Dear Editor
How many times have you looked
out at the fountain and remarked of
the beauty surrounding it? How often
have you strolled the walking trail or
climbed the stairs and smelled the
sweet perfume of rhododendrons or
daffodil blossoms?
The floral display that blankets our
campus is the achievement of a staff of
unapplauded, yet committed, garden
ers. These hardworking "green
thumbs” endure the heat of summer
and the bite of winter, to nurture and
shape the flowers, shrubs, and grasses
into a spectacular horticultural en
semble.
As they wield their tools to produce
such bounty, they often go unrecog
nized and uncredited for their labors.
So, if you feel as I do, when you
approach someone working the
grounds, take a moment to express
your appreciation for their craft and
the beauty they bring forth.
— Bruce Monks
PTK
The PHI THETA KAPPA mini
honors institute was held at Lees
McRae College on July 3 in Banner
Elk, NC. Two representatives from
our chapter attended: Darien Huff
man and Cindy Poindexter. This
year’s honors theme is "Our Complex
World: Balancing Unity and Diver
sity.” Branching from that theme were
a variety of lecture and discussion top
ics, such as the new world order,
Afrocentrism, immigration, ethnic re
lations, and culture wars — much
food for thought.
— Bruce Monks
Involvement
Is Important
September 1 begins a new academic
year at WCC. Whether you are an
incoming freshman or a returning
student, please take advantage of the
opportunities you have to get involved
in organizations and activities on
campus. Perhaps you are not aware of
the many things you can do, outside
the classroom, at WCC? First, this is
not to say that studying should not be
your first priority. Second, I know
you have important obligations such
as work and family that limit your free
time. However, all full-time students
pay an "activity fee” as part of their
tuition. This fee is used to provide for
your entertainment, social events,
clubs, sports, etc...Did you know that
in the first two weeks of the quarter,
alone, there are four student activities
you can take part in? There will be
entertainment at orientation, a movie
— outside — in front of Thompson
Hall, welcome back refreshments on
the first day of class, and a back-to-
school dance on September 9. Beyond
participating by going to a dance or
eating a free ice cream sundae, you can
make things happen on campus!!
For instance, in October the Stu
dent Government Association (SGA)
will hold elections for Freshman and
Sophomore officers and senators.
There will be 18 positions available.
Members of WCC SGA are repre
sentatives for the entire student body.
Any full time student (enrolled for 12
credit hours or more) with a 2.25
GPA can run for office. SGA mem
bers share, as best they can, the opin
ions and needs of the student body
with faculty and administrators. SGA
members sit on campus committees.
SGA members help plan and promote
social and cultural activities for the
entire campus.
In addition to SGA you can join
various student clubs. Some of these
clubs are study-related. Others, such
as the Baptist Student Union, are
interest related. If there is not a club
that "floats your boat” you can start
one. The student activity fee, beyond
its use, symbolizes something. It sym
bolizes the fact that WCC, like other
colleges and universities, thinks that
opportunities for involvement out
side the classroom are important to
the total development of students.
Research studies have shown that in
volvement on campus increases a stu
dent’s liklihood of success and gra
duation. You can gain valuable skills
by participating in SGA, clubs and
sports. These skills will help you in
job situations.
Early in the quarter there will be
publicity about joining SGA, clubs
and sports all over campus in addition
to announcements of activities and
events open to the whole campus
community. Keep your eyes open. If
you don’t see something that appeals
to you, come by the Student Activities •
Office in Room 205 TH and share
your ideas with the student activities
coordinator. Your input is invaluable!
New
Nursing Lab
Several changes have been made on
campus during the past summer. One
of those is the new nursing lab in room
817 of the Technical Arts building.
This lab offers more space for the
incoming class of 40 students. It also
provides a more realistic setting for
lab exercises.
The over-all opinion of those who
will be using it and instructing in it is
one of excitement. "It’s wonderful,”
said Wanda Douglas, R.N., a nursing
instructor. "It gives us plenty of stor
age space. We’ve received new mod
ern hospital beds. They have built a
nursing station, a medicine room, a
dirty and clean work room, and a large
supply room. These extras provide
the necessary elements to create the
realistic hospital environment for our
students,” she stated. This feeling is
shared by the students as well. "I love
it,” said Andy Rhodes, a student of
the 1994 nursing class. "It gives us the
much needed space. I only wish it had
been added last year — for us.”
As the site of the class expanded, so
did the need for a larger facility. The
students of the nursing program sure
have something to be proud of in this
new lab.
— Bruce Monks
' Tens’’
And Needles
It was another quarter of "pens”
and needles for the 1994 Associate
Degree Nursing Class with the com
pletion of summer marking the begin
ning of their second year. It was a
challenging summer, but its conclu
sion signifies the "top of the hill” leav
ing only the trip down the other side
to go.
Heavy course loads required serious
"penmanship,” leaving little time for
the more traditional summer pastime
of fellowship. The Adult Care Class
itself comprised 11 credit hours and
20 contact hours. In addition, nursing
students faced Microbiology, Sociol
ogy, and Writing Through Rhetoric,
bringing the total to 21 credit hours
and 32 contact hours. What a way to
spend a summer vacation!
Now, as if that weren’t enough, the
"needles” came into play each Mon
day and Tuesday as students made
their way to Winston-Salem’s Forsyth
Memorial Hospital for their clinical
training.
"We received experience that we
could not have gotten locally,” said
Richard Kirk of Mulberry. "But it was
a rather long drive to get it, ” he added.
Students benefited from the diver
sity of care that Forsyth Memorial
Hospital offers, including Neurosur
gery, Orthopedics, General Surgery,
and Oncology. That variety will better
prepare them for the careers that lay
ahead.
With all eyes set on graduation in
May, student’s approach the next
quarter with the satisfaction of having
come a long way and with hopes of
swiftly passing future quarters.
— Bruce Monks
Student
Profile
I didn’t meet Woody until the third
block of pre-calculus last summer.
After a few days of class I began to
wonder why he was even in there! To
me, he was so far ahead of trigonome
try that he would have been the envy
of Isaac Newton! A close friend of
mine, that was in the class as well, told
me Woody was a superior alien. Pro
bably from a planet in the far reaches
of the galaxy! It was at this point that I
had to get to know this fellow better. I
was no stranger to higher math, and
often times considered it to be my best
subject. So, of course, mathematics
dominated our initial conversations.
We began studying and doing home
work together. This soon became a
spectator sport. As we did our as
signments, our minds clashed, and
heated debates occurred frequently.
My foolish pride demanded that I
prove him wrong. I was, as well, very
rarely successful. 1 was never intimi
dated by Woody, though many peo
ple were. He represented the ultimate
challenge. He became to me that spark
that would, sooner or later, help me to
the top.
Woody’s name is actually Robert
Woodside. He is the son of Francis
and Beverly Woodside. He is an older
student, but I still cannot convince
him that I do not fall into that cate
gory! He attended Ragsdale High
SchcKjl, as well as UNC-G, with a
strong emphasis on computer science.
He has three children, Ziantha, Ro
berta Dawn, and Grayson, ages 18,
15, and 8 respectively. His future
plans are to obtain a doctorate from
NC State or UNC-Chapel Hill and
perhaps teach at the university level.
Woody will no doubt accomplish a
vast majority of the things he sets out
to do. He is driven by a madness all
too familiar. A need to understand
everything that is possible to know.
Ever expanding and ever seeking, he is
a true companion to those who dare to
know him.
He became my best friend in my
toughest times. Do not cower down
under his demands, for he asks no less
of what you dream to be!
I demand no less thanks to Woody.
— Joe Conell