we, along with around 57,000 fans, went through security, bought food and Hurricanes merchandise, and went to sit down. We heard a loud voice come over the intercom say, “Now welcome to the ice, your Carolina Hurricanes,” wow, let me tell you, I have never heard a loud noise compared to how loud this stadium erupted in cheers for our team. The players came out with all smiles, and

you could tell we were in for a treat.

After the national anthem, the lights went off, the spotlights from the stadium field house made the ice red for the Canes, and fireworks went off. The band played to the crowd at the start of the game.

After the first period, the score was 1 to 0 Canes thanks to a goal from Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Canes fans were having a blast. It was now time for country superstar singer Jake Owen to perform. The lights turned off, and the fans turned on their phone flashlights, which created a very calm setting. Owen played his most popular hits, and the crowd loved it.

During the second period, and the Canes scored three goals, with Paul Stastny, Martin Necas, and Teuvo Teravainen notching the goals. Ultimately this doubled the sound of the stadium

Attending a hockey game outside was an experience to remember. The Carolina Hurricanes played the Washington Capitals at Carter Finley Stadium in the 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game this year.

and sent the wave going along with multiple “Let’s go, Canes!” chants. The score was now 4-0 Hurricanes.

The NC State band played at intermission and showed what it is like going to an NC State-held event.

In the third period, Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals scored. The game ended 4-1 Hurricanes, and it was fantastic looking around and hearing the chants while seeing pure smiles on everyone’s faces. We all knew that we had just had a once-in-a-lifetime day.

The night ended with the Canes doing their traditional fan-loved victory storm surge. Ultimately, it was an experience I would never forget, and I am so happy that so many people enjoyed the event.

P eace t i M e S S tudent S attend ncc M a con F erence in c har L otte

By Noah Jimison

A group of students from the Peace Times class went to UNC Charlotte to attend the North Carolina College Media Association (NCCMA) conference in Charlotte on Saturday, Feb. 25.

The students were freshman Kyle Stengel, sophomores Elijah Horman and Jacob Trump, junior Noah Jimison, and senior Brian Martinez and December graduate Dezarae Churchill. This is a conference held every year at different colleges to award the newswriters, designers and others involved in college media publications. At the conference, Trump won a first place illustration award for his “Cafeteria Riot” illustration that ran on peacetimesmedia.com in 2022.

Other Peace Times winners were Makayla Cook and Khalil Tompkins, who won third place for digital storytelling, and Michelle Porizkova, who won honorable mentions for digital storytelling and photography.

It also had a variety of 50-minute sessions on specific subjects such as podcasting and newswriting, with speakers from different companies including the Charlotte Observer.

Many different schools attended the conference going all the way from small schools to big schools. Students from Meredith College, N. C. State University and East Carolina Uni-

versity attended the conference. For the awards, there were team awards and individual awards that were between small schools and big schools each for their own categories.

This was a great conference, because there were many places and sessions to learn from. This conference has been going on for many years and

has been switched around universities in previous years.

Some of the other speakers talked about news writing and podcasting. One session I attended was with a news writer from Axios Charlotte. The Axios speaker showed us what branding was like and what they write about. They give us examples on their sports

teams such as the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets, and Charlotte Football club which are their football, basketball, and soccer teams. Axios is a news website which talks about many subjects, such as sports, politics, economy & business, and technology related subjects.

There were also many different ways of learning how to podcast. While arriving at the conference, there was a student that gave us a tour of their student union and showed us their podcasting booths and other media classrooms.

While attending the podcasting session, the speaker Joni Deutsch, who is the vice president of the Podglomerate, taught us the different ways of podcasting and the steps to it. The steps taught were to keep it as long as you want, know what topic you are doing, and be clear in what you are talking about.

Podcasting can be taken into many different subjects, such as sports, news and politics. Podcasters should be consistent with what they are doing. They would have a host that would have the name of the podcasting show and would also have a co host. I learned that good podcasts would hold lots of information with short sentences and verbs.

Photo by Marti Maguire

t hi S i S n ’ t 1984; it ’ S the u nited S tate S

By Lillian Lewis

In 1949, Author George Orwell wrote about the future. He described that governments would have control over mass media and history. That the people of a country would be monitored and certain rights would be prohibited.

This was his dystopian novel 1984, but it seems some of the aspects Orwell predicted are coming true. State lawmakers recently passed a bill that restricts how teachers can discuss certain topics. According to NBC, the bill would prohibit teaching that the government is “inherently racist” or was created to oppress people of another race or sex. The idea behind the bill, according to lawmakers, is to unite teachers and students.

North Carolina’s House overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the bill on March 23.

North Carolina is not the first state to try to pass a law like this. North Carolina is a part of the 10 states considering banning “critical race theory.” Eighteen others have already limited how teachers can discuss racism and sexism in the classroom.

The truth is, no matter your stance on the subject, minority history will be the majority history in 20 years. The US Census Bureau predicts that by 2044, those identifying as white will be the “majority-minority.” White history will no longer be the majority of most Americans’ history. Instead, it will be the history of immigration and mistreatment that most Americans have a history of.

Or it may be both. The multiracial population was measured at 9 million people in 2010 and in the 2020 census had 33.8 million people, a 276% increase. So why not teach both sides of history?

Although multiculturalism in the classroom has become a hot-button topic now, researchers have been discussing the idea for decades and its effects on students: whether it makes a difference in the students’ learning, or

if changing a whole country’s curriculum is more trouble than it’s worth.

Studies on multicultural and critical race theory show that students who learn about themselves in the classroom tend to improve in other areas of academics. It also can help increase attendance in school.

Even with the benefits of teaching multiculturalism, teachers cannot do it on their own. It does not seem to have a large impact on students unless it is backed by a large group such as the government or school system.

It makes sense that American history has only been taught from one perspective for such a long time. Until the Civil Rights era, the mistreatment of minorities was rarely talked about in textbooks. If it was talked about, it typically was a little sugar-coated like this North Carolina textbook from 1916 that talks about slavery.

When addressing slavery, The Childs History of North Carolina says, “[slaves] were allowed all the freedom they seemed to want, and were given the privilege of visiting other plantations when they chose to do so. All that was required of them was to be in place when work time came. At the holiday season, they were almost as free as their masters.”

Like I said, lots of sugar coating. When you learn something, especially from someone you trust such as a teacher, it is much harder to unlearn those facts and ideologies than it is to learn them. Even if they are untrue.

Again, no matter what your view is, it is objectively true that this is censorship of knowledge. Certain ideas or parts of history cannot be talked about in class, even if a student has a question.

b eyond the war on drag

By Brian Martinez

Being a queer person in America is not easy. Yes, it might be better here than other countries, but still even then, the queer community is always under attack. As of 2023, there have been over 385 bills introduced that are against the LGBTQ+ community.

Legislation against the LGBTQ+ community dates back to 1953, with the Executive Order 10450 made by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, which banned any homosexual from working within the federal government. Not until 1993, with the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law signed by President Bill Clinton, was the LGBT mentioned in congress, according to CapitolHistory.Org. The law allowed gay and lesbian citizens to serve in the armed forces, as long as they kept their sexuality under wraps. This meant that they could not be proudly out in and out of uniform.

President Barack Obama repealed the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law in 2010 and allowed for LGBTQ+ citizens to enlist and be out. The year prior, 2009, congress passed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This law protected the LGBTQ+ community

from any and all types of attacks that may occur towards any person in the community.

Since then, the LGBTQ+ community has had major landmark moments that are quickly being brought down by congress members who want to ban anything that may scream rainbow. In 2021, hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation spiked to 35%, according to the FBI. These attacks have been backed up by conservative lawmakers who are trying to remove rights that rightfully belong to the LGBTQ+ community. The majority of these attacks are towards Black, Indigenous and Persons of Color who are trans.

But as of recently, the transgender community in particular has been under attack, starting with the North Carolina House Bill 2, HB2, the bill targeted bathroom usage for trans people. The bill would force trans people to use the bathroom according to their birth given sex. The ban was lifted once the state received backlash that affected them financially. Lately, many states such as Tennessee, Florida, and Texas have passed or introduced bans on drag performers or

It feels like the government read 1984 and thought it would be a good model for a bill. The idea of rewriting history seems dystopian but the truth is it’s been going on for centuries. Now that the knowledge is available on different platforms, it is now being banned.

If censorship is allowed in classrooms, it can continue into libraries, public wifi, and social media until eventually, the idea of the government being “inherently racist” or being criticized is not allowed.

Students go to school to learn all of history, the good and the bad. Governments who historically censor their country’s knowledge lose the freedom to criticize their government, a right written into our constitution.

I won’t spoil 1984, but its ideas, even 70 years later, are relevant. Changing history, or even just teaching one side, is dangerous and can lead to a power imbalance between multiple groups.

Who knows, maybe by 2044 we won’t have this problem. Or maybe by then, we will be living in 1984.

limited where and when they can perform. Many of these bills prohibit drag performers from performing in front of children because it is too explicit for young audiences. This bill would affect trans people even if they are not drag performers.

The law states that anyone who is in “drag”, dressed in the opposite gender, is not allowed to be near children and can be arrested. This means that if a trans person is walking in the streets and they pass by a child, they run the risk of getting arrested for just passing by. These laws began brewing because drag queens would host story hours where they would read books to children during pride in June. Red state lawmakers felt like children were in danger of experiencing adult themed entertainment that was not geared for them.

The topic of drag bans happens to be during a time where the country is consistently having mass shootings and it seems that congress is focused on stopping queer people from expressing themselves rather than making sure students are safe in classrooms.Congress wants to keep the children safe but instead they are holding them back from learning about who they are in states like Florida where it is illegal for them to mention

By Khalil Tompkins

Gun control is a very vital issue in modern-day America. Gun control can lead to lower mass shootings and lower gun homicides. The point of gun control is to create a safer America. To know that if you own a gun in America that you are entirely safe and aware of the consequences and capable of accepting these responsibilities.

The second amendment protects the right to bear arms. You have a right as a US citizen to own and carry a gun. How far does that right go? If an amendment conflicts with a postmodern society in a way where it is diminishing, does this right still have the right to be protected? Or does this right need to be reconstructed?

Guns do kill people. No matter what people say. In the last decade, America has seen many gun-related tragedies. America has high percentages of gun homicides and mass shootings. Have we done anything on the issue?

“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

As Americans, as quoted in the constitution, it is our right to bear arms. It’s essential to the American way of life because it creates a sense of security. But what happens when the very thing we protect threatens that sense of security? Where do we draw the line? Is the Second Amendment fine? Or does it need to be fixed?

It’s not that difficult to buy a gun in America. You can buy a gun from a gun store very easily. Stores have the right to give a background check upon sale easily, which is based on state location, given that the check asks for basic information such as full name, address, place of birth, race, and citizenship.

Apparently, a social security number is optional in some states. “The form also asks questions such as, have you ever been convicted of a felony? Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence? Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any other depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance? Are you a fugitive from justice? Have you ever been committed to a mental institution?

Living in North Carolina.

Many gun owners have told me that buying a gun at a local gun show is easy. They don’t require anything, besides sometimes they ask for ID. But most of the time, they do not. You can just walk into a gun show and buy a gun. This does not apply to every state.

The recent shootings in Nashville, Tennessee, and Michigan State have raised more concerns about gun control.

anything LGBTQ+ related in school. Athough so many of these laws are targeted towards the trans community, they affect the entire LGBTQ+ community because tomorrow it can be towards the rest of the queer alphabet. Protests and marches have sprawled throughout the country in defense of the trans and drag communities. Although things seem like they may be bad, the LGBTQ+ is building itself stronger and bigger.

Illustration By Kathleen Howe

S tudent h ot t ake S on F ood

“You’re putting meat in between a piece of bread,” said Cepeda.

When it comes to whether cereal should be considered a soup, 84.2% responded no, while 15.8% responded yes.

“It depends on the milk and cereal ratio,” said sophomore communications and simulation & game design major Jacob Trump.

When it comes to whether pineapple can be ok on pizza, 73.7% said yes, 15.8% strongly agreed so, and 26.3% said no. This is considered to be one of the hottest food takes in history, and many still argue about it to this day.

“The sweet of the pineapple is great,” said Kelbaugh.

Cora Rebert was not such a fan.

“This is the most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed,” said senior sport and fitness studies major Joley Cabe.

The survey also asked for additional hot takes and some were given by some of the respondents. Here is a sampling of the results:

“Ketchup is a tomato smoothie,” stated junior SGD major Emmarose Boylan. “Tomatoes on sandwiches is good,” said Trump.

“Ketchup with pizza,” said freshman ESS major Nivia King.

At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their own opinions on food, and with that, no opinion on food can be right or wrong. Except for pineapple on pizza. It’s good, I promise, try it!

By David Moore

Do you prefer cake or pie?

Is a hot dog a sandwich?

Is cereal soup?

Is it OK for pineapple to be on pizza?

These hot takes on food items are a common conversation topic online and elsewhere. With these questions in mind, I sent out a survey for people to answer them, and the results were quite varied.

Of the 19 people responded to the survey, there were two freshmen, three sophomores, seven juniors, six seniors, and one professor.

When it comes to preferring cake or pie, 52.6% of the respondents

replied cake, while 42.1% replied pie, and 5.3% replied neither.

“Cake is too sweet. I like fruit pies,” added Samantha Kelbaugh, a prelaw sophomore who chose pies.

When it comes to whether a hot dog should be considered a sandwich, 63.2% of the respondents replied yes, while the other 36.8% said no. There were several respondents who had additional comments on why a hot dog is a sandwich.

“It’s got bread and something in between,” said Victoria Williams, a junior majoring in marketing. “A sandwich.”

Senior JC Cepeda, who is also majoring in marketing, had a similar argument.

“I won’t eat the pizza, but it is ok for others to eat it,” said Rebert, a sophomore.

Others felt more strongly.

S crvi take S a S tab at the big a PPL e

By Brian Martinez

The Scream franchise has been a prevalent horror franchise since the 1990s because of its selfaware commentary and gruesome kills. Scream VI, which came out in early March, excited fans because it felt like Scream is back to having consistent movies like in the 90’s and early 2000s. The newest movie is the sixth installment of the franchise. Fair warning, this review will have some spoilers so tread lightly.

The newest film takes place in a completely different location that is not in the town of Woodsboro. The change of location made the film feel fresh because you were in a new location where the rules of a horror movie can change. A big city like New York City can be scary but with a killer on the loose one would think that having so many people around would make it easier to survive but this movie proves that idea wrong.

The film was the first to not star Neve Campbell, who plays the iconic final girl, Sidney Prescott. Although the entire Scream franchise is based on Neve, Scream VI did not feel like we were missing an integral part of the movie. Yes, seeing Sidney Prescott return would have been nice but it feels like the franchise has found their new final girl and that is Melissa Barrera’s Sam Carpenter.

One of the biggest complaints

that were received with the fifth Scream movie was that the new girl, who was being set to be the new final girl, was not likable. This movie has a strong focus on the relationship between the Carpenter sisters. Throughout the movie, the sisters are put in some crazy situations where their lives are on the line and the audience is able to feel the tension and see the relationship between the sisters expand. Sam’s character arc expanded since the last movie and her acting skills were a lot stronger this time.

Scream VI was not afraid to

push the buttons when it came to the gore factor. This movie is by far the goriest and most gruesome out of the franchise. The ghostface in this movie was out for blood and vengeance. The whole ghostface concept can lose its fear factor, especially after a bunch of sequels, but this movie reminds audiences why ghostface is one scary slasher.

The movie gave homage to all the prior movies and was filled with easter eggs. The whole ghostface shrine was filled with references to past ghostface and victims as well. Throughout the movie, there were callbacks to Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan because that was the first big horror franchise to have a drastic change in environment.

The movie is a great sequel, but there are some things that bring the movie down. The final motive of the killers is nothing new, so although the rest of the movie felt fresh and exciting, the motive was a reused motive and kinda felt like the purpose of the movie was nothing new.

Overall the movie was thrilling and was a strong installment to the Scream franchise. Although it is not a perfect movie, it is one of the best horror movies to come out this year so far. Scream VI is an absolute blood bath, full of character arcs that expand on characters that could just be easily killed off and suspense that will have audiences on the edge of their seats.

Images taken from the Google Survey. Take the servey yourself at bit.ly/3mDPnXY.

Illustration by Kathleen Howe