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The Spark, Volume 45, No. 8
No full textStudent Leader of the Year Tracie Tallant talks about education and what she did to get where she is now. The College's expansion bond passes, but work on the new campuses won't start for another year. An article brings up the safety of Central Piedmont's main campus and how security plays a part in that. Central Piedmont's Crimebeat speaks on incidents reported on the College's security log. Phi Theta Kappa begins plans for the 1995-1996 academic year. The newest English instructor talks about his plans at Central Piedmont. This issue also highlights a librarian's "please bother me" sign and how she has this sign because she cares about her job and the people she works with. Mei Ma, a 62 year old woman, decides to learn English as her second language. A movie review of "She Loves Me" calls it lovely. There's also mention of the State's budget cuts and how it affects the College and classes. Changes will be coming to the College's Minority Scholarship and how it's not just for minorities, but for anyone with financial need. With the State budget cuts, certain classes are cut, which makes it difficult for students who need those classes to graduate.Volume 45 Number 8
~ CENTRAL
~MllY
July 1995
Summer budget cuts
-pg. 8
Spotlight - -pgs. 4&5
Employee thwarts thief
-pg. 3
Student Leader stresses education, involvement
Student Leader of the Year
Tracie Tallant
Photo by Tom Cushman
by Melanie Scribner, Editor
Student Leader of the Year Tracie Tallant
thinks the CPCC campus has a different
feel to it this summer. It seems like students
are "here and gone," she said.
For almost two years, Tallant has been a
part-time activities assistant in the Student
Life Center. If there is one thing she knows
all about, it's students. She does everything
from answer student questions to secretarial
duties to finding housing for out-of-state
students.
It is the job she has had longest of any in
her life, and she has had a few.
A Charlotte native, Tallant has been on
her own since she was 16.
After dropping outoflndependence High
School because all she wanted to do was
"party," Tallant turned to the community
college system to get her high school
diploma.
"I knew I dido 't want to be an uneducated
adult," she said. "I came back here for my
education and I neverreally left There was
never a lapse of time where I wasn't in the
continuum of learning."
Tallant attended class while pregnant with
her son Ezekiel, now five. "It's not the
easiest path to take," she said of single
parenting. ''There are nights when he'll eat
dinner before I will. That is just a parental
sacrifice that anybody would make."
Last quarter, Tallant received a degree in
general office technology and only lacks
about 10 credits to receive a degree in
administrative office technology. She is
currently enrolled in the college transfer
program and plans to attend Queens College
and become a teacher.
Extensively involved in the Student
Government Association, Tallant has been
a senator, secretary and parliamentarian.
She wanted to run for SGA president this
year but didn't for personal reasons. She is -
a single mom and felt her school work was
lacking as well as her relationship with her
friends. "It takes so much time," she said.
Anotherreasonhadtodowithmaintaining
a separation between an SGA position and
her job in Student Life, so this year, she got
involved in the SGA on the state-level as
co-chair of Special Populations for the
N4CSGA. Special Populations deals with
students who cannot be categorized as
traditional college students.
Tallant believes strongly that students
should get involved in campus activities.
"Just seeing what student government,
getting involved and having a CP family
has done for me, I would encourage all
students to do something: write for The
Spark, donate in the blood drives, get
involved in a club, participate in an open
forum."
''There are so many people who go
through school and never participate in any
of that and they never know what they are
missing, but they really are missing
something," Tallant emphasized. "When
you go for a job interview and two students
havethesameGPA,theonewhoisinvolved
in the Legal Secretaries Club is going to get
the job."
On May 11, Tallant was recognized as
Student Leader of the Year at a ceremony
held in the Student Life Center. "It was
important for me because looking back on
my life and all of the things I feel like I
passed over or missed out on like Girl
Scouts or even sports." Tallant said it was
heartwarmingto be recognizedf or her work
and efforts and thinks it's especially
important to tell people what they mean to
you.
Expansion bond passes: groundbreaking not for 18 months
by Gary W.f Writer
It will be at least a year before ground is
broken for the new CPCC expansion
campuses.
"We're a good long distance from that,"
said Alice W. Villadsen, CPCC vice
president for instruction, about when
construction would begin. Blueprints,
architects and other necessary preliminary
work all need state approval. "There's a
minimum of about a year," Villadsen said.
The 313,288, and
the "rent-a-cops," off-duty police
,$256,821. What are we really getting for
our over a quarter of a million dollars of our
money? That comes out to almost a
thousand dollars per student per year.
Although I am sure that some of their
personnel are well-trained and
conscientious, the fact is that security
personnel are "outsiders." That is, security
is not a part of the campus, because most of
them are contract employees. What seems
to be missing is interaction with the campus
community.
A secure campus doesn't seem to be a
priority, at least not at this point in time.
Perhaps a bit more training and some good
old-fashionedcaringisjustthethingneeded
atCPCC. Maybe expanding the community
policing approach presently being
implemented at the Student Life Center
would be a step in the right direction. It
would definitely help security to know
those people whom they are supposed to be
PROTECTING.
Roving Reporter:what do you do for summer fun?
Ahmed Sellin, Advancement Studies
instructor
When the Charlotte sauna begins to
steam up the summer, Ahmed and his
roommate Jeff make a break for the
Appalachian Trail in the Tennessee
mountains. According to Selim, the trail
is a different world. "It's a community."
Selim said that part of trail life is leaving
your given name at home and assuming a
new persona.· Selim and his roommate
met two guys on the third day into the
hike. One was called Songbird.
Apparently, he won a talent contest in
Damascus, Va., mimicking bird calls. The
other guy's trail name was The Streaker.
He claimed to have hiked naked 10 miles
in every state the trail passed through.
Selim said his hiking on the trail brings
him new energy -a rebirth. In his words,
"It's-awesome."
By William Hewitt, Roving Reporter
Ethel Ward, criminal justice major
On hot summer days, Ethel likes to trek
the lake at Freedom Park. She goes
prepared. "I like to pack a lunch," Ward
said. She makes fresh lemonade, when she
has the time, and she always puts in some
fruit When asked if she brings anything for
the ducks, she replied, "Cheerios and
Crackerjacks." She claims that the squirrels
will nearly eat out of .her hand to get the
pecans she is always sure to pack.
Ward said she is a people watcher. "My
favorite person to watch is a regular I call
The Leprechaun," she said. He is a roller
blader who wears yellow socks and green
shorts and jumps everything in sight Ward
said, 'That's what I like about the park. It's
a jumping place in a peaceful way."
Lisa Davis, learning center tutor
During Memorial Day weekend, Davis
and a friend escaped to Myrtle Beach.
They didn't reali7.Cth at bikers from all
parts of the Eastern Seaboard had chosen
the same time and place for a bike rally.
"As we walked by a store, we saw these
bikesparkedoutside,"Davisrecalled.She
described the bikes as being shiny, red
crotch-rockets. When the guys came out
ofthestore,Davissaid, "we asked them to
take us for a ride. They did." When asked
what the best part was, she explained that
the guys had taken them to cruise the strip.
She was wearing short, short-shorts. She
stood up on the bike as they passed a
bunch of guys hanging-out on the strip.
"They yelled a lot, and you know I loved
that," she said. When asked if she would
like to go again, Davis said, "next
weekend."
July 1995
The Spark
July 1995 Vol. 45 No. 8
Editor Melanie Scribner
Associate Editor John Bradley
Photo Editor Karen Abbott
Paste-up Artists Chris Peigler
Tyler Riggs
Typesetter Mickey Brown
Staff Writers Perry Brewer
Sam Cook
Franklin Diaz
William Hewitt
Trish Johnson
Gary Weiss
Guest Writers Bryn Hill
Staff
J. Holmes
Angel Miller
Naci Morris
Photographers Tom Cushman
Eric Tomten
Student
Publications Adviser Liz Rogers
Student Life Director Mark Helms
The Spark is a news publication financed
by student activity fees and written and
published by student journalists for the
CPCC community. It is not an official
college publication. Any viewpoints expressed
should not be interpreted as
representing official CPCC positions.
CPCC is an equal opportunity/affirmative
action institution. Accommodations will be
made for individuals with hearing, sight
and physical disabilities.
- THE SPARK welcomesle tters!
We are located in TA 205, or you
can mail them in care of THE
SPA_RKto:
PO BOX35009
Charlotte, NC 28235
Letters to the editor for the next
Issue of Th• Spark must be
received by Friday, Aug. 4, 1995.
We reserve the right to edit for
brevity and clarlty. All letters must
be signed and should Include a
phone number for verification.
TheSparlc
la printed on recycled paper.
Help preserve the earth.
'I\I%\/ Pleaoseu rr epcaypceler.
Advertising Policy
The Spark reserves the right
to refuse any advertising
submitted. Advertising in
this publication does not
reflect the views of either the
Spark staff or the college.
\
July1995
The Spark
: •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• . • • ••• CPCC Crimeb eat ••• •• •• •• by Sam Cook, Staff Writer -May 22: A CPCC employee, upon •• •• returning to her office in Taylor Hall •• • All incidents are taken from the CPCC around 8 p.m., found a purse that a •
• securityl og. work-study student had left earlier • •• that day. She then advised the student •• •• -May 18:T he new campus relations by phone about her purse and told her •• • officer at the Student Life Center she'd leave it in her desk until the • •• observed two students on the Student student could get it. When the student •• • Life patio discussing plans for an retrieved the purse the next day, there • • upcoming cookout. The conversation was 200 which was locked in his ·• •• quickly intervened, reminding them filing cabinet. Upon opening the •• • of the rules and conduct policy of the cabinet, he saw that the money was • •• school and telling them that their missing. The money was locked up •• • actions could lead to expulsion from over the weekend, and there was no • • the campus . sign of forced entry. •• •.• • . . .......................•·.•. ...... ........
CAMPUS NEWS 3
E01ployee thwarts thief
by Sam Cook, Staff Writer ,,. 4illl
On June 6, 1995, Eleanor
Horton, who works for the
Health, Physical Education and
Recreation Department in Taylor
Hall, left her office to go to the
ladies room. Upon coming back
she saw a young male around 25
years of age running out of her
office with her pocketbook .
Horton, surprised by this, yelled
out, "Stop! Putdownmybagsor
J,-
.~ ~,
I'm going to get you!" To HPE employee Eleanor Horton foiled a purse thief .
Horton's surprise, he dropped Photo by Karen Abbott
her pocketbook and continued
toward the front door. Horton then called
security and informed them of what
happened.
Horton has worked for CPCC for nearly
18 years and said she's never worried about
something like this ever happening to her .
According to security, it seemed the same
man had stolen from other people on
campus, and was recently banned from the
library for stealing. Horton now keeps her
pocketbook locked up, explaining how
times have changed. "People just have to
be more careful these days," she said.
The suspect hasn't been apprehended,
but security knows who he is&Ddislo oking
for him.
PTK: Distinguished chapter gears up for '95-'96 year
by Trish Johnson, Staff Writer
When an individual works hard to achieve
academic success, that person appreciates'
the honor and recognition that is so awarded.
An organization on the CPCC campus
which invites deserving students to join its
ever-growing ranks is Phi Theta Kappa,
the international academic honor society
for two-year institutions.
CPCC's PTK chapter was chartered in
1970 and has been particularly active in the
last several years.
The president for the 1995-96 academic
year is Davy Uy Divine. Divine, 27, is
originally from Olongapoe City,
Philippines.Divineisinthetransferstudent
program with a focus in biology. She is
taking the helm over at an award-winning
local chapter with much enthusiasm. •
''PTK is excellent for introducing students
to an environment of scholarship and
service," Divine said. "It makes for a wellrounded
college student, especially for
students going on to four-year schools,
admissions offices want students who do
more than just maintain a high grade point
average."
Divine said PTK has exciting plans for
the fall. ''We are having a couple of
fellowship activities," she said. "There will
be a taco party at the first meeting for fall
quarter on September 13th. We are also
planning a Halloween party for members."
The socials will be in addition to the
numerous fund raisers and community
service projects with which PTK is always
involved.
"I want there to be stronger unity between
members in fellowship and service and
fundraising," Divine continued. "Members
need to be very aware of exactly where
their fundraising efforts are going. I also
wanttheexecutivecounciltobedependable
and available to the general membership.
Executive council members will be
responsibleforofficehoursduringtheweek
to answer members' questions." PTK's
office hours are posted on ·the bulletin
board next to the PTK office d~r in Van
Every's Student Life Center .•
The CPCC chapter currently has close to
. E~p8:nslonf ro~ pg. 1°.. . •
for faculty, staff and ~aintenance is not
--- • • expected to bea problem. "Our assumption •
is that funding will be-sufficient," Villadsen
said. .
Money for .any new faculty will come
from the state, which gives CPCC money
based .on FIE figures. These figures are
expected to increase, according to
Villadsen.
FI'E is an abbreviation of "full-time
equivalents" and is a method for. adding
full-time and part-time students together.
. It takes about three part-time students to
equal one full-time student.
500 members. The four main goals the •
chapter strives to attain are service,
scholarship, leadership and fellowship.
In order to receive an invitation to pledge,
one must maintain a grade point average of
at 3.5 for at least two consecutive quarters,
completing a minimum of eight hours per
quarter. There is a one-time membership
feeof$50.
Once an individual has accepted the
invitation to join PTK, the pledging process
begins. The three-week process includes
wearing a "PTK Pledge"button and getting
signatures of members to verify that one
was seen wearing the button, performing at
least three community service hours, andselling
at least three C0111munityse rvice
booklets.
Once the stud~nt completes Ille pledging
activities, he may be inducted at one of the
semiannual ceremonies which take place
in the spring and fall. The student then
receives a gold pin and a certificate suitable
for framing. The achic¥Cmellt ia listed on
one's transcript.
The local chapter has won several
Money for maintenance and upkeep is a
county. responsibility. "That comes as a
separate source of funding," Villadsen said
"We get separate funding each year."
There was nearly a 1 percent drop in
funding recently because of state budget
cuts. ''Wewillrecord0.9percentlessmoney
in 1996-96 than we did in 1994-95,"
Villadsen said. "Additionally, the college
is holding 1 percent as an emergency
contingency fund, so we have 2 percent
less to operate on for the year."
"We are simply trying to position the
college to take care of the current needs and
international awards. Seven students
traveled to Chicago last spring and brought
homer ecognitionfo r CPCC.T he awards
include a Service Award for 1995, a Most
Distinguished Chapter award and a Most
Distinguished Member award. Winning
. international awards is not the only goal
for PTK members.
"I want the general membership to be
taken care of," Divine stated. "The most
meaningful part of being in PTK is really
three things: a sense of self-actualization, a
sense of self-worth, and a sense of
accomplishment."
The members of the 1995-96 Executive
Council are: Davy Uy Divine-president;
Daphne Dawson, vice-president, day
membership; Daryn O'Shea, vicepresident,
nightmembership;Roger Brock,
vice-president, scholarship; April
Penninger, vice-president, service; Lewis
Burgess, vice-president, fellowship;
Stephanie Watts, vice-president, financial
records; and Judy McClosky, vicepresident,
chapter records.
the future needs," said Villadsen.
Bonds were passed in 1993 for a science
building on the main camP'is and a public
safety building on the Huntersville campus.
CPCC is still dealing with the state approval
• system regarding these bonds, Villadsen
said. "It
Giles groundbreaking ceremony
No full textPhotograph taken facing a mix crowd of attendees listening to a speaker, who appears to be Tony Zeiss behind a podium, at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Giles building. There is a man standing, possibly an ASL interpreter, to the left of the main speaker
Kathy Drumm at the Giles groundbreaking cermony
No full textCollege administrator, Kathy Drumm (who later became Executive Vice President of the college from 1998-2014) with a shovel, digging at the Giles groundbreaking
Judith McGinnis at the Giles groundbreaking
No full textJudith McGinnis in a brown and black dress suit holding a shovel at the Giles groundbreaking
Unidentified man speaking at Giles groundbreaking
No full textAn unidentified man speaking at the Giles Groundbreaking. Standing next to him is an ASL interpreter
Unidentified man speaking at Giles groundbreaking
No full textUnidentified man standing behind a podium, speaking at the Giles groundbreaking
The Central Piedmont Tigers Basketball and Cheerleading Teams
No full textA group photo of the Central Piedmont Tigers Basketball and Cheerleading teams
The Spark, Volume 46, No. 1
No full textThe Student Life Center became a place for student organizations and programs. Central Piedmont's head of English and Foreign Languages department resigns from his position. Student involvement enhances education. For Your Information, pulled from the Central Piedmont student handbook, talks about the drug free policy, "Student Right-to-Know," and student responsibility. This issue also highlights the Richard H. Hagemeyer Learning Resources Center (LRC) and what it has to offer and shares their hopes to bring more students through the door. There's a section of restaurant recommendations at Central Piedmont's main campus or within walking distance for students who don't want to lose their parking spaces. Advisement and Career Exploration Services (ACES) offers academic and career counseling to students. Personal Counseling Assistance Program (P-CAP) offers professional counseling to students for free. Corporate and Continuing Education department helps students with getting into their careers after graduating from Central Piedmont. The Student Government Association provides practical and fun experiences. Campus printing now includes students.NEWS BRIEFS
Be a Disney extra:
benefit Foundation
Sign up now to be an extra in the
Whoopi Goldberg movie being filmed
at the Charlotte Coliseum. The
producers promise fun, food and
giveaways. The giveaways include
everything from autographed
basketballs and CD players to one car
each filming day and the grand prize
of a new house. For each person who
signs up and attends the filming on
Sunday, Sept. 17, Walt Disney and
Hollywood Pictures will donate 3 to
the CPCC Foundation. Students may
register to be an extra in the Student
Life Center.
Picnic on the Quad
with Dance Central
Dance Central will stage a
performance outside on the Quad Sept
15 and 16. Bring your own picnic!
Picnictime starts at 7 .30 p.m. each
evening; performances begin at 8 p.m.
Dance numbers include Rondo,
originally produced by the
Metropolitan Opera Ballet, andBoots,
by award-winning choreographer
Donna Rizzo. Also, two new works
choreographed by dance directors
Mary Ann Mee and Katharyn Horne
will premiere.
Ticket information for this and other
performances is available by phoning
330-4029.
New Ambassadors
chosen for '95-'96
CPCC Student Ambassadors have
been chosen for the 1995-96 academic
year. They will be available for service
after Sept. 20.
The new Student Ambassadors are:
Stephen Cunningham, Jay Dann,
Franklin Diaz, Rovena Jasper, Scott
Justice, Ruth McLendon, Vernita
Parker, Janis Stallings, Tracie Tallant
and David Tolston.
Students who are interested in
applying for Student Ambassador
positions may contact J. D. Massie,
Terrell 507, 342-6661.
September 1995
SEPTEMBER 1995
- 8ack~to-school basics
- pgs. 6-7
- ACES, P-CAP: What
they are - pg. 9
# Campus Printing
expands - pg. 12
Volume 46 Number 1
Student Life Center becoming a "home" for
student organizations and programs
by Melanie Scribner, Editor
The Student Life Center, located on the
ground floor of the Van Every Building,
has undergone many changes in the past
year. The SLC is the hub of"co-curricular"
student activities on the main campus.
Mark Helms, director of student life,
considers the focus of the center to be cocurricular
rather than extracurricular
because most of the student organizations
and programs supported by the SLC
"broaden students' horizons, help them
learn leadership skills, learn to network
and hopefully add to what students learn in
the classroom," he said.
Helms said that in the past year, the SLC
has gone from being a very small lounge
first, to a place for programming second
See Student Life pg. 3
Campus community visits varied student organization booths during the SGA sponsored •
International Springfest last May. File photo
Barwick leaves after 27 years at CPCC
Joe Barwick Photo by William Hewitt
by William Hewitt, Staff Writer ,
InAugust,Dr. Joseph T.Barwick resigned
his position as English and foreign
languages department head.Barwick began
his career at CPCC in September 1968 as
an instructor. His tenure here was briefly
intemipted when he attended the University
of Texas at Austin under a grant from the
NationalEndowmenotf H umanitiesto study
linguistics, and in 1989-90, when he
received his Ph.D. in the Community
CollegeLeadershipProgram.Barwickwill
become the Academic Dean at
Southwestern College in Sylva, N.C.
Hewitt: Why are you leaving us now? Is
it that after 27 years you have discovered
an aversion to gold watches?
Barwick: That's a good way to put it.
Actually, ifl go back over my career, I'm
good for five or six years of doing one
thing, and then I need a new challenge.
This college, from the time I joined it in
1968, has always provided me opportunities
to do other things. I worked with the hearing
impaired students one year. I worked as a
staff and program development officer for
a year; I've done lots of things. I just
reached a point within · myself where I
needed a totally new environment. It was
just a matter of my reaching some kind of
peak, in tenns of my own pattern, that it
was necessary for me to go elsewhere to
find the kind of challenge that I need at this
point of my life.
Hewitt: Why should a student in today's
highly technical society pursue an education
in English?
Barwick: In any of the liberal arts, if
students apply themselves to learning the
material, they will be able to develop
thinking skills that will make them
adaptable to our rapidly changing society.
Then they can not only learn new
technology, but they can also evaluate the
significance of technology. My background
in English has serv~ me very well for all
the multiple kinds of tasks that I have done
during my career because they have all
involvednotonlygettingalongwithpeople,
which is the cliche, but being able to listen
to people and understand not only their
• words but the intent behind them, so that it
all becomes part of the decision-m&king
process. It enables them, as it has enabled
me, to be able to look at the larger picture,
to think abstractly and to be able to sit in a
group and understand what it takes to move
that group forward. So, anyone who wants
to have a fulfilling life by going into the
liberal arts can certainly build an excellent
foundation for any career pursuit.
Hewitt: Strictly in tenns of your personal
vision, which of your contributions to our
school do you hold in the highest regard?
Barwick: There are two things that I am
proudest of. One is that I have been and am
agoodteacher.Ibelievethatlteachstudents
well, and I teach them things that are
important. Secondly, and particularly in
my current capacity, I have been able to
help other teachers to get the things that
they need in order to teach. So, I am a good
teacher, and I have helped other good
teachers.
Hewitt: What is the defining challenge
we face in the EnglishdepartmentatCPCC,
and where do we look for the solutions?
See Barwick pg. 3
2 OPINION
Student involvement enhances education
By Melanie Scn'bner, Editor
CPCC students lead busy lives. A great
majority of the students work full time in
addition to attending cJasses. Students often
have families to attend to, bills to pay and
lives to lead outsideo f the clas.m>omI.t is
not surprising then that many students do
not get involved in "co-curricular" campus
activities. Time is their main concern.
What many students may not know is,
time spent pursuing campus activities and
actually getting involved is often beneficial
and a learning experience in and of itself.
The type of education students can obtain
through campus involvement is of a nature
not widelyt aughti n clas.m>omyse t which
is invaluable in the workplace. Through
getting involved in student organizations,
students can learn leadership skills. •
In today's society, the more skills you
have, the likelier you will be to get a decent
job. Leaming leadership skills prior to going
outintothejobmarketiscertainlydesirable
to would-be employers.
For example, learning how to deal with
people of distinctly varied personality types
and backgrounds is a boon because in "the
real world," just like at CPCC, personalities
varyb y individual.Bettelre arnt o dealw ith
We were wrong
In the July issue of The Spark, we
inadvertently mangled a by-line on
the front page. The by-line of the
article, Expansion bond passes:
groundbreaking not/or 18 months,
should have read, Gary Weiss,
Staff Writer.
Gary, we are soooooooooo sorry!
I was wrong·
While figuring the math for my
editorial in the July issue of The
Spark, my calculator blew up.
Theref10 per student per
year. I have since acquired a new
calculator.
John A. Bradley
Associate Editor
The Spark apologizes for any
inconveniencteh ism ayh avec aused.
LETTERS TO THE SPARK
CAN NOW BE SENT VIA
THE INTERNET AT:
[email protected]
./
people now, because unless you plan on
living and working in a vacuum, you' re
going to have to learn how to get along with
everyone.
Another valuable leadership skill the
student can learn through involvement in
campuso rganizationsis howt o takec harge
of a situation, see to it that what needs to get
accomplished actually gets accomplished
and learn to follow through on projects.
Certainly, gaining the reputation of being
bothresponsibleandreliableinanorganized
environmentwouldgivetheaveragestudent
a leg up when applying for the same job as
a hundred other recent graduates.
Some student organizations volunteer at
nursing homes and charitable foundations
around Charlotte. Helping others help
themselves can provide the student with
invaluable real-life experience and lend a
bit of warmth,joyand tolerance to the~y
routine.
Involvement in student activities
definitely spices up a resume and could be
the deciding factor between being
considered for a good job and being
considered for a great job.
The degree of involvement necessary to
becomeamemberofoneofCPCC'sstudent
organizations varies. Some organizations
meet once a week or more, while others
meet only once a month.
Often, students involved in organizations
are afforded the opportunity to learn from
professionals with first-hand experience in
the field of study they are entering. Through
involvement, many students have gotten a
foot in the door through acquaintances
with professional members of the
community long before others have even
completed their resumes.
There is an old aphorism that says, "If
you want a task accomplished, assign it to
a busy person." As an editor of student
publicationsf <Xo"v er a year, I have found
this statement to be accurate. The busier
the person, the more efficiently the task
gets accomplished.
A high GPA is commendable, to be sure,
but not by any stretch of the imagination is
it a rare occurrence. In addition to wanting
students who have achieved a high GPA,
employers· want multi-skilled individuals
who have accomplished organizational,
communications and leadership abilities
Demonstrating these abilities by getting
involved in student organizations will cause
employers sit up take notice.
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:°Welcome Back Students n •••• •
You have in your hands the FIRST EVER :
• I s 1Ssue of THE SPARK ... :
··························~················
September 1995
The Spark
September1995
Editor
Associate Editor
Photo Editor
Advertising
Editors
Paste-up Artists
Typesetter
Staff Writers
Guest Writer
Staff
Photographer
Student
Vol. 46 No. 1
Melanie Scribner
~ohn Bradley
Karen E. Abbott
John Bradley
Marie Kepley
Chris-Peigler
Marie E. Kepley
Mickey Brown
Mark Davis
William Hewitt
Trish Johnson
Tracie Tallant
Gary Weiss
Eric Wells
Tom Cushman
Publications Adviser Liz Rogers
Student Life Director Mark Helms
The Spark is a news publication financed
by student activity fees and written
and published by student journalists for
the CPCC community. It is not an official
college publication. Any viewpoints expressed
should not be interpreted as
representing official CPCC positions.
CPCC is an equal opportunftylaffirmative
action instftution. Accommodations will be
made for individuals wfth hearing, sight
and physical disabilities.
THE SPARK welcomes letters!
We are located in TA 205, or you
can mail them in care of THE
SPARKto:
PO BOX35009
Charlotte, NC 28235
Letters to the editor for the next
Issue of The Spark must be
received by Friday, Sept. 22, 1995.
We reserve the right to edit for
brevity and clarlty. All letters must
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Is printed on recycled paper. * Help preserve the earth.
Please recycle
our paper.
Advertising Policy
The Spark reserves the right
to refuse any advertising
submitted. Advertising in
this publication does not
reflect the views of either the
Spark staff or the college .
September 1995
The Spark
Student Life from pg. 1
and a home for organizations third, to a
center that houses student organizations
and programs supported by the SLC.
"The center is going to be primarily a
home for our programs and a place for us to
have speakers, workshops and seminars,"
Helms said. "Its use as a lounge is going to
be secondary. I feel like more students will
be served by programs here than by the
lounge." Helms cited the recent expansion
of the patio area directly outside of Student
Life as more than adequately supplying the
lounging needs of the student population.
The SLC supports a multitude of
organizations and programs. In the past
year, the SLC has built five new offices to
provide a place for those programs and
highly active organizations that in the past
had no "home."
The first two such organizations to receive
offices in the SLC were the Black Student
Organization and the CPCC chapter of Phi
Theta Kappa. Most recently, the ServiceLearning
program and Campus Ministries
were given offices in'the SLC. Campus
Ministries has been a presence on the
campus for nearly 20 years, said Helms. In
all that time, they have never had an office.
Other changes over the past year include
theassignmentofCampusRelationsOfficer
Bob Erwin, a police officer, and the hiring
of a new full-time SLC employee. Erwin is
a part of campus security. His role is based
on the community policing policy. By
getting to know students, Helms said, Erwin
Barwick from pg. 1
Barwick: I say, without prejudice, that I
believe the English and foreign languages
faculty are among die most committed and
creative faculty at this or any other school
The defining challenge, at this or any other
college, is to keep that commitment and
creativity alive and blossoming through a
future that is going to be overrun with
challenges.
Hewitt: What kind of challenges?
Barwick: . . . semester conversion,
multiple campuses and all those challenges
that are on our horizons. H this college does
not pay attention to the spiri_t of the people,
not just the things in the job descriptions,
but to the spirit of the people who work for
it, then it will lapse into mediocrity. It will
be excellent only in terms of size.
Hewitt: Which leads me to ask the
following question. Currently, we are a
one-campus school with extensions. When
we make this quantum leap to a truly
multiple-campus college, is there not a
danger that we will dilute that spirit?
Barwick: There are always dangers with
size, even without having people working
for the same organization at a location 20
miles away: that danger already exists. We
can no longer fit the entire staff and faculty
of this college into our own auditorium.
Those of us who have been here a long time
remember when we could remember the
names of all the children of the people who
worked here. Our size now works against
us because we beg.in to lose that sense of
connection with the very people that we
share this commitment to education with,
and the college is getting ready to move
is taking a proactive role in and around the
SLC and patio area. "He is a real asset," he
continued. Helms said he hopes students
will take the time to get to know Erwin
because "he's a really nice guy."
provide support for the Service-Learning
program. The selection process, completed
over the summer, will be finalized just
prior to the beginning of the fall quarter,
according to Helms.
Despite outward appearances, the Student Life Center has undergone a virtual
metamorphosis over the past school year. According to Mark Helms, director of Student
Life, the center's focus has shifted from being primarily a lounge; to a home for programs
and organizations. Photo by Karen Abbott
The opening for a full-time employee
was announced in the Communicator,
CPCC's weekly faculty/staff newsletter,
during the summer. This employee will be
adviser to Student Publications as well as
one· step further down that road toward
disconnection. That's why I say if the
college does not pay attention to the heart,
soul and spirit of the people who work for
it, then it will be known for its bricks and
mortar. It will not continue to be known for
that absolute missionary zeal that the people
around here still have for what they do in
the classroom and for the enormous talent
and creativity they bring to that enterprise.
Hewitt: At CPCC we have grown larger.
Have we grown better?
Barwick: There is no question that we
have grown better as a result of growing
larger, in the sense that we have touched
more lives, and that is why we are here. I
think we are finding it more difficult to do
some of the things we used to do. All of the
players used to be able to sit around the
same table. Now, because of our size,
getting a decision implemented that impacts
on instruction takes much more energy.
But you can't stop progress, and we are still
doing things, and we still enjoy a
tremendous reputation throughout the
country for being an innovative school
But size is obviously a constant threat to
that It's very easy for colleges to bog down
from the complexities of their own
bureaucracy. I think, so far we have
managed to do well. We were invited to
join the League for Innovation in the early
'70s, a very selective organization. We
have been through a change of two
presidencies, and each time the league has
reaffirmed our membership.
Hewitt: If you could wave a magic wand
and effect a change in our public education
system, what would that change be?
Most of the organizations supported by
Student Life are directly related to degree
programs. Students involved in technical
areas can join the organization directly
associated with their field of study. There
Barwick: It would be to eliminate the
social problems so that when people are at
school, their focus is on what they are
learning and on their own personal and
intellectual growth.
Hewitt: And how are the schools going
todo that?
Barwick: Well, you said I had a magic
wand.
Hewitt: What is your personal philosophy •
concerning the education today's students
are receiving in the public schools? Are
these students as well prepared for college.
as they were 20 years ago?
Barwick: Frankly, I think it is counterproductive
for us to look at those students
who come to Central Piedmont in that
context That's not what we really need to
be thinking about The students who come
tous today, because they are living in 1995,
are more technology-literate. The things
that they have to deal with within their own
lives are different than they were 10 years
ago. We are teaching a different student,
and whether their math skills or English
skills are betterorworseisn 't,in my opinion,
the issue. They are different students than
they were 20 years ago, and we need to
teach them differently.
Hewitt: Is there any topic you would like
to comment on that I have omitted?
Barwick: I would like for people at
Central Piedmont to know that my career
here has been exciting. My way of thinking,
my approach to life, everything has been
fonned through my experiences here at
Central Piedmont It is a truly great school.
It is a truly great environment It allows
opportunities for people to grow, to develop,
CAMPUS NEWS 3
is also the PI'K honor society, the BSO, the
SGA, Student Ambassadors, student
athletics and Student Publications.
Helms thinks the degree of student
involvement in many of the organizations
is good. Hepointedouthowever, that people
should realize "a large number of our
students only have time to come to classes
andleaveandmightnothavean opportunity
to join our programs."
Those students who want to get involved·
can find out what is going on by checking
bulletin boards and carrels around campus
or by asking other students, Helms said.
The SLC usually posts an events calendar
around campus.
"I think the real value to our students in
getting involved in our organizations is the
leadership skill development and the
networking opportunities and it's a chance
to learn how an organization works as a
part of the institution," Helms said.
"Students should learn how to get things
done and that's an extremely valuable skill
when the time comes for a student to walk
across the stage, pick up their diploma and
go out and start knocking on doors to get a
job."
"So in addition to being fun, the skills
students learn through through this
involvement can really augment their
resume and their marketability for a job,"
Helms said.
For a comprehensive list of student
organizations tum to pg. 5.
to do meaningful work that changes lives.
Within the walls and grounds of &bis
institution, people have everything they
need to be as great as they want to be.
Hewitt: Having lived in the Sylva area,
and being familiar with the Tuckeseege
River, I would be remiss if I dido 'task you
if you are taking a tube with you.
Barwick:Idoenjoyrafting.Idoenjoy
canoeing. My wife and I a
Vincent James speaking at the Giles groundbreaking ceremony
No full textVincent James speaking behind a podium at the Giles groundbreaking ceremony
Two unidentified men at the Giles groundbreaking
No full textTwo unidentified men with shovels at the Giles groundbreaking. Both men are wearing a yellow hard hat. The man on the right is wearing what appears to be a brown leather jacket