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North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804
OPINION
November 16, 2007
Issue In-Focus: Presidential Campaign
What’s been your response so far to the presidential campaign? Which candidates interest you most?
Joyce Collins
As far as the presidential campaign
is concerned, I am ready to register
and vote. The candidate that I’m most
interested in voting for is Senator Baracic
Obama. I’m most interested in him
because not only is he a Democrat, but
he is an educated black man! And let’s
not forget that he is from my hometown,
CHICAGO, IL! He is currently U.S.
Senator for Illinois, and has done an
excellent job with the state by creating job
opportunities, cracking down on violence,
and having more youth programs to
keep kids off the streets, to name a few
things. His background includes being a
community organizer and a civil rights
lawyer He has the potential to efficiently
run the United States of America. If he
does not win the election then I hope the
tide would go to Hillary Clinton. It would
be interesting to see the world being run
by a woman who possesses so much drive
to help people. I’m praying that people do
not elect another idiot into office!
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Jenna Davis
I haven’t been following the presiden
tial campaign very closely. I do know that
the Democrats have Hillary Clinton and
Barack Obama as their candidates, and
1 know that Mayor Guliani is one of the
Republican candidates. I’m not a big fan
of any of the candidates really, but if I
had to choose one, I guess Guliani would
be the one that interests me most. He did
a great job of bringing New York out of
all the turmoil of 9-11, and I respect his
leadership qualities, which are needed
in the President’s position right now.
However, I don’t know much about any of
the candidates, so it would be hard for me
to choose. I’m just not really interested in
the presidential race because I think once
again we don’t have much to vote for
Jade Johnson
I believe that the presidential
campaign is starting off well, being that
the election is about a year away. It was
very useful for the American public
to see the Democratic debate that was
No Place Else to Go...”
By Jessica Autumne Smith
Decree Senior Staff Writer
I know it has been several months, a
summer break, maybe even two semes
ters, since the grill was moved from the
Hartness Center to the Cafeteria. If this
editorial seems a bit behind the times,
than so be it...
The grill is no longer a grill; a place
to hang out, socialize, and relax. (When
I say the grill I’m usually referring
to the old location and not to the
restaurant.) It is now a computer lab.
Now, like the library, classrooms, and
other computer labs it is a place of
learning, another place of work. Being
a commuter, I don’t live in or have
access to the dorms. The only place I
really had to go on campus, when not
in class, was either the library or the
grill. Now, the grill is gone...
Let’s beTionest... Well, I’ll be
honest; I did not go to the grill for the
food. To me, the menu seemed limited,
and I have had better elsewhere.
(I’m personally just a picky eater.)
However, none of that mattered. I went
to the grill for its atmosphere. It was
a quiet spot where students could just
hang out, relax, and visit.
The Hartness Center is great, but it
is usually crowded, and the cafeteria
is just that - a cafeteria. The ambiance
is completely different... Sterile,
industrial; not inviting, cozy. And
you’re not exactly “supposed to” hang
out in the library... that too is a place
of study, and you are constantly aware
of disturbing other students when you
laugh just a little too loud at something
a friend said. But with the grill gone,
where else is there to go?
I guess I’m just confused as to why
the grill got moved in the first place. I
feel we’ve lost something that has no
real substitute... Students, especially
commuters, need a place to call their
own. The Hartness Center is great, but
it’s not the same. It would be nice to
have the grill put back where it used to
be, but that is probably too much to ask,
The Decree
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STAFF
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sponsored by YouTube and broadcast live
on that site. It gave people who normally
wouldn’t tune in to those kinds of things
more interest in it. I feel that Sen. Barack
Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton are
getting the most attention out of all the
candidates because they aren’t what the
American people are used to seeing when
talking about a presidential candidate.
I think that more women and African
Americans will be voting if one of these
candidates makes it on to the Presidential
ballot. I would be voting for former New
York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani based on
his response to the attacks on September
11,2001.1 think that the things that
Giuliani said and did after 9/11 brought
more comfort and hope to America than
any words that were spoken out of the
mouth of President George W. Bush.
Ken Komegay
It seems that the next Democrat that
will be running for presidential office
will get the vote. I’m interested in Hillary
Clinton and Barack Obama.
Hillary Clinton is known for being
the wife who stood behind her husband,
William “Bill” Clinton, while he went
through the Monica Lewinsky scandal
during the last year of his second term
as president. Let’s not forget she is also
the first woman to run for office, so that’s
getting a lot of attention.
Obama is receiving recognition because,
let’s face it, he’s the first black, or African
American—as some would say—to mn for
office as a serious candidate.
I’m not the best person to tell anyone
about politics because I know very little
about the matter But I do know that people
like other people or things that resemble
themselves. With that being said, the
African Americans will most likely vote
for Obama, while Hillary will carry Bill
Clinton’s supporters and the feminist vote.
If either Clinton or Obama is elected
into office, there will always be those
doubts about how they actually got
elected. Did Hillary get a majority of the
vote because she is a woman and the wife
of a former president? Did Obama win
the election because he’s black and that
was the extra edge that he needed?
Those questions will really be asked
if Clinton or Obama is accused of bad
decision making and not having a clue as
to what is going on. Only time will tell.
Chris Ochoa
Honestly, the most I’ve seen of the
presidential campaign was on Comedy
Central’s “The Daily Show” with Jon
Stewart. I saw Senator John Edwards
announce his candidacy on the nationally
televised show. I’ve noticed that there
are more Democrats running for office
than Republicans. At the same time I’ve
noticed that more and more Americans
are starting to look past political parties
and examine the issues and solutions that
each candidate proposes.
I recognize that the candidates’
campaigns are targeting my generation
more than they have in previous years.
For the first time ever, a presidential
hopeful announced his candidacy on a
comedy show! Also, I’ve been hearing
the same proposals about bringing our
troops home and stopping the war in fraq.
This tells me that the candidates are try
ing to please the American people, which
is a go^ way to be elected. The only
thing I’m sure of is that I’m not voting
for Hillary Clinton. It’s not because she’s
a woman; it’s because she has jumped
back and forth with the war and is not
consistent with her policy. I will vote
for the candidate that best represents my
views and will stay trae to his word.
James Randolph
Eh...I know this may seem very
irresponsible, but I really have not taken
the time to look in depth at the plans of
any current presidential candidates, and to
be perfectly honest, I really haven’t made
an effort. I’ve heard Senator Clinton and
Senator Obama speak a few times but
other than the two Democratic favorites,
I haven’t really given much attention
and thought to the presidential potentials
despite the relative closeness to election
time. It hasn’t been an intentional thing;
I mean I don’t turn off the TV or bum
the newspaper; it’s just I haven’t really
taken the time to sit down and analyze the
position of any candidate.
I’ve vaguely heard about former New
York Mayor Rudy Giuliani running a
campaign for the Republican Party and
I’ve encountered even less information
about any other Republican candidates. I
think that with Clinton, Obama, and Giu
liani possessing as much “celebrity-sta-
tus” as they do, it will be difficult to sort
through the media attention surrounding
their individual personalities as opposed
to their serious political agendas...that is
until we get closer to elections. Again, we
have to take the time to do the sorting...
but I don’t think I’ll be moving my
schedule around anytime soon.
Sean Riccio
The Presidential campaign season is
kind of like Christmas to me: when it
starts (earlier and earlier each time), you
get all excited and hopeful, imagining all
the wonderful things in store this time.
Half way through, after being beaten about
the head and shoulders with the iron pipe
of marketing and the outright lies every
waking moment, you start to get sick of
it. And when the day finally comes, you
almost never get what you really want;
you just grin and bear your awkwardly
knit sweater with a quiet dignity. A few
months later it’s all forgotten, and when
the season rolls around again, hope wells
up. This time it’s going to be different.
By the time we get to the actual
primaries, it’s largely been decided for us
by the party uppers and the press who is
going to get a nomination because we are
morons who cannot possibly be tmsted
to make the right decision on our own.
Did any Democrat seriously want John
Kerry to run in 2004, with all the vigor
and temerity of steamed broccoli? If
Bush wasn’t shoved down Republicans’
throats, would there have been a chance
of his running and winning. His victory
was the equivalent of your junior high
gym teacher becoming superintendent,
TTie fact of the matter is that by the time
the primaries come around, these people
are focus-grouped and streamlined to
within an inch of their lives and we have
very little say in the process.
The fact that the process has been
jump-started even earlier this cycle
doesn’t help either We are still more
than two months away from the New
Hampshire primaries, and the campaigns
on both sides of the party line have been
in full swing for almost a year now. The
pool of candidates is still huge, and it’s
largely anybody’s race (except for a few
so-far-of-an-outside-shot-they’re-orbital
folks like Tancredo and Gravel). Person
ally I’m leaning toward the Democrats,
as I usually.do, but I have some favorites
there. An Edwards/Obama ticket would
be the best of both worids, though I don’t
know if the cu^ent lethargic American
public would be. ready for quite that leyel
of reform and turnaround.
There are a few candidates that I just
dread winning, though, and most fall on
the Republican side of the fence. You’ve
got Rudy Giuliani, who is essentially
George W. Bush with a 120s-range IQ;
Mitt Romney, who wants to run the
United States like a tumaround business
venture, apparently; and Fred Thompson,
who, I’m fairiy sure, thinks he’s only
auditioning for another role as President.
About the only person in the GOP who
doesn’t make me want to start looking for
property in Canada is John McCain, only
because he seems like he’ll be a return
See ELECTION pg6
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Alum Says Students Have Ruined NCWC
I am completely discouraged by
what I have just read in the October
12 issue of the Decree. You all, the
students of NC Wesleyan College,
should be ashamed of yourselves! You
have ruined the school that gave me so
much in the form of academics, social
life, and leadership. Even worse, you
have ruined the school that could have
given you all of those things and even
more. You have ruined your chance to
add to your personality, your creativ
ity, your leadership skills, and your
brotherhood and sisterhood. You have
ruined the school that could have given
you so much now so that you could
earn so much more in the future.
In case you don’t know who I am, I
am Brandon G. Cyrus, Class of 2004.
Many of you may know me as your
Admissions Counselor when you were
first accepted to this school. During
my years at NCWC, I was President of
CAB (2003-04), W of CAB (02-03),
double major in Computer Info
Systems and Business Administration,
selected to Omicron Delta Kappa as a
junior, Best Actor and Best Supporting
Actor in 2003 for Bishop Theatre, co
founder of the Cinematography Club,
and even the mascot for two years.
When I entered NCWC, I was a preppy
kid with no friends and no idea how
to make any. I wore nothing but polos
and khakis, with the polo tucked in, of
course. When I left NCWC, I left with
more friends than I could keep up with,
a personality that allows me to make
even more friends without even trying,
and academic and social skills that
have allowed me to build my career to
what it is today. I am now a 25 year old
Software Support Analyst for Bench
mark Systems, an information systems
provider to healthcare facilities across
the United States, earning more money
than I could have possibly dreamed of
making at this point in my life. I would
not be at that stage if it weren’t for NC
Wesleyan College.
I challenge all of the student body
to rise up and build the school that you
want. I want you all to help build tiie
school tiiat you deserve. I want you to
motivate each other to do whatever it
takes to get the school back to where
it was before even I came to school
tiiere. Believe it or not, the reputation
of NCWC used to be “Little Duke.”
Many people believe it still is. I am
sure it would break their hearts to find
out that the students, of all people,
were the ones that allowed the school
to fall from its ranks. NC Wesleyan has
the faculty in place, the staff in place,
and, even though many of you may not
believe it, you have the administration
in place that can help you to bring your
thoughts and ideas to reality.
I would also like to issue a challenge
to your new Director of Student Activi
ties, Jennifer Evans. Jen, I single you
out because you and I are good friends
from our days as students sharing
time together. On stage, in clubs, and
at the Caf, we were good friends. We
remain friends to tills day! I challenge
you because I know for a fact, from
personal experience, that you are able
to rise to tills challenge. Motivate these
students! Let them know that they have
a voice! Let them know that this school
can help them in ways they can never
imagine. I also challenge you to fight
for them. Do not allow the administra
tion to say “No” to their demands.
Sure, you are going to lose some of the
battles, but you cannot allow yourself
and tiie students to lose tiie war. The
students deserve more than that. And
in the end, when the smoke settles, and
tiie students, YOUR smdents, are able
to have their voice heard and, most of
all, have their voice respected, you will
know that you were the one that helped
it become a reality.
If anyone should want to discuss
this article, please f^l free to e-mail
me at bcl60628@mail.ncwc.edu. I will
help anyone that would Like to discuss
how he or she can tike the initiative,
and help build a better Wesleyan. Best
wishes to all of you in this journey.
—Brandon G. Cynis, Class of 2004