The Sou'Wester: October 2021

THE VOL .91 NO.2

SOU’WESTER

THE VOICE OF GSW

SINCE 1934

INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST HANNAH STRUNK DISMANTLING STIGMA AND STEREOTYPES IN THE MODERN WORLD

INTERVIEW WITH STUDENT ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR

Learn from Yaqueline Torres about what the Student Engagement Team can do for you. PAGE 3

OCTOBER IMAGE SERIES Check out GSW’s October events, decor, and more! PAGE 4 Hannah Strunk demonstrating glassblowing. Video and pictures by Cloie Davis

Cloie Davis Staff Writer Hannah Strunk, an artist and student in the Fine Arts program at Georgia Southwestern State University, creates art with the intention to discuss and dismantle social stigmas. She illuminates stereotypes established in our society by patriarchy and white supremacy, while subverting these stigmas and stereotypes, and flipping them on its head. Upon asking Strunk what their art is about and what

OCTOBER 2021

the main ideas behind their work, Strunk responded, “My ideas center around dismantling stigma and social stereotypes.

This covers a wide array of social issues that I like to explore.”

For example, one thing that psychologists are saying is that weed and alcohol don’t act as gateways for substance abuse, but that trauma and alienation do.”

What ideas and art works are you currently working on?

“Right now I’m doing stuff about gender stereotypes and how gender is a social construct. I’m also making a lot of art about Britney Spears right now, her situation, and how it correlates to sexism and disability rights.”

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AMERICUS MAYORAL CANDIDATE

“I simply am a man who likes to tackle challenges, so what does motivate me are problems.” PAGE 6

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT TEAM ATTENDS NACA CONFERENCE

“I got to strengthen my communication skills the most from speaking to everyone at the marketplace.” PAGE 6

ASK THE CANES

What do you think about the mask policy at GSW? PAGE 7

PAGE 2 What are your personal thoughts on gender theory and gender stereotypes?

“I’ve been researching gender as a social construct, that society treats gender as a highly binary part of nature; however, nothing biologically associated with reproductive organs, or the brain are highly dimorphic consistently upon the presumed two genders.

There are many natural variations, and the fact that we associate traits and behaviors with assigned sex, and inflate the differences, and the relevance between the sexes, results in a lack of female talent in STEM industries and in other male dominated fields. This holds back our progress as a species.”

“The Resolute Desk” By Hannah Strunk “We have these ‘American values’, and ‘we stand for equality’, and we would ‘never let anything like the Holocaust happen here’, but right now there are concentration camps operating in the US with children in cages, as you read this article, dear reader.”

“Free Britney! Free Us All!” By Hannah Strunk “This piece was inspired by a funny conversation I had with a friend. I was talking with my friend about whether Britney should be holding an explosive or a chainsaw in my piece, to have destroyed her cages

What made you choose the Fine Arts program at GSW? or chains. My friend suggest“I’ve always been interested in ed a nail file because it took glass art, and I took classes on so long for Britney to be takhow to make stained glass been seriously, but worried that fore coming to GSW. I wanted presenting her with a nail file, to learn glassblowing, and GSW would cause some people to view the piece as anti-feminist. is the only affordable college in the region that offers glassI think a big part of Britney’s story is that people didn’t take blowing, because they offer in-state tuition to neighboring her situation seriously for so states. I’ve always been very atlong because she is a woman, and such a highly feminine one, tracted to glass art when I see it, and as a child I’d see the glass at that. I don’t like when femart at places like Dollywood ininity is shamed in feminism, which happens sometimes. My and colonial Williamsburg, and friend agreed, because she said I always wanted to try it. I’m definitely interested in stainedshe was embarrassed to like the color pink, but that she did glass techniques and mixing blown glass with stained glass like the color pink, and when techniques to create interesting she texted me about that, she sculptural pieces. Glassblowsaid, “**** the patriarchy! Free ing is addictive because it is Britney! Free us all!”, which inspired me to make this piece.” endlessly challenging, and the possibilities of what you can do with it is so infinite. You never run out of new ideas.”

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CAMPUS RESOURCES Talik Hill Staff Writer

Interview with Yaqueline TorresVideo and pictures by Talik Hill

INTERVIEW WITH STUDENT ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR

The Division of Student Engagement and Success at Georgia Southwestern State University is committed to the mission of encouraging and contributing to the prosperity of students’ futures.

Yaqueline Torres, Student Activities Coordinator, answered questions about her position, the process of creating campus events and the Division of Student Engagement and Success.

“The student engagement team meets once a week. During these meetings, we discuss their ideas for weekly events. They have freedom on what event they want to create but they have to be approved by me. Once we are together, we discuss what improvements can be implemented, if something’s needed and if the event will be well attended by students.

Students have creative liberty on what events they want on campus. They get assigned weeks for each month and work in pairs for weekly events. They talk about their event idea and submit an event proposal form. Then, we discuss it as a group and once it’s approved, we begin the planning for it. The team members are responsible for carrying out the rest to its end, which could include buying materials, organizing the event but I still oversee and approve everything.

With a lot of our events, we try to cater to different types of students and students’ needs. This department oversees the bus shuttle and my office, Student Engagement, oversees the Canes Harvest, GSW Community Pantry.” -Yaqueline Torres

PAGE 4 IMAGE SERIES

OCTOBER AT GSW

Sabrina Hagler, Editor-In-Chief Pictures by Sabrina Hagler

HALLOWEEN DECOR Student Engagement decorates the third floor of the SSC, Cafe Campesino provides Halloween treats, the BHPS building and student dorms follow suit with spooky decor!

FALL WEATHER Watch as the crepe myrtles between the Science building and Joseph C. Roney building progressively lose their leaves.

There are over 50 species of deciduous crepe myrtles and their flowers will bloom again in the summer.

PAGE 5 OCTOBER EVENTS The Duncan Hall haunted house is back! Students experienced three floors of terror and in this late night excursion. Students also participated in the Rec and Wellness week in a pumpkin smash!

PAGE 6 LOCAL NEWS

STUDENT NEWS

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AMERICUS MAYORAL CANDIDATE LEE KINNAMON

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT TEAM ATTENDS NACA CONFERENCE

Moses Simmons Associate Editor What is your history at GSW? “After my wife graduated from college, I had been serving there as assistant director of admission, we decided to go into teaching as a profession.

We both had liberal arts degrees, but we didn’t have our education certifications. So we decided to come back and do our post graduate work at GSW to get our teaching certificates.

So that’s my connection, I had been a student there briefly.”

Jackson Carlstrom Staff Writer Lee Kinnamon campaign picture.

Picture supplied by Kinnamon

What will you do for students?

“We don’t quite have the types of things young people expect, there’s been some talk about a movie theatre, despite their recent economic fallout, even in the larger cities. Along those lines, there are a couple plans brewing in the private sphere, replacing the global village with an amphitheatre music park.

This might include running the Why do you want to be may- excursion train, which already has a station right next to the or? current global village from “Well, first I’ll tell you why I don’t want to be mayor, I don’t out of town to events, such as concerts from first rate acts, and want to be mayor because it’s not just local or third rate talent. a position of glory and honor.

Those really don’t matter to me, Of course students would get I’m not interested in having my the most benefit. If elected I’ll name paraded around, that nev- continue to forward and keep er motivated me at all. I simply my hand in those plans.” am a man who likes to tackle challenges, so what does moti- Lee Kinnamon is running for Americus Mayor with the hope vate me are problems. I like to analyze and work together with of bringing diversity and inclusion to Americus. Candidates people to solve them, that’s what motivates me. Along with Marcell Baker and Javarise Terry are also running; Baker under working together with other the campaign of giving a voice people, I’m a gregarious outto the voiceless and Terry to going person, and those who know me would agree. I believe move Americus forward. Votthat Americus has the potential ing will take place on Novemto be truly great, I think Ameri- ber 3rd from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M.

On September 30, Christina Wynn, Lorelle Carey, Jackie Grandno, and LaDona Taylor traveled up to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and represented GSW’s Student Engagement Team by joining hundreds of other students across the south at the National Association for Campus Activity’s South Region Conference.

The showcases and educational sessions at this year’s NACA conference were designed to reflect the events of the past year, and how they have affected student engagement on campuses across the country. Most showcases presented were designed so that they could be brought to different college campuses both in-person and virtually.

Engagement Team at NACA Conference

“I enjoyed getting to see all of the different showcase events that we can bring to our campus,” Christina Wynn said. “I got to strengthen my communication skills the most from speaking to everyone at the marketplace.”

The conference went by smoothly, with a large turnout and feedback following the conference being largely positive.

PAGE 7

ASK THE CANES

What do you think about the mask policy at GSW?

Student recieving COVID-19 Vaccination. Picture from University Relations

Junior Visual Arts Major “As someone who has a disabled,immunocompromised mother, and lives with her high-risk, eighty-seven year old grandmother, I am honestly terrified by GSW’s practically nonexistent mask policy. Every day that I go to class and see my peers without their masks on around me, I am afraid that they will give me COVID, that I will bring it back to my mother and grandmother, and that they will contract COVID, have to be hospitalized, and possibly even die.

I know that sounds morbid, but I’m genuinely terrified of that very real possibility everyday.

If the administration is reading this, please require masks indoors on campus. I shouldn’t be forced to have to choose between getting my education and risking my mother’s and my grandmother’s lives.”

Visual Arts Professor “I find it very disrespectful when people do not wear masks when there are around others. You don’t know anybody’s situation: the people around you could be high risk, immunocompromised, or live with someone who is high risk or immunocompromised. I think masks should absolutely be required indoors on campus, and I think it is quite stupid that GSW does not mandate indoor mask wearing. I find it ridiculous that I can tell my students in the art department to wear safety glasses, masks, etc. in our workshops to protect themselves from flying debris, etc., but I am not allowed to tell my students to wear a mask indoors to protect themselves from a deadly virus. I feel the same way about vaccines.”

English Professor “To be honest, I feel that it’s irresponsible. I think that it should be in the administration to set policies in place that keep everyone safe. Framing it as a matter of personal choice isn’t really the issue here, the issue is responsibility, and if we’re not willing to be the adults in the room then I think that leads to larger problems and larger conflicts in the classroom that wouldn’t be the case if we had a blanket policy. We can’t know who’s vaccinated and who isn’t because the policy also says that we can’t ask anyone about their vaccination status. Vaccination notwithstanding, one thing that we know works to stop the spread is wearing masks and social distancing. I know the USG wants everything to go back to normal, the problem is that this is not normal, and when we got complacent over the summer, case counts starting rising. My own take is that they’re afraid of political blowback. That they are worried about student groups with particular political stripes and parents with particular political stripes might get them in trouble if they don’t provide a, quote unquote, normal university experience. That’s the problem; we’ve politicized a virus that doesn’t care how you vote, it exists only to propagate itself, it doesn’t care if you’re a Democrat or Republican.”

PAGE 8

ASK THE CANES

What do you think about the mask policy at GSW?

Junior English Major “I personally think that the covid mask and vaccination policies should be enforced being that it’s mostly the youth who aren’t following what’s recommended by the CDC and medical experts.

We’re still in a pandemic and it would just be safer for everyone if those regulations were mandatory.”

Sophomore Psychology Major “I believe we should have a choice whether or not we wear a mask. If they want us to wear one why don’t they incentivize, let’s say wear your mask and I’ll give you 5 points on your next grade. That’s my opinion on it.”

Senior Visual Arts Major “Oh you mean the mask policy nobody cares about or follows?

It’s so stupid that the campus doesn’t mandate it. Letting people decide whether to wear a mask indoors or not isn’t working, because the majority of students on campus aren’t doing it.”

MEET OUR

WRITERS Sabrina Hagler Editor-In Chief shagler1@radar.gsw.edu

Students in Herschel A. Smith Health Center. Picture by David Parks Photography

Junior Business Major “I think it’s good that they don’t enforce it. It’s a matter of personal interpretation and people should have the choice of whether or not they choose to wear a mask. Of course, if there comes a time where enforced policies become necessary for everyone’s safety, I would support it.”

Junior Visual Arts Major “I understand why some people would have fears and questions surrounding vaccines as everyone has their own personal health histories,conditions, and experiences, but I don’t understand why anyone would be resistant to wearing a mask.

Masks should absolutely be required indoors on campus.”

Moses Simmons Associate Editor asimmo10@radar.gsw.edu

Talik Hill Staff Writer thill19@radar.gsw.edu

Jackson Carlstrom Staff Writer jcarlstr@radar.gsw.edu

DeShaun Simmons Staff Writer dsimmon9@radar.gsw.edu

Cloie Davis Staff Writer rdavis27@radar.gsw.edu

Dr. Ashley P. Jones Faculty Advisor ashley.jones@gsw.edu