College of Charleston News
Stories
December 2006
December
31, 2006
Terry College work added much to Benson's resume
Among a number of
accomplishments in his eight-year tenure at the University of Georgia's Terry
College of Business, Dean George Benson led the start of a customized MBA
program for IBM Business Consulting Services.
He also initiated an Evening MBA program at the Gwinnett University Center in
Atlanta; an Evening MBA program for the U.S. Department of Energy at the
Savannah River Site, Aiken, S.C.; an Executive MBA program in Atlanta; and a
music business certificate program in concert with the Hodgson School of Music
on the Athens campus. Since 2000, Terry has presented a monthly breakfast
speaker series in Atlanta known as Terry Third Thursday.
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/123106/business_20061231004.shtml
December
31, 2006
Q & A with the dean
George Benson ends his term today as dean of the University of Georgia's Terry
College of Business and he will spend the month of January touring the state
and presenting the Terry College's Georgia Economic Outlook program. On Feb. 1
he will begin his new job as president of the College of Charleston in South
Carolina.
The Athens Banner-Herald interviewed Benson about his accomplishments here and
his expectations in Charleston.
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/123106/business_20061231003.shtml
December
31, 2006
Outgoing dean built programs, revenues, reputation
Outgoing University of Georgia business school Dean George Benson officially
releases the reins of the Terry College of Business today, but the imprint of
his nearly nine years of leadership can help guide future growth at the UGA
business school, say business executives connected to UGA and the Terry
College.
Benson, who began his tenure as UGA's Terry College dean in June 1998,
announced in October that he had accepted a position as president of the
College of Charleston in South Carolina. During the month of January, he will
tour the state of Georgia presenting the Terry College's Georgia Economic
Outlook report, and he will begin his presidency at the College of Charleston
on Feb. 1.
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/123106/business_20061231001.shtml
December
28, 2006
Remembering President Ford
College of Charleston political scientist Jack Bass said legendary
South Carolina politician Strom Thurmond was instrumental in getting Nixon
elected to the White House and, by extension, Ford. "I think Ford will be
remembered as a caretaker president, but in terms of fulfilling the office, he
did a solid job as a caretaker."
December 27, 2006
Lowcountry increases political clout
College of Charleston political science professor Bill Moore said
the Lowcountry's clout can come into play with specific legislation that
affects this region.
"You might see that occurring, but again, you have some of
the same divides between Bobby Harrell, in particular, and Mark Sanford. You
may see some individual projects approved that are targeting the Lowcountry,
but that's only if they work cohesively."
December
25, 2006
Incoming Democratic whip wields power with diplomacy
"He's the go-to guy for Democratic presidential candidates in
South Carolina because 40 to 45 percent of the vote in a Democratic primary is
likely to come from black voters," says historian Jack Bass, who teaches
humanities at the College of Charleston. "Clyburn is so widely known and
respected that any signal from him carries weight."
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/nation/16316906.htm
December
24, 2006
Santa Who?
Irina Gigova, a professor of history at the College of Charleston,
says that Grandfather Frost - Dyado Mraz - features prominently in her country
of Bulgaria. Elder Frost appears on New Year's Eve to deliver his gifts to the
children. But before the communist government took power in 1944 and outlawed
all religious holidays, it was Grandfather Christmas - Dyado Koleda - who made
the rounds, she says. Beginning in 1989, as communism fell across Eastern
Europe and the Soviet Union and the Cold War came to an end, Grandpa Christmas
began to make a tentative reappearance.
December
24, 2006
4 of S.C.'s top female leaders leaving
"It's appalling," said Lynee Ford, head of the political
science department at the College of Charleston. "It's just awful."
Ford said the state's political climate remains hostile to women
and she is not optimistic it will change in the near future.
"Women are not viewed in any respect as equal in the
political process," she said.
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061224/NEWS/612240381/1002/Business
December
22, 2006
Liberal arts skills (Letter to the Editor)
In his Dec. 15 column, Thomas Friedman argued that education is
the key to ensuring America's continued prosperity in the face of increased
competition from China and India ("Ability to keep learning needed for
prosperous America")
The kind of education he advocates promotes creative and flexible
thinking by having students master material from several different disciplines
without concern for whatever immediate practical benefit might be derived from
the knowledge learned - in short, an updated version of the age-old liberal
arts curriculum.
Many of my students at the College of Charleston understandably
want to learn practical, job-based skills they hope will make them employable
in today's highly competitive job market.
Robert Westerfelhaus
Assistant Professor
Department of Communication
College of Charleston
66 George St.
December
21, 2006
Area residents criticize DOT
Jean Everett, an ecologist with the College of Charleston,
testified about her concerns with the agency's plan to widen Steed Creek Road.
The road cuts through Awendaw and Huger into the Francis Marion National
Forest.
"This road essentially goes nowhere, sees little traffic and
is of limited value as a hurricane escape route," Everett said. "It
passes through miles of wetlands and some of the best-maintained longleaf
ecosystems in the Francis Marion."
December
20, 2006
Speed Kills
Police training and pursuit policies like those in place locally
are designed to keep officers from retreating to the lizard-like part of the
brain that too narrowly focuses on the chase, says Robin Bowers, a psychology
professor at the College of Charleston. Instructing officers to consider
outside conditions like weather and traffic before beginning a chase drains
some of the adrenaline from the hunt.
"It's sort of like breathing 10 times before doing
something," Bowers says. "You're bringing forth foresight and that
tends to cause restraint."
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A21190
December
20, 2006
Septima Clark's memories preserved
College buys
scrapbook of rights activist
Nineteen years ago this month, death robbed America of one of its
great civil rights leaders. But now her legacy will live on in Charleston
through the preservation of a most treasured artifact.
At a recent auction, the Avery Research Center for the
Preservation of African-American History and Culture purchased for about $1,000
a scrapbook completed by Clark.
"The Martin Luther King papers almost left Atlanta. And we
felt the same way. That we couldn't afford to let Septima Clark's papers to
leave Charleston," said Harlan Greene, an archivist at the center.
Greene referred to an auction this past summer that was canceled
when public outcry led nonprofit groups to scramble for funds to keep the
artifacts in public hands.
"What happens a lot of times is that people who are important
locally will have their collection go elsewhere. They'll end up at the
Smithsonian, they'll end up in private hands, and not available to the public.
So we thought it was important that we purchase that scrapbook and keep it in
Charleston," said Marvin Dulaney, executive director of the center.
December
20, 2006
Two more invasive species found
The barnacle, the Megabalanus coccopoma, was found by a College of
Charleston student doing research this fall on the Folly River. It reproduces
quickly, and, although only one has been found, scientists worry it could
spread.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/16279742.htm
December
19, 2006
Nasty barnacle invades area
A College of Charleston student doing research on the Folly River
this fall found Megabalanus coccopoma clinging to a dock piling.
That's a monstrous barnacle native to the Pacific coast of South
America, notorious for clinging to and rapidly fouling boat propellers and
propeller shafts. It's not unlike the Asian green mussel, another fast
reproducer capable of sinking floating docks. That mussel showed up here
earlier this fall.
December
17, 2006
Sanford to try to sell state restructuring
College of Charleston Political Science Professor Bill Moore is
blunter: "This is not a pressing issue with the public. Those who
understand good management principles of government understand the argument for
restructuring, but the typical voter is not that interested."
December
15, 2006
Holiday in lights in a season of joy
On Sunday, the city of Charleston and the College of Charleston's
Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program are sponsoring a celebration in Marion
Square menorah will be lit. The menorah, made by sculptor Thomas B. Clarkson,
was commissioned by the city in 1996.
December
15, 2006
A healing tribute in salt
Greg Dearing said a prayer beside the salt labyrinth he was about
to sweep up and return to the ocean.
Then, the College of Charleston locksmith took a long-handled
scraper, pushed away some of the salt and wrote "Thank you Mr.
Yamamoto" into the work.
He began scraping and sweeping up more than 100 pounds of salt
laid out in fine and twisted lines by Japanese artist Motoi Yamamoto.
December
15, 2006
Using college cash as hook
Norine Noonan, dean of the school of science and mathematics at
the College of Charleston, called Harrell's proposed bill "a good
start."
The state needs more professionals in science, engineering and
math, but "it's only part of the equation," she said.
Noonan said incentives are especially important for college
students who want to teach math and science in middle and high schools. They,
in turn, can inspire secondary school students to pursue math and science
careers.
December
15, 2006
'It's a milestone in our history'
Seven years passed between the time College of Charleston
officials announced that they needed a new basketball arena and Thursday's
groundbreaking on the sports complex, the Carolina First Center.
John Kresse, the college's special assistant to the athletic
director and former men's basketball coach, said the movement for a new
facility began in 1999.
December
14, 2006
Philadelphia.
PA
Shalom, Y'all, From Charleston!
And, of course, there is Dr. Martin Perlmutter, professor of
Jewish studies at the College of Charleston, who will light the giant menorah
at Marion Square near the striking Holocaust Memorial, also on Dec. 17.
http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/11577/
December
14, 2006
Looking to Atlanta
It was a bit of a nostalgic day for George Benson, dean of the
Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.
Benson, who has been named president of the College of Charleston
in South Carolina starting in the spring, was holding his last UGA Economic
Forecasting lunch on Wednesday at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Yet Benson took pride in what the Terry College has been able to
accomplish in the past eight years.
"One of the things I'm proudest of is that the Terry College
of Business is now very outward-looking," said Benson, who doesn't plan to
sell his home in Athens. "We were able to reach out and do big things in
Atlanta."
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/printedition/2006/12/14/bizsaport1214a.html
December
14, 2006
Forbes: Georgia should drop income tax
In the local economic forecast, outgoing Terry College Dean P.
George Benson said he looks for 3.3 percent growth in the state's economy.
That's less than the 4.3 percent for 2006 or the 4.6 percent growth in 2005.
But it's better than expected for the nation, and it's good growth for an
economic recovery that now has lasted for five years, said Benson, who is leaving
to become president of the College of Charleston.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2006/12/11/daily21.html
December
13, 2006
State to get report on Burke progress
Goodloe-Johnson said she is optimistic about today's meeting
because of the work that's been done at the school. The state gave its OK to
the district's plan, which included a partnership with the College of
Charleston and a new principal, Charles Benton.
December
12, 2006
State news of national interest
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Francis Marion National Forest has a
poisonous invader that can destroy other plants. Cogongrass is Òeven worse than
kudzu,Ó said Jean Everett, a College of Charleston biology instructor who
discovered three patches deep in the forest last month. The plant has long
leaves like razor blades and tends to be highly flammable, providing fuel for
forest fires.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20061212-0350-statespotlight.html
December
12, 2006
Series appropriate (Letter to the Editor)
As a college journalism professor, I often talk about what's right
and wrong with newspapers. I plan to use Mr. Menchaca's series as an example of
what's right. His series demonstrates how well creative nonfiction can be
adapted to newspapers.
Chris Lamb
Associate Professor of Communication
College of Charleston
December
12, 2006
A City Refills Its Plate
John Crotts, who heads the College of CharlestonÕs department of
hospitality and tourism management, counts 28 Òfine diningÓ restaurants in
town. ItÕs seemingly an overcrowding of the marketplace for a city of just over
100,000 people (and about 330,000 in Charleston County) — that is, until
you realize that tourism is the economic engine that drives Charleston.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/12/12/charleston
December
11, 2006
Lowcountry a Ôrich laboratoryÕ for real estate center
Perry Woodside, finance professor at the College of Charleston,
pointed out that the tri-county area is a goldmine of real estate and land-use
issues.
Brownfields, historic preservation, urban sprawl and development,
wetlands and environmental regulations, all of these concerns lie within only
30 miles of the Charleston peninsula, Woodside said.
That is why Woodside and Bob Pitts, dean of the College of
CharlestonÕs School of Business and Economics, consider the collegeÕs new
Carter Center in Real Estate essential to the region.
The center, which launched this fall and received a $1.5 million
pledge from Atlanta developer Ben Carter, for whom the center is named, will
conduct research into the host of land issues the Lowcountry faces. It will
also collect and analyze local real estate industry data, Pitts said.
http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/current/12_26/news/8258-1.html
December
10, 2006
Want to
punish a comedian? Don't listen (Op/ed)
Michael Richards' attorney has announced that his client will
apologize to the four black men he offended with his racist rant during a Nov.
17 standup routine at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. Richards is also
expected to pay a settlement to the men for the pain and suffering they endured
when Richards directed a series of epithets and slurs at them. A judge will
decide after meeting with Richards and the four men soon if any further action
is necessary to resolve the matter.
If this foolishness is to have a fitting resolution, I hope the
judge is Mike Judge, who created Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill.
Chris Lamb is an associate professor of communication at the
College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. His latest book is Wry Harvest: An
Anthology of Midwest Humor.
December
10, 2006
Foreign plant spreading rapidly in national forest
CHARLESTON, S.C. | The Francis Marion National Forest has a
foreign invader and it's killing everything around it.
The invader is called cogongrass and "it's even worse than
kudzu," said Jean Everett, a College of Charleston biology instructor who
discovered three patches last month deep in the forest. "This is the plant
from hell."
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061210/APN/612102787
December
9, 2006
'It's even worse than kudzu,' and it's here
It's not kudzu, the plant that ate the South. It's called
cogongrass, and "it's even worse than kudzu," said Jean Everett, a
College of Charleston biology instructor who discovered three patches last
month deep in the forest. "This is the plant from hell."
December
8, 2006
Students make voices heard
Noise is an inescapable byproduct of building construction. And
generally, the larger the building, the louder the noise its construction
produces. Noise is also a menace to concentration. But thanks to College of
Charleston students' justified objections to a continuation of loud
construction site racket during exam week, the noise level has temporarily been
lowered.
December
7, 2006
Martial Lore
"The military and war are important in the affairs of humans.
As such, there are ample legends surrounding both," notes Brenda Sanders,
a senior instructor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina and a
longtime student of urban legends. "Also, the military and war have a lot
of unknowns surrounding them. Humans do not like to go into situations without
knowing what to expect, so urban legends often serve to inform people about how
things are, even if the information is false."
http://moaainvtst.moaa.org/pubs_mom_061201_Lore.htm
December
6, 2006
Music To Their Ears
Students in the College of Charleston's Department of Music made
their teachers proud and earned some serious street cred last month when they
took home a batch of top honors at the state level of the Music Teachers
National Association's Performance Competitons, held at Winthrop University in
Rock Hill. The Terranova Piano Trio – pianist Giuliana Contreras,
violinist Javier Orman, and cellist Yun Hao Jiang – won the Chamber Music
Competition, while judges declared soprano Henriet Fourie the winner of the
Young Artist Voice Competition. Additionally, mezzo-soprano Lauren Pashke
earned a spot as Fourie's alternate, and judges named pianist Ghadi Shayban the
alternate in the Young Artist Piano Competition. The winners will advance to
the Southern Division Competitions, held in early January, and if successful
there, they'll move on to Nationals. The purpose of the competitions is to
recognize talented musicians and their instructors, two things the College, it
seems, has plenty of. –Christy Robertson
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A20836
December
6, 2006
Wood to leave after 31 years at C of C
George Wood, who has worked with the College of Charleston sailing
program for 31 years, will resign as the school's sailing director next month
to become director of the Newport Sea Base for the Boy Scouts of America in
Newport Beach, Ca.
December
5, 2006
WEIRD BUT TRUE
December 5, 2006 -- Bring in 'da noise, bring in 'da flunk.
Officials at South Carolina's College of Charleston have agreed to
halt construction of a new campus building during final exams, apparently
worried that the noise could affect students' performance.
The school originally had planned to issue earplugs.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12052006/news/weirdbuttrue/weirdbuttrue.htm
December
5, 2006
Welcome to Venice (Letter to the Editor)
I was delighted to read the front-page story on our new incoming
president of the College of Charleston. I was charmed with his statement that
Charleston was like Venice without water in the streets. Bless his heart, he
will learn when we have a frog choker at high tide and the streets are filled
with water. But he may be on to something that we can use when advertising
overseas. Until he mentioned it, I had no idea that it may be an asset that we
can use. I hope the Chamber of Commerce will get some good shots of water in
the streets for overseas ads. We have a new winner in this guy.
Ernest J. Berger
2970 Seabrook Island
December
5, 2006
C of C hopes to boost campus diversity
College of Charleston officials hope to enroll 100 more black and
other minority students next year to stem the decline in diversity on campus.
Interim president Conrad Festa said several efforts are under way,
including considering admitting students whose SAT scores are slightly below
the freshman-class average, a partnership with Trident Technical College to
develop a "bridge" program to help students successfully make the
transition from a two-year to a four-year institution and the administration of
a schoolwide "campus climate" survey to determine how comfortable
different groups of students feel on campus.
December
5, 2006
Shhhhhhhh! We're working in here, too
In South Carolina, the College of Charleston has decided that the
whole idea of higher education should probably prevail over new construction.
The school has some new buildings going up right next to current classrooms
where students are taking final exams. Above, the school's choral director
walks past the site with ears covered. The students say that the heavy
equipment and pounding and hammering are not good for concentration. So the
school offered free ear plugs. Uhhhh, no, the students said. So the school
relented and has suspended work until after exams end next week. The delay will
cost them about $6,000 a day.
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/12/05/Worldandnation/Don_t_aim_gun_where_y.shtml
December
5, 2006
NBC News helps public come to 'terms' with the Iraq
conflict
The government has become much more sophisticated about framing
issues in popular media, so we have it (trying) to avoid terms like 'war' when
referring to anything to do with the US military,' said Brian McGee, department
chair for the College of Charleston's department of communications.
December
4, 2006
Odds and Ends
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Earplugs apparently won't do, so the
College of Charleston has agreed to stop construction on a new building during
final exams.
Students had complained about the clang of a pile driver sinking
columns for the new building and wanted construction halted during finals. The
building is in the middle of campus near classroom buildings and dorms.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/4377657.html
December
3, 2006
Robust luxury home market reflecting a national trend
The health of the high-end home market, measured against the
modest decline in lower-priced properties, boils down to the broader issues of
wage growth and the widening gap between rich and poor, said Von Bakanic,
sociology professor at the College of Charleston.
Also, as mortgage interest rates and insurance premiums have crept
up, they have pushed house payments beyond what is affordable for some working
families.
"It doesn't surprise me that the high end is still selling
well, because the high-end (buyers) have no shortage of wealth," she said.
"And it doesn't surprise me that the middle and low end have flattened out
because their income has been flat for about five years now. They're feeling
the squeeze."
December
3, 2006
'Playwrights Tonight'
For the 13th year, the College of Charleston's Halsey Institute
for Contemporary Art and the Department of Theater will present an original
short play by students in the college playwriting classes.
"The Audition" follows 15 students trying out for seven
parts in a new piece guided by a tyrannical and enigmatic director. Having heard
their prepared monologues, the director, played by theater professor Evan
Parry, then asks for each student to reveal the "real you" upon which
he will make the final decision.
December
3, 2006
Project to stop for finals
CHARLESTON - Earplugs apparently won't do, so the College of
Charleston has agreed to stop construction on a new building during final exams
which start next week.
Students had complained about the clang of a pile driver sinking
columns for the new building and wanted construction halted during finals. The
building is in the middle of campus near classrooms and dorms.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/local/16153715.htm
December
2, 2006
Philadelphia schools chief advocates public-private link
Vallas reinforced the importance of partnerships, and Riley said
every person and business that can should be connected to their neighborhood
schools. Riley said he supported the idea of expanding partnerships such as the
one between the College of Charleston and Burke High School.
http://www.charleston.net/assets/webPages/departmental/news/Stories.aspx?section=localnews&tableId=121062&pubDate=12/2/2006
December
2, 2006
Hotel and spa proposed on upper Meeting Street
John Crotts, head of the College of Charleston Hospitality Department,
expects a 4 percent to 6 percent increase in area hotel rooms during the next
few years.
"The land acquisition cost, combined with high construction
costs, probably made a lot of the developments just not work out
financially," Crotts said. "But the market seems to have grown to a
price point where it's worthwhile now."
December
2, 2006