march 3, 2021 volume 98, number 7

MARCH 3, 2021

National Day of

Unplugging Editorial

Pg. 3

Crossword Puzzle and

Prizes Pg. 8

VOLUME 98, NUMBER 7

“It’s Only Life” Pg. 5

by Alycia Artis

After their fall season was cancelled, members of the Greensboro College football team were given an amazing opportunity. They are being allowed a shortened spring season, and they will now be able to host football games on Pride Field. For years, the football team has been wait-ing for this moment – the chance to call the home field “Home.”

According to senior Ju’warren Byrd, all that has been transpiring on the for-mer soccer field has been extremely exciting.

“It feels great. It’s some-thing I’ve always wanted to see, and they hooked it up

the way I’ve always pictured it,” Byrd said. “And being able to play at home is a lot better for attendance. Playing at Grimsley sort of limits the amount of people that want to show up because it is a ways away. Now everyone can just walk outside and watch us dominate on the field.”

Junior David Loughry had positive things to say as well. He said finally having their own scoreboard “really makes Pride Field home for us.” He said playing off-campus his first two seasons were definitely “weird” but being back on campus just “brings a different kind of excitement heading into the season.”

“It’s exciting knowing that we have an opportunity to play on campus now,” said sophomore Justice Brannon.

Although he has not been at Greensboro College for too long, he says that he knows how surreal it is for former players: “it is very exciting.”

“Running out on Pride Field with the city in the background is going to be real special,” Loughry added with emphasis.

The football team’s first game will be against Methodist College at 1 p.m. on March 6. Come out and support the Pride.

Photo courtesy of David Loughry

New field, new season

Photo courtesy of GC Athletics

DAVID LOUGHRY

The Collegian March 3, 2021

Midterm Music

by Breanna Adamick

Everyone has a different way of studying. Some find it easier to con-centrate in a dedicated study space, such as a library or desk. Others prefer to do it in the comfort of their room – perhaps while lounging on the bed or a comfy chair. Whatever the case, most people I have met all have one thing in common when they study: they listen to music.

Personally, I like to listen to music at a low volume while I am working so I have some pleasant background noise. Some people think this is bad, that listening to music while study-ing will be distracting or negatively impact grades. To each their own, but research has shown that there are far more instances of positive cor-relations between music and studying than negative ones.

Studies on the effects of music on the human brain have been occur-ring for a great many years. While there will most likely always be some mixed opinions on the subject, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence to support the claim that music can improve one’s cognitive abilities.

Claudia Hammond of BBC writes that for a long time, music was believed to be beneficial strictly for young children – specifically, the music of Mozart was thought to help (this was called the “Mozart Effect”).

However, various studies have come to show that other kinds of music work just as well as Mozart’s, and not just with children. As stated by researchers at Florida National University, music has been shown to

activate both the left and right brain at once, which maximizes learning and improves memory.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, students should listen to music.

“Music is an effective stress reducer, in both healthy individu-als and people with health problems. Research finds that listening to sooth-ing music can decrease blood pres-sure, heart rate, and anxiety levels in heart patients.”

So, while we have learned there is no need to just stick to classical music when studying, it does still have other helpful effects. In accordance with Florida National University, for instance, listening to classical music has been known to help many college students struggling with insomnia.

The positive effects of music go beyond the benefits we receive when we just listen to it, however. In fact, the researchers of the web-site “Frontiers in Psychology” state that actually playing an instrument or being a musician can have a very posi-tive effect on your brain. Musicians, generally, have shown higher intel-ligence than non-musicians when it comes to verbal intelligence, general intelligence, and working memory.

Overall, it can be seen that there are many positive aspects to music in relation to the brain that most of us have probably never realized. So perhaps the next time you are sit-ting down in front of your textbooks, you will consider exploring the wide world of music and finding something that could aid you in your studies.

Music’s magic

March 3, 2021 The Collegian

Executive EditorBlake Hawkins

Managing EditorJosie Gold

ContributorsBreanna Adamick

Alycia ArtisNicholas BrothertonKeyondric Buchanan

Jared CenalDa’von CouncilSaiir Foy-ColesAshley Hawkes

Jackie HinesGeorge Knight

Claudio Vincent MoodyTess Perdue

Drew RachunekCristina Samano-Romo

Nicholas SherbineKariey Anne SmithJordan ThompsonAlexander Trepper

Carlyn UhlirShaMeira Williams

Graphic DesignCarol Brooks

Faculty Advisor Wayne Johns

Opinions expressed in editorials are those of each individual author and do

not necessarily reflect those of The Collegian, nor the administration,

students, faculty or staff of Greensboro College.

The Collegian

Staffby Blake HawkinsExecutive Editor

Have you ever thought about what school was like for your grandparents? There was no Internet. There were no computers, no smart boards or projectors. If you wanted to write, it was with pencils or chalk. Books and journals were actually printed on paper, and you had to know what the Dewey Decimal System was if you wanted to find any of them.

Modern technology has come so far in the last few decades, and it can be real-ly helpful for learning. Greensboro College has adapted a universal design for learning, and one feature of that program focuses on how to use technology to enhance students’ education. This can be very beneficial – especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic, but our fascination with all things tech could be reaching unhealthy levels.

Between Gmail, Moodle, Zoom, Empower and Google, we are now being required to spend an unprecedented amount of time staring at a screen. For that matter, much of the world has started to work from home, spending much of their days staring at a screen. That is just the way things are right now. It is a fact of life that technology domi-nates the work and education-al sectors which only makes our lives more stressful and faster-moving because there is no way to separate home and work time. It all runs together.

We also find most of our entertainment on a screen. How many of you have at least one paid streaming service like Netflix, Hulu or Disney+? I

am betting that quite a few of you have all three (or have access to all three through a friend). Then there is TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook … the list goes on and on. Our days are filled with the latest updates, stories and streaks. While this can be fun, there is also the side of social media that always does more harm than good. The often-toxic atmosphere that we encounter regularly is a place where self-esteem is trashed.

Regardless of your opin-ion of social media, the fact remains that between school and entertainment, a healthy majority of us spend a good part of our day watching a computer or cellphone screen, and sometimes it is just too much. Godfrey Reggio said, “It’s not that we use technolo-gy, we live technology.” When you go to bed and your eyes just feel dry and worn out, you know you have had too much screen time, and we need to address that fact.

I spent a couple of sum-mers as a camp counselor and, as part of that job, I did not have access to my phone from Sunday afternoon until Thursday night. Yes, you heard that right. I did not have my phone for over four days, and it was great. You would be surprised how relaxing it was. It was great not feeling like I had to look for a text every five minutes or see what this or that person’s latest post was. Not to mention, when you are not looking at your phone, you can see everything and everyone else around you. You never know what you are missing when you are constantly look-ing down at a screen.

Well, it just so happens that March 5 is the National Day of

Unplugging, and maybe that is a place to start. Maybe you can go a whole day without looking at your phone, but that is probably not very realis-tic, especially since there are classes that day.

However, it is definitely time that we become more intentional about finding time to go off of the grid. Maybe you can decide to read a book, rather than watching whatever latest cat videos are trending. Maybe you can take a walk and look at the city or take a hike and look at nature. It does not matter how you do it, but we should be more con-scious about how much screen time we have each and every day. Let us be honest, a lot of you probably could not make four hours without your phone, much less four days.

The truth is, you really do not need a whole day to unplug – although I do recommend trying it – you really only need a little part of every day. I once had a friend actually schedule time in his day to just sit there and do nothing – no technol-

ogy, no phone, no anything. The point was to be still, listen and reflect. It was a way to get away from the world for just a few minutes a day, and listen to yourself and God.

We should all give this a try. Start with a few minutes. Put your phone on silent, and go into another room. Then, just breathe. Society tells us that we constantly need stimulation for our brains, but that is just not true. Let your imagina-tion wander, talk to God, think about your future. I know, I am starting to sound philosophi-cal. The point is that technolo-gy is only as good as you make it, and there can be too much of a good thing. Sometimes you just need some distance and perspective.

So, maybe when you just sit and think on March 5, you can think about what it was like for your grandparents to go to school. Who knows, maybe you will get the urge to ask them. I am sure they would love to tell you.

Time to unplugEditorial


Mental Health

by ShaMeira Williams

*Trigger Warning: sensitive material involving self-harm*

March is Self-Injury Awareness month – also known as Self-Harm Awareness month.

“Self-injury, sometimes referred to as self-harm, is intentional, non-lethal behavior that causes physical injury to your body. March 1 of each year is Self-Injury Awareness Day,” states Community Reach Center.

“It is an unhealthy coping mecha-nism that may calm a person by giv-ing them a sense of control and the ability to see a connection between the physical pain and what is caus-ing it, as opposed to emotional pain, which can be harder to pinpoint.”

The Recover Village says about 17 percent of all people will self-harm during their lifetime, and that the average age of the first incident of self-harm is 13.

I asked an anonymous source what led them to harming them-selves in the past.

“I think what led to it was all the emotional turmoil I was fac-

ing alone. I was not opening up to anyone, and I was way too hard on myself. I let myself be sad for a long time, and it took me down a really dark path. I think that is where it all started.”

“Some tactics I use to deal with the urges are painting.” the student said when asked what tactics they use to control the urges. “I paint on a blank canvas using acrylic paint while listening to music to distract my mind and hands from the urges.

I also like to read. For me, reading is a way to escape and get my mind off of things.

“When dealing with any type of pain, I usually turn to my loved ones or people with whom I am close. Feeling support and comfort from those I love makes dealing with pain a little easier. I also indulge in doing things that relax me or I enjoy – like cooking or watching my favorite movies.”

“Mental health is a difficult sub-

ject for some people, and you never truly know what someone is going through,” the source continued. “Be kind and lend a hand to someone who may need it. Self-harm is an unhealthy way of coping and can be dangerous. Being a friend can save someone’s life.”

If you or someone you know struggles with self-harm there are tons of hotlines to call such as 855-402-9180.

by Ashley Hawkes

COVID-19 is taking a toll on all of us as the pandemic continues. As a whole, we have had to adapt and change to make the effort to be safer and stop the spread of COVID-19, but what about those who cannot easily change their lives to accommodate for the pandemic?

Being a part of the autism community, it is a daily event to complete routines and procedures to create self comfort. With the coronavirus, it has become increasingly hard to complete these things, taking away from the happiness of those

on the spectrum and leaving them in a place of discomfort or because of a lack of structure in their day to day life.

Along with a disruption to routines, the autis-tic community has had to adapt to the precau-tions we are having to take, such as personal pro-tective equipment, like masks. As someone with autism, it may be hard for them to find a mask made of a material that does not cause stress. This may also lead them to be overwhelmed by the new sensation of fabric on their skin. As well as masks, people in the community have had to overcome the stressors of new personal inter-

actions like getting your temperature taken or being tested. Both of these things are necessary to help combat COVID-19 but for someone with autism, it can be difficult to take part in these things because of developmental social delay that comes with autism.

As a society, COVID-19 has made us have to adapt to help slow the spread of the pandemic, but we also have to become more educated and understanding of the autism community and those with social struggles that make adapting even more difficult for them.

The Calm Corner: Ways to cope

COVID-19 and the autism community


“It’s Only Life”Sharing stories through song

“It’s Only Life,” a musical revue with works by John Bucchino, had per-formances Feb.19-21. All of the musical theatre majors in the Greensboro College theatre department were featured in this production. Each student was given the opportunity to sing a piece and showcase their ability to tell a story through music.

Due to COVID-19, the theatre department has had to make adjustments to its productions. Everyone involved in the show must remain masked at all times, and the actors, as well as the audiences, have to be socially distanced. “It’s Only Life” was no exception. However, this show lends itself to these modifications and works, not in spite of these challenges, but because of them.

The stage was set with six socially-distanced stools, and each actor had a moment to sing their story. According to senior musical theatre major Lindsey Mead, this lack of additional elements “made us focus on the text and the pictures we were creating. It became more of an intellectual process than a spectacle one.”

“All of these songs are stories, and each story needed to be told,” said junior musical theatre major Adora Txakeeyang. “Having the time to work on one piece and really dissect the text with the music helped a lot with discover-ing the depth of the story.”

While each song is independent and can tell its own story without the con-text of the show, each piece is enhanced by its role in the collective unit. Each story lends itself to have an influence on another. They all have one fundamen-tal connection: they are about life, people and relationships.

Ashley Hyers, the theatre department chair, directed “It’s Only Life.” Several students commended Hyers and her work on the show.

“Working with Professor Ashley Hyers as our director for the first time was a very fulfilling experience,” said sophomore musical theatre and stage man-agement major Abigail Mowbray. “Her vision for the show suited the content perfectly, and I am excited to work under her as a director soon.”

“[Hyers] created some really wonderful stage pictures as we told the stories in these songs,” said junior musical theatre major Miranda Morris.

“It was so much fun to be able to perform live with this amazing group of people, and this will be an experience I will remember for the rest of my life,” said musical theatre major Brandon Myers.

“It’s Only Life” allowed each of the musical theatre majors at Greensboro College to showcase their abilities and create a space to share stories through song.

The cast of “It’s Only Life”.

Miranda Morris (left), Brittany Corne, Brandyn Myers, David Hoggard and Josie Gold

Noah Kano (left), Mary Blythe McLaughlin, Adora Txakeeyang and Bryson Caviness

Hannah Hjerth (left), Emmaline Conlin, Lindsey Mead, Colton Sims and Abigail Mowbray

by Josie Gold


News

by Nick Sherbine

American actor and former MMA fighter Gina Carano was recently fired from her role in Disney’s “The Mandalorian.” The reason? Various tweets made by her as far back as November 2020 expressing numerous controversial beliefs.

Carano portrayed the character Cara Dune on “The Mandalorian,” which concluded its second season in December 2020. Carano, who is proud-ly conservative, had already begun drawing ire from fans and executives alike when she made several tweets expressing contention for topics related to pronoun usage, mask-wearing, and the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. Around this time, the hashtag #FireCarano began trending. The situa-tion came to a head earlier in February this year when she made a tweet com-paring political ostracization to the treatment of Jewish people during the Holocaust. She was ultimately fired by Lucasfilm thereafter.

Carano’s tweets and subsequent fir-ing have appeared to serve as an exam-ple for many on how social media can blow up in the face of those working in the entertainment industry, espe-cially someone as outspoken and with as much public influence as Carano. However, with as much support as the

decision to fire her drew, several others have spoken out in defense of Carano by putting down what has been referred to as “cancel culture,” or the ostraciza-tion of individuals based on controver-sial words or actions. With these two conflicting extremes, it has become important to highlight what exactly free speech entails and the point at which it

can devolve into hate speech. Freedom of speech has been enjoyed

as a basic liberty around our nation for centuries. It is also one that has been taken for granted by many people across different cultures. The reason for this is arguably that while the privilege of free speech may be cherished by many, the consequences of what we

say and do are little more than after-thoughts for many others. With social media becoming more and more of a central platform for modern communi-cation, the reputation of many is almost contingent on what beliefs or opinions they choose to make known to the world. While this is not meant to imply that Carano was ignorant or unaware as to what reaction would result from her statements, the nature of those state-ments was arguably enough to warrant strong reactions, indeed.

“Her freedom was that she had the ability to put the tweets out there in the first place,” said Laszlo Almonte, a the-atre major. “But that does not stop her from getting repercussions for saying stupid things.”

At the end of the day, Carano chose to publicly vocalize her perspective on multiple issues. Therefore, it is not unwise to assume she would be pre-pared to bear the fruits of that labor. With the political landscape being what it is today, especially within the entertainment industry, controversy can arise from anywhere on anyone’s part. As such, when people with as much influence as celebrities speak passion-ately about subjects that affect us as a collective, an image is cast onto them for better or worse. Unfortunately for Gina Carano, it was for worse.

Photo courtesy of The Jerusalem Post.

When does free speech go too far?

by George Knight

Many small businesses across the country have been impacted by COVID-19 and its effects – even right on Greensboro College’s doorstep. John Hitchcock, owner of Parts Unknown Comics, has operated his store since 1989 on Spring Garden Street, near the inter-section with Mendenhall Street, less than a mile from Greensboro College.

“Business has been pretty strong. We have had to change our hours,” Hitchcock said. “Originally, the governor made us close for seven weeks, then when we reopened, I kept people up to date on Facebook. And then when we reopened in May, people came in. Matter of a fact, we’re probably doing good or better than we did before COVID.

“I’m really surprised. So many businesses

have closed, but if you really cannot go to a movie, play or sporting events, you can always go and read a book.”

Hitchcock also expressed concern for fellow Greensboro business owners, “My heart goes out to people who run bars.” Hitchcock then talked about the bar next door to his shop “He was closed for seven months and the landlord did not give him a break.”

Hitchcock also brought up the closing of Jack’s Corner, a restaurant at the corner of Josephine Boyd and Spring Garden Streets. Jack’s Corner had been open for roughly 15 years.

“The question is, are there going to be other people who will pick up that mantle and make new places. Now, some of those places cannot be replaced. Locally owned, and landmarks that people are used to. I was lucky,” Hitchcock said.

Greensboro small business impact

GINA CARANO

JOHN HITCHCOCK


Personal Health

by Ashley Hawkes

While living in a society that normalizes being overworked and sleep deprived, it has become a part of our daily routine to con-sume excessive amounts of caf-feine. With coffee shops on every corner, espresso-infused snacks such as protein bars, chocolate-covered espresso beans and even caffeine gum, it is very apparent that caffeine has become an easily accessible staple in our community, and we have all become dependent upon it to function throughout the day.

With caffeine being such an important part of our daily routine, we must start to ask ourselves, “What toll is this vice taking on our acute and long term health?” Through research, it has been shown and proven that caffeine intake can have many negative side effects. With caffeine’s stimu-lating properties, it is no wonder that with increased caffeine intake comes increased stress on the heart. Along with this, caffeine has been

shown to cause anxiety, restless-ness and other sleep disorders such as insomnia, nausea, vomiting and even chest pains. And while a little bit of caffeine is not detrimental to our overall health, it is easy to cross the boundary between a healthy amount into something more.

While caffeine, especially in coffee, energy drinks and sodas, has been the solution to our bad habits of neglecting to sleep the amount that our bodies need to thrive, it needs to be brought to our attention as a society that, instead of constantly having a Starbucks drink on our person, we should change our routines so that we can begin to take better care of our-selves in the ways that aren’t glori-fied. As humans we need sleep to function and this is something that cannot be replaced by a caffeine supplement. So, think the next time you want to go grab a caramel mac-chiato to wake up for your 8 a.m. class, what are you really doing to yourself, and what could you be doing better?

Photo courtesy of NZHealthfood.com

United States of caffeine intake

by Carlyn Uhlir

It is so essential, and yet a very large portion of the population lacks in it. That’s right, I am talking about calciferol, aka vitamin D. It is the fat-soluble vitamin that has been a hot topic amongst the scientific community during COVID-19.

While there is not enough conclu-sive data to show that vitamin D can be used directly to treat COVID-19, numerous studies have suggested pre-ventative effects. According to William F. Marshall III, an infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic, one study of 489 people found that those who were deficient in vitamin D were more likely to test positive for the virus than individuals with normal levels.

Others have theorized that vitamin D supplementation can reduce the

harmful effects of the virus once con-tracted. Nonetheless, research on the relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19 is ongoing at this time.

No matter what its relation to the virus, vitamin D is vital for bone and

teeth health as well as immunity. While dietary modifications and supplements are two avenues for maintaining opti-mal levels, exposure to the sun is key in order to allow the skin to manufacture its own supply. What is certain is that

many more people have been sheltered indoors than usual, and subsequently may be lacking in calciferol.

Kristin Gustashaw, a clinical dieti-tian at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, recommends that we should all aim to get out in the sun for at least 15 to 30 minutes a day. In addition, nutritional sources of vita-min D include fatty fish and seafood, egg yolks, mushrooms and some dairy products.

Nearly half of the adult population in the United States is deficient in calciferol, with that number increas-ing significantly for African Americans and Hispanics and those with obesity or other underlying health conditions. So, go out, enjoy some sun, and replenish your vitamin D.

Keeping up with calciferol (vitamin D)

On Campus


march 3, 2021 volume 98, number 7

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