Winthrop University’s Board of Trustees names Kathy Bigham new chairwoman of the board.

In the space of an hour at Winthrop University’s Gold Room in the DiGiorgio Campus Center Friday afternoon, the contract of the school’s incoming 10th president was approved, tentative figures on tuition and fee increases were released and the Board of Trustees honored two of their own for their service to the university.

In-state Winthrop students will likely need to pay just over three percent more for tuition, while out-of-state students will probably face an increase of 6.2 percent in tuition next year, according to numbers the finance committee released to the Winthrop Board of Trustees at their June 7 meeting. The proposed numbers, which may fluctuate depending on how South Carolina governor Nikki Haley determines the state budget, mean in-state students could be paying $6,715 for tuition and fees, while those who come to study at Winthrop from outside of the state will pay $13,000 per semester.

Room and board fees are facing a similar increase; whether students live in Wofford, Phelps or Courtyard, it’s likely that a five percent increase will affect living arrangements. This means a double occupancy room with a hall bath style will cost $112 more each semester than it did last year. Anyone living in a two bedroom/two bathroom style room in Courtyard will now be paying $3,355 for the suite, a $161 increase.

Meal plans are also subject to face the five percent jump, projected to cost $1,465. The proposed rate hikes will not affect the health and counseling fee.

Comstock’s contract finalized

On July 1, Dr. Jayne Marie Comstock will earn an annual salary of $169,970 for the next five years under her official contract, which was made public on Friday.  Outgoing President Emeritus Anthony DiGiorgio is set to leave the university having received a salary of $169,970 himself.  DiGiorgio is entitled to a one-year sabbatical in which he will continue to receive that salary from state funds.

Comstock will also receive up to $5,000 for any relocation expenses that she and her family incurs during her move from Washington, D.C. Other benefits include a school vehicle, with all insurance, maintenance and fuel paid for by the university to be used on presidential duties.

Floyd, Calloway honored as outgoing trustees 

Long-time attorney Dalton Floyd stepped down from his position as chairman of the Winthrop Board of Trustees on Friday with two years left on his term, citing the need to spend more time on his work outside of the board and with his family. Floyd served on the board for six years. Kathy Bigham will replace Floyd, effective July 1. Bigham takes over as chair after leading the 10-member presidential search committee that hired Comstock.

Chemistry professor Cliff Calloway was also recognized as he reached the end of his two-year term on the board. John Bird, an English professor, will replace him on July 1.

CSL chair, vice-chair to work in Illinois this July

Christopher Aubrie, the chair of Winthrop’s Council of Student Leaders, and his vice-chair Ian Deas, will take a working vacation in Champagne, Ill. in late July as they participate in a summer leadership course called LeaderShape. The conference will last from July 28-Aug. 2. Aubrie says he’s hoping to go together with Deas to “foster the leadership we need to take on what’s coming up in the school year.”

The 9,000 acre site is a National Historic Landmark and has been named in a list of Top Ten Public Gardens by Tripadvisor.com. Amanda Woolwine, the director of the Office of Special Projects for the CVPA, says that the award used to be given to those with a Winthrop background who contributed to the arts, but that the condition is being relaxed.

“It’s nice if some of our candidates have Winthrop ties, but it’s not criteria anymore,” she said. “It’s about people who have made a difference and we want our award to be special to those who win it.”

The Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Medal of Honor Steering Committee determines nominations, before a list of candidates is brought before Winthrop’s sitting president for final consideration. While the Medal of Honor has brought back highly-respected Winthrop alumna and faculty in the past, Woolwine says the board has reached out to some national figures, including comedian Stephen Colbert, headline funny man for The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.

“He was too busy, unfortunately,” Woolwine said. “It’s a long process to bring people here. The selection process starts in the summer and all of the chairs solicit responses from past awardees. We always like to have people who have relationships with us.”

Brookgreen picked up the award at Johnson Hall in Winthrop last month, along with two other recipients for 2013, Karen Collins, Larry Barnfield, and Jerry Helton. Collins, a Winthrop alumna, is an Emmy nominated film director, Barnfield is an experienced arts educator with Dortchester School District Two in Summerville, S.C., and Helton, a professor emeritus of music at Winthrop, has taught voice performance since 1970.

Former Winthrop president David Bancroft Johnson, Winthrop professor emeritus Alf Ward and former U.S. Representative John Spratt have all been honored at the annual event in recent years.

Brookgreen Gardens is the first institution to be honored since last year’s induction of the North Carolina Dance Theatre, which holds several ties with Winthrop alumni and administrators.

“There are so many institutions who hold a big identity with their communities,” Woolwine said. “They make their impact in their own way. I think it’s just as important to praise organizations as well as the individuals.”

“It went so much better this year,” Maas said.

IRS and Beta Alpha Psi volunteers set up their table in the DiGiorgio Center every Friday for from the beginning of February to the end of March.

Maas said that after the initial couple weeks, the volunteers were busy every Friday.

Over the month, VITA was able to do 134 tax returns for the Winthrop University community. The Winthrop community received a total of $79,213 in federal refunds this year.

Maas explained that the new location in the DiGiorgio Center helped to make the program a success. “We finally got it where it will thrive and we will keep it going,” Maas said.

The results from the program will help the IRS determine whether or not to continue the program at Winthrop.

Maas said she has received positive feedback from the IRS, but the official notice will come in the fall.

Garvin was awarded with Meritorious Service to the Board for his time spent as a chair on the Board of Trustees.

DiGiorgio was honored with the title of President Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Public Service and Leadership. DiGiorgio is one of the nation’s longest serving public university presidents in the country, serving as Winthrop’s president for 24 years.

In honor of this service, the Board of Trustees created the DiGiorgio Forum on Leadership.  It will focus on developing leadership in faculty, staff and students and to help them become effective and ethical leaders. Some of the programs included in the forum will be workshops on professional development and one-on-one mentoring.

“I am touched by this gesture,” DiGiorgio said. “I have had a deep abiding interest in leadership for the past four decades. I look forward to giving life to this forum so it can be another anchor of sorts, similar to our West Forum.”

The forum will be created by the Division of Academic Affairs.

Gale DiGiorgio was also honored and given the status of First Lady Emeritus for her dedication to volunteerism and civic leadership.

Current and future WU students participate in World Wide Winthrop Day activities. Photos by Jacob Hallex • hallexj@mytjnow.com

From popcorn to bouncy houses, World Wide Winthrop Day provided something that almost anyone could enjoy. With over 600 newly admitted students and their families on campus, this year’s WU Day had a record breaking turnout.

Prospective students were given tours of key places on campus as well as an opportunity to engage with professors in their prospective degree programs. During the end of their Winthrop Day experience, the newly admitted students were able to participate in a student life showcase where they had the chance to talk with members of several clubs and organizations on campus.

Kameo McFadden, a prospective psychology major said she enjoyed her first Winthrop Day experience and was impressed with how informative it was.

“I definitely felt like it was a success overall,” McFadden said. “Instead of having to venture out and ask questions, they came to us.”

McFadden’s mother, Christine, said she appreciated how the staff translated all information to a “parent’s perspective.”

“Some of us have been out of college for a number of years,” Christine said.

She said she was impressed by the majors, the McNair Scholars program and the ID card access into residence halls.

“That may be a deciding factor on why she comes here,” she said.

For Lauren Metcalf, a junior music major who did not have the chance to participate last year, she made it her business to participate in as many activities as she could.

“It took a while to get started but once it did, it was good,” Metcalf said.

In addition to having an Italian flag painted on her right hand and an American flag painted on her left hand, Metcalf had the opportunity to take a trolly ride during the festivities.

“The trolly took us to Richardson and Scholar’s Walk and then back to the West Center,” she said. “It made three stops.”

While this year’s World Wide Winthrop Day proved to increase in numbers and success it only creates a sense of hope and anticipation for next year.

The Johnsonian staff is awaiting the newest addition to the family, Alisha Kennerly’s baby Adam.

“Ten little fingers,

Ten tiny toes,

The sweetest of smiles

And a cute little nose.

All these add up

To a very special thing…

A BABY —

The greatest of gifts

That life can bring”

Author: Unknown

The Johnsonian is having a baby! Well not the actual newspaper per se, but one of our editors. This will be the first staff baby in the history of the newspaper and we are delighted to welcome little Adam Neal Hinson to the world.

Alisha Kennerly, arts and culture editor, is expecting her eight pound bundle of joy to arrive on April 20 and is anticipating him to have “big lips” just like his dad Bryan.

Happiness is the most important thing she wishes for him while believing the  joyous environment he will be born into will turn the wish into a reality.

“I hope that he is a happy baby,” Kennerly said. “My boyfriend and I are bringing him into a happy environment so I hope that helps. I just hope he enjoys life like Bryan and I do.”

“Clearly Winthrop continues to separate itself, both in doing great programs and treating the people who perform them great. Artists and agents repeatedly praise Winthrop as one of their favorite places to perform,” Campus Activities Magazine wrote on their website.

DSU President Brett Wilson says that DSU stands out from other campus programs because of the relationships that they create.

“I think what makes us stand out the most is that we aren’t here just for booking performances or to have a show every night. We actually make those personal connections with the artists and with the students that come out to our events,” Wilson said.

Part of DSU’s mission is to expose the college community to new ideas, activities and forms of entertainment. This academic year, DSU has scheduled events ranging from a Jamaican reggae band to Chinese acrobats.

“DSU is not only just the entertainment crew. We also do a lot of educational events. We do a lot of service to the campus. A lot of times people think they’re coming to a concert but leave knowing something different than what they did when they came,” Wilson said.

On April 12, DSU is hosting the third annual Eaglefest, Winthrop’s end of year celebration, on the Campus Green.

“Eaglefest started out two years ago, and each year it’s grown bigger and bigger,” Wilson said.

As a reader’s choice award, fans, artists and agencies that DSU has worked with select the winner.

“We don’t do what we do to win awards, but in the end when we win, it’s kind of like a thank you from everyone we get to work with,” Wilson said. “We’re trying to take the greatness that DSU has been for the early 2000’s and make it last until 2020.”

“Our experiment in democracy at Winthrop is no longer an experiment but a success. Congratulations to each ticket on their efforts and I look forward to a smooth transition,” said current CSL President Kambrell Garvin.

After two weeks of campaigning and two days of voting, nearly 800 students voted, amounting to approximately 16 percent of the student body. Aubrie and Deas accounted for 51 percent of the vote.

“CSL is pleased with the increase of voter turnout. The candidates showed enthusiasm through campaigning and promoting their platform and vision,” said CSL Election Commissionaire Christine Counts-Davis.

Other presidential and vice presidential candidates were Dillon Donolds and Ali Jensen with 35 percent of the total turnout and Kevin Johnston and John Barrera with 14 percent. “I’m very happy about the debate turnout. The more, the merrier,” Johnston said.

This is the first time that CSL only held one debate. For future elections, three debates were suggested, with separate debates for presidential candidates and vice-presidential candidates and one joint debate.

Aubrie said that there should be ‘I voted’ stickers, like in national elections.

During their campaign, Aubrie and Deas focused their platform on the healthier meal options for on-campus students, promoting more involvement with CSL and increasing attendance at athletic events.

Aubrie and Deas take office July 1 but will officially begin after the May Commencement.

Aubrie is a junior international business major who previously served as CSL vice president with President Garvin and as the chair of the Student Empowerment Committee. He is also involved with Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), the TRiO SSS Leadership Council and Kappa Sigma. Aubrie wants to help first-generation university students and foreign exchange students with encouragement and success, according to a university press release.

Deas, a junior biology major, has held leadership roles in The Gentlemen’s League and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, tutored at the Academic Success Center and was an Eagle STEM Scholar. He served as co-chair of the Public Relations Committee for CSK and as a representative for the Student Allocations Committee. In his off-campus activities, he has volunteered through Adopt-A-Highway, Rolling in Rock Hill and the Boyd Hill Community Center S.C.O.P.E., according to a university press release.

Chad Steele, director of media relations for the Baltimore Ravens, shows his Winthrop pride while posing with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Photo courtesy of Chad Steele

Memories of checking into Richardson Hall as a freshman and rooming with Todd Lassiter still linger in Chad Steele’s mind although it was 20 years ago. While the food at Thomson Hall proved to have the same “uh” factor it currently does to students and the campus’ beauty was ever apparent, Steele’s Winthrop career was overall a “liberating experience.”

Receiving a full-ride from a basketball scholarship from Winthrop led Steele to become a leading rebounder for the team and occupied the majority of his free time. With school and basketball being two of his top focuses, Steele learned the valuable lesson of hard work and discipline.

“I’m a military brat. Just balancing school and basketball was my most valuable lesson,” he said. “The teachers were good at realizing I had responsibilities outside of school.”

A former integrated marketing communications major and the current director of media relations for the Baltimore Ravens, Steele did not always want to have a career in media.

It was when the Carolina Panthers trained at Winthrop Coliseum during their inaugural season that Steele recognized his interest in media. Having a chance to interact with the players and to see what went on behind the scenes added to this interest, he said.

His combined interest in sports and media landed him an internship with the Carolina Panthers. While doing “administrative stuff” such as getting food, picking up players from the airport and writing press releases, his training for this internship prepared him for his current career.

Steele said he would wake up early in the mornings in search of finding every local newspaper rendering stories about the Panthers. After finding all related stories, he was then given the task of physically cutting and pasting these stories in a way that they could be used as a visual aid for the staff.

After two internships with the Panthers and one with the Ravens, Steele went on to work for ESPN and the San Francisco 49ers before beginning his position as a media relations manager with the Ravens. He completed four years as a manager before being promoted to director. It has now been six years that Steele has been the director of media relations for the Ravens.

“My favorite aspect is just getting to know the players and coaches on a different level,” Steele said. “To become friends with people like Ray Lewis and Dion Sanders, to see them as men.”

Steele said being able to “see behind the face mask” with guys such as Lewis and Sanders makes his job that much better.

As director of media relations, Steele writes press releases, biographies and is the intermediary between the players and media.

“Any interviews go through me,” he said.

Over a course of four days during Super Bowl XLVII, Steele said he received about 150 to 160 requests for interviews with Ray Lewis.

“There’s just not enough time,” he said.

It is obvious that a job such as Steele’s requires a substantial amount of time. During the NFL season, he said he works seven days a week. His least favorite aspect of the job is the amount of time he is away from his wife and young daughter.

“It takes time away from your family,” Steele said. “A lot of time.”

There are only a select number of people who have a job such as Steele’s. To receive a job of this stature, an internship is vital, he said.

“It’s such a hard industry to get into,” he said. “There’s only 32 other people in the world who do what I do. There’s a certain amount of knowledge we expect people to know when they come in.”

Steele said if the individuals looking for media jobs with the Ravens lack the necessary experience, they can not even look at their resumé.

“That’s the unfortunate part of this job,” he said. “Learning is imperative.”

As advice to all aspiring media professionals, Steele encourages one to “study your craft.” The business is ever changing and always seeking out knowledge is important.

“Take advantage of your time in school,” he said. “It’s time to have fun, time to grow. When you get out in the real world you won’t be able to roll over and press the snooze button on your alarm.”

Although his sports media career has granted him much success in the industry, Steele has remained humble and remembers the small southern university which gave him his start.

“I think I was well prepared both from Winthrop and from internships,” he said. “I continue to learn and evolve everyday.”

It has been five years since Steele has been back to Winthrop. It was a time when the Ravens played the Panthers that he took a drive around campus. Although he did not have much time to stay and mingle, he nevertheless came back to the place where he first discovered his passion. It is his plan to come back this summer when he has more time to show his wife and daughter the “beautiful” campus.

Campus Compact is a national coalition of almost 1,200 college and university presidents—representing some 6 million students—who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education.

More than 100 student leaders from colleges and universities across the country were nominated by the institution’s president for the award to acknowledge motivation and ability on public leadership. According to Compact, they serve as national examples of the role that higher education can –and does –play in building a better world.

“I am humbled to be named the Newman Civic Fellows Award recipient for Winthrop University,” Eichelberger said. “When I started my civic journey of service, I had no expectation of gaining any recognition. The mere thought of anyone paying attention never crossed my mind. Now that I have been made aware of this ‘limelight,’ it further affirms that my work is not in vain nor is it complete.”

According to a university press release, Eichelberger has volunteered for United Way, worked with TEAMS, a summer enrichment program that prepares at-risk fifth-graders for middle school, and began GENTS Academy, which pairs at-risk middle school boys with university males for mentorship.

After receiving a master’s degree in urban development, Eichelberger hopes to begin a career in community capacity building.