February 23, 2012

CAMPUS NEWS 2-4

OPINION 5

SCIENCE & TECH 6

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 7-8

CULTURE 9

SPORTS 10-11

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THURSDAY February 23, 2012 WINTHROP UNIVERSITY Issue 19

Mardi Gras celebration floats into Thomson on Fat Tuesday.See Culture, page 9

The “Shift Age” is upon us, according to futurist David Houle.See Science & Tech., page 6

Editor argues for the right to protect self with firearms.See Opinion, page 5

SPORTS

NEWS

NEWSARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

NEWS

Baseball relinquishes three games JEFF BRODEUR

[email protected]

The Winthrop Eagles stumbled out of the gate, dropping all three games against powerhouses Kent State and ninth ranked Georgia Tech by a combined score of 21-6.

While the struggles were expected against such fi erce competition, the Eagles looked severely overmatched on

Friday’s opening day game against the Yellow Jackets. Winthrop managed just one hit against Georgia Tech pitching in a 5-0 shutout to kick off the new season.

Junior Matt Pierpont took the loss, giving up two earned runs on four hits, while striking out six batters in seven innings. Both of Pierpont’s earned runs came in the fi rst inning on two hits and a wild pitch. After that, the junior settled in, throwing six scoreless innings and at one point, retired eight Yellow Jackets in

a row.“The positive to take from tonight

was our pitching,” said head coach Tom Riginos. “Matt competed, and that’s what you’re going to get out of him. If we make a few plays behind him, it may have been a different game.”

The remainder of the scoring came in the seventh and eighth innings when Georgia Tech scored three runs on three

See BALL page 11

Gallery Up to close doorsMONICA KREBER

[email protected]

When he was still an il-lustration major, Stephen Crotts, a 2008 Winthrop graduate, said Gallery Up acted as a bridge between Winthrop and the Rock Hill community.

“It was one of the things that got me involved in town in general,” he said. “It brought me downtown and sort of initiated my in-terest in local businesses.”

Gallery Up, a local show room/frame shop that showcased the work of artists in York County [as well as Winthrop students] for over seven years, has announced it is closing for good.

The business left an impact for Crotts, who said he was not necessarily “shocked” when he heard the news, but was “disap-pointed for sure.”

“It’s sad to see it go,” he said. “Gallery Up has been in Rock Hill as a sort of premiere place to gather and view art…and meet artists.”

Crotts is part of an art group called Friday Arts Project, which started

See GALLERY page 8Gallery Up hosted it’s last exhibit on Friday, Feb. 17 but will remain open until the end of the month to sell fi xures and furniture. Photo by Sarah Auvil • [email protected]

Photo by Jeff Brodeur • [email protected]

CSL Vice Chair explains duties

JONATHAN MCFADDEN

[email protected]

Call it a gift, a knack or just natural talent but Kaitlin Sapp has quite the affi nity for numbers and the bottom line.

On Monday nights, Sapp sits to the right of current CSL Chair Kambrell Garvin. She helps facilitate meetings, ex-plains procedures and solicits support from students both on the inside and outside of the organization.

This past fall, she capped her fi rst semester as vice chair of CSL, a position that, though not often celebrated, plays an important role in the mechanisms of student government.

As vice chair, Sapp and her committee oversee the process and distribution of $28,000 worth of cash stu-dent clubs and organizations can use to fund programs, workshops, conferences, trips,

special speakers and lecturers and events on campus.

Clubs and organizations budget out how much money they need for whatever purpose, leaving the commit-tee to decide how much to allocate.

Don’t look for Sapp to stray from set guidelines too often.

“I don’t know, I guess I’m a stickler for numbers because that can be a liability on our part,” said Sapp, a junior integrated marketing com-munication major. “I want every organization that walks through that door to receive the same amount of money that a different organization received.”

Money in the student al-locations treasury comes from student fee money.

Now, Sapp is working this semester to tie loose ends and ensure that promised initia-tives come to pass.

See SAPP page 2

AMANDA PHIPPS

[email protected]

Zinah Jennings, who left Winthrop in 2008, was an interactive student in class, former classmate of hers Justin Hayes said.

Jennings is the mother of Amir Jennings, a toddler who has been missing since Thanksgiving. Jennings is currently pregnant and sit-ting in jail, but her attorney is arguing she should be let go because she needs prena-tal care and treatment for her mental illness, according to the Huffi ngton Post.

Hayes graduated with a de-gree in business administra-tion, healthcare management last spring. He had HMXP with Jennings and said she always wanted to share her opinion.

“She was very outspoken and always had a comment to add,” Hayes said.

Hayes said though he didn’t know Jennings on a personal level, he did not expect that Jennings would end up where she is.

“Really sounds like a hor-rible situation all around,” he said. “She seemed like a nor-

Lost toddler’s mom ex-Winthrop student

Zinah Jennings • Photo courtesy of The Huffi ngton Post

See LOST page 2

Tenured mass comm professor arrested for DUI, released next day

JONATHAN MCFADDEN

[email protected]

Winthrop offi cials have refrained from commenting on the recent arrest of a university professor accused by police of driving under the infl uence last Friday night.

University Spokeswoman Rebecca Masters told The Johnsonian on Monday that the university does not discuss legal matters involving specifi c personnel.

“We will keep informed on the status of any charges,” said Masters, offi cially known as the president’s assistant for public affairs.

Rock Hill Police arrested Guy Reel, an associate professor of

mass communication since 2002, on Feb. 17 after initiat-ing a traffi c stop on Springsteen Street, according to the original incident report.

An offi cer claimed Reel was swerving in between lanes and, when he initiated the stop, Reel

drove his car over a curb at a nearby Target before re-enter-ing the roadway, the report says.

When the offi cer approached Reel’s car, he could smell the odor of alcohol emanating from inside the vehicle, the report states. He could also smell alcohol on Reel’s breath when the Tennessee native began to speak.

The offi cer asked Reel to exit the vehicle, which the professor had trouble doing without using his car door to balance himself, the report says.

The offi cer proceeded to administer a series of sobriety tests on Reel, including asking the professor if he was “edu-

Guy ReelAssociate professor

See ARREST page 3

THURSDAYFebruary 23, 2012

JONATHAN MCFADDENNews Editor

[email protected]

AMANDA PHIPPSAssistant News Editor

[email protected]

2

-mal girl in class. I wouldn’t have thought there were any mental is-sues going on, much less the drug/prostitution al-legations.”Jennings was a physical education major while at

Winthrop, but no profes-sor would tell The Johnso-nian whether they remem-bered Jennings or not. Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights & Pri-vacy Act), most professors said they could not talk about Jennings.

Amir Jennings still not found LARCENY (2/7/12)

A Winthrop reporting offi cer was sent to Lee Wicker at 3:30 p.m. to meet with the victim of a reported stolen laptop, according to the police report.

The victim told the reporting offi cer that when she returned to her room, after having been gone for multiple hours, her book bag and purse were not in their usual locations. She normally stores her book bag in her closet and her purse under her bed, but when she entered her room, both items were on her bed and appeared to have been rummaged through, according to the police report.

After looking through her things, the victim noticed that her HP Compaq laptop computer and charger were missing, as well as $11 from her purse. The victim told the reporting offi cer that her roommate’s things did not appear to have been touched, according to the report.

The victim moved into her room at the beginning of the spring semester and did not have any problems with her roommate or suitemates. She was given a victim’s notifi cation form and informed that an offi cer would be contacting her to follow up, ac-cording to the report.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT, OPEN CONTAINER (2/2/12)

At 8:20 p.m., a Winthrop report-ing offi cer was sent to the Court-yard apartments in response to a suspicious person in the building, according to the police report.

Upon arrival, the reporting of-fi cer located the suspect standing outside a room on the fourth fl oor. The suspect told the report-ing offi cer that he did not live in Courtyard but was there visiting a friend.

The suspect was holding a cup in his hand and the reporting offi cer smelled alcohol on him. The reporting offi cer noticed that the suspect was having a diffi cult time keeping his balance and he began to act in a contentious way. The reporting offi cer placed the suspect under arrest for open container, disorderly conduct and gave him a trespass notice. He was taken to the Rock Hill City Jail, according to the police report.

GRAFFITI (2/10/12)

A Winthrop reporting offi cer was called in regarding two photos of a Winthrop teacher that had been defaced by an unknown person outside his offi ce at the Conservatory of Music, according

to the police report. There were two photos hang-

ing outside the victim’s offi ce and an unknown person had drawn a mustache on his face and put a swastika on his forehead on both photos. The victim was given a victim’s notifi cation form, accord-ing to the police report.

CONSUMPTION OF BEER UN-DER 21 (2/11/12)

At 1:27 a.m., a Winthrop report-ing offi cer was sent to Charlotte Avenue in response to reports of a large party, according to the police report.

As the reporting offi cer was on the porch speaking to the owner of the house, he noticed the subject walking in the yard, attempting to leave the house. The reporting offi cer stopped the subject and smelled alcohol on him, according to the report. The subject informed the offi cer that he was under 21, but had been drinking beer that night. The re-porting offi cer cited and released the victim for consumption of beer under 21, according to the police report.

Compiled by Zoe Irizarry

––– Police Blotter –––

Those initiatives include promises Sapp made when running alongside current CSL Chair Kambrell Garvin last spring. Sapp, who was the only candidate at the time in the run-ning for vice chair, stumped to make the stu-dent allocation process paperless and easier.

She also threw her support behind Garvin’s platform, which included more student gov-ernment transparency, an effort to improve parking on campus and initiatives that would lobby state legislators about the increasing costs of higher education.

And, just in case she needs to pass the baton to someone else, Sapp said she wants to make sure there’s a smooth transition.

Before, Sapp was CSL’s secretary, a role now fulfi lled by junior art major Ashley Sineath.

Speaking of passing the torch, Sapp said she’s still undecided on whether she will run again as vice-chair.

“I have not made a defi nite decision yet,” Sapp said. “I will say there are many other things on campus that I would like to be a part of.”

One item noted on her bucket list includes studying abroad. If that doesn’t pan out come March, she said she would consider running for the chair position instead of vice chair.

“I always believe in moving up and pushing yourself,” Sapp said. “If I had to put a percent-age on it, it’s probably a less than 1 percent chance I’d be running again.”

Last month, Sapp’s running mate, Garvin, announced his bout for reelection, saying the job was not yet done.

Though she’s seen an anti-voter ID bill reso-lution pass, several voter registration drives meet success and other CSL accomplishments, Sapp still has one project she strives to com-plete —making the SAC process completely pa-perless.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” she said. “Hopefully, by the end of the year that will be

something that’s in effect.”With the second year of student-wide elec-

tions quickly approaching, Sapp understands that people don’t look at the vice chair position with eyes full of desire.

But, she said she feels people in the College of Business would make good candidates for the seat.

“They could really hit this stuff hard and re-ally nitpick things that we can possibly change and just do better all around,” Sapp said. “I would love to see someone outside of CSL run for both positions.”

Kaitlin Sapp says it all: CSL Vice Chair talks duties, money & a second term??SAPP • from front

LOST • from front

Photo courtesy of the Charlotte Observer

Sapp says that she doesn’t want to “pigeon hole” herself into one position because she has more she can offer to other organizations on campus. Photo by John Rhodes • [email protected]

I always believe in mov-ing up and pushing yourself. If I had to put a percentage on it, it’s probably a less than 1 percent chance I’d be running again. Kaitlin SappCSL vice chair

“”

By Amanda [email protected]

A small amount of asbestos has been found in the former student center, but this does not pose a health problem, said Walter Hardin, associate vice president of facilities management.

Hardin said a small amount of asbestos was found on the old fl oor tile in Dinkins.

“This is a non-friable condition that is not a danger to anyone,” Hardin said. “It was removed properly by a professional

abatement fi rm. It was not a big deal.”Other challenges the university faced

included the additional time it took to re-move old fl ooring and put new ceilings in Dinkins, he said.

Even with the challenges, the univer-sity had enough funding for the project, Hardin said.

“We’re just taking the time to be sure it is done the best possible way for the long term,” he said.

Hardin said Subway should be opening soon.

“(Subway) seems like it is coming to-gether at a rapid pace,” he said. “I am looking forward to it myself.”

The university is fnalizing the con-struction of Subway and will start train-ing staff, director of dining services Pam Yurkovic said.

Staff members will have the fi rst taste of having Subway back on campus.

“As part of the training process, the staff is able to create and taste the prod-ucts and menu items being offered,” Yurkovic said.

The opening date for Subway has not been released, but it should be open later this semester.

“We will alert the campus community once we have confi rmed the opening date, but we encourage students to check out our Facebook page for ongoing updates,” Yurkovic said.

Check out pictures of Subway, available on mytjnow.com

Asbestos in Dinkins not a problem, Subway to open soon

THURSDAY February 23, 2012 3

By Jonathan [email protected]

Public colleges and universities that raise tuition rates too often may incur the federal government’s wrath and see their inheritance —i.e. federal money— cut off if their respective states fail to make higher education more affordable.

In January, President Barack Obama introduced a set of proposals designed to boost the affordability of higher education by lowering loan costs to students and increasing some aid programs, according to a docu-ment presented to Winthrop’s Board of Trustees earlier this month.

He also outlined four proposals state governments could adopt to trim costs, including:• Creating a Race to the Top for college affordability

and completion: A $1 billion investment in a new challenge to states to spur higher education reform will reward states who are willing to drive systemic change in their higher education policies and prac-tices, while doing more to contain their tuition and make it easier for students to earn a college degree.

• A competition to model innovation and quality on college campuses: A $55 million investment n a new competition to support the public and private colleges and non-profi t organizations as they work to develop and test the next breakthrough strategy that will boost higher education attainment and student outcomes.

• Better data for families choose the right college for them: Creation of a College Scorecard for all de-gree-granting institutions, designed to provide the essential information about college costs, gradua-tion rates and potential earnings, all in an easy-to-read format that is intended to help students and families “choose a college that is well suited to their needs, priced affordably and consistent with their career and educational goals.”

• Federal support to tackle college costs: In his State

of the Union address, the President called on Congress to: keep interest rates low for 7.4 million student loan borrowers to reduce future debt, make the American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent, double the number of work-study jobs over the next 5 years and maintain support for Pell Grant maximums at the current level.

But, some of the propos-als are easier said than done.

For example, the idea that providing federal aid to students based on institu-tions keeping tuition low could be troubling for public colleges, which across the nation have had to hike tuition in order to compensate for vanishing state ap-propriations.

Since 2008, Winthrop has seen its support from the state decline consistently amid the economic recession. Although the recession is technically over, the univer-sity still receives only 9.6 percent of support from the state, whereas in 1991, it received close to 42 percent in state funds.

Student tuition and fees, which comprised a smaller portion of the university’s revenues in the early ‘90s, now account for more than half of the university’s income.

To compensate for state cutbacks, the university absorbed $3.4 million of federal stimulus money that dried out last year. In that time, Winthrop launched a Readiness Winthrop initiative — a six-step contingency plan the university adopted to deal with disappearing money.

The plan included transitioning many printed publi-cations and materials online. It also emphasized boost-ing efforts to retain students, enroll more students, cre-ate new programs, mandating a new $25 safety fee all students must pay, launching the Distinction Campaign and pursuing key investments.

“Winthrop will always be willing to look at additional ways we can manage costs without reducing quality and value for students, so we look forward to hearing additional details about how the White House propos-als would work if approved by Congress,” said Rebecca Masters, assistant to the president for public affairs.

The reason higher education costs rise from year to year is because it’s personnel-intensive, campuses must invest in the latest technology to help prepare students for the work world and energy costs are higher on cam-puses with historic properties, Masters said.

The White House hasn’t unveiled any set plan for addressing the problems the president’s addressed, leaving some higher education leaders fretting.

A Feb. 10 story in The Chronicle of Higher Education detailed the concerns of several higher education lead-ers, many of whom expressed a warlike ferocity against the Obama Administration’s college-affordability proposals.

David L. Warren, president of the National Associa-tion of Colleges and Universities (NAICU), is quoted saying that the college presidents he’s spoken with are ready to mobilize “shoulder to shoulder in defense of the principles of our independence.”

Warren is also quoted saying that many university presidents feel their institution’s independence is being attacked and the Department of Education is slowly transforming into the Ministry of Education.

During his State of the Union address and a speech to students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, President Obama encouraged students to pressure Con-gress to keep the interest rate on loans from doubling. Obama also said the government needs to push colleges “to do better.”

The president has “time and time again” expressed concern that reductions in higher education state support threatens student access and family fi nances, and that state reductions threaten the quality of higher education students receive, Masters added.

“Few responsible institutions appropriately can avoid some tuition increase each year because the cost of things like technology, energy, campus securi-ty, library materials, building maintenance and other base costs continue to rise year to year,” she said.

Any costs not addressed by state support or tuition result in a cutback universities use to balance the budget, Masters said.

“Other simpler enterprises often face the same choice in troubled economies – to choose between in-creasing prices for their products or reducing what’s provided for the same cost,” Masters said.

“Expecting students to settle for less in that degree really isn’t an option in today’s competitive world, so to keep the quality up-to-date, tuition generally increases, especially when state support declines,” Masters added.

President Obama delivers higher ed ultimatum: Lower rate of increase or lose $$$

Graphic by Courtney Niskala • [email protected]

Other simpler enterprises often face the same choice in troubled econ-omies. Rebecca MastersAssistant to the president for public affairs

“”

Want to sit in the captain’s seat?

Then run for CSL President or Vice President

• CSL interest meetings: Thurs 11 a.m. and Fri 2 p.m.

-cated” and “knew his alphabet,” start-ing from the letter E and ending with the letter Q, the report states.

Reel said the alphabet from E to P, but mistakenly skipped over Q and said “E,” according to the report. Reel tried again, but failed to say the alphabet correctly.

The offi cer arrested Reel and took him to jail, where he administered a Breatha-lyzer test. Reel’s blood alcohol level was at 0.19, the report states.

A 0.08 BAC reading is the legal limit in South Carolina.

This was Reel’s fi rst offense and the case was cleared by arrest, the report says.

Commenting on his arrest, Reel said: “I congratulate The Johnsonian for practicing outstanding journalism. It’s public record, and what we do has conse-quences and we all have to live with our consequences. We all have to learn from

our mistakes.”After serving as a professional busi-

ness, political and education reporter at several newspapers in Arkansas and Tennessee, Reel earned his Ph.D. in mass communication from Ohio Univer-sity. He is also the author of two books and the co-author of one other.

William Click, department chair of mass communication, declined to com-ment.

According to Winthrop’s progressive discipline policy for faculty and staff, of-fenses requiring disciplinary action can include arrests or violations of federal or state criminal laws, not including minor traffi c offenses.

Additional reporting by Claire Byun

Professor arrested for DUI had trouble reciting full alphabetARREST • from front

Want to sit in the captain’s seat?

Then run for CSL President or Vice President

• CSL interest meetings: Thurs 11 a.m. and Fri 2 p.m.

THURSDAY February 23, 2012 4

Hannah Floyd was sitting on the bench outside the Winthrop University library, a purse hanging from her elbow, smok-ing a cigarette. She was a tall young woman with just enough magenta-col-ored makeup to accentuate the unique curvature of her eyes. Her hair was long and straight, which also had a vaguely magenta rinse.

“I used to smoke too,” I told her. She smirked and flicked the ash, which

fluttered, down to her shoes. “Yeah, they’re camels,” she said. I told her I used to smoke Parliaments

and Marlboro menthols myself, but I decided to quit. We talked about a few random, inconsequential things since we only knew each other from a Span-ish class. We talked about the Cuban accent. We talked about our past jobs in restaurants. We talked about school. She nodded, probably humoring me, and finished her cigarette.

Hannah was just one of many older woman to whom I turned for advice and trivial conversation. But I was wrong in placing her as just one of many.

Hannah was special and almost everyone in the psychology and biology departments knew that.

The chairman of the psychology department at Winthrop, Joe Prus, had told the local paper that she had “real pizzazz.”

I never saw her again because she died just a few days after graduating. This handsome young woman who remained in my periphery, whose life promised so much, who drank coffee to stay alert and smoked cigarettes to relax, a beauti-ful girl with ivory skin from small town America —Chester, S.C. to be exact— a daughter, a friend, a colleague, a wife, a favorite pupil, died in a car accident

during the Christmas holidays in 2010.

She wasn’t driving the car. An allegedly drunk friend had lost control amid a snowstorm, ac-cording to the Herald article reported by Matt Garfield. She was 24 years old.

It was only afterward that I realized whom I had been talking to for those last few months. Hannah was not ordinary.

She graduated with honors and with a double major in psychology and biology no less. She had also served as a research assistant. She played a mean game of softball, once hitting a home run at her first at-bat for the Chester Dixie Girls all-star team.

I knew all this and I still didn’t re-ally know anything about Hannah. Too often are the parameters of a person’s legacy shaped by the final two minutes: suicides, murder victims, car crash causalities. These are not fitting ways to remember a person. In order to fully commemorate someone I didn’t know anything about, I would have to talk to people who did.

It wasn’t nearly as easy or as satisfying as I had hoped.

The first place I went looking for Han-nah was Dalton Hall, the biology build-ing. I blindly walked into the offices of several professors from both the psy-chology and biology departments.

The biology department’s staff was much more chipper and willing to speak with me. I stepped into the empty halls of the second floor with my backpack weighing down my right shoulder. Sweat

accrued in my armpits and lashed from my unwashed hairline, dripping down to my beard. It was unseasonably hot for early February. I looked more like a hobo who had just stolen a student’s bag than a student journalist.

Regardless of my lack of hygiene, Julian Smith, a tall biology profes-sor with a warm smile under his gray moustache, asked me to sit down in his office.

“What can I do for you,” he asked. “I was hoping you could recall some-

thing about the Winthrop student who passed away two years ago-”

He stopped me dead in my tracks. “Hannah Floyd.” His voice seemed to linger in the air. I asked him what he could say.

He said this: “You know, I didn’t re-ally get to know her beyond seeing her in the hall from time to time. She took one of my seminars too, but those are filled with 47 students at a time. I can tell you who you should talk to. She’s

on maternity leave, but I bet you can get a hold of her by email, Connor.” He fixed me up with the email address for Heather Evans-Ander-son.

I wouldn’t hear back.

What I do know is that Hannah devoted a large amount of time to this school. She devoted her time and her money to become an impressive research assistant and honors graduate. She pledged herself to this institution with the hopes of a better future but was never able to use any of the tools she gained from it because on that December night, Hannah ran out of time.

I decided to give some of it back by writing this essay, even though it’s too late.

I got an email from Merry Sleigh in the psychology department a few hours later.

She wrote this: “People who knew Hannah, either through a close relation-ship or as an acquaintance, will tell you how smart she was. Her intelligence was readily apparent. One of the neat things about Hannah was that she was so much more than a bright college student. She maintained a good balance between work and fun. She achieved a great deal academically, but she also enjoyed life and the people around her. The more I talked with her, the more I learned about the wide range of her interests and abili-ties. Hannah knew how to work hard and play hard. She did so with a very humble and generous spirit. In one of my classes, I had a typo on my slide that made the information inaccurate. Hannah sent me the kindest note, suggesting that I double-check one of the terms on my overhead, which is the only way I caught the mistake. She could have pointed out the error in a mean-spirited, arrogant or embarrassing manner, but instead, she intentionally communicated in a consid-erate, private and thoughtful way. It’s wonderful for a teacher to have students who want to learn; it’s even more excit-ing to have students from whom you can learn yourself.”

“Connor, I hope this helps. I wish you the best with this important article! Be in touch if I can do more to help. Take care, Dr. Sleigh.”

The weekend approached and my brain cooled off from its episode. Even-tually, my roommate gave the phone number of Joseph Bercy, a graduate of

the biology department who named a new species of flatworm after his old colleague.

He called the worm Hannah-floydae. Bercy was candid during the phone

interview. “I just want to make it clear that we weren’t good friends. We only new each other from class and biology research,” he said. “I just thought nam-ing it after her would be a nice thing to do.”

I thanked Bercy for his quote before hanging up the phone. I sat down before my keyboard and thought of some way to culminate these scattered findings and half-intelligent insights into a satisfying whole. But nothing in life is ever that simple. Hannah’s life wasn’t that simple, and it certainly didn’t culminate into a whole: an unfinished life for an impos-sible-to-finish piece of work. Part of me still thinks that I never actually began.

I will never be the journalist my professors want me to be. I will never be able to bother the families of the deceased. Sometimes peace is more important than the career aspirations of a 21-year-old.

The short and happy existence of Hannah Floyd wasn’t recorded day by day, and now all that remains of it are the fragmented recollections of the few people left on campus that taught her or hung out with her.

This piece, as I was too foolish to understand a week ago, could never re-ally be about Hannah. Instead, it’s about what is left of Hannah, what remains 6 feet deep or 40,000 miles upward and all the thoughts and memories in between.

Note: A few weeks after Hannah’s death, The Johnsonian ran a story about Hannah in which the paper spoke with her professors, roommates and friends. The above story is an immer-sion journalism piece written by a student journalist from his own per-spective.

By Andrea AgnessSpecial to The Johnsonian

On those late night weekends, Twit-ter goers may begin to see more tweets on their timeline, but those tweets won’t be your normal updates or hashtags. In-stead, students will use social media as a new way to warn others about college parties getting busted or where to avoid roadblocks when driving.

Students at larger schools like Clemson and University of South Carolina already have the ability to download a smart phone app that will constantly keep them

updated on where police may be lurking.And for those who don’t have the app,

there are Twitter accounts dedicated to keeping students out of legal trouble.

Some of those tweets say, “Police Pavs now” and “Get out of Pavs now people,” with a twitpic of police arresting some-one.

It seems the Clemson and USC trend may be making it’s way to Rock Hill.

“I’ve seen tweets about parties on Eb-enezer getting busted,” Junior integrated marketing communication major Nicole Kayse said.

It’s not only on Twitter —while many

students, like Kayse, say they notice more of the warnings on Twitter, others feel differently, like junior biology major Ol-ivia Beasly.

“If anything, I see it more on Facebook when people update their statuses,” Bea-sly said.

She said she doesn’t think everyone has caught on the social media trend just yet.

Several students said they realize how popular it has become in areas like USC, but don’t see such apps or Twitter ac-counts in Winthrop’s future.

This trend doesn’t have much of an ef-fect on law enforcement since Campus

Police is not aware of it.“I don’t know anything about the apps

or how they work except from what I read,” Campus Police Chief Frank Zebe-dis said.

In fact, the only use Campus Police say they have for social media is to communi-cate information around the campus.

Zebedis also said when they hear about a potential party, they may check Face-book for posts as a way to follow-up on information.

Students use Twitter to keep party going

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Student journalist recalls his memories of ‘generous,’ ‘humble,’ ‘smart’ Hannah Floyd

Connor deBrulerJunior mass communication

major

Hannah on Dec. 18, 2010 —the day of her graduation.

Hannah posing with Heather Evans-Anderson, a biology professor with who Hannah conducted re-search. TJ file photo.

Graphic by Courtney Niskala • [email protected]

SYDNEY EVANS Opinion Editor [email protected]


About The Johnsonian

The Johnsonian is the weekly student newspaper of Winthrop University. It is published during fall and spring semesters with the exception of university holidays and exam periods.

Editor-in-ChiefCLAIRE BYUN

Managing Editor& WebmasterDEVANG JOSHI

News EditorJONATHAN MCFADDEN

Assistant News EditorAMANDA PHIPPS

Opinion EditorSYDNEY EVANS

Culture EditorALISON ANGEL

Arts & Entertainment EditorMONICA KREBER

Science & Technology EditorCATHERINE ZENDE

Sports EditorJEFF BRODEUR

Sports EditorDAVID THACKHAM

Copy EditorSTEPHANIE ROJENCHES

Copy EditorEDWARD SZEMAN

Multimedia EditorJEREMY ALLEN

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the community.Letters, cartoons and columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily the opin-ions of The Johnsonian staff.

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There are not that many things that are special about turning 21.

Yes, you are now allowed to partake in “adult” beverages, but the majority of college students that en-joy an alcoholic beverage, or five, did so before that magic age.

One thing, however, is special about turning 21. You can buy a gun.

This past November, on my 22nd birthday, after a year of research and thought, I purchased my first firearm. I also went a step further, and qualified and received my concealed weapons permit.

In order to acquire the permit you have to sit in an 8-hour class, pass a written test on the material covered, and score a 70 or better on a test of marksmanship.

I found this to be superfluous for something that is guaranteed under the Second Amendment of the Constitu-tion, but rules are rules.

The class covered many subjects: such as gun safety, cleaning and main-taining your firearm, and what to do in the event you have to fire your weapon in defense.

But the most surprising thing I learned was where I am allowed and more importantly where I am not al-lowed to carry my firearm; one of which is Winthrop University’s campus.

I do not consider Winthrop, and by extension Rock Hill, to be a danger-ous place to live. But there seems to be an emerging pattern of violence along

the periphery of our beautiful grounds.

Two women have been kidnapped; one of them raped, and two students were robbed at gunpoint in the past three months. That is not ok!

Campus police has been vigi-lant in reminding students to be aware of their surroundings and

responsible for their actions. I try to be both; but, I know that

my right hook is not impressive, and in the event of an attack I am not com-pletely confident that I could success-fully defend myself.

When I hold that compact Smith & Wesson .38 with its laser sight and pink handle, I am fully aware of both the fearsome might and tremendous responsibility that weapon represents.

I only wish I could have it on me at all times, even on campus.

If I did, I would not think twice about walking to my car in the dark, or feel vulnerable outside of the tall fences that line Winthrop’s perimeter.

I see the issue of concealed weapons as fundamental to individual freedoms. The right to protect yourself is not negotiable.

New opinion editor is packin’

Sydney EvansOpinion Editor

Our Say

We believe that just because we exist we must have a greater purpose. What if that isn’t the case?

Every day, we as humans struggle with this basic, yet complex ques-tion. What is the purpose of human existence and why are we here?

Many turn to religion to find an-swers, aiming to tackle the ques-tion with faith.

However, the truth is, no matter what religious doctrine or faith you believe explains the existence of human life. You haven’t the slightest clue.

What I find fascinating is not the particular answers that people come up with, (although many can get pretty entertaining) but the nature and perspective of these answers.

Whether you be Christian, and believe in Christ and the search for heaven, or believe we exist to serve another higher function; your expla-nation is a product of the same egocentric perspective.

It has been nearly 470 years since Co-pernicus published the heliocentric model, theorizing that the sun, and not the Earth, is at the center of the solar system.

However, geo and egocentrism is still alive in most minds in contem-plating human life and being. Even though science tells us otherwise, we just can’t let go of our ego and think of our existence objectively.

Recently, I watched a clip that pre-ceded the stand up special “Joe Rogan Live.” The video is a taping of Joe Rogan riding around in the back of his limousine, describing his theory of life and people.

Before, all I knew of Joe Rogan was his color commentary of The Ultimate Fighting Championship and the stom-ach turning show, “Fear Factor.” But what he said in this short video stuck in my mind and has forever changed my view of our existence.

He states he believes human beings are just a very sophisticated form of bacteria. If you look at the Earth as a host for life, then we become just an-other organism on a larger organism that is our host. This is a little easier to contemplate when considering us as a host to many smaller organ-isms.

Just as these small organisms feed off of our bodies, we live and feed off the body of our host until we inevita-

bly destroy it. It doesn’t matter how much information we have access too or how technologically advanced we become. Our purpose is to exist and feed from our host, Earth.

When you look at human existence from this perspective, all the religion and philosophy in the world is mean-ingless in defining human purpose.

Sure, they can be great sources of information on how to treat other humans and what should be accept-able in our societies. But don’t think for one second they can be the key to unlocking the greater purpose of hu-man existence, because they can’t.

We, as humans, are here because we have evolved from smaller, more basic organisms that did just as we do, feed off their hosts. It doesn’t matter what or whom you believe in; this is the simple, objective truth. And the sooner you can detach your ego from the question of human purpose, the

sooner you will arrive at this realization.

When we’re gone, we’re gone, and all of these hopes of a higher purpose will remain as a silly bunch of thoughts, by a group of organisms on a tiny planet, in a vast existence that our puny brains can’t even be-gin to fathom. This isn’t meant to be sad, depressing, or the like. Nor is meant to make you feel like your life is meaningless, and of no real importance.

It is simply an effort to bring realiza-tion to how small humans are in the grand scheme of reality.

When we realize this and let go of our egocentric mindset, we can under-stand things for what they really are. By allowing ourselves to understand the nature of our world objectively, we can see the true causes of problems, begin to fix them, and realize when we can’t.

Look at hurricanes objectively, and they are natural phenomena that take place on Earth. Look at them egocen-trically, and they are natural disasters.

Examine Hurricane Katrina objec-tively, and there is nothing humans could have possibly done to cause or prevent it. Add religion and all of a sudden it becomes a punishment for the gays.

As human beings, it is hard to elimi-nate our egos from the equation.

However, if we can manage to do so, our judgment becomes clearer and we can examine the problems of our world with a rational mind. Then we stop blaming false causes to problems, stop trying to fix things we can’t con-trol, and start channeling our energy toward more productive and progres-sive efforts.

Riley SchottSenior

The real human experience

Love is a Many Splen-dored Thing.

To quote one of my favor-ite sappy movies, check out the above title. Now read it again. Nowhere does it say ‘straight love’ is a many splendored thing, nor ‘gay love’ or ‘love between man and dog,’ what have you. Just, simply, love.

I’ve been stuck on this ever since I attended a comedy show (with someone I kind of love) and found out that even with all the advances in thought and opinion in this country there are still people willing to stand outside in the cold holding hand-made signs that state you’re going to hell for who you love.

I’m not passing judgement on any par-ty here, I must add. I am just expressing my surprise that people are still offended by any type of love other than what they have always been told or know.

As I stood outside hand in hand with my love, we watched as couples of all races, genders and orientations were forced to walk through a crowd jeering and condemning them.

I’m a firm believer that you can’t help who you fall for, and it is kind of scary to see someone’s brief moment of hap-piness blotted by people who for some reason label their love the wrong type.

The way I see it, how can any addi-tional love in this world be a bad thing? There’s war and poverty, there are starv-ing kids in our own country that need a helping hand and people struggling just to get by. Life’s tough and it seems the last thing we should be worrying about is who our neighbor is in love with.

If anything, we need way more love in this world, and it shouldn’t matter who it is with. How could more happiness be a bad thing, any way you look at it?

Any added happiness in life is pretty much an awesome thing. I don’t care who or what you love, no one should have to walk through life feeling ashamed of themselves because of public opinion.

So as far as I’m concerned, keep mak-ing life better and spreading the love. Forget anyone who tries to make you feel bad about it.

Editor claims love is... splendored love

Alison AngelCulture editor

If anything, we need way more love in this world, and it shouldn’t matter who it is with.

“”

Our purpose is to exist and feed from our host, Earth.

“”

TJ explains reporting DUI caseEverybody makes mistakes.Guy Reel, associate professor

of mass communication, was arrested last weekend for a DUI. Reel also serves as the faculty advisor for The Johnso-nian, which made reporting the story controversial.

The decision to report Reel’s case proved difficult, especially to staff mem-bers who’ve worked closely with him. Group discussions ensued, and we came to the decision that, given our code of ethics and prior reporting, we must print Reel’s arrest.

We love and appreciate our advi-sor, but The Johnsonian must uphold journalistic principles and reporting precedents.

In Sept. 2011, The Johnsonian cov-ered the arrest of two employees who sold scrap metal belonging to Winthrop. Since we’ve reported on the issue of Win-throp staff arrests before, we must treat all other staff arrests equally, even if it involves members of The Johnsonian.

We will continue to report employee arrests. It’s only fair.

It’s good to keep in mind, when read-ing stories of arrests or the police blotter, that every action has consequences and we all have to live with those conse-quences. We all need to learn from our mistakes. And we all make mistakes.


CATHERINE ZENDEScience & Technology Editor

[email protected]

Moving into the ‘shift age’Futurist David Houle discusses new age, ideas

By Catherine [email protected]

We are living in a whole new age, accord-ing to futurist David Houle. The futurist visited Winthrop to discuss his idea of the “shift age” and all the technological and social changes that come with a new decade, century and millenium.

Houle coined the term “shift age” to reflect the changes people have experienced and will continue to experience in the future. “The whole world, most aspects of every-body’s life, is going to go through a shift,” Houle said.

Houle’s book The Shift Age discusses the transition from the Information Age of the late 20th century to the new age known as the shift age.

“We are about 1 percent through the new millennium. The last time that was said it was the year 1012,” Houle said. For perspec-tive, that was the beginning of the Middle Ages.

For Houle, the shift age represents “an im-pressive point in history.” Houle explained thhat the previous ages (Industrial Age and Information Age) differ from the new cen-tury because the current age is about rapid change and growth.

The “shift age” is characterized by the rapid change that is occuring. “If you accept the obvious premise that the speed of change today is ten times faster than it was in 1012, then all of the change that we [humanity] have experienced in the last 1,000 years will be the amount of change we will experience in the next 100 [years],” Houle said.

Houle addressed this change with the audience he believes will be most affected—college-age individuals.

He addressed the crowd of students in Dina’s Place by emphasizing the ‘millennial’ generation’s unique situation in the world. “You are maturing and being graduated at a

time of incalculable, immeasurable change,” Houle said. “Future historians are going to look back and say this was one of the most transformative times in history. It’s a fabu-lous time to be alive.”

Houle cited three important forces for the shift age: a “flow to global”, a “flow to the individual” and “accelerated connectedness.”

The “flow to global” concept deals with global interdependence. “We are in the glob-al stage of human evolution,” Houle said.

According to Houle, this global trend means that the nation-state political system is not always capable of solving global issues.

On a more personal scale, the shift age means a “flow to the individual” that creates more choice for people. “We as individuals have more power than individuals have ever had in human history,” Houle said.

But “accelerated connectedness,” accord-ing to Houle, is the single most important force in the shift age and one of the most im-portant forces in human history. Houle ex-plained the concept of “accelerated connect-edness” by using cell phones as examples.

He gave the example that the difference between calling someone who is 10 feet away and someone who is 10,000 miles away amounts to around two extra seconds, thereby connecting people all around the world in a matter of seconds.

Houle also stressed that the transforma-tion decade (and the new century) are about protecting Earth. “It is the Earth century,” Houle said.

After discussing the trends and changes that will create significant change in the new millenium, Houle concluded the lecture with a quote from Miguel de Unamuno: “We should try to be the parents of our future, rather than the offspring of our past.”

For more information about David Houle and the “shift age,” Houle suggests emailing him at [email protected] or following him on Twitter @evolutionshift.

AMA volunteers seek signatures for livesBy Frances [email protected]

The Winthrop chapter of the Ameri-can Marketing Association (AMA) caters to Winthrop’s clubs and organizations’ marketing needs like posters, space requests and even sidewalk chalk. But last week, the organization catered to a different need.

On Tuesday, Feb. 14 and Thursday, Feb. 16, volunteers for the American Marketing Association(AMA) Saves Lives hosted a booth in which students could sign up to be an organ donor. AMA Saves Lives is a branch of the AMA which collaborates with Donate Life America to encourage organ donation.

Kaityln Nardi, president of the AMA at Winthrop, explained that AMA is a national organization and there are only two collegiate groups in South Carolina: one at Winthrop and one at the Univer-sity of South Carolina.

Nardi said that AMA Saves Lives holds a national competition for col-legiate chapters to see which chapter can get the most organ donors. The spring competition is held from Jan. 15 through March 23.

“In the two hours combined that we were set up on Tuesday and Thursday, we got around 20 people to sign up to become organ donors,” Nardi said.

Nardi said that the competition is all online, and there is an electronic tally that is sent to Nationals. There are also Facebook competitions like social media posts and the tally is sent to Nationals electronically.

“A big challenge in getting organ donors is that some people may have a skewed perspective on organ donating,” Nardi said. Nardi said that some people think that as soon as someone dies, that person’s organs are taken, but it is not true.

The AMA donation program allows the donor to choose which organs to donate, and the medical personnel ask the family’s permission before surgically removing any organs from the donor.

“I don’t think a lot people under-stand the concept of [organ donating]. So maybe with more education on the topic, they would be more willing to [donate],” Nardi said.

Nardi said that the differences be-tween the Department of Motor Vehicles and AMA Saves Lives are the charities and the choice. “A lot of students don’t realize that when students get their driver’s license at fifteen and sixteen, you don’t really know a whole lot about [the process]. It’s good to bring it into the college atmosphere,” Nardi said.

Students registered to be a donor for several reasons. Kathryn Rigby a sophomore biology major explains that she doesn’t have a problem donating organs, but when she got her driver’s license, she was told that with the new policy, organs would be “ripped” out of the donor’s body as soon as they die.

“It really freaked me out. I like this process (AMA Website) a lot more,” Rigby said. Richard Ryan, a junior sports management major, said that he had some family members that needed organ transplants and because of regis-tered donors, they were able to receive them. “This is really personal to me,” Ryan said.

According to AMA, last year more than 28,000 organ transplants were performed in the U.S. A donor profile is created upon registering to be an organ donor, and the profile can be updated. To learn more about becoming an organ donor, visit www.amasaveslives.com.

Futurist David Houle explains to students and faculty how the popularity of cell phones demonstrates the growth of technology and communica-tion in the new ‘shift age’. Photo courtesy of Judy Longshaw of University Relations

Volunteers for AMA Saves Lives inform students about becoming organ do-nors. Photo courtesy of Kaitylin Nardi

Ten lesser known blackinventors in American historyBy Catherine [email protected]

History classes are filled with infor-mation about inventions that changed the world, but many inventions made by black inventors throughout history go without recognition.

In the spirit of Black History Month, Biography.com listed 35 African-Amer-ican inventors of the last two centuries.

Although all the inventions on the list merit recognition, ten stand out as being particularly unique, helpful and underappreciated.

1) Thomas L. Jennings

Jennings patented a dry-cleaning process in 1821 and used the money to free relatives from slavery and support the abolitionist movement. He was the first African-American to receive a pat-ent.

2) Dr. Charles Drew

Drew is credited with the invention of the large-scale blood bank. Accord-ing to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Drew was given the patent in 1942 for his work relating to the separation of plasma from blood for longer shelf-life and effective blood transfusions.

3) Alexander Miles

Elevators have become staples of most buildings, but they were not always so safe. Miles received his pat-ent in 1887 for an electric elevator with doors that automatically closed off the shaft way.

4) Jan Ernst Matzeliger

The shoe making process was much more laborious before Matzeliger devel-oped the Shoe Lasting machine that connected the upper part of the shoe to the sole.

5) Garrett Morgan

Morgan had many inventions in his lifetime —with only a 5th grade education. Some of his most notable inventions include the gas mask that became well-known when he used it to save workers during a tunnel accident and an automatic three-way stop sign that was used until the invention of the three-signal light.

6) Otis Boykin

Boykin was another one of those inventors who did not settle on creat-ing one invention. One patent was for a wire precision resistor that was later used for radios and television. His most well-known invention was the control unit for the pacemaker.

7) Madam C.J. Walker

Although not included on Biography.com’s list of 35 African-American in-ventors, Walker (born Sarah Breedlove) is responsible for many hair care prod-ucts designed for black women. After suffering from hair loss, the daughter of former slaves invented several hair care products that helped grow, straighten and style black hair, as well as products to enhance scalp health.

8) Joseph Winters

Before Winters’ patent, firemen had to carry large, heavy fire ladders during emergencies. In 1878, Winters invented a fire escape ladder that was attached to the fire wagon and could be raised faster than previous ladders. The inven-tion is credited with saving many lives and buildings.

9) Lonnie G. Johnson

Johnson is an engineer who has experience inventing thermodynamics systems for NASA, but his more recent fame comes from his invention of a kid’s favorite summertime toy —the SuperSoaker. He receieved a patent for the pressurized water gun in 1991.

10) Lewis Latimer

When most people think of the light-bulb, they immediately think of Thom-as Edison. But without the inventing efforts of Latimer, Edison’s lightbulb may not have lasted very long. Latimer devised a method for making carbon filaments for a lightbulb made by one of Edison’s competitors.

Latimer also drafted the drawings for Alexander Graham Bell’s first tele-phone.

For more information (and more inventors) visit www.biography.com.

Future historians are going to look back and say this was one of the most transformative times in history. It’s a fabulous time to be alive. David HouleFuturist, Author of “The Shift Age”

“”


MONICA KREBERArts & Entertainment Editor

[email protected]

What do I have to say about

the play “Marisol”…?

I felt like I was on an acid trip

when I saw it.

The cast overall did an amaz-

ing job – each person’s role was

intense and vigorous. Out of all

the theatre productions I have

seen this school year, I feel like

“Marisol” had the most emotion

(you know it is an intense play

when you hear fellow audience

members gasp and hiss). From

watching it I could deduce that

the cast worked very hard and it

seemed like the characters were

not very easy roles to learn.

Unfortunately, I do not think

I am a “deep” enough person to

fully comprehend the play in its

entirety.

From a religious perspective

it was somewhat hard to follow.

The focus of the play is a La-

tina named Marisol (played by

Amber Westbrook) who lives in

the Bronx, and is visited by her

guardian angel (Sean Rodri-

guez) who tells her he and his

fellow angels are going to be at

war against God for, basically,

getting a little slack in his job

at watching over the Earth. The

angel tells Marisol that since

he will be fighting, he needs to

lose his angel wings, and will no

longer be able to protect her.

The rest of the play is set in

apocalyptic New York as Mari-

sol struggles to find her missing

friend June (Courtney Wil-

liams) while trying to figure out

why neither God nor anybody

else, seems to be listening…at

least, that is what I got out of it.

The visual effects of the play

were fascinating – there is a

part when Marisol and June are

in their work office and mention

smoke, and the audience sees

plumes of “smoke” dotting the

top of the set on stage. I also

could have sworn I smelled sul-

fur (was that on purpose?).

I think the real “issue” I had

watching the play was when

the character Lenny (Kashaad

Kraus), who is a man, gets preg-

nant. While part of me found

it humorous, the other part of

it was really taken aback by it.

Just the idea is gross – why

did Lenny have to get pregnant

instead of, maybe, Marisol or

June?

The baby Lenny gives birth

to appears to die – I felt like

that could have been explained

more; why did that baby, and

the other babies mentioned,

die?

Otherwise, I give the play

props for being different and

showing a lot of uniqueness; ob-

viously someone far more cre-

atively and artistically capable

than myself wrote the play.

‘Marisol’: play shows uniqueness and creativity

Friday, Feb. 24Overboard

First conceived as a street performance group in-tent on entertaining audiences around coastal New England during the summer months, Overboard has come a long way in a short time. Just 5 years later, they are touring full time, have recorded 5 albums, received 4 CARA (Contemporary Acapella Recording Awards) and 8 ACA (Acapella Community Awards) nominations and won the North East Harmony Sweeps for 1022. They were a finalist on Boyz II Men/CBS Early Show Acapella Quest, and Nick is the writer/arranger and album engineer for the upcom-ing season of the Sing Off.

Where: Dina’s Place - DiGiorgio CenterWhen: 8 p.m.Price: $5 with Winthrop ID, $10 without, Free with Spring Pass

*Approved Cultural Event

Editor reflects on the intriguing and radically different play production that premiered last week

CrossWUrd Puzzle

Across1. Who is playing on Feb. 24 through DSU?5. Our women’s basketball team plays this opponent on Mon-day.6. Winthrop’s admissions office.8. This artsy building is no longer in business (two words).10. Name of play described above.

Down2. Name of Winthrop’s literary magazine.3. Last name of the former coach that has been in a lawsuit against Winthrop.4. Last name of our new Opinion Editor.7. This athletic team is “adjusting to change” for next year.9. Name of street where a WU student’s apartment was robbed.

Monica KreberA&E editor

From a religious perpective it was somewhat hard to follow.

“”

THURSDAY February 23, 2012 8ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Gallery Up closes doors for good

at Winthrop. The group, Crotts said, meets regularly to discuss, critique and support each others’ artwork.

Crotts said Friday Arts Project is in the process of moving out of its studio space across the street from where Gallery Up used to be (in downtown Rock Hill). The group is trying to figure out what can be done with Gallery Up’s former space.

Crotts also said the goal is to partner with other groups in the community to find a way to keep “something going on” in the space where Gallery Up was.

“It will be different, I’m sure,” he said. “We don’t want it to be the same; Gallery Up was just at such an excellent level and there is no need to imitate that. We would want to do something fresh and different but hopefully honor their (Gallery Up’s) legacy and keep something going.”

Former Gallery Up owner Tamara LaValla (who operated Gallery Up with her husband) said the business is closing in order “to redirect the future of our artistic endeavors.”

“We are closing as a way to pursue new creative opportunities, both professionally and personally,” LaValla said. “Gallery Up is stronger than it’s ever been but it is time for our model of ‘demanding art’ to evolve.”

The last Gallery Up reception was held Friday, Feb. 10. The last day that art was posted for sale was Friday, Feb. 17. LaValla said the business will be open for artists and customers to pick up work and to sell furniture and fixtures through the last day of the month.

“We hope that Winthrop’s students, faculty and alumni will continue to build upon the momentum we have created together over the years,” she said.

LaValla also said Gallery Up’s closing has no relation to South Carolina’s government’s alleged

aversion to keeping arts around.“This has always been a private

venture and we have programmed up with as little financial assistance as necessary,” she said.

Over the years Winthrop students have found internships and job opportunities through Gallery Up. LaValla said such opportunities will no longer be available, but The Loading Dock space is still in existence for those that are “interested in a presence” in the Gettys Art Center.

“I’m certain other opportunities will be available for WU students,” LaValla said.

LaValla said she will miss many things about Gallery Up but looks forward to returning to her personal work and having more time to attend events at Winthrop.

“I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the years for so many talented artists as well as for the community in which we live,” she said.

LaValla added that she and her partner thought long and hard about making the decision to close and feel it is the right thing to do.

“We are hopeful that our efforts can be the beginning of a larger, sustainable arts movement in this area,” she said.

Tom Stanley, department chair of Fine Arts, said the faculty members at Winthrop will miss the collaboration and partnership LaValla and Gallery Up had with the school.

“It was the best and most challenging gallery in downtown,” he said. “It helped step up the level of professionalism in the small art scene downtown.”

Stanley said he does not think there will be any impact on art students trying to find jobs or internships.

“There may be a small, short term impact,” he said, “but our students are pretty resourceful and they will find other opportunities as they currently do

via our internship classes and a variety of opportunities not only in Rock Hill but our internship placement in Charlotte, Columbia and Charleston.”

Stanley said the decision of Gallery Up closing was not anticipated, but he is looking forward to what the owners will

bring next to the community at large.

“(The closing) was a respected decision on the part of the owners who will continue to be friends of Winthrop and the Fine Arts Department,” he said.

After over seven years of showcasing and selling artwork, the owners of the frame store / show room decide to explore new artistic endeavors

Locals are still in discussion over what to do with the former workspace of Gallery Up, located in downtown Rock Hill. Winthrop students used to find job and internship opportunities through the business. Photos by Sarah Auvil • [email protected]

GALLERY • from front


ALISON ANGELCulture Editor

[email protected]

Event Spotlight on NPHC: Winthrop Celebrates Black History Month

The French Club has a luncheon every first and third Tuesday of each month for its members, but this week’s gathering was somewhat different from the usual.

This month, the third Tuesday fell on Mardi Gras, a highly celebrated French holiday. In recognition of the holiday, the French Club held a special celebra-tion during their scheduled luncheon.

The club had their designated area of Thom-son Café decorated with streamers and beads in ap-propriate Mardi Gras colors while soft music played in the background.

Several French students, professors, staff members and even community mem-bers came out to fellowship among one another as well as observe the holiday.

Martha Webber, presi-

dent of the French Club, was excited about the turnout this celebration drew.

“This is a good bit of people,” Webber, se-nior French major, said. “Normally it’s just a few students and teachers.”

The club is open to any Winthrop student but it is highly encouraged that French majors and minors join. It is a way for these students to meet and acquaint themselves with one another.

“The French Club provides students with an opportunity to come together and to improve their knowledge of spoken French,” said Dr. Thomas Shealy, Professor Emeri-tus of French.

In support of the French Club’s event, Thomson Café agreed to serve at least one tradi-tional Mardi Gras dish during the lunch period and a full scale meal for

dinner. Mardi Gras, which

can be translated as Fat Tuesday, originated in the Catholic Church. Par-ticipants would indulge in food that day and eat lots of meat before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent.

During Lent, or the fast-ing period, a sacrifice was usually made. Eliminat-ing meat from one’s diet was usually the primary sacrifice. This tradition is still carried out today.

Tuesday was the first time the French Club had a celebration for Mardi Gras, however, it is something they wish to continue.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Dr. Kenneth Gordon, chair of the french depart-ment said. “This is the first time we have done something like this in the cafeteria and I hope that it can continue.”

Thomson transformed for Mardi GrasFrench Club transforms portion of the eatery with music, beads and traditional dishes in celebration

Shamira [email protected]

From top left: Thomson’s countertops transformed to reflect the atmosphere of the event; faculty and students alike came together to honor Mardi Gras over a meal in the festive atmosphere; a student waits to try some traditional Mardi Gras cuisine. Photos by Claire Van Ostenbridge • [email protected]

In honor of Black History Month, the Winthrop chapter of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Incorporated held a cultural event Feb. 22 highlighting how the image of African Americans has evolved over time. The program, titled “Black His-tory: The Evolution,” took place in Plowden Auditorium Wednesday night.

The host, NPHC, is comprised of organizations that evolved during a time when African Americans were denied basic rights and priveleges. The event highlighted accomplishments of African Americans across the world to help contine to foster community awareness.

Image courtesy of Google images


JEFF BRODEURSports Editor

[email protected]

DAVID THACKHAMSports Editor

[email protected]

10

Stollings’ stars make it four straight for Winthrop

Former soccer coach drops federal lawsuit for $35,000

By David [email protected]

Even Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant had to endure long practices, tirelessly working out their mechanics before they reached their peaks of success. Such is the ethos Winthrop women’s lacrosse head coach John Sung would like to instill into his team. In fact, Sung mod-els some of his training regimen on the drills basketball players use to develop their speed and muscle memory.

“It’s easier for me to tell [the girls] to turn on a basketball game then a lacrosse game,” Sung said. “Basketball and la-crosse’s movements are basically the same. You have to get your hands up, eyes up, head up and stay alert.”

For the women’s lacrosse pro-gram, 2012 could be considered the equivalent of basketball’s shootaround, a warm-up to the season tip-off 12 months from

now. For all intents and purposes,

the team’s already in good shape. The squad practices regularly on the turf near Eagle Field and has received warm treatment from the athletic department. For Sung, who also kick started the lacrosse program at D-III Adrian College in Michigan, it’s a far easier situation in Rock Hill.

“This is much, much better [than in Adrian],” he said. “The athletic department has been phenomenal and very support-ive.”

At this point, the one thing Sung doesn’t have yet is much of a team. Only three players, Tay-lor Moreau, Mary Accomando and Maddilyn Genovese, remain from the initial group of seven that were introduced in 2011.

“It’s the weeding out process of being in Division I,” Sung said. “It’s hard to work with such a small group of players, but like I’ve said, we’re looking to build a competitive team from the start.”

Since the practices will consist of only Sung, assistant coach Amanda Shimp and the three girls until August, there are positives and negatives of having such small, intense practice ses-sions.

“A lot of the teaching is hard to do with just three on the field, but we can talk to them and correct mistakes quickly,” Sung said. “Small practices are intense, but if you watch them, they’re taking every single rep by themselves. So we need to teach them to take care of themselves.”

Barring any more dropouts, Sung will command 19 more players coming in the fall as the class of 2016. For the players who are at Winthrop now, this year is the dress rehearsal before the big show begins on February 9 against Navy.


A fifteen-month long fed-eral lawsuit filed by former women’s soccer coach Me-lissa Heinz against Winthrop University ended Wednesday in a $35,000 settlement fee. Heinz, who coached the soc-cer program since its begin-ning in 2003, had initially filed suit back in November 2010 on the basis of gender inequities and harassment. Winthrop University de-nied Heinz’s allegations.

Despite garnering a Big South Conference Championship in 2006 and a conference tournament finals appear-ance three years later, Winthrop University did not renew her contract after the 2009 season.

Winthrop University released a statement earlier today stating that Heinz “vol-untarily dismissed all of her claims against [President An-thony] DiGiorgio, [Athletic Director Tom] Hickman, and [men’s soccer coach Rich-ard] Posipanko without any recovery or settlement.” She settled her claims against Winthrop University for $35,000 and a reference let-ter. The settlement is being

paid by the S.C. Insurance Reserve Fund, not Winthrop University.

In resolving the case, Winthrop University did not admit any liability.

Commenting on the settlement, DiGiorgio stated, “I am pleased that no wrong-doing was established in this lawsuit. We understand and respect that for business reasons, insurance compa-nies sometimes have to settle

lawsuits.” The $35,000

settlement paid out to Heinz in-cludes any claim for Heinz’s attor-ney’s fees, expert witness fees, and other costs as-sociated with her lawsuit.

Heinz is cur-rently the head women’s soccer coach at Division II Valdosta State University. She

joined the Blazers in January 2010. In her first season with the school, she led the Blaz-ers to a 11-6-2 overall record, including a 5-1-1 record in the Gulf South Conference.

Heinz’s squads had losing records six of her seven years at the reins of Winthrop women’s soccer. She won approximately 43.5 percent of her overall games, includ-ing 45 percent of conference match ups.

Melissa Heinz

Coach John Sung’s side trains on the practice turf across from Winthrop’s soccer stadium, Eagle Field. Photo by David Thackham • [email protected]


How much more can you ask from a Winthrop team that comes off a breath-taking upset win over Big South Conference-leading Liberty? Head coach Marlene Stollings and her superstar trio of guards Dequesha McClanahan, Diana Choibekova and Samiya Wright notched a convincing 67-56 victory against the #3 ranked Radford Highlanders to move the Lady Eagles (15-11, 9-5 BSC) into 2nd place in the confer-ence with the playoffs just around the corner.

As the conference competition heats up, poise is on every pair of Eagle lips.

“We’re handling our business,” said Choibekova (16 points, 9 rebounds). “We’re just winning and the other teams are falling, so we’re taking it one by one.”

Winthrop’s win, paired with High Point’s shock buzzer-beater loss to Coastal Carolina, propels the Eagles into a tie for second place with trips to Camp-bell and High Point’s Panthers on the docket. Win-throp has won five of its last six games, including four straight victories.

“We know we’re going to be in 40 minute games, it’s the time of the year,” Stollings said. “We’re very confident and handling things at a high level. It’s the perfect time for this all to be happening.

Radford entered the Winthrop Coliseum as the nation’s 10th best in steals per game (12.4) and found immediate success, forcing five turnovers in the first ten minutes alone.

Yet a smart zone defense from Winthrop (21-52 FGA, 40.4%) kept the visiting Highlanders at bay, especially their second highest leading scorer, Ashley Buckhannon, who missed all 14 of her open shots.

“A lot of our team is being one and done, getting it out in transition,” McClanahan (21 points, 10 assists) said. “We have to keep a tough defense.”

A 14-2 run early in the 2nd half, including seven from McClanahan, put Winthrop up by 12 with 18 minutes left, a lead the Eagles never let dip below seven for the rest of the contest.

True freshman Taylor Calvert (4-4 FGA) made the biggest defensive impact on the night with 12 boards

to add to her eight points. Winthrop is currently 9-3 since adding the Schertz, TX native to the starting lineup.

“I was just waiting for my opportunity,” Calvert said, “and when it came, I knew I just had to do the little things. You have to win all the hustle plays and keep on your toes now.”

The starting five are gelling with surprising effi-ciency. They contributed all but one point in the Win-throp’s offense, a free throw from Kaitlyn Rubino.

Winthrop now returns to the road for over a week, a prospect that no one is shying from. The Lady Eagles are 4-3 in road conference games this season.

“If we keep our will, our desire, I think we can keep this all together,” said McClanahan.

Eagles tied for 2nd in BSC standings

Lacrosse adjusts to change as 2013 nears

Four more conference games separate Winthrop and the Big South Conference Tournament that takes place on the first weekend of Spring Break. Photo courtesy of Sarah Auvil • [email protected]

We’re handling our business. We’re just winning and the other teams are fall-ing, so we’re taking it one by one. Diana ChoibekovaJunior guard

“”

THURSDAY February 23, 2012 11SPORTS

Winthrop baseball winless on opening weekend

WU women’s golf gets back into the swing of things

competed, and that’s what you’re going to get out of him. If we make a few plays behind him, it may have been a different game.”

The remainder of the scoring came in the seventh and eighth innings when Georgia Tech scored three runs on three Winthrop errors to extend the lead to 5-0. The Eagles had a total of five errors on the night.

“The whole key is when you’re playing a team like Georgia Tech you can’t give them five extra outs,” said Riginos. “That really hurt us.”

Freshman Patrick McClendon recorded the only hit of the night for the Eagles.

In their second game on Saturday, the Eagles did not fare much better. Starting pitcher Eric Ruth gave up eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits in just four innings of work in an 11-3 rout at the hands of Kent State.

The Golden Flashes made their move in the second inning, scoring seven runs on seven hits to take the early 7-0 lead. The Eagles, however, made a case for a come-back, scoring three runs in the third thanks to a Matt Lobacz RBI single and a pair of Kent State errors.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, that was all the offense they would produce for the remainder of the game. Kent State continued to tee off against Winthrop pitching, adding runs in the fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth in-nings in the 11-3 affair.

The Eagles also failed to address the de-fensive woes that plagued them in the first game, committing five more errors in game two.

In the final game of the weekend, Win-throp had a chance to redeem themselves against Georgia Tech in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

“The biggest thing we talked about after the first game [against Kent State] is that we have to be more competitive and play with a little bit more energy,” said Riginos. “I thought we had more energy and were com-

petitive against Georgia Tech.”

The Eagles showed signs of life in the re-match, both offensively and defensively. De-spite giving up a run in the first two innings, Riginos’ team responded, bringing the game to a 2-2 tie in the third. Both teams settled down, keeping their opponents scoreless up until the seventh inning.

Gerogia Tech’s Mitch Earnest and Brandon Thomas combined for three runs batted in (RBI) in the seventh and eighth, giving the Yellow Jackets a 5-2 lead heading into the final frame. Sophomore pitcher Zane Evans kept the Eagles offense in check, earning the save and handing Winthrop their third loss in two days. Despite the loss, there was a dramatic improvement versus the previous two games. The offense was noticeably bet-ter, including sophomore TJ Olesczuk who went 4-4 in the final game of the Coca-Cola Classic. The defense was also error-free after posting 10 errors in the first two games.

The Winthrop Eagles will continue their non-conference schedule as they head to Athens, Ga. to take on the Georgia Bulldogs after a single game series against Western Carolina.

By Casey [email protected]

Winthrop’s women’s golf team hopes to start their spring season off right by taking what they worked on in the off-season and applying it to their tourna-ments in the spring.

The team spent the off-season work-ing on things that they noticed needed improvement when they were playing in their the fall tournaments.

“The off-season gives us an oppor-tunity to work on any little glitch in our game,” said senior co-captain Kayla Cline.

Head coach Jodi Wendt said that the off-season is also a time for players to make major changes in their swing that they don’t have the ability to do during the season.

Their short game has been the main focus of attention. Wendt said the team has been working on “new and creative short game shots.”

Senior and team captain, Katie Bol-ling, said that working on the team’s short game has been easier this year, because of Winthrop’s new short game facility.

“The new short game facility makes it

easier and more convenient to practice short game,” said Bolling. “This facil-ity includes several sand bunkers and greens, so you can experiment with all types of sand and chip shots.”

The new facility makes it more con-venient to practice in the off-season, but the team is not able to practice as a unit as much. The team is only allowed to practice with their coach for eight hours a week during the off-season, so the players spend much of their time practic-ing as individuals.

“During winter break, everyone went home and continued to practice on their own,” Bolling said. “I know many of my teammates, who are from warmer climates, played in tournaments during winter break.”

“Even though it’s the off-season,” said Wendt, “you have to keep practicing as hard as you did during the season.”

Although the team works hard during their off-season to maintain their game, the break also gives them time to take a mental break.

“At the same time we are trying to fix the glitches, we are also trying to rejuve-nate,” said Cline, “so when spring season comes we are fresh and ready to get back at it.”

Constant practice is important in order for the team to continue to grow as individuals, but taking a daylong break during the off-season doesn’t cause them to lose everything.

“It doesn’t take us more than a day or two to get back into the swing of things, said Cline. “It’s all about muscle memory and being confident in what you are do-ing.”

The team is confident that the hard work they put into the off-season and the time they took to rejuvenate will help them succeed in the spring semester tournaments.

Wendt explained that the team had trouble performing well all two or three days in the fall tournaments, and would usually have one day where they did well. Wendt believes that her team will be able to perform stronger throughout tournaments in the upcoming spring season.

Bolling believes that the team has spent enough time together now to fix any problems they experienced in the fall.

“It took some time becoming adjusted since we added several freshmen,” said Bolling. “Now the team understands everyone’s strengths and weaknesses on

the course.”“We are coming into the spring stron-

ger than we were in the fall because we have another season under our belts,” Cline said. She said that the fall has al-lowed the team to gain more knowledge and experience, which will lead the team to a stronger spring performance.

The team will put that mantra to the test at the Kiawah Island Women’s Inter-collegiate tournament starting February 25.

Photo by Claire Van Ostenbridge • [email protected]

Winthrop pitcher Preston Johnson exits the game in the fifth inning against Georgia Tech. Photo by Jeff Brodeur • [email protected]

Winthrop Eagles stats(Through first 3 games)

•WU team ERA: 5.33•Opponents ERA: 1.67

•WU batting average: .191•Opponents batting average: .398

•WU fielding percentage: .917•Opponents fielding percentage: .951

•TJ Olesczuk leads the team in seven offensive categories

•Matt Lobacz leads he team with 3 runs batted in (RBI)

•Matt Pierpont leads the team with six strikeouts and an opponent batting average of .190

BALL • from front

...When you’re playing a team like Georgia Tech, you can’t give them five extra outs. Tom RiginosHead Coach

“”

Women’s golf fall season results

Starmount Fall Classic: 11th place (953) Winthrop Intercollegiate: 2nd place (620)Blue Raider Invitational: 11th place (942)Paladin Invitational: 12th place (996)

12THURSDAY February 23, 2012 THE JOHNSONIAN

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February 23, 2012

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