March 23, 2011 Vol. LXXX No. 22
SGA elections bring few surprises Check us out By Dustin Blankenship
sults via email to the winners once the results were tallied. Student Life Editor Potentially for the first time, exit polling also ocStudent Government As- curred after the votes were in. sociation elections ocThe results of the election curred Wednesday, Thurs- will follow. This election feaday, and Friday of last week. tured the lowest voter turnout This year’s election crept up in recent SGA election history. swiftly and silently progressed Only 206 total votes were cast without much controversy. in the election, significantly The election was moved up lower than the turnout of over a month because of a consti- 400 people last year, which tutional amendment brought was also reported as the lowforth by President Matthew est voter turnout in years. Belcher earlier this semes“There could have been ter. Along with the change in many factors to such a low date of the election, changes turnout,” asserted Prime Juswere also made to allow the tice Andrew Prince, the official Prime Justice Andrew Prince in charge of this year’s election. to announce election re- “It is possible that because the
top four positions were unopposed, fewer students took interest, but it could have been a number of things.” The only contested races were that of Attorney General (Chelsey Rowe, Richard Babich, Joseph Dean, and Brandon Green running) and Public Defender (Karina Rahall, Brandon Green, and Joseph Dean running). When the election results were announced late Friday night, Senator Kiwa Nadas posted a congratulatory message to the winners on Facebook, reading, “Well Concordian here’s some news for you... All Greek Executive plus an almost all
Greek population of Senators... oh btw Sigmas are still over-all driving force!” Nadas was correct in writing this as a response to last week’s article on Greeks in the SGA. If never before in such numbers, Greeks will certainly be the driving force of next year’s SGA. Over 58 percent of the total voter turnout came from Greeks. Next year’s executive board consists of all Greek execs, minus Adam Pauley, and a majority of Greek senators. The President, Vice President, Attorney General, and Public Defender are all Greek, three of these positions held by the same sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma.
Some may argue that this is an issue, but elections favor those with strong voter bases. Another interesting development in this year’s election is the dual election of current Business Manager Adam Pauley to the positions of Business Manager and Board of Governors Representative. Pauley may not hold both positions, so he must choose which he will take before the meeting today in the Stateroom. If Pauley chooses Business Manager, then a special election must occur for the position
See Election on page 3
DANCER, DANCER
Smalls to open dance showcase in April By TJ Meadows
www.cunewspaper. com
This week
News:
Announcements Board Kudos Corner Dining Workshop MyEdu
Opinions:
Senior Moments Global Police Appreciation
Sports:
News Editor
Baseball
Reggie Smalls, a relatively familiar face on campus, will be performing as an opening act for nationally recognized dance crew Royal Flush April 12. “Royal Flush was on America’s Best Dance Crew and were known for their diversity; they didn’t stick to just one style,” he said. “Anna [Hardy] set it up, we’re opening, and then there’s a freestyle battle afterwards, I think.” Smalls’s performance will include a few other dancers, but he was hesitant to give up details. “It’ll be me and three others,” he said. “The songs are being put together and it’s about halfway done.” Smalls helped arrange the Elite Dance Team’s
See Dance on page 3
online at
Player of the Week Wake Forest Invitational
Arts & Entertainment:
Bonnaroo
Open Mic Night Film Festival Royal Flush were finalists in the last season of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew.
Photo from Google Images
‘Diverse Voices’ Benefit Concert
All-nighter interest SGA works for improvements, Student Life: waning, tourney today seeks to fill vacant positions Mug Fundraiser
By TJ Meadows
News Editor The Gameroom held their second all-nighter Friday with the lowest attendance they’ve had all year. “The turnout was decent,” said Gameroom Manager Eric Cox. “We would have liked to have more people though.” Cox said that the all-nighters at the beginning of the year drew crowds of about 75 people, while current all nighters usually have 30 to 40 attendees. “The all-nighters have become very same old, same old,” he said. “I need new ideas, but I think this one had less people because of St. Patrick’s Day.” The all-nighter consisted of the usual free food and even held a bingo game for a small variety of prizes ranging from bags of candy to gift cards from iTunes and Chili’s. Top prize was a $25 gift card to Walmart, which was won by freshman Marie Russel. “It was the first time in my life I’ve ever won,” she said. “It’ll never happen again.” Other winners included AJ Honaker, Gunnar Martin, Amber Booher, Johnathon Shrader, Patrick Fountain, Tim Brown, Samantha Harris, Joel Hagy, and others.
Cox said the bingo event was last minute and events for the upcoming all-nighter will be better advertised. “Only 23 people attended bingo,” Cox said. “The more people that attend the all-nighters, the more money we get to spend on them. If enough people don’t show up and it gets to the point where we lose money, we may lose them all together.” Cox said he’s open to ideas involving the all-nighters, and any suggestions can be left at the gameroom desk. “We tried movies: They’re a good idea, but people just want to play around and turning out all of the lights frustrated people. They get aggravated,” he said. “Board games get boring, and people lose interest. Our problem is the budget. We just can’t do anything really big.” There is one more all-nighter this semester, which will be held April 1. The gameroom will also hold an “End of the Year” party April 29 starting at 8pm. “It’s just getting to the point where we aren’t offering anything new for students,” he said. “I hope we come up with something to turn it back around.” There is a Wii tournament today at 8pm in the gameroom. Entry is free for students and there will be gift cards for first and second place winners.
By Kelly Connors
Opinions Editor Students may have recently noticed credit card swipe entries on soda machines in North Towers. The SGA is attempting to start a one card system that would parallel Marshall’s card system some time in the future, where students would be able to enter dorms, purchase meals, and generally use the cards as debit cards throughout campus. SGA voted last week to allocate up to $10,000 to hire an architect team to come in and assess the Student Center for repairs. It is currently estimated that the Student Center will need about $8 million just for renovations to keep the building up to code. The architect team will be brought in to make sure that $8 million will be the approximate price of the renovations. The SGA voted to do this in order to confirm from an outside party the cost of repairs and to make sure that the university doesn’t allocate too much, or not enough money to these critical repairs. The $10,000 will come out of
the SGA’s cash reserve fund, which has about $40,000. One stipulation was placed on this allocation, and that is that the SGA will pay no more than 75 percent of the total cost of the architect team, which shows the university that, while the SGA is willing to help with the process of renovating the building, they also expect the university to help. The SGA meeting was cancelled the week before spring break in order for the SGA to have a large presence at the Convocation of Scholars, which was held at the same time. President Belcher was upset that only a handful of SGA members attended the Convocation (not including those that were required to be there to receive awards), and with good reason. Attendance has been at an all-time low this semester and last semester, for both SGA meetings and Committee meetings, and nothing the executive board says seems to have any effect on senate members. Vice President Blankenship said that it is very disturbing to see so little commitment, and that he is afraid that soon the school will lose respect for the
SGA, ending the chances for students’ voices to be heard. Last week, a complaint was made in writing about a member of the executive board of SGA. While the complaint was very detailed, it was not signed, which rendered it invalid. Please remember that if you submit a complaint, your name will only be used to contact you about specific details, and the person you make the complaint about is not allowed to know who made the complaint. Three budgets were approved last week, totaling about $2,800. Organizations can submit budgets at any time during the semester for funding, but are reminded that funds are given out on a first come, first served basis. Positions for Commuter senator and a Judiciary are currently open, if you are interested, please pick up an application in the SGA room downstairs in the Student Center, to the left of the Game Room. Brandon Green was appointed as the Faculty Senate representative last week, and Vice President Blankenship announced that the Spring Fling schedule would be released this week.
Japan Fundraisers
Spanish Film Fest Mitchell Lilly Fitness Center
Next Week
SGA
Guitar Quartet Japan Fundraising University Point Tamarack Greek Fundraisers Theft Art Studio Mold ...and much more!
Page 2 March 23, 2011
News
Kudos Corner: Recognizing CU excellence
By Jeremy Sallie
priate that we start with the Assistant Professor of SpanStaff Writer ish, Dr. Matthew Edwards. “It is going to be great,” The mission of Concord said Dr. Edwards reUniversity is to provide garding the film festival. quality, liberal arts-based Dr. Edwards is currently education, to foster schol- working on a book entitled arly activities, and to serve Walk this Way: Towards a the regional community. It Historiography of the Martakes hard work and dedica- gins, that looks deep into tion from faculty and staff the way Argentinean authors to live up to those expecta- chaotically express their histions. That is why each week torical narratives in an effort The Concordian will bring to give voice to those who its readers a firsthand look at would otherwise be silenced. those who go beyond the call The work does not stop of duty at the university level. there, however, for this proSince the Spanish Lan- fessor is also being pubguage Film Festival is in lished this year in Hispanic full swing, it is only appro- Review for his article on the
Argentinean cartoonist, dramaturge, novelist, and actor Copi. In the article, Edwards focuses on the artistic production of Copi, who resided in Paris from 1962-87. He is also the editor of the first compilation review of Maria Moreno, an Argentinean journalist, which looks to be published next year. The hard work runs deep in the Division of Languages and Literature as Dr. Delilah O’Haynes and Dr. Katherine Arnoldi recently began the Visiting Writers Reading and Workshop Series. This guest author series provides students with a chance to interact with several
working writers of our time. The workshop entitled Diverse Voices begins Monday, April 4th at 8 p.m. with speaker T.J. Anderson III, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English at Hollins University. The jazz poet will be performing his works at Subway Sides with an Open Mic concluding the event. Next in the program, is speaker Denise Giardina, Writer-in-Residence at West Virginia State University on Wednesday, April 6th at 4 p.m. in the University Point Auditorium. Giardina will be reading from her various publications, such as The Unquiet Earth, Saints
and Villians, and Good King Henry. A reception will be held in the Alumni Room after the event. Concluding the Diverse Voices Guest Author Series is speaker Zakes Mda, Ph.D., Professor at Ohio University. Mda’s publications include: The Hill, Ways of Dying, Black Diamond, The Whale Caller, and The Heart of Redness, which he will read on Friday, April 29th at 1 p.m. in the Alexander Fine Arts Auditorium. All events are sponsored by the West Virginia Humanities Council. We would like to thank Dr. Matthew Edwards, Dr. Deli-
lah O’Haynes, and Dr. Katherine Arnoldi for their efforts in helping mold Concord University into what it is today, the Campus Beautiful. For more information concerning the Hispanic world, contact Dr. Edwards at mjedwards@concord.edu. For information about the Diverse Voices workshop, contact Dr. O’Haynes at dohaynes@concord. edu and Dr. Arnoldi at karnoldi@concord.edu. Look to the next issue of The Concordian to recognize outstanding faculty and staff at Concord University.
The Concordian Announcements Board Don’t waste time and paper putting up flyers all over campus. Reach your audience using
The Concordian Announcements Board. All organizations, individuals, and departments are encouraged to submit short announcements about events on campus or requests from the community. Email concordian@concord.edu to submit an announcement or to inquire for further information. The Student Government Association (SGA) has regular meetings Wednesdays at 4p.m. in the Stateroom. All students are invited to attend.
There will be recycling bins available for aluminum cans and plastic bottles in North and South Tower lobbies and trash chute areas from March 25-April 22 in order to kick start Concord’s Earth Day activities.
SMARTHINKING is a free online tutoring service available 24/7 for most classes and paper editing. For help with SMARTHINKING, contact the ASC in Admin332, asc@concord. edu, or phone 304-384-6074.
Please join in congratulating Ms. Anna Mills Hardy for her appointment as the Director of the Student Center and Student Activities. Anna has been serving as Interim Director since September of 2009. Prior to assuming her duties in the Student Center and with Student Activities, Anna served as the Resident Director for Sarvay and Wilson Residence Halls. A Concord University alumnus, Anna earned her Masters of Social Work degree from West Virginia University and is a licensed social worker.
The David S. Roth Memorial Scholarship competition is open to all currently-enrolled undergraduate Concord University students who plan to re-enroll at CU in the 2011-2012 academic year (or in Summer/Fall 2011).. The winner of the competition receives a $500 scholarship.
Anna’s contact information: Ext. 5311; Email: amillshardy@concord.edu; Campus Mail, D-130; Student Center Office 203. We are thrilled to have Anna as the Director of the Student Center and Student Activities.
The Spanish Program and the Division of Languages and Literature at Concord University is happy to present Portafolio. Portafolio is an online magazine that showcases critical and creative perspectives composed by Concord students on issues surrounding Hispanic or Latino Spanish communities. The purpose of this publication is to create a forum for an interdisciplinary The Roth Memorial Scholarship commemorates the achievediscussion in both English and Spanish about contemporary social, political and cultural issues of importance to the Hispanic ments of Dr. David S. Roth, who taught English at Concord world. from 1969 to 1986. Dr. Roth prized good writing and helped many Concord students to hone their writing skills. The In this the inaugural edition, the editorial committee asks for submissions that directly deal with notions of social, political, Roth Scholarship is designed to honor Dr. Roth’s memory by cultural, and/or sexual difference and debate. This call is open to all genres of artistic creation and may include, but is not recognizing the achievements of promising Concord Univerrestricted to, short story, essay, and photography and other plastic art forms. sity student writers. Application materials are available from me or can be accessed at www.rothscholarship.com. The due date for applications is Monday, March 28, 2011. If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to contact me. Jonathan Berkey Chair, Roth Scholarship Committee The Greenbier Classic promises to be the most exciting stop on the PGA TOUR FedExCup Series. From record-setting finishes to megastar concerts, The Greenbrier Classic will be the envy of the PGA TOUR FedExCup Series. Complimentary admission to the 2011 Greenbrier Classic Concert Series are available with the purchase of your weekly badge package. Concert tickets are not sold separately. This year’s line-up includes Tim McGraw and Luke Bryan performing on Thursday, July 28th and capping off an exciting week of golf with Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert performing on Saturday, July 30th 2011. Don’t miss your opportunity to be apart of the biggest and most exciting stop on the PGA TOUR this summer. Buy your weekly badges today! Contributions are being accepted on campus for the Japan Disaster Relief fund. Checks should be made out to the Concord University Foundation and be ear-marked “Japanese Relief Fund”. Cash donations are also welcomed. The International Students’ Club is sponsoring a silent auction and custom designed t-shirts during the week of March 21-25, 2011. Other Concord student groups, including sororities,fraternities, and service organizations, are also holding fundraisers. Donations received from these activities will be added to funds collected by the international students. Donations will be received in the Student Center, Library, Residence Halls, Fine Arts building, Administration building, and Science Building and Rahall Technology Center. Thank you for your support.
All entries will be reviewed by an outside committee and all participants will be notified. A selection of entries will be chosen for publication. The entry the selection names as the feature will receive a monetary award. For more information, contact: Matthew Edwards Ph.D., mjedwards@concord.edu File your FAFSA now!! Go to fafsa.ed.gov The WVHEG (West Virginia Higher Ed Grant) has a priority deadline of April 15th. The sooner you file, the more aid you may be eligible to receive. For assistance, contact the Financial Aid Office (304384-6069, 2nd floor Student Center, finaid@concord.edu) or the Academic Success Center (304-384-6074, Admin332, asc@concord.edu).
The Charleston Ballet presents: “PINOCCHIO”, March 25 and 26, Charleston Civic Center Little Theatre, 7:30pm We are offering to your group a ticket discount for 10 or more tickets with the 11 ticket free! You may contact the CB office at 304-342-6541 or visit our website at www.thecharlestonballet.com
The Concord University Service Council and the CASE/Concord Child Development Center will be holding a Scholastic Book Fair to raise funds/equipment for our Child Development Center. The book fair will take place Monday, March 21- Friday, March 25 from 11am - 4:30pm in the hallway between the Dining Hall and the Stateroom. The books range Pre-K - 8th grade level. We also have cookbooks available for cooks of all ages! Please come out and show your support for the Child Care Center and the young readers in your family!
P4P Seminar “Flexibility - Don’t leave home without it” with Dr. Joe Beckett on Wednesday, March 30th noon-1pm in the Stateroom The seminar will be informative, interactive and fun! We are looking forward to seeing you there! The Hilarious Comedy Sketch Duo: A Pair of Nuts will be performing at the Subway Stage on Monday, March 28 at 9pm. Yamil Piedra and Johnny Trabanco are A PAIR OF NUTS! This Emmy Award-winning comedy duo has been performing together since 1998 where they met in college at Florida International University in Miami, FL. Selected by Campus Activities Magazine as a “Hot Comedy 2011” act, their work has garnered them critical acclaim and they have been featured on Comedy Central’s Tosh.0, Last Call w/ Carson Daly, VH1, BET, Discovery Channel, and MegaTV. They’ve been featured all over the internet on MySpace, YouTube, Funny or Die, and College Humor with millions of views on videos like “The Law Offices of Facmee & Diaz,”and “Duel.” They’ve headlined at some of the top comedy clubs in the U.S. and have performed at military bases and colleges nationwide, receiving standing ovations whereever they perform. Don’t miss this laugh out loud performance!
The Bonner House is pleased to announce that registration Concord University’s Earth Day Celebration is scheduled for for the Annual Box City has begun. Box City is a fundraiser Monday, April 18, 2011 from 8-4 p.m. in which participants will live in a makeshift box city on the Students, Faculty, Staff, and Community Volunteers are Bonner House lawn for 24 hours starting April 8th into April encouraged to adopt an ‘earth friendly’ service project for the 9th. Funds raised by the project will be sent to Scottie’s day. Place, a camp for homeless children. Boxes will cost $20.00 Projects will be available on campus, at Athens School, and in for up to 7 participants per box. Discounts will be made to the Town of Athens. The Office of Special Events has a list groups that would like multiple boxes. This event is open to of available projects, please contact me for more information: all students, organizations, staff, and faculty of Concord UniKati Whittaker, (304) 384-6286 or at cuevents@concord.edu versity. Deadline for registration is Wednesday, April 6, 2011. Please contact volunteer@concord.edu or call Alex Hosseini at (304) 384-6023. Check out the event on Facebook by searching “Bonner House Annual Box City”. Mid term grades of inadequate progress (d and f grades) have been posted by the faculty to your MyCU account. Please Thank you. access your account to see if you have any mid-term grades. If you have any uncertainty about how you are doing in your classes, please speak to your instructors regardless of whether you have a posted midterm or not. The last day to drop a class Concord Color Fridays--Show Your Concord Spirit! with a grade of “w” is Wednesday, March 30, by 4 p.m. Wear maroon and gray or your Concord gear on The last day to withdraw from Concord University for the Spring 2011 semester is Friday, May 6, 2011 by 4 p.m. Fridays! Go CU! Please contact the Registrar’s Office if you have any questions.
March 23, 2011 Page 3
News
President Grace Hurney and Vice President Josh Hanna Election
Continued from page 1
of Board of Governors Representative under state legislation. President-elect Grace Hurney may appoint a Business Manager if Pauley chooses to assume the role of BOG Rep. Further, once Karina Rahall assumes the position of Public Defender, there will be an opening on the Student Court that will need filled. This will be one of Presidentelect Hurney’s first appointments, as the role of justice is pivotal to the student body. There will be a training period for the new executives beginning Wednesday and lasting until the elected officials take office in May. A great deal of questions surround this newly elected crew, and only time will tell how these leaders handle the issues that arise at Concord University next year. It will certainly be a year
Dance
Continued from page 1
choreography first semester, but resigned from his position to focus on schoolwork. “I still help out,” he said. “I just needed more study time. I still help and I still stop by practices.” Smalls intends to return to the team if he has more free time in the upcoming semester. He was asked to join the team after being seen dancing around campus. “Basically, I used to dance all the time around campus. They asked me to join because they liked my style,” he said.
to follow for the Student Government Association. President-elect Grace Hurney has agreed to an exclusive interview with The Concordian that will run in next week’s edition. She is currently pursuing applications for the position of Secretary, Parliamentarian, Faculty Senate Representative, and Ombudsperson for her administration.
BOG Representative or Business Manager Adam Pauley them. The Vice President also plans the Spring Fling and Homecoming events. Josh Hanna Major: Undecided/Business Administration
President The SGA President acts as chair of the legislative body, is an ex officio member of all SGA Committees, and is the primary liaison between the students and the university administration. Grace Hurney Major: Political Science
Board of Governors Representative and Business Manager The BOG Representative is the student who sits on the Concord University Board of Governors, which makes all final decisions about issues arising within the university from budget to strategic planning. The Business Manager creates a budget and manages all of the SGA funds, including distribution. The Business Manager also chairs the SGA Budgetary Committee. Adam Pauley Major: Accounting
Vice President The SGA Vice President coordinates SGA Committees and serves as an ex officio member of all of
Attorney General Attorney General acts as the university representation in the student judicial system. The non-
This year’s SGA winners:
Smalls said he was drawn to dancing from a few different sources. “My mom and TV got me into dancing,” he said. “I would just watch people dance and be like ‘I wanna do that.’ Especially break dancing, it just caught my eye.” Smalls said his dance style doesn’t come from any particular method or source. “I just do it to do it,” he said. “Basically I turn on the music and whatever comes out goes in [to the routine], if I like it, of course.” All students are invited to participate in the freestyle dance battle. “I think it’ll be interesting if nothing else,” he said.
Public Defender Karina Rahall
adversarial system allows the Attorney General to work with the Public Defender to find a suitable solution to each case. Chelsey Rowe Major: Political Science Public Defender Public Defender acts as the students’ representation in the student judicial system. The non-adversarial system allows the Public Defender to work with the Attorney General to find a suitable solution to each case. Karina Rahall Major: Political Science Senators (11): Senators vote to approve resolutions and amendments, as well as the SGA Budget. These students must sit on at least two committees. John Fair James Blankenship Nathan Shelton Crystal Ford Emily Nordmann Cassidi Hall
Attorney General Chelsey Rowe Kiwa Nadas Chelsey Rowe (also won Attorney General; must choose one) Lauren Hicks Melanie Helm
Molly Sanborn
Homecoming Committee: Kaitlyn Mullins Kiwa Nadas
‘An Evening of Dining Etiquette’ Workshop planned
Press Release
Athens, W.Va. Aramark Dining Services and the Career/Advancement Services Office are teaming up to offer ‘An Evening of Dining Etiquette’ to be held on Monday, April 4 at 5:00 p.m. in the State Room. Over the years this program has become one of the most highly ranked career preparation programs offered on campus.
Seating is limited to 50 Concord students and reservations are required by calling 304-384-5325 or emailing: careerservices@concord. edu by Tuesday, March 29. It is very common in today’s world to have a job interview include a meal. Many college students feel unprepared relevant to their dining skills. This program will cover basics of dining etiquette in a relaxed environment.
Participants will be expected to wear business casual or business professional attire. To create a more “real” environment there will be a seating chart for students allowing them to perhaps meet some new students, helping to develop their “table talk” skills . Aramark Dining Services staff create a fabulous menu and graciously donate the meal so that Concord students can be better prepared to en-
ter the professional ranks. Tammy Monk, Director of Career/Advancement Services will guide the students through basic dining rules. Ms. Monk completed an etiquette trainer certification program with At Ease Inc. If you have any questions about the evening or wish to make your reservation today, please contact Career/ Advancement Services now.
MyEdu makes fall 2011 class registration easier than ever Press Release
Athens, W.Va. Registration is stressful and each semester students struggle to find courses with great professors that fit into their schedule and fulfill degree requirements. With MyEdu’s upgraded registration tools, Concord University students can do exactly this. MyEdu is now 100% free and posts the official Con-
cord University professor grade histories (number of A’s – F’s and drop rate) and detailed professor reviews and ratings to make schedule planning a breeze. “I don’t register without MyEdu” said MyEdu student user, Jill Dunn. “I prefer professors with papers and presentations over multiple choice exams so I use the site to find the best-fitting courses.” The site now also features a new textbook com-
parison engine that automatically finds the best textbook prices based on a student’s class schedule. To find textbook prices, MyEdu uses official university course textbook lists and automatically shows which books are required for registered classes. Students then have the option to rent or buy textbooks at specially discounted prices from Amazon, Chegg, eBay and more. “This semester I bought all seven of my required
textbooks through MyEdu for $180 which is less than half the amount I would’ve paid at the campus book store” Dunn stated.
Other free tools available for students now include: • Degree Planner: Interactive tool to understand required courses for degree completion • Credit Manager: Track college courses and see how credits transfer from one major to the next
• Degree Timeline: Semester-by-semester plan to spread out difficult classes for balanced workload • Course Fit: Analyze course data, reviews and professor grades for the best-fitting class selection
“Students can look up a class they need to take, and compare different professors teaching it based on student reviews and grade breakdowns, all before they register” said Karen Holst, VP
of Corporate Marketing for MyEdu. “We also have an automatic schedule planner that can build a perfect schedule based on the best professor ratings or classed offered at a certain time of day.” MyEdu is the only free resource that combines course schedule data, official textbook lists, professor reviews and grade records for Concord University students to utilize.
Page 4 March 23, 2011
Opinions
United States needs to step up as Global Police
By Scott Noble
The limit was finally reached and what is even more Staff Writer shocking is France taking a It’s about time. The United hard line (and apparently the Nations finally got off of their lead) on this issue. Yes folks, hands and voted to impose a France. I owe France an apolno-fly zone over Libya. Well, ogy. For years, I have railed most of them did, except for against our brothers of BorRussia, China, and inexplica- deaux, pals from Provence, bly, India. The three of them our mates from Marseilles. I abstaining at least allowed have been perpetually critical something to be done while and cynical in an almost Pagranting them “plausible de- risian manner of the French and their inability to be asserniability.” I would expect Russia and tive (and effective) in a manChina since they have a pro- ner befitting a nuclear armed pensity to sell arms to the mad world power. The French government has Colonel and his lot, but India? I have been unable to pinpoint taken the lead and for once their motivation for absten- urged swift action against the Libyan forces bombing tion from the vote. Over the last few weeks, their own citizenry. I feel I put-off writing about the like a complete hypocrite for events in Libya in order to; a) bashing them so vehemently see if a civil war was coming over the years. From getting and b) to see how long it took bailed out in two World Wars, before the international com- passing the baton of failure in munity and of course, our ad- Vietnam, and sitting on their hands in 1986 when we first ministration would step in.
imposed force on Colonel Ghadaffi (gosh, I would love to know how that guy really spells his name). I must now offer a sincere apology. I truly feel terrible for loving your art, food, wine, film (Amelie, anyone?), and culture in general, yet vilifying you as lazy, Americanhating louts who could not fight their way out of a paper bag. I really am sorry. You rock, France and if I manage to pass Tolliver’s French class, I will render my apology in your native tongue one day. With time, things have changed. I now spend a lot of time banging on China’s government when not railing about the perceived graft and ineptitude of our own. Heck, I refuse to buy anything from Walmart (purveyors of the finest lead-based goods from China as I call them) for God’s sake. Look at the recall
board in that place. Don’t get me wrong, like my France bashing days, I love and truly admire China’s people (outside of the politicos), culture, food, art, and history, but this decision to abstain, their human rights record, and the way they control and bully so many humans galls me to no end. Don’t tell me you are true Communists when you rake in the cash like Gordon Gecko. Heck, even a guy like Gecko wouldn’t feel right being that big a hypocrite and I muse as to how fast Chairman Mao is spinning in his grave. As a matter of fact, I’m still amazed how distant (or unknown) a memory Tiananmen Square is. I can be succinctly analytical about Russia’s lack of, well, you know. Putin is a guy who really misses the Cold War and does what he can to keep things a bit tense so he can keep from losing that lov-
Senior Moments: Making choices By Dustin Blankenship Student Life Editor You’ve heard a lot of people write self-help opinions all over the place including here in The Concordian about dealing with stress, procrastination, etc. I am even guilty of writing similar topics. That said, this week, I’d like to discuss making choices and dealing with the consequences. Cliché or not, we all make choices in our daily lives. Some of the choices we make seem monumental when we make them, others seem so small. All of the choices lead to a directional shift in our lives. When I was a senior in high school, I had to make a decision. I had to decide between attending Duke University and Concord University. Obviously, I chose the latter. I have changed exponentially
since I came to Concord. This may have been a very different change had I gone to Duke. When I was a freshman here at Concord, I decided to join a fraternity. I had narrowed my decision down to two. I am now the president of Phi Sigma Phi National Fraternity. This has perhaps been the most transformative part of my life. Who knows who I would be today if I had chosen the other path? Now, I am making another great decision in my life: choosing a law school. I applied to 12. I have been accepted to 10, waitlisted at one, and haven’t heard back from one. This decision will ultimately shape the rest of my life. It is a huge decision that I have narrowed down to two. When thinking about making this major decision, my mind wanders back to the other deci-
Appreciate everyone By Sara Cameron
Staff Writer Apprezzamento. If you’re not sure what the meaning of apprezzamento is, it means appreciation in Italian. According to dictionary. com, appreciation means: gratitude, thankful recognition. When is the last time you took the time to appreciate CU’s staff or anyone for that matter?
I’m sure you have seen the custodians taking out the, correction, our, trash in the early mornings. Or maybe you run into them as you prepare for the new day as you enter and leave the restroom. Either way, I’m sure you have seen them.
And, when you think about it, who honestly wants to start their day cleaning up our messes? Maybe it is their job and they do choose to do it, but it can’t be fun and they deserve some appreciation. There is also the Student
sions that I have made and their effects on my life—both good and bad. It is human to question your decisions, to wonder whether you made the right one. As they say, hindsight is 20-20. But, that isn’t necessarily true is it? Think, if it were, then we would know the eventual outcome of our decisions, not just whether the choice we made turned out well. Once a decision is made, it can’t be taken back—at least not without making another major decision. When you think about decisions, it’s easy to let your mind wander. Sometimes, it leads you down a scary road. I know that I have personally found myself depressed at times when questioning my past. That said, what’s the point if we can’t change things? There’s only one, to learn from our past and use it to make the best deci-
sions in the future. I guess if this is supposed to be an advice column, I should give some advice. Don’t get too freaked out over decisions you have made. Have confidence in yourself and trust your gut. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you don’t. You just have to live with the decisions that you make. Sometimes, there really isn’t a right or wrong path—just different roads leading to an inevitable fate. You are human and you are alive. You’ll find love, lose it, find it again, screw up, get drunk and pass out, make friends, make enemies, make friends out of enemies, and a plethora of other major and minor decisions in your life. Remember, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, emails are always welcome. Have a great week, until your next Senior Moment.
Last week’s solutions: Sudoku Solution
Support Services, more commonly known as the SSS, who supports us in several ways. Some of us fail to remember this. The SSS offers free tutoring, free school supplies, and in general helps keep our feet on the ground! The Aramark workers are also a group of people who we fail to appreciate to the fullest extent. They are up in the early hours of the day to keep us fed. They come in on the weekends when they would much rather be home with their families.
ing feeling, so to speak. India, I have to give you a pass on this one, I suppose. You gave us Gandhi and he was one peace loving dude, so you get a mulligan this time around. Now, I need to address one of the other players in this story, our administration. A big thank-you for getting involved, but were I a nun teaching a class on being a world leader, you would get a rap on the knuckles for dragging your feet. The path was pretty clear and you sat around questioning what course to follow while the artillery boomed across the pond. Sorry folks, but it became clear when the good Colonel started calling in the fire missions. Like him or not, but our last President is looking pretty Bstudent right now. He once mentioned that the people in the Arab world want to be as free and self-governing as anyone else and the day would
come when they would voice that desire. If you ask me, the guy was kind of prophetic. So, to ”W” I give mad props for the Vegas-like call and to President Obama, thanks for at least making the call to step up do what is expected of us. We need to remember something as Americans; we get treated like the World Cop we are. When we are around and nothing is going on, people tend to look at us and say; “What are you doing here?”, but when something bad happens, we get asked: “Where the hell have you been?” Finally, before you get all lathered up to pick apart this little rant, know I write with tongue planted in cheek and do so with the desire to invoke thought and awareness while attempting to entertain. I truly care about issues such as this and sometimes, being completely serious can be pretty depressing.
Crossword Puzzle
ACROSS 1. Afloat 5. Soda 9. Babble 10. Seasoned rice 11. Supervisor 12. Radiuses 13. Adjust 15. Stray 16. Sorry 18. Red winter apple 21. Wing 22. Critical study 26. Rounded part 28. Hawkeye State 29. Rap with the knuckles 30. Worker 31. Withered 32. Raggedy Ann's friend
DOWN 1. Syrian bishop 2. Coin machine 3. Orient 4. Foolish 5. Central Intelligence Agency 6. Elder 7. Thieves' hideouts 8. Aflame 10. Blend before 14. City 17. New York Indian 18. Disobeys 19. Solitary 20. Drudge 23. Night time "sun" 24. Reverent 25. Not one 27. Whiz
© 2011. Feature Exchange
Sudoku The challenge is to fill every row across, every column down, and every 3x3 box with the digits 1 through 9. Each 1 through 9 digit must appear only once in each row across, each column down, and each 3x3 box.
© 2007. Feature Exchange
Crossword Solution
The library staff are among the many of others who sacrifice their weekends to help us in our studies. You must be thinking, “Well, this is their job. Who cares if they come in on their weekends.” This is true. It is their job. But, the whole point of this article is to remind you to appreciate what they do. Not what just CU’s staff does for us, but appreciate what everyone does for you!
© 2007. Feature Exchange
Check us out online at www.cunewspaper.com © 2011. Feature Exchange
March 23, 2011 Page 5
Sports Game One: Baseball hits back By Kyle Cooper
Sports Information In a day highlighted by big innings, Concord’s Baseball team split a WVIAC seven-inning doubleheader with West Virginia Wesleyan Sunday afternoon at Anderson Field.
The visitors scored six times in an inning twice in winning the first game 12-1. In the nightcap, the Mountain Lions hung on to win a 13-11 shootout. The Mountain Lions took the first lead, on Raphael
Sanchez’s leadoff home run in the bottom of the 3rd.
But that would be the only run allowed by Bobcats’ starting pitcher Kevin Holdsworth, who scattered seven hits and walked only one in a complete game victory. In the top of the 5th, a series of CU missteps set the table for Wesleyan’s first big rally. Two walks and two errors started the inning, and the Bobcats needed only two hits to score a halfdozen times and lead 6-1. Concord threatened in the
bottom of the 6th, when Ian Humphrey and Jacob Mays led off with consecutive singles, but couldn’t push a run across. That set up Wesleyan for its second big rally one inning later.
The Bobcats sent 11 men to the plate in the top of the 7th, scoring six runs on five hits to end any doubt.
Nick Sydnor led the Mountain Lions offense by going 3-3 with a triple. Mark Darlington drove in three runs for WVWC. Four CU errors resulted in six unearned runs.
Track and Field team goes to Wake Forest Invitatonal By Jae Wharton
Sports Editor This past weekend Concord University Track and Field team competed at the Wake Forest Invitational.
Day one was not so hot. Brittany Pratt was the Women’s top performer on day one, getting 10th place in the women’s pole vault. And Bryan Roof was the men’s top performer, getting 27th in the men’s hammer throw. A promise of a better showing on day two really encouraged the team to focus more and do their best. It showed on day two just how strong Concord’s team could be. Shawnee Carnett won ninth place in the women’s fifteen hundred with a time of four minutes and 41 seconds. The women’s four hundred meter relay (which consisted of Erin Barnett, Lydia Powell, Brittany Pratt and Demi kirk) and sixteen hundred meter relay (which consisted of Rachel Williams, Meagan Savioli, Lydia Powell, and Shawnee Carnett) both won 13th place in a competitive relay field among these division one schools. Brittany Pratt showed her prowess again on day
Concord steps up to bat against WV Wesleyan.
Photo from cumountainlions.com
Baseball: Game Two By Kyle Cooper
Sydnor walked to load the bases, followed by back-toSports Information back two-run singles from The Mountain Lions Wenger and Webb. Later, afstruck with a four-run 1st ter another pitching change, inning, aided by a Bob- a wild pitch scored Webb cat mistake. With one out and CU was in front 10-0. Concord starting pitcher and Jacob Mays at first, Nick Sydnor hit a fly ball Brandon Proctor gave up to left. Adam Lewton dove just one hit and one walk for the ball, but it bounced in the first four innings, but off his arm for an error. struggled in the 5th. The Josh Wenger immediate- sophomore quickly allowed ly singled to left to score two hits and a walk (and Mays. Webb singled to cen- CU committed an error) beter to load the bases, and fore getting the first out. He Bret Blevins scorched a gave up another hit, and with two-run single to left to the bases loaded, hit one give Concord a 3-0 lead. batter and walked another. Dustin Nuckel came from Sanchez rocketed an in- the bullpen, but before he field single off SS Gary could end the inning WesWilliams to reload the leyan had closed within 10-8. bases. Randy Beard’s sacThe Bobcats tallied again in rifice fly capped the rally. the 6th, but Concord countered Sanchez (left) smacked in the bottom of the inning. an RBI double into the With two outs and Webb on left field corner in the third, WVWC reliever Nick 3rd to put CU ahead 5-0. Benges hit two straight batters Photo by Sterling Snyder The Mountain Lions erupt- -- Beard and Ian Humphries Meagan Savioli broke the school record in the 400m hurdles. ed for five more runs in the -- with a pitch. That brought 5th. Mays and Morrisroe sin- about another pitching two by getting 18th in the from all four individuals gled to start the inning, forc- change. In came Nathan long jump, and Meagan in their division one field. ing Wesleyan into a pitching Gainer, who got the win in Savioli won 18th in the Concord’s Track and Field change that didn’t pay off. one hundred meter hurdles. team competed very well On the men’s side the this past weekend. Next Distance Medley Relay up is their meet this com(Craig Pritt, Jae Wharton, ing weekend at the UniverRobby Peters, and Brad sity of Richmond. Great By Kyle Cooper Dugan) won fourth place Job and good luck Concord! Sports Information overall with great running
Comments, questions, complaints, suggestions? Send them to concordian@ concord.edu! Got Feedback?
The staff of The Concordian welcomes feedback on every article and the newspaper as a whole. Please share your thoughts, insights, compliments, or complaints at www.cunewspaper.com or Concordian Campus Box C45.
Saturday’s series opener with 3 2/3 innings of hitless relief.
Gainer got Mays to loft a ball to center, but Mark Darlington misplayed the potential third out into a threebase error. Webb, Beard and Humphries scored and Concord had some breathing room and a 13-9 lead. In the top of the 7th, the Bobcats loaded the bases with one out off Webb, who was on in relief. Lewton hit into a fielder’s choice that scored one run, with another coming in on a CU error. But with the winning run at the plate, Webb struck out Aaron Wiegel to put an end to threat and the game. Concord’s 4th-7th hitters – Wenger, Webb, Blevins and Sanchez – each had two hits and combined for eight RBIs and six runs scored. Up next for Concord (811, 3-3) is a visit to Wheeling Jesuit for a WVIAC doubleheader on Wednesday, March 23. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm.
Casey Ord: Player of the Week It’s fair to say someone hitting .645 is swinging a pretty hot bat. And might get some attention. Concord Softball player Casey Ord hit .645 during the Lady Lions’ spring break trip, and for that the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has named her its Player of the Week. Ord went 20-31 with 12 runs scored as CU went 4-4 in its appearance at the annual Coach Beach Spring Training Expo in Florida.
Her week included going 4-4 with two runs and an RBI in Concord’s 10-1 win over St. Cloud Tech (MN) March 8, and 3-4 with three runs in the Lady Lions’ 10-0 shutout of Ridgewater (MN) March 7. The junior from Palmerton, PA went 3-4 with two runs scored in CU’s 7-6 victory over KishPhoto from cumountainlions.com waukee (IL) March 11, the Casey Ord was named WVIAC player of the week. last game of the Florida trip. Ord becomes the first Concord player to win a WVIAC weekly honor since Tamara Smith was Pitcher of the
Week of February 22, 2010.
The Lady Lions (8-10, 0-2) return to play on Wednesday, March 16, visiting Glen-
ville State for a WVIAC doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 pm.
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Page 6 March 23, 2011
Arts and Entertainment ‘Diverse Voices’ series starts April 4th Press Release Athens, W.Va. Concord University’s Guest Author Series, “Diverse Voices,” sponsored by the West Virginia Humanities Council will be held Monday, April 4, 2011 at 8 p.m. Speakers include: T.J. Anderson III, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English at Hollins University, who has published At Last Round Up, River to Cross, Notes to Make the Sound Come Right. This will be held at Subway Sides.
Next, jazz Poet T.J. Anderson will perform his poetry with the Concord University Jazz Band and also his own percussion accompaniment followed by an Open Mic on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 4 p.m.. Then, Denise Giardina, Writer-in-Residence at West Virginia State University, will speak. Her publications include The Unquiet Earth, Emily’s Ghost, Saints and Villians, Good King Henry, and Storming Heaven. This will be held at the Concord University Point Auditori-
um with a reception following in the Alumni Room. She will read from her work on Friday, April 29, 2011 at 1 p.m. Then will be speaker: Zakes Mda, Ph.D., Professor at Ohio University. His publications include: The Hill, Ways of Dying, Black Diamond, The Whale Caller, and The Heart of Redness. He will read from his work in the Alexander Fine Arts Auditorium. All events are sponsored by the West Virginia Humanities Council
ticultural trip through time.” The Band will perform American standards like “The Thunderer” and modern songs like “Shortcut Home” as well as a Spanish piece called “Malagueña” and Renaissance pieces Ms. Zamzow has transcribed for band. Concord University music student Thomas Hilliker from Wytheville, Va., will be conducting “Malagueña.” Proceeds from the event will help fund the Band’s participation in a New York University clinic taught by Dr. Matt Sullivan. Band
members will experience New York City’s culture and history and perform at the South Street Seaport. Tickets for the Multicultural Benefit Concert can be reserved through the Concord University Box Office at www.ConcordUEvents.com and by calling (304) 384-5101 or emailing BoxOffice@concord.edu. Tickets are $5 for adults and admission is free for all students under age 18. The University Box Office will open an hour before the performance for ticket sales.
Concord University Band performing Multicultural Benefit Concert April 1 Press Release
Athens, W.Va.
You can’t miss Bonnaroo 2011
By Dustin Blankenship
Student Life Editor Bonnaroo is more than just a funny name. It is the premier culture, arts, and music festival in America. Each year since its creation, Bonnaroo has brought to the stage the biggest names from different countries, decades, and styles. Past performers have included Stevie Wonder, Jay Z, Al Green, Bruce Springfield, Nine Inch Nails, and Metallica, just to name a few. This year, Bonnaroo has outdone itself, bringing several Grammy award-winning artists for the 10th anniversary. Headlining this year will be Eminem, Arcade Fire, Ray Lamontagne, Lil Wayne, Alison Kraus, Old Crow Medicine Show, Neon Trees, the Black Keys, Girl Talk, and over 50 more. There are a great many reasons to attend this won-
derful event, which begins June 9th and runs 24 hours a day through June 12th. First, the music. It is varied. It is in large quantities. And it is amazing. Bonnaroo introduces patrons to the best rising stars and the greatest established bands in the world. The music can’t be beat. The price. Bonnaroo might seem pricy at around $300 a ticket. But for the number of great concerts that occur at the festival, it is simply amazing. If you divided the price of the ticket by the over 60 performers at the festival, you’d be paying only around $5 a ticket to each concert. You can’t beat that price! And the environment makes Bonnaroo something truly special. Cultural vendors set up shop on the different streets throughout the campground and within Center-roo, where the concerts occur.
People from different cultures and from all around the world flock to the festival. Last year, over 108 thousand people attended Bonnaroo. It’s a great place to make new friends, even if for just a weekend. Finally, for those of the legal age, Bonnaroo features a famous Brewers Tent. In this area, those who are 21 and up can purchase specialty beers and ciders from small breweries all over the country. There is also a special cigar tent for those who wish to partake. Other tents showcase different products and free giveaways sponsored by different companies. Bonnaroo has set itself up for a great 10th anniversary. Anyone with the means to get to the event would do themselves a disservice if they choose to not go. It is sure to be a fantastic event again this year.
The Concord University Band will perform a Multicultural Benefit Concert on Friday, April 1, at 7 p.m. in the University’s Alexander Fine Arts Center Theater. The concert will be based on a selection of music from around the world including America, England, Russia, Spain, Mexico, Italy and France. Band Director Laura Zamzow said the audience can “look forward to a mul-
With March comes Open Mic
By Joel Hagy
A&E Editor Monday night was this month’s open mic night and it welcomed several new faces to the stage, but the crowd was on the lower side in numbers. The opening performance was by Anthony Franks and received a nice amount of applause from the audience. He was followed by Brooke Bailey, who was sick , but still put on a really good performance. Then “Babe Ruthless“ arrived on the stage and played the song “Garbage Truck” from Scott
Pilgrim vs. The World. TJ Meadows was after the first duo and played “Act Apalled” by Circa Survive and an orignal song called “Cold Summer.” Later, he would also return to play “Slide” by the Goo Goo Dolls and the first song he ever learned: “My Side of The Story.” After those musical performances, Aj Honaker recited a poem of his own called “When I Close My Eyes.” When asked where he got the inspiration for the poem he said: “My teacher was tired of me writing emo stuff so he challenged me to write stuff about unicorns, fair-
ies, and other such things.” To break the serious tension of open mic night, Montana Callison and a guitar accompaniment brought to the stage a comical song that the duo had written over text message during the other performers’ acts. Following the duo came several other acts by other performers, and then some of the previous performers came back to the stage. During open mic night an announcement was made about the jazz band that will be here who will also hold an open mic night later in the semester.
Second Annual Spanish Film Festival happening now
By Samantha Ricketts Editor-in-Chief This week, the Division of Languages and Literature and the Office of Multicultural Affairs present the Second Annual Spanish Language Film Festival. The theme is “Hopes, Dreams and Realities: Telling the Story of Hispanic Youth through Film.”
On Monday, March 21, the festival began with the film La Vida Loca (The Crazy Life), (France/ Mexico/Spain, 2009). The turnout was pleasantly surprising. “There were a lot of people, which is great for the first day,” Professor of Spanish Dr. Matthew Edwards said. “It was a great beginning. The numbers reflect increased interest
in the Spanish program and in cultural events in general.” With over 50 people present, Edwards hopes the festival continues to grow in popularity for the rest of the movies this week. On Tuesday, March 22, the feature film was La Nana (The Maid), (Chile, 2010). On Wednesday, March 23, the group will be showing El Laberinto de Fauno (Pan’s
Labyrinth), (Spain, 2006). And finally, Thursday, March 24, closing night festivities will take place. This includes a guest lecture and reception in Concord’s University Point at 4:30 p.m. and a screening of Comingof-Age: Youth, Politics, and Culture in Contemporary Hispanic Film, presented by Dr. Valeria Manzano from the University of Chicago.
After this, at 7:30p.m. the final film of the series will be shown, called Cautiva (Captive), (Argentina, 2004). Please note that movies are free of charge and will be shown in Spanish with English subtitles. The films are intended for mature audiences and may contain adult content. All films will be shown at 7:30 p.m. in Marsh Hall 237,
and all are welcome to attend. For more information about the festival or about Concord’s Spanish degree programs, contact Dr. Matthew Edwards at mjedwards@concord.edu This event is partially funded by the West Virginia Humanities Council, and Concord University’s Division of Languages and Literature and Office of Multicultural Affairs.
March 23, 2011 Page 7
Student Life
What Do You Think... about the SGA elections? By Dustin Blankenship
Student Life Editor
Brandon Hudgins Senior “Not enough people voted.”
Lindsay Scott Freshman “I guess they were pretty good.”
Zack Graham Junior “Honestly, I could care less.”
Jacquie McKendzie Senior “I didn’t vote. My classes are at night and didn’t leave the room until at least 4.”
Catherine Jackson Sophomore “I don’t really know much about the SGA. I’m not plugged in about those things.”
Concord University international students sponsoring Japan fundraisers
Activities sponsored by the International Students’ Club begin on Monday, Athens, W.Va. March 21 with a silent auction from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Concord University’s In- in front of the student centernational Students’ Club ter bookstore. Bids for items is sponsoring a week-long will also be taken on Tuesfund-raising effort for vic- day, March 22 in front of the tims of the recent Japanese bookstore and on Wednesearthquake and tsunami. A day, March 23 and Thursvariety of events are planned day, March 24 in the Office for March 21-25, 2011. of Multicultural Affairs loOther Concord student cated in the student center. groups, including sororiItems from various culties, fraternities and ser- tures represented in the Invice organizations, are also ternational Students’ Club holding fund-raisers for will be included in the Japan. Donations received silent auction. Top bidfrom these activities will be ders will be announced added to funds collected by on Friday, March 25. the international students. Custom-designed T-shirts Fourteen Japanese students will be sold on March 23 from are currently enrolled at Con- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and March cord University. The Univer- 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. sity also has a strong alumni in front of the bookstore. base in Japan with approxiCash and check donations mately 100 graduates there. will be accepted during the
Press Release
scheduled events. Containers for donations are also being placed across campus and at several business locations in the Athens community during the week. Donations will be received on campus in the student center, library, residence halls, fine arts building, administration building, science building and Rahall Technology Center. Checks should be made to the Concord University Foundation with “Japan earthquake” in the memo line. They may be deposited at the collection sites or mailed to: Concord University Foundation, P.O. Box 1405, Athens, WV 24712. For more information contact Nancy Ellison, Concord University director of multicultural affairs, at nellison@concord. edu or 304-384-6086.
The Concordian is holding a contest for the best March Madness Bracket! Send yours to concordian@concord.edu!
Photos from The Huffington Post These pictures depict the disaster that has befallen the nation of Japan after the effects of the Tsunami. Thousands are dead and even more are without power. Several Concord students hail from the nation of Japan. The ultimate goal of the students is to raise a significant amount for a charities, such as the Red Cross.
Spanish language film festival occurring Sigma Tau Gamma this week boys sell mugs
(France/Mexico/Spain, 2009); Tuesday, March 22, “The Maid,” (Chile, Athens, W.Va. 2010); and, Wednesday, March 23, “Pan’s LabyConcord University’s Spanrinth,” (Spain, 2006). Feaish Program in the Division ture film, “Captive,” (Arof Languages and Literature gentina, 2004) will be and the Office of Multiculshown Thursday, March 24. tural Affairs will host the Closing night festivities on 2nd Annual Concord UniverMarch 24 also include Mansity Spanish Language Film zano’s lecture “Screening Festival March 21-24, 2011. Coming-of-Age: Youth, PolThe festival highlights itics, and Culture in Conteminternational films from porary Hispanic Film.” The Spain, Mexico, France, lecture will be held at 4:30 Chile and Argentina and p.m. in University Point. features guest speaker Dr. A reception will follow. Valeria Manzano from the This event is partially University of Chicago. funded by the West VirAll movies are in Spanginia Humanities Council ish with English subtitles and Concord University’s and are being shown at Division of Languages 7:30 p.m. nightly in Marsh and Literature and Office Hall 237. The films are of Multicultural Affairs. for mature audiences and For more information conmay contain adult content. tact Dr. Matthew Edwards at Films include: Monday, mjedwards@concord.edu March 21, “The Crazy Life,”
Press Release
mugs ranged from Greek chants to Bible verses. Several students had loOpinions Editor gos or symbols etched on the glass instead of words. What college kid doesn’t The brothers of Sigma Tau want a glass mug engraved Gamma took turns etching with their favorite saying? the glass, producing perThis past week, the men sonalized mugs in a fairly of Sigma Tau Gamma sold short amount of time, usupersonalized glass mugs ally within one day of a for $5 in the bottom level student placing an order. of the Student Center, and The fraternity’s table a percentage of the pro- was constantly mobbed ceeds went to the “Books with curious students for Kids” organization. and even some staff. The engravings were what The fraternity sold about caught most students’ at- 50 mugs, and is considtention, because the mugs ering doing this fundwere customized on the spot. raiser again in the future. Phrases engraved on the
By Kelly Connors
Photo by Samantha Ricketts Professor of Spanish Dr. Matthew Edwards heads up the second annual Spanish Language Film Festival this week.
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Page 8 March 23, 2011
Student Life
CU student Lilly wins WV literature symposium
By Catherine Jackson
mett was the first Concord student to receive first-place Staff Writer honors at the symposium, I had the opportunity to inter- and the only Concord stuview promising young writer, dent to do so until this year. Mitchell Lilly, winner of the What was it that motiWest Virginia Undergradu- vated you to participate in ate Literature Symposium at the literature symposium? Wheeling Jesuit University. I wanted to truly challenge This is quite an accomplish- myself through my writing, ment and is indeed worthy of but I needed a goal to attach recognition. Here is Mitch- the challenge to, something ell’s story in his own words. that would allow me to meaCould you tell me a little bit about the paper that you presented?
The paper is titled “The Book of Pym: Mock-Biblical Elements in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym,” and is a textual analysis that reasons the possibility and value in viewing Pym as an obscure novel reminiscent of lost biblical texts. When is the last time a Concord student won a literature symposium?
Five years ago, Maryanne Grimmett was awarded firstplace at the Fourteenth Annual Literature Symposium for Undergraduate Students. To my knowledge, Grim-
sure whether I missed, met, or exceeded expectations. The literature symposium became that goal. When I learned that I had been accepted to present my paper, my motivation became something more significant. I was the only presenter representing Concord—and the only presenter representing a Southern West Virginia college or university; therefore, I wanted to be a strong reflection of Concord University. Most importantly, I wanted to reward and justify the support and sacrifices many professors and students made on my behalf in order to give me the best opportunity to succeed. Without them, this achievement would have been impossible. Could you tell me a bit about
the process that you undertook to write your paper?
I read what approaches scholars had taken to analyzing the novel, reviewed Bible passages mentioning lost books of the Bible, and then delved into an extensive amount of research to determine Poe’s knowledge regarding Holy Scripture, ancient biblical languages and, most importantly, lost biblical texts. From there, I committed myself to writing and rewriting the paper for several months. Honestly, I probably became a little obsessed (or, to use a more Poe applicable term, monomaniacal) with the paper; not a day passed that I did not work on it. What symposium
was
the like?
Listening to a dozen research papers might not be the most riveting way to spend a Saturday for many people; however, for me, the symposium was truly an experience unlike any other. The participants, like the atmosphere of the symposium, were extremely intelligent and respectful, but not devoid of competitiveness. Everyone presented strong essays with
The First Amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
“I love to smoke.” And I’m tired of hearing that I’m going to die.
equally strong deliveries, and demonstrated their knowledge of both subject and author by navigating a field of questions. I really did not feel stressed or nervous. I was confident in my essay and my preparation, so I was able to control my nerves and remain determined and focused. What career field do you hope to enter into?
I plan to teach literature— preferably American Literature—on a college level. Aside from teaching, I want to be a writer. Whether it involves writing an analytical research dissertation or creative fiction, I just want to be writing.
What is your advice for others who hope to successfully enter symposiums? Be willing to commit to the amount of hard work and preparation it takes just to be invited to the symposium. This task is not something a person can procrastinate until one week before the submission deadline. If that is your approach to writing, the literature symposium is not for you. Also, ask for the help and guidance from professors and classmates. The English pro-
fessors love good writing, and are more than willing to help a student produce a strong reflection of their skills as a writer of analytical essays. What about
do you enjoy Poe’s writing?
The aspect I love most about Poe is also his most frustrating characteristic: in his writing, Poe revels in the chaos of contradiction. As Dr. Brichford once said, “Poe does not lend himself easily to analysis.” Therefore, many divisions exist in Poe scholarship that includes—but is not limited to—whether Pym upholds southern racial codes, or is a parody of southern racial attitudes. Plus, I love to defend Poe’s relevance in academia. Because much of Poe’s material is believed to be too easily accessible by the general reading audience, there are scholars who argue that Poe’s work does not belong in academic scholarship. I, however, love to argue otherwise. If you could meet Poe today, what would you say to him?
I might ask him for his assessment of modern literature, his thoughts on being a well-regarded author
in modern times compared to his reputation during his lifetime, or maybe even ask him what certain elements in Pym truly mean. However, after all of these months of hard work and preparation for the literature symposium, I think I would simply ask him, “How ‘bout a drink?” Is there anything else you would like to share?
Before I left for the symposium, I remember telling a friend that “if I have not prepared well enough to win the competition, then I hope I take third-place.” My comment was mostly fueled by my participation in various competitions where I never did better than second-place. Interestingly, due to a mistake, I did receive third. The symposium’s chairperson, Dr. Joseph Brumble of Wheeling Jesuit University, announced the award order backwards. For ten seconds, I was awarded third-place; however, for the rest of my life, I finally achieved first-place honors. Well done, Mitchell. You surely deserve a wellearned drink. Cheers!
Increase length and quality of life at the CU Fitness Center
By Cody Vinson
those who were lean and fit.
Guest Writer The Fitness Center at Concord University is a facility that offers everything that students, faculty, and staff need to raise the level of fitness in their lives. From top of the line treadmills and exercise bikes to Nautilus equipment that targets specific body parts, the CU Fitness Center has what you need to dramatically increase the quality and length of your life. Functional-Fitness-Facts. com describes an eight-year study of 20,000 people, where the ones that were unfit had twice the risk of death as
As you can see, physical fitness is directly related to longevity of life.
Many people complain that they don’t have enough energy and time to exercise regularly.
Studies from the same site show that people who worked out for one year became 27 percent more active in their daily routines. This, in turn, will make people feel like they can accomplish more tasks in less time. This also directly relates to study habits and will allow students to perform better in classes, and faculty and staff to perform their jobs more efficiently.
Three balanced workouts a week in the CU Fitness Center will allow you to achieve and maintain a satisfactory level of physical fitness, increase the longevity of your life, and become more active in your daily routine. Of course, you can always visit more often for optimal results.
The CU Fitness Center, located in the lobby of North Tower, is open Monday to Friday from 6am-11pm, Saturday from 12pm-6pm, and Sunday from 12pm11pm. This fantastic facility is available free of charge to students, faculty, and staff at Concord University.
Upcoming Career Related Webinar Series
Just in case you haven’t been following what’s happening in the employment world today, be advised that finding a job following the completion of a college degree, is highly competitive. Students need to start early in their college career to develop and
my room “If you really want me to think about quitting, tell me something new. Something that’s going to make me feel better... now. Like, a couple of days after you quit, food tastes better. In a month, that annoying cough is gone. No joke. Maybe I should talk to someone who can help.” The West Virginia Tobacco Quitline is a FREE Program that offers:
hone job search skills to be a competitive candidate upon graduation. The Career/Advancement Services Office will be hosting a series of free webinars for all Concord students and anyone else interested in learning more about proven job search techniques. All webinars will be held from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. in B19-Library. The topics for the seminars are as follows: Wednesday, March 23 Career Exploration
• FREE Customized Quit Plan • FREE Patches, Gum and Lozenges
Wednesday, March 30 Mentoring
• FREE Calls with a Trained Cessation Coach
Wednesday, April 6
• FREE Educational Materials about Quitting Smoking
Wednesday, April 27 Listening
1-800-QUIT-NOW
when you’re ready.
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources • Made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Kathleen Barton Melissa Giovangnoli
Wednesday, April 13 Interviewing Scott Zimmerman/Carl Rakich Wednesday, April 20 Twitter
Call the Quitline at
Richard Bowles
Susan Whitcomb Mark Goulston
Wednesday, May 4
Networking
Devora Zack
Wednesday, May 11
Career Strategy
Peter Weddle
Wednesday, May 18
Job Search
Martin Yate