Volume XXI, Number 4
since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
Washington Post Columnist William Raspberry
To Give Commencement Address at NCWC
2 December 2005
By Jessica Bowen
Decree Staff Writer
William Raspberry, a Pulitzer-Prize-
winning columnist for The Washington
Post, will deliver the commencement ad
dress at North Carolina Wesleyan College’s
December 10 graduation ceremony.
' The ceremony will begin at 11:30
a.m. at the Minges Auditorium in the
Dunn Center, with 147 students from the
adult degree and traditional day programs
Professor Jane
Christensen
Remembered
By Colleagues
By Decree Staff
The Wesleyan community remem
bered Dr. Jane Christensen for her
passion, both as a defender of academic
freedom, and in her love of horses.
Christensen, an associate profes
sor of political science, died Sunday,
November 20, at home after a long
battle with cancer. She was 61.
“Our community has been sad
dled by Dr. Christensen’s passing,”
NCWC President Ian Newbould said
in a statement that appeared on the
college’s website. “Jane reminded
us of the need to keep an open mind
co&ceming the political issues of the
day. Her views were not those popularly
held, and she excited passionate debate
among her colleagues and students,
many of whom admired her, many of
whom disagreed with her. We ask that
you keep her family in your thoughts
and prayers.”
Faculty members valued Chris
tensen as a colleague and frignd.
English Professor Steve Ferebee
mentioned that Christensen, a Kentucky
native, was passionate about the horses
that she stabled and rode at her farm
near Castalia. “Once when my back
was bad,” Dr. Ferebee recalled, “Jane
Christensen brought over a large magne
tized bed pad which had recently been
draped over one of her horses. I knew
that if she would share with me and
her horses, she cared about me. Some
people will be surprised to know that is
what 1 will always remember about her
- she was often caustic, but she had a
big heart. I’ll miss the hell out of her.”
History Professor Richard Watson
oyressed similar sentiments. “Jane
believed passionately in certain causes,
and, to put it mildly, she made her
passion clear to all,” Dr. Watson said.
“She often angered many, myself
included, but even when she was wrong
she forced us to re-examine beliefs we
take for granted, which is something we
should thank her for. She was also kind
and generous, a side of her many did
not see.”
“I will miss having Jane as a
colleague,” added Dr. Jay Quinan,
associate
See "Christensen" on page 8
set to graduate. The baccalaureate
program is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the
Leon Russell Chapel.
As far as majors, the expected gradu
ates break down this way: business (65),
justice studies (30), computer information
systems (20), psychology (20), accounting
(15), sociology (4), exercise science (3),
history (3), biology (2), environmental
science (2), pre-med (1), math (1), food
service and hotel management (1),
elementary education (1), English (1) and
theatre (1). Twenty-three students will
graduate with double-majors.
Lori Strickland, a December graduate,
is a justice studies major. She plans on going
into the work force after graduation and sav
ing money to help her pay for law school.
Strickland said her degree “has helped me
prepare for more in-depth study in law
school and has given me a strong research
background to help with any job that 1 may
have in between now and law school.”
Brittany Whitley, the only graduat
ing English major, plans to find work as
an analyst or in publishing as an editor.
“Thanks to my experiences at NCWC,
I’ve come to appreciate the true meaning
and source of education,” she said.
Raspberry is the Knight Professor
of the Practice of Communications and
Journalism at the DeWitt Wallace Center
and the Terry Sanford Institute of Public
Policy at Duke University. Raspberry won
the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for his commen
taries on crime, AIDS, the nation of Islam,
and violent rap lyrics. In 1993, he won
an honorary degree from Duke, and he
has been awarded numerous journalistic
awards and more than a dozen honorary
degrees. He is the author of “Looking
Backwards at Us,” a book published in 1991
by the University Press of Mississippi.
He was awarded the Capital Press
Club’s “Journalist of the Year” award in
1965 for his coverage of the Watts riot in
Los Angeles. In 1967 he received a citation
of Merit in Journalism, for distinction in
improving human relations, from Lincoln
University in Jefferson City, Mo.
Raspberry’s newspaper column ran in
the local section of The Washington Post
in 1966 and in 1971 his column moved to
the op-ed page. His commentary appears
weekly in more than 100 newspapers. In
1997, Raspberry was selected as one of
the top 50 most influential journalists in
the national press corps by Washington
magazine. He is the Fellow of the Ameri
can Society of Professional Journalists.
Raspberry, his wife Sondra, and three
children now reside in Washington, D.C.
Tips Offered for Reducing Stress Level
By Christine Werfelman
Decree Staff Writer
This is the time of the year when most
students start to feel higher stress levels
because of the work still to be completed.
Whether a student is taking 12 credits
or 18 credits, there is considerable material
to review in preparation for finals. Added
pressure comes because students, while
eager for Christmas break and reunions
with family and friends, recognize that it’s
important to finish the semester strong.
NCWC smdent Shaima Elsedoudi said
that studying for long periods is always
stressful. When it’s final exams time, “it just
adds that much more pressure,” she said.
Following a recent survey, the Princ
eton Review reported that 85 percent of
American and Canadian college students
admit to feeling increased stress and tension
at exam time, in many cases leading them to
make unhealthy choices.
Many students feel that the answer to
getting through finals week is loading up on
caffeine and snacks and pulling all-nighters.
The Princeton Review survey found:
► Increased snacking during study
time: This habit ranked the highest among
students from both countries: 76 percent hit
the fridge (47 percent to combat boredom,
32 percent to relieve stress).
► The caffeine buzz still is prevalent:
A majority of students (62 percent) admit to
drinking caffeinated drinks to help increase
focus and concentration while studying.
► Students like to bum the midnight
oil: More than a third of students (37
percent) report that they do most of their
studying between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Robin Raskin, director of communica
tions for the Princeton Review, said that
such habits can back-fire at exam time, lead
ing to burnout for many students. She added,
“Exam time has always been stressful, but
loss of sleep, increased caffeine consump
tion and unhealthy snacking are sure-fire
ways to create a less than optimal exam-time
performance.”
Dr. Elizabeth Hood, NCWC instructor
in psychology, offered the following tips for
alleviating stress:
► Get plenty of sleep. The average
adult needs eight hours a night. “Tiredness
promotes anxiety,” she explained.
► Get some exercise. “This is a
fantastic stress reducer,” Hood said, noting
that studies show that physical activity can
alleviate stress.
► Manage your time well. In exam
preparation time management is the key.
Hood recommends that students prioritize
their time and make a detailed schedule that
included deadlines.
► Schedule short, regular study breaks.
Hood noted that most students can concen
trate for only about 45 minutes at a time.
► Practice relaxation techniques. For
example, whenever you feel tense, slowly
breathe in and out for several minutes.
► Talk to others. “Sharing your
concerns about exams with others can help
alleviate stress and worry,” Hood said.
NCWC senior Charity Gray agrees that
it’s important not to become isolated while
preparing for exams. She has found that
study groups offer valuable support. “Over
the past years. I’ve learned that studying
with a group is more helpful than studying
by yourself. It helps you stay focused,” Gray
said, adding that a study group can alleviate
stress because it helps you understand that
every one is going through a stressful time.
Elsedoudi noted that students should
take advantage of the help available at
the Student Support Center. An SI leader,
Elsedoudi suggests going to a SI session.
“We are always willing to help. Our goal
is to decrease stress because we want to
make it as easy as possible for our fellow
students.”
{The Collegiate Presswire contributed to this article)
Photo by Decree Staff
Say what? This baffling sign greets fans at
the NCWC softball field. A similar sign hangs
at the baseball complex.
Wesleyan Community
Reflects on the Legacy
Of Rosa Parks
By Graig Cherry
Decree Staff Writer
On October 24, America learned of
the death of Rosa Parks, the seamstress
who refused to give her bus seat to a
white passenger. Her civil disobedience
was a key moment in the struggle for
civil rights and brought the United States
a little closer to fulfilling the words of its
Constitution.
December 1 marked the 50th anni
versary of her brave act and her role in the
Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, and
Dr. Jonathan Sarris, an assistant professor
of American history at NC Wesleyan, said
that Parks’ place in history is secure. “She
is one of many examples of grassroots
freedom struggle,” he said. “She reminds
us that civil rights came due to the efforts
of thousands of ordinary people who
refused to give up their seats, speak with
eyes lowered, sit in the rear of the bus,
enter through the back door, drink from
the right water fountain, or stay home on
election day.”
Sarris fears that for many students
“the name of Rosa Parks is just one more
in a series of lifeless, detached facts
leamed in school.” When asked about
Parks’ life, some Wesleyan students
had little to say. Others recognized her
significant contribution to the life of
African Americans.
“She really touched our lives by
fighting for our rights, as our grandparents
and their parents did before them,” said
senior Jermaine Artis. “If it was not for
her fighting for our rights, we would not
be in the position that we are in today.”
Sophomore Eric Craven echoed Artis’
comments, noting that “Mrs. Parks helped
me in so many ways that 1 just can’t
single out one. But I know that she is a
big reason why I’m able to go to school,
get my education, and speak freely about
whatever I need to say. I just want to
thank Mrs. Parks for her bravery and what
she’s done for the American people.”
Senior Kimberly Moore related that
she was sad when she first leamed of
Parks’ death. “She was an icon for African
Americans,” Moore said. “Rosa Parks
inspired me to make goals. She’s the
reason I shoot for the stars as an American
female.”
Added Sarris: “She reminded me that
throughout American history, freedom is
constantly being negotiated, challenged,
and redefined.”
In Henry David Thoreau’s 1849 essay
on the duty of civil disobedience, the
author declared Americans should disobey
unjust laws. Mrs. Parks did just that.