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North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804
ARTS & STYLE
September 14, 2007
New Activities Coordinator Plans ‘Fun, Exciting Events’
By Decree Staff
Jennifer Evans, a 2007 alum, has been
named NC Wesleyan Coordinator of
Student Activities, the third staff member
to fill that position in the past year.
Based in the Hartness Center, Evans
oversees the Campus Activities Board
and the Student Government Associa
tion. She reports to the new Dean of
Students, Robert Perkins,
“Jennifer is very bright, enthusiastic,
and professional,” Dr. Perkins said,
noting that Evans’ work ethic paid
dividends in the classroom and helped
her gain solid leadership experience.
Her appointment was hailed by other
members of the Wesleyan community,
who believe that Evans brings the right
skills and experience to the job.
“Jennifer is very passionate about
this school and the students,” said
Susan Autrey, a former supervisor of
Evans, who worked in the Dunn Center
Box Office. “She’s smart, organized,
energetic, and excited about new projects
and events.”
Associate Dean Jay Stubblefield,
one of Evans’ professors in the English
Department, agreed with Autrey’s assess
ment, adding that Evan is articulate and
responsible and possesses a fine sense of
humor, characteristics that will help her
in a challenging position. He said that
her experience as a Wesleyan student
will allow her to identify and organize
the right activities for students.
Evans said that her primary respon
sibility is to organize “fun and exciting
events for the students. 1 don’t want any
of the students to say, ‘There’s nothing
to do around Wesleyan.’ I want them
eagerly waiting for the next big event!
My goal is to have so many fun events
on campus, the students won’t want to
leave. 1 want them to say ‘Wesleyan is
Capsule Reviews of Major Summer Movies:
‘Pirates’ Is ‘Tiring’, ‘Simpsons’ a Blast
By Sean Riccio
Decree Staff Writer
'Pirates of the Caribbean; At World's End'
Synopsis: Davy Jones and the forces
of the East India Trading Company are
tightening the noose, and it’s up to Will
Turner, Elizabeth Swan, and a resurrected
Barbossa to save the high seas. But first
they must brave the weird waters of
World’s End to rescue Jack Sparrow and
gather the Pirate Lords for a final battle
that will decide the fate of the Golden Age
of Piracy.
Review: ‘At World’s End’ is the
cinematic equivalent of trying to run in a
snowstorm: slow, confusing and tiring. An
action movie should aspire to exhilarate,
but I don’t like feeling exhausted after I’ve
watched something, and that’s exactly the
first thing I said when 1 got up from this
movie. There was simply so much going
on, both visually and story-wise, that I
felt overwhelmed. The plot was confusing
at best, contrived most of the time, with
things happening and information given
with litde explanation.
The ‘Pirates’ movies peaked on the first
installment, and this (hopefully) last install
ment shows the continued decline. The
reason it worked so well was because of the
whimsical, light-hearted nature it took with
its subject matter The story had a fairly
small scope and it worked perfectly. Then
the series started to shift to a sort of epic,
drawn-out, and self-important tone. Pirate
Kings and ancient gods and the fate of the
world...it just all seemed like too much. Not
every movie has to be a three-hour “Lord
of the Rings”-like affair
There were positive aspects, though,
mostly anything that involved Jack
Sparrow, and the swordplay is some of
the best seen in cinema outside of Asian
martial arts movies. The character of
Davy Jones and his story were intriguing
too, at least until the addition of all the
pseudo-Greek mythology. There’s rumor of
a fourth installment, with forces working
for and against, and personally I hope it
gets canned. Even an all-Jack Sparrow
adventure would be hard pressed to put this
franchise back in my good graces.
‘Spider-Man 3'
Synopsis: It’s been some months since
the events of “Spider-Man 2.” Peter Parker
is about to propose to Mary Jane and the
Webslinger is the toast of New York City.
Life seems to be looking up for once. But
a vengeful Harry Osbom, a rampaging
Sandman, an unscmpulous rival reporter
vying for Peter’s job, and Peter’s own
growing arrogance all threaten the peace.
Enter a mysterious new suit that seems to
have more effects than just enhancing his
powers. As the tension builds and danger
encroaches from all sides, Spider-Man will
have to face the greatest adversary of all:
the darkness within himself.
Review: Oh, Spider-Man movie
franchise. You know 1 love you, baby. Why
you gotta make me hit you? On the whole,
I liked ‘Spider-Man 3,’ I really did. But
I realize a good part of that is because I
wanted to like it so very badly. The movie
has deep flaws that simply can’t be ignored.
First, though, let’s look at what works.
The action is tight, as is par for the
course on these movies. Sam Raimi proves
once again he’s the right man for the job of
bringing Spider-Man to the silver screen,
having a sense of visual kineticism that
the character’s all about. Likewise, his
ability to weave offbeat humor even in
a somewhat somber and dark narrative
matches the Spidey lore perfectly. Many
derided Peter’s dance number and cocky
strutting as he sank deeper into temptation
from the symbiote. Frankly, I think it
worked with the character of Peter Parker
wonderfully. He’s a wiseacre and a nerd...
of course he’s going to think he looks
cooler than he actually does.
Coming to the symbiote, though, we
have to discuss where this movie not really
fails, but falls short. Venom, one of the
most shallow and really uninteresting char
acters in the Marvel canon, is given a great
rendition here through Topher Grace’s turn
as Eddie Brock, the symbiote’s host and
Spider-Man/Peter Parker’s foil. It’s prob
ably my favorite version of the character
in any medium, save for one issue. He just
isn’t given enough time. Likewise, Peter’s
relationship with Gwen Stacy (in comic
lore his first girlfriend before Mary Jane)
isn’t explored enough, or his struggle with
the rage-enhancing “Black Suit.”
It seems like there was great story in all
these things, but even at three hours there’s
no way they can all get their due. And
unlike the past movies, where characters
were tied into the plot, it seems here like
they spring up from the mud (in some cases
literally!) with little explanation. The only
one exempt from this treatment is Harry
Osbom, whose ongoing dialogue gaffs
hampered my enjoyment of the movie. And
speaking of dialogue, what was going on
with the summarizing news report before
the final battle? That kind of device doesn’t
even work in comics.
At the end of the day, it seems Raimi
and team made the same mistake as Peter
Parker They got cocky from their past suc
cesses and became brash, over-extending
themselves and suffering for it. However,
they manage to tie it all together, a bit rough
around the edges but still enjoyable. If there
is a “Spider-Man 4,” I’m confident it will
mark a retum to form for the creafive team.
'The Simpsons Movie'
Synopsis: After almost two decades of
misadventures, Homer Simpson has finally
gone too far. When he tips a teetering
environmental disaster over the edge and
gets Springfield quarantined from the rest
of the world, it falls to him and the family
to save their not-so-beloved hometown
from being destroyed by the EPA.
Review: Pound for pound, I think this
was my favorite movie of the whole sum
mer A lot of people are surprised when I
tell them that, saying that they really didn’t
expect that much from a movie based off a
19-year-old animated series. Neither did I,
but that’s probably part of the reason why
it worked so well. I haven’t watched “The
Simpsons,” at least the new seasons, for
over seven years now. When they started
having the sons of one-off characters come
in, I figured they had drained the well.
Apparently not; all the energy has just gone
into making one of the funniest movies I
have ever seen.
From opening titles to closing credits,
the movie had my best friend and I going
non-stop. The humor was vintage Simp
sons, witty and silly and enjoyable on all
levels. Most surprising, however, was the
emotional resonance. This movie really had
a heart, and it was odd to realize how much
I’d grown to care about these characters,
how touching their coming together as a
family was, despite the fact that I’d seen it
literally hundreds of times. Hopefully now
that they’ve made such a rewarding and
exemplary movie, the production team can
get back to making good TV too.
Erie McRay's artwork, on display at the
Mims Gallery in the Dunn Center, combines
"the action painting drip of Jackson Pollock
with the descriptive chromatic brushstrokes
of Monet in his unique brand of American
Impressionism," according to gallery curator
Everett Adelman.
PROFESSORS from pg 1
He added that he has been impressed
by the Wesleyan faculty, “Through
my interaction and association with
faculty during my job interview,” he
said, “I was struck by the spirit of
camaraderie and esprit de corps that
characterize the relationship between
the staff and faculty. As a team player
myself, I believe I can add to the shared
determination to fulfill the needs of the
wide range of students who study at
Wesleyan, and without whom, our roles
as professors would be meaningless,”
In his free time. Dr Cole enjoys
singing in the choir and playing soccer,
the latter he called “an invaluable
diversion from the monotony and
tedium of work,”
Dr Markos, a native of Gondar,
in the East African country of Ethiopia,
said although his specialty is fluid
dynamics, he enjoys teaching a range
of math and statistics course and looks
forward to working with Wesleyan
students, “I love this profession,” he
said, noting that he had turned down a
more lucrative position in industry in
order to pursue his teaching career
He received an M,S, in mathemat
ics from Addis Ababa University in
Ethiopia and an M.S, in statistics from
the University of Texas at Dallas, He
received his Ph,D. from Southern
Methodist University in applied and
computational mathematics.
In his free time. Dr Markos likes
to visit friends and participate in the
Ethiopian community in Raleigh.
While most of his family lives back
in his home country, his sister, Yeshi,
lives in Rocky Mount and attends Nash
Community College. Due to his interest
in logic. Dr Markos enjoys watching
police and legal programs on TV. “I
like to analyze the logic used by the
judges,” he said.
Dr Mathews comes to Wesleyan
after fini.shing his Ph.D. in political
science at the University of Houston,
his hometown. He holds one master’s
in political science and a second in
public administration. His specialty is
American politics, with a focus on the
presidency, which he tends “to study
from the perspective of the man in office
more than the formal roles of the office.”
At NCWC, as the only full-time
political science professor. Dr
Mathews will teach a range of courses
that include the American presidency,
international relations, and big business
and American politics. “1 came to
Wesleyan,” he said, “because it’s
a small school which gives me the
opportunity to get to know and help
students more than I could at a large
state school.”
Outside of academia. Dr Mathews
is an avid fan of the Denver Broncos
and “a disappointed follower of the
Houston Astros.” He enjoys reading,
from biographies to history to Harry
Potter He and his wife, Rosemary, a
native of England, have two cats and
“a big, black dog named Sirius.”
the place to be!’'
The new SA coordinator believes
there is room to improve in planning and
publicizing events. “As a student,” she
noted, “we were always told to plan in
advance and for the most part, we tried
to do that but it was usually a few weeks
in advance. 1 want the students to plan so
far ahead they can tell other students and
staff members what they’re doing next
spring. Next spring, I want them to be
able to say what we’re doing next fall.”
She underscored that involvement in
campus activities can complement the
learning that takes place in the class
room. “I want the students to understand
being in an organization is an opportu
nity to learn about leadership and how to
effectively communicate with peers and
administration,” she said. “As a student,
I took every opportunity I had to interact
with faculty and staff. I wanted to absorb
all the knowledge I could about being a
strong leader”
. A Wake Forest native, Evans majored
in English at Wesleyan. Beginning with
her freshman year, she was involved in
a wide range of campus activities, from
StuoSit Ambassadors, to the Student
Government Association and the Campus
Activities Board. She served as president
of Refuge Club and secretary of Club
Dramatica and has performed in more
than ten productions. For her efforts,
she w6n the Sarah Alexander Tullos
Award in 2005-06 and in May the college
conferred on her one of its highest
honors, the Sydney Alergnon Award.
In her newtpost, Evans succeeds
Sarah Ashworth, who held a dual post
in Student Activities and Athletics as
assistant lacrosse coach. Until September
of 2006, Student Activities was directed
by Gabriel Raynor His sudden departure
caused a furor among many students,
who saw him as a mentor
Evans assumed her duties on July 30.
“My primary challenge is to prove that I
am able to do my job above and beyond
everyone’s expectations,” Evans said. “I
feel I accomplished a lot as a student and
now as an employee I want to everyone
to say, ‘“Wow! She’s only just begun.’”
(Staff writers Jenna Davis and Chris
Ochoa contributed reporting for this
article.)
Jennifer Evans is the new coordinator of Student Activities.
BISHOPS from pg 3
Michael Clark, which would cut their
lead to 17-13.
In the second half, Wesleyan
was victimized by Beavers again as
he scampered 82 yards on the kickoff.
The Wolverines would score one more
time in the third quarter, without an
answer back from the Bishops, making
the score 27-17 at the start of the
fourth.
Wesleyan began to mount a
comeback, when quarterback Cedric
Townsend completed a 76-yard pass
to Orlando Webb. But the Wolverines
answered right back with a 6-yard dash
by Alpha Koroma to seal the Wolver
ines win, 34-24. The Bishops added a
touchdown in the last 1:30 when they
returned a fumble recovery 8 yards.
Despite their loss to Wesley, the
Bishops have high aspirations for the
season, NC Wesleyan was picked to
win the USA South Conference this
season. This is the first time in the
Bishops’ four-year history that they
have been picked for first. It seems this
would bring added pressure to the team.
Vaughn agreed: “There is more tension
because everyone has our mark,” he
said. “We will definitely have to bring
our ‘A-game’ every time.” The Bishops
will play two more non-conference
bouts before they start their road to the
conference championship.
Widener 27, Wesleyan 17
A week later Widener University
opened up a 21-0 lead in the first quar
ter and did not look back en route to a
27-17 win at the Rocky Mount Athletic
Conference.
The Pride capitalized on two Wes
leyan miscues early in the game to forge
a lead that they would not relinquish,
spoiling Wesleyan’s 2007 home opener
Widener is now 1-0 on the season, while
the Bishops drop to 0-2.
Widener looked to be in control
early as Pride quarterback Matt
Campbell led his squad on a 14-play,
61-yard scoring drive to open the con
test. Campbell was 7-of-7 in passing
attempts during the drive, which was
capped by a 3-yard touchdown strike to
Ian Decker Tom Laurich’s point-after
gave WU a quick 7-0 lead.
Wesleyan’s first drive came to a
screeching halt when senior Cedric
Townsend fumbled the Bishops’ first
snap of the afternoon. The Pride recov
ered on the NCWC-20, and six plays
later, they found themselves up 14-0.
The Bishops offense continued to
struggle on its next possession. After
managing to secure two first downs on
a pair of Teron Bush runs, a penalty
and two incomplete passes forced
Wesleyan to punt. A high snap eluded
punter Joel Creef, who attempted to
boot the ball down the field aJFter gain
ing control. But WU’s John Martorell
blocked the punt, scooj>ed up the
loose ball, and dashed 30 yards for the
touchdown. Laurich added the PAT for
a 21-0 Pride lead with less than four
minutes left in the opening period.
Townsend looked to get the Bishops
on track as he connected with tight end
Steven Burant for a 59-yard completion
early in Wesleyan’s next possession.
The drive ended with senior Brian
Vaughn nailing a 32-yard field goal to
end the quarter’s scoring.
Both defenses held strong for most
of the second period. The Bishops
managed to cut the Pride lead to 21-10
just before halftime as Townsend broke
free for a 65-yard touchdown run.
Wesleyan pulled even closer in
the third as the offense took the
opening kickoff 74 yards in 16 plays.
Townsend’s seven-yard TD run and
Vaughn’s point-after made the score
21-17, and it looked as though the
Bishops were gaining momentum.
But The Pride defense responded
by forcing Bishop turnovers in three
of their next four possessions (two
interceptions, one fumble). Wesleyan
did not threaten to score again, while
Laurich tacked on 35-yard and 32-yard
field goals for the 27-17 final.
For Widener, Campbell finished 20-
of-33 for 169 yards and one touchdown
through the air The Pride amassed
only 95 rushing yards on the day.
Townsend completed 8-of-22
passing attempts for 104 yards and two
interceptions, and the Bishops totaled
201 yards on the ground, led by Bush’s
81. Wesleyan’s offense out-gained
Widener’s 342 to 264 in the contest,
but NCWC’s four turnovers proved to
be the bigger stat.
On defense. Bo Brown led the
Bishops with 12 tackles (five solo,
seven assists), including two for a loss.
Jaren Wilcox added 1.5 sacks.
The Bishops will try again to enter
the win column when it hosts Emory
& Henry College on September 15.
Kick-off is 1:00 p.m. at the Rocky
Mount Athletic Complex.
(NCWC Sports Information
contributed to this article.)