The same row of
diner seats from the
1960 Greensboro sit-in at
Woolworth's (Far right)
have been preserved
and are featured in the
museum (Right) opening
next week, on the 50th
anniversary of the event
GREENSBORO'S BEST-KEPT SECRETS
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL
RIGHTS CENTER & MUSEUM
ON ELM ST. OPENS MONDAY
PAGE 9
VOLUME 96, ISSUE 14 // JANUARY 29, 2010
I fit
Guilford college // www.guilfordian.com // G re en s » o ro , N C
WORLD & NATION
Haitian earthquake
calls attention to
greater need
By Hannah Sherk
Staff Writer
On Jan. 12, a massive earthquake cen
tered in Haiti's capital city, Port-Au-Prince,
wrought monumental devastation and loss
of life while bringing the country's eco
nomic and political infrastructures to the
brink of collapse. The earthquake regis
tered 7.0 on the Richter scale.
Built over a major fault line, Port-Au-
Prince has always been geographically vul
nerable to the possibility of earthquakes.
But the country's historically fragile econ
omy has made for devastation beyond the
predictions of any seismologist.
See "Haiti" on page 8
Recent retention rates exceed expectations
ADMINISTRATION FOCUSES ON
MAINTAINING HIGH RATES AND
EXAMINING FACTORS BEHIND
STUDENT RETENTION
By MacKenzie Perkins
Staff Writer
Retention rates for traditional first-year students
The graph below shows the declining rate of full-year retention from 2004-2008, with
a surge leading into 2009, reaching the school's goal of 80 percentThe information
given on retention rates does not include CCE or Early College students.
The numbers won't be official until Feb.
1, but according to President Kent Chabotar,
Guilford retained 92 percent of the 2009 first-
year cohort from fall 2009 to spring 2010.
The year before (fall '08 to spring '09), the
retention rate was 95 percent.
Barbara Boyette, the assistant academic
dean for advising and academic support,
says that the school is working to retain
more students.
"We had great success last year," she said.
"First- to second-year retention rates, from
the fall of 2008 to the fall of 2009 were at 80
percent, which is fabulous. That's our insti
tutional goal, that we're able to continue that
retention rate."
Boyette's statement that 80 percent is the
institutional goal is consistent with the re
tention rate goal identified in the Strategic
Long Range Plan.
"What happened last year is unfathom
able. It just doesn't happen," said Aaron
Fetrow, vice president of student affairs and
dean of students. "We did a lot of things to
make that happen. We added hall directors,
we added the mentor program, there was
selectivity on Randy's part, where we re
cruited from, you know, all kinds of things."
Fetrow also stated that determining which
of these approaches was most effective is dif
ficult.
The school's retention rate this fall to
tow
tttOOS
S20Q6
S2007
atow
18% 70% 7i% 74% ?«% 78% fC%
percentage of students who return after first year
Data gathered from SLRP reports on www.guilford.edu
spring was about 3 percent less than last
years' fall-to-spring rate. The 2009 first-year
class began with 448 students, so the 8 per
cent loss would mean that about 36 first-year
students did not return this spring as op
posed to about 21 students lost the previous
spring from the 2008 first-year cohort of 405
students.
It is difficult to determine the reason for
this year's three percent loss difference ratio
to last years.
"We had been at about 70 percent (in pre
vious years)," said Fetrow. "Classes were at
about 420, 430, 440. Then we dropped down
See "Rates" on page 2
NEWS
Football coaches fflscuss graduation rates, diversity on football team
Head Coach
Kevin Kiesel
Interview by Joanna Bernstein
Forum Editor
Q: What are the main objectives of your
job as head coach of the Guilford college
football team?
A: Guilford college football is over 100
years old. We are one of the oldest programs
in the country so (it's my job) to represent
Guilford college football, and all the student
athletes of the past. It's also about having
our players be successful academically, hav
ing our players be gentlemen, and repre
senting Guilford on the field.
Q: What makes a student athlete (foot
ball player) successful?
A: At Guilford you've got to go to class
every single day. And then you've got to
be a person that when you're not in the
classroom you are attacking those reading
lists. You have to be assertive and reach
out. You've got to go to the teacher's of
fice hours, you've got to go to the Learning
See "Keisel" on page 4
Wide-Receivers Coach
Chris Barnette
Interview by Joanna Bernstein
Forum Editor
Q: What are the main objectives of your
job as a football coach?
As a football coach my main objective
is getting our players to graduate — I tell
them, "you come to Guilford, our main ob
jective is academics." I try to let them know
that I want them to be the best person on the
field and the best person off the field as well.
Q: What makes a student-athlete en
rolled at Guilford successful while they're
here?
Like I said, the main objective is to gradu
ate. If it's an instance where they're not on
the football team, if they graduate, then
they're successful. We understand that this
is division three sports. Not everybody here
is going to go to the NFL or sign some great
contract.
Q: Why do players quit?
See "Barnette" on page 5