Latest news with #WinthropUniversity
New York Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Sandra Neels, a Force in Modern Dance for 60 Years, Dies at 85
Viewed on film, dancing from more than 50 years ago tends to have a period quality, a certain quaintness. But films of the dancer and dance teacher Sandra Neels performing the revolutionary choreography of Merce Cunningham have not dated in the least. Tall, slender, long-limbed, self-possessed, conveying an innocence bordering on unworldly, Ms. Neels appears onscreen as if she were filmed only yesterday, a lone figure commanding space with hands and feet that are exceptionally articulate. She danced for Cunningham from 1963 to 1973, creating roles and solos that are still performed today. Later, she became a successful choreographer in her own right and a renowned teacher, and when she died recently at 85, she had been eminent in American dance for more than 60 years. Her death was announced by Winthrop University, in Rock Hill, S.C., where she had been an associate professor of dance since 1990. The university specified no cause or place of death. Sandra Neels was born on Sept. 21, 1939, in Las Vegas, and grew up in Portland, Ore. Her father, Frank F. Neels, was an electrician who also shone as a ballroom dancer. Her mother, Edith (Vallereux) Neels, known as Val, was a singer, an entertainer and a pianist at the Joan Mallory School of Dance in Portland, where Sandra and her sister, Sheryl, first studied tap and ballet. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ralph Norman plans announcement about SC governor run. Can he win in 2026?
A York County name is in the mix of prospective candidates for South Carolina governor. Rep. Ralph Norman said in a Queen City News interview he will announce whether or not he plans to run on July 27. A spokesperson for his office told The Herald that Norman will 'have more to say about that at the end of July' but stopped short of confirming Norman's plans. Norman has represented South Carolina's 5th Congressional District since 2017. It covers 10 counties, including all of York, Chester and Lancaster. The 72-year-old real estate developer easily won reelection in 2024 to a two-year term in what's considered a safe district for Republicans. Term limits prevent Gov. Henry McMaster from seeking reelection, meaning the state's top post will be up for grabs in November 2026. Longtime Attorney General Alan Wilson and State Sen. Josh Kimbrell of Spartanburg County were the first to announce their bids for the Republican nomination earlier this week. Other high-profile Republicans believed to be gearing up for a run, but who have not yet confirmed their intention, include U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of Charleston, State Sen. Sean Bennett of Summerville and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette. Political analysts say Norman could bring something different to the field, but he has ground to make up on name recognition. Here's how they think he might fare in a gubernatorial campaign. It's tough to know with certainty how Norman might fare without a final field of candidates, said Adolphus Belk, a political analyst and professor at Winthrop University. If candidates offer a strong contrast in their policies or ideology, Norman could carve out a position for himself relative to the others, Belk said. If the candidates are too similar to differentiate themselves on policy, it becomes a personality contest. Belk sees 'a lot of overlap' between the current top contenders. Scott Huffmon, a political science professor and director of the Winthrop Poll, said Norman benefits from an apparent ongoing feud between Wilson and Mace. The two have leveraged social media to hurl insults at one another. 'One of the things he'll bring to the race is, he'll come across as a calm and solid presence,' Huffmon said. Norman also brings a more measured and traditional approach to politics, said Alex Harper, a Democrat vying for Norman's congressional seat. Harper thought he would be running against Norman when he launched his campaign. The Democrat attributes Norman's local success in part to the fact nobody has run a strong opposition campaign against him. 'I think that he's got a niche in that race. It's not a niche that I particularly enjoy,' said Harper, who works as a prosecutor at the 16th Circuit Solicitor's Office. 'Alan Wilson is obviously the top prosecutor of the state. He's going to run on law and order all day long … Nancy Mace is obsessed with bathrooms and hating liberals. That's kind of her brand, and she's well liked for that in those circles.' Harper predicts Norman will stake his campaign instead on pro-business and small government values, which could help him stand out from what's shaping up to be a crowded pool of Republican primary candidates. Norman has an 'enormous reputation' in York County and has built a national profile as a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus who sticks to his beliefs and fights to convert them into policy, Belk said. He is a bona fide conservative with a record to prove it, Belk said. Still, South Carolinians outside of his district might not know much about him. 'This field of candidates will have to fight through that general inattention to build name recognition and familiarity,' Belk said. Evette, Wilson and other potential contenders who ran successful statewide races have a leg up in that regard. Norman must target areas with similar demographics to the voters he's performed well with in his district, Belk said. 'If he comes out strong from the gate, does the typical statewide tours, then he could make up a lot of ground in name recognition,' Huffmon said. 'And let me add, just because people are very familiar with a name does not translate to automatic support.' Endorsements are oftentimes overplayed, Belk said, but they can prove critical under the right circumstances. Belk highlighted former Gov. Nikki Haley, for example, who entered her race with less name recognition than her competitors before winning in 2010. She secured an endorsement from Mitt Romney, who became the 2012 Republican nominee for president, signaling to donors that her candidacy was viable. That brought money, Belk said. A second endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin brought energy and support from social conservatives who were part of the popular Tea Party movement. Haley enjoyed strong popularity as governor and still has considerable sway in South Carolina, Huffmon said, so landing her endorsement could bring Norman needed recognition outside of his district. He's a likely candidate for her endorsement, too, since he threw his support behind Haley during her 2024 presidential campaign, Huffmon said. 'Ralph Norman has been a consistent supporter of Nikki Haley,' Huffmon said. 'He may be hoping to call in that favor.' But Trump is even more popular, Belk said. His endorsement will be highly sought by the pool of candidates — many of whom have expressed ardent support for the president.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
With ‘No Kings' protests upcoming, has SC's approval of Trump shifted at all?
Large numbers of protesters are expected to descend on the South Carolina State House this Saturday for a planned protest against President Donald Trump. And who shows up may tell us something about where the administration is headed. Saturday's planned demonstration at the State House is one of several 'No Kings' protests being organized across the country to coincide with a planned military parade in Washington, D.C., to mark the Army's 250th birthday — and which also falls on the president's 79th. The protests are also taking place with the backdrop of Trump's deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against immigration raids in the city, a move that was resisted by local officials who fear it could increase tensions and the potential for violence. Other demonstrations held at the State House so far this year have drawn hundreds upset by the Trump administration's actions on immigration and other issues. Which raises the question of whether those numbers represent any waning enthusiasm for the president in a state that voted for Trump by 18 percentage points seven months ago. Winthrop University has conducted three statewide polls of South Carolina voters since Trump assumed office on Jan. 20. In February, April and May, Trump's approval among all voters has been consistently around 45%. The disapproval rate was at 40% and rose to 45% and 43% in the next two months, respectively. But that's largely because the percentage answering 'don't know' fell from 16% to 11% to 9%. 'That may not be the same after the protests' in California, said Scott Huffmon, director of the Winthrop Poll. 'There's a clear difference over [Kilmar Abrego] Garcia being brought back, but that's really the only strong immigration story that's bubbled up to public attention.' Abrego Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador who previously lived in Maryland after entering the country without documentation. He and several other immigrants the Trump administration accused of gang ties were deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador under an emergency war powers act that courts later blocked. A judge ordered that the U.S. 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. because his deportation violated a previous court order that found Abrego Garcia was likely to face persecution if he was returned to El Salvador, and the Supreme Court later upheld the decision. Trump initially insisted he was unable to remove Abrego Garcia from Salvadoran custody, but earlier this month he was brought back to the U.S. to face charges of human smuggling. The May Winthrop poll showed that 44% of South Carolinians said Trump should comply with court orders to return Abrego Garcia to the United States. 33% said he should not, and 23% were unsure. 'We shouldn't assume that all of the respondents knew the particulars of the Abrego Garcia case,' Huffmon noted when releasing the poll results. 'If they didn't, this becomes more of a referendum on whether the Trump administration should be bound by court orders when it comes to immigration.' The same poll shows that 45% of South Carolinians disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, while 43% approve. But Trump is much stronger on immigration, with 50% approving of his handling of the issue and 40% disapproving. 'The people who constantly follow the news forget that the average person doesn't pay attention closely until something like the protests erupt, and then they see it as coming out of nowhere,' Huffmon said. 'It's possible that people who like the idea of Trump deporting folks have a problem with using the National Guard and military against U.S. citizens. That could produce a shift among those moderately supporting Trump.' But the Winthrop University pollster was unsure how representative that subset of the population will be of the people at Saturday's protests. 'People at protests are going to be of two flavors,' he said. 'The largest number are the most liberal and active, but among them are people who normally wouldn't attend a rally for the Democratic Party, but became concerned because of this. They will be the minority among the protesters, but there will be some people who wouldn't have shown up except for the extreme nature of what was happening.' But Greg Brewer, an engineer and self-described 'limited government fiscal conservative' living in Lexington, was weary of what a mass protest in the state's capital might mean. He remembers the last large protest in the Midlands, when a march against the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd in 2020 ended with vandalism and a police car set on fire. 'I think if you haven't learned from the past, you're doomed to repeat it, and the last time a protest came through the Vista, it ripped things apart,' he said. 'So if that's what's indicated, we need to learn from the past and make sure the resources are deployed to make sure that doesn't happen.' Brewer used to live in California, and moved back to South Carolina amid the strict lockdown requirements imposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'California in general is completely mismanaged, with its debt, its catastrophes,' Brewer said. 'The vegetation isn't managed, which is why they have these wildfires. I think there's nothing impressive about Gavin Newsom, he's a disaster.' 'Trump got elected because of concerns about sovereignty and border protection,' he said. 'That's what he campaigned on, and he's delivering on it.' He encourages any protesters to find peaceful ways to channel their concerns into constructive action. 'Regular people can engage each other in civil and respectful ways,' Brewer said. 'You can speak to your representative at the State House or find a way to handle it locally.' But another Lexington conservative had a different reaction to the week's news. Anne Marie Green, the former chair of the Lexington 1 school board, posted on Facebook that she was surprised to be heading to the protest herself. 'As a Christian, a lifelong Republican, and someone who grew up on the principled, conservative leadership of Ronald Reagan and Governor Carroll Campbell, I never imagined I would attend a protest,' Green wrote. 'I'll be standing with others at the No Kings protest to affirm something simple but vital: In America, we don't worship politicians. We hold them accountable. Our leaders are servants, not kings.' 'If you believe that our nation's strength lies in humility, not showmanship, and that faith and patriotism should never be used as tools for personal power or glory, join me tomorrow as we peacefully and prayerfully protest,' she said. State Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, minority leader in the state House of Representatives, said he was unsure who would be involved in Saturday's protest. 'I've been involved with protests since college, and I can never tell,' Rutherford said. 'I remember at every single George Floyd protest, I was shocked at how many people showed up. It really depends on what's on people's social media feeds.' Rutherford believes that at least some people who voted for Trump are reconsidering, citing Arab American voters in Michigan who abandoned the Democrats over the Biden administration's approach to the war in Gaza, or Cuban Americans who have seen the revocation of immigrants' protected status under Trump. 'Republican businessmen see their 401(k)s plummet, and then when a court rules he did something illegal, the stock market goes up,' he said. 'Even the business community feels like they did not get what they pay for.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Finalists announced for Greenwood School District Superintendent
GREENWOOD, S.C. (WSPA) – The 50th School District in Greenwood County have announced the three finalists for their superintendent position. Here are the finalists: Sherri Forest Sherri Forest initially served as Chief Academic Officer and Executive Director to the Superintendent for Atlanta Public Schools. She received her degree in Special Education from Argosy University, and her Master of Education and Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida. Forest has previously served as as a School Effectiveness Specialist with the Georgia Department of Education, Director of Continuous Improvement and Program Director for School Support and Turnaround for Atlanta Public Schools. Forest also previously held the position of Regional Associate Executive Director for the Florida Department of Education Region IV. Shane Goodwin Shane Goodwin earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Arts in Teaching from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, as well as a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Winthrop University. Goodwin is currently completing his Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Shenandoah University. He currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent for Administration for the Frederick County Public Schools in Winchester, Virginia. Goodwin has served multiple school district in Virginia, including serving as Principal and Assistant Principal in Front Royal. Goodwin has also served as Principal of Ebinport Elementary and Sullivan Middle in Rock Hill. Terrance Sanders Terrance Sanders is a South Carolina native, and currently serves as the Chief Academic Officer and Deputy Superintendent for the the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District in San Marcos, Texas. Sanders holds a Bachelor of Science from Clemson University, a Master'sdegree from Winthrop University, and a Doctorate in Education from the University ofSouthern Mississippi. Sanders has served in various roles in education, with more than 20 years of experience in the field. The finalists will be visiting the district on May 29 to tour schools and meet with staff. A Community Meet and Greet is planned to be held at the Genesis Education Center at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to allow parents, staff, and community members an opportunity to meet with the finalists. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Quail Hollow Club assistant pro Chelsea Dantonio shares insight before PGA Championship
Quail Hollow Club assistant pro Chelsea Dantonio shares insight before PGA Championship Show Caption Hide Caption Meet the new assistant at Quail Hollow Club Chelsea Dantoniom a new assistant pro at Quail Hollow Club and a former tour player, gives Golfweek a course tour and some insider perspective. Chelsea Dantonio knows what it's like to play golf with her living on the line, and she's thrilled to now be working as an assistant professional at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. She arrived in that role in October of 2024, just in time to watch the club gear up for the 2025 PGA Championship. A native of Lancaster, New York, near Buffalo and a graduate of Winthrop University in South Carolina, Dantonio was selected as an All-American Scholar three times, and she was on the Big South All-freshmen team in 2015-16. Twice she was the Big South Co-Golfer of the Week. Having turned pro after graduation, her biggest victory came at the 2024 Tennessee Women's Open Championship. Dantonio held status on the Epson Tour and played a handful of events in 2023 and 2024. Dantonio played 18 with Golfweek's Jason Lusk at Quail Hollow, then sat to discuss her new role at Quail Hollow Club and what's it like to see the club ramp up for hosting the PGA Championship.
