The Red & Black | February 1, 2024

AND ADVOCACY A2 ACCOMMODATIONS ‘Invisible’ disabilities on campus

SOULMATES, THEN AND NOW B1 SCHOOL UGA sweethearts share their stories

A6 JABRI ABDURRAHIM’S BREAK-OUT SEASON

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VOL. 131 | No. 15 | Athens, Georgia

Thursday, February 1, 2024

ONGOING LEGAL BATTLES A year after the fatal crash, lawsuits against UGA Athletics and others drag on

A red cross on Barnett Shoals Road marks the spot where Chandler LeCroy, a former University of Georgia football recruiting analyst, and Devin Willock, former Georgia offensive lineman, died in a car crash on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, after celebrating Georgia’s second College Football Playoff national championship win. P H O T O / L I Z R Y M A R E V

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

THE RED & BLACK

Disability visibility Navigating UGA with invisible disabilities Samantha Hurley Many thoughts race through Ashleigh Gordon’s mind on the first day of a new semester. “I need to sit up front. I need to tell this professor about my needs. Will this class be echoey? Will they have captions on their videos? How big will the classroom be?”

Gordon, an environmental economics and management student at the University of Georgia who is hard of hearing, has anxiety about things that many of her peers without disabilities have never had to think about.

While seemingly small, the way a professor speaks, how heavily they rely on videos for instruction and the overall acoustics of a classroom are key variables in Gordon’s educational experience.

Navigating college with disabilities introduces unique social, logistical and academic circumstances. A lack of ramps, broken elevators and faulty automatic doors are just the beginning. The unseen facets of disability include the fear of being misunderstood, the task of explaining oneself to professors and adapting to perceived limitations.

Young adults with disabilities account for 21.2% of adults aged 18 to 44 in the U.S. in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite this presence, college students with disabilities remain the most marginalized group on campuses, according to the United Nations. The UGA Fact Book doesn’t include disability in its demographic breakdowns of the student population.

Seeing the unseen According to the Invisible Disability Project, “an ‘invisible’... disability is any physical, mental or emotional impairment that goes largely unnoticed.” Students with invisible disabilities aren’t always recognized as having a disability.

Nicholas Byrd, a senior political science and international affairs major, has a form of cerebral palsy that is not visible to others.

“You can’t necessarily see it, but it does impact me on a day-to-day basis,” Byrd said.

Byrd experiences weakened sensation on the left side of his body, complicating tasks that require fine motor skills — such as tying his shoes and typing. His slower processing speed presents challenges with visual and spatial reasoning and reading quickly.

“I have needed to remind myself that my frustration is valid,” Byrd said. “Yes — I’m incredibly blessed, and I don’t need to take that for granted. But, it’s also okay to process the frustration and try and find solutions to navigate college life.”

Amanda Weng poses for a portrait in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.

P H OTO / S A M A N AT H A H U R L E Y

What if people judge me? What if a professor is judging me? Just the internal dialogue, the anxiety… It almost feels like there’s a spotlight on me sometimes in class.

A M A N D A W E N G | SENIOR AT UGA Gordon also often meets people who are unaware she has a disability. Gordon wears cochlear implants, which she transitioned to from hearing aids through a surgery she had while in college.

“People don’t really know unless they see my cochlears on,” Gordon said. “But then some people don’t even know what they are.

They don’t know how to go about it.”

Disabilities can be fluid, meaning an impairment can change over time. Phone calls, grocery store check-outs, the pharmacy pick-up window and ordering at a coffee shop are a few examples of everyday tasks impacted by Gordon’s hearing loss.

When she first came to UGA, Gordon struggled with having to explain herself in conversations where she had difficulty hearing. She was scared of telling people about her hearing loss, fearful of their reactions.

During her freshman year, she felt isolated and would often let her roommate do most of the talking when they were with others. Now, her comfort with disclosing her hearing loss has become easier as she’s gained confidence and grown to accept her disability.

Gordon said a common misconception about hearing loss is that speaking louder is better, causing people to yell at her in an attempt to communicate. Speaking clearly is better than speaking louder.

When Gordon asks people to repeat themselves and they reply with “never mind,” it can be harmful.

“It makes us feel like we aren’t important and excluded but we simply just want to hear what you said,” Gordon said.

Accommodations and advocacy The Disability Resource Center at UGA offers accommodations that students can register for through an application and by submitting disability documentation.

Once admitted, students gain access to priority course registration, which accounts for navigation and transportation barriers.

Testing accommodations include small group testing to eliminate distractions, alternative test formats and extended time.

Classroom accommodations range from assigned notetakers or recording lectures to moving class from an inaccessible location.

The DRC emails students’ professors no-

tifying them of accommodations at the start of each term but doesn’t describe their disability. This allows students to choose if they want to disclose more to their professors.

Byrd thinks the DRC is great, adding that they sent letters to the law school admissions council explaining his accommodations for his LSAT exam.

Although instrumental, accommodations are not foolproof in providing an educational experience equivalent to that of students without disabilities. In order to get accommodations, students with disabilities must advocate for themselves.

While Byrd enjoys advocacy, Amanda Weng says it can be scary. A senior human development and family science major, Weng experienced a traumatic brain injury when she was 12 years old, and now experiences frequent headaches, balance issues and cognitive impairments such as memory loss.

“What if people judge me? What if a professor is judging me?” Weng said. “Just the internal dialogue, the anxiety… It almost feels like there’s a spotlight on me sometimes in class.”

Byrd, Gordon and Weng recommend sending an email before class about accommodations or speaking with the professor in person to establish an open line of communication.

‘How can I help you?’

While Gordon and Byrd appreciate the support and understanding they’ve received while in college, they emphasize that there is still need for progress in accommodating “invisible” disabilities.

After a freshman year of online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gordon’s first-day jitters were only amplified by her excitement for in-person classes. But in-person classes also meant having in-person conversations with professors about her hearing loss.

She had to explain to her instructors that her hearing aids were connected through Bluetooth to a microphone clipped to the professor, allowing her to be functionally as close to the audio as possible, even if they moved around the lecture hall.

One professor told Gordon, “I don’t like wearing things.” They proceeded to ask if Gordon was registered with the DRC. “It was really awkward,” Gordon said. “He didn’t wear it. I just sat through the class holding back tears the whole time.”

While most of her professors have been overwhelmingly supportive, this incident influenced how Gordon approached her classes going forward.

“I was literally too anxiety-ridden to even try,” Gordon said. “I would just sit in class and not hear because I was just so scared to get that kind of reaction again.”

As students navigate disabilities in college, support and recognition come in many forms. But for Gordon, the best thing someone can ask is a simple, “How can I help you?”

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

THE RED & BLACK

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Lawsuits ongoing, delayed

UGA Athletics faces allegations of drunk driving, NCAA violations Dawn Sawyer University of Georgia Athletic Association football recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy and Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock died in a car accident in Athens following the parade for Georgia’s second consecutive College Football Playoff national championship win.

The crash happened at 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2023, as LeCroy and former Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter drove on Barnett Shoals Road in a manner consistent with speed racing on their way to Waffle House from Toppers International Showbar, according to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

LeCroy, whose blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, was driving around 104 mph before crashing, killing herself and Willock. Former Georgia offensive tackle Warren McClendon and former Georgia recruiting analyst Victoria Bowles were injured and taken to the hospital.

Following the crash, Dave Willock, father of Devin Willock, and Bowles filed separate lawsuits alleging negligence and gross negligence, among other claims. Common defendants in both lawsuits include UGA Athletics, Carter, and LeCroy’s estate.

A year later, the ongoing lawsuits are likely to be delayed through early April. Georgia state senator representing Athens and lawyer Bill Cowsert, who is currently representing Carter, invoked a state law that allows lawyer-legislators leave from their caseloads while in legislative session.

Georgia’s 2024 legislative session runs through late March.

This law allows Coswert to halt the hearings and discovery in both Bowles’ and Willock’s lawsuits.

Prior to this decision, Bowles’ attorneys filed an amended complaint on Jan. 11, 2024, which included additional factual allegations that football staffers, with the UGAAA’s knowledge, regularly drove recruits and their guests after consuming alcohol, and that coaches used cash in unofficial recruiting visits.

Defendants respond to lawsuits Dave Willock filed the first lawsuit in May 2023 against UGA Athletics, LeCroy’s estate, Carter, Toppers, LeCroy and Bowles’ director supervisor Logen Reed, Georgia football’s director of player support and operations Bryant Gantt and others. He is seeking $40 million in damages.

Originally, Devin’s mother Sharlene Willock had no interest in taking legal action, but has since moved to intervene, according to her lawyer.

Dave Willock’s lawsuit claims that Carter was driving negligently, and that his license was suspended months earlier on Nov. 7, 2022. The complaint also outlines Carter’s tickets that Gantt allegedly paid off. In July 2023, Bowles filed her lawsuit, asking for more than $171,000 in general and special damages and loss of income, as she is still unable to work.

A court issued a warrant in March 2023 for Carter’s arrest on misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing. He was released on a $4,000 bond and received 12 months probation and fined, among other sentences, but has not been charged for a suspended license.

Carter, the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. In October 2023, Carter responded in filings to Bowles’ lawsuit, contending through his attorneys that Bowles “voluntarily assumed the risk of harm by riding in an automobile being driven by an obviously impaired and intoxicated driver.”

Carter claims in his court filing that he did not engage in a speeding competition with LeCroy. He claims that after walking to the scene of the crash to check on the condition of LeCroy and the other passengers, he left the scene “when it was apparent that there was nothing he could do to help and that his presence was not required.”

On Oct. 27, 2023, attorneys for LeCroy’s estate filed a response to Bowles’ lawsuit, stating that Bowles was “negligent in failing to use reasonable care of [her] own safety.”

$40 million

Dave Willock is seeking $40 million in damages in a lawsuit filed in May 2023 against UGA Athletics, Chandler LeCroy’s estate, Jalen Carter, Toppers, LeCroy and Victoria Bowles’ director supervisor Logen Reed, Georgia football’s director of player support and operations Bryant Gantt and others.

Alleged pattern of drinking and driving Bowles’ attorneys argue that text messages from coaches, supervisors and staffers show that the UGAAA knew of football staffers transporting recruits and their guests after drinking, and that staffers convened at head coach Kirby Smart’s residence for such recruitment events.

A message from December 2019 sent by Marshall Malchow, then-football program director of player personnel, to 13 staffers references an event at Coach Smart’s house, according to Bowles’ amended complaint.

“Hey guys... if you are driving you can have fun at Coach Smarts [sic] but if you are driving a recruit make sure you don’t get drunk,” Malchow said, according to the lawsuit.

“It will be a bad look if we have people who are supposed to be driving recruits getting lit.”

The complaint alleges that this text message and others help prove staffers regularly drove recruits’ families to Athens bars in UGAAA SUVs, drank alcohol with the families and drove back in the SUVs. “Well James told Rhonda that we turn [Five Bar] into a bar with recruits’ families and don’t leave,” Reed, UGA’s associate director of recruiting operations and LeCroy and Bowles’ former supervisor, said in a text, according to court documents.

History of misusing rented cars The lawsuit alleges that, contrary to UGAAA’s public statements, staffers were allowed to use UGAAA SUVs for non-recruiting personal use. The amended complaint contains a screenshot of another text from Reed sent on Dec. 13, 2019.

“Haley said you’re good! And you can take your car home if you need to!” Reed wrote, referring to the director of recruiting operations, Haley Schaafsma, according to the lawsuit. Bowles responded, “Wait just making sure you mean I can take the SUV with me?” To which Reed responded, “Yes! Take it home.”

When presented with this and other text messages, UGA Athletics changed its response to the original complaint and said that an SUV could “occasionally” be driven home “when recruiting activities required it,” according to the amended complaint.

Bowles’ attorneys also claim that the UGAAA had knowledge of all four of LeCroy’s known speeding violations before the crash and evidence that LeCroy was a “habitually reckless driver.”

Fans gather for the Dawg Walk. The University of Georgia football team parades through campus in Athens, Georgia, on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, in celebration of its second College Football Playoff national championship victory. P H O T O / J E S S I C A G R A T I G N Y

A day of celebration The Georgia Bulldogs and their fans had much to celebrate on Jan. 14, 2023 — the day of the national championship parade in Athens, and the day before the crash. Days prior, on Jan. 9, 2023, the Bulldogs won their second national title in a row with a 65-7 defeat of TCU. That Saturday, crowds of people gathered for the parade with signs welcoming the players, coaches and alumni as they rode down Lumpkin Street. The celebration continued all day and into the night.

Bowles’ attorneys claim that the “customary activities” of recruiting analysts on this day included transporting Georgia football staff, potential recruits and their families “on a regular basis at all hours of the day during official and unofficial recruitment visits.”

The responsibilities of a recruiting analyst with UGA Athletics are not clear from UGA websites, but an online job posting describes their duties as “providing tours and transporting prospects and their guests during visits.” The UGAAA has not answered The Red & Black’s request for what the job entails.

Bowles’ lawsuit says that she and LeCroy used their assigned UGAAA vehicles that night to drive recruits and their families to Sakura Hibachi for dinner with Georgia coaches. After they arrived, the lawsuit alleges, assistant coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe asked LeCroy to drive her rented vehicle to a nearby ATM and withdraw $1,000 in cash.

While Bowles said in the amended complaint that she doesn’t know what the money was intended to be used for, her attorneys claim using the car to get the cash amounted to a personal favor to Uzo-Diribe and not an official recruiting activity.

The lawsuit also claims that the dinner was an unofficial recruiting visit, and that Bowles knew of Georgia football coaches using cash in recruitment activities during unofficial visits prior to that evening. UGAAA has not characterized the nature of the dinner in their public statements.

Unofficial visits, according to the NCAA’s manual, are to be “made at the prospective student-athlete’s own expense.” The NCAA has rules regarding official visits and their duration, quantity and time of year. Schools are allowed one official visit per recruit.

UGA Athletics fired Bowles in August 2023, less than a month after she filed the lawsuit, saying in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she refused to cooperate with an internal investigation regarding the crash and potential NCAA rule violations mentioned in the original complaint.

After the dinner, Uzo-Diribe told Bowles he needed her car to take a recruit to go axe throwing at LumberJaxe. The lawsuit alleges Bowles gave him the car and needed to ride with LeCroy in her SUV. After making a few stops, Carter and LeCroy were both driving toward the Waffle House on Barnett Shoals Road when Bowles claims she told LeCroy to slow down, which LeCroy ignored, according to the complaint.

As LeCroy approached a curve on Barnett Shoals Road, which has a posted speed limit of 40 mph, the SUV ran off the road at about 104 mph. Carter was behind them, the complaint said, and saw the car go off the road. The vehicle collided with several power lines and trees on Barnett Shoals Road and was damaged beyond recognition.

82

A complaint filed by former Georgia recruiting analyst Victoria Bowles’ attorneys alleges that between 2016 and 2023 Georgia football’s director of player support and operations Bryant Gantt was personally involved in at least 82 legal matters involving players.

Willock was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police reports. ACCPD body camera footage shows first responders struggling to pull LeCroy from the car, as her body was crushed between the seat and steering wheel. LeCroy, Bowles and McClendon were then taken to Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital, where LeCroy was pronounced dead.

The scene of the crash At the time of the crash, Willock’s iPhone auto-dialed 911, and police responded to the crash at 2:45 a.m., according to Bowles’ complaint.

An unidentified person was heard in the call saying, “Yo … hey, [Carter]… you might want to go ahead and go get the f— on yo. …” suggesting that he leave the scene, according to the amended complaint.

Bowles’ complaint alleges that Carter left the scene after less than 10 minutes without offering LeCroy, Willock or Bowles help.

Gantt was at the scene shortly after the crash and when law enforcement interviewed the players, according to Bowles’ complaint. He called Carter to return at the request of ACCPD, and Carter came back over an hour and a half after he left, according to the complaint.

Bowles’ attorneys claim that Gantt, acting as a liaison between the Georgia football program, law enforcement and the court system, was paid over $200,000 in 2022 for job duties that directly involved getting players out of legal trouble.

The filed complaint also alleges that in November 2022, Gantt — who reports to Smart — had tried to get a county court clerk to reduce LeCroy’s super speeder charge, and that between 2016 and 2023 Gantt was personally involved in at least 82 legal matters involving players.

Bowles’ amended complaint provides text messages between football staff members in 2021 as evidence. Last names in the text exchange are redacted from the court filing.

If you get pulled over for texting, do NOT say you were texting Kirby Smart... IT DOES NOT WORK Should have said Gantt!

A graphic representation of exhibit A-28 from a complaint filed by the attorneys of former recruiting analyst Victoria Bowles showing a screenshot of texts sent between Georgia football staffers on June 11, 2021. G R A P H I C / A B B I E H E R R I N & B L A K E C A M P B E L L

Exhibit A-25 from a complaint filed by the attorneys of former recruiting analyst Victoria Bowles shows a photograph of the damaged SUV Chandler LeCroy drove on Jan. 15, 2023. C O U R T E S Y / S TAT E C O U R T O F G W I N N E T T C O U N T Y

Exhibit A-26 from a complaint filed by the attorneys of former recruiting analyst Victoria Bowles shows a stock photograph of a 2021 Ford Expedition SUV, the car Chandler LeCroy drove on Jan. 15, 2023. C O U R T E S Y / S T A T E C O U R T O F G W I N N E T T C O U N T Y

“If you get pulled over for texting, do NOT say you were texting Kirby Smart… IT DOES NOT WORK,” one text from a football staffer read.

Another football staffer replied,“Should have said Gantt!”

In a letter sent by UGA Athletics to the AJC demanding the retraction of articles investigating the crash, the association included a quote from the former ACC Deputy Solicitor describing Gantt as an employee that filled the role of a “surrogate parent” for student athletes in the court system. The UGAAA, according to Bowles’ complaint, also issued a public statement that Gantt’s involvement in LeCroy’s ticket “was purely in his personal capacity as a favor to a friend.”

As a result of the crash, Bowles suffered a number of injuries, according to the complaint, including ten fractured ribs, a fractured clavicle, sacrum and teeth, kidney and liver lacerations, spinal cord injuries and a punctured and collapsed lung. Her attorneys also state that she developed significant arachnoiditis, a pain disorder that has no cure and can progress to permanent paralysis.

Bowles’ attorneys claim in the amended complaint that both LeCroy and Carter “negligently and intentionally [acted] in concert to engage in a street race,” and are liable for Bowles’ damages.

Both lawsuits filed by Willock and Bowles remain ongoing.

“We are reviewing the amended complaint, but we dispute its claims and will vigorously defend the Athletic Association’s interests in court,” UGA Athletics said in a statement to The Red & Black.

LeCroy’s estate declined to comment.

A4

Opinion

Thursday, February 1, 2024

THE RED & BLACK

SPRING 2024 STAFF EDITORIAL 706-433-3027 LEADERSHIP EDITOR IN CHIEF Liz Rymarev PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Lilly Kersh DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR Nava Rawls STANDARDS & PRACTICES DEPUTY EDITOR Martina Essert

NEWS NEWS EDITOR Libby Hobbs ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Allison Mawn DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR Clary Watson COPY EDITOR Lucinda Warnke SENIOR ENTERPRISE REPORTER Dawn Sawyer ENTERPRISE REPORTER Katie Guenthner EDUCATION REPORTER Guinevere Grant MAYOR & COMMISSION REPORTER Lizzie Rice BREAKING NEWS REPORTER Abbey Malec GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER Ryan Lynch SPANISH TRANSLATOR Andrea Aramburo

SPORTS

Lack of resources, equity

GRAPHIC/GRACE JOHNSON

As UGA grows, support lags behind for students and Athenians Zeena Mohamed Seeing the bold letters of “Congratulations” flash across my University of Georgia application screen marked one of the most defining moments in my life. As a senior now, it’s endearing to know that more students get to live that experience each year. In 2023, UGA welcomed 6,200 freshmen, one of the largest classes in the university’s history. Yet, each “Congratulations” that a student gets begs the overbearing question of what the university is doing to keep up with this growth and advance student achievement.

Unfortunately, the actual truth behind UGA’s surge in enrollment continues to reveal a concerning pattern of diminishing support for underrepresented students, a broader issue of insufficient community resources and a housing crisis that disproportionately impacts permanent Athens residents.

Compared to other state flagship universities, NBC News reports that UGA has one of the country’s most significant disparities between the proportion of Black students versus the state’s graduating Black high school students. In 2020, only 6% of enrolled freshmen at UGA were Black, despite Black students making up 36% of public high school graduates in Georgia. According to the UGA Fact Book, Black student enrollment in total has decreased from 2017 to 2021.

I can recount many instances where I was the only Black student in a room at UGA. Statistically, even in a packed lecture hall that can fit nearly a hundred students, Black students might not even fill one row. While I ultimately decided to attend UGA over the opportunity to be in a community with students who looked like me, I did not imagine the immensely isolating experience of being a part of the “6%,” or it becoming worse. Yet, UGA continues to disregard this disparity and retract programs committed to improving inclusivity at the university.

According to internal announcements from UGA Housing, UGA is discontinuing the C.L.A.S.S. Advocate program, an acronym for Continuing the Legacy of African American Student Success, in the 2024-2025 academic year. Similar to resident assistants, C.L.A.S.S. advocates act as a live-in resource for Black students on campus to help them “in achieving a sense of belonging and inclusion,” according to a description from University Housing. This program is one of the few ways the university helped ensure Black students not only have the representation they need but also showed continuing efforts to address the needs of all students.

The university’s failure to adequately acknowledge these disparities while removing programs meant to foster success at UGA, including CAs, indiscriminately affects students. It contradicts the university’s vision that increased enrollment substantiates overall student support.

In addition, what continues to be a pattern in Athens-Clarke County and UGA is that what is bad for UGA students happens to be even worse for permanent ACC residents.

Reaching beyond all university students is UGA’s housing crisis. From the destruction of Linnentown — a Black community formerly located along Baxter Street — by urban renewal in the 1960s to the university’s general intuition to prioritize their students over locals, UGA continues to disregard their impact on residents of the Athens community. Not only has there been limited access to on-campus housing for students, but access to housing has also become more limited for permanent residents, who receive no support from UGA. On Oct. 4, 2022, Linda Walker, a displaced Athens resident, made critical public comments at the Regular Session for Commissioners that seemed to echo the sentiment of numerous Athens residents. She leaned on her

cane, asserting, “I still don’t have anywhere to go. And I think some more people that’s out there [that’ve] been displaced don’t have anywhere to go.”

Earlier, I had attended multiple tenant meetings led by the Athens Housing Advocacy Team. I watched Walker and many permanent county residents share similar stories and experiences. Walker’s experience was not an isolated incident nor was she speaking for a small group of people — instead, it has continued to indicate a growing issue in Athens.

While UGA students are not intentionally displacing long-term residents, they, too, have contributed to Athens’ housing crisis — one that UGA fuels. Since 2014, the university has only added one dormitory. Due to shortages in on-campus housing, UGA offered students cash payments to move off-campus in 2017 and 2022, making housing options even more slim for long-term Athens residents.

The conditions that UGA has fostered make me question if our administration is more interested in exploiting UGA’s recent successes, such as placing at the top of Niche’s public university rankings, even if it comes at the expense of its students and permanent Athens residents.

We should embrace the idea that more students can attend Georgia’s flagship university and oldest institution of higher education. But, the increased number of students compounds the insufficient community resources, stagnant and disproportionately low acceptance rates of Black students and a disregard for the broader county-wide implications of a growing institution. Students and permanent Athens residents deserve more support from UGA. Guest columnist Zeena Mohamed is a senior international affairs and political science major at UGA from Lilburn, Georgia.

SPORTS EDITOR Owen Warden ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Bo Underwood DIGITAL SPORTS EDITOR Andy Mathis BASKETBALL BEAT REPORTER Virginia Miller

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STUDENT VOICES

CREATIVE SERVICES

New year, new goals

CREATIVE SERVICES ASSISTANT Amy Zureich

Students share resolutions for new year

COMMUNICATIONS 706-433-3021 COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Alexis Derickson MARKETING ASSISTANT Katherine White COMMUNICATIONS INTERN Emma Akang

Sophia Eppley After what was hopefully a relaxing break, classes at the University of Georgia are back in full swing. As spring approaches, many students are embracing change in attempts to leave their bad habits in 2023 and look to new beginnings in 2024.

The Red & Black asked UGA students to share their 2024 New Year’s resolutions and goals for the semester.

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ABOUT US

Smit Shah

Findleigh Ague

FRESHMAN MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS MAJOR

JUNIOR POLITICAL SCIENCE, ECONOMICS AND SPANISH MAJOR

“To get A’s in all my classes this semester.”

“To spend more time outside … I usually feel better when I try and prioritize that.”

Publishing online daily at redandblack.com and in print each month of the academic year by The Red & Black Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions: $84. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission. Opinions expressed are those of contributors and not necessarily those of The Red & Black Publishing Company Inc. The Red & Black has covered the University of Georgia and Athens since 1893.

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CORRECTIONS

Connor Dotson

Bella Wirth

SOPHOMORE MIDDLE GRADES EDUCATION MAJOR

SOPHOMORE EXERCISE AND SPORTS SCIENCE MAJOR

“To have more compassion [for] others … I feel like everyone needs to be friendly to one another and love one another.”

“[My dad and I] are going to run a half marathon this year … Running is our thing, so I thought it would be good to do it together.”

As a student-run news organization with the mission of training journalists, we know that mistakes happen and we do our best to correct them as quickly as possible. If you spot a factual error, please let us know by sending a correction to editor@randb.com. Corrections to items in print editions are published in the next possible print issue. Corrections for online-only articles are posted at redandblack.com/corrections.

en Español

Thursday, February 1, 2024

GRAFICO/GRACE JOHNSON

THE RED & BLACK

A5

GRAPHIC/GRACE JOHNSON

UGA se matriculará en la facultad de UGA to get medical school medicina Estudiantes podrán inscribirse a partir de 2026

Students could enroll as early as 2026

Allison Mawn, traducido por Andrea Aramburo

Allison Mawn, translation by Andrea Aramburo

La Universidad de Georgia tendrá su propia facultad de medicina, que podría inscribir a los estudiantes a partir de 2026. La escuela de medicina será financiada como parte de un plan de 2 mil millones de dólares del gobernador Brian Kemp.

De acuerdo con el Atlanta Journal-Constitution, $50 millones de la propuesta se irá hacia la escuela de medicina, que tiene la intención de abordar la necesidad de más médicos en Georgia. Más de 3 millones de residentes de Georgia, alrededor de un tercio de la población del estado, viven en un área con escasez de atención médica, según datos de 2023 de la Fundación de la Familia Kaiser.

A partir de ahora, el Colegio de Medicina de Georgia, que es parte de la Universidad de Augusta pero tiene un campus en Athens, es la única escuela de medicina pública en el estado, según la Junta de Trabajo de Salud de Georgia. El campus actual de Athens abrió en el 2010 y tiene un tamaño de clase de 60 estudiantes. El propuesto considera la transición de la asociación a una escuela de medicina independiente, acreditada independientemente operada por UGA. “La Universidad de Georgia y el Colegio Médico de Georgia han trabajado juntos con éxito durante casi 15 años para educar a los médicos en Athens a través de la Universidad de Augusta [y] la Asociación Médica de la Universidad de Georgia,” dijo el presidente de UGA, Jere W. Morehead, en un comunicado. “La propuesta del gobernador es una evolución natural de esta productiva asociación, una que producirá aún más médicos para nuestro estado. Agradecemos el anuncio del Gobernador de su apoyo a una nueva escuela de medicina en la Universidad de Georgia, y esperamos trabajar con el Canciller y la Junta de Regentes, así como la Asamblea General, para avanzar en esta emocionante iniciativa.”

Un estudio de viabilidad apoya la creación de la escuela, diciendo que UGA tiene la infraestructura necesaria y puede asegurar recursos financieros. Además de ayudar a corregir la escasez de médicos en el estado, se estima que la escuela de medicina tiene un impacto económico de $237.4 millones anuales y apoya 1,583 empleos en el estado para 2030.

La capacitación clínica podría estar disponible a través del Northeast Georgia Health System, Piedmont Healthcare o St Mary’s Health Care System, que han sido identificados como socios interesados con la capacidad de acomodar a futuros estudiantes de medicina, dijo el estudio.

Otras áreas que serán financiadas por los 2 mil millones de dólares propuestos incluyen infraestructura y una escuela de odontología en la Universidad de Georgia Southern.

The University of Georgia will get its own medical school, which could have students enroll as early as 2026. The medical school will be funded as part of a $2 billion plan by Gov. Brian Kemp.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, $50 million of the proposal will go toward the medical school, which is intended to address Georgia’s need for more physicians.

Over 3 million Georgians, about a third of the state’s population, live in an area with a healthcare shortage, according to 2023 data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

As of now, the Medical College of Georgia — which is part of Augusta University but has a campus in Athens — is the only public medical school in the state, according to the Georgia Board of Healthcare Workforce. The current Athens campus opened in 2010 and has a class size of 60 students. The proposed plan considers transitioning the partnership to a standalone, independently accredited medical school operated by UGA. “The University of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia have successfully worked together for nearly 15 years to educate physicians in Athens through the Augusta University [and] University of Georgia Medical Partnership,” UGA President Jere W. Morehead said in a statement. “The Governor’s proposal is a natural evolution of this fruitful partnership, one that will produce even more doctors for our state. We appreciate the Governor’s announcement of his support for a new medical school at the University of Georgia, and we look forward to working with the Chancellor and Board of Regents, as well the General Assembly, to advance this exciting initiative.”

A feasibility study supports the creation of the school, saying that UGA has the necessary infrastructure and can secure financial resources. Besides helping fix the doctor shortage in the state, the medical school is estimated to have an economic impact of $237.4 million annually and support 1,583 in-state jobs by 2030.

Clinical training could be available through Northeast Georgia Health System, Piedmont Healthcare or St. Mary’s Health Care System, who have been identified as interested partners with the capacity to accommodate future medical students, the study said.

Other areas that will be funded by the proposed $2 billion include infrastructure and a dental school at Georgia Southern University.

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

Stepping up as a senior

Sports

THE RED & BLACK

Jabri Abdur-Rahim’s emergence as Georgia basketball’s ‘go-to-guy’ Bo Underwood Jabri Abdur-Rahim has always been capable of playing like this.

It may have taken longer than expected, but make no mistake — he’s always had it in him.

This is a hotshot who became New Jersey’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in high school and the son of NBA All-Star Shareef Abdur-Rahim. A kid who dropped 40 points on future No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, and then did it all over again in the next game.

Abdur-Rahim arrived at Georgia in 2021 after a one-year stint at Virginia, where he was buried deep in a rotation of veteran players and still healing from a foot injury that ended his senior season of high school. For the Bulldogs, he was expected to come in and provide the roster with an infusion of raw talent that it desperately needed.

“I felt like in terms of basketball, the situation didn’t work out, it wasn’t the best fit,” Abdur-Rahim said of his time at Virginia shortly after he transferred to Georgia. “I felt I had a good year behind the scenes, though.”

Things in Athens didn’t appear to be working out either.

At least at first.

Abdur-Rahim started three of Georgia’s first six games before he was moved to the bench for the final 26. He averaged seven points per game across his first two seasons at Georgia. The Bulldogs were atrocious during the 2021-2022 season — they finished 6-26 and at the bottom of the SEC — and below average during the 2022-2023 season, their first under head coach Mike White.

Now, Abdur-Rahim is currently Georgia’s leading scorer and is shooting a career-high from 3-point range. He just dropped 34 points in a road loss to No. 8 Kentucky. The Bulldogs, two years removed from being the worst of the SEC, are 14-6 with their NCAA Tournament hopes still intact.

He’s just provided more maturity. ... He’s one of the best shooters in our league and I expect him to have a really good year.

M I K E WHITE | GEORGIA MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH

Georgia guard Jabri Abdur- Rahim (1) dribbles the ball during a men’s NCAA basketball game against Louisiana State University at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Georgia won 68-66. P H O T O / J E S S I C A L I N “He’s just provided more maturity,” White said before the season. “His responses to a missed shot, or to [a] blown defensive assignment… I think he’s grown a lot in that regard.

I think it was a lot of pressure on himself, [like a] lot of young men that are as talented as he is [go through]. He’s one of the best shooters in our league and I expect him to have a really good year.”

Something changed with Abdur-Rahim. He’s always been a volume shooter, chucking up 3-pointers without hesitation and creating offense whenever he touches the ball.

Now, he appears more relaxed on the floor — more comfortable in his 6-foot-8, 215-pound oversized guard frame.

He gets hot more often than he gets cold, and he’s playing the best defense of his career.

“I think I’m just a lot more confident, and I know I’ve worked really hard,” Abdur-Rahim said in December 2023.

“I’m getting a little more opportunity to play, and I feel like I’m just prepared for it.”

His approach off the court is different, too. The Virginia transfer with gobs of potential is now a senior, and with that comes responsibility as a leader. The teams who make it to March are led by their veterans, and that’s a task Abdur-Rahim has embraced.

“I think that’s kind of where we’ve seen him grow,” Geor-

gia guard Noah Thomasson said. “I’ve only been here for a year but I hear Coach White talking about his growth as a leader. You can see it every single day. He’s the hardest worker, he’s in early in the morning, so it’s paying off for him.”

Abdur-Rahim’s method of getting out of a cold streak, it seems, is to shoot more. After all, you can’t make a shot without taking one. As his shot has started to fall more than ever, it’s starting to rub off on his teammates.

“We need to try to give the younger guys confidence too,” Abdur-Rahim said. “Even the guys that come off the bench, we try to give them confidence. I think that’s my job as a leader on this team. If I have it going offensively, I try to pour it into other people too, and not focus on it so much.”

Georgia is a young team that will only go as far as its veterans can take it. As the season continues and the Bulldogs get deeper into their SEC schedule, they’ll need every last bucket. They know it, too.

“I think we have a lot of really confident basketball players,” Abdur-Rahim said. “I think we have a lot of people who, [when they] don’t see the first couple go in, it doesn’t matter, doesn’t faze them…We know we’re a good shooting team. We have a lot of good players and we know shots are gonna fall.”

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

Sports

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teams in the SEC,” Nicholson said. “That’s just our main focus right now.”

Nicholson’s rebounding ability has opened up opportunities for her on the offensive end. She has 11 double-doubles this season, and her eight straight were the most in a row by a Georgia player since Janet Harris, a Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, in 1982-1983.

3

The Georgia women’s basketball team is currently ranked third best in the SEC in field goal percentage allowed.

Georgia teammates on defense during a women’s NCAA college basketball game between Ole Miss and Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. Georgia lost 69-59. P H O T O / J E S S I C A L I N

Constructing a defense

A look at what Georgia women’s basketball does best Olivia Sayer Defense.

It’s a word that can get certain head coaches fired up — none more so than Georgia women’s basketball head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. Abrahamson-Henderson, throughout her two seasons as Georgia’s head coach, has taken pride in her defenses, which is evident the moment she speaks about the type of defense she runs.

“It’s not really a zone, it’s a matchup,” Abrahamson-Henderson said in 2022. “All my life I’ve been playing this matchup and it’s really hard to simulate, it’s really hard to play against. … It’s a defense I’ve been running for a long time and it’s why we’ve been [a strong defense] for a long time because it’s just hard to simulate every single day in practice.”

An old adage in the world of sports is that “defense wins championships,” but as basketball has evolved through the years, it’s an adage that has somewhat fallen out of fashion. Defense isn’t exactly the game’s selling point, as fans are much more interested in the flashy, offensive side of the sport. The offense sells tickets, after all.

Abrahamson-Henderson’s Bulldogs take a different approach. For the past two seasons, they’ve prioritized defense and are currently ranked third best in the SEC in field goal percentage allowed, after ranking 12th in the nation earlier this season.

Construction of this defense started on the recruiting trail — an ever-evolving process in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, but still as crucial to the game as ever.

Abrahamson-Henderson noted the difficulty of scouting players’ defensive abilities, noting that defense is about more than

what appears on the stat sheet.

“It’s not actually about playing defense, it’s about the desire,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “If you go watch and you are recruiting, you see a kid dive on a loose ball, and the toughness, and the energy and that kind of thing.”

Many good teams have rosters full of highly recruited, big-name players. However, what separates good teams from elite ones is consistent execution — especially when it matters most. If players don’t execute in games, no one cares how talented their team is projected to be.

This consistency is built in practice, and fifth-year senior Javyn Nicholson said the team puts in the work with “all of our defensive days.” When asked about specific focuses, Nicholson kept it straight and to the point.

“Just being one of the best defensive

Although talent is a substantial part, Georgia’s success relies just as much on the defensive game plan. Abrahamson-Henderson said the Bulldogs look at the ways a team is most efficient in scoring when determining the best way to defend.

“This team scores in transition,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “This team scores with offensive rebounds, this team scores in the paint. So, that’s kind of what we look at.”

Georgia plays a matchup defense, combining certain elements of man-to-man and zone defense. This allows the Bulldogs to thoroughly scout their opponents while tailoring the game plan to what they see in the film room.

For instance, following Georgia’s game against Ole Miss, Abrahamson-Henderson said Georgia sought to halt the Rebels’ success from within the paint.

“Because they just really wanted to score in the paint, we just packed it in,” Abrahamson-Henderson said.

This preference to defend the paint may have backfired when Georgia played Alabama on Jan. 11. The Crimson Tide, despite Georgia’s best efforts, torched the Bulldogs from beyond the arc, and shot 55% on 20 attempts.

Despite solid defensive play from some key contributors, Georgia has had a rocky season. After starting 10-4, a lack of consistency on offense led the Bulldogs to drop five straight, as they currently sit at the bottom of the SEC. If Georgia is to get back on track, it will likely be due to its defense, an aspect of the game the players take great pride in.

“It starts with us and our mentality,” junior Asia Avinger said. “We take pride in our defense, especially one-on-one, so if we can handle our job one-on-one and make sure our person doesn’t score, that leads to our success.”

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Spencer and Amy Rice pose outside of Park Hall on the University of Georgia’s campus in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. The couple first met there in 1990, and were married at the Georgia State Botanical Gardens in 2001. P H O T O / A V N I T R I V E D I , G R A P H I C / L I Z R Y M A R E V & L U C I N D A W A R N K E

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Reviews

Thursday, February 1, 2024

THE RED & BLACK

The Brown Derby mocktail pictured at the Oglethorpe Garage. P H O T O / L I Z R Y M A R E V

Honeypuppy performs at The World Famous.

PHOTO/LANDEN TODD

Work by Masako Onodera and Mary Pearse displayed at ATHICA. P H O T O / J A X O N M E E K S

A chicken bowl pictured at Philanthropy Fresh Cafe & Grill. P H O T O / J A X O N M E E K S

DRINK

MUSIC

ART

FOOD

Brown Derby mocktail

Honeypuppy’s debut EP

Contrasts and Correlations

Philanthropy chicken bowl

Oglethorpe Garage toasts to

Your worst nightmare, your

ATHICA showcases lightness

Good food for a good cause at

Dry January

best daydream

and weight

Philanthropy Fresh

Off of Georgia State Route 10 on Oglethorpe Avenue sits the eclectic motorcycle bar, Oglethorpe Garage. The bar is located right off the interstate, making it the perfect pit stop for travelers and motorcyclists.

Antique motorcycles, tools and autoparts decorate the bar, giving it the rustic feel of a motorcycle garage.

The neighborhood bar is known for its craft cocktails like espresso martinis, boozy hot chocolate and moscow mules, as well as its edgy aesthetic. It also offers a large selection of draft beer and wine options.

I ordered the bar’s special “Brown Derby” mocktail. The alcohol-free beverage contains honey-lavender syrup, grapefruit and lemon. Normally, it would include bourbon if made with alcohol.

The drink was served in a lowball glass and had an appealing ruby pink color. The combination of the bitter grapefruit and tangy lemon worked well together, offsetting the sweetness of the lavender syrup and complementing one another in a refreshingly citrusy and satisfying way. It reminded me of a paloma, but with a more complex flavor.

The staff was friendly and even started a fire for my friends and me to enjoy outside while we ate hamburgers from the Cafe Racer food truck parked beside the bar.

The mocktail was refreshing, and I appreciated the bar’s lively environment and the employees’ hospitality. However, the outdoor patio space is very cold in the winter months, hindering the ability to enjoy a meal and drink.

— Price Andersen

Local indie rock band Honeypuppy released their debut EP “Nymphet” following the release of their 2023 single “Penny Press.” Self-described as “your worst nightmare but also your best daydream,” this four-member powerhouse brings a unique blend of intensity and softness to the indie rock scene.

This approach is present throughout the EP, with energetic and powerful elements providing a contrast to their often bubbly and playful style. The first song of the EP, “Penny Press,’’ eases listeners into a groovy and gentle rhythm. Honeypuppy subverts expectations by following this with “Suck Up,” an intense, fast-paced indie rock track that will have listeners on their feet.

Their third song, “Thrum a Thread,” fully embodies both the nightmares and daydreams. The track starts with all four members frantically strumming and drumming at the same time, immediately followed by a dreamy, minimalistic melody that continues throughout the rest of the track. This back-and-forth makes Honeypuppy stand out in the indie rock genre.

The lead singer and songwriter for Honeypuppy, Josie Callahan, provides simplistic and playful lyrics that also bring a sense of nostalgia to the project. “Nymphet,” the title track of the EP, feels hazy. Their fifth track brings the energy back with another fast-paced and chaotic entry, “Kerosine.”

Through their EP “Nymphet,” Honeypuppy showcases a dynamic blend of intensity and softness that keeps listeners engaged.

— Hunter Wright

“Contrasts and Correlations” at the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art showcases the art of Masako Onodera and Mary Pearse. The exhibition, curated by Lauren Fancher, thoughtfully contrasts Onodera’s light, floating paper sculptures with Pearse’s weighty lead florals. However, the correlation between these distinct pieces isn’t always obvious, adding an intriguing layer to the exhibit.

Particularly striking are Onodera’s “Party” and Pearse’s “Full Bloom.” “Party” redefines paper, creating a sense of weightlessness that challenges traditional views of sculpture. Pearse’s “Full Bloom,” meanwhile, captures delicate beauty in heavy lead, offering a contrast in medium and message.

This ambiguity in the pairing doesn’t detract but instead invites deeper contemplation and engagement. It encourages visitors to explore and interpret the connections, making the exhibit not just a visual journey but a mental adventure. While the first half of the exhibit felt somewhat disconnected from the second half, the latter part was true to the show’s title.

“Contrasts and Correlations” is more than just an art show; it’s a conversation starter, blending lightness and weight, ephemeral and eternal.

For those intrigued by contempo r a r y a r t’ s n u a n c e s , a v i s i t i s h i g h l y recommended. ATHICA, located near the University of Georgia’s campus, will host the exhibit until Feb. 11.

— Ethan Wright

Although the closure of Zombie Coffee and Donuts was a saddening loss, the restaurant taking its place on Broad Street, Philanthropy Fresh, has proved itself to be a sufficient replacement.

Philanthropy Fresh offers healthy and indulgent options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The use of the word ‘philanthropy’ in the restaurant’s name is not just a cute title; it is integral to the establishment’s values. At checkout, I was asked to choose one of five philanthropies the restaurant supports to donate part of my bill to.

I ordered the Philanthropy chicken bowl, which consists of wild rice, roasted broccoli, tomato, avocado, grilled chicken and Cajun ranch.

My favorite component was the Cajun ranch. It is the perfect condiment for this bowl, providing a subtle kick for spice lovers and a delicious, creamy topping.

The chicken was well seasoned with a peppery flavor, and the produce was incredibly fresh. The only ingredient I had an issue with was the rice. It was a bit oily, and the ratio of rice to other components was slightly unbalanced.

Although the food was high quality, I did not especially enjoy eating out of a tupperware container when I was dining in.

Overall, I had a positive experience and will return in the future for another delectable lunch and study session. Going out to eat typically involves the risk of wasting money, but at Philanthropy Fresh, I know my money is going to a good cause.

— Isabelle Farina

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

THE RED & BLACK

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Bulldogs in love

Campus soulmates and their stories Jesse Wood Dating in college presents a whole set of challenges, and as time and technology changes our social lives, our love stories are changing, too. In 1995, 9% of heterosexual couples in the US met in college, according to a survey from Stanford University, and only 2% met online. In a 2017 survey, found that 4% met in college, while 39% met online.

Despite these odds, love still blooms at the University of Georgia. As couples across campus observe Valentine’s Day, many couples reflect on how their relationships would not have been possible without UGA. Here are a few successful love stories from the Classic City.

Puppy love at UGA University of Georgia sophomore genetics major Spencer Rice grabbed his classmate’s arm and pulled him down the stairs of Park Hall. In 1990, drop-add was done manually in the building’s basement, and Rice needed to transfer into a Latin class that his classmate was conveniently transferring out of.

Little did Rice know that this new class would have alphabetically assigned seats, putting him next to sophomore anthropology and psychology major Amy Strong.

“I thought, okay then, maybe this alphabetical order stuff isn’t so bad,” Strong said.

Strong searched the university’s directory for her class crush’s phone number, and once she mustered up the courage, she called Rice to ask if he would help her with the assignments. The study sessions soon developed into weekly meet-ups on North Campus.

By early December, Rice said that he realized he had developed feelings deeper than friendship for Strong.

“After all these lunches, I [felt like] we could talk about anything and everything,” Rice said. “At that age, do we know what love is? I don’t know, but this sure feels good, so I’m just gonna tell her [and] put all the cards on the table.”

4%

Spencer and Amy Rice pose for a portrait in Park Hall at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. The couple first met in this building in the ‘90s. P H O T O / A V N I T R I V E D I girlfriend, Betsy Chambers, outside of the UGA School of Social Work building overlooking the Oconee River on Oct. 8, 2023.

Chambers, an Athens native, met Moore at a mutual friend’s birthday party during their sophomore year of high school and began dating before they went off to separate colleges in 2020. Chambers went to the University of Alabama, and Moore to UGA, making up the 32.5% of college students that are in a long-distance relationship, reported by Campus Explorer.

GRAPHIC/ABBIE HERRIN

According to a 2017 survey from Stanford University, 4% of heterosexual couples in the US met in college, while 39% met online.

As they sat beneath a ginkgo tree – as they had many times before – Rice told Strong that he loved her. But his confession did not propel the pair’s relationship to something more romantic as he had hoped. Rice landed in the friendzone.

The friendship came to a halt in the spring of 1992. Rice said that he felt that if there was no future for them as a couple, he would not be able to stay “just friends.” The two did not speak again until 1999.

Strong had just moved back to Georgia after pursuing her master’s degree and was cleaning out her closet when she came across a note Rice had written her back in 1992.

“It said, ‘If you ever want to get a hold of me, you can always reach me at my parents’ house,’” Strong said.

She said at that moment, she realized Rice was “probably the nicest guy she had ever known.” On Dec. 22, 1999, she mailed a Christmas card to Rice’s parents’ address, despite being nervous to make the move. Rice responded over email two days later.

The two found it easy to fall back into the rhythm of spending time together, but this time around, things were different. Strong said that one night, she had a dream in which she realized that Rice was the man she was going to marry.

Strong knew she had to tell him. She picked their next breakfast date as the occasion she would open up to Rice about her feelings for him.

“I said, ‘Look, I’ve got something to tell you,’” Strong said. “‘I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. I know this is gonna sound wild, but you’re what I want in my life and I love you.’”

By the end of February 2000, Rice had already added the couple to a year-long waitlist for the Day Chapel at the Georgia State Botanical Gardens before their official engagement, and in March 2001, they were married in the gardens.

Spencer and Amy Rice pose for a portrait on North Campus at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, Jan. 17.

2024. The couple holds a portrait of themselves taken on North Campus in the ‘90s. P H O T O / A V N I T R I V E D I Amy and Spencer Rice are part of the around 4% of heterosexual couples that meet in college in the US, according to Stanford University’s research. Findings suggest that while people are still attending college at healthy rates, fewer are meeting their spouses in school.

Rice said that UGA has always played a pivotal role in their relationship, and he believes the open-mindedness at UGA allowed him to express his feelings with his future wife as they sat beneath the ginkgo trees after Latin class.

Chemistry on campus Campus isn’t just a place for students to meet and fall in love. As an employer of over 10,000 people, UGA has also brought coworkers together.

John Gonzalez worked as a doctoral fellow in a research lab while earning his Ph.D. at the University of Florida. On Sara Oullette’s first day as a graduate research assistant in the lab in the summer of 2005, he complimented her shoes.

Oullette said that graduate school could be isolating, but Gonzalez made an effort to make her feel comfortable.

The two hit it off, spending the majority of their time together at work and eventually living together. John and Sara Gonzalez tied the knot at a secret ceremony in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2009 before their destination wedding in Spain in May 2010, making them one of the 43% of married couples that started dating at work, according to Forbes.

The pair moved to various places across the United States to follow the trajectory of their careers in animal science. In 2018, Sara Gonzalez landed a job at UGA as a clinical associate professor, and shortly after in 2019, John Gonzalez was hired at the university as an associate professor.

George Moore proposes to Betsy Chambers on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, outside of the UGA School of Social Work on a platform overlooking the Oconee River. C O U R T E S Y / L A U R E N B I N G H A M , @LAURENBINGHAMPHOTO

The distance was daunting, especially because this was both of their first relationships. Moore said that one of the ways he navigated a long-distance relationship was by accepting the hardships of being apart for the duration of college as a high school senior.

“I never felt like long distance was going to be enough to make me not want to be with Betsy,” Moore said. “You put her in Zimbabwe, and I would have figured out a way to make it work.”

But it isn’t all bad. Moore said long distance has made him and Chambers more present with each other when they are able to be in the same place.

Moore will graduate on the first weekend of May with Chambers graduation on the following weekend. On the third weekend, the pair will be married at Watkinsville First Baptist Church and hold a wedding reception at the Taylor Grady House.

“It is hard to be too upset about this season of life ending whenever I know at the end of it is starting my life with her,” Moore said.

The couple plans to start their post-graduate lives in Athens; Moore will be enrolled at the UGA School of Law, and Chambers hopes to work at a nearby hospital as a nurse. Moore said it’s still a toss-up if the Alabama graduate will attend the UGA football games in the fall.

Many people share the same sentiment as Moore and plan to propose to their significant other on UGA grounds.

Claire Diana, an Athens-based photographer of 12 years, estimated that she shoots approximately 20 proposals every year around UGA’s campus.

At that age, do we know what love is?

S P E N C E R R I C E | UGA ALUM

Love blossoms in Athens The beauty of UGA’s campus is a strong point of attraction for many couples in all stages of their relationship, especially those planning to propose.

George Moore, a senior at UGA and the current Student Government Association president, studies international affairs and political science. Moore proposed to his

Iconic spots around North Campus repeatedly prove to be popular proposal locations for Diana’s clients, including Herty Fountain, the UGA Chapel, Founders Memorial Garden, the Arch and even Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium.

For the Rices, the ginkgo trees on North Campus continue to symbolize the way their love has grown and transformed within the walls of Park Hall, to their wedding day at the Botanical Gardens, to bringing their first child to take family photos under the ginkgo trees.

“I think what is so special about campus is that most people who either went to UGA, worked at UGA [or] have any connection to Athens have so many special memories on campus, so it makes it a sentimental place,” Diana said.

John and Sara Gonzalez pose for a portrait with their dog, Sugar, at the University of Georgia Pet Health Clinic in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. P H O T O / A V N I T R I V E D I “When this job opened and it was my dream job and then John was able to be flexible — he changed around his lab so that I could have this opportunity,” Sara Gonzalez said.

“I think that has brought us together. … We’ve adjusted to different places and I appreciate that.”

Forbes reported that 54% of people in workplace relationships stated that their relationship affected their worklife balance. But for the Gonzalez couple, they said their relationship has never been strained from working together.

Sara and John Gonzalez embrace their coworker status by teaching an animal and dairy sciences class together, Survey of Veterinary Medicine Professions. Sara Gonzalez said they both think it’s a great opportunity for the students to get to know their professors and see them as real people.

“It’s neat that we could tackle it as a team,” John Gonzalez said.

The Gonzalez couple also spends some of their lunch breaks together, collaborates on research projects and have traveled to places like China and Thailand to share their findings in animal science.

John Gonzalez said the reason he went to graduate school was because he could not get a job out of his undergraduate program. He blames Sonic Drive-In, because he got food poisoning before an important job interview.

At first, this setback was frustrating, but looking back, he said that it was the best thing that could have happened to him.

“Because I didn’t get that job, I met Sara,” John Gonzalez said. “Bad things ended up in love.”

B4

Thursday, February 1, 2024

THE RED & BLACK

also gonna be there.”

Brian Hill, a team leader at the Barnett Shoals Chickfil-A, noticed the duo after taking their order over multiple Tuesday mornings. As a dog-lover, he remembered Georgette first, and it wasn’t long before he talked to Metcalf on their promptly-timed visits.

Hill has worked at the location for four and a half years.

It isn’t rare for him to recognize customers, but he kept a special eye out for Metcalf and Georgette after learning about their circumstances.

Whenever Hill saw their car pull into the drive-thru, he would go to the passenger side door so he could talk to Georgette.

These little interactions that we have are important. … I just want to make somebody’s day be better.

B R I AN H I LL | ATHENS CHICK-FIL-A TEAM LEADER

Elaine Metcalf, a University of Georgia alum, and her French bulldog, Georgette, outside of Chick-fil-A in downtown Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. P H O T O / J A Y D E N H E N S O N

‘The Little Things’ UGA alum and dog featured in Chick-fil-A commercial Jayden Henson For 12 weeks, every Tuesday morning looked the same for Elaine Metcalf and Georgette. By 7 a.m., Metcalf would check Georgette into her appointment at the University of Georgia’s Pet Health Center. Then, for around two hours, Metcalf kept her anxious mind occupied with the company of her laptop.

By 9:10 a.m., Metcalf and Georgette were rounding the corner of the nearby Barnett Shoals Chick-fil-A drive-thru.

A warm breakfast and a coffee were sure to lift Metcalf ’s spirits, while a heaping serving of whipped cream served in a pup cup did the trick for Georgette.

While seemingly insignificant at the time, these weekly Chick-fil-A breakfasts landed the duo on a couch at Chickfil-A headquarters in a commercial called, “The Little Things,” a segment where customers share special moments they’ve had with team members.

Georgette is a 5-year-old French bulldog who was diagnosed with intestinal cancer in early 2023. Metcalf is a

recent UGA alum who graduated in December 2023 with a degree in human development and family science with an emphasis in child life.

Thanks to Metcalf’s academic background, Georgette’s cancer was detected early.

“Doing child life, my specialty area is oncology. So I’ve worked in a bunch of oncology departments and had almost … 600 hours of work with children with cancer,” Metcalf said. “So, I’m very familiar with it. … I found her tumor and knew immediately what it was.”

The early morning time slot was the only opportunity Metcalf could get Georgette the chemotherapy treatment she needed, as she had a full plate between her classes, search for graduate schools, modeling career, involvement in Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and more.

Georgette and Metcalf have been attached by the leash ever since Metcalf adopted her as a senior in high school.

“She goes everywhere with me, which is definitely not annoying at all for my friends or anything,” Metcalf said.

“But they know when they invite me somewhere that she’s

“Georgette perked up, and I would speak to Georgette sometimes before I’d speak to Elaine,” Hill said.

On the 12th week in a row of Metcalf’s breakfast visits, Hill knew something was up because she was “beaming.”

He soon learned that Georgette had completed her chemotherapy and was cancer-free. To spread the good news, he put a note on the order to the worker at the window.

In the short time it took Metcalf to round the corner, the window worker had gathered a group of other employees to clap and cheer for them outside. While Elaine was touched by the gesture, Georgette was busy devouring her celebratory concoction of nuggets and whipped cream.

When Kim Metcalf, Metcalf’s mother, learned about the support her daughter received from the Barnett Shoals Chick-fil-A, she sent a thank-you email to the corporate headquarters. Soon after, Chick-fil-A asked Metcalf and Hill to participate in a “The Little Things” commercial.

The cozily-staged red couch set was the first time Georgette and Hill interacted without the barrier of a car door.

Metcalf was concerned that Georgette wouldn’t recognize Hill, but it wasn’t before long that Georgette was leaning on him instead of her, which can be seen in the clip.

“She’s a little sassy, but she loves him. She doesn’t really like guys usually,” Metcalf said.

Before filming, Metcalf was skeptical about the authenticity of the interactions she viewed in past commercials.

However, the unscripted and relaxed set offered her a change in perspective.

“I just have all the props for Chick-fil-A for being so kind to [Georgette] and me, and professional,” Metcalf said.

The commercial aired during the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. Hill still sees Georgette and Metcalf from time to time when they stop by the drive-thru, reminding him that even 30-second interactions can make an impact on someone’s day, or even their future.

“These little interactions that we have are important …

I just want to make somebody’s day be better,” Hill said.

As Metcalf looks ahead at attending graduate school outside of Athens, she will make her last few rounds at the Barnett Shoals Chick-fil-A drive-thru, giving Georgette some final moments with her new-found friend, and a pupcup, of course.

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

B5

Made with love

Homy Made Taco Truck celebrates Mexican culture in motion Emma Nestor Homy Made Taco Truck can be found all over Athens, serving authentic Mexican cuisine with the mission of celebrating community and embodying Hispanic culture. Its motto, “made with love,” supports the company’s dedication to providing meaningful experiences for those appreciating its food.

The food truck was established by the curious minds of long-standing food industry creatives Mimi Maumus, owner of the Homy Made Taco Truck’s parent restaurant home. made, and Homero Elizalde-Castro, also known as “Homy.”

Their shared desire to experiment with traditional Mexican cuisine inspired them to reinvent dishes rooted in Mexican culture in a community-oriented setting.

The two met when Elizalde-Castro started out as a dishwasher at Five and Ten over 15 years ago, where he worked alongside Maumus, who was the executive sous-chef there at the time. Elizalde-Castro and Maumus formed a friendship from working long hours together. As more opportunities arose for Elizalde-Castro to show off his skills, Maumus began to recognize his effortless aptitude for cooking.

One of Maumus’ favorite stories with Elizalde-Castro was when he made staff meals at Five and Ten and whipped up a dish of crispy tortillas, eggs and a spicy tomato sauce.

“I had never tasted anything like it before and I was like, ‘Homero what is this? This is so amazing.’ And Homero just so flatly said, ‘My mother used to make this for our dog,’” Maumus said.

Homero Elizalde-Castro poses at home.made in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. Castro met Mimi Maumus, home.made’s owner, while working at home.made, and the two went into business to create Homy Made Taco Truck. P H O T O / J A X O N M E E K S

The greatest mission is more about the people that we are and the way that we interact with the community as human beings. I would say that’s more important to me than the food.

M I M I MAUMUS | OWNER OF HOME.MADE Although he hasn’t been formally trained in culinary arts, Elizalde-Castro’s talent as a self-taught chef was clear to Maumus. This led to their business partnership for home.made and Homy Made Taco Truck. His passion for cooking grew as it became an outlet to reconnect with the experiences of his childhood in Michoacán, Mexico.

“When I came [to home.made] to work with Mimi I start-

ed doing her style … and then I was kind of curious and started doing my food because I never grew up cooking,” Elizalde-Castro said. “I know what it looks like but I never [got] into doing it, and I was like, ‘I want to do it.’”

The food truck offers a selection of made-from-scratch tacos, quesadillas, tortas and more. The menu stays fairly consistent, but Elizalde-Castro regularly tries to experiment, adding fun twists without losing the element of authenticity.

“I’m trying to be more traditional … a lot of Spanish people and Mexican people, they [cook] in their house, but they’re not really sharing with the public,” Elizalde-Castro said. “That, right now, is what I’m trying to do.”

Maumus wants Elizalde-Castro to have “full autonomy” over the culinary aspects of the project in order to allow him the freedom to reconnect with his culture outside the constraints of the traditionally Southern, New Orleans-inspired cuisine of home.made.

Maumus was inspired by Elizalde-Castro’s energy, ideas and interest in having a platform to share his food with the public. She saw how his natural cooking ability showed people a glimpse into his youth, and how his influence in

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the industry has allowed him to build lasting relationships with the community.

“As my role changed and I wasn’t in the kitchen quite as much, they started kind of affectionately calling [home. made] ‘Homy Made’ because so much of the things that we served, he had made,” Maumus said. “The stars aligned, I think. He was excited to have the opportunity to make his food that didn’t make sense on our menu.”

Some of the local stops the truck regularly makes includes Athentic Brewing Company, Oglethorpe Garage, Bar Sober and, of course, home.made. It also travels to pop-up and private events like weddings, quinceñeras, movie shoots and more.

Elizalde-Castro and Maumus want to connect individuals and let the food speak for itself. Maumus believes not only that Elizalde-Castro’s skill is “unmatched,” but also in the power of food as a way of traveling back in time to the traditions of one’s past.

“Ultimately…the greatest mission is more about the people that we are and the way that we interact with the community as human beings. I would say that’s more important to me than the food,” Maumus said.

Today’s Top S tory

“ I wish I cou

ld read.”

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B6

Thursday, February 1, 2024

THE RED & BLACK

HOROSCOPES ARIES: MARCH 21-APRIL 19

TAURUS: APRIL 20MAY 20

GEMINI: MAY 21JUNE 21

CANCER: JUNE 22JULY 22

LEO: JULY 23-AUG. 22

VIRGO: AUG. 23SEPT. 22

In the coming weeks, new friends will arrive in your life. Don’t run away, but welcome them — they might be important to you. Take things slow this month and don’t overwork yourself. Your empathy and listening skills will peak, so use that to your advantage.

Work will become the main focus of your life. Your motivation will increase dramatically, allowing you to complete some projects you’ve been putting aside. Be careful not to overwork yourself.

You might feel restless, so keep moving around and changing your routine.

You’ll take some time for yourself this month. It may seem like you’re shutting yourself out, but it will allow you to relax. Moments spent alone aren’t always bad.This will lead you to be more in tune with your emotions, allowing you to welcome in love.

Your confidence will skyrocket in the next few weeks. You won’t be afraid to speak your mind, and those around you will notice this change. Your creativity will flow as well, allowing you to work on the projects you are putting off. Try something new this month.

You’ll be more reserved this month. You’ll want to start working on your new ideas, but think rationally before you begin. Take this time to work on yourself and give your mind some rest. You may not feel like yourself at first, but you’ll thank yourself in the long run.

Your need to be right will be strong this month. Don’t let yourself get into petty arguments because of this.

The next few weeks will be a great time to reconnect with old friends. Take a trip with them or just call them up. You’ll love the chance to reminisce on the past.

LIBRA: SEPT. 23OCT. 22

SCORPIO: OCT. 23NOV. 21

SAGITTARIUS: NOV. 22-DEC. 21

CAPRICORN: DEC. 22-JAN. 19

AQUARIUS: JAN. 20-FEB. 18

PISCES: FEB. 19-MARCH 20

All of the pressures of the new year might stress you out this month. Be sure to slow down and let yourself rest. The stress will have you on edge, so be aware of how your words come off.

Take some time from your friends if you feel like they are becoming a distraction.

Communication will be big in the coming weeks. You’ll come off as eloquent and knowledgeable. This will be a time of success so make sure you’re ready for more responsibilities. People around you will start relying on you, but don’t let them bog you down.

This month will bring inner strength and balance — something you need. You may get in a situation where a friend will let you down.

Use your strength to get through it. Beware of envy, good things will happen to you and those around you will start to notice.

People will come to you for advice this month. Your friends will want to spend time with you, and you’ll feel good about yourself.

Make sure you don’t get too caught up in your friends’ problems. The best way to keep balance is setting time aside for yourself every day.

This month will bring you lots of love. Your feelings and emotions will strengthen and your love life will start to look clear. Take advantage of this and show some love to your friends, family and yourself. Give yourself a self-care day and speak kindly to yourself.

You’ll feel calm these next few weeks. Your peace and serenity will invite others into your life. Make sure they don’t cause chaos. Use this time to sort your priorities and make plans for the future. You’ll be thinking clearly, so this is the time to make important decisions.

GRAPHIC/BLAKE CAMPBELL

1. UGA India

2. HeAthens

Homecoming 4 WHAT: The Classic Center will host the 30th Nights of Rock Night

annual University of Georgia India Night at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3. UGA India Night is a Bollywood-fusion dance competition featuring dance teams from across the country. UNC Chalkaa, Georgia Tech Qurbani, NCSU Nazaare, Penn Masti and more will all be performing.

The routines usually include props, costume changes, plot and other dynamic elements.

WHERE: The Classic Center WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 3, 6 p.m.

WHEN: Wed-Sat., Feb. 14-17, 7 p.m.

PRICE: $35-55

Brews

Teachers Tour

WHAT: Athentic Brewing Company will host line dancing lessons from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 22. Long-time friends of Athentic Brewing, Becky and Patty, will lead the lessons in the taproom. Attendees will learn the basics of line dancing and several choreographed dances. Drinks will be available to attendees for purchase, including locally brewed beer.

WHAT: Bored Teachers visit Athens on their “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!” Comedy Tour.

The teacher-comedians have grossed hundreds of millions of views online with teaching-related skits, and now have joined forces to present a night of comedy. PG-13 language is used during some of the sets.

WHERE: Athentic Brewing Company WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.

WHERE: The Classic Center WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 25 , 7 p.m.

5. Ladysmith

Black Mambazo WHAT: Five-time Grammy award-winning Ladysmith Black Mambazo will perform a setlist of complex rhythms and harmonies belonging to Zulu tradition with the sounds and sentiments of gospel music. The UGA Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall will host their performance on Thursday, Feb. 29. There will be a pre-performance talk

by UGA Professor of Music Jean Kidula in the Ramsey Concert Hall from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m.

WHERE: Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall

PRICE: $31.50 to $135

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 29, 7:30 p.m.

PRICE: Free

PRICE: $30 to $60 —Jesse Wood

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PRICE: $26

UPCOMING EVENTS 4. Bored 3. Boots &

WHAT: HeAthens Homecoming 2024 is four nights of rock concerts held at the 40 Watt Club.

Performances include sets by Dimmer Twins and Friends, the Drive-By Truckers, Vision Video, Camp Amped, Paranoid Style and Hans Condor.

Tickets for the first night cost $35, and tickets for the last three cost $55.

WHERE: 40 Watt Club

­—Avni Trivedi

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Showcase

THE RED & BLACK

B7

Highlights from the ninth annual MLK Day Parade downtown

A parade-goer smiles during the ninth annual MLK Day Parade in Athens, Georgia, on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The event had live performances and street vendors.

PHOTO/FELIX SCHEYER

A parade-goer holds a sign at the MLK Day Parade. P H O T O / F E L I X S C H E Y E R

Tracy Brown, marching with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens, plays on drums during the ninth annual MLK Day Parade. P H O T O / F E L I X S C H E Y E R

Two young performers, one from Gaines Elementary School (left) and the other from the dance group Dy’Namic Diamond Jewels (right), hug. P H O T O / F E L I X S C H E Y E R

A vendor sells music records and photographs to parade-goers. P H O T O / F E L I X S C H E Y E R

Members of the Alcove High School marching band perform as they walk through downtown.

PHOTO/FELIX SCHEYER