Augusta State Uni versity’s
Phoenix
Vo l xvi i issue i i i
S a t u r d ay ’s A R u g b y D ay Campus Couture Meth: Not Even Once and more...
Summer 2011
WANTED Phoenix Magazine Staff Fall 2011
Assistant Editor and
Advertising Manager If found, please apply immediately for a PAID POSITION to be a part of the magazine! Phoenix Magazine Office Allgood Hall E159 for more info contact: ajohns55@aug.edu
PHOENIX AUGUSTA STATE UNIVERSITY’S
MAGAZINE
Co Editors-in-Chief Aimee Johnson Stephanie Lammers
Assistant Editor Adrienne Thomas
Business Manager David Silver
Advertising Manager Gordon Jackson Hi! When I was asked to be the new Phoenix editor, a mix of excitement and panic ran through my mind. Could I do this? You want me to edit and design a magazine?! Well, it looks like it has happened. I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I enjoyed putting it together. After many hours and hours of staring into a Mac screen, the issue has come together. I think you will enjoy this eclectic mix of stories. As you look through these pages you can find fashion tips, the truth about those intense Chemistry and Physics students, and how you can get that summer tan, along with much more. I am looking forward to the upcoming semester and working with Practicums I and II to create yet another amazing issue. I want to thank Stephanie and Adrienne for believing in me, and not throwing me to the wolves. You will never know how much I appreciate you both taking the time to show me step-by-step the ins and outs of running the Phoenix, while answering my millions of question. THANK YOU! Have a great Summer!
Hello all, For the past two years, I have been a part of the Phoenix staff. During this time, I have constantly learned and grown as a person. These years have been a life changing experience. I have met so many incredible people, I have learned more about design and editing, and I have achieved goals that I thought would never be possible. This is my last editor’s note, and as I walk away from the staff, I feel positive about my knowledge and thankful for all of the many opportunities that have come my way since becoming a part of the Phoenix family. I want to give a special thanks to Dr. van Tuyll, Leza, Adrienne, the department of communication and everyone who gave me a chance. I also want to thank Aimee Johnson, the new editor of the Phoenix. She has put her heart into this issue, and I am happy to know that the magazine is in good hands. Lastly, thank you to the readers. You keep the Phoenix alive. S. Lammers
Faculty Adviser Dr. Debra van Tuyll
Staff Writers Aimee Johnson, Ashley Panter, Taryn Law, Christina Rodriguez, Jasmine Housey, Jeannen Hobbs, Jessica Warren, Kelley Girardin, Melissa Clark, Patricia Johnson, Wesley Meno
Contributors Maitri Desai, Latoya Holloman, Katherine Prewett, Loreley Layfield, Jacki Mayo
Web Design Hal Gauldin
Cover Photo by Summer Bennett taken at the Larry Bray Memorial Pitch in Augusta, Ga Phoenix Magazine is published three times per academic year with a press run of 2500 copies. It is created on Macintosh OSX computers using Adobe Creative Suite 4.0. The cover is printed on 80# white offset paper; the text is printed on 70# white offset coated paper. The body copy is Georgia, cutlines are Century Gothic and the nameplat is Desdemona and Archaelogicaps. This issue of Phoenix Magazine was printed by K-B Offset Printing, Inc. in State College, PA.
PHOENIX MAGAZINE is a student publication of the Office of Student Activities and the Department of Communications and Professional Writing at Augusta State University. PHOENIX MAGAZINE is a designated public forum and has been recognized as such by Augusta State University. The publication is funded by advertising sales and student activity fees. The opinions expressed in the Phoenix do not necessarily represent the opinions of the University System of Georgia, the administration or faculty of ASU, the editorial staff or the adviser of the Phoenix.
Phoenix 1
DEPARTMENTS 04 Calender
Spotlight: Augusta Southern Nationals Jessica Warren catches us up to speed about the drag boat racing competition on the Savannah River
11 Fashion
Campus Couture
Jeannen Hobbs asks students about their personal styles and preferences and finds out how to get custom-made alligator shoes.
16 Sports Saturday’s A Rugby Day
Ashley Panter gets rough with the Augusta Rugby Football Club.
24 Student Life
Into the Upper Sanctum
Christina Rodriguez climbs new heights as she learns the truth about the students and faculty that live and work in the Department of Chemistry and Physics
32 Wingspan featuring artistic works by: Loreley Layfield, Katherine Prewett, Latoya Holloman & Jacki Mayo
Kelley Girardin closely examines the Georgia Meth Project.
Fakin Bakin 20 Aimee Johnson explores the safest way to acquire a tan
The Wilson Connection 22 Patricia Johnson portrays our 28th presidents young life in Augusta through pictures of his childhood home
Life After War 27 Melissa Clark delves into the many resources available for returning service members and their families
FEATURE STORIES
Meth: Not Even Once 08
June 1 First Friday
gusta Downtown Au 12pm-???
4
Mudbugabeaux N Brew Festival Augusta Commons 12pm - 8pm
23
10
Sugarland Concert
James Brown Aren a 7:30 pm
“Amadeus”
Le Chat Loir 8 p.m.
25
Augusta Pride Festival
Augusta Commons All Day 2 Summer 2011
July 4
1 First Friday
Downtown Augusta 12pm - ???
5
Augusta Striders n Nacho Mama’s Ru Nacho Mama’s 7:05 pm
15-17 Southern Nationals Drag Boat Races Augusta Commons 8 am - 6 pm
Fourth of July Celebration Augusta Canal 8 pm
7
Art Exhibit: Jane Popiel
Sacred Heart 7:30 pm
15
Southern Nationals “Night of Fire” Augusta Common s 7:00 pm
Phoenix 5
August 1
9-12
First Friday
ASU Fall registration
Downtown August a 12pm - ???
8 am - Midnight
13 Kieth Urban Concert James Brown Aren a 7:30 pm
26
Sandra Trujicolls”o “Churros Lo
15 Classes Begin ersity
Augusta State Univ
Gallery Mary S. Byrd Art 5 pm - 6:30 pm 6 Summer 2011
Layout by Aimee Johnson
Joe Marsingill
Augusta Southern Nationals
Jessica Warren catches us up to speed about the drag boat racing competition on the Savannah River Layout by Jessica Warren There is not much that can top off a beautiful day filled with drag boat racing. The smell of engine exhaust and hot dogs fills the air. The roar of jet boats can be heard for miles down the road. The sun beats down as you file through the massive amounts of people that have come to watch. These sounds are referring to the Augusta Southern National Boat races that are held on the Savannah River from July 15-17. According to Mack McNorrill, Department Chair of Marketing and Promotions of the Augusta Southern Nationals, this will be the 25th annual held in Augusta. The race is part of a three-day event consisting of Friday’s “Test and Tune Day” and “Night of Fire.” During the afternoon, spectators can purchase a $5 admission ticket that allows them to talk to the crew drivers and walk anywhere on the race site. The “Night of Fire” is held on Friday night at the Augusta Commons. There, patrons can talk with the pit crews and look at the boats. According to McNorrill, they will actually crank the boats
allowing the fire coming out of the heaters on the boats to be seen. In order to participate in the race, a drag boat must meet a certain race time in order to qualify on Saturday. McNorrill says that the qualification process is similar to land drag racing where two boats compete to get their qualifying position time. According to McNorrill, that time is determined from the time it takes the boat to cover the quarter-mile race, from start to finish. Each boat class has a different qualification time. “The slowest class must record a time of 12 to 12.99 seconds in a quarter mile. At seven seconds you start a pro class, and if they go under 7 sec they’re out of the race,” said McNorrill. The boat that scores the closest time to seven seconds will be the top qualifier. Sunday is elimination day, and typically consists of about 88-100 boats. “Every time two boats go on the water, one boat goes home and the other boat goes on to the next level,” said McNorrill.
According to McNorrill, the boats can reach top speeds of 240-250 mph, with the slowest boat running about 80 or 90 mph. This exciting event is brought to Augusta by the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series, which is an eight race national circuit sponsored by Lucas Oil. According to McNorrill, there are drag boat races all over the United States. “The closest race to us this year will probably be St. Loius. As far as the Lucas Oil Series, there are also races in Marble Falls, Texas, Phoenix, Ariz., Lake Irvine, Cali., and all over the west coast,” said McNorrill. The Board of Directors are the sole promoters of the race and are a part of a nonprofit corporation. All the proceeds from the event goes to support the Area 9 Special Olympics.
Jessica Warren is junior communications major on the public relations track Phoenix 7
METH METH :: Not Even Once Kelley Girardin closely examines the Georgia Meth Project. Photos provided by MethProject.org Layout Layoutby byAimee Kelley Girardin Johnson
8 Summer 2011
Insomnia. Weight loss. Hallucinations. Scratches and scabs all over my face. Paranoia. Tooth decay. How is this happening to me? I was only going to try meth once. These types of confessions, often bound with graphic illustrations, are appearing all over Georgia through TV, radio, billboards and the internet as a result of the Georgia Meth Project. The Georgia Meth Project’s target audience is 12-17 year olds who have never tried Methamphetmethamphetamine before. “It is a research based messaging campaign that strives to understand attitudes and behavior towards iors toward methamphetamine through state wide surveys” according to the Georgia Meth Project’s website. Laura Smith*, Smith*,who whobegan began using using meth meth when when she was she 18, wassays, 18, says, “The “The Georgia Georgia Meth Meth Project Project was not around [eight years ago], and before I used, I had never heard of meth before.” According to their website, the Georgia Meth Project is part of a larger program simply titled The Meth Project Project which whichwas wasfounded foundby Thomas ed by Thomas Siebel. Siebel. The Meth The Meth Project website Project website states states the itproject is being is being conducted conducted in Arizona, in Arizona, Colorado, Colorado, Hawaii, Hawaii, Idaho, Wyoming Idaho, Wyoming and Iland Illinois linois but originated but originated in Montana. in Montana.ranked Montana Montana number ranked five numfor ber five meth abuse for in meth 2005abuse when in the2005 prowhen the gram firstprogram launched. firstFive launched. years Five277,100 and years and advertisements 277,100 advertiselater, ments the program later, the is proving program a success. is proving a success Montana is ranking with Montana in at number rankingin 39 inthe at number nation for 39meth in theuse. nation for The methadvertisements use. portray The the effects advertisements of meth through portray bonethe effects chilling quotes of meth and through disturbingly bonechilling quotes gruesome pictures. and disturbingly “My girlgruesome friend wouldpictures. do anything “Myfor girlme, friend so I made would herdo sell anything her body” for and me, so I madefor “Picking herbugs sell her under body” you’re and “Picking skin isn’t for normal, bugs but under on meth you’re it skinare is,” isn’t both normal, phrasesbut seen ononmeth bill-
boards it is,” are andphrases magazine seenads. on billThe boardsads radio and aremagazine told in first ads. person The radio and recall ads are the users’ told interrifying first person exand recall the periences andusers’ downward terrifying spirals experiences on meth. and downward spirals onSally meth. Rogers*, who began doing Sally meth inRogers*, the fall of who 2002, began calls doing the meth in the fall of“extremely advertisements 2002, calls the acadvertisements curate.” One ad “extremely that stands out accurate.” for Rogers One states, ad that “Before stands meth, outI for Rogers had a best states, friend.“Before Now I have meth, anI had a best friend. Now I have an addict.” addict.” Rogers says that once she start Rogers ed doing meth, says that there once was she a domistarted doing no effect meth, amongthere her was friends. a domiBeno effect fore methamong they all hercared friends. deeply Beforeone for meth another, they allbut cared once deeply they for oneusing started another, theirbut main once concern they started was the using addictive their drug. main concern was “Ifthe your addictive friendsdrug. are really your friends, “If your they friends won’tare make really you your do friends, it,” Rogers they says won’t through make clenched you do it,” Rogers teeth. “I didn’t saysrealize through that clenched until I teeth. got all “I mydidn’t friends realize doingthat it.”until I got According all my friends to The doing Meth it.”Project According to Foundation, methamphetamine, The Meth Project Foundation, also known as methamphetamine, meth, speed, ice, also known crystal, crank, as and meth, tina, speed, is an ice, excrystal, crank, tremely addictive and drug tina, is that an exaftremely fects the nervous addictivesystem drug and thatover affects the nervous stimulates the brain. systemMeth and over can stimulates be snorted, the smoked, brain.inhaled Meth and can be snorted, smoked, inhaled swallowed.Hotrailing is a combiand swallowed. nation of smoking and snorting “When I first started doing it. meth, “When I would I first snort started it. Overdoing time I prefered meth, I would to snort do hotrails,” it. Over time saysI Rogers, to prefered who do hotrails,” was spending says Rogas much ers, who as was $300 spending a week on as much the naras cotic. aHotrailing $300 week on the is anarcotic. combination ofThe smoking Methand Project snorting reports it. when The Meth Project reports methamphetamine enters when the methamphetamine blood stream it travels enters to the blood stream brain and unnaturally it travels to the releases brain and unnaturally dopamine, whichreleases is the dopabrain mine, which chemical thatisallows the brain the chemifeeling cal pleasure. of that allowsFood the feeling raisesofdopapleasure. Food mine levelsraises by 50 dopamine percent levels while by 50 sex raises percent it 100 whilepercent. sex raises The it 100 percent.addictive powerfully The powerfully drug, adcodictive raises caine, drug cocaine levels by raises 300levels perby 300 cent. That percent, is nothing but that compared is nothing the to compared toxic methamphetamine to the toxic methamphetamine which raises dopamine which raises levels dopaby
a whopping mine levels by 1200 a whopping percent! 1200 The percent!also website Thestates website thatalso the states dopathat the mine takes dopamine two to 10takes days to two fully to 10 days to(that replenish fully is replenish if the user (that stops is if the completely using user stops using duringcompletethis time ly during frame) which this means time frame) the crash which afmeans ter the high the crash is thisafter longthe as well. high is this Rogers’s long asfirst well.time doing meth Rogers’s was with her first boss time and doing co-workmeth was with her boss and co-workers. ers. “We were all hanging out when “We my boss were pulled all hanging something out when out my asked and boss pulled if anyone something wanted toout do and a line. asked ‘A line if anyone of what?’ wanted I asked. to Afdo a line. ter doing ‘A line it, my of face what?’ feltI like asked. it was After fire. on doing Init, a my sickface way, felt it felt like amazit was on fire. ing. I didn’t In a sick go toway, bed it tilfelt noon amazthe ing. I day. next didn’t I go felttoinvincible, bed til noon like theI next day. could do anything.” I felt invincible, like I could After dofirst anything.” time use, the toler After ance already first time startsuse, to build, the tolermakanceusers ing already crave startsmore to build, meth makat ing users more frequent crave intervals. more meth Accordat more ing to frequent The Methintervals. Project research, According to the dopamine The Meth release Project peaks research, after the dopamine initial use,release making peaks it anafter unthe initialfeeling matched use, making in comparison it an unto matched future uses. feeling in comparison to future Smith, uses. who used for one year, Smith, who remembers her used first fortime one using year, remembers her first time using as, as,“The best thing I had ever tried. I stayed “The best up thing for two I had days, everand tried. it I stayed was so intense up forit two made days, me feel andinit was so intense vincible. I thought it made it would me feel make invincible. all my problems I thought go it away.” would make allSmith my problems and Rogers go away.” both report Smith ed that the anddrug Rogers made both them reportfeel ed that the drug invincible, and Rogers made them saysfeel at invincible, first it gave and her aRogers big, false says confiat first it boost. dence gave her a big, false confi dence “It made boost.me skinny. I wasn’t “Itfatmade the chick me anymore. skinny. It was I wasn’t nice thebe to fatnoticed. chick anymore. I made bigger It was nice tips to work,” at be noticed. Rogers I made says. bigger tips at“At work,” the Rogers end of says. the day “At though, the end Iofwas the disgusted day though, with I was myself. disgusted I bewith myself. came crazy.”I became crazy.” Long-term meth abuse may result in many damaging effects, including, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, delusions and violent behavior,
Phoenix 9
according to the Georgia Meth Project website. Rogers was a victim of the violent behavior on a daily basis because of her methdealing boyfriend. “He had stolen a bottle of Crown from my parents’ house, and then he went and hung out and drank it with a girl I didn’t like,” Rogers says. “We began arguing, and then he started beating me. He beat me the whole way home, people driving by saw him and called the cops. When we got to our apartment the police were waiting for him. They arrested him right away. Five people wrote statements. I looked and felt like a rag doll.” So how does this affect Georgia? According to Jim Langford, executive director of the Georgia Meth Project, Georgia ranks number three in the country for meth abuse. Langford also stated that meth is costing Georgia $1.3 billion annually. This is a combination of law enforcement, family and social services, treatment, and lost productivity. Wanda Huggins, an administrative secretary for Richmond County’s Narcotics department recalls that in the past year ap-
proximatly 60 people have been arrested for methamphetamine. “People arrested for methamphetamine receive one to 10 years in prison, and those arrested for manufacturing can receive one to 20 years,” says Huggins. Sometimes jail is not the worst thing that can happen to users. The Meth Project tries to stress how much meth will ruin every aspect of a users life. “I was no longer close to my family. I chose the drug over the people I loved most in my life. I lost my friends, dropped out of school and almost lost my job. I had nothing and hit rock bottom in less than a year,” Smith, who has been sober for seven years, recalls. Rogers, who has also been sober for seven years now, has a very similar outlook on her experience, “I lost my job, I lost my car, I was getting beaten on an everyday basis, I got kicked out of my house and I hated my family. If it weren’t for my mother’s unconditional love I would be dead.” A huge issue that Georgia is facing is that Georgia teens do not seem to think that there is anything wrong with meth. Accord-
ing to the Georgia Meth Poject website, 35 percent of Georgia teens do not perceive a risk to using meth, 23 percent of Georgia teens think there is a benefit of using meth, and 23 percent of Georgia teens think there is no harm in using meth on a regular basis. When asked what she would say to a teenager contemplating using meth, Rogers paused for a long second before saying, “JUST SAY NO! Reevaluate yourself and what you want. Do you like yourself, your family, your friends? It’s not okay and I wouldn’t recommend it to my worst enemy. Meth is hell. It’s the f---ing devil.” The Georgia Meth project launched on March 8, 2010 and initial results will be released mid-2011. *Names have been changed.
Kelley Girardin is a senior communications major on the public relations track.
CAMPUS COUTURE
Jeannen Hobbs asks students about their personal styles and preferences and finds out how to get custom-made alligator shoes. Photos by Jeannen Hobbs As the weather continues to heat up and summer makes its entrance, campus fashion begins to make a change as well. The layers are starting to peel off. The thick sweaters have been traded in for chic cardigans. The heavy denim jeans traded for cool shorts. Airy dresses are making their appearance, while
Layout by Adrienne Thomas
thick tights are being put back in the closet for next winter. Every season trends evolve. Campus is full of students displaying their own unique take on fashion trends. The halls are filled with every style and craze out there.
After scouting out the campus, I discovered it was not easy tracking down these individuals for an interview. Luckily, I had the chance to catch up with five fashion-forward students to get their perspective and philosophy on style. Here is what they had to say.
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<<< Erin Armstrong, 20. Creative Writing Major Tell me a little bit about your personal style. I don’t know; it’s weird to say. I’m that person that my friends are like, “It’s cute on you, but I wouldn’t wear it, but it looks good on you.” I just wear so many different things that it’s hard to say exactly what my style is. Since your style has no mold, so to speak, how do you choose what to wear? I have pieces that I really like and kind of work around them. For example, right now I’m really into boots and men’s pants, so I start with the pieces I like and add a shirt, earrings and so on. So you like to wear men’s pants; where do you find ones that fit? Anywhere, I just find them. I found my latest pair in my closet at home. I guess they were a pair of my brother’s old pants or my dad’s pants; I just saw them and thought to myself, “I think I’ll wear these today.” I did and it was awesome. They were a light blue-ish color and a little big on me, so I paired them with a plain white t-shirt (tucked in), a coral high-waist belt to keep them in place and black slippers. What are some of your other favorite places to shop? I like Forever 21, Walmart, American Eagle, Urban Outfitter and generally anywhere. I have a peculiarly shaped body so I shop at different places for different parts. Most of the time I get clothes that my friends just don’t want any more or take them and just don’t tell them. But when I’m actually out shopping, the only place I can get jeans is American Eagle or Urban Outfitters because I have a curvy waist. I can get tops from anywhere. If I possessed to ability to do so competently, I would make my own shirts because I like really different tops.
Joyce Garcia, 24. History Major >>> What would you say is your style or type of fashion? I would say I’m a hodge-podge casual dresser. I’ll wear pretty much whatever I can find in my sister or mom’s closet that I can mix and match with things I have already. So you, your mom and your sister are the same size? Yes and no, my sister and I are the same size but not my mom. I can pull off some of my mom’s things like sweaters and t-shirts that are a little bigger. Are there any celebrities that influence your style? I wouldn’t say that I look to celebrities as a guide for what to wear, but I do find some of their outfits appealing. I like Kate Moss, Rachel Bilson and Keira Knightley because they have casual styles similar to mine. What are some of your favorite places to shop for casual clothes? Well, I’m not originally from Georgia, I’m from Washington, D.C., but for the shops they don’t have here I just go online. I shop at H&M, Zara, Urban Outfitters and Target a lot. Actually, I got these boots from there too. I really just pick up whatever catches my eye. Being that you are from Washington, D.C. do you see any striking differences in the fashion atmosphere? Yes, definitely. People are a lot more casual and simplistic in the way they dress here in Georgia. It seems like people in D.C. spend a lot more time trying to have a “look,” whereas people here want to look nice and be comfortable. Where do you feel like you fit in that mix? I’m kind of in the middle. I don’t like to spend a lot of time getting ready in the morning, but I do like to look nice. I want to feel like I’m myself in an outfit, not just dressing like everyone else.
12 Summer 2011
Hannah Wigington, 20. Dietetics Major >>> Tell me a little about what you have on today. Did you just throw on what was comfortable? Yes, actually I put on this hat to hide my hair, but it turned out to be a good choice. I’m wearing things that are comfortable and not too dressy because I’m only going to class. These cowboy boots are my favorite. I think it makes my style, not unique because everybody wears them I guess, but says I like to be comfortable without me having to say it. I put on a cardigan over a white shirt to kind of dress it up a bit because white t-shirts go with everything. What would you say is your style? I don’t know what my particular style is called, but I think it’s more of the J-Crew casual chic look. I love J-Crew, they are my inspiration. Do you have any other source for inspiration like celebrities or magazines? I don’t really look to celebrities because most of their styles are so high fashion and that’s not me. Sometimes if I’m waiting in the checkout line I’ll skim through to see what people are wearing, but I don’t subscribe to any fashion magazine. Where do you shop to achieve the causal chic look besides J-Crew? I love to shop at Gap and Forever 21 just because they are less expensive than most stores. If I can get a deal that’s usually what I go for. Sometimes, if I have the money to splurge then I’ll do it, but for the most part I go for the sales.
<<< Melody Davis, 22. Journalism Major Describe your sense of fashion in one word. Variety –I don’t like to match. I really hate matching. I’m more about mixing up patterns. What inspires you to mix and match eclectic patterns? Magazines like Vogue, Elle and Seventeen keep me up-to-date on what’s hot. I take certain pieces and from there kind of form my own style. I look for and pay a lot of attention to European fashion shows like Paris Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week, along with following some celebrities like Kanye West and Rihanna. Is there a certain era to which you find yourself drawn? There are a couple like the 30s, 40s, 50s, the 60s (Mod). I’m drawn to celebrities like Lucile Ball, Dorothy Dandridge, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn who were known for not only their acting but fashion statements as well. Do you look to different eras for different things? Yeah, definitely. For example, I like Marilyn Monroe because of her hairstyles and she has a mole, and so do I. It helped me to see my mole as beautiful because she had one and everybody liked her. Another is Audrey Hepburn; she wore a lot of black because she said that black never goes out of style and it’s conservative. So I love black. I think it’s very beautiful, fashionable and easy to accessorize. So do the clothes or the accessories make the outfit for you? I think it’s the clothes that stand out the most. I love my clothes. For me, I can pull off an outfit and I don’t have to wear too many accessories to make the outfit stand out. I believe if you’re really into fashion you should be able to pull the outfit off with just a few accessories. Do you consider yourself a bargain shopper? Yes, I always go for the biggest deals and sales, at vintage stores, thrift stores, WalMart, or wherever. It doesn’t matter to me where I find my clothes, but about how I interpret the outfit. I don’t have to have a lot of money to dress nice, I tell people that all the time. You can tell a lot about a person rom the way they dress. So just let your fashion be who you are.
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Joseph Anderson, 19. Biology Major >>> Tell me a little bit about what you have on today. Well, I just have on a regular yellow button-up shirt, a black vest, some denim jeans and my favorite black and white snake-skin dress shoes. But I don’t really wear them with dress clothes all the time. Wow, those are some really nice shoes. Where did you find them? Actually, I got them in Italy. My high school graduation present was a trip to Europe for the summer. One day my group was walking past a shoe store that had just opened, and the man was like, “I’m looking to make something different” and he told me he could make any kind of shoe I wanted. I went in the store picked out the pattern, got measured, and he told me he was going to surprise me. When I went back a few days later, there they were --my black and white snake-skin shoes. He remembered that I was wearing black and white the day before and made them in that color. That is so cool, but were they expensive? Yes! They were 400 euro, so that’s a little over $560 U.S., but my mom bought them for me because my birthday was like two days away, so I didn’t have to pay for them. I was very thankful, and they were custom made so I know nobody else has them. Do you believe that you are influenced a lot by European fashion? I like European fashion because I like all my clothes fitted and the majority of men wear their clothes fitted over there. About two years ago, my style changed from preppy to a dressy casual style, so I would say I can appreciate the European fashion influence in that sense. In Europe everybody is smaller and the men dress to a T; it doesn’t matter where they go, just like to walk down the street they are dressed nice. What caused you to change up your style two years ago? I realized that people look at you differently when you are dressed up as opposed to a t-shirt and some jeans. Plus it makes me feel good. When I get ready for my day and I have on a tie or a suit or some nice shoes it feels like my day is just perfect. Being that your style is dressy casual, do you have any “must have” items you are dying to get your hands on? I have an obsession with cardigans and vests, even though you can’t really wear them in the summer. Watches are another “must have” for me. I love to accessorize with like watches and rings. Oh, and ties too. Which weighs more with you --the outfit or the accessories? The accessories definitely weigh more with me because you can do so much with them. I really like accessorizing with ties, because they come in so many colors and patterns. It may seem funny but a tie can really express you.
Jeannen Hobbs graduated May 2011 with a B.A. in Communications
Let your Vioice Be Heard Contribute to the Phoenix Magazine Artists | Photographers | Writers We are always seeking new and interesting works of art, photography, fiction, non-fiction, poetry & good ideas to feature in our Wingspan section!
if interested in submitting, contact Aimee Johnson at: ajohns55@aug.edu
Phoenix Magazine Office, Allgood Hall E159 | 706-737-1614
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Saturday’s A Rugby Day! Ashley Panter gets rough with the Augusta Rugby Football Club. Layout by Ashley Panter Photos by Summer Bennett, Garrett Phillips, Shannon Green
I have only been playing rugby for about eight months. I will admit that I was hesitant at first because it sounds slightly intimidating, but after only one practice, I fell in love with the sport as well as the coach and team. The team consists mostly of military veterans or currently enlisted soldiers, but there are also several civilians. All of the ladies on the team are a lot of fun, but they all have very different personalities. However, even with their different interests, all of the girls are like family. We eat together, party together, cry together, and some of us even live together. The love and respect that we all have for one another adds fuel to the team and makes us even stronger on the pitch. Augusta is home to its very own rugby club, the Augusta Rugby Football Club, also known as ARFC. The ARFC consists of three different teams, a men’s team, Augusta Maddogs, a women’s team, Augusta Furies, and a high school team, Augusta High School Barbarians. Not only are the girls a family, but the Augusta Rugby Football Club acts as a whole family. Both the women’s and men’s team hang out outside of practice as well as support each other during matches. The Furies combine many of their events with the Maddogs,
which inevitably creates one big party after each home match. After a rugby match, the home team hosts a social, at an Irish themed bar. Both the men’s and women’s home and away teams all come together for beer, pizza and sing chants about rugby. They celebrate the bond they share because of the passion and addiction for this game called, rugby. During the social, a “Man of the Match” and “Bitch of the Pitch” is awarded to the male and female MVP of the match. Traditionally, the MVPs are given an Irish Car Bomb, which is an Irish drink that consists of a glass of Guinness beer with a shot glass filled, equal parts, with Jameson’s Irish whisky and Bailey’s Irish Cream. The MVP’s are expected to drop the shot into the beer and chug it all in front of their teammates and opponents. Another tradition is any player who has scored for the first time is expected to streak to the end of the bar and then back to the front. This is called a Zulu. Lucky for me, the first time I scored in a rugby match, I not only scored once, but four times. Therefore, it was expected of me to do a Landshark Zulu. This is a rare Zulu that only a handful of ruggers get the honor to perform. I stripped down to my sports bra and spandex and was carried with a shark
fin attached to my sports bra, which was lit on fire, from one end of the bar to the other. I had to chant, “Landshark, landshark!” Then I was allowed to grab as many boobies as I wanted. It was an unforgettable experience to say the least. All of this is great fun, but keep in mind this is only half of what rugby is about and only happens after a match is played. If you have never experienced a rugby match, you are missing out. There is no other sport like it. It sounds cliché, but it’s true. Never will one find another sport based upon respect, sportsmanship, and honor. While they are also getting to include hard hits, quick speeds, movements and the camaraderie between opposing teams after a brutal match. Rugby is a perfect combination of soccer and football. One may not think rugby is very popular because it is not often played in the United States. However, rugby’s popularity is equivalent to American football in other parts of the world. According to a rugby blog, www.artofmanliness. com, there is even a Rugby World Cup, which happens to be the third most watched sporting event in the world. The sport originated from Rugby School in the United Kingdom during the 19th century and has since spread
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worldwide and addicted millions of people everywhere. Luckily, rugby’s popularity has made its way to Augusta and is available to anyone who wants to play. The Augusta Rugby Football Club even has its very own field to play on, the Larry Bray Memorial Pitch. This allows first hand access to a practice facility at all times, while providing a place to play without having to reserve a field. The field gives ARFC a place to call home. A former member of the Augusta Maddogs, Larry Douglas Bray, was tragically killed in an automobile accident. After the tragedy, Bray’s family made a monetary donation to fund the pitch in his name, which now provides a permanent field for the ARFC to play and practice on. “His family donated a large amount of money to help us finish the pitch,” says Allen Raborn. Raborn is a member of the Maddogs. He did not know Bray personally, but says, “It’s been a long ride for us and a long time coming.” According to Raborn, the club does not have to borrow places to play
18 Summer 2011
anymore. Thanks to the Bray family, each and every home match is free and the ARFC now has land leased near Lake Olmstead Stadium. All of the members of the ARFC work hard to keep the field in shape. Members of both teams do the upkeep to ensure the field is ready before each match. The whole club is proud of it, the hard work they have put into it and the growth of the organization. “We welcome new players and fans,” says Raborn. “All of our games are free. There is never a charge to come watch.” The organization is player and alumni run, according to Chris McCarthy. McCarthy is a current player for the Maddogs and plays the position of a back. He has been playing for almost a year. According to McCarthy, the team plays against other city teams within the Southeast while also competing in rugby tournaments. The Maddogs originated in 1973. Jim Macmillan, who played scrum half for Clemson University, along with former Princeton University rugger, Danny Ferguson, decided to start a Rugby Football Club. Both were also students at the Medical College of
Georgia and they wanted to provide a stress relieving activity for studious athletes who needed a break, according to Matt Keck, secretary of the ARFC and webmaster of the Maddogs’ site. Through the years, the Maddogs have recruited players, experienced or not, and built their team to be as skilled and tough as possible. The Maddogs are a very united team and have great camaraderie with the women’s team, The Furies, says member Shannon Green. The Furies are a women’s team that has been around since 2000. The team was competitive for a few years but eventually needed new, fresh players. In 2010, Green revamped the team with more players, some with experience and some without. “I recruited girls at the Pride festival, put flyers up, by word of mouth and Facebook,” says Green. The most challenging obstacle about having a club team is trying to find time to practice. “We have many athletic girls and have a lot of potential as a team. We just need to get everyone in the same place at the same time,” she says.
Quick Rugby Facts: Equipment: In rugby, the players don’t wear much equipment. Often times they just have a mouth piece. There is an option for soft-padded head gear known to “ruggers” as a scrum cap. Usually only the forward’s wear caps to protect their ears from getting ripped off. One might compare a scrum cap to the old leather helmets that American football players used to wear.
The Furies can field a full 15’s team, which is the number of players required to play in a regular game of rugby. They are always looking for more females who want to play. If you are a woman, athletic, not afraid to get a few scrapes and bruises, then you should check it out. The Furies have lost some games and won some games, but is still competitive within the southeast, according to Green. They are a young team with a lot of potential. Due to the quickness and agility of most of the players, they are planning to enter 7’s tournaments. Seven is the minimum number of players required to play in a special format of rugby match, in the summer. Usually, these games tend to be a faster paced match. In December, the Furies competed in the annual Grunks 7’s tournament in Columbia, S.C.. They beat several college teams and held their ground against an “all-star” traveling team. Even though it was a cold day, the girls did not give up. Rugby sounds intense and brutal, I know. So why do players continue to play? When asked that same question, Raborn lists the broken bones, scrapes, bruises and tears he’d shed since
joining the team. “I don’t know how to explain it. For the love of the game I guess,” he says. If you don’t want to take my word for it, take it upon yourself to watch a game and see if the sport lives up to its rough and barbaric reputation. Then come join us after a home match at Surrey Tavern to witness one of our socials first hand! Do you think rugby sounds like a sport for you? If that’s the case, you are in luck because the ARFC is always recruiting players of all experience levels, shapes, sizes and levels of athletic ability. ARFC’s teams play at the Larry Bray Memorial Pitch located at the corner of Wood Street in downtown Augusta. The teams occasionally practice at the Julian Smith Casino field located on Milledge Street. They mainly stick to the rucks and mauls on the Larry Bray Memorial Pitch because of its significance to the club.
Ashley Panter is a junior communications major on the public relations track.
Field: Ruggers play their matches on a playing field that is commonly known as the pitch. The pitch is a large grassy field that is equivalent to 120 yards long and 50 yards wide. Terms: A ruck is when pack players from both teams go into a locking position in hopes to either defend the ball or gain possession by kicking it to their teammates. Then the play continues when a back, usually a scrum half, receives the ball. Another important term to know is a scrum. Most penalties result in a scrum, which is comparable to a huge ruck between teams. If a player is near the try zone and is stopped by defenders, a maul will usually take place. What this means is that, a standing mobile version of a ruck is taking place.
For more information, visit: www.augustarugby.org or www.augustafuries.org
Phoenix 19
Fakin Bakin Aimee Johnson explores the safest way to acquire a tan Layout and photos by Aimee Johnson
Want to banish your pale skin in favor of a deep, dark tan? Join the club. Having a glowing bronze tan reminds many of summer, the beach and carefree times. The characteristic brown skin was traditionally achieved by bathing beauties oiling their skin and “baking” in the sun for hours. In the 1970s, tanning beds spawned the whole industry of indoor tanning and chains of tanning salons. People can even have their own personal tanning beds in their homes. Concerns about the sun’s intensity and harmful effects have created the awareness of the health risks involved with the popular summer activity. There are now many safer options that
20 Summer 2011
have been developed to achieve a tan without the risks of skin damage. The sun emits ultraviolet rays, commonly known as UV radiation. Sunburns are a common consequence of being out in the sun’s rays unprotected. Lauren Redlund, registered nurse (RN), explains what happens to your skin. “A sunburn is where your skin reacts to UV radiation that is transmitted through either the sun or tanning bed bulbs. Skin is damaged at a cellular level,” says Redlund. A tan may be fashionable, but it is also visible proof that your skin has cellular damage. According to Redlund, “The immune system automatically
kicks in when skin is burned because it is an attack against it. In response to this trauma, the immune system increases blood flow to the affected areas. Blood rushes to the skins surface and tries to rejuvenate the damage done. The increased blood flow is what give sunburns its characteristic redness and makes the skin feel warm to the touch.” When no protection is put on the skin this, “lobster effect” will occur. Sunburns are not only unattractive but they are also extremely uncomfortable. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, continued UV radiation exposure, whether from natural or artificial sources, can cause: wrinkles, brown
age spots, leathery skin and worst of all, cancer. Katie Holloway, 21, loved to sunbathe and began using tanning beds at the age of 15. She craved the deep beautiful, brown skin and went at least three times a week. As a senior in high school, Holloway noticed a strange spot under her breast that she had never seen before. “At first it was a little dot, like a freckle. Then it got bigger and darker and it was growing. I knew something was happening,” says Holloway. She went to the dermatologist, and he did a biopsy of the unusual spot. The biopsy results came back, it was the beginning stages of melanoma. According to the FDA website, melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. It is the leading cause of death from skin disease. Holloway was only 18 years old at the time. “They told me if they did not cut it [cancer] all out I would have to go through chemotherapy,” she says. Holloway has to return to the dermatologist for a check-up every six months to look for new blemishes. She had another melanoma spot removed in February. The shocking news and diagnosis have changed Holloway’s views on tanning. “Tanning is so dangerous, it really is. I do not want to risk it again. I have to get spray tans now,” says Holloway. She has now opted to stop sunbathing and tanning completely. She still however achieves her bronze color, safely. Holloway gets a spray tan every other week and uses gradual tanning lotions. According to the FDA website, these sunless “tans in a bottle” deliver a faux glow by coating your skin with the chemical, dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA gradually stains the dead cells in your skin’s outer layer. The brown color effect is the same, just without the harmful problems of UV rays. Self-tanners can darken skin and simulate a tan for up to a week. “I really do like them a lot better. It is
fast, it literally takes two minutes, and then I’m done. It is a lot safer,” says Holloway. If you’re ready to skip laying out but do not want to give up on glowing skin, there are other alternatives. Sunless tanning products have improved formulas that won’t give you that “orange oompa-loompa” look if applied correctly. Katelynn Kupitz, 21, has worked in a tanning bed salon for three years and has seen an increase in the use of their spray or sometimes called, mystic tan treatments, by both men and women. “It is becoming a lot more popular because it is starting to look a lot more natural than it used to,” says Kupitz. Before getting a spray tan there are a few simple steps to take. Kupitz assures that preparing before getting a spray tan is quick and easy. “Exfoliate and bath skin before coming to get your tan. You can also wear as much or as little as you like. A walk in booth sprays your body evenly with a solution that contains a certain percentage of DHA,” she says. The solution reacts with the dead layers of skin and over a period of around 12 hours turns brown, like an apple turns brown after being bitten.
Katie shows off her tan
“I have never had someone turn orange,” says Kupitz. There are also several products available in stores for do-it-yourself use. Prominent name brands such as, Neutrogena, Jergens, L’Oreal and Banana Boat offer a wide range of sunless options that are convenient and user friendly. There are gradual tan building lotions, micro-mists, towelettes, foams and gel solutions. The many products claim to give, “a splash of sun in a bottle.” They advertise a natural, streak free formula that shows up within hours. Tans are now available without the adverse health effects of UV radiation and can be used no matter what the weather is like. In the dead of winter, a glowing sunless tan is still achievable. A week full of rain in the springtime cannot deter your skin from maintaining its color. It is important to remember that with all types of sunless tanning, sunscreen should still be worn when going outdoors to protect skin from the sun’s rays. According to the FDA website, sunscreens provide a chemical barrier that absorbs or reflects UV radiation and prevents the passage to the skin. Fake tans do not generate melanin production, so you can still get a nasty sunburn. No longer is it necessary to “bake” in the sun for the bronzed beauty look this summer. These options are safe and popular choices for obtaining the coveted “glow,” without the harmful effects of UV rays. Of course, the undeniable off-season convenience factor is a nice incentive. There are several ways to stay away from UV radiation, and get to “fakin bakin”. You can get the warm glow of a tan while keeping your skin beautiful and healthy for years to come.
Aimee Johnson is a senior communications major on the public relations track Phoenix 21
The W i l s o n Connection Patricia Johnson portrays our 28th presidents young life in Augusta through pictures of his childhood home
Woodrow Wilson House, Washington, D.C.
Photos by Saturated Simplicity
Woodrow Wilson
Layout by Aimee Johnson
In downtown Augusta, Ga., one old attractive home is located on Seventh Street. It houses beautiful architecture, and appears to have been built around the Civil War era. Local expert historian and executive director of Historic Augusta, Inc., Erick D. Montgomery describes Augusta during 1858 to 1870. “This house was modern in those days, gas lights, running water and toilet in the back of the house. The brick home has nine rooms including servant’s quarters and a carriage house on the property,” says Montgomery. Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born Dec. 28, 1856 in Stanton, Va. Montgomery describes that one week after his birth, his family migrated to Augusta. Wilson lived in the home from 1860 to 1870. From Wilson’s first memory to his education, Augusta maintained a prominent role in his early life. According to Montgomery, Wilson attended an all-boy school, located on the present-day Riverwalk. Although Wilson’s
presidential speeches are renowned, few are aware that Wilson had a learning disability as a child. “He didn’t learn how to read until he was 11. He is the only president to this date who had a Ph.D. He had dyslexia, and he didn’t know the alphabet until he was 8-years-old. This little boy who struggled with the alphabet and struggled to read became one of the most learned presidents we ever had,” Julia N. Jackson, programs and marketing director of Historic Augusta, Inc. describes. Known as “Tommy” to boyhood friends, Wilson’s childhood is evident throughout the house. The downstairs room contains a window inscribed with the short phrase “Tom”. These experiences in Augusta formed the foundation for Wilson’s progression to the White House.
Patricia Johnson is a junior communications major on the public relations track
The boyhood
home
of woodrow wilson
419 Seventh St. augusta, ga.
Into the Upper Sanctum
Christina Rodriguez climbs new heights as she learns the truth about the students and faculty that live and work in the Department of Chemistry and Physics Art by Maitri Desai Photos & Layout by Christina Rodriguez You begin your long ascent up the two lengthy flights of steep stairs. The cylindrical room and the circular walkways disorient you as you make your way closer to the third floor. As you trudge your heavy feet up the last step, you turn left along the curved wall and see a small niche of a room in the corner packed to capacity with students hammering away at their mountain of complex problems and assignments. These hard-as-nails souls are the citizens of the cavern floor known as the Department of Chemistry and Physics. Besides science majors, not many ASU students know much about the Science Hall that stands beside Allgood
24 Summer 2011
Hall. The extent of such knowledge usually doesn’t go beyond the required core classes on the first floor. Yet, a whole other world exists high above the non-science students’ heads. The quiet and still brick façade of the Science building deceives the average onlooker of the intense activity contained within its walls. While there isn’t a lot of activity outside of the Science Hall doors compared to nearby Allgood, the work and research happening inside the doors is putting Augusta State University’s name on the map. The Department of Chemistry and Physics is a madhouse of research and achievements among both the faculty
and the students. A perfect example of this intense work can be seen in Maitri Desai, who is a senior double major in physics and chemistry and president of the Chemistry Club. According to the department’s ASU webpage, Desai has conducted numerous research projects. She has presented them in past Phi Kappa Phi student research conferences and in multiple universities across the region including Georgia Institute of Technology and Louisiana State University among others. In addition to her achievements off the campus and her double major studies, Desai plays multiple roles within the department itself. According to Desai,
The three levels of the Science Hall she fills her time volunteering as the Physics Club treasurer, a chemistry and physics tutor, a teaching assistant and a supplemental instructor. Desai’s work inside and outside of the classroom resembles the daily routine for many others within the department as well. In addition to students, faculty of the department have also helped spread national recognition of ASU’s talented professors. According to the department’s annual “Chemistry & Physics News” newsletter, Dr. Trinanjan Datta, assistant professor of physics, was one of only seven theoretical physicists in the nation to be named a Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics Scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The award recognizes professors that are engaged in research at undergraduate universities that are not major research institutions. Datta says that the award encourages faculty at such institutions to conduct research. As a result of earning this award Datta will be able to attend the University of Santa Barbara for two weeks at a time over the course of three years with all expenses paid. Datta was excited to be recognized and given this opportunity “I was delighted,” he said. “It’s a pretty prestigious award to get.” Datta says that the theoretical physics institute is basically a place where researchers from different fields come to talk. He describes how the institute provides a breeding ground
for engaging ideas and collaborations in the future. Professors like Dr. Christian Poppeliers, assistant professor of physics, have also experienced what it’s like to take scientific research to the great outdoors. Poppeliers has made multiple research visits to Big Bend National Park in Texas to study the formation of Dagger Mountain, a mountain summit that measures 4,170 feet above sea level. Poppeliers says that his student research team was trying to figure out if that particular mountain was formed by volcanic activity, which they found that it was not. During the trip, the team faced 120 degree heat, water
shortages and traditional camping accommodations. Poppeliers explains with a laugh that the team slept in tents on top of a hill and showered with milk jugs filled with water. In spite of the harsh working conditions, the team was able to answer the two parts of the research question over the course of two trips in two years. While the achievements of the department are impressive, the sacrifice, sleepless nights and energy drinks required to earn these accolades are a world of their own. Daniel Rodriguez, an alumni physics major, describes his many overnight stays in what he calls “the dungeon,” a room with no windows located on the third floor of the Science Hall in which he and his classmates would study. “We considered bringing in a mattress and couch,” says Rodriguez. “When people started catching on to the fact that we were getting better grades by sleeping and drooling over our homework, they all started to do it.” Rodriguez says the overnight stays turned into brainstorming sessions and debates. “Once desperation and hunger kicked in near 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. the local Taco Bell manager came in with some goodies to revive us and started working on his homework,” he adds.
Students studying in one of the department’s study rooms
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Rodriguez says at one point he spent two days studying in the Science Hall and going to classes before he came back home. However, he adds that the end result was a tighter group of classmates, better grades and some fun times. Desai echoes this statement as she describes the department, “We are like a family and we support one another personally and academically.” Stories like these are common to many students in the chemistry and physics department. It is also for these reasons that science students are usually entrenched within the classroom and laboratory walls, instead of outside the Science Hall. That is not to say that they never venture outside of the academic world. In fact, students of the Department of Chemistry and Physics have made themselves known in the community with more than just their academic endeavors.
The department participates in annual community service projects involving area schools. According to the department’s annual “Chemistry & Physics News” newsletter, members of the Chemistry Club engaged with students from Tutt Middle School, Hornsby EAMS, South Columbia Middle School and St. Mary’s Catholic School this past year. Besides judging science fairs for the schools, club members also provided a chemistry magic show and a Tour de Chem where young students could see the exciting aspects of science and chemistry. All of these various studies and activities provide students of the Department of Chemistry and Physics with a well-rounded experience that Desai describes as a tremendous benefit. “Students benefit greatly from being involved in the chemistry and physics department,” says Desai. “Skills such as leadership, critical thinking, planning and decision making and experience gained through this program serve as an asset to students’ academic and professional development. In addition
to individual development, we also cultivate relationships with faculty and peers.” Books and homework are not the only focus of students in the chemistry and physics department. Although it may seem like these students are locked away in the upper echelons of the Science Hall their research and work in the community are making an impact both near and far. If you’re willing to climb the steps into this inner sanctum, they will be more than willing to show you their world.
Christina Rodriguez graduated May 2011 with a B.A. in Communications
One student’s complex homework problem
26 Summer 2011
Melissa Clark delves into the many resources available for returning service members and their families Photos and Image by Melissa Clark Layout by Aimee Johnson Every day that a service member is deployed, a military spouse wonders if their husband or wife will return in a body bag. When the service member returns home to their families, what should be a jubilant time shortly fades and the realities of what occurred while they were abroad comes to the surface. The reality being, that families have grown apart and due to the dangers service members face while deployed, they have to deal with mental and physical frustrations. The Central Savannah River Area Wounded Warrior Care Project (WWCP) in Augusta, Georgia is combating this disconnect between service members and their families upon returning home, with a model that is now gaining praise throughout the nation. According to, Laurie Ott, the executive director of WWCP, prominent members of the Augusta community came together to identify what makes Augusta’s warrior care resources unique. They have developed a plat-
form for harnessing all these resources to coordinate Augusta’s unique offerings for service members and their families. They devised a community based model to help alleviate the frustrations service members and their families deal with when they return home. “We have three parts to our model, and they’re simple, but they’re not sexy,” Ott states. The first component of the model, Ott explains, is ensuring service members, veterans and their families receive coordinated care. WWCP accomplishes this by making sure service members and their families receive the benefits and assistance they have earned in a timely fashion. This component aligns with the Dole/ Shalala Commission (the President’s Commission that studied wounded warrior care in 2007) and its recommendation that wounded warriors and their families receive the right care in the right place at the right time. Augusta is an ideal community to implement this type of care because
our community houses the nation’s only Active Duty Rehabilitation Unit located within a VA facility. The Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center is also significant to the area according to WWCP’s site. It is home to a 71 bed Spinal Cord Injury Unit, the largest within the VA system. The Augusta area is also important because of the Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon. According to the WWCP website, Eisenhower was ranked the number two recipient of medical evacuees from Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2007 Dole/Shalala report. They consistently rank in the top five among military facilities receiving air evacuees. Due to this plethora of medical facilities offering services in the area, the WWCP strives to connect service members with the community and ensure troops and their families thrive after combat deployments. The WWCP launched several initiatives to increase information flow and coordi nation within the various federal, state and
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community agencies to better assist veterans. One such initiative is the Transition Round Table. This collaborative meeting strives to connect efforts between the Army, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the Department of Labor and other organizations and agencies within the community that benefit service members. Another collaborative initiative according to project’s website is the WWCP’s Medical Research Consortium. Here partners such as the Charlie Norwood VAMC, Eisenhower AMC, the Medical College of Georgia, Telemedicine and Advance Technology Research Center-South and Savannah River National Laboratory meet on a regular basis to network and submit collaborative research proposals. Scientists, researchers, and care providers meet on a regular basis to discuss with each other ways to better care for these heros. How to access research funding for collaborative proposals in the areas of traumatic brain injury, behavioral health and coordination of care among other areas affecting transitioning troops and their families is also discussed. The last collaborative WWCP initiative listed on the website is a partnership with Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. This led to a statewide two-day summit targeting the care for
28 Summer 2011
CSRA Wounded Warriors
Jeffery and Cheryl Snover
wounded warriors. The summit was held in January 2010 and the goal was to develop connectivity or unity between state and agencies. A second component of the model for the project addresses the challenge of helping their families reconnect. According to Albert Steele, the veteran’s education coordinator for WWCP, many service members returning home are injured. “A few are returning home with traumatic brain injuries and some are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder,” Steele states. “This is extremely challenging for family members because they have never seen their love ones in a situation like that before.” In order to ease the stress on families, specifically couples, Ott, Chaplain Ronald Craddock and Chaplain Edward Waldrop from the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center, came together to form a couple’s retreat to help couples reconnect. According to Chaplain Waldrop, in November of 2008, he, along with Ott and Craddock, hosted a three-hour dinner workshop with couples, and asked them what they needed to help support their families. What emerged after the dinner and a collaborative effort between the WWCP and the chaplains was a couples’ retreat with a Practical Application of Intimate Relationships
Skills (PAIRS) curriculum. One couple, that attended the retreat and workshops, attests to how the PAIRS curriculum impacted their lives. Jeffrey Snover, 44, and his wife, Cheryl, 45, are a typical military couple that struggles to deal with life after war. Jeff was in the army for more than 18 years, and during his last deployment in Iraq (March 2003), his unit was ambushed and a lot of his comrades were lost. When he returned from Iraq, he was physically fit, but mentally he was struggling to deal with what he experienced while deployed. Three months after returning home, he was cutting trees down with his father when a tree fell on him and crushed his lower half. The accident injured his spinal cord and left him in a wheelchair. Due to Snover’s physical and mental state, he and his wife were having difficulties communicating. Snover then heard about the workshop through Ott at WWCP, so they attended. Snover and his wife described the communication between them as disconnected and silent before the retreat. They explained this was due to them both not saying how they felt because they did not want the other to worry about how they were dealing with what happened. Before joining the retreat they had become very unhappy.
Wounded Warriors in the Active Duty Rehabilitation Unit
“We were talking about separating lives, living in separate rooms, separate houses, separate states, or separate countries,” recalls Cheryl. “But the one thing that kept coming back to us was, we still loved each other.” After attending the retreat, they described their relationship as stronger and they now feel empowered and relieved. They stated it was because of the communication tools they learned from the retreat. The final piece of the project, is getting veterans the education and training they need to gain employment. WWCP helps service members realize the benefits they earned for serving our country. For instance, Steele, the education coordinator, was brought in to help veterans navigate the GI Bill website and understand the different programs. The important aspect of the GI Bill is to assist returning service members with training and education in an effort to gain the necessary skills to transition back into the civilian workforce. A major component of this bill is the fund that will pay for tuition and fees at a college or university based on how long the service member served. There is confusion with the GI Bill because when the post 9-11 GI Bill was enacted in August 2009, there were a number of changes in benefits. It allows service members who are eligible to receive benefits under the old Montgomery GI Bill the option to convert to the post 9-11 bill. Steele’s task is to assist service members with selecting the option based on their own unique situation and one that best serves their needs. The Veterans Curation Project (VCP), program launched and is first in the nation of its kind to help veterans with education and employment. According to Steele, this program is a collaborative effort between WWCP, US Army Corps of Engineers, Center of Expertise for Curation and Management of Archeological Collections and St. Louis District. This project was created because there was a backlog of artifacts that
needed to be cleaned, photographed and catalogued. Yet there were not enough people that could perform the task. The program began initially with stimulus money. The WWCP worked with the Corps of Engineers and created a job site where boxes of artifacts are shipped in. Wounded veterans are then given the opportunity to learn how to store the artifacts, clean, photograph and catalogue them in the computer. The evidence photography training they learn at VCP is the same training a forensic photographer would learn. Steele states that by offering this project it opens opportunities for veterans to be certified as forensic photographers and qualifies them to be hired by law enforcement. One wounded veteran who participated in this VCP program is, Lester Lane. Lane was in the Army for over 23 years and went on three combat tours. He was transferred to the Warrior Transition Battalion after injuring his spinal cord while he was deployed. Due to the nerve damage, he had to retire from the Army. Following his service, Lane had difficulty transitioning back into the civilian life. However, he was given the opportunity to be a part of the VCP program, which did not lead to a forensics career. It did help him get his current job at the U.S. Army Signal Corps Museum as a museum specialist. “The VCP program allowed me the opportunity to get back on track of how to be a civilian again,” Lane explains. “The VCP program gave me the opportunity to work with other veterans, and it allowed me to have a much smoother transition back into regular life.” A smoother transition is a suitable statement of what WWCP is making happen for many service members and their families. WWCP may not be able to take away the fear of service members returning home in body bags, but they are making life after war easier to deal with.
Laurie Ott
Laurie Ott stepped down as executive director of the Central Savannah River Area Wounded Warrior Care Project (WWCP) on March 14, 2011. She is now a board member and is still a huge supporter of the project. Co-workers and members of the community describe Ott as the beauty and brains behind the success of the organization. “She has the finest heart and brain know to man,” said Don Little, assistant to the executive director. Ott’s dedication and resolve to ensure veterans and service members receive the gold standard of care will forever be remembered and praised. She definitely left big shoes to fill for Jim Corrine, who will be stepping into the role of executive director on May 2, 2011.
Melissa Clark is a junior communications major on the public relations track Phoenix 29
wingspan is a section of The phoenix magazine devoted to CREATIVE works produced by students, faculty, staff and alumni of augusta state university. 30 Summer 2011
Lauren Redlund
Conquered Loreley Layfield
freshman, English major
I dangled the four-leaf clover necklace from my fingers and watched the sun sink behind the trees. It pulled the memories down with it. The sun took itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retinue down and hid them from the world - hid them from me. I was utterly alone thinking what god existed for, the lack of monophobia in my mind. Rain drops dripped from the leaves as it drizzled from the sky. It unleashed the scents of the moist earth which tickled my nose as I took it in. The smell of rain, fighting against my will to forget, brought a memory, an indelible memory the sun had forgotten to steal. Suddenly, my lungs became hermetic and, in my attempt to breathe, I felt the tears stream down my face. The tears I had become fond of. They were filled with fear and uncertainty, pain and guilt. Four emotions I memorized but they are completely invictus, unconquerable. When the breath finally came, it struck me with a paroxysm and I clutched the clover amulet to my chest as if to ease the pain. But I wanted the pain. I craved the pain; I deserved the malediction of guilt. I had fooled the world with my guise of an innocent being, but in reality, I was the sole purpose of a death; the death of a child. In honesty, the victim was too credulous at the illusion of the world. The illusion the world was good and loving. I allowed her to love a lie so credible it almost fooled me. But all good things come to an end. She found heartbreak, she discovered lies, and she found the fractious truth of it all - that nothing was truly good; nothing apart from her innocent soul. Her gently excited spirit was broken and she found herself in total submission - no longer knowing how to refute the wrong that was thrown onto her. I realized that I had been the one to murder her soul with a simple faux pas in a ridiculous lie that should never have been born to my lips. My tongue was too prolific with lies. I let my mind wander and dance around the guilt, the responsibility of the death of a child. The sun had been gone for hours, a thousand nights it seemed. The pastel colors the sun had painted across the sky were gone. Only the bombastic moon gave light. I lay my head in my hands, I was laconic and pensive. My mind was lost in the saturnine night. I lie down and felt of the earth beneath me. I lay there in silence and allowed our Mother to punish me in which way she saw fit - me and her heartbroken child within.
Katherine Prewett Sophomore, Bachelors in Fine Art/ General Track
combination of charcoal and chalk pastel two-dimensional design â&#x20AC;&#x153;Untitled Worksâ&#x20AC;?
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Latoya Holloman
graduated from ASU in 2006 with a Bachelors in Art
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“Cry”
“Lollipo
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Jacki Mayo Junior, Bachelor Fine Arts “Untitled Works” mixed medium
Fall Issue of the Phoenix at six main campus locations as well as Christenberry Fieldhouse, Aroma Coffeehouse & Metro Coffeehouse Phoenix M a g a z i n e O f f i c e | A l l go o d H a l l E 1 5 9 | 7 0 6 - 7 37-1614