The Sou'Wester: February 2023

SUMTER PLAYERS TO PRESENT ‘OLIVER!’ AT RYLANDER THEATRE

IN THIS ISSUE

BLUE AND GOLD WEEK

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GSW hosts their third annual spirit week, Blue and Gold Week, a week full of activities for the student body.

GSW HOSTS 2023 FCCLA COMPETITION

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Sumter Players, Americus’ local community theatre organization, is currently working on their next production for their 2022-23 season, ‘Oliver!’ The overarching theme of Sumter Player’s 2022-23 season is “Exploring the Mystery of Fate,” and ‘Oliver!’ will continue to explore that topic even further.

‘Oliver!’, written by Lionel Bart, is a coming-of-age musical that is based on Charles Dickens’ famous novel Oliver Twist. The musical transports audiences to London in the 1830s and follows a young orphan named Oliver who, while searching for community, finds himself falsely accused of a theft he did not commit. The musical made its debut in England in 1960 and eventually made its way to the United States on Broadway in 1963, where it received 10 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. Since then, it has seen several revivals in the United States and England, and even a film adaptation in 1968 that won Best Picture at the Oscars.

“Audiences will get to hear some beautiful singing, some very lively and fun dancing, and a group of about 50 people having the time of their lives on stage,” Irmgard

Schopen-Davis, director of the musical, said. “Our rehearsals have been so much fun. We’ve laughed, we’ve sang, and we’ve really enjoyed getting to know each other. It’s going to be a fun evening’s entertainment.”

‘Oliver!’ will be open to audiences from March 2-5 at the Rylander Theatre. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 7:00 PM, and the Sunday performance is at 2:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased on Rylander Theatre’s website or at the box office before the show.

TUTORING CENTER HOSTS BOOK DRIVE

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Brittany McKenzie discusses the book drive that the Tutoring Center is holding this semester.

SPRING IMAGE SERIES

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Flowers across campus are blooming and brightening up the very hot days here at GSW.

INAUGURAL SGA PRESIDENTS REUNION

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Georgia Southwestern welcomes back its former Student Government Association presidents and recognizes their accomplishments.

ASK THE CANES

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Ask the Canes is back this week with this question: Where’s the best place to study on campus?

The cast of ‘Oliver!’ rehearses a few weeks before opening night. Photo by Jackson Carlstrom. Jackson Carlstrom Editor-In-Chief

GSW hosts the annual FCCLA Region 7 STAR Events Competition for middle and high school FCCLA members.

The cast of ‘Oliver!’ rehearsing. Photo by Jackson Carlstrom.

STUDENTS SHOW SPIRIT DURING BLUE AND GOLD WEEK

Amari Rudison Media Editor

GSW hosted their third annual spirit week, Blue and Gold Week, from February 12-18. The schedule was jam packed with events for students to participate in. The week started off with a Class Rep Extravaganza hosted by Mr. and Mrs. GSW. The class reps were split into two teams, blue and gold, and they fought hard to win a game of Jeopardy with several questions about GSW. The blue team

consisted of seniors and sophomores, and the gold team consisted of freshman and juniors. After a grueling competition, the blue team beat the gold team.

The week continued with a Valentine’s Day fine dining event. Those who reserved a spot were able to enjoy a candlelit dinner with friends or partners, with a menu including steak, crab, dessert, and more. It was a romantic evening that many got to enjoy with their loved ones.

Wednesday came quick, and students got to have fun at a pop-up baseball game. Students enjoyed the game with free popcorn and pop rocks as the Canes beat Auburn Montgomery 4-3. After a successful win, students entered Thursday with Mega Karaoke, where students got to sing, entertain, and blow their friends away with their hidden talents. The night was young as students got to jump, scream, and support their friends.

On Friday night, students dressed to impress at the Sneaker Ball. Students were able to wear their favorite tennis shoes and best outfits, and dance to the latest hits. The party didn’t stop as students jammed out late into the night. Saturday consisted of both the Women and Men’s Basketball Game and the Class Rep Coronation. The reps that won for Mr. And Mrs. Freshman were Amir Milton and Trinity Daniels McNear. For Mr. and Mrs. Sophomore, the reps that won were Hunter Hockman and Shy’nesia Salter. For Miss Junior, it was Ty’Ina Moore. And lastly, Mr. and Mrs. Senior of GSW was Necia Hughes and Jamal Floyd.

The Men’s Basketball Team had a rough start, but were determined to make a comeback against Lander and end their losing streak. In the end, they were not able to pull ahead, ending with a triple overtime defeat 115-105. But the loss didn’t stop the Women’s Basketball Team from going strong. The Women’s Basketball Team played hard and won their game 65-47, thus winning the PBC as Regular Season Champions.

The Women’s Basketball Team ends their season as Regular Season Champions on the final day of Blue and Gold Week. Photo by University Relations.

The class reps are announced at the Class Rep Coronation on Saturday. Photo by Amari Rudison.

Students cheer on their favorite team at GSW Jeopardy. Photo by Emma Porter.

The Blue and Gold teams get ready for the game of Jeopardy. Photo by Emma Porter.

A GSW edition of Jeopardy is hosted in the Storm Dome. Photo by Emma Porter.

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GSW HOSTS 2023 FCCLA COMPETITION

Jackson Carlstrom Editor-In-Chief

On February 10, middle school and high school students all across Southwest Georgia took over GSW’s campus for the 2023 FCCLA Region 7 STAR Events Competition. Each event recognized participants who “demonstrated their knowledge, skills, and abilities to actively identify an issue concerning families, careers, or communities, research the topic, and develop and implement a project to advocate for positive change,” as stated on the Georgia FCCLA website. Each student had a pre-prepared presentation to present to different judges, some of them being GSW students and faculty. The winners in each STAR event are set to advance to the 2023 statewide FCCLA STAR events competition.

Before the competition, students gather into the Storm Dome to hear from the FCCLA Region 7 advisors Jasyria Moody and Olivia Morrison. All Photos by Jackson Carlstrom.

Case Studies STAR Event.

Case Studies STAR Event.

Chapter Service Project Display STAR Event.

Entrepreneurship STAR Event.

Food Innovations STAR Event.

STAR Event.

STAR Event.

National Programs in Action STAR Event.

Food Innovations STAR Event.

GSW TUTORING CENTER HOLDS SPRING SEMESTER BOOK DRIVE

Talik Hill Staff Writer

Brittany McKenzie is the Academic Resource Coordinator at Georgia Southwestern. In this Interview, McKenzie discusses her involvement with the Tutoring Center and what all it has to offer for students. The Tutoring Center is also conducting a book drive all semester long, and McKenzie discusses some of the details surrounding it.

Why should students visit the Tutoring Center?

“Tutoring is a free service where current students who have already taken these classes serve as tutors. So, you’ll have someone who you’ve probably had classes with, who you can relate to, who’s teaching you this information that you may not understand. Sometimes, students learn better from other students, so you can be more comfortable with a peer-to-peer dynamic at the Tutoring Center. Tutoring is also preventive. It’s not [only] meant to be something that you use after failing a test. It’s better to get those resources and make yourself feel confident in the information, and then later, if you’ve decided that you don’t need it anymore, you don’t have to come back. We try to have the core classes, as many as we can have available for tutoring sessions. The Writing Center takes care of the English courses, and the Tutoring Center takes care of all the other basic core classes on campus.”

How are tutors trained, and are they trained to address student learning disabilities?

“We do have the Office of Accommodations and Access on campus who let us know if we have any student that has a learning disability and what accommodations they may need. Our tutors go through training at the beginning of each semester. Whether they’ve tutored previously or not, they must complete the training [every time]. The training consists of all the background stuff that they would have to do as a tutor as far as submitting time and helping people sign in and sign out and things like that. I also show them how to complete a virtual session if they need to, and I also show them all of the resources that they have on GeorgiaView so they know how to help a student. They’re trained to help students through guidance and not simply give them the answers. All tutors must sign a confidentiality statement so that any information disclosed in a tutoring session doesn’t go anywhere else. The tutors are not allowed to tell students about the details of other tutoring sessions, so it’s a safe place for anyone.”

What sparked the idea of the book drive initiative?

“That actually came from one of our student tutors, Isabel Alcantar. She asked if we could use the Tutoring Center as a location to collect books from people that didn’t need them anymore so they could be given away to those that did. Students can take a book home with them, and when they’re done, they can bring it back to help other students find the book they’re looking for. The books also don’t have to be for a required course, but they could just have any useful information needed. Isabel has a signup sheet in Tutoring Room 113 in Canes Central, where the book drive is. In the back of the room, there are two bottom shelves that say ‘Book Drive,’ and beside the bookshelf, she has a signup sheet where you can check-out and check-in.”

What’s the process of donating and receiving books?

“If anyone has a book that they want to donate, there’s no process on how to check-in books if you’re donating them. All you would do is bring them in, put them on the shelf labeled ‘Book Drive’, and then leave it there. Anyone can donate.”

Interview with Brittany McKenzie. Video by Talik Hill.

The Tutoring Center is collecting books in Canes Central Room 113 all semester long for their book drive. Photo by Talik Hill.

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SPRING HAS SPRUNG AT GSW

Colby Hernandez Staff Writer

While the warm weather is rather uncomfortable, especially for February, it has brought a few positives. Flowers across campus are blooming, birds have returned and are traveling up and down Hello Walk, and the flowering trees and bushes are blossoming everywhere. Traveling from Collum Hall down to the library offers great beauty, and these photos are only a small sampling of what Hello Walk offers in the spring.

China Rose (Rosa chinensis).

Lily Magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora).

The view of Hello Walk.

Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana).

Cherry Blossom (Prunus serrulate). Chinese Witch Hazel (Hamamelis mollis). Sim’s Azalea (Rhododendron simsii).

Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum chinense).

Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica).

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS FORMER SGA PRESIDENTS RETURN FOR INAUGURAL SGA PRESIDENTS REUNION

Amari Rudison Media Editor

On February 18, Georgia Southwestern State University invited all former Student Government presidents to campus for an SGA Presidents Reunion to celebrate the past 50 years of SGA on campus and everything they have accomplished for GSW. The former SGA presidents who returned included Tony Miller, Christopher Mitchell, Shelley Gordon, Deanie Whaley, Robert Whaley, Jamey Fowler, Ben Moody, and Brandon Blue, who recently visited the campus back in January 2023 as the keynote speaker at the MLK Convocation.

SGA welcomed the former SGA presidents with a visit of the Wheatley Administration building and little gift bags designed with their names on the front. On the tables were not only their giftbags, but pictures of GSW throughout the years to look back on. After going on a tour of the new facilities on campus, the presidents came back to the Storm Dome and were recognized for their achievements within the Georgia Southwestern Community while serving as our leaders. Congratulations to the former SGA presidents who attended the inaugural SGA Presidents Reunion!

ASK THE CANES Where’s the best place to study on campus?

Junior Political Science Major

“The best place to do homework on campus is the Pods. I like how open and breezy it is. I sit outside with my headphones and my music and I get to work. The pods is definitely my favorite place to work.”

Sophomore Political Science Major

“The best place to study is the individual study rooms in the library because it’s separated from everything else and it’s quiet. Plus, there’s nothing in the room and there’s no distractions which helps getting the work done quicker.”

Senior English Major

“I like to do my homework in the coffee shop on campus. It’s a really great enviroment for me to focus.”

MEET OUR

WRITERS

Freshman Exchange Student

“I usually study at the library. At home, I’m used to studying at home. I don’t like how cold the library is. Sometimes though, I also study at the pods if the weather is nice, or at the dining hall to not waste time between classes.”

Senior Communications Major

“The best place to study is Canes Central. It’s because at a certain time Canes Central is really quiet and makes it easy to relax and get work done. Love when it’s no one in there and I can listen to my music and complete my work.”

Junior Computer Science Major

“When I need to study or do homework, I use the study rooms in the library. I need it to be quiet so I can focus, so those rooms are great for me.”

Jackson Carlstrom Editor-In-Chief

jcarlstr@radar.gsw.edu

Amari Rudison Media Editor arudison@radar.gsw.edu

Talik Hill Staff Writer

thill19@radar.gsw.edu

Emma Porter

Staff Writer

eking5@radar.gsw.edu

Samantha

Gainous Staff Writer

sgainous@radar.gsw.edu

Colby Hernandez Staff Writer

chernan4@radar.gsw.edu

Kennedy Tyson Staff

Writer

ktyson4@radar.gsw.edu

Dr. Ashley P. Jones Faculty

Advisor

ashley.jones@gsw.edu

Former SGA Presidents gather in the Wheatley Administration building for the SGA Presidents Reunion. Photo by University Relations.