since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.
February 20, 2009
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE. ROCKY MOUNT. NORTH CAROLINA 27804
Grads Make Transition to Wesleyan Employee
By Joyce Collins
Decree Editor
Navigating the job market is a
frightening and inevitable reality of
college graduation. It can seem like an
endless cycle or resumes, phone calls,
emails and interviews. However, for
many Wesleyan graduates this process
was not as difficult. Several alumni
made the decision to start their careers
at the very same institution that
trained and prepared them for the real
world, which is a decision that seems
beneficial for both administration and
alumni/staff.
According to the Director of
Human Resources Darrell Whitley,
there are about 10 staff members who
graduated from Wesleyan. Being
alumni of the school does not give
someone a hiring advantage over
someone else who went to a different
institution. Whitley said the college
has the responsibility of hiring the
most qualified people, and if there is
a Wesleyan graduate who meets the
requirements for the position that they
are applying for, then they will be
considered for the job. “The college
does not actively seek out graduates,
but we are pleased when they show an
interest in our employment opportuni
ties,” he said.
Being qualified for a job entails
having work experience. One alumna
gained familiarity with her jX)sition
through her minimum wage work-
study job.
Associate Director of Financial Aid
Crystal Johnson, a 2005 graduate with
a degree in business administration
and a minor in computer information
systems, has been employed by the
college since January of 2005. As a
student, Johnson pursued a work-
study job that would possibly allow
her employment after graduating.
She attributed her success in being
appointed the position as a financial
aid counselor to her dedication
and commitment to her job. “I
initially started working in financial
aid as a work-study student during my
undergrad years in college,” she said.
“With hard work and determination,
I am now the associate director of
Financial Aid.”
One might wonder why an alumna
would choose to pursue a career at the
same institution that she attended.
Whitley said there could be a
variety of reasons why someone
would choose to work at Wesleyan.
In particular, he said, “I think alumni
are interested in working here because
it’s familiar to them, they must have
enjoyed their experiences as a student,
they like the environment and the
people who work at the college, or
they have a vested interest in their
alma mater and think they can give
something back as an employee.”
Samantha McAuliffe, now the
secretary to the President and the
Board of Trustees, was simply seeking
employment upon graduating in
2005 with an English degree and a
minor in justice studies. “There was
a position open, I needed a job and
it made sense,” said McAuliffe^who
previously worked in Institutional
Research.
Joshua Cain, director of Alumni
Relations and Annual Fund, graduated
in the spring of 2008, with a BS in
justice studies and a minor in history.
He chose to work for his alma mater
because of the impact the institution
has had on his life. “I proposed to my
wife in the small college common area
between Braswell and the Dunn Cen
ter,” he said. “I had the opportunity to
have my wedding at the Dunn Center.
Wesleyan has become an important
part of my life and my memories, and
I was thrilled at the opportunity to be
part of such a life-changing environ
ment and give back to a college that
gave so much to me.”
As students, some alumni working
1
in the NCWC administration pictured
themselves being employed by Wes
leyan, while some alumni considered
their career at Wesleyan to be over after
graduation.
Cain said he did not see himself
coming back to work at NCWC, but
he was never opposed to the idea. “I
think that as a student in a certain field
of study, you begin to see yourself
working within that field, but when the
time comes to transition from a student
to a working member of society, a
lot of different options need to be
considered,” he said.
Director of Residence Life Da von
Davis (2001, psychology) thought it
was a good opportunity to work at the
school he attended. “I thought about
working in student affairs,” said Davis.
He became interested in that depart
ment after interning under Dr. Tyrone
Bledsoe, who also worked in student
affairs back when Davis was a student.
“He was really proactive,” Davis said.
“He founded Student African American
Brotherhood (SAAB), because there
were very few African American
organizations on campus.”
As a student, young people are usu
ally exposed to only one side of things
and may not see what goes on with
administration behind closed doors.
With that said, alumni working as staff
have seen both perspectives, which
may have influenced their viewpoint on
the college.
Cain said his outlook as a student
was not drastically different from
what it is now as a staff member. “As
a student, I recognized the importance
of having a complete perspective on
something before making any kind of
judgment,” he said. “My outlook on
Wesleyan now is primarily focused
on accomplishing the mission of the
college as a whole. I know that in order
for the college to be successful as an
institution, everyone—staff, faculty,
students and administration—has to
work together.”
As with Cain, Johnson’s f>erceptions
have not changed. “My outlook on the
college is still the same as when I was
a student,” she said. “NCWC is a small
intriguing institution with many goals
and a promising future.”
Davis’ view on the staff, faculty,
and adjunct members has been altered.
“My perspective has changed. Most
administrators do have the best interest
for students in mind,” he said.
Because Wesleyan is forever chang
ing and improving, it is safe to say that
these alumni-tumed -administrators
have witnessed some changes being
made right before their eyes.
Students Account Representative
Krystal Mitchell (2007, psychology)
noted the physical changes NCWC was
undergoing when she was a student.
“The Gateway Technology building
was not complete and the library was
not being renovated,” she said.
Johnson said many things have
changed since her enrollment at
NCWC, listing “the expansion of the
library, more academic programs being
offered, the removal of the Grille from
the Hartness Center, a football team
and many new faces around campus.”
Cain said he has noticed a few
changes since his first semester at
NCWC. “First, there are a greater num
ber of international students attending
NCWC than were here when I first
came to the college,” he said. “Second,
the library has certainly changed and is
continuing to take shape even today.”
Davis has seen a change in student
attitudes. “The students I went to
school with were proactive about
making changes on campus,” he said.
“The students now are more passive,
and make complaints but are not active
at making changes.”
Davis went on to provide an
example of how proactive students
were when he attended Wesleyan.
“When the Student African American
Brotherhood chapter was established
at Wesleyan in 1997,” he said, “there
was a feeling among black females
that an organization similar in scope
to SAAB would be beneficial. Though
the presence of such an organization
wasn’t really necessary, given the
academic success of the black females
on campus, the fact that they spoke out
about it brought the Sisters of Distinc
tion into existence.”
Like Davis, McAuliffe feels that
students complain more without
coming up with possible solutions to
whatever concerns they may have. “It
seems (and did when I was a student)
that students find multiple opportuni
ties to complain about the activities
and services available to them,” she
said, “but very few students make the
necessary investment in the college to
change these things.”
McAuliffe then shared some
examples. “For instance, students
complain that there isn’t anything to do
on campus but don’t regularly check
their campus e-mail for updates on
events and campus happenings,” she
said. “Or, they decide too quickly
See GRAOS pg. 2
■r
BISHOOPS
In USA South action, Christopher
Newport earned a sweep,
beating the Wesleyan women's
team, 75-61, and then defeating
the men's team, 77-69, before
a fired-up Everett Gym crowd
on February 11. A week earlier,
in a key road victory, the men's
team defeated Shenandoah in
overtime, as Jarmel Arrington
(pictured) scored 33. For more
sports, turn to page three. SI photo.
Hat Policy Overturned
By Decree Staff
By a unanimous vote, Wesleyan’s
Student Government Association has
moved to suspend for the remainder of
the school year the controversial ban on
student hats and other headgear in the main
classroom building, the cafeteria and other
places on campus.
The move permits students to wear
headgear in all buildings on campus,
except for the Dunn Center. Professors
may set their own rules within individual
classrooms, according to Dean of Student
Robert Perkins.
“I think that the suspension
might improve student attitudes
on campus,” SGA President Jacob
Strickland said, “and I know that
it will make jobs easier for some
administration and staff who
were tired of trying to enforce the
rule. Personally, I'm for anything
that will reduce friction between
administration and students,
and make both parties a little bit
happier.”.
Strickland said that SGA will
decide at the end of the school
year whether to make the move
permanent, reinstate the ban, or
make modifications.
He noted that GSA representative Teresa
Hurley raised the idea of overturning the
ban at the January 22 meeting.
“Most were in favor of immediate
suspension,” Strickland said in an email
message, “but some were hesitant because
they were worried about some types of
headgear possibly provoking student
conflict (i.e. bandannas that stood for gang
colors). We decided to push the issue to our
next meeting to give everyone time to think
about it and to try and get other student
feedback about it.”
Deliberations continued at the meeting
on February 5, when SGA approved the
temporary change by a 14-0 vote.
“I’m happy about it,” said Michael
Fernandez, noting that there have been
times when he’s needed or wanted to wear
a hat. “Sometimes you might feel sick or
you want to wear a hat for a specific outfit.”
Jessica Smith was pleased with SGA’s
action. “It’s about time they got rid of that
rule,” she said. “There had been no way to
enforce it, so its mere existence undermined
the authority of the college. I’ve always
thought that what I wear is my business. I
don’t care, or even notice anymore, when
students show up to class in their pajamas.
Why should they care if I wear a hat?”
Jessica Ellis favors getting rid of the
ban. “They should do away with it because
people are grown and should be able to
make the own decisions,” she said.
Anthony Tyus was pleased with the
move, calling it a freedom issue. “That’s
great that students can wear hats now
around campus,” he said, adding that he’s
glad that the ban is still in effect at the
Dunn Center. “If a student is visiting the
Dunn Center, he or she should not wear a
hat with negative paraphernalia or images.
I understand the hip-hop or sporty artistic
look students like to portray, but it is not
needed in a professional environment.”
Some faculty expressed their approval
of the decision as well.
“We are well rid of this frivolous vestige
of in loco parentis,” said Dr. Jonathan
Sarris, associate professor of history.
Emeritus Professor Ken Finney, an
outspoken opponent of the policy, is
delighted with the change. For years prior
to his retirement in 2008, he mounted his
own campaign to protest the policy. “Hats
off to the SGA for its implementation of
the Sombrero Liberation Alliance's call for
rescinding the frivolous and ignoble ‘head
gear’ policy and issuing a tardy rebuke
of the tyranny of surplus repression,” Dr.
Finney quipped, “They go in the SLA's hall
of fame: alongside the rejection of Louis
XIV's attempt to legislate the wardrobe of
the people of France in the 1600s and the
citizens of Madrid in rejecting Charles Ill's
attempt to outlaw cloaks in the 1700s.”
Senior Julianne Cyr had a different
take on the change. “I believe hats should
be worn in the cafeteria because it’s a
relaxed environment and not a restaurant,”
she said. “But I don’t believe hats should
be worn in the classroom; this facilitates
student sleeping and cheating by hiding
faces and allowing storage for papers and
mirrors.
NCWC Student
Attends
Inauguration
Nastasia Burnette
Decree Staff Writer
NCWC junior Nicole Latrece
Williams was one of the millions to
attend Barack Obama’s inauguration on
January 20th.
Williams spent the entire inaugura
tion week in Washington, D.C., with
a group of students hosted by the
National Young Leaders Conference
(NYLC), a private organization
designed to enrich the opportunities of
promising students and prepare them
for a lifetime of leadership.
“I am very thankful to be able to
tell the younger generation that I
was actually there” to see an event
that “they’ll be reading about in their
history books,” Williams said. “At this
time I want to thank God for giving me
all of my intelligence so that I could
even be selected to attend such events.
Throughout all the cold and chaos, this
was a once in a lifetime opportunity
and it was worth it.”
Williams described the crowd at the
inauguration ceremony as enormous.
“Sometime you had to jump up just
to see to your right, left or in front of
you.” She said that the attendees, young
and old alike, were undeterred by the
harsh cold. “They did chants and cheers
such as, “Give me an O... Give me a
B... Give me an A... Give me an M...
Give me an A.. .What does that spell?
OBAMA!” Williams reported that she
saw many who were selling Obama
memorabilia. “It was crazy the amount
of hustling that individuals were doing
just to sell any kind of merchandise you
can think of, for the sake of Obama.”
She estimates that she got within
“maybe 12 feet” of the president. She
said she was impressed with the unity
displayed during the week’s events. It
was nice, she said, to see “the young
generation, of all races coming together
and being of one accord, having the
same mind, all proud of our first
African-American president!”
Before the actual inauguration,
Williams attended a number of other
festivities, including seminars led by
former Vice President A1 Gore and
former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
For Williams, one highlight was the
inaugural concert, featuring Beyonce,
Usher, Stevie Wonder, and others. “Just
seeing Obama having a good time,
clapping and singing, while others
were performing for him was just like a
dream come true,” Williams said.
Williams stayed at the Hilton on
Connecticut Avenue, about ten miles
from the mall and White House. She
noted that the Hilton was the site of
numerous events, including several
see INAUGURATION on pg. 2
Nicole Williams photo by C. Thomas