Little Moments, Big Magic

By Lyndsay Rowley

Teresa's face lights up with joy as she says, "the students at High Point University have no idea how many lives they have truly touched, and possibly saved."

Teresa Jackson is the liaison for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program to High Point University, and every Little for a High Point University student must go through her.

Surrounding HPU, there are several low-end neighborhoods that house children who are less fortunate.

"Having a Big Brother or Sister is a sort of outlet for these children. Some of them don't have very strong role models so they can use all the support they can get," Teresa explains.

Sometimes all a child needs is to know that they are not alone and that they have someone there to help them through the problems in their life.

The Big Brothers Big Sisters program is a mentoring program for youths ages 6 through 18.

There are two different types of programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

There is a community-based mentor program where Bigs and Littles meet for an hour a week in their community to share quality time together.

There is also the school-based mentoring program where Bigs and Littles meet once a week in the Little's school to share some quality time together.

The Dedication

Tara Dyer, a volunteer in the program, says, "It amazing how much these children will open up to us after a short period of time."

Dyer is a senior at HPU and was assigned a boy in second grade two years ago.

Tara has a child who has a rough home life, because of an absent father.

"By the end of year one my little brother was more comfortable talking to me than his teacher about his home life. He has really let me in his life," Dyer says smiling.

Putting her hand to her chest, Dyer says, "one day when I was not at the school, my Little was having a rough day, and he told his teacher that he only wanted to talk to me. When I heard about that, I almost started to cry."

HPU has had students volunteering for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for 10 years.

Nodding her head in approval, Teresa says, "I have been working for Big Brothers Big Sister for 14 years and every year I work with High Point students it seems like we get more dedicated volunteers."

Mikel Rodenburg is a senior baseball player at HPU, and has been volunteering for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for three years.

"I am so dedicated to the program because it's nice to feel needed. I feel like I am really helping these kids," Rodenburg says with wide eyes.

Rodenburg explains that he has a Little who has an absent father and a mother who works three jobs.

"My Little has to help out a lot at home so when I come it is a time for him to have fun and let loose, because when he goes home he has to help his mom with the other kids. He doesn't have a lot of time to just be a kid," says Rodenburg.

"The sports teams at High Point University have been so amazing through the years. For the most part, they are all involved and they all do such a great job with the kids," Teresa explains.

Throwing her arms up in excitement Teresa exclaims, "I always have children coming up to me when I go to the schools asking me when their Bigs are coming to see them!"

Teresa explains how college kids are going through a transitional phase into the real world, so sometimes they can use the comradery that the program provides just as much as the children.

"Sometime college kids are confused on who they are and what they want to become, and sometimes a child who really needs them can help to figure it out," Teresa says with a grin.

The Teacher

Megan Kaminskas is a senior at High Point University, and she says she was lost before Big Brothers Big Sisters.

"I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life, but then I started volunteering with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program," Kaminskas explains.

Giggling Kaminskas explains, "I guess my calling was to be a teacher, and I figured that out within the first month of volunteering with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program."

Kaminskas explains that on day her Little was so frustrated doing a math problem that he threw his pencil across the room.

Kaminskas explains, "I went and picked up the pencil and told him that he'll never get it if he gives up."

Kaminskas says that she explained the math problem in a different way using candy and her Little started to understand.

From that day on her Little saved the hard math problems for when Kaminskas came to see him so she could explain them.

Soon her Little was getting much better grades in math.

The Process

Even though the High Point Students have a good reputation with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, it doesn't mean that just anyone can volunteer.

Shaking her finger in authority, Teresa says, "we do an extensive background check on every person that wants to become a volunteer."

Volunteers also have to have two references that can talk about their ability as a mentor.

After volunteers pass the background check, they will have a meeting with Teresa in order to try and figure out what kind of child they would best be matched with.

"We want to match volunteers with children who will fit their personality," Teresa explains.

Teresa asks the volunteers a series of questions and then will figure out which child, that wants a Big, would best benefit from their time.

"I ask the volunteers all different questions, like their likes and dislikes. I ask them if they have siblings, and what kind of family they come from. This helps to see how they will be with children," says Teresa.

Teresa has to really try and figure out the kind of person a volunteer is, because they want the matches to last.

"I can't put a child who is a big trouble maker with a volunteer who doesn't have thick skin, or they will just give up," says Teresa.

Most Memorable Match

Teresa explains her most memorable match, "I matched a female High Point student with a little boy who was always a trouble maker."

The little boy was in the principal’s office almost every day. He had an absent father and his mother was supporting eight children in her house, and working two jobs.

"The day I had the initial interview with the young woman, I knew right away that she would be perfect for the little boy," explains Teresa.

The little boy gave the young woman a hard time for the first couple of months. He had his guard up and did not want to let her break it down.

Teresa smiles, "finally, the little boy started letting her into his life. Before I knew it, all he talked about was his Big."

The little boy started doing better in school and was in the principal's office much less.

Teresa says, "I really don't know what kind of path that little boy would have gone down, but I know that she stopped him from going down a bad one."

Teresa states that in 2001 the Big Brothers Big Sisters program coined the phrase, "little moments, big magic."

In the Big Brothers Big Sisters program it is the little moments, like watching a child open up to their Big for the first time, that create the big magic.

Sidebar:

Facts About Big Brothers Big Sisters:

• Children who have a Big are 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs

• Children who have a Big are 27% less likely to begin using alcohol

• Children who have a Big are 52% less likely to skip school

• Children who have a Big are 37% less likely to skip a class

• Children who have a Big are more confident of their performance in schoolwork

• Children who have a Big are one-third less likely to hit someone

• Children who have a Big get along better with their families

Sidebar:

DJ and I

By Lyndsay Rowley

I remember when I saw DJ for the first time; a tough guy sitting with his arms folded, and an unwelcoming look on his face. This was his way of showing the world that he wasn't letting anyone in.

I spent countless hours trying to crack him, but after a few weeks I saw that I needed a new angle.

So, one day I took him to the gym in his school to play basketball. After he had lost to a girl a couple of times, he began to see that I wasn't half bad. He began to open up to me; telling me his fears and dreams.

I learned DJ was involved in gangs and thought school was a joke.

DJ began to do a little better in school and was mouthing off a little less, but I wanted more for him. I wanted him to be great.

I remember coming to his school one day after he had gotten in a lot of trouble. I went and got him from the principal’s office.

He wouldn't even look at me, let alone speak to me. I kept asking questions until he finally blew up and yelled, "What do you care!"

It occurred to me in that moment that DJ thought I was going to give up on him like others in his life had.

I sat down in front of him and said, "DJ, look at me. I'm not going anywhere. You can keep pushing away but I'm going to keep coming back. I'm not ever going to give up on you."

DJ gave me a big hug, and from then on things began to change. DJ started trying harder in school and getting in less trouble.

His grades started to go up and he talked less and less about the gangs he was involved in. Sometimes all a child needs is to know they are not alone.

DJ goes to a different school now, and is no longer my Little Brother. However, he is doing great.

Many people think that the Big Brothers Big Sisters program is about the Littles, but I have come to learn it is just as much about the Bigs.

DJ taught me to have faith in people, and I will forever be grateful to him for that.

Rise To The Beat

Rise To The Beat
By: Justina Reinold



“Rock, Reggae & Hip Hop: Each if definable, recognizable, and at one familiar to people all over the world. But never have those three forms of musical expression been so effortlessly blended into one sound that is as indefinable as it is recognizable and familiar.” --The Movement



Garage Band

Joshua Swain and Jordan Miller started out jamming in various high school bands in their hometown of Columbia, S.C. Swain, a multi-talented musician, left for Full Sail University in Florida in 2001 and Miller stayed behind.

One year later, Swain returned home and his mind was made up. College was just not in his future, he dreamt of something different. This something was given a name: The Movement.

Swain and Miller reunited and began writing songs and mixing music in Swain’s garage. Then along came DJ Jon Ruff.

The trio combined their talent and created their first full length album, entitled On Your Feet. This album was recorded and mixed in a mere 24-hour period and released in March of 2004. On Your Feet was the just the beginning in the birth of a loyal fan base that would support the guys throughout the next 5 years.

The Movement toured the South East nonstop, building up recognition and getting out there any way they could and they had a number of opportunities to do so. The Movement opened for a variety of top artists over the years, including Blues Traveler, Slightly Stoopid, The Wailers, The Wu Tang Clan, 311 and Rebelution.

“We loved playing with Common and Ludacris in Alabama. That was such a great show,” Miller said, as he grabbed a few wild strands of his blonde dreadlocks and tucked them behind his ear.

Unfortunately the band wasn’t breaking any new ground. Things were good, but not great. The guys began to lose interest. DJ Ruff left the band in 2008 to pursue other aspirations and start a family of his own.

Born Again

It was time for something new. Producer Chris DiBeneditto was also in search of something new. He had a studio with no one to work with and The Movement had new songs and no where to mix them.

DiBeneditto saw them play a couple times in the past and decided collaborating would be best. The only issue, the guys would have to migrate up North to Philadelphia, P.a.

“This is what we needed so we jumped at the chance,” said Miller.

Swain and Miller packed light and followed their dreams up the East Coast. They met up with DiBeneditto at Philadelphonic Studio and got to work on their second album Set Sail.

Their passion and hard work was prevalent. They completed 18 songs in about a week’s time. Next was the search for the rest of the band.

Without a doubt, this is the most difficult part of putting together a band: the search for talent. Somehow, for The Movement, this caused them no trouble whatsoever.

Their producer suggested a local drummer by the name of Michael “Gary” Jackson. Miller, Swain and Jackson jammed once and they were sold.

Swain leaned back on the couch and said, "It just clicked."

Now all they needed was a bassist. Jackson told the others that he knew guy who would fit the vibe. Jay Schmidt a.k.a. “Smiles” was the final piece of the puzzle.

“I remember I called up my mom and said, “Mom, I’m a rock star!” Schmidt said, smiling from ear to ear. No longer do you question why his friends call him “Smiles.”

Since the release of Set Sail on Oct. 25, 2008, The Movement has been going nonstop. Set Sail has reached up to No. 7 on iTunes Top 100 reggae albums, alongside renowned artists Bob Marley, Matisyahu and SOJA.

This time around, The Movement expanded their tour locations far beyond the Southeast region of the U.S. From the Carolina’s to Baltimore, from Boston to New York, across the Midwest to California back to Kentucky and down to Florida. Die-hard fans welcome the guys wherever they go.

Home is on wheels. “The Van” is big, boxy and black. It gets the job done.

“That ol’ thing has broken down more times than I want to think about. Right here in High Point, actually,” said Miller, laughing.

“Ya know, of course things get tough,” said Schmidt about constantly being on the road.

The Movement rarely has any down time to visit with family. If, by chance, they find an opening in their schedule, they make sure to swing home for a quick hello, even if it’s just for one night.

Like any band just starting off, money is scarce. You eat only when you’re starving and your meals are small, whatever you need to get by. You drink a lot of beer—cheap beer and it’s strictly water for the morning after.

“I got 38 cents in my pocket right now, that is all I have to my name and I don’t give a [damn] because music is always going to be there for me and I want our music to be there for everyone else,” said Miller.

The Movement lives a very different lifestyle compared to the rest. Long drives, long nights and a long way from home.

Wake up around 11:00 a.m. and get back on the road. Where to next? Whose turn is it to drive? Who’s got the directions?

Arrive, unload, set up. It’s time for a drink.

Regular Guys

Not the stage not the fame, nothing gets between The Movement and the people they move. When dealing with professional musicians, that kind of dedication can be hard to find.

You have just witnessed an amazing show and you work up the courage to say hello. You find the guys leaning against the bar. You walk up and introduce yourself, gladly shaking hands with each of them.

Miller is tall and thin and with dreadlocks and glasses. The combination of dreads and glasses throws you off a bit. He leans in and listens ever-so-closely as you can’t help but ramble about the first time you heard his music. Not to mention, how it made you feel. Miller raises his bottle of Yuengling to meet yours, smiles and sincerely thanks you for coming out to the show.

After spending some time with the crowd, The Movement gather together and decide they should probably get going. Depending on tomorrow’s agenda, The Movement usually packs up some time after 2:00 a.m.

It’s either back on the road or off to find a place to sleep. The roof above their head is either the roof of “The Van” or a Motel 6. No matter which it is it’s important they rest because tomorrow, they’ll do it all over again.

“We have been doing some serious non-stop touring, from 2009 right through 2040,” said Miller.

Miller is always scribbling something on paper. New songs are always in the making. His bright yellow store-brand spiral notebook goes everywhere with him because you never know when that moment will hit.

The binding of the notebook shows some wear, but once you open up to the first page, you can see why. Inside are flat, crisp pages filled with surprisingly legible handwriting.

“I can speak for Josh as well saying there are no boundaries for this band,” said Miller.

The Movement continues to spread their unique sound from coast to coast. As 2009 comes to an end, this group of young men will close out the year back in South Carolina where it all began.

External Links:
The Movement Official Web site
The Movement MySpace
Set Sail Album Review

A Changing Horse Industry

By Caitlin Courtney

The Good Ole Days

A large wood paneled, 650-seat sales pavilion with a towering ceiling looming overhead is packed to the brim with excitement. The masses of seats filled with people are all facing in the direction of the roped off sales ring. A majestic, well-groomed thoroughbred horse, destined to run in some of the most prestigious horse races in the world is standing there. The spotlight is beaming directly down on the horse. Its ears prick up in curiosity and its perfectly toned muscles flex with every movement.

There are three men stationed at a podium above the horse; they are speaking at lightening fast speeds that make them incomprehensible for the most part. They are the auctioneers.

Audience members look on eagerly. Occasionally, one will gesture inconspicuously toward a bid spotter indicating that they are interested in shelling out the cash necessary to purchase the horse.

Behind the auctioneers and to either side of the sales ring there are two boards that post the hip number and the escalating price of the horse. There is a lull in the action and the gavel thunders down as the horse’s owner legally changes.

In an industry that is used to its products selling for top prices, the recent global economic crisis has really put a damper on that. The prices of these thoroughbred horses are escalating less and less as each day passes.

What was once a crowded sales pavilion is now filled with significantly smaller numbers of people. The select few that now stand in the monstrous pavilion are the ones who have been fortunate enough to generate enough of an income to be able to purchase thoroughbred horses. Everyone else must dedicate all of their concentration to solely raising and selling their horses in order to be able to keep their farms afloat.

A significant amount of time, money, and energy goes into operating a successful thoroughbred horse farm and all of that is becoming increasingly more difficult in this day and age. Especially as the people in the industry have watched the American economy spiral in a downward motion.

It All Went Tumbling Down

At the turn of the millennium, the horse industry, which encompasses breeding, selling, owning, and racing thoroughbred horses, was at the top of its game. In 2000 the bloodstock market was strong. Horses were selling for high prices and the stud fees of stallions were increasing significantly. However, since 2001 the horse industry in Kentucky has been plagued by a series of unfortunate events.

The first problem occurred in the late winter and early spring months of the 2001 foaling season. Mares began to spontaneously abort their undeveloped foals. Tragically, that year nearly 30% of all pregnant mares in Kentucky lost their foals. This abortion of foals was scientifically labeled as Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome. The effects of MRLS on the horse industry would be felt for years to come and is still an issue today.

Then there were the 9/11 terrorist attacks in and around New York City and Washington DC in the fall of 2001. Every industry in the United States suffered from these attacks and that was no exception to the horse industry.

“The day that the attacks happened was also a sales day at Keeneland,” said Robert Courtney Jr., a horse breeder and owner who is a prominent figure in the industry, “everything just went silent and no one really knew what to do…we didn’t know if we should carry on and sell or if we should take the day off.”

“I remember that Keeneland just tried to carry on as usual, they had a moment of silence and that was that. It was a lousy day to sell horses,” said Courtney.

Several years after 9/11, the horse industry in Kentucky was in for another devastating blow. In the early part of 2003, the Keeneland Association announced that their annual July Selected Yearling Sale would be taking a one-year hiatus due to the effects of MRLS on the industry. Nick Nicholson, President of the Keeneland Association, said that “the yearlings weren’t ready in time for the sales. They were all born later that the horses that usually go in that sale so we thought it would be best to cancel the sales that year.”

Keeneland stated that they had every intention of bringing the sales back the following year. However, that was not the case. Keeneland did not, and still has not brought back the July sales. What was once considered by many to be the most esteemed thoroughbred sales in the world is now just a memory of how the industry used to be.

To top it all off, there was the global financial crisis that hit in the later parts of 2008. Individuals no longer had a desire to invest their money in a horse. Many didn’t believe that it was sensible to get involved in an industry as risky and uncertain as the horse industry.

Of course, each of these ill-fated happenings has affected all branches of the business differently. Luckily, the racing side of the industry has not seen as many negative effects as the sales have.

A Day at the Sales

It is a beautiful fall day in Kentucky. The sun glistens through the tall trees with branches abundant with green leaves. The constant sound of horses’ hooves crunching down in the gravel walking rings echoes through Keeneland’s sales grounds. Identical white barns are in every direction and each is numbered to discern it from the rest. The barns house horses from every different consignor and owner at the sale, all hoping that their superb breeding and foal rearing skills will be rewarded with a sales topping horse.

Flower boxes and hanging baskets stuffed with brightly colored plants adorn all of the barns, all with the intention of drawing in lookers so that they will have a gander at the beautiful horses as well as the flowers.

Uniformly dressed employees of each farm and consignor scurry about the shed rows making sure everything goes perfectly. They also escort the horses in and out of their stalls as well as up and down the showing rings.

Potential buyers look on at the animals intently, hoping to discover one distinguishing feature that will set this horse apart from the thousands of others in the sale. While the buyers look on, deafening neighs and gentle whinnies escape from the horses’ vocal chords as they toss their heads back in excitement and confusion. As they continue to look on, the potential buyers scribble illegible notes, which only they will understand, in the margins of their sales catalogs.

Its Getting Worse

The idyllic appearance of Keeneland and its grounds can be misleading. On the exterior everything looks perfect, but underneath all of the beauty and perfection is a lot of bad. The industry is going through one of its worst rough patches.

The amount of horses being entered into the sales at Keeneland has seriously decreased. Keeneland’s upcoming January Horses of All Ages Sale is down 26.3 percent from last year’s same sale. This coming January there are only 1,753 horses entered in the sale compared to 2,379 horses last year. Those numbers are staggering for a business that makes a majority of their income by selling horses.

This decrease in the number of horses being entered into the sales has been a steady occurrence since Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale in 2008. Geoffrey Russell, director of sales at Keeneland, said, “the November sale in 2008 was a really bad one for the most part. A lot of owners bought their horses back because they just weren’t selling well”.

Russell blames the global financial crisis for the devastating sale that year.

Robert E. Courtney Sr., owner of Crestfield Farm and long time member of the horse business, said, “the financial crisis has had a really big impact on our business, especially after the banks collapsed. A lot of the locally owned bank that understand our industry were bought up by bigger banks that don’t understand and they are slow to lend us money.”

Because people are having a difficult time getting the banks to lend them money they don’t have the necessary funds to enter their horses into the sales or to buy horses at the sales. It seems that, for the most part, banks tend to think that people involved in the horse industry have a lot of money and that’s not the case at all. Of course, in certain cases there are people with a lot of money but that isn’t true for a lot of people in the business.

Along with the declining number of horses in sales, the global financial crisis is also having a strong impact on the prices that buyers are willing to pay for thoroughbred racehorses. Also, when buyers aren’t paying as much for horses, not all of the horses entered in the sales are selling because they aren’t bringing the optimal amounts of money. At the Keeneland September Yearling sale in 2008, 4,795 yearlings were offered, of that number 3,605 sold. That means that there were 1,190 horses that did not sell. Of the horses that did sell the average price was $90,984 and the total gross of the sale was $327,999,100. At that same sale in 2009 4,360 yearlings were offered and 3,159 of those horses were sold. That means that 1,201 were not sold at all. At that sale the average price of the yearlings sold was $60,734 and the total gross of the sale was $191,859,200. The difference of the total gross of both sales is $136,139,900, which is a considerably large difference.

The sales portion of the thoroughbred horse industry has had to deal with a majority of the problems as well as the most noticeable changes to the industry. The racing side to the industry has seen several changes but they have escaped a great deal of the negativity that has plagued the selling of horses.

Racing

Surrounded by magnificent and intricately constructed stone buildings, with vines creeping up the sides, Keeneland’s paddock is picturesque. The grassy paddock is lined with an assortment of colossal trees that are likely to be over a hundred years old. Horses parade around in circles as they prepare to exit onto the track. All eyes are on them. In Kentucky, they are the celebrities.

Men, smartly dressed in khaki pants, hunter green sports coats, and topped off with flat caps guard the paddock from unwanted and unqualified intruders. Generally, only those with the proper credentials may enter this sacred space.

The tiny saddles and colorful saddle pads are places neatly on the horses’ backs and the jockeys are flung, like a small toy, by their trainers one by one on top of their steeds. The petite jockeys, clad in eye catching colored silks, proudly sit upon the thoroughbred horses’ backs. They are all hoping to win the race.

Patrons of Keeneland come dressed to the nines. They arrive in droves and filter into the mighty grandstands. They are always eager to try their luck at betting on the thoroughbreds and they are hopeful of their prospects. For some, prospects diminish as the day wears on and their ability to pick the winning horse isn’t quite what they thought.

The old grandstand spans the entire length of the front stretch of the track. Each level is lined with rows of boxes and chairs belonging to the members of the track.

The stands are bustling with excitement as everyone prepares to watch the horses race to the finish. Individuals crowd around the betting windows before it’s too late to put their money down.

Everyone has picked who they want to win the race and now it’s to time to wait with bated breath. The anticipation rises, as the horses are loaded one by one into the starting gate. They are eager to start running. Then the bell rings as the gates burst open and the horses dash out. They are closer and closer to the finishing post with every giant stride that they take.

The crowd roars as the horses turn the final turn on the track and hurdle off toward the finish line. The horses fly by the crowd in a blur and as they reach the finish line, one crosses before the rest. They are victorious!

Some of those in attendance are victorious too. The ones that bet on the winning horse can cash in their tickets and go home with some much needed money.

The Luckier Ones

Those more directly involved with the racing aspects of the industry been luckier than those dealing with the selling of thoroughbreds.

Horses are still racing in large numbers because those who own racehorses have more disposable incomes than those who are selling horses. This means that they are capable of paying the training bills as well as the fees needed to hire jockeys and enter their horses into the races.

The purses of races, particularly major stakes races like the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes, and other Grade 1 races are still large. For instance, the purse of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. on the first Saturday of May, has a purse of $2 million.

Also, there are many fans that support horses racing year round and there are still large attendances at horse races. That means that there is money to be made when it comes to selling tickets to see the races as well as when it comes to betting. People are always hoping to get lucky.

The only downside to the racing portion of the industry is that some of the less wealthy owners have been forced out due to the financial crisis. Racing is a risky business because you are relying on the horses to run well in the races. If they don’t finish well then you don’t get any money back. It’s a big investment and there’s no guarantee that your horse is going to win.

Since the racing portion of the industry is still going strong that gives the sales and breeding portion of the industry a small glimmer of hope that they can one day return to their glory. Until then, they’ll just have to ride it out and hope for the best.

Keeneland

Keeneland was founded by a group of prominent horse breeders from Central Kentucky and was first opened in 1936 in Lexington, Ky.

The entire Keeneland complex, including racetrack, sales pavilion, and multiple barns, stand on 921 acres of land.

It is home to one of the most prestigious thoroughbred horseracing tracks in the world and it is also home to one of the most prominent horse auction companies in the United States and the world.

The first races at Keeneland took place in October 1936 and the first horse auction took place in April 1938.

Since the first auction, 17 Kentucky Derby winners, 17 Preakness Stakes winners, 14 Belmont Stakes winners, 12 Breeder’s Cup winners, as well as countless other prominent stakes winning horses have been sold at Keeneland.

Keeneland also hold many important graded stakes races like the Alcibiades Stakes, Maker’s Mark Mile, the Bluegrass Stakes, and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2zmdyLYzwY

Good Food for You, Good for the Earth

by Camara McLaughlin

It’s feast night at Grateful Bread Baking Company, and owner Teresa Mackey is rushing about.

“We’re in the weeds,” she says as she hurriedly grates the fennel that, along with fresh oranges, will star in tonight’s spinach salad.

It’s been one of those days. An oven is broken. It has been on all afternoon, and has only gotten to 283 degrees. Not hot enough to toast walnuts or roast turnips. Both of which are needed for tonight’s dishes.

It is hard to imagine how the kitchen would feel if one more oven was up to its proper temperature.

This small space is hot. And crowded.

Silver pots and pans are stacked above and around the dishwashing pit. All have dents and blemishes, marks of a well-loved piece of equipment. Tupperware containers are piled one on top of the other near the food prep stations. Convenient for storing food, but a lid or two are missing.

Giant sacks of stone ground whole-wheat flour are piled near the door. A towering metal shelf holds cans and boxes of food in sizes only restaurants can buy. Soymilk, kidney beans, roasted red peppers and pumpkin, just to name a few.

Recipes and notes of encouragement are tacked to a small corkboard like the well loved mementos they are. A gluten free cookbook completes the organized chaos so often found in crowded restaurant kitchens.

Soup is bubbling on one of the many burners, and there is talk of the sweet potato gnocchi to be made.

The myriad of scents mix in the humid air, like a custom blended, mouthwatering perfume. Dinner is going to be good.

The beginning

Teresa and her husband, who is co-owner, but doesn’t actually work at the restaurant, opened Grateful Bread in March of 2000.

“Which is amazing,” Teresa notes. A decade is a long time for any restaurant.

Teresa is from High Point, N.C. so she knew what the restaurant scene in the city was like.

“There was nothing like this in High Point,” she says of the restaurant that offers fresh, local food, along with many vegetarian and vegan items.

From the start, Grateful Bread has always been open for lunch six days a week. They added brunch on Saturdays, and in the past year, have added Tuesday soup night, and Thursday feast night.

Teresa started the bakery with no restaurant experience.

“The only cooking I’d done was just for my family. Figured it out as we went,” she says matter-of-factly, as she disappears into the walk-in refrigerator to fetch some mandarin oranges for a salad dressing.

Three vital ingredients for the salad dressing are soy sauce, mandarin oranges and tahini, a product similar to peanut butter, only with sesame seeds. Teresa combines them all in the blender and voila. A salad dressing.

“Yum,” she declares, tasting the sauce, before setting it aside, ready to move on to another task.



What’s in a name

As the name Grateful Bread suggests, the restaurant is not an uptight place. The interior of the restaurant is colorful, with orangey pink walls, green trim and knick knacks galore.

When you first enter the space, the counter where you order your food is straight ahead. It too is painted orange, with the green and white logo on the front. Above is a black and white striped awning, making the counter look like a European bistro.

The main attraction of the entrance though, is the food.

On the left is a counter with all of the different breads. All baked fresh every morning. There is even a plate with selected slices of breads, butter and jelly. Free to any who enter.

As a bakery, this place does more than just bread. Straight ahead, gleaming like pieces of forbidden treasure, from behind a Plexiglas case, are the baked goods. S’mores bars, derby bars, lemon bars, savory scones like bacon and blue cheese, muffins, in flavors like blueberry lemon and apple walnut, gluten free cranberry orange cookies, on and on and on. Just one look and your mouth will be watering like Pavlov’s dog.

Living close to the dirt

Teresa and the rest of her staff, most of whom have been working there for over 3 years, believe in using local products. As much as possible, they get food from within 100 miles of High Point.

They buy cheeses from Goat Lady Dairy in Climax, N.C. and Ashe County Cheese in West Jefferson, N.C. Local pork, rabbit, fish and free range chicken and eggs populate their daily menu.

Supporting local agriculture is not just a passion, for Teresa and her staff, it’s a way of life.

“It’s what we do,” Teresa says.

Thursday feast nights are when Teresa really gets to make use of local products. On that morning, she goes to the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market to see what looks good. She then creates the evening’s menu based on what she buys.

“It’s the hard way to do it,” she says, “but it’s the only way we know how.”

This type of green cuisine is often a selling point to customers, so Teresa makes sure to advertise Grateful Bread’s Cause. On the front door there are a variety of stickers proclaiming support for organic and locally grown products.

Groups like the Slow Food Movement, for more information see sidebar, and the Green Restaurants Association advocate restaurants doing what they can for the environment.

The closer a product is grown to the place it is being sold, the tastier it is. Often the produce we see in supermarkets has been harvested before it is truly ready, and has been made to ripen on the truck.

Why? Since a product doesn’t have to travel as far to reach its final destination, it can be picked when it is in the peak of freshness, rather than before it is fully ripe.

“If you eat close to the dirt,” Teresa says, “it’s always going to be good.”

Linda Hester, a landscaper and friend of Teresa, agrees. For years she has been designing the flower beds outside of the bakery. Today she is switching out the flowers, switching to summer geraniums to hardier pansies, which will last through the winter. She is bundled up against the wind that whips down North Main St. and through the tiny parking lot.

She believes in Grateful Bread’s cause.

“Teresa is very much an organic herbs and vegetables person, as the bakery shows,” Linda says, standing next to her plant and potting soil filled pick-up truck. “Somebody’s got to save the earth.”



Customers notice the fresh flavor

Lunchtime at Grateful Bread Baking Company in High Point, N.C. is always bustling. Customers begin to filter in around 11 a.m., but the 40 seat restaurant really starts filling up around noon. By 12:30, the place is usually full; every one of the 12 tables occupied.

Eliza Walmsley, a 21-year-old High Point University senior from Ridgeway, Va. is a devoted follower.

She’s been coming to Grateful Bread since she was in high school—Ridgeway is about an hour from High Point. Her neighbor, whose job with Basset Mirror Company out of nearby Martinsville, Va. brings her to furniture market week introduced her to the place. She would have Eliza help her set up for pre-market, and then take her to lunch. It would always be at Grateful Bread.

“It was my neighbor’s get-away spot,” Eliza says.

When Eliza began coming to HPU for college, she of course had to continue frequenting the bakery. She loves that the food is healthy, unlike the many chicken and biscuit places that populate High Point, but still so full of flavor.

What’s Eliza’s favorite meal?

“I love the egg salad,” she says. “Everything is good, but I just keep coming back to that sandwich.”

The everything she refers to could be the pimento blue cheese sandwich, which is Teresa’s personal favorite. Or it could be the curried chicken salad, the tomato basil soup, the hummus and veggie sandwich, the daily veggie burger. All of these items are on the daily lunch menu. All are tasty and fresh.

On any given day at Grateful Bread, the type of customer is as varied as the menu.

A middle aged man eats a turkey and havarti sandwich while talking on his Bluetooth. Judging from his black dress pants and shoes, blue shirt and sweater vest, he’s on break from an office job. His Blackberry and a pair of reading glasses lie on the rustic wooden table at which he’s eating.

A young woman in UGG boots and cropped yoga pants orders at the counter. Her green and white floral bag almost clashing with her gray and cream hooded sweatshirt.

Two women, probably in their 30s sit at one of the retro looking tables. With its silver ridged top and black and silver chairs, it looks like it is straight out of the 1950s.

The two women do not. One looks like she just came from the office. The other from a tennis match. Are they the modern “ladies who lunch?”

“We might look like a little hippie shop, but we don’t just serve hippies,” Teresa says.

It doesn't matter who you are, your age, or your profession. Everyone enjoys good food.

Sidebar:

Founded in 1986 in Italy by Carlo Petrini, the Slow Food Movement first set out to fight the growing fast food trend. Today, it is a worldwide organization with over 100,000 members in 132 countries.

Including the United States, where there are roughly 16,000 members.

On their website, Slow Food USA says, “Slow Food USA seeks to create dramatic and lasting change in the food system. We reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils and waters that produce our food. We seek to inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices and market forces so that they ensure equity, sustainability and pleasure in the food we eat.”

Slow Food USA does this through educational outreach, encouraging the eating of in-season food, advocating farmers and growers and in-general, celebrating food.

High Point, N.C. is a part of the Slow Food Piedmont chapter, which has been working to support local agriculturalists since 1989.

In Sept. 2009, they awarded their first Snail of Approval awards, which recongnize those restaurants, growers and markets which exemplify the ideals of the organization.

To qualify, a restaurant must serve food that is: fresh, local and sustainable, good for the body, supports the local community, good for the environment, promotes relationships, and is sustainable for the future.

“We’re trying to get the snail,” Grateful Bread owner Teresa Mackey says.

When an establishment gets the award, a snail decal gets placed upon the door, so that customers can feel good about the place where they are about to eat.

Additionally, Slow Food Piedmont has a list of these restaurants, so diners can take environmental practices into consideration when choosing a place to eat.

The Slow Food Movement, along with local restaurants such as Grateful Bread, are bringing environmental issues to the forefront of our minds. And to the dinner table.

Video Link:

Nick Christy making breakfast

One in four Women

By: Jourdan Cable

Colleen* could not wait for her first night out as a college student at High Point University. Her roommate asked if she would like to go to a fraternity party with her, and of course, Colleen accepted the invitation.

Colleen remembers the outfit she wore to the party; a white denim skirt and a navy blue tank top.

She remembers the music that was playing when she walked into the fraternity house; “Stronger” by Kayne West.

She remembers losing her roommate at the party, and a boy handing her a drink.

She looked around and saw everyone drinking the same red drink out of the same red cups, so remembers drinking, because everyone else was.

The next thing Colleen remembers is waking up, face down in her dorm, still wearing the white jean skirt and navy blue tank top from the night before. She frantically turned to her roommate and together, they tried to piece together the rest of Colleen’s night.

“I still don’t know what could have happened to me,” says Colleen.
Colleen and her roommate concluded that her drink was unlike everyone else’s at the party. The stranger drugged the drink that he gave her.

“All I know is that I’m very lucky my roommate took me back to my dorm instead of anyone else,” says Colleen. She rubs her arms to try to make the goosebumps that have grown on her arms from telling the story go away.

“I still get the chills thinking about what could have happened," she says.

Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as Colleen. According to the Annunal Review of Public Health, More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape, and HPU is not an exception.



Samantha’s Story

It was December of Samantha’s* freshman year at High Point University. Her boyfriend recently broke up with her, so her friends took her to a party to cheer her up.

Samantha said she consumed six to seven vodka cranberry drinks in less than two hours of being at the party.

“I’m way too tiny to drink that much. I know that now, but at the time, I was so upset, I didn’t care about what I was doing,” said Samantha.

Samantha saw a boy who liked her at the party, and they began to talk. During the conversations, Samantha said he invited her back to his room to watch a movie, and she agreed to go back to his room.

“Normally, I would have never done that,” Samantha said. “I clearly wasn’t in the right state of mind.”

Samantha vaguely remembers him putting a movie on. She remembers watching, but shortly after the movie started, he began kissing her.

“I didn’t know what to do, so I just went along with it,” she said.

Next, Samantha says he got up and went to his dresser. Samantha remembers being confused to why he got up.

“He came back with a condom, put it on, and began to have sex with me,” Samantha said. “He didn’t even ask, I didn’t know what to do. I asked him to stop, but he didn’t.”

After asking many times for him to stop, it was over.
Samantha frantically ran to her room and cried all night.

“When I got back to my room, I was thinking straight. I couldn’t sleep I was crying so hard,” she said. “The only thing that was good about my situation is that he had used a condom.”

In most circumstances, victims who consume alcohol and have sex do not know whether a condom was used or not.

In fact, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, 400,000 have unprotected sex and more than 100,000 report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex.

Samantha was mortified after that night; she did not tell anyone what had happened.

She considered herself a “walking zombie” with black bags under her eyes and a hollowed out face from not eating.

“I went to class, did my work, and went to sleep,” she said.

Samantha said it didn’t take long for her friends to realize something was wrong.

Eventually, Samantha told her friend what happened.

She said her friend so outraged, she threw a picture frame and it broke into hundreds of pieces.

Her friend tried to get her help, but Samantha refused saying she was too embarrassed.

Unlike Samantha, who was hesitant to tell other people her story, Colleen was willing to let people know what happened to her.


Standing up for yourself

“Just because you are on campus, does not mean you are safe,” said Molly Casebere, a Counselor at High Point University.

“Don’t walk alone, be with your friends and use the buddy system. And always make sure you have a cell phone on you,” said Casebere.

Colleen looks back on her first night of college and thinks about everything she did wrong.

First, Colleen recognizes that she lost the only person that she knew at the party.

“I wandered off alone. I was an easy target for the person who gave me my drink,” she said.

Colleen also recognizes that she took an open drink from someone that she did not know.

“That’s the stupidest thing I did,” she said. “I’m just thankful that I somehow made it back to my room. I count my blessings every day.”

Casebere, acknowledges how difficult situations involving rape can be.

“Everyone copes differently,” Casebere said. “Some people want to pretend it didn’t happen and move on. Well, good luck.”

Casebere said the best way to get over a situation is to talk about what happened.

Colleen says she is able to look back and acknowledge that she was too naïve at the time.

“All I could think about was that I was so cool because I was in college. I didn’t realize that people would do this to me. I still don’t understand how someone could do this,” Colleen said.

Colleen lectures to high school seniors about the dangers of alcohol. She also gives them advice so they do not have to experience what happened to her.


Moving On

Colleen, now a college junior, looks around her room filled of collages from her first two-and-a-half years at High Point University.

Her smile is soft and full of kindness. While discussing all of the memories, her voice gets higher and her eyes get wider as if she were a child at Walt Disney World for the first time.

But then, the fear of what could have happened is penetrates through her smile and her eyes grow dark and heavy. Her shoulders look as though they are being weighted down by 50 pound weights.

“After the incident, I thought about transferring,” Colleen said. “I wanted to get away from this, until I realized that colleges everywhere are not safe.”

Colleen took the initiative to help educate incoming college girls to avoid making the same mistake she did.

“I wouldn’t wish what happened to me on anyone else,” Colleen said. “I’m doing everything in my power to prevent it.”

*Indicates name has been changed

Choosing A College Campus

By Lizzie Buckthorpe



You pull in the gates, the anticipation rising in you as you see the first building of your potential new home. The sun is hitting the windows creating light beams across your face. The family car pulls into a parking spot, you are itching to jump out of the car and explore this new world. Finally the car is thrown into park and you leap out onto the pavement. Running ahead of your parents you make your way up the path, throw open the doors of the building and enter the admission’s office of your potential place of higher learning.

Adolescents look for various different factors that determine why they choose a particular college or university. Many factors affect their decision, from dorm life to academics.

Through research on various universities and college’s up and down the East Coast, it has become apparent that there are five main points teens look for to aid their decision.

Too Cool for School?

“Does it have the academic reputation I am looking for in a school?” is the top factor Andy Bills, VP of Enrollment at High Point University, in High Point NC, says he sees. He sees many students who visit HPU, looking to see class size, accreditations, and major options, among a sea of other academic factors. So many know that when it comes down to it they are coming to this place for school, so it has to be something they want and can handle.

The second factor perspective student’s notice is where they will be living for the next four years, the dormitories.

Home Away from Home

Even though class is the number one object, where you live is a close second. Your dorm is where you will be not only sleeping, but where you will be living your life. It is where you hang out with friends, relax after a big test, and make the memories that will last a lifetime.

You want it to be somewhere you enjoy being rather than somewhere you cannot wait to get out of.

“Space is a huge factor, along with the variety of options,” says High Point Sophomore, Tyler McDonald.

Numerous students want a school with dorms that give them living options similar to the real world. As a consequence so many boast the fact that they have various options for not only freshman but upper classmen as well.

Marist College, in Poughkeepsie NY, has a number of options for it’s students. According to the housing section of the official Marist College website, “as students move from freshmen to senior year they are housed in more independent living environments (suite style, apartments and townhouses) which helps to prepare them for their eventual move out into the world following graduation,”

However, there are three more additional factors in the decision of where to go to school.


Go team Go!





Is the school’s name plastered all over the place? Do students wear the school apparel? Are sporting events truly an event? If the answer is yes then you know this place has fantastic school spirit.

School spirit has significant importance to so many. If there is a great atmosphere then you know students are happy. If nobody wants to attend school events, then it is safe to assume that there is no support.

Elon University in Elon, NC even has a calendar on their website, easily accessible, for students to look up all the sporting events for all sports throughout the year. It is clear that people want to go to the events, creating the spirit a successful school needs. In addition to the academics, dorms and school spirits, students need to make sure they can see themselves at the particular college or university.

Can I see myself here?

It is vital that a student can see himself or herself living, working, and most importantly learning at the school they choose.

“Are there people like me here? Will I fit in?” are popular phrases heard by Andy Bills, VP of Enrollment at High Point. He expresses that everyday he hears students questioning if HPU is a place they can see themselves attending. He continues to say that it is vital to show the student the university as a whole, to show them each aspect so they can find something to connect to.



Annie Bonner, a Junior at Keene State University in Keene, NH says “from the second I stepped on to campus I knew this is where I wanted to go. I could see myself walking to classes, eating in the cafeteria and meeting new people.”



Then again, if a student cannot accommodate with the final factor, the cost, then all the others are irrelevant.

Money, Money, Money…

Suzanne Rollins knew she wanted to go to Endicott College in Massachusetts from the moment she arrived. The beach location, small classes and endless school spirit had her hooked. However, there was one problem with her picture perfect university, the over $27,000 price tag. Yet, this was the school for her so she worked hard with the university and qualified for both need and merit based scholarships to make it so she could afford to attend her dream school.

So often this is the main question a student, but mainly their parents, ask about a school. If it is not affordable then to many it is not an option. Because of this, schools choose to offer a variety of scholarship options.

For instance, Wake Forest University, in Winston Salem NC, allows students to choose from a plethora of scholarship options. There are not only merit based scholarships but also need-based options, allowing the most students to benefit from the program.

So it is important for schools to advertise all of their cost assisting benefits to the perspective students.

Keep your Eye’s Peeled

Along with these five factors so many teens look at, there also a number of things they do, and should look for, while on their tour of a campus.

Pay attention to the cleanliness, is there trash littering the sidewalks, do the buildings look old and dirty? If a university cares about it’s self and it’s students then neither of those will be true.

Are students smiling? If all you see is glum faces then chances are it is not a happy atmosphere.

Lastly, make sure you get a good feeling from the campus, not your parents, not your friend, not the random girl sitting next to you on the tour. This is where you will be going, so it is vital that the decision is all up to you.



Check out these links for some more helpful hints on finding the college campus that is right for you!

Find the right school

College Board

Below a student shares her reasoning on why she chose to come to High Point University:

Student's Thoughts

A Fight for our Children

By: Steph Duhaime


In 2009, 192,370 women in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer. This cancer is invasive and intense, and although the number of cases continues to rise, the efforts to cure it are just as extreme.
Advances in breast cancer research are improving the amount of people who are cured with long-term cancer. About 90 percent of women with breast cancer are cured within 5 years after their diagnosis, and 80 percent more are cured within 10 years.
Although the statistics of survivors are high, the number of deaths in the United States from breast cancer remains high as well. This year alone there have been 40,180 deaths from breast cancer. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention breast cancer is the second most common cancer, accounting for more than 1 in 4 cancers. It is also the second leading cause of death for women. However, efforts to find a cure are huge.
Mary Lou Bennett sat in her rocking chair. The wind was crisp and you could see your breath in air as you huffed out into the wintery air. Mary Lou is 71-years-old. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 49. After fighting for 7 years, Mary Lou joined the other two million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
“Young people today are the one’s who will be dealing with this in the tomorrows. The things that kids are participating in for this cause makes me proud to be a survivor,” said Mary Lou in a slow voice. Her eyes filled with tears, and as they fell you could see some of the pain leaving her body.
North Carolina has had a big impact on the amount of money raised nationally for breast cancer research and development. All over the state, not only individuals but also groups of people are working together to find a cure for this disease.

Kids Making a Difference
One of the biggest fundraisers in North Carolina gives others the ability to see that at a young age, a little effort can go a long way. What was most surprising about this fundraiser was the fact that it was created, run, and hosted by a sorority made up of college-aged students.
Each year, at North Carolina Chapel Hill, the sorority Zeta Tau Alpha puts on a fundraiser for breast cancer. This year was the 20th anniversary of the race. The race is a 5K that consists of a path through the campus mainly going through Franklin Street.
The Franklin 5K which is the name of Chapel Hill’s breast cancer race, has raised the most money of any fundraiser for sororities throughout the entire nation. Last year alone, it raised over $45,000 and consisted of around 400 runners.
“It’s amazing to see the turnout at the race and know that all the money is going to something you care so much about,” said Chapel Hill’s Zeta Tau Alpha President Katie Lindsay.
All the proceeds from the Franklin 5K are given to the Komen for the Cure and The Lineberger Cancer Center.
“Knowing that all our hard work pays off and actually benefits people who are suffering from the disease is really rewarding to see. It’s something to be really proud of,” says junior Amy DeJohn, Zeta Tau Alpha member.

The Reality



Even with full coverage from health insurance, the cost of fighting for your life with a disease such as Breast Cancer is enormous. The New York Times recently published a story on patients driven into bankruptcy due to their medical bills.
When you’re fighting for your life, you know you could lose everything.
“It’s agonizing and drains everything from you. There’s mornings where it doesn’t seem worth it, but then you see the effort people are making for you and you get up, you go out, and you live the day like everything’s going to be okay,” said 16-year cancer survivor Mary Lou Bennett.
As paying for breast cancer treatments becomes increasingly worse, fundraisers have been created to help for this sole purpose.

Walking For a Cause
The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is a race that occurs in cities all over the nation. This race is unique in that all the money raised goes towards women and men to get all the medical treatment needed regardless of their ability to pay. This year, Charlotte hosted the event, with over 1,100 walkers and raising over $2.3 million.
Over the two-day walk, participants walk 39 miles. In these 39 miles, you walk with supporters, survivors, and relatives of those suffering with breast cancer.
Mary Beth Long spent her first semester finding sponsors to pay for her trip to Charlotte. After raising $2,000, Mary Beth was able to participate in the walk to show support for her grandmother who had recently passed away from breast cancer.
“After 39 miles your feet hurt, you’re tired, and you’ve got blisters,” said Mary Beth Long, a 2009 participant in the walk, “but you can’t describe the feeling at the end of the walk when you know everyone is there for the same reason.”
The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer not only unites those who are affected by Breast Cancer, but unites all for one goal, which is to end the disease that affects so many in our lives. The money raised in the Avon Walk is all put towards the screening of both men and women’s treatment of breast cancer regardless of your ability to pay.
Meredith Nichols also participated in the walk this February. She walked in honor of her aunt who passed away from breast cancer in 2008.
“It’s probably the most tiring two days of my life, but it was also the most rewarding. I met so many great people and the stories I heard were unbelievable. The amount of fight that Breast Cancer survivors have is amazing”, says participant Meredith Nichols. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer comes together to support the leading research teams throughout the entire nation to fund their search for a cure.

October!



Breast Cancer Awareness Month celebrated its 25th year this October. The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is made to promote the awareness of this horrible cancer. Today, there is still much to be accomplished.
This year’s 25th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month was devoted to the education and empowerment of women to take monthly breast exams and schedule annual mammograms. Throughout the month of October, calendars were passed out with stickers each month reminding you to do a self-exam, pink ribbons were seen worn by many, and around campus bags were worn with pink ribbons stitched on them.
In High Point alone, numberous fundraisers were done during the month of October to contribute to research for breast cancer. Zeta Tau Alpha put on a balloon release where released pink balloons that were bought for one dollar for anyone who survived, died, or is fighting with breast cancer. Pink ribbons were also given out all month at High Point University along with the collection of Yoplait Yogurt lids which teams up with the Susan G. Komen foundation.
“I believe that my Mom would still be alive if she had followed the advice about early detection. It is worth taking the time to say these words in the hope that even one person will really get that whole ‘early-detection’ message”, said David Duhaime.

Join the Cause
With statistics from the National Cancer Institute showing that about 1 in 8 women in the United States will get breast cancer during their lifetime, the importance of breast cancer stays dangerously high.
The awareness of Breast Cancer and the efforts that are being made to find a cure are endless. In North Carolina alone, there are fundraisers going on constantly. If a sorority in Chapel Hill can raise $45,000, the possibilities are infinite. The early awareness of Breast Cancer around the nation is saving millions of lives. The fundraisers are just a glimpse of the efforts being made to cure the disease.
“It is very cool to imagine that your children may gather in this same way you do now in about 25 years or so – and celebrate that there are no more breast cancer stories”, Mary Lou Bennett says.





Sidebar: Big Man on Campus

On Tuesday December 8th, Zeta Tau Alpha hosted its third annual Big Man on Campus. The event is to raise money for the sorority’s philanthropy, which is breast cancer awareness and education.
Big Man on Campus includes male students who are nominated by different organizations on campus including fraternities, sororities, sports teams, clubs, and more. The event is a type of male beauty pageant.
“This year, it will include a portion where nominees do a video interview, a talent, and then show off business attire, swimsuit, and other outfits throughout the night of competition,” said Fundraiser Chair Sasha Slacum.
With judges from High Point University and well-known contestants, the event was the comedic relief everyone needed during the week of finals.
As Whitney Kaltenbach cleaned up after the show, she said spoke with a voice that was filled with satisfaction. “It’s just amazing to see the Fine Arts Center sold out, filled with students who paid to get in. The pay their $5, but they have no idea how much this could help find a cure for breast cancer.”
Out of 13 contestants, winner Robert Walker was chosen for the second year in a row. The show, which was judged by faculty, raised over $3,000 in one night for breast cancer. The members of Zeta Tau Alpha, who surrounded the Fine Arts Center, wore pink ribbons proudly.
Junior Zeta Tau Alpha member Kara Hickman commented on the philanthropy with excitement saying, “In this semester we’ve raised over $5,000 already. With all the fundraisers around the nation, I know a cure will be found soon.”