Newspapers / Chowan University Student Newspaper / Nov. 1, 1992, edition 1 / Page 7
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lie Fiction Corner Wrathman (continued) By Marty Grebing TJ travels the same dark palh, head facing down, not taking iii any of the scenery, like he has done eveiy day for weeks now. Within minutes, the depressing, macabre surroundings change from slums and litter to the bright, shining orchestra of downtown lights. TJ still doesn’t look. He doesn’t want to. His pride couldn’t stand to see the lights, the money, and e^- cially the success of an entirely different lifestyle; the kind he has dreamed of for so long. He boards the subway arxl ar rives at the underground arena entrance within minutes. A man wearing sunglasses, a Wack Italian suit, slicked-b^ hair, and a bulge in his jacket, meets TJ at the gate. He escorts him down a dimly lit h^ and into a dressing room. “You got five minuteiS;” the guard says in a cold, unfeeling voice as he turns to leave, “Hey, good luck.” TJ walks to his locker and quickly changes into a pair of old gray sweat pants and a white sleeve less undershirt With a deep breath he leaves the dressing room and begins the long walk down the dimly lit hallway that, within minutes, will lead liim lo the under ground stadium where he will figjit for his life. The loud, droning sound of an anxious crowd grows more intense with each step, he makes it to the ramp and pauses. Just a few more strides and he’U be on his way to freedom - a fresh start He wants to remember these steps. Applause welcomes TJ as he walks into the crowd’s si^ He hates this crowd. All their money. All their fake interest in his life and what he’s doing. He’s just con cerned with winnir^g the fight and getting out of this hell-hole. TJ walks to one comer of the square, polished maple floor and kneels, closing his eyes. The people, the rx)ise, the st^um, they an have to be blocked out His focus must be on winning the figJiL Nothing else. Meditatirai is soori “interrupted by ttie crowd as they begin to cheer and stomp wildly on the thin, metal Weachers. The sound waves vi brate and intensify, echoing off concrete walls. He’s here. TJ looks up to see his opponent slowly approaching fiom the op posite end of the arena Easily six feet arxl a half, at least two-huridred fifty pounds, no more than two percent body fat Every incrediWy defined muscle flexes with each movement His face is littered with purple and red acne, his head barely covered by an inconsistent cluster of thin, firaying hair. The thick, blue veins in his nedc bulge as he shouts threats at TJ, none of which are discernible over the crowd. A ackly, balding man dressed in a blade and white striped shirt hops onto the floor from the ringside table, dragging along a new, brightly polished chrome microphone. “Welcome all! You are about to witness the championship duel between the greatest street fi^iters in all of Chicago!” The crowd, a sea of finely tai lored suits, applauds, eager for battle. ‘To my right, the new kid firni East side. You know him, you love him, ‘The Wrath Maa’!” Science Olympiad slated on campus On February 11, 1993, Chowan College Department of Science will sponsor a &iaice Olympiad Tour nament for high school students in northeastern North Carolina. Science Olympiad is an organi zation whidi is devoted to improv ing the quality of science educa tion, increasing the student inter est in science, and jwoviding rec ognition for outstanding achieve ment in sciaice educaticm by both students and teachers. The list of competitve events at Chowan will be as follows: “A” is Anatomy; Biology Process Lab; Balancing Equations; Bridge Building Qxi- test; Cell Biology; Circuit Lab; Designer Genes; Get Your Bear ing; Metric Estimation; Pentath lon; Physics Lab; and ScramWer. He hates that name, k’s Ro(h- mana TJ Rothman. “And Id my left, the two time defending diainpion - you know him, you hate him, you’ve bet money on him, *The Unstoppable Jack Manger’!” Mangier absorbs the crowd’s adrenaline, flexing his boulder-like chest. “Without further delay, let the final battle begin!” The armouncer scurries off the floor, followed by a flurry of ap- (iause and whistles. “Hey, ‘Wrath Man’,” the beast begins, his eyes wild and blood shot, “I’m gonna tweak yer nedc!” A loud and brief Wast fiom the ringside airtiom signals the two filters to begin. Mangier charges savagely and unpredictaWy. He’s fast Much faster than a man his size should be. He swings his rigjit arm, nar rowly missing TJ’s ducking head. His knee, however, does not It strikes TJ square on the fordiead, violently ttirowing his body back wards, hitting the unforgiving wooden floor. The crowd erupts. “Come on, don’t die chi me yet Wrath Man!” Mangier leans over, reaching lor TJ’s nedc with two over-sized, shaking hands. Wrath Man suddenly comes alive, striking the monster’s left knee witti a perfectly (daced kick. Manner screams in angui^ dum- sily falling to the side, clawing at his knee in paia TJ jumps up. “Wrath Man I’m gonna rip ofif your legs arxl kick you with ‘em,” ttie fallen behemoth screams frsm the floor. TJ stands back, allowing him to struggle to his feet With another maddening scream, he charges again, this time aiming low. TJ feints a kick to his other knee and Mangier shifts to Wack, leaving his upper body wide opea In a complete Wur, TJ spans around, flailing both legs at the brute’s face. The first one misses. The second otK strikes, raking a solid heel across brittle teeth. Mangier reels back, bright red blood gushing out ^^ttering onto the wooden floor. His teeth fol low. He wipes his mouth with one forearm then the other, painting his discolored skin with bloody red stripes, he spts a fine red mist into the air then pauses. His faces turns ftom raging fiiry to a calm, musing expression. His tongue darts around the inside of his mouth, running over bare gums. “Hey, Wrath Man,” he says, smiling as big as possible, show ing a single, solitary, bloody tooth dangling from his upper gum, “you missed one.” TJ steps back, making space for a nmway. Mangier sign^ with both arms, daring him to charge. “Come on, Wrath Man you wimp! Come on!!” Every person in the stadium stands, stomping in uniscxi on the bleachers below. Slow at first, den gaining in temp until the loud, ominous pounding turns into a constant stream of noise and adre naline. “What are you waiting for? Came on!” The noise level approaches pandemonium. TJ charges. Mangier lunges forward, arms outstretched in an attempt to catch him in a bear hug. TJ leaps into the air, spinning to the left he strikes Manner in the right knee with the side of his boot, simultaneously landing a swollea pointed knudde on his left temjie. Mangler’s eyes roll back, his right knee crumfdes, and he falls to the floor face first with a sharp smack. A large stream of Uood runs out from under the fallen beast’s head, forming a bright, reflective puddle a few feet fiom his body. TJ circles Mangler’s unmoving form, studying him. They start the chant “Kill! Kill! Kill!” TJ positions his right boot in the center of Mangler’s thick, muscu lar back. He leans forward, [fac ing both hands under his slippery. Woody chin. “Kill! Kill! Kill!” With a quick movement, TJ jerks Mangler’s head backward, extend ing his right leg at the same time. A quick series of hoUow snaps and pops emit fiom his shattered He lets go, allowing the lifeless, twisted corpse to coll^se «ito ttie Wood painted floor. The short baU man runs up to TJ, grabs his right arm and raises it in the air in triumph. For the first time since he can remember, TJ cracks a smile. It’s over. It’s finally over. This time the journey hrane is a short one. TJ bounds up the stairs and bursts the apartment door opea “Hey mom! Vfan! I wrai! Look!! We can leave now- start over! Look- “ he shouts, holding up a blade leather briefcase, “we’re rich! Get out of that rocking chair and lets go!! We can leave town tonight! I got enough money to take us anywhere!” She doesn’t move. “Mom...?” TJ drc^ the briefcase ani runs to his mother’s slumped over form. “Mom!” He leans over and reaches for the gun sitting in a puddle of Wood under the rocking chair. It’s still warm. Moonlight illuminates a large, bloody hole in the side of her head and pieces of splattered flesh, {Mastered on the near wall He stands motionless over his mother, weeping quietly. All his hopes and dreams have just been shattered. He went throu^ hell for her. He even killed for her, to give her a better life. To let her start over. TJ drops the gun, picks up the briefcase and walks outside to the alley, silent teardrops foltowing in his footsteps. He starts to leave but catches a glimpse of that same bum, still passed out between the dumpsters. TJ approaches and stands over him for several minutes, studying him. With a final tear, he lite up the wino’s arm, places the briefcase undemeath, arid walks away. Its Aice rtf He AnJ u!U SMOKE SIGNALS, November, 1992— Page 7 Campus/Club Announcements Baptist Student Union Mr. Kelly Brame Meeting Thursdays at 8X) PM E)anid Hall Lobby A weddy diar]ge of spiritual renewal aimed at the youth. Con temporary songs. Stud^ testimonies. Shared faith and ftierid- ship. ALL WELCOME! Phi Beta Lambda Ms. Dorothy Wallace Meetings at 6:00 pm in Robert Marks Hall Auditorium First Wednesday (business meeting) Third Wednesday (program meeting) Business Honor Society Mrs. A. Easoi - Advisor Meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 10:00 am in McSweeny Hall, Room 105 Jenkins Hall Iiind Raiser R.D. Loueen Leonard, Ext 1052 Class to make cultured pearl earring^.S. posts at 700 pm Etecember 2. $25 Craft Sale December 12 at Jenkins Hall fiesh water pear necklace and bracelets jeweled paper clips hair barrettes semi-predous stme necklaces and earrings and much more! (fund-raiser for Jenkins hall. For more info, call Loueen at ext 1052) English Department chair Dr. Ken WolfddU We have revived the Chowan Players. Anyone interested in drama as a performance art- acting, sa design, costuming, etc., t^ease come to our secravd meeting on Nov. 23 at 3:30 pm in Robert Marks Hall Room 304. Our goal this year is to produce one play in the spring. JOIN US!! Literary Club Meeting November 30 at 3:30 pm in Robert Marks Hall Room 304. Reading: “Miss Londy Hearts” (a short novd by Nathaniel West On reserve in library) est in the up-coming sessions. The four year program is especially exdting with all new color and graphic design projects that allows the students to acquire hands-on job experience complete with deadlines. Students are also re quired to design and layout a per sonal resume’ for future job inter views. The resume’ projects shown to me were very impressive. Also impressive were the stu dent handbook covers designed by students and studait activity cal endars. Mr. Gilbert escorted me through the computer classroom and intro duced me to some of the projects they are working on prior to print ing. Then we walked throu^ the photography arxl printing labs and reviewed the process of printing a newspaper. He remarked, “I can’t teH you how proud I am of them.” Interested students are encour aged to visit and ask questions about new classes. New Printing Labs! Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00-9:00 pm. Don't miss boat on financial aid Did you know that con gress h^ changed the regu lations that determine eligi bility for financial aid? How does this affect you? For those of you who (Ud not qualify last year, there is a greater chance that you will be eli gible this year, and for those who did qualify, you may be eligible for even more aid! What’s the catch? You must apply EARLY! Early means January and Febru ary 1993. You can pick up applktations fh)m the finan cial aid office in January. While more people will be eligible next year, grant money (gift aid) is still very limited. So, don’t miss the boat, apply EARLY! You have h^d the saying, ‘Tl>e early bird gets the worm.” In this case, the early bird gets the buck! What is Free Enterprise Capitalism? In a fiee enterprise eoc»iomic system the dedsions as to what and how much is to be produced with the free actions of individuals and firms in the economy. Likewise, tfie manner in which goods and services are to be allocated is under the control of individuals arxl firms rather than the government In the United States capital goods are owned and used primarily by individuals rather than by government bodies. Capital goods re fer to such items as machinery, equipment buildings, or even money that can be used to purchase these items. Private ownership of property is a characteristic of a free enter prise capitalistic system. Ihis means that individuals have the right to owa use, and sdl machinery, equipment, and buildings and that they also have the right to the results of thdr productive efforts (profits). For examjdes, a fanner who grows com on his land with the use of his labor and capital owns the com that is produced. He can dispose of his com as he wishes. In a similar fashioa a firm that manufacture computers is entifled to the ownership of the oxnput- ers and can sell them if it wishes. After (Compensating those who contributed to the fModuction of the cranputers, the firm is entitled to the profit or what remains of the total revenue . This profit provides the incentive to acquire and use capital goods to produce goods and services. In a fiee enterprise system individuals may offer their services to another in exchange for a wage payment, allow someone to use thier larxl in exchange for rent or lend money to someone else in exchange for an interest payment However, instead of selling their productive servkies to another, they can go into business for them- sdves as entrepreneurs and produce goods and sell them. Of course, they hope to earn a profit Sometimes they suffer losses, bur that is the risk they assume as they pursue the prospect of a profit In the American economk: ^'stem, consumer demand influences the ultimate use of manpower and resources and the aUocation of goods and services. Consumer demand is expressed in the prices individuals are eilling to pay. Competition among businesses help to maintain order in the economies system and helps to keep prices down. We like to say that the United States has a fiee enterprise capital istic economic system. These system grew out of the philosofiiy of ec(xwmic liberalism ttiat was popular in the 19th century and the eariy part of the 20th century. The major characteristics of this phi losophy of ecoTKxnic liberalism were firo trade, self-interest, private property, laissez-faire, and canpetitioa However, our economy is really a mexed economy as a result of a large amount of imperfed competition arxl the growing role of government own and operate business. Some business are regulated by government Govern ment polides sometimes are im(demented to protect individual and property rights, prevent abuse, promote competitioa or stabilize ecotxjmic conditions. In ^te of the role of government, the Ameri can econanic system still irrorporates many aspects of a free enter prise economic system. Young Scholars program slated Twenty rising sophomores from northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Vir^a attended a three week program this past summer sponsored by Chowan College and the National Sdence Foundation. Career opportunities were explored in a variety of sden- tific fields. Field trips to Virginia Air and Space Museum in Hamp ton; Virginia Nudear Rawer Sta tion at Suny; Merchant’s MiU Pond in Gates; North Carolina Aquar ium in Manteo; Wright Bnofliers Memorial Museum arxl Jockey’s Ridge in Nag’s Head were si^Hs visited by the Scholars. In addition to traveling throughout the period, half of their stay was harids on experierKc in biology. Chemistry, Physics and Computers. After acquiring experierxje in the lab, the remaining half of thdr time was spent doing basic research. Re ports were compiled arxl presented to the stalT and students. Ideas were formulated for continued science projects in their local schools. On T\iesday, October 20, 70% of these Young Scholars returned to Chowan Coflege with their teachers for a follow-up visit Ideas were shared for continued sdoj- tific work with bodi student and teacher. . The Young Scholars Program [ will be fiirxled again during the sununer of 1993. The dates for this will be Julyll-30. There will be a one-time announcement of this program in the latter part of April. This program, like that of Tech Hi^ is for outstanding math arxl sderxje students who will be rising sophomores. Dean Gilbert optimistic on graphics By Peggy Fuller Mr. Gilbert is very enthusiastic about this, years Graphic-Artr HaptliMlW arxl hopes to encourage more inter-
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