The Decree - March 2023

TheDecree NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA 27804 since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.” March 31, 2023 Profile: Dr. Joe Lane--Scholar, Cyclist, Family Man, Phish Fan Dr. Joe Lane joined the Wesleyan community last summer as the university’s new provost. The Tennessee native, a political scientist by training, succeeded Dr. Molly Wyatt, who returned to her position as associate provost. Dr. Lane, 54, graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia with a degree in classics and political science, and he earned a Ph.D. in political science from Boston College, writing a dissertation titled “The Political Life and Virtue,” which he described as an argument about the structure and purpose in Plutarch’s “Parallel Lives.” He’s the author of many scholarly works, including three co-authored books: “The Deconstitutionalization of America” (with Roger Barrus, John Eastby, David Marion, and Jim Pontuso, 2004), “Engaging Nature: Environmental Theory and the Political Theory Canon” (with Peter Cannávo, 2014), and “A Political Companion to Marilynne Robinson” (with Shannon Mariotti, 2016). After graduate school he taught for many years at Emory & Henry College (Virginia). Prior to coming to Wesleyan he served as provost at Bethany College (West Virginia). He was interviewed earlier in the semester for the following profile: Early Life Q: Describe the neighborhood where you were raised. A: grew up in eastern Tennessee near the border with North Carolina. Nearby cities included Kingsport and Johnson City. From age 12 till my high school graduation, we were in a subdivision, but out the back door was forest and farmland. I spent a great deal of time exploring the woods with friends. At some point my mother got a coach’s whistle that she would blow when she wanted us to come home. As I remember it, the rule was that we had 10 minutes to get home once the whistle was blown. I remember hearing it faintly sometimes and having to run to make it on time. Q: Tell us about your family. A: My father was a pulp and paper engineer who rose to head of maintenance and production for a paper mill in Kingsport. After I was at college, he moved to a plant in Wisconsin and retired there. My mother taught elementary school for 30 years in Georgia, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. My younger sister, Lee, serves as program director for a Big Brothers Big Sisters program in West Virginia and Kentucky, and my younger brother, John, is a creative marketing executive at Red Hat in Raleigh. I taught at Lee’s alma mater, Emory & Henry College, for 17 years. When I first got there, many people noted “so you’re Lee’s brother?” But I think at some point she got tired of coming to her “homecoming” only to have people ask, “so you’re Joe’s sister?” Q: Describe a favorite place from your youth. A: We traveled many places in my childhood. When I was 15, we made a trip across the country to the national parks of the Southwest and West; that made a strong impression on me. A family ritual was spending at least one week each summer at Holston Camp in the North Carolina mountains between Banner Elk and Newland. My siblings and I were summer camp regulars from age 8 until we were old enough to work at the camp. We all were on the staff there at least four summers. Our children have gone to camp there as well, but the next generation was less impressed with two weeks of living in the backcountry without showers or dry clothes. So much for tradition! Q: What’s one lasting memory of childhood? A: When we visited the national parks out West, it really shifted my perspective in many ways. For years I had been active in rock climbing, backpacking, and canoeing in Western North Carolina and the areas around the Blue Ridge and Smokies. The West transformed my thinking. Since that trip, I’ve traveled out West when possible to scale higher mountains and reach wilder spaces than we have in the East. Q: What did you enjoy doing through your high school years? A: I was active in soccer and played brass instruments in band and orchestra. I also hiked and skied a lot. College Years Q: Describe Hampden-Sydney. What kind of student were you in college? A: Hampden-Sydney is a small, private liberal arts college for men. I didn’t choose it because it was allmale, but I liked its classical focus, small classes, and emphasis on citizenship and civic engagement. Hampden-Sydney offered me its highest scholarship and I thought it was too good a deal to pass up. I majored in classical languages and added political science as a second major in my junior year as I prepared for graduate school. I had expected to attend law school or go into writing/journalism. Then I resolved to apply to Ph.D. programs and when I was accepted into several, an academic career came into focus. I think the best way to describe me as a student was “always busy.” That was positive insofar as I pushed myself to take challenging classes and make good grades. But I tended to over-commit myself and always delayed assignments till the last minute. I was active in a fraternity, the school newspaper, and task forces on many projects, and I led tours for the admissions office. It was wonderful to be at a small institution where I got such wide experiences. But sometimes I got into trouble because of my penchant for committing myself to projects (and my procrastination), though I did complete my work. Q: Talk about a time you struggled in college. A: A low point occurred at the end of the first semester in my sophomore year. I had pledged a fraternity that semester and didn’t keep up with my work the way I should have done. I capped off the semester with a bout of food poisoning that made taking my Greek final a terrible experience. It did not end well, and I made my lowest grade of my college career. I’ll always remember the drive home after that final exam as torture. I handled it by writing my professors a letter from home (no email!), explaining what I thought I had done wrong as well as what my last week was like in terms of my physical illness. Two instructors gave me more time over the break to make corrections and improve my standing; two told me to accept the consequences of my actions. Because of my frank acknowledgment that my choices were to blame as much as the illness, I retained the scholarship and showed improvement in the spring semester. Looking back, I learned that if I owned my behavior and demonstrated concrete plans for change, many mistakes were correctible. I try to remind students of this. Q: How did you decide on your major? A: I’ve always been fascinated with the classical world. I was assigned my first-year Latin professor for a firstyear advisor; he persuaded me to learn Greek. He then pulled the “If you have three years’ credit of classical languages, you’re well on your way to a major” argument on me. I fell for it. He didn’t mention that the hard parts- -upper-level literature courses in the original languages--were still to come. I added the political science major in my junior year because I liked politics and thought I might go to law school or become a journalist. When I decided to pursue a doctorate, my classics advisor was the one who insisted that it would be easier to find a job in political science, so I applied to poli sci programs. Professor &Provost Q: Talk about your teaching career. A: Between my graduate teaching fellowship (1992-1993) and the year my job description tipped more toward administration (2012-2013), I taught about 20 different courses--from introductory politics of the U.S. to the political theory sequence, as well as upper-level courses on constitutional law, environmental politics, the presidency, and congress. I taught many different interdisciplinary seminars for the Emory & Henry College core curriculum and honors program, including seminars on “The Iliad,” “Genesis,” “International Public Health,” “Water,” “Wilderness,” and “Eden.” I’m now teaching Politics of the United States (POL 112) at Wesleyan and hope to teach some other classes in the future. I do enjoy my time in the classroom. Q: What prompted you to move from an academic to administrator? A: It just happened. I became a department chair in my first tenured semester because the other members of the department didn’t want to do it. A couple of years later, while serving as chair of the faculty admissions committee, I wrote the memo recommending the creation of what would become the Emory & Henry College Honors Program, and I was assigned to serve as the first director. When that program grew, I was assigned lots of academic management, fund-raising, and student recruitment jobs, and I became more focused on ways to improve academic curricula and advising models as well as on student recruitment and retention. There are two types of academic administrators--people who love the power, pay, and prestige of administration; and people who recognize that solid and conscientious administration is necessary to make it possible for others to deliver great teaching and transformative student learning experiences. I try to make sure I’m one of the second group of administrators by staying focused on how I can give committed professors the tools, professional development, and encouragement that they need to be their best professional selves as teachers and advisors. I loved teaching and advising. Some of my best days were those when I helped students realize their potential. Early in my career I couldn’t have been a successful teacher without the patience of senior administrators who allowed me to experiment and work out the kinks. I relied on them to help me in so many ways. Sometimes I needed a budget for an unproven concept, while other times I just needed an encouraging word to try a project a second time and hope for better results. Now I see myself as paying forward the confidence that my administrators placed in me. Q: What drew you to the job at NCWU? A: There was several reasons. Wesleyan is an interesting institution. It’s younger than my past schools, but it’s always been an innovator. Having started its adult degree program 40 years ago, Wesleyan has long offered different types of education while always exhibiting a commitment to meeting the needs of different constituencies in the community. Today you need to be innovative to thrive; if you stagnate, you’ll struggle. Wesleyan’s entrepreneurial creativity made it an intriguing next step for me. With its record of accomplishments and energetic faculty, I knew Wesleyan would be a great opportunity. What’s more, my family and in-laws all live in the Raleigh area. My wife and I have never lived close to our extended family, but now almost everyone lives right here. Julie and I can help take care of aging parents. That was a major draw. See LANE pg 3 Ethics Bowl Team Claims Impressive Wins Wesleyan’s four-member Ethics Bowl Team recorded three wins in a recent competition sponsored by the North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities. Coached by Drs. Jason Buel and Shane Thompson, the team is comprised of students Fabio Felli, Noah Larkin, Amanda Modlin, and Elizabeth Perry. The February 10- 11 competition, taking place in the state legislative center in Raleigh, saw Wesleyan debate and defeat Barton, Catawba, and Livingstone colleges. The team lost to Johnson C. Smith in a split decision. “The team was outstanding. I was very proud of their accomplishment,” Dr. Thompson said, noting that while students do earn one credit for participating in Ethics Bowl, they must dedicate many hours of their free time to researching and preparing for the debates. Modlin, a sophomore criminal justice major, was pleased with the results as well. “I thought we did very well overall, considering it was our first in-person contest as a team.” Larkin, a religious studies major, admitted that he was a little surprised by the team’s success. Like Modlin, the sophomore liked that it was held face-to-face rather than in a virtual format. “It was a lot of fun,” he said. Excited about her team’s performance, Perry noted that Wesleyan came close to advancing to the semi-finals. “I wish we had won our fourth round. I think we would have done well in the finals,” said the psychology major, set to graduate in May, adding that she enjoyed making friends at the competition. Team members began preparations last fall, meeting once a week for an hour and then doing research on their own. In October each school was sent 10-12 cases in areas such as biotechnology and artificial intelligence. “That gave us time to research the cases and discuss the ethical dilemmas associated with them,” explained Dr. Thompson, who stressed that the students were not presented with a specific question--or debate topic--related to each case. “We make our best guess.” When the Wesleyan team arrived at the competition in Raleigh, it was handed a case with a question for each of the four debates. For example, in the debate titled “Artificial Intelligence and Our Changing World,” the Wesleyan team took up the question “What are the ethical issues in regulating AI algorithms?” Teams got five minutes to discuss the case among themselves. Each team then made an opening statement, asked and answered a question from the opposing team, and gave a concluding statement. Each school took part in four matches; in one of the four, the team debated an issue that was not among the cases it received back in October. Three judges scored each team’s performance. Among many criteria, judges considered a team’s ability to provide clear answers, support their answers with evidence, and articu- late the relevant ethical framework. It was also critical, according to Dr. Thompson, that teams divided the speaking responsibilities evenly among all four team members. For Modlin, the AI debate was the highlight of the competition. “My team argued that AI should be regulated because eventually a problem will come up,” she said. “We used examples of bias to ar- gue our point, saying that AI is designed to mimic the intelligence of humans and the biases of humans can show up in the algorithms. With government regulation, we can ensure that biases don’t appear, making AI safe and more likely to be used in the future.” See ETHICS pg 3 The Ethics Bowl Team (l-r): Noah Larkin, Fabio Felli, Elizabeth Perry and Amanda Modlin. Photo courtesy of S. Thompson. Dr. Joe Lane

Staff Writers Mary Alice Butler Layali Kasem Jean LaGreca Jordyn Matlock Rhea Wilder Special Contributors Carl Lewis Andrew Stern Grace Wallace Faculty Advisor Dr. William Grattan 179 Braswell • Phone: 985-5336 Email: [email protected] staff The Decree since 1960 “of, by, and for the Wesleyan community.” 2 North Carolina Wesleyan University, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804 March 31, 2023 WESLEYAN PROFILES Esport champ Alex Mason in the BGA room Photo by A. Stern. Freshman Wins Esports Title with Assist from James Harden Wesleyan’s newest champion is a freshman who claimed the NBA 2K23 collegiate title or- ganized by ECAC Esports last fall, sweeping his opponents in four rounds of action. After receiving a first-round bye as the number-one seed, Alex Mason completed his undefeated run through tournament competition by winning best-of-three series in rounds two and three and best-of-five in rounds four and five. In the title match, he beat a student from Augustana College, 3-0. Mason said he first felt relief. “I was glad it was done because the previous weeks were so stressful,” he said. “It also felt kind of surreal.” Mason’s coach, Chantoni Grant, and others were there to watch the final matches in the Bishop Gaming Association “Fortress,” located in the Hartness Center. “My coach did enough reacting for the both of us,” Mason said. “When I won, he screamed so loud. After all, this was the program's first championship.” Mason, 19, was born in Indiana, but grew up in Rocky Mount, the son of Ernie, a truck driver for MigWay, and Lisa, who works in a doctor’s office. He is the third of four brothers. In fact it was his two older siblings, Noah, 23, and Jacob, 20, who introduced him to video games around the age of 5. (Ma- son also has a younger brother, BJ, who is 13). Mason began with the original Xbox and PS2. “I tend to play video games by myself, but I would attribute my original love for them to my brothers,” he said, adding that he once played video games for 12 straight hours. “I play an absurd amount. Gaming has always been my happy place.” Though he played organized baseball as a youth, Mason was not a hardcore athlete. He said that a lack of on-the-court hoops training has not been a hindrance for him in NBA 2K “NBA 2K and real basketball are very disconnected,” he said. “It’s possible to be bad at one and good in the other, as I'm living proof! I love playing real basketball, but I'm not good at it.” For most of his life Mason was not even a fan or follower of a particular sport. That changed when he discovered the Philadelphia 76ers a few years back. “I went through a phase when I would just watch highlights or basketball videos on YouTube whenever I had the chance,” he said. “This led me to become a massive fan of the 76ers; the team means a lot to me.” A graduate of Rocky Mount Preparatory School, Mason decided to attend Wesleyan because of its attractive financial aid package and its proximity to home, allowing him to commute to classes. A high school English teacher, Wesleyan grad Joshua Strausser, recommended that Mason look at the college across the street, describing it as an underrated academic school. Mason enrolled last fall and soon became a member of BGA, one of the most popular clubs on campus. Throughout the fall, he played NBA2K against students from other ECAC member schools. After beating the only other undefeated player, he was made the number-one seed prior to the tournament. Mason used to play NBA2K about two hours a day as recre- ation. Once he decided to enter the ECAC tournament, his approach became more intense. He put in hours of practice and feels that his preparation was a key to his success. “For the big game, I was in the BGA room practicing each player's jump shot for hours,” he said. “My coach even came into the room and told me I had to play a different game, or I’d get burned out. But I couldn't do that; I wanted to make sure I was going to be the best I could be.” Of course he selected the 76ers as his team for the tournament. “That was one of the best parts about my championship run,” he said. “I was able to use my knowledge of the 76ers.” Though Philadelphia had been his favorite team to watch, it was only after he began to play NBA2K that Mason realized its players were well suited for the video game. In particular, he drew on the team’s long-range shooting prowess. “I had the ability to shoot threes with all five players on the floor,” he explained. He elaborated on his strategy. “In basketball, this opens so many doors,” he said. “The paint (the area between the foul line and hoop) will be clear of defenders, allowing for easy inside scor- ing. If my opponent elects to put a man in the paint, one guy will be open for a makeable three.” Sixer point guard James Harden was “the X factor” for Mason’s 76ers. It was common for the former NBA scoring champ to total at least 20 points and 10 assists per game. “I could give the ball to him and be confident that I would either score with him or pass to an open player,” Mason said. Mason played three tournament rounds from the Fortress. But he ran into a complication in the semi-finals. “That was my biggest challenge,” he said. Unable to make it to campus, he played from home, after growing accustomed to competing at BGA’s customdesigned computer terminals, with his coach and teammates there to cheer his various moves. He explained that he sought to recreate the BGA atmosphere by inviting friends to watch through a shared screen. “It helped,” he said, “but it wasn’t the same.” Despite playing at home, Mason swept the first three games and advanced to the next round. In the finals, he faced the 11th seed, John Bolton of Augustana College (Illinois). Bolton’s team was the Milwaukee Bucks, knowledge that Mason used to his advantage. Mason is aware that Milwaukee’s superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is even more dominant in NBA2K than he is on the hard- wood. “I used an entire week to game plan,” Mason said, noting that he put center Joel Embiid, his favorite Sixer, against the “Greek Freak.” “This would make it a lot harder for him to score and would wreak havoc on my opponent’s offense.” That set up his defense, but he recognized that he still needed to generate offense. In the finals he often ran “pick-and-pop” plays, a variation on the traditional pick and roll that frees up a shooter for a three-point attempt. “My opponent wasn’t that good on defense, so I got a lot of open threes,” he said When games became close, Mason switched to a 2-3 zone defense, at Coach Grant’s sug- gestion. This shut down Bolton’s inside scoring and forced him to take—and miss--more threepoint shots. “I had the clear strategic advantage,” Mason said. The Wesleyan freshman won the first game in a thriller, hitting a 3-point shot at the buzzer to vanquish Bolton, 43-40. He then took games two and three by wider margins, 51-44 and 54-40. Besides intense practice ses- sions and preparation, Mason credits his “basketball IQ” for his recent success. Asked to explain basketball IQ, he said, “It includes understanding plays, spotting open players, and understanding the rules of the game. It involves the ability to make the right plays at the right time—it helps to recognize your opponent’s defensive set--and trying to avoid mis- takes. With basketball IQ, all this comes into play.” Since claiming the title, Mason has cut back on the time spent playing NBA2K, though he still competes against other BGA members who “want to see if they can beat me.” Before the tournament, he took a more casual approach to the game. “I didn’t mind losing,” he explained. “As long as I was enjoying it, my skill level didn’t matter to me. Then when I got into that competitive mindset, I began to perform better, but I also began to enjoy the game less, though I don’t regret playing in the tournament.” Of late Mason has been playing “Overwatch,” a popular “hero-shooter” game that requires teams to capture an objective and then hold it while fending off the opposing team. For Mason, a recent enthusiasm has been single-player games, which he likes because of their focus on narrative and graphics. “It’s so awesome to watch a story unfold in a game that you're playing,” he said. Mason prefers video game to movies due to their interactive nature. “You’re able to control the narrative and you often get more attached to the characters due to your role in the story,” he said. “Not only that, but since the running time is longer in a video game, there’s more opportunity to flesh out individual characters.” Mason added that some games include "branching paths,” which permits players to alter the possible outcomes of a story. Asked about balancing school work, a job (he busses tables at San Jose Restaurant), and his passion for gaming, Mason said that he tries to take an organized approach. He likes to make a weekly plan for his homework and studying. As a college student and gamer, he admitted that it can be difficult sometimes to limit his playing time. “But I’ve always been serious about my education, and not even video games are getting in the way of that. I try to clear up time to play at least a little, but for the most part I'm fine with cutting back on gaming if it benefits my education.” Mason has not decided on career path, though he hopes his work will enable him to follow his interest in history, one that was ignited after he saw the popular musical “Hamilton” last year at the DPAC in Durham. “It inspired me to learn a lot more about history, and my love for it has only continued to grow,” he said, relating that, besides the American revolution, he’s captivated by World War II, the French Revolution and Renaissance Italy. Mason is still waiting for ECAC to send him a trophy to commemorate his title. It will be housed in a trophy case BSA is constructing to recognize the triumphs of its members. Mason and his teammates hope his is the first of many titles to come. Biology professors Emily Weber and Dimitri Blondel with a new friend, Gilbert, at the Shaw Learning Center. The center, located between the Welcome Center and Dunn Center, features classrooms and a “cat lounge” that will allow students and staff to interact with 6-8 resident felines. Studies have shown that cats help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. NCWU’s benefactor, Dr. Nancy Shaw, was a cat enthusiast. Wesleyan PR photo Shaw Learning Center.

March 31, 2023 North Carolina Wesleyan University, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804 3 NEWS ETHICS from pg 1 Felli, a junior sociology major, agreed with Modlin that Wesleyan’s team did an effective job in making its arguments about AI. “Our stance was that it needs to be regu- lated because it has built-in, existing human biases, which are rooted in racist and sexist logics,” he said. In its argument, Wesleyan employed an “Ethics of Care” framework, focusing on interpersonal relationships and the impact of AI on the status of minorities and the less powerful in our society. Dr. Thompson noted that many teams tend to rely on more common frameworks such as utilitarianism and that Wesleyan’s approach distinguished the Bishops from their opponents. Dr. Thompson believes that the Wesleyan Ethics Bowl team has built a foundation that will allow it be successful for years to come. Noting that many other teams brought six debaters to the NCICU competition, he would like to recruit more Bishops. Modlin finds Ethics Bowl to be a worthwhile extra-curricular activity for several reasons. It’s not just that it permits students to hone their debate and public speaking abilities. “We argue cases relevant to today's society,” she said. “I think that addressing the issues is important for my generation as we’ll be the next leaders of the world.” LANE from pg 1 Q: As a newcomer, you’ve seen Wesleyan with a fresh set of eyes. Point to an aspect of the university that veteran employees, and perhaps students, overlook. A: I think Wesleyan has many remarkable features that we may undervalue. Our location is one of them. We’re lucky to be near a growing metroplex where higher education is valued and in demand. There are many areas of the country where the population of students interested in higher education is shrinking. We need to recognize the opportunities that our location affords us. And I think our remarkable number of international students presents many opportunities that we have not yet maximized. Students can interact with the world at Wesleyan, and we should be selling the value of that experience at a time when being a professional will mean being comfortable in an increasingly internationalized culture. Q: In 50 words or fewer, describe your job for a Wesleyan freshman. A: I oversee almost all that students do and every facility that students use on campus. I work with all the academic programs, majors, and faculty as well as the library, registrar, student success center, office of professional development and leadership, student life, residence life, student activities, and health and counseling. Q: What’s your schedule on a typical day? A: Most days, at 5:30 a.m., I start by logging on the computer to sweep for emails that came in overnight. I then ride my bike (on my better days), either on the rollers in the garage or on the trail, for an hour before heading to campus. It’s hard to predict days in the provost’s office. On my drive to work, I often make myself a mental to-do list for the day, but half the time, by noon, I’m working from a different list, as issues arise, fires need to be addressed, or the president asks me to focus on some immediate task. Of my eight hours in the office, at least half the time involves meetings at various places and with different groups on campus. I try to start home between 5 and 6 p.m., but I place a high value on attending my daughters’ school activities, so I do leave early for swim and track meets and other events. I try to reserve the evening hours for family, but before going to sleep, I read and respond to emails leftover from the day. Q: Outline three of your goals as provost. • Remember why we’re here: We’re here to educate students and transform their lives. We want to make sure that by the time they graduate, they’ve acquired skills needed to advance their careers and, even more important, they possess the depth and self-awareness to make purposeful decisions about what to do with their lives to improve their communities and the world. • Remember that people matter. My views have been informed by the book “How College Works” by Daniel Chambliss and Christopher Takacs. The authors stress that success is often built on the relationships that students will form during their college career. These relationships will not only change their perspectives on the world but shape their lives. For me, the key is facilitating those relationships with teachers, advisors, staff, and other students; we want to make the education matter in the lives of our students. • Remember that we’re all students. Living around a university should be an education for all of us, whether students, faculty or staff. We should always be trying to learn and improve. We should recognize that the co-workers will often know things we do not; and we should realize that our students (and ourselves) will encounter false starts, make mistakes, and need to revise and change. I want to follow a pedagogical and developmental model where the goal is to improve in all we do. Q: What’s the biggest challenge faced by small private colleges today? A: The educational marketplace is changing and in many ways the changes are not in our favor. There are now fewer students in the traditional age and demographics needed to fill university classes. In years to come, there will be a great deal of competition for students, but we’re fortunate to be located in a region where the reduction in the eligible population will be less pronounced than in other areas. But even in the growing areas of North Carolina, we’ll see continuing changes in the demographic background, quality of high school training, and reasons for choosing higher education. Along with fewer students, we’re seeing a number of other shifts in the culture. Students have changed their views on the purpose of a university education. And they tend to select different majors than in the past. We’ll continue to see such shifts in the future. We have to meet students where they begin in order to facilitate their development to be the type of thoughtful professionals and citizens we want them to be. Even if the end we seek is fairly fixed, the pathways are going to need to change to accommodate the times. But I think the biggest challenge may be the false but persistent notion that the shape of the university has been consistent through time. We often assume that we should preserve and replicate the models that educated us in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, a time that to us may represent a golden age of higher education. As recent as the decades following World War II, smaller institutions often did not offer specialized majors, faced little regulation by accreditors, and featured general faculties who taught a wide range of subjects. In the U.S., colleges and universities have been evolving throughout their existence and it’s important we understand that history of change and recognize that it will continue. Life Outside Work Q: Talk about your family. A: I’m married to Dr. Julia Wilson, an academic sociologist who had prior careers as an actuary, health policy analyst, high school teacher (I entered here), graduate researcher, professor, and grant writer. We have been married for 28 years. Our oldest daughter, Grace (17), is a junior in high school. She’s a three-sport athlete (cross-country, track and swimming). She enjoys dance and music, and she’s a member of a K-Pop dance group that performs both at school and community events. Our younger daughter, Miriah (15), is a first-year high school student. She’s interested in fashion (sometimes designing and sewing her own clothes), creative writing, and art (drawing, painting, modeling, and digital art and design). Q: Describe a favorite ritual practiced by your family. A: When we have time and schedules to eat dinner together, we repeat a “kindness” pledge that the girls learned from our long-time next-door neighbor, who was also their guidance counselor in elementary school: “I pledge to speak in a kind way. I pledge to help others as I go throughout my day. I pledge to care for the Earth with my healing heart and hands. I pledge to respect people in each and every land. I pledge to join together as we unite the great and small. I pledge to do my part to create peace for one and all.” Q: What is it you do that most annoys your wife and daughters? A: I get into the refrigerator and gorge on the restaurant take-home and other leftovers that belong to other family members. And I’m often told I’ve got the world’s loudest sneeze. Q: What are your hobbies and other interests? A: Reading, watching movies, walking, and riding my bike. Q: Describe your fitness plan. A: I ride my bike as many miles each week as possible. I consider 50 miles about the minimum for a week and, when time permits, try to exceed 100. It’s not an exaggeration to say that we chose our house close to Raleigh’s Neuse River Trail because it’s such a good place to ride. I track my miles riding and walking in a spreadsheet and compare this year to last year to make sure I’m not losing my edge with age. But, of course, I am. Q:Identify your favorites from the following: Cuisine: Thai. Junk Food: Bacon cheeseburgers and french fries. Sports Teams: Atlanta Braves, Green Bay Packers, and Georgia Tech and University of Virginia basketball. TV Shows: Current: “Ted Lasso,” “Stranger Things” and “WestWorld.” All-time favorites: “Mad Men,” “Lost” and “West Wing.” Movies: I haven’t seen many recent movies since the pandemic, but I’ve liked the “Knives Out” films. I’m looking forward to the second installment of Daniel Villenueve’s “Dune,” and my younger daughter is trying to get me into the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. My favorite classics include the first two “Godfather” films, “Apocalypse Now,” “A Few Good Men” and “Casablanca.” I’m struck by quotable dialogue that always appears to reveal more on the second, third, or fourth viewing. Books: I read lots of books about higher education and politics. I often return to Homer and a few of the Platonic Dialogues. Among novelists, I’m fond of the magical realism of Carlos Fuentes and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (I’m re-reading “One Hundred Years of Solitude”), the classical re-interpretations of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker. I also like Umberto Eco and Marilynne Robinson. Music: I like jam music created live, in real time. Favorites include the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, and certain bluegrass acts. Q: Describe your social media habits. A: I’m a lurker on social media. I seldom post, and I use Facebook and Instagram to keep up with my former students. I’m grateful for the connections, but I don’t feel proficient with social media. My daughters laugh at me every time I try to open Snapchat. I’m trying to be better at using LinkedIn to show off the professional projects of academic affairs and student life at Wesleyan. We’ll see how I do. North Carolina Wesleyan’s First Master’s Program Turns 5 The first of NC Wesleyan’s graduate programs, the criminal justice master’s is completing its fifth year of existence. The Decree interviewed Dr. Gail Marsal, the program’s director, for reaction to the first five years and plans for the future. The program, done 100 percent online, has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report. Q: First let’s talk about the enrollment figures. In the first five years, you’ve recorded fall enrollments of 26-34-37-26-28. How do feel about the totals so far? A: The initial plan was to admit 20 to 25 students per year, so we’ve met that goal. Increased enrollment is possible, especially since we’re continuing to see expanded interest in the degree. Our overall mission is to prepare current and future supervisors/leaders for agencies in Eastern North Carolina. As enrollment growth is considered, classes should remain manageable to allow faculty the opportunity for individual interaction and dialogue with their students. This is particularly true for the final project in each course, which is agency or community specific and requires the student to prepare an evidencebased, solution-focused response. In our program, one of the strengths is the personalized learning experience and opportunity to address topics unique to rural Eastern NC. That must be considered, as we look to the future of the program. Q: Can you cite specific examples of capstone projects undertaken by your students? A: Here are some specific examples. In one a student completed a program that evaluated the need for mental health support and services for her law enforcement agency. As a result, a mental health wellness program was made available to all employees. Another example is a student who looked at the effects of rotating shifts on police officer effectiveness, and their health and personal life. It led the agency to implement non-rotation day and evening shifts. And, in a third instance, a correctional facility sought funding for increased sexual harassment training and improved services to victims; our student’s research was an integral part of the funding request. Q: Besides you, who is teaching in the program? A: Since the beginning, we’ve primarily utilized the same group of faculty, which has provided consistent instruction. The full-time faculty include Chris Lusby, J.D.; Dr. Jay Fortenbery and me. Additional instructors include three adjunct faculty: Dr. Gary Howard holds a doctorate in management with a concentration in criminal justice and possesses over 15 years with Greenville Police Department. Dr. Winston Harris, a retired captain in the Wilson Police Department, holds a Ph.D. in criminal justice. And Caroline Webb holds a J.D from Wake Forest School of Law; she’s employed as an assistant United States Attorney for the Department of Justice. Q: Who enrolls in the program? A: The students range in age from their 20’s to 70’s. Most students are professionals from law enforcement, corrections, governmental entities, and community agencies who seek additional education for career advancement or preparation for a second career. Graduates hold positions as police chiefs, prison superintendents, internal affairs investigators, as well as patrol officers, correctional officers, probation parole officers, and risk assessment personnel. NCWU alumni can be found in a variety of positions and agencies. This speaks volumes of the impact that this university is having on the criminal justice profession and rural Eastern NC. Q: Estimate the percentage of students who are NCWU alums. A: About 80 percent have matriculated from the NCWU undergraduate program. This speaks favorably to offering graduate programming that is desired by the student population and serving our community needs for leadership in criminal justice. There is no doubt that educated and ethical leadership in criminal justice agencies is needed as we address the challenging times confronted in public service over the last several years. Q: Can you give one or more specific examples of success sto- ries among your graduates. A: The first graduating class selected “Boots on the Ground, Leading the Way” for the program motto. At each graduation, students are given a challenge coin with this inscription as a constant reminder. When I reflect on former MSCJ students, this motto characterizes their careers today as they’re helping to shape the future of the profession and our communities. Here are some examples: • Tony Cameron (2019) retired from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and began a second career with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office. He now serves as the Director of Emergency Management in Nash County. In his efforts to give back, he teaches part time at NCWU. • W. T. Smith (2019) also retired from the state Highway Patrol and now is police chief in a small Eastern NC town. • Angela O’Neal (2021) began her career as a law enforcement officer and now works as an internal affairs investigator for the state of North Carolina. Q: Have there been kinks in the program along the way? If so, describe the corrections that were made. A: As the first graduate program, there was much work to be done in preparing policy, applications, procedures, etc. However, with the support of the administration, Adult & Professional Studies, and colleagues we worked through the initial challenges. This has been a team effort from the beginning and much gratitude is given to those who helped us reach this five-year anniversary. Covid had a significant impact on the program, as our students were asked to work double or even triple shifts due to staffing shortages and as well as the additional responsibilities placed on them. As a result, students were struggling to juggle their professional, personal, and academic responsibilities due to circumstances often beyond their control. Some adjunct faculty were also experiencing added pressures. We became a support system for See MASTER’S pg 6

4 North Carolina Wesleyan University, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804 SPORTS March 31, 2023 The men’s basketball team won the USA South Tourney. SI photos Bishop Briefs: Men’s Hoops Takes USA South Title, Women Go 14-4 Wesleyan’s men’s basketball team was ousted in the first round of the NCAA tournament after dominating the USA South Conference regular season and tournament play. Playing in Virginia, the Bishops led the University of Scranton for most of the game. With 9:50 remaining in the second half, Wesleyan’s Kryon Kelly made a layup to put his team up 55-45. At that point, Scranton began to cut into the Bishops’ lead. After his team made two free throws, Will McLoughlin sank a jumper and Stephen Braunstein scored on a layup following a steal by Jon Spatola. That pulled Scranton within four, 55-51. After Isaiah Lewis made a shot, neither team was able to score for the next three minutes except for a single foul shot by Scranton. The Royals’ Jackson Danzig then scored on successive layups to bring his team within a point. Wesleyan’s Brayden Dixon and Danzig traded free throws, and then McLoughlin made a layup to give Scranton a 60-59 lead with 2:44 remaining. Wesleyan’s Lewis countered with a three-point play, a layup followed by a free throw. But Scranton continued to rally. Danzig tied the score with a layup, and then E.J. Matthews-Spratley’s jump shot put the Royals up two again with 1:01 remaining in the game. With 44 seconds left, Dixon made a jumper to forge a tie at 64. It then came down to foul shots. Danzig missed his first shot but made the second as Scranton moved into the lead, 65-64, at the 12-second mark. Wesleyan took two shots from the field in the final seconds but came up empty. Asked about relinquishing a 10-point lead secondhalf lead, Coach Thompson said, “We simply went cold. We struggled to score in the final minutes.” The first-round loss followed a successful regular season for Wesleyan (23-5 overall) as it rampaged through the conference schedule, winning 13 and losing only one, 80-78 at William Peace on January 10. After that loss, the Bishops went on an 11-game winning streak. Thompson, selected as the conference Coach of the Year, called it a season filled with high points, but identified three milestones for the regular season: • One was Wesleyan’s win (52-50) November 10th at Guilford College, which was ranked most of the year in the top 10 nationwide. Playing on the road, in a tight defensive game, the Bishops were led by reserve Austin Manley with 10 points. • The second was a loss at Christopher Newport, 79-71, on November 27. Ranked fourth in the nation at the time, the Captains went on to win the national championship with a buzzerbeater over Mt. Union. Marquis Eskew led Wesleyan with 13 in the losing effort. • The third occurred after the Bishops’ 87-66 win at Greensboro College; that game clinched a share of the conference regular season title. “After that game,” Thompson related, “there was no celebration and senior Sal-Bey Young stated calmly, ‘We’re not settling for a share, we have more to do.’” Late-season highlights began with an overtime win, 74-68, at Brevard and then a thrilling victory on Senior Day as Dixon, a senior, scored on a jump shot as time expired. The winning field goal went like this: After a defensive stop, Dixon said, the team set up a play designed to free him for a mid-range jump shot. “Isaiah (Lewis) set up a slip ball screen,” Dixon explained, “and the whole time I was just thinking to get to my spot and raise up and shoot.” He did and when the ball fell through the hoop, Everett Gym exploded as Weslyan edged Mary Baldwin 67-65. “Growing up, I dreamt about making plays like that,” Dixon said. “So it was a great feeling to be able to get it done for our team.” As the numberone seed, Wesleyan earned a first-round bye and homecourt advantage in the USA South tournament. In the semi-finals Wesleyan trounced Brevard, 77-55, as it unleashed a balanced attack against the visitors. All five Bishop starters scored in double figures, paced by Eskew who tallied 15 points in 25 minutes of action. It was fitting that the Bishops faced Peace in the conference tournament, since the Pacers were the only team to defeat Wesleyan before the Bishops took the rematch. After opening a six-point lead at halftime, the Bishops seized control in the second half, once again getting balanced scoring as four players finished in double figures. Dixon and Eskew each recorded 18 points, while Lewis, the Conference Player of the Year, scored 10 and led the team with nine rebounds. “This is a very special group,” Thompson said. “We grew and developed as players and a team. There is a lot of love and togetherness with this team. I’m so happy for our guys.” Women’s Basketball The women’s hoops team ended a successful season with a loss to Greensboro at the USA South Conference tournament finals in a high-scoring affair. The Bishops went 14-4 in the regular season (19-8 overall) and then reeled off consecutive victories in the first two rounds of the conference tournament, as the hosts beat Pfieffer and Brevard. Tied after three quarters, Coach Artina Trader’s team grabbed the lead in the fourth quarter to win 58-49 vs. Pfeiffer. Forward Nadia Simmons led the way with 14 points and six rebounds, while senior Kayrisma “KDot” Harrison pulled in a team-leading 11 rebounds and added six points. In the semi-finals, Wesleyan fell behind early against Brevard, but once again propelled itself to victory with a strong fourth quarter, outscoring the Tornados, 24-14. With 16 points, Harrison was one of four Bishops to score in double figures. That win set the stage for the tournament championship against an undefeated Greensboro team (18-0 in the conference, 26-2 overall). Trader knew her team faced an explosive offense as it sought to win the conference title and earn a berth in the NCAAs. She noted that The Pride features an excellent starting five. “If you have a period of time when you aren’t scoring,” she said, “then Greensboro just puts the pedal to the metal and you’re down 20.” As was the case in the opening two games, Wesleyan fell behind early. Greensboro opened a 17-point first quarter lead, 34-17. “Initially, we weren’t playing with much energy,” Trader said. “We led the league in offensive rebounds, and we weren’t getting many offensive rebounds. We just didn’t have much energy and Greensboro was doing everything right.” The Bishops clawed back some points in the second quarter, but still trailed 51-39 at the half. After Greensboro extended its lead in the third quarter, the Bishops mounted a furious comeback attempt in the fourth as their shooting accuracy improved. “We just started playing hard and doing the things we’re capable of doing,” Trader said. “Our three-point shooting really got us going and we went on a roll. A few more defensive stops and it would have been a different outcome.” The Bishops outscored their hosts, 36-22, but it was not enough, the Pride winning the title, 97-90, to advance to the NCAAs, where they would lose in the first round to New York University. After the season, Trader paid tribute to her three seniors, Myesha Best, Nyesha Best and Harrison. She noted the trio represents one of the winningest groups in program history. In four years, they compiled a 68-26 in 94 games, winning 72 percent of all their games and 82 percent (53-11) in USA South action. “The Best twins and KDot were able to get playing time early in their careers, with all three making an immediate impact,” Trader said. She noted that Harrison became the NC Wesleyan leader in career rebounds (842), while Nyesha Best will finish top 10 in career assists. “Even though her senior year was cut short by injury, Myesha will be in the record books for three-point makes and attempts,” Trader said, adding that it’s unclear whether the three will use their fifth of eligibility to return in 2024. “Whenever they decide to leave, they know they left their mark.” Softball After starting 13-4, the Bishops lost their next four, including their opening USA South matchups on the road against Pfieffer University. Coach John Brackett’s young team hopes to improve on last season’s 19-18 record (9-9 in the conference). The pitching staff features three sophomores—Emily Humphrey, Avery Jordan, and Emily Osteguin—and two freshmen—Morgan Aycock and Kiera Boisvert. Aycock has already recorded seven complete games, with a 4-5 record and a 4.52 earned run average. “She’s been throwing very well,” said third baseman Molly Alejandrino. “Her rise ball and screw produce a lot of ground-outs and pop-outs.” The team’s ace, Humphrey won five of her first seven starts while compiling a team-leading 2.57 ERA and 32 strikeouts. “She has the uncanny ability to throw hitters off with great speed, a nasty changeup, and drop curve,” Alejandrino said. Brackett, now in his 32nd year as head coach, will count on Alejandrino to once again be a leading run-producer. Last year, as a freshman, she led Wesleyan with four home runs and 21 runs batted in. This year, she has already exceeded last season’s output, with six homers and 28 RBIs. She’s also increased her batting average to .444 with 28 hits, 13 for extra bases. Alejandrino acknowledged that she’s been seeing the ball well at the plate. “I’ve been more confident and focused than I’ve ever been,” she said. “My goal is to square the ball up and have a productive at-bat to move runners and score runs for the team.” Close behind is freshman Savannah Thompson, who’s collected three homers and 25 RBIs while batting .388. Alejandrino said that Thompson is just one of many freshmen who’ve made early contributions. “We’re a young team,” she said. “So we do lack experience. But the more games we play, every pitch and every atbat, our team is progressing and building that team chemistry that is so necessary. While we do have quite a few freshmen and sophomores, this team’s talent and potential is inexplicable. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us as we really get into conference play.” Lacrosse Guided by first-year coach Evan Merrill, the Wesleyan lacrosse team began the season losing five of its first six matches. It opened the USA South Conference season March 25 with a 21-4 loss at home vs. Methodist. It surrendered 10 goals in the first quarter, as the Monarchs jumped to a 7-0 lead before Lily Mccarty tallied an unassisted goal. Lailah Espinal, Nakayla Chatman and Blaire Harley scored the other Bishop goals. Merrill is familiar with Wesleyan’s team, having served as former coach Bridget Walker’s assistant. He hopes the Bishops can build on their sole win, which came in a tightly contested match against Warren Wilson College on March 11 at home. WW led 4-2 in the second period when Harley scored on an assist from Mccarty, to make the score 4-3. After WW got an unassisted goal from Dylan Edwards, Wesleyan’s Espinal and Chatman scored in the last two minutes to bring the two teams even at halftime. Warren Wilson regained the lead with three goals in the third quarter, but Wesleyan mounted a strong comeback in the fourth. Mccarty scored with an assist from Espinal to start the rally. Harley and Chatman then added unassisted goals to tie the match, before Mccarty netted the winning goal with 3:21 remaining. Baseball The NCWU baseball team brought the lumber to its first six conference games, averaging over 10 runs per game and sweeping two 3-game series. The Bishops tattooed Pfeiffer on the road, winning 16-14, 8-3 and 11-7. A week later the Bishops swept Southern Virginia at home, with the offensive onslaught continuing while the pitching and defense limited their opponent to two runs. Payne Stolsworth tossed a two-hit complete game shutout in the opener, a 13-0 pasting, and then Danny Thompson worked all eight innings, yielding three hits and striking out 12 for a 10-0 victory. Head Coach Greg Clifton said that his overall team pitching needs to improve over the rest of the season. So far he considers his ace to be Stolsworth, who leads the team with a 4-0 record and 45 strikeouts in 40 innings, while posting a 2.70 earned run average, first in the conference through 20 games. “He’s had command of all his pitches,” Clifton said, adding that Hunter Hill, Dylan Cheeley and Chandler Padgett have made solid contributions as well. Junior Jackson Hobbs leads Wesleyan’s potent offense. The first baseman has slugged six homers and 34 RBIs to lead the conference. His .453 batting average ranks him second. “Jackson is off to fast start!” Clifton said, noting that his player was named National Hitter of the Month for February in NCAA Division III. “He just goes about his business and plays the game.” Other leaders include Tyson Bass (4 HRs, 20 RBIs, .344 BA), Luke Chung (23 RBIs, .318 BA), Zach Lyon (19 RBIs, .398 BA) and last year’s batting star, senior Davie Morgan (3HRs, 18 RBIs, .333 BA). “Davie has grown up a lot since he has been here,” his coach said. “He doesn’t let things get to him to the point where it affects other parts of his game like he has in the past. He’s our quiet leader.” Clifton expects Wesleyan rivals Methodist and William Peace to be his team’s chief competition in the USA South. “They’re both good teams and always tough series for us,” he said. “They’re both well coached and have our respect. I believe all teams in the conference have gotten better.” See BRIEFS on pg 6 Forward Isaiah Lewis (15.6 points per game, 7.3 rebounds) was named USA South Player of the Year after leading the Bishops to the conference title. Kayrisma “KDot” Harrison was a first team All-Conference selection following the 2023 season. She led the Bishops with 9.9 rebounds per game. Bishop second baseman Davie Morgan Third baseman Molly Alejandrino New lacrosse coach Evan Merrill

North Carolina Wesleyan University, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804 SPORTS MEMORIES March 31, 2023 5 Tennis Match: The Turnaround and the Comeback By Joaquin Cabello I was up 3-0 in the first set. My opponent was much older than I was--he was 28. He was physically enormous and had the strength of a gorilla; he was also taller than I was. He was left-handed, which made it harder for a right-hander like me. At the time we were playing an intense point; we hit 20 balls each, as many forehands as backhands, lobs and drop shots (which is a slow shot with a special spin to put the ball near the net). At one point, when he missed a forehand down the line, I called it out. Then he turned around from the net, so that meant he agreed with my call. A second after I cleaned the ball’s mark from the clay court, he yelled at me saying he didn’t see the mark and that we had to replay the point. The match had just started, and it was already heated. I then realized that wouldn’t be the last heated moment. It was a warm afternoon in December 2021. In Argentina, it is summer during that time of the year, so we were expecting hot weather. Lucky for us, the conditions were perfect to play. That day, one tennis team was going to be promoted to the first category. I was 17 at that time, and the average age of the other players was between 25 and 30. I wasn’t scared at all, though I knew a difficult challenge was waiting for me. My team was playing at home, so we had the advantage of the crowd, which ended up being helpful (I will talk about it later; let’s not rush.). My tennis club was called Club San Martin. Our facility has the length of two American football fields, and the width of 10. Since the event started at 3 p.m., I didn’t expect to finish very late. Little did I know how the match was going to be. The club’s atmosphere was perfect – plenty of people, birds singing and the smell of the flowers was soothing. There were plenty of flowers, which varied in many kinds and colors. There were many trees as well, which gave the club a sense of a forest. The grounds crew always did an excellent job with the courts, and that day was no exception. It was a pleasure to play on those courts. I slid freely on the clay and felt like I could reach every ball. It was an important match because if we were promoted to the first category, we would be able to play against difficult and challenging clubs. The home crowd was helpful, but we also had extra pressure as many of our people would be watching. When he yelled at me that time, saying we had to replay the point, at first I laughed because it was ridiculous. The rules say that if you don’t say anything in the first seconds after the other player’s call, it means you agree. If you don’t agree, you have to tell the other to show you the ball’s mark and then decide whether it is the correct one or not. I had played countless matches during my young life, so I had plenty of experience with those situations. I had had to discuss thousands of ball marks and wrong calls from my rivals, but I didn’t think that would happen with an older opponent. We had only played three games, so to avoid any heated discussion, I stayed calm and explained to him why I had won the point. “You didn’t say anything after I called it out. You even turned around, so they point is mine,” I told him. “What? I didn’t turn around, and who are you to tell me the amount of time I have to ask you for the ball’s mark?” He was furious. “We have to replay the point,” he said. “We are not going to replay the point; the point is mine,” I said. “Next time, be quicker and say something after I call the ball out.” He was angry with me, but didn’t say anything more because, I figured, he realized he was mistaken. I won the first set 6-1. I was playing well; distributing the ball by hitting crosscourt forehands and backhands, I made him run a marathon during that first set. I also hit plenty of down-theline backhand winners, my favorite shot. My rival didn’t know what to do. Then in the second set, the momentum shifted. His playing was amazing, as he hit incredible forehands and backhands down the line, reaching to every ball and fighting. Meanwhile I did everything wrong and lost that set 6-2. My coach had been watching the match since the first point. When he was younger, he was a professional tennis player, and he still played an incredible game. He was a bit taller than I was, but we had the same way of playing tennis – same tactics, same vision, and strokes – so he understood me better than anyone. After the second set, I was upset with myself, and my coach noticed that. “Hey Joaco, what’s going on?” he asked me. “I don’t know, Coach. I was playing so good in the first set and, in a blink of an eye, I started doing everything wrong.” “Forget about the first and second set,” he told me. “Start playing this deciding set as if it was the first set of the match. You play better than him, but you have to believe it.” I didn’t say anything and prepared to serve. The other two matches had already finished. The series was tied 1-1, so this set would decide the winner. No pressure at all. As I said at the beginning, the crowd would end up being helpful. They were cheering and shouting, putting all the energy behind me to win. At first, it wasn’t helpful. I kept on making mistakes and playing terrible. Each point was an eternity; we hit so many balls I was exhausted. I hit countless forehands and backhands, crosscourt and down-the-line, drop shots and lobs, even smashes and volleys, but I eventually ended up losing the point due to some silly mistake. I was furious. Suddenly, it was 2-5, in my rival’s favor. He was serving, with two match points, and I had to return. Usually, the advantage goes to the player who’s serving because he decides how and where to start the point. And the other player needs to anticipate his opponent’s serve. I don’t know what went through my mind at that moment, but I started fighting like I never had before. I saved those two match points with two tremendous down-the-line backhand returns, and won the game. It was then 3-5. The crowd went crazy. Throughout the match, my opponent had a tactic, which consisted of taking me to the net with a drop shot, waiting for my shot on the baseline, and then passing me without trouble. In the middle of that game, my coach gave me an advice, which ended up being decisive. “Hey, when he makes the drop shot, instead of hitting it to the baseline, you need to hit another drop shot,” he said. “He is always waiting back there and won’t see it coming.” As expected, after a long rally, he hit a drop shot. I did what my coach instructed me to do. My rival came to the net, hit a lazy shot, and I passed him with a lob. The crowd went crazy. I shouted “DALE” to celebrate the point, and won the game. It was 4-5. I kept on fighting. The crowd’s energy was helping. They were yelling “VAMOS JOACO” and “DALE JOACO”. I won the following game--5-5. I had to return. I was so nervous, but I was determined to win that match. I hit two down-the-line forehand winners and a drop shot winner. 6-5. We changed sides. I breathed many times to calm down. I was one game away from winning. I had already recovered from 2-5 in the third set. There was no way I was going to lose. I then played some amazing rallies and served 40-0. I had three match points. The entire club went quiet. My first serve went out; my hand was shaking, and second serve was also out. 40-15. At second match point, I missed my first serve. In that moment, I had a little conversation with myself “We have two more opportunities, but we have to win in this point, no matter what,” I said. “So let’s do it.” Out of nowhere, I pulled out an under-arm serve. My opponent came to the net, I hit a lob, he smashed it, I hit another lob and he missed the second smash. I had won. I looked at the crowd, my arms wide open, and the crowd went bonkers, everyone shouting and celebrating. When I got to the net to give my hand to my rival, he told me he would have punched me in the face if I was older--he was furious about the underarm serve. I smiled and said nothing, realizing that I won after being down 2-5 and 15-40 in the third set and that my team would be promoted to the first category. Now that I look back at this match, I realize how capable I am of doing what I propose to myself. I’m happy about how I fought that day and, although I was one point from losing, I had the mental and physical strength to get through that situation and solve it. It’s quite difficult to win a match after being 2-5 in the deciding set, so when I remember that moment I feel happy and proud of myself. Volleyball Senior Recalls Recruitment Journey: Illicit Substances, Scenic Campuses and Connections Formed By Mary Alice Butler Decree Staff Writer Applying to college is stressful for high school seniors no matter what university they want to attend. Now add trying to get recruited to play a college sport on top of it all. It’s even more challenging to get recruited from a small town like Greenville, South Carolina, where I went to school. Fall 2021 was quite hectic as a high school senior. The recruiting process is standard for most sports. For volleyball, it’s helpful if you play on a club team throughout high school because it’s easier to connect with college coaches through your club’s program director. Typically, you send your best film to the coach along with your athletic information. This includes height, position, hand dominance, stats, awards, etc. Essentially, you’re elevator-pitching your athletic skills to the coach in hopes it catches their attention. To help with this process, there are recruiting apps you can buy to become a part of that system. Starting in fall of my senior year, I used Next Student College Athlete (NCSA) Recruiting. I was on the app until the time I signed the celebratory letter of intent to play with NC Wesleyan. I was able to connect with a lot of schools through NCSA and heard from about six or seven. My top choices soon became NC Wesleyan, Brevard College, and Wells College, in New York. Before visiting these schools, there were many emails and phone calls exchanged between me and the coaches. It’s nerve-wracking the first time you talk to a coach over the phone, but once you have one or two conversations with them then the rest become easier. My first visit was to Wells College in Aurora, NY in November 2019. I spent three days there including travel time. I stayed on campus for one night with some of the players. I did the typical tour, meeting with admissions, and attended an open gym session with both the men's and women’s volleyball teams. When you’re on a visit, it can be awkward at times, opening up to strangers and, in particular, sleeping in their dorm room. It made it easier that this was not my first time meeting the assistant coach. He had seen me play in September at the South Atlantic Championship in Richmond. All the coaching and training staff was nice and welcoming towards me, so I really enjoyed talking with them about their program. While everyone I met was outgoing, Wells College was not the school for me. The campus was beautiful as it was located right in the heart of the Finger Lakes on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. But there were too many factors that led me away from committing there. One main factor was that it’s 13 hours from Greenville. As much as I wanted to go away from home, 13 hours was a bit far, even for me. Also while eating dinner in the cafeteria on my visit, I was asked by a member of the men’s volleyball team if I wanted “to do a line”; that played a significant role in my decision. After my trip was over, I politely emailed the coach to thank him for his time and interest. I told him I would let him know how my other visits went. My second recruiting trip was a short hour-and-a-half drive to Brevard College in December 2019. I had not met the coach beforehand, but I had emailed her. My parents and I arrived there in the morning, and I went through the typical open house schedule. After my tour--the first thing we did--I knew I didn’t want to go there. I didn’t like the small campus, and the more I saw and experienced, the more I knew this school was not for me. My parents wanted me to attend Brevard because of how close it was to home. I begged my parents to let me tell the coach that I wasn’t interested in the program, but they wanted me to stay because I had a scholarship interview later in the day. I was an absolute drama queen and pitched a fit about it for the rest of the day. I even threatened to call myself an Uber back home, but I think even my parents knew I was overreacting with that statement. At my scholarship meeting, I was pleasant but checked out of the conversation with the interviewers. Later, I met with the coach and saw the athletic facilities including the gym, locker room, and training room. The coach was friendly and seemed interested in having me play for the Tornados, but I couldn’t go through with it. I went home that day and sent her an email similar to the one I had sent to Wells College. My final college visit was in March 2020. I came to Wesleyan for the weekend to meet with coaches Vicky Gentile and Cory Soble. Coach Cory had seen me play in February at a tournament in Rock Hill, SC. And my communications tended to go through him, at least at the beginning. This visit was different from the others because it was right when Covid was beginning to spread nationwide. Because of the pandemic, my family and I were unable to go inside the buildings on Wesleyan’s campus. I met with two players, juniors Lauren Weaver and Mary Cat Davis, and I was able to ask questions and talk without the stress of my parents or future coaches listening in. From the beginning, I felt very comfortable on campus. We ended the weekend on good terms, and I told them I would keep them updated on my decision. In early April, I was still contemplating whether Wesleyan was the right fit for me. I contacted Coach Vicky saying I would like to visit again if it was okay with them. I wanted to come back because I needed to see more of campus before I could decide if I wanted to spend the next four years here. She was happy to hear from me, so we set up another weekend. This time, I saw inside the classrooms, cafeteria, and dorms. I had a great day with them and knew I wanted to play here. When my parents and I were leaving campus, I called Coach Vicky and asked, very shyly and awkwardly, if I could play with her in the upcoming season. She laughed and asked if this was my way of committing, and I nervously laughed and told her yes. I chose NC Wesleyan because of the connections I felt with the coaches. They were a major factor in my decision, and I’m confident even now that I made the right choice. After my final visit to Wesleyan, everything was simple. I was sent my celebratory letter of intent to sign at my high school signing day. But because of Covid, I was unable to sign at my high school in front of my teachers and friends. I was upset by this because I was the first-ever volleyball player from my school to sign to play college sports. Then my friends and family surprised me with their own signing day on April 28th, 2020. That day I remember feeling overwhelmingly supported, surrounded by the ones I love most. I am now entering my last spring season with the Bishop volleyball program. While I know I’m going to miss it more than I let on, I’m thankful for the love and support this program has invested in me. Three years later, I can say that I made the right choice in choosing NC Wesleyan as my home. Mary Alice Butler Photo courtesy M. Butler Joaquin Cabello. Photo courtesy J. Cabello.

6 North Carolina Wesleyan University, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804 MORE SPORTS March 31, 2023 Dr. Thompson: It Will Be Yanks vs. Braves in 2023 Series Dr. Shane Thompson, as- sistant professor of religious studies, baseball aficionado and diehard Braves fan, has made his annual predictions for the Major League Baseball season. He was interviewed by The Decree in early March, just as Max Scherzer and other pitchers were becoming acclimat- ed--or not--to the league’s new pitch clock. Q: Somehow you managed to scrub the Internet of last year’s predictions, so I can’t hold you accountable. But I do remember that you picked the Oakland Athletics (60-102) to make the postseason. What happened there? A: They let me down! For the last 20 years the A’s have been a model of how to compete in a small market with few resources. This also means that they can afford very few mistakes in player evaluations, trades, and free agent signings, relying heavily on their own player development system, the draft, and international signings. Looking back, I think they’ve made a few trades in recent years that just haven’t panned out. They attempt to sell high on their players that they will not be able to resign. One example is the Matt Olsen trade to my Braves. They received quite a haul of players in return. It remains to be seen whether that trade will work out, but, at least based on last year’s results, it’s not looking too good. I think the Braves may have fleeced them again this off-season too! Q: Before we look at 2023, let’s recap last year’s playoffs. What were the biggest surprises? A: Last year reinforced my feelings that playoffs in sports are about who is hot at that moment, and not at all about the best overall team. The Phillies were the third best team in the NL East for the entire season and would not have even made the playoffs had it been 2021; they benefitted from the increase in the number of Wild Card teams. Yet, with expanded playoffs, they made the World Series. So, I would say the Phillies making the World Series was a big surprise. As a Braves fan going back to the ‘90’s, I’m never surprised to see a good team lose, so “upsets” aren’t shocking to me. Q: While we’re on the playoffs, do you think the number of wildcards (three teams) in each league is in the best interests of baseball? A: Well, they’re in the best interests of the owners because they equal $$$. I would not say that it enhances the integrity of the game. Of course, it’s nice for more fanbases to experience the playoffs and be involved in a pennant chase, but with a 162-game season the best teams rise to the top. Baseball has always been a sport where any team can beat anyone on a given day, so adding more teams just lessens the chance that the best team wins. The Phillies already showed this last year. Q: What were the most signifi- cant player acquisitions during the off-season? A: The shortstop market was certainly the key focus. Overall the most interesting situation had to do with Carlos Correa, who signed with two teams before ending up back with Minnesota due to failed physicals. The Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts con- tracts were somewhat expected, but as someone who has watched Dansby Swanson for his whole career, I was shocked at the length and money of his contract, especially given that he signed with the Cubs, a team that needs much more than one player to become competitive. The Mets signed pitcher Justin Verlander; that was an interesting move, given his age, although he has shown no signs of slowing down. He is meant to fill the void of Jacob deGrom, who signed with Texas after several injury-filled years. I’m curious if Verlander still has his unhittable stuff. I’d also point to two interesting trades. The Blue Jays traded Teoscar Hernandez, a middle-ofthe-order bat on a contender, for a middle reliever. That was odd. The Braves gave up a lot to get Sean Murphy, a likely reflection of the new rules which look to place heightened importance on catcher defense (particularly on the ability to throw out baser- unners). Speaking of catchers, let’s not overlook that Willson Contreras signed with the Cubs’ archrivals in St. Louis….that’s gotta stink for the Cubs’ faithful. Q: How can teams afford the lucrative, long-term contracts signed in recent months? It seems Americans’ interest in baseball is declining relative to the NFL, the NBA and, I would add, college hoops and football. Yet the contract amounts and terms have become more insane. A: I don’t have a good answer for this. Only few teams make their financials publicly available. The Braves, one such team, have basically printed money since they moved to their stadium, running a little city full of bars, restaurants, and shops. Most teams still make their money the old-fashioned way through ticket sales, merchandise, and TV deals. The big question mark here is the TV deals. Most teams have contracts with their regional sports networks (Bally, YES, NESN, etc.). The Bally stations appear on the verge of filing for bankruptcy, which could impact as many as 20 teams. I think that a lot of these contracts simply come from owners who are filthy rich and want to win. Q: Let’s say you’re talking to a baseball fan who’s been asleep for the past 10 years. Explain to him—we’ll call him Bill--how an outfielder (Cody Bellinger) who hit .165 and .210 the last two years merits a $17.5 million contract? A: Ha! That’s a great question. I think the Cubs just bought a one-year lottery ticket and hope he has a rebound year. Bellinger couldn’t even crack the starting lineup for the Dodgers by the second half of last season and appeared to have no other offers. But he did win an MVP in recent memory so maybe a change of scenery will do him good. Q: Okay, let’s get to your predictions for the upcoming season. Identify three to five players to watch in each league. A: In the American League, Julio Rodriguez will continue to be a huge story, especially on a smaller market West Coast team (Seattle). Along the same lines (albeit in a different part of the country), Tampa’s Wander Franco was supposed to be the next phenom. He was out with an injury for much of last year, but I still expect big things. For the AL, you can’t have a list like this without Shohei Ohtani. The guy continues to be superhuman. Now the big question is whether he can team up with Mike Trout to lead the Angels back to the playoffs for the first time in a decade, or whether he will be used for a GIGANTIC trade haul. I also think it will be interesting to see if Aaron Judge plays up to his humongous new contract with the Yankees. In the National League, I’ll start with another kid in a simi- lar position to JRod. Michael Harris II came up and made an immediate impact on the Braves, winning the Rookie of the Year. His teammate, Spencer Strider, finished second in that voting and may possess the most electric fastball in the Majors. I think a very interesting player to watch this year will be Fernando Tatis, Jr. He missed all of last season with an offsea- son motorcycle injury, only to follow that with a positive PED (performance-enhancing drug) test. He has been replaced as the most exciting and beloved player on the Padres by both Manny Machado and Bogaerts. Will he bounce back and take the Padres to their first ever World Series title? Q: And let’s end with your picks for division winners, wildcards, pennant winners, and Series champ. A: American League (Junior Circuit) EastWinner: Yankees. The two East divisions are still the best in baseball. You never know if the Red Sox will bounce back, how good the Rays will be with a bunch of unknown kids, if the Blue Jays will finally overcome the Yankees, or if the Orioles can build on their success from last season. This is still the Yankees’ division to lose. CentralWinner: Twins. The weakest division in the AL overall, this is, on paper, a twohorse race between the Twins and Guardians. However, the White Sox are sitting in the wings ready to pounce if given an opening. WestWinner: Astros. This division may be over by the end of May. The Astros are very good, but the rest of the division is just weak. I do think Seattle will build on their young core and make it back to the postseason. Wild Cards: Blue Jays, Mari- ners, Guardians. Pennant: Yankees over Astros Q: And in the National League? A: National League (Senior Circuit) EastWinner: Braves. This is the Braves’ division until someone knocks them off the top. The Mets and Phillies have been close in recent years and are VERY good teams. CentralWinner: Cardinals. Like their AL counterparts, this is the weakest division in the NL, and probably in all of baseball. The Cardinals aren’t great, but neither is anyone else. WestWinner: Dodgers. Like the NL East, the West is pretty good, especially San Diego. But again, this is the Dodgers’ division to lose until someone proves otherwise. Wild Cards: Mets, Padres, Phillies. Pennant: Braves over Dodgers World Series: Yankees over Braves. I’ll simply pick who I think the best team is in each league, but who knows what can happen in October! Q: As an addendum: I saw that third baseman Scott Rolen made the Hall of Fame but that second baseman and Barry Bonds-adversary Jeff Kent did not. What's your reaction to one getting into the Hall and the other getting rejected again? A: The HOF is a confusing place. I laud it for being the most difficult to attain entry, compared with the NFL and NBA. It does mean, however, that deserving players get left out. Typically these players get in later via different veterans’ committees (such as Fred McGriff who FINALLY got in this year). Rolen and Kent is an interesting case, primarily because I don’t think either deserves to be in the Hall. In his era Kent was a rare true power-hitting second baseman. Rolen was…fine. I think Kent will eventually wind up enshrined. My big issue continues to be with Andruw Jones being left out. With defensive metrics, he is now definitively the greatest defensive CF of all time and it’s not even close. Add onto that 400+ homers, a ton of SB, and a decade of playing in the postseason and he should have been a shoe-in. Yet we wait another year…. Q: Who’s your favorite team again? Dr. Shane Thompson and his wife, Tasneem Dharamsi, at a Braves game. Professor Thompson believes a good new name for his favorite team should be the “Hammers” in honor of Atlanta great Henry Aaron. S. Thompson Photo MASTER’S from pg 3 each other, with students often reaching out to faculty and their classmates, to be reassured that they were not in this alone. We often discussed strategies for managing an unfamiliar situation. Q: Do you plan to make other changes, curricular or otherwise, in the program? If so please elaborate, and explain the reason for the change(s)? A: The program was designed with two concentrations: administration and practice. Initially, students sought the administration concentration, so we didn’t offer the practice track. But recently we’ve seen an increase in students requesting the practice track, so we’re working on modifying this concentration to align with the current needs of the profes- sion and interest level in substance use, mental health, and cybersecurity. Q: How would you describe your own experiences with the program, both as director and an instructor? A: Since arriving at NCWU in 2008, it’s always been my dream to offer a Master of Science in Criminal Justice. With determination, and support from across the campus, it became a reality and now is recognized by the profession and competes with other programs across the state. One of the most rewarding moments was the recogni- tion by US News and World Report as one of the best online criminal justice programs. I’ve enjoyed serving as program coordinator and instructor for the graduate and undergraduate programs. And to stay connected to the CJ students, I teach and advise in both programs. It can all be overwhelming, but the recognitions, promotions, and successes of the NCWU students, make it all worthwhile. BRIEFS from pg 4 Women’s Track Freshman Ahnia Cherry placed third in the 60-meter race of the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, March 11. It was the highest finish in program history. Cherry and sophomore Mariah Brooks were selected to run in the 60- and 200-meter sprints. Men’s Tennis It’s been business as usual for the men’s tennis team, as it began conference action with four shutout wins. The Bishops have won the USA South Conference title the past 14 seasons in a row. In their most recent match, against Mary Baldwin at home, the Bishop drubbed the Flying Squirrels, 9-0. The team jumped to an early lead as Victor Otin/Thato Holmes (8-1) and Wesley Owen/Julian Pfeffermann (8-0) won at #1 and #2 doubles and Wesleyan took the third by forfeit. In singles, four Bishops took their matches without losing a game: Julian Barros, Brody Brice, Joaquin Cabello, and Alberto Robinelli. Wesleyan is ranked third in NCAA Region IV, behind Emory and Mary Washington, though it may rise after defeating Mary Washington in a nonconference match, 7-2, on March 25. Golf Wesleyan’s golf team won its first tournament of the year, finishing first by four total strokes in the Marlin Invitational in Virginia Beach. The Bishops were paced by sophomore Myles Patterson, who took medalist honors with two rounds of 75.