All About Christina

SB 07, sponsored by Senator Adam Caldwell with support from Student Welfare Committee member senators; Pui Ki Lam, Madison McGraw and director of Student Affairs, Caroline Price, was designed to allow the SGA to appropriate funding for 2,000 Scantrons as well as 1,000 blue books to be purchased from Dowdy Student Stores and placed at the Pirate Tutoring center from Dec. 2 – Dec. 12.

Director of the PTC, Elizabeth Coghill, is pleased with what the act offers and the recognition it brings from the SGA to the tutors and students who frequent the center.

“We’ve appreciated it very much,” said Coghill. “So many students work really hard here, it’s just great to hand them a nice little extra for everything they’ve done this semester. It’s really more than just a Scantron, it’s helping folks that need it.”

Students who are interested in receiving their free Scantron and/or blue book are able to do so by attending the PTC for test preparation or tutoring.

The SGA offices located in Mendenhall began a program similar to SB 07 by allowing students to come by their offices and take free Scantrons. Caldwell who has been actively involved with both the SGA and SWC has been proud to help sponsor the passing of SB 07 and thinks that it will be a great asset to students on campus.

“We saw that the program in our offices were working so well that we decided to branch out to the other side of campus,” said Caldwell. “The Pirate Tutoring Center is such a valuable asset to campus and when people are there working hard and stressing out about exams, Scantrons and blue books should be the last thing they need to worry about. This is just a small way that the SGA can help relieve that pressure and reward students.”

The PTC tutors an average of 750 students per week and as many as 1,700 on Reading Day, ensuring that Scantrons and blue books will go quickly.

This writer can be contacted at [email protected]

Emily Ayscue is a second year graduate student with one of the first multi and inter-disciplinary Master of Science degrees for Sustainable Tourism in the country.

Ayscue started out as an undergraduate geology major and later came across the MS-ST program.

“I wanted to study more about what was being done to preserve the beautiful environments I studied within that program and I love to travel,” said Ayscue. “The Sustainable Tourism program was a no-brainer for me.”

The Center for Sustainable Tourism is made up of faculty and students from over six different colleges within ECU and focuses heavily on the sciences and policies pertaining to and sustaining tourism. The center is also one of the first in the country to offer a multi and inter-disciplinary MS degree for Sustainable Tourism.

According to the World Tourism Organization international tourism in just the U.S. totaled $919 billion in earnings alone. This is projected to grow by over seven percent by 2020, putting ECU sustainable tourism majors ahead of the rest of the country.

“Within the Center, it is an incredibly open and welcoming atmosphere,” said Ayscue. “My peers are among the brightest people I’ve ever engaged with. The diversity in our affiliate faculty’s backgrounds provides a platform to create innovative ways to research and think about sustainability in tourism.”

Ayscue is currently doing her thesis on weather and climate and how they are factors in contributing to the sustainability of tourism on the coast.

“I consider weather and climate to be something that can contribute to a tourist’s overall positive or negative experience at a destination,” said Ayscue.

The research developed through Ayscue’s work helps the CST create and produce a seasonal forecast newsletter. This could potentially help different tourism businesses have the advantage of knowing and planning for inventory or staffing based on project visitors.

Tourism and travel is one of the world’s leading and largest economic activities. This works out well for students in the ST field as it is a leading industry in many countries and continues to be the fastest growing in job creation of the economic sector.

“The Center’s work on sustainability can easily be translated from its focus on tourism into a larger picture,” said Ayscue on how the CST is about more than just tourism. “It’s bringing awareness of consuming and traveling responsibly with regard to other’s environment and future that will help reverse some of the negative environmental, social and economic impacts resulting from our current lifestyles.”

This writer can be contacted at [email protected]

Currently LGBT members are not protected and can be fired or for sexual orientation and gender identity. The ENDA is an act drafted to protect against such discrimination. In 29 states, including N.C., LGBT workers can be legally harassed or fired for reasons not pertaining to their job performance.

Only 16 county and city municipals in NC provide some form of LGBT protection. Only three counties — Buncombe, Mecklenburg and Orange — protect transgender workers. Five cities — Asheville, Boone, Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Charlotte — also include protections for gender identity or expression.

However, the protection the bill offers does not extend to religious groups, the military or companies with fewer than 15 employees.

“I believe that everyone deserves an equal opportunity when it comes to employment,” said junior psychology major Faith Sipek. “Discrimination in any form, for any reason is unlawful.”

Equality North Carolina, a statewide LGBT advocacy group, strived to have this act successfully instituted in NC by working with senators and congressional workers to fight the uphill battle they face with the U.S. House of Representatives.

“The new ENDA passing, I believe, will open up a lot of doors and opportunities for people here in our community at ECU, as well as across the state,” said Sipek. “The act passing in the Senate is a small stepping stone on the way to equal rights for people of all backgrounds and lifestyles. The close we get to equality for all, the better.”

Senior business finance major, Thomas Nelson, agreed.

“There is no reason to deny any person a job based on sexual orientation,” he said.
The president of LGBT Student Union at ECU and junior political science major, Jackie DeJesus explained the process as it goes forward:

“Now that ENDA has passed in the Senate, it just has to go through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. That is worrying for LGBT students, who will be looking for jobs in the near future, and current LGBT employees, whose jobs may be at stake if protection is not passed… I am not saying that just because Republicans control the House ENDA will not pass. In fact, a strong majority of Republican voters support having a federal law protecting LGBT employees in the workplace. 



In a survey conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality, 90% of transgender and gender non-conforming respondents state that they have experienced harassment, mistreatment or discrimination on the job. This bill would extend rights to LGBT that is currently afforded to everyone else, according to DeJesus.

“It is time for those fighting for equality to rise up. The GLBTSU has been encouraged to call their representatives and express their opinions on ENDA. Our Representatives are elected to represent the will of the people he or she represents,“ said Dejesus. “Rights are not special privileges when you are asking for something everyone else already has.”

You can contact this writer at [email protected]

Jose Casanova, professor and head of the Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs at Georgetown University, will speak at the Jarvis Lecture on Christianity and Culture.

The lecture will be at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4 in Wright Auditorium.

Casanova focuses on a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from religion to migration and sociological theory.
He is known for his modern classic text, “Public Religions in the Modern World,” which has been translated in five different languages, including Arabic and Indonesian.

Casanova will examine how religious traditions around the world have moved into public life, as well as its de-privatization. The lecture will also focus on Casanova’s analyses and challenges against religious institutions and post-Enlightenment assumptions from throughout the world.

Complimentary tickets are available by contacting the ECU Central Ticket office.

You can contact this writer at [email protected]

David Cunningham PhD., guest lectured on the Ku Klux Klan and its role in communities of eastern North Carolina yesterday.

Cunningham, an associate professor and department chair of sociology at Brandeis University in Mass., took nearly a decade to research, compile and write his book, Klansville, USA: The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-Era Ku Klux Klan.

Cunningham revealed that he spent much time researching and conducting interviews at ECU, as well as making frequent use of Joyner archives as well as downtown’s Sheppard Memorial Library.

“I faced a surprisingly large amount of people that had already passed away,” Cunningham said about obstacles he faced while conducting his research. “A lot of people I would have really wanted to talk to had died in their late fifties and just really young so it was hard to find those first hand accounts.”

Cunningham presented statistics showing N.C. to be number one in the United States for Klan membership in the 1960s, as well as having more Klan membership than all the southern states combined.

Pitt County would be the number one county in N.C. for the number of active Klan chapters in the 1960s.

“Emotionally it was sometimes difficult,” Cunningham explained on interviewing Klan members and civil rights members.

“To the best I could, I tried to keep emphasizing to myself that I was only trying to understand people’s perspectives.”

Cunningham pursued his interest in civil rights and the KKK further after seeing a famously known black and white photograph of a KKK walk in Salisbury, N.C.

The lecture series held in Bate 1006 and Sheppard Memorial Library would cover everything from the contemporary significance of the Klan, its role in eastern N.C. communities to the contents of his book that is the first substantial history of the rise and fall of the KKK.

Cunningham’s series were part of the annual social issues lectures sponsored by ECU.

This writer can be contacted at [email protected]

ECU is currently awaiting approval from the UNC Board of Governors for a proposed revision of the university’s mission statement.

In the spring of 2013 the UNC Board of Governors and the UNC General Administration gave the university a strict deadline to revise its mission statement by September. The new mission statement revision was drafted to ensure consistency with “Our Time, Our Future,” the UNC Strategic Directions Initiative.

In May Chancellor Ballard appointed a representative committee to draft a revision of the mission statement and submit it to the campus community for feedback via an online survey.

After considering all responses the representative committee drafted a final statement, got approval from the Chancellor in June and approval from the Board of Trustees in July.

Since, the SGA, the Staff Senate and the Faculty Senate have all endorsed the revised mission statement. ECU is presently awaiting the UNC Board of Governors to give approval.

1.The previous mission statement:
“Preparing our students to compete and succeed in the global economy and multicultural society,
Distinguishing ourselves by the ability to train and prepare leaders,
Creating a strong, sustainable future for eastern North Carolina through education, research, innovation, investment, and outreach,
Saving lives, curing diseases, and positively transforming health and health care, and
Providing cultural enrichment and powerful inspiration as we work to sustain and improve quality of life.”

2.The new mission statement:
“Uses innovative learning strategies and delivery methods to maximize access;
Prepares students with the knowledge, skills and values to succeed in a global, multicultural society;
Develops tomorrow’s leaders to serve and inspire positive change;
Discovers new knowledge and innovations to support a thriving future for eastern North Carolina and beyond;
Transforms health care, promotes wellness, and reduces health disparities; and
Improves quality of life through cultural enrichment, academics, athletics, and the arts.”

This writer can be contacted at [email protected]

Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, held its third annual Banned Books Reading event on September 25 at 5 p.m. in Joyner Library.

The advisor of the English Honor Society, Erika Galluppi, created the Banned Books Reading. Galluppi designed the event to be an active discussion, as well as raise awareness among students and faculty in lieu of the American Library Association’s Banned Book Week.

“I think censorship is a fascinating topic,” said Galluppi. “It’s never black or white and I love seeing the students and faculty who are sometimes parents or grandparents play devils advocate to these controversial books.”

Galluppi’s reading focused heavily on censorship, what the difference was between banned and challenged books as well as pay tribute to works whose voices have been silenced by having attendees read excerpts from books that spoke to the individual.

“The goal is not for me to go up there and lecture and preach or say go forth and rescue the books,” said Galluppi. “But more about letting the students talk about the books, about censorship and what they know.”

Language, racism, sexual content, political propaganda, religion, taboo topics, even talking animals, all take part in determining the level of controversy a book generates. Books ranging from “Harry Potter” to “The Giver” to “Alice in Wonderland” have been challenged and banned around the world.

Jessica McMillan, a freshman psychology major, chose the fiction novel “Bridge to Terabithia” for her censorship excerpt. The book was challenged and banned in some parts of the U.S. for its language and death of a child in the plot.

“Originally, I found it surprising that my book was challenged and banned, but then I recalled when I first read it when I was younger and Leslie died; It was really tough to read at my age,” said McMillan.

English professor John Steen attended the Banned Book Reading bringing with him his own favorite banned book “Ulysses” by James Joyce. Steen found the event to be a “wonderful” and a “great experience.”

“The books range from children’s literature to great classics, things that are taught to all ages, so it’s surprising the range and variety,” said Steen. “I’m totally opposed to censorship. I believe people should have access to literature and the possibility of thinking differently about the world and what it offers.”

During the event, Galluppi generated an active conversation by asking the audience about what they thought censorship entailed and preceded to list out suggestions made by students and faculty on a white board. After filling the board, Galluppi would challenge everyone to try “seeing it from another’s point of view” to help create a better understanding on why people still challenge and ban books.

Galluppi had everyone imagine they had their own set of children and how their censorship opinions can sometimes change when circumstances change.

Kenneth Bridges II, freshman biology major, humorously explained what he did as a child when he read something he didn’t understand and how he would prevent that from happening if his “child” read something uncensored.

“When I was a kid, all us boys would get together, we’d talk and try to explain things. But we were young and at that age we were dumb and had no idea what we were talking about it. We’d end up forming this cloud of dumb,” said Bridges. “If I saw my kid going near that cloud, I’d pull them back and educate them right instead of letting them be around kids who have no idea about what they’re talking about.”

The Banned Books Reading had around 50 attendees, a steadily increasing number since the start three years ago.

“There are more and more students coming each year, if that’s any marker for success,” said Galluppi. “More importantly the shock factor has lessened. Three years ago when I held this event, all if not most, of the students were surprised to see the banned books, some a favorite read from their childhood.”

You can contact this writer at [email protected]

At least 13 people, including the shooter, have been found dead after a shooting yesterday morning inside the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters at the Washington Naval Yard.

An active shooter was reported at 8:20 a.m. inside the naval building, which houses around 3,000 employees. Aaron Alexis, 34-year-old Queens, N.Y., was identified as the gunman. According to the Navy, Alexis was enlisted as a full-time reservist from May 2007 to Jan. 2011.

ECU alumnus Kevin Jones edits videos, conducts interviews, and produces contents for social media in Washington, D.C. as a news reporter for WUSA, a CBS affiliate.

“No one walked into work today expecting this,” said Jones. “Since it happened everyone’s been running around the newsroom. We’ve had people in the field and on-air non-stop reporting breaking news. It’s just been absolute chaos.”

Jones was born and raised in D.C., recalling, “The last time I saw Washington this crazy it was 9/11. There are police cars and sirens everywhere. The city’s on high alert and everyone’s in shock. It’s definitely a very sad day for D.C.”

The shooting is currently undergoing an investigation by agencies including the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, D.C. Metro Police, as well as the FBI, which has the lead for the case.

“The Navy family today suffered a horrific attack,” said Ray Mabus, U.S. Navy Secretary at a press conference held yesterday at Medstar Washington Hospital Center. Medstar is currently housing three shooting victims and has been told to expect more.

President Obama ordered for flags to be flown at half-staff until Friday evening in honor of the Naval Yard victims.

You can contact this writer at [email protected]

The Cashier’s Office released a departmental announcement last week after receiving a $100 counterfeit bill in addition to other forged bills found in recent weeks.

Since 2010, ECU’s Cashier’s Office has received four counterfeit bills, two in the past month, from either direct or indirect transactions with other departments.

Counterfeit bills equal monetary loss to the university. Although a lot of counterfeit currency, in comparison to recent years, has found its way on campus it is not believed to be a growing problem for the university.

The Cashier’s Office is urging departments to exercise caution and double check when accepting cash payments. Departments have also been encouraged to purchase counterfeit detector pens. The pen’s ink contains an iodine solution that reacts based on the type of paper being marked. Counterfeit bills, typically made on copy paper and composed mostly of starch, will stain black whereas real currency made with a special fiber-based paper will not discolor.

Senior ECU management information systems major, Corde Kukahiko, is an assistant manager at the Sheetz located at 1000 Charles Blvd., near campus, who has handled counterfeit currency. According to Kukahiko there are three determining factors he uses when finding counterfeit bills:

“The first is whether or not the bill reacts with our iodine pens. Then there’s the feel of the bill. You can just feel the difference between real and fake,” said Kukahiko. “Finally, I look for watermarks and the silver U.S. Treasury stripe. Whenever I come across a counterfeit I inform the customer and immediately contact law enforcement.”

ECU Police has only dealt with three cases of counterfeiting since the start of 2013. “Rarely it’s the man in the basement wearing the green fanned hat printing money,” said ECU Police Lt. Sutton. “A lot of times people just don’t realize they have counterfeit currency because it’s been duplicated so well.”

When a department comes across a counterfeit bill the ECU Police is notified and an investigation report is drawn up. Most, if not all, cases are handled by the United States Secret Service. The Secret Service will then investigate and, depending on the severity, could result in a fine or imprisonment for up to 15 years, or both.

All counterfeit bills are to be reported to the police immediately upon finding. The bills are not to be returned to its owner, nor given in exchange for real currency. A counterfeit note report form can be found online on the United States Secret Service website.

You can contact this writer at [email protected]

Pamela Hopkins, the founder of the Speech Communication Center said, “Nobody communicates too well. All of us can use help,” said Hopkins. “Sometimes I think that many people forget that there is value to looking another person in the eye and being able to communicate with them. I think it’s one of those key components students need to get while they’re in college.”

The Speech Communication Center is open to all ECU students, faculty and staff. Hopkins hopes in the future that it will be used by Pitt County residents as well.

“We want to serve more than just communication students,” said Hopkins. “We want students from all majors because there is no major on this campus from which communication is not going to play a vital role in that students major and in their career.”

People can make an appointment with the Speech Communication Center by going online to the School of Communication’s website and find the tab for the Speech Communication Center. Walk-ins are always welcome, although there could be a wait as appointments take priority.

Depending on the kind of oral help needed, the majority involving public speaking or oral presentations, the process will begin with the student, faculty or staff member giving their presentation in front of the center’s staff while being recorded.

Afterwards the presenter will receive feedback during a one-on-one meeting where certain parts of the recorded presentation are shown to help them better understand their critique and adjust for the future.

Communication graduate student, Blake Caruso, works as a teaching assistant for undergraduate communication classes as well as in the new Speech Communication Center.

“I know a lot of people, undergrads especially, are trying to break into the professional world and have tools that can help them do that. Public speaking or communication in general is something that’s going to be necessary in the professional world,” said Caruso. “If you’re having any trouble, students and faculty are welcome to come down and we can work together to face and help solve your problems.”
Junior accounting major, Kali Stallings, used the Speech Communication Center for the first time for her public speaking class.

Stallings said, “I think using the center will definitely benefit me in class as well as my future career. I’m learning how to talk in public and in front of other people.”

The center can help individuals whom English is not their first language practice their conversational skills to help build confidence and clarity in their speech. Staff or faculty members can receive help with professional presentations or first time teaching anxiety by obtaining feedback and helpful tips on how to better their oral skills.

“I am quite excited about the Speech Communication Center,” said Linda Kean, Director and Professor in the School of Communication. “It will mean a great deal to the faculty, staff and students of ECU.”

The assisting staff at the Speech Communication Center consists of one intern and two full time teaching assistants, Blake Caruso and Danielle Bouchery.

The center is open in Joyner East Room 205 during Monday from 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Wednesday from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

You can contact this writer at [email protected]

After finding his love for scuba at the age of 14, Etheridge received his official certification only one day after his 15th birthday.

“I had a life changing experience from the moment I took my first breath under water. The water glowed and the angels sang, and I knew that this was it,” Etheridge said. “I didn’t know how I would make a living in diving at the time, but I was determined to find out.”

Six weeks after his 18th birthday, Etheridge packed his bags and headed to Houston, Texas, to attend a rigorous six-month long commercial diving school.

“On the first day of class they told us that the life expectancy of a Gulf of Mexico diver was about 3 years. There were 46 of us that October and by that following March there were only 12 of us that graduated.” Etheridge said, referring to the amount of students that ended dropping out. “I’d see other people struggling, but I guess it just came naturally to me.”

Commercial diving is a diverse field with a wide range of job opportunities, each with its own individual risks from the moment a person’s mask goes on.

“I’ve had two friends that had various accidents that retired them from diving. I lasted five years before I had a hydro jet, essentially a pressure washer that cuts through concrete at 10 thousand PSI, malfunction and almost took off my left hand. It cut everything but the bone and pretty much retired me.” Etheridge said. “My first surgeon in Charleston told me that I should have lost the hand and left with a hook, which would have made me a better Pirate I suppose, but they sewed it back on, attaching my nerves and skin back together.”

Later, Etheridge would undergo more surgery to have a saphenous graft removed from his leg and reattached to his arm so he could regain a radial pulse, an important circulatory process for divers to have normal hand circulation.

At the age of 36, Etheridge would also experience his first and only case of decompression sickness. “You have to follow all the rules, all the time, no matter who you are.”

In 1988, Etheridge accepted a salvage job which later turned out to be the first authenticated pirate shipwreck to be discovered, the Whydah of “Black Sam” Bellamy in Cape Cod, that dates back to 1717. He also went looking for the HMS Hussar, an English ship dating back to the early 1760’s, in NYC East River.

“I’ve worked in various places up and down the east coast,” Etheridge said. “I spent a year and a half in the Great Lakes. I’ve also gone twice to Alaska helping to look for Yukon era gold.”

After his diving accident, Etheridge bounced back and forth from UNCG and ECU, eventually settling and graduating from ECU, majoring in philosophy with a minor in history.

Filling up his final credits for undergrad graduation, Etheridge learned of the university’s scuba program and decided on taking a Master Diver course, a class that had a required number of dives to get in and gave certification in going to a farther depth when diving. This choice would later introduce Etheridge to Ray Sharp, a former ECU swim coach and current instructor, as well as Peter Ferrell, PhD. Both would have a large part to play in Etheridge taking over ECU’s scuba program.

Since taking over the program in late 2002, Etheridge admits to having his own struggles with growing and instructing the university’s scuba program that’s number one in the nation for certifications awarded.

“I haven’t done this by myself,” said Etheridge. “I picked up the flag from Ray Scharf and ran with it. Because Dr. Farrell said that the program had to be self-supporting, I applied myself to making it big, and I did, with help from Mike who has been there since day one. I always start off the semester telling my students, ‘We’re going to learn real stuff, physics and physiology. You’re going to perform skills that will challenge and possibly terrify you but in the end you’ll discover something really cool that has enriched your life,’ and a lot of students come back from different classes on campus telling me how they could apply something they learned in my scuba class and I think that’s pretty cool.”

This writer can be contacted at [email protected]

Research studies from the University of California, Berkeley and Columbus State University prove attending instructor office hours to be a significant factor in personal and academic success.

The ECU Faculty Manual states that instructors are required to hold at least five office hours a week. While not all students are required to attend these office hours, a lot are ignorant to the benefits of actually going.

The study done by Berkeley shows that a “close and positive communication between undergraduates and instructors can create a more favorable educational experience as well as further their academic and personal development.”

Because 65 percent of students, according to a study done by Columbus State University, abuse professor email correspondence, it’s no longer considered to be a close way of communication.

This leaves office hour attendance as the most reliable and fastest way to get to know instructors and more importantly, for them to get to know students.

Most students skip office hours entirely, letting fears of intimidation or being in an awkward spot get in the way of meeting and getting to know their instructor, who holds the power to pass or fail you.

Patrick Batchelor, engineering major, gives advice to those with that possible fear.

“Go straight up to them. They’re human beings. Sure they handle your work, but they’re not as scary as they seem.”

Sources from the Berkeley study explain that the benefits from personal instructor interaction are not just limited to classroom performance. It also includes positive self-concept and satisfaction in non-academic life.

Media Production alumna Patrick Jones, agrees that meeting during office hours with his professors for classes he struggled in gave him a stronger connection and a better understanding of who his professors were, the material they taught and the methods of their teaching.

“I think there should be a required meeting with all professors at least once mid-way in the semester,” Jones said. “It’s not just about whether you understand the material, it helps the professor recognize who you are as a person so when something comes up on your end they know you, not just your name.”

Although most professors do not have mandatory attendance to their office hours, it’s an important tool to take advantage of.

Mary Beth Corbin, Director of Student Transitions, believes that meeting with professors outside of the classroom is vital to a student’s classroom and personal success.

“Meeting with professors outside the classroom is very important,” Corbin said. “It allows a student the opportunity to have different conversations about class, personal hobbies, their pathway or major. Unfortunately, it’s hardest for freshman to break the ice because they’re so accustomed to the high school environment with lingering hallway teachers and longer class times, but that’s not the case anymore. You can’t really go wrong when approaching a professor at ECU, I think almost any approach will be well received.”

This writer can be contacted at [email protected]

Sampson Independent, The (Clinton, NC)

New Tradition: Ring Ceremony
By Christina Tucker; 11 Is Junior   
October 11, 2009

Any person who has graduated can recall a high school memory that brings laughter, tears, anger, friendship. The class ring is what ties these memories together. At Lakewood a soon-io-be tradition has began. The 2009-2010 Juniors participated in a Class Ring Ceremony sponsored by Jostens on September 22 at 7 p.m. The class rings gleamed under the fluorescent lighting in Lakcwood's cafeteria Not a frown was to be seen as each proud parent stood and watched their child slide on their shiny new class ring. As parents watched their children put their class rings on their eyes were lost in the moment of remembering their own special moment, "The ceremony is to give the students their moment," Randy Storts, the Jostens representative of Lakewood said. The next day juniors could be seen twirling the ring around their finger, "I can't stop looking at mine," Wilson Simpson admitted. "I'm grateful for everything I've received from my parents and I hope to pass mine down to my children "

Junior Christina Tucker is presented her class ring by her mother, Carol.

Copyright, 2009, Sampson Independent, The (Clinton, NC). Heartland Publications, LLC All Rights Reserved.

Sampson Independent, The (Clinton, NC)
Lakewood deals with required projects for first time
Students give steps they followed in getting through pilot program, fulfilling state mandate
By Christina Tucker; Special to the Independent   
 June 3, 2009

For the first year ever in Leopard history, Lakewood High School started a tradition of senior projects, to be in compliance with a new program mandated by the state under the title, "the N.C. Graduation Project."

The North Carolina Department of Education has mandated that schools be in compliance with the requirements so Lakewood began a pilot program this year, meaning that Lakewood would begin making graduation projects requirements for seniors in order to graduate.

First and second semester seniors had to do their graduation projects in order to receive their exam grade for English IV.

One example of a graduation project completed by one of Lakewood's students, Iesha Kerr, was on breast cancer awareness.

Kerr organized a balloon release during one school day break in memory of those who passed away or have suffered from cancer.

A humorous and inventive detail noticed by others during her presentation was that Kerr wore a pink dress with pink shoes to honor the national color for breast cancer awareness.

Now that the last presentations of the year are finished, several seniors gave hints on how to manage and develop a successful graduation project.

Some tips are to:

· Accept the inevitable, you're going to do the project whether you like it or not.

· Keep up with all forms and paperwork that may need signatures that are required to go in your portfolio.

· Check in with your mentor regularly and do not rely on them to do all your work, especially if you wait until the last minute.

· If you follow the timeline, you'll be less stressed and more organized in the end.

Several seniors also mentioned that by going to the student/parent meeting about the graduation project helped a lot.

Stacey Dudley, top ten in her graduating class, suggested, "Remember to stick with the four P's paper, product, portfolio and presentation - and I cannot stress enough, do not procrastinate!" Three out of four seniors said that after finishing their project that they not only felt a sense of accomplishment and success, but were exposed to the skills that will help prepare them for real-life college experiences they'll have to face in the upcoming years.

COURTESY PHOTO

Erica Sanchez giving her Senior Project presentation, entitled 'Aztec Civilizations.'

COURTESY PHOTO

Community members volunteered to come to Lakewood High School to grade presentations on Senior Project night. From left are Shirley Cooper, Mary Jones, Audrey James and Phoebe West, who graded seniors Phillip Edwards and Tiana Hawkins, who gave presentations on 'How to Become a Firefighter' and 'Scoliosis,' respectively.

COURTESY PHOTO

Phillip Edwards gives his 'How to Become a Firefighter' presentation, which was called one of the highlights of Senior Project night.

Copyright, 2009, Sampson Independent, The (Clinton, NC). Heartland Publications, LLC All Rights Reserved.