Basketball is back on campus

By Sara Bottinelli, Staff Writer

Graphic by Kelley Lyness

Over the past year, students have watched Young Harris College bring a variety of new and improved resources to campus. While students have watched these new traditions make their mark on the school’s future, they have also received a glimpse from the past as one of the college’s oldest sports has returned to YHC.

Many students have shown an ecstatic attitude towards the return of basketball, while some students seem less than thrilled. Across campus, students have shown their opinions about the sport’s return.

For some, basketball is a chance to get painted up in the “Valley of Doom” – the campus nickname for the new basketball arena. Erin Royston, a freshman from Elberton, expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming games.

“I’ve always been a fan of basketball; and yes, this is a great way for the school to come together and show its school spirit,” Royston said. “Not only that, one of the players on the boy’s team is from my hometown; so, I’m pumped to be able to cheer him on and get all painted up to watch many victories in the Valley of Doom!”

A lot of commotion was raised YHC prepared for both the men’s and women’s teams to play their first game, which was held last Monday.

The inaugural game ended the 41 year absence of basketball from YHC. Basketball has not been an active sport since 1969. For this reason, students have been pumped about being the first to witness the sport get back in action.

YHC students cheer on the men's basketball team in the final seconds of the game. Photo by Kathleen Layton

“It’s a whole new experience that is exciting and fun” says Shae Tyndal, an education major from Atlanta.

Not only have these teams been hard at work preparing for the season, but the pep band has also been busy practicing tunes, which will become familiar cheer boosters during all of the games.

“I’m really excited about being in the band with some awesome people, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone get pumped for the first game.” said Zach Chamberlin, a freshman history major from Athens.

Janelle and Jaleesa Morris have also shown their excitement for the players and the band.

“I’m excited about the pep band. That’s my main thing. I’m also excited about seeing the girls play and what they can do,” said Jaleesa Morris, a senior English major from Canton.

Recently, a poll asked students if they were excited about basketball’s return to YHC. While a large majority stated yes, some responded with an indifferent or even negative attitude.

Of the 100 surveyed, 58 percent were excited about basketball’s return, 26 percent stated that they were not excited about basketball’s return and 16 percent seemed unsure of whether they were or weren’t excited about the sport.

Rolando Fernandez, a junior music education major from Canton said he was not very interested in the returning sport.

“I am not very excited about the basketball this season, because we don’t have very many legitimate players,” Fernandez said.

This statement responds to the recent loss of some of the men’s team players, which has drastically cut the amount of players eligible to play.

Other negative responses questioned the school’s priorities when it comes to other sports. So much focus has been placed on YHC basketball that support for other sports such as soccer or baseball seems rather weak.

“Young Harris is putting too much emphasis on basketball. We have plenty of other sports that are very successful and have national championships and they don’t receive as much support. If you support one sport you should support them all,” stated a student who wished to remain anonymous.

Jenni Mathis, an outdoor leadership major from Atlanta also agrees, “I think it’s ridiculous that other sports that have been here for so long are never recognized. I understand that it is a returning sport, but that doesn’t mean other sports shouldn’t be recognized the same way as well.”

Students have expressed some frustration with all the attention that has surrounded basketball, especially when the new Recreation and Fitness Center is taken up to promote or sell the teams.

Regardless of some of animosity present, the majority of YHC students and staff were excited to show their spirit.

“I cannot wait to get painted up for basketball,” said Heather Richbourg, a sophomore biology major from Hayesville.

Even those who don’t attend or work at the college have expressed their enthusiasm. Tron Gibbs, a resident of Blairsville and a fan of basketball, looks forward to the upcoming season.

“It’s really exciting because it’s a sport coming back to the college and this

“Keygate” causes stir

By Erin Grable, Staff Writer and Kathleen Layton, Editor-in-Chief

A police report filed October 1 details the circumstances surrounding the arrest of one Delta Lambda member following a disturbance reported outside of the old YHC recreational center.

In early October, three YHC students were caught by campus police lurking between Maxwell Math and Science Building and the old gynmasium dressed in black and in possession of set of campus master keys. The incident led to one arrest, the exposure of a secret campus society and a revisitation of campus policy regarding student access to keys.

In the early hours of Friday, Oct. 1, students David McEwen and Tory Gravitt were wearing dark-colored clothing when they were approached by YHC police officer Tommy Shook. According to police reports, both students ran from Shook and were later found near the baseball fields by a deputy of Towns County Sheriff’s Office. McEwen and Gravitt were brought to the police station for questioning where they were joined by a third YHC student, Austin Freeman. All three claimed to be “exploring the campus” using a set of master keys that were provided to them through their membership in a secret organization called Delta Lambda, or “Down-Low.” McEwen was arrested, and the other two students were detained as additional suspects.

Once questioned, the trio revealed that as members of Delta Lambda they would sneak around buildings late at night using Delta Lambda’s set of master keys. These keys were passed down year to year. The keys were originally obtained from founding members Cody Morgan and Alan Guilfoyle. After questioning, Freeman handed over the keys to YHC police as well as a backpack containing books with information on other campus organizations.

According to Freeman, all three students were provided the opportunity to negotiate their punishment alongside YHC police and administration as a part of the appeals process. The allowance of an appeal is a common part of the disciplinary procedures at YHC.

“The cops were reasonable. All students who get in trouble on campus get an appeal, and we decided that it would be beneficial for us as students to be examples to other students rather than [for] them kick us out [of school],” said McEwen, a Spanish major from Conyers.

Eventually, it was decided that the three would individually serve 70 hours of community service, pay a fine of $300 dollars each, develop a program to return any additional master keys back to YHC administration and remain under a strict disciplinary program until they graduate.

In hindsight, McEwen, Gravitt and Freeman each have regrets about the incident.

“We ran because we looked sketchy in all black,” said McEwen. “We were scared. We were idiots. We knew it was wrong, because we had the keys.”

Agreeing with McEwen’s sentiments, Gravitt, a theatre major from Cumming, commented, “I thought my future was done for and that I was going to jail. I thought I was going to get kicked out of school—my whole future flashed before my eyes.”

Gravitt went on to say, “ever since that night, even though I didn’t get kicked out of school and it didn’t go on my criminal record, my life has still changed; because, I will be suffering from these consequences for a long time.”

Needless to say, each student has come to realize the gravity of their actions.

“Looking back I realize what could have happened,” said Freeman, a theatre major from Hart County. “Tori or David could have been shot because they ran. I thought of a range of things; but, since we were cooperative, the police decided to keep only the school involved. I thought I could go to prison or be suspended.”

Dr. Ron Ingle, the executive vice president and provost at YHC. Ingle said, “I trust that they’ve learned from this experience. It’s what we do here. Hopefully, they’ve learned something and make some changes to [their] decision making.”

Along with hoping that the lesson is learned, Ingle noted that the school will not press charges.

Ingle said, “as long as they follow their requirements it’s a done deal” in reference to their disciplinary requirements.

Though the incident occurred over a month ago, the repercussions are still being felt across campus. Ingle mentioned plans for a key policy to be established in the future.

“I’m planning on implementing a key policy. I understand that there are keys out there. I plan on having a key amnesty period, where there will be no repercussions for [having keys], so long as those keys are returned,” Ingle said.

Ingle stressed the difficulty of determining which students have the authority to have keys and how that approval should be reached.

While this incident posed a problem for administration, Rouseline Emmanuel, director of campus activities, said that she had no knowledge of the situation because “[Delta Lambda] is not a recognized organization [by YHC].”

Emmanuel’s office only deals with issues involving YHC-sanctioned student organizations.

Ingle believed that this issue was bigger than previously believed, but did not feel that notifying faculty about the event was an acceptable way to approach the issue.

Though Ingle was surprised by the gravity of the issue, Dr. Joy Goldsmith, assistant professor of communication and department chair, commented that she was not surprised that students have access from previous years. However, Goldsmith acknowledged that students having access to confidential materials is worrisome and could become a big danger.

 

YHC women’s basketball falls to NGC

By Ethan Burch, Sports Editor

YHC women's basketball players look for an opening against NGC women's basketball team during Monday night's inaugural game against North Georgia. Photo by Kathleen Layton

On Monday, the Young Harris College women’s basketball team fell 64-39 to North Georgia College & State University in the program’s first game in over 40 years.

North Georgia (2-1) started their run early as they shot out to a 14-5 lead after a made free throw by Janyce Ealey with 12:10 remaining in the first half. Over the next seven minutes, North Georgia went on a 17-4 run to take a 31-9 lead.

Young Harris (0-1) made a rally capped off by a jumper by sophomore Nikki Winn in the final minutes of the first half to cut the Lady Saints’ lead to 31-16. In the last minute of the half, however, Lady Saints guard Meredith Montgomery knocked down a jump shot to give North Georgia a 33-16 lead at the half.

The Mountain Lions cut the North Georgia lead to 33-19 with 19:29 remaining after a made 3-pointer by freshman Breanna Gleeson, but the Lady Saints put the game away with a 21-8 run over the next 11 minutes to take a 54-27 lead.

Ealey was 7-of-9 from the floor and also finished with seven rebounds. Sarah Stinson and Tiffany Marlow each had eight points as North Georgia was 24-of-53 from the field for 45 percent.

Winn led Young Harris with 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting. Freshman Miata Askew had 10 points as the Mountain Lions were 16-of-49 from the field for 33 percent.

YHC women’s basketball Head Coach Brenda Paul knew that her team was out-matched in their season opener, but was pleased with stints of the team’s offense and with the support of the fans.

For more coverage of the women’s game, check out the print edition of the Enotah Echoes on Mon., Nov. 22.

Men’s basketball wins inaugural game

By Ethan Burch, Sports Editor

The men's team triumphed over North Georgia this past Monday night. Photo by Kathleen Layton

On Monday, the Young Harris College men’s basketball team made history by winning their first game in over 40 years.

The Mountain Lions returned home to receive much support from a sold out YHC Recreation Center packed with screaming fans. YHC faced off against Peach Belt Conference member North Georgia College & State University in their home opener, and were able to shock the Saints with a 78-68 victory.

Young Harris (1-1) began the game with a 7-2 run that was capped off by a fast break lay-up by freshman Matt Preston with 16:52 remaining in the first half.

North Georgia (0-1) ; however, would rally back to regain an 8-7 lead off of a jump shot by George Jgerenaia with 14:13 remaining. After the jumper by Jgerenaia, YHC began their rally back to the lead by creating a 13-2 run over the next four minutes of the game to go ahead 20-10 thanks to a made basket by freshman Steven Viterbo with 9:59 remaining in the half.

With 6:35 remaining in the first half, freshman Luke Brackman entered the game for the Mountain Lions and was successful on his first three point attempt which extended the YHC lead to 25-13. Following the made basket, North Georgia made a run to cut the lead to 27-20 that was capped off by a tip-in from Keldrick Coleman with 2:44 left in the half.

The last two minutes of the first half would go in favor of the Mountain Lions as they made an 8-0 run to give them a 35-30 lead going into halftime.

To begin the second half, the Mountain Lions extended their lead to 41-25 thanks to a put-back by freshman Frank Adams with 17:28 left to play in the game. The Saints rallied back; however, by going on a 13-2 run that was capped off by Clarence Tillman to cut the Mountain Lions’ lead to 43-38.
Young Harris responded to with an 11-2 run that was capped off by a made 3-pointer by Viterbo. The Saints would cut the lead to 61-55 over the minutes that followed, but were not able to make the game any closer.

With 2:27 remaining in the game, the Mountain Lions held 69-59 lead and were able to put the game out of reach in the final minutes of the game thanks to a made free throw by Viterbo and a stolen inbounds pass by freshman O’Neil Lubin to give YHC a 72-59 lead with two minutes remaining.
Lubin led the Mountain Lions in scoring with a career-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Viterbo had 17 points and seven rebounds, while Frank Adams recorded 13 points and eight boards. Bryson Robertson chipped in with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds as the Mountain Lions were 28-of-54 shooting for 52 percent.

Jgerenaia and Carl Taylor led North Georgia with 15 points, while Elijah Smith recorded a double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Saints were 27-of-65 from the field for 42 percent.

The coaching staff of YHC was pleased with the performance that the team delivered throughout the team’s home opener.

“The key things we’re going to do all season are defend and rebound,” said YHC Head Coach Pete Herrmann. “We held them to 26 percent shooting in the first half and out-rebounded them by five for the game. With our size, that’s a real plus. I thought it was a great team effort. It’s great for all the former players to come back and see. This is just a great win for Young Harris College.”

“It was the best experience I have ever been a part of playing or coaching,” said YHC Assistant Coach Heath Hooper. “I am truly proud to be a part of this program and Young Harris College.

“It was a great experience,” said YHC assistant coach Andre Morgan. “I am very happy for our guys, the community, the students and the administration here at YHC.”
YHC returns to action 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 29 against Tennessee Wesleyan at the YHC Basketball Arena.

For more coverage of this game, check out the print edition of the Enotah Echoes on Mon., Nov. 22.

Lil Wayne’s free at last

Photo by Skye Butler

By Kathleen Layton, Editor-in-Chief

Last Thursday, Dwayne Carter, better known as Lil Wayne, was released from prison after being incarcerated for the past eight months.

While the significance of his release may be lost for some of you, others immediately recognize that Lil Wayne has evolved beyond just being a hip-hop rapper. Instead, he has morphed into a cultural icon.

Since early age of nine, Lil Wayne has been signed to Cash Money Records. Now at 28, after nearly 20 years in the music business, Lil Wayne has released over seven albums and over nine mix tapes, with his most popular being “No Ceilings.”

These albums and mix tapes have produced countless music collaborations, including collaborations with other music icons such as Madonna and Shakira. His work has also resulted in being nominated for eight Grammy Awards, four of which he won in 2009.

Other marks on culture include, Lil Wayne’s claim to the slang phrase “bling.” His creative use of words and metaphors have transformed the way my generation views music.

The days were hip-hop music was exclusively for urban residents is slowly decaying. Now, the influence of hip-hop music can be seen despite age, ethnicity and socioeconomic class.

Because of Lil Wayne my generation will never be able to view simple items such as a lollipop, duffle bag or a fireman the same way.

The success of Lil Wayne has also contributed to the success of other artists in the music industry. Lil Wayne gave breakout artists, such as Nicki Minaj or Drake, a start in the music business by offering them contracts to sign with Young Money Entertainment.

Even though Lil Wayne has had an undeniable influence on popular culture, there are still those that doubt Wayne’s legitimacy. But, regardless of your own personal opinion of hip-hop music or Lil Wayne, he remains a household name. The mere fact that his release from prison was a headline among news stations and Facebook status worthy demonstrates his amazing ability to leave a lasting impression.

Lil Wayne has entered the ranks of other household names such as Lady Gaga or Britney Spears; and, his release from prison has left Lil Wayne fans anxious for the release of his next album or mix tape. In comparison, while fans are eager, skeptics of Wayne continue to question his place in the music industry. To combat these skeptics, Lil Wayne says, “you can love me or hate me, I swear it won’t make me or break me.”

 

Unmanned police cart crashes into student vehicle

During the late hours of Nov. 6, the Young Harris College Police Department discovered that the police cart was removed from its usual parked location beside the bike racks outside Manget Residence Hall. YHC Police later found the police cart crashed into a student car. According to YHC Police Chief Ken Henderson, an unknown person unlocked the brakes of the police cart and pushed it down the hill in between Manget and Hillgrove residence halls. The police cart continued down the hill until it eventually crashed into a parked student vehicle. The vehicle belonged to John Mark Shellnut. Shellnut could not be reached for comment. As of this time, there are no known suspects. Henderson could not attest as to whether or not this incident was done by a student or a community resident. Photo by Kathleen Layton

Maxwell parking lot experiences minor car crash

The back parking lot behind Maxwell Math and Science Building experienced a minor car crash, when a truck removing toxic chemicals from one of the chemistry labs, accidentally backed into this late-model Ford Explorer. The SUV belongs to Eddie Collins, a assistant professor of theatre and theatre department chair. Collins confirmed that this was his vehicle by saying, “yep, that’s my car.” As a result, the back window of the Explorer was cracked, and later intentionally busted by Young Harris College officials as a safety precaution. YHC housekeeping staff cleaned up the remaining glass fragments. No injuries were reported, and no chemicals from the truck were spilled. Photo by Kathleen Layton

YHC Democrats and Republicans agree, go vote

By Kathleen Layton, Editor-in-Chief

With the election day drawing near, the most important way a student can voice their opinion is through casting their ballot; but, just in case students don’t get the chance to vote, there are other ways that students can express his or her political views.

On campus, there are two organizations that represent the two major political parties. Both the Young Democrats of Young Harris College and the College Republicans of Young Harris are dedicated to discussing the platforms of these parties, providing a space were each student can express his or her political beliefs and supporting the politicians that belong to each respective political party.

Both organizations offer students and faculty the opportunity to express their political views, but each group also encourages students to vote.

The upcoming election will decide congress members, the governor of Georgia, judges and other elected positions.

Rachel Mason, the vice president of the Young Democrats, said, “This election will determine basically everyone, but the president.”

Even though Mason is a member of the Young Democrats she believes that everyone should exercise their right to vote, regardless of their party preference.

“Personally, it’s not even about being a Democrat or Republican. We’re all Americans. We have the power to change America’s government,” Mason said. “As long as we get out and vote we can make a difference. ‘Yes, we can.’”

Senior business and public policy major Katie Norris also recognized the importance of voting.

As chairman for the College Republicans, Norris said, “I encourage everyone to vote. Voting is our constitutional right. Government and policy have a significant impact on our daily lives as citizens. Elections decide who will get into office and represent our interests. Every vote counts.”

Even though Democrats and Republicans are notorious for butting heads, both groups agree on the importance of voting. For more information about each party’s platform or how to get involved in these organizations contact a member of the Young Democrats or the College Republicans.

Student finds Ivan!

Jason Dalton, a biology major from Augusta, found Ivan. The mummy was hidden in the window of Young Harris College President Cathy Cox's office. For finding our beloved Ivan, Dalton will receive two free movie tickets to Blairsville Cinemas. Thank you to all who participated in the search for Ivan. Photo by Kathleen Layton

OE has new identity at YHC

By Kathleen Layton, Editor-in-Chief

Earlier this month, the Outdoor Education program at YHC was rebranded as the Outdoor Leadership program as the program does not provide "a licensure of teaching education." Photo by Jacob Stone

On Thurs. Oct. 14, the Outdoor Education Program was renamed Outdoor Leadership. This semantic change was announced to the students majoring in outdoor leadership prior to the official announcement, which was sent out through an M.E.T.A. e-mail to YHC faculty and staff. Students not majoring in outdoor leadership learned of the change at the Majors Fair held in Enotah Hall also on Oct. 14.

As a result of this change, both the department and degree program have changed. YHC’s Outdoor Education Center is now called the Center for Outdoor Leadership. Students who were majoring in outdoor education will now receive a degree in outdoor leadership.

The swift conversion from outdoor education to outdoor leadership has many students and faculty curious about the motives behind the renaming as well as reasons for the suddenness of the title change.

The change to outdoor leadership resulted out of an administrative review of the program. These reviews are lead by administration and are exercised with the intent of finding ways to improve each program of study.

“One thing we talk about is how to improve the education program, and one way we do this is to see how marketable to program is,” said Dr. Ron Roach, vice president of academic affairs.

While doing this review of outdoor education, administration found the definition of the Outdoor Leadership Program varied with each prospective student. Instead of associating the term with experiential education in an outdoor environment, some students mistakenly equated the program with a “classroom or licensure of teaching education,” Roach said.

Though evidence of prospective student confusion is not based on any numerical data, Roach said that evidence of this confusion was “based on word of mouth from the admissions folks, who talked to prospective students, and also from observations from the administration. This decision was a gut-decision.”

Once YHC administration recognized a need for clarification in the department’s title, word was sent to the outdoor education professors. After much debate, the outdoor education professors decided that outdoor leadership would be the new department name.

“We were given complete ownership of the name. And, when we decided on outdoor leadership, [the faculty of the department] all agreed,” said Rob Dussler, professor of outdoor leadership.

Even though the term outdoor leadership is new to YHC, several other colleges and universities have used the term ‘outdoor leadership’ for their own outdoor programs, such as Brevard College. The outdoor program at Brevard College is called Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education, making the name change at YHC in line with other colleges and universities.

This congruency has led Roach to believe that the change is “another positive step.”
However, Roach added that the name change “is not written in stone. We’ll keep assessing it.”
With the rationalization behind the change explained, the next big question concerned the swiftness of the the decision.

The speed of the change is attributed to the publication of promotional material for YHC.
Roach said the speed of the change “has a lot to do with the fact that we are producing a lot of publications. We talked about delays, but we didn’t see a compelling reason to delay. So, we went ahead and made the change now.”

Even though the name of the department has changed, “all the classes and the approach to the degree will remain the same. Even our mission statement is the same as before,” Dussler said.
Though the publication materials are identical, the degree will emphasize leadership roles in an outdoor environment.

“I wouldn’t say that outdoor education and outdoor leadership have the same meaning, but we’re preparing students for leadership roles in outdoor education,” Dussler said.
Both Roach and Dussler believe that the marketability of the Outdoor Leadership degree program will not be harmed by the change. Administration and the Outdoor Leadership Department agree that this is a positive change for the program of study.
However, several of the outdoor leadership majors expressed concern about the change of their degree program.

“It sucks. What’s the point of changing from outdoor education to outdoor leadership? We promote experiential learning so it doesn’t make sense to change it,” said Ben Garner, a senior outdoor leadership major.

Junior outdoor leadership major, Katie Holcomb from Hampton, said, “they didn’t tell us. They didn’t ask us. We just found out it was changed. The school didn’t’ consider us or ask our opinion. It’s kinda disappointing.”