Rhynean- October 2014

A

SEASON OF

A WORK in

Volume 108

Lenoir-Rhynean News

Issue 8

October 2014

PROGRESS

Model Status PG 6

CHAMPIONS PG 8

PG 5

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE HOMECOMING 2014

By Cigi Sparks LRN Design & Layout Editor

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, I’d like to introduce you to the most longed for event of the year.

People come from all over the world and students flock from their dorm rooms just for this. It’s homecoming.

“Putting it all together was a challenge,” said Dr. Keiwanna Perryman, homecoming committee advisor. “I can’t wait to see it all pay off during homecoming week.”

LR’s homecoming committee is composed of 11 students and Dr. Perryman serving as the advisor.

“We’re all just learning as we go,” Perryman said.

“Everyone is new to this— including me.”

Perryman started her job at LR in January of 2014 as the Director of Student Engagement.

“Homecoming is part of my job responsibilities.

When I got here and started coordinating, I talked to faculty, staff and students about what homecoming has been in past years. I heard that it wasn’t very student centered, it was focused more on alumni and that everything was kind of thrown together at last minute.”

Once Perryman realized that homecoming was in desperate need of some TLC, she made the applications and released them to the student body. 12 students applied and 11 of them compose the homecoming committee today.

Each member was assigned a role under a specific committee.

The committees include public relations, royalty, organization relations, alumni relations and pride events.

“I wanted a group of motivated students who could help me bring all of this together,” said Perryman.

“I wanted to incorporate things that had been done in the past as well as some new things.”

Once the committee was formed, they got together to brainstorm and present ideas. One of the first jobs for the committee was to come up with a homecoming theme.

After roughly 20 theme ideas were submitted, Welcome to the Jungle was decided on by the committee.

“I was really excited that this theme got picked. It was a creative and new idea that I thought would bring a different outlook and perspective to homecoming,” said Desty St.Germain,

Organization Relations committee member.

“At first I was a little confused on how the theme was going to work but after it was explained in greater detail, I became excited about it,” said Angie Connelly, Public Relations committee member. “It’s something different and it comes with so many decorating ideas.

I can’t wait to see how everything it going to turn out during homecoming week.”

This year, homecoming will feature many new events.

“We really wanted to capture the entire week through celebration and make everyone even more excited for the weekend to come,” Perryman said.

New events include the LR Day of Service, the Student vs. Staff Basketball game, Jungle Rock, the LR Challenge, a Block Party and the Homecoming day Gala.

“During homecoming, we also wanted to give back to the community. They do so much for us at LR that we felt the need to do something for them too,” Perryman said.

1 out of 5 children in Catawba County struggle with hunger, LR challenges you to change the math. For the Day of Service, LR has partnered with Generosity Feeds to make and package

10,000 meals in two hours.

The meals will be given to children in the Hickory area that struggle with hunger.

“With the day of service, we really wanted to show that we are willing to step outside of ourselves and help our community,” Perryman said.

Another hot topic on the homecoming week to-do list is Jungle Rock. First, this is the day of the free t-shirt give away. Second, Jungle Rock will feature a DJ and a petting zoo. A PETTING ZOO. There will be goats, llamas, ponies—you name it.

Even though there are a lot of new items being added to the agenda, past traditions are being upheld as well.

The LR Challenge is a race to the finish line that involves students starting following their clues to the next answer and continuing to move forward.

“The Challenge is a new event but we’re incorporating LR history into the clues and answers. We think that it’s important for students to know their campus and the history behind it,” said Brooke Connor, Pride Events committee member.

The annual Homecoming Parade will also be included in the schedule this year, just with some minor improvements.

“From what I’ve heard, the homecoming parade usually didn’t last for more than 15 minutes. That isn’t even a parade,” Perryman said. “This year we’ve worked really hard at getting maximum involvement on and off campus.”

Perryman and the homecoming committee have worked really hard to make homecoming week something that all of the students can look forward to.

“This week is a reflection on the committee as a whole and me as well,” Perryman said. “Not only that, but it’s a reflection of LR to the alumni.”

Homecoming week 2014 has been packed full of fun and games, along with surprises and activities for the students to get involved in.

“We’ve tried really hard to make the week of homecoming into something that students will look forward to each year. We want them to get excited for the homecoming week, not just the homecoming game,” Perryman said. “This week brings so many opportunities for people to become united.

We want everyone to become united to LR’s campus and all it has to offer. That’s what homecoming is about,”

2

E d i to r i a l

Lette r from the editor

Your voices matter: LRN’s new leader takes charge

Jazmine Charles LRN Editor-in-Chief

Share your feedback with us!

Like LRN on Facebook to get the conversation started. facebook.com/lRNonline

I can’t believe we’ve already been on campus for over a month. Seniors, we know how quickly these next few months are going to fly by and freshmen, before you know it you’ll be sophomores.

Hi, I’m Jazmine Charles and I’m the new Editor-in-Chief for LRN Monthly. In the past I’ve been a contributing writer for the paper, but with the help of some great friends and professors I’m stepping up in the ranks.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am a senior at LR and I play for the women’s basketball team. I’m majoring in Broadcast & Electronic

Media and Public Relations.

I’m a Resident Assistant in Price Village and a member of the Nu Generation Gospel Choir. Although I’m extremely involved on campus, I’ve found time to be a part of this staff and plan to work with them to produce great articles for LRN Monthly.

My staff and I have some great ideas to keep you entertained and in-the-know with campus news but we need your help. We want to improve student involvement with LRN Monthly this year and allow you all to be a crucial voice when it comes time to decide which stories, features and facts will fill our pages.

Any time you see an LRN staffer, don’t be afraid to tell them your ideas. Let’s be honest, there are plenty of issues that can be discussed about LR and the opinions we each have on those issues—like the cafeteria and wifi.

No topic is ever too serious for us to discuss and we don’t mind taking a look at the silly stuff either.

Our job is to help students have their voice heard at this school. There are times when our problems are not addressed and it seems like our opinions

What a load of

don’t matter. LRN is here to help.

We can be your voice. You have a right to feel mad or upset or happy or excited about anything on campus. I mean, you do pay for this education and some of us even live here.

Slow down when you see one of our red newspaper racks and grab the latest copy of LRN Monthly—take an interest in what’s happening on campus and what you and your fellow students have to say about it.

My staff and I are going to work countless hours to bring more of what you want to see.

All that I ask is that we join together as a student body to make LR a place that we can praise wholeheartedly and be proud of. This is our opportunity to put LR on the map.

Every little story counts.

Thank you all for your support and remember to keep our staff up-to-date on information.

You can contact us through Twitter @lrnonline or Facebook at www.facebook.com/lrnonline If you’d like to take the direct approach by joining the LRN staff or writing stories for our paper please email me at jazmine.charles@my.lr.edu or stop by our next staff meeting on Monday nights in the Cromer

codswallop!

Featuring: Fast food

Ryan Baxter

LRN Staff Reporter

Let me start by introducing myself. I’m Ryan Baxter, a British exchange student here at Lenoir-Rhyne for the full year. I plan to spend the year highlighting the differences between the U.S. of A. and your sweet, charming neighbors from across the pond.

The first thing I’ve noticed since arriving almost three weeks ago—the food. Food is one of the most important things in my life. From being the chubby, fat kid in school who always had a smile on his face to the chubby, medium built young adult who now occasionally smiles, I’ve always loved food. I dream about my mother’s cooking—from tra-

ditional English Sunday dinners to beans on toast on a cold November night.

It just makes sense to write about food.

The first meal I had when I arrived, you ask? The student friendly, fast food outlet, Cookout.

Now, in the U.K., fast food is good for two reasons.

1: It’s fast.

2: It’s fast.

Think of it like “Fight Club,” except we’re allowed to talk about it. We don’t care if it’s good quality; if it’s cheap and fills our stomachs, then we’ll eat it. We don’t even care if it gives us the collywobbles (stomach pain or queasiness).

So, why did Cookout amaze me? You all probably think Cookout is just another place to eat when you’re in a rush or with a group of friends. I dare you all to buy a plane ticket to England and order a fast food burger and fries. You may be gobsmacked (in a state of shock) at the cheap price but you will regret it all later.

My cookout order was simple: a quarter pound burger

What the heck!

Featuring: LR’s Wi-Fi

Casey Marlin LRN Staff Reporter What is the one necessity of every college student on Earth besides food, sleep, and shelter? Yep, you guessed it.

Wi-Fi. And what is the one thing on Lenoir-Rhyne’s campus that isn’t working? Wi-Fi. Perfect.

I have gotten yelled at by parents, missed out on important information from my coaches and missed out on fun social activities all because of the iMessages not sending through. I ended up driving home one weekend, and halfway there I received 13 different messages that had been sent in the previous days.

I know that I am not the only one experiencing this issue. “I was extremely frustrat-

ed because I couldn’t contact friends. It made me look irresponsible because I couldn’t respond promptly,” Abigail McRea said.

Junior Emily Atkinson has felt the frustrations herself.

“It’s really annoying; I feel like a loser because I don’t have any texts. When I turn on my phone I receive a bunch of texts, but I can’t even reply because of bad Wi-Fi.” According to Apple Insider, Smartphones account for 56% of all cellphones, with iPhones being 25% of those smartphones. Thus, iMessages, which is iPhone to iPhone messages, are vital to our communication while we are at school. I know that my entire family has an iPhone, including my dad, who may be the most inept person I know when it comes to technology.

In a way, it’s probably sad that my social life felt like it came to a halt with the breakdown of iMessaging, all of the sudden I felt so out of the loop.

There are some positives to this breakdown. For example, if you don’t feel like responding, you don’t have to, and you have the perfect excuse.

Ben Talley, the Chief Information Officer of IT, said that the Wi-Fi isn’t necessarily the problem. “Everybody

today has about three or four devices hooked up to the WiFi; it’s not a matter of speed, but rather capacity.”

So really, one of the biggest culprits on campus messing up the Wi-Fi… is us. Talley said that 95% of the Wi-Fi use is through Netflix, which I find amusing because I shamelessly have weekly Netflix binges.

The Wi-Fi on campus is eight years old, and over the years IT has increased it’s bandwidth and access points.

“With budgeting, there are limits, LR has to choose between bettering the Wi-Fi or taking care of other important issues on campus,” Talley said.

So next time your iMessage won’t send or your online assignment won’t load, just be aware that IT isn’t to blame.

It’s a number of reasons. Our obsession with technology and having all of the latest gadgets is actually in the way of getting full use of those gadgets.

Technology is an amazing thing. In less than one second I can communicate with people that live half way across the world or halfway across campus. It only becomes an issue when we are dependent on it for survival. Wi-Fi on campus isn’t perfect, but as long as my Netflix loads, I can’t complain too much.

with cheese and a red cherry milkshake. The fact that my burger was made of actual meat and nobody spat on it was a fantastic experience for me. The cherry milkshake— well I could happily drink that every day for the rest of my life.

It was the same type of experience when I visited one of America’s better-known eating establishments, Chick-filA. There isn’t one Chick-fil-A in all of Europe, let alone the United Kingdom. I’m not telling you any porkies (porkies are lies—nothing to do with the 1982 teen-comedy). The chicken sandwich, waffle fries and cloudy lemonade was arguably the best fast food meal I’ve ever eaten.

Meanwhile in the U.K., we’ve only just gotten Taco Bell and Five Guys.

I’ll give you all a moment to let that settle in.

Can’t forget Jimmy Johns.

My roommate and I have ordered from there every Sunday night for the last three weeks.

It has since become a tradition in good old Conrad 288.

Wanttobea part of the

LRN

staff?

IT’S EASY Cometoourmeetings onMondayat5:20in The Cave!

For more information contact JazmineCharles-jazmine.charles@my.lr.edu

OR Cigi Sparks - cigi.sparks@my.lr.edu

3

N ews

NEW BUSINESSES POPPING UP NEAR LR How Hickory is reinventing itself, one inspiring space at a time

Photo by Kelley Walker

By Kelley Walker LRN Staff Reporter Where can you find delicious frozen yogurt with a myriad of toppings, locally grown food, a tub full of pink flamingos and a bride on her wedding day? Just go down the hill and one street over.

Hollar Mill is part of the City of Hickory’s “Operation: No Vacancy” and “Inspiring Spaces” projects. This is a project to renovate rather than demolish distressed commercial and industrial areas in the community.

Brownfield grants and tax incentives have allowed investors to bring new life to buildings that were once considered eyesores.

Hollar Mill is one of the first projects to be completed.

It currently houses the Di’lishi Frozen Yogurt Bar, the Citron & Silver Home Styles interior design shop, the Boone Brewery and the upscale restaurant The

Crossing.

• D i ’ l i s h i yogurt is a franchise with stores located in Lenoir, Morganton, Asheboro, and Hickory. It’s a self-serve enterprise. Patrons choose from the flavors of frozen yogurt and an assortment of toppings. The cost is 45 cents per ounce, with the average patron paying around $3 per cup. Di’lishi also offers freshly ground coffee.

Hours: Monday through Wednesday from noon to 9 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 9 p.m.

• Pamela Lee owns Citron and Silver, a small specialty store offering local handmade products and recycled treasures by area artists including handmade soap, lotions and scrubs. The Brown Sugar Butter Scrub looks good enough to eat. A handmade dress, by a local designer adorns a mannequin in a corner of the store under the watchful eyes of

a washtub stuffed with pink flamingos.

Lee also offers full service interior design.

Hours: Thursday from noon to 7 p.m. Studio by appointment only.

• Boone Brewing is a local brewery that sells its products all over the state.

The huge vats from brewing beer take up most of the space from floor to ceiling.

The doors are normally open at 10 a.m., and they plan to open a tasting room/bar by November.

• The Crossing is an upscale farm to table restaurant located on the second floor of Hollar Mill.

Its menu changes with the foods that are in season.

Every season The Crossing offers a special dish, which funds the No Kids Hungry program. This program helps deliver nutritious foods to children in the Hickory area who may not have access to healthy meals.

Hours: Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11:00 p.m. and closed on

Sundays • There’s also an events venue located directly across from the restaurant where weddings, meetings and concerts are held.

Walk down the block from Hollar Mills, and you will find the Moretz Mills building. This structure is under renovation and much larger than Hollar Mill—it takes up an entire block and it’s already 85 percent leased.

“It is currently slated to have its first tenants move in at the end of October,” said Brian Frazier from the City of Hickory. The first businesses will be Moretz Marketing and the Vitality Day Spa. Moretz Mills will also include a florist, a restaurant called “Moonshine and Grits” and a fitness gym.

Perhaps the most exciting renovation happening is the Lyerly Mills building at the corner of N.C. 127 and First Avenue, Lyerly Mills is Hickory’s only surviving two-story mill from the early 1900’s.

Transportation Insight bought the building along with several other buildings

nearby.

The company plans to build its company headquarters in the space.

The HQ will involve soccer fields, a gymnasium, and an employee cafeteria. This is part of what is termed a “lifestyle business.”

Transportation Insight’s goal is to attract young employees who want to live and work in the same area. The company also plans to allow the public to use of some of the recreational facilities.

Another planned improvement that could directly impact the lives of LR students is Hickory’s proposed greenway—a pedestrian-friendly biking and walking trail that will connect LR to Hollar, Moretz and Lyerly mills along with downtown Hickory and the Crawdads stadium.

The city of Hickory continues to work on its this plan. It is all part of an initiative to attract young people to live and work in the City of Hickory. The city will hold a bond referendum on Nov. 4 to allow residents an opportunity to vote for or against funding the proposed greenway.

HUGE

CHANGES AHEAD FOR LR STUDENTS Caffeine, video games, beer and entertainment

By Ryan Baxter LRN Staff Reporter Students are excited aboout some big changes coming their way. Lenoir-Rhyne has plans in motion to bring a coffee shop, a bakery, a student bar, multiple televisions for sports games and a stage for live performances.

And it’s set to premier next semester in January—as long as there are no construction setbacks.

Indeed, a big year for the LR students. This reporter can confirm that the dreams of every teenage Instagram user are about to come true.

Every amateur writers favorite coffee shop, Starbucks, is coming to campus. The essence of vanilla Frappuccino and orange-mango smoothies will be on campus next semester.

Starbucks will be located in the newly built student-friendly area that set to occupy the upper area of the atrium in the Cromer Center. Not only will there be Starbucks, but Charlotte-based Masada Bakery will deliver freshly baked goods.

“With the new changes being made on campus, job opportunities will open up for six to eight students working in the coffee shop and bakery,” said Chad Young, director of Aramark.

At night-time, the sweet smell of muffins and coffee will be replaced with the brooding aroma of beer and wine as LR will open up its

first student bar, complete with a flat-screen televisions for sports-game viewing and a portable stage for live music performances, open-mic nights and stand-up comedy shows. The goal is to give students a place to wind-down and relax while providing a performance venue.

LR however, has yet to choose a name for the new student-friendly zone. Director of Aramark, Chad Young said he wants to hold a contest allowing students to show off some spirit and creativity by entering their own suggestions for the area’s name.

If school spirit is needed, Dean of Students, Katie Fisher revealed that the zone décor will be “LR colors, with matching modern and comfortable furniture.” So, if any student is interested in joining the competition, think modern while sticking to classic LR traditions.

Fisher, while excited for the future of LR student life, confirmed that LR would be parting ways with Java City, which was based in Fritz-Conrad as part of the Cubs Pub. “We want all students to feel comfortable in the area and have full accessibility,” Fisher said. “Students who don’t live in Fritz-Conrad have difficulty getting into the building and we need that to change.”

Java City may stay at LR until the end of the year.

“Meetings for Bear Bucks to be used for coffee and baked goods are very positive

Photo by Ryan Baxter

The atrium may look like this for now but it won’t for much longer. Go ahead and kiss the dull space good-bye. and going forward,” Fisher said. “The beer and wine selection however, will not be available for purchase using Bear Bucks. Though, it is worth mentioning that the beer and wine being imported to LR will be from local and stateside breweries.”

Student Body President, Jake Fisher welcomes the addition of a Starbucks and student bar.

“It will keep students on

campus during weekends, prevent drunk-driving and encourage students to make new friends.”

“I will personally miss the Cubs Pub but the pros definitely outweigh the cons,” he said.

Junior, Micah Rufsvold, also welcomes the new additions to LR, but is worried by the potentially high prices.

“Will the products be cheaper for the average stu-

dent?” he wondered. “Starbucks, while a popular drink outlet, is known for being more expensive than others.”

Young said that the oncampus Starbucks will be a franchise and will charge standard Starbucks prices.

The total projects cost is estimated to be around $200,000 but could increase to $250,000. The money to fund the project is coming from the school budget.

4

Campus

REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES

Photo by Jazmine Charles

Senior, Maggie Brown, puts the skills that she learned at her intership to good use in LR’s radio station.

By Sara Jones LRN Staff Reporter At some point in a college student’s career he or she needs to gain some real life experience. Most universities provide this knowledge through a required internship.

LR is no different.

Internships are important.

That’s where you do a lot of learning and it’s a great way

to get some hands on experience. In class you learn the basics but then you need to apply what you’ve learned in a real world environment.

LR takes pride in the success of their students. Katie Wohlman, Director of Career and Professional Development, tells the many benefits of student internships.

“You get a great hands-on experience, the opportunity

to test the career out for yourself, develop employability skills, teamwork, and communication problem solving,” Wohlman said. “It’s all about networking.”

Seniors Brittany Toffan and Maggie Brown, both communications majors, recently completed their internships this past summer.

Toffan interned at KX94.7 Hamilton, in Ontario Canada.

Toffan was fortunate enough to be working at the station where her dad has been the supervisor for 30 years. The first show that she assisted on was “The Morning show with Toff and Melissa,” a show where Toffan’s father and his co-host talk about the latest news in American and Canadian country music.

“I believe internships are very important,” Toffan said.

“In this industry it’s about who you know. I gained so much experience and had a lot of fun while doing it. My favorite part of my internship was the opportunity to meet artists like Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and Lee Brice.”

After graduation Toffan plans to do another internship at the Charlotte news station, WBTV. Brown interned at 95.9 WRAT “The Rat” in Lake Como, New Jersey.

“I chose to work with this company because they are a mid-range station. Meaning it is neither a big nor small station,” Brown said. “I liked this because I knew it would give me the opportunity to work in multiple departments.”

A typical day for Brown included writing public service announcements, setting

up and going to promotional events and calling prize winners.

“My favorite part of the whole experience was going to the same promotional events weekly and knowing the regulars and making relationships with those people,” she said.

Brown’s biggest inspiration is a man by the name of Scotty B. He helped train her at her internship and showed her how production works.

She would like to go more into the on air side of radio, and he helped her better understand what it takes to be successful.

After graduation Brown will be employed at Kicks 103.3 in Lenoir. They are allowing her the opportunity to go on air on Saturdays.

“I’m going to see how this job goes and keep looking for more opportunities later,” Brown said.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where students choose to do their internship, as long as they are able to learn and grow from the experience, and hopefully land their dream job one day.

UNCONDITIONAL

L

By Casey Marlin LRN Staff Reporter

VE

LR loyalty runs deep for local alum

Blair Cody was born and raised here in Hickory. He went to high school in the area, and eventually went to Lenoir-Rhyne University to play football. Now he owns his own law firm and lives across the street from LR. The university definitely made an impact on him. Cody is still involved with LR and the athletics here.

“If I went to the University of Chapel Hill, I would not be nearly as involved as I am with LR,” he said. “I have very much enjoyed the benefits of working and living in a town where I went to school.”

Cody is the past President of the Bears Club, also known as the Piedmont Educational

Foundation, which was established to provide scholarship support to the athletic teams at LR. LR currently has 22 varsity teams on campus, and Cody and PEF work to keep them going strong.

“PEF and the money that we generate and give is solely for the benefit and purpose of scholarship support and raising the bar with athletics.”

Every year the PEF tries to raise enough money to fund two full scholarships for LR athletics, but last year the organization went well past its goal.

“Last year PEF raised over $1.7 million, including two full scholarships,” Cody said.

PEF has helped with many major improvements for LR athletics. For example, Under

Armour’s decision to sponsor LR’s football team was made possible through the PEF and organizational business connections.

“The older you get, you more you realize that none of us got to where we are by ourselves,” Cody said. To him, giving back to the school is a form of gratitude. “We all have people help us get to where we are, no matter who you are.”

The gratification may not be immediate for all the effort and time Cody puts in for the students here but he doesn’t mind.

“One day, they’ll reflect back and say ‘Somebody gave me the opportunity to do what I do at Lenoir-Rhyne.”

Being at a small Division II school, large sums of money

don’t come from television contracts or 80,000-seat stadiums—it comes from the people who support the school.

“I know that people who came before me, who did what I am trying to do, are the reason I had that opportunity to play in college.”

Staying around Hickory has been worth it for Cody.

His favorite thing is seeing what his work goes towards. “I enjoy meeting young studentathletes that have the whole world ahead of them.”

LR athletic events are always exciting for Cody and they’re a priority.

“I enjoy watching LR sporting events more than anything else,” he said. Cody would give up a Charlotte Hornets game for a big LR conference game, no matter who’s playing

the Hornets.

Because of the LR and Hickory’s small-knit community, any donation of time or money can make an impact.

“It allows someone like me, who can be fairly busy, to give the time and money I have and still be able to make a difference. We’re small enough that you can be recognized by people in our community.”

Cody’s advice for college students was simple: “College is what you make of it.” Cody wanted to transfer his first year but after getting involved, no one could’ve convinced him to leave.

“You can go to LR and be miserable because Hickory isn’t Charlotte, or you can get involved and have plenty of social things outside of school to do.”

The honeymoon is over

By Anna Harris -LRN Staff Reporter

Freshman year is one of the most exciting times of your life. You’re free. You’re away from mom and dad. There’s no curfew, but there are endless new opportunities. It’s been two months since move-in day. You’ve had time to get lost on campus, meet new people and make new friends. Now it’s October and midterms are closing in. Maybe you’re starting to realize college is more than just fun and games. It’s schoolwork, projects, late night cramming sessions and turning assignments in on time.

What have you learned most about yourself? Are you good at time management? Are you running into reality, or are you still in your own freshman honeymoon phase?

“I’m outside all the time. Commuter life.”

rie o t caS c e Reb Hail eyBa sho skin mo ck of r

“I’m more worried about keeping up with my assignments and classwork. I need to keep my scholarships and it’s hard for me to keep up with time management.”

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on s k c iaJa r o t Vic

Chris tineV oris and

“Planning is important and having a planner is key.

Keeping track of all your homework assignments is important.”

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“I ju that am ve , but ry e Sigm joinedst exci all o xcite a Ka tem f my d ab ppa ent is flufreshm out shed an .”

5

Campus

A work in progress

By Tiffany Fields LRN Contributing Writer In the heart of LenoirRhyne’s campus a sanctuary has risen — a sanctuary for students, staff and community to come together in worship. The heavy glass doors at the front of LR’s newest addition, Grace Chapel, lead visitors into a pristine church that still smells brand new. From the pews that show not even a single scratch to the organ that shines tall behind the pulpit, the chapel emits a feeling of perfection.

Tucked away in the back, behind the sanctuary and behind the offices, there lies a room that isn’t quite so pristine — the workshop of local woodwrights working to add even more ornamentation to Grace Chapel.

Wood dust covers the feet of an artist as he sits in this temporary workshop, the buzzing of handsaws and grinding of

sandpaper echoing through the new building as he chisels away at his current masterpiece.

He has spent month after month perfecting the details in the various pieces that will hang proudly in the chapel, details down to one-onehundred-thousandth of an inch cuts. By his side works his son, whom he hopes will continue his craftsman legacy for years to come.

The scene could have been taken straight from Disney’s “Pinocchio”. It is the life of Catawba County’s very own Gepetto — Eddie Hamrick.

Hamrick, 60, was born and raised in Newton.

Because his family didn’t have a lot of money, Hamrick learned to make the things he wanted instead of buying them.

Wood carving was a talent he developed

for necessity that eventually became his livelihood.

When Hamrick walked across the stage to graduate from Newton-Conover High School in 1973, he already had a piece of wooden art featured in the Smithsonian Institute. Now, 40 years later, Hamrick has crafted both furniture and sculptures for local dignitaries, famous musicians, governors and even presidents.

“It’s amazing what someone from Catawba County can do,” Hamrick said. “A lot of people didn’t think so much could come out of Newton, but it has.”

Eddie and his 24-yearold son, James, have built special pieces for nearly all of the Lutheran churches in Catawba County. With that experience under their belt,

the duo are most excited to complete one of their biggest jobs yet — Grace Chapel.

“They’re giving us a platform to show the best quality of what we can do and glorify God at the same time,” James said. “We are putting so much of our time and work into this chapel and we couldn’t be more excited.”

Eddie and James have begun to display some of their pieces in the chapel, but there is still more to come. The large wooden cross that hangs above the pulpit, catching the light shining through the stained glass windows is perhaps the most prominent.

“We worked on that cross for the better part of three months,” Eddie said. “It’s cherry, walnut, oak and maple. The iron nails i n the sides are actually railroad pegs and

the seal is carved to match the collection plates.”

The piece pulls in a little of LR history, too, by subtle designs that resemble the top of the Rhyne building.

“Rhyne tower is really going to show in the processional cross,” Eddie said. “We pulled the torch from the top of that building and incorporated it into the piece. The cross will be coming out of the flames and will be inlayed with stained glass. It’s going to be really beautiful.”

The altar, pulpit, cross, tabernacle, sanctuary lamp, lobby tables and collection plates are just a few of the pieces the local wood artists are working on.

“Every piece that we do we are putting so much into,” Eddie said. “It’s an honor to get to do this. This church will be here 100 years from now, so a lot has to go into the fine details. Every piece that’s going into this chapel is just going to be something awesome.”

Photo by Tiffany Fields

Staff Writers Ryan Baxter Casey Marlin Mikayla White Sara Jones Ricky Wallace

Bailey Leanord Brianna Miller Rhonda Cheshire Anna Harris Kelley Walker

A special thanks to all of our contributing writers!

2014 - 2015 LRN Faculty Advisors

Editorial Staff

Dr. Lisa M. Harris

Jazmine Charles

Prof. Richard Gould

Editor-in-Chief

Cigi Sparks

Design and Layout Editor

LRN Online Follow daily news & exclusives LRNewsonline.com

Archives: http://issuu.com/therhynean

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6

F e at u r es

ModelStatus

LR alum turned pro-model visits London to appear in Fashion Week

By Elijah Blackwell Contributing Writer

It’s been a long road to the London Fashion Week for 2011 Lenoir-Rhyne University grad Caroline Albertelli.

Albertelli, an honors student who majored in public relations along with a theatre minor has signed a contract with one of the fashion industry’s premier agencies— Ford Models.

Albertelli’s official title is “Agency Model.” An agency model works for one agency— referred to as a mother agency— that sets up appointments with clients looking for a specific type of model.

“My agency will send me an email between 5 and 6 p.m. with the client’s address and what time to meet them,” Caroline explained. “It’s basically an audition.”

If the client offers Albertelli the job, she will then be prepared for the photo shoots to come.

“A lot of work goes into a photo shoot,” she said.

A variety of make-up is applied as well as detailed hair styling, then the client coaches Albertelli on what they want before the photo shoot begins. Albertelli’s current client sent her to London this September for Fashion Week— a key event that hoto showcases more itted P m b u S than 250 designk. e e ers to a global W n io h Fas t a audience of int o sp ook a fluential media, b r e h lped e according to h t a th the British Fashion rtfolio o p ’s e arolin Council. It is held twice a year— into C k e e p once in February and once in A September.

“Lenoir-Rhyne has definitely prepared me for my career as a model,” Albertelli said.

Originally from Plantation, Fla., Albertelli chose LR because she wanted to attend

a small, private school with a volleyball team.

After a phone call with Volleyball Coach Dave Markland, the move to Hickory began.

“Albertelli was so outgoing,” said her former P.R. professor Lisa Harris. “She was very active in the classroom and around campus.”

Going to a small school gave Albertelli a chance to try a lot of different things, like theatre.

“Since Lenoir-Rhyne is small—it provided me a lot of personal experience,” she said.

“If I had been at a bigger school I wouldn’t have had the confidence to get involved and would have been more focused on the large campus.”

Albertelli’s most memorable experience was an internship for CBS Radio’s Charlotte affiliate. She also played volleyball for Lenoir-Rhyne during three of her college years. Volleyball gave her the discipline that she still uses today.

“I have to stay in top physical condition for my career just like in volleyball.” Albertelli said.

The experience of sports helped transition her to the professional world, not only physically but emotionally as well.

“We try to prepare students for any profession,” Markland said. “Athletics teaches you time management, mental strength and drive.”

Albertelli is now engaged to a fellow Bear.

“It’s another connection I’ll always have with LenoirRhyne,” she said.

They met as freshmen—the only year her fiancé was enrolled at Lenoir-Rhyne—and are now experiencing life beyond college together.

When asked if she had any advice to give, Albertelli had a lot to say.

“Experience as much as you can,” she said. “Meet as many people as you can. Join different organizations and be a part of friend groups. Most importantly, be yourself.”

LR’S NEW LEADING MAN

Professor Joshua Yoder discusses his plans for the theatre department after being chosen as the new Associate Professor of Theatre

New Associate Professor of Theatre, Joshua Yoder is rehearsing with fellow Playmakers for the production of “The Good Doctor.”

By Jessica Hogan Contributing Writer After serving three years as an adjunct professor at LenoirRhyne University, Joshua Yoder of Hickory, has taken the stage in a new role on the university’s campus. He has been selected as the new associate professor of theatre and The Playmakers artistic director. Mia Self, previous associate professor of LR theatre, stepped down from the role at the end of the 2014 spring semester in order to move closer to her family.

Yoder has had a connection with LR throughout his life. For generations, the Yoder family has been a part of the LR and the Hickory community.

“I grew up around this campus,” Yoder said.

His father, mother and grandmother are all LR alumni. Yoder’s father, J. Larry Yoder, was a Chaplin and later became a professor and director for LR’s center of theology. He

taught for 35 years and retired in 2013.

Yoder followed his family tradition and attended LR where he earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy and English. Yoder minored in theatre for his bachelor’s degree but said theatre was always a very important aspect of his college experience.

After acquiring his bachelor’s degree, he worked as a reporter at the Hickory Daily Record for four years. However, theatre was always in the back of his mind. He decided to return to school to get his Masters in Fine Arts in Acting Performance and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2010.

Returning to LR was never his plan.

“When I was a student here I never thought that I would be teaching here,” he said.

Those plans quickly changed with a little bit of good timing. After Self’s resignation from LR’s theatre department,

Yoder was considered for the job. Now he’s gradually getting accustomed to being in charge.

Yoder has a great deal of professional theatre experience.

“My background is the stage. The stage is where I want to be,” Yoder said.

He has done some commercial and television works in the past but he prefers working on stage. He has directed four plays here at LR and will continue to direct productions for the fall and spring semesters.

Yoder enjoys directing but acting is where his heart truly lies. He continues to keep his foot in the acting door by being involved with numerous plays in the community. He recently played Marius in the Hickory Community Theatre’s production of “Les Misérables,” and he plans to play the narrator in one of LR’s fall productions, “The Good Doctor.”

Many people are happy that Yoder is now in charge of the theatre program and excited to see what he has in store for the

department.

Lenoir-Rhyne University President, Wayne B. Powell, is one of those individuals. President Powell has known both Yoder and his parents since he was a student at LR. “We respect the whole Yoder Family,” Powell said. “It is really exciting to have a Yoder here. He’s energetic, creative, smart and is somebody we enjoy and he works well with students.”

Adjunct LR professor, Clay James agrees. He said he loves that Yoder is LR’s new theatre professor.

“I think he brings a tremendous amount of energy,” James said. “I think he has wonderful charisma and adds a lot of depth in the work that he is doing.”

Many students are happy with the change in theatre department leadership. Cody Stuckenschneider, an LR theatre major, is looking forward to the future.

“I feel that Josh Yoder will take the theatre department in

Photos by Jessica Hogan

a direction that will be youthful and upbringing in a way that it hasn’t been in quite a few years,” Stuckenschneider said. “Though Mia had a very long and cherished part in the theatre department here, I think Josh will bring in a new era.”

Yoder has many plans for the theatre department now that he has the ability to make strategic decisions for LR’s theatre program.

“I want to continue to move in an upward direction,” he said. “Before Mia Self started at LR, there was only one theatre major and by the time she left there was a strong theatre program. This program now does four shows a year instead of just two or three. We also have eight theatre majors and a handful of minors.”

Yoder continued stating that his main focus for the department will be on increasing community involvement in performances and getting the word out about LR shows and auditions.

Student Life

Bear Bucket List

classroom. outside of the d an in th bo tation, s fly by much these four year e for experimen College is a tim of students fail to realize that of suggestions that I’m enty mber Nonetheless, pl think. This bucket list is a nu g their LR days: ey rin th du an ish th pl r m ke co ic qu picture with w Bears to ac llo fe y m g hy not get a in w so , ar challeng Be a . You’re ith The Charge better way 1. TakeBea arpi?cture w lved,” so what vo in et “g The to constantly told . pus club. We’re d meeting some new people your 2. Join a cam an ub cl s pu the only time in m ca be a g ht ig m is Th out. than joinin d. ab ie n ver stud t to lear bject you’ve ne any random thing you wan su a in s as cl a re you!

3. Taekeyou’ll have such easy access to it. C’mon—I da st lif sake of learning e th r fo one of the easie st ju fore. College is le. be op Learn something to pe en w ok ne sp r ith ne you’ve neve r you’ll have new classes w te 4. Reach outmtoaksoe mfrieo ds. Every semes en times to g—Miracles age. er Broadcastin u explore rn Tu , PN Take full advant ES , . MTV e will help yo eam internship it, the experienc ight just end up bem 5. Applyento. Anyodurif yodru just so happen to atlanddrea ip sh m intern happ cky, th And if you’re lu . ld fie er re ca a good eam job. uld all use a little coming your dr to do and we co g in th ht rig e just th 6. Donata.e blood. It’s 8 a.m. to study for an karm ing up all night ay st re u’ yo er . Wheth ll an all-nighter out with good friends. u get to 7. Pu g in ng ha st try will help yo ju or final out of your coun that it’ll teach you g in tt ge d an road. Rising up hand, not to mention the fact 8. Study ab culture first classroom. an know other n by sitting in a ar le t n’ ? do u yo ent tattoo, right things that than a perman er tt be h uc t 60 chicken m 9. Get a piercing. It’s McNugget Challenge. Got what it takes to ea ken 10. CrushetthseinCh30icm know that inutes? school. Did you . ur yo nugg of y or st research out the hi hing unique ab g on campus in 1927? Do your in liv 11. Learhandsoanmet ar ace. be e liv actual re in the first pl LR on we came he as re al re e th ’s that 12. Graduate. Because

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By Mika eporter R LRN Staff

7

A dozen must-have LR adventures

Photo by Tyler Bray

Freshman football player and prospective Class President Andrew Bruce goes for a ride on The Charge.

TA I L G AT E FOOTBALL FELLOWSHIP Nu Generation Gospel Choir ends homecoming weekend with a praise explosion

By Jazmine Charles LRN Editor-in-Chief Lenoir-Rhyne sports teams are off to a great start this fall, and the excitement of homecoming has students and alumni eagerly waiting.

However, this year extra activities have been added to the schedule. After a full day of tailgating and football, students, families and alumni are welcome to attend the Nu Generation Gospel Choir’s Reunion on Sunday, Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. in Belk Centrum.

Nu Generation brings together students from different religious and cultural backgrounds to worship God. Nu Generation began in 2007, and has grown over the years. The choir’s voices have been an inspiration to LR students and members of the Hickory community.

Lenoir-Rhyne grad and current co-director of Nu Genereation, Kellie Medley, feels this choir provides students with a more free way to worship God. “Nu Generation offers students different aspects of worship, and creates a home away from home,” Medley said. “At the end of the day this is another family.”

Since the beginning of September the choir has been practicing for two hours every Thursday night in the Mauney Music Building to prepare for the reunion performance.

Choir practice begins with prayer, then the next two hours are filled with laughter, love, and praising God by singing songs that really speak to the heart.

Members take the performances very seriously. Their goal is to make sure the audience knows that they believe what they’re singing during performances. Nu Generation wants the audience to feel so engaged that they forget they are even at a concert.

Sophomore Joy Gemmer watched a few Nu Generation performances last year and was

astonished by their performance.

“It was wonderful. It felt that the group had passion. They were so good I feel like they should go on tour,” Gemmer said.

The goal of the reunion is for this year’s choir to collaborate with members from the previous choirs’ and come together for an unforgettable concert.

Event organizers expect to have about 30 group members performing during the reunion concert.

Performances are important for the choir, but each member have their own personal reasons for joining and singing in a choir that means so much to them.

President of Nu Generation, Ayanna Smith, is glad she joined. It has helped her become more sociable and learn more about herself and others.

“I’m not as shy anymore and I like to fellowship with others,” Smith said. “Also, having a group that is like another family is really important to me.”

Aaliyah Hausley, a secondyear member of the choir, loves being a part of this organization because it has helped her become more involved on campus.

“Not only do I like to sing and miss singing back home, but I am glad that I can be more active on campus.”

Michael Clinton, former Nu Generation member and current co-director, expects nothing but the best from this group of students. While he was a student at LR, he helped direct the choir and pushed the members to sing their best. He wanted Nu Generation to be an elite organization.

“I am pleased at how well the choir has kept the tradition of excellence,” Clinton said.

“Sometimes it takes me pushing them hard in practice to get their best, but I know that on the day of performances they will be ready.”

Many students are excited to attend the choir reunion and fellowship together.

“I love hearing them sing because they are so energetic and soulful,” said senior, Jenni Gust.

Upcoming Nu Generation Gospel Choir performances:

Fall Semester: Gospel Choir Reunion concert Oct. 12 - Belk Centrum, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Spring Semester: History of the Negro Spirit concert Feb. 20 - Belk Centrum, 10:00 - 10:50 a.m.

Gospel Explosion April 2014 - More details to come

8

Sports

A SEASON OF CHAMPIONS Photo by Cigi Sparks

SOFTBALL LACROSSE

Head Softball Coach, Shena Hollar, recently reached a career milestone in her 16th year with the lady Bears —her 600th win.

“LR is a great draw—the academics and the community are all great,” she said. “This team wants to be walking out at halftime during Homecoming to get a ring.”

Although the team is successful, they do not rely on talent alone. They are a superstitious bunch.

“Girls have handshakes that they do with certain people before the games,” Hollar said. “They even have one with (Athletic Trainer) Dr. (Michael) McGee.” The players aren’t the only ones who have personal rituals— the coaches do as well. When things are going well for the team, Coach Hollar and Coach Geoguge stay put right where they are in the dugout.

“We have to stay in our area,” said Assistant Coach, Kathryn Geouge. “But if things are going bad we will switch.”

The softball team has expectations for their season that go beyond getting a ring.

“You don’t want to be the team that doesn’t go to regionals,” Hollar said. “We want to keep the winning tradition.”

The men’s lacrosse team came out on top in their conference, just four short years after the program began.

“It was really good for the seniors who started the program,” said Head Lacrosse Coach, Greg Paradine.

A key element in the Bears bringing home a victory was how well they handled the ball.

“We shot the ball really well,” Paradine said, in what could only be called an understatement. “They played unselfishly, passing the ball to a guy with a better shot.”

The team had the nation’s highest Division II’s shooting percentage this year—38 percent—an accomplishment that earned them a prestigious award, which helped them average 15.14 points a game.

Not only did the team perform on the offensive side but the defensive side as well, allowing only 7.5 goals per game on average.

“We were very positive during games,” said senior Long-pole Midfielder, Arno Oliver. “The team had a lot of chemistry and a great coaching staff.”

By Bailey Leonard LRN Staff Writer

Lenoir-Rhyne University’s athletic teams won FIVE South Atlantic Conference championships

Men’s Lacrosse Softball Women’s Basketball

Football Women’s Soccer

ALL WON RINGS.

SOCCER BASKETBALL

LR’s women’s soccer team is growing accustomed to winning. They’ve been conference champs four years in a row.

“We were expected to win,” said junior Forward, Leah Mullins. “People knew we would get it done.”

Having a close team bond off the field contributed to their on-field accomplishments.

“We are so close and really like a family,” said senior goalie Genny Little. “Each year we get closer and that makes us more successful.”

Since 2009 the team has done a pre-game ritual— which includes a little singing and dancing. During the song, certain players get their 15 seconds of fame.

“Amber has a solo that’s pretty entertaining,” Mullins said.

Lenoir-Rhyne University continues to grow in many areas–especially athletics. Like this year, the university hopes to have more teams walk across the field at Homecoming in recognition of a great season by opening their boxes with championship rings inside.

Their 2014 season didn’t start off as anticipated. LR’s women’s basketball team had a losing record at the end of their Christmas Tournament.

“We ended the year with a chip on our back,” said junior Point Guard, Jordan Hiatt.

“The seniors meant so much to us, we knew we had to win a ring for them.”

Starting off the new year, the Lady Bears stepped onto the right path—learning to play as a team, and not for themselves. By doing this they were able to go on a nine game winning streak, and pull out on top in some close games.

“Once we learned to put selfish goals aside and work together we achieved more than we thought was possible,” said former Head Coach, Todd Starkey.

Having eight seniors gave the team a lot of depth.

“Anyone could start any game,” Hiatt said.

The team spent a lot of time together off the court as well.

“We were a big family, which helped with chemistry on the court,” Hiatt said. “It helped us in areas that we were weak.”

ALWAYS GETTING BETTER Photo credit: Sportsfotos