GARDNER-WEBB UNIVERSITY
February 25, 2010
Serving the Gardner-Webb University community for more than 60 years
This Edition
' In campus news-
Pueblito Express gets
rave review.
See p. 2
New visitation policy
put into place.
See p. 2
The Reserve coming to
Boiling Springs.
See p. 2
Caf hires new head
chef. See p. 2
■ Photo Feature-
Life at Gardner-Webb
University.
See p. 4
■ In sports
women’s basketball
overcomes setback.
See p. 3
Men’s basketball
continues to plummett.
See p. 3
Could men’s basketball
be affecting NBA draft?
See p. 3
Weather
Thursday
Feb. 25
High 44
Low 22
Partly
cloudy
Friday
Feb. 26
High 50
Low 26
Mostly
sunny
Source: The Weather Channel
Index
Economy Effects Local Business
by Diana Palka
Pilot Editor
In a struggling and dwindling economy,
the concept of being a “poor college kid”
has taken on a new meaning for students
and professionals alike. While GWU stu
dents are squirming to pay tuition, local
businesses have taken the brunt of the
damage and are battling to keep their heads
above water.
“It has affected us extremely,” said Ilias
Tsambounieris, co-owner of Georgio’s, “To
the point where we don’t know whether to
go on anymore.”
Tsambounieris isn’t alone in his strug
gle. Georgio’s caddy-comer competition,
the Italian Garden, has also experienced
recent hardships.
“We’ve definitely had a decline,” said
Wendy Thrift, lead server at the Italian
Garden, “About 33 percent.”
Thrift said the lull in business has not
just been from students, but faculty as well
attributes to the decline to “a decrease in
the general public.
Boiling Spring’s hot-spot. Broad River
Coffee Company has also experienced a re
cent downturn and has felt it the heaviest
over the last two semesters.
“We’ve definitely experienced a hit
with the economy,” said Hannah Newton,
^^nager at Blj
^^While Net^fi attributes the sudden
decline to the economy, she is aware of
a more direct and specific reason for the
company’s stmggle.
“What we see is a lot of students, they
come in, community people also, come in
and use us a place to use the internet and
study and don’t purchase anything which is
a huge hit to us,” Newton said.
Newton said the company tried to offer
discounts in order to bring in more custom
ers and boost sales, but the attempt was in
vain. The offers didn’t bring in new cus
tomers and only reduced prices for the al
ready existing patrons- hurting Broad River
more.
“While we want to provide that free ser
vice when people don’t support us by pur
chasing something, it’s a huge hit on us,”
Newton said, “We want people to know that
we are here for the community but we also
want the community to be here for us.”
Tsambounieris also speculated as to
what was causing the problem, beneath the i
surface perpetrator- the economy.
“I think that this area here has got too
many food places and I don’t think this
town can support as many facilities as we
have here in Boiling Springs,” he said.
Tsambounieris spoke of Boiling Spring’s
Goliath-like newcomer, McDonald’s, as a
main reason for the decrease in business at
Georgio’s.
“How can an individual like me go up
against a giant like that?” Tasmbonieris
asked, “It’s a franchise. It’s well estab
lished. They buy big, give better deals...”
After years of surviving the roller
coaster ride of the economy, the local Mom
and Pop establishments are in their biggest
struggle to date. Even with the lows they
are experiencing, they are, for the most
part, optimistic that the community will
continue to support them in whatever way
they can.
Local magistrate a new breed
by Blake DuDonis
Pilot Editor in Chief
When Carl Jenson moved to California
many years ago, he always knew he would
return to Shelby one day. What he did not
expect, however, is that he would be the
magistrate over the entire county.
A graduate of UC-Berkley, Jenson’s
original plan was to attend graduate school
and become a doctor. After spending a year
in Thailand after graduation working in a
hospital, hrs plans to attend medical school
never materialized and left him wondering
what was next.
Jenson’s twin brother had spent time in
the FBI and suggested that he apply with
the Navel Investigative Service (NIS) to
conduct investigations for the military.
“One of the reasons I did was because
I have always be interested in politics and
intelligence work,” Jenson said. “
Jenson got the gig as a civilian special
agent with the NIS (now NCIS) and spent
five years in that role before leaving for a
corporate job.
The corporate post for Jenson was with
VISA International and focused on stop
ping counterfeit credit cards. After a while,
Jenson decided to back out of the corporate
world and applied with the FBI.
Once hired, Jenson worked in the for
eign intelligence area and also spent time
on the SWAT team.
Unfortunately for Jenson, back issues
forced him to retire eight years early. After
spending a few years retired he opened his
own private investigation business in Cali
fornia. Although seeing cases of all kinds,
Jenson dealt mainly with sex cases, many
against children.
It was from this business that Jenson
stumbled upon a case that made a lifelong
impact: the now infamous Scott Peterson
case.
Jenson worked with Peterson on the
defensive side of the case in which Pe
terson was eventually declared guilty of
murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and
their unborn child. Peterson was sentenced
to death by legal injection but remains on
death row while his case is appealed in the
Supreme Court.
‘.‘People ask me my opinion of it, ‘Did he
do it?’ ‘Did he not dp it?’... and for myself
I have some unanswered questions based
on my investigations that I feel should be
answered if at all possible,” Jenson said.
“I’m not one that could pull the plug on
Scott or see him executed because of those
unanswered questions. It was a purely cir
cumstantial case.”
Although unsure of his take on the Pe
terson case, Jenson is sure of something
else.
“I’ve seen both sides. I’ve seen the
wrong people arrested... In one of my first
cases I ever worked with NIS; I arrested
the wrong person, and I will never forget
that,” Jenson said. “It makes you be a lot
more careful in your work and my compas
sionate toward people... I do believe very
strongly in a presumption of innocence; D
think it’s the hallmark of our judicial sys-'
tern and if we lose that, we’ve lost every
thing.”
Following the Peterson case, Jenson
did not work another case as he was ready
to move on to something, and somewhere,
new.
His mother originally from Shelby, Jen-
s^mpent timej^ child traveling to and
f^pithe city his native California.
Always being fond of the area, he dreamed
of one day returning. With his departure
from the private investigative service, Jen
son though it was the perfect time to make
the move.
His wife, from Southern California,
agreed with the decision and they moved
to a quite home on several acres. Once
here, Jenson was informed of the Magis
trate posi(TSn"and knew it was something
he wanted to do. Jenson received the of
fer for the position and accepted it whole
heartedly.
;^^ot wanting_to his position as Mag-
■ i:^P of Clevjpfl Country to be some-
th^g viewed aS^ower position (the mag
istrate hands down arrest warrants among
other things), Jenson makes it clear that he
intends on making the fairest decisions he
can in every case.
“I look at each person that comes in as
an individual. I just look at them as another
fellow human being that possibly made a
wrong mistake in life. I hope that they will
fin,e fairness in the system... and I hope
and pray that I make the right decision and
whatever action I need to take and that I
will truly be fair and unbiased in every
decisions that’s made, regardless of what
they’ve done.”
Jenson also wants to make another
thing clear.
“I am a Believer; I am a Christian.
That’s the basis for the decisions I make. I
try to treat people fairly and unbiased. My
ultimate prayer is that I will, in this job,
walk humbly before the Lord, my God.
Because 1 do take it seriously and 1 want to
be fair to people are out there. That doesn’t
mean I can’t make the tough decisions be
cause you have to, but I will treat each per
son as an individual and with fairness.”
Jenson has now been in the position
■ for two weeks and his term runs through
the end of the year, expiring on December
31. Once there, he will go through the pro
cess of applying again and be reappointed
(“hopefully” adds Jenson) for a two-year
term, then the following term would be for
four years..
A man who clearly is not shy about
changing scenery, Jenson is very happy
being in Cleveland County and plans to be
here for the long haul.
“I’m here; I’m not leaving,” said a
smiling Jenson. “I feel well entrenched in
the community now.”
Check out photo feature on page 4.
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Photo by Cat McDonald
A snowman keeps an eye on the Quad outside HAPY Hall Saturday afternoon.