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VOL. 3, NO. 2
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLE(iE, ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9,1987
Intramurals
to emphasize
more sports
ALUMNI CELEBRATE HOMECOMING ON AWARD-WINNING FLOAT (NCWC PHOTO)
Airband contest entertaining
By LISA STELL
The Homecoming Airband Con
test last Friday was an unorganized
but entertaining event.
The contest began 20 minutes
late. The noisy crowd was enter
tained by Joanette Benjamin, known
to Wesleyan as Ben Jammin’.
Prompted by the crowd, she per
formed a “rap.” The audience
cheered her on by screaming and
shouting.
While everyone was waiting for
the technical problems to be cor
rected and the first group to come
out, the raucous crowd had to be
calmed down. Sybil Banford, the
cafeteria manager and one of the air
band judges, stood up and yelled for
everyone to quite down.
She warned the audience that no
more activities could be held there if
they did not calm down. The audi
ence responded by booing and jeer
ing at her. Along with all the noise.
several students stood on top of the
tables and chairs, much to the anger
of Banford.
As the contest began, Debbie
Ward took the job of emcee. She
announced an abundance of “rap”
songs, along with the Fat Boys and
the Beach Boys, Meatloaf, and the
Supremes. The $100 first place prize
went to Tamara Oates, who sang
Jody Watley’s “Don’t You Want
Me.”
(Continued on Page 4)
By MARGARET CULVER
Intramurals have begun this year
with a new direction. The program
will include various activities and is
open to anyone on campus.
Pam Gourley, the resident direc
tor of North Hall, is in charge of the
intramural program this year.
There are lots of activities already
planned and many others still in the
making. Recently, a double elimina
tion tennis tournament has been set
up and includes 17 participants. The
volleyball and flag football competi
tions are also shaping up. In Novem
ber, table tennis and basketball will
take place as well as the Turkey Trot
which is a fun run to be held near
Thanksgiving.
Bowling and golf are being or
ganized, and three sites are being
considered to be used for sand vol
leyball which will occur in the
spring.
Trips are being set up such as
skiing and hiking. Gourley is still
trying to find students to officiate,
but she has not set a definite pay
scale. She also would like the stu
dents to practice sportsmanship and
etiquette by just relaxing and enjoy
ing the event.
The intramural program is avail
able to everyone on the Wesleyan
campus. Students, both resident and
commuter, as well as faculty and
staff are encouraged to participate. If
entering a team sport, the entire team
should be submitted although an in
dividual may be placed on a team.
Anyone who would like to partici
pate needs only to sign up in the
Student Life office or see Pam
Gourley in North Hall.
Gourley is a graduate of the Uni
versity of North Carohna at Chapel
Hill. She received her Masters from
N.C. State University in Recreation
Administration. She participated in
intramurals as a Graduate Intramural
Assistant and organized the officiat
ing of events.
Gourley hopes the program at
Wesleyan will grow and feels pres
ently she is building a good founda
tion. Intramurals, in her opinion, are
a service to students by which they
may use their time as “leisure time is
very valuable,” she said.
Cohen wants new student center
Editor’s Note: The Decree is
quite pleased to present its inter
view with the new Dean of Student
Life, Steve Cohen. We encourage
students to respond to Cohen’s
remarks, and we especially hope
that the interview marks the begin
ning of an exchange between stu
dents and the Office of Student
Life. Please address your written
responses to The Decree, Student
Union, NCWC.
The Decree: Summarize your
professional background.
Steve Cohen: I’ll put the educa
tional and professional together so
you’ll get a better perspective. I did
my undergraduate work in health and
physical education at Brooklyn Col
lege in New York City and graduated
there is June, 1975.1 went to the Uni-
yersity of Kentucky on a graduate
assistantship in campus recreation. I
finished with a masters degree in
Recreation and Park Administration
in June of 1977.
I took my first professional posi
tion which was Assistant Director of
Campus Recreation at Nassau Com
munity College, which is on Long
Island in New York. I worked there
for one year and in August, 1978,
became the Director of Campus Rec
reation at Kean College in New Jer
sey, which is one of the state schools
in New Jersey. I was there for seven
years and in August, 1985, became
Director of Campus Recreation at
East Carolina University in
Greenville. I worked there for two
years and came here in August to be
the Dean of Student Life.
That’s basically my professional
background, so up until this point the
majority of my professional experi
ence has been in the area of campus
recreation which is one area of Stu
dent Life. But it was always my goal
to move up the ladder to be a Dean
and then a Vice-President overseeing
all the aspects of Student Life.
Decree: What do you perceive
the role of Student Life to be at
Wesleyan?
Cohen: Very, very critical. I
think that all the research in higher
education regarding recruiting and
retention of students, especially the
retention aspect, indicates that when
students are involved in extracurricu
lar activities outside the classrooms,
whether they’re involved in student
government, intramural activities,
athletics, things of that sort, they’re
more likely to stay in school. There
fore I think Student Life is critical in
terms of retaining students, making
students feel good about their envi
ronment, and also 1 think it is critical
in helping students form patterns of
behavior and lifestyles that they will
carry throughout their lives.
I think we need to offer well-
rounded activities, programs to give
people an opportunity to get involved
in community service, to participate
in student government, and things of
that sort. So I think it is very critical,
especially at a school like Wesleyan
that is very small, things are very
visible. It could be a positive oppor
tunity for students to be involved,
and I think we have a very influential
role in cultivating that.
Decree: What do you perceive
the role Student Life should play in a
liberal arts education?
Cohen: Pretty much what I just
outlined. I think that part of a liberal
arts education is to give people a
fundamental background and the
capabilities to go out into the world
and to venture into chosen areas of
expertise. I think really we are help
ing to mold the patterns of behavior
and students need to start finding out
what kind of citizens they are going
to be — are they going to be leaders,
are they going to be followers, are
they going to care about community
service? — and I think going hand in
hand with a liberal arts education is
the understanding of oneself and
what role one wants to play in soci
ety.
I always tell the people that work
for me that your job is just part of
(Continued on Page 3)