Cyber Bullying: A Life-Changing Issue

Throughout my childhood, I had personally never given too much thought about cyber bullying. I had heard some sad stories about young suicide victims due to cyber bullying in the news, but it had never truly affected me. However, within the past few months, I have found that cyber bullying affected me more than I thought. Casey, a high school classmate of mine, whom I was in band with and knew for three years of my high school career, recently committed suicide. Everyone in my town was distraught, especially my fellow band members, who had grown to know her so well.

After some research was done about her death, her family announced to us that she had committed suicide due to cyber bullying from an ex-best friend of hers. I do not know what the cyber bullying was about, but I do know that the bully messaged her on Facebook, Twitter, and texted her cruel messages at all hours of the day.

I had never thought that I would be affected by a suicide from something that seems so childish, from someone taunting you and trying to mess up your reputation and relationships. Maybe this mindset came from the fact that I have not truly experienced cyber bullying. I have been picked on a few times, but I have not experienced someone that tries persistently to hurt me.

I talked with Dr. Jennifer Solomon, Professor of Sociology at Winthrop University, about the subject of cyber bullying. Click here to see the interview. In this interview process, I learned more about the motivation and causes of cyber bullying. One which stood out to me in particular was that the more education a child receives from his or her parents, the more likely he or she is to not cyber bully others. However, only 7% of parents are aware of their child's online activity.

The sociological impacts of cyber bullying are heightened now due to the rise in suicides over cyber bullying. One such suicide is that of Megan Meier, whose case varies from others of its kind because her cyber bully was not a child, but an adult.

This process of interviewing and researching definitely opened my eyes to the severity of this social issue, and the next time I see cyber bullying on my Facebook or my Twitter, whether to me or someone else, I will not just sit back and watch it happen. Standing up against cyber bullying is the only way to make a change in this society.

"Your Life, Your Times"

For the citizens of Fort Mill, South Carolina, there is really one dependable media source specifically for their area. This source brings them daily news, and breaking news via social media outlets, as well as local resources for the people of Fort Mill. This source is the Fort Mill Times, located on Main Street in Fort Mill.

The Times is owned by the McClatchy Corporation, one of the world's biggest media powerhouses. The goal of the Fort Mill Times is to provide the local residents with everything they need to know about what is happening locally, globally, and even internationally. The Times is based in several different forms of media: newspaper, magazine, and social media updates.

The Fort Mill Times website is essentially an online version of the newspaper, which is printed and delivered every Wednesday. The website is constantly being updated by the reporters on staff. The site is divided into seven sections: Home, News, Sports, Opinions, Obituaries, Features, and Living Here. These seven sections give the readers access to any information that they may need.

The Times also prints a yearly magazine called Focus Magazine, which is a directory to any resources that a newcomer to Fort Mill would need, from school information to local political leaders.

For a Fort Mill resident, the Fort Mill Times is an invaluable resource that impacts his or her daily life.

Vox Pop: What Would You Save?

"If your house was on fire and you could save one thing, what would you save?" This was the question I asked various people of all backgrounds. I was asking this hard question to see if people took monetary worth into account in an emergency situation such as a house fire. To see the presentation, click here.

I asked this question mainly because I was curious to see what the responses would be. A stereotype of today's society is that people are materialistic and greedy. I, however, felt that in a situation like a house fire, monetary value wouldn't be a factor in what each person would save. I asked people of different ages, backgrounds, and economic statuses.

I found that the answers fell into two "categories". The first, that they would save photographs that held memories that they wished to save. One answer I received was that she would save her pictures because they have many years of memories that you can't get back.

This young woman would save her photographs.

The second category that the answers fell into was saving an item that held memories of someone that he or she had lost. One powerful object that a man said he would save was the American flag that was given to him at his father's funeral for his service in the Air Force.

This young man would save the flag from his
father's funeral.

After completing this Vox Pop project, I came to the conclusion that in an emergency situation such as this, the concept of monetary value isn't a factor in what a person would choose to save, it is the emotional worth of the item that the owner finds so dear to them.

Tillman Hall: Winthrop's "Haunted" Hotspot

Tillman Hall is arguably Winthrop's most well-known building. The iconic bell tower is featured on many of Winthrop's logos and official seals on documents. Yet, there was another side to Tillman Hall, one that I wanted to find out more about for myself. I set off to make a video production about Tillman Hall, and the secrets that lie within it. Click here to watch the production.

Tillman Hall

There were rumors that Tillman Hall was haunted, and that going to certain "forbidden" parts of the building would make you cursed. I wanted to explore the depths of Tillman Hall. I wanted to see for myself if the rumors proved true, and I wanted to brave the "curse" of going to the haunted hallows of the Hall.

I explored the main parts of Tillman Hall, and I was impressed with the architecture and detail of the building. The woodwork on the walls was intricate, and the overall structure and layout of the Hall was impressive. I did notice that there were many staircases, one of which led me to a scarier part of Tillman - the fourth floor.

The ominous staircase leading to the "haunted" fourth floor.

The door was locked, but I was not giving up that easily. I contacted Mr. Walter Harding, who is Winthrop University's Associate Vice President for Utilities Management, to see if he could let me go to the fourth floor. He and I met and he told me more about Tillman, much of which I didn't know. He had essentially grown up at Winthrop, because his mother was the daughter of the very first Head of the School of Music, and she later worked for the University.

On the fourth floor, there is a sense of antiquity in the fact that there are hundreds of signatures upon the walls, from students past and present. He pointed some out to me, past students that went to school with his mother, some that went to school with himself, and some that go to school with me, currently. The timelessness of that floor, to see the old editions of Winthrop yearbooks sitting in boxes on the floor, made me picture the other students that had been on that floor, and it gave me a strange sense of community with past Eagles. It was almost an out-of-body experience to see the names of people from years and years ago.

The names of Eagles past and present stain these walls.

As far as the "haunted" parts of Tillman Hall goes, I would venture to say that spirits may roam around. The stocks used to hold the prisoners that built Tillman Hall still stand in the building, and I actually got a picture with my own wrists in the stocks that were used hundreds of years ago. Some say that Benjamin Tillman, for whom Tillman Hall was built, never really left the Earth when he died, and still roams Tillman Hall. I did hear some creepy creaking noises throughout my time in Tillman, and the ambiance of the fourth floor would lead one to feel a "presence" of Ben Tillman. I couldn't find any proof to either show that Tillman was haunted or not, so you will have to brave the "haunted" halls to find out for yourself.

The actual stocks that held prisoners during Tillman's construction.

Overall, I think researching Tillman Hall's history really gave me a broader knowledge of Winthrop University. I got to see a glimpse of the past, and it made me relate to those who were in my position years ago, feeling the emotions I did as a freshman, studying the same concepts I do, and living on the campus I live in. Tillman is a beautiful building, and learning the rich history behind it can change one's outlook on being a college student in such a historical place. I know now that when I pass Tillman, I will look up to the bell tower, and perhaps I may see a spirit of Winthrop's past looking back at me.

Winthrop Eagles Go Global

At Winthrop University, students are going global. The International Center is a vital source available to students to introduce them to the world around them, and to revolutionize their college experience.

International flags give Eagles a global perspective.

The International Center, located at 218 Dinkins Hall, gives Winthrop’s students access to any information they could need about studying abroad. 

The Study Abroad website contains links to websites that explain the study abroad requirements, the application process, the deadlines, and scholarship or financial aid resources. The International Center offers semester-long programs, as well as short-term programs. 

There are many countries available, through Winthrop partnership, to travel to, but the most popular countries chosen are Australia, Ireland, and Spain, says Jennifer Sandler, Winthrop University’s Study Abroad Coordinator. She says studying abroad brings a great deal of maturity to the students, and she recommends that everyone study abroad.

Senior Danielle Brodie says that Sandler, and the Study Abroad resources helped her, “… figure out what classes would transfer to Winthrop, and helped with the paperwork needed to travel.” Brodie says that without the Study Abroad resources, she likely would not have been able to go global.

The International Center gives students information about traveling.

Leads and Nut Graphs

1.     One man is left dead this morning after a fatal accident, while two are recovering in the hospital. The accident occurred at the intersection of Post Road and Rollins Avenue, when Charles R. Lydon entered the intersection and collided with a fire engine. The fire engine was en route to an emergency call about a store fire when the crash occurred. Lydon was traveling at 40 mph when he entered the intersection and hit the fire engine, which was traveling at an estimated 25 mph. Lydon was killed instantly in the impact, while two of the firemen aboard the engine are in the hospital. Their condition is not known at this time. Authorities have not yet determined who was at fault.

2.     Reports issued today say that driving a small or midsize car may put you at risk when involved in an accident. In a report from the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, bigger cars are given more advantages when involved in collisions. According to a study by the institute, large cars, such as station wagons and vans, have 40 to 50 percent better-than-average claim reports. Smaller cars, especially two-door models and sports cars, have the worst injury and repair records. Many of these small cars show injury claim frequencies and repair losses at least 30 percent higher than average claims.

3.     Children have a higher risk of choking to death on small foods, especially hot dogs. The Journal of the American Medical Association published an article today describing the dangers of children eating hot dogs. He says that children under the age of four should “never be given a while hot dog to eat”, and that hot dogs should not be cut sideways and given to a child. “If you were trying to design something that would be perfect to block a child’s airway, it would be a bite-size piece of hot dog”, says a researcher. It is estimated that every five days someone, somewhere in the United States, chokes to death on a hot dog. Other risky foods to avoid giving a young child include: candy, nuts, grapes, apples, carrots, and popcorn.

4.     A grief-stricken family mourns again today, as a mistake in the morgue leaves their late family member unburied. Last week, 51 year old Kristine Belcuore passed away of a sudden and unexpected heart attack. She left behind a husband and four children, which gathered to mourn along with their loved ones at her funeral last Saturday. The funeral, in which over 100 friends and relatives attended, cost more than $7,000. The family of the late Mrs. Belcuore had the casket closed during the funeral, and they never viewed the remains. As the family started to recover, today, they received a heartbreaking call from the county medical examiner. In an error in the morgue, Mrs. Belcuore’s body was left in the morgue while an unidentified woman’s body was buried in her place. The error was realized when the medical examiner’s office realized that the month-old corpse of the unidentified woman had disappeared. The unidentified woman was mistakenly put in Mrs. Belcuore’s casket by someone who likely misread the identifying tag. A relative of Mrs. Belcuore said, “We went through all the pain and everything, all over the wrong body, and now we have to go through it again.”

Stevonnie's Story

As a freshman at Winthrop University, Stevonnie Gasque already has plans to change the world. One day, when you turn on your radio, you will hear her; or when you flip open a popular magazine, you will see her name. Her interest in broadcast, along with her motivation and “pocketful of sunshine” personality, will only lead to a successful career. She has a million possibilities before her in this world, and each is sure to bring her great success as a broadcaster.

            Though Stevonnie is from a small town in South Carolina, she has a drive to see the world. Her dream is to pursue broadcast journalism in France, following entertainment news. French culture includes music, celebrities, and acting, all of which interest Stevonnie. She has a bright future in reporting on entertainment news, and pursuing that in France would be globally integrating her as a journalist. If she follows the film and acting industry, the Cannes Film Festival would be a reporter’s dream come true to report on. If she follows music, she could report on tours coming to France, or even interview the stars. Studying abroad in France, Stevonnie’s dream workplace, would be a great place to network for her. Studying abroad is a dream of Stevonnie’s, especially to study abroad in France, and be a star reporter.

Stevonnie’s main interest is the music industry. She prefers listening to R&B and hip hop, but also has a taste for older music. She describes herself as an “old soul” when it comes to music. She loves music from the ‘90’s and back over the more modern music. She listens to the radio a lot, and follows various radio shows and singers. One such radio star is Charlemagne, a broadcaster that started his career locally, in South Carolina, but has since risen to fame. He now has his own show on Power 105.1 in New York, a channel that plays primarily R&B and hip hop music.  Stevonnie has followed his career since the beginning, and considers herself to be one of his biggest fans and supporters. In planning for her future career, Stevonnie would like to follow the path that Charlemagne took. In that career path, she would be immersed in everything she is passionate about: radio and broadcasting, entertainment news, and music.

As far as print journalism goes, Stevonnie reads Vibe Magazine, which covers music and entertainment, specifically R&B and hip hop music. She also enjoys reading Cosmogirl Magazine, which features fashion and celebrity news.  She enjoys writing, and especially on the content that is covered by Vibe and Cosmogirl Magazines.

            In her high school, Stevonnie was a part of the school newspaper and the yearbook.  She wrote about entertainment news that applied to the lives of her peers. She enjoys writing, but her true passion is broadcast journalism. She aspires to be a radio host or work behind the scenes on a television show. She enjoys the process of making a show run smoothly, and being able to be behind a microphone for the world to enjoy. She enjoys singing, but doesn’t sing publicly, only privately. Stevonnie’s enthusiasm for the artistic world will only bring her great success in her future broadcast career.

            Stevonnie Gasque is only a freshman at Winthrop University, but her future holds great opportunities. Whether it is on the radio while you’re driving to work, in the magazine you subscribe to, or on the news program in your area, you will surely see Stevonnie’s name again. Her future in the business of mass communications, focusing on the music and entertainment of the world, is shining bright, like her personality. This outgoing and motivated girl, determined to make her name famous, only faces endless possibilities of work in her career.