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T he W hetstone The independent newspaper of Wesley College
Early February 2012
SGA passes new constitution and chooses new Greeks fight to gain adviser, Dr. Cynthia Newton By Adaobi Ezeani reputation back Whetstone Contributor The Student Government Association approved a new constitution Jan. 30 and elected Dr. Cynthia Newton as its faculty adviser. For the past several years, the SGA has been advised by someone from Student Life. The constitution now must be approved by President William Johnston, said Bryan Zarou, vice president. “Every student will be able to view a copy of the constitution, after it is approved and signed by President Johnston,” he said. Newton said she was honored to be chosen, and that she will be a “hands-off” adviser. “My vision of an SGA adviser is to be someone that’s there for advice,” she said. “To let students experience leadership on their own, explore democracy, and if there’s an issue or problem where they
need advice, I step in and help.” Newton, who said she doesn’t plan on attending the SGA’s Monday meetings unless asked, was SGA adviser at her previous institution, Norwich University in Northfield, Vt. Sometimes the SGA may butt heads with administration, she said, which is why a faculty adviser is necessary. “Student governments historically at colleges across the country have had controversial moments, and it’s important for an adviser to feel comfortable, feel protected,” Newton said. “I have the support of many strong colleagues, several of whom are tenured, and I feel that the current administration is much more open to student leadership and governance.”
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Wesley Wednesdays Missed opportunities at the LEX stifle Wesley’s national By Nick Thompson The Whetstone championship hopes Wesley College junior Bobby Erhardt recalls many wild Wednesday nights at the Loockerman Exchange. “Getting mashed up with my friends and speaking Egyptian to girls, that sounds about right,” he said. “Do you know how to speak Egyptian? Me either, but I somehow manage to do it.” While not officially sponsored by the school, every Wednesday night Wesley students line up to party at Leone’s Loockerman Exchange at the corner of Loockerman Street and State Street. When the bar changed owners in late 2008, it wasn’t long before Wesley students began patronizing the LEX. Bartender Tim Ciancutti, who still works every Wednesday night, remembers how it became a Wesley tradition. “We threw a ‘Recession Party’ in January or February of 2009,” he said. “We had 25-cent drinks and about 400 people showed up that night. I’m here Wednesday nights and after a while they all kinda blend together.” Many students love going there on Wednesday nights. “It’s fun to go out to Loockerman every now and then because, honestly, it’s one of the only places that people under the drinking age can go out and party,” said sophomore Jewel Coles. “The school has not had many parties since I’ve been here, and they are few and far between.” Most Wednesdays draw a good crowd, but not every week lives up to the hype.
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What’s Inside -Raising retention rates p. 3 -Open Mic Night p. 5
By Benjamin Lykens The Whetstone
By Linnea Cavallo The Whetstone The Greeks on Wesley College campus have a lot of work to do to turn around the negative campus-wide perception that they are party animals or even overly promiscuous. The fight between two fraternities toward the end of last semester that left both Phi Kappa Sigma and Alpha Phi Delta – and several students – on probation, and one student expelled didn’t help. The vision that some students have of Greeks sprawled on their front porches drunk, or displaying dozens of Facebook pictures of skimpily dressed sorority sisters help to reinforce the image. Several members of Greek organizations say they are trying to change the way a lot of the student body sees them through community service and fundraisers. “First off, (our sorority sisters) are hard workers, not only aca-
The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas
demically but in the community,” said Phi Kappa Sigma brother Jeffrey Martinez. “Why people care about their love lives or who they’re with is beyond me. They should acknowledge what they have accomplished as groups and part of the Wesley family.”
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Security guard asks professor to check bathroom for possible armed suspect The Wolverine football team racked-up almost 500 yards of offense but still came up short in the semi-final game against Mount Union. Head Coach Mike Drass said he felt that his team played good enough to win but instead failed to capitalize at pivotal points in the game. “It was one of those games where I was really proud of how the team played but we didn’t stop them in the red zone and we just came up short,” he said. Mount Union, a Division 3 powerhouse, has been giving the Wolver-
athletics.mountunion.edu/
ines problems for the last couple of years. However, Drass said he isn’t into moral victories and believed that his team surprised Mount Union with how well they played. “I don’t think it’s a surprise for us but I think it was a surprise for Mount Union that we made it a game,” Drass said. The Wolverines focused on stopping the opposing team’s running game. Mount Union instead came out with a passheavy attack, taking most snaps from shotgun to slow down the Wolverines aggressive pass rush.
Jump to PLAYOFFS on p. 8 -Segregation among classes? p. 8 -Poetry and Prose p. 8
By Hodges Horton Whetstone Contributor Dr. Elizabeth Siemanowski thought it was just going to be another Thursday morning in Budd Hall. She was wrong. About 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 12, a Wesley security guard asked the psychology professor if she could look in the first floor women’s bathroom for a 6-foot-1 woman who security suspected had run into while fleeing from Dover police. The guard told her she had dark hair, wore blue jeans, a black jacket with a fur trim – and she had a gun. Siemanowski agreed to help find the suspect. “Although I had not heard anything untoward that morning, I should not have gone into a potential hiding place of an armed individuThe Whetstone / Cochise Lucas al without more The women’s bathroom in Budd Hall, where the suspect may have been hiding. protection,” Jump to SUSPECT on p. 2 Siemanowski said later.
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“For me, it’s only the first few weeks and the last Smith. week of the semester that Wednesday at the LEX Smith emphasized that the school is not associreally pops off,” said junior Timyra Bridgeford. ated with the LEX. Others feel the same way. “It’s a business and it has to make money, but “When everybody comes back from Wesley has no association with the “It’s fun to go out to breaks, that’s when it’s packed and LEX in any capacity,” she said. we go in there and dance it out,” said Loockerman every now But many students think it’s part and then because, hon- of the deal. sophomore Josh Chelleh. estly, it’s one of the only Some administrators see it as a “I think I’m your typical college places that people under student,” said sophomore Kevin social occasion. the drinking age can “Going to the LEX gives students Green. “ I go to class and do my go out and party,” said a chance to socialize,” said Wesley’s homework, but I still go out and sophomore Jewel Coles. party. It’s part of the college experinew Alcohol Education Coordinator, Caress Roach. “I know, of-age college ence.” kids are going to party, but I want And it’s a memorable experience. them to make responsible decisions when drinking “Twenty years from now, I’ll still remember my alcohol.” party days and that’ll definitely include WednesSome fear the consequences of Wednesday drink- days at Loockerman,” said sophomore Jon Petite. ing. “Laughing on the walks home and kinda remem“Drinking during the week is a dangerous bering it the next morning. That sums up the LEX slope for students and it can seriously affect their to me.” grades,” said Director of Student Activities Sarah
BSU revs up Black History Month with activities By Ashley Richards Whetstone Contributor
Two Wesley College organizations plan to educate students about black history during the month of February, just as black leader Carter G. Woodson tried to educate the American people when he instituted Black History Month in 1976. P.U.L.S.E and the Black Student Union plan several events during the month that encourage students to stop by the library or sponsoring trips. Carter G. Woodson established Black History Month in 1976 to educate the American people about African American cultural backgrounds and reputable achievements. Students can read some of the books included in a book display dedicated to Black History Month in Parker Library, including Overcome, Parting the Waters, and Protest at Selma. During Martin Luther King Week (Jan.15-21), P.U.L.S.E. sponsored a King remembrance service in Wells Theater. Starting Feb. 7, Black History Month quotes were hung around campus, along with “I Have a Dream” hands put up by the Black Student Union. “This will be a way for students to remember what their goals or aspirations were as a child, just as Martin Luther King Jr. wanted,” said Brittney Anthony, president of BSU. BSU also plans a Feb. 12 trip to Washington D.C. For the last two years, BSU has made it tradition to have an event every week during Black History Month. BSU sponsored a trip the week of Jan. 23 to see Red Tails, a movie about African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program. “We felt this movie was not only educational but motivational,” Anthony said. BSU also will sponsor a “Soul Food for the
Staff -
Spring 2012 Editor-in-Chief - Melissa Boyd melissa.boyd@email.wesley.edu. com Managing Editor and Online Editor - Lamesha Green Lamesha.Green@email.wesley. edu Photo Editor - Cochise Lucas
Whetstone Contributor / Kyle Pequeno President Brittney Anthony helps BSU develop black history month activities
Thought” night at Dulany Hall on Feb 15, along with “Jeopardy” – where students can show off their knowledge of black history and win prizes – on Feb 21. There are many ways the students can involve themselves this month, Anthony said. “It is our mission to re-inform our peers about our past and encourage their future,” she said. But honoring and learning about black history is not only for one month, Anthony said. “People tend to think just because it is Black History Month we need to show special recognition to African Americans only one time of the year,” she said. “That is not our statement. We pay homage to African Americans throughout the year, every week at our meetings and events.”
Advisers
Adviser- Victor Greto Online Adviser- Dr. Tery Griffin
Staff Writers
Linnea Cavallo Alissa Kolanko Benjamin Lykens Nicholas Thompson
Online Staff Alissa Kolanko
Early February 2012
Q&A: Cheryl Carter, new writing center coordinator
By Melissa Boyd The Whetstone Q: Where were you born? Did you grow up there? Cheryl Carter: I grew up in Camden, Delaware, but I was born in Long Beach, California. We moved when I was an infant. Q: Do you like it here? CC: Oh, I love it here. I retired from teaching English at Lake Forest High School in June 2011; but, I knew I didn’t want to stop teaching. An opportunity presented itself here in the fall as an adjunct teaching college writing, The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas and I took it. Q: When did you first start teaching, and where? CC: My first two years [after graduation] I started at Woodridge High School. Then I moved and returned to Lake Forest in 2000 and started teaching seventh grade English. One of the admissions counselors [Andrew Lawton] here at Wesley – I began teaching Andrew in seventh grade and remained with his class until he graduated in 2006. I had him for six years. Q: What is your new title for the Writing Center and what are your responsibilities? CC: I am the Writing Center Coordinator. I work with writing tutors and I teach EN201 [the prerequisite for writing tutors]. I promote the Resource Center and everything we have available so faculty and students know we are here and offer help for all students of all levels. Q: Do you have aspirations for the Writing Center and the Academic Resource Center (ARC)? If so, what are they? CC: My aspirations for the Writing Center are to make it the best it can be. I want the Writing Center to be forethought, not an afterthought. I want students and faculty to utilize the “Center” and avail themselves of everything we have to offer by way of experienced tutors, reference materials, and a computer lab. We are more than happy to work with faculty to establish writing seminars or to visit classes to talk about the importance of writing. Q: You mentioned training would be a little different this semester than previous semesters. What does writing tutor training now entail? CC: The tutors are going to work with me for at least 3-4 weeks before they begin tutoring. When they begin tutoring, I’m going to put them with a veteran tutor first. Q: What would you like people to know about the Writing Center and the ARC? How do you want to encourage students to go to the centers? CC: What I tell my students is that the Writing Center is for everyone, every single student on this campus; especially those who want to succeed. That goes for people on the President’s List [4.0 GPA], and those on academic probation [below a 2.0 GPA]. We encourage and want everyone to come in and we’ll welcome everyone with open arms. We just want to help.
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SUSPECT on p. 1 As she slowly walked into the restroom, she made sure the security guard was close behind her. “I was not coerced,” Siemanowski said, “and certainly could have refused to help. Given any preference, in retrospect, I’d prefer to interpret my actions as altruistic, rather than stemming from obedience to the request of an authority figure.” There was no answer after Siemanowski asked if someone was in there. She opened the door to each of the stalls to make sure that no one was there. She told faculty who were on the first floor that there may have been an armed woman on the loose. Several faculty members closed their office doors. Later, the entire Wesley College campus discovered via text-messaging that an armed
suspect had abandoned a stolen vehicle found on State Street in front of the Admissions House. Dover Police and Wesley security began a search of the campus to find her. They never found her, although some sources said it was the result of a domestic dispute. Head of Security Walt Beaupre alerted all staff and students via text and email. “As the police were looking for her and it was close to campus, I felt it was best to alert the campus community,” he said. Beaupre also said he talked to the security guard about his conduct with Siemanowski. “What we did the morning of Jan. 12 was not the proper procedure to follow,” he said. “I’ve spoken with the security officer involved and we’ve discussed what we would do different if a similar situation would ever occur.”
Early February 2012
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Study raises hopes for improving Wesley’s retention rates By Joncara Marshall Whetstone Contributor
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Wesley student Marc Chambers signs in for his time at the Department of Academic Support. Wesley College has a major problem: keeping students from leaving for other schools or dropping out after attending only one semester or one year. The college got some money and a consulting agency to help them keep those students when it received a $100,000 grant last summer from The Jesse Ball DuPont Foundation, and used the money to hire Performa Higher Education, an education consulting agency, to see why students leave. “We want students to stay and graduate and do better,” said Mary Alice Ozechoski, dean of students. “That’s what all colleges work for.” Most colleges have a hard time keeping students from first to second year and second to third year. But it has been really
hard at Wesley in the past couple of years, as the school has lost about half of its first-time, full-time students. The college was encouraged this spring semester, when it retained about threequarters of its students from the fall. To continue this trend, the consultants, PHE, have suggested that the college improve its admissions policy, and recruit higher-achieving students and severely limiting the admission of lower-achieving ones. PHE, which called its Wesley plan, “Moving the Needle,” said it had surveyed fall semester students and faculty, both through email and a three-day campus visit. Wesley received the results of PHE’s findings Jan. 11. PHE said Wesley was doing some things right, praising its Academic Resource Center, strong student leaders, and faculty. Charlene Stephens, director of the department of academic support, said she is proud of the ARC. “It feels good to work hard and be recognized for it,” she said. The results of the survey showed that students enjoyed the small campus, small class sizes and the faculty and student relationship.
The agency also gave 10 recommenda“I like the community and the small tions to help improve students’ Wesley classes,” said Erica Martin, a transferred experience, including improvements in senior and vice president of the National campus safety and an Society of Leadership early alert system for at and Success. “Students Wesley will begin to start and risk students. get one on one attenplan new ideas and improve Frances Riddle, the tion from the profesold systems, including putting coordinator of academic financial aid and the business sors.” advising, said she was But Martin was not office on the same floor, Dwyer not surprised by PHE happy that some of her said. findings. credits did not transfer. “Performa was kind of like the little “I have to start all over again.” Martin kid in the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’,” said. Riddle said. “There were things that we Others said they enjoy the size of the should have known and knew. We needed campus and classes and the professors. someone from the outside to bring it to But they also feel that there is nothing to our attention.” do on campus. Dr. Patricia Dwyer, vice president of “I wish they had more to do here on academic affairs, said she also was not weekends,” said freshman Janea Jones. “I surprised by some of the recommendasit in my room bored watching TV.” tions made by PHE. Jones said she was considering trans“Analyzing the data confirmed what we ferring to a historically black college or sensed were issues,” Dwyer said. university because of the different events Wesley will begin to start and plan new that are held at them. ideas and improve old systems, including Shane Simpson, another freshman and putting financial aid and the business ofbusiness and psychology major, plans to fice on the same floor, Dwyer said. leave Wesley after his sophomore year to “Students will see a significant change,” go to Penn State. Ozechoski said. But he would consider staying. Students confirmed both the positive and “If I had a stronger connection with negative findings of the survey. people instead of them acting fake.”
Nursing freshman loves horses
By Lamesha Green The Whetstone Not wanting to be to far from people watch on TV,” she home, freshman Brooke Gansaid. “You get nerves right non, a native of Harrington, before the race takes place came to Wesley to major in and with almost anything nursing. competitive in life, you win Unlike most nursing students, some, you lose some.” Gannon has spent most of her Putting her passion for life around horses on her parracing horses aside, Gannon ents’ horse farm. started to take an interest in “Being around horses is all I nursing. really know since I have been “For a while I wasn’t rearound them all my life,” she ally sure what I wanted to said. “What I like the most be until my cousin was in about horses is that, similar to a bad accident,” she said. people, they have their own perThe Whetstone / Cochise Lucas “Just being a witness and sonalities. Every horse is differseeing him go through such ent from one another, which is interesting in a tragic situation and how the nurses helped a way because you get to watch the process care for him every way they could really in how they grow.” inspired me to think that I could do the same Gannon takes after her father, Michael, for someone else’s family member.” when it comes to racing their horses at an Gannon feels that at a small school she early age. matters. “With the horse business, I have been own“I really like the nursing program here ing and riding horses since I was born,” he at Wesley,” she said. “It really focuses on said. “By the time my daughter Brooke was each individual nursing student where as two, we brought our first standard bred race compared to a larger school I would just be horse, and ever since then I have been racing considered a number. At Wesley, students are horses.” far from being considered a number because Sixteen years later Gannon bought her first students get that person attention and one on horse. one relationship with there professors.” “Me and my father bought my first horse She will never forget her roots. sometime in November,”she said. ”My “Since I want to pursue a career in nurshorse, ‘Love Heals,’ is a one-year-old male ing, I know I’m not going to really have the colt. Not being a big fan of his name, I am time to be able to own or even be on a farm currently in the process of changing it to to raise horses as much as I did growing up something else.” back at home,” Gannon said. “I would love Gannon also said she was inspired by her to be a nurse and race horses since it was dad’s love for racing horses. such a life touching experience.” “My father has been racing horses all my At Wesley, Gannon got involved in field life, which has made me grow to love it just hockey where she gained the friendship of as much as he does,” she said. “I am around her teammate, junior Amanda Hudson. horses all the time, mostly on the week“Even though our friendship is new, it ends.” feels like we have been friends for years,” Gannon competes seasonally at the Dover Hudson said. “Brooke has a true talent for and Harrington horse races. hockey and demonstrates that passion in her “When a lot of people think about horse school work as well.” racing they often link it back to the KenHudson also said Gannon is a very trusttucky derby,” she said. “The horse racing in worthy and polite young lady. Delaware is nothing like that what so ever.” After she graduates from Wesley, GanGannon says horse racing is a different non wants to get her RN license and work kind of sport. at a local hospital in Delaware and then in “Racing horses is not like any other sport Pittsburgh.
Bare skin versus “tatted” skin By Melissa Boyd The Whetstone The division among students said it all. Only five Wesley College students sat on the “bare skin” side of the tattoo debate while 5 times their number sat on the “tatted” side. A discussion about tattoos, sponsored by The Black Student Union, brought out 30 students during the group’s Jan. 18 general meeting. “I think anything you have on your body is considered art,” said sophomore Ashly Bendorovich. She has several tattoos, including one located on the back of her neck. “Influential tattoos mean more, though,” she said, referring to tattoos that has a special meaning for the person. BSU researcher Autumn Lawson directed the meeting. “Do men find women with sleeve tattoos attractive?” she asked the groups. Most of the men said if women had
The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas Asly Bendorovich has a tattoo on the back of her neck, that reads “courage.”
sleeves, they should have artistic value. Most students also said that facial tattoos were unattractive. Lawson asked how a “tatted” person might be viewed when he or she tried to get hired. Most said they themselves would hire people if their tattoos could not be seen regularly. Jennifer Grillo, a sophomore in the nursing program, said she has a tattoo on her lower back. “Having tattoos in the business world, especially in the healthcare field, will probably cause you problems,” she said. Brittney Anthony, president of BSU, disagreed. “Just because people have tattoos all over their arms doesn’t mean they won’t be hired, though,” she said. Senior Marvin Bond said tattoos with meaning are The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas more worthwhile. The “tatted” side discusses tattoos in the work place. “Mine is a message, so whenever I look at my arm, I see my message,” he said. His tattoo reads, “Failure is not an option.”
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The fight between the two fraternities last semester left a sour view for Matthew Ryan, whose window was broken by a keg, after it was thrown during a fraternity brawl. “They broke my window, I had to pay for it and the ones that got suspended aren’t even the ones who broke it,” Ryan said. Ryan’s house is not the only thing left a mess. While driving past some of the Greeks’ houses on Governors Avenue on Sunday, Jan. 29, anyone could have seen red Solo cups scattered throughout worn lawns in front of scattered fraternity and sorority houses, along with empty cardboard boxes that once held 30-packs of beer. One neighbor, senior Ashley Richards, said she experiences first hand these weekends. “Sometimes they get so drunk they pass out on their front porches,” she said. This is the image Greeks say they are trying to change. “The Greek community is trying to educate the Wesley community on what they truly do,” says Director of Student Activities Sarah Smith. “All of our organizations’ nationals require its members to complete
community service hours anywhere between 15-30 hours per semester.” Teri Jackson, of Theta Phi Alpha, and Taylor Harvey, of Delta Phi Epsilon, said Greeks are trying to help sway people’s opinions about them by making more widely known their community service and fundraisers. “We don’t just wear letters,” Harvey said. For example, the Greeks sponsor the annual Wish Fest Carnival. The carnival is open to the campus. The Greeks also plan on doing a clothing relay to gather old or unwanted clothing, and a canned food drive. Another large activity the community is trying to do is a mentoring program. Members take an hour-long seminar to learn how to mentor children from surrounding middle schools. The Greek community also plans on putting a thermometer up to track how many hours of community service they are accomplishing this semester for the student body to see. “We aren’t what people stereotype us as,” Martinez said. “We are business before anything.”
That said, the SGA here has a good rapport with the administration, she said. “The current administration is open to understanding the importance of student voice.” Dr. Tony Armstrong, professor of political science, said the main changes written into the new SGA Constitution reinforced the idea that a faculty member should be the students’ adviser. “This is important because it allows for genuine autonomy for the students,” he said. As Chair of the Student Affairs Committee, Armstrong spearheaded a resolution, passed unanimously by the faculty during its Oct. 31, 2011, meeting that to “effectively represent the will and interests of the student body, we, the faculty of Wesley College, insist that the adviser to student government be a member of the faculty, as specified in the Board-ratified SGA Constitution.” Armstrong said the new SGA Constitution also broadened representation for students. “They now have provisions for representatives from dorms and other groups who never were directly represented before,” he said. “For many years, representatives were just from student organizations, which is not representative of the entire student body.” SGA President Tanner Polce said the new Constitution is only one of the big plans SGA wants to implement this semester. “We plan on making four big changes and we do hope that it is recognized by the student body as a whole,” Polce said after opening the first SGA
meeting of the spring semester, Jan. 23. SGA also will be partnering with security and IT this semester to help reinforce safety on campus. Polce said they are looking to replace and assemble 21 cameras throughout the campus and in the dorms to insure that the campus is always monitored. “Cameras around campus will increase safety because it will make it easier for security to pick up unfamiliar or suspicious people,” said Jazzelle Taghap, a freshman at the college. Some students say this has been one of the biggest problems at Wesley: people walking on campus who aren’t students and travel freely between the library and even Underground in basement of College Center to play pool or watch TV. Once the cameras are in place, Taghap said, “Wesley would just have to look at the footage and find out who the person is.” The SGA also is working to get Wi-Fi in all six of the dorms. Many students say access to the Internet in the dorm rooms is slow and sometimes doesn’t even work. Several students are excited about better Internet access. “With routers, we can get things done more efficiently instead of having to go to the library,” said freshman Crystal Winkler. Better access will allow students the opportunity to work in the comfort of their own room. “Sometimes students can’t study or do homework in the library, primarily because it’s not a comfortable environment for them,” said sophomore Melody Dimerson.
Early February 2012
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Open Mic Night draws a crowd By Nick Thompson The Whetstone Despite the technical difficulties with the sound equipment that caused a delay, about 40 enthusiastic people attended Open Mic Night late in the evening of Jan. 20 in the Underground. The event, which began a half-hour after its scheduled start of 8 p.m., was part of Wesley College’s new Alcohol Education Coordinator, Caress Roach, and Howl at the Moon’s efforts to provide safe alternatives for students to participate on weekend nights. Roach, who is here at Wesley on a grant to promote the education of students on overall wellness but who hopes to institutionalize the program, said she was very pleased with the crowd the event drew. “Although the turnout, in terms of performers, wasn’t as big as I had hoped, I hope that this inspires more students to come out and share their talents,” Roach said. Carpenter Hall residential director Robert Price opened the show playing bass guitar and singing a religious-oriThe Whetstone / Cochise Lucas ented song, A student performs at Open Mic Night, “Sing of Your reading a poem from his phone. Love Forever.” The crowd clapped along while he performed. He was followed by new Roe Hall RD, Andre Ifill, who read several of his original poems. “Before the show I was a little nervous, because I hadn’t read poetry in awhile, but it was nice that I
had a good crowd,” Ifill said. Junior Arron Mennoken performed several spoken word raps that touched on putting himself through college and taking care of his daughter, who sat in the front row. At one point his phone screen, from where he read his lyrics, went dark, but he continued on unfazed to the surprise of the crowd. “I heard about this show yesterday, so I didn’t have much time to prepare, but it’s easy to me based off of my previous experiences performing,” Mennoken said. Other performers included Phyllis Neal and David Ridgely. Ridgeley performed an original song that he says was inspired by women at Wesley that he believes treated him unfairly in the past. When he started singing, there were some jests heard from the crowd but he continued, and some in the crowd began to nod their head and clap along. The set came to an end with sophomore singer and guitarist Jordan Lozzi’s performance of “High and Dry” by Radiohead. His baseball teammates came out in force to support him. Junior Joe Lightcap said, “I really enjoyed his performance and he represented Wesley baseball well.” Freshman Tenaj Moody, who hosted the event, said she was pleased with the outcome of the night. “I believe the students who attended enjoyed themselves, and all of the performers came out and did their thing,” Moody said. Audience member and sophomore exercise science major Brittany Brooks was initially skeptical of the quality of the performances for the night. “I didn’t know how good the show would be at first, but I came out for some entertainment and that’s exactly what I got,” she said.
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No one injured after single shot fired near gym
By Melissa Boyd The Whetstone A man fired a gunshot just after 8 p.m. Monday night in Parking Lot D near the gymnasium and behind Slaybaugh Hall. No one was injured, but several students heard the shot, and at least one reported seeing a man flee the scene. Wesley security responded with Dover Police. About 10 minutes after the shot was fired, a security text alert was sent to all students, asking them to “remain inside until area is cleared.” Director of safety and security Walter Beaupre said the shooter was seen running south after he fired the shot. “As of now, no one has been arrested,” he said. “One witness has been extremely helpful.” Beaupre said Wesley security received multiple calls from students and at least one staff member, who called 911. “Dover Police responded immediately with four patrol units along with Wesley Security,” he said. “They responded to the initial scene and then searched the larger area for suspects.” After checking the campus twice, Beaupre sent out an “all clear” text at 9:25 p.m. Although the initial text asked students to remain inside, fewer than 10 minutes later students were seen walking around campus, including the parking lot where the shot had been fired. “We encourage all students to put their safety first,” Beaupre said. “In this situation, the safest place for students to remain was indoors and away from the location where the shot was fired.” Beaupre gave tips for students if a similar situation were to occur in the future. “[Students should be] aware of their surroundings,” he said. “If you have an emergency, immediately notify Dover Police at 911. Never walk on or off campus alone. Always walk with a friend or in a group.” Beaupre also said escorts are available for students at any time for any reason, and students can call Wesley Security at 736-2436.
Education major wins Capital One Academic All-American By Lamesha Green The Whetstone Senior Carlé Ax’s goal is to make math more interesting to children. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was little,” Ax said. “I think what I loved the most about teachers back then was writing on the white boards. Now my reason behind wanting to become a teacher is that I love seeing the looks on kids’ faces when they learn something new.” In December, Ax was named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-American Division III volleyball team. Unlike some of her former high school teachers, Ax wants to create a new way to teach math in the classroom. “I don’t want to be considered a mean or boring math teacher like some of my teachers were back in high school,” Ax said. “I want to make my students experience in math class fun so they will have no choice but to learn.” Three years ago, Ax chose Wesley. “Volleyball is the main reason I came to Wesley,” Ax said. “I was offered a scholarship to play volleyball that was just too good to turn down.” Ax also said she wanted to get away from her home town, Lewiston, Idaho. “Another reason I wanted to attend Wesley is because I wanted to see the other side of the country,” she said. Ax finds no difficulty in maintaining her 4.0 GPA, while doing a lot of activities, and having a social life. “I’ve always been independent and when I graduated from high school I moved towards Independence,” Ax said. “Basically I depend on myself with little assistance from my parents.” Ax plans to graduate this May. “I came into Wesley as a second semester freshman,” she said. “In high school, I took AP and college courses that gave me college credits allowing me to graduate
early.” Ax says the best way to graduate on time is to get to know your adviser. “Having a close relationship with my adviser helped me a lot,” she said. “If you build a close relationship with your advisor it can help you stay on track rather than the confusion of picking your classes on your own.” Although she switched her major three times, Ax still The Whetstone / Melissa Boyd remains on track. “Here at Wesley I switched my major three times,” Ax said. “First, I was Elementary education, then I went into secondary math education, and now I am just a straightout math major. So even though I switched my major three times I took 17-18 credits a semester, allowing me graduate in three years.” Ax is proud of her choice to attend Wesley. “I like Wesley because it’s small,” she said. “I know everyone in the math department as far as all the professors and students, and I formed a good relationship with them. With the Wesley community being such a small net, it has given me a better opportunity to form a lot of long-lasting relationships.” Ax’s on campus activities include playing for the volleyball team, being a member of the Alpha Chi national honor society, and an ARC math tutor. “I really enjoy being a math tutor in the ARC,” Ax said.
“The best part of this job is teaching math hands on to students, which gives me that hands on experience I can later use when I start teaching children.” Ax’s tutoring benefits students understanding math. “Carlé is an awesome math tutor,” said senior Raven Nowell. “She gives you that one on one help to better understand the difficulties you may struggle with in math.” Being homesick is not an option. “What keeps me from being really homesick is my friends,”Ax said. “Some of my friends invite me to come home with them during the holidays, which are really the time I miss my family the most.” Ax’s roommate, junior Rachel Sprague, sees potential in Ax’s future career. “Carlé is a very loyal friend,” she said. “We’ve been best friends since our freshmen year she is someone that you can always count on.” Sprague also said Ax is the most kind-hearted and hardworking person she has met at Wesley thus far. Senior Trevor Kling said Ax has been putting her all into everything she does since they have stared dating over a year ago. “Carlé makes her academics a priority and always demonstrates great work ethic in completing her studies,” Kling said. “Carlé strives to be the best in all that she does and always finds a way to do it. She is truly a fantastic person and deserves everything she achieves.” Kling also said Ax puts a tremendous amount of effort into volleyball and is a pleasure to watch play. Following graduation in May, Ax wants to get her master’s degree. “When I graduate I plan to get my master’s degree in secondary math,” Ax said. “Some schools I applied to were UD, Duquesne University, Coastal Carolina, Lewis and Clark in Portland, Oregon.“ She plans on starting graduate school this June.
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Early February 2012
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Freshman political science major comes out on top By Lamesha Green The Whetstone
Freshman political science major Kira Tieman also said she was thrilled by the Tieman had no intentions of being the experience. SGA secretary within her first year at “Being elected SGA secretary was excitWesley. Her original plan was to run for ing,” she said. “Just to know that I could get office next year. enough votes to win the position after only But during her first visit to Wesley, being here two months really made this an Tieman was inspired by SGA president even more exciting experience for me.” Tanner Polce’s involvement with politics Her vision as secretary is to make a difin the community and on campus and ference. wanted to do the same. “This semester is more important for me “I met Tanner through my admissions to get organizations on campus, along with counselor, who told me he was greatly students who are not involved with student involved in politics, which was exactly organizations, to come out and share their what I wanted to do,” Tieman said. “I thoughts with the SGA at our general asalso knew Wesley offered a lot of better semblies,” Tieman said. opportunities to get involved because of Tieman also said she gets to see the diathere small campus.” logue that goes on between executive board Growing up in Portland, Ore., Tieman members and faculty. always wanted to attend a big college “From this experience, I see how hard The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas on the east coast to study political science. they are working to get the Streetscape Instead, she found a small school that fit her interest in project moving so students can enjoy a safer community,” politics. she said. Shortly after Tieman came to Wesley, the SGA position Tieman’s on-campus activities include being the presifor secretary became available. dent of the College Republicans, a member of the step “I thought to myself it would be a good opportunity for team and Lincoln-Jackson Club (the non-partisan politime to run,” she said. “My goal is to work my way up and cal science club), which keeps her mind off of missing run for a higher position in SGA every year.” home. During the SGA election in April, Tieman won 46 “Being so busy helps me not think about being homepercent of the vote. sick,” she said. “For me personally, it’s hard not to be “When I found out I won SGA secretary, I was a little homesick because I know that I can’t always go home shocked at first,” she said. “There were four other people whenever I want.” including myself that ran for the same position and two At Wesley, Tieman has gotten the chance to know her of them were returning students.” professors.
Campus Community moves to Pear Street By Melissa Boyd The Whetstone
Some education majors say they’re worrying about the relocation of the K-8 Campus Community School, originally located on-campus across from Zimmerman Hall. But the education department said the relocation will not affect students. Dr. Stuart Knapp, department chair of the education department, said the relocation is only a matter of transportation. “The perceived difficulty may be a matter of less easy access,” he said. “That matter could be overcome with bus or van transportation provided.” Knapp also said that because most teacher candidates are going to school for K-8 and only the Campus Community High School is closing, there will be little impact on the program as a whole. Field experience and work-study at CCS will not be affected by the relocation or the closure of the high school. “Students will be eligible to apply for workstudy status in the K-8 program,” he said. “Students in their junior year will continue to conduct field experiences in the re-located K-8 building.” Freshman KylieMae Allen still worries about the change. “I feel like the elementary school moving is a big problem for our education department because it was a big help for us, as freshmen, to have it on campus [for observations],” she said. Allen said she also feels bad about the high school closing and how it will affect the teachers there. “I feel terrible for the high school teachers in losing their jobs,” she said. “I would go crazy and be so upset if I knew that I was now out of a job.” Dr. Patricia Patterson, the program director of graduate studies and NCATE coordinator for the education department, said that the department will be minimally effected. “The education department expects to continue to have a strong relationship with the
K-8 school,” she said, adding that the CCS will be adding a kindergarten to their school for next year when they relocate to Pear Street in the high school building – only a half-mile from Wesley. Dr. Jill Cole, the education K-8 program chair, said the few teacher candidates who wish to be high school teachers will need to find new placements for their field experience. “CCHS follows the constructivist philosophy of learning and teaching that the education department espouses, which is different from traditional high schools,” she said. A constructivist philosophy of learning includes a student-oriented classroom, rather than a teacher-oriented classroom, and involves students engaging in their learning by discussion or participation, rather than a teacher instructing the whole day. “Not being able to see this philosophy in action at the high school level will be a loss for our teacher candidates,” Cole said. Cole said that although some students might be happy about the students leaving campus, she will not be happy about it. “I always felt that the presence of the children created a robust, multiage learning community on campus and I will miss it,” she said. Cole said the education department will continue to use the Campus Community School. “While the school is moving, it is still in a very convenient location for the Education faculty and Education majors,” she said.
“I never really wanted to go to a small school, but being here has allowed me to talk to my professors whenever I want to building personal relationships with them,” she said. Tieman said her adviser, Dr. Cynthia Newton, and she have developed a lasting relationship. “If I am having a bad day, I can go to her and talk about it,” she said. SGA members have welcomed Tieman to the team. “When I first joined SGA, the other SGA members were very helpful with the transition,” she said. “If I ever had a question on who to talk to or how to book a room for a meeting, they showed me how. I guess they just understood I was new and were willing to help me with everything.” SGA President Tanner Polce has no concern when it comes to Tieman getting the job done. “She does a phenomenal job,” Polce said. Confident in her ability to be a strong SGA board member, Tieman strives for success. “I feel that I am doing a great job so far as SGA secretary being a freshman,” she said. “I had to learn a lot about the school in a short amount of time so that I can answer other people’s questions about the school and be able to create relationships with faculty members helps me become more productive in my work as SGA secretary.” Freshman Crissy Bettencourt said she is inspired by Tieman’s involvement in SGA. “Kira took initiative as a freshman by seeking out a leadership role in SGA as secretary and recently appointed the chief of staff.”
The Whetstone is looking for reporters! Why join the paper? Academically & Career-wise: -Improves student writing -Looks great on resume -Learn interviewing skills As a hobby: -Meet new people -Gain a name & reputation *Meetings are at 5 on Wednesdays in CC419. Contact Melissa.Boyd@email.wesley.edu for more information!
Early February 2012
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The movie critic: “Red Tails” is a great movie
Opinion
How I passed Public Speaking By Lamesha Green The Whetstone After a lot of negative talk about Dr. Lynn Lofthouse’s public speaking class, I decided to take the course last semester. I have to: it’s a requirement for my Media Arts major. Just like any other ordinary professor on the first day of class, Dr. Lofthouse explained to her students the rules and regulations of her syllabus. What we didn’t expect was for her syllabus to be 10 pages long. During the first week of class, I noticed the nervous looks upon some of my fellow classmates’ faces. Some couldn’t wait to drop the class during drop-add week and the others just wanted to get it over with. By the second week of class the attendance dropped from about 30 students down to 9 students. As I prepared myself for presenting my first informative speech, I let my fear get the best of me. I failed. Most of my classmates faced the same predicament, but as stated in Dr. Lofthouse’s syllabus, each speech below a 97 percent was able to be redone. I strived for a chance to redeem my grade. On the day I presented my informative speech for a second time, I knew that speech inside and out. I followed every detail Dr. Lofthouse had enumerated about how to deliver the speech, which earned me a perfect score of a 100 percent. With one more speech to go, I kept reminding myself that I had made it half way through one of the hardest courses offered here at Wesley. The next assignment was to present a persuasive speech. The persuasive speech had a much more difficult concept than the informative speech. The minimum time given to present the speech was longer, there were more
steps, and, of The Whetstone / Lamesha Green course, the steps had to be in its exact order. Up for the challenge, I made sure not to repeat my first presentation’s mistake. After getting an approved and signed copy of my persuasive speech’s topic from Dr.Lofthouse, I practiced for days. My mind was so distracted with memorizing this speech it became all I talked about. My family, friends, and even my roommate felt the heavy pressure I was under. When my turn to present finally came around, I gave it my all. Unfortunately, my all wasn’t good enough. I fell two points short of receiving a 97 in order to be excused from having to present a second time. Of course, on my second time presenting the persuasive speech I scored 100 percent. I guess the second time for me was truly a charm. When the class finally was over, my overall grade was a B. I felt confident in my choice not to drop Dr. Lofthouse’s public speaking class after all. Was this class as bad as it was rumored to be? The answer to that question could be a simple no or even a scary yes. The outcome is whatever effort you put into the class. If you leave the rumors at the door and follow Dr. Lofthouse’s challenging instructions you too can pass her public speaking course.
By Melissa Boyd The Whetstone I’m one of those people that doesn’t watch too many movies. I fall asleep in the first five minutes and I get the best sleep while everyone else is entertained by the movie. However, I decided to go to the free BSU trip to the movies to see Red Tails. My boyfriend wanted to see it, the previews looked interesting, and it was free for me. There were really no downsides. So, I decided to figure out what the movie was even about before we went. Directed by George Lucas (known for his Star Wars series), the movie reenacted the story of a group of black Army men during World War II. The movie was about the Tuskegee project, to see if black men were “capable” of serving in the Army as pilots, engineers and soldiers. Reading about the movie, Lucas said no one in Hollywood would fund this movie because of its all black cast and the view of the white man as the “bad guy,” as they were either Nazis or racist Army men. I was already intrigued. Lucas spent $54 million of his personal money to pay for the scenes, props, actors’ pay, and all of the movie’s costs. This was yet another piece of information that drew me into the movie. Considering Wesley bought one-third of the available seats for opening weekend, the theater was packed. So much for Hollywood claiming the movie would
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not bring in any revenue from sales. Every available ticket had been sold and people continued to try and buy tickets as we stood in line to collect ours. The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas I’d never seen the Dover theatre as packed in my entire life as a Delawarean. Although I was the “cream in the Oreo cookie,” being one of a small population of white viewers, I felt welcomed to view the movie. The movie itself was outstanding. I did not fall asleep. Instead, I was captured by the lives of these men. I cried at certain parts and laughed at others. My jaw clenched in anger sometimes, while my heart pounded at other times. Then, I found out one of Wesley’s students had a grandfather who was a part of this “experiment.” This brought the movie home for me. I had a lump in my throat as I thought of what her grandfather must have faced, in terms of fear, ridicule and racism. So screw Hollywood. This film was worth more than the $54 million Lucas spent on it because it told a true story of racism and the fight to preserve. A fivestar in my opinion.
Have an opinion about an article or suggestions for the Whetstone? Send a letter to the editor to Melissa.Boyd@email.wesley.edu and you might appear in the next opinion section of the paper! All submissions welcome.
Word from France
International exchange student diary
By Liz Wallace Whetstone Contributor
International exchange student Liz Wallace will be sending journal articles throughout the semester to the Whetstone. I just wanted to let you know how France is so far. I start a French class tomorrow and will have the class for about a week or two. I have met many other International Students. Emma was very nice and I hope in the future, other students will want to come here because I haven’t even started classes yet and haven’t been here for more than three days and I find this town to be amazing and beautiful. I just went to Paris today and saw of course all the normal tourist attractions but I have dreamed have coming to France and seeing all the sights of Paris so it was really an incredible day for me.
Liz Wallace / Whetstone Contributor Liz Wallace standing in front of the Eiffel Tower on Jan. 28.
Liz Wallace / Whetstone Contributor This is from the bridge looking towards my house and the Cathedral. Also, before the Cathedral is my school.
Students on Campus: What is your ideal Valentine’s day?
Rutdenisse and Elizabeth Almonte
Rutdenisse- My perfect Valentine’s Day would be to get some roses and chocolate. I would also like a boyfriend and a friendship. Elizabeth - For me, my perfect Valentine’s Day would be just the little things. It’s the little things that are most important to me.
Chea Sloh
My perfect Valentine’s Day would be to just spend it with the person that I love the most and showing them that I care by giving them my all from my heart. For this Valentine’s Day, I’m going to spend the day with my girl and surprise her.
Jessica Curry-Keith
Liz Wallace / Whetstone Contributor This is Liz in front of the glass pyramid at the Louvre.
Article and photos by: Cochise Lucas The Whetstone
My perfect Valentine’s Day would be getting surprised with something nice like roses. Nice beautiful red roses with no thorns and clean stems. I also would love a pasta dinner. However, I don’t have anything planned for this Valentine’s Day.
My perfect Valentine’s Day would be to stay in and spend time with the significant other that you care about the most. I have plans this year- I’ll take my lady out for dinner and a movie and just hang out.
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Sports
The science of tennis By Benjamin Lykens The Whetstone
Early February 2012
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Gail Hill has been playing the game of tennis for more than four decades. And let’s just say that longevity in the sport runs in the family. “My mother is 93 years old and she still plays tennis,” said Hill, who will be taking over the reins of both the men’s and women’s tennis teams. Hill spent 20 years teaching science at Lake Forest High School in Felton, while also serving as the head coach for both the tennis and field hockey teams. Hill won two southern division Henlopen conference titles while at Lake Forest. The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas She grew up in Centerport, N.Y., and became a five-sport athlete at SUNY (State University of New York) in Cortland, excelling in tennis, lacrosse, gymnastics, field hockey and track and field. Hill and her husband Alvin have three children, Abigail, Adam and Samuel. Abigail is a student at Wesley College. Abigail, like her mother, also excels at field hockey. She tallied 39 points on 17 goals and five assists from 20092011. Hill, 64, has been around tennis for most of her life and says she’ll be around it for a long time to come. “I love coaching and I love playing tennis,” she said. “It’s been in my family for so long.” She chose Wesley because of Abigail. “My daughter is a student at Wesley and I know some of the coaches like Mrs. Windett (field hockey and girls’ lacrosse coach), and I just love coaching.” Players hope that Hill’s passion for the game will help rejuvenate Wesley’s recently anemic tennis teams. The men’s team has only won two matches over the past three years. The women’s team has been better, but they still have only won seven matches over the past three years. Hill takes over as head coach after Kelley Cole resigned after becoming pregnant. Wesley tennis player Kevin Mangini is looking forward to getting to know the new coach and start a new tradition of winning. “I don’t really know her yet but I can already tell I’m going to love her,” Mangini said. “She is already talking about having practice all the time and working around our schedule. Last year we weren’t able to improve that much due to not that much practice. I really have good, positive feelings about our new coach and I’m in high hopes about our season this year.” Cochise Lucas, a four-year tennis player, believes that Hill’s enthusiastic, up-beat style will help Wesley’s tennis teams make great strides. “From first impression, I got a very positive vibe from the coach,” he said. “She is very enthusiastic about the up-and-coming season and wants to start practice right away. I love that she is going to be a full time coach and really try to help us improve. I just wish I could have had her for all four years.”
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Early passing set up a powerful running game for Mount Union, allowing them to do what they do best: wear the defense down with a relentless running game. The Wolverines may have lost the game but said they don’t feel defeated. Offensive line coach Chris Sfamurri believes that the Wolverines are making great strides in becoming a better team. “In 2005-2006, our games against Mount Union weren’t even close but now were closing the gap on them,” he said. Middle linebacker Sosthene Kapepula, a
second semester freshman, said the Wolverines loss was one of missed opportunities. “One thing that really stood out was all the turnovers but we had a lot of opportunities,” he said. “You can’t turn the ball over against a great team but we also have to capitalize on our opportunities.” Senior quarterback Justin Sottilare said that the Wolverines have to be more consistent. “We played a pretty solid game but we got to be consistent,” he said. “It wasn’t one side of the ball that made us lose the game.”
Segregation among the classes? By Kimberly Juhas The Whetstone Many students at Wesley School officials said there the “suburb side.” College said they believe there are a number of reasons why “You do notice a difference is a kind of segregation going the campus is divided the way from the two sides based on on campus. who lives there, not But it’s not in class or in the what color their skin is,” lunchroom. It’s not even in Zarou said. the College Center lobby. Williams, Roe and It’s in the residence halls. Gooding halls are Williams, Roe and Goodhistorically considered ing halls on the north side of freshman dorms. campus are often considered Polce and Zarou said “poorer” than Malmberg, that new students live in Zimmerman and Carpenter these buildings because The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas there is more of a social halls further south. Students sit in front of Williams Hall. “I would agree that Wilfeel there, unlike Malmberg liams, Roe, and Gooding halls it is. and Zimmerman, where you do have a rather unattractive “Other factors also play a do not see people interact with meaning associated with role,” said Kevin Hansbury, each other because there is each residence hall as being director of residence life, nowhere to interact. ‘the ghetto side,’” said Mike “such as college acceptance Zarou also said the north side Streeter, a residential assistant date, when students confirm was the area of campus where in Williams. their attendance at Wesley, or most of freshmen live. But Streeter said that the admissions deposit date.” “Coming into a new place segregation isn’t racial; it’s Dean of Students Mary Alice and being intimidated by older based on money. Ozechoski said she was aware students does not happen on “If anything should be of the situation. that side of campus because debated about the north side of “We are looking into posthey all have an equal playing campus, it is not the issue of sible updates in Williams, Roe field,” he said. race, but economic privilege,” and Gooding,” she said, but Streeter said that despite the he said. would not elaborate. perceived differences between Williams Hall resident Tyrus Student Government Presithe two sides of campus, what Winstead agreed. dent Tanner Polce and SGA is often overlooked is the di“I think that it’s not about vice president Bryan Zarou versity that makes up Wesley’s race because around campus said they do not consider campus. we all look at each other the the north side of campus the same,” he said. “ghetto side” or the south part
Students listen and engage in Poetry and Prose By Melissa Boyd The Whetstone
coming a writer and what to do once you become one,” she said. Greto introduced each of the writers, starting with Billie Travalini, the editor of their book “No Place Like Here: An Anthology of Southern Delaware Poetry and Prose,” a recently-published collection of poetry, fiction, essays and photographs relating to southern Delaware. “Southern Delaware has its own The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas Editor Billie Travalini reads her short story about a first flavor, and half of my heart belongs grade teacher. there,” Travalini said. “If you really More than 100 students and faculty turned love something, you love the wholeness of out to hear six writers read their poetry it. It was a lot of work composing and edand prose on Jan. 25. iting the book, but it was worth it because The readings were organized and introour voices are worth it.” duced by Victor Greto, assistant professor Students also came to the event because of Media Arts. some professors encouraged it. Freshman Erin Bifferato said she liked Some of the professors, who attended what she heard. the event, encouraging their students to “I write poetry and short stories myself, come as well included Dr. Susan Bobby, so I enjoyed all of it,” she said. associate professor of English; Dr. Jeffrey Bifferato said she also liked that the Gibson, associate professor of English; writers talked about how they worked. Dr. James Wilson, assistant professor of “They talked about the process of bemusic; Dr. Tery Griffin, associate profes-
sor of media arts; and Dr. Frances Riddle, coordinator of academic advisement. “My professor recommended that we come and I like poetry,” said freshman Brian Baker, who has Greto for Literature for Composition. “I write a little poetry myself and I thought it’d be fun to see what the professionals say.” Baker said his own professor’s piece of nonfiction, a reflective piece The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas about his Vanessa Haley reads her poem, “the father’s Language of the Crows.”
death, was his favorite. He said his second favorite was Abby Millager’s poetry about the sounds of the surf on the beach. “I enjoyed them all, but those two stood out to me the most,” he said. “I liked Abby’s mental images, too.” Millager’s piece, she said, was written while she was sitting on the beach. “With poetry, you can get away with more sound and less meaning,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be completely understood. It’s like modern art.” Frank Fiedler, associate professor of math, came to the event as well as enjoyed the readings. “It was great,” he said. “I did like Professor Greto’s. It was very personal. My second favorite was (“The Language of Crows” by Vanessa Haley), especially after she put it in context.” Greto said his piece was an attempt at a personal essay. “Writing about my father’s death was clarifying,” he said.