since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.”
December 18, 2009
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
Many New Grads Overcame Obstacles, Dismal Job Market Awaits
By Decree Stm because they thought such preparation work into her schedule “any time I Over the years. Perry has held assignments, conduct research, write
Micke’l Gaboon admits that he’s
“nervous” about the job market and cited
the experiences of many recent graduates
still looking for work in their field.
Opportunities are “slim,” he said.
‘There’s no guaranteed jobs out there for
new college graduates. If there is a job,
it’s not in the major that you pursued.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
confirms what Cahoon and classmates
have seen first-hand. October data put the
state unemployment rate at 11 percent
and the Rocky Mount area figure at 13.7.
Cahoon was one of 132 Wesleyan
students who graduated in December. Of
that total, 34 came from the traditional
day program and 98 from the adult de
gree programs in Morrisville (Triangle),
Goldsboro and Rock Mount. Many
majored in business and associated fields
Many Students
Doubt TWD Law
Will Work
By Meghan Herd
Decree Staff Writer
Wesleyan students endorse the new
state law that bans “texting while driving.”
But many question the police’s ability to
enforce it, while others admit that they
will not break the habit.
Starting December 1, drivers caught
texting while driving will face a fine of
$100, plus court fees.
Sophomore Drew Herring thinks the
new law is necessary. “I’m glad they made
it a law because there are so many accidents
related to cell-phone usage,” he said, “so
this might liinit injuries and fatalities.”
Gaii Lewis, a Wesleyan criminal justice
instructor and fomo' Rocky Mount police
man, said the law is overdue. “I agree with the
law 100 percoit,” he said, citing studies that
d»w the level ctf distraction that occurs wtiile
texting. ‘Tm iKt surprised that they did cieate
this law; it shouU have come a k*ig time ago.”
Many students expressed support
for the law, but acknowledged that it
may not change behavior.
“I think it’s a good idea because
texting can cause drivers to not pay
attention to the road and crash,” said
Jessie Pierce, who confesses to texting
while driving. “But I doubt most are
going to follow this law. Only a few
will be scared and stop texting.”
Junior Katanya Hall doubts that drivers
will heed the new law. “Just like with the
seat belt law,” she said, “they don’t follow
it until they get fined.”
While noting that many drivers are
“not focusing on the road,” Terrence
Johnson said the law will be difficult
to enforce. “I don’t know how they’re
going to enforce this law,” he said. “It’s
going to be very hard. I’m not sure they
will be able to tell that you’re texting.”
Cecilia Thorpe concurred with
Johnson. “I just don’t see how it will be
enforced,” she said, “because they may
not be able to tell if you’re texting.”
Lewis ccmceded Ihe challenges in the new
law, but still believes it will have a positive
effect cm drivers. ‘Drivers can put their
phones in their laps and out of view,” he said,
“but I’m sure more tickets wffl be issued.”
Many Wesleyan students admit to
texting while driving.
Senior Orlando Webb beh'eves that it is
a good law, but may find it hard to follow
himself. “I’m guilty of texting and driv
ing,” he said. “When I’ve been texting
and driving, I’ve caught myself swerving
or having to slam on the brakes.”
Other students had already modified
their behavior.
Said Edgar Zaldivar: “I only read
my text messages when driving and
reply when I get out the car.”
Domarius Thomas has broken the
habit. “I used to text and drive a lot,” said
Thomas, “but I don’t anymore because
I’m not trying to hurt anyone else or get a
ticket and lose points on my license.”
Johnson recalled a near accident that
occurred while he was texting. “1 used
to text and drive but then I almost hit
somebody. That’s when I stopped.”
because they thought such preparation
would make them more employable.
Held December 12 in the Dunn
Center, the graduation ceremony
featured a commencement address by
Susan Gravely, a Rocky Mount native,
who serves as chairman and CEO of
Vietri, Inc., a wholesale distributor of
Italian handcrafted dinnerware and
decorative accessories.
In her talk. Gravely recounted the early
days of her company, which resulted from
a trip to Italy with her mother and sister.
“We knew nothing of starting a business,”
she said. “But we fell in love.”
It’s important, she told the graduates,
to take on difficult tasks and be willing
to fail. She stressed the importance of
asking questions and seeking advice
early in one’s career. And she added,
“Seek your passions in life, and your
life will be passionate in every way.”
Gravely was a last-minute substitute
for U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-NC, who
was unable to leave Capitol Hill, due to
a heavy legislative agenda.
Cahoon, a business administration
major and former defensive player on
the Bishops football team, said he’s not
been picky in his employment search,
which has covered the Rocky Mount
and Raleigh areas. He said he would
take any job in business as long as it’s
one that pays at least $30,000 per year
with full benefits.
The Creswell native said he knows
about 15 recent Wesleyan grads; four
have found full-time employment in
their field. “The rest are doing little
jobs to put money in their pocket,” he
said, noting that three work in a group
home and that one CIS major is in high
school administration.
Another new grad, Kim Gairett, hopes
to land a position in tax accounting,
which would allow the Rocky Mount
native to use her double major in math
and accounting. She feels uneasy about
the market, which, due to child care
concerns, is limited for her to eastem
North Carolina. “It’s going to be hard
to find a job around Rocky Mount,” she
said. “There’s not much here. I think it
would be easier to find a job in Raleigh.”
Garrett is one of many exemplary
students who have balanced family ob
ligations with her school work. Taking
15-18 hours of classes each semester,
she has maintained a GPA over 3.5 and
served as a tutor in math and account
ing as well as in the Writing Center.
To support her children, Marquayla, 5,
and Marquez, 1, she has worked 35-40
hours per week at a local Hardees, the
last two as a manager of the Sunset
Avenue restaurant, which often required
ten-hour shifts on Saturday and Sunday.
During this past semester Garrett’s
typical day began at 6:30 a.m. when
she woke to prepare her daughter for
kindergarten. She said she fit home-
any 1
was free.” Most days she went to sleep
around 1 a.m., she said.
Like many students with children,
Garrett has relied on a support network.
She expressed gratitude for the
assistance she’s received from family
members, in particular her mother,
Brenda, who has helped with child
rearing. “She’s a big part of the reason
I’m graduating,” Garrett said.
Emily Perry can relate to the chal
lenges faced by Garrett. Beginning with
a single class in 2001, the non-traditional
student embarked on what she called “a
long, hard journey” to fulfill her dream
of earning a college degree.
“Getting a college degree is
something that I’ve always wanted,”
she said. “I enjoy learning, so when the
opportunity was presented for me to
attend night school, I decided to take
advantage of it.”
Over the years. Perry has held
a series of jobs at Wesleyan, in the
development office, maintenance and
now as administrative assistant to ,
Dean of the College Jay Stubblefield,
a position that she describes as “hectic
and challenging,” requiring high levels
of concentration and organization.
Like Gairett, Perry is a single mother.
“I made the decision to take one class at
a time so that I would only be away fix)m
home one night a week,” she said. “This
also kept me from having too heavy of a
homework load so that I would still have
time to spend with my daughters.”
The business administration
major noted that there have been many
obstacles along the way. “There aren’t
adequate words to describe how difficult
it can be for a single mom to work full
time, care for two adolescent young
girls and go to school at night,” she said.
assignments, conduct research, write
papers and study for exams at night and
on weekends - after working all day,
cooking dinner, caring for her girls, and
fulfilling “the other hundreds of duties
that go with running a household alone.”
Perry’s secret? “I would face each
day—and each class—one at a time,”
she said. “I tried not to focus on the
long road ahead, but tried to only focus
on what was before me in the short
term. It’s very gratifying to know that I
managed to make it to the end, in spite
of the challenges I encountered.”
This is a ^Kcial year fcff Perry. Both
dau^ters will graduate in sping, Paige fiom
Southern Nash High School, and Shannon
with a nursing degree irom Barton College.
“I think it’s pretty neat that all three
of us are graduating within a six-month
period,” Perry said. “I would have
liked to have been finished many years
She said that she would complete her ago, but better late than never.’
Problems at SGA: Do Students Care?
By Jarad Brown
Decree Editor
So there isn’t enough being done by the
Student Government Association on campus?
You could do a better job than the current
student body president, Jacob Strickland?
Good luck.
“Our responsibility is to help this
place get better,” Strickland said. “We
take student concerns to administration
and bring the answers back. We are like
the watchdogs of campus.”
The SGA consists of 36 members
that include representatives from every
student organization on campus, repre
sentatives for each of the student body
classes, as well as from the dorms.
With such an extensive membership,
acting as a “watchdog” should be an
easy task, right? Sure, if that extensive
membership is indeed present.
Though SGA is supposed to consist
of 36 members, it has been lucky to
see six members at some meetings this
semester. Strickland noted an incident
where just four of the 36 members were
present for an official SGA meeting.
Hard to even take roll with just four
represents present, much less accomplish
anything for the student body. The real
question then seems to be not what SGA’s
role on campus is, but why there is a lack
of participation on campus.
“It seems to be a case of little
things adding up to a larger problem,”
Strickland said. “Not having an email
list to contact members, and a paper
shortage that prevents flyers from being
printed hurts. Those certainly don’t
help things and I don’t know what the
real problem is, but mostly I think it all
goes back to student apathy.”
Before you bash the president for
throwing blame on the students, consider
that he might actually have a point. -
NCWC Experiences ‘Mild’ Hu Seascxi..So Far
By Decree Staff
Calling it a “mild flu season” so fk, Cdl^
Nuise HoDy Faiifey reported just six confirmed
cases this past semesta; the last cne on
Nc)«n±erI9.
ItremainsunclearwheJhertheHlNl vinis
hit the Wesleyan campus. Faiiiey noted that
Wesleyan, and many local physkaans, do not
test fa the HINI virus, in part because of the
cost ($300) and the amount of time (3-5 days)
it takes to leam the results.
Instead the college uses a test that detects
the A or B strain of the flu. Fairiey said that
four students wae diagnosed wifti the A strain
and two with the B strain. It’s possible that
students diagnosed with the Astrain had been
infected witfi HINI virus. But Fairiey said that
aU students, whether diagnosed with A w B,
weie sent home as a matter of policy.
“Wfe’iettyigt) keep exposure lates down,” ^le
said “Yes, before the students were diagnosed,
othas may have been ejqxised in thar classes, but
we wanted to minimize the exposure so we sent
the students home as a precautioa”
The six Weskyan’s flu victims, all in their late
teais or eariy twaities, made a tiill lecoveiy and
returned to classes within a wed(, said Faiiiey,
who added that flu cases were not concentrated
in a poticular domi Besides the ^ resideilial
students, tee was ore oorrmuter student
convafcsced at hane after his femily doctcr
di^nosed him with the flu, she sakl
To return to campus, Faidey ej^Mied, students
must be fever-fiee fcr 24 houre without the aki
of Tylenol cjr other fever-reriucing medicatiQa
Despite file mild flu teason on campus, Paiiiey.
sakl that manbas ctf the Wesleyan ccxnmunity
should still brace for the soalled third wave
of the HlNl, whkdi is expected in January and
Februaiy. She recotnmends getting the HlNl
vaodne, whfch is cffejed fiee, to all age groqis,
fiiiDugh the Nash County Ifeallh ElepartrrErt.
Amaig other steps one can take to avoid
the flu, Fairiey cwitinues to reccanmend that
membas of the Wesleyan community:
• Wash their hands often
• Cou^ into fli® deeve lathff than hands
• Avokl crowds and the sick
• Increase their intake of vitamin C
(It’s not stored by the body, she noted)
• Follow a healthy diet
•Get plenty of rest
“I’ve been encouraged so far,” Fairiy said.
“With vacdne m^te we can step the thiid wave
this winter.”
While Strickland has the title of
student government president, keep
in mind that it is only a title. He can’t
solve the campus problems any more
than President Obama can solve
America’s problems.
President Obama needs Congress to
support and implement his policies and
then the American people to embrace
those policies. President Strickland
needs the same type of cooperation
from the administration and, to a much
greater extent, the student body.
Strickland noted project ideas he had for
campus and for the student body—ideas
such as improving the washers and dryers
in the dcsms, iixaeasing the number of
change machines on campus for student
convenience, and encouraging student
oiganizations to co-sponsor events to make
than laiger and more aueitaining tor saidents.
For any of these ideas to come to •
fruition, students’ knowledge of SGA’s
existence would be a great start.
“I can’t really say much about the
SGA,” senior Micke’l Cahoon said. “I
didn’t even know we had one ot campus.”
The senior wasn’t alone in his lack of
awareness. Six interviewed students said
fliey didn’t feel comfortable enough to
make a comment about SGA simply be
cause they were unaware of its existence.
“watchdog” or even a voice of students
if students aren’t willing to speak for
themselves?
“TTie more involved students are, the bet
ter this place is,” Strickland said. “If students
were more engaged, I think there would be
more activities and less crime on campus.”
Strickland also recognized that the
apathy that’s spread across the student body
isn’t entirely to be blamed on students.
When SGA wasn’t in existence between
2006-2008 it created a sense that student
concerns didn’t matter, and students didn’t
have a voice because of that.
Those days are gone and some
students recognize the difference.
“(The SGA) has improved a lot since
I’ve been here,” sophomore David Doug
las said. “Organizations seem stronger
and there seems to be more of them now.
I think they’re doing a pretty good job of
making things better on campus.”
While not evety poblem is addressed and
not eveiy student grievance is heard, a voke
on swne matters is better than no vok* at
all. SGA meetings are open to all students. If
anyone has a problem, they should say some
thing. The voice can’t speak for students, if
the students won’t tell it what to say.
“We’re rebuilding SGA,” SGA
Treasurer Taylor Huffman said. “It’s
improving and so is student apathy, but
How can SGA be expected to be a it’s not an overnight project.”
Title Rings Imperiled
By Bookstore Incident
By Jarad Brown
Decree Editor
The NC Wesleyan football team had
a successful season in 2009. The squad
notched eight regular-season victories
and a second USA South Conference
championship in three seasons.
That success ended, ftough, when the time
came for players to size up for their hardware.
While being fitted fw their champicMiship
rings in the college book store, several team
members stole merchandise. Included were
more than 26 texttwcks, and an undetermined
number of book bags, cologne, deodorant
as well as various other items. Subjects were
identified by their teammates, who have
helped in the investigation.
“It’s really just sad,” College Store
Manager Rachel Dix said. “I mean,
you’ve got a group of seniors who
worked so hard to have the kind of
season they had, and then it ends with
something like this. The selfishness of a
few guys hurts everyone.”
Dix noted that during her 30-year
tenure, the bookstore had been broken
into six other times. The most recent oc-
cuired more than ten years ago, the work
of a man wanted for murder in Virginia.
Dix mentioned that several former
players had called her to apologize and
voice their distaste over the incident.
Current players were willing to voice
their own displeasure with the situation.
“You almost feel depressed when
something like this happens,” senior
quarterback Bo Jordan said. “This makes
the entire team look like a bunch of thugs,
and that’s not how we catry ourselves.”
Jodan isn’t the «ily player who expressed
disdain for the actiois of felbw team mentes.
“It’s horrible to have a season like the
one we had wiped away by ignorance,”
senior running back Teron Bush said. “It’s
terrible to be looked down upon when
you’re so used to being looked up to.”
Dean of Students Randy Williams
could not be reached for comment on the
exact figures of what was stolen or about
those alleged to have been involved.
Regardless of the lack of informa
tion being released by authorities,
campus frustration is widespread.
“It’s crazy how everything went down
in the bookstore,” running back Bryan
Haywood said. “I really don’t even
know what to say about the whole deal.
I do know that we worked top hard this
season for this to be the way things end.”
The Rocky Mount Police Depart
ment has been involved in the situation,
and an investigation is ongoing. While
Coach Mark Henninger was unavail
able for comment, it is known that
currently no rings are being ordered.
“This is awful for myself and every
senior on this team,” Jordan said.
“You’re not remembered for what you
do at the beginning, but rather what
you do at the end and this is how our
career ended. I hate it.”