Palmetto Report

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Brandon Taylor, a news anchor in Columbia, S.C., told students at Winthrop University the news business isn’t as glamorous or lucrative as some might think, during the school’s annual Mass Comm Week. The three-day event, hosted by the Department of Mass Communication, included a series of speakers and panel discussions Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. Taylor, who was part of a panel of alumni working in media, graduated from Winthrop in 2007 with a degree in journalism. He is currently the co-anchor of News 19 This Morning at WLTX-TV, but he has also worked as a reporter for the CBS station in Myrtle Beach and as an anchor for the ABC affiliate in Madison, Wisconsin. “It’s so good to be back at Winthrop. You know it’s kind of a surreal experience to be back where it all started,” said Taylor.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — To kick off campus sustainability month, Winthrop University’s Office of Sustainability is hosting an event called Weigh the Waste, in order to draw attention to the issue of food waste. It’s estimated that 30 to 40 percent of the food supply is wasted, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which means billions of pounds of food ultimately ends up in landfills. Chris Johnson, Winthrop sustainability coordinator, said last semester the school collected over 300 pounds of food during the Weigh the Waste event. “It sounds like a lot, but at the same time it’s just bringing attention to it, that is the most critical part of the program,” said Johnson.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Charles Perry, the 2019 S.C. Press Association Journalist of the Year and a Winthrop University alum, told students they need to acquire a myriad of skills to work in the field of journalism, during the school’s annual Mass Comm Week. “Students need to be able to not only write clearly, write powerful stories, but they also need to be able to take compelling photographs, shoot and edit video. They really need to be generalists,” said Perry, who spoke with the Palmetto Report about his career. He was the keynote speaker at the three-day event hosted by the Department of Mass Communication, which included a series of speakers and panel discussions, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. Perry, who graduated from Winthrop in 2005 with a degree in mass communication, was honored as the department’s distinguished alumnus. He serves as the editor of myhorrynews.com and the Carolina Forest Chronicle, a weekly newspaper in Horry County, where he covers county government, the justice system and agriculture.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — National Hispanic Heritage month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and Hispanics represent about 5 percent of the population in South Carolina. According to the U.S. Department of Education, undergraduate enrollment for Hispanic students has doubled to 3 million from 2000 to 2015. However, Hispanic students only represent 4.8 percent of those enrolled at Winthrop University, as compared to about 62 percent for whites and 29 percent for African-Americans. The Palmetto Report spoke with two Hispanic students to learn more about their experiences at Winthrop.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — An Alabama man has become the state’s first death related to lung disease associated with vaping, officials announced Wednesday (Oct. 2). It’s the 17th vaping-related death in the U.S. after officials in Virginia and New Jersey announced confirmed cases the day before (Oct. 1). Amanda Harris, reporter for The Herald in Rock Hill, spoke with the Palmetto Report to discuss the issue and its impact in South Carolina. Harris covers health and education in York, Chester and Lancaster counties. In February, she reported on students in Clover who were caught vaping in school. So far, vaping-related deaths have been reported in 14 states, including California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska and Oregon. Harris said she thinks the recent deaths may encourage people to think twice about using electronic-cigarettes. “I think more awareness is needed, so people understand that these (e-cigarettes) are not safe, even though they’re not a regular c

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- September is National Suicide Prevention Month and the World Health Organization calls suicide a “global crisis," as the group estimates a person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there were 47,000 suicides in the U.S. in 2017, which is a rate of about 129 per day. The CDC estimates for every one suicide death, another 280 people seriously consider it. Among college students, suicide is the second leading cause of death, with roughly 1,000 suicides on college campuses per year. "That is staggering," said Dr. Gretchen Baldwin, a licensed psychologist and the clinical coordinator for counseling services at Winthrop University, who appeared on the Palmetto Report to discuss the topic. Additionally, a recent survey, by health researchers in Boston, found 20 percent of college students have thought about suicide and 9 percent have attempted. "It's an issue here at Winthrop," said Baldwin. "Almost 40 percent of our appointments in counseling service

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Winthrop University has joined the growing number of schools to host a varsity esports program. Esports, which is competitive video gaming, has grown in popularity in recent years with international tournaments, millions of viewers worldwide and millions of dollars in prize money. Josh Sides, the head coach of Winthrop’s esports team, appeared on the Palmetto Report to discuss the new program. Sides is also a founding member of an advisory committee for the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors. As of February, there were roughly 125 colleges in the U.S. that have an esports program, including five schools in South Carolina.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) –- In July of this year, Rock Hill began its free public bus service called My Ride Rock Hill that includes seven all-electric buses that follow four fixed routes around the city. It's the first bus service in the country to be completely electric from the beginning and the buses feature USB charging ports at every seat, free Wi-Fi and screens that run community messages. My Ride Rock Hill currently averages 4,000 riders a week, according to Katie Quinn, communications manager for the city of Rock Hill. Quinn, who was a guest on the Palmetto Report, said the community has reacted positively to the service.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Maintaining a positive body positive, especially on a college campus, can be difficult, as negative feelings can lead to anxiety, depression or eating disorders, such as bulimia, anorexia or body dysmorphia. Dr. Gretchen Baldwin, licensed psychologist and clinical coordinator for counseling services at Winthrop University, appeared on the Palmetto Report to discuss the topic of body image. She often works with patients dealing with mental health issues and eating disorders.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- How many times a week do you get a notification that a new update is available for a computer, mobile device or app you use Updates are a constant part of our technology driven lives, with new versions constantly adding new features, fixing issues and improving security. Richard Tyner, instructor and lab coordinator at Winthrop University, joined the Palmetto Report to discuss the challenges of keeping software up to date.

 (Rock Hill, S.C.) -- This semester, rumors have circulated among students at Winthrop University that Campus Police have been losing officers to the Rock Hill Police Department, which has led to a decline in services. However, Chief Ken Scoggins, who has worked at Winthrop for 18 years, said there is only a small grain of truth to staffing rumors. “Staffing issues is a problem that is not only affecting Winthrop University, it's affecting all of our colleagues and all of our colleague law enforcement agencies across the nation,” said Scoggins.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Winthrop University is one of several NCAA Division I schools throughout the country experiencing a decline in athletic attendance, especially in men’s basketball. The Winthrop Coliseum holds up to 6,100 fans, making it one of the larger arenas in the Big South Conference, however, the university fails to fill the seats on a consistent basis. Winthrop averages 2,121 people per men's basketball game and the Big South as a conference is ranked 29 out of 32 in terms of attendance when compared to the other Division I conferences.  Matt Martin, associate athletic director for external affairs, spoke to the Palmetto Report about Winthrop's efforts to improve attendance.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- Winthrop University students in the Department of Design are preparing to present their senior portfolios, which will showcase their work over the past four years. The senior portfolio show has traditionally been the capstone activity for graduating illustration and graphic design students, but this year it will also include interaction design and interior design students.

(Rock Hill, S.C.) — Winthrop University is working to increase the number of students who study abroad and recruit more international students to the school. The move comes after the number of international students at Winthrop has steadily declined in recent years and the number of students who study abroad has remained stagnant. The Winthrop Plan, put forth by President Dan Mahoney, includes a stated goal of increasing diversity by expanding student recruitment internationally.

Many Winthrop University students have expressed concern about campus safety after a female student was held at gunpoint and sexually assaulted outside her apartment building on the edge of campus Feb. 15. Winthrop President Dan Mahony and Wes Wiles, assistant chief of Campus Police, spoke to the Palmetto Report about the assault, student concerns and how the university is responding.