since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.”
May 16, 2011
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
$
High Number of Grads Receive
Diplomas at May Ceremony
Student-athletes were recognized last month attKe annual Bishops
awards banquet. From left are: James Carter (football), male athlete of
year; Barbara DeRatt (volleyball), female student-athlete of the year;
Kelly George (volleyball), female athlete of the year; and Matt Dough
erty (basketball), male student-athlete of the year Turn to page two for
a complete list of academic and athletic award winners. SI photo
By Leila Heinonen
Decree Staff Writer
Almost 200 students—one of the laigest
classes in recent memory—graduated from
NC Wesleyan’s traditional and adult degree
programs on Sunday, May 1 attheDunnCaiter.
Besides awarding diplomas, the
college conferred prestigious awards on
two students, Desiree Driver (Algernon
Sydney Sullivan Award, for service
and leadership) and Joshua Akers (The
President’s Cup Award, for academic
excellence). Husband and wife instruc
tors Carl and Dr. Jackie Lewis were
co-recipients of the Faculty Exemplary
Teacher Award. During the ceremony, the
audience heard talks by NC Wesleyan’s
chaplain, Barry Drum, and U.S. Sen.
Richard Burr (R-NC), who was presented
an honorary degree by the college.
Many Students Angry about New Book Rental Program
By Leila Heinonen & Josh Meeks
Decree Staff Writers
Next fall NC Wesleyan will institute a
new book rental program that has aroused
the ire of many students on campus.
More than 200 students signed a
petition that opposes the program. It will
require that all students pay a $325 fee
every semester to rent their textbooks,
regardless of the student’s major or
number of hours enrolled. President
James Gray unveiled the change when
he announced next year’s 6.88 percent
increase for tuition and costs. The $325
will be part of each student’s tuition.
Some 25 Wesleyan students presented
the petition, oi^anized by SGA President
Jacob Strickland, at the April 15 Board of
Trustees meeting. Students reported that
the trustees were eager to hear their con
cerns about the new book rental system,
which was discussed during a break in
the meeting. According to Strickland and
school officials, the protest so far has not
led to changes in the program.
Amonth earlier. President Gray and Rachel
Dix, manager of the college store, attended
an SGA meeting to explain the pnagramaixl ’
addiEss student questions and objections.
Accrading to President Gray, Wesleyan
decided to adopt the rental [TOgram as part of
an oveiall plan to raise academic standards.
Classes often suffer, he said, because too many
students fail to buy the requited textbodcs.
“We’re doing this to help the students,”
President Gray said. “Our responsibility is
to provide the tools to leam.”
He was adamant that the new policy
will benefit students more than it will hurt
them. He stressed that the new program
was not devised to raise money for the
college or the book store. “I’m not here
to run a business. I’m here to get you
educated,” he told students at the SGA
meeting. Dix explained that the college
uses bookstore revenues to help students
through scholarships and other programs.
It was clear at the SGA meeting, and
from the resulting petition, that many
students are upset about the program.
There have been a range of objections
expressed by students as well as some
faculty. Some believe the program will
save money for students in certain majors
while raising the costs for others. Some
said that the mandatory program prevents
them from purchasing books on-line,
while other students said they prefer to
buy and keep their books. Under the
new program, students may purchase
individual books after the semester at
a discounted price. The purchase costs
would be on top of the $325 fee.
Hanna Hintikka, a junior English major,
is fiustrated that the college is taking away
her fieedom of choice. ‘ This is a college, not
an elementary school,” she said. She believes
the rental program wiD end up costing her
more money. ‘1 could buy my books for less
than $200 and keep them,” she said.
Dix pointed out that across all majors,
there is not much difference in the costs
of books over the long term. She said that
her research has shown that there is, for
example, only about a $100 difference
between the cost of books bought by
humanities and biology majors.
Like Hintikka, biology major Janne Tusa
likes the option of keeping his own books.
‘ “If I spend hours and hours reading a book,
I want to have the option of keeping it and
using it in the future,” Tusa said. ‘Tlus, if
I buy my own book, I have the option of
selling it and getting my money back for it”
Citing costs and other factors, some
students contended that the new program
is designed to help the weaker students at
the expense of the stronger ones.
Lakwanua Hicks, a junior sociol
ogy major, thinks to to although the
president’s intentions are good, the policy ls
hurting the students who really care about
their education. If a student is here to leam,
she’ll “find a way to get it done,” Hicks said.
“Just handing the books to the students isn’t
going to make them want to do anything.”
Gloria Arizpe agrees with Hicks to
the book program vnll not increase the
motivation level of students. “If some of the
students were not motivated enough to buy
the books in the first place, I don’t think their
motivation to study would increase, even if
they’re provided with the bode,” Arizpe said.
Maicdo Rata used a sports analogy fc) vdoe
lisdissatisjktion with the bock proganiTma
tennis player,” he said. “If we would give tennis
rackets to every studait in the school, nd evay
student would go and pfey tHinis. If the presklent
wants to make ttie schod bats; it’s time to start
listening to the students, nd the other schools.”
Tusa and others said to the book rental
program isjust one cfsevaal moves made by the
adminisliation that has worsened slixlert altitudes
abcntNCWfesleyaiAnoflieris the lecat tuition
inoeaseAdrfin his native Hniaid, Tusa said that
n^ative'NwKkf-nxxJh’tnayhurtftiecdl^
“One bad customer takes 12 potential
customers away from a restaurant, but
one happy customer brings only two
customers back,” he said, adding that the
recent moves have fostered a lack of trust
of the administration among students.
Freshman SofWe Morris said the prospect
of higher bode costs has led ha to transfer.
‘Tf I would stay here until earning my degree,
the policy would nd save me money,” she
said. ‘ Twould end up losing money. TWs is
just another policy to helped my decision to
transfer next semester.”
See BOOKS pg 4.
Simpson Wins Run-off
For SGA Presidency
Rv KanrluQP 5kha\Af — . .
By Kandyse Shaw
Decree Staff Writer
Wrth the elections for Student Govem-
ment Association ending, Wesleyan students
have a new board to has high expectations
to meet The new executive board members
are Megan Simpson, president; Marcus
Wright vice president; Vivian Brown,
treasurer, and Sharise Jones, secretary.
In the initial voting, Sirt^pson garnered 69
votes, two more than Jamie McQease. The
third presidential candidate, current SGA
Secretary John Williamson, got 11 votes.
According to outgoing president Jacob
Strickland, because Simpson and McQease
finished within five percentage points of
each other, a run-oflf was held several days
later, with Simpson winning, 52-44.
Vice President Wright tallied 100 votes to
45 fOT Erik Higginbotham. Brown and Jones
were unopposed.
The outgoing junicff class psiesident
Simpson becranes SGA’s first new jxesident
in three years, succeeding recent graduate
Strickland, who first won electic*i in 2008 and
then ran unopposed in 2009 and 2010.
“I ran because I felt the school needed a sircmg
person as presidait and I felt I couU be flie pa?on
to the campus needs,” exfJained Simpsai, who
said she is proud to have attained the presidency.
She sakl she is reatfy to begin her woric
Sinpscn and her feDow board maiixjs
have indicated during the cairpaign to students
need to beccme nnore unified She wouW like to
see an imptDvement in overall studait morale
and increased involvanent in SGA.
“My biggest concan is making aH the diifff-
ait vdces of this cfivase campus into one voice
and gating this vdce to be cme,” Simpson said.
‘ TWs is not about me - it is WE now.”
Among its other pric*ities, Simpson said.
the new SGA board would like to:
^Explore the possibility of strengthening
campus security, with either increased
patrols or a new gate system at the main
entrance of campus. She said she wants to
leave students in a safe environment
*Seek student input to irrpnve the condition
of the dcmis and oto facilities on carrpjs.
*Investigate the reasons for the recent
tuition increase and implementation of the
book rental program, an issue to is on the
minds of many students, Simpson said.
Simpson has beat invdved in several
aganizationsova'theyeais. Ftesidoitcf Sisters
rfDislinctiai, shs has been active in the Carrpjs
Activity Board (CAB), the fter Advising (PAL)
program arid the Crirninal Justice Assocktioa
During hff time at Wesleyan, she has devoted a
nurrfcerd'hourstocornmunitysaviceptoiecls
and leadership coTfaerces. ‘ T think I have beai
active with many students on canprs and I think
many are cranfortable talking to me about their
prolfaiis regsrdingcanpus life,” said Simpsai.
“Being an approachable person, I would be
able to ^jjroadi the adniinistnaticsi arid fkadty
about the student needs. I coukl provide a clear
indicaliMi of the needs to should be met”
She added to she can help close “the gap”
between students and administration.
Wright is a member of the football team,
president of Habitat of Humanity, SNT
coordinator for the National Society of
Leadership and Success, and a member of
the NC Criminal Justice Association.
like Sirrpsai, he believes to one of his
strengflis is to he’s EpproachaHe. “When they
feel to they can’t g) to feculty, staff, or admin-
istraticn, students can come to me to explain
their issues and needs,” Wri^ saki, adding to
he’s confident in his-feadaship dflities.
See SGA on pg 4
The graduates have a handful of good
memories but are ready to move to the next
stage in their lives. Many said they will
miss members of the Wesleyan commu
nity. Blizabetii UzzeU said she appreciated
the students, faculty and staff who helped
her to become the person she is today.
“I’ve had some amazing op{X)rtunities,
thanks to the people of Wesleyan, and I
was even able to find my fiiture husband.”
A native of Iceland, Hynur Hauksson
is not just going to miss people fi-om
Wesleyan. “I’m going to miss tiie weather,
because most of the time it is nice outside
and not windy like back at horhe,” he said.
“I’m going to miss not being able to go to
Wal-Mart late at night. I’m going to miss
the delicious smells from the Wesleyan
cafeteria. There are probably some other
little things that I will miss, which I won’t
realize until I go back home.”
NC Westeyan’s ‘Tutor of the Year,’ ’ Taiwice
Johnson is gang to miss the school, “but mostly
I win rriiss the students who go to Wesleyan.”
Akers said he is ready to graduate, but
he’ll miss many of his professors with
whom he’s become close.
Uzzell said tiiat she liked that Wesleyan
offered small class sizes, which she feels
sti«ngtiiened her academic abilities and
prepared her to succeed in tiie workforce.
“And it was nice having professors stop
me in tiie hallway just to speak,” she said.
Jaaob Striddand agrees wifliAteis and
UzzelL “I win miss my professors and my feltaw
studoits,” he said, ‘ ‘and of cour« the squirrels.”
Freddy Acheampong is going to miss
the interaction and friendly relationships
with his professors. “NCWC professors
helped me a lot to get my bachelor’s
degree,” he said. “And of course I’m
going to miss my awesome friends.’’
According to the college registrar’s office,
193 students had applied to graduate. Of
the total, 109 were from the traditional day
program and 84 were from the adult degree
program’s three different campuses. Some
162 graduates were fiom North Carolina
and the other 31 students were fk>m the
following states: Vuginia (12), Maryland (3),
New York (2), Connecticut (1), District of
Columbia (1), Honda (3), Geoigia (I), Mas
sachusetts (1), Ohio (1), South Carolina (1)
and Tennessee (1). There were 35 graduates
fk)m Rocky Mount and 13 fiiom Raleigh.'
Twenty students graduated summa cum
laude (GPA 3.86-4.00); 24, magna cum laude
(GPA 3.66-3.85); and 20, cum laude (GPA
3.4-3.65). There were 63 graduating with a
BachelOTS of Arts and 129 with a Bachelors
of Sdence. The most common majors were
business administration with 74 graduates,
and psychology with 38, and accounting
with 25. And the other majors break down as
follows: biology (3), chemistry (1), QS (23),
criminal justice/justice studies (23), education
(5), BigUsh (1), environmental sdence (1),
exercise sdence (8), history (6), math (3),
pre-med (5), political sdence (4), religion (5)
and sodology (13).
In his address. Senator Burr focused on
the importance of a college education in
today’s high-tech, global economy.
“I know to I am kxJdng at a genesaticxi
of students dififesiesit from my own,” he told
the audience. “At the fcsefiont of change,
you’ve seen and experienced change mc*e
rapidly than any other generatioi before you.”
In the last 15 years, he said, the world has
seen the advent of Google, Xbox, the iPod,
Wikipedia, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube,
Wri, Twitter, the iHione, Kindle, the iPad
and iPad2. “It took radio 38 years to reach
a market audience of 50 million,” he noted.
“Yet it took the Internet just four years, iPod
three years, and Facebook a mere two years
to reach the same market audience.”
At the same time, tiie graduates have
beai “ejqjeriendng Ihs velocity rfdianges in the
econcmic and pditkal ordas,” Soiator Bun-sakl,
noting that tte lives rftfe graduates have been
“bodended” by the fMI cf the Soviet Unicn and
ths Beilin Wall and ths current diar^ occurring
in the Middle East and northern Afiica
Given the current state of tiie U.S.
economy and tiie tight job market Bun-
said, many graduates may question tiie
amount of time and money invested in
attaining a college degree. “Was it worth
it? 1 promise you, even if it doesn’t feel that
way—^yes, tiie education you have received
at North Carolina Wesleyan was worth it;
and yes, to education has prepared you to
compete with every person in tiie world.”
Burr, a two-term senator, a former
congressrhan, and a former executive in a
wholesale commercial products company,
said to tough economic times often pro
duce innovation and otiier positive changes.
“By having completed your degree,
you’ve chosen to participate in ttie world
and obligated yourself to working toward
solutions to our most pressing problems and
creating a fiiture to is better and stionger
for tiiose who follow behind you:”
Reverend Dram was the other featured
speaker at tiie ceremony. “This is tiie first
Sunday graduation tiiat we’ve had in tiie
11 years I’ve been here and I was tiiily
honored when I was asked to speak,” he
said beforehand.
President James Gray and U.S. Senator
Richard Burr (left), who delivered the
commencement address at the May 1
graduation. pr photo
Rev. Drum spoke about perseverance.
At tiie outset he struck a lighter tone, tell
ing the graduates: “You endured the heat
and humidity of two-a-days in August
homesickness in September, mid-terms
in October, term papers in November and
final exams in December You ran laps
around campus in tiie cold of January,
endured break-ups in Febraary, survived
spring break in March, and in April pulled
all-nighters and prayed for May.”
The chaplain tiien became more
serious as he recounted tiie life of John
Wesley, the 18tii Century founder of the
Methodist movement. He related tiiat
Wesley overcame numerous obstacles
in his life to become one of the “greatest
Englishmen” of tiie 18th Century. “Wes
ley embodied tiie English bulldog spirit”
tiiat was found. Dram said, in Winston
Churchill (“Never, never give up”) and
Dram’s own mentor, tiie Rev. Dr. William
C. Turner, the first black football player at
Duke, who proved tiie naysayers wrong
by not only graduating but then earning
two graduate degrees.
Rev. Dram left graduates with the
following advice:
1. Partidpate. “Don’t be just a spectator.”
2. Punctuate properly. “Do not place a
period where God puts a comma.”
3. Pursue excellence. Ratiier tiian
mediocrity, “I challenge you to push
yourself to achieve a high level.”
4. Prove them wrong. “Them” refers
to “the ones who like to tell you tiiat you
cannot accomplish certain tasks.”
Prior to^e graduation ceremony. Rev.
Dram stated tiiat he is glad tiiat he has
had opportunity to meet a number of the
graduates as a chaplain and a religious
studies instiiictor at tiie different NCWC
campuses. “Behind every graduate is
a story, many of tiiem very moving,
inspiring stories,” he said. He pointed out
tiiat tiie stories of successful students have
motivated him and his peers. “Congratu
lations to tiie Class of 2011, and tiianks
for tiie inspiration!”