2 North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804 December 14, 2007
NEWS & OPINION
Jefferson-Pilot Award Winner Dedicated to Students, Colleagues
By Jenna Davis
Decree Staff Writer
“Very surprised” was Dr. Nancy
Floyd’s response when asked how it
felt to be given the 2007 Jefferson-Pilot
Award. Dr. Floyd is the business division
chair and has been ever since her first year
at Wesleyan in 2000.
The Jefferson-Pilot Award is the high
est honor NC Wesleyan College bestows
upon a tenured professor. Dr. Floyd is
very excited about this award, and has a
couple of ideas in mind for next spring’s
presentation to the Wesleyan community,
one of the award’s requirements.
One of her ideas involves the business
and professional women of Lawrence,
Massachusetts from 1850-1925. “I was
interested in this topic because no one’s
ever really written about the professional
women (in Lawrence),” she said. Lawrence
is a textile town. Many women of this
period worked in the textile mills, but Dr.
Floyd wants to go further than that. She
plans to discuss the women who pursued
higher education and professional careers.
Her other topic is on the time she
.spent in Russia. Dr. Floyd was part of a
group, called Parmers with Russia, that
brought together professors from both
Russia and the United States. The group’s
purpose was to bring back the borders
that once used to stop or limit the flow of
information over the Internet, esf>ecially
across international borders. They have
been working on developing systems
that are capable of stopping electronic
data at international borders. There is a
lot of information that countries do not
want freely accessed or carried out of the
country, so these borders are to stop the
free access of pertinent information from
falling into the wrong hands.
Ever since 1992, Dr. Floyd has been
traveling back and forth to Russia
working with the Partners of Russia. Also
while in Russia, Dr. Floyd exchanged
cultural information with some of the
Russian teachers. This exchange included
discussion about marketing skills and
entrepreneurship. “I loved Russia and
the people that I worked with,” Dr. Floyd
said. “It was a great experience.”
While she has been at NC Wesleyan
College, she has been an effective division
chair, and her co-workers and students
speak highly of her. Travis Kivett, a junior,
stated, “Her business class is an interesting
class. She’s a really good teacher I really
enjoy her class.” Another student, senior
Brian Vaughn, stated, “She is always
willing to help a student understand the
I
Dr. Nancy Floyd
Decree Photo by Kathleen Penrod
concept of an assignment, whether it’s
during class or in her free time.”
Dr Floyd has been very influential on
her students, as well as her fellow faculty
members, over the past seven years.
According to accounting instructor Jackie
Lewis, “She’s been a great mentor to me
as a newer faculty member. She is very
dedicated to her smdents and to the busi
ness division as a whole.” Another faculty
member, Kathleen Wilson, assistant
professor of business, stated, “Dr. Nancy
Floyd has given tireless service to the col
lege. She loves interacting with students
inside and outside the classroom.”
There are many responsibilities of a
business division chair such as developing
class schedules and making sure adjunct
and full-time faculty have all of their
credentials. While division chairs are not
allowed to serve on committees, diey are
a part of the Dean’s Council.
When asked about the favorite part of
her job. Dr Floyd responded, “I really
like the students; they are very friendly.
And I like my division.”
Dr. Floyd was raised in Lawrence,
Massachusetts and lived there most of her
life until she went to UNC-Chapel Hill
and received her BA in English. Next she
went to Boston University and received
her MBA, after working as a programmer
for several years.
Dr. Floyd has been with North Carolina
Wesleyan College ever since the fall of
2000, and she was made the chair of the
business division a few months after
her arrival. However, Dr Floyd has not
always been a teacher. One of her fondest
times was spent in Fishersville, Virginia.
In Fishersville, Dn Floyd was
employed as an information technology
expert at the Woodrow Wilson Rehab
Center In the 1970s, the Rehab Center
OPINION
New Alum Says Students
Have Not ‘Ruined NCWC’
By Kelvin Clark
Decree Staff Writer
“Alum Says Students have Ruined NCWC,”
was the headline of the letter to the editor
written by Mr Brandon G. Cyrus, 2004
Alum. Are you serious? “Ruined?” Besides
being the biggest misnomencalture of the
century, in addition to being utterly flawed,
it’s a personal insult. Now, Brandon, you and
I are friends and I have a great deal of respect
for you; and 1 will also take this opportunity
to offer you my sincerest commendation on
your new job! Congratulations! However,
you are wrong in your assumptions.
You are measuring NCWC with the wrong
standards. NCWC will NEVER be the NCWC
you remember because times are different
The Decree
since I960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.”
STAFF
Senior Staff Writers
Jessica D. Jones
Jessica Smith
Christine Werfelman
Staff Writers
Kelvin Clark
Joyce Collins
Jenna Davis
Kimberly Garrett
Kelleigh Jackson
Brandon Jones
Ken Kornegay
Amanda Landi
Chris Ochoa
James Randolph
Sean Riccio
Special Contributors
Anthony DeGregorlo
Grace Wallace
Sports Editor
Trevor Seibert
Sports Writers
Mi key Case
Brock Griffin
Jade Johnson
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Kathleen Penrod
Associate Art Director
Kathleen Penrod
Faculty Advisor
Dr. William Grattan
171 Braswell
Phone: 985-5336
Email: WJGratUin@ncwc.edu
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orcail985>5336
now. It is the onlooker’s biggest fallacy and
you and many others are guilty, to say “Things
were different when I was there.” Despite the
fact that you may have a point, it’s irrelevant.
Hell, NCWC is different today dian it was my
freshman year, which was your senior year; so
I definitely understand where you are coming
from, but again it’s futile!
Now indulge me for a moment: you say
your beginnings were that of an introvert;
socially isolated, always wearing Polos,
tucked-in, and creased Dockers. Well, guess
who dressed that way freshmen year and still
does senior year? Yours truly. Further, you
allude to your top-notch scholastic and social
achievements and again guess what, I can do
the same and even a little more: I am also a
member of Omicron Delta Kappa, in addition
to three other honor societies—Pi Gamma
Mu, Psi Chi, and Phi Alpha Theta. I have also
received die Corbitt-Rushing Scholarship
for Outstanding Performance in Pohtical
Science and History, plus I was given the
history department’s highest award: The Most
Outstanding History Major Award.
Widi regard to social involvement, I
have been President of the SGA, NCWC
Music Club (who you performed with),
Vice-Chairman of the Student African
American Brotherhood. I also received
the James B. Hailey and Sarah S. Tullos
awards for outstanding leadership/service.
Finally, on top of that, on Saturday,
December 8tii, I’ll be graduating from
the “Little Duke” and heading to the
“Big Duke” in January. I did not mention
these things to flaunt my successes but to
suggest that, before you say students are
ruining NCWC, make sure you know who
is still here and what they are achieving.
For instance, did you notice the article
about Ms. Shelly King’s accomplishments
in Washington, D.C. as a summer intern to
Senator Elizabeth Dole?
Finally you are now alumni. So I ask that
you please focus your attention on the activities
of this group. One of NCWC’s major weak
nesses is not the lack of leadership amongst the
current student body but the lack of financial
support from alumni. Now this may be due to
NCWC’s youth as a college but nonetheless, it
something that needs improvement.
Brandon, you obviously have a great deal
of love for NCWC and so do I; so instead of
harping on our inadequacies, remedy them.
Help offset the $450,000.00 deficit, be the
President of the Alumni Association, give more
(especially since you now are earning more
money than you could have ever dream of, as
you mentioned), visit more, or become the new
Director of Development. But please, do not
judge NCWC tfirough the lens of your time but
through those of the present. I truly hope that
this response does not upset you but invigorate
you, not to write a backlash article or send me
hate mail, bat to readjust your thinking.
was running a series of experiments in
which Dr. Floyd as well as a professor
from the rehab center trained several
high IQ severely disabled students to be
programmers. “I worked with quadriple
gics, paraplegics, multiple amputees, as
well as blind and deaf students,” she said.
Dr. Floyd was at the rehab center for five
years, and she has served on the Advisory
Board and the Curriculum Board.
After leaving the Rehab Center, Dr.
Hoyd moved to Dan River Industries,
a textile company in Danville, Virginia,
where she was the training director. While
at Dan River Industries, Dr. Floyd went
back to school at Virginia Commonwealth
University and received her PhD in
computer information systems.
After some time with Dan River Indus
tries, Dr. Royd finally found her calling as
a teacher at festem Mennonite University.
There she taught computer information
systems for ten years, and wrote three text
books: “Essentials of Data Processing,”
“Essentials of Information Processing,”
and “Principals of Information Process
ing.” After leaving EMU, Dr. Floyd joined
the staff of NC Wesleyan College.
Dr, Floyd is a part of the CBFA (Chris
tian Business Faculty Association). In her
spare time, she enjoys reading, swimming,
and spending time with her three kids and
two grandchildren. She is also a dedicated
fan of the NC Wesleyan sports teams.
The Jefferson-Pilot Award is given in
recognition of scholarship, teaching, and
community service. This award is funded
by the Jefferson-Pilot Life Insurance
Company, and the candidate is selected
by the President of the college after
being nominated by the Jefferson-Pilot
Nominating Committee. According to Dr.
Jay Stubblefield, last year’s recipient, it is
a very meaningful award because winners
are selected by their peers.
Official Crime Statistics Reported
Based on the campus crime report submitted to the Department of Education, NC
Wesleyan has released the following statistics for the year that ended August 31:
Type of Offense
Murder/Non-Neg.
Manslaughter
Forcible Sexual Assault
Non-Forcible Sexual Assault
Robbery
Aggravated Assault
Burglary
Motor Vehicle Theft
Arson
Negligent Manslaughter
Hate Offenses
Type of Arrest
Liquor Law Violations
Drug Abuse Violations
Illegal Weapons Possession
On-Campus Off-Campus
Residence Halls
Total
Disciplinary Action/Judicial Referrals
Illegal Weapons Violations 2 2
Drug Abuse Violations 1 1
Liquor Law Vioiations 16 16
Notes;
On-campus refers to the main campus, and residence halls are a subset of this.
Off-campus refers to other properties owned or controlled by the college.
Public refers to property adjacent to the college property.
OPINION
Wishing You A Very Merry
Commercial Christmas
By Jessica Autumne Smith
Decree Senior Staff Writer
Christmas, like so many other things
today isn’t what it used to be. It seems
that Christmas, at least in recent years, has
gotten too commercial. Buy buy, buy spend,
spend, spend; it’s all anyone thinks about
any more. Many, or rather most, stores had
holiday merchandise, (decorations, lights,
bows, wrapping paper, gift baskets, and such)
on the shelves way back in October. Even
before Halloween! It used to be you didn’t
see Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving.
But most retailers figure, the longer the stuff
is out, the more people will buy Sort of the
opposite of ‘out of sight, out of mind.’
Television advertisements proclaiming
Christmas specials and ‘Great Gift Ideas’
have been running since the end of October
and the first week of November. One is
particularly galling, at least to me. There is
a certain Best Buy commercial, in which a
typical family is told they can open presents
after they visit their grandma. They pull up to
the house, toll down the windows and wave;
then someone says, “We’re done here.
Grandma’s on her own.” The
underlying message seems
to be that things are more
important than family
It’s not just BestBuy
Sears’s slogan this year is
“Don’tjust give a gift, grant
a wish.” 1 remember last
year it had been “Wish big,”
Wal-mart’s radio commercials
state the fact that “The more
money you save, the more
Christmas you can give.”
It’s upsetting.
Christmas used to be, is
supposed to be, about the
birth of Jesus Christ, peace on Earth, goodwill
toward men, coming together with friends
and family in a spirit of love and celebration.
Christmas is the evergreen scent of the trees
and wreaths, the smell of the fresh baked
(slightly bumt) sugar cookies, the glow of the
lights, the bells and the constant Christmas
music in the background. Christmas is all the
things you cannot buy (And don’t say you
have to buy the lights and the tree and the
cookie dough; I realize this and it is beside
the point.) Christmas is a feeling, a spirit, a
joy that comes from giving, not getting.
Even when the Grinch “stole Christmas,”
- a classic and one of my all time favorites
- he didn’t. It came anyway “It came
without ribbons, it came without tags. It came
without presents, or boxes, or bags.... Maybe
Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe,
Christmas, perhaps, is a little bit more.”
Hope you remember the important things
this holiday season, and have a joyous
Christmas Day And until next semester, good
luck on your exams, have a safe break, and
Happy New Year. J
A Christmas tableau from the recent "Lighting of
Wesleyan."
Corrections/Ciarifications
In response to a page-one article that appeared in the November 16 issue of the Decree:
The Admissions and Financial Aid offices did not receive an increase in resources
during the recent budget adjustments. Two positions were ehminated and the operational
budget was reduced. The statement which has been misinterpreted is that more emphasis
has been placed on recruitment.
We have in fact put more recruiters in the field by s^king to add a new part-time
regional representative position in the Virginia/Maryland area, and moving an existing
position to an admissions counselor. These changes have i'esulted in a decrease in budget
for the enrollment management area, but more recruiters on the front line.
—Gary Sherman, Vice President for Enrollment