since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.’
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
April 18, 2008
I
Bill Clinton came to Wesleyan last Friday night as part of a campaign
rally for his wife, presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton,
D-NY. The former president received a raucous welcome in Everett
Gymnasium and delivered a one-hour-long stump speech. Prior to
his appearance, the Wesleyan Singers performed "America the
Beautiful" and "African Psalm," and the crowd heard remarks by
prominent politicians from Arkansas and Ohio. Robert Kennedy Jr., an
environmental activist and son of the late Robert Kennedy, introduced
Clinton. Decree staff Photo
Three Expelled in Wake
Of NCWC C;
By James Randolph
Decree Assistant Editor
On Wednesday March 26,2008, a
physical altercation involving Wesleyan
students and a group of off-campus indi
viduals occurred outside of the Hardees
student union. Following this incident,
gunshots were reported in the parking
of the Food Lion located adjacent to the
school.
As a result of the incident, former
Wesleyan student Joy Anthony, 18, was
arrested and charged with one count of
inciting a riot and one count of obstruct
ing and delaying of a law enforcement
officer. Rocky Mount Police reported.
Two other students, both males, have
been expelled in the past two weeks,
college officials said.
In the days following the incident.
Dean of Students Robert Perkins sent to
students, faculty, and staff emails that in
cluded a summary of the events intended
to inform the Wesleyan community of the
details of and response to the altercation.
As a follow up to the email. Dean Perkins
announced more details in an interview
with the Decree.
O; In the summary, it is reported that
an altercation occurred between Wesleyan
students and other individuals outside
the cafeteria building. After the initial
scuffle, gunshots were fired in the nearby
Food Lion parking lot. The summary also
revealed that someone wielded a fire arm
on campus during the initial scuffle.
A: Several Wesleyan students were
involved in the altercation on campus,
and it is suspected that even more went to
the parking lots by McDonalds and Food
Lion later that day. Several students also
reported seeing a shotgun in the hands
of one of the off-campus individuals,'
but this was not confirmed by the Rocky
Mount police or campus security. No
shots were fired on campus. Gunfire
was reported in the Food Lion parking
lot approximately two hours after the
ampus Fracas
incidem on campus.
Q: How many Wesleyan students
were involved? What role did the
Wesleyan students play in die alterca
tions? Certainly it is understandable
that their names not be revealed but is
there information that can be given about
the students such as classification and
gender? Is there any report about why the
scuffle took place?
A: A commuter student reportedly
called her boyfriend (a non-student)
because she claimed several male
students had harassed her and vandalized
her car (spit on the car). He came to the
campus with reportedly eight to nine
other non-students and confronted several
male students exiting the Hardees Student
Union.
Q: Have the students involved been
punished; does the school plan to take
other disciplinary action with those
involved?
A; Three students have been expelled
thus far. Sanctions are currently
being considered for several additional
students.
Q: Several Wesleyan students have
said that they witnessed the altercation in
the Food Lion parking lot. Some students
claim that the gunshots fired in the Food
Lion parking lot hit the vehicle of a
Wesleyan student; do you know of such
reports to be accurate?
A: Most, if not all, of the students
in the Food Lion parking lot at the
time of the incident reportedly went
there deliberately to get involved in the
altercation or to observe it. Most have
not been forthcoming with information
to either the college or the Rocky Mount
police. A student’s car was involved in
an accident in the parking lot during that
period of time, but reports of a student’s
vehicle being hit by gunfire have not been
confirmed. The Rocky Mount police are
continuing to investigate this incident.
see FRACAS pg 2
Graduation Set for May 3,
With 200 Students to Walk
By Joyce Collins
Campus Life Editor
It’s the time of the year where some
of our student body will be moving on
to bigger and better things. That’s right,
we will be saying goodbye to the seniors
graduating in May of 2008.
The commencement is scheduled for
Saturday, May 3, starting at 1 ;30 p.m. in
Minges Auditorium located inside of the
Dunn Center. As of April 11,197 students
have registered to graduate, the registrar’s
office reported, noting that the total
includes ADP and traditional students.
Dr. Steve Ferebee, professor of
English, will be giving the commence
ment speech. “The thesis of my speech
will be: You are responsible for what you
put in your head now that you have a
college degree,” he said.
President Ian Newbould picked Dr.
Ferebee as the commencement speaker.
“Dr. Ferebee is speaking because I
thought I would enjoy hearing what he,
as a senior faculty member, might have
to say to graduating seniors,” said Dr.
Newbould. ‘This is my last commence
ment at Wesleyan, and I thought that it
would be appropriate to have a senior
faulty member speak at it.”
Many people will be sad to see the
seniors graduate and leave Wesleyan,
but most of the graduating senior class
already have plans. Kyle Kuhn, who will
be graduating with a degree in history,
plans on getting a job and settling down.
“I want to work for either the Highway
Patrol or Secret Service and get married
to my fiancee, Rebecca Sherrod,” he said.
Lakisha Kee, a psychology major with
a minor in English, wants to continue
her education as well as trying to get a
job. “I will be taking a few classes at the
University of Maryland in College Park
part-time while inteming at the Department
of Commerce in Alexandria, VA,” she said.
“I’ve been inteming there for 4 years, so
hopefully I will receive a job offer.”
Like Kee, Brian Binkley (exercise
science) will be pursuing a summer
internship and continuing his education.
“During the summer I will be working an
internship with the strength & condition
ing staff at the University of Michigan-
Ann Arbor,” said Binkley. “Afterwards, I
am planning on attending graduate school
and I am awaiting admittance of two to
three universities.”
A double major in English and justice
shidies, Chris Ochoa is hoping to attend
graduate school. “I plan to attend law
school after graduating,” said Ochoa. “I
am not sure where yet because I am still
waiting for replies.”
As the seniors reflect on their college
experience here at Wesleyan, some bring
up their best memory. Business major
Kevin Parker reminisced on the impact
of a work study job during the summer
“My most memorable moment at NCWC
was my first summer out here working
for the school,” said Parker. “I worked for
maintenance and that job made me more
responsible and more dependable.”
Kee recollects a variety of memories
from late-night cram sessions to modeling
in Visions of Beauty fashion shows. “My
best memory here is the close friendships
I have built over the four years I have
been here,” she said. “I have met people
that have changed my life and made me
grow up from a young freshman girl to a
mature senior woman.”
Other seniors reflected on what they
would miss the most about Wesleyan.
Kuhn described how he would miss
playing and working out with the football
team. “I will definitely miss playing
football and taking the field on Saturdays
with the rest of the team,” he said. “I will
also miss the people that I have met and
the friends that I’ve made.”
English major and journalism minor
Jenna Davis said that she would miss
the friends that she made here as well as
the experiences from the college life. “I
will miss all of my friends and the great
experiences and opportunities I’ve had at
Wesleyan,” said Davis.
A couple of graduates acknowledged
the faculty and staff that positively
affected their college experience. Yared
Yedenekachew, a business major, honored
his soccer coach and some of his profes
sors. “Most of all, I will miss Frankie
‘Tall T’ Taal,” said Yedenekachew. “He
has been a big influence and a great
help during my three years at Wesleyan.
Professors like Dr. Roney, Dr. Everton,
and Dr. Anderson are my favorite teachers
whom I admired the most and I am
blessed and fortunate enough to have been
in their classes as one of their students.”
A double major in justice and psychol
ogy, Safa Hadi paid tribute to her best
professors. “I will miss my professors: Dr.
Dr, Finney To Retire
Following Long Career
By Jenna Davis
Decree Editor
After 35 years at NC Wesleyan Col
lege, Dr. Kenneth V. Finney, professor
of history, is retiring. Dr. Finney has
made a great impact on Wesleyan, the
students, and faculty members and will
leave a great void upon his retirement.
Over the years. Dr. Finney has
done many interesting things in his
life, but one event in particular that he
doesn’t mind sharing are his visits to
Honduras. These visits developed his
love for the history of Latin America
and have given Dr. Finney’s Latin
American courses that real life spark
that makes his classes so interesting.
According to Brandon Jones, a history
major. Dr. Finney’s stories and experi
ences were always interesting teaching
tools. Dr. Finney lived in Honduras
from 1970-1971 while working on his
doctoral dissertation.
This was not Dr. Finney’s first visit
to Latin America. He lived in Latin
America for several years with his
parents who were missionaries. He has
always had an interest in Latin Amer
ica. Dr. David Jones, a retired NCWC
history professor and long-time friend.
said that Dr. Finney was the first Latin
American history professor Wesleyan
had who had firsthand experience from
Latin America. According to Dr. Rick
Watson, professor emeritus of history
at Wesleyan, besides having firsthand
experience. Dr. Finney enjoys teaching
and “that is infectious to his students.”
see FINNEY pg 4
Dr. Ken Finney retires after35
years in the Wesleyan class-
room. Photo by Kathleen Penrod
Sanbom, Dr. Sarris, and more,” said Hadi.
While some people think about things
they could have done during their college
life, one in particular would not change
anything. “Honesrty, I don’t think that
there is anything I would change about
my time at Wesleyan,” said Kuhn. “I
accomplished everything that I wanted
while I was here and more. I was a
member of Wesleyan’s football first senior
class; I won a championship ring and
upset a number-one seed. I got my degree
and I met the woman of my dreams.”
The Class of 2008 graduates thought
about what they would like people to
remember them for. Kee wi.shed people
remembered her for her sense of humor “1
want people to remember me for all the hu
mor I brought to their college experience,”
she said. “I love making people laugh and
I want people to remember the good times
we had even when there were bad days.”
Binkley wants to be remembered for
being real with everything. “I never beat
around the bush,” he said. “I always got
sO-aight to the point, and was brutally
honest with everyone about everything.”
The graduating seniors pointed out
some things that they would like to see
improve at Wesleyan. Kuhn suggested
remodeling the current dorms as well as
more campus security. “When I come
back in a couple years, I would like to see
the dorms renovated and an increase in
on campus security,” said Kuhn. “I think
that if we can make students feel safe on
campus that the school will be able to
retain more students.”
By contrast, Binkley did not point at the
campus facilities as needing an improve
ment but at the smdents’ feelings about
school. “I would love to see the students’
attitudes change about life and school,”
said Binkley. “It’s very depressing to
see kids walking around not willing to
work for their education and expecting
everything to be given to them because
they think they earned it for some reason.”
The future alumni passed on some
advice to incoming freshman as well as
current students. Yedenekachew warned
students about the choices they make.
“Make sure you make smart decisions and
keep school first,” said Yedenekachew. .
“Whatever you do in life, have fun, be
happy, and get yoiu- education. It will pay
off later on in life.”
Ochoa advised freshmen to start off
getting good grades. “It is harder to bring
your GPA up than to maintain a high
GPA,” he said. Binkley advised freshmen
to be proactive and not complain about
being bored. “College isn’t a hand out,
you’ll get what you put into it,” said
Binkley. “So if you sit in your room all
day and play video games or sit outside
and whine about how there isn’t anything
to do because you refuse to find it, you
might as well prepare for a very, very
boring life because things don’t just fall
into your lap; you have to work for what
you get.”
This spring the business division
leads the way with more than half of the
graduates: 78 in business, 14 in computer
information systems and 10 in accounting.
Other majors were distributed in the fol
lowing manner: chemistry (1), elementary
education (5), English (4), environmental
science (2), exercise science (8), history
(3), justice studies (17), mathematics (3),
psychology (16), and sociology (3). Aside
from that, there are 30 students who were
double majors and two triple majors.
Within this class, 120 will be
graduating from tiie adult degree program.
Geographically, there are 178 graduates
from North Carolina, 6 from Virginia, 6
from Maryland, 2 from Connecticut, and
1 each from Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
New Jersey, North Dakota and South
Carolina.