College of Charleston News
Stories
July 2006
July 31,
2006
Health coverage ranks high as campus worry
Jane Reno-Monro, director of student health services at the
College of Charleston, said the plan is working well for students so far,
though she sometimes has to help them negotiate claims with the company.
And, she said, it hurts the college's relationship with the larger
community if uninsured students receive services at local health providers and
then fail to pay the bills.
It's tough when you want to refer an uninsured student to another
health care provider in the community. "You don't want a community doctor
to have to absorb the cost."
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=100277§ion=localnews
July 30,
2006
GovernorÕs School shapes future leaders
(Letter to the Editor)
Both of our children went to the South Carolina GovernorÕs School
at the College of Charleston the summer after their junior year in high school.
This is an exceptional program for which our state should be thankful and quite
proud. Its mission, in part, is to groom the future leaders of South Carolina,
challenging the students to excel, think globally and give back to their state
from the abundance of gifts with which they have been blessed.
Both of our children experienced a profound change in their
maturity level and understanding of the wider world and returned as better
citizens of our planet.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/editorial/letters/15150655.htm
July 30,
2006
Charleston names humanities dean
The College of Charleston has named Cynthia Lowenthal as new dean
of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Lowenthal is currently dean of
the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College at Tulane University. She also will
continue to teach.
Lowenthal served as associate dean of the Liberal Arts and
Sciences faculty at Tulane University from 1994 to 2000 and became dean of H.
Sophie Newcomb Memorial College at Tulane University in 2000.
Lowenthal earned a doctorate in English from Brandeis University
in Massachusetts and a masterÕs degree in English from the University of
Arkansas. She was an associate professor of restoration and 18th-century
British literature at Tulane University.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/15156001.htm
July 30, 2006
Charleston native in 'Ex-Girlfriend' film
The impact of the College of Charleston's School of the Arts is
being felt in some of the nation's entertainment capitals: New York and
Hollywood.
Yes, that's Charleston native Margaret Anne Florence playing the
sexy bartender in the off-the-wall comedy "My Super Ex-Girlfriend"
starring Uma Thurman, now showing in area movie theaters.
The 2001 graduate of the college majored in vocal performance. She
was reached by phone at her home in Hoboken, N.J., where she lives with husband
Peter Siachos, a Greenville native who is a lawyer in Newark, N.J.
College of Charleston music professor Deanna McBroom, who taught
Florence vocal performance, encouraged her to audition for the chorus of
"Cabaret," directed by Robert Ivey.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=99942§ion=artstravel
July 30, 2006
The Nine-Year Itch
"We're moving ahead," said Jerry Baker, the school's
athletic director throughout the entire arena saga. "If we were to run
into any other obstacles, we'll work our way through them. But selecting an
architect, going through all the plans and drawings, taking bids from a
contractor - it's definitely happening."
Monica Scott, vice president for facilities at the College, said
the arena would be paid for with $12 million in state money, approved in a 1999
bond bill funding higher education projects. The school has raised $4 million
in donations, with $2 million of that coming through the naming rights deal
with Carolina First. The remaining cost of the building would be financed
through institutional bonds, Scott said.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=100126§ion=sports
July 30, 2006
Southbound
At the College of Charleston on the South Carolina coast,
applications over the last five years have declined by 4 percent over all, but
those from the Northeast have risen by 69 percent. Like most public
institutions, Charleston sets a limit for out-of-state students (35 percent),
even though it gets at least 50 percent more applications from nonresidents.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/30/education/edlife/south.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
July 29,
2006
The all stars' brightest star
Bertolini was hospitalized for a few days after being diagnosed,
and one of his first visitors was new College of Charleston basketball coach
Bobby Cremins. Tony Ciuffo, the sports information director at the college,
arranged the visit.
"I was shocked when Coach Cremins walked in the room,"
Bertolini said. "We just talked about basketball. He's a heck of a guy and
has a lot of talent. I've got a lot of faith in him. He's got the name, got the
experience, got the contacts to play the big games."
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=99978§ion=localnews
July 29,
2006
Marine lab's expansion an ocean of possibilities
Grice Marine Laboratory Director Lou Burnett has been hoping for
the past 12 years to expand the College of Charleston's facility on the tip of
James Island.
But the wait is about to come to an end after $4 million for the
project was approved in this year's state budget.
The marine lab, one of five research organizations at Fort
Johnson, has a boathouse and two buildings filled with classrooms, labs,
offices and a 10-person dormitory. But the college's marine science programs
have grown and the space is no longer adequate, Burnett said. Faculty and staff
members also would like to offer more programs, especially in the summer. They
can't do that now, he said, because there simply isn't enough space.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=99962§ion=localnews
July 28,
2006
S.C. Democrats welcome primary
But Jack Bass, a professor of political science at the College of
Charleston, said South Carolina voters, who have grown accustomed to early
primaries since the Republicans began the tradition in 1980, will gain
something from the experience.
"There's a tug of excitement, and more of a feeling that
they're actually participating in the presidential nominating process in a
meaningful way," Bass said.
http://www.ajc.com/print/content/epaper/editions/today/news_449cba13b6ce12880082.html
July 27,
2006
Interpreter standards (Letter to the Editor)
Fortunately, in Charleston, we already have seven certified court
interpreters, all graduates of the College of Charleston's master's degree
program in bilingual legal interpreting.
No other city in our state has as many certified interpreters. It
is a little known fact that this highly prestigious program exists here in
Charleston and is one of the few nationwide.
It exists thanks to the efforts of Dr. Virginia Benmaman, who
deserves recognition for her vision. More than 30 states certify court
interpreters, and our state is working on its own certification program. Now
our court interpreters won't have to go outside the state for certification, as
I did (to Georgia).
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=99517§ion=letters
July 27,
2006
Tsunami not out of question in Lowcountry
A huge chunk of the Continental Shelf slides to the ocean bottom.
An old volcanic crater collapses in the Azores, the Canaries, the Cape Verde
islands. An earthquake rocks the Puerto Rico trench. Any one of them could mean
disaster for the South Carolina coast - tsunami.
It can happen; it has happened, geologist Steve Jaume warns. A
7.2-magnitude earthquake in 1929 along the Grand Banks about 150 miles off
Newfoundland collapsed a huge piece of the shelf, sending three sets of 24-foot
waves onto Cape Breton Island two hours later. Nearly 30 people died; 10,000
were left homeless.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=99632§ion=localnews
July 26,
2006
Jobless rate worries Sanford
Sanford has said so many people are moving to South Carolina, job
growth canÕt keep up with population growth.
Economists say thatÕs unlikely. People tend to stay put because of
family even after losing their jobs, said Frank Hefner, a College of Charleston
economist.
Hefner said a more likely scenario is that more South Carolinians
are looking for jobs. During economic downturns, people give up looking for
work, but when the economy picks up, they re-enter the labor market, he said.
For example, a family might decide to have two working parents instead of one,
he said.
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/15123013.htm
July 26, 2006
SON OF AÉ(Letter to the editor)
Though I myself remain agnostic on the importance of Mary
Magdalene to Jesus, I must point out the following factual error (Arts,
"Mary, Quite Contrary," July 19):
"The sacred feminine was an intrinsic part of the earliest
Christian tradition [...] until it began to be selectively purged, first by
Plato in the third century B.C. [...]"
May I remind the editorial staff of the City Paper that Plato was
not part of the earliest Christian traditions; Plato died centuries before
Christ was born.
Dr. Ethan Deneault
College of Charleston
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A15479
July 25,
2006
The Tuesday Countdown
By Jeff Schultz
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just back from
vacation, which included swims in two oceans and a tour of College of Charleston
with my son. For those who have never been there, the college (founded in 1770)
is actually older than the U.S. The highlight of the tour was being told that,
in the old days, good students were rewarded by being allowed to stand on the
roof to watch the pirate hangings.
July 25,
2006
Spanish interpreters (letter to the editor)
I am a Spanish court interpreter certified by the National Center
for State Courts and hold a master's degree in legal interpreting from the
College of Charleston. I work in the South Carolina courts and I am a board
member of the Certified Interpreters of South Carolina (CISC), a group of
court-certified Spanish interpreters and translators in the Charleston area.
The CISC is concerned that only a few of our state's judges,
commissioners and attorneys make an effort to screen their interpreters
adequately in order to assess the interpreter's professionalism, impartiality,
or even their ability to speak the English language.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=99184§ion=letters
July 24,
2006
City is adding needed amenity: parking space
John Crotts, professor and chairman of the Department of
Hospitality and Tourism Management at the College of Charleston, said his
department does ongoing surveys of people in the city. In every survey, people
are asked what their most and least favorite things are about Charleston.
ÒParking always factors into the area of least favorite,Ó Crotts
said. ÒIt is a challenge just to find space for garages to be built, as well as
the high cost of building and operating those garages. ItÕs an issue the
College of Charleston and the hospitality industry views as critical.Ó
http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/current/12_16/news/7122-1.html
July 24,
2006
Defining entrepreneurship properly considered vital
But John Clarkin, director of the College of CharlestonÕs Tate
Center for Entrepreneurship, said he believes there may be an even bigger
challenge ahead: redefining what people mean when they talk about the
entrepreneurial activity theyÕre supposed to be striving to support.
ÒTo most people, entrepreneurship is all about starting a
business. So, efforts to encourage entrepreneurship have focused on training
people how to write a business plan, how to get a business license, how to
secure funding, and so on,Ó Clarkin explained. ÒWhile these are important
activities, they represent a very small part of the picture. Think about it:
All you need is a few dollars and a business license and youÕre an
entrepreneur?Ó
Clarkin, on the other hand, sees entrepreneurship as being about
that ability to recognize an opportunity, developing an idea into a way of
seizing that opportunity, and creating economic value for potential customers,
who will then pay more than it costs to produce it, resulting in profits.
http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/current/12_16/news/7123-1.html
July 24,
2006
Locally developed software provides hotels a marketing
advantage
Called the first of its kind in the United States, a new online
software system created at the College of Charleston could change the way the
tourism industry competes for customers.
Instead of driving by the parking lot or calling around town,
hotel owners can now simply check on their competition by logging online.
The Hospitality Performance Index, or HPI, gives hotel owners a
marketing advantage by providing customized performance results and forecast
information that are quick and accurate. C of C professor John Crotts and former
professor Wayne Staats invented the automated tracking program. Patent approval
is pending, but the HPI is already in use and producing results.
http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/current/12_16/news/7142-1.html
July 24,
2006
On the hunt for answers about freedman's cottages
As a student at the College of Charleston, Wagoner says she
surveyed about 200, though the actual number of surviving freedman's cottages
may be twice that number. No one knows how many once existed and were since
torn down.
Most freedman's cottages apparently were built in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries by developers who built more than one at a time, says
Katherine Saunders of the Historic Charleston Foundation, who is helping
Wagoner.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=99085§ion=localnews
July 23,
2006
Cremins era will be fun, interesting
The Bobby Cremins era at the College of Charleston is going to be interesting,
indeed.
The very fact that Cremins, 59 years old and out of coaching for
six years, came in through the backdoor after Winthrop's Gregg Marshall
rejected the job is enough to give the story a soap-opera atmosphere.
But the truth is, everybody got lucky in this episode.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=98977§ion=sports
July 23,
2006
Inventor launches watercraft
John Crotts loves playing on the water, but of all the boats and
watercraft out there, he couldn't find one that fit just right.
So the professor at the College of Charleston did what any
dedicated, determined water-lover would do: He built his own.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/business/15103755.htm
July 22,
2006
Bottled message was launched 2 years ago
"This could certainly happen," said Jack DiTullio, an
oceanographer at the College of Charleston. Rotating eddies that spin off the
Gulf Stream might have been a factor in the journey of the bottle. "It
could be that it got stuck in an eddy for a couple of years," DiTullio
said.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=98875§ion=localnews
July 22,
2006
Nude campers today, nude leaders tomorrow
Charles Kaiser, chairman of the psychology department at the
College of Charleston, said he doesnÕt understand the need for a youth camp at
a nudist park — but he doesnÕt see any harm in it.
ÒWeÕre not animals, weÕre people. We have clothes, we have
morals,Ó he said.
ÒThey just share the idea that they want to express themselves,
and they feel that by being nude they can do that.Ó
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/15097402.htm
July 19,
2006
Athletic money funding Herrion buyout
Herrion received $550,000 on June 30, and is due to be paid the
remaining amount on, or before, Jan. 1. According to Gary McCombs, the
College's senior vice president for business affairs, the athletic department
fund balance is a rolling account designed primarily to address long-term
capital improvements.
"All of our athletic funds, I don't care if it's ticket
revenue, student athletic fees, contributions, or whatever, go into one account
here at the institution," McCombs said. "We pay our operating
expenses, scholarships, and so forth out of that account. Any funds left over
at the end of the year are rolled forward and stay in the account. That's what
we call the fund balance."
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=98236§ion=sports
July 18,
2006
Biologists track coral health
U.S. biologists say they've discovered pollution threatens coral
health by preventing lesions from healing.
University of Central Florida scientists and colleagues say coral
tissue damage that normally heals on its own will not mend when the colonies
are near pollution sources that release industrial contaminants.
UCF Associate Professor of Biology John Fauth and scientists from
the National Coral Reef Institute, Florida's Broward County Department of
Environmental Protection, the College of Charleston and Nova Southeastern
University tracked how quickly coral regenerated lost tissue from lesions.
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060718-052538-5893r
July 18,
2006
Planners work to encourage more foot traffic in Greer
But, "Traffic is a good thing," said Dr. Andy Felts,
director of the Riley Institute for Urban Affairs and Policy Studies at the
College of Charleston.
"Main Street in Greenville is a perfect example. It is full
of traffic, but what they did to change it was they took what was a four-lane
street and turned it into a two-lane street.
"One of the major reasons that Greenville's downtown is
succeeding the way it is is that they did that. It didn't matter about the
traffic. I've never seen more horrendous traffic than on Main Street on a
Saturday evening about 6 o'clock.
"What matters is how fast it's moving and whether or not you feel
comfortable walking around it."
Another key is "having people live downtown," Felts
said. "That's been the secret of Charleston all along -- the fact that
this is a residential city."
July 17,
2006
Stats dressed to impress
Charleston, by comparison, drew between 25 percent and 40 percent
fewer visitors than Savannah last year, depending on whether you trust the
numbers of the Charleston Area Metro Chamber of Commerce or the College of
Charleston's Hospitality Dept. (the two publish widely different statistics).
But the economic impact of tourism here was two-and-a-half to five times larger
and there are twice as many hospitality-related jobs here.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=97813§ion=businessreview
July 17, 2006
Knotts' entry into governor's race could hurt Sanford
Noted Bill Moore of the College of Charleston: "A (Tommy)
Moore victory would be a major upset -- his biggest problem is lack of money.
In this case, the challenger may not have the resources to get his message
across to convince voters that he is an acceptable alternative."
http://www.beaufortgazette.com/opinions/columns/brack/story/5955954p-5242255c.html
July 16, 2006
Jazz society to bring fans, musicians together
The club has high
hopes for its relationship with the hotel. Robinson said they are negotiating
for future events there. In fact, he's been looking at what he says are all
sorts of opportunities in the Charleston area for presenting jazz.
"There are lots
of places you can put music in, like Alhambra Hall, places at College of
Charleston, Charleston Music Hall, the Sottile, small clubs like Satchmo's. You
could do things in the park and at Avery (Research Center)," he said.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=97684§ion=artstravel
July 16, 2006
Family comes full circle in Charleston
Deborah Wright, an
archivist with the Avery Research Center, decided to do a little research into
their dispersal. She is using Census records to track everyone aboard the
Hercules.
There were 168 people
aboard the ship in 1832, and records show 146 of them were from South Carolina.
Wright said she is compiling a list to display at Gullah Creations naming the
families that set sail from here.
'I've seen some specifically Charleston names on that list,' she
said.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=97907§ion=localnews
July 16,
2006
Racy freshman reading choice stirs objections
Larry Carlson, chairman of the English department at the College
of Charleston, said choosing reading material is part of educating students.