Behind the curtain: Wingate at work

For the last hour or so, we’ve been posting stories from the COMM 435 Feature Writing class at Wingate University. The six students in the class each selected someone to shadow and to profile during the final weeks of the spring semester. Those stories follow this introduction.

A common theme emerged in the stories, whose subjects include students, staff and faculty members. Each of them – like many people on our campus – stays busy balancing a wide variety of responsibilities. The class decided after some discussion to call the series “Behind the Curtain,” because some of their subjects, while involved in many things, aren’t necessarily “high-profile.”

We hope these stories give readers just a sampling of campus life in the year 2010. Each student has also shot video, which we hope to get on the site very soon. Enjoy.

Dr. Keith L. Cannon, Associate Professor of Journalism

Adviser, The Weekly Triangle

Living on campus gives McDivitt time with students outside the classroom

Sam Schipman

Staff Writer

It is registration day for seniors. Four hours after it starts, Religion 390, the Special Topics/Human Sexuality class, taught by Assistant Professor of Religion Dr. Heather McDivitt, is full. 30 plus spots have been filled by those who created their schedules as soon as registration opened. Just before registration began, students started discussing McDivitt’s classes. Some were required to take her Religion 481 Medical Ethics class to graduate. Others simply had heard that McDivitt’s classes were fun and interesting. The popular professor said that she doesn’t chose classes that she thinks will be “fun,” but that are related to her background. She also teaches an elective or two. “I ask students about topics and their interests,” she said.

This semester, McDivitt taught Human Sexuality on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Tuesdays and Thursdays she taught Medical Ethics. This class was offered in the afternoon and evening. She also taught a service learning class on Monday nights. She purposefully chose this schedule. Tuesdays and Thursdays usually lasted from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for her. Meetings, appointments and catching up took place on Fridays.

Classes aren’t the only things that keep McDivitt busy. She fills her schedule with various committees and task forces along with the Don’t Dump! Donate! service project and the Learning, Living, Serving community that resides in Jefferson building six. She is also the faculty advisor for the Delta Sigma Phi men’s fraternity, as well as the chapter leader for Theta Alpha Kappa, the religious studies honor fraternity.

To prepare for so many classes, McDivitt “reads, reads and reads!” First, she picks topics after reading the course objectives. Next, she finds case studies, video clips, newspaper articles or a political cartoon. Occasionally, McDivitt plans small group discussions or a debate. Lastly, she tries to, “think of a way to get students involved in reading, talking, explaining and arguing about the material.” In order to balance her schedule, she relies heavily on her planner. On the weekends, McDivitt tries to read homework assignments. “I learned the benefits of working hard and planning ahead in graduate school,” she said.

To reduce the stress of balancing classes, meetings and appointments, McDivitt has her “me” day every Sunday. “I go to church to refresh my mind and spirit,” she said. Sunday nights are reserved for pampering herself. This usually includes reading a favorite magazine or painting her nails. She tries to have a calm, quiet evening.

McDivitt does not teach over the summer. Instead, she goes home to New York. In her hometown, she can do the things she loves. That consists of spending time with family, which includes nine nieces and nephews, gardening, pruning blueberry bushes, taking walks in the woods and even taking care of the chickens. She also reads a lot. “I average about 50 to 60 books every summer!” she said.

Her mother was an elementary education major and she wanted to follow in her footsteps. After graduating from Grove City College with a B.A. in Elementary Education and from State University of New York at Buffalo with a Minister of Education degree, McDivitt went on to teach. She taught kindergarten, first and second grades and loved the four years she spent in the classroom. Then she went back to school to learn more about religion and earned a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Her PhD was completed at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. To expand her horizons even more, she studied abroad for two semesters in Germany and one in London. While finishing her studies in Scotland, she applied for a teaching position at several universities. She said that Wingate was a perfect fit, because she was looking for a small private, liberal arts school like the one she attended.

She believes that being a professor who lives on campus gives her a different perspective of college life. McDivitt gets to spend more time outside the classroom with students. She eats in the cafeteria, attends Lyceums, performances, and sporting events and participates in other activities with students. Since she lives on campus, McDivitt is able to teach a class at 8:30 p.m. She said that students are more awake and engaged then than during the day. As far as she knows, none of the students have issues with her living on campus. At the beginning of the semester, she likes to bake students treats. She tries to be respectful of their space. “I’ve been so fortunate to have had absolutely awesome students living on my hall and above me,” she said.

Schuman's enthusiasm, motivation helps her give back to Wingate and community

Anna Lee Croom

Staff Writer

Students at Wingate University typically know who Emma Schuman is. She’s the girl who can be seen, and heard saying hello to everyone she sees, all around campus at all hours of the day. With ribbons in her hair and Alpha Xi Delta sorority letters across her chest, Schuman has left her mark on many organizations and the school as a whole. With so many things going on in her life, it’s hard not to ask, “How does she do it all?”

The junior from Marion, N.C. was born on Oct. 12, 1989. She is working on a Bachelor of Science in human service with a minor in psychology. She chose Wingate over N.C. State because of the small classroom sizes and the one-on-one attention each student receives from professors.

The list of Schuman’s involvement would make any regular college student cringe, but her determination and energy carry her through each day and help her to stay on top of her ‘to do list’ and make it to her next meeting.

For UCAN, she is the coordinator, which involves planning, implementing and recruiting for Habitat for Humanity, along with other UCAN programs, such as working with senior citizens, tutoring and mentoring, Hunger and Homelessness, Environmental Task Force, Alternative Spring Break trips and Angelic Riders. “It’s important to serve other people and help those who need it the most,” Schuman said. “Giving back is very important to me.”

As a peer mentor, she is also one of the first people incoming freshmen develop a relationship with. Not only does she make herself approachable for first-year students, but she also helps them get involved with organizations around campus, such as SGA, where she served this past year on the honor council and athletics committee. Schuman is also a member of the Student Affairs Advisory Committee, where she helps develop and execute ideas and plans that will better the Wingate University community, including both students and faculty. She deals with student spirit, technology and environmental issues. Schuman, with all her bounce and energy, serves as Alpha Xi Delta’s sunshine chair, in charge of brightening sisters’ days.

Schuman said, “I get up earlier than most college students and go for a run around 6 a.m. I then go to my classes, work in the registrar’s office, meetings in the evening and then homework.” Although she says there are times when her body just doesn’t want to do anymore, her motivation to get things done helps her to continue.

After graduation Schuman would either like to work for a non-profit organization or go to graduate school. Her number one hero is her mother and her favorite place on earth is the beach. Her ‘About Me’ on Facebook sums up who Emma Schuman is:

“Hi I am Emma! I am a ribbon wearing, Vera Bradley caring kind of girl! I enjoy helping others and putting smiles on people’s faces. If you ever have a problem, feel free to ask!”

Athletic trainer's research recognized nationwide, can now run with scissors

Amanda Murree

Staff Writer

Her t-shirt reads, “only athletic trainers can run with scissors,” and the Sports Science Department at Wingate University has trained her well. At the top of her class, senior Jennifer Bossi has learned throughout her four years at Wingate University what it takes to be an exceptional athlete, student, leader and worker.

From Bristol Conn., Bossi has always known she has wanted to turn her love for medicine and sports into a lifelong career. “It [athletic training] was a perfect fit for me because I was able to combine my love of sports with my academics,” said Bossi. Athletic training is a major much different from others offered on the Wingate University campus. Not only do student athletic trainers have to attend classes and complete regularly assigned homework, they also have to complete a certain amount of clinical hours outside of class, complete a book of competencies, and pass the certification exam as a senior to get a job. Bossi said, “In addition to the work we get in class, we have a huge book of competencies about 500 pages that we have to ‘master’ by one of our instructors throughout our four years here.”

This past semester, Bossi’s day consisted of regular classes, cross country practice and clinical hours with the men’s basketball team, for which she attended all practices and games. Also, she helped with a physical therapy program put in place to help three basketball players recover from major knee injuries. “The rehab with them was a great learning opportunity for me because I got to watch them progress from post-operation to playing by the end of the season,” said Bossi.

When Bossi was assigned to the men’s basketball team halfway through the first semester of her senior year, she was still running competitively on Wingate University’s women's cross country team and had to manage her time between both her academic requirements and maintain her scholarship for cross country. “On a normal day, I would attend classes, go to cross country practice and then head straight to basketball practice right after my own. It was definitely a challenge for the last few weeks of the fall semester. Not only did I have to eat after basketball practice, I had to finish my homework and hold weekly meetings for Phi Epsilon Kappa,” Bossi said.

Phi Epsilon Kappa is the honorary Sports Science Fraternity here at Wingate University and as the fraternity’s president, Bossi holds weekly meetings to discuss fundraising, upcoming professional conferences, social events and recruitment events.

Phi Epsilon Kappa is not the only honor listed on Bossi’s resume; her outstanding summer research has also received a lot of attention not only at Wingate University but across the nation as well. “I did some independent research with Dr. [Traci] Gearhart [assistant professor of sports sciences] on the prevalence of the Female Athlete Triad in college students. I got to go to multiple conferences to present it including the National Conference of Undergraduate Research at the University of Montana and have won numerous awards for my research,” said Bossi.

Other awards that Bossi has received throughout her years here at Wingate University include Women in Sports award, Student Major of the Year, Most Outstanding Female in Sports Science award and the June P. Galloway Scholarship award.

With conferences, meetings, academics, athletics and clinical hours to manage, Bossi also finds time to work as a library assistant the Ethel K. Smith Library at Wingate University. Although her time as an undergraduate is quickly coming to an end, she looks forward to what the future has to offer. Bossi said, “After graduation, I am going to be a graduate assistant at Central Connecticut State University working as an athletic trainer. I will also be taking classes in their physical education graduate program. Right now I am just concentrating on deciding what my interests are so I can go into something I love.”

For Sandler, campus life full of many flavors

Megan McVicker
Staff Writer

Reliability, dedication and a gregarious nature are just the cherries on top of the ice cream sundae that is Courtney Sandler. In fact, if she really were an ice cream sundae, it would be one of the 24 scoops assembled with every possible flavor out there.

She is the director of campus life here at Wingate and an intricate part of students’ overall success and satisfaction on campus. A day in the life of Courtney is hard to even describe because it is never the same.

She arrives to her office a little before 8 a.m. on most days. The mornings are filled with meetings discussing student success, campus life, anything related to multicultural affairs, Spring Fling, Refuel for exam weeks and the list goes on. The afternoons she tends to leave open for one-on-one interaction with students. Courtney’s door is always open. In just about everything she does the students and their happiness comes first.

What’s the best part about Courtney? After listing off her massive pile of responsibilities, she shrugged her shoulders and with a smile on her face simply said, “I love what I do.”

Courtney gets to know students by participating in all sorts of activities, such as the trip to the Presidential Inauguration last year and most recently the Alternative Spring Break trip to Oak Ridge, Tenn. where Courtney served as a chaperone.

At Wingate she plays many roles. She is responsible for campus life activities, as well as supervising those who run Greek Life, Student Activities, Ad Team, Multicultural Affairs and residence education. She is the “biggest cheerleader” to her supervisees, always providing support for those individuals. She facilitates an open forum series known as Diversity Dialogue, designed for students to discuss topics such as sexual preference, inter-racial relationships and more. She also co-instructs a course for at-risk students, an issue she is adamantly devoted to improving. She has even submitted a grant proposal for a program designed to “focus efforts toward underrepresented students at Wingate University encouraging their growth and development.” And that is just skimming the surface of the work she does at Wingate.

Everything Courtney does for this university is for the benefit of the students. She often uses the word “rewarding” to describe just about everything she’s ever done here. Each job is geared toward enhancing the student’s Wingate experience. Most of all she is pushing for an environment where students are immersed in their education, where “experiential learning” plays the largest role. She referred to her job as a “passion, not just a position.”

She said if she had a tagline it would have be that, “Wingate University has lots to offer for every student! Find your niche, take opportunities, and do not let anything pass you by.”

Graduate student continues legacy of leadership with Wingate community

Lindsey Woodruff

Staff Writer

One of Wingate University’s graduate assistants, Katie Mower, started working for Wingate after graduating from the university in May 2009. Katie is from Charles County, Md., where she still calls home today. She is an only child and shares a close relationship with her parents. When applying for colleges to attend after graduation, Katie discovered her love for the small campus of Wingate. She said, “I was looking for a college in the South with a great Education program and Wingate turned out to be everything I was looking for.” Katie majored in Education where her emphasis was on elementary students.

During her time as a student, she was a member of many organizations. She became a sister of Alpha Xi Delta sorority, where she served as president and vice president of programs. She said, “I never thought I would ever join a sorority coming into college, but my roommate talked me into seeing what it was about. I met some amazing women and found that it just fit.” She was also an active member of FCA, SGA for two years, a member of the Education Club and a student teacher for a semester in her senior year. “Student teaching kept me extremely busy, but it’s a great opportunity to learn firsthand what teaching will be like,” she said.

Katie is now the graduate assistant for leadership and a residence director. “Getting the position as graduate assistant was a great memory for me. I applied for the Greek program first, but the position I’m working in now was a brand new program and it was offered to me,” she said. “I was hired on the spot and it was the best thing that could have happened. I was given a job where I work with people I already knew and it made things so much better!” Katie also wants to earn her master’s from Wingate, and as a graduate assistant she has the opportunity to be in the Masters of Education program here.

Besides maintaining discipline in the residence halls, Katie is in charge of Leadership Fellows, a four year program that helps students build leadership skills. “I work with seniors on leaving a legacy after graduation and I work alongside Laura Ulmer on putting together the Lyceums,” she said. Katie teaches the leadership class for sophomores in the program and is a mentor for them. In class, she talks with students about topics such as where they see themselves in two years because of what Leadership Fellows has taught them. In addition to lesson planning, she works on team building and encourages her students to lead and support one another in and out of the classroom.

In five years, Katie sees herself, “working on my doctorate. I want to continue in higher education and then maybe move back home to continue my studies there.” A quote from Walt Disney that has inspired Katie to get through her life as a college student and now employee is, “All your dreams will come true if we have that courage to pursue them.”

From student to graduate assistant, Katie continues to make an impression on the Wingate community. In one word, she describes herself as “determined.”

Peace Corps volunteer turned photography professor finds passion in helping students

by Rhonda Naylor

Staff Writer

“The hardest job you’ll ever love.” That’s what Lex Youngman , professor of art, tells his new photography students. It’s a slogan he got from the Peace Corps but applies to photography as well. Even the best photographers have to learn from their mistakes. A good photographer must develop patience.

“There’s a lot to learn and you have to work hard, but once you know what you’re doing, you start having fun,” he said.

With his humorous attitude and positive outlook on life, Young imparts his experience to Wingate’s beginning photographers. He inspires his students to be creative and think “beyond the box.” Assignments are given with that aspect in mind. On one such assignment, he accompanied students to down town Charlotte and allowed them to take pictures of anything they wanted to.

Photography can’t all be taught in the classroom. To get everything done, the students have access to the classroom and darkroom whenever they need it, which is quite often!

Even in today’s digital world, learning the basics of photography and the “old school” methods of developing film and prints are essential for a student’s future success.

Youngman said, “The best part of my job is the students and watching them grow. It’s so rewarding to see people get excited. Not everybody gets excited about photography, but when I see students who are getting something out of it and learning a lifetime skill, that’s worth it. That makes it all worthwhile!”

A typical day for Youngman at Wingate begins about 9 a.m. In between the classes he teaches, he makes himself available for students, does photo projects for faculty events and advises the yearbook staff. The classroom is often a chaotic yet creative scene, with students all asking for advice. It’s up to Youngman to troubleshoot all the problems that arise. He handles it with a patient calm. “That’s why I’m here,” he said.

Growing up in 1950s Toledo, Ohio didn’t inspire photography to Youngman. His dream then was to be an astronaut. In his youth, he realized that most astronauts had to have excellent vision and Youngman, who wore glasses since the third grade, wasn’t a good candidate. “Outer space fascinates me. I really thought I would go into the science field,” he said.

It wasn’t until his junior year of high school that photography became a passion for him. As a member of the yearbook staff, he was asked to take some candid pictures at the football game. Armed with an old Polaroid camera, he began to take pictures of the crowd and realized he loved it! From there, he learned everything he could from his yearbook photography advisor who had his own darkroom and lived about a mile from Youngman’s house.

After high school, he headed off to Denison University in Ohio, where he obtained a degree in English. He also met the love of his life, Karen. They married after graduation and joined the Peace Corps five days later. Together they traveled to Turkey, where they taught English as a second language. Youngman loved Turkey and enjoyed his experience with the Peace Corps, though he initially had wanted to go to the South Seas and live like the natives.

He still gets emails from one of his former students in Turkey. The young man is now an electrical engineer on an oil rig in the Caspian Sea. His ability to speak English allowed him to gain a career. One of his former photography students also now works in New York as an associate editor for ‘Outdoor Life’ magazine.

Youngman said, “When you realize you’ve helped people gain skills they can use later in life, it’s kind of neat. It does my heart good.”

He returned to school to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics and began his teaching career at Wingate 30 years ago by teaching art appreciation classes.

Teaching photography was a lucky accident. Someone heard about this photography background and suggested he develop a course in photography to meet the needs of Communication majors. He was happy to, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Although a photography teacher, he has little time to take pictures himself. The summer break offers him a chance, as well as the professional conference he attends every year in Las Vegas. In 2003, he published a book of photography entitled, “The People of Route 601; Life in the Slow Lane.” He also enjoyed a photo shoot in Africa this past summer.