Gardner-Webh University
Friday, September 8, 2006 www^wupilot.com Volume 10 No. 1
GWU alumna opens
fitness business
Wants to give back to GWU and Shelby community
Pilot photo by Joseph Fluty
Rose Fichera (GWU class of 2002) trains Christine Howell at her new buisness, Liberty Fitness,
in Sheiby NC.
Fine arts department
presents Lindsay Family
The Gardner-Webb
University Department of
Fine Arts will present a
performance by The Lindsay
Family on Thursday, Sept.
14, at 8 p.m., in Blanton
Auditorium.
The family, which will
appear in the HBA Family
special, “The Music in Me”
this fall, consists of Tyler,
age 11, Ryan, 9, 6-year-old
Christina, and their parents,
Paul and Susan.
The performance will be free
and open to the public.
Quiz Bowl team in near
future?
Gardner-Webb has been
invited to compete in the
intercollegiate quiz bowl.
Tryouts will be held for the
five to seven-man team. More
information will be available
at a later date.
On the OP/ED page:
Two Pilot staff members
debate the need for the SAT.
Around campus:
Charlotte Bobcats Arena is
offering a chance for GWU
students to gain marketing
experience by working at the
uptown arena.
Dr. Les Brown, a biology
professor, says goodbye
tonight at a 6 p.m. reception.
Brown, who taught at GWU
for 40 years, comments on
his plans for retirement,
while Dr. Thomas Jones
comments on his long-time
colleague.
In Sports:
The Gardner-Webb
University football team
rebounded fi'om a slew of
early turnovers to pick up
an impressive win against
Jacksonville, in the season
opener for both teams.
The GWU Athletic
Department will officially
move to the Big South
Conference on July 1, 2008.
GWU athletic teams will
continue to compete in the
Atlantic Sun Conference
for two more seasons. Big
South Commissioner Kyle
Kallander says GWU is good
for the conference.
Weekend Weather:
Sat., Sept. 9
84/60 Partly cloudy
Sun., Sept. 10
83/62 Mostly sunny
Source: NO A A
News
page 2
Features..
page 4
Op/Ed
page 3
A&E
page 2
Sports
page 4
By Rebecca Clark
Pilot staff writer
Rose Fichera has come a long
way from the pepper and cucum
ber farm where she grew up in
South Florida - and not just in
miles.
The energetic 26-year-old
Gardner Webb University alumna
has accomplished what many only
dream about, by opening her own
business.
On Aug. 25, Fichera celebrated
the grand opening of North Caro
lina’s first Liberty Fitness, which
is located in Cleveland Mall.
As a GWU graduate, Fichera
has demonstrated just what stu
dents are capable of
accomplishing and
just how far they can
go, often to places
they might never
have imagined.
In Fichera’s case,
the path to success
has taken some un
usual turns. She graduated from
GWl^ in 2002 with a bachelor’s
degree in American Sign Lan
guage, and moved to Washington,
D.C., shortly afterwards.
She spent some time working
as an interpreter before deciding
that her real dream was to open
her own business. She said that
after she moved back to Shelby,
she looked around for something
without a lot of competition.
“I looked into Liberty Fitness and
thought it was a match,” said Fichera.
“I wanted to keep the business local,
as I love Cleveland County.”
Now, with the sfrong support
of her fiance, Josh Lening, also a
GWU graduate, she is the propri
etor of a fitness center
Fichera said that Liberty Fit
ness is unique among fitness cen
ters because it examines and ad
dresses all aspects of women’s
health, including fitness, wellness
and nutrition, giving them the op
portunity to realize a healthier
lifestyle.
Lory Morrison is an example
of the club’s success. Since join
ing in June,
she has lost
more than 40
pounds.
Besides
the exercise
equipment,
with each
workout ac
companied by the guidance of
a trainer, other club amenities
include various classes, such as
yoga, Pilates and a “clean but ftm”
version of XerTease. There are also
a sauna, massages and showers.
Student discounts are avail
able.
With many aspects of business
to manage, there is a lot to leam.
Fichera said that GWU has pre
pared her for her business experi
ence.
“I learned that if you don’t
know something, look into the
correct resources that do know it,”
she said. “It’s been interesting and
overwhelming.”
Fichera also plans to use GWU
as a recruiting source. As there
aren’t many job openings for
athletics in the area, she wants
to provide those opportimities to
students. Liberty Fitness will be
offering a variety of internships,
in particular for students who are
studying physical or health sci
ences and can teach yoga or Pi
lates. There are also opportunities
for business students interested in
marketing experience.
Besides offering college stu
dents opportunities, Fichera has in
volved her members in giving back
to the community. So far, they have
collected school supplies for local
schools; plan more education on
healthy aging; support the Relay for
Life; collect blankets for the home
less; and donate to .the Angel Tree.
“The members are involved in
everything,” Fichera said. “If you
support your community, your
community will support you.”
Liberty Fitness is located in
side Cleveland Mall at 2001 E.
Dixon Blvd. For more information
about membership or internship
positions, call the club number at
704-482-1080.
Alcohol
New policy
a stiff one
By Ciara Lilly
Pilot staff writer
The new alcohol policy should
come as no surprise to any of the
students here at Gardner-Webb
University. For the past year, the
Alcohol and Other Drug Commit
tee has been working to arrange
GWU policies, procedures and
sanctions to mirror the school’s
values.
The old policy allowed the
student to accumulate three alco
hol offenses each year, along with
a fine. At the end of the year, the
offenses were erased from a stu
dent’s record. Now offenses are
cumulative, carrying over from
one year to the next. When a stu
dent receives three alcohol or drug
offenses, he or she will be sus
pended from the university.
The first offense will include
a $200 fine paid within five class
days of notification; parental/
guardian notification if under 21;
a letter sent to the work-study su
pervisor, academic advisor and
athletic coach; and an online al
cohol/drug education course. It
could also include a disciplinary
warning and 12 hours of commu
nity service.
Students found on campus us
ing or in possession of drugs will
have the following first offense
consequences; $300 fine paid
within five class days of notifi
cation; an online drug education
course; disciplinary probation; and
parental/guardian notification.
Students found distributing
drugs face immediate expulsion
from the university, among other
sanctions.
The second offense for alco
hol consumption will include a
fine of up to $300 payable within
five days of notification; paren
tal/guardian notification; a letter
sent to the work-study supervi
sor, academic advisor and athletic
coach (if applicable); assessment
by the GWU Counseling Center;
and follow up at the discretion of
the counselor
Students can be placed on dis
ciplinary probation for one year;
given 25 hours of community
service; have a meeting with the
director of Residence Life; and
possible suspension of the hous
ing contract.
The third offense results in au
tomatic suspension from the uni
versity.
If you are caught with drug
possession and/or use a second
time, you are automatically sus
pended from the university.
The rules have changed dra
matically. Consider carefiilly
whether alcohol and drug use are
worth putting your education in
jeopardy.
Katrina
evacuee
says GWU
is for him
By Jack Naish
Pilot staff writer
It was only one year ago that
Hurricane Katrina, one of the
One Year Later
deadliest and most costly storms
in U.S. history, devastated the
Gulf'Coast from Louisiana to
Mississippi and changed many
lives.
After the disaster, Gardner-
Webb University offered free
tuition to students whose schools
were shut down for extended pe
riods of time by the hurricane.
Nathan Aymond, a University
of New Orleans student who had
evacuated the small town of Har
vey, La., only days before Katrina
made landfall, took advantage of
that offer
Aymond, now a sophomore
English major^^ has decided to
spend the rest of his undergradu
ate career at GWU.
“When I came to Gardner-
Webb, I only expected to stay
for oije semester and then go
home to the University of New
Orleans, but I fell in love with
the people here,” he said.
“The students are friendly
and the teachers “are patient and
caring.
“I also love that small town
atmosphere. New Orleans is so
loud and congested, it’s nice to
get a break from that and have
some peace and quiet.”
Aymond is staying, but his
family is returning to its home,
beginning work on a lengthy re
modeling project.
'7 wanted to keep
the business local,
as I love Cleveland
County. ”