since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community”
October 8, 2010
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
Class of 2014: Gender Gap Remains, And Many Fail to Show
By John Kostet ''' , Sherman, this is a mix veiy consistent student body, followed by Caucasians (28
Senior Staff Writer
Thirty-four new students have withdrawn
lk)m the college, lowering an incoming
class that was expected to exceed 300 to
a total of 278, impacting campus life and
cutting into the college’s revenue.
The 34 students all had paid their deposits
and iBgistered for classes. The 278 figure
includes 244 freshmen and 34 transfer
students. An additional 30 upperclassmen
have left the college after registering for
fall classes, according to Jonathan Vester,
director of institutional research.
Vester said many of the 34 freshmen
drop-outs could not find a way to pay for
their tuition and other expenses. Other
reasons remain unknown, as many of the
withdrawing students simply did not show
up for class. When students are faced with
the possibility of withdrawal, they are sent
to get help at the Student Success Centa.
“In some cases, there are financial problems
that we cannot do much about,” Vester said.
Dr. Robert J. Stubblefield, dean of the
college, agreed with Vester that the current
economic downturn has hit families hard,
citing the difficulty they face in securing
loans. But he emphasized the need for
faculty and staff to be aware of the alert
system that the Student Success Center
provides. “We need to recognize when
students are about to drop, so we can get
on their issues instantly,” Stubblefield said.
Site?-
^ ■ X 
ft
President and Mrs. Gray greet freshmen earlier this semester.
PR Photo
The 64 departing students have been
somewhat offset by new and returning
students who came to campus after the
first day of classes, Vester said.
The admissions office has sought
to tighten admissions standards with a
firmer emphasis on academics. This year’s
rejections increased to more than 40 percent,
according to Gary Sherman, vice president
of enrollment, who said that the administra
tion has raised its expectations for incoming
freshmen as the college amends its profile.
In discussing the tighter standards,
Sherman explained that the changes are part
SGA Loses One Officer,
Gains Two New Ones
By Decree Staff
Two new executive officers joined.
Wesleyan’s Student Government Associa
tion last month after uncontested elections.
Taylor Huffman, SGA treasurer
during 2009-2010, has assumed the vice
presidency while Gregory Spence filled
the vacant treasurer position after each
was the only qualified student to apply
for the posts in early September, Spence
takes over the treasurer’s job following
the departure of Jasmine Mann, who
was elected last spring, along with presi
dent Jacob Strickland and secretary John
Williamson! According to Strickland,
Mann cited a lack of time in announcing
her resignation over the summer.
Now in his third consecutive one-
year term, Strickland said he is pleased
that Huffman and Spence have become
part of his administration.
‘Taylor brings past experience as an
SGA officer,” the president said. “He’s a
good worker. And he’s heavily connected
to the Wesleyan population, because he
always stops to talk to everybody.”
Strickland praised Spence for possess
ing similar qualities. “He’s well liked and
respected,” he said. “He’s never afi"aid
to voice his opinion, which is important.
Sometimes in the face of a large student
population or administration, it can be
intimidating. I think Greg is comfortable
in that setting, no matter the audience.”
Strickland lamented the lack of
females on the new executive board. “I
think it’s important to have a diverse
board,” he explained, “because it
encourages all groups to get involved.
A female member would add a differ
ent perspective.”
In a recent interview, the president,
a member of the college’s ROTC
program, identified two new programs
that his administration is implement
ing: “Operation Wesleyan Rewind” and
“Operation Handshake.”
Operation Rewind is an effort to
foster student respect and pride in the
college. It will involve a year-long re
view of college history, beginning with
the original construction of campus in
the 1950s, through PowerPoint presen
tations and other media. “Students are
not going to get involved in a school
that they don’t like,” Strickland said,
adding that the promotion is designed,
in part, to help students become active
and contributing alumni.
Through Operation Handshake, SGA
would like to re-establish trust between
students and administration. “The trust
must flow both ways. Students must trust
that the administration is making good
decisions and the administration should
trust that students are going to act in a
mature way,” said Strickland, noting that
he wants to encourage more interaction
between studeiits and administration
and trustees. Strickland said specific
programs are under discussion.
SGA held its first meeting September
23, and upcoming sessions will be held
at 8 p.m. in the BBT Room (adjacent to
the school cafeteria) on October 7 and
21. Strickland reminds the student body
that meetings are open to all members
of the Wesleyan community.
of a comprehensive admissions initiative.
“We’ve been focusing on bringing in stu
dents that we know can be successftil here,”
he said, pointing out that the increased
rejection rate was by design, rather than a
result of increased applications.
As part of the new admissions initiative,
the college has been conducting criminal
background checks m student ajplkants
older than 18.‘The focus was to determine if
someone may have a background that could
lead to any situaticsi that harms our students,
employees, or to themselves,” Sherman said,
reprating that there were several students who
were denied admissim based on the results of
the check. ‘This level of scratiny is necessary,
parliculariy in this time of campus tragedies,”
Sherman said, noting the safdy concerns
natiaiwide in the wake of incidents like the
shootings at Virginia Tech and Alabama-
HuntsviBe. He explained that conducting
background checks does not guarantee total
safety, but reduces potential crime.
Among the new students, the average tests
scraes were 890 fcr the S AT and 18 fcr the
ACT. Sherman said the high school grade
point average fcr new students remains about
the same, at 291
Of the 278 remaining fiist-year students,
there is atotal of 97 females and 181 males.
Femates make up 43 percent of all traditional
day students, Vester said.
Wesleyan’s athletic programs constitute
an essential part of the student body, as
37 percent of aU students arc registered
athletes with the NCAA. According to
vety c
with other schools in the USA South
Conference, and he is proud of the college’s
elforts in ensuring the academic eligibility
of its student-athletes. “Our data does not
support the common notion that a high
percentage of athletes would lead to a
negative situation,” he said. “Instead, we
are interested in aU students who are a good
match at Wesleyan, regardless of their
extra-curricular pursuits.”
Another part of the college’s new admis
sions initiative has been to reestablish the
northeast as an essential recruitment region.
John Sams has been a{pointed to make .
recmitment trips and attend college fairs in
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Sherman said
the goal is to attract interested students frcim
private high schools who can afford a smaller
private college. “We tiy to use the so-called
sticker shock, as our northern equivalents are
much more expensive,” Sherman said.
The college has made an effort to keep up
with the new channels of communication
by using the popular websites Facebook and
Twitter. The admissions office Facebook
page has mcxe than 500 fens and is still growing.
Sherman said that the way to communicate
with prospective students has changed a lot
in recent years. “Young people would rather
text, write messages and emails than talk in
person or even on the phone,” he said.
With 163 first-year students, Nc«lh Carolina
continues to be the most repesented state
amcmg the Westeyan student body, with
Vuginia (47) and Maryland (16) coming in
secmdandthiid.
The total number of intematiaial students
stands at 73, ot 10 percent of Wesleyan’s total
student body of733. This numbff has been
sky-iocketing the last few years, as many of (he
athletK teams have been recruiting overseas.
But this fall ftie number of new international
students was unchanged at 27, as seme appli
cants ran into problems with their paperworic
“Diffarait countries seem to have different
waiting schedules for visas, and the process
has not got any faster since the tightening
of the homeland security,” Sherman said,
while hopefiil the college can add several
new foreign students next semester.
In recent months NC Wesleyan has been
touting its diversity as it is ranked in the top
three in the South, according to US News
and World Report. African-Americans
make up about 43 percent of the entire
After Slow Start Bishops Win Two in a Row
» . . ^ . . .sssisaafflBsssasfey.
By Jarad Brown
Senior Editor
Update: Wesleyan wm its second in
a row, 24-14, over Ferrum October 2 In
Vlrginja. The Bishops capitalized on two
second-half fumbles to come from behind.
After two close losses on the road, the
Wesleyan football team won its first game
of the season, 35-24, over LaGrange Col
lege on September 25, as the Bishos began
their USA South confemce title defense.
While Westeyan boasts a new offesisive
cccnlinatcr—Darrin Hk;ks replaced fama"
coondinalDr Matt Wheelff during ttie ofiseason
—and an ofiaise that starts three fieshmenai
the olFonsive line and a fourth at quartesback, it
q*ned its season with back-to-back tosses.
The Bishops moved to 0-7 all time in
season qjeners and began their season 0-2
fc»-the third time in four seasons.
“We’ve neverbeen abte to exftode out of the
g9fe,”Cca±MaikFfcnnin^said ‘TmnotreaDy
sure wliy teis, thau^ Losii^ is never acceptaHei
but if you watd) the film liiae’s a tot of poatives.
We’re two fJays away from being undefeated.”
In its home qjener, NCWC found a way to
make the “two plays” Henningerreferaiced.
The Bishops took advantage of a pair of
interception returns for touchdowns from its
defense and a strong perfcsmarKe by tiesh-
man quarterback Jordan Vann, who passed
fcr 213 yard passing and ran for 101 more.
*'(\&nn)isacon:petitot;”Ifeinir^said‘lfe’s
not a true fieshman whai he steps cn Ihe field. Ffe
has apresence^bouthim and finds a way to move
ourdfense.Ifhekeq»piogtEssir^liketeooai]irg
staff thinks he wili, thaihe’nbe scmelhirg spedaL”
The Bidxps trailed 24-21 late in tiie fourth
quarter whoi Vann calkid his own number and
qiinlEd ip the mkldle cn a third-and-short j^y
Varm slipped a pair of Panto drfendeis and
'i
I
mm
Jordan Vann looks for running room against Hampden-Sydney.
SI Photo
not only gained the two yards needed for a first
down, but an additic»ial 35 yards to set up the
NCWC dfense on the three-yard line.
One play later saiiw tailback Tenxi Bush
took a direct snap and leaped over his offensive
line to give the Bishcps the lead fcr good.
On LaGrange’s enaiing possession,
Bishcp linebacker Javon Boddie put the
ccxitest out of reach when he intercepted Pan
thers backup quarterback Michael May and
returned the pass 24 yards fw a touchdown.
“We have a vay e)q»ierced defense,”
Fbmin^ said. “Athldically we have the talent
to be the best ddowe team we’ve ever had at
Wesleyaa lie k^ tlrae, though, is we have the
potential to be Ihe best, we still have to woric haid.”
Senior linebacker Antonio ’’Squirrel”
Harris was pleased with the victory, but
thinks the defense can indeed improve. "We
definitely showed up big," he said. "Our
goal was a shutout, though, and we allowed
24 points. TTiat means as well as we played,
we still have work to do to get better."
The vktoy sn^jped a ttiree-gsme tosing
streak for NCWC that dated back to a loss at
Westey College in last season’s Division El
playofis. The Bishqjs’s first two tosses this
seasai were by a ccmbined d^t points, a 13-7
seasMi-qxning toss to Salisbury, followed 1^ a
21-19 setback at Hampden-Sydney.
Vann threw for more than 525 yards in
the two losses, but a Bishops offense that
averaged more than 35 points per game last
season managed just 26 combined points.
“We’re very young cm olfense,” Henninger
said. “We start three fieshmen and a senkr
with limited experience on the ofifeasive line
and rely oi ote fieshman to prrxluce m
olfense. They will be good, it’s simply a matter
of them learning to play togete.”
Wesleyan seeks to defend its 2009 USA
South Conference Championship as it
opens conference play October 2 at Fermm.
“I’m happy where we are right now,”
HenningCT said. “Before the season our goal
was to win the conference and compete in
the national playoffs. Everything we want to
accomplish is still right in frcait of us.”
percent), “Not Reported” (11 percent),
Intemationals (10 percent), Multi-Culturals
(3 percent), and Hispanics (2 percent). Asian
Pacific Islander, Asian-American and others
each coastitute less than 1 percent of the
student body.
R&B Artist
Valentino
Homecoming
Celebration
Emelie Lundgren
Decree Staff Writer
Homecoming Week will kick off with
a concert by nationally recognized R&B
artist Bobby Valentino on Saturday
October 2 at 7 p.m. at the Dunn Center.
It’s the first homecoming concert at
Wesleyan in recent memory.
Tickets cost $ 10, a low price for a concert
according to senior Jesse Williams. “It’s really
cheap, but of course you wish school events
always wiU be fi«e of charge,” Williams
said, though he expessed gratitude for having
a contemporary artist performing cm campus.
Senior Jessica Jefferson is excited
about the concert. “I like his style.
It’s good they’re bringing someone
everybody knows. My favorite song is
“Beep Beep,” and he does look good,”
Jefferson said with a smile.
Valentino won the Best R&B Artist
in the Urban Music Awards of 2009. His
most famous songs are “Slow Down”,
“Tell Me” featuring Lil Wayne, and
“Anonymous” featuring Timbaland. His
upcoming album “Fly On the Wall” is
expected to be released later this month.
The concert will be followed by a day
of decoration on Sunday, when the Black
Student Association and other students
paint the campus blue and gold at 6 p.m.,
starting in the Hartness Center, to spread the
spirit of homecoming all over the school.
Here is a list of oto events during the week:
• Monday, October 4,5 p.m.: Powder-
puff Football Game at the Edgecombe lawn.
• Tuesday, October 5, 7 p.m.: “5
Minutes of Fame”, where students can
record their own CD in a state- of-the-
art sound booth at the Hartness Center.
• Wednesday, October 6, 5:30 p.m.:
Cookout & Carnival on the Hartness
Patio with food, music and games.
• Thursday, October 7, 8 p.m.:
Bingo evening at the cafeteria.
• Friday, October 8: Pep Rally in Everett
Gymnasium at 8 p.m., followed by Campout
Carolina & Fireworks at Hartness Lawn,
with food and a live band, and an environ
mental friendly “Go Green” initiative where
students can camp outside to bring dovm the
level of energy use in the dorms.
• Saturday, October 9, 1 p.m.: The
homecoming game, with the Battling
Bishops taking on Greensboro College
at Northern Nash High School.
Together with a homecoming
committee, Adia Cuthbertson, director
of student activities, has been working
on this year’s program since October
last year. She is very excited about
this year’s festivities. “I think it makes
our school unique,” Cuthbertson said.
“We want everyone to be excited about
being a Wesleyan student.”
The Go Green theme has been important
in forming the program. Organizers will
sponsor a recycling challenge among the
dorms throughout the week. The winner
wiU get a pizza party in their resident hall
by the end of the semester.
Students agree with Cuthbertson that
homecoming is important for the school
spirit, something sophomore Raul
Lopez thinks is lacking at Wesleyan.
“You have to start somewhere with
building school spirit and homecoming
is a great opportunity to try to increase
it,” said Lopez, who tiiinks it’s especially
important for Wesleyan since it’s a small
school in a small city.
See HOMECOMING pg. 4