Timeline: Wake Forest and its Innovation Quarter — Eisert
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ijz–0q1DGv77WWqh3sCgIq_1w4UpBF3_T2rW5RyL4Y/pubhtml
Students talk about voting in the primary and North Carolina’s new voter ID law
Many Wake Forest students voted in the North Carolina presidential primary election on March 15, which despite the new state voter identification law, saw greater turnout than the 2012 primary.
35.7% of the 239,851 registered voters in Forsyth County voted in the primary compared to 34.7% in 2012, according to the Forsyth County Board of Elections.
“I was shocked at how many students were interested in voting,” said Wake Forest junior Hannah Dobie, a member of Wake the Vote, [def WV].
Wake the Vote, as well as other campus organizations like College Democrats and College Republicans, held many activities leading up to the primary to encourage student participation. Dobie credits these and the particular “craziness” of the entire election to the student turnout.
“Personally, I really enjoyed the registration drives,” said freshman Clara Ilkka, communications director of College Democrats at Wake Forest, referring to the group’s efforts to register students.
According to Ilkka, “There were a lot of students, especially freshmen, who were unaware that they could register to vote in the primary if they’re out of state.”
Other activities held by these groups included student debates, documentary screenings and voting rights forums with guest speakers like Jeff Furman, Bernie Sanders advocate chairman of the board of the Vermont-based Ben and Jerry’s and Reverend Doctor William Barber II, member of the national board of the NAACP.
On the day of the election, Wake the Vote partnered with Democracy North Carolina, a nonpartisan organization that provides state political data, and had a hotline booth set up outside the polls. The hotline connected to lawyers in Raleigh, who answered voters’ questions. This was especially geared towards questions about the state’s new voter ID law, which calls for a North Carolina ID or passport to vote.
“We stood outside the polls and took complaints and made sure everyone could vote,” said Dobie, who added, “The hotline was always full. More lawyers actually had to come.”
Dobie and other students, like freshman and Wake the Vote member Katherine Cassidy, said the law, which is meant to eliminate voter fraud, is unnecessarily confusing, disenfranchising to college students and a “huge pain.”
Cassidy served as a poll watcher on the day of the election and said she saw a lot of confusion among voters, like in regards to the misconception that the address on a voter’s North Carolina driver’s licenses has to match their registration address, for example. Cassidy also commented on how hard it was to explain to her friends how to vote in North Carolina before the election.
“I think it will be interesting to see if this ID law actually sticks around,” according to Cassidy.
Wake the Vote and College Democrats have more activities planned to prepare the campus for the November general election in hopes to keep educating students about the law and encouraging voting participation.
According to Ilkka, College Democrats will hold more registration drives and issue-education events to inform students on the Democratic candidate’s platform. She predicts a large student turnout, as this is most students’ first time voting in a presidential election.
“If Donald Trump is on the ballot in November, be prepared to see a lot of students who have been quiet so far get out and vote,” added Ilkka of the Republican front-runner and frequent subject in the media.
[Other Nov. activities…]
Tsujii comments?
FRAC report lede — Eisert
Winston-Salem has more households facing food hardship, the lack of money to buy food, than any other city in the state, according to a report released today by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).
Forsyth County Voter Turnout
By Emily Eisert, David Blue, Bennett Brownlow, Anna Conte and Annabel Love
Forsyth County had strong early voting turnout during this year’s North Carolina presidential primary election with few problems from voter identification issues detected before noon today, according to the county’s new elections director.
Final voter turnout numbers were not available by deadline. Results from only 70 of the 101 precincts in Forsyth County were recorded.
Many people paid special attention to the North Carolina presidential primary election because of the state’s new voter ID law. The new law, which went into effect in January 2016, requires voters to have a government-issued photo ID. The new law also cut the early voting period from 17 days to 10 days and eliminated same-day registration and a program to preregister high school students.
“There has been some confusion today as to what is acceptable for identification, but no major issues,” said Tim Tsuji, the new director of the Forsyth County Board of Elections.
Some polling stations ran out of ballots earlier today and needed new ones delivered. One polling station, at Pfafftown Christian, was still open 40 minutes after it was supposed to close at 7:30 p.m. with over 100 voters waiting in line. The number of provisional ballots given for issues regarding voter ID was not known by deadline.
The voter ID law’s shortened early voting period was projected to have an effect on voter turnout. Many argued that the new law promotes racial discrimination, as racial minorities more often use same-day registration and early voting and are less likely to have the proper photo ID. The law was contested in court earlier this year. As no ruling was reached, the primary followed the new law.
During this election’s new 10-day early voting period, there were 22,960 voters in Forsyth County out of 240,000 registered voters in the county and 6.5 million in the state. In the 2012 primary, there were 15,157 early voters over the previous 17-day period.
“We definitely had an increase in this year’s primary. Although, it is like comparing apples to oranges. Each primary had a different time, different amount of days open, different number of locations for early voting,” said Tsuji.
Tsuji also added that of the 56 provisional ballots during early voting this election, only 18 were given to individuals lacking acceptable ID. The majority of provisional ballots were issued to those who wanted to vote for a candidate outside of their registered party and did not change their affiliation by the February 19 deadline.
The new voter ID law was also predicted to have an effect on students – high school students lost preregistration programs and out-of-state college students now have to provide a North Carolina photo ID or a valid passport.
Wake Forest University students were provided a free shuttle service from campus to the polls among other programs to promote voting. The shuttle service, co-sponsored by College Democrats and College Republicans ran twice an hour from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today.
“Wake the Vote,” a civic learning and democratic engagement course at Wake Forest, held a conference today on the new voter ID law, which is currently being sued by the NAACP of North Carolina and the Department of Justice, and its possible effects were discussed.
Russell Gross, Wake Forest junior, who voted yesterday at the Arts Council Theater precinct, said he was not affected by the new law because he is a North Carolina native with a North Carolina driver’s license. However, he expressed his opposition to the law, saying it is “making it more difficult for people to vote and that democracy and voting is what America is all about.”
McKenzie Zeigler, a Wake Forest Senior from California, voted in North Carolina because it is a swing state and experienced some push back from the new voter ID law. According to Zeigler, the law is oppressive and an infringement on voters’ rights.
SC Primary articles — Eisert
The Post and Courier article, “Clinton trounces Sanders to win South Carolina Democratic primary,” by Maya T. Prabhu and Schuyler Kropf, discusses Clinton’s win in South Carolina as compared to her and her husband’s history with voters in the south. The article mentions the exit poll released by The Associated Press as a source for information on Clinton’s appeal to black voters, most of which were women and voters over the age of 30. The article uses information from The Associated Press, like percentages on voters’ races, backgrounds and more and on their inclinations towards or against Clinton’s policies and ideals. The article also uses the AP information to compare voters’ feelings about Clinton and Sanders. The remainder of the article focuses on this comparison and provides quotes from voters in support of either side.
The other Post and Courier article, “Black turnout boosts Clinton in a big way,” by Robert Behre, discusses Clinton’s backing from the black community and its effect on the election as whole. Along with Sanders, Trump is also discussed in this article. This article, as opposed to the other Post and Courier article, focuses more on the specific demographic details of the voting. Percentages regarding the demographics are given and broken down, as well as margins comparing results in different counties. This article is more analytical of this primary than the first.
The Man Behind the Bells
Every day at 5 pm, Wait Chapel’s 48 bronze bells ring across campus, sounding anything from Tchaikovsky’s Waltz from Sleeping Beauty to ‘What a Wonderful World’ to Pirates of the Caribbean‘s ‘He’s a Pirate.’ The bells can be heard from just about anywhere on campus. What most people do not know is that there is a man behind the bells, and that man is Ray Ebert.
Ray Ebert, who graduated from Wake Forest in 1960, has been playing the bells, or the carillon, for over twenty years and the pipe organ for even longer.
“I came here to be a math major,” said Ebert. “And then I saw the big pipe organ downstairs, and I spent the rest of my life playing it.”
On top of playing the Chapel’s carillon, Ebert, who is semi-retired, still works as an organist for churches in Winston-Salem and accompanies dance classes and rehearsals for Wake Forest’s dance department and at UNC School of the Arts. Ebert also gives carillon lessons to several Wake Forest students.
“We call ourselves the Carillon Club. There are about eight or so of us. When we come together, like on Love Feast, and we’re all taking turns playing, it’s a real bonding experience.”
“Here,” Ebert said as he pointed to a picture of himself and four Wake Forest students taped to the wall, “We are playing what one student called a waterfall, where you play down the keyboard and then the next person starts and keeps going.”
Ebert, standing next to the keyboard of the carillon and the practice keyboard, made his hands into fists and demonstrated. This newly climate-controlled room, one floor beneath the bells themselves, lies 170 steps from the ground floor of the Chapel. (Ebert counted when the elevator broke temporarily last week.)
Ebert often lets his students play the carillon, especially when their lesson wraps up near 5 pm, he explained. He also lets them play after sports victories and recently made a tradition of letting one of the seniors play at commencement.
“It can be kind of scary. Let’s say they hit G sharp,” he sang, “and it goes a little too long. Well, then it’s too late. G sharp is all over campus,” Ebert said with a laugh.
The Carillon Club, Ebert explained, now takes song requests from their Facebook page, “The Wake Forest University Carillon.” But when asked his favorite piece to play on the carillon, Ebert pulled out sheet music for a song called “Fantasia on a Theme of Wake Forest,” written by Ryan D. Whittington.
“One of my students, who was majoring in music, wrote this song, a duet. It’s only four notes. They spell ‘W-A-K-E,'” said Ebert as he pulled out a chart of handwritten music notes. “Here’s the way you figure it out. Here’s the music scale, A through G, if you align the rest of the letters underneath, W would be B, then A, K is D, and then E. B-A-D-E.”
Ebert, who is from a Moravian family heavily influenced by music traditions, began playing the piano when he was five years-old, but did not start playing for dance classes until much later in life.
“One day, this person called and said, ‘The School of the Arts needs someone to play for dance classes.’ I was young and foolish. Have you ever heard someone who just started to play for ballet class and doesn’t know what to do? Well, it’s awkward,” Ebert laughed. “Now, I can. I have a lot of things in my memory, but I can also improvise, just making up the tune on the spot.”
One of the classes Ebert plays for every week is Wake Forest’s advanced classical ballet class. The class is taught by Brantly Shapiro, who enjoys the live accompaniment.
“For one thing, ballet is a musical art, and the musicality element is huge in terms of getting proficient in ballet. When you have live accompaniment, the big difference for the teacher is you set the combinations and then someone accompanies that. And if you have a good musician, they come up with a flavor of music that matches. The other thing is the rapport with the musician. He’s not just stuck in the corner. He’s a part of what you’re learning,” said Shapiro.
Many of Shapiro’s students agreed that Ebert is a big part of their class.
“The music he plays is beautiful and diverse,” said freshman Emma Scott. “He also warns us when he’s going to play music from a ballet on the bells that evening.”
Ebert explained playing for dance classes is just as satisfying as playing the carillon and teaching students to play the carillon. As he nears 80 years-old, Ebert claims he has no plans to stop playing.
“Ray has been playing for ballet classes as long as I have been here, 33 years. He has been a big part of the Winston-Salem music scene as long as I can remember too,” said Shapiro. “He’s a fixture.”
WFU Higher Education Beat — Eisert
People to know:
Penny Rue, Vice President of Campus Life
McKenzie Maddox, Old Gold & Black editor-in-chief
Dean Shore, photographer and barber
Martha Blevins Allman, Dean of Admissions
Ron Wellman, Director of Athletics
Regina G. Lawson, WFU Police Department Chief
Sources:
http://events.wfu.edu/
http://www.wfu.edu/academics/
http://oldgoldandblack.com/ (older issues in ZSR)
http://www.hercampus.com/school/wake-forest; http://theodysseyonline.com/wake-forrest
http://www.wakeforestsports.com/
http://www.scout.com/college/wake-forest/forums/1118-wake-forest-sports
Story ideas:
Feature piece on students and professors that created a 3D printer capable of producing bone, tissue, organs, etc.
Comparative piece about student athletes who come to WFU with the intention of going pro after school or in the middle of their time at school versus those who don’t.
Student opinion piece of the lack of diversity at WFU and on WFU’s attempts to remedy it.
WFU’s Theatre Department presents its first main-stage production of the semester, “The Waiting Room,” a dark comedy
The Waiting Room, written by Lisa Loomer and directed by John E. R. Friedenberg of WFU’s Theatre Department, opens Friday, February 12 at 7:30. The show runs Friday through Sunday this weekend and next.
The play centers around three women from different time periods waiting in a doctor’s office. In the program synopsis released by the Theatre Department, The Waiting Room is described as an “outrageous comic approach to beauty and medicine.”
“We’re doing a lot of stuff that Wake Forest doesn’t typically do, and we’re talking about things Wake Forest’s Theatre Department doesn’t typically talk about,” said sophomore Eli Bradley, who plays Oliver Smoot, the 1870s doctor. Bradley was not planning on auditioning for the play, but after reading the script, fell in love with Oliver’s character.
“It’s a comedy, but I’m doing a lot of non-comedic things. I’ve only done silly comedies so far, so this has been fun. The Waiting Room is more relationship-based. It’s more small, intimate moments. It’s realer,” Bradley said.
Sophomore Stephanie Moore, the play’s assistant director, agreed with Bradley, “It’s been so much fun to work on, because it relies so heavily on conversation but in a very realistic way. It’s more human interaction than dialogue.”
This week is what the actors call ‘tech week,’ the final days of rehearsal before opening night. Junior Valerie Medoff is the stage manager for the show and has put in nearly eight hours of work every day this week.
“During performances, I have a lot to juggle,” said Medoff. The most difficult part of her job, she said, is calling transitions. “So many elements need to be in place for them to look really smooth.”
Moore explained that these different elements are worked out during tech week. They focus on a new one every day.
“On Sunday, we added all the lights and the sound and then the set. On Tuesday, we added costumes, and we’re getting more props as things go on,” said Moore.
This Thursday, the final day of the department’s Sunday-through-Thursday tech week, included an open showing of the play. The goal was to attract an audience so that the actors can gauge when people are going to react and for how long.
“We know that reactions are going to happen, but we’re not sure when or what kind,” said Moore. “There are a lot of things that can shock people. But at the same time, there are a lot of things that are going to make people laugh and probably some that we’re not expecting because of the wild, uncomfortable nature of what’s being said up there.”
Several of the actors described The Waiting Room as provocative, raunchy or dark. They also agreed they believe it appeals to wide variety of people.
“I think anyone could come and enjoy this show, from any background, any perception, just because it covers everything. It covers beauty standards for men and women. It covers medicine and problems with medical practice. It covers problems with big business, problems with not enough big business. It covers cultural collides and divisions, people from different cultures not understanding each other, power dynamics and hierarchies and the nature of love and what it means to love too much,” Bradley said.
Medoff, too, thinks the show is for anyone and encourages Wake Forest students to attend.
“I think the idea of wanting to achieve perfection both in looks and in life in general is something that greatly relates to the Wake Forest audience because it is something we all deal with,” said Medoff.
“I think it’s a very important show for this campus,” Bradley said. “It’s the best show I’ve ever worked on. It’s going to be one of the best shows Wake’s done in a long time.”
Chris Caswell Profile — Eisert
Sophomore Chris Caswell seeks a future in finance but has pursued journalism as an extracurricular activity.
“Writing for the school newspaper was actually something I was looking for when I came to Wake,” said Caswell. “It’s something I like because I enjoy writing. I think writing for the newspaper is a good way to meet different people in the community here and learn more about Wake Forest and what’s going on that other people aren’t aware of.”
Caswell has written for Wake Forest University’s newspaper, the Old Gold & Black, since his freshman year and served as editor of the opinion section.
“I like opinion just because I like just writing what’s on my mind, and it’s less formulaic. Editing the section got kind of repetitive, though.”
Recently, Caswell has been writing more frequently for the newspaper’s news section, a section different not only in the content but also in the production process.
“In news, it’s a lot more about dealing with issues as they come up, issues that writers face, trying to get photographers to take pictures for each article. With opinion, I basically just used stock photos. There’s a lot more planning and responsibility in news, and it takes up more time. It’s also more thinking on your feet.”
Caswell still enjoys writing for both sections, as well as watching the newspaper’s weekly production.
“Sometimes doing homework feels like you’re learning all this stuff for no reason and forgetting it after the test,” according to Caswell. “But working on a newspaper, I can see the results of my work. It’s gratifying to see it come out every week and see all the work I put into that issue.”
Caswell hopes to enter the business school with a major in finance and continue his journalism interest writing for the Old Gold & Black.
Stories from Police Reports– Eisert
Father and daughter found shot dead in residence
This past Thursday, Derek Morris and his six-year-old daughter Iza Lily Morris were found dead at 5356 Old Rural Hall Road, both having suffered single gunshot wounds, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department report.
Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Division have begun an investigation and have found that Morris was estranged from his wife, the mother of Iza. The couple was in the early stages of separating, and there were discussions regarding custody of Iza.
Detectives are continuing the investigation and are working with Medical Examiner’s Office authorities.
More: Interview with whoever found the two bodies, someone from the WSPD/detective, someone who knows more about Morris personal situation; autopsy results; suspects; general updates; WSPD contact information
1 dead, 3 hospitalized in shooting near nightclub
This past Saturday, four victims were found shot, one dead, near the Nitty Gritty Restaurant/Night Club at 3003 S. Main Street, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department report. The incident occurred at about 2 a.m.
The deceased, an unidentified male, was found dead inside the club. The three remaining victims were taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. One victim is in stable condition, and the other two are in serious or critical condition.
More: Interview with club owner on incident and future steps for the club, someone at the scene, victim in stable condition; details of incident (i.e., what happened before/what led to there being shots fired); updates on health of victims; suspects
