The Sou'Wester: October 2022

SOU’WESTER

GSW HOSTS FUTURE EDUCATORS DAY PRESENTATION TEACHING FUTURE EDUCATORS

IN THIS ISSUE

HOMECOMING WEEK PHOTOS

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Image series on GSW stu dents partaking in activities & events during Homecoming Week.

FRESHMAN CONVOCATION

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Amari Rudison Staff Writer

On October 18, GSW opened its doors for Future Georgia Educa tors day. The campus welcomed high school students from Thomas County, Sumter County, and Dougherty County who are working hard to become future teachers. Students attending this event had the pleasure of listening to Michael Kobito, who is the 2023 Georgia Teacher of the Year.

After recognizing the impact that teachers have made on the students attending the event, October 2022

Michael Kobito was introduced to the stage. Kobito let the students know that the skills they were learning now would lead future children. His presentation shed light on the type of teachers future educators should strive to be, and

At this year’s Freshman Con vocation, Mandy Harvey, au thor of the book “Sensing the Rhythm: Finding My Voice in a World Without Sound,” speaks and performs.

2022 GA SENATE ELECTION

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how to stay connected through learning. During his presentation, Kobito explained that fostering relationships with students is what mattered the most in education. Kobito then followed up with a small activity for the students that allowed them to get to know each

Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock hosts a virtual stu dent press conference where he takes questions about his achievements in the Senate and his campaign for re-elec tion. Republican Senate Can didate Herschel Walker brings his campaign to Americus.

Michael Kobito giving his presentation on the importance of bonding with students.

Photo by University Relations.

GSW Education Major volunteers. Photo by University Relations.

other and find new ways to connect.

After this activity, Kobito explained the three Rs of education. The first R is Rigor, which is the quality of being exhaustive, or accurate. The sec ond R is Relevance, the quality or state of being closely con nected or appropriate. And the very last R to education is Rela tionships, the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people, are related to each oth er. Kobito described relation ships as the most important R because building relationships is how you make connections

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powerful enough to remember.

Moving forward, Kobito con tinued his presentation by breaking teachers into different groups. The first type of teacher is the “Unintentionally Unin viting Teacher” who distances themselves from students. This teacher cares about their stu dents, but doesn’t know how to give them the information they need to learn. The second type of teacher is the “Unintention ally Inviting Teacher.” They are often labeled as the fun teacher, but they don’t mean to be, yet they somehow still have their students involved and engaged

HOMECOMING WEEK

in their work. An “Intentionally Uninviting Teacher” is a teacher that learned everything one way and tries to teach their students the same way they learned. Lastly, the “Intentionally Inviting Teacher” is where the master teachers come from. They have Lastly, the “Intentionally Inviting Teacher” is where the master teachers come from. They have a strong passion for teaching their students.

Concluding his presentation, Kobito expressed to the stu dents how relevant it is to teach and how they can help the peo ple around them.

Players of the Flag Football game.

Photo by Colby Hernandez.

A player during the first Flag Football game.

Photo by Colby Hernandez.

Sou’Wester’s HOCO Spirit Board.

Photo by Jackson Carlstrom.

The Blue and Gold Picnic.

Photo by Jackson Carlstrom.

Players during the first Flag Football game.

Photo by Colby Hernandez.

The Blue and Gold Picnic. Photo by Jackson Carlstrom.

Students having fun at the Blue & Gold Picnic. Photo by Jackson Carlstrom.

A player during the soccer game. Photo by Kennedy Tyson.

Kappa Delta’s HOCO Spirit Board.

Photo by Jackson Carlstrom.

The audience of the soccer game. Photo by Kennedy Tyson.

The Homecoming Tailgate.

Photo by Kennedy Tyson.

Mandy Harvey Speaks & Performs at Freshman Convocation STUDENT NEWS

Colby Hernadez Staff Writer

On October 10, musician and motivational speaker Mandy Harvey delivered a speech at the 2022-23 Freshman Convo cation. This year, freshmen read her book “Sensing the Rhythm: Finding My Voice in a World Without Sound,” coauthored by Mark Atteberry.

Mandy Harvey lost her hearing at 19 and won fourth place in season 12 of America’s Got Tal ent after Simon Cowell choose her as his golden buzzer. Mandy taught students the importance of never giving up and using their “disabilities” to do great things. She also performed three original songs at the convoca tion, including the song she per formed when she was awarded the golden buzzer, “Try.”

Freshmen attending the convocation listen to Mandy Harvey.

Mandy Harvey speaks to the freshmen class. Photos by University Relations.

Mandy Harvey performing for students.

The student audience attending the Freshman Convocation.

2022 GEORGIA SENATE ELECTION

Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock Hosts Student Press Conference

Jackson Carlstrom Editor-In-Chief

On October 10, Senator Raphael Warnock held a virtual student press conference through Zoom. At the press conference, I, along side 10 other student journalists from different university news staffs across the state of Georgia, got to ask him different questions about his accomplishments as a senator and his plans if he is re-elected in this year’s Senate midterm election.

In 2005, Warnock became the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the church where Martin Luther King Jr preached as a pastor. His political career in Georgia did not begin until 2020. In December 2019, then-US-Sen ator John Isakson resigned from the Senate due to health concerns. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp appointed Kelly Loeffler to fill the vacant seat as Isakson’s interim replacement until a special elec tion could be held the following year. Warnock had started to grow in prominence in Georgia politics during the 2010s’ due to his activ ism for the expansion of Medicare, and in January 2020, Warnock an nounced his candidacy as a Demo crat in the Senate special election. Warnock went on to defeat incum bent Senator Loeffler in a runoff with 51% of the votes. Now, after serving out the remainder of

Isakson’s term, Warnock is up for re-election for a full 6-year Senate term in this year’s mid term elections, where he will go up against Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker.

Warnock opened the student press conference by talking about the passion he has for Georgia’s college students, the difficulties they’ve faced during the pandemic, and the potential they hold for the future. War nock stated that because of his strong passion for Georgia’s college students, one of his main goals as a senator is to ad dress the topic of rising college prices and student loans.

“As you work to pursue quality education, I am working in the Senate to make an investment that makes college more afford able for Georgia students. Since having been elected to the Senate, I’ve been a strong vocal supporter for lowering the cost of college and alleviating the burden of student loan debt,” Warnock said. “Canceling stu dent loans will lower costs for hard working families in Georgia and across the country. It will provide real relief for families who are feeling the squeeze

right now with rising prices . . . That’s why I was proud to push President Biden to secure that relief for stu dents.”

Andy Harris, Editor-In-Chief of The Maroon Tiger at Morehouse College, kicked off with the first question for Senator Warnock. “What are some of the things that keep you going on a day-to-day basis in the Senate,” Harris asked.

“Just my deep love for service. My whole life and my whole career have been committed to public service. I started out in ministry, and I didn’t set out to become an elected official. And while I’m in politics, I’m not so much in love with politics as I am with change,” Warnock answered. “A lot of my passion and commit ment to this work started when I was your age. Something about being a student at Morehouse College, walking beneath the statue of Mar tin Luther King Jr with his finger pointing resolutely into the future, inspired me. And I haven’t lost that passion. So, serving now as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church where Dr. King preached, and now serving as a United States Senator, enables me to do really important work that helps people. And for someone like me who’s always wanted my life to

Senator Raphael Warnock’s official headshot.

count, who’s always wanted to make a difference, this is a dream job.”

Andy Borst, Editor-In-Chief of the Technique at Georgia Tech, asked Senator Warnock what he would say to young people who feel discouraged or disheart ened by the state of current political rhetoric and the state of the nation right now.

“Not many of us are happy about what happens too often in politics, which is why we need young people. Because, if you look at every great movement in our country, young people have always been at the cen ter,” Warnock answered. “We need your idealism. We need your energy and passion, and quite frankly, we need your impatience. You know, young people are often very impatient with what they see. And people will tell you to calm down. But I want to encourage that im patience. I want to cultivate it. I want to see you channel it in such a way that it doesn’t cause you to give up, but causes you to fight even more and say, ‘we want change.’ I can’t control what my colleagues do in this space, but what I try to do is fo cus on the work that I’m doing.”

Keshondra Shipp, a Staff Writer for The Red & Black newspaper at the University of Georgia, asked Senator Warnock about his stance on abortion and contraceptives for the state of Georgia.

“My position on reproductive choice has remained the same. As a man of faith, I have a pro found reverence for life, and I

have a deep respect for choice. And I think a patient’s womb is too narrow and too cramped a space for a woman, her doctor, and the government,” Warnock answered.

“I think that the women of our state woke up one summer morning and saw a core protection that they’ve known for 50 years completely un dermined, and I’m running against an opponent who apparently thinks that what the Supreme Court already did doesn’t go far enough. He wants a nationwide ban on abortion with no exceptions. That would include rape, incest, and the life of the mother. I think that’s ex treme. I think that’s out of step with the people of Georgia, and it’s part of the reason why I think people like you young folks need to show up and vote. Because we woke up this summer to discover that what seemed impossible actually hap pened.”

I asked Senator Warnock about what his response would be to those college students who are on the fence and considering voting for the first time.

“I would say to folks who are trying to figure out which way they’re going to vote that there’s a sharp contrast between me and my opponent. I’ll let him speak for himself, but I have spent my whole life dedicated to public service, first as a pastor, and now as a pastor who serves in the Senate. And while in the Senate, I passed the single largest tax cut for middle and work ing-class families in American histo ry. t’s called the Expanded Child Tax Credit,” Warnock answered. War nock also emphasized his history of bipartisanship while in the Senate. “I’m listed as the 18th most bipar tisan senator in the Senate,” War nock said, referring to the Lugar

Center’s annual Index Rankings for Congress. “I think that’s quite a feat, since in terms of seniority, I’m number 100. I’m the most junior senator in the Senate, and yet I’ve managed to co-sponsor and do so much legislation with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I’ve worked with the senator from Alabama to help Georgia farmers. I’ve worked with the senator from Indi ana to address the issue of dangerous railway crossings. I worked with Ted Cruz from Texas to extend what will be interstate 14 through our state, and I’ve worked with Marco Rubio from Florida, with whom I disagree with on the reproductive choice question, to address the issue of maternal mortal ity.”

As of right now, early voting is open, and Georgia residents can cast their ballots for the 2022 midterm elections. Pre-election polling indicates a tight race between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker, so every vote counts. To find early voting locations near you, check out the Secretary of State’s website. Election Day is on Tuesday November 8.

Republican Senate Candidate Herschel Walker Brings Campaign to Americus

Jackson Carlstrom Editor-in-chief

On the morning of October 21, Re publican Senate candidate and for mer University of Georgia football running back Herschel Walker took his “Unite Georgia Bus Tour” to Americus. I was able to attend the bus tour stop as a member of the press and cover Walker’s speech from up front. While in Americus, he made his case for the US Senate Seat and discussed some of his qualifications and ideas, as well as the ways he believes that current incumbent Senator Raphael War nock has failed to represent the people of Georgia.

Walker is best known in Geor gia for his time with the Georgia Bulldogs, where he won a National Championship in 1980, and he won the Heisman Trophy in 1982. Walk er wouldn’t step into Georgia pol itics until 2014, when he endorsed Republican Senate primary candi date Jack Kingston. Other political endorsements by Walker include Brian Kemp in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election and Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presi dential elections. In 2019, President Trump appointed Walker to serve as a co-chair on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nu trition. In 2021, Trump encouraged Walker to run as a Republican in

the US Senate election in Georgia, automatically establishing him as a frontrunner in the Republi can Senate primaries before even announcing his candidacy. Walker announced his run for the Senate seat a few months later in August 2021, and he went on to win the Republican primary election with a landslide 68.18% of the votes. Now, Walker is set to challenge incum bent Senator Warnock for Georgia’s Senate seat in an extremely com petative election.

After his bus pulled into the park ing lot, Walker opened the rally by declaring his Christian faith and criticizing the direction his oppo nent and other Democrats have taken the country. “There’s so many people campaigning, and they’re lying to you. They’re telling you this is the new normal,” Walker said. Walker then spoke to the crowd about his reasons for choosing to run for Senate. “I’m not a politician. I don’t look like one, sound like one, or act like one. But I am a warrior for God. I believe in the Lord Jesus. And when people ask me why I decided to run, I tell them I decided to run because I looked at what was happening in this state and in this country, and I said no, not on my watch.”

Walker then discussed some of the failures and successes he’s had in his life, attributing his successes to the “grace of God,” and how they’ve led him to the position he is in now. “God sometimes has to break you to build you up. And I say that He built me up for a time like this right now. He brought me through the athletic world to do what I’m doing here,” Walker said. “God knew He had to get me ready for a time like this because I’m going up against a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Walker said, referring to Senator Warnock.

Walker then went on to criticize the way Senator Warnock and other Democrats treat the top ic of race and accused them of causing division. “They’re trying to separate my family. All they start talking about is white and black. When really, it doesn’t matter the color of our skin, but the content of our character,” Walker said, quoting Martin Luther King Jr.

Walker then criticized the Dem ocrat’s views regarding police and law enforcement. “We’ve put people in Washington that decid ed they want to defund the police. That’s a dumb idea,” Walker said. “You cannot defund the police.

Herschel Walker hosts a campaign rally in Americus and speaks to a large crowd. Photo by Jackson Carlstrom.

But we let them get away with it. Now with the men and women in blue, morale is down and recruit ment is down because we let them get away with it. We were afraid that they’d call us names. They’d call us racist . . . Name calling doesn’t hurt my feelings. What hurts my feelings is seeing us not protect our men and women in blue.”

After this, Walker stated that, if elected to office, he’d be complete ly honest and tell people the truth whether they like it or not, and he’d let his colleagues know when they weren’t doing their jobs. “It is time for us to put leaders in Washington,” Walker said.

Walker then criticized the way Demo crats have handled the military. “You hear all these politicians standing in front of you talking about peace through strength. That’s originally from Ronald Reagan by the way,” Walker said. “And yeah, they’re right. But yet, they are bringing wokeness into our military. And let me tell you right now, Russia and Iran aren’t talking about pronouns or feelings. They’re talking about war. Mean while, we’re making our military weak. If we don’t protect and get be hind our military, we’ll have no peace or strength.”

Walker then turned his attention to the southern border and criticized

Senator Warnock for voting against a bill in August to hire more Border Pa trol agents. “He voted against 18,000 new agents at the border,” Walker said. And let me tell you about that border. People are coming across that border like they live here. We are a country of immigrants, but we are also a country of laws. Have they forgotten about that?”

Walker then discussed the topic of rising oil and gas prices. “They try to tell us that Putin made these gas prices rise. No he didn’t,” Walker said.

Let me tell you what happened. Joe Biden went to office, and he was sort of mad at Trump. And I get it, I get mad at Trump too sometimes. Some of his tweets, I didn’t like them. But you know what, he did make us ener gy independent. And what Biden de cided to do, he went to Washington and he gave up our energy to people that don’t even like us . . . Now he’s blaming Putin. He’s blaming the gas companies. He’s blaming everyone except himself.”

Walker then discussed President Biden’s plans for student loan for giveness. “Do they know they can’t just spend our money? It’s easy for them to spend our money,” Walker said. “I haven’t signed a note to pay other people’s college loans, have any of you? Yet, now we have to pay other people’s college loans. I had enough problems paying my own

debt, and now I’m supposed to pay someone else’s debt?”

Walker emphasized that the total amount of student debt in the US is $400 billion dollars, as well as emphasizing Senator Warnock’s support for Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.

After touching on more topics, including crime, environmental issues, and critical race theory, Walker concluded his speech by praising the military for making the US the “greatest country in the world.” He then told the story behind the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key, and how the American flag remained stand ing throughout the bombard ment of Fort McHenry by the British during the War of 1812. “Right now, we need those warriors that believe in liberty and freedom to keep that flag standing tall and blowing freely, because I’m telling you right now that if we don’t get it right, we may never have freedom again,” Walker said.

After Walker’s speech, those in attendance got the chance to speak with him in a meet-and greet, as well as get a photo with him. As of right now, early voting is open, and the official Election Day is Novemebr 8.

MEET OUR WRITERS

Talik Hill Media Editor thill19@radar.gsw.edu

Jackson Carlstrom Editor-In-Chief jcarlstr@radar.gsw.edu Samantha Gainous Staff Writer sgainous@radar.gsw.edu

Colby HernandezStaff Writer chernan4@radar.gsw.edu

Emma KingStaff Writer eking5@radar.gsw.edu

Amari Rudison Staff Writer arudison@radar.gsw.edu

Kennedy TysonStaff Writer ktyson4@radar.gsw.edu

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