For the period 01-18-12 through 02-07-12 the following incidents were reported to and/or investigated by Campus Police:

01-18-12

A report of Driving under Suspension and Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle on Patriot Drive.  One non-student jailed.

01-19-12

A report of Simple Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Another’s Driver’s License at the Village Apartments.  Three students referred to Student Affairs and one of the three jailed.

A report of Littering at various locations in the Housing area.  Fliers placed all over the area.

A report of Driving under Suspension on Wallace Woods Road.  One non-student jailed.

01-20-12

A report of Violation of Written FMU Policy/Regulation on Wallace Woods Road near the Forest Villas.  One student referred to Student Affairs.

A report of Theft from a Building at the Smith University Center.  Victim reports unsecured keys stolen.

A report of Drug/Narcotic and Drug Equipment Violations at the Village Apartments.  One student jailed and referred to Student Affairs.

A report of Drug/Narcotic Drug Equipment Violations on Wallace Woods Road.  One student jailed and referred to Student Affairs.

01-22-12

A report of Drunkenness in Marion State Hall.  One student referred to Student Affairs.

01-24-12

A report of Harassment filed as information only at the victim’s request.  One student referred to Student Affairs.

A General Information report at the Heyward Community Center.  The victim felt uncomfortable with a situation.

A report of Vandalism of Property in Swamp Fox Hall.  One student referred to Student Affairs.

01-25-12

A report of Missing FMU Parking Decal inLot“H”.  The victim reports their FMU Parking Decal stolen.

01-26-12

A report of Aggravated Assault-Off Campus.  Referred toFlorenceCountySheriffs Office and Student Affairs.

01-27-12

A report of Failure to comply with the Directions of an FMU Official in the Village Apartments.  One student referred to Student Affairs.

A report of Missing/Stolen Keys at the Smith University Center.  The victim reports their unsecured keys missing.

01-28-12

A report of Liquor Law Violation and Disorderly Conduct in the Village Apartments.  Three students referred to Student Affairs.

01-30-12

A report of Interfering with Police or Fire Alarm near the Academic Computer Center.  Three students referred to Student Affairs.

01-31-12

A report of Possession of Liquor under 21 in the Forest Villas.  One student issued a State Ticket and referred to Student Affairs.

A report of Obscene/Harassing/Threatening Telephone Calls in Swamp Fox Hall.  Three students referred to Student Affairs.

02-01-12

A report of Simple Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Liquor under 21 in Palmetto Hall.  Two students jailed and referred to Student Affairs.

A report of Drug/Narcotic Violation in the Village Apartments.  One student jailed and referred to Student Affairs.

02-03-12

A report of Damage to Personal Property on The Cottage Road.  The victim reports their vehicle damaged while parked.

02-04-12

A report of Driving under Suspension on Francis Marion Road.  One non-student jailed.

02-05-12

A report of Weapon Law Violation on Alumni Drive.  One student referred to Student Affairs.

A report of Driving under Suspension on Highway 327 at Old Wallace Gregg Road.  One non-student issued a State Ticket.

02-06-12

A report of Open Container of Alcohol in a Vehicle on Alumni Drive and Patriot Drive.  One non-student issued a State Ticket.

A report of Damage to Personal Property in Parking Lot “F”.  The victim reports their vehicle damaged while parked.

02-07-12

A report of Damage to Personal Property in Parking Lot “F”.  The victim reports their vehicle damaged while parked.

A report of Obscene/Harassing Telephone Calls at the Ervin Dining Hall.  One student referred to Student Affairs.

Campus Police officers responded to six (06) requests for Medical Assistance during this period.

 FOUND PROPERTY:  FMUPD currently has numerous items that were left unattended or found on campus.  If you are missing an item of property and can provide identifying information for your missing property, contact Lt. Ken Pittman at 843-661-1117.  

Liam Neeson plays Ottway, a professional gunman hired to kill wolves in order to keep them away from the workers on the Alaskan pipeline.  On a flight back to Anchorage, the plane goes down in a storm, leaving the few survivors in the middle of arctic tundra with no hope of rescue.  As such, the only way to escape certain death is by trekking out of the desolate wilderness.

And if the sub-zero temperatures and the other deadly environmental hazards were not enough, the ravenous wolves are constantly on the hunt, searching for their next meal.  The film follows the dwindling survivors as they attempt their escape from this unforgiving wasteland and, of course, the jaws of the wolves.

One of the things that struck me most about this movie was how different it turned out to be from how the trailer makes it appear.  The trailer led me to believe that the film is an action-packed thrill ride primarily concerned with Liam Neeson punching wolves in the face.

Admittedly, that sounded like a great movie.  Instead, what it turned out to be was a deliberate, foreboding story interjected with intense action sequences.  More than anything else, the horror genre of film came to mind.

Throughout the men’s journey to escape the elements and the wolves, the men begin to question what and if there is a point to go on with their attempt at living.

As they see the tragic death that their friends have experienced, each survivor draws a different conclusion about why they wound up in the situation that they now find themselves.

For me, this is the crux of the film.  Each man struggling for survival must ask himself why he is still alive while the others did not make it.  The answer that each chooses to believe over the course of the film The responses span the spectrum of possibilities, from nihilism to belief in a purpose and reason which leaves the viewer to choose which survivor they most closely identify with.

Overall, “The Grey” left me with mixed feelings.  Everything about the film was well done.  It had a strong plot leading to an explosive climax, but it certainly was not the movie I was expecting.

If you decide to check this movie out, be sure to stay after the credits.

Tashi, Nitin, and Arup, three friends who share an apartment, are unknowingly targeted by a gangster due to a mix-up in the delivery of a package.

Soniya, Tashi’s fiancé, was initially given the package, but she hands it off to Tashi. Because of his busy schedule, Tashi then asks Nitin to make the delivery. Nitin gets an unexpected case of “the shits” and pleads Arup to deliver it for him.

With the original package, Nitin also gives Arup a box of rather runny fecal sample to drop off at the pathologist’s office. You can only imagine what the gangster finds when he opens the awaited package.

“Delhi Belly” deviates from Indian cinema by including only one short musical score, unlike several longer ones seen in almost all other Indian films. This movie maintains a fast pace and I found myself either chuckling or laughing out loud throughout the entire movie.

Though all three friends have their own separate lives, the convoluted plot arises from calamities in their misadventures. Vijay, the gangster, was a seemingly benign villain who was only a threat to those who crossed him. His rather quasi-calm nature in dealing with others makes his interactions hilarious.

The movie also briefly explores the lives of supporting characters, adding depth to the main plot. For example, there is a sub-plot of the landlord’s sexual deviance which is unsuspectingly exploited by Nitin for blackmail. After the landlord’s help, Nitin has a change of heart and relinquishes his power over the landlord.

Rated R, this movie is geared towards young adult audience and has healthy portions of violence, love, sex, heartbreak, humor, goofiness, and eccentricity.

Though mainly in English, “Delhi Belly” is for anybody who enjoys foreign cinema and does not mind reading subtitles sparingly. The Indian accent and the back-and-forth from English and Hindi may cause slight confusion. There might also be a few instances where an American viewer may not get a joke because of cultural barriers. Neither of these reasons should be considered as a deterrent to those who enjoy good comedies.

Overall I have enjoyed my time here at FMU, but there is one thing that I would like to see revised: the meal plan.

Most students on campus have several options for meals. The plans range from nineteen meals a week, to fourteen meals a week, to six meals a week, to choosing no mean plan. I was not given an option. Upon signing up for living arrangements I was given a choice; live in a dorm and have a meal plan or live in an apartment and do not.

Because of where I live on campus I was only told about one meal plan, the 19 a week.  Is it necessary that I have 19 meals a week? At most I end up eating fourteen meals a week because I rarely get up for breakfast. If I am not feeling well or just not hungry I may not bother making the trip to the café.

Here lies my problem. If I do not eat nineteen meals a week why do I have to pay for all nineteen?

I appreciate dearly that someone looked out for me and thought it in my best interest to have this type of meal plan, but was it really helpful?  First year students typically live in the dorms. Students who live in the dorms do not have a cooking area within their living space.

With that logic I can definitely see why the administration would provide dorm dwellers with the highest meal plan to ensure that there nutritional needs are met. But that is also my problem. If I cannot choose which meal plan I get to use, shouldn’t I at least be reimbursed for what I do not use?

Because I did not have a say in the matter I spend about one hundred and five dollars more a semester than if I had the fourteen meal a week plan. If I had decided on the six meal a week plan I would have saved nine hundred a

nd fifteen dollars a semester. Whether barely one hundred or almost a thousand every little bit counts for me. So I feel that it is only fair that I get control of the money that I do not use on meals.

I am not the only student that feels this way. I know that my roommate is in the same boat as me. We both transferred from outside schools with a much higher cost of living and education.

We do not take for granted that we are getting an education without sending our families into bankruptcy, but if we do not eat the predetermined amount of meals why shouldn’t we be refunded what belongs to us?

I suggest that there be some type of reimbursement for the students who feel the same way as I do. Of course I would say a refund check for the difference of what was not used, but something so simple as credit to be used anywhere on campus would also work in this case.

Just keeping the unused money makes me think that money is more thought about than the needs of the student, and how they could have been met in other ways with the money that could have been saved.

I wonder has this thought ever occurred to anyone. If it is made a habit of reimbursing students for the meals that are not eaten, then you would probably get more students paying for meal plans.

People remember when you take care of them. If it could promise that students could be reimbursed after a semester then more students may sign up for a meal plan, which may influence them to eat more during the week, which in turn will result in more people dining in up to nineteen meals a week.

I speak simply as a student who has questions, a student who has thought long and hard about the issue, and a student who really expects to see change around campus.

The simplest little change could make college life a lot easier.

The game started in Pembroke’s favor when senior, guard, Marcus Heath scored 2 points in the first 13 seconds of the game, followed by another 2 points made by freshman Ben Jacobs.

FMU did not get on to the scoreboard until senior Andrew Smith made a layup a minute and a half into the game putting 2 points on the board.

After that, UNC began to pull ahead making seven more point in the next three minutes. The score was 2-11 in Pembroke’s favor. That was until Smith made another layup; at that point, that FMU began to make it a closer game.

The Braves stayed ahead of the Patriots during the first half of the game. At half time, the score was 33-41 in Pembroke’s favor.

But FMU was not done just yet, according to freshman, business management major, Clayton Williams.

“They turned it up on defense in the second half,” said Williams.

At the start of the second half, FMU gained new life. They worked hard to close the 8-point gap that UNC held over them.

Nine minutes into the game, junior Darryn Frazier made a three-pointer that gained the lead for FMU.

From then on, FMU held onto the lead. With 18 seconds left in the game, Liki Turner had just missed one of his free throws that was then rebounded by Jacobs who passed to Heath, who, in turn, made a three-pointer.

With 13 seconds left, there was still a chance that the Braves could comeback and at least tie the game until Heath fouled sophomore Evrik Gary.

Gary made both free throws and sealed the win for FMU.

Senior mass communication major Marcus Wright was impressed with the final score. “[The] Patriots show how brave they are against UNCP, escaping 79-74,” Wright said.

Gary, who contributed 21 points and registered 10 rebounds, and Turner, who scored 20 points with 9 rebounds were key players for the Patriots.

UNC Pembroke’s Shahmel Brackett scored 21 points for the Braves along with Heath, who scored 18 points.

According to junior business management major Derek Hosey, it’s not about single players.

“It wasn’t just about individuals stats,” Hosey said. “We won because we played as a team.”

Free throws also contributed to FMU’s win. FMU made 77 percent of their free throws compared to Pembroke’s 58 percent.

As the bottom of the seventh inning began, the Patriots trailed the Wolves 4-0, having only amassed three singles in the game up to that point due to solid pitching by Newberry starter Josh McElwee.

FMU assistant coach Robbie Wilson had high praise for McElwee.

“He (McElwee) had good velocity and good speed,” Wilson said. “He may play some professional ball.”

Wilson also said that the pitching of McElwee forced the Patriots to hit a lot of balls in the air, instead of hitting the ball down.

Even senior second baseman Brock McCallister admitted that McElwee was causing some trouble for the Patriots’ offense.

“He had a good slider that kept our hitters off-balance,” McCallister said.

To make matters worse for FMU, McElwee even showed off his hitting skills by drilling a 390-foot two-run home run over the left-center field fence in the top of the seventh to increase the Newberry lead to 4-0.

But the drama was just beginning. FMU’s offense struggled for much of the game, but they never lost heart and fought back in the bottom half of the inning.

McCallister said that the calmness the Patriots displayed in the midst of adversity is one of the hallmarks of the team, and that it comes from head coach Art Inabinet and the staff.

“We don’t get too high, and we don’t get too low,” McCallister said. “We really keep our  focus.”

The potent Patriot offense got things going in the seventh with a fielder’s choice fly ball to left field from Tyler Boyd, which drove in FMU’s first run.

Trailing 4-1 with two outs and runners on first and second, Patriot leadoff batter Michael Wilson reached on a fielding error by the Newberry first baseman, who was a late-game defensive replacement.

McCallister followed by driving in the second run with an infield single. McCallister said that his team hit the ball better later in the game; he also said that a big part of his key hit was just luck.

Senior center fielder Buddy Sosnoskie tied the game at 4-4 with a two-run single up the middle, and the Patriots took the lead on an RBI-single to right-center by junior infielder Stephen Tarkenton.

Designated hitter John Jones had a stellar game for the Patriots with three hits in his three at-bats, as did Tarkenton, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Junior southpaw Evan Brown (0-1) was the losing pitcher for Newberry, while FMU junior righty Gary Ashcraft (1-0) earned the win in relief in his first appearance as a Patriot.

Junior righty Don Sandifer came in and pitched a scoreless ninth frame to earn his first career save.

The victory improved the Patriots’ record to 2-1, while dropping Newberry’s record to 1-4.

The Patriots’ next home game will be Feb. 22, an afternoon affair against Mount Olive Co

“By the time I finished my degree and was ready to start working, there were no jobs to be found any place,” Lundberg said.

As a result, she took an available job with the State Department of Education as a communications writer and coordinator.

“A year later, I got a phone call from the (television) station where I had interned saying that they had an opening if I was interested, and I jumped at it because I still had a passion to work in broadcasting, so that’s how I got my first job,” Lundberg said.

She stressed the importance of students in any major completing at least one internship prior to graduation. Lundberg said that, when applying for jobs, a graduate who has worked as an intern has a major advantage over other graduates who have the same grades but have not worked as interns.

“An internship led to my first job, and I have had many, many students who have gotten their first jobs directly as a result of the internship that they did while they were still in school, so I think it’s a huge plus,” Lundberg said.

Lundberg landed her first journalism job at an NBC station in Oklahoma. She worked behind the scenes writing and producing stories and series for one of the anchors. She then moved to a smaller station where she worked as an anchor and reporter.

“I really love working in front of the camera, especially because I’ve gotten to go to some wonderful places as a reporter and meet amazing people that I know I never would have met otherwise,” Lundberg said. “It’s just been a great eye-opening career to get to learn about so many things. Every day is different, and you learn something different every day.”

Due to her husband’s job transfer, Lundberg left her on-camera job and moved to North Carolina, where she worked for a year as a middle school teacher at a public school.

Lundberg then inter-viewed for and secured a job as a reporter and producer for North Carolina Public Television. During this time, she traveled to numerous places to cover a variety of topics.

“Probably one of the more fun assignments was when I got to go to London and do a series of stories when American Airlines first started flying nonstop between Raleigh, N.C. and London, England,” Lundberg said. “I got to go on that very first flight and do a story about it. It was a whirlwind, but it was fun and exciting to be able to have that opportunity.”

After becoming tired of traveling so much, Lundberg started freelancing before she accepted a teaching position at Saint Augustine’s College in Raleigh, N.C., where she taught for five and a half years.

“I love that I’m able to give back to my profession by teaching people who want to follow in my footsteps and go into the same career field,” Lundberg said.

An opening in the Mass Communication Department at Francis Marion University caught Lundberg’s eye and drew her to the campus.

“When I came and interviewed at Francis Marion, I was so impressed by the positive atmosphere and by the fact that everyone was so friendly,” Lundberg said. “It seemed to be such a positive environment for learning, and I was just extremely impressed by the people I met and by the overall feeling on campus.”

Lundberg was offered a full-time position and began teaching broadcast courses at FMU in 2007.

Tim Hanson, her colleague and the interim chair of the Mass Communication Department, said that he thinks Lundberg is an asset to the department.

“I think Maria’s students appreciate the fact that she is the genuine article – someone who has spent years as a working professional in broadcast journalism and who knows exactly what students need to learn,” Hanson said. “I know I’m impressed by the fact that Maria still regularly writes, produces and hosts television packages that air on North Carolina Public Television. She’s wonderful to work with and absolutely essential to our department.”

In addition to her broadcast-specific courses, Lundberg is also teaching the Introduction to Mass Communication course this semester.

Last year, Lundberg also played a hand in getting the Student Media Association started back. She has been serving as the organization’s adviser ever since.

“I have great students, and I love when they keep in touch after they graduate and let me know where they are and what they’re doing,” Lundberg said. “It makes me feel good inside, like I played a little small part in helping them to be successful in what they chose to do.”

Construction of the Gerald R. Griffin Athletic Complex began last January and was originally scheduled to be completed at the beginning of 2012.

Director of Athletics Murray Hartzler said that there is still some unfinished business to handle before the complex can be used by FMU student-athletes.

“There’s not one piece of the complex that’s completely finished,” Hartzler said. “There are press box parts, fixtures, brickwork and concrete work that must be completed.”

Hartzler said that as important as it is for the state-of-the-art facility to be played on, it’s more important that it be done in the proper manner.

“We could push the contractor if we wanted, but we want things to be done right,” Hartzler said.

Hartzler said that he was hoping that the complex, which features Cormell Field at Sparrow Stadium, where the highly-ranked FMU baseball team will play, would be completed by opening day of the baseball season. Right now, the goal and the expectation is that the stadium be ready for play at the beginning of March.

Meanwhile, Patriots student-athletes are enthusiastic and excited about the new complex being opened and ready for play.

Junior right-handed pitcher and last season’s PBC Pitcher of the Year Don Sandifer said that his team is very excited about the new stadium and is eager to play in their new home.

“Having the new field makes it feel like we’re in a better college facility other than the high school-like facility we have now,” Sandifer said.

Sandifer also said that the new stadium should benefit his team because of some poor conditions on the current Cormell Field.

“The ball takes bad hops on third and first base,” Sandifer said. “The field doesn’t drain well.”

The right-hander said that while players are somewhat disappointed that the new field isn’t ready, it won’t have any effect on them during the season.

“We talk about the stadium,” Sandifer said. “We’re ready to play on it, but we’ve still got to play our game.”

One of the highlights of Cormell Field at Sparrow Stadium will take place on Wednesday, April 11, when FMU hosts the Division I baseball champion South Carolina Gamecocks. Hartzler said that there should be no worries about the facilities by that time.

“We definitely don’t want to cancel that game,” Hartzler said. “The USC game should not be a problem.”

Other features of the facility include a lake to support research and natural sciences at the university. There will also be walking trails surrounding the lake and going through the woods.

Also, Hartzler will be recognized with the soccer field being named in his honor. Hartzler is a former head soccer coach for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams. Hartzler Field will seat about 400 and have an enclosed press box.

The new complex will include a plaza named after athletic trainer Marion “Spyder” Webb. Webb graduated from FMU in 1978 and has been taping ankles and loosening tight muscles for FMU student-athletes for 35 years. Webb Plaza will be near the center of the complex.

Being honored with the Hawkins Press Box will be Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations and Marketing Michael Hawkins. After Hawkins graduated from FMU in 1985, he served as sports information director and news writer within the university’s Office of Communication Services for 21 years until he accepted his current role in the Athletics Department in 2006.

Hartzler said that with the new complex, FMU has hopes to host some regional tournament games in the Division II College World Series in the future.

Junior English major Shanae Giles will take the place of senior English major Staci Poston, the current editor, next school year. She is working with Poston this semester as the assistant editor.

“Shanae was picked from a pool of applicants,” Poston said. “I feel very confident in her abilities and  look forward to seeing what she does with the publication next year.”

The literary journal also announced junior visual communication major Tyler Pate as the next layout editor. He is working with current layout editor Michaela Moore, a senior also majoring in visual communication, this semester to design the look and feel of the publication.

“I’m excited to work on a different kind of layout than what I usually do for The Patriot,” Pate said. “I’m also looking forward to putting my own spin on publication.”