Yes, you read that right. Colonel Sanders made an appearance at DragWU on Oct. 21 to the cheering applause and screams of the audience. Well, not exactly the restaurant chain mascot but “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 14 contestant, Maddy Morphosis’ rendition of the KFC King, fried expectations at DragWu 2022. Drag racing is the art of elevating hair, makeup, and costume and turning it into a performance. This art medium is believed to predate the Shakespearean era when men were preferred as actors for playing both male and female roles in performances. “Drag is about expression and remaining true to yourself,” the coordinator of DragWU and assistant director of DSU, Willie Bush stated. After an emergency, the planned host of the DragWU, Jaida Essence Hall was unable to attend, and…
President Joe Biden announced his plans for reforming current policy on marijuana with three steps on Oct 6. Biden announced a federal pardon for all those currently serving in prison for simple possession of marijuana. He is directing Attorney General Merrick Garland to develop a process to issue the pardon certificates. “There are thousands of people who have prior Federal convictions for marijuana possession, who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result,” his statement on the White House website said. Biden also urged governors to consider pardons for those currently serving for the state offense of marijuana possession. Lastly, Biden is directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, and the Attorney General to review how marijuana is currently scheduled under federal law. It…
The Winthrop women’s basketball schedule is out for the 2021-22 season, featuring daunting road games at Duke, Kentucky and Alabama. “Everyone puts their shorts on just like everyone else,” said head coach Semeka Randall Lay. “The thing we have to go in with is a mindset of probably having some small-time goals to try to achieve in those games.” The Eagles will start the season on a four-game road stretch, opening against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 9. “It’s a tough game. At this level, you have to play those types of games to keep the lights on, so to speak,” Randall Lay said. “But [it will] provide a great opportunity for our athletes to kind of see where we’re at — almost mimic…
The Winthrop University administration has been the target of quite a stir regarding its treatment of students with disabilities. During the summer, Winthrop often will limit access to elevators and other inter-ability spaces in order to do maintenance and routine functional checks. This is not necessarily an issue, as there are not too many students on campus during the summer. However, Winthrop seemingly did not take the start of the academic year into account, as many places on campus are not fully accessible. In Withers, Winthrop’s home base for education majors, the main elevator did not work until late August. This caused issues with regards to students being able to access the upper floors - especially Plowden Auditorium. Even though it is currently active, it is not running…
Eight opponents have been identified for the Winthrop men’s basketball team so far this off-season as schools have begun releasing their non-conference schedules. While Winthrop has not confirmed any non-conference games, many of its opponents have already announced that they will face the Eagles this upcoming season. On Nov. 9, the official start to the 2021 college basketball season, Winthrop will host Mary Baldwin University, a Division III program. Last season served as the team’s inaugural season, but the few games the school participated in were all considered exhibitions as the team was still competing as a club team. Exactly one week later, Winthrop is set to travel to Middle Tennessee State University. The Blue Raiders notoriously upset the Michigan State Spartans as a 15-seed in the…
With the end of Winthrop University’s second full COVID-restricted semester on the horizon, most of the college’s departments have learned to navigate the challenges brought on by the pandemic and deliver the best possible experiences for their students. In particular, the theatre department has continued to put on astonishing performances despite limitations put in place by CDC guidelines. One such performance was the recent show Hear Our Voice: Shining a Light on Diversity in Musical Theatre that ran from Feb. 18 to Feb. 21. This show featured a compilation of songs from various Broadway musicals that each related to the themes of diversity, inclusion, and representation. What sets this show apart from previous Winthrop performances is the fact that, aside from the songs performed, the entire production was designed by…
Every day, countless Winthrop students and faculty leisurely stroll past and through the Campus Green, taking in the natural beauty of the university’s neatly sheared green grass fields and seasonal prim gardens. What many do not know is that the Campus Green beauty and design is the work and toil of a single, dedicated architect, orchestrated by Sustainability Coordinator, Christopher Johnson. Johnson began working at Winthrop University as Sustainability Coordinator in Sept. 2011, after spending 11 years working in the interior design and architecture field. Since then, Johnson has served as the chief coordinator of campus sustainability, overseeing and performing maintenance on gardens and greenery across the campus. “The themed gardens require specialized attention, [so] it was important to me that the gardens receive this care and provides sustainability students…
Winthrop University’s plan for the December 2020 graduation ceremony is to socially distance as much as possible due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. “As we continue to navigate limitations on large gatherings and with continued concerns regarding the Coronavirus, Winthrop University has decided we will not be able to hold a regular commencement ceremony.” Winthrop wrote on their website. In lieu of a traditional ceremony, the university will be holding a virtual commencement ceremony on Dec. 19. The graduation candidates of December 2020 have had very mixed feelings about the university’s decision. Shannon Bradley, a senior musical theatre major, is particularly saddened by having a virtual ceremony. “I feel like there was a way around this. Academic colleges could have graduated on different days, that way…
Anyone familiar with the Winthrop University Theatre Department’s schedule of performances knows that as the end of any semester approaches, the Student-Directed One-Act Festi- val will be there to give students one of their last chances to see some of Winthrop’s best perform. Despite COVID-19 making most theatre work tricky business, it is not stopping this show. Unlike previous years, which have seen several plays as a part of the festival, this year only two are being performed. The first is “Love/Sick” by John Cariani. According to senior theatre education major and director of the play, Hannah Baird, “Love/Sick” is “a series of short scenes between two people. Each scene is a depiction of different stages of hard times in a relationship.” Taji Mayberry, a senior psychology major who plays…
The Winthrop Board of Trustees created a resolution affirming free speech at Winthrop. The resolution states, “the Board is committed to free and open inquiry and expression for members of its campus community except as limitations on that freedom are appropriate to the functioning of the campus and permissible under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.” In short, the resolution says that all faculty and students on campus have a right to freedom of speech so long as their speech does not impede on the freedom or rights of others in a manner that could be considered threatening. However, different people have opposing viewpoints about what they deem as “free speech” and “hate speech.” In order to help clear up the contradictions about what free speech…
