since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.”
February 14, 2011
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
What Is the Purpose of a College Education?
By Leila Heinonen
Decree Staff Writer
(This article is based on the report
ing of Michael Billinger, Georgettae
Fields-Turrentine and Alvin Hare).
Attaining a college education has
become a prized commodity, especially
with the onset of the recession. Several
NC Wesleyan students were recently
asked what they thought the purpose of a
college education was. And the responses
varied—^from gaining new experiences to
securing a degree and a better salary.
Many Wesleyan students know
what is expected in the real world and
how a college degree can improve
their marketability in a tight job
market. Seniors Tiffany Ross, Denver
Nixon, and Orlando Webb see a college
education as a requirement for better
job opportunities. “A college degree
gives you the best chance in landing a
great job,” said Ross, a criminology and
sociology major.
Webb stood out by stating that
obtaining a college degree does not
always guarantee immediate success
or any form of success at all. But he
did state that “the chance of finding
employment is much more likely for
someone who has a college degree
versus someone who doesn’t have a
degree. It’s something that opens the
door for other opportunities.”
Linh Nguyen of Viemam said the
current economic downtum makes a col
lege degree essential. “It would be veiy
hard for one to succeed without a college
education in the bad economy,” he said.
Students were not only interested in
acquiring better job prospects, but also
the skills developed while in college.
Webb offered some of his wisdom by
stating that college gives one an oppor
tunity to “better your life in preparation
for the real world. College is a lime to
gain skills.” He referred to the leadership
skills that he developed while a member
of the Battling Bishops football program.
Devon Whitaker emphasized the abil
ity to network that one gains in college.
“College offers the opportunity to meet
interesting people through networking,”
he said. “It can be an invaluable resource
since it might open the door for employ
ment in this struggling economy.”
While many student responses
focused on job opportunities, others
discussed the personal development and
enrichment that can occur at a college
like Wesleyan. Many mentioned the new
sense of freedom and independence.
Earning a college degree is a high prior
ity for Tyler Payne, a sophomore business
major. He feels that it prepares one for
the rest of his life. In college, he said,
“you leam so much and it’s probably the
first time you’re not under your parents’
supervision for long periods of time. It --
helps mold you into the person you will
become as an adult. It’s that important.”
Shamika Grenardo, a sophomore, agrees
with Payne. “Obtaining a college education
helps promote self-independence,” she said,
adding that she wants to avoid “returning to
the nest” after graduation.
Other students stressed the unique
experiences that college provides. Junior
Vivian Brown stated that learning about
other cultures was one of the reasons why
she chose to attend college. “I came from
a standard home where everything was
the same,” Brown said. “I wanted to leam
about different people and their cultures
that were outside of the United States.”
Senior TaQuetta Jones, a psychology
major, echoed Brown’s comments.
“College allows you to better yourself
and gives you a chance to meet different
people and see things you wouldn’t
normally see,” Jones stated.
Like several other students inter
viewed, Bakari Walker came to college
in hopes of inspiring his family. On top
of the personal satisfaction one feels by
Resolutions Not So Prevalent, But
Wesleyan Community Still Sets Goals
enjoy my life, play tennis and win the
NCAA tournament this spring.”
Some Wesleyan students were focused
By Leila Heinonen
Decree Staff Writer
New Year’s Eve is a time to look at the
past but more importantly look forward
to the coming year and set new goals.
Many Wesleyan students, faculty and
stalf set new goals for 2011, ranging from
academic excellence to house renovation.
Stephen Bahnaman, librarian and as
sistant professor of reference and electronic
resources, didn’t reaUy make New Year’s
resolutions but his goal for this year is to
leam many new things. “I just bought a
house with my wife, and my goal is to
renovate and finalize it,” said Bahnaman.
“That means I need to leam a bunch of
new stuff to be able renovate it by myself.”
Sophomores Alex Thompson and
Trevor Huber also try to avoid the
major resolutions. “My goal is just
pass all the classes that I have,” said
Thompson, a CIS major. Huber agreed
with Thompson, adding “My goal is
just to follow through with everything.”
Many students were making goals related
to academics. “My personal goal is to be on
time, graduate and get a good internship,”
said senior Jarrett Hedgepeth. Junior Anton
Filonov of Russia said he’s established high
academic standards for himself: “My goal is
to get a 4.0 GPA.” Post-Wesleyan, he added,
he would Mke to “just be cool and rich.”
Gene Kemble’s goals involve academics
and finding a job. “Right now I just want
to graduate and do my masters,” said the
exercise science major. “And then I will try
to make big bucks.” Senior Ryan Bain is
setting goals toward graduation. “I want to
graduate magna cum laude,” he said.
Many student-athletes were not only
promising to keep up with academics,
but setting big goals for their sports
teams. A center on the Bishops basket
ball team, junior Ric Yarbrough intends
to “get good grades and to win the
basketball conference championship.”
Sophomore Artsiom Prostak also set a
goal for the tennis team: “I just want to
on their physical as well as the emotional
well being. Junior Kiara Hill wants to
concentrate on positive things: “My goal is
to eliminate the bad and focus on the good,
which includes people and personal situa
tions. And I want to focus on everything I
want to do in life during and after college.”
Senior Ashley Meadows also em
phasized feeling good and eliminating
the negative things. “My plan is to get
my hfe back on track,” said Meadows.
“I’m going to focus on school, and
things that are going to make myself,
and not others, happy.” Chynna Law
wants be a better Christian. “My plan
is to read the whole Bible in a year and
go to church more,” she said.
Marine Meyet of France is not used
to making New Year’s resolutions
because she said it’s hard to follow
through. “My plan for this year is to
find a school in France to finish niiy
studies,” she said, “and of course win
the lottery and find love.” Besides
academic goals, Bain also promised
to start living healthier. “My goal is to
quit smoking and drink less,” he said.
Chaplain Barry Drum thinks that there
is nothing wrong with New Year’s reso
lutions or setting up goals. “We should
all have goals in life,” he said, “but you
don’t have to wait until New Year’s Eve
to make up one.” Reverend Drum did not
make resolutions, per se, but he hopes to
complete his doctorate in 2011.
Some students and faculty did not
make New Year’s resolutions because
they think it is old fashioned or a waste
of energy. Krystal Mitchell, a student
account representative, agrees with
Rev. Drum’s philosophy. “I have a lot
of things within myself that I feel I
need to work on,” she said. “I set my
goals last year when I felt I needed a
change; I didn’t want to wait for the
New Year to come around.”
earning a degree. Walker wanted to be
a role model."Not a lot of people go to
college in my immediate family,” said
Walker, a freshman psychology major.
“I'll be the second male to attend.”
Senior Brittany Holiday, a criminal
justice and sociology major, expressed
similar sentiments. She pursued a
college education in hopes of not only
bettering herself and her family, but all
who come in contact with her. “I can
have an opportunity for success and
those who look up to me can better
themselves as well,” Holiday said.
Sophomore Jennifer Rich is the first
in her family to attend college. “I want
to show nieces, nephews and cousins
that it’s not about where you came from
or how much you had,” she said. “It’s
about where you’re going in life.”
According to John Mendy, in
addition to giving one a better chance of
being successful, a college degree offers
students a chance to find their niche and
contribute fully to society.
■
HI
m,
taiit:
Dionne Lucket, Steve Pavelsky and Kathleen Tolbert rehearse for Shake
speare's "The Tempest," which Wesleyan will stage in Minges Auditorium
March 8-10. All shows will begin at 8 p.m. See the cast listoa page four.
Photos courtesy of R. Drake.
In New Position Infantino Supports
Growing Number of Internationals
By Georgettae Fields-Turrentine
and Leila Heinonen
Decree Staff Writers
As the number of international stu
dents increases, NCWC has called on
Patricia Infantino to lead the new office
of International Student Services. The
Brazil native has a double role: While
guiding and helping international
students, she teaches Spanish and
English as a second language (ESL).
Infantino starts her day at 5:30 a.m.,
taking care of her two daughters; she is
at her office by 7. “I teach an 8 o’clock
Spanish class,” she said, “so I have to
come early to prepare and be here if the
students have something to ask.”
After years of foreign language
classes being nonexistent, NCWC has
brought back Spanish and Infantino is
working hard to
develop a Spanish
minor. “It’s very
important to leam
foreign languages,
especially Spanish in
the U.S.,” she said.
Infantino has noticed
that Americans are
not as interested as
international studeni
are in learning a
foreign language.
“International
students are more
interested because
they have been more
exposed to it (foreign
language instmc-
tion),” she said.
Infantino
stressed the impor- Patricia Infantino
tance of learning
about other ethnic groups. “Learning a
foreign language opens up a student’s
mind and their sense of the world,” she
said. “I wish American students would
realize that. Here in the U.S we don’t
have a culture that is open to learning
foreign languages or about other
cultures.”
Junior Evgeniy Bukatin, a business
major, is interested in a Spanish minor.
“I think it would be really good if
we get the Spanish minor, because
it is very important to leam foreign
languages to increase the global under
standing of different cultures,” he said,
adding that bilingual job candidates
have an advantage in the job market.
Bukatin thinks Infantino is doing a
fine job of teaching and developing the
language program. “I like Mrs. Infan
tino,” said Bukatin. “She knows how to
teach and interact with students.”
Enrollment in Spanish classes
climbed to 32 students last fall and 19
this semester. Infantino would like the
college to consider not just a Spanish
minor, but a major. “Nowadays, we must
compete with a globalized world,” she
said. “If we don’t start teaching our stu
dents how to speak at least one foreign
language, we do not have a chance.”
Infantino not only teaches Spanish
but also classes in English. There are
two types of classes— the basic ESL
and advanced ESL, depending on the
student’s ability to understand and
speak English. Now taught under as
College 195, ESL classes will become
part of the Wesleyan curriculum in
the fall. The classes were developed
to help international students with
four linguistic skills: reading, writing,
listening and speaking. “They support
the students in their academics and
to help them get used to the teacher
expectations,” said Infantino.
As the Director of International Stu-
G. Wallace Photo
dent Services, Infantino’s responsibilities
include working with students once they
have arrived on campus. She listens to
students and advises them about their
problems and concerns. NCWC has
74 international students; most of them
are northem Europeans but there are an
increasing number of students from Asia,
Russia, South-America, and Africa.
“It’s very important that they have a
place to come and talk about language
problems and culture shock,” Infantino
said, “and that’s why I’m here, to help
and support them.”
With an office in the Student
Success Center, Infantino provides a
wide range of support services, from
helping students find a work study job,
to taking them to the Social Security
or DMV offices in order to obtain
proper documentation. “I care about
the international students and help
them the best I can,” she said.
She emphasized the importance of
taking care of the student’s emotional
needs as well as the academic ones.
“It’s not easy to come to a foreign
country and leam a whole new culture,
language, and a school system,” said
Infantino. “If they fail to feel safe, it
creates more problems academically.”
Senior Freddy Acheampong is grateful
for Infantino’s support. “She is very help
ful,” he said, noting that she’s assisted him
with his application for graduate school.
Heather Johnson, associate director of
Admissions, trusts Infantino’s ability to
advise and help the students. “Mrs. Infan
tino is doing an excellent job working with
the international students,” she said.
Infantino enjoys her work, but finds it
challenging. “I need to deal with so many
situations with students and faculty—
there is always something new,” she said.
“It is also very challenging to convince
students what they need to do because
they don’t really understand how the
American school system works.”
At NCWC, her goals are “to make
a difference in the lives of students”
while encouraging them to keep an
open mind and take advantage of the
resources available to them.
What brought Infantino to Wesleyan
in the first place? She liked the school’s
affiliation with the Methodist church, as
well as the quality staff and faculty and
the attractive, small campus. “That’s
a real plus for students coming out of
high school,” said Infantino, who added
that she was excited by the prospect of
growing the foreign language program.
Infantino received her B.A. in
linguistics at a Catholic school in Brazil
and then went to Universidade Federal
do Rio De Janeiro to pursue a con
centration in English, Portuguese and
Spanish. In addition, she attended UNC-
Chapel Hill where she earned an M.A.
in romance languages and a second
masters in TESOL (Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages). She is
now working on her Ph.D. in education
with a specialization in ESL.
Infantino’s previous employment was
a public school teacher in North Carolina.
She also taught in the public school
system in Buenos Aires and Brazil for
two years before coming to the U.S.
Outside of teaching, Infantino enjoys
traveling (“It’s a wonderful way to
meet people”), reading, cooking, and
playing tennis and soccer. Stressing the
importance of family in her life, she
reserves weekends to spend time with
her children. “Family is important to
us,” Infantino said. “We go to Mass
(we’re Catholics) and then we cook
on the grill, play with our dog, Mouro
Hunter, and our cat, Sammy.”
Infantino stated that since her
employment here at Wesleyan she has
learned a lot from the students. “I want
to thank my students for everything they
have taught me because the beauty of
being a teacher is this,” Infantino said,
“we teach and leam at the same time.”