Campus Opinion – The Rhynean

I am Proud

By Genesis Becerra

What does it mean to be Mexican? Does it mean working in the fields from dusk to dawn? Or does it mean mowing people’s lawns all day? Or maybe it means selling fruit on the side of the street to earn a little bit more to cover the rest of your rent. Can someone speak Mexican even if they aren’t? Or maybe if you’re not Mexican you can be proud to be Latino but if you are Mexican you cannot be proud of your blood. All my life I have heard from people around me that I shouldn’t be proud to be Mexican. They claim I should be ashamed since my people obtain jobs in an ‘unprofessional’ manner and cause nothing but illegal actions. But despite all the stereotyping, discrimination, and even anti-immigrant prejudice, I am proud to be Mexican.

According to World Population Review Mexico is number one when it comes to the hardest workers in the OECD, clocking in “…an average of 2,148 hours per year”. Despite Mexico’s labor laws, which limit “…the workweek to 48 hours”, it is often ignored due to high unemployment rates and very low pay. My people are hard workers. When times get tough we find a way to keep going and even strive for more. The jobs might not be luxurious but they are jobs that must be done. These jobs are usually done for the family and to give them a better life. Many laugh at construction workers but at the end of their shift, they can come back home to a loving family who is not struggling. They come home to children who are grateful and who work hard in school to get a better and stable job. When the children grow up and have that better job and even a family, they can always look back to their parents who broke their backs for them and truly appreciate the hard work that was put into creating this future.

Love is a huge part of being Mexican. No matter how hard times get, how poor you are, or even if you don’t have a job the people around you will always fill you up with love and encouragement to make sure you get back up and finish what you were born to do. You feel the love through the music when you are out dancing and the world just stops for a moment. You feel the love through food when your grandma makes tamales during Christmas. You feel the love through church when someone lights a candle for you. Love is embedded in our blood. It comes out through our words and actions. To be Mexican is to love.

So when you ask me if I am proud to be Mexican? My answer will always be yes. I am proud to come from hardworking people. I am proud to come from loving people who are there to support you no matter how hard time gets. I am proud to be a part of a culture that centers on family values. I am proud of the children who work hard at school and in their jobs to make their parents proud of all the sacrifices and work done. So yes, I am proud.

Past, Present and Future: Lenoir-Rhyne’s Iconic Moretz Stadium

By Hamilton Neill

Since 1924, Helen and Leonard Moretz Stadium has been an integral part of Lenoir-Rhyne University, and the greater local community.

Moretz Stadium is the largest on-campus stadium in the South Atlantic Conference and is the fourth oldest stadium in continuous use in all of Division II.

The 8,500-seat venue is home to the football team, as well as men’s and women’s lacrosse, whose programs launched in 2011. It is also the site for Lenoir-Rhyne’s spring commencement ceremonies.

Past

Over the years there have been many notable events that have taken place in the stadium’s history. In 1960, Moretz Stadium hosted an NAIA National Semifinal football game. The Bears faced off with Northern Michigan University.

The game ended in a tie 20-20. The winner of the game was decided on which team had the most total yardage, with the advantage going to Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears completed a perfect season with a national championship, where they defeated Humboldt State in the Holiday Bowl 15-14.

The championship winning 1960 Lenoir-Rhyne Football Team. (Photo Credit: Hickory Metro Sports Commission)

Clarence Stasavich photo — Coach Clarence Stasavich coached the Bears from 1946-1961. He led the Bears to the 1960 national title. Under his guidance the Bears posted a record of 120-37-7. (Photo Credit: Lenoir-Rhyne University)

Lenoir-Rhyne hosted West Chester of Pennsylvania in the 2013 NCAA Division II football semifinals. The Bears won the game 42-14 on their way to the national championship game. (Photo Credit: Ernie Masche)

Moretz Stadium also hosted the 1962 NAIA National Semifinal game and an NCAA Division II Semifinal game in 2013. The stadium has hosted four NCAA playoff games in its history, from 2012 to 2013.

In 1964, the stadium received its first major renovation. In 1989 the home football facility was renamed Helen & Leonard Moretz Stadium. At that time, it shared its facilities with the baseball program until a new baseball field was constructed and major renovations were given to Moretz Stadium.

The stadium capacity after the renovations increased 9,500 but was later decreased to 8,500 after a section of visitor seating was removed after the 1982 season.

Prior to the 2011 athletics season, a state-of-the-art Model 3680 Outdoor LED Football Scoreboard, built by Electro-Mech was installed. In 2015, FieldTurf was introduced. The installation of the turf was part of a $1.1 million dollar project, which also included the addition of a new drainage system among other improvements.

In 2015, Lenoir-Rhyne made the switch from natural grass to FieldTurf at Moretz Stadium. It was installed before that football season. (Photo Credit: Lenoir-Rhyne University)

Present

Currently, Moretz Stadium has a seating capacity of over 8,000. On most fall Saturdays in Hickory, people make the trip over to LRU to see the football team, one of the best in all of NCAA Division II. Since 2018, the Bears have a record of 38-7 in the regular season, plus two South Atlantic Conference championships.

You can also catch the men’s and women’s lacrosse squads in action. The men’s team advanced all the way to NCAA Division II championship game during the 2021 spring season.

Above: Lenoir-Rhyne football captured back-to-back South Atlantic Conference titles in 2018 and 2019.

Below: The Lenoir-Rhyne men’s and women’s lacrosse teams in action during the 2021 spring season.

Future

With all the improvements that have been made over time, there is still lots more work to be done. After 50 plus years, the stadium will receive its biggest overhaul to date.

The Centennial Campaign for Moretz Stadium is the upcoming $15 million renovation that will completely transform all facets of the venue.

In August 2019, the school announced plans to conduct a complete renovation of the stadium, after an engineering study revealed issues of structural integrity with the home side seating.

New grandstands, entrances on the east and west sides, concession stands and restrooms, video boards and a new press box are just some of the things the renovation will include

Other features will include new locker rooms for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, ADA-accessible seating and covered VIP suites and viewing areas.

Suite amenities include VIP parking passes, high-definition TV, and tiered seating for optimal spectator sightlines with comfortable luxury suites.

Starting in December 2021, that state-of-the-art renovation will begin. It is expected to be completed before the 2022 football season. Below are some artist renderings of the proposed renovations.

For nearly 100 years, Moretz Stadium has been an iconic part of Lenoir-Rhyne University. From the top-level facilities, to winning teams, to the game day traditions, this list goes on and on. Could you really ask for anything more?

The Closing of Sigma Kappa, Epsilon Alpha

“Sigma Kappa – Epsilon Alpha photo shoot Spring 2020”

Sigma Kappa has been a long-standing figure on Lenoir-Rhyne’s campus. It was first chartered in 1962 and has continued to stand until July of 2021. The active members of Sigma Kappa, Epsilon Alpha decided it was best to close the chapter. They voted on this decision with the help of their National Council. With the low numbers they had with the introduction of Covid-19 and other contributing factors, they felt it was best to shut the doors until 2025.

Member Kaylee Parker had this to say about the closing of the chapter, “I really am disappointed we closed since we can no longer actively raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. My Great-Grandfather is currently battling Alzheimer’s and it’s sad to not be able to be a direct part of raising that money continuously throughout the year. I do understand why the chapter has closed; I just wish I could’ve finished out my college years being a collegiate member instead of an alumnus.”

Sigma Kappa was known on campus for their past annual event, Trunk or Treat. This event was extremely popular with the Hickory community, and even won them two community outreach awards. Individual members also won separate awards. In 2020, member Hayley Moore won “New Member Sorority Woman of the Year” with her multiple positions she tackled as a freshman. Alumna Madison Berry, won Senior of the Year in 2020 as well. The Epsilon Alpha chapter of Sigma Kappa also held many awards through their national organization as well. They were known for a long time as a 5-star chapter, until numbers began to dwindle. The pride these women have is almost unbeatable.

On October 11^th, 2021, these remarkable women became Alumnae of this marvelous organization. They are now members of multiple alumni chapters across the North Carolina region, and some are even working on getting an alumni chapter started right herein Hickory so that they can stay together and still be involved with Sigma Kappa. This alumni chapter is set to get started with events Spring Semester!

If you are interested in learning more about the Epsilon Alpha chapter of Sigma Kappa or are interested in reopening it, please contact Hayley Moore at Hayley.moore@my.lr.edu.

By Commuters, For Commuters: Lenoir-Rhyne Junior starts group for local students

Are you a commuter student looking for more to do? This is a common problem, as a commuter, I know how hard it can be for off campus students to make friends and feel like a part of the LR community. Luckily, someone on campus also realized this and decided to do something about it. Lenoir-Rhyne Junior Lauren Witke, a local student and Campus Activities Board Vice President has started a group specifically for commuters.

The group has had two meetings as of the last week of October 2021, a meet and greet, and a game night. Witke started the group because she noticed that there was not much for commuters to do outside of class and wanted to do something to change that. “The whole reason I joined CAB was because when I transferred to LR from Appalachian, I realized there was no group for commuters” Witke said “It can be hard for commuters to go to events by themselves, so if there was a group specifically for them, I believe I myself would want to go”.

The main goal of the meetings is to have an informal, laid-back atmosphere for commuters to meet each other and have fun. Meetings currently take place once a month, and the group is open to involvement and ideas from anyone. “I’m hoping people will want to be involved and give suggestions on what to do” Witke said “I won’t always know what everybody wants, so what we do and how often we meet will depend on feedback from people”.

One of the main things keeping commuters from the full college experience is the limited time they spend on campus. Not living on campus means that there is often no real reason to stick around after class. Lauren hopes that this group will give commuters a reason to stay on campus longer, instead of just going to class and leaving. “I feel like as a commuter you’re not on campus much, I personally don’t want to be somewhere I don’t need to be any longer” Witke said “So if I had someone to be on campus with I would much rather do that. So, I’m hoping this group will give people at least one person they can be on campus with”.

All Commuters at all class levels at Lenoir-Rhyne are encouraged to come to the meetings and are encouraged to contact Lauren with any questions or suggestions they might have. So, if you live off campus and have been looking for an easy, relaxed way to make some new friends, this might be the perfect place for you.

Oh, to Be in the Marching Band

Founded in 2016, the current Spirit of Lenoir-Rhyne is now a staple at every game. After working long summer band camps, to spending hours on the football field to get everything right, this band has what it takes to be amazing.

Led under the direction of Professor Neil Underwood, who has 39 years of experience in total, the band has grown exponentially in size. Starting at around 58 members on the class roster in 2016, in only three years, it jumped up to a 100-member band. The show they put on that year was one no one would forget, Dread the Red. Featuring pieces from Beetlejuice, Dracula, and IT, the show was a hit with crowds. Unbeknownst to them, this would be the only year they’d be at 100. Covid-19 hit this wonderful band and the numbers plummeted. In the year 2020, the band would have around 70 members, without any community members to share the experience with. The also didn’t have a true marching show to put on the field because it had to stay at least 6 feet apart at all times. In 2021, after the announcement of the required Covid Vaccine, that number dropped to around 60. It looked like the marching band wouldn’t be in the glory days it had been.

At the end of the 2020 season, the leadership for the 2021 season was announced. With this announcement came hope in the future. This leadership team the band had was amazing and all had a bright outlook for the future season. As members walked into the band room as band camp started, the fire in all of those members lit up. The members listened to the new halftime show, and were enthralled by the music. Piccolo player Sabrina Fredo states “I had never been so excited about a marching show until this year. Having band essentially back to normal has made this semester a little more bearable”. Even with the rain the members had throughout band camp, they put the majority of the show on the field and it was glorious to experience again.

After weeks and hours of hard work the Spirit of Lenoir-Rhyne finally got to broadcast their marching show “The Bears are Back”, and saying it was a hit would be an understatement. The band members played their hearts out and showed the audience that the band was back, and they weren’t going anywhere. After finishing the performance, the band marches off the field to meet with Professor Underwood. According to multiple accounts, he stated that “As long as I’ve been here, that has been the best performance the Spirit of LR has put on”. This is a great accomplishment especially considering that the band has yet to add on the third movement of their production. There is little doubt though, this band will be one of the best Lenoir-Rhyne has ever seen.

Make sure to come cheer on the Spirit of Lenoir-Rhyne at the next football game October 9^th, 2021, to see what they’re really made of!

Lenoir-Rhyne is hiring

The Cafeteria and Chick-fil-a are two of the many options students have for working on campus.

It is no secret that many companies in the food service and retail industry are currently struggling to hire people, and keep them working. Young people, generally high school and college students, are usually the people that fill a lot of positions at these restaurants and stores. Part time work can be hard for students because of the balance they have to maintain between work and their studies.

Many students would like to have a part time job to make some money to help with tuition, or to help have some spending money for their leisure time, but feel like they cannot balance school work with a job. There is a solution to this problem, and it’s pretty simple, why not get a job on campus?

As I have worked on campus since my sophomore year, I can attest to the benefits of working a job on campus. The first, and to a lot of people, the most important benefit is the obvious one, money. Every college student, no matter what background they come from or what financial aid they have, could use extra money. Part time jobs offer just that, you do not have to work extremely long hours if you are not looking for more than some extra money for books or for a meal with your friends on the weekends. But if you are in need of more, you can work more hours. And that brings us to the next benefit, flexibility.

Many employers outside of campus might not have your best interest as a student at heart, but employers on campus do. Employers who work on college campuses understand that school work always comes first because they are seeing students all day every day. Campus employers are often very flexible because of this, and they are able to negotiate hours and availability that fit around your class schedule, not the other way around.

Another reason why working on campus can be beneficial is convenience. Many college students have a difficult time traveling to and from work off campus because of lack of transportation, some may not have a vehicle, while others might only have one they can borrow at specific times, and others do not drive at all. Working on campus eliminates that problem, as (especially on a smaller campus such as this one) work is just a short walk away.

The last benefit I have personally experienced while working on campus is the relationships with coworkers and customers. Being able to work with, and serve your friends every day makes for a fun work environment, and seeing the same people every day. can give you a chance to cultivate new relationships with a diverse group of people, and make more friends than you ever had before.

The bottom line is that it can be very difficult to find a job with an environment that you enjoy, that is flexible with schedules, and is a convenient way to make either a little extra money, or a full time living, and to a student looking for this who thinks it isn’t possible or practical, the answer might literally right in front of you as you read this post on your lunch break.

The Lenoir-Rhyne Spirit Team

By: Hayley Moore
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Many Lenoir-Rhyne fans come to Moretz Stadium on game days for our amazing game day atmosphere, provided by the wonderful Spirit Team program Lenoir-Rhyne has. These students put in countless hours practicing and getting ready for every game day. They perform routines on their own at the beginning of the game, with the band during peptunes, and even at National Competition in Florida! They have been around since the 1900’s, and have only gotten more talented as time goes on. From their evolving stunts and routines, to their continuous support of the sport teams, this group of amazing students are known as both the Lenoir-Rhyne Cheerleading Team and the Lenoir-Rhyne Dance Team.

Many people believe these are one complete entity, and in some aspects yes, but I see them as two different groups; the cheerleaders and the dancers. Now it isn’t a bad thing they are in two different groups, but they do perform two separate routines at times, which is a very difficult skill. Both are extremely talented groups and have their own amazing talents, although all together they make up the Spirit Team we all know and love.

Lenoir-Rhyne’s dance team focus on the aspect of dance rather than the skills of cheer. They focus on mainly working on the visual aspect rather than sharp movements and stunts. This doesn’t make them any less skilled though, it makes it more impressive, especially since many of these women have been dancing since the toddler years. After interviewing my dear friend, Alyssa Bailey, who is on the dance team, I get a better insight into the dance team. Alyssa has been a dancer at Lenoir-Rhyne since her freshman year, making this her third year on the dance team. She states “I love the dance team because it’s an outlet to express myself and get out frustration”. As a nursing major, I inquired about how she handles class schedule and her dance schedule. She said “At first it was really hard to find time for things, but once I got used to all of the schedules, everything turned out alright.” Alyssa finds one of the biggest benefits of the dance team is staying active and getting to spend time with amazing teammates.

The Cheerleading Team is your classic, college cheerleaders. The amazing stunts, the loud cheers, and the beautiful cheer uniforms, are all staples of this cheer team. After winning a national title back in 2019, it has only made this team even more impressive. This team not only includes the cheerleaders, but Lenoir-Rhyne’s mascot, Joe Bear. He is always included in any performance the team puts in and always adds to the amazing spirit this team has. He is a partner for the dance team girls when they need, hypes up the crowd, and does cheers with the cheerleaders. Although Joe Bear assists with many different things, he is ultimately left out of the stunts. The intricate stunts that are preformed, are not only dangerous, but they must know what they are doing. The cheers must be memorized with specific moves, which can take some people months to learn. This is where their coach Brandi Franklin steps in and helps the difficult process. Brandi Franklin has worked with the spirit team for six years, two years as the head of the spirit team. Brandi has worked extremely hard this year to get this team ready, even taking them to the National Cheer Association’s (NCA) cheer camp to receive a bid to perform at nationals. She states that “I believe taking them to this camp has strongly motivated them overall to do well at Nationals.” For now, the national’s routine will be on hold until after football season, but be on the lookout for previews of their routine in the spring semester.

This phenomenal team is always growing and looking for new additions for this amazing team. Although tryouts have passed for this year, stay on the lookout for upcoming tryout information. The dance team and spirit team are both amazing organizations to join and be a part of. You won’t ever regret becoming a huge part of the gameday atmosphere here at Lenoir-Rhyne.