The Decree
since 1960 “of, by, andfor the Wesleyan community. ”
December 18, 2020
NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804
Senior Appreciates His Mother’s Sacrifices during Pandemic
On Wednesday, March 11,1 was prepar
ing to watch my favorite NBA team, the
Oklahoma City Thunder, play against the
Utah Jazz on TV. Then, just before tip-off,
both teams went back to the locker room.
Never had I seen a game abruptly stopped
like this. After about 30 minutes, news
broke that a Jazz player had tested positive
for the coronavirus. That player turned out
to be all-star' center Rudy Gobert, who two
days earlier, made a mockery of the virus
during a press conference by rubbing his
hands on a table and microphones.
Like most of the country during this
time, Gobert was not taking the coronavi-
ras seriously. After news broke, not only
did the NBA go into a panic, but so did
the entire nation. The NBA postponed
its season, and American cities went into
lockdown. Due to the pandemic, the
world changed so suddenly.
The pandemic dramatically changed the
lives of millions of college students across
the country. Having just turned 21 on March
5,1 had planned to finish my spring semester
at Wesleyan with the best grades ever. I then
planned to have the summer of a lifetime. But
then Covid arrived in America and, with the
postponement of classes back in mid-March,
came an attitude that was hard for me to shake.
Procrastination, laziness, and overall
apathy ruled my life for the next couple of
months. With the world in such turmoil,
why should I worry about school? After
a couple weeks of getting accustomed to
my home back in Virginia, online classes
started. Soon I missed assignments and
deadlines because I simply stopped caring
about school. Professors had to constantly
remind me to turn in work. My procrastina
tion and apathy were so bad that a month
after the semester ended. I got an email
from a professor asking me to turn in a pa
per. I ended up passing my classes because
even my professors knew how rough times
were among students and educators alike. I
made excuse after excuse until eventually, I
sucked it up and finished as best I could.
I went on to “quarantine" the entire
summer. Because of my mother’s hectic
work schedule, I was in charge of my sisters.
Students Express Concerns
About On-line Instruction
By Will Plyler
Senior Staff Writer
Many students find that they are not
adequately prepared for their future careers
after taking online classes from NCWC.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused an
unprecedented spike in the number of college
students across the nation who are taking
classes online. In North Carolina, UNC-
Chapel Hill, East Carolina, and NC State are
among the universities that have already closed
all in-person classes for the rest of the semester,
opting to go completely online. Wesleyan has
made it through the semester with a combina
tion of online, face-to-face, and hybrid courses.
A small, informal survey revealed that
57 percent of NCWC students do not
believe that online classes adequately
prepare students for their chosen careers.
Some students admitted that the struggle
was on their end, while others blamed the
problem on professors and class content.
Twenty percent believe their professors do
not have the skills they need to teach online.
Sophomore Ty Peele said that his profes
sor seemed confused by the online fomrat.
“Knowing what to do on each assignment
(was difficult) because my professor would
get lessons and assignments mixed together,”
the computer information systems major said.
Senior Gabriel Guzman said that online
classes often have little educational value. “Some
teachers won’t actually teach anything,” he said.
“(They just) give a zoom call every three weeks.”
Many students find themselves more
or less on their own in the online class
environment. “You basically have to teach
yourself,” said senior honors student Mary
Catherine Davis. “Most professors don't
send out lectures. It’s all reading-based."
Senior Natalie Larson agreed. “I learned
from teaching myself,” said Larson, a sociology
and organizational administration major. “There
was a lot of busy work, but it didn't help with
actual learning. It was just time consuming."
Sophomore Jordan O’Leary echoed
Davis and Larson. The business adminis
tration major also cited busy work as the
Imani, 7, and India, 18, who has a weakened
immune system due to oigan transplants.
Unable to leave home much, I spent hour's
in a tiny room, decorated in unicorns and
Strawberry Shortcake, that once belonged to
Imani. I slowly slipped into a depression that
plagued me for months. I missed hanging
out with my friends, going to the beach, and
just enjoying myself outside of the house. I
missed my summer job and my coworkers
at Food Lion, where I had worked during
every Wesleyan break since freshman year.
It is no easy feat to take care of a 7-year-
old for an entire summer. Like any 7-yeai'-old,
Imani was often difficult. I had to act as her
teacher and make sure she did her homework.
I realized that instructing a kid in elemen
tary school is hard. I recall helping her with
her math homework and trying not to get
frustrated that she was unable to understand
a problem. I had to show her why 10 plus 10
equals 20, not just that it does. I saw this also
witlr rounding, as she didn’t understand why
18 rounds upto 20 and not ten.
“There’s only two numbers between 18
and 20, Imani, that's why you round up.”
“Ohhhh” she said, seeming to finally
understand.
I eventually realized it’s more about the
process than the outcome. I had to slow
down the lessons and even though we
might spend 20 minutes on one problem,
I felt immediate satisfaction when she
began to understand.
My sister India was helpful tliroughout
the summer. We acted as a team, splitting
chores like washing dishes, walking the
dog, cooking, and helping my sister with
homework. India has dealt with kidney
and liver failure her whole life. She never
had the chance to live normally, even after
her transplants in high school. India has
numerous meds that she must take every
day to keep her new organs functioning. In
turn, the meds weaken her immune system,
making even the common cold precarious.
I always admired India’s strength and
persistence through the toughest situa
tions. She has always been the Robin to
my Batman, and at times she was the one
leading the missions. I am no chef, so
most difficult aspect of online classes.
Several students found that the online class
format made learning much more difficult, es
pecially in more difficult subject material. Junior
Rebecca Mitchell, a psychology major, said
‘Taking an online class is difficult, especially
witlr complex subjects, because some things are
very hard to ask or explain through email.”
Junior Emily Ketchum thought so. too.
The exercise science major said that the
hardest part about online classes was “try
ing to fully comprehend the material.”
Faculty members also find the online class
format challenging. Dr. Jason Buel, professor
of communication and cinema and media arts,
said that the online instruction inhibits student
comprehension. “I feel like I need to dial back
the amount of content we cover,” Buel said, “to
make sure students have the time they need to
process and understand each new idea.”
By contrast.three otlier faculty members,
including environmental science professor
Daniel Elias and English professor Juke Berino,
expressed their concern that some students lacked
the motivation to do the work in an online class.
“In online teaching, the student is required
to take charge of their learning,” Dr. Perino
said. “(I can) provide examples, documents,
and feedback, but all of this is given to a void;
we never really know if students engage with
the materials. I email students who haven’t
been participating and turning in homework,
but often they never respond to me."
Some students agree that motivation is
a problem. Senior religious studies major
Kevin Teague said that the hardest aspect of
online classes was “staying focused." Gill
said that most students who take an online
class “only do the minimum to get by.”
Ketchum said that many of her friends
who have taken online classes talk about
how they haven’t learned anything, but she
too thought lack of motivation was to blame.
“Students don’t take the time to learn or teach
themselves,” she said. “A lot of students just
do what they have to do to get through it. On-
line (classes) take a lot of discipline and some
students don’t want to take charge.”
See CONCERNS pg 3
Senior Isaiah Johnson and his mother,
Melody.
Photo courtesy of I. Johnson
having India to help with meal preparation
was great. She is a much better cook than
I am as I would only make simple items
like hamburger helper, baked subs, and
cheeseburgers. India would make the much
more exquisite foods like spaghetti, baked
chicken, and the desserts. I also learned how
picky a 7-year-old can be. There were some
nights when I made dinner and Imani just
flat-out refused to eat it because she wanted
something else, often a grilled cheese.
The Nurse
In recent years, my mother, Melody, has
had to balance a lot of demands. Raising three
children, she had worked as a house cleaner
and, when money was tight, she did hair'.
NC Wesleyan Finishes 15 Weeks of In-Person
Classes, Records Fall Total of 70 Covid Cases
NC Wesleyan is still on pace to break
even following a fall semester that saw it
complete 15 weeks of uninterrupted classes
despite 70 confirmed cases of Covid-19
among the campus community.
Due to the pandemic, the college made
an early decision to offer courses in a combi
nation of formats—face-to-face, online and
hybrid, which allowed physical distancing in
the classrooms and other instructional areas.
It's significant that Wesleyan made it
through the entire semester, while many
state universities were forced to move all
instruction online earlier in the fall.
In late November, the Decree interviewed
Wesleyan President Evan Duff, Vice President
of Administration Suzanne Brackett. Provost
Molly Wyatt and Dean of Admissions Michael
Drew for an update on the college's response to
the pandemic and its current fiscal status.
Q. Decree: Back in early August, would
you have predicted that the college would
hold face-to-face classes through week 15?
A. Duff: That was always our hope. I feel
the VIRT team planned well and we were
prepared. I felt better about the possibility
after about week four of the semester.
Q. Etecree: How would you assess the college’s
response to the pandemic during the semester?
A. Duff: I thought it was exceptional. We
implemented a well-developed plan based on best
practices with some additional creative ideas from
VIRT, faculty, and staff. We required testing for
students before the semester, placed air purifiers
in most areas around the college, instituted a stag
gered class schedule, and established an outdoor
workout facility for students. All were unique ideas
that helped to keep our Wesleyan community safe.
Q. Decree: Horn August 1 through November
30, the college reported, on its web page, that there
had been 70 positive Covid cases among the Wes
leyan community. This total included 64 students
and six employees. How many members of the
NCWC community have been hospitalized?
A. Wyatt: There were no Covid-related
hospitalizations this fall.
Fall 2020 graduation was moved outdoors, to the Braswell quad, due to the coronavirus. Masks were worn, social distancing was
followed in the seating arrangements, and attendance was limited to graduates and some staff and faculty. Photos courtesy NC Wesleyan PR
Nothing ever came easy, but I never heard
her complain. Then she decided to make a
change and enrolled in a nursing program at
Tidewater Community College. Soon she
found herself working full time, attending
classes and raising two kids, with a third
in college. Often she would get only four
hours of sleep a night. As a college student,
I know how hard managing school and
work can be. But my mother excelled in
her coursework, finishing in the top five
in her class, and opening numerous op
portunities for herself.
She graduated in fall 2019 and began
working full-time as a nurse, four months
before the pandemic hit. During the past
few months, she has often worked 12-15
hours a day. Despite the danger, every day
she risked her life to make sure our family
could stay afloat, but, at first, I was too blind
to see that. I had to make “sacrifices" that I
should have been more willing to make.
Day after day, I watched my mother
work countless hours, getting minimal
sleep. She would often complete an 8 am.
to 11 p.m. shift and get home around mid-
night. Sometimes she worked overnight.
Sometimes she worked a second shift at
a different hospital. Because of her crazy
schedule, my mom leaned on me to make
sure my sisters ate, went to sleep in a
timely manner, and stayed out of trouble.
Some days I watched my mother come
into the house and collapse from outright
Q: Decree: Could you provide details on
possible clusters of cases.
A. Wyatt: There were a couple of small clus
ter developments around three athletic teams.
We've seen no evidence the clustering of infec
tions was due to the way athletic practices were
structured; rather, the clusters appeared to have
come from social groupings of athletes taking
more risks with exposure outside of practices.
Q. A fall commencement ceremony was held
outdoors December 5. Why wasn't this a violation
of tire governor's latest rules on large gatherings?
A. Duff: When fulfilling its mission, an
educational institution is exempt from the
mass gathering guidelines outlined in the gov
ernor's original executive order. The original
guidelines have not changed throughout the
multiple iterations of executive orders since
March. We feel that commencement is a major
aspect of filling our instructional mission.
Q. Decree: Describe alterations the college made
to ensure the safety and health of participants.
A: Duff: For safety, we moved the event
outdoors to the front lawn while requiring masks
at all times and participants adhered to social-
distancing guidelines. This will be a closed
ceremony for students only, although we will
live-stream the event on our main web page.
Q. Decree: What's the projection for
spring enrollment? How does that number
compare to this fall as well as spring 2020?
A. Duff: We're at 88 percent of our goal, with
many students (new and returning) who still need
to register. We've estimated for budget purposes
that we’ll enroll 916 total traditional students for
the spring. In the fall we had about 1,000 students
and spring enrollment is always lower than our
fall enrollment. At this time, we're trending better
with the number of applications and deposits for
spring compared to this same time last year.
A. Wyatt: Per tlie closest corresponding report
from 2019, we had made about the same progress
toward goal, 89 percent as of November 23,2019.
Q. Decree: How has recruiting for fall 2021
gone? It seems like the number of on-campus visits
has dwindled in recent months. How is the admis
exhaustion. She would often grimace, as
her back was killing her. At those times,
I wished there were something more I
could do to help her. My mother confided
in me, trusted me, relied on me to not
only take care of daily affairs around the
house, but to motivate her to keep going.
“You should take a day off. Mom,”
I would say.
“I have bills and goals, son, I have to
work. It's too much money to be made,”
she said as she plopped down on the couch,
still in her purple scrubs.
I knew my mother’s goal and why she
put so much time into her new career—she
wanted to move. We had lived in Norfolk,
Virginia all 21 years of my life. For my
youngest sibling, my mother wanted a new
life and she knew that serving as a nurse
during a pandemic enabled her to do that.
Norfolk is a dangerous city, and I have lost
many friends over the years to gun violence.
Moving to a new area like Hampton al
lowed my family to not only go somewhere
new but also escape the dangers of Norfolk.
In July, she accomplished her goal.
After 21 years, we moved to Hampton.
My mother continues to work hard. It’s been
inspiring to me to see the strength my mother
has shown during this time. She has done the
unthinkable . I learned many lessons during
this pandemic, but the main one has been the
importance of sacrifice. Many times. I have got
ten caught up with my own personal issues and
have forgotten the bigger picture , family.
sions staff trying to reach prospective students?
A. Drew: Fall 2021 recruiting has been
challenging due to the restrictions on travel, the
instructional delivery of high schools (hybrid and
online), and tlie absence of traditional college fairs.
On-campus visits have declined from 1,428 in 2019
to 1.1% in 2020. But admissions counselor, remain
in contact with every NCWC prospect. Admissions
has hosted virtual sessions with partnering high
schools and participated in several virtual fairs
sponsored by Carolinas Association of Collegiate
Registrars and Admissions Officers and the North
Carolina Independent Colleges and Universi
ties through Strive Scan. Admissions staff has
developed an Instagram and YouTube accounts and
revised the NCWC College Virtual Tour that can be
found on ncwc.edu. Admissions staff and coun
selors maintain contact through email, telephone,
traditional mail, as well as virtual meetings.
Q. Etecree: What's the latest news on the budget?
Is the college still forecasting a break-even year?
A. Brackett: As of the end of November,
we’re trending toward a break-even or a
slight surplus for year-end.
Q. Decree: How much money has Wes
leyan received from the federal government in
oreler to deal with the pandemic? And how has
the money been spent?
A. Brackett: The college received
$2,317581 from the CARES Act and
$1,399.043 from the State Higher Education
Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). About half
the CARES Act money was sent directly to
students to help as needed during the pandem
ic. Another major portion been used for tech
nology needs to help enhance and strengthen
our on-line processes in various areas.
We've used the state HEERF funds to help
many of our North Carolina students with
their account balances and develop computer
workstations in our residence halls. Both
federal and state funds were used to purchase
personal protective equipment, which includes
wipes, hand sanitizer, replacement air filters,
and other items, as needed. At this time, we’re
See CLASSES pg 3