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Assistant basketball coach arrested on charges of sexual misconduct
By Melissa Boyd and Benjamin E. Lykens The Whetstone Charles Coursey, an assistant coach for the Wesley College men’s basketball team and a Sussex Tech High School teacher, was arrested on charges of having sex with a 17-year-old high school student, Delaware State police said. After his arrest, Coursey, 38, a Milton resident, also was charged by state police with two counts each of dealing in child pornography and obscenity after an investigation showed he had sent the student obscene text messages. Coursey, who is men’s basketball coach Jerry Kobasa’s stepson, has been suspended by Wesley College. “He made a mistake so he has to go through the Dover Police system,” Kobasa said. “I have and I will support him.” Kobasa said Coursey was “here up until the day he was arrested” in late January. According to the police report, Coursey “and the victim entered into a cellular phone text messaging relationship while at school. This developed into them meeting outside of school and engaging in a sexual relationship. In the course of this exchange, Coursey sent obscene photos of himself to the victim.” Wesley College officials had one joint comment. “Mr. Coursey has been suspended from his coaching duties on an interim basis as a precautionary measure pending the outcome of the case,” said both Eric Nelson, director of human resources, and Mike Drass, Wesley’s athletic director. Nelson said Wesley College had no further comment about the charges. “The only information that I know about the allegations I have heard through the local media,” Nelson said. “This is a personnel matter.”
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Students react to arrest of basketball coach By Melissa Boyd The Whetstone
Many students said they were shocked Wesley community should be informed.” when they heard the news that Charles Marissa Richardson, a transfer freshCoursey, a Wesley College assistant man, said she thinks she would feel more men’s basketball coach, had been araffected if she were a sports player. rested for having a sexual relationship “I don’t work in the sports center, but with a 17-year-old high school student. if I did, and I hadn’t been told, I would After expresshave been upset.” “A 17-year-old,” freshman Elizabeth ing shock, several SGA student Almonte said. “He can find someone his officials also said wondered why they hadn’t been own age. He could be her father.” they were not informed. happy with the “Sure, it’s not way the college our business to is handling the know what they [staff members] do on situation. their own time,” said freshman Jazzelle“Whenever anything happens to Grace Taghap. “But it should have been faculty or staff, legally or when they get told since it could alter the way we feel into trouble, the school has a responabout some professors if a student gets a sibility to update everyone who works bit too close with a professor or a coach. at the college, including the students,” He was part of the Wesley staff and the said Bryan Zarou, SGA vice president.
Jump to COURSEY REACTION on p. 5
What’s Inside -More AEDs on campus on p. 2 -Police raid the LEX p. 5
Beloved professor remembered
Late February 2012
By Lamesha Green The Whetstone Favorite memories sprinkled with laughter and tears speckled the faces of about 100 students, faculty and staff who attended the Professor Flora Hessling’s Feb. 11 funeral service at Torbert Funeral Home in Dover. The college held a service Feb. 9 in Wesley Chapel to honor the professor, 65, who unexpectedly died Feb. 5 at Kent General Hospital after a short illness. At the chapel service, several students and professors remembered Hessling. “At first I didn’t want to believe what I was hearing,” said freshman Jessica DeChamplain. “Professor Hessling was one of the most influential teachers I had at Wesley College,” said sophomore Isnara St. Phard. “She always knew how to snap me back to reality whenever I started to get lazy.” St. Phard also said Hessling inspired her decision to become a legal studies major. “During my freshman year when I fell off track, she showed me who I wanted to be,” she said. Attendees at the Feb. 11 funeral service were given a single red rose toward the end of the ceremony Wesley.edu to place beside the casket as they said their final goodbyes. “The loss of Professor Hessling is an extremely hard transition to accept,” DeChamplain said. “She’s going to be hard to replace but her memory will forever remain in her students’ hearts.” Hessling was the chair of Wesley’s legal studies department for 16 years.
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College hopes to complete Streetscape by fall
By Adaobi Ezeani Whetstone Contributor
The long announced college make-over is on its way. After receiving all of the money and grants needed for the $1.4 million campuswide streetscape change of the college, Wesley has finally received a contract with the City of Dover to begin the project. What was supposed to have been a three-part project will now be one. Work will begin by the city replacing water and sewage pipes on the south side of the school, including the front of Zimmerman and Roe halls. The north side will be next, in front of Williams, Gooding and Roe halls, including new trees and benches. The actual streetscaping will begin after Finals week in April and should be finished by the beginning of fall semester. “The original plan was to begin work in the front of the school and then work their way to the back and then add the aesthetics,” said Student Government Association President Tanner Polce. “In about three weeks the college should be expecting to hear drilling going on around campus.” “Because all the funds are available, the school is able to complete the project in one shot,” said Bryan Zarou, SGA vice president. Several people said they felt oddly about this.
Jump to STREETSCAPE on p. 5 Check the Whetstone website for weekly updates! Go to www.whetstone.wesley.edu
-Wally travels to Texas p. 6 -Track team beats school records p. 8
The Whetstone / Melissa Boyd
Due to an editing error, Carle Ax’s major was incorrectly reported in the headline of her profile that ran in early February’s Whetstone. She is a mathematics major.
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More AEDs coming to campus By Ashley Richards Whetstone Contributor Two school officials are trying to get up to five more automated external defibrillators (AEDs) placed in several “critical locations” across campus at an estimated cost of $8,500. An AED is used to revive someone who is in cardiac arrest through electric shock. Wesley College currently has four. The proposal was sent to the Student Government Association by Amanda Kinkade, coordinator of intramural sports & recreation, and Jill Maser, director of health services, who are asking the SGA to pay for it. The devices cost about $1,700 each. “AEDs are helpful and crucial to campus life in cases of cardiac arrest because they will make the difference between life and death before first responders get to the scene,” said Bryan Zarou, SGA vice president. Zarou and SGA president Tanner Polce said the SGA will not be paying for the devices. According to Kinkade and Maser, “critical locations” on campus include Wesley West, the main floor of the College Center, Scott D. Miller Stadium and the Security Office. The two also said that Christine McDermott, assistant director of disability support, recommended the campus should have an AED in every residence hall, along with every building on campus, including Cannon, Slaybaugh, Parker, Dulany and Budd.
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
“AEDs are an important tool in saving a life, if a shock is required,” Maser wrote in the letter. “AEDs should be installed to ensure response within 3-5 minutes.” Even so, Maser said, the college has yet to need one. “We have never had to use the existing AEDs on campus,” Maser said. “We are also very fortunate that our campus is so close to the city’s emergency response facilities and hospital.” Kent General Hospital is less than a mile away. Maser said there are 4 AEDs on campus – The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas although she was unsure where some of them were. “There is one in the wellness center and the trainer has two,” Maser said. “The nursing department has the fourth. The AED is automated and will assist non-medical person with the device.” According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), using AEDs within three to four minutes of a sudden cardiac arrest can contribute to a 60 percent survival rate.
Advisers
Adviser- Victor Greto Online Adviser- Dr. Tery Griffin
Staff Writers
Linnea Cavallo Benjamin E. Lykens Nicholas Thompson
Online Staff Alissa Kolanko
Late February 2012
Malmberg cleans up after vandals
By Kimberly Juhas Whetstone Contributor One night last semester, Livia DeMarco was returning from Loockerman to her room in Malmberg Hall when she noticed something dark in the light cover in the elevator. She thought perhaps it was a dead bird, and poked at t. She found out later it wasn’t a dead bird. “I thought it was a bird, not a steaming hot turd,” she said. It was just the latest in a rash of incidents she and other residents had noticed in the elevator. “During another incident, we discovered two non-student guests damaging the light cover,” said head of security, Walter Beaupre. “They were also intoxicated and we had them arrested by Dover police.” Some Wesley students were unaware of what’s been going on in Malmberg. “I didn’t know there was a pooping scandal in Malmberg,” said junior Les Ragan, a Malmberg resident. “I know they put a video camera in the elevator because people were The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas The Malmberg vandalizing it.” elevator While the identity of the pooping perpetrator is unknown, many students said they blame Wesley security for their lack of sufficient safety patrolling. “I think security should do a better job at making this campus safer for us students in general,” Ragan said. Several students said they were dismayed that non-students were walking into any given place and vandalizing property. “Honestly, as a person who lived in Malmberg last year, that’s really sad that people so blatantly disvalue the property in which they invest a great deal of money into,” said junior Travis Ragland, a Zimmerman hall resident. Because of the damage, Malmberg residents lost their elevator privileges for about a month. Since Wesley installed a video camera in the elevator, it has been spotless, said junior Lindsey Martin. She and others were able to use the elevator when the resident dorms opened back up after the holidays. “The poop has been sent to the lab and we are awaiting the DNA results,” joked Beaupre.
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Late February 2012
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Students frown on weekend food
By Adaobi Ezeani Whetstone Contributor More than 1,000 Wesley College the incoming students and their students are served daily in the families.” cafeteria. Gula said some changes are in By the time the weekend hits, the works. those numbers are cut in half. “We typically receive very few “Traditionally a lot of students responses on our dining survey go home or off-campus on the that comes out twice a year,” weekends,” said John Gula, direche said. “These are designed to tor of food services for Aramark. gain feedback and give students “A look at the parking areas by a voice to help change the prolate Friday afternoon is a testigram. Eighty to 90 replies max out mony to that. early a thousand There are students who are approximately on meal plans 60 percent or use the store, fewer dining Starbucks and the customers on Den.” the weekends Many of the and counts changes impledon’t return to mented this past normal until The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas fall came out of It’s a Saturday and the cafeteria the spring survey Monday.” Many students is having for lunch pasta, veg- comments, he said. etable quiche and pizza. These who live on “Our new marcampus have no are only a few of the items on keting manager has other choice but display. met with several to depend on focus groups on the cafeteria to campus over the provide them with a meal on the past weeks and we have gained weekends. Many say they are frus- some insight into some immeditrated with the quality of weekend ate changes we can make, and we food. promise to work on our consisten“It is like they don’t care” said cy over the next several weeks,” freshman Rita Nwosu “During the Gula said. “We are working with week there is a variety of things the college on some additional for me to choose from but when changes for the future in regards the weekend comes there is absoto variety and hours which are lutely nothing I want to eat. It’s always mentioned.” basically a waste of a swipe.” Some students think the qualSome students say the best food ity of the cafeteria’s food is bland is reserved for open houses. overall. “We usually see the largest “I visit the café about twice amount of people in the café dura day on average and overall ing open house weekend,” said it’s OK,” said freshman Lashon senior Raven Nowell. “The food Brown. “It seems as though someis more fresh and the café really times the food that they serve is steps up their game to impress the same every day and at times
Bruce George, an awardwinning poet, came to Wesley Feb. 8. He shows the crowd enthusiasm as he speaks about the politics of the world and what students must do in order to be successful. “I think the students here are amazing,” said George. “I hope they become more politically conscious after listening to my speech.”
The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas
The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas
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Spinning music at the LEX By Nick Thompson The Whetstone Junior Jeff Martinez is a Physical Education major by day and an up-and-coming club DJ by night. Wednesday night to be exact. In the fall of 2011 Martinez aka DJ Starstruk began his first residency as an in-house DJ at the Loockerman Exchange. During his first night on the job he was unsure as to whether he would perform well. “There was another DJ that opened that night up and I went on after him,” said Martinez. “I was nervous at first, but then I calmed myself down. Then a little while into my set, I really got into the groove and the crowd just went nuts.” While the LEX may be his first consistent gig, Martinez has already been DJing at loft-parties in New Jersey for five years. “I hang around a lot of DJ’s and producers, spending late nights in the studio or at their shows, so I just kinda naturally fell into that life,” he said. “And I got my DJ name from a friend of mine. I know everybody back home so he said I was a star, hence the name Starstruk.” Martinez said he does not discriminate when it comes to music. “I play a little bit of everything in my sets,” he said. “I play a lot of hip-hop, dubstep and this new genre called moombahton,
The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas
which is basically Spanish music mixed with house.” For him, performances are all about pleasing the crowd. “My favorite part is watching the way the music I play control people,” he said. “People get wrapped up in the sounds and its like helping them escape reality for a little while.” In the future he wants to produce his own music with programs such as Abelton Live. “In five years, I want to be making music, DJing and trying to take myself to the next level,” said Martinez.
Students worry about campus safety
By Ashley Richards Whetstone Contributor
Safety has become so problematic around “The security staff isn’t up to par – besides Walt Wesley College’s campus during the last two – and if anything serious happened I don’t think months that the Student Government Association they would have the equipment or personnel to has gotten involved. handle it.” “There were four events that I have not Other students echo McQaurrie. particularly been happy with but was directly “I never felt as safe as I could have, espeor indirectly involved with them,” said Tanner cially with the awareness of the area that we Polce, SGA president. are located in,” said junior Jordan Gendrachi. The four events Polce “It is easy to get into refers to include: the shot dorms. Anyone can fired on Jan. 30; a fight make their way in on Feb. 3 near campus inwith ease. I’ve been volving Wesley students; to other schools and a gunshot on Feb 4; and they take higher preseveral gunshots heard on cautions than we do Feb 5. and the area that they Polce was particularly live in is not nearly unhappy that students as bad as the one we were not notified about live in.” the Feb. 5 incident. Other students enThe Whetstone / Cochise Lucas After he had not gotten a The Wesley Security car sitting in front of courage exterior work text or email about the gun- the college center on the Dulany hall side on to be done. shots, Polce emailed Walt Feb. 20. “They need to put Beaupre, director of safety a gate around Wesley and security), Mary-Alice Ozechoski, dean of College,” said sophomore Kyle Funk. students, and President William Johnston. SGA said it is partnering with Wesley Security, Polce is not alone in his concern about safety. giving $32,000 toward security cameras. Many students said they feel that are not safe Already begun, Wesley Security will finish either on or near Wesley campus. And some putting in 22 new cameras on campus by spring blame security. break. “Safety on campus is pretty good for the most Dean of Students Mary-Alice Ozechoski said part, but as soon as you go off-campus it’s a the college has increased the number of security different story,” said junior Michael McQuarrie. officers patrolling the campus at night.
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Late February 2012
Where’s all the hoopla? By Lamesha Green The Whetstone
They’re showing students how this is my first time instructing a to have fun while exercising. class,” Montgomery said. “The Hoopla, a new club at Wesley, reason I became a hoopla ininvites students to experience a structor is because I just wanted hip-moving-filled hour of hulato learn everything I could hooping every Monday from 5-6 about hoopla and then share my p.m., in Malmberg Hall 114-116. passion of how it’s done with “Hoopla means excitement others.” or commotion,” said Hoopla president and student Celeste Montgomery. “In my opinion, Hoopla is really just for fun and then for exercise, of course. I believe it’s good for people to have fun while exercising because it keeps them involved.” Montgomery said this was her first time teaching a The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas Hoopla class. “It’s a great stress reliever, ev“I have been a hoopla instruc- eryone should try it,” said Kaleb tor for about two years now, but Randolph.
Hoopla is an hour-long hulahoop exercise class. Some students say Hoopla is helpful for dealing with stress. “Hoopla is so much fun and it’s really a stress reliever,” said sophomore Crystal Meredith. “The Hoopla class has nice calm music and even though it’s in the beginning of the week it’s a fun experience.” Montgomery made the hulahoops herself. “One misconception about Hoopla is that the hula-hoops used are the cheap kind from the dollar store,” she said. “I just want to clarify that they’re not. The actual hula-hoops we use in Hoopla are called dance trick hoops made from irrigation
tubing and vinyl tape, priced between $20-$35, which we are providing to students free of charge.” Students recommend other students to join the fun. “I would definably encourage other students to come out to Hoopla,” said junior The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas Shanna Bryan. “I came out being a pretty experienced “I have been hulahooping for a long hula-hooper and I’ve already time now,” Shanna Bryant said. “I do learned a ton of new moves.” it because it makes me feel good.” spending times with friends, and Montgomery says the learning the many variations secret of Hoopla is to have fun, Hoopla has to offer,” she said. promote good vibes, and learn Montgomery also said there hula-hoop tricks through exerare plenty of hoops for more cise. members to join and that she “My goal is to help students encourages students to come be a realize that its fun coming out part of the fun. to Hoopla meeting new people,
Late February 2012
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Police raid the LEX for underage drinkers, including Wesley students
By Nick Thompson The Whetstone Many students were surprised by an out-of-the-ordinary event on a normal Wednesday night. “It felt like a DEA raid or something from a movie,” said junior Matt Ley. “In all the craziness that was going on, I just kinda walked out because I didn’t want to be caught up in it all.” On Feb. 1, Dover Police and state Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement agnets raided the Loockerman Exchange and arrested eight people and charged them with underage drinking. The establishment and bartender who served them are facing charges as well. The arrested who were underage were charged and released pending court dates. According to manager and bartender, Chris Koch, at least half of the people arrested were Wesley students. Jeff Martinez aka DJ Starstruk, a Wesley College student who DJ’s at the LEX on Wednesday nights, said the raid was unexpected. “They came in around eight-ish and The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas did required checks of bartending license,” Martinez said. “But, then, maybe a half an hour from closing, they barged in, turned the lights on and I had an officer in front of me telling me to cut the music off.” Others watching from outside believed the raid was overdone. “I had just walked over to Angelo’s to get some pizza,” said sophomore Jon Petite. “There were a lot of cars, maybe six or seven and a K-9 unit. You would have thought there had been a bank robbery or something that happened.” Junior Phil Brown was inside the bar at the time of the raid. “Before I was 21, we would drink before we went to the LEX because you couldn’t get served at the bar without a wristband,” he said. “Everybody I saw getting arrested had a wristband on.” The following Wednesday night drew a very sparse crowd. “It was to be expected that not many people would come out the week after a raid, and it may be a couple weeks before they start coming back,” Martinez said. “But I have no doubt that we will be back in action soon enough.” According to Delaware state law, a person under 21 may be on the premises of a bar if they are physically segregated from patrons over 21. However, a server should only accept a driver’s license, a state-issued ID card, a military ID or a passport.
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STREETSCAPE on p. 1 SGA representatives asked Polce during the organization’s Feb. 6 meeting why the drilling wouldn’t begin until the summer when students weren’t on campus. “This is because of the way the contract was done with the city of Dover,” Polce said. “If we were to wait any longer, we might have been waiting for a very long time.” The streetscape project was proposed in 2008, and Becker Morgan Group has been waiting for the money and city approval. SGA donated about $20,000 toward the cost. Polce said the project is very important and believes that it will “better secure the campus.” Some students said the streetscaping may cause problems with parking. “So that means when we come back next year, I’m not going to be able to pull in front of Zimmerman to unload,” said Jamie Stokes. You will be able to, said Chris Wood, vice president for institutional advancement. “There will be bollards (short posts) at the end of the street that can be removed,” Wood said, “and will be when students are moving in. The pavers that will go down will support fire trucks and emergency vehicles.” For every parking spot removed, there will be additional parking added, the college said. “I think the project will be a huge benefit to the college,” said Sarah Smith, director of student activities. “It will provide more of a collegial surrounding while also decreasing the amount of traffic safety incidences on campus. I’m excited to see the final project and all the ways it can better Wesley.” There is access: there will be ballards at the end of the street that can be removed, and will be when students are moving in. the pavers that will go down will support fire turcks and emergency vehicles.
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HESSLING on p. 1 “Professor Hessling was well known for being a nice and caring person who at times could be a little strict on her students,” said freshman Crystal Winkler. “There’s definitely going to be a big adjustment in the legal studies department now that she isn’t with us anymore and being that she had such an impact on not only my life but other legal studies majors as well.” Dr. Patricia Dwyer, vice president of academic affairs, said students in Hessling’s classes were told immediately about her death. Students were made aware of resources such as grief counseling and other support systems they could turn to if needed, she said. “The memorial service here at Wesley comforted a lot of people affected by the loss of Professor Hessling,” said freshman Carlease Simms. “I feel that this event also got everyone to come out and show how she truly touched a lot of people’s lives not just in the legal studies department.” Dwyer also spoke to the crowd about Hessling’s involvement in the Wesley community. “She was a beloved colleague, teacher and friend as was expressed by so many at the memorial service on Thursday evening here on campus,” she said. Professors Elizabeth Marchioni and Kevin Cullen have taken over Hessling’s classes. “Professor Fran Riddle, coordinator of advisement, has been working with Professor Marchioni to make sure all of Professor Hessling’s advisees are reassigned,” Dwyer said. “Professor Marchioni is taking most of the majors, and Mrs. Riddle and Mrs. (Charlene) Stephens will be working with the first year students in legal studies.”
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COURSEY NEWS on p. 1 Sophomore Wesley basketball player Julian Allen said he was shocked. “I didn’t believe it when I first heard about it,” he said. Another basketball player, Rasheed Carter, said he was disappointed in Coursey’s behavior. “I feel for him given the situation,” he said. “We understand what he did was wrong, but everyone makes mistakes and you got to respond to them and we want to be there to support him. He was the leader as far as our offense. It was disappointing and we couldn’t believe it was happening.” According to the Delaware state police, Sussex Tech notified police Jan. 25 about the relationship, which started at the beginning of the year. Coursey was originally charged with three counts of sexual abuse of a child by a person of trust and four counts of unlawful sexual contact, until the investigation turned up his text messages.
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COURSEY REACTION on p. 1
SGA president Tanner Polce agreed. “Everything should be open and transparent,” Polce said. “I think a statement on his current employment and affiliation with the institution should be issued to everyone.” Taghap said students develop bonds with their professors and coaches, and the adult should always know their boundaries. “Sometimes it may go too far,” she said. “I don’t think any student should have a relationship with any professor or coach unless it’s a relationship where the student is only asking for advice in everyday situations.” Freshmen cousins Rutdenisse Almonte and Elizabeth Almonte think they have a right to know. “The college should send emails to inform about everything that happens,” Rutdenisse said. “I’m in shock because I didn’t know. I’m glad he got arrested.” She said she was upset. “He’s a staff member,” she said. “He should respect the law. He should be an example for us. If you’re a teacher, you have responsibilities.” Elizabeth agreed. “A 17-year-old,” she said. “He can find someone his own age. He could be her father.” Elizabeth said that even if the 17-year-old student wanted the relationship with Coursey, he was still out of line. “Even if a student wants it, she’s too young to know what she wants,” she said.
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Student debt may rise even more By Joncara Marshall Whetstone Contributor Sophomore Darius Clark transferred to Wesley from Central Pennsylvania College last semester. A New Jersey native, he’s a legal studies major who plans to go into the police force. Clark says he already owes $50,000 in loans, including a $20,000 loan from his previous school and $10,000 from Wesley. He is a little worried about paying them off, but thinks he will be able to. “It depends on the job,” Clark said. Clark along with more than half of Wesley college students may be paying back a lot more money than expected after graduation. Stafford subsidized loan interest rates may rise this July from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, adding thousands of dollars to an already high student debt. Loans used for this school year or before will not be affected. Today’s rates have been part of 2007’s College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which ends in July. Congress will decide this summer whether to extend the reduction. Shaun Brown, a junior business major, was aware of the potential increase, but says he is a not too worried about student loans. “Just as long as I get the job I want and I am making the money that I need to pay it off, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Brown said. Brown also says that he has a family that helps supports him. In addition to the possible interest increase, the six month grace period to pay for loans will no longer be in effect.
On average, a four-year Wesley graduate will owe $28,368 in Direct Student Loan debts, said Eric Nelson, vice president of finance for the college. Michael Hall, manager of the financial aid office, said he does not think Congress will stop the rate increase. “They are hoping to reduce the national deficit,” he said. “They think that they have to do it.” Hall said that the only good thing about the increase would be that students may think before taking out a loan. Student aid is based on what the government expects a student’s family to pay (called the Expected Family Contribution or EFC), the cost of tuition and other expenses. The Pell Grant still offers aid to low-income students. Wesley each year sets aside money from donors for scholarships. This year the amount was less than $160,000. Students can also use websites such as scholarships.com and fastweb.com to search for outside scholarships. Students can learn more about loans and other financial aid by going to studentaid.ed.gov, finaid. org or Wesley’s Financial Aid Office. Also, students can call state representatives and senators to urge them to stop the increase. Numbers and email addresses for congress members can be found at www.senate.gov/senators and www.house. gov/representatives.
Late February 2012
Wally travels to Texas, angers SGA
By Melissa Boyd The Whetstone How much is Wally the Wolverine’s presence on the football sidelines worth? Was it worth the $1,200 Student Life and the football team spent to send the student and costume with a student life activities administrator to a game in Texas last semester? Officials of the Student Government Association don’t think so. SGA president Tanner Polce said called the Dec. 3 trip “frivolous spending.” “It’s a waste of money when the registrar’s office can’t even buy pencils,” he said. The money paid for the plane ride for the mascot and Sarah Smith, student activities director. The SGA became involved after Smith and the student who acts as the mascot asked the SGA for money to go to Texas with the football team. The organization denied the request. Polce said the trip would have been more worthwhile if the school was not decreasing its budget. “All of these activities are great except when we’re cutting back,” he said. The mascot had The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas asked for Smith to The Wesley mascot joins in for a come along to act as cheer. navigator while the student was in the suit, as well as helping the student in and out of the costume. “SGA has the ability to fund or not what whatever requests come their way,” Smith said. Because of the denial, Smith got Student Life and the football team to fund the trip. “The football team covered the cost of the hotel and some of the meals with the team,” head football coach Mike Drass said. Polce said the trip was described to him as a personal opportunity for the student, but Smith disagreed. “The decision to send Wally to Texas was based on the improvement of school spirit,” Smith said. “No students and very few supporters were able to make the game as it was far away and this was an opportunity to support the entire football team, who brings the national attention to our school.” “Who is in the suit is supposed to be a mystery so it would not be for personal gain,” she said. Drass said Wally improved the school spirit. “Over 100 Wesley fans were there from families and alumni,” he said. “I believe they felt it was very supportive.” Drass said the teams Wesley has played against have previously brought their mascots to Wesley’s home games. “It was really great to have Wally come with us,” he said. “After seeing all the mascots over the years travel to Dover and represent their college, we felt proud to have Wally with us.” Polce said he requested Wally to be present at the holiday parade held the same weekend. “We bought Wally (the costume) and we wanted Wally to be in the holiday parade, but we couldn’t because he had to be in Texas,” Polce said. “Bryan [Zarou] told Sarah they wanted the costume then.” Smith said there was no formal request. “I was aware of the parade as the Greek community was a participant but no formal request had been presented to me to have Wally present,” she said.
The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas
Wesley guard #12 Sean Hopkins hits a three late in the game to put the Wesley Wolverines up by 6. Wolverines win.
Late February 2012
Opinion
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Letter to the editor:
Routers a no-no in residence halls It is very rare that I respond to things posted in the Whetstone articles but this one really got to me. On page 4 in the last Whetstone, (Early February 2012), in an article about the SGA, it talked about the new project to put Wi-Fi in all 6 resident halls. A student said, “Internet in the dorm rooms is slow and sometimes doesn’t even work.” Another student said that “with routers, we can get things done more efficiently instead of having to go to the library.” What the students don’t realize or understand is, while they think the wireless routers are part of the solution, they are actually part of the problem. At the very simplest definition, a router takes a single connection and divides it into multiple connections, some being wired and some wireless. Let’s say that the single connection available to the room is 45Kbps. One person getting that 45K is going to have an enjoyable online experience. With a wireless router, it takes that 45K and splits it up into smaller chunks. This is the real world scenario on campus; a student will have a wireless router and not only give the password to their roommate. They give it to the room across the hall and others nearby to “share the wealth.” Before you know it you have 5 or more people sharing the same wireless router. In doing so those 5 people on that 45K connection is now degraded into a measly 9Kbps a piece, depending on what they are doing of course. This makes the Internet seem very slow or like it isn’t working at all. Another issue is with “rogue” wireless routers. These are routers that have not been seen by IT to have them set-up correctly. Some of them are wide-open access so anyone can use them. Others do have a password on them but are still
configured incorrectly in such a way that it hands our IP addresses to people connected to it and the router can’t provide them access because it is setup wrong. So not only does that 1 person not have Internet, neither do any of the people connected to that router. It could be said that students have become part of the problem because they are not educated on the technology and how it works. They are really hurting themselves and their online experience on campus. As I said in the beginning of this, it is very easy to blame IT that the Internet doesn’t work or it is slow without ever bothering to ask why. And once they are told why, many of them still don’t listen. All we can do is be a support resource for the students and help where we can, and we will continue to do that. The campus wireless project is a huge and fantastic project that is coming very soon to the resident halls. Currently the college has no policy that students cannot bring routers to campus in their dorm rooms because we are unable to supply wireless in them at this time. But once the campus-wide wireless project is complete, the policy will be written to prohibit them because they do cause problems on the network. I hope this information is well received and may be used to educate the student body as well as others on the SGA committee. Thank you, Matthew Montgomery Network and Systems Administrator
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 have now attended classes. My first class was called international affairs, and my second United States foreign economic policy. This week will be my fourth week of classes, and my schedule is actually interesting too. I have classes for three days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and then from 2:00 p.m. until 5:15 p.m. Being an international student allows me to meet so many other people from all over the world. I have friends from many different countries, including Sweden, Russia, Spain, Japan, and Turkey (along with others). My next trip is to Hungary, and in May, I am hoping to visit my roommate in Turkey at her home. I am also planning a trip to go to England, Ireland, and Scotland. I actually went on a trip to the battlefields from World War I. Liz Wallace / Whetstone Contributor We went to cemeteries for those that were Liz Wallce on her Amsterdam Brussel Austrian, British, German, and of course trip. French. We visited a memorial for those that
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Students need to be informed By Melissa Boyd The Whetstone You can imagine my surprise when I opened my email on a boring day and saw the Google Alert, stating “Charles Coursey arrested for a sexual relationship with student.” I know a lot of people, but Coursey is not one of them. I don’t know many of the sports people, so I was really confused why I was getting this alert. I only get alerts from Google that pertain to Wesley. So I opened the email and saw he was an assistant coach at Wesley for the basketball team. One of our staff members, regardless of if he was a volunteer or not, was arrested for having sexual relations with a 17-year-old student. Why hadn’t we been told? Why wasn’t there an email alert The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas or at least something on the website? No – the college had only issued one sentence regarding this and immediately took him off of the athletics page, where his picture no longer can be seen. When I asked students how they felt about this, several did not wish to comment because they didn’t know enough. I was their only source of information because they just hadn’t been told. They didn’t want to appear stupid. Other students, as you may see in the students’ reaction article, were quite upset. Sometimes, it was hard to capture everything they said because they spoke so fast and so passionately. I share their frustration – I was upset someone had not thought to tell the student body. Someone said it’s not our business, as students, because the law was not broken on Wesley property. The act didn’t affect Wesley or their students because our students weren’t the ones who were having the relationship with Coursey. However, it’s our staff member. It IS our business. Call me crazy, but I enjoy writing articles like this. I don’t enjoy the criminal factors (such as having a staff member arrested) or the limited information initially given to me. I do, however, enjoy the adrenaline of discovering the truth and informing people. I enjoy the reactions of students who shared my discovery, because of me. I understand why the college would not want to “brag” about Coursey. But don’t we, as students, have a right to know? Yes, we do, which is why there’s a newspaper.
The Wesley College Literary Magazine, Musings, is accepting submissions for the Spring 2012 issue. The deadline to submit poetry, short stories, photographs, and artwork by March 28 to Whetstone editor at Melissa.Boyd@email.wesley.edu. died but their bodies were never found. And it was kind of disturbing, but cool. The memorial is located where they also fought, so sometimes people still find bodies from that time and once they are identified, if their name is on the memorial, people will come and “erase” the name and give the person a proper burial Liz Wallace / Whetstone Contributor with a gravestone. I Inside of Anne Frank’s house. thought that was interesting, but scary too, to think that you could be walking near the memorial and possibly find a body. We also went to a museum from the war and we got to wear German, French and British hats that they wore to protect their heads during war. We also got to see the trenches that the Canadians built when they fought in War World I and walked through them. It was incredible because they twisted and it was trench after trench after trench.
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Sports
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Women’s lacrosse team struggles to find players By Benjamin E. Lykens The Whetstone
school that is cheaper and has a more established team.” Windett said that when the Wolverines moved to a bigger conference, Capital Athletic Conference, several years before she arrived, it might have made some of the players a little hesitant to play. Before then, “it was a lot of small schools that were a lot like us,” she The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas said. “I think if they would come out The lacrose team celebrates after #4 and meet our team, they would see that Jessica Franklin scores a goal to tie a we are a family and just how close-knit game 5 to 5. of a group we are.” Men’s lacrosse 31, women’s lacrosse Alyssa Prudente, a senior and team 17. captain, said she wasn’t fazed by the These two teams didn’t play, but 14 is lack of players. the difference in the amount of players “It’s been a lot of bad luck,” she said. each team holds. “But we work with what we have and This difference begs the question: work hard.” Where have all the girl lacrosse players Grad assistant Ellie Merritt said the gone? lack of players might have something to Girls lacrosse head coach Debbie do with Wesley’s size. Windett attributed the low number to “I really think it’s because we’re a losing recruits. small school and you’re not going to “We had three girls who played last get as many kids as a Division One year decide not to play this year,” school,” she said. she said. “We also had kids that we It doesn’t reflect on the coach, players recruited to play lacrosse and then who said. decided not to play.” Alyssa Prudente backs her coach 100 The women’s lacrosse teams have percent. struggled to stay consistent, going 6-11 “Coach Windett is very patient, looklast year after an 8-8 campaign the year ing to build and recruit,” she said. “I before. think she’s the right person for the job.” Linnea Cavallo, a junior defender, beCavallo agrees. lieves the Wolverines’ poor record and “I love her, she’s great,” she said. expensive college tuition rates deter She also said Windett is open to Carecruits from playing for Wesley. vallo’s schedule. “We don’t have a lot of players “She’s really understanding with my because we don’t have the best record,” situation, that I have class and can’t go Cavallo said. “You could go to a better to a lot of the practices.”
Track team breaks school records By Linnea Cavallo The Whetstone
After competing in only three meets, tional at 10:57.57. the men and women’s track and field Alex DelloBuono broke the mile teams have broken several school record with the time of 4:59.06. Also, records. Richard Feeney broke the record for the With a recreation center full of people 800-meter with a time of 2:11.26. and teammates cheering during the Arvantis Smith broke the triple jump Thompson Invitational on Jan. 28, record during the Albright College Invithe 4x400 relay team set a record of tational by hop-skip-and-jumping 10.39 4:35.90 (4 (10.39 meters). minutes, 35.90 Sophomore and seconds). CAC men’s track Members athlete of the week of the relay Matthew Bundy, team included brought home two Twila McCrea, gold medals and shatStevie Carpentered the 55-meter ter, Shakeiya hurdle record. Marshall, and Bundy sped past anchor SherLarry Beavers’ previThe Whetstone / Cochise Lucas ous record by almost leen Sabin. Tristin Burris set a new record for the “Running a quarter of a second 3,000-meter run with a time of 12:12.95. track, no matter shorter, at 8.03 the event, is “It feels good to feel something I love doing,” said freshlike I’m important to the team,” Bundy man Stevie Carpenter. “The fact that I said. was on a relay team that broke a school With eleven meets to go in their record was just a bonus.” season the teams are confident that they Sabin said, “I just saw coach smiling will be breaking more records to come. when I crossed the finish line.” “Yes, we could continue to break reTristin Burris set a new record for cords, if everyone has the determination the 3,000-meter run with a time of and dedication anything can happen,” 12:12.95. Michael Liegey broke the McCrea said. men’s 3,000-meter run at this invita-
Late February 2012
Next man up By Benjamin E. Lykens The Whetstone Brett Underwood believes that neither his youth nor his inexperience as head baseball coach at Wesley College will have any negative effect on his team’s chances this year. “My delivery to the players will be different because I’m a little younger and a little newer and I think that because of my age it helps me relate to the players,” he said. Underwood, 29, understands the challenges of being a first-year head coach. “The biggest challenge is getting the team prepared to win,” he said. “In the past I could focus on what I had to focus on but now being in charge of everybody, I have to focus on all facets of the team.” Underwood was an assistant for six years under former head coach Tripp Keister, who recently accepted a job to manage the rookie level Golf Coast League Nationals. “Coach Keister started my coaching career and I am very grateful for that and he has meant more to me than anyone the last six years,” Underwood said. “I know he’ll do a great job there, too.” During Underwood’s time as an assistant to Keister, he learned how to manage young men but he also is bringing his own aggressive individual style. “We want to be aggressive but you can only be aggressive if we have good attention to detail,” he said. “Coach Keister’s attention to detail was fantastic and that’s one of the biggest things I’ll try to take from his coaching style.” Greg McKee, a senior third baseman, believes that Underwood creates a more relaxed environment.
The Whetstone / Cochise Lucas
Brett Underwood watches his team playing the field against Albright.
“A little more laid back but not a challenge,” he said. Steve Perone, a junior first basemen, believes things haven’t changed very much. “Since we’ve been here it’s been business as usual,” he said. Whether the environment of the team has or will change, the Wolverines are looking to have a successful season. Underwood may be young but his players believe that he will take them to the next level. Mark Mattern, a sophomore first-year baseball player, thinks that Underwood is the right man for the job. “He’s a great coach and very knowledgeable,” he said. “I think we’re going to have a very good season.”
Students think dorms need improving
By Kimberly Juhas Whetstone Contributor Wesley College junior Megan Aisophomore year and ello thinks living on Wesley College absolutely love it,” campus is not worth it. she said. “I definitely “The facilities are old, small, and would never go back to not worth the thousands of dollars a dorm room.” people are charged,” she said. “The She said she has ones that are nice to live in are more privacy and has so unaffordable on top of tuition, a bedroom that is bigbooks, and the meal plan.” ger than the size of a For many years Wesley has had a Wesley.edu shoebox. problem with keeping their students Wesley College junior However, there are a Megan Aiello on campus. few students who prefer Some students say it is due to deteliving on campus. riorating dorms; others say it is because “I like to live on campus especially of how expensive it is to live on campus. this year because of all the dangerous Some students agree with Aiello. stuff that has been going on I feel safer The dorms are old and disgusting, said in the dorms,” says junior Zimmerman junior Malmberg Hall resident Lindsey Hall resident Amanda Fetterolf. “I like Martin. “People don’t want to pay that to live on campus because it is good for kind of money,” she said. “Not only is it meeting new people on campus that you cheaper to live off campus, but also you might not know as well,” she concluded. do not have an expensive meal plan.” Junior Travis Ragland said he enjoys Senior Kimberly Fearnbach doesn’t like where he lives on campus. the rules in dorms. “I loved what Malmberg offered as a “Wesley dorms are becoming entirely resident last year and I love living in Zimway too strict with on campus living,” she merman Hall now,” he said. said. Kevin Hansbury, Wesley’s director So many students are living off campus of resident life, said the college has a because of that, Aiello said. “two-year residency requirement for all Others suggest, however, that the students, with limited exceptions.” freedom of being off campus is what they Some of these exceptions include: comenjoy most. muting from home – but it must be within “Living off campus has allowed me to close proximity to campus; students feel more comfortable and has saved me a who are married; those who serve in the lot of money,” she said. military; or students who are at least 20 Aiello said that her grades have gone up years old. even higher than they were, and she gets a “Students with extenuating circumgood night’s sleep every night. stances may appeal the residency requireFearnbach also enjoys living off camment to the dean of students,” he said. pus. “However, we are very consistent with “I moved off campus at the end of my maintaining the policy.”