Wednesday
Winthrop University
March 27, 2019
Rock Hill, SC
TJ
Anna Sharpe/ The Johnsonian O’Rourke visited a Rock Hill Favorite, Amelie’s, to talk with citizens about policy for his 2020 presidential bid
Democrats in Rock Hill: Beto O’Rourke Anna Sharpe sharpea@mytjnow.com
“Beto! Beto! Beto!” Residents of Rock Hill crammed into Amelie’s French Bakery Friday, March 23 to hear democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke speak about his platform. Anticipation was growing as the time for the former U.S. Representative from Texas to speak came closer. As O’Rourke rounded the corner, chanting broke out to welcome the candidate. O’Rourke entered the bakery through a small parting in the crowd, reminiscent of the parting of the Red Sea. He shook hands with ecstatic fans and took selfies with the crowd that had been waiting for his arrival for upwards of an hour. The candidate hopped up on a chair with no microphone. His raspy voice, worn from eight days of campaigning, addressed the crowd. “We’ve been on the trail for all of eight days...getting to meet the very people who I wish to serve by first listening to them, learning from them, understanding the challenges and opportunities we face as a country from the perspective of those who are living them, who understand them and who want to share them with me, regardless of political affiliation, regardless of geography, regardless of race or faith or gender
or sexual orientation,” O’Rourke said. O’Rourke opened with his thoughts on the economy, saying that it “works too well for too few” and the privileges of a successful economy are not shared by all. O’Rourke hopes to fix this if elected. “We must now make sure that we invest in people, not corporations, in communities, not special interests, and ensuring that all who work are paid a living wage,” O’Rourke said. The candidate made an example of teachers, who are currently facing issues with fair compensation. If educators are not being paid sufficiently, the students are the ones who will suffer. “That child, their lifelong love of learning with that teacher and that educator can unlock, but if she’s working two, three jobs just to make ends meet and provide food and housing for her own child, it’s going to be hard for her to do that,” O’Rourke said. O’Rourke addressed the issue of potential deportation for DREAMers, “our fellow Americans in any way that matters.” “Not only are those DREAMers in our classrooms, those dreamers are teaching in our classrooms. Not only are those dreamers defended by the brave women and men serving all over the world in
our armed forces, those dreamers are serving all over the world in our armed forces,” O’Rourke said. O’Rourke adamantly opposed the border wall that has been proposed by President Trump. He said the wall is unnecessary because we are in a “time of record safety and security along the U.S-Mexico border.” “Here’s how we get safer and better: free every single dreamer from fear of deportation by making them U.S. citizens,” O’Rourke said. O’Rourke voiced his support for reforming the criminal justice system, a system that has historically targeted people of color. “We have got to acknowledge a criminal justice system in this country that has produced the largest prison population in the world, disproportionately comprised of people of color. So many there for nonviolent drug crimes, and though Americans of all races and ethnicities consume illegal drugs at the same rate, only some are more likely than others to be arrested,” O’Rourke said. “Not only is this grossly unfair and hugely expensive, but we are losing out on the potential of everything that every incarcerated man and woman, more likely than not of color, is supposed to do in their time on this planet,” O’Rourke said. He also mentioned climate
change and how environmental devastation will only persist if action is not immediately taken. “The wildfires in California, the floods in Nebraska and Iowa, 58 inches of rain that fell from the sky in Houston, Texas which was the greatest amount in recorded history in the United States. [It] was also the third 500 year flood in just the last five years. The droughts through which our farmers and our ranchers and our producers persist, those droughts will become more frequent, more devastating, more profound, will undermine our ability to grow our own food and fiber to feed and clothe, not just the United States, but so much of the rest of the world,” O’Rourke said. O’Rourke called on both parties to work together to create meaningful initiative to counteract climate change. “Those scientists also tell us we have 12 years within which to act and given the gravity of the consequences, this kind of devastation and natural disasters and death and suffering that we endure right now, will only become worse. It will become much worse unless we take action. We cannot meet it by half-measures or by half the country. This cannot be a Democratic or a Republican party solution,” O’Rourke said.
her husband. She said they always go to various democratic candidate campaigns to hear the different candidates’ platforms. “I was really impressed with [Booker],” Stewart said. “He said some things that I agree with and I’m hoping he will get a chance to enact some of the things that he talked about.”
Malik Frazier, a student body vice president candidate and current civic engagement chair for Council of Student Leaders, was in attendance. Frazier serves as the second vice chair of the York County Democratic Party and his role during the campaign was to overlook the crowd and maintain distance between the crowd and Booker. 4see Democrats pg. 3
Democrats in Rock Hill: Cory Booker
Oriana Gilmore gilmoreo@mytjnow.com
Sen. Cory Booker made a campaign stop in Rock Hill Saturday at Freedom Temple Ministries to present his platform for the 2020 presidential election and meet local voters and leaders. Booker emphasized the importance of understanding American history and how it affected government policies and decision making. “Don’t let folk whitewash our history or simplify our history,” Booker said. “We as leaders have challenged the conscience of this country and demanded that everyone be a part of the change.” Booker also addressed the country’s declining life expectancy, Oriana Gilmore/ The Johnsonian increase of opioid addiction, suicide and mental health and other issues. entire lives don’t seem to retire with “There’s a crisis when… our security.” nation, the wealthiest nation on the During the event, Booker anplanet earth has the highest infant swered the questions of a diverse mortality rate in all developed nagroup of citizens from older vetertions, the highest maternal mortalans to young children. Some voters ity rates,” Booker said. “There is a said Booker’s platform concurred crisis in our country when dignity with their own political concerns. has been so stripped from work Rock Hill native Linda Stewart that people who have worked their attended Booker’s campaign with
S&T
Computer science professor breaks barriers
•pg.5
mytjnow.com
Sports
Eagle of the week: Bjorn Broman
•pg.6
Opinion
Anti-Vaxxers are lying to you
•pg.11
Index: News 3 | Science & Tech 5 | Sports 6 | Arts & Culture 8 | Opinion 10
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PAGE 2 theJohnsonian March 27, 2019
CORRECTION: PEANUT OIL USED AT CHICK-FIL-A In our March 20 issue of The Johnsonian, an article entitled “Food allergies with a meal plan” ran in the Science and Technology section. This article incorrectly stated, “Sodexo does not use peanut oil in any dining operations, including Chick-Fil-a.” According to Bryan Harriss, head of dining services at Winthrop “Chic-Fil-A uses canola oil for its waffle frieds but it does use peanut oil for all of its chicken products.” As for the rest of the food options on campus, “all other food services on campus outside of Chick-Fil-A use vegetable oil for frying. This includes Thomson Hall, Tres Habeneros, The Grill,
Concessions, and all catering foods provided to the university,” Harriss said. Signs have since been placed in dining areas to alert students of the types of oil each establishment uses. It is The Johnsonian’s mission to provide factual information to the campus community at all times, especially in situations as dire as food allergies. Our staff works tirelessly to fact check everything we produce, however sometimes things get missed. We apologize for this mistep and will make sure to double down on fact checking to ensure that we are providing the campus community with the best news possible. Thank you for your support.
About The Johnsonian The Johnsonian is the weekly student newspaper of Winthrop University.
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LETTER POLICY Letters and feedback can be sent to editors@ mytjnow.com or by mail at The Johnsonian, 104 Campus Center, Rock Hill, S.C. 29733. Comments submitted online at www.mytjnow.com may be printed as letters and may be shortened for space and edited for clarity. Please include
your name, major and year if you are a student; your name and title if you are a professor, or your name and profession if you are a member of the community. Letters, cartoons and columns reflect the opinion of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of The Johnsonian Staff.
Editor-in-Chief Téa Franco francot@mytjnow.com Managing Editor Cheyenne Walsh walshc@mytjnow.com
Sports Editor Greta Conboy Assistant Sports Gabby Gardner
A&C Editor Ad Manager Dillon Oneill Victoria Howard howardv@mytjnow.com News Editor Anna Sharpe Assistant News Oriana Gilmore S&T Editor Mikayla Mangle
Assitant A&C Caleb Hinkley Opinion Editor Erin Streetman
Layout Editor Carmen Little Graphic Designer Jordan Farrell Photographers Sam Ross Camille Riddle Copy Editors Casey Smith Matt Thrift Haleigh Altman
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NEWS theJohnsonian March 27, 2019
3Democrats from front
“I think it’s very critical that [citizens] start to be civically engaged because it’s about the issues; we have a lot of issues that’s facing our country. It’s time to get this country back on track.” Frazier said he felt the campaign in Rock Hill went well for Booker. “Cory Booker resonates well with a lot of South Carolinians. He understands our stories, he understands what’s going on here in South Carolina and he has a passion to get those issues fixed,” Frazier said. Some voters from other areas came to Rock Hill to see the candidate speak and to learn more about him. Luke Drago, a Charlotte resident, said the 2020 presidential election will be his first time voting. Drago said he came to see Booker because he was not sure
who to vote for yet. “I had not considered Cory Booker that much before I saw him speak,” Drago said. “After seeing him speak and after hearing his policy agenda more clearly laid out and after asking questions, he’s in my top five.” Prior to being a senator for New Jersey, Booker served on the city council in Newark, New Jersey and was elected mayor for Newark in 2006. Booker served as mayor for over seven years. Booker currently serves on several committees such as the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Booker is one of 17 democratic candidates for the 2020 presidential election.
Oriana Gilmore/ The Johnsonian Booker’s supporters brought signs in support of the democratic hopeful.
Democrats in Rock Hill: Pete Buttigieg
Tate Walden/ The Johnsonian Democratic hopeful Pere Buttgieg spoke to potential voters at Clinton College. Savannah Scott Staff Writer Pete Buttigieg visited Clinton College for his campaign trail on Saturday March 23. The 37-yearold is running for the Democratic ballot for the upcoming 2020 election. People from around the York county area and around the country came to see a glimpse of the young, energetic candidate. The Clinton auditorium was filled with reporters and community members anticipating the message and political standing Buttigieg is fighting for. Malik Frazier, sophomore social studies education major, helped with crowd control and organizing the event for the Democratic party organization based in York County. “I think Pete Buttigieg is an amazing guy. He is very young, very energetic. He’s not your typical presidential candidate being that he’s openly gay,” Frazier said.
Due to the Buttigieg background Frazier reflects on this. “I think that brings a new wave of energy in the crowd and that’s why you see a lot of people from different backgrounds in audience,” Frazier said. Buttigieg’s speech was focused on gun reform, affordable health care, and immigration. Buttigieg’s father moved in the 1970s from Malta so he could give his family better job and education opportunities. Due to this he is a huge advocate on reforming the immigration system in the U.S. “We need to recognize that immigration is our strength. We need to fix our broken immigration system,” Buttigieg said. He further reflects on being a war veteran and his months of gun training before serving in the
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Tate Walden/ The Johnsonian A crowd gathered to listen to Buttieg discuss his platform for 2020.
Anna Sharpe | News Editor sharpea@mytjnow.com
Afghan war. Buttigieg talks about his ideals on gun reform and background checks. “I believe we can show respect
nearing, Frazier is excited for the upcoming presidential election due to the diversity which Buttigieg is apart of.
I believe we can show respect for the Second Amendment and also keep our communities safer, with common sense gun reform. When we draw that line, let’s do it in a way that recognizes that some of these weapons of war have no place in peacetime, in American neighborhoods and cities.” -Pete Buttigieg for the Second Amendment and also keep our communities safer, with common sense gun reform. When we draw that line, let’s do it in a way that recognizes that some of these weapons of war have no place in peacetime, in American neighborhoods and cities,” Buttigieg said. Furthermore, Buttigieg talked of his mother’s double bypass surgery which was financially supported by Medicare and helped him in his most vulnerable moments as a child. “I think about the difference [Medicare] made in my most vulnerable moments, shouldn’t every other American have that freedom?” Buttigieg said. As the presidential election is
“[We do have a diverse presidential ballot] I think we have a mixture of candidates. We have a really diverse field of candidates that are ready to become president on day one,” Frazier said. Buttigieg is the first openly gay presidential candidate. Buttigieg served in the U.S. Navy Reserve as a lieutenant and is an Afghanistan war veteran. Buttigieg is a Harvard graduate and is currently the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Under Buttigieg’s leadership, there has been economic reform in South Bend. His leadership has impacted the global economy through a rise in employment and creating investments in industries that focus on data and technology.
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theJohnsonian March 27, 2019
Adolphus Belk elected as new faculty chair
The political science professor will begin his role in the Winthrop Faculty Conference in August
ulty chairs and then start to formulate goals which will best serve the university. Belk said some of those goals will be an extension of Presi-
Oriana Gilmore gilmoreo@mytjnow.com The Board of Trustees nominations committee elected a new faculty chair for the 2019-2020 academic year. Political science professor Adolphus Belk was elected chair of Winthrop Faculty Conference starting in August 2019. The Winthrop Faculty Conference is the legislative body of faculty who is responsible for policies, regulations and academic programs. The chair of the faculty conference is in charge of planning and facilitating faculty meetings. The faculty chair is elected every two years. As faculty chair, Belk will also serve as the faculty representative for the university Board of Trustees. The faculty representative, like the Council of Student Leaders representative, does not have a vote in the Board of Trustees meetings. However, the faculty representative will be able to make decisions during the executive sessions. Belk said he is going to learn as much as he can about the position by learning about board members, meeting and talking to previous fac-
Photo courtesy of Winthrop
behavior, ideology, organizations, management and I think those things offer me some insight into how organizations function.” Belk said he has noticed many Winthrop students are lower-income, first-generation college students, or underrepresented minorities who have “barriers to success” compared to other students. He said he believes that Winthrop students can perform and compete well once they are given the resources needed to succeed. “The reason I’m doing this right now is because I think we’re at a critical juncture as an institution, and I believe I can help guide us through some of these things,” Belk said. “I can’t do that without our students and without our professors.”
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dent Mahony’s strategic The reason I’m doing this plan. right now is because I think “It’s an important position because you’re we’re at a critical juncture as helping to relay inforan institution, and I believe mation from the faculty I can help guide us through to the board, from the some of these things. I can’t board to the faculty. [That] requires a lot of do that without our students skills and patience,” Belk and without our professors. said. Belk said his political Adolphus Belk science background will Political science professor and faculty chair benefit him as faculty chair. “Political scientists He also attributed President Mastudy power,” he said. “Political hony’s efforts in the strategic plan to scientists study institutions and
benefit the university. Belk said he believes in the faculty because most of them show concern about students’ intellectual and professional development. Belk said he looks forward to collaborating with the university’s executive officers and faculty. Belk went on sabbatical in December 2018 to focus on several political research projects including white nationalism in American politics, hip hop and social justice. When professors go on sabbatical, they take a break from teaching to pursue other academic goals like research. Belk said he is doing a continuation project about white nationalism based on a book written by his mentor in 2003. The white nationalism project will focus on politics and events since Donald Trump’s election in 2016. He is also editing a book about hip hop and social justice with a Winthrop graduate who is now a professor at Georgia State University. In addition, Belk said he is studying how The National Conference of Black Political Scientists was founded. Belk and other members of NCOBPS researched the founding members of the organization and plan to publish their profiles in the NCOBPS’ publication, The National Political Science Review. Belk will return to the classroom August 2019 and will begin his role as faculty chair.
Aiding in an epidemic
The opioid crisis hit York County hard. With a pilot program underway, Winthrop’s department of social work assists in alleviating the growing problem Anna Sharpe sharpea@mytjnow.com Opioid-related deaths in York County increased by 75 percent from 2014-2016, according to the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. This prompted the creation of the South Carolina Medication-Assisted Treatment Court, a program that assists criminals with substance abuse or opioid use disorders. Winthrop’s Department of Social Work is tasked with conducting the research and evaluation for the project. When the opportunity arose to partner in this project, social work professors Duane Neff and Jessica Yang couldn’t turn it down. “When we got the call that said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in helping us out with this?’ we said, ‘Absolutely.’ That’s right in our wheelhouse of what we do, the research piece and the program evaluation, so we said yes and we helped write the [grant] response,” Neff said. The Medication-Assisted Treatment Court is funded by a $900,000 grant. After arrest, criminals with substance abuse disorders often don’t receive the attention they need when put in jail. “You can sit in jail anywhere from four to seven months waiting for your court case and so forth,” Neff said. The program takes those criminals that struggle with substance abuse from jail and puts them in a drugfree environment where they can get medicated treatment while they wait for their court date. “If you are identified as having an opioid or alcohol use disorder and are screened by the clinician on site, then we will remove you from the
jail, get you into treatment. Once your court case comes up, you’ll return to the court and be able to say, ‘I’ve been engaged in medication-assisted treatment for the past two, three months. I’ve been seeing counseling. I’ve been clean with my urinalysis and so forth.’ What this does is it covers that gap, so that people aren’t sitting there in jail suffering and not getting any treatment,” Neff said. The South Carolina Medication-Assisted Treatment Court launched on Feb. 1, so Neff and Yang are still in the process of constructing a team to assist with the three-year program. “We’re in the process of hiring students to work on the project. We’re still in that phase. Hopefully, I would hope within a month, they will start engaging with people with opioid use disorder and substance abuse disorder that would benefit from this program,” Neff said. Their goal is to have the data collection and evaluations that are part of Winthrop’s responsibilities be completed mostly by students. “The students are the ones that are out here doing the heavy lifting. They are the ones that are benefitting from this. They’re facing these people with opioid use disorders, they’re working with community agencies, they’re tackling these tough problems like, how do we measure improvement in someone who’s struggling with a substance use disorder, or whose impoverished in this community or needs mentorship or whatever those needs are. They go out and they wrestle with it in the community, and they bring it back here, and we lovingly and knowingly reguide them wherever they may be, and it really supplements the classroom and makes our jobs a lot more fun,” Yang said.
Oriana Gilmore| Assistant News Editor gilmoreo@mytjnow.com
The Department of Social Work will be focusing on the “evaluation of outcomes” and assessing if the program is successful. As it stands, the treatment program does not exist in York County, leaving Winthrop’s team to create a guide for other counties facing an opioid epidemic to follow. “We are following people as this gets up [and] running with the end goal of creating a manual so that we can take this program and say... here’s a guidebook of how we were able to do this in York County, the struggles we had, how we were able to overcome those, the people we had around the table, all of these different pieces to get a program like this up and running. So we kind of lurk in the shadows and document all of this so that we can take that manual and share it with other counties,” Yang said. While measuring “success” in someone with a drug addiction can be difficult, this is what Yang said another major task that falls under Winthrop’s duties is “a formal evaluation of the outcomes to look and see if this program is successful in keeping defendants out of the system.” “Once we pull them out for participation in the program, are they staying out or are they committing crimes to obtain substances, property crimes to get money, violent crimes, that kind of thing. Are we able to keep them sober through the adjudication and disposition of their case to where they can complete the program at that point. We’re doing both of these simultaneously, working with our state and local partners to help gather all of that data,” Yang said. Opioid addiction affects communities and individuals that are dealing with unemployment and
underemployment. The loss of a job has an incredible emotional impact. Pair this with a physical injury and the spiral into dependency begins. “You have this loss of purpose combined with these physical complaints and that sort of spirals into this opioid use disorder. In these sort of struggling and improving development communities, we see this pattern a lot. Other states like West Virginia, the Midwest, states throughout the deep south are all seeing this sort of similar pattern, and I think that that’s a lot of what we’re seeing in the community, is just that un- and underemployment kind of catching this tidal wave of this readily available substance to cope with that crisis,” Yang said. Yang said the Department of Social Work is equipped to handle their involvement in the Medication-Assisted Treatment Court because of the department’s consistent engagement with the community. “I think first and foremost we have people on faculty like Dr. Neff and others who have spent a considerable amount of time engaged in this community. Over the past six years, there is very few arms of well-being that we have not been engaged in. Housing, health, wellness, mental health, now recently into the schools. We are a very public-facing department. This is my second year, and in those two years I’ve been able to collaborate with Dr. Neff in all of those agencies,” Yang said. “We are a group that works very hard to stay engaged with the public. That’s one of our core values as social workers, is social justice and service. That’s a third of our value base right there. When we’re thinking about the scholarship that we do, for almost all of us, that is what’s front and center,” Yang said.
S&T Computer science professor
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theJohnsonian March 27, 2019
breaks barriers
Professor Nicki Washington discusses the struggles of being an African American woman in a STEM field and how she overcame it to find her own success Mikayla Mangle manglem@mytjnow.com Those in the United States who have doctoral degrees make up less than two percent of the total population. African Americans who have doctoral degrees make up less than half of that. However, Winthrop professor Nicki Washington defied the odds and became the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in computer science from North Carolina State University. Not only did Washington succeed in becoming one of the few African Americas to receive a doctoral degree but she also became one of the few African Americans to receive a degree and go into a STEM field such as computer science. According to Washington, there is a lack of certain minorities in STEM fields such as computer science which creates various issues. “Historically disenfranchised groups are the racial/ethnic demographics that are underrepresented in [computer science] (i.e. black, Latinx, Native American). White and Asians are not,” Washington said. “There's a lot of bias that is embedded in the algorithms used by technology today. For example, incorrect/racist automatic tagging of black people in pictures as animals, automated technologies such as hand dryers not recognizing darker skin tones, biased results used for determining bail/bond or biased search results when typing in certain demographics. These are things that are issues because the people creating these technologies don't have to think about being inclusive or these specific issues because they don't look like the people being affected by them.” Due to the racial discrepancies seen within STEM fields such as computer science and algorithm
programming, Washington works hard to ensure that more African Americans, Latinx and Native American individuals are becoming interested and pursuing careers in computer science fields. “My research is...specifically, measuring the identity of historically disenfranchised students in computing. There are a lot of efforts nationwide to increase the participation of these groups in computing and tech… My work has been to create a tool that can be used to quantitatively measure if these programs are helping students increase their identity in the field. I worked with Dr. Anna Romanov in quantitative methods to perform much of this work…In addition, I also focus on K-16 curriculum development and culturally relevant pedagogy to increase student participation, engagement, and retention in computer science courses,” Washington said. As an African American woman in the field of computer science, Washington knows the struggle of being a minority in a predominantly white space. Washington describes her experience in a STEM field as a tough one, where she often finds herself having to explain or defend herself in certain situations where her white and/or male counterparts do not. “My experience has not been and still is not easy. I've been questioned because I'm one of the few, if not the only black woman in the class or room. I've been called ‘angry, nasty, rude, mean, etc.’ because I'm assertive and hold people, including students, accountable. I've had to constantly defend myself to non-black nonwomen, because they've tried to equate their experiences to mine and don't understand or believe that as a black woman in a field where very few obtain bachelor's degrees (let alone Ph.D.'s), there are inherent biases in place that impact how I'm viewed,” Washington said.
Courtesy of Nicki Washington
Winthrop’s computer science professor, Nicki Washington, was recently featured in Essence magazine, in their 15 Black Women Disrupting the Tech Industry feature. Despite all of these struggles, Washington has endured throughout her professional career she has not let it stop her from succeeding. She currently works as a professor at Winthrop University in the computer science department and has also taught at Howard University in their computer science department. She has also been featured in Essence magazine under Essence Tech Stars: 15 Black Women Disrupting the Tech Industry. “In spite of this, I've tried to remain true to myself. The one person I have to be ok with at all times is myself. If it compromises my beliefs and principles, then no thanks. It may cost me an opportunity. However, I maintain my sense of self. This is what I try to instill in other students, specifically
historically disenfranchised students,” Washington said. In all, Washington says that in order to end this disenfranchisement seen with minority groups in computer science field’s inclusion needs to be practiced and held to a higher standard. “Inclusion is what you do. Do you foster an environment that allows that diverse group of individuals to feel as if they belong, regardless of their racial, gender, sexual, religious or socioeconomic background? Or do you continue to foster environments where diversity is present as a check in a box, yet individuals still feel marginalized? This is where the real work lies,” Washington said.
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Swipe safe
Health Services looks to help students in the world of online dating Joseph Calamia Staff Writer With websites and applications such as Tinder, Bumble, EHarmony, Ok Cupid and Match. com, it’s fair to say there are a lot of dating websites in this day and age. For college students, online dating provides opportunity for students to search for that special someone. However it is important to know the risks involved with these sites and learn to practice safety when cruising for cuties. On March 19, the Winthrop Health and Counseling services hosted an event in Owens called “Safe Swiping: Online Dating Safety.” The event’s goal was to inform students at Winthrop University about the potential risks involved with online dating and provide tips about how to stay safe while looking for love online. Office of Victim’s Assistance case manager Jazmine Diamond commented on how online dating is trending with college students today. “I think that online dating is a
normal part of the current college experience. Online dating can be a time to explore curiosity, make connections, and interact with the new city around you. With that being said, thinking about your safety is crucial in the online dating process,” Diamond said. While the program provided advantages to online dating, there were a couple of risks involved when choosing who you interact with which can be overwhelming to people. “There is risk involved with any type of dating. Specifically in relation to online dating there are risks in the authenticity of the people on the sites. People are not always who they appear to be and may have alternative motives. Some common motives include scamming, trafficking and catfishing,” Diamond said. One of the important points in the program was the use of consent in dating and how it can be both verbally and non-verbally communicated between both parties. Following a video that discussed consent as making a cup of tea and another where a person
tries to take someone else’s cup of coffee without asking, the Office of Victim’s Assistance focused on discussing how to teach consent to the audience. “Consent is the most important thing in any relationship. Consent is simply the concept of gaining permission to do anything with anybody. Consent creates respect and boundaries in relationships that people deserve,” Diamond said. Besides giving advice on consent and being safe when on dates, the presentation focused more on how students can practice safe sex without contracting a sexually transmitted disease through communication and use of condoms. “There are several ways students can learn about safe sex and relationships. You can do research online about safe sex and relationships, talk to our wellness coordinator or connect with a counselor to talk about deep relational problem if you need to,” Diamond said. Finally, the presentation discussed how the Office of Victims Assistance and Health
Mikayla Mangle | Science & Technology Editor manglem@mytjnow.com
and Counseling at Winthrop can help college students in the event of sexual assault while in relationships. “The Office of Victims Assistance has expanded their services to provides direct services to survivors of major crimes including, but not limited to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, bullying and bias crime as well as campuswide educational programming to prevent these crimes from occurring,” Diamond said. With the combined items of knowledge and safety in dating and safe sex, it can allow all college students to explore romance and form new relationships while balancing their school life. “I think online dating in this age is good because online dating creates access to more potential people than your immediate connections,” Diamond said. To learn more about consensual dating, assistance with safe sex and help in case of sexual assault, visit the Winthrop Health and Counseling in the Crawford Building.
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SPORTS theJohnsonian March 27, 2019
EAGLE OF THEWEEK
Bjorn Broman
Courtesy of Winthrop Athletics
Broman becomes the 25th player to hit 1,000 points and 5th highest in total three pointers in Winthrop history.
Joseph Calamia Staff Writer When it comes to athletes and their accomplishments, it is a remarkable feat to reach a milestone in their career that allows an athlete to be proud of their skills. Whether this milestone is in basketball, soccer or baseball, it is important to be proud of your accomplishments. According to Winthrop Athletics, senior exercise science major and Winthrop men’s basketball player Bjorn Broman scored 18 points during the quarter finals of the Big South Championship on March 7 against Charleston Southern. Although Winthrop lost the match 77-63, Broman reached a record with a lay-up and his combined three pointers throughout his athletic career with 1,000 points, becoming the 25th player in the program’s history to reach that mark. Broman was thankful to the support of his team that led him up to this point. “I feel very humbled and blessed to reach 1,000 points in my career, but I could not have done it without my great teammates and coaches,” Broman said. Starting basketball at the age of four while
growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, Broman developed a passion for basketball with discipline while playing with his friends and teams. “I value basketball because I have such a passion for it and I’ve put in so many hours. Since 7th grade, I’ve really taken basketball seriously and I’ve put so much into it that I just want to do the best I can,” Broman said. Before coming to Winthrop, Bjorn played for the Amateur Athletic Union Men’s Basketball AllAmerican while in Minnesota. The performance he did with his teammates in a tournament drew attention from various universities to recruit him for collegiate basketball. “I played AAU summer basketball for a team called Howard Pulley out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and we played in a tournament in August, and the coaches saw me there and started to recruit me,” Broman said. Broman eventually was recruited to join the Winthrop University men’s basketball team as a point guard in his freshman year of 2015. He was impressed by the closeness of the student athletes and the facilities on campus. “The campus here at Winthrop impressed, and the whole community made me feel very comfortable,” Broman said. While at Winthrop University, Bjorn excelled
at basketball with multiple highlights in each year on the team. In his freshman year, his first 43 three pointers were the fourth most threes in a season by a Winthrop freshmen. In his sophomore year, Broman finished the season with 16 points (seventh career double-figure game) and tied career-high with five assists at FSU. His junior year saw him becoming the 20th player in program history to reach 100 career threes in his career. Broman noted that his fellowship with his players and the games he played through his time at Winthrop made his experience at the university all the more memorable. “My fondest memories at Winthrop are playing alongside my brother and being in the starting lineup with him, as well as making March Madness my sophomore year,” Broman said. Despite the defeat the quarterfinals, Broman is proud to have worked with the Winthrop men’s basketball team and valued how his teammates and coaches worked hard together to help him strive to improve himself in basketball. “I’m sad the season ended earlier than we would have liked, but I am very proud of the team and how much we accomplished throughout the year,” Broman said.
UPCOMING HOME GAMES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 Men’s Tennis vs Radford 2 PM
THURSDAY, MARCH 28 Women’s Tennis vs Charlotte 2 PM
FRIDAY, MARCH 29 Softball vs Gardner-Webb 4 & 6 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 30 Softball vs Gardner-Webb 6 PM
Greta Conboy | Sports Editor conboyg@mytjnow.com
SUNDAY, MARCH 31 Men’s Tennis vs Gardner-Webb 2 PM
theJohnsonian
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March 27, 2019
All we do is win (x7)
Winthrop’s track and field team claims seven victories at first meet Beneshia Wadlington Staff Writer Winthrop’s track and field teams claimed seven first-place finishes on the final day of the UNCWilmington Invitational to bring its weekend meet total to 11. Winthrop competed against Campbell, Fayetteville State, Methodist, Sandhills C.C., UNC-Pembroke, UNC-Wilmington, Webber and William Peace on Saturday, March 16. Winthrop’s victors include Alexis Jeffery, who took first in the triple jump, Jalen Hodges, taking first in the high jump; Tori Waddington, placing first in the shot put; Dalton Nicholas, placing first place in the discus throw; Theo Kahler, placing first place in the 1500m run; Evan Hailes placing first in the Triple jump, Harper Henson placing in the 800m run; Jesse DeFalco, placing fourth in the 800m run, Sara Dixson, placing second in the shot put and third in the discus; Karina Grant and Autumn Rabon, placing third in the high jump and Taylor Anderson, placing third in the long jump. Grant is a sophomore psychology major who participates in the Pentathlon, which includes hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put and the 800m for the indoor season, and the heptathlon, which includes hurdles, high jump, long jump, 200m, javelin, shot put and 800m during the outdoor season. Grant, after asked being asked about placing said, “It always feels great to see all the hard work you put in pay off. Track is unique in that you can clearly and objectively see your improvements in your times or marks. Track is a tough sport physically and mentally, but setting new personal records reassures me that all the hours spent practicing are worth it.” Hailes, junior international business major, claimed first place in the triple jump. “Since this is the first outdoor meet of the season, it’s good to start out on a positive note,” Hailes said. “I’m hoping to carry the momentum over for our upcoming meets that will only get more
competitive.” Hodges, junior business administration major, was also one of the participants who claimed first in the high jump. “It felt great to start the outdoor season with a win,” Hodges said. “More than anything, it was motivation to work hard daily to continue to grow from here.” Dixson, junior biology major, throws the shot put, hammer and discus. “Doing well in the first meet of the year was a big confidence boost,” Dixson said. “I needed to know how I was going to compete after having ACL surgery last fall, since conditions during practice and Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian competition can be much different, and I “I was excited to just be back to performed better than I expected. It competition.” Even with great makes me feel more confident in the accomplishments comes great things I am doing in competition responsibilities. Each of the Eagles but gives me a good idea of what had their own goals in mind for I need to work on at practice to future meets and how they planned perform better in the future.” These to accomplish them. Grant said. “A Eagles reported positive feelings goal I have for before I graduate during and after their victories. is to be on the podium and get top “I feel like the best word three in the conference meet. In to describe how I feel during general, I just hope to continue competitions is adrenaline,” Grant improving and setting new said. “It’s a mix of nervousness, personal records. The thing that excitement and just a desire to I believe contributes most to my perform well.” performance during competitions is Hailes said, “I’m always more my performance during practices. excited than I am nervous. I’m just I make it a goal to always give 100 blessed to be able to compete at this percent effort at practice because level and I always make sure I have I know that the training is what fun with it.” prepares me to be successful in “I was pretty nervous,” Dixson meets. Aside from practice, I need said. “This is my first time to continue prioritizing healthy competing in an outdoor season eating and good sleeping habits since having ACL surgery last fall, to make sure my body is ready to but once I got my first throw in, my perform each day.” nerves started to calm down and I “My goal for the rest of the really started to feel in the zone and season is to finish top three in confident.” the conference,” Hailes said. “I “I hardly ever get nervous also want to set a new personal before high jump,” Hodges said. record. I have to make sure to keep
taking care of my body by going to treatment sessions and make sure I have a mentality to work hard in every practice and weight lifting session.” Dixson said, “My goal in the remainder of the season is to keep improving. I hope to score in each event at conference, but I am focused on improving my own form and distances. I am going to continue to work on the things I need to improve in my form and work on calming my nerves before competing in each event. I also plan on making sure that I am being smart during practice to prevent injuries and keeping my body as healthy as possible for future meets.” “My ultimate goal is to make East Prelims in high jump and win Conference,” Hodges said. “To do this, I plan [on] never becoming complacent, always looking for ways to improve and get stronger, so when meets come I know I will have prepared well.” Congratulations to these Eagles on their victories.
Hunter Lipscomb: Big South Player of the week
Lipscomb went 9-21 at the plate with a home run, two doubles, seven runs batted in and seven runs scored Gweneshia Wadlington Staff Writer
Winthrop senior finance major and baseball player Hunter Lipscomb has been named Big South Player of the Week. Lipscomb is very honored by this achievement. “Big South Player of the Week is a great accolade, and I am blessed to be able to receive it. My faith in Jesus, I feel like, allows me to play the Courtesy of Winthrop Athletics way I do because in the end it’s not Lipscomb credits his success to starting baseball at an early age and Winthrop’s baseball program about the statistics, it’s about how much glory is brought to His name,” almost 30 years, so he had a huge Winthrop baseball, Lipscomb has also we get fed pretty well so that’s Lipscomb said. ESPN named Lipinfluence on my brother and I. He one favorite part of playing for the awesome, too.” With all these things scomb Big South Player of the Week has always had a love for the game it Eagles. “My favorite part about the to like about our baseball program because of his amazing performanccarried down to us,” Lipscomb said. Winthrop program is being able to including to the hard work put in by es last week. Lipscomb described From backyard tosses to Winthrop see the success of the guys around players, coaches and staff, there is how he started playing baseball. “I baseball, Lipscomb now holds a bat- you. You are around them all the no confusion as to why Winthrop’s got into baseball because my dad ting average of .351 (20-57), leading time, and you get a bond that can’t baseball players, especially Lipplayed it growing up and my whole the club. be explained, so seeing guys sucscomb, have been doing so well this life. He’s been the head coach at With all there is to love about ceed is the best part of it all, but season. Boiling Springs High School for
Gabby Gardner | Assistant Sports Editor gardnerg@mytjnow.com
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A&CtheJohnsonian ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
March 27, 2019
Madeline Willard
A spotlight on the director of the upcoming production at Johnson Studio Theatre and her experience in bringing the play to life.
Once at Winthrop, Willard audience on all wanted to look for ways to comfour sides of the bine her growing passion for stage. It is quite theatre with the possibila challenge to For every production ity of becoming a teacher. make sure the at Winthrop’s student This allowed her to come audience can theatre department, there to a compromise that understand the is always a good director combined what she loved. whole story present to help guide the “I always wanted to when actors will show and bring their vision be a teacher, but I develhave their backs to life. oped such a strong love to them at many The next show coming for theatre I couldn’t points during to Winthrop University’s decide which I wanted the show,” WilJohnson Hall is the promore. Then it dawned on lard said. duction of “At Home at the me that I had a theatre By taking Zoo.” The showcase will teacher. I could do both,” part of the Winfeature two parts about a Photo courtesy of Willard Willard said. throp theatre man named Peter as he Willard said being a student With experience in department, moves to an apartment director is “both exciting managing theatre in Willard has near Central Park, and and overwhelming.” productions like “Annie been allowed encounters a stranger. The Get Your Gun” and acting to explore a play boasts lessons of love in one act plays and plays like new avenue of and cruelty in a modern setting. The director of “Hair” at Winthrop, this allowed creativity and the play is senior theatre studies major Madeline her to get experience in how to find her passion Willard, who was astonished about the challengdirect actors in her play. while learning es of directing a play at Winthrop. “I feel like being an actor to work with her “Working as a student director is both exhas helped me immensely in fellow actors and Winthrop department of theatre and dance citing and overwhelming,” Willard said. “There ”At Home at the Zoo” follows Peter as he moves my directing. It has taught me production crew. are a lot of factors at play that you don’t always into an apartment in Central Park and encounters a better way to communicate “Theatre has realize are your responsibility as the director a stranger. with the actors so that we are allowed me to until you’re actually in it. I think directing is on the same page,” Willard said. be creative and one of those things you have to do to learn; you “When I am directing, I frequently ask if what expressive on multiple levels and interact with can’t understand it just from books and watching I am saying makes sense, because I know as an so many other incredibly talented people. Every other people.” actor nothing is more frustrating than getting a aspect of theatre is collaborative, so I have had Willard’s first experience with theatre was direction that you have idea how to perform.” the chance to work with several other artists,” playing Hermia in “A Midsummer Night’s One of the biggest challenges that Willard Willard said. Dream” in fourth grade. While terrified, she befaced in production for “At Home at the Zoo” was “At Home at the Zoo” will run from March came enchanted with acting through middle and using the limited space of the Studio Theatre, 27-30 at 8 p.m., and March 31 at 2 p.m. in the high school. which was different to the regular production Johnson Studio Theatre. Tickets for the show “Once I got to high school, I was in the musitheatre. This allowed her to work in finding for students with a Winthrop ID is priced at $5 cal every year and almost every play. I found the creative techniques with the actors and the and $10 for the general public on Wednesday best hobby in the world, and it was my favorite production crew to work with the story in their and Thursday. Friday through Sunday tickets are part of going to school. I had some truly amazenvironment. priced at $8 for Winthrop ID and $15 for general ing teachers who helped me develop as an artist “For this show, we took that a step further public. and give me the space to explore my creativity,” and are producing it in an arena style, with Willard said.
Joseph Calamia Staff Writer
“Us” spoiler-free film review Jordan Peele returns to the big screen with a haunting new follow-up to 2017’s “Get Out” Jacob Weis Staff Writer
After the massive success of 2017’s “Get Out,” anticipations have been high for Oscar Winner Jordan Peele’s next addition to the horror genre. “Us” follows the story of a family taking a summer beach vacation. What starts out as a fun family outing, takes a dark turn after their summer home is invaded by a group of evil doppelgangers, tethers, that look exactly like them. “Us” is a great film, however it doesn’t quite live up to the high expectations set by “Get Out.” I will try my best not to compare the two too much, as I like to judge a film by its own merits, however the similarities between the two films begs for some comparisons to be made. “Get Out” is one of my favorite films of the last decade. Every detail was perfectly crafted and well thought out to lead the movie to a satisfying, deserved, and believable conclusion. “Us” contains a lot of these same elements, and you can tell a lot of thought has gone into the details as well, but it fails to deliver as tight of a story as its predecessor.
Before I dig too deeply into my few issues with the film, let’s start with the positives. One of the aspects of this film that stood out to me the most was the brilliant score by Michael Abels. The creepy music adds a great feeling of tension to the film and evokes an unnerving feeling of uncanniness and otherworldliness. The cinematography was also very well done, and you could tell that every shot was thoroughly planned out. The filmmakers played with shadows to create tense feelings of mystery and suspense. The film also had some genuinely creepy moments that felt different from other horror films and were a lot of fun to watch. One of the strongest aspects of this film was the acting. Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke gave stellar performances. The child actors portraying their children even did a phenomenal job. The reason the acting stood out so much is because not only did these actors have to play one role, they also had to play the role of their tethers, who act completely creepy and insane. Many people know writer/director Jordan Peele for his history in comedy. His sense of humor comes out during the film and there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to ease the tension. The humor is used pretty effectively, except during a few tense sequences where it felt a little out of place. If you watched “Get Out,” you
Dillon O’Neill | A&C Editor oneilld@mytjnow.com
probably know to expect some big twists and turns. There are plenty of those to go around in “Us” and most of them work pretty well. Jordan Peele is an expert at sprinkling subtle, and some not so subtle, hints and clues throughout the movie that make you feel smart as an audience member when you notice them and figure things out. “Get Out” does this a very tight and precise manner, making all of the twists satisfying, logical, and believable. However, in “Us,” some of the biggest twists and revelations are a little too hard to believe and wrap your head around. They take a bit too big of a logic jump. This leads me into my other issues with the film. The film wasn’t consistent. It started out really strong and I was in to it from the get-go. The first third or so of the movie provided great set-up, was creepy, wellpaced, funny and entertaining. The movie then slowly began to peter out after that and moved along at a strange pace and felt less suspenseful and concise. Don’t get me wrong, the second and third acts weren’t by any means bad, they just didn’t keep up with the strong opening. Some of the violent scenes were also shot kind of strange. The movie had a lot of blood and gore to go around, not necessarily a bad thing, but some of it was graphic, and then some of it was covered up with camera tricks that made it hard for me to tell what just happened on
Jordan Farrel/The Johnsonian
more than one occasion. My biggest issue with the film, which I have already leaned into a little bit, is that it feels too ambiguous and unconscious. “Get Out” left us feeling satisfied and we knew exactly what happened. However, “Us” leaves the audience with too many questions. I enjoy a little ambiguity is my film endings, however what I believe this movie thought was clever ambiguity, was just a feeling of disbelief and confusion at the logic of what happened. Overall, I thought that “Us” was an enjoyable and well-made film that was a lot of fun to watch. The movie did leave me feeling a little lost and frustrated, however I am still excited to dig into this movie for a second viewing to try and unravel more of its mysteries. I feel like this is a film that begs to be watched again, and fans are going to spend years to come trying to theorize and uncover the secrets that the movie holds.
theJohnsonian
March 27, 2019
Shakespeare & Staunton
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For 10 years Winthrop’s English Department has been visiting the American Shakespeare Center. Two Winthrop alumni who have come back time and time again for this trip, Katie Wilson and Colby Dockery, reflect on their time.
Colby Dockery & Katie Wilson Special to The Johnsonian Katie: The American Shakespeare Center is the jewel of Staunton, Virginia where each year, actors I’ve grown familiar with (and added on social media) put on plays during what is called the Renaissance Season. The actors direct the play themselves, pull the costumes themselves, and cut the scripts as they choose. They have barely enough time to learn their lines before opening night, and sometimes ‘prithee!’ must be called out to receive a line an actor may have forgotten. The staging and lighting conditions are the same as they were in Shakespeare’s time, as this is a stunning replication of The Blackfriars Theatre in London. This trip taught me from the very beginning that my professors were correct: plays are meant to be seen, not read. In person, the speech makes much more sense, and some lines are funnier than expected. You’re left laughing, crying, or completely enraptured by what is unfolding on the stage. However, the ASC trip each spring is not solely about seeing Shakespearean or Jacobean plays and gaining cultural credits; exploring the town of Staunton is also a part of the trip. Staunton offers vintage and antique shops, the likes of which I’ve never seen anywhere else – and not just because I found a real 1920s headband with diamonds still in it for $50. There were bookshops piled high with classics, some of the books’ publication dates going as far back as the 1800s. If books and antiques aren’t your
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Photo provided by Wilson
Each year I return, I feel like I’m returning to another family of mine, a very creative one, and over the years Staunton had become somewhere very close to my heart - Wilson
thing, and you’re more of an adventurer, just slightly outside of downtown there is an allegedly haunted sanitorium called the DeJarnette Center. While it’s closed off to the public, the museum that owns it allows photographs to be taken, and the imposing building is right next to the road. This trip is special to me, obviously, or I wouldn’t have written this article. This year marked the seventh year I’ve traveled to Staunton with Winthrop’s amazing English department,
and it was just as exciting as the first time. Each year I return, I feel like I’m returning to another family of mine, a very creative one, and over the years Staunton had become somewhere very close to my heart. The creativity, sense of community and attention paid to the arts in this town makes me feel as if I should uproot my life and move there to feed off the artistic energy in one of the coffeeshops, or even on the steps of Mary Baldwin college. Plays like “The White Devil,” written by John Webster, have inspired me to take a close look at how greed pushes people to their limits, and others such as “Anne Page Hates Fun,” written by Amy E. Witting, remind me that life is precious and no moment with family or friends should be taken for granted (Amanda Hiner and I, as well as almost everyone in the theater, sobbed our way through Witting’s play. Dr. Hiner cites “Anne Page Hates Fun” as one of her favorite plays she’s seen at the ASC.) Each year I learn something new, I see a new play, I take part in an acting workshops, and I fall in love with Staunton and the Blackfriars all over again. Take a chance and end your spring break with this trip, really! Discover your artistic side in a way you never thought you could, enrich your life with plays you have never heard of, or stories of antiques in the basement of stores that look like they’ve come out of a horror movie. There’s something for everyone and plenty of fun to go around. Colby : When the American Shakespeare Center calls the Blackfriars Playhouse “Shakespeare’s American home,” they mean it. Not only do the performances replicate Shakespeare’s original staging conditions, there exists a connectivity here with Shakespeare’s work and its history that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Shirts hanging in the Blackfriars gift shop proudly state that they “do it with the lights on”—and they mean that literally. Performances are done with lights blazing, allowing the plays to become an immersive experience that, in many ways, put the isolation and focus of dark theaters to shame. Just as you can see the actors as they perform, they can see you, and they often rope audience members into the performances, especially those adventurous enough to sit on the gallant stools that border the edge of the stage itself. Every night of a theater’s performance of a play is bound to be different from the last, but that aspect of theatre takes on a different meaning here. Each and every performance you attend is inherently unique because no audience is the same and the actors can change their delivery at the drop of a hat, at the giggle from an excited child two feet away from them, at someone who looks like they might give a good reaction—I did, during one of my first years, and was met with laughter and surprise from the entire theater. The Blackfriars makes actors out of everyone in the room and that connectivity is at the heart of what makes the trips to Staunton so impossibly meaningful.
Not only do the actors put on plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, but they often tackle modern plays that speak back to Shakespeare’s time and show how universally relatable Shakespeare—and theatre as a whole—
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Photo provided by Dockery
Performances are done with lights blazing, allowing the plays to become an immersive experience that, in many ways, puts the isolation and focus of dark theaters to shame. - Dockery
can be. Two years ago, we witnessed the first ever performance of Emma Whipday’s brilliant play “Shakespeare’s Sister,” which imagines the struggles Shakespeare’s sister may have gone through in order to achieve the same fame in their society. This year, we saw a performance of Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” alongside the debut of Amy E. Witting’s response to that play: the powerful “Anne Page Hates Fun,” which had everyone in the theater sobbing and laughing in turns. The merging and conversing of old and modern voices, sensibilities and experiences is unparalleled. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’ve never left the American Shakespeare Center feeling anything less than overjoyed at the possibility of returning for another year, wondering what brilliant ways they’ll inspire me with next. But what seals the deal for me every year isn’t just the theater and its wonders, but Staunton itself. Virginia is known for its history and Staunton bleeds history and culture through every crack in the sidewalk. The charming town surrounding the Blackfriars feels like going back in time, and in-between plays—mind reeling and heart spinning—you can easily lose hours in antique stores, local restaurants, and bookstores. Everyone seems to have a friendly smile to give or an inspiring story to tell you or dreams they want to realize and the sun sets on Staunton with the knowledge that it’ll keep rising on greater things day after day. This year marked a decade of Winthrop visiting the American Shakespeare Center and I’ve been around for seven of those years thus far because after that first trip experience, I couldn’t imagine missing out the next year. This trip is one of the most rewarding opportunities the English department offers, and I’d recommend nothing more than giving it a chance yourself.
Empathy: the poet’s research
National Book award winner reads her acclaimed poetry to the Winthrop community Zuri Anderson Staff Writer “I hope you leave out with something wonderful in your pockets,” National Book Award winner Nikky Finney said before beginning her first poem “Hurricane Beulah.” The English department at Winthrop invited the critically-acclaimed poet to campus to do a reading from her poetry collection “The World is Round.” Laughs erupted and meditative silence permeated Whitton Auditorium as Finney shared her creative work with students, faculty and Rock Hill community members. She read several poems that night including “The New Medicine,” a poem about her family and late father who had Alzheimer’s, “Elephantine,” where she visited an annual carnival, and “Heirloom,” where the speaker threw heirloom tomatoes in response to an ending romantic relationship. “Hurricane Beulah,” was about her grandmother and their various trips to the Salvation Army, using recycling as a motif and youth and memory as themes. “Noticing is a type of research for poets,” Finney said. “The research that an artist is required of artists falls into the category of empathy. Not sympathy, empathy.” Finney’s father was a lawyer and her mother was a teacher; they were both involved in the civil
rights movement in the 1960s. Political activism and social awareness bled into her creative conscience and writing, earning her multiple accolades and praises throughout her career. Her presence on campus is part of the reader series the English department hosts in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences. Epharim Sommers, an associate English professor, wrote a grant and received funding from the Winthrop Alumni Association to facilitate Finney’s reading. The English department invited Winthrop alumna April Ayers Lawson to campus for a reading in fall 2018. “She was a pretty perfect choice,” Dustin M. Hoffman, the graduate director of the English department at Winthrop said. Finney teaches at the University of South Carolina, so her proximity also made her a suitable candidate; she is also from Conway, South Carolina and grew up in Sumter. “She’s a huge celebrity in [the literary] world. Dr. Fike said ‘she’s one of, if not the most, famous African American female poet alive right now,’” Hoffman said. Finney said she taught at the University of Kentucky for 23 years, and she received the title professor emeritus in 2013. She also “accepted the John H. Bennett, Jr. Chair in Creative Writing and Southern Letters at the University of South Carolina,” according to her webpage on University of South Carolina’s website. She teaches in the English department and the
African American Studies program at the school. Her other works include “On Wings Made of Gauze” (1985), “RICE” (1995), Heartwood (1997), “Black Poets Lean South” (2007) and “Head Off & Split” (2011), which won the 2011 National Book Award for Poetry. She also won the PEN American Open Book Award and the Benjamin Franklin Award for Poetry. “I think what really stuck with me was the way that her poetry captured the character’s soul, seemed to speak with them for a while, then let them go,” Laura Gray Hopkins, a senior English major said. “The characters seemed to be real people whose essence stayed within the poem.” Brianna Muller, a junior English major, said that listening to Finney read her poetry was “a lot more fun and entertaining” than reading it in isolation. “Not only did I enjoy just listening to her read her poetry, but she gave us background information on the stories that really helped the poetry come to life,” she said. Hoffman said he is a fan of Finney’s work. “I got to read with her when my book came out. I saw her read, and I wept at the reading,” the graduate director said. “She was so great. I’ve organized dozens of poetry readings and been at lots of great ones, and I’ve never wept at one before. She’s one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
Caleb Hinkley | Assistant A&C Editor hinkleyc@mytjnow.com
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OPINION
theJohnsonian
March 27, 2019
“It’s just a small group of people” Trump’s comment on white nationalism and the recent New Zealand attacks are hypocritical, racist and blind
Jordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian
Erin Streetman streetmane@mytjnow.com In America, there is a great divide between generations. My parents lived through 9/11; this was their generational disaster. The national reaction to 9/11 resulted in nationwide racism and fear toward groups that were considered “other,” especially the Muslim community. For my generation, however, many
of us live in constant fear of mass shootings. The disaster of our generation began with mass shootings like Sandy Hook and the Parkland shooting. The disaster of our generation continues every single day, and we are faced with this horror so often that we have become accustomed to it. Most other countries do not deal with this kind of damage, and the recent New Zealand mosque shootings are no exception.
New Zealand just banned military-style rifles after 50 people were killed in mosque attacks by a self-declared white nationalist who referred to President Donald Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity.” Since then, there has been an outcry about the rising significance and rising threat of white nationalism. In response to this outcry, Trump once again defended white nationalism, claiming that it is not a threat because white nationalists are “just a small group of people.” Let’s break this down. Trump’s comment essentially conveys that, because he considers white nationalists a small group of people, he does not see them as a threat that is able to cause any harm. This is despite the fact that 50 people were just murdered by a white nationalist in New Zealand. It also means that Trump does not plan on doing anything about white nationalists or the threat they may pose to the country or the already oppressed minorities that seek a peaceful life here. Trump has a record of defending white nationalists, such as his comment on the Charlottesville conflict where he equated the white supremacists and neo-Nazis on one side with the “alt-left” on the other side, claiming that “there is blame on both sides.” The claim “it’s just a small group of people” also closely resembles a
line used to defend against those who call all Muslims terrorists, calling out a double standard. Muslims live by many rules that call for peace. The Quran forbids murder and violence, so anyone who goes against these rules should not even be allowed to call themselves Muslims. Those who commit terrorism under the guise of Islam are a small percentage of people, and yet Trump has put travel bans on Muslims and, through his actions, encouraged violence and racism against peaceful Muslims. When Trump is faced with violence and terrorism from white people, however, he basically ignores it. Because it is “just a small group of people,” he says they are not a threat. If this is true, then how are Muslims a threat? How are Hispanics a threat? How are any of the groups of people that Trump has oppressed during his presidency a threat? Trump is supporting white nationalism and oppressing minority groups in big and small ways every day. His comment that white nationalism is not a threat is hypocritical, racist, and supports white terrorism and white nationalism. White supremacy is terrorism. Misogyny and racism are precursors to violence. We need to stand up and realize that if we do nothing, all that will follow is tragedy.
Alita: Battle Angel review
While not the best horror movie to come out in recent decades, Jimmi Simpson carries the movie with great cinematography and light plot twists. Joseph Calamia Staff Writer Let’s face it: most American films that try to adapt a story from Japanese anime fall under scrutiny for condensing it into a story with no substance. However, a hope for a good anime adaptation from Hollywood comes in the form of a cyborg referred to as an Angel. In February 2019, acclaimed film producer James Cameron and director Robert Rodriguez teamed up with 20th Century Fox to deliver film adaptation based of the 1990s Japanese manga series “Battle Angel Alita.” The film was in development since 2003 due to delays from James Cameron’s work in other projects, until Rodriguez came in to direct in 2016. Though critics have given it mixed reviews, audiences have praised the film for its story, interesting characters and special effects that make it stand out as the first great anime adaptation from Hollywood. “Alita: Battle Angel” takes place in the distant future, where a devastating conflict known as the Fall left the Earth ravaged in scavenger cities such as the setting of the dystopian Iron City. A weary doctor named Ido finds a discarded android and revives her, which he names Alita. Alita wakes up with no memory but makes her way to learn about her past and interact with her environment from making friends and participating in bounty hunting to fighting injustice while being hunted by a mysterious entity named Nova. While the film was criticized for sequel baiting, the movie faithfully follows some of the storylines from the first two volumes of the original manga, while adding moments that weren’t included in the original video animation to be more faithful to the story. It also organically gives the audience bits of world building for them to piece together the story and gain investment in the story. Another area where the movie excels is its characters and their interactions.
athletes, bounty hunters and criminals all have a unique design practical use of CGI. When watching the film, I was interested in the design of each character, including Alita’s cyborg armour that made me curious about how it functions and how the weapons the characters use look like they are leaping off the screen. Another interesting element is Alita’s eyes, which resemble the eyes an anime character. Her eyes really shine by having her stand out with her android origin and overall design. Finally, the battle sequences within the film are intense and really unique to follow. Moments like the underground fight and Motorball battle allow Alita and her opponents to fight fluidly and create an intense atmosphere. Also, the characters interact with the environment with Iron City, allowing some creative kills and takedowns from the characters. The battles combined with the creative character designs and brutal fight scenes creates a wild ride for audiences that you will enjoy. Overall, “Alita: Battle Angel” is an interesting action adventure with good characters, creative designs with CGI, and a subtle world building that allows viewers to be part of the world as they watch. Although the movie may be teasing for a sequel in the future, I would be interested in learning more about the world of “Alita: Battle Angel” and have the characters interact Jordan Farrell/The Johnsonian separate from the world. The successes of this film show that there was a lot adapts accordingly. Another character that shines of love and appreciation put in by the directors is Christoph Waltz as Dr. Ido, who manages to while working with the story and giving a fantasconvey a complex father figure for Alita and a tic film that can hopefully be explored more in fierce fighter that is caring and supportive of her. the future. Gear up your weapons and prepare Both characters really get you invested with their yourself for a thrill ride with epic battles and stories and their personal journeys as the film surprising depth. progresses. “Alita: Battle Angel” is rated PG-13 for seAn interesting element of the film is the CGI quences of sci-fi violence and action, and for on both the robotic characters and the environsome language. ments. Each of the characters from the sports Rosa Salazar shines as the titular cyborg, who is both skilled in combat and in her interactions with the characters. She is a strong character not just by her strength and determined attitude, but by recognizing her flaws by learning more about the world. She would go into situations that would be over her head and, while she would come out on top, she does suffer injuries and
Erin Streetman | Opinion Editor streetmane@mytjnow.com
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Anti-vaxxers are lying to you Anti-vaxxers primarily quote from falsified studies and their ideas keep spreading.
Erin Streetman/ The Johnsonian
Erin Streetman streetmane@mytjnow.com The measles outbreak has spread across the states, and yet anti-vaxxers seem to be crying out even stronger that vaccinations will cause disorders such as autism. The anti-vaccination movement generally stems from two primary sources. The first and most obvious is social media and the flow of biased or outright falsified information that is widely spread and rarely fact-checked. The second is a 1998
study published in “The Lancet,” a weekly general medical journal, that claimed a link between vaccinations and developmental disorders. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Andrew Wakefield and 12 of his colleagues wrote an article which suggested that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine may have a causal link to developmental disorders in children such as autism. However, after review, “The Lancet” retracted the article, finding evidence of falsification of data, ethical violations and scientific misrepresentation all resulting from
financial interests where Wakefield had been funded by lawyers who were advocating for parents in lawsuits against vaccine-producing companies. In short, Wakefield et al. had made up data and come to a false conclusion that vaccines cause developmental disorders because they were being supported monetarily by those who wanted the vaccine companies to lose. This study and its falsification is well-known and yet it is still used to support the anti-vaccination movement. Recently, according to the New York Times, yet another study by Danish researchers who looked at more than 650,000 children over 10 years concluded that there was no association between vaccinations and autism. However, to anti-vaxxers, this doesn’t matter. It does not matter how many scientific studies have been done to discredit Wakefield’s, it does not matter how many of their children die from preventable diseases, because many of them believe that no data can be trusted. These people do not believe in herd immunity, a mass of resistance which does not allow diseases to spread. Their evidence is based on alleged short and long term side effects of vaccinations which are often trivial when compared to the severity of these preventable illnesses. Other anti-vaxxers claim that harmful substances such as mercury are found in common vaccines like the flu vaccine. Thiomersal, a mercury compound, is used as a
preservative in some vaccines. Anti-vaccination activists promote the false claim that the thiomersal used in vaccines is the cause of autism in many children even though there is no scientific evidence to support this claim. Major scientific and medical groups such as the Institute of Medicine and World Health Organization as well as governmental agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who have studied this claim report an overwhelming consensus that vaccines, and thiomersal in some vaccines, does not cause autism. This consensus is supported by several lines of evidence such as the fact that mercury poisoning symptoms are very different from the symptoms of autism. The rates of autism have continued to increase despite the removal of thiomersal from most vaccines. In the end, anti-vaxxers claim that vaccinations can cause autism or other developmental disorders, which has been proven false again and again. This stems from misrepresentation of data online, the spread of false ideas, and data from a falsified study. In any case, even if vaccines did cause autism, the reality is that autism is not worse than the death of your child or anyone else’s child.
We want to live, not just survive The minimum wage was originally meant to allow a family to live comfortably. Now, many have to work two jobs just to afford a home.
Erin Streetman streetmane@mytjnow.com The call for a raised minimum wage has been argued over and over again, and yet we are still faced with people who think that working a fulltime job should NOT earn a person comfortable living, food, and utilities. People will argue that the poor or homeless (or middle-class, for that matter) should get multiple jobs rather than rely on government assistance. Those who don’t work, in their minds, do not deserve to live. The fact of the matter is, however, that the minimum wage is not a livable wage. Employees will work two or three jobs in order to survive. When they ask for more pay, they will be told to get a better job or go to college or quit. These are no feasible or reasonable outcomes, and the suggestions stem from a harsh and cruel root ideal that poor people should not be allowed to live. Big business CEOs want cheap labor and will oppress their employees to get it. People will seriously ask if impoverished or disabled people deserve to eat, but will not ask if CEOs deserve three cars or two houses. People will argue that paying workers higher wages will break the economy or break capitalism. They will argue that the system needs to stay in place. However, if paying a livable minimum wage where a person can work one full-time job and support themselves and their families
will break the system, then the system needs to be broken. These arguments stem from the idea that you need to “pick yourself up by the bootstraps” and “carry your own weight,” but carrying your own weight shouldn’t mean working three jobs just to be able to afford heating and food. People defend CEOs by saying that a business’s only job is to make money, but when a minimum wage worker asks for more money, they are told that money does not matter. I have heard people say that those who work minimum wage jobs, such as being a cashier at McDonald’s, are there only because they are uneducated when in reality many minimum wage jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree. Waiters and waitresses rely on tip money that does not even level out to minimum wage a lot of the time. Business owners who say that payJordan Farrell/ The Johnsonian ing workers at least $14 an hour will dramatically affect their bottom line are People are people, and they deserve to be paid admitting that they have made all of their profit wages that they can live on. When I say “live on,” so far by paying workers wages that they cannot I do not mean breaking even after paying for rent live on. The title of this article says that we want or food or utilities. I mean being able to afford all to live, not just survive, but the fact of the matter three while still being able to save money for chilis, many of us can barely survive on minimum dren or disabilities or disasters. People deserve to wage. live, not just survive.
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