Tuesday, November 13, 2007

AFTERMATH

These are aftermath photos of the Carpenter Decorating Plant.

photos by Ashley Chatham















GWU Stomps UK

On November 7, Wednesday night, Gardner Webb University’s Men’s Basketball team went into Kentucky’s Rupp Arena and astonished the 22nd-ranked Wildcats, 84-68, before 20,000 fans.
The onsite fans were not the only fans bursting with excitement. Back at the home of the Runnin’ Bulldogs, the student body were rapidly gathering in the newly renovated “kennel,” better known as the meal exchange, which could potentially hold 150-200 people.
The game was playing on each of the televisions and students began to migrate to the “kennel” to observe the bulldogs. Soon, there were over 150 crammed in this small space. Students had filled every chair and were now on the floor and some peering in through the windows just to catch a glimpse of the score.
Student, Grace Whiteside said, “after they won, guys were ripping their shirts off, running through the quad, the dormitories and the apartments trying to get other students to come celebrate…even the class president, Matt Walters was running through the dormitories to persuade students to support their team.”
Whiteside stated that band members began to come outside with their instruments and soon had the majority of the band heightening the excitement.
“Everyone was yelling so much it sounded like hundreds of voices screaming, cheering and yelling as if we were actually at the game,” said Whiteside.
“It was a beautiful picture of what school spirit really is.”
Another nearby student had a different perspective.
Taylor Hutchins said that when the meal exchange was renovated to hold 200 people, it was never expected that a moment in history such as this would create such a gathering. “Including the people that were pouring in from outside the “kennel” and the people lined along each window, there had to have been 400 people there,” said Hutchins.
“It was such a great sound of constant enthusiasm…we woke up this morning to people screaming ‘go watch ESPN, we’re the top story!’” exclaimed Hutchins.
Coach Rick Scruggs quickly stepped in to say, “I feel fabulous…like I’m on cloud nine!” Scruggs had lost his voice from the game, but was still ecstatic about the win and the interview with ESPN.
He stated, “It was a special night, one of those nights you’ll take to your grave.”
“I had to holler over 20,000 people last night and the only thing I lost was my voice.”
For others, being recognized by ESPN was not as important. #42, Auryn Macmillan had the opportunity to speak on one of his favorite radio stations in Australia, where he is from.
Macmillan said that he went into the game confident and that the entire team had the same mindset. “We have to remember that the opposing team is human too and that it’s not impossible to defeat them…they breathe like us, they bleed like us.”
“It was a great victory, but only the first step. We have to keep performing, working hard and have fun while we can.”
Macmillan was also stunned by the support of the student body saying, “it is great to give entertainment and we had so many people behind us the entire way…overall it was an insane atmosphere.”
This victory is rapidly becoming an international story that has not only been recognized by ESPN, but The New York Times.
After Coach Scruggs returned to the gym after the ESPN and Times interview, the crowd had tremendously increased in size starting from approximately thirty people and emerging into a close 300 people.
Students were decked out in Gardner Webb attire, many had their faces painted and some had made huge signs. The band suddenly appeared and joined the crowd as the basketball players began to run out.
Eventually the crowd had become the school in its entirety. All sports members, faculty, campus officers, clubs, etc. had become involved in the celebration of this extraordinary victory.
“At times like these, the celebrating with our fellow classmates and the passion and school spirit put into this student gathering is more pleasing than the victory itself,” said Whiteside.

photos by Ashley Chatham













Carpenter Decorating Plant Burns to the Ground

Early Wednesday morning, October 31, before 4 a.m. a local Lattimore plant exploded in flames. The plant was created to produce Christmas ornaments, which were supposedly flame retardent. The cause of the fire was from a rag soaked in mineral spirits - a type of paint thinner - that was disposed of improperly.
































photos by Ashley Chatham

Irony

An average house along side of West Stagecoach trail in Polkville, NC, has discovered a new way of completing chores without ever leaving the house...tie your goat to the snapper...and occasionally alternate spots in the yard!!

photo by Ashley Chatham

Monday, November 12, 2007

Back Porch Light Painting

Distracting friends attempt to capture my attention while trying to light paint a nearby barn.

photo by Ashley Chatham

Pedestrians


photo by Ashley Chatham

A local citizen wanders through downtown Charlotte with high expectations.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Features for the Week

Photos by Ashley Chatham

A young girl chooses her first ride at the Ellenboro Fair, NC, after completing a game of "choose the winning duck."








A young boy is overwhelmed with excitement as he flies by his onlooking mother on a Nascar fair ride.









A teenage couple uses a steering wheel as an alternative to holding hands.





Fans are so captured by a nearby burn-out competition that the deflating gorilla goes unnoticed.





A local citizen discovers a new approach to overcome the hassle of carrying tires...

wait...how is he supposed to answer that call coming in on his cell phone?








The town's chiropractor is caught sharing is musical talent at a nearby coffee shop.















Therapeutic pony rides are given to handicapped children at a Charlotte, NC, horse show.

Eugene Smith ~ A Compositional Analysis


Mad Hands - Haiti; 1959
(photo by Eugene Smith)

Eugene Smith is not only one of the greatest war photographers in history, but he has also mastered the use of symbolism throughout his images with lighting and other compositional features. In this photograph, the use of light is very important in portraying how the subject is longing for more than just physical freedom. The prisoner and the darkness that surrounds him is symbolic for reality. The reality being that he is confined in his own personal realm of hell and the light, which he is aggressively reaching for, is unobtainable. In this case, the light represents freedom and entraps the viewer of the connotation that the prisoner can touch freedom, but will never be able to grasp it. The prisoner will only be known for his eager hands and never by his face. His suffering hands shows the mental struggles he is attempting to overcome not taking into account that what the light offers will continue to be an obstacle he will never be allowed to cross.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Adventures on Gardner-Webb Campus

Photos by Ashley Chatham





Donna Chatham and daughter, Elizabeth, spend their free time at a nearby spring on Gardner-Webb campus hand fishing for crawldads.

Donna attempts to relieve Elizabeth of her fear of holding the crawldad.











Donna gives Elizabeth some helpful tips in capturing the small water creatures under the rocks.















Elizabeth patiently fishes for the crawldads with a nearby stick.















Close friend, Grady, observes while Elizabeth finds the courage to shake the crawldad's pincher.










Grady, over looking the spring as Donna and Elizabeth continue on their hunt.