The Decree
since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.”
October 8, 2010
N o r t h C a r o l i n a W e s l e ya n C o l l e g e , R o c k y M o u n t, N o r t h C a r o l i n a 2 7 8 0 4
Class of 2014: Gender Gap Remains, And Many Fail to Show
By John Kostet
Senior Staff Writer
Thirty-four new students have withdrawn
from the college, lowering an incoming
class that was expected to exceed 300 to
a total of 278, impacting campus life and
cutting into the college’s revenue.
The 34 students all had paid their deposits
and registered for classes. The 278 figure
includes 244 freshmen and 34 transfer
students. An additional 30 upperclassmen
have left the college after registering for
fall classes, according to Jonathan Vester,
director of institutional research.
Vester said many of the 34 freshmen
drop-outs could not find a way to pay for
their tuition and other expenses. Other
reasons remain unknown, as many of the
withdrawing students simply did not show
up for class. When students are faced with
the possibility of withdrawal, they are sent
to get help at the Student Success Center.
“In some cases, there are financial problems
that we cannot do much about,” Vester said.
Dr. Robert J. Stubblefield, dean of the
college, agreed with Vester that the current
economic downturn has hit families hard,
citing the difficulty they face in securing
loans. But he emphasized the need for
faculty and staff to be aware of the alert
system that the Student Success Center
provides. “We need to recognize when
students are about to drop, so we can get
on their issues instantly,” Stubblefield said.
President and Mrs. Gray greet freshmen earlier this semester.
The 64 departing students have been
somewhat offset by new and returning
students who came to campus after the
first day of classes, Vester said.
The admissions office has sought
to tighten admissions standards with a
firmer emphasis on academics. This year’s
rejections increased to more than 40 percent,
according to Gary Sherman, vice president
of enrollment, who said that the administration has raised its expectations for incoming
freshmen as the college amends its profile.
In discussing the tighter standards,
Sherman explained that the changes are part
SGA Loses One Officer,
Gains Two New Ones
By Decree Staff
Two new executive officers joined
Wesleyan’s Student Government Association last month after uncontested elections.
Taylor Huffman, SGA treasurer
during 2009-2010, has assumed the vice
presidency while Gregory Spence filled
the vacant treasurer position after each
was the only qualified student to apply
for the posts in early September. Spence
takes over the treasurer’s job following
the departure of Jasmine Mann, who
was elected last spring, along with president Jacob Strickland and secretary John
Williamson. According to Strickland,
Mann cited a lack of time in announcing
her resignation over the summer.
Now in his third consecutive oneyear term, Strickland said he is pleased
that Huffman and Spence have become
part of his administration.
“Taylor brings past experience as an
SGA officer,” the president said. “He’s a
good worker. And he’s heavily connected
to the Wesleyan population, because he
always stops to talk to everybody.”
Strickland praised Spence for possessing similar qualities. “He’s well liked and
respected,” he said. “He’s never afraid
to voice his opinion, which is important.
Sometimes in the face of a large student
population or administration, it can be
intimidating. I think Greg is comfortable
in that setting, no matter the audience.”
Strickland lamented the lack of
females on the new executive board. “I
think it’s important to have a diverse
board,” he explained, “because it
encourages all groups to get involved.
A female member would add a different perspective.”
In a recent interview, the president,
a member of the college’s ROTC
program, identified two new programs
that his administration is implementing: “Operation Wesleyan Rewind” and
“Operation Handshake.”
Operation Rewind is an effort to
foster student respect and pride in the
college. It will involve a year-long review of college history, beginning with
the original construction of campus in
the 1950s, through PowerPoint presentations and other media. “Students are
not going to get involved in a school
that they don’t like,” Strickland said,
adding that the promotion is designed,
in part, to help students become active
and contributing alumni.
Through Operation Handshake, SGA
would like to re-establish trust between
students and administration. “The trust
must flow both ways. Students must trust
that the administration is making good
decisions and the administration should
trust that students are going to act in a
mature way,” said Strickland, noting that
he wants to encourage more interaction
between students and administration
and trustees. Strickland said specific
programs are under discussion.
SGA held its first meeting September
23, and upcoming sessions will be held
at 8 p.m. in the BBT Room (adjacent to
the school cafeteria) on October 7 and
21. Strickland reminds the student body
that meetings are open to all members
of the Wesleyan community.
PR Photo
of a comprehensive admissions initiative.
“We’ve been focusing on bringing in students that we know can be successful here,”
he said, pointing out that the increased
rejection rate was by design, rather than a
result of increased applications.
As part of the new admissions initiative,
the college has been conducting criminal
background checks on student applicants
older than 18. “The focus was to determine if
someone may have a background that could
lead to any situation that harms our students,
employees, or to themselves,” Sherman said,
reporting that there were several students who
were denied admission based on the results of
the check. “This level of scrutiny is necessary,
particularly in this time of campus tragedies,”
Sherman said, noting the safety concerns
nationwide in the wake of incidents like the
shootings at Virginia Tech and AlabamaHuntsville. He explained that conducting
background checks does not guarantee total
safety, but reduces potential crime.
Among the new students, the average tests
scores were 890 for the SAT and 18 for the
ACT. Sherman said the high school grade
point average for new students remains about
the same, at 2.92.
Of the 278 remaining first-year students,
there is a total of 97 females and 181 males.
Females make up 43 percent of all traditional
day students, Vester said.
Wesleyan’s athletic programs constitute
an essential part of the student body, as
37 percent of all students are registered
athletes with the NCAA. According to
Sherman, this is a mix very consistent
with other schools in the USA South
Conference, and he is proud of the college’s
efforts in ensuring the academic eligibility
of its student-athletes. “Our data does not
support the common notion that a high
percentage of athletes would lead to a
negative situation,” he said. “Instead, we
are interested in all students who are a good
match at Wesleyan, regardless of their
extra-curricular pursuits.”
Another part of the college’s new admissions initiative has been to reestablish the
northeast as an essential recruitment region.
John Sams has been appointed to make
recruitment trips and attend college fairs in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Sherman said
the goal is to attract interested students from
private high schools who can afford a smaller
private college. “We try to use the so-called
sticker shock, as our northern equivalents are
much more expensive,” Sherman said.
The college has made an effort to keep up
with the new channels of communication
by using the popular websites Facebook and
Twitter. The admissions office Facebook
page has more than 500 fans and is still growing.
Sherman said that the way to communicate
with prospective students has changed a lot
in recent years. “Young people would rather
text, write messages and emails than talk in
person or even on the phone,” he said.
With 163 first-year students, North Carolina
continues to be the most represented state
among the Wesleyan student body, with
Virginia (47) and Maryland (16) coming in
second and third.
The total number of international students
stands at 73, or 10 percent of Wesleyan’s total
student body of 733. This number has been
sky-rocketing the last few years, as many of the
athletic teams have been recruiting overseas.
But this fall the number of new international
students was unchanged at 27, as some applicants ran into problems with their paperwork.
“Different countries seem to have different
waiting schedules for visas, and the process
has not got any faster since the tightening
of the homeland security,” Sherman said,
while hopeful the college can add several
new foreign students next semester.
In recent months NC Wesleyan has been
touting its diversity as it is ranked in the top
three in the South, according to US News
and World Report. African-Americans
make up about 43 percent of the entire
After Slow Start Bishops Win Two in a Row
By Jarad Brown
Senior Editor
Update: Wesleyan won its second in
a row, 24-14, over Ferrum October 2 in
Virginia. The Bishops capitalized on two
second-half fumbles to come from behind.
After two close losses on the road, the
Wesleyan football team won its first game
of the season, 35-24, over LaGrange College on September 25, as the Bishos began
their USA South confernce title defense.
While Wesleyan boasts a new offensive
coordinator — Darrin Hicks replaced former
coordinator Matt Wheeler during the offseason
— and an offense that starts three freshmen on
the offensive line and a fourth at quarterback, it
opened its season with back-to-back losses.
The Bishops moved to 0-7 all time in
season openers and began their season 0-2
for the third time in four seasons.
“We’ve never been able to explode out of the
gate,” Coach Mark Henninger said. “I’m not really
sure why that is, though. Losing is never acceptable,
but if you watch the film there’s a lot of positives.
We’re two plays away from being undefeated.”
In its home opener, NCWC found a way to
make the “two plays” Henninger referenced.
The Bishops took advantage of a pair of
interception returns for touchdowns from its
defense and a strong performance by freshman quarterback Jordan Vann, who passed
for 213 yard passing and ran for 101 more.
“(Vann)isacompetitor,”Henningersaid.“He’s
not a true freshman when he steps on the field. He
has a presence about him and finds a way to move
ouroffense.Ifhekeepsprogressinglikethecoaching
staff thinks he will, then he’ll be something special.”
The Bishops trailed 24-21 late in the fourth
quarter when Vann called his own number and
sprinted up the middle on a third-and-short play.
Vann slipped by a pair of Panther defenders and
Jordan Vann looks for running room against Hampden-Sydney.
not only gained the two yards needed for a first
down, but an additional 35 yards to set up the
NCWC offense on the three-yard line.
One play later senior tailback Teron Bush
took a direct snap and leaped over his offensive
line to give the Bishops the lead for good.
On LaGrange’s ensuing possession,
Bishop linebacker Javon Boddie put the
contest out of reach when he intercepted Panthers backup quarterback Michael May and
returned the pass 24 yards for a touchdown.
“We have a very experienced defense,”
Henninger said. “Athletically we have the talent
to be the best defensive team we’ve ever had at
Wesleyan. The key there, though, is we have the
potential to be the best, we still have to work hard.”
Senior linebacker Antonio ”Squirrel”
Harris was pleased with the victory, but
thinks the defense can indeed improve. "We
definitely showed up big," he said. "Our
goal was a shutout, though, and we allowed
24 points. That means as well as we played,
we still have work to do to get better."
The victory snapped a three-game losing
SI Photo
streak for NCWC that dated back to a loss at
Wesley College in last season’s Division III
playoffs. The Bishops’s first two losses this
season were by a combined eight points, a 13-7
season-opening loss to Salisbury, followed by a
21-19 setback at Hampden-Sydney.
Vann threw for more than 525 yards in
the two losses, but a Bishops offense that
averaged more than 35 points per game last
season managed just 26 combined points.
“We’re very young on offense,” Henninger
said. “We start three freshmen and a senior
with limited experience on the offensive line
and rely on other freshman to produce on
offense. They will be good, it’s simply a matter
of them learning to play together.”
Wesleyan seeks to defend its 2009 USA
South Conference Championship as it
opens conference play October 2 at Ferrum.
“I’m happy where we are right now,”
Henninger said. “Before the season our goal
was to win the conference and compete in
the national playoffs. Everything we want to
accomplish is still right in front of us.”
student body, followed by Caucasians (28
percent), “Not Reported” (11 percent),
Internationals (10 percent), Multi-Culturals
(3 percent), and Hispanics (2 percent). Asian
Pacific Islander, Asian-American and others
each constitute less than 1 percent of the
student body.
R&B Artist
Valentino
Highlights
Homecoming
Celebration
Emelie Lundgren
Decree Staff Writer
Homecoming Week will kick off with
a concert by nationally recognized R&B
artist Bobby Valentino on Saturday
October 2 at 7 p.m. at the Dunn Center.
It’s the first homecoming concert at
Wesleyan in recent memory.
Tickets cost $10, a low price for a concert
according to senior Jesse Williams. “It’s really
cheap, but of course you wish school events
always will be free of charge,” Williams
said, though he expressed gratitude for having
a contemporary artist performing on campus.
Senior Jessica Jefferson is excited
about the concert. “I like his style.
It’s good they’re bringing someone
everybody knows. My favorite song is
“Beep Beep,” and he does look good,”
Jefferson said with a smile.
Valentino won the Best R&B Artist
in the Urban Music Awards of 2009. His
most famous songs are “Slow Down”,
“Tell Me” featuring Lil Wayne, and
“Anonymous” featuring Timbaland. His
upcoming album “Fly On the Wall” is
expected to be released later this month.
The concert will be followed by a day
of decoration on Sunday, when the Black
Student Association and other students
paint the campus blue and gold at 6 p.m.,
starting in the Hartness Center, to spread the
spirit of homecoming all over the school.
Here is a list of other events during the week:
• Monday, October 4, 5 p.m.: Powderpuff Football Game at the Edgecombe lawn.
• Tuesday, October 5, 7 p.m.: “5
Minutes of Fame”, where students can
record their own CD in a state- of-theart sound booth at the Hartness Center.
• Wednesday, October 6, 5:30 p.m.:
Cookout & Carnival on the Hartness
Patio with food, music and games.
• Thursday, October 7, 8 p.m.:
Bingo evening at the cafeteria.
• Friday, October 8: Pep Rally in Everett
Gymnasium at 8 p.m., followed by Campout
Carolina & Fireworks at Hartness Lawn,
with food and a live band, and an environmental friendly “Go Green” initiative where
students can camp outside to bring down the
level of energy use in the dorms.
• Saturday, October 9, 1 p.m.: The
homecoming game, with the Battling
Bishops taking on Greensboro College
at Northern Nash High School.
Together with a homecoming
committee, Adia Cuthbertson, director
of student activities, has been working
on this year’s program since October
last year. She is very excited about
this year’s festivities. “I think it makes
our school unique,” Cuthbertson said.
“We want everyone to be excited about
being a Wesleyan student.”
The Go Green theme has been important
in forming the program. Organizers will
sponsor a recycling challenge among the
dorms throughout the week. The winner
will get a pizza party in their resident hall
by the end of the semester.
Students agree with Cuthbertson that
homecoming is important for the school
spirit, something sophomore Raul
Lopez thinks is lacking at Wesleyan.
“You have to start somewhere with
building school spirit and homecoming
is a great opportunity to try to increase
it,” said Lopez, who thinks it’s especially
important for Wesleyan since it’s a small
school in a small city.
See HOMECOMING pg. 4
2
North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804
OPINION
October 8, 2010
Two Wesleyan Faculty Give Grades to President Obama
By Cameron Matthews
It is difficult to assess a president
less than two years into office. The
true effect, and effectiveness, of any
president can really only be gauged
years after he left the White House.
But that’s no fun, so let’s judge
President Obama now.
Any president has the freest hand in
foreign and defense policy. Congress is
usually deferential to the executive in these
areas, as is the Court. Despite Administration protests to the contrary, President
Obama has continued many of the
Bush-era policies he inherited. Certainly
there is less emphasis on preemption, but
the Iraq War went on long beyond the
inauguration and only technically closed
very recently. The Afghan strategy looks a
great deal like Bush’s surge. Guantanamo
Bay is still open. Many allies of the
United States––such as Great Britain and
Israel––feel scorned by the President.
He is still more popular than President
Bush internationally, but many foreign
governments feel uneasy about President
Obama’s handling of the ship of state.
This election cycle is dominated by
the economy. In fact, the Democratic
Party is poised to lose a large share of
seats on November 2nd partly because
of the economy. The President’s
policies to spur economic growth come
from the standard Democratic economic
playbook that focuses on deficit spending and public investment in private
enterprise. The problem he faces is that
it is not working or is perceived by the
public to have not worked. Job growth
is minimal. GDP growth is anemic. The
cruel irony for him, or any president so
situated, is that the power of government to affect the economy is minimal
but the public disproportionately
blames (or credits) the party in power
for a bad economy. In 2008, it was the
GOP that took the heat. This year, the
Democrats will feel the wrath.
Beyond the stimulus bill, the
President’s biggest domestic achievement has been massive health care
reform. This has proven to be a mixed
bag for him. He has accomplished
something that the left has been dreaming of, and failing to achieve, for over
a century. But the bill was unpopular
when it passed and remains so today.
Democratic candidates are not taking
credit for it in their own campaigns
and the Republicans are getting a lot of
independent support for their “defund and
derail” approach to the issue. This, along
with the stimulus, seems to have been the
final straw in a series of events that led to
the Tea Party Movement, whose impact
on the political system is growing.
I’m going to be careful and give
President Obama an incomplete. He
faces a tough road ahead. The next Congress will not be as friendly to him (and
may feature a GOP-controlled House),
so his personal political achievements
will diminish. This is, to a great extent,
a situation of his own making since
he failed to keep and expand upon the
electoral coalition that put him the White
House and gave him large majorities in
both chambers of Congress. As long
as the economy hurts, he too will hurt.
Many foreign policy challenges wait,
since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.”
s ta f f
Jarad Brown
Senior Staff Writers
Staff Photographers
Claudricia Thomas
Lorenzo Whitley
Rodney Holley, John Kostet,
Alyson Matarazzo
Design Assistant
Staff Writers
Special Contributors
Georgettae Fields-Turrentine,
Jacqi Flynn, Leila Heinonen, Emelie
Lundgren, Ashley Meadows, Joshua
Meeks, Bristy Parker, Kevin Quicker,
Melanie Rhodes, Kandyse Shaw,
Jacob Strickland, Jessie Tamez
Cartoonist
Lorenzo Whitley
Aaron Casteel
Matthew Esterline
Carl Lewis
Jackie Lewis
Grace Wallace
Faculty Advisor
Dr. William Grattan
(ext 5336)
171 Braswell • Phone: 985-5336
Email: [email protected]
Copyright Policy
Submissions
The Decree holds the copyright of every article
and graphic for one-time and future
publication at the discretion of the editorial
board. Submission implies agreement with this
policy.
To suggest an article, or submit an opinion
piece or letter to the editor, send an email
attachment (Microsoft Word) to: [email protected]. Note that the Decree staff
checks all submissions for accuracy and
edits in accordance with acceptable grammar
and punctuation as well as AP Style.
Editorial Statement
Commentary/opinion and letters to the editor
represent the individual author’s views, and
not necessarily those of North Carolina
Wesleyan College, the Decree
staff or the Decree advisor.
By Jonathan Sarris
1) Wars in Iraq and Afganistan––C-.
The President deserves credit for scaling
back our troop presence in Iraq, but the
Afganistan escalation seems dubious
at best. He should have learned enough
from history to see the long odds against
success in this kind of insurgency, and
the harmful political consequences of a
protracted unpopular war.
2) The economy––B-. The President
showed boldness in deciding in favor
of substantive federal action to bolster
the financial system, even if too little
of it trickled down to ordinary people.
Let's hope that he remembers Franklin
Roosevelt needed a second New Deal
in 1935 to really help common folk and
secure his political future.
3) Domestic policies ––B-. Health
insurance reform was a major accomplishment that no president since
Lyndon Johnson has achieved. But the
fact that many of the reforms will not
take effect for years, and that a pubic
option was not seriously considered, is
a major disappointment to those who
consider health care a fundamental
human right.
4) Diplomacy––B+ Obama's
worldwide popularity is a great boon
to the United States. More importantly,
he seems willing to actually use this
reservoir of good will to tackle difficult
issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. Unfortunately, such good will
tends to vanish in direct proportion to a
President's intent to utilize it.
dedicated to his job and believes that there
is an opportunity to change America for the
better. Of course he is not perfect - no one
is, but he tries his best to make change. The
health care plan is one of the biggest changes
that has been in the news a lot. I think that
already proves that he is a doing a pretty
good job. We should always remember that
Obama jumped into a big mess––two costly
wars and a financial crisis. There are no easy
ways out, but he IS making the changes.
Rodney Holley
Considering who he had to succeed,
President Obama is doing a good job.
While some issues may seem to remain
unchanged, Obama has accomplished
some goals he said he had set before his
election into office: the stimulus bill and
healthcare reform. I’m satisfied with
Obama’s performance as president because
of his inspiring leadership. And I like that
he holds firm on his decisions, though not
to the point of embarrassing himself and
the country. I’m not deeming Obama as
the best president ever, as everyone makes
mistakes and I don’t agree with his every
decision. But I am saying that he gives
hope to someone (me) who is typically
skeptical of the U.S. government.
John Kostet
When evaluating President Obama’s
work halfway into his four-year term, there
are several key factors to consider. First I
believe that people in general do not seem to
understand the actual power of the American
president. Of course, he is considered to be
the most powerful man in the world, possessing the highest position in the world’s only
remaining Super Power. But in reality his
only true power is the power to persuade. For
him to get stuff done, get legislation through
and reforms made, he needs strong support in
the congress for things to run smoothly, and
he needs to persuade a majority to agree with
his solutions. That has not been the case and,
sadly, will probably not be either.
Within his party there have been several splits
and diverse opinions about the outspoken goal
of change. I am convinced that everybody
who voted for Obama voted for hope
and change - “Yes we can.” But the views
on how the change would be accomplished
were various and certainly diffuse among
the masses. So when the president appears
to be unable to make the anticipated change,
his approval ratings fall. People blame the
president for being passive, when it’s actually
the congress that won’t work with him. We
often get fed the statement that there are no
“quick fixes,” and it upsets people because we
usually have an unrealistic perception of the
president’s powers. The president is supposed
to be a super hero with unlimited muscle.
It is a major challenge for the president to
make change when the “culture of no change”
is so strong in this country, unless the change
involves tax reductions and less government
spending. Obama’s dream of change is different. It is primarily aimed at the less fortunate,
and that type of change contests the American
culture of no collective action, the American
self-made system, the dream that everybody
can make it by themselves.
We often see the upside of that on
television, stories about successful
millionaires and billionaires who benefited
greatly from the competitive game of
capitalism. There is definitely nothing
wrong with their success or their desire to
get rich. But both President Obama and I
believe that if the way to wealth for some
leaves others in misery, that we need to leave
others behind, then we have a problem. The
desire for prosperity and the well being for all
should be a universal goal. But this country
is obviously not ready to take care of each
other through the means that the president
dreams about. It’s a difficult situation,
and it has been since the day he swore the
oath. So with that in mind, I think the U.S.
president has tried his best, but is still far
from accomplishing the goals he set.
Another part that most Americans seem
to forget about President Obama is the way
he has turned the world’s perception of their
country. Just by being the well-traveled
and multicultural globetrotter he is, people
around the world viewed him differently
as he stepped into office. Compare him
to former presidents who had a hard time
naming major capital cities. Even though
America is still fighting two awful wars, the
attitude has changed with Obama. One of
the first and best things he did was to speak
to the whole Arabian world at a university
in Cairo, Egypt. He stated that America is
absolutely not at war with Islam, but in war
with terror. That is the opposite approach
of former president George W. Bush’s statement “You are either with us or against us.”
Emelie Lundgren
Obama combines a confident leadership
with the humility of a simple man, something
that has been lacking in the American
presidency during the last two presidential
terms. He has restored a great deal of the
relationships America has with the rest of the
world, something that might just have saved
the U.S. from future terrorist attacks. The
tension between America and the rest of the
world was pretty harsh for a while, something
I experienced in Sweden, and it seemed like
the tight grip the Bush Administration wanted
to keep on the world was about to backfire.
When Obama came to power, with his
confident yet humble approach, and loosened
that grip, he also made sure relationships
became less tense, a lot more friendly. For that
reason only, I think that the American people
should thank him because something like 9/11
was about to be repeated. However, he is not
only a good leader, he is an excellent speaker
and has a way of inspiring the people of his
country. I have heard from friends back home
that he seems to talk more than he acts. I do not
agree with this, as it takes time to make sure
reforms and changes go through. Bureaucracy
is a great enemy to reforms, and therefore there
is nothing good with rushing or setting deadlines
to Obama’s plans. To destroy something is
very easy, and to make something better is very
hard. I am convinced Obama has done all in his
power to get America to where it is today, and
since only half his term has passed so far, I am
sure there will be great changes to look forward
to in the future.
Joshua Meeks
President Barack Obama entered office with
a four-course meal worth of problems and has
yet to fix the ones that truly plague our country.
He gained the people's trust by his dominant
speaking and his ability to touch the minds
and feelings of these people. His entire first
year seemed more like a victory lap and all he
did was shake hands and kiss babies. The first
issue he tackled was health care, and he didn't
even get that done until over a year after he was
sworn into office. Certainly health care was an
issue, but how will we pay for it now? I hope
it's not by cutting defense spending. According
to my father, a Navy vet, too many soldiers
need to buy their own body armor and other
equipment. This has cost American lives.
President Obama got elected by
promising to move troops out of Iraq. He
is currently on the right path of achieving
this; only he is moving them out and
putting them in Afghanistan. He has
raised the national debt to $13.5 trillion
and it continues to climb. That’s a 24
percent increase from when George Bush
was in office, and it came about in part by
forcing the health care bill to be passed. He
hasn’t helped much with jobs either. The
unemployment rate has risen since he took
office, reaching as high as 10.6 percent from
the 8.9 percent we had when he took office.
I don’t really see any real progress. I think
he’s made too many promises to people.
His lack of accomplishments has even
led to the rise of the Tea Party, an extreme
right-wing group. President Obama's
approval rating, according to the Gallup
Poll, currently sits at a 46 percent. I don't
really feel too great about that.
Bristy Parker
The constant remark I hear about President
Barack Obama is that he tries to be more of
a celebrity than a president. But I feel that
Obama has been able to work and “play.” In
my opinion, Obama’s performance is very
satisfactory. He has kept his promise about
removing the combat brigades in Iraq. He has
clearly been working to reasonably end the
war and bring troops home. So I think that is a
job well-done. I also think he is doing a good
job with the tax-cutting issues, especially for
Americans with lower incomes. According
to CNN, his approval rating is at 46 percent.
I’m no political junkie, but I don’t think that
number is too shabby for the time he’s been
in office. Of course no one is perfect, but
being the president is a huge job. He’s still got
a ways to go on health care and laws of gay
marriage, and the economy. If the economy
isn’t working, then neither is the country. But
I’m behind Obama and his efforts and still
expect great things to come.
Kevin Quicker
President Obama has been criticized a
lot since he has entered office. This makes
sense because he was someone that came
with very little to no experience dealing with
national and international politics. According
to Gallup.com, only 43% of the nation
approves of the job Obama is doing, whereas
he was at 69% at the beginning of his term.
However, I give him some slack because
he had a lot of issues on his plate, the main
one being the economic crisis. And slowly
but surely the economy is recovering, which
gives the citizens of America some hope.
Over all I am neutral on this subject. I don’t
love him and I don’t hate him. As long as
America is still up and running, I’m happy.
Melanie Rhodes
President Obama came into a difficult
situation as he took office in 2008. I believe
he has done a good job with what he’s had
to work with and the obstacles he had to
face. Even so, I feel like sometimes he is
not doing enough. However, Obama is
trying to make peace around the world
and doing his best to help the economy
by implementing programs such as the
health care bill, and creating jobs for the
unemployed. If I was to grade Obama at
this time, I would he say he has earned a
B+ because he still has a way to go.
Kandyse Shaw
I am not very familiar with exactly
everything that takes place in the government
but I do pay attention to a lot that affects me
and the people around me. I think President
Obama wasn’t entirely ready for the job that
was set before him. He has been seen as
very indecisive about the decisions that he is
asked to make. He’s often sending a message
that he is unable to make tough decisions
in a timely manner. Other places around
the world may view Obama as being
spineless and nervous.
(Dr. Matthews is an assistant professor
of political science)
(Dr. Sarris is an associate professor of
history)
Issue In-Focus: The Obama Presidency
As we approach the important midterm elections (for U.S. Representatives
and some U.S. Senators), many voters,
in deciding on their preferred candidates,
have been considering the performance of
President Obama. What is your opinion
about the job he is doing as president?”
Georgettae Fields-Turrentine
I think President Obama is doing fairly
well thus far. He has only been president
since 2008, so I don’t expect too much
so soon from him. Being a Democrat, I
feel like he inherited a mess. I knew that
in order to clean up the various problems
America had while Bush was in office,
it would take a full term. Obama has
been working diligently to ensure ALL
Americans receive healthcare, no matter
how much income they bring in.
The president isn’t one dimensional;
by this I mean he relates to the upper,
middle, and lower classes. When he talks,
he doesn’t make anyone feel inferior but
instead gives hope to all walks of life. No
one is perfect and so I cannot expect him
to have a halo on his head and to not make
mistakes because that would be ridiculous.
When he officially became president,
his approval ratings were high, but now
half of America is anti-Obama and for
what? The man is trying his best to fix the
problems we had three years ago.
Leila Heinonen
I think Barack Obama has done a good
job as President of United States. There
were serious problems that George Bush
left, and Obama has been doing a good
job trying to solve them. His election
campaign promised "CHANGE" and
that's what he has been trying to accomplish. I have a feeling that he is really
The Decree
Senior Editor
as well. In January, President Obama
will face a crossroads. He will be in a
place much like Jimmy Carter faced in
1979 and Ronald Reagan faced in 1983:
beaten in a midterm and unpopular.
Carter and Reagan enjoyed different
fates for their re-election bids. Carter lost
in 1980 (to Reagan) and Reagan won in
a landslide in 1984. Only time will tell
whose path will best describe President
Obama’s future.
Corrections
The Decree corrects mistakes of substance.
If you would like to request a correction, send
an email to [email protected],
or call 985-5336
October 8, 2010
3
North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804
SPORTS
Volleyball 4-2 in Conference after CNU Loss
By Joshua Meeks
Decree Staff Writer
The women’s volleyball season is under
way and after a rocky start, the team has started
to play a more fluid game with a stronger sense
of togetherness. After dropping its first three
matches, the team has rebounded and won 7 of
10 and now sports 4-2 conference record.
The team’s most recent loss came September 22 to perennial powerhouse Christopher
Newport. The Bishops came out strong
against the Captains, winning the first game,
25-23. It was the first time that CNU has lost
a conference game in almost two years.
The Bishops continued to play well in the
second game before CNU took control. The
Captains went on to win the last three games,
25-18, 25-17, and 25-13.
“I think we came out with no expectations and just went out and played hard,”
said senior Barbara DeRatt, who sat out
with a rotator cuff injury. Senior Kelly
George played well with a season-high
32 digs and sophomore Erin Augspurger
stepped in nicely for the injured DeRatt.
The Bishops played fast and with a sense of
urgency but in the end, the Captains just played
a bit quicker. The close contest should give the
Mackenzie Tingle. (10) sets for the Bishops in recent action.
SI Photo
NCWC Men’s XC Debuts
With 8th-Place Finish
By Bristy Parker
Decree Staff Writer
The new men’s cross country team finished
8th in a 10-team field in the Wolfpack Invitational
on September 17 in Cary.
Marcelo Prata led the way for the
Bishops with a time of 17:30. Following
behind him were Dominic Forsdike , with a
time of 19:13, Alexey Rumyantsev (19:28),
Antti Saari (20:21), and Clifton Lesak
(22:26). The fastest time overall was 15:11
by Sandy Roberts from NC State.
On June 22, the Department of Athletics
added men’s cross country to its array of sports
under the lead of Coach Dave Doino, who has
served four years as assistant basketball coach.
“Since we began women’s cross country
there’s been ongoing interest in students
having a men’s team,” Athletics Director
John Thompson said.
Coach Doino is no last-resort option.
He has experience in cross country, starting with his high school days at Abbington
Heights in Clarks Summit, Pa. “I was a
good long-distance runner,” said Doino.
Doinoisalsofamiliarwiththetrainingthatis
putintothissport,butnotedthat“schedulingcross
countrymeetsisnewtome.”
In recent years, the women’s cross country
team has been made up of athletes who also
compete in other sports. This is also the case
with the men’s squad which is comprised of
five athletes from the tennis team. “We’ve got
some guys who are passionate about running
and tennis, and that’s okay with me as long as
they do what I ask of them and give their all,”
said Doino. For next season, one of Doino’s
goals is to recruit kids from high schools who
are strictly runners.
Doino feels he is right for the job. “I’m a
good recruiter and I can get them excited about
the sport and competition,” he said. “I can relate
to the kids and it’s another coaching challenge.”
It’s a challenge he’s ready to take on.
“I want to bring a certain type of
energy,” the coach said. “I want the
runners to have pride in competing with
the school’s name across their chests.”
Doino’s excitement has helped motivate
his athletes.
“I used to be a competitive runner,” said Prata,
“so my goal is to see what new challenges cross
country will bring me, and strive to be at least top
20 in the conference.”
Prata wants to encourage his teammates to
enjoy it. “Because people think it’s just running
and it’s boring, but I want people to know that after
a while you see improvements and it gets addicting––you get healthy and wake up energized.”
Unlike Prata, Saari has no formal running
experience. “I’ve never run a race before, but
my goal is to finish every race and to never be
last!” said Saari, who also wants to improve his
conditioning. “As a tennis player, I’m doing this
for a challenge while representing my school.”
Forsdike has a specific goal––to beat 18
minutes in the 3-mile run. “It’s an honor to
represent the school in more than one sport,”
he said. “I want to try my best and keep up the
Wesleyan tradition of superior finishes in many
athletic events.”
Since the five runners were already teammates, Forsdike said, “I expect support from
my teammates as we help each other improve.”
In the pre-season poll,Wesleyan was predicted
to finish last among the six teams in the USASouth
Conference. But Doino still has high expectations. “I
want us to get better as a team from our first event to
our last event,” he said. “We were picked to finished
last in the conference, but if we work hard we can
shake things up and win the championship” on
October 30 in Greensboro.
Doino expects Christopher Newport and
Shenandoah to have the most competitive
teams in the conference, but “we can give those
programs a run for their money.”
Before the conference championship,
the Bishops will compete in three more
meets—the Hagan Stone (October 2) and
NC Collegiate Invitational (October 16),
both in Greensboro, as well as the Mt. Olive
Invitational (October 22).
Bishops confidence heading into the rest of the
conference schedule.
Robin Pietryk, now in her 11th season
as head coach, feels that the biggest
obstacle facing the team this year is youth
and inexperience and it showed in the first
game of the season, a 3-0 loss to Mary
Washington. “There were a lot of nerves
and they played unsure of themselves,”
Pietryk said. “However the team is getting
better as they gain experience and settle
down into playing with each other.”
Coach Pietryk is playing a lot of
sophomores, some of whom didn’t receive
a significant amount of playing time last
season. One player whom Coach Pietryk
feels needs to step up the most is Ocean Isle
Beach native Anna Hart. The sophomore, a
middle hitter and 2009 USA South Sportsmanship Award recipient, will be a key
component to the Bishops’ success down
the stretch. As Pietryk said, “Anna has to do
a lot more this year because she’s playing in
many different spots and situations.”
With the return of seniors DeRatt, George,
and Alyssa Balzano, the Bishops are poised for
another strong conference season. As always,
expectations are high as the top goal is to get past
rival Christopher Newport and into the playoffs.
DeRatt is looking toward setting a school first.
“If we win 20 games this year,” she said, “it will
be four years in a row and the first time in school
history that it will be accomplished.”
This may seem like a tall task for
the Bishops with the loss of four-time
all-conference middle hitter Brittany
Insley, who holds school records for
career blocks (460), kills (1,882), and kill
attempts (4,201). “Brittany was a strong,
dominant player who will be difficult to
replace,” said DeRatt. “But we have a lot
of all-around players that will have to step
up and play faster.”
Also leading the way for the Bishops is
returning all-conference setter Mackenzie
Tingle. The junior leads the team in assists
per set. “It’s great to have a dominant setter
back,” Pietryk said. “She’s the quarterback
on the court and having her back just
makes the game flow easier.”
The Bishops changed formations this year,
switching from a 5-1 to a 6-2.This may seem
confusing as there can only be 6 players on the
court but it simply means that, in a 6-2, the two
setters double as hitters.The new formation allows
the team to use two very solid setters in Tingle and
NorthernAlabama transfer Kristi Lucas. Tingle
was unsure of the switch at first, saying that it may
be difficult for the team to get into a rhythm as
the new formation requires frequent substitutes.
More recently she stated that the switch has been
beneficial––the team has gotten used to the rotation
and it has led the team to play much better.
Another player to watch is sophomore
Meredith Smith, who is in the top five in the
conference in blocks per set (.69) and leads
the team in kills per set with 2.56.
With the experience of DeRatt and
Tingle on offense and George on defense,
the Bishops should be able to overcome the
overall inexperience and have a successful
year in the conference.
The women’s soccer team toured Europe over the summer. Women’s Team Tours Europe
By Leila Heinonen
Decree Staff Writer
For the first time in NCWC women’s
soccer history, head coach Beverly
Biancur took a contingent of players on
an 11-day European tour this summer.
The team played informal games against
high-level soccer teams in Holland, Belgium,
and Germany. The purpose of the trip was
to introduce the women to different kinds of
soccer and to the different cultures.
The European tour had been a long-time
dream for the team and through their
hard work, they made it a reality. To raise
money, the team organized fundraisers
last spring semester, holding candy sales
at Wesleyan basketball games, selling
bracelets around campus, and leading
soccer sessions in area elementary schools.
Team members paid the rest of the money
out of their own pockets.
"I wanted to show the girls the different
cultures and the differences between the
American and the European soccer. And
I wanted to give them an opportunity for
the families of our international players to
come and watch our games," explained
Biancur, who played soccer in Europe
earlier in her career.
The trip was planned for the second
week of August right before the fall
semester. Seniors who graduated last
spring 2010 were also allowed to come
and play one last time for NCWC. The
team first had a tour in Brussels and then
continued to Valkenburg, where the first
games were scheduled. After a couple
days of exploring and playing in Belgium,
the team traveled to Germany, where it
made stops in Cologne and Duisburg. The
tour ended in Amsterdam, Holland.
The team lost all of its games
but learned a lot by playing against
division one teams. According to
Aubrey Bonorden, the opposing teams
were experienced, had a lot of speed
and moved the ball very well. “Playing
against them was an excellent learning
Men’s Soccer Team Seeks Greater Cohesion
By Kevin Quicker
Decree Staff Writer
The men’s soccer team has gotten off to a fast
start this season with six wins and three losses.
The three losses came against nationally
ranked Stevens Institute (NY), York (PA)
and Virginia Wesleyan, all on the road. The
Bishops are 5-0 when playing at Scalf field
this year and 1-0 at a neutral site.
But their schedule doesn’t get easier as
the Bishops soon play another nationally
ranked team in Salisbury (MD), and then
Christopher Newport, the nation’s second
ranked team and a USA South rival.
So far the Battling Bishops have
outscored their opponents 26-7, with 10
goals coming against Bridgewater (VA) in
their fourth game of the season.
Now in his ninth season, head coach
Jason Kilby is looking to continue to add
to his success. Kilby has led the Battling
Bishops to a 107-39-11 overall record with a
38-7-5 mark in USA South Conference play.
This season Kilby attributes his team’s early
success to several factors “This is one of the
most in-shape teams I have coached here at
Wesleyan, and fitness is half the battle,” he said.
Kilby believes another reason for his
team’s success is chemistry. Chemistry is
especially important for this team which
boasts players from 10 different countries.
He noted the team did more bonding
during the preseason. “It gelled them
together early,” Kilby said. “Chemistry was
our weak point last year but this year the
players are leaving their egos at the door
and playing together as one.”
Freshman defender Glen Olstad from
Norway and senior midfielder Dennis
Tasche from Germany agree with this. “I
like the new players a lot,” Tasche said.
“This year’s team is better than last year’s
because the chemistry is so high.”
Kilby has not chosen a starting goalkeeper as of yet. Freshmen Alex Berntsen,
Javier Hernandez and Anthony White, and
Senior Ville Tura, have all split time this
season by starting at least one game each
and securing a win. “This is the best group
of goalkeepers I have coached from top to
bottom,” Kilby said. “These young goalies
are playing well beyond their years.”
The keepers will continue to rotate until there
is a clear-cut number one, said Kilby, who hopes
to identify a starter by the start of conference play.
With the return of 11 seniors, the
largest senior class in recent memory, the
Bishops will look toward their leadership
throughout the season.
Other key returners include junior
forward Owen White (5 goals, 5 assists
in 2009) and senior defender Gudmundur
Palsson, who helped anchor a defense that
yielded just 1.5 goals a game last season.
Last year’s leading scorer, Michael Muh-
SI Photo
seler (14 goals, 6 assists) now plays for Florida
International University, where he is among
the team’s leading scorers. Veteran mid-fielder
Arek Trochowski left the team earlier this
season after aggravating a leg injury.
In the early going the team’s offense has been
paced by German striker Mark Wielitzka with a
team-leading 6 goals and 4 assists. He has already
earned USASouth rookie of the week honors.
Kilby would like to see the offense capitalize
on more of its chances. “We have missed out
on a lot of easy opportunities so far this season,”
he said. “We cannot afford to miss out on
chances if we want to make it to the next level.”
For the Bishops another major challenge
is avoiding injury, a serious problem in 2009.
Besides Trochowski, the team has played
without Hlynur Hauksson, a key defender,
who is sidelined after reinjuring his leg earlier
in the year. “We have had bad luck in the past
dealing with injuries,” Kilby said. “So staying
healthy is very important this year.”
When Hauksson rejoins the lineup in a few
weeks, he should solidify the defense, which in the
past has been plagued by soft goals, Kilby noted.
With one of the toughest schedules it’s ever
seen, the Bishops look to surpass the 2007 men’s
team, which made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA
tournament. “Something about this year’s
team just feels better,” said Kilby. “If we play to
our abilities and stay injury free, there is no
limit to how far we go.”
experience, so was watching them,”
she said, writing in a blog kept during the
team’s travels. “Their effective movement
of the ball and players showed us how
detrimental it can be for the opposing team.
It was a good challenge as well as good
preparation for the upcoming season.”
Biancur was proud of the effort that her
team put into the games. "Even if we lost
all the games,” she said, “we represented
the school very well and played against
top-ranked teams. We learned a lot.”
The tour schedule was intense but it
provided an opportunity for the team
to become familiar with the different
cultures. After the team practiced
during the day, there was time for
sight-seeing in the various cities, led
by their own tour guide, Helga, who
provided history lessons in each place.
One of the interesting activities was a
bike trip in one of the caves in Holland,
which is 40 meters underground. The
team cruised the river Rhine in Germany
and concluded their trip with a visit to
Amsterdam. A day trip to Amsterdam
was the great way to end the tour, team
members said. Besides seeing important
European monuments and cathedrals, the
team made time for shopping as well.
Sophomore Hanna-Leena Kokkonen,
a native of Finland, enjoyed the tour.
"I decided to go because it was part of
our preseason, and we would still do
lots of touring,” she said, adding that a
highlight for her was a goal she scored
against FCR Duisburg. "FCR Duisburg
is one of the best ladies soccer teams in
Europe,” she said. “That was the best
moment of my Europe trip!”
Fall 2010 Intramurals
Sport/Activity
Registration
Dates
Captains
Meeting
Activity Dates
Flag Football (7-on-7) 8/24 - 9/7
9/8
9/9 - 10/13
Billiards Singles
Tournament 8/24 - 9/7
9/8
9/9 - 10/13
Kickball Tournament 8/24 - 9/7 9/8
9/9 - 10/13
Cornhole Tournament 9/1 - 9/15
n/a
9/20
NCAA/Madden
Tournament
9/27 - 10/8
n/a
10/18 - 12/1
(Mondays)
Basketball (4-on-4) 9/27 - 10/8
10/18 - 12/1
Basketball Skills
Competition
On-Site
n/a
11/10
Dodgeball
11/1 - 11/11
11/11
11/15 - 11/19
10/12
NFL Pick Em Contest
13-week competition - Starts week of 9/6, Ends week of 12/2
College Bowl Pick Em
Forms available on Monday, 12/6
Mark Wielitzka SI Photo
4
North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804
CAMPUS LIFE
10 Fun Activities for Wesleyan Students
By Melanie Rhodes
Decree Staff Writer
For first-year students, The Decree
staff has compiled a list of fun activities available in Eastern North Carolina––from arts and music venues, to
sports and recreation, to area shopping
spots. Most activities are within an
hour’s drive from campus.
1.History and art. If you crave
history and art, you might visit the
Imperial Centre, at 270 Gay Street,
located less than 15 miles from
the NCWC campus. It includes an
art gallery featuring local artists, a
children’s museum, education classes,
and a gallery shop. Its theater group
performs plays throughout the year.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. and on Sundays 1 to 5 p.m.
2.Shopping. In Rocky Mount the
main mall is Golden East Crossing
Mall, located off Benvenue Road.
Hours are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday–Saturday and Sunday 1 to 6 p.m.
Anchor stores include J.C. Penney,
Hudson Belk, and Sears. For those of
you who would like to venture farther,
Raleigh offers more mall shopping.
Triangle Town Centre is located at
5959 Triangle Town Center Blvd., off
of I-540. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10
a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6
p.m. Crabtree Valley Mall is located
on 4325 Glenwood Avenue. Hours: 10
a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and
Sunday noon to 7 p.m.
3.Movie Time. Premiere Theater is
located at 821 Benvenue Road, Rocky
Mount. For movie times, phone: (252)
446-6500. The theater features 15
screens with stadium seating. Prices are
$6.50 for matinees and $8 after 6 p.m.
There is an additional charge of $2.50
for 3-D movies. A video game area is
available for the game lover.
4.Nature Walks. You can experience
the beauty of nature on a 3.5-mile Tar
River Trail and cross the Tar River on
the longest wooden suspension bridge
in North Carolina. The trail runs from
Sunset Park in the West to Martin Luther Jr. Park in the East, passing Battle
Park, the old post office and many city
landmarks. For more information, call
(252) 972-1151.
5.Golf. For avid and not-so avid
golfers, there are numerous courses in
the Rocky Mount area. For the serious
player, courses include the public
Northgreen Golf Club, which features
18 holes. Including a cart, the greens
fees are $30 during the week and $35
on weekends. The 18-hole Golf Club at
Rocky Mount is just north of campus,
adjacent to Ford’s Colony. With a
cart, cost is $30 on a weekday, $35
on the weekends. Hickory Meadows
in Whitakers, off I-95 at exit 150,
charges $24 with cart on weekdays. Its
rates vary on the weekends. Miniature
golf is available at Mini Putt Golf &
Games at 900 Benvenue Road (near
the movie theater), while students may
practice their driving at College View
Golf Center, located just across Route
Cook-Out Tops Decree Staff Poll
By Bill Grattan
Decree Staff Writer
Cook-Out Restaurant edged Taco
Bell as Rocky Mount’s most popular
fast-food restaurant, in a survey of 12
Decree staff members.
The Greensboro-based chain
received five first-place votes, two
seconds and a third for a total score
of 32 points. A recent addition to the
Rocky Mount dining scene with a
drive-through restaurant at 1020 N.
Wesleyan Blvd. (across from Krispy
Kreme Donuts), Cook-Out serves chargrilled hamburgers and chicken, hot
dogs and pork barbecue. Its milkshakes
use real milk, a feature that appeals
HOMECOMING from pg. 1
Hanna-Leena Kokkonen and Paul “TP”
Nga echoed Lopez. None of them attended
last year’s homecoming, but each thinks
that this year’s program sounds interesting.
Kokkonen said she can see herself
attending, but she as well as Lopez and
Nga are curious about how the events
will be carried out.
“I haven’t noticed much excitement from
the students, international or American,”
Kokkonen said, “but I have noticed by
visiting other schools that homecoming is a
big tradition. It would be good if we could
bring some of that spirit to Wesleyan.”
Nga expressed similar feelings as
Kokkonen.
“They are really trying, you can tell
by the program, but you never know if
people will show up or not,” Nga said.
The homecoming committee consists
of six members: Scott Cooper; chair,
Gloria Moore, the 2009 homecoming
queen; Laqwan Brody; Heather Smith;
Gregory Spence; and Gloria Arizpe.
Throughout the year Cuthbertson
and the committee have solicited
input from students on their ideas for
improving the homecoming program.
“There is a lot more on the program this year
compared to the last one,” Cuthbertson said.
“Our goal has been to be bigger and better.”
Cooper said the committee has worked
well together. “There have been a lot of
students involved,” he said. He added
“We know it’s hard to please everyone.
There is a great diversity on campus.”
The homecoming budget has increased
over last year, with some funds coming
from the new $50 student activity fee.
For next year Cuthbertson is open to
broadening the committee and encourages
more students to join the planning process.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working
with six wonderful students this year,”
she said, “but there can never be too
many opinions or too much input.”
to customers like Bristy Parker, who
called Cook-Out “a nice hangout spot
after a night out.”
Wesleyan students enjoy not only
the taste but the bargain offered by
Cook-Out. Its most popular item, a
char-grilled hamburger, ranges in price
from $1.19 for a small to $2.79 for
a “huge” (half-pound). Its “original”
char-grilled chicken breast sandwich
sells for $3.19.
“Their prices are reasonable,” said
Georgettae Fields-Turrentine, “and
they give you hot food along with fast
service.”
Jarad Brown agreed: “You can't beat
the food you get for that price.”
Taco Bell, the ubiquitous Mexican
chain, tallied three first-place votes
and four seconds for a total of 27. Its
second-place showing was powered by
two of Wesleyan’s Swedish students,
John Kostet and Emelie Lundgren.
“Maybe it’s just because we don’t
have it in Sweden that I like it so
much,” Lundgren said, while Kostet
cited the cheap prices.
With locations at 1451 Benvenue
Road and 2644 Sunset Ave., Taco Bell
offers tacos and burritos for 99 cents,
and its most popular item, a chicken or
steak quesadilla with three cheeses and
jalapeno sauce, is available for $2.89.
A current special is “the meal deal,”
which comes in four varieties and
combines an entre, a bag of Doritos
and a medium drink for $2.
Burger King and McDonald’s
finished in a tie for third, each with
one first-place vote, one second and
one third for a total of 9 points. Rocky
Mount’s Burger King is located at 781
Sutters Creek Blvd., adjacent to Target,
while McDonald’s has six locations
in the area, including one in the Food
Lion shopping center, just north of
campus; a second at 950 N. Wesleyan
Blvd.; and a third within the Rocky
Mount Wal-Mart store.
Other multiple vote-getters included
Subway (7 points) and Chick-fil-A (5).
301, within walking distance of the
Wesleyan campus.
6.Bowling. Rocky Mount’s
24-lane Bowling Center is located at
3240 N. Church Street. Cost is $3 for
rental shoes. The cost per game varies
depending on the day, with special
deals offered throughout the week. On
Fridays the center offers Xtreme (or
unlimited) bowling from 10 p.m. till 1
a.m. at a total cost of $17.50 per person
with shoe rental included.
7.Triangle-area college and pro
sports. For the sports lover, the
Triangle and surrounding areas are
loaded with lots of events to attend. In
the fall, sports enthusiasts may want to
take in an NCAAA division I football
game on the campus of UNC, NC
State, or Duke. For the winter sports
enthusiast, there’s ACC basketball
at the same schools, plus the NHL’s
Carolina Hurricanes who soon begin
their new season at the RBC Center.
In the spring, there is minor league
baseball, with professional teams in
Durham (the Bulls, the top farm team
of the Tampa Bay Rays) and Zebulon
(the Carolina Mudcats).
8.Fairs and Festivals. The Down
East Festival will be held in Rocky
Mount October 8-9. It features food,
music, a King BMX Stunt Show, the
Main Street Market, a beer garden, the
Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down,
and other activities. For more information, call (252) 972-1159. The Rocky
Mount Fair is set for October 12-17 at
the Rocky Mount Fairgrounds on 64
W Alt. off exit 472. It includes rides,
exhibits, a carnival, music and food.
Gates open at 4 p.m. weekdays and
noon on Saturday and Sunday; cost is
$5 per person. If you need a break from
Rocky Mount, you might consider
the 143rd North Carolina State Fair,
held in Raleigh on October 14-24.
About an hour from Rocky Mount, the
fairgrounds are at 1025 Blue Ridge
Road. Among the attractions are rides,
exhibits, concerts, and the renowned
fair food. For more information,
call (919) 821-7400. Cost is $6 in
advance and $8 per person at the gate.
Plans have been made by Wesleyan’s
Campus Activities Board to take a
bus trip to the state fair on Saturday,
October 23.
9.Beaches. Wesleyan is an easy
drive to some of the best beaches in
North Carolina. One of the closest is
found in Atlantic Beach, about 120
miles southeast of Rocky Mount.
It’s ideal for surfing and swimming.
Just a short distance beyond Atlantic
is Wilmington, whose attractions,
besides public beaches, include Airlie
Gardens; the Battleship North Carolina,
a retired U.S. ship that visitors may
tour; and Screen Gem Studios, where
TV shows such as “Dawson's Creek”
and “One Tree Hill” were filmed. Other
events include the Azalea Festival and
Wilmington Riverfest. Directly east
of Rocky Mount is the Outer Banks
region, home to numerous historic
lighthouses. History buffs may also
want to visit Roanoke Island’s Lost
Colony, which offers regular performances dealing with early American
settlers. Popular beaches may be found
at Cape Hatteras National Seashore,
Nags Head, and Kill Devil Hills,
which is home to the Wright Brothers
Museum.
10. Concerts. Music lovers should
check out the Time Warner Music
Pavilion located on 3801 Rocky Quarry
Road, Raleigh More information may
be obtained at www.livenation.com.
Upcoming concerts include Sugarland,
and the Averitt Brothers.
October 8, 2010
NCWC Welcomes
Three New Faculty
“Flight for Fear, 1959 oil”
is part of a show on display at
the Dunn Center. Photo courtsey of E. Adelman
Wesleyan
To Stage
‘Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof’
By Decree Staff
Under a new director, NC Wesleyan
will stage Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof” as its major fall production October 18-20.
It will be performed on the Powers
Recital Hall stage in the Dunn Center,
with the curtain to rise each night at 8.
First produced in 1955, the play won the
Pulitzer Prize in drama for its depiction
of a southern family. The 1958 film
starred Burl Ives as the patriarch, Big
Daddy; Paul Newman as Brick Pollitt;
and Elizabeth Taylor as his wife, Maggie.
Professor Roger Drake, head of the
Wesleyan Players, pointed out that
last fall’s play, August Wilson’s “King
Hedley II,” was “closer to the lives” of
the Wesleyan student actors and that the
Williams play will test their skills. “It’s
a real acting challenge for our students,”
he said, noting the 1950s setting and the
presence of too older characters, Big
Daddy (played by Gregory Spence) and
Big Mama (Dionne Luckett).
Drake added that one of Wesleyan’s
international students, Tiina Rastiola
of Finland, is working hard to learn a
convincing Southern drawl in her role as
Sister Woman
Other cast members include David
Douglas (Rev. Tooker), Andrew Herring
(Gooper), Joshua Rogers (Brick),
Brittany Richardson (Maggie), and John
Williamson (Dr. Baugh). Justin Lowe
and Timaine Moore play the role of
servants.
“It’s a good family and relationships
piece. We’ve made it a color-blind
production,” Drake said, underscoring
the play’s universality as it explores the
nature of truth, self-delusion, and familial
conflicts, among other themes.
Rogers thinks Wesleyan audiences
will enjoy the production. He noted that
the play combines the humor inherent
in a family situation with “the pain and
hurt” endured by individual characters.
Making her Wesleyan debut will be
director Danelle Cauley, who is a former
member of the faculty at UNC-Asheville
and a professional actor.
Rogers praised Cauley’s high
energy, while Spence, a veteran of many
Wesleyan productions, cited the expertise
she brings to the direction of “Cat.”
Spence credited Cauley with taking his
acting abilities to “the next level,” noting
that her approach has been “more like an
acting coach first and a director second.”
Spence described the opportunity to
work with Cauley as unique. He said it
wasn’t until early October, after almost
three weeks of rehearsal, that the cast
began working on the stage (designed
and lit by Professor Drake). “I’ve
never worked this hard on a show, and
I love it,” Spence said. “Danelle is pure
awesomeness in the flesh.”
By Alyson Matarazzo
Senior Staff Writer
Wesleyan’s three new professors were
all attracted to the college for the simple
reason that it’s a school with small,
personal class settings.
Katherine Carroll, assistant professor
of criminal justice, Nicholas Frankenhauser, visiting instructor of English, and
Benjamin White, instructor of religious
studies, all love the fact that they can learn
the students’ names and that everyone on
campus is very personable.
Carroll teaches criminal justice classes
and serves as the pre-law advisor. Teaching on and off since 1997, she worked at
East Carolina University before coming to
Wesleyan.
Carroll would like to “help students
become more analytical thinkers and help
them develop skills to express thoughts
logically and precisely.” She enjoys the
close-knit community on campus and
the emphasis on fostering well-rounded
students.
A graduate of the University of North
Carolina and Campbell University Law
School, Carroll has served as a North
Carolina state prosecutor and, while in
private practice, she has represented various law enforcement agencies in private,
civil matters.
Carroll is married to Heath Carroll,
has three children and likes hiking and
gardening in her spare time. She is active
in Oakmont Baptist Church in Greenville,
where she teaches Sunday school.
Frankenhauser attended Bowling Green
State University in Ohio and received his
masters degree from ECU. He plans to get
his Ph.D. in either English or film studies.
After serving as an adjunct last year,
Frankenhauser accepted a one-year
position for 2010-2011. He chose to stay
because the campus “is small and intimate
and I get to know the students.” He
went on to state, “I don’t want to sound
clichéd, but this really is a school on the
rise.” Within the past year he claims to
have seen the quality of students improve
dramatically.
Frankenhauser likes to travel and go
hiking. “Take any opportunity you can to
travel abroad,” he said. “I went to London
and it was one of the coolest experiences.”
As a child he was always the kid that
had to inform people of things. Now, he
enjoys the challenge of finding the right
way to connect with someone to help
them understand.
Frankenhauser is interested in film
studies, popular culture, American lit,
science fiction, religion and philosophy.
He enjoys reading fantasy/science fiction,
westerns, religion, some history and a few
do-it-yourself books that have actually
helped him clean up his new house. He
and his wife, Madeline, are expecting their
first child in February.
When he’s not teaching or grading or
working on the house, Frankenhauser
enjoys video games and role-playing
games with his friends. “I’m a big dork,”
he admitted.
White is the new program coordinator
for religious studies and his specialty is
the Bible and early Christian history. After
college at Campbell University, he went
to seminary school for a master of arts in
New Testament. He is currently finishing
his Ph.D. at UNC.
The Raleigh native likes the smallschool feel of Wesleyan. “I knew it was
small…but it’s VERY small!” White likes
the eager students who want to learn and
the “wonderful community” we have here
on campus.
In his free time White loves hanging
out with his wife, his 9-year-old cat,
Emerson, and 6-month -old puppy,
Harper. A sports fan, he particularly likes
to play and watch basketball. In college he
played guitar in a band called “15 Minutes
of Fame.”
White’s mother was a teacher and
he saw the impact she made in the kids’
lives. This, along with the movie “The
Dead Poets Society,” in which “faculty
and students live, eat, play, and learn
together,” were the reasons he wanted to
teach. Confessing to a “man crush” on
that movie’s star, Robin Williams, White
said “I think NC Wesleyan College has the
opportunity to become the kind of special
place envisioned in ‘Dead Poets Society.’”