A Devotion Found in Richmond

God spoke to him, and he wrote everything down.  It was 3 a.m., and he was alone in his prison cell.

Rev. Kerry Richmond is proud that the events in his life have made him into the person he is today.  Better and inspiring.

Richmond was born in Burlington, N.C. in 1962.  By the time he was 11 years old, both his parents had passed away.  Many of his eight siblings helped take care of him, but it was his aunt that assumed the role full time.

“I always wanted to be in law enforcement,” Richmond says.  “Just like in the TV shows.”

After one year at Shaw University and one year at Alamance Community College, Richmond decided to apply for a position at the police department.  He did not get the job, and the person ultimately hired was the same age and had less education.

“In this county, it’s ain’t what you know,” Richmond says.  “It’s who you know.”

The unfair decision spurred a new feeling in him.

“I found myself going against the system,” Richmond says.  “It was part of my ignorance.”

He began selling drugs and making a name for himself.  For the first time in his life, he had enough money to buy several racecars and houses.

“I found myself wanting to stop,” Richmond says.  “But I couldn’t give up the lifestyle.”

Because drug dealing can be an up-and-down business, Richmond found himself broke and selling everything he owned.  Other criminal activity followed.

“I shot a man in the hand,” he says.  “I went to jail for two days and got bailed.”

Richmond was put on probation and told by the court that any sort of violation would result in him going back to jail.  An unpaid inspection ticket ended up activating his prison sentence.

Before going to court, he experienced severe depression and told a police officer his intent to commit suicide.

“I had given up because I knew I had no future,” he says.  “I wanted to kill myself.”

The officer took him to a hospital where he stayed for 30 days.

Richmond failed to attend his court date because he was still in the hospital.  Even though doctors wrote letters to the court, the judge did not consider the excuse legitimate.  He was sentenced to three years in prison.

“When I got to prison, I had one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,” Richmond says.

He was brought up a Christian, but his time in prison made him devout.  He got involved with church programs and spent a lot of time reflecting the fact he would be given a second chance.  Many of his friends had life sentences.

Then one night in 1991, it happened.

Richmond awoke from a deep sleep and was given instructions.

“I began writing in the dark about what the Lord was sharing with me,” he says.  “I kept writing until I had a list of ten things that the Lord wanted me to do.”

One of them was to start a youth center.

After eight months, Richmond was released from prison.   He landed a good job at GKN Driveline, but soon quit to fulfill his mission from God.  He went six months with no pay and virtually no progress.

“I said ‘Lord, I know you didn’t call me here for nothing’,” Richmond says.

Within 30 days, some anonymous checks arrived in the mail—enough to pay the rent for six months of his new program.

“The checks were from out of town,” Richmond says. “To this day, I don’t know who sent them.”

This was the beginning of the Positive Attitude Youth Center, a place that enables children and young adults to mature physically, emotionally, spiritually and academically.  The Center started with about a $5000 annual budget; now, it’s at half a million dollars.

Last year, the Center moved to a new $1.5 million facility on N. Graham Hopedale Road in Burlington, N.C.  It offers an after school program, a daytime school program, a teen-achievers program, recreational programs, and summer club programs for at-risk teens.

In 1996, Richmond became an ordained minister.

Rodney Little, 17, comes to the Center everyday after school.

“Pastor Kerry and my mom wanted me to come here,” he says.  “I’m glad I’m here to keep me occupied.”

Little was not invited back to his school in Anson County after being caught in possession of drugs.

“Back home, I didn’t respect nobody,” Little says.  “I respect Pastor Kerry.”

Richmond says that he would have benefitted as a youth from the Center’s programs but does not regret his past.

“God purposes bad situations,” he says.  “It’s through our tough times that we learn how to endure.”

A Woman Students Recognize, A Story That Inspires

Fran Light and her two children, Desarae and Mark, spoke in Phil Miller’s Intro to Human Services class.  They were guest speakers for the class’s weeklong study on resilience.

“I had a mostly normal growing up,” Light said.  “I didn’t party cause my grandparents were so strict.”

Light grew up in Jacksonville, Fla. with her grandparents.  She would occasionally see her mother and never knew her father.

“I ran away with the first boy I fell in love with,” Light said.  “I left my family behind and moved to Georgia.”

When she was 17 years old, Light had her first child, Desarae.  She was thrilled, but her financial and domestic situations became a nightmare.

“We lived in a one room cabin in the woods,” Light said.  “Some days we would live off of the land and eat squirrel.”

She remembers stealing food from her children’s elementary school.

“I regret it,” she said, “but it was between that and starving.”

Other necessities became a constant struggle to have.  One example: toilette paper.

“We used to use recycled magazine to wipe,” Light said.  “I got a real bad infection.”

But the man she once loved became her biggest trouble.

“My husband was always strung out on drugs,” she said.  “He would sometimes come home high and beat me.”

The children were also greatly affected by his behavior.

“There was a lot of abuse,” Desarae said.  “But we won’t go into detail because it’s private.”

Light told the class that Mark’s (Jr.) fingers were bent out of shape because her husband intentionally slammed them in a window.

“It came to the point it was too much,” Light said.  “We had to get out.”

Light and her two children came to Burlington, N.C. in 2000.  She soon found a job through Aramark and began working at Elon University.  She currently serves at Boar’s Head Deli.

“I love working at Elon,” Light said.  “I love the people at Elon.”

Last year, the family decided to go back and visit their family back in Georgia.  Mark had not changed: still with little money and constantly using drugs.

“I found out he had a love child with a woman prior to our marriage,” Light said.  “I always suspected it.”

The troubles that this man caused are many, but he is still loved.  He will move to Burlington at the beginning of next year and work for Desarae’s fiancée, an auto-mechanic.  Desarae and Mark, Jr. had the idea for him to move.

“I never had a daddy,” Desarae said.  “I still want my daddy.”

Light, who was remarried in 2003, said she is a bit worried about the move but still supportive.

“If [Mark] still doesn’t change after he moves here he’ll have to find his way back to Georgia.”

The last decade in North Carolina has given the family time to forgive.

“I won’t forget the things he’s done to us,” Light said.  “But I will always love him.”

It’s Too Late to Change…Again

It’s unfair.  Nonsensical.  Hypocritical.  Wrong.  According to most college students, that is.  It’s the drinking age.

“If you can die for your country, then you should be able to drink a beer,” says Taylor Jones, a junior at Elon University.  This is a common response from people in favor of pushing back the drinking age.

Many students also reference other countries as an example of why our drinking age is flawed.  In most European countries, the drinking age is 16 but binge drinking far less frequent.

The debate generally revolves around whether the age should be brought back to 18.  The current drinking age of 21 was enforced in 1984 with the National Minimum Drinking Age Act.

Students may not know that prior to 1984, the United States had not always permitted drinking at age 18.  After Prohibition, nearly all states set the drinking age to 21, but in the 1970s, most states lowered the minimum legal drinking age.

The consequences were significant: a surge in motor vehicle crashes among teens and alcohol-related injuries and deaths.  After 1984, these factors decreased and thousands of lives were saved.

Proponents of lowering the legal drinking age claim that the policy does not work because of the high number of underage drinkers that exist.  But studies show that those who do drink underage drink less frequently than before the legislation passed.

Maybe outlawing alcohol altogether is the solution?  Oh wait.  Prohibition did not stop people from drinking and gave way to organized crime.

Maybe the legal drinking age should be pushed back again?  (A utopia for many Elon students…)  But if the drinking age were changed today, the first person killed as a result would likely be today.  Someone’s son.  Someone’s daughter.  A brother or sister.  Gone too soon.

The U.S. drinking age is sensible and should remain.  It’s difficult for me, a college student, to admit this.  But the evidence against lowering the drinking age is staggering, and the arguments in favor of it, weak.

Countries in Europe may have it right, but the comparisons are irrelevant.  I find it hard to believe that changing the legal drinking age in the United States would instantly create a European-style drinking culture.

And maybe all of those who join the military should be able to drink.

For some reason, I don’t think there would be an increase of volunteers going to Iraq.

A Green-Job Future for Alamance County?

Many of the textile mills that once sparked economic life in Alamance County now sit empty and inactive.  Few big industries are providing steady sources of employment, so many are looking to the future.  And “green” is on the horizon.

In November 2009, the North Carolina Employment Security Commission’s Labor Market Information division received slightly more than $1 million in grants to analyze the potential for green jobs across North Carolina.

“As we gather information, we hope to eventually attract green job employers to places all over the state,” says Larry Parker, public information officer at the Labor Market Information division.

“North Carolina is still finding its definition of green jobs,” says Parker.  It will be similar to California’s definition, which is:

• Generating renewable energy
• Recycling existing materials
• Energy efficient product manufacturing, construction, installation, and maintenance
• Education, compliance and awareness
• Natural and sustainable product manufacturing

“Going green” has become more than a political saying—it has several economic implications.

“Technology, politics, and market acceptability are going to be influential in making North Carolina’s ‘green economy’,” Mac Williams says, president of Alamance County Chamber of Commerce.

Tom Tiemann, economics professor at Elon University, considers green jobs vital for the advancement of Alamance County.

“If we get too far behind,” he says, “we’re going to lose a big chance for economic development.”

Already, there are green job initiatives in Alamance County.

Honey Electric Solar, Inc. specializes in residential sales and instillations of solar-electric, solar water heating, and solar swimming pool heating.  In 1997, the Liberty-based company became the first electrical contractor in the state to be a solar-selling.  Demand has continually increased over time.

“It’s enough to keep up,” says President Tom Honey, “but we’re always looking to expand.”

Technicians, he says, are the most vital component to increasing green jobs in Alamance County.

“You need to have skills in this industry,” Honey says.  “Or it won’t grow.”

Cherry Lane Farms, in Haw River, is looking at how to blend the alternative energy segment with local farming.  The 200-acre farm features a 20-foot-tall wind turbine.

“Running a farm takes a huge amount of energy,” says owner Robert Phipps, “The turbine powers the water pump, vegetable stand, and deer fence.”

He believes green energy holds promise for Alamance County, but it will take a large number of skilled technicians to make this a possibility.

“I’m very much in favor of what Alamance Community College has done to start training people,” Phipps says.  “I’ve offered my farm to them as a sort of laboratory.”

As part of the Industrial Technology curriculum, Alamance Community College started the Green Technology Program in fall 2009.  Students choose any four classes out of the 11 offered.

“Our goal is to train technicians,” says Barry Weinberg, executive vice president.  “Especially for the instillation and repair of green technologies.”

Nearly all aspects of home and business construction, he says, can be “green,” so the entire country can thrive with green technologies.

“We had two students who already had to drop out,” Weinberg says.  “They got jobs.”

As efficiency standards have increased, so has demand.  This may give Alamance County a slight edge for the future.

“We have a lot of mills that are dormant,” Weinberg says.  “These are perfect places to manufacture parts for wind turbines and solar arrays.”

Fog Puts Students, Faculty on High Alert

The poor visibility that has resulted from recent fog at Elon University is causing some unease.

Business major Shannon Foley has noticed the recent morning fog because of her 8 a.m. class.  She says drivers should be especially careful because just last week, a student was accidentally hit by a car.

“Students should just be aware of their surroundings,” she says.

One professor at Elon offers his own advice to drivers.

“People should always have their headlights on and slow down in thick fog,” says Anthony Hatcher, associate professor in the School of Communications.

He also worries about students who use the phone while driving but does not think classes should be cancelled or postponed due to fog.  Some students disagree.

“Depending on how many students have issues with the fog,” says Ian Boyd, a cinema major.  “Postponing or cancelling class would probably be something the teachers would have to think, the school would have to think about.”

The Burlington Times-News is forecasting morning fog for Thursday and Friday of this week.

Advice from Jim Sheeler

Shortly after my Reality presentation, Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Jim Sheeler replied to my email. I know, what great timing! It was a very brief email, but he told me that feature article journalists should take readers to places they would normally never go. And if it’s well written, the reader will follow along every time. I enjoyed reading his advice and hope you do too!

All Students Invited to Attend Leadership Conference

On the Elon University homepage, a video clip shows President Leo Lambert expressing his certainty that Elon graduates are needed in the world.

“We are turning out some very special young people prepared to assume positions of leadership in the world,” he says.

The 40-second clip stops short of explaining how Elon prepares students to be leaders.  But an event in February is attempting to do just that.

The Leadership Development Institute, an annual one-day event designed to help students hone their leadership skills, is scheduled for Feb. 27.  It will take place in Moseley Center from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and is the culmination of Lead Week, a time devoted to student leadership and sponsored by the Center for Leadership at Elon University.

“We believe leadership can be taught,” says Jalonda Thompson, event coordinator for institute.  “It will help students strengthen their leadership skills and develop new ones to be successful.”

The event, first held in 1998, is a student-led initiative.  The Center for Leadership’s student consulting team, a group of students who consult campus organizations on a variety of issues, are the organizers.

“LDI has grown a lot over the years, mainly due to the increase of organizations and leadership opportunities at Elon,” says senior Noelle Clemente, consulting coordinator.  “I look forward to planning this year’s event again.”

The Saturday morning begins with students arriving at McKinnon Hall to listen to this year’s keynote speaker, Christopher Gergen.

Gergen is a founding partner of New Mountain Ventures, an entrepreneurial leadership development company, and co-author of Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives.  His speech will relate the ideas of his book to student leadership in organizations.

“He has a breadth of knowledge on what and how we use our leadership,” says Mallory Anderson, director for the Center for Leadership.  “We are thrilled to have him this year.”

After the speech, students will attend whichever workshops they prefer.  From 10 to 12 workshops are offered per session, and three to four sessions will take place before closing remarks.  Last year, workshops ranged from “How to Conduct a Meeting” to “Ethical Leadership.”  The workshops will be held in locations throughout Moseley Center and led by faculty members from all over campus.

“We send out applications to faculty, they submit a proposal, then we select which ones we like,” Anderson said.

In a bit of a role reversal, the student leaders are reviewing faculty members and will make selections before exams.

The purpose of LDI is to work on transitions within organizations and set leaders up for success by giving them an overview of all the tools they need.  While LDI is targeted toward those who are in student organizations, all students are welcome to attend.

“The ideas being discussed are transferable,” Anderson says.  “For instance, you can apply them to group or community work.”

Students are recommended to sign up as soon as possible because the conference is free for the first 50 students.  After this number is reached, the cost to attend, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch, is $5.  More than 100 people registered for last year’s event.

“It was a busy day,” says sophomore Ted Pease, a student coordinator for the event last year.  “The speaker was awesome, the sessions went well and I’ll definitely come this year if I can.”

Clemente says the institute serves as more than just a day of building leadership skills.

“LDI strives to enhance people’s innate leadership qualities so they can better use their strengths,” she says.  “And recognize the weaknesses they can improve upon.”

Students interested in attending can register by signing up at the Center for Leadership office in Moseley 224 or by sending an email to orgdevelopment@elon.edu.

“It’s an exciting time,” says Rex Waters, associate dean of students.  “Another chapter of opportunity for students.”

Religious Speaker Frank Turek Visits Elon

Frank Turek, co-author of the book I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be and Atheist, explained to students his argument that miracles are possible and the New Testament is true.  He is also the host of a television program of the same name.  InterVarsity and Campus Outreach sponsored the event.

“Why are you here on Earth?” Turek asked students.  “Everyone has a devine purpose on earth.”

The speech was divided into four parts: Does truth exist?  Does God exist?  Are miracles possible?  Is the New Testament true?

Turek also made it clear he was not arguing that there is a God; he argued that there is the Christian God.  He used many scientific facts to back up his religious claims by drawing conclusions from the cosmological argument, the teleological argument, and the moral argument in favor of a Theistic God.

The cosmological argument examines the origins of the universe.

“The Big Bang could not have occurred with such precisions without the help of a higher being,” he said.  “Questioning God is self-defeating.”

The teleological argument examines the complexity of all life forms.

“Every living thing has DNA,” Turek said.  “This is the language of God.”

The moral argument examines the origins of morality.

“Atheists can only ask answer ‘how’ there is morality,” he said.  “They cannot answer ‘why’ some things are wrong.”

Turek then spoke about miracles.

“There are about 300 miracles in the Bible,” he said.  “The creation of the universe is greatest one.”

Next, Turek offered a historical analysis of why the New Testament is true.  He related the miracle of Jesus’ birth to the assassination of JFK.

“Everyone knows where they were when they heard the news about JFK because it was an impact event,” said Turek.  “Jesus’ miraculous life was also an impact event that the world has not forgotten.”

He then argued the validity of the original New Testament documents by questioning the motivations Jews would have had to write them.

“The people who wrote these stories were persecuted,” Turek said.  “Why would they risk this if the events didn’t happen?”

He ended his speech by asking the question: What do you think the purpose of life is?

Afterward, several students asked questions.  Topics ranging from the existence of energy to the theory of evolution were broached.

This is the second time this year Turek has visited Elon University.  For more information, his website is www.crossexamined.org.

“Ultimate Money Skills Program” Teaches Students the Basics of Money Management

Frank Simons, an employee of the employment website Monster.com, spoke to Elon University students Monday on money management.

“The earlier you start thinking about this, the better,” Simons said.

He told students that “when” they start saving money is much more important than “how much” they save.

Students should be especially careful when it comes to managing money because most leave college in debt—especially credit debt.

“The average graduating college student has $4,138 in credit card debt,” Simons said.

He says students should also be aware of their credit report, a number ranging from 300-850 that is based on: type of credit, new credit, length of credit history, debt, and payment history.  People can get a free credit report once a year at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Simons went over the five ways students take control of their money.

First: Selecting your bank.

“Choose wisely with this,” he said.  “Small things like ATM locations add up over time.”

Second: Budget your dollars.

“You all should try to find out what your weekly spending is,” he said.  “You can use this number to determine if your money is being spent smartly.”

Third: Paying off your student loans.

The average graduating student, who has loans to pay off, has $2,675 of necessary monthly expenses.

“That means they must have a salary of at least $32,100 to cover bare necessities,” Simons said.  “That doesn’t take anything else into account like transportation or leisure.”

Students, he believes, should consider loan consolidation.

Fourth: Protecting your identity.

“Students can be most at risk for identity theft because of their lifestyle,” Simons said.  “Most identity theft happens from people you know.”

He believes that students should regularly monitor their credit report, banking accounts, and credit card accounts for unauthorized activity.

The Internet has also created obstacles for security.  There are two ways to know if a website is secure: (1) there is a lock symbol at the bottom right of the page and (2) the URL begins with “https”.

“Avoid any email that looks suspicious and asks for personal information,” Simons said.  “This is called ‘phishing’, and you should call the company directly.”

If you suspect your identity has been stolen, you should:

• Order a copy and begin monitoring your credit report
• Report the crime to authorities
• Notify appropriate companies
• Keep good records
• Refuse to pay for anything that was fraudulently charged

Fifth: Invest for your future.

“If a 22 year old invests $3,000 with an 8 percent return, it will be worth $82,100 when he or she is 65,” Simons said.

There are four places Simons recommends putting personal money: savings accounts, certificate of deposit (CD), stocks, and bonds.

“Think about that same 22 year old putting $3,000 in an investment deposit once a year for 43 years,” Simons said.  “He or she will end up with over a million dollars at 65.”

Elon Speaker Travels from Nicaragua to Address Students

Eddy Gutierrez, a native of Nicaragua, spoke at Elon University Tuesday on behalf of small-scale producers of coffee in his country.  His message was presented both orally and on a projection screen; it was translated by a junior at Elon.

The Office of the Chaplain, Non-Violent Studies, the Political Science Department, and the Spanish Department sponsored the speech, titled “The Impact of Corporate-dominated Trade and CAFTA on Nicaragua Farmers and People”.

“I am so happy to be here to share my ideas from an academic outlook at what’s been happening in my country,” Gutierrez said.

He started his speech with a quick history of coffee in Nicaragua.  Coffee beans were first brought to the New World by Spanish colonizers, he said, about 150 years ago.  The reason colonizers were coming was due to a gold rush that spurred people to move from east to west.

“The trip was very difficult, so some did not make it,” Gutierrez said.  “Those who didn’t were the first to start commercializing coffee in Nicaragua.”

There is national pride over coffee because the production of it has created 300,000 jobs and brings $250-350 million of income to the country.  Of the 30,000 coffee farms, 25,000 are small-scale.  However, the small-scale farmers produce far less coffee than the 5,000 large-scale farms.

There are 4 different methods of creating coffee: natural, semi-conventional, conventional, and organic.  Organic is the only one that does not require agrochemicals.  Agrochemicals are a necessity on large plantations, but the result can be killing off other, sometimes useful, animals.

“The biggest challenge my country faces is how profits from coffee production are distributed unequally,” Gutierrez said.

For small-scale coffee farmers, it has become increasingly difficult to keep up with the high price of production.  If you are a small-scale farmer, how can you continue to work? Gutierrez asked.

“You must decide whether to send your kids to school, whether you can pay for health care, etcetera,” he said.  “This leads us to the first reason to migrate from my country.”

The blame?  The Free Trade Agreement because there is far too little regulation, Gutierrez believes.

“What if everyone buying products from America suddenly stopped?” he asked, relating the situation of his country to that of the U.S. “What would that do to factories here?”

His solution is a more just system.

“The barriers for trade must be eliminated, so that even small-scale farmers can still compete,” he said.  “Without this, people will always buy the cheaper [coffee].”

This seemingly insignificant action is having tremendous consequences in both Nicaragua and the U.S.

“Nicaraguans will follow the money,” Gutierrez said.  “They will always come to America if nothing is done about this.”