since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.’
September 22, 2006
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
First-Year Class Reflects
Continued Improvement in
Gender Balance, SAT Scores
By Jessica Bowen
Decree Managing Editor
The 2006-2007 freshmen class
brought more female students,
new international students, higher
GPA’s, and three more valedic
torians to NC Wesleym than last
year’s class.
^ere are 275 freshmen and 45
new fansfer students in this year’s
class; ofthat 320 total 41% are
female, a six percent increase from
last year’s class. The ratio of males
;tof#ales in the freshmen class,
not including transfer smdents,
“is 61% to 39%.The total number
of students enrolled in the Rocky
Mount Traditional Program is 805.
Vice Pi esident of Enrollment
Gary|hernian said the male to
female ratio “tilted way out of
proportion in 2(K)4 when football
wasfitroduced.” He added that
due to a smaller number of football
recruits, the number of incoming
athletes has diminished.
^e football team brought in
about 80 players this year, 20 fewer
than^st year. “Football has had a
very^sitive impact on numbers
of^dents at Wesleyan,” said
Sherman, “but the recruitment of
new|tudent-athletes will be less
eachjeai’ until a stable team is
established.”
Sherman stated tliat adding
women’s lacrosse and cross-country
along with a big recruitment year for
women’s basketball “has contributed
in bringing a better gender balance
to campus.” However, there were
fewer females enrolling for soccer,
lacrosse and volleyball this year.
The freshmen class brought six
intemational students; their home
countries include England, Iceland,
Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. Three
intemational students play soccer.
“We are working to build relation
ships with schools, organizations,
and individuals who can direct
qualified intemational students to
Wesleyan,” Sherman explained.
“The most obvious advertisement
for Wesleyan is the internet.”
Sherman noted that NC
Wesleyan is conducting limited
travel for athletic recruitment to
several countries and that friends
of the college are helping to build
relationships with other countries.
“Once a student attends and has
a good experience here, that
will result in greater numbers of
intemational students looking to
Wesleyan as well,” he said.
According to Sherman, the
average SAT scores for first year
students was 937, 21 points higher
than last year’s average at 916,
and 36 points higher than 2004’s
See'Treshmen" on page 2
Quarterback Cedric Townsend and the Bishops football team has got
ten off to a 1-2 start in its third season. Last Saturday, NCWC lost 24-21
to a non-league opponent, Emory & Henry in Virginia, which mounted a
late fourth-quarter scoring drive to defeat the Bishops. See coverage of
the first two games and other sports on page 3.
College To Observe 50th Anniversary With Host of Events
By Christine Werfelman
Decree Asst. Managing Editor
NC Wesleyan College will
present a wide range of events this
school year as it observes the 50th
anniversary of its founding.
During this past spring semester,
faculty and staff formed the North
Carolina Wesleyan’s 50th Annivei'-
sary Committee. “The committee has
been meeting since last semester and
there are over 15 events planned for
just the first semester. Eleven of
the fifteen are held in just October
alone,” said Samantha McAuliffe,
secretary to the President and Board
of Trustees.
Many events will occur during
Homecoming Week, October 9-14.
It’s always been a tradition to have
‘Hey, You’re Not Michelle’
Changes Made in RD Staff
By|manda Landi
Decree Staff Writer
first thing that I learned
when 1 got back on campus is
that my Resident Director in
Edgecombe Hall was not Michelle
Mbrook, Then I learned that
the^ntire Resident Life Staff had
changed: Paul Seeley, the RD in
Petteway Hall, was replaced by
Jason Steinas; Shannon Hobbs, the
RD in Nash Hall, was replaced by
’ Travis Anderson; and Philbrook
was replaced by Jennylynn Duerr.
Ashley James, the RD in Collins
Hall and the Director of Resident
Life, was replaced, with Deborah
Sanders, the RD of the Carlton
House, assuming his position as
Director of Resident Life, and
Jasmin Spain becoming RD in
Collins,
1 got together with three of
fte^esident Directors, Duerr,
(Steinas. and Anderson. We met in
the^dgecombe RD offiice, where I
®ked the RD’s questions.
The new RD staff has come
from various areas. Anderson is
_ from Long Island, New
Ywk; Duerr is from Reading,
Pennsylvania, and Steinas is from
Rochester, New York.
Pondering who these people
are, Tasked them some questions
from their past. The list of hobbies
I received contained a variety
of answers. Anderson is very
involved in music; he sings jazz
and opera, and he plays the piano.
Duerr is more involved in the arts;
photography, interior decorating,
and painting are some of her
favorites. Steinas likes to surf and
to keep life creative by playing
the guitar and writing stories and
poetry', or in his words “creative
writing.”
I asked each of the RD’s
why they chose North Carolina
W^esleyan College as their new
place of employment:
TA: “Boston is too far from
my family. And, Wesleyan fit my
personal profile of what kind of
college I wanted to work at.”
See"RD” on page 2
ANNIVERSARY
NORTH CAROLiNA
WESLEYAN COLLEGE
a carnival during homecoming on
campus but this year the carnival
will take place at the football
stadium, which will allow the
public to attend. There will still
be the famous pep rally and
bonfires held the night before the
big football game versus Averett
University. McAuhffe, an NCW'C
alum and a fomer captain of
the cheerleading squad, said that
the present cheerleaders invited
the alumni cheerleaders back to
perform with the current squad
during the third quarter. “Everyone
preparing for a long time to assure
that homecoming is nothing but a
success,” McAuliffe reported.
The events scheduled for this
first semester are as listed:
September 12th- A Day for
Wesleyan
September 26th- Visiting
Writer Series featuring Allan
Gurganus. The Rocky Mount
native will read from his work in
the Dunn Center lobby beginning
at 7 p.m. Gurganus is the author of
the novel “The Oldest Confederate
Widow Tells All.” The reading is
free and open to the public.
September 29th- Tom Long,
CEO of Miller Brewing Company,
will speak at the inaugural “Business
on the Move” luncheon at 12:30
p.m. in the Dunn Center. Lunch
price is $10 at the door. Interested
parties should RSVP Samantha
McAuliffe by September 24 at
smcauliffe@ncwc.edu or by
phone: 985-5140. In addition to his
luncheon talk. Long will address a
group of NCWC business students.
October 7th- Chris Cash Me
morial Scholarship. 5K walk/run
October 12th- The Women’s
Network of Eastern North Carolina
will present “W'ine, Woman and
Wealth.” This is an educational
forum of legal and financial issues
affecting women. It will begin at
5:30 p.m. in the Dunn Center. “It
will be an evening of fun, food
and information,” said Dr. Nancy
Floyd, Professor of Business.
For more information about the
Women’s Network event, visit the
website encwoniensnetwork.org.
has been working very hard and
NC Wesleyan Community Reflects on Anniversary of 9/11
hit close to home for her. She said because he was home with a
her family had to wait more than sick daughter. She added that her
five hours to learn the fate of two son-in-law was supposed to be in
nephews who were working in
buildings near the World Trade
Center. It mrned out that one
nephew had just left a building
where 286 were killed. The other
nephew was not in the building
By Decree Staff Writers
The 9/11 fifth anniversary
evoked a wide variety of memories
and feelings among the NC
Wesleyan College community.
Here are some reflections shared
with members of the Decree staff:
Rachel Dix, manager of the
College Store, said that the attacks
building 7 of the WTC complex,
but due to a scheduling change was
flying back to Kansas City. “The
9/11 anniversary is very personal to
me,” said Dix, adding, “I think
See"9-11" on page 2
(Any female interested in attend
ing should visit the NCWC box
office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Wednesdays to receive complimen
tary tickets.)
October 13th-
• Homecoming Golf
Tournament
• Mims Gallery Art Show
• Hall of Fame Banquet
• Alumni at Chico's
• Homecoming Pep Rally &
Bonfire
October 14th-
• Alumni Baseball and Softball
• Carnival Extravaganza
• Family picnic
• Tailgate party
• Homecoming football
against Averett University
• Alumni Awards Banquet &
All-Class Reunion
October 15th- United
Methodist Church (UMC) 150th
Celebration/NC Wesleyan’s 50th
Anniversary Celebration, to be held at
First United Methodist Church, 100 S.
Church Street, 11 a.m. to noon.
October 25th- Founders
Day. NC Wesleyan will celebrate
its 50th Anniversary with a special
speaker and a perfonnance by the
Wesleyan Players. This program is
free and open to the public.
November 7th- 7 p.m., in the
lobby of the Dunn Center, Nash
county writer Kaye Gibbons will
read from her work. She is the author
of “Ellen Foster,” among many other
well-received books of fiction.
NCWC has come a long
way in 50 years. Enrollment has
increased, athletics has become a
major part of this division three
school and getting involved with
the community more and more
has set a great reputation with the
town. Goals have been reached
and accomplishments have been
made since 1956 after the people
of Rocky Mount, N.C., petitioned
the United Methodist Church to
help NC Wesleyan meet the need
for a liberal arts college in their
community.