GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY
www.grubellringer.com
VOLUME 56, ISSUE 13
TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014
Campus fights back against sexual assault By Ashley Trawick news editor
REBECCA PERBETSKY | STAFF
President Ricardo Azziz (center) cuts the ribbon with members of the Shanghai University at the opening of the Confucius Institute at the Kelly Administration Building at Georgia Regents University’s Health Sciences campus.
China comes to GRU
Institute opens By Jessica Sager staff writer The Confucius Institute is giving students at Georgia Regents University the opportunity to learn about traditional Chinese culture, language and medicine. To have a Confucius Institute, Georgia Regents had to go through an application process, said Cindi Chance, the dean of the College of Education. The competition is “very serious” and applicants have to show what they are planning to do if
accepted. A course in Chinese language and culture will be offered next year, Chance said. Starting next year, certificate programs will be developed. “So specifically for education, we would have the introduction to language and culture as one course,” she said. “The next course would be specifically about education in China, and then there would be a third course that would be developing international learning communities, so actually to start connecting with students in China that
also are going to become teachers at a university there and possibly even a short-term experience in going to visit schools in China.” Students don’t have to enroll in specific courses to benefit from the Confucius Institute. “We will have all kinds of activities throughout the year,” she said. “There (will) be art and music activities, there (will) be displays, (and) there (will) be all kinds of things.” A permanent museum, see INSTITUTE on PAGE 2
Brond to leave university By Amy Thorne staff writer
A major contribution to the branding and public image of Georgia Regents University announced his resignation March 17. David Brond, the senior vice president of the Office of Communications and Marketing, will be vacating his position in mid-April. He will be assuming the position of vice president for strategic communications and external relations for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Brond said he knew of RPI from his time living in the Northeast and previously working in a neighboring town to Troy. Brond also said one of his former colleagues worked at RPI and always spoke highly of it. “It was a short recruitment process that seemed to fit with what my goals were for what I want to be doing and what the organization was able to offer for me,” he said. Six days after Brond began his position at the university, the Board of Regents declared the new name for Georgia Regents. He said it then became his job to figure out how he and his staff were going to go about representing the name and what the public comprehensive research university stood for. “It’s hard to be the first, to
BROND
go through the bumps, the ups and downs of the learning curve, to figure out what is and what it takes to be successful and carry on and take a good foundation that I have established and grow it, enhance it,” he said. Jack Evans, the associate vice president of Communications and Creative Services, will take over the position of interim senior vice president of OCM starting April 4. “We want to continue to build the brand and continue to improve communications, so there’s plenty of work to be done,” he said. Evans said the nature of his work will be broader because he will be responsible to all the clinical marketing as well as media relations. “It’s always challenging,” he said. “There’s a lot that happens
on a research university campus with an academic health center, and there’s the day-to-day need to keep people informed, and then there’s lots of things that are unforeseen that you have to deal with. It’s hard enough when you can plan for everything, but particularly with media relations, you have to be available all the time, so it’s a big commitment.” Brond said continuing success of the brand will depend on the work of OCM and the ongoing efforts of the university. “I’m not going to be hurting the brand by my leaving,” he said. “The good foundation of the work that’s been done here (has been) creating the idea about what we believe in, what we stand for: great people doing great things. How we’re aspiring to greatness will continue to formulate and build the brand. It’s how we live the brand, more than just the marketing department and communications department and setting the standards for how we’re communicating it.” Evans said he volunteered to help however he could when Brond announced his leaving. “I’m very committed to GRU,” he said. “I live in Summerville, so I care about this place very, very much and I want to do the best I can to help it grow and thrive.” athorne@gru.edu
Tuesday begins a monthlong series of important events and activities that involve raising awareness and educating the community about sexual violence. Sexual Assault Awareness Month is underway at Georgia Regents University and provides major events for students and community members to attend including the Clothesline Project, the Fifth Annual Take Back the Day 5K Walk/Run in collaboration with the Walk A Mile In Her Shoes Fun Run, and the Take Back the Night Rally, which is in its 18th year. Various speakers and sexual assault survivors will be speaking at the events about sexual assault and their experiences. The kickoff program for the month will be at Paine College Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. at the Peters Campus Center on the second floor, according to the official SAAM calendar of events. Shannon Nix, a counselor for the Counseling Center, coordinates the events held every year with the help of Anne Ealick Henry, the director of Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services at University Hospital, and Brooke Robertson, the director of the Counseling Center at Paine College. Nix said even with all the help she’s gotten as far as planning the events, volunteers are still needed. She said not much has changed on the calendar this year in comparison to last year, except for the combination of Walk a Mile in Her Shoes with the Take Back the Day event. “We’re excited about that,” she said. “I think that’s going to be a neat (5K) … This is kind of like, ‘Oh, this is something fun and different to do,’ but it has meaning and purpose to our cause. It’s a different way to get people involved. I think it’s a good fit for the 5K. We definitely want to encourage students (or) anyone who is going to be attending to take a part of that – males … We have 26 pairs of women shoes with male sizes, but if guys want to go buy their own, they are more than welcome. It’s a really neat way to show in taking a stand and putting (themselves) in women’s shoes.”
Robertson said Paine has been collaborating with Georgia Regents and Rape Crisis for a few years. The kickoff will have a speaker who is well-known in the community who is an advocate for women’s rights. There will also be survivors of sexual assaults speaking then as well. “That’s one of the things that was mentioned last year in our survey that students wanted to see – to hear that voice,” she said. There will also be selfdefense training at Paine this year. Robertson said two men, one from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department and another from Augusta Tech, will come together and provide self-defense training that will be about prevention, awareness and a few techniques students can use. “(My hope is that) students will start to be more aware of their surroundings,” she said. “A lot of our students walk around like ‘nothing can happen to me.’ For me, in particularly with the self-defense training, one of the things (that is taught) is (the lesson of) walking around with your ear buds in. Take one of them out so that you’re listening to your surroundings. Walk with your eyes up (and) pay attention.” Ealick Henry said most sexual assaults primarily take place on college campuses when students are in their freshman or sophomore years. She said in order to meet the needs of Georgia Regents as the student population grows and the campus housing units like University Village expand, action must be taken to spread awareness, like a possible sexual assault orientation when students are registering for classes. “People are aware that this is a social problem,” she said. “I think generally, when you look at academics, that people are aware that sexual assaults are not reported. It’s important to have events like Sexual Assault Awareness Month (because they are) addressing some of those attitudes that are still prevalent by students and other people. We have to work very hard and even more so with the changes that are upon us in this community to truly promote a safe and secure environment for the students.” atrawick@gru.edu
Sexual Assault Facts •
Nineteen percent of undergraduate women experienced an attempted or completed sexual assault since enrolling in college.
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In a nationally representative survey, male sexual assault offenders are usually intimate partners or family members of female assault victims.
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Female sexual assault offenders were generally strangers, acquaintances or intimate partners of their victims.
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For college-aged women, 37.4 percent were first raped between the ages of 18 and 24.
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY A 2012 STUDY FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
Craft & Vine New restaurant brings unique flavor to Augusta.
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Events help students to consider safety during spring break Page 2
Page 15 Track and field teams complete first few meets
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TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014
NEWS Beacon loses its service www.grubellringer.com
By Richard Adams staff writer
The voice of
Georgia Regents University EDITORIAL STAFF adviser MATTHEW BOSISIO mbosisio@gru.edu editor-in-chief LEIGH BEESON kbeeson1@gru.edu copy editor MINDY WADLEY mindyawadley@gmail.com news editor ASHLEY TRAWICK atrawick@gru.edu arts & life editor MEGAN STEWART mstewar7@gru.edu sports editor JORDAN WILLIAMS jwill143@gru.edu chief reporter REBECCA PERBETSKY rperbets@gru.edu production manager NIKKI SKINNER nskinner@gru.edu
It’s been more than a year since members of the Clubhou. se on Broad Street attached a Wi-Fi antenna to the chimney of Harrisburg resident Butch Palmer’s hair salon, but the Lighthouse, as it is known, is no longer the beacon it once was. “The idea was (that) it was a beacon in the dark that gave people access to information that they may not have otherwise,” said Clubhou.se founder Eric Parker, discussing the project that no longer provides the free Wi-Fi access it was designed for. The experiment only went as far as a single prototype, Parker said. “The first application that seemed to make sense was to go ahead and use the resource in an underprivileged neighborhood,” he said. “After talking with city officials to see where Augusta Wi-Fi wasn’t covering, Harrisburg seemed like the best option.” Parker said two obstacles eventually blocked the progress of the project. “We were not completely happy with the overall level that it broadcasts,” he said. “So one
RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
The Clubhou.se’s Lighthouse, a public Wi-Fi antenna, is no longer funded.
of our learning lessons was that with the trees and so forth we cut our broadcast radius really down to about two blocks instead of the full half-mile.” Despite this shortened range, a peak of 55 clients was recorded in March 2013 using the network access, according to data collected by Parker.
Institute
production assistant JORDAN BARRY jbarry3@gru.edu
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staff writers RICHARD ADAMS MEREDITH DAY ANTHONY GARCIA HALEY HARRIS JESSICA SAGER AMY THORNE photographers JASMINE GRIFFIN jgriff26@gru.edu REBECCA SIMANSKI rebeccasimanski@gmail. com cartoonist MARK JOHNSON contributor JACOD THIGPEN circulation manager RICHARD ADAMS radams99@gru.edu advertising manager RAVEN NORRIS rnorris2@gru.edu webmaster JAMIE LOWE jlowe12@gru.edu Direct advertising inquiries to: Marie Pierce, National Sales Manager Media Mate mpierce@mymediamate.com Address all correspondence to: The Bell Ringer 2500 Walton Way Augusta, Ga 30904 706-737-1600 www.asubellringer.com
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Parker said the ultimate decider was the lack of additional funding. The $120-a-month bill for the Harrisburg router was the sole burden of the Clubhou.se. “We would to find more financial sponsors for it before we jump in because I think we were very eager and excited about the technology,” he said. “And
NIKKI SKINNER | STAFF
Student Health Services gives out condoms for Safe Spring Break Week.
Preparing for a safe week away By Meredith Day staff writer It’s almost here, that wonderful week when students are allowed to neglect their studies and forget most of the material they learned throughout the semester. It’s almost time for spring break. But before everyone leaves both campuses at Georgia Regents University, there was week of events to help remind students how to have fun on vacation while still staying safe. Safe Spring Break, which was hosted by Student Health Services, took place last week
and offered a wide range of events from Safe Sex Bingo to the second annual Show Me What You Got Hair Show hosted by the Black Student Union. The week kicked off Monday with a Mindful Eating Workshop in the Jaguar Student Activities Center Butler Room. “Mindful eating is paying full attention to the experience of eating both inside and outside of the body,” said Alyssa Clements, a presenter at the Mindful Eating Workshop. “There’s lots of activities to help people be more mindful of what they’re see SAFE on PAGE 3
which opened Friday at the Health Sciences campus, has music, art and traditional Chinese medicine, she said. People who participated in free Tai Chi lessons gave a demonstration Thursday. “What they did is they brought a professor from Shanghai, Professor (Ruiiji) Feng, here for four weeks,” said Rick Pukis, an associate professor of communications. “And what he did is, in China they have a standardized 24-posture Yang form, so he taught that to 120 people who came to about six or eight different classes during the week to learn the form in three weeks.” The event took place in the Jaguar Student Activities Center Ballroom, and some of the people who came to watch had to sit on the floor because all of the seats were filled. “It was a nice turnout here, that everyone came to see, and I was impressed with not only the students who came to participate but also to watch,” Pukis said. On Wednesday, several booths in the JSAC Breezeway demonstrated Chinese art and culture. One booth offered students the chance to learn about acupuncture.
we hadn’t fully thought through how it was going to be funded and sustainable over the long time.” In charge of network maintenance was Clubhou.se member Chris Williamson. He said he remains convinced that the Lighthouse project in Harrisburg has great potential for not just Augusta but society at large. “We realized that the thing we were building could actually be employed fairly easily in an urban area like that,” Williamson said. Butch Palmer, a 54-year resident of Harrisburg and owner of Salon 606 on top of which the antenna still rests, said he was frustrated that the project began with such a large push, only to be forgotten quickly afterward. He said he remains open to his shop still being the home of the Lighthouse. “It was valuable to me at $40 a month, if you put it in terms of dollars and cents,” Palmer said. “If you ventured into the socioeconomics of it and the importance to individuals who otherwise could not afford (it), I guess it would have a greater value.” radams99@gru.edu
“Acupuncture’s been around for about 2,000 years,” said Eliz Britton, a licensed acupuncturist. “It is based on environmental factors, energy in your body, and how they interact together. It originated in China, although there are other countries like Korea and Japan that have their own styles of acupuncture as well.” There is something rare about the Confucius Institute at Georgia Regents, Chance said. “We have all kinds of opportunities for our students to learn other ways of treatment for example, using acupuncture to control pain instead of always taking drugs, you know, those kinds of things,” she said. People need to be knowledgeable about other cultures, Chance said. “You all are going to have to compete for jobs globally,” she said. “When I was in your shoes as an undergraduate student or a graduate student, the only thing I had to worry about was somebody in the next county who might be interested in my job, and I was going to compete with just the people in my area. Now, in this global competition for jobs and for the economy and other things ... the more we know about how to culturally commute, the better off we’re going to be.” jschucke@gru.edu
Happenings around campus When Tuesday noon Wednesday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday all day Saturday 3-5 p.m.
What Sexual Assault Awareness Month Kickoff Blood Drive Savannah River Scholars Program Application Deadline
Where Paine College Health Sciences Campus - College of Dental Medicine Dept. of Chemistry & Physics
Family Fun Series: Hansel and Gretel
Imperial Theatre
Spring Break
Anywhere but campus
Tuesday, April 15 1 p.m.
Sweet Dreams Sleep Info Session
JSAC Butler Room
Tuesday, April 15 5-8 p.m.
Dia del Idioma Foreign Language Festival
Saturday through Sunday, March 13
Tuesday, April 15 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 7:30-9 p.m.
“It was Rape” Film Screening and Discussion GRU Jazz Ensemble
REBECCA PERBETSKY | STAFF
President Ricardo Azziz speaks at the opening of the Confucius Institute.
JSAC Ballroom JSAC Coffeehouse
Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre
HR/job opportunities available! For more information visit TrinityofAugusta.com or call (706) 481-7454
THE BELL RINGER
PAGE 3
Students learn to treat LGBTQ health concerns By Jessica Sager staff writer
RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
Rep. John Barrow fields questions about activism during a forum held by ONE Campaign, a student organization.
Students talk politics By Richard Adams staff writer
Last semester saw the beginning of a new student organization geared toward political advocacy; that organization began to make good on its promise to empower students March 17. Though a ONE Campaign chapter has only existed at Georgia Regents University since fall 2013, president and senior political science major Josh Ibarra said the group hopes to make itself a felt presence on campus by the end of this semester. One prevailing idea the group had was to bring Congressman John Barrow to campus for a night of political discussion. A big part of the organization’s strategy, Ibarra said, is to provide students with various forums throughout the year in which they can engage with politicians, theoretically giving them the opportunity to influence policy. “ONE is very active in engaging our congressmen,” Ibarra said. “So we work really hard to get as much face-to-face time with our congressmen as we can. Congressman Barrow,
specifically, I know is extremely conscious of his constituents.” Ibarra said the motivation for bringing Barrow to campus was not merely to hear him speak but to ask for his endorsement of a particular House bill. “Once a month, we get challenges from ONE, the larger organization,” Vice President Kaylee Key said. “So once a month, we get a challenge and they tell us very specific things they want us to do, and they give us detailed ways to make it easy for (students to participate).” Their current project involves a campaign promoting the passage of H.R. 2548, a bipartisan House of Representatives bill also known as the Electrify Africa Act. “(Barrow) is currently not a cosponsor of the bill,” Ibarra said. “Judging by what he said and judging by his voting record, I think there’s a good chance for him to vote ‘yes’ on the bill.” The bill encourages infrastructure investment in sub-Saharan Africa in order to provide low-cost access to reliable energy sources, according to govtrack.us.
“ONE is bipartisan and nonpartisan,” Ibarra said. “We’ll take the Green Party, Democrats, Republicans, whoever is willing to take up the fight against extreme poverty, preventable disease and energy deficiency. We, as an organization, don’t endorse certain politicians over others. Our agenda is to fight poverty, not to get people elected.” Barrow encouraged those assembled to show their interest in specific policies because, in the end ,it, is votes that matter. “If you bring a bunch of voters to the (political) process, you can lead the horse to water and you can make it notice what a good idea it is to have a drink,” he said. “So it really does matter when you mobilize public opinion.” Stephen Hall, a political science senior with a minor in international relations, was recently hired for a summer internship in Barrow’s office. Before this event, he had not heard much about the ONE organization. “I do feel like they’ve already stepped their game up pretty quickly,” Hall said. radams99@gru.edu
The 3rd annual Come Out for Health Week at Georgia Regents University commenced events March 24. “Come Out for Health Week is a celebration in recognition of national LGBT health awareness week,” said Justin Neisler, a third-year medical student. “The celebration at GRU was started in March of 2012. It has grown for just a single event that first year to now it’s a full week of events.” Alexis Rossi is the director of diversity, training and evaluation at the Office of Diversity Affairs who said the week was full of important events. “We have a strong focus on skill development this year, so we start off with our patientprovider panel and community resource fair,” she said. “We do that every year as a way to put a face on the issue and make sure that our students are learning what it’s like for different patient populations, to be able to better treat them.” Both health care providers and patients who are on the panel give advice to medical students about how to treat LGBT patients better, Rossi said. The fair, which followed the panel, included many local organizations that support the LGBT population. Other events included a workshop and a screening of the documentary “Transgender Tuesdays,” Rossi said. “A lot of things kind of make (health care for the LGBT population) different and unique,” said Lauren Pitus, a first-year medical student. “First thing is, just, we
“
I think there’s a huge stigma attached to coming out in general, and coming out to your health care provider should be something that you feel totally comfortable doing.
”
--Lauren Pitus, a firstyear medical student don’t get to talk about these issues a lot in the first place. I think there’s a huge stigma attached to, you know, coming out in general, and coming out to your health care provider should be something that you feel totally comfortable doing. Health care providers should be totally nonjudgmental and just open to whatever you have to say so that they can provide you with the best health care possible and best treatments and everything that correlate with your lifestyle.” There are many barriers to health care for LGBT people, Pitus said. She said their sexual orientation or gender identity make it more likely they will be denied health care. The American Psychiatric Association considered homosexuality a mental disorder until the 1970s, Neisler said. He said up until last year, gender identity-disorder was considered a mental illness by the organization. Because of these problems, members of the LGBT community often delay going to their health care providers until it’s too late, Pitus said. It is important for both future and current healthcare providers to learn about LGBT healthcare, Rossi said. jschucke@gru.edu
New tradition to light campus By Rebecca Perbetsky chief reporter
JAMIE LOWE | STAFF
Students use condoms to play Safe Sex Bingo to prepare for spring break.
Safe
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eating and one of the things we’ll do is pass out raisins and Hershey’s Kisses and, instead of just popping the food into your mouth and chewing it, we’ll go through a series of steps leading up to eating it, making people more aware of what it is actually like to eat one of something versus a whole handful.” Free skin cancer screenings and a Safe in the Sun luncheon were held in the JSAC Hardy Room. Students who attended received coupons for free spray tans, said Leslie Wilder, the outreach coordinator for Student Health Services. Students were invited to attend the awards ceremony for the SMILE Video Campaign held in the JSAC Ballroom Tuesday. The SMILE Campaign was a competition in which students created videos to promote a tobacco-free lifestyle and campus, said Christine O’Meara, the director of Cancer Information and Awareness at Georgia Regents. Guests like Marc Miller, a former smoker and tobacco prevention advocate, spoke at the ceremony. Food was pro-
vided, and there were tables set up for students to engage with some professionals regarding tobacco-related issues. The Alcohol Awareness Information table was in the JSAC Breezeway Wednesday morning. Students learned about alcohol awareness and even tried a Breathalyzer test, Wilcher said. The Safe Sex Bingo event was held Thursday in the JSAC Breezeway, where students learned about having a safe sex life while winning prizes. “It will be just like regular bingo, and it’s just a way to educate people about STDs and safe sex,” Wilcher said. A mandatory lecture for student-athletes regarding tobacco and alcohol education was held in University Hall. The week ended with the hair show, which featured talents of local hairstylists and barbers. Some of the ticket proceeds will go toward Locks of Love and the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, said Amber McCray, the president of the organization. With the diverse selection of activities for students to attend, Safe Spring Break provided a way for students to learn about safe life choices in preparation for the upcoming spring break. mday4@gru.edu
The Student Government Association is helping to introduce a new tradition meant to honor the graduating undergraduate class of 2014. Throughout the spring semester, SGA President Amanda Bryant, along with all of the other members of SGA, has been working toward establishing a new tradition. The new tradition is being funded by both SGA and the Alumni Association and will consist of one lantern per college to be released, Bryant said. “It is going to be in the Quad,” she said. “It is not going to be everyone letting off lanterns like we originally had planned. There was some problems with some 200 and something lanterns going up, but we (are) going to have lanterns going up, and there are going to be a lot more candles instead. It is only undergraduate colleges, so there (are) six, including nursing and allied health. We decided that the deans of each college will choose the student that will let each lantern off, so that is how each student will be picked.” Daniel Porter, a senior and SGA senator for the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, said there is an importance to creating a new tradition that will highlight different aspects of both the merged universities. “It is a new university, and it is good to have our old traditions from both universities,”
he said. “It is also a good idea to establish our own traditions. Also, to look back at the history of both campuses, and by having it inside the Quad, which is the old Arsenal, it is a look back to this area’s past.” Another reason the ceremony is important, Porter said, is because it will establish a new tradition for not only the current and soon-to-be graduating students but also for the students of the future. Bryant said getting the tradition started has been a joint effort by all SGA members. She pitched the idea and let the senators give their input. Since the idea came about, Bryant said the planning for the ceremony has gone fairly smoothly with little to no bumps or hiccups in the road as of yet. Sophomore TJ Flakes hadn’t heard about the ceremony but said he thinks it is a great idea. “I mean, I think it would be cool,” he said. “Change things up. You don’t want anything to get stagnant. Tradition is good, but it is always good to start new
traditions.” The lanterns that will be used in the ceremony each year will be biodegradable, Bryant said, and they are safe for the environment and the surrounding neighborhoods. “We did check with the Summerville neighborhood association to make sure they are OK with them going up and everything,” she said. “They are fine with it as well.” The significance behind the choosing of the lanterns would mean a lot to college seniors, Bryant said. “It symbolizes casting away the worries of your past and looking toward the future and things like that,” she said. “That kind of symbolized our graduation as well.” Lighting the Path to Your Future is the name of the ceremony. The only recent downfall is the ceremony will only be held for those students graduating in the spring, Bryant said. The ceremony is set to be held inside the Quad Wall May 8. rperbets@gru.edu
GRAPHIC BY REBECCA PERBETSKY
TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014
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opinion www.grubellringer.com
editorial
Parking on campus: Looking around the parking lots of Georgia Regents University’s Summerville campus, you see a lot of blue temporary parking passes hanging from rearview mirrors. The confusing part is that these permits aren’t temporary at all. After numerous students received the blue paper passes marked with the word temporary in large letters, we assumed we would be receiving an email notification of some sort from Parking and Transportation Services at a later date when a new shipment of permanent plastic passes arrived. Until then, we’d make do with the construction paper-like parking permits. So it came as an unpleasant surprise when several of our staffers were
informed that new passes wouldn’t be arriving, and we would be stuck with the temporary ones for, well, more than a temporary period of time: the entire spring semester. The problem with these temp passes is that they are paper – not by any means durable or substantial. In fact, they’re so lightweight and thin that you could lose one if you drive with your windows down on a nice spring afternoon on the road. We know because this happened to not one, but two of our staffers. The wind is blowing, your music is up and your parking pass is ripped right off its precarious place on the rearview and onto the road, never to be seen again. If you’re lucky, you may find one of these
How much is too much for a pass?
precious permits in a gutter somewhere, slightly water-warped and stained but no less useful. Now, we didn’t think this would be a big issue. After all, it’s just construction paper, right? Shouldn’t be difficult to replace that. But we were informed that it would cost $100 to replace the flimsy paper … with more flimsy paper. While we understand that it was always costly to replace lost parking passes, we figured this had to be due, at least in part, to the cost of the plastic the permits are made from and the labor of those making them. Granted, we assumed part of the fee increase when replacing a lost pass was punitive. Obviously the university doesn’t enjoy giving out multiple
passes to the same people in a given semester. But $100 for a piece of paper? Really? Paying for a piece of cardstock that we could theoretically replicate ourselves without even the promise of a permanent plastic decal doesn’t seem like a high priority for most students - not that we’re advocating students take matters into their own hands by forging or copying passes, of course. So many are simply parking sans permit, instead taking their chances on getting parking tickets during the semester’s final weeks. But, hey, if these students do receive tickets, the university gets its money anyway, doesn’t it?
Learning how to communicate
Meredith Day staff writer Writing for The Bell Ringer has been one of the best-worst things I have done. When I started here, I was shy, scared and insecure. Despite my love for writing, I had never allowed my name to appear in print, and I was not excited for that to change. I knew writing for The Bell Ringer was going to be a challenge. What I didn’t know was how much writing for The Bell Ringer would help me grow as a person. To start off, I don’t really enjoy talking to people. Sure, I have a few close friends I’m comfortable with, but beyond that I prefer to stay to myself. While being quiet and shy are definitely not bad qualities, they don’t really work in the world of journalism. To be a journalist, you must be ready to meet and interview new people every day. Last fall, I conducted my first interview with a student from the drama club. I only had to ask a few simple questions, but I was still terrified, and I went into the interview trembling. I kept thinking, “What if I ask terrible questions?” and “What if they think I’m stupid?” After stuttering my way through only four questions, I noticed something: The girl I was interviewing was laughing, joking and having a good time. She actually enjoyed answering my questions. I realized, for the first time, that people like being interviewed and written about. I’m not saying writing for The Bell Ringer has turned me into a social butterfly, but doing up to 12 interviews a week has definitely taught some important lessons in communication. (Who would have thought a communications major would
learn to communicate?!) After almost a year of writing here, I have found myself joking with classmates, attending club meetings and even making a few friends, and it’s because of the confidence I’ve gained from conducting interviews. I’ve also learned a lot about how to handle stress from writing for The Bell Ringer. As an aspiring journalist, there is always an upcoming deadline, always an uncooperative source and always a computer that refuses to run a simple program such as Word. When I started writing here, I would look at all the articles I had due and think to myself, “There is no way I am going to be able to get this done,” panic, cry, and then, somehow, get everything done. Now, I’ve learned to manage my stress and use it to my advantage. I’ve learned when I need to buckle down and really work hard and I’ve also learned how to take a break when it’s necessary. Sure, there will always be the occasional moment of panic. However, these moments have become less and less frequent, and I think that’s a sign of progress. This article may not have the happiest of endings because I’ve also found from writing for The Bell Ringer that I definitely do not want to become a journalist. I have enjoyed several of the experiences I’ve had writing here, but I also realize this just isn’t for me, and that’s OK because I’ve gained something so valuable from writing here that I can’t help but feel grateful. More valuable than my newfound ability to speak or stress management skills in the new confidence I have in myself. I used to start the day feeling defeated, weird and incapable. Now, I start the day knowing I can do anything because I’ve faced some of my greatest fears and become stronger for it. I’m just so happy for my time spent writing for The Bell Ringer, even though I’m counting down the days until I never have to write an article again. mday4@gru.edu
editorial policy Letters to the editor must be accompanied by the author’s email address. All columns and letters to the editor are the opinion of the author. The views expressed in the opinion section do not necessarily express those of The Bell Ringer, a designated public forum. Anything submitted to The Bell Ringer is open to be edited or rejected. However, The Bell Ringer staff gives all opinions a fair chance to be heard. All letters will be edited for grammar and style. If you would like to contribute a column or a letter to the editor, send an email to: bellringerproduction@gmail.com
HALEY HARRIS I STAFF
Penny, my 2-year-old mini-dachshund, is a handful of furry energy and spunk, which is overwhelming sometimes.
Owning a dog is a lot like having a really hairy child Living on my own has its benefits, but having my dog tag along with me is not one of them. It’s a huge decision to leave where you feel comfortable and safe and move to a foreign place that feels cold and isolated. I packed up my clothes that had been hanging in my closet for years and put them into boxes. I picked up furniture that had been in the same place since I was born and escorted them out of my house into the back of my dad’s truck. I ripped off posters from my walls that I remembered hanging up in middle school and cleaned out my childhood that I had tucked in every corner of my room. The only way to phrase how I felt during those moments is: I was sad. I was sad seeing things change. I was sad seeing my room emptied out. I was sad driving away from my parents as I filled up with doubt and uncertainty. But one person was definitely not sad, and that was my dog, Penny. Penny is a little over two years old. She is a miniature dachshund. Her personality is one that will make you love her immediately after meeting her but quickly despise her after a few hours. She likes to play at any time of the day and eat even more often. If you don’t play with her, she cries. If you leave
Haley Harris staff writer her alone, she will play with just about anything she can reach. This causes issues. Penny likes to rip things apart. She likes books, socks, pillows, phone cords and, her favorite, trash cans. She will take a trash can and not just rip it up but spread the contents of the trash everywhere. I can no longer leave my apartment for hours and be carefree. Penny would play and frolic in my parents’ backyard and I would not have to worry about her. Now however, she sits in my two-room apartment and finds any and every piece of trash to devour while I’m away. She knows that it’s wrong too. As soon as I walk in and she’s had a field day with my trash can, I know immediately because she won’t come and greet me with her usual excitement. She’ll come slowly crawling around the corner, head down, tail tucked and any sudden movements by me will send her running to her bed.
So I clean up her mess piece by piece in silence as she watches. Then 10 minutes later I’m no longer mad, and she’ll realize this and come out of bed pumped up to see me and we’ll begin playing like any other day. Then I’ll leave and go to class for a few hours, and when I come back she’ll have a book that is on top of my bed, which is about four times taller than she is, ripped to shreds all over my floor. This process is never ending. I can’t leave things on the floor. I have to watch out for my roommate leaving food in reach because Penny will find it within seconds and then get sick later that night. I can’t come home and go straight to bed. Penny always comes first. I have to let her outside to take care of her business. Then I have to feed her and make sure she has water. I appreciate having a loving companion when I’m lonely, but it can really be a pain in the butt. Every time she has an accident in the house that I have to clean or relentlessly whines at any hour of the night wanting to go outside or ruins an item of mine that I valued for years, I remember just how not ready I am to have kids. Want a pet? Heed my warning. REALLY think about it first. hharris9@gru.edu
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THE BELL RINGER
What is Country Music?? Amy Thorne staff writer Eric Church sings, “We need a country music Jesus to come and save us all.” But considering how much country music has changed in the past decade alone, we’re going to need more than divine intervention to save the integrity of the genre. What ever happened to good country music? My modest ear has discerned certain things about how those banjos, and now drum machines, come out your car’s speakers. Most importantly, it’s one big contradiction. The genre, whose artists claim to have a defined and specific country image, is hardly country at all. The only thing saving Taylor Swift is the occasional use of banjo in some of her songs. Country-pirate-rocker Kenny Chesney is practically Jimmy Buffet with a steel guitar.
AMY THORNE | STAFF
Brian Kelly (left) and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line perform at Guitar Pull 2013 at the James Brown Arena.
To some extent, country music has always followed in the footsteps of mainstream pop, but what most surprises me is how folk influence has become well accepted in the pop scene. Swedish DJ Avicci has found mainstream success by blending the acoustic instrumentation and rhythmic stomping of bluegrass with electrohouse music to create songs like “Wake Me Up” and “Hey Brother.” Even the Band Perry’s Appalachian-rock-pop influence has piqued the mainstream pop listeners’ interests. It’s probably
because the music scene has been without good country music for so long. Today’s country artists such as Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan have cheapened the genre’s image in a futile attempt to make it more appealing to a broader audience. Some of today’s top country hits have preserved certain aspects of older country tunes, such as the frequent reference to the working class and the use of cheesy extended metaphors tied onto trite expressions (cough, cough George Strait), but who really listens to this music?
Major country record labels have found their target audiences and have boiled the Southern-fried/bubble-gum centered genre into a series of formulaic hits. The recipe to making any country song in the past five years usually uses the following ingredients: -A real country girl: You don’t want a real country girl, trust me. Real country girls are the ones you see on an episode of “Cops” when Bubba’s meth lab gets busted. -The word “baby:” Typically a “baby” they’re going to pick
up in their pick-up truck. -New trucks: Not just any trucks, I’m talking lift kits and rims. -Old trucks: You get extra cool-points if those trucks used to belong to a loved one. -Cruising: You have a truck, a significant other and free time. -Jeans (substitute Boots): Whether they’re skin-tight on your girlfriend or perfectly broken in from years of wear. -Alcohol: There’s always a bottle of “feel good stuff” on hand, typically whiskey. -A Good-night kiss: This idea comes more from Gloriana, Randy Houser and Florida Georgia Line, but it gets mention in other songs today. -Moonlight: How else do you get a goodnight kiss? -An I’m-country-and-ifyou-don’t-like-it-screw-you mentality. All of these elements come together to form a lyrical rant about anyone whose lifestyle differs from the artist. It’s almost as if country music has become that emo-goth-punkwhatever kid in high school who would call everyone else a prep. But remember when country was pure and whatnot? Me either. Probably because it was never its own genre. athorne@gru.edu
Writing a letter to social media
Jessica Sager staff writer Dear Social Media, I know how the world works. Actually, I don’t. Well, I might. I really don’t know if I have a clue. Overall, life is going pretty well, so possibly I know how my world works, or am good at guessing. I certainly don’t know how other peoples’ worlds work. But I do know that, despite my everlasting distrust towards you, we have a relationship. It is more complex than the relationships you keep asking me to create statuses about, that’s for sure. Of course, I am just one of many in a massive, global human-Internet relationship. Nonetheless, I have a voice, and there are some things, dear, poisonous Social Media, that I would like to tell you. First off, I am having trouble with my so-called friends. I feel uncomfortable with the idea of tagging them in statuses that are remotely personal or embarrassing. Thus, I feel like I am being false to however many friends I have now, because I have no problem with embarrassing my real friends in public. On a side note, where did all those people on my page come from??? Also, isn’t it funny how the people I haven’t seen for over a year “like” my statuses and leave kind comments more often than many of my close friends? I return the favor, which is why acquaintances of my acquaintances recognize my name. There is also this “like” business. I think like is probably the most ambiguous gesture in our culture. Forget nodding or shaking one’s head, or the ever mysterious “um, hmm.” This like thing is nuts. For the most part, I get how it can mean “I’m thinking about you” or “duly
noted.” But it’s a little bit much when you post that someone in your family just died, and another family member hits the like button. They weren’t from the same side of the family, but still. I am deeply disturbed by the word “follower.” I am not always a leader, but I don’t consider myself a follower, either. When I am in a position of leadership, I still don’t have followers. It’s one thing for someone like Martin Luther King Jr., or Gandhi, to have followers. I mean, they earned it. For everyone on the Internet to have followers is just ... cheap. Also, if folks aren’t internationally important, having followers makes them sound like cult founders. The one thing that might offend me more than you, dear, disgusting Social Media, is your range of advertisers. I was deeply angered by a recent ad. It figured that the best way to motivate me to check my credit score was through my nonexistent need to find a man. Obviously, the worst thing about a bad credit score is its lack of sexiness. On the subject of men, I’m really offended by the pictures those dating sites are trying to tempt me with. Some of these men are old enough to be my father. The ones who look to be 30 at first glance may even be old enough to be my grandfather. Those stiff, unconvincing smiles reek of plastic surgery. Ultimately, Social Media, we have an unspoken contract. The human population has agreed to put up with you. This agreement occurred as one individual after the other declared that everyone else was doing it. You have been handed, in exchange for convenience, the opportunity to shape, define and even dictate our culture. It is frightening. But, as much as it may feel like you rule our lives, we can live without you. You might be able to make us feel like nothing as our statuses are ignored or as people unfriend us, but without us, you actually are nothing. Of course, this is an April Fool’s Day joke because everyone loves social media, right? jschucke@gru.edu
CONTRIBUTED BY ASHLEY BAILEY
Mema, or Elizabeth Adams, looks on contentedly during a family wedding, one of the last get-togthers she attended.
Learning lessons in laundry Learning is a thing curiously keyed to dispersal. I learned this the other morning during a chore no less commonplace and prosaic than doing laundry. As I prepared a pair of slacks for wash, unrolled the cuffs along the legs and pulled out the thin white fabric of the pockets to check for things possibly forgotten, I realized my approach was a particularly mannered one. I was being pulled in two different directions: hoping to carry the laundry on the road with me to school while everdoing battle with the clock and my scheduled time of arrival. I was in a hurry, and yet my hands were careful to carry out the work of these extra steps. They were precautions fundamentally unnecessary, and still I completed them with a trained and sturdy diligence, completing each task upon each pair of pants until some mental prerequisite was fulfilled. I stepped back from myself and examined these paths my hands naturally took. And then I saw them as they were: learned behaviors buried deep in common scenes of memory much too diluted for one amongst them to take any discernible precedence. This careful attitude of the hands was simply something my grandmother had taught me. I’d learn something more than simple maneuver. I’d learn an ethic. The time these additional measures had taken, the patience they expended and were ulti-
Richard Adams staff writer mately reliant upon, had through experience proven themselves worthwhile. She had not taught me the particularities of my own current method: to unroll the cuffed bottom of my pants legs, to apply the detergent a few hours beforehand to the clothes with the deepest stains, but she had acclimated me to the art of thoroughness and its slowly insistent precision because she had taught me to trust its benefits. I developed my own pattern of behaviors based upon this initial rhythm, these hours of life spent shoulder-to-shoulder. And in doing so today, I remember her – and I remember her stronger
than I could have ever imagined. I see that my own arms match hers in reaching out and bringing forward each item of clothing then carefully inspected. My sometimes-sore joints roll with the same open-vowel shapes of her own. My hips sink into a restful stance, and my feet stay planted patiently. I remember her through my own acquisition of skills because of the fundamental philosophy underlying each conscious choice, though barely acknowledged may this consciousness be. I remember her from all postures, from a child’s height and that of a man’s. I remember her beside me at the stove and next to me in a garden chair. And just as one memory begets a slew of others, so does one instance of learning and listening conceive of a thousand other opportunities. She is no longer with me, and I cannot drive to see her. But when I take my time to fold my pants, I am acknowledging lessons learned a thousand times silently. radams99@gru.edu
TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014
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ARTS & LIFE www.grubellringer.com
Heroes pull for children By Meredith Day staff writer
JORDAN BARRY | STAFF
Augustans gather to donate toward the restoration of the Sacred Heart Cultural Center in exchange for traditional barbecue during the third annual PigJam.
Guests give for barbecue By Jordan Barry production assistant An open bar, live music and traditional barbecue made for an all-around Southern party to benefit a local cultural center. Sacred Heart Cultural Center hosted the third annual PigJam in its garden Thursday night. Guests enjoyed food provided by the BBQ Barn while listening to the sounds of the Douglas Brothers Band. Gould Hagler, the chairman of the event, said he started PigJam three years ago as a way to bring in some younger supporters. “We have a lot of support in the community from a lot of the older residents in Augusta (and) the CSRA, but a lot of the
younger folks don’t necessarily come to some of the more established events that we have,” he said. “We wanted to get that generation gap covered, and, being the youngest member on the board, they thought maybe I’d be just the right man.” Kim Overstreet, the program director at Sacred Heart, said the event has been a hit every year. “It’s gone great,” she said. “We’ve had a great crowd that has come. It’s a real relaxed party, so everybody just comes with a relaxed attitude.” The barbecue was a focus of the night. Jody Glover, the coowner of the BBQ Barn in North Augusta, said his restaurant has been there for PigJam since the event was started.
In the eight years his restaurant has been open, it has been recognized as one of the best places to eat barbecue. It was even featured in Southern Living magazine in June 2012 as part of ‘The South’s Best Butt,’” Glover said. “We’re a Southern, traditional barbecue,” he said. “We slow-smoke our barbecue over hickory wood about 12 to 14 hours.” Nancy Gage, a regular supporter of Sacred Heart, said this was her first time attending PigJam. However, she has attended a lot of other Sacred Heart events, and she said they are always wonderful. Hagler said he has different bands play at PigJam every year. This year, a person on the
events-planning committee recommended the Douglas Brothers Band. “Thirty-five dollars and that includes your food, your entertainment and open bar, beer and wine,” he said. “A night out on a Thursday or Friday night, you’d spend way more than $35 just going to dinner.” Hagler said all of the proceeds made at the event go toward restoring and maintaining Sacred Heart. “I think it’s fun to see a lot of new faces and new supporters at Sacred Heart,” Hagler said. “A lot of people drive by it and still think that it is a fully functioning Catholic Church. They don’t realize that it’s a cultural center.” jbarry3@gru.edu
How many superheroes does it take to pull a plane? Apparently, 25. For the past six years, reallife superheroes have raised money for the Ronald McDonald House in Augusta by participating in the Plane Pull, a tugof-war contest against a several hundred thousand-pound plane. “We have 25 people on one end of the rope, and the other end of the rope is attached to the airplane,” said Betts Murdison, the president and CEO of the Ronald McDonald. “The 25 people have to pull the plane 12 feet in the shortest amount of time.” In the past, there have also been contests for the team that raises the most money for the Ronald McDonald House and for the best-dressed team. This is where Bryan Williams and his team of superheroes from Bryton Entertainment shine. Since 2004, Williams and his colleagues have dressed up as superheroes and visited the children at Children’s Hospital of Georgia in order to bring joy to the patients and their families. When they heard about the plane pull, they immediately knew this was an event worth participating in, Williams said. “The plane pull is a lot of fun,” Williams said. “We don’t win, which is kind of embarrassing having super powers, see PULL on PAGE 13
What are Georgia Regents University students playing?
Nick Labon, a junior biology major
Joshua Cole, a senior public relations major
Nick Palone, a sophomore computer science major
Matthew James, a junior criminal justice major
New restaurant mixes Prohibition with alcohol and tapas By Nikki Skinner production assistant Craft and Vine blew my mind. Upon walking up to the restaurant, I was greeted with a host in a suit holding an iPad. He took down the amount of people in our party and phone number. When the table is ready, they send a text message to your phone so you have the ability to walk around. He guided us into the waiting area inside the door, which is filled with several sofas and chairs, a hostess with a stand suspended from the ceiling and a list of house rules on the wall. The theme of the restaurant causes a more upscale feel, with the servers wearing all black dress clothes with suspenders and vests. The ambiance added an intimate feeling with the lowlit Edison bulbs throughout. The servers come out and mingle
through the crowd, keeping your drinks flowing as you wait on your table. Since it is a new restaurant, we had a lengthy wait, but the service while waiting was still impeccable. While glancing over the cocktail menu, you could see the influence of the Prohibition theme, alone, in the names with titles such as Sidecar, Penicillin and Chatham Artillery punch. After being seated, our server brought us another round of drinks while we looked over the menu. She was extremely helpful, answering any questions we had and helping us make decisions on drinks. The menu gave you a nice variety of food, from cheeses and meats to seafood ranging in price from as low as $4 to the highest menu item being $15. All of the food was great; each item on the menu had its own unique taste.
One of the best things I ordered was the seared diver scallops with Appalachian red grits, ham crisp and herb oil. The scallops were cooked to perfection with just the right amount of salt flavor. The company I had ordered the fried cornmeal and Parmesan-crusted oysters, margherita pizza and Columbus hot capicola, which were also amazing. This restaurant brings a nice change to downtown Augusta. It’s not everyday you find a swanky, low(ish)-priced, all factors considered, restaurant with wine on tap in the downtown scene. It gives you a chance to break away from the typical grunge, laidback style of the area without breaking the bank. Although our tab reached $90 for three people, which is higher than most places on Broad Street, I can see myself visiting this place frequently. nskinner@gru.edu
MEGAN STEWART | STAFF
Craft & Vine offers wine on tap partnered with tapas in a Prohibition theme.
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THE BELL RINGER
Started with the wheel ...
Now we're here Welcome to the future. In a time when technological advancements are so ingrained into even our most basic day-to-day functions, it is difficult to imagine a time when an invention as rudimentary as the wheel could have had such a far-reaching impact on the lives of the people living in that era. Before its invention, historians have only a vague notion of how people were able to travel long distances or move heavy loads. As time progressed, however, inventors began making advancements in technology at an exponential pace. Once the Industrial Revolution dawned, ironwork and combustion engines completely
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changed the face of the American lifestyle. Our current age may well go down in history as the Digital Revolution, and its effects have been no less profound on our daily lives. From communicating with our kitchen appliances to self-flying aircraft, the fantasy world of “The Jetsons” has never seemed more realistic. While new inventions abound, a major focus of this digital era is finding ways to use our existing technology in newer, bigger and better ways. Smartphone apps to enhance the lives of the disabled can be accessed on the very same device used to track our daily caloric intake, poke our crushes
on Facebook or jam out to music on our daily commute to work. In this special section, we explore a handful of the new and upcoming technologies sure to have an impact on our daily lives, like the refinement of robotics to perform medical procedures, tools to help parents monitor their children, and even enhancements to virtual reality for entertainment and gaming purposes. The more technology advances, the more it feels as if the future is now. Maybe one day, we’ll even get those fancy flying cars the Jetsons got to drive.
- Mindy Wadley
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PHOTOS (FROM LEFT): MEREDITH DAY, FATIMA FRASHER, MEGAN STEWART
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Robots set to simplify life By Jordan Williams advanced reporting Robots will be coming to a home near you. Introduced into society in the 1900s, robots were initially designed for handling heavy objects in the automotive industry. But in the foreseeable future, robotic technology will be capable of much more, said Henrik Christensen, the director of the Robotic and Intelligent Machines Center at Georgia Institute of Technology. Christensen said there has been a tremendous evolution in robotics over the last 50 years, and in the future, robots will be available for the elderly to live out their lives in their own households instead of a retirement home. “So I’m saying by the time I retire, I will have a robot that will assist me to get out of bed, get dressed, take a shower, go to the restroom and prepare a meal,” he said. “And things like going to the restroom is something I would like to not have to rely on other people to be able to do that.”
However, the programing for future robots will be different, Christensen said. Robots will be trained how parents train their children. “So we teach (robots) to do particular things by showing them,” he said. “If I want them to be able to prepare a meal for me, I can show how to prepare a meal, and it will know how to prepare a meal in the future. If I’m going to try to assemble a car, I will show it how to assemble a car, and now it’s your turn.” At Doctors Hospital of Augusta, surgeons have been assisted by robotic technology since 2005, said Angela Taylor, the service line director of the Human Motions Institute and Pelvic Health. “The robot is a tool,” Taylor said. “We use them in our surgeries for gynecological surgeries and general surgeries. And it’s to enhance the surgeon’s ability to perform the surgery minimally invasively.” The benefits of surgeons using robotics tools is that patients see ROBOTICS on PAGE 10
JORDAN WILLIAMS | ADVANCED REPORTING
Surgeon Jeff Punshaon demonstrates robotics inside of Doctor’s Hospital.
the evolution of Tech...
CONTRIBUTED BY STEPAN BOLITAN
Notch, a sensor network, allows up to 10 devices to be attached to the user to measure physical activity for review.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
2014 brings innovation By Megan Stewart advanced reporting
The constant evolution of technology has shaped how consumers perform day-to-day tasks, and society can only expect many more technological leaps for 2014. From wearable technology to the way individuals commute, developers such as Stepan Bolitan, a founder of Notch, and Kyle Doerksen, the inventor of Onewheel, have found innovative ways to alter what is available today. Wearbles have been on the rise with products from Fibit, Jawbone, Nike and more; however, Bolitan said one of the newer products to be launched this year, Notch, exceeds the company’s capabilities. The Notch system links up to 10 sensors, which can be placed around your body, tracking individual motions, he said.
Wheel - 4000 B.C. Abacus - c. 2400
“To use the sensor network, the user simply snaps on the Notch modules, starts recording and moves around,” said Lakshmi Sandhana, in her article for Gizmag. “The modules use inertial measurement units to capture the user’s movements, and algorithms process the captured data. The app uses a skeletal model of the user’s body to reconstruct and present them with a 3D visualization of the way they’ve moved, which can be replayed, downloaded and shared.” The people who are most excited for Notch are individuals involved in sports, Bolitan said. Some of the advancements the company is making are different applications for sports and medicine that focus on reconstructing movements of the body for triage. The product goes beyond measurements, though. The ability to compare one’s move-
ments, strength and form to an expert is another feature, as well as to provide a haptic feedback when the move one is trying to improve is done incorrectly, he said. Wearables aren’t the only consumer electronics shaping the way people live. In the form of riding, Onewheel has brought a new method of traveling around town. In spite of a steep starting price point of $1299, the product gained a great show of excitement from backers on its Kickstarter campaign, Doerksen said. The company exceeded its goal and will have the first set of products launched in September. Onewheel is not just another electric skateboard added to the market, he said. It is an entirely different form of riding. “It feels a lot more like snowboarding or wake board see EMERGING on PAGE 10
Kite - c. 1000 B.C. Clockwork - 82 B.C.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014
Started with the wheel ... Drones fly into homes By Jamie Lowe advanced reporting
It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane but there is some new hardware zooming through the sky. Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles or drones have flown into current technology in the form of the shelves in the form toys and hobbyist pieces all the way to military survelliance drones. The U.S. Department of Transportation has classified drones as “device(s) used or intended to be used for light in the air that has no onboard pilot.” Austin Hixenbaugh, a Management Information System senior at Georgia Regents University, shared his opinion on UAVs and quadcopters. “I like playing with (remote-controlled) items like trucks, cars and planes,” Hixenbaugh said. “I don’t really see the difference between (remotecontrolled) airplanes a n d drones. Although drones seem to have the ability to capture video footage.” While Amazon.com has stayed silent about its recently
released Amazon Prime Air service featuring 30-minute deliveries by drones, Amazon is a competitively active website where consumers can purchase quadcopters and other toy UAVs. Chris Cole and Drew Wright, writers for the Drone Wars UK website gave a definition of current drones, consumer and military. “While there are dozens of different types of drones,” Cole and Wright said, “they basically fall into two categories: those that are used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes and those that are armed with missiles and bombs.” This means the most popular use of drones is for pleasure or surveillance. Small-sized quadcopters and drones can be had for under $100 on most purchasing websites. There are other, more costly models that hobbyists pursue and rate amongst themselves. Alex Bracetti, a writer for ComplexTech, recently rated the top 10 consumer drones in the current market. “The most popular drone on the consumer market made a
CONTRIBUTED BY STEVE MORACO
Ian Nott, the founder of DR1, tests drones created at the Savannah College of Art and Design, for enhancements.
huge splash at last year’s CES,” said Bracetti of the Parrot AR. Drone 2.0. “Three being the improved control system, the builtI camera capable of capturing 720HD video and the ability to create its own wi-fi network.” These consumer drones are highly technical and some people other than the U.S. government, are working on how to apply these devices to business in day-to-day life. Ian Nott, the founder of DR1, started his company out of Savannah College of Art and
Design. “Our mission is to provide very expensive, very technological UAV. Before, like on a movie set, the director would have to hire production crews with high booms and even helicopters to get aerial shots or even use CG,” Nott said. “We make the software to go on these UAVs to get shots that were never possible before.” Although there are several possible arts-related applications for drones, there are also agricultural and tech possibili-
ties that Nott’s company is exploring. “Say if you’re a farmer and there’s a field of crops ... a big field of corn, you can fly one of these UAVs over the field and, using spectrum-anaylsis, figure out if some sections of the entire field are a little water starved or maybe need fertilizer,” Nott said. “Then the farmer can go out and make those adjustments. It would let you see certain areas instead of just looking at the whole field.” jlowe12@gru.edu
Cars to gain more than new features By Mindy Wadley advanced reporting
MEGAN STEWART | ADVANCED REPORTING
The LG G Flex, a phone with a curved OLED screen, sits next to a flat Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
OLED shapes the way screens display By Ashley Trawick advanced reporting Ever heard of OLED display? By the time you read this, you may already have it in your hands. Major companies like LG, Samsung and Sony are changing the way consumers view television and cell phones with organic light-emitting diode technology. How OLED differs from the standard LED, which is light-emitting diode, is it doesn’t require a backlight. The light it emits passes through filters and a color refiner to produce noteworthy high-definition images, according to LG’s website. While a majority of TVs and cell phones still have the standard LED display, LG released a curved OLED 55inch television in July and a curved cell phone with OLED display, the LG G Flex, in early February. John Taylor, the vice president of LG, is involved in all aspects of the LG business, from cell phones to televisions to home appliances. He said OLED is the next big thing when it comes to consumer electronics. “That’s one of the new trends right now,” he said. “I just came from the Consumers Electronics Show last month where flat screens are still dominant, but
Clothes Iron - c. 1000
the new trend is curved. It really gives you a much more cinematic viewing experience. It’s like the Imax in your living room.” Stephen Koenig, the director of Industry Analysis for the Consumer Electronics Association, said the benefit of OLED is its energy efficiency, brightness and exceptional color. He said at first, OLED was being implemented in smaller displays such as smartphones and smart watches. In recent years, manufacturers like LG, Samsung and others have been trying to develop it with larger screens, but Koenig said it’s been a challenge. “It has to do with the manufacturing process and getting the substrate that is luminescent to get that consistence,” he said. “It’s been a suitable technology for mass production for small screens, but the challenge in recent years has been being able to find a cost-efficient way to produce large screens.” Taylor said OLED is probably the biggest change consumers have seen since the emergence of flat screens. “We’ve seen a lot of changes from picture tubes to flat screens and then the flat screens started with plasma and LED,” Taylor said. “(OLED is) a whole new technology that is going to revolutionize the way we watch TV.”
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atrawick@gru.edu
Getting from point A to point B has never been so progressive. With all of the developments in technology since the first cars were mass produced in the early 1900s, the automotive industry has consistently turned out vehicles with features to increase the safety, luxury and fuel efficiency of the driving experience. With the increased cost of additional features, drivers may be looking to cut expenses. Electric vehicles offer the option of saving on gas while reducing carbon emissions simultaneously, and Nissan’s Leaf offers drivers a completely electric, zero-emissions driving experience, said Alonzo Scott, a sales and lease consultant at Sunbelt Nissan in Augusta, Ga. “(The Leaf) averages 99 miles between charges,” Scott said. “(Home charging stations) are available. It comes with a trickle charger that you plug up to a 120-volt, regular home outlet to fully charge overnight.” The car includes features to alert drivers where the nearest charging stations are while they are on the road, Scott said. It has an “econo-mode” feature which conserves power while the car is coasting. It also produces its own energy. “Say if you’re coasting and you take your foot off the gas going down a hill, it regenerates power and recharges the battery,” Scott said. “The SL, which is the top of the line, it has a solar panel built into the car, which uses solar energy to recharge and power the accessories.” Safety is a driving factor behind a myriad of new features in consumer vehicles, including those that offer a safe alternative to entertaining oneself while driving. Apple unveiled a system called CarPlay that integrates a driver’s iPhone into the built-in display of a vehicle, giving the driver hands-free access to GPS, phone calls, messages and music.
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“
Vehicle-to-vehicle technology represents the next generation of auto safety improvements, building on the life-saving achievements we’ve already seen with safety belts and air bags.
”
--Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Transportation secretary The system will combine voice control, a dashboard touch screen and the knobs, dials and buttons in the car, according to the Apple website. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced plans Feb. 3 to move forward with development of vehicle-to-vehicle communication in light vehicles. “Vehicle-to-vehicle technology represents the next generation of auto safety improvements, building on the life-saving achievements we’ve already seen with safety belts and air bags,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a press release.” Communications among vehicles using this technology would improve safety by providing the vehicle with 360-degree motion awareness to avoid potential crash situations, such as passing on a two-lane road, making a left turn across the path of oncoming traffic or approaching a busy intersection. These warnings would not automatically operate any vehicle systems, like brakes or steering control, but rather alert the driver in order to avoid dangerous situations, according to the NHTSA press release. Scott said these technologically advanced features are a necessity for cars in order for them to sell. “The old term of base model, stripped down model—you can throw that out of the window,” he said. “You don’t see anything anymore without air conditioning, without power windows.”
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mindyawadley@gmail.com
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Now we’re here PAGE 9
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Gaming:
Oculus Rift makes artificial world real Working out
with fashion
By Meredith Day advanced reporting Video games have always been one of my favorite media of storytelling. Through them, I have experienced worlds as beautiful as a painting, as dark as Mordor and as wondrous as my dreams. However, no matter how deeply immersed in a video game I become, there’s always a disconnection lurking in the corner of my eyes drawing me back into reality. Be it a blinking clock, a message on my phone or my dog playing in the corner of my room, reality always seems to get in the way of my fantasies. This is why I’m obsessed with the idea of virtual reality. It’s an opportunity to completely separate yourself from the real world. When I first heard of the Oculus Rift during its Kickstarter in 2012, I was beyond thrilled. A device that allows you to fully immerse yourself into a video game for the low price of $300? Sign me up! The problem is the actual product is still yet to be released and the prototypes, or Development Kits, are limited to those who understand programing, which I do not. The Virtual Experiences Laboratory run by Kyle Johnsen is a place where students and researchers study and develop products and programs for virtual reality. I went there Feb. 10 for a demonstration of the Oculus Rift. After a quick introduction, Johnsen strapped the Rift onto my head and I was suddenly immersed in the yard of a Tuscan home. In every direction, a beautiful, highly pixelated world surrounded
Innovative ways to empower the disabled •
Kapten PLUS Personal Navigation Device: a very small GPS locator designed to help the visually impaired navigate through the streets.
•
DEKA Robotic Arm: a highly functional prosthetic arm that has such precision and control that it can peel a grape.
•
Cochlear Implant: a device that, once implanted, picks up sound via a microphone, carries it to a device worn behind the ear and then transfers it to a digital signal. That signal is sent to the implant, and the device stimulates the auditory nerve.
By Rebecca Perbetsky advanced reporting
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH DAY
Reporter Meredith Day experiences the Oculus Rift prototype for the first time March 1.
me. Since the screen was connected to my head, I no longer had my peripheral vision to interrupt the simulation. I looked up at the sky, walked around the court yard, into the house and out onto the balcony. It was a fully immersive experience. I’ll admit, it wasn’t easy to get used to. Johnsen had to remind me several times to use my head to look around the world since I kept forgetting that was possible. But after a couple minutes, I mostly had it down. In an interview with Michael Tenery, a programmer and owner of the Oculus Rift, I had been warned I might experience some sickness while using the device. Despite the warning, I was not prepared for how sick I would actually get. After playing with the device for only ten minutes, I had to take a break. Johnsen called this simulator sickness. “Your brain is actually getting mixed signals,” Johnsen said. “One
of the more serious ones is when you’re looking inside a display like this, you are looking at something that is a fixed distance away: a screen. So, if there’s nothing on the display your eyes would be focused at that distance. As soon as something pops up on that display your eyes are now converging at a different distance than they are focused.” Despite the sickness accompanying the demo, I would describe my experience with the Oculus Rift as nothing short of incredible. It truly is an amazing device that has the ability to bring not only gaming but virtual reality as a whole to a new level. “It will be nice to be able to put it on and sit by the beach,” Tenery said. “It will be that kind of experience.” UPDATE: According to PR Newswire, Facebook purchased Oculus VR, the maker of the Oculus Rift, for $2 billion March 25.
Nike has been a big part of the workout scene, and this year the company cemented its place in personal fitness by releasing a wristband called the Nike Fuel Band. Jamie Quarles, the assistant coach of the GRUAugusta men’s basketball team, said he purchased his Fuel Band two years ago because he likes the brand. “I thought it would be a really good way to monitor and to push me to want to be more active and reach my goal every day,” Quarles said. The Fuel Band is plugged into your computer so you can input all the date necessary for it to function, Quarles said. Then goals
are set and you receive Fuel Points. “The more active you are, the more Fuel Points you acquire during the day,” he said. “The Fuel Band measures your steps, your total Fuel Points, your calories burned and time.” Companies like Fitbit also have similar products, and according to an article in The New York Times, it wasn’t until Nike released the Fuel Band that Fitbit, a competitor, stepped up its game. Even though these technologies are changing the workout scene, most fitness enthusiasts doubt gyms will be affected. “I wouldn’t directly compare those two,” said Elise Claycomb, a fitness enthusiast. “I feel like one is used as a motivational tool to set goals and stuff.” Regardless of where you stand on fitness, there are many tools to help guide you into getting healthy, and Nike Fuel Band and tools alike are out there for consumers. rperbets@gru.edu
mday4@gru.edu
Phone apps to aid disabled By Jordan Barry advanced reporting She was finally able to tell her parents what she needed. Some of her frustration was alleviated thanks to an app on her iPad. Caleigh Gray is 6 years old. She has cerebral palsy, fine motor issues and cannot speak. Cathy Kingeter, the vice president of marketing and communications for AssistiveWare, said it developed its app Proloquo2go for people like Caleigh. Dedicated Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices have been around for 11 years, but Kingeter said they have traditionally been very expensive. She said the $219 price tag on the Proloquo2go app is very cheap compared to
$7,000 traditional devices, and it brought new innovation to the world of assisted communication. “Proloquo2go certainly brought a lot of visibility, back in 2009, to the whole idea of providing assistive technologies on mobile devices,” Kingeter said. “It has certainly brought a lot of innovativeness within the industry, which has benefited users around the world.” Holly Gray, Caleigh’s mom, said she has tried several of the big-name AAC companies like Tonii and DynoVox, but they do not compare to Prolquo2go. “I think the graphics are really user-friendly and kidfriendly,” Gray said. “Some of the other devices had antiquated graphics that were old-looking. Also they’ve, I guess within the
last year or two, come out with real voices. So, Caleigh uses a real little girl’s voice instead of a computer-tone voice, and I do believe all of the other devices, the dedicated ones, still have the computer type of tone voices.” Gray said she has seen positive changes in her daughter since introducing Caleigh to the app. “I guess she was probably about 3 years old then, so she was very frustrated,” she said. “She had a lot of behavior issues. Basically she would just resort to crying when she couldn’t get her point across, so when she wanted something or needed something and we didn’t know what it was. Slowly, as she started using the iPad, her frustration levels went down a lot.”
Gray also said she feels one of the biggest advantages of using an app on the iPad is that it is more accessible and more socially acceptable. However, Kingeter said she does not think the app will ever completely replace traditional AACs because there are some users who need to access the device with eye-based movement or have the device mounted on their wheelchair. “They need certain things that only that dedicated device can meet for them,” she said. “I think there are certainly differences in people’s communication needs and also their access needs that make having a variety of solutions available to best fit them is of great benefit to the users themselves.” jbarry3@gru.edu
School systems encourage tech use in class By Fatima Frasher advanced reporting Schools have decided to take part of the trend of allowing students to bring their own consumer electronics into the classroom. Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School’s media specialist Velveeta Tanksley, has been in the education field for 21 years and is in support of the new direction education is headed.
“If you have (technology) and can supplement (technology) then you can bring it,” Tanksley said. “There’s no requirement that you have a phone and iPad purchased, but it’s good if you have those things.” RCTCM is not the only BYOT school in Richmond County. It is one of three schools, according to WJBF News Channel 6’s website. RCTCM is categorized into programs students are interested in and certain programs require
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these new teaching tools, Tanksley said. “In the video classes they have everything, everything,” Tanksley said. “MacBooks, MacPros, MacSevers and, recently, new Chromebooks.” In contrast to the BYOT public schools in Richmond County and other counties, a different type of school has emerged where they almost demand this vast technology usage. Connection Academy is a
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virtual online school, and thousands of students all over the world attend. Connection Academy programs are also designed with their students in mind. “Students discover their passions and interest,” the Connection Education LLC brochure said. “(They acquire) the academics, technical knowledge and skills they need to pursue career options or (help) smooth their transition (in) to college.” ffrasher@gru.edu
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FATIMA FRASHER | ADVANCED REPORTING
In select schools, students are able to bring their own devices for study.
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Started with the wheel ...
TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014
Now We’re Here
Cooking up hot new technology
CONTRIBUTED BY WHIRLPOOL
Cooktop from Whirlpool provides a button-free stove top controlled by voice.
By Maggie Smith advanced reporting With the hustle and bustle of daily life, sometimes one might wish he had an extra hand with completing household tasks, such as chores or even cooking dinner. For the year 2014, big changes are coming to the world of kitchen appliances. One product that will give a technological makeover to kitchens is the Interactive Cooktop from Whirlpool. This particular stovetop will be button-free and controlled by voice or touch. With a simple tip of a finger, a person has the ability to choose the use of space on the counter, said Chris Quatrochi, director of Global Creative Design for Whirlpool. By drawing out a square, which appears by touching the surface, a person has the capability of deciding how large of an area will be used for cooking space, he said.
It also features a cookanywhere feature, which means food can be prepared on any part of the surface versus only having four burners, Quatrochi said. The Interactive Cooktop will fulfill cooking needs; however, it will feature so much more. “Through seamless connection to mobile devices and Internet-based content, the Whirlpool Interactive Cooktop can truly enable consumers to manage their home,” Quatrochi said. “With a multi-purpose cook surface, consumers can monitor the weather, manage appointments and find favorite recipes on Pinterest without leaving their kitchen.” Along with creating appliances to make cooking easier, companies such as Whirlpool will also be releasing products to fulfill entertainment needs. The team at Whirlpool recently designed the CoolVox Refrigerator, which has taken the concept of entertainment to a completely different level.
“Whirlpool brand applies technology we’re familiar with in daily life, such as hands-free devices and touch screens, with concepts not yet implemented in the kitchen,” Whirlpool Brand Manager Eric DeJong said. The CoolVox is a refrigerator designed with Harmon Kardon speakers inside the appliance, which allows the capability of playing music or any other sort of audio. “You’ll no longer need speakers or a dock for your mp3 player,” DeJong said. “So we eliminated extra cords and freed up valuable counter space where you need it most.” DeJong said the concept of this appliance was to find a way to not only free up counter space, but to also utilize the kitchen more because it is an important part of the home. The team at Whirlpool has said to expect the release of these products sometime late this year. msmith91@gru.edu
Electronic nanny makes for safe haven By Brittany Ward advanced reporting
Being a parent is hard, but there are some technological advances that can make the fulltime job a little easier. One advancement is the evolution of the video baby monitor. Far from the cameraless device it once was, this new and improved monitor has enough features to put the minds of parents at ease while their baby is fast asleep in the crib.
Tonya Culler, the mother of two-month old twin boys and a 15-year-old daughter, said she believes what makes the new monitor special is its ability to allow a parent to view their baby from different areas in their home using a login and encrypted signal to view on Apple or Android smartphones, tablets and computers. “All a parent could do was hear their baby on the old models, whereas with the new models the parents can actually see
the baby,” Culler said. “I can cook, clean and work out all while watching my babies sleep peacefully on my iPad tablet.” Some video monitors, such as the Summer Infant Baby Touch Wi-Fi Video Monitor and Internet Viewing System, also have a two-way communication feature that allows parents to talk through the monitor or their device to the baby. As noted on SummerInfant.com, other highlights of this particular baby monitor include the ability to
view multiple rooms on the same screen and infrared lights that come equipped with the monitor to enable monitoring in low-light conditions. Not only can technology have an effect on how a baby is nurtured, it can also affect how a child learns. Although the idea of using a video baby monitor and an iPad to take some of the stressors off of parenthood sounds promising, there are some precautions. Caroline DiBattisto, an assistant
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Now we’re here A production of Advanced Reporting
Blog Master: Rebecca Perbetsky
Designers: Jordan Barry Megan Stewart
Editor-in-chief: Mindy Wadley
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bward4@gru.edu
Robotics
Started with the wheel ...
Reporters: Jordan Barry Meredith Day Fatima Frasher Jamie Lowe Rebecca Perbetsky Maggie Smith Megan Stewart Ashley Trawick Mindy Wadley Brittany Ward Jordan Williams
professor of Pediatrics for Georgia Regents University, said moderation is the key. “The average child has seven hours of screen exposure,” DiBattisto said. “The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend one to two hours maximum.” Even though technology is known for its ability to save time, it shouldn’t be used as a replacement for human interaction, DiBattisto said.
CONTRIBUTED BY KYLE DOERKSEN
Kyle Doerkson demonstrates the prototype of Onewheel, which will officially be released in fall.
Emerging CONTINUED from PAGE 7
ing than it does skateboarding,” Doerksen said. “It’s a little different. For people who’ve never ridden a skateboard, they’re not really at any disadvantage riding with only one wheel.” Alexis Santos, the contributing editor of Engadget, took a ride on the prototype for Onewheel at CES 2014 and said while skeptical at first – he was soon proven as to how easy it was to glide across the pavement. “I started to slowly get into (the idea of), ‘Hey, this isn’t so bad,’” he said. “And I immediately started to wobble and then I had to jump off, but after the second or the third try (I got) more stable on the thing and then by the fourth try I was putting along fairly well.” The idea behind the product is a gyroscope that computes information to help the rider out, Doerksen said. “There’s a motor in the hub of the wheel and then there’s batteries and con-
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trol electronics,” he said. “The control electronics have motion sensors and accelerometer sensors, and they look at what angle the board uses relative to the ground. Then there’s some software running on a little computer that looks at those angles, does the math and calculates exactly how it should drive the motor to balance you out. So if you lean forward, it drives the motor faster to catch up with you.” The charge time is another aspect to the product’s popularity for a method of transportation, Doerksen said. The ability to spend $100 more to upgrade to an ultra charger means consumers can plug it into a wall outlet for 20 minutes to receive a full battery, which will last anywhere from 4 to 6 miles. Although the product won’t hit the streets for a few months, the company has high expectations for what else is to come, he said. “Our goal is when you look at a sidewalk five years from now, it’ll look different because there will be all these people zooming around on these electric vehicles we’re making,” Doerksen said.
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receive a smaller incision, Taylor said. The smaller incision results in less blood loss and a quicker recovery. At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a team of students, professors and professional engineers entered the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency robotics challenge under the team name WPI Robotics Engineering C Squad. Team member Felipe Polido said the robotic challenge is a competition of robot systems and software teams contending to develop robots that can assist people in natural and man-made disasters. “We developed the robot to be able to pick up debris, so if you have a pile on the ground it could crawl down and pick them up,” he said. In the competition team, WRECS finished seventh out of 30 teams and was allowed to move on to the next phase of the contest, Polido said. The team now has an extra year to continue developing Atlas for the finals next spring. jwill143@gru.edu
JORDAN WILLIAMS | ADVANCED REPORTING
Jeff Punshaon operates the control panel of the robotic platform at Doctor’s Hospital.
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comics April Fools’ Day
Across 4. In 1998, Burger King announced it was introducing a new left-handed _____ on April Fools’ Day. 6. On April Fools’ Day in ______, children tape fish to their friends backs. 7. _______ around a corner with a squirt gun is a great prank. 9. On April Fools’ Day 2010, the National __________ Senatorial Committee released a web video celebrating President Obama. 10. Hindus around the world celebrate ____, a festival that has been linked to April Fools Day because pranks are played during the festival. 12. In Iran, people play jokes on the 13th day of the _______ New Year, which falls on April Fools Day. 13. Tying a string across the bottom of the stairs is _________.
Down 1. The time around April 1 is also near the ______ Equinox and used to start the New Year. 2. Ancient Romans celebrated the festival of _______ on March 25, which some believe is the starting point of April Fools Day. 3. In 1996, ________ purchased an ad in The New York Times announcing it had purchased the Liberty Bell and would rename it. 5. It is said that April Fools’ Day started because France adopted the _________ calendar. 8. The origins of April Fools’ Day are _______. 11. Painting everything in the yard _____ is a prank that will confuse everyone. 12. In England and Canada, ______ are only played in the morning. 14. In Scotland, hunt-the-____, is the first event during a t wo-day event where they hunt a cuckoo.
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REBECCA SIMANSKI | PHOTOGRAPHER
Patron John “Mick” Faulkner plays the mandolin at O’Donovans Irish Pub each Thursday night.
New Irish pub comes to town By Rebecca Perbetsky chief reporter
O’Donovans Irish Pub is a new pub in downtown Augusta that hopes to be the place where everyone will become a friend. The grand opening of O’Donovans was March 7 and Jennifer McKeon, the
manager, said it went very well. “All of our tables were filled,” she said. “Our environment here is we just want everyone to feel comfortable with one another, sort of a comfortable place, a homey place where everyone is just chummy with each other.” On the night of the grand opening, McKeon said there were customers who
ended up sitting together who didn’t know each other prior to sitting down. “We had a couple sitting at the end of one table and then another couple came in and shared the same table and then another couple came in,” she said. “Then you have different couples sitting at one table and they’re all conversing and becoming friends, and that’s the environment we are trying to provide.” Owner Elaine D’arcy wanted to bring a little piece of her hometown to Augusta, McKeon said. “She is from Dublin, Ireland,” she said. “I think she just wants to create a place that reminds her of where she is from and to show everyone what a great place Ireland is.” For Allison Carr, a daytime bartender at O’Donovans, the building the pub is in has more sentimental meaning for her. “I live in Olde Town, and I love downtown,” Carr said. “It’s a great location.” The building where O’Donovans is located was previously a Greek restaurant named Eros Bistro that Carr worked in, and she said that is why it means more to her. “I have been in these walls for a long time now,” she said. “I was here with Elaine when she was doing the transition. Getting all the furniture in and all the stuff out that we didn’t want, building the bar, and it took her a long time.” The only drawback is getting people in the community to understand what a pub is, Carr said. “They will call and they will want a reservation or to know how long the wait is,” she said. “We don’t have a seating chart. We don’t have a waitlist. You’re here to mingle and meet people.” The clientele at O’Donovans is extremely eclectic, McKeon said. “Kids are, of course, welcome, but
we try to do that during the day,” she said. “That’s more of a family evening around 3 p.m. or 4 p.m., having dinner or something like that. Then when it starts getting dark, you have the college students or you have the business people who are getting off work, and they want a place to wind down and stuff.” Although O’Donovans hasn’t been open for long, Eugene Simpkins, an Augusta patron, is already a loyal fan. “I come here every day they are open,” he said. “Sometimes twice a day.” Simpkins said he heard about O’Donovans through one of his instructors, Chef Michael Alvarez, at Helms College. “When he left Helms, I talked to him and he said he was going to be consulting with Elaine,” he said. “I was like, ‘Cool, I live like a block away.’” As a student at Helms College who takes night classes, Simpkins said he comes to O’Donovans at night after class to wind down, relax and pick up his favorite food as an alternative to eating fast food. “First thing I order is a scotch egg,” he said. “My favorite thing on the menu is the Reuben. I am partial to Reubens, everywhere I go. When I see it on the menu I have to try it, and this is one of the best in town.” O’Donovans doesn’t run any regular specials, but they do have live music, McKeon said. “Every Thursday, we have (an) Irish session at 7 p.m., and we may run a special with beer,” she said. The music played on Thursday nights is traditional Irish music, McKeon said. “We are trying to create a comfy, homey environment,” she said. “With the mixed matched chairs, it’s like sitting in your grandma’s living room.” rperbets@gru.edu
Students walk into P.I. Bar... By Jacob Thigpen contributor Tucked between the Health Sciences and Summerville campuses of Georgia Regents University stands the historical Partridge Inn and its on-site restaurant, the P.I. Bar & Grill. The P.I. Bar & Grill serves up Sunday brunches tasty enough to earn Best of Augusta recognition from Augusta Magazine. It also furnishes a fun and unique atmosphere that many students overlook when deciding where to have a good time with friends. Chris Partridge (no relation to the family of hotel founder Morris Partridge) studies respiratory therapy at Georgia Regents and frequently visits the bar on weekends with his classmates because he said it has a mellow and chill atmosphere. “I’ve never had a problem getting service, and the bartenders are always great,” Partridge said. Vincent Johnson, the head bartender, said he believes in the overall guest experience the bar offers and enjoys meeting new
people, especially the Georgia Regents medical students. “I love the overall four- to six- year experience they all have together,” Johnson said. “I know most of them by first name now.” The relationships Johnson has with the loyal students typically crowding the P.I. Bar in the late weekend hours allows him to serve them more efficiently – knowing now what they tend to drink, he said. “As soon as I see them, I’m already making their drink so I can already be handing it to them,” Johnson said. Outside of the busy Fridays that offer late-night live jazz and Saturdays showcasing a live band, he said the P.I. Bar becomes an oasis for students seeking a cup of relaxation after exams. For Partridge, he said the bar becomes a real stress reliever after having his mind drowned in a two-hour test. The P.I. Bar also offers a wide range of drink options to choose from, whether one pre see BAR on PAGE 13
Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School
JESSICA SAGER | STAFF
Dr. Sketchy’s, an event hosted for artists at Le Chat Noir, offers live drawing opportunites in an atmosphere of music and performance. CHECK OUT www.grubellringer.com for the full story!
JORDAN BARRY | STAFF
Caleb Morris, a senior criminal justice major, learns salsa moves Thursday in the Jaguar Student Activities Ballroom.
Society teaches dancing By Jordan Barry production assistant During a night of free fun, music, dancing and culture, students learned to move their feet (and their hips) to the rhythm of the clave. The clave rhythm is the fundamental rhythm in salsa music. Alpha Mu Gamma hosted its second Salsa Night Thursday, and invited students to come out and learn how to move. Sarah Carter, the president of Alpha Mu Gamma, started the event last semester as a way to get people more involved with the honor society. “A lot of people came out, and they really liked it,” she said. “Salsa’s one of those dances that’s really easy to learn, so a lot of people just are really attracted by it and they like the music. It was a good time.” Carter dances with the Ballroom Dance Center, and she said she wanted to share her love of dance with her fellow students. “What I like about it is that it’s a way to be social, and you get to know lots of different people,” she said. “It’s a great stress reliever because of all the school and homework and crazy stuff going on. It gives me a chance
“
It’s a great stress reliever because of all the school and homework and crazy stuff going on. It gives me a chance to just breathe and focus and to clear my mind.
”
-- Sarah Carter, the president of Alpha Mu Gamma to just breathe and focus and to clear my mind. It’s also good for exercise, and it’s just an overall great thing.” Will Crews, a French teacher at Westminster High School, has been dancing for 10 years. He said he helped Carter with both of the Salsa Nights that Alpha Mu Gamma has hosted. “It was very fun,” he said. “It was good to work with her, and it was a great event to see some of – I didn’t personally know them, but to see the Spanish professors and the other people interested in language and in Spanish and have a good time dancing.” Crews said he shares Carter’s passion for dance. “I like the stories that the dances tell and the characteristics of the dances,” he said. “There are six major dances in ballroom dancing, and they each have their own personalities and stories.”
Isabell Llinas, a freshman majoring in criminal justice, said she enjoyed the event very much. “(They are) real nice, approachable and friendly,” she said. “They seem to really know what they’re doing.” Alpha Mu Gamma provided light refreshments and water throughout the night, but the highlight was the dancing, Carter said. “I think the students should attend this event because it’s a way for them to learn more about Spanish culture and to learn another dance,” she said. “If they don’t know how to dance, they can learn how to dance. It’s also a way for them to socialize and get to know other Alpha Mu Gamma members and just regular students who want to come. It’s just a great opportunity to learn something new while you’re in college.” jbarry3@gru.edu
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Presidential house keeps its antiquity By Anthony Garcia staff writer The Boyhood Home of Woodrow Wilson, located in Augusta, stands proud and tall alongside the Joseph Rucker Lamar Boyhood Home and the First Presbyterian Church of Augusta. Stephanie Herzberg is the museum docent for the home. She said it was here where the 28th president of the United States spent his childhood for 10 years, from 1860 to 1870. “This is the oldest presidential home in the state of Georgia,” Herzberg said. “A president lived here longer than he lived anywhere else in his entire life, so it’s a jewel for the city.” Wilson’s father, Joseph Wilson, was a minister who was given an opportunity to minister in Augusta for an increased salary, she said. At the time of the Wilsons’ move to Augusta, they spent their first two years living in a manse before the church bought this home in 1859. The home has 10 rooms, stands 2 1/2 stories tall and was
equipped with gas lighting. A water pump in the backyard provided the bathroom with running water, which was a luxury during its time, Herzberg said. As Wilson grew up in this home, he developed a deep sense of the Presbyterian religion, as well as started his formal education. Herzberg said he also got his first experience as a leader as he led his amateur baseball team, the Lightfoot Baseball Club, as well as witnessed the Civil War and Reconstruction in front of his home neighborhood. The First Presbyterian Church owned the house from 1859 to 1930, when it was sold during the Great Depression and became a private residence for more than 60 years, Herzberg said. Historic Augusta Inc. purchased the home in 1991 and spent more than 10 years restoring it before finally opening. Brian and Ruth McArthur, of Toronto, made a visit to the home while on their way to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Ruth McArthur said the docent impressed her with the history lesson. “(Herzberg) was very knowledgeable,” she said. “We’ve had some tours of houses before where they just show you the home and say, ‘Here it is.’” Brian McArthur said he and his wife didn’t know that much about Woodrow Wilson before the tour. “We learned a lot,” Brian McArthur said. “I was impressed by the size of the house and how high the stories were.” agarci11@gru.edu
JORDAN BARRY | STAFF
The Meadow Garden House Museum, which used to be home to George Walton, sits at 1320 Independence Drive.
DARs honor memory of prominent citizen By Jordan Barry production assistant
were interested in saving his home. “In the late 1800s, the house was slated to be torn down,” she said. “It had become rental property, and Harriett Gould Jefferies, who is in the Augusta chapter of the DAR, made a proposal they buy the house and open it to the public.” Jackson said Jefferies and her fellow DARs were only able to raise about $500 to $600. This amount was not enough to buy the house; however, the National Society of the DAR stepped in and was able to purchase the house by taking dime donations. Virginia Nicholson, the Georgia State Society chairman of the Meadow Gardens and a member of DAR, said the Daughters purchased the house in 1900. “Our primary mission in the DAR is to preserve historic sites ... and also to educate the public, especially young children, about
The oldest documented house in Georgia was once home to an important revolutionary. Susan Jackson, the manager of the Meadow Garden House Museum and a member of Daughters of the American Revolution, said the historical landmark was once home to a significant political figure in Georgia. “This was the home of George Walton, Georgia’s youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence,” Jackson said. Walton was also the first governor of Georgia, a senator, a judge, a lawyer, a chief justice, one of the original five trustees of Richmond Academy and one of the founders of Franklin College at the University of Georgia. Jackson said it was because of this that the Georgia DARs
patriotism and about the country,” Nicholson said. “Patriotism in general is one of those three things. Education, patriotism and historic preservation are three cornerstones for our society even existing.” John Hayes, an assistant professor of history at Georgia Regents University, said he had his Georgia history class visit. “I think students find it very interesting to see different artifacts of the past,” he said. “It’s where people really lived that are right around them here in Augusta that have sort of a significant historical meaning too.” Hayes said he particularly likes to take his students to house museums like this one. “Basically, house museums not only present the past in terms of the museum collection, but literally the place itself is part of that recovery of the past,” he said. jbarry3@gru.edu
‘When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die’ By Jordan Williams and Mindy Wadley sports editor, copy editor A Lannister always pays his debts. At the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library, fanatics of the HBO television series “Game of Thrones” gathered to re-experience the bloodcurdling episode “The Rains of Castamere” and discuss the fantasy series. Rosalyn Holliday, of Augusta, said she has read all of the books as well as watching the series, and her favorite aspect of the experience is developing a close bond with all of the many characters in the show,
even when author and series creator George R.R. Martin kills off some favorites. “Every time you think they have killed off main characters, a whole set of them pop up that you absolutely fall in love with, and you really get connected to them,” she said. “You almost feel as if you are mourning someone from your family.” The moderator for the event and historian at Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, Corey Rogers, said he found out about the show through a friend and was hooked after viewing the first episode. Rogers and library assistant Aspasia Luster said they created the discussion last June to meet
Bar
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fers a buzzing liquor drink, the bittersweetness of wine or the smooth taste of beer. Its convenient location between Georgia Regents’s main campuses is another big reason why students visit the bar, Johnson said. “Most of (the students) live right around here,” he said. “It’s easier for them to come in walking distance instead of driving all the way downtown, dealing with traffic and parking.” Partridge said he is a fan of the P.I. Bar’s location, not only for its convenience, but also for its location on Walton Way – absent from the crowded downtown streets where other popular bars hide. He said he finds comfort knowing he doesn’t have to worry about being bothered when visiting. With Georgia Regents’s attempts to bring more students into the Augusta area, the P.I. Bar has potential to increase its service beyond the traditional medical
the most. One character who is almost universally hated in the Seven Kingdoms is Joffrey Baratheon, currently sitting as king on the Iron Throne. But, audience member Cheryl Corbin said she actually has a soft spot for him. “Joffrey is essential for conflict in the story because whenever you have a good guy, you’ve got to have a bad guy, and he’s a great bad guy,” she said. Audience members went back and forth debating each character’s worth in the show, defending their favorite character’s behaviors and ripping into the ones they hate. During the episode “The
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Every time you think they have killed off main characters, a whole set of them pop up that you absolutely fall in love with.
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--Rosalyn Holliday, of Augusta other interested Augustans. This time around, they decided to add a screening of an episode to give audience members a frame of reference to get the conversation going, and a modest crowd of fans chimed in on topics from favorite characters to those they love to hate
students that are the majority guests. Johnson said he feels traditional Summerville students haven’t visited the P.I. Bar with as much loyalty as Health Sciences majors because of misconceptions of the bar’s presentation. “The perception that we get here is over-priced, bourgie, got-to-dress-up fine dining,” Johnson said. “Which we’re more so casual, laid back (but) still professional in the same manner.” Matt O’Banion, a former marketing major at Georgia Regents and frequent visitor of the bar, said he agrees with Johnson, feeling the bar’s classy style and fancy decor can lead to stereotyping. “From what I’ve heard, most people think it’s too expensive to go there for a drink,” O’Banion said. “The truth is, it’s very reasonable price-wise … the entertainment is very good, and you don’t have to wait very long to get a drink.” Partridge said he believes the P.I. Bar has the makings to become a key hangout for all Georgia Regents students, regardless of what their major is. “I don’t want the Summerville students to be intimidated,” Partridge said. “I think it can be a great social outlet.” jthigpe4@gru.edu
CONTRIBUTED BY BETTS MURDISON
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but it’s just wonderful being out there with the kids.” While there are 25 people to a team, Williams explained the pulling of a several ton plane is still quite the challenge. “One of the things I think is funny is, even though we’re playing heroes and we have superpowers, some of us aren’t very coordinated and last year some of us started pulling when they
Rains of Castamare,” a pivotal moment occurred at the end that shaped the entire season. “Well, I knew it was going to happen because I had read book three before I saw season three, so I knew it was going to happen,” Luster said of the moment that sent shock waves through the “Game of Thrones” fan base. “I think that was the most shocking part of all, even though I was prepared for it.” With the new season premiering April 6, Holliday gave a hint of what she’s looking forward to. “Joffrey. That’s all I’m saying!” jwill143@gru.edu mindyawadley@gmail.com
blew the whistle to stop,” Williams said. “We’re a little uncoordinated, and you have to be coordinated when you’re pulling a plane.” In addition to the contests, which have taken place at the pull every year, this year’s pull will also consist of some new challenges, such as seeing how few people can pull the plane. “We want to see how few people it will take to pull the plane,” Murdison said. “There may be two or three really strong people who can pull it, and we’ll have some contests like that.” This year, the Plane Pull will take place April 19 at the Augusta Regional Airport. To participate, the pull costs $40 a person for teams of 25 people, he said. For individuals to sign up without a team, it costs $75. Registration begins at 8 a.m. the day of the pull, no superpowers required. “It’s wonderful participating every year,” Williams said. “It’s the same feeling we get going to visit the hospital. The Ronald McDonald House is absolutely wonderful, and it’s very personal to me and I think it’s very personal to the other superheroes too.” mday4@gru.edu
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TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014
sports www.grubellringer.com
REBECCA SIMANSKI | PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman second baseman Tyler Roberts steps up to the plate in a 6-4 win against Erskine.
Jags claw for tourney spot By Rebecca Perbetksy chief reporter
The GRU Augusta baseball team started this season off just as it would every season, hoping for the best, but little did the team know this season would turn out quite differently than last. After a slow, 4 and 11 start to the season, the Diamond Jaguars (13-21) are looking to keep the momentum up
after hitting a new high. “Obviously, it was one of our goals to win more games than we did in the previous season,” head coach Jason Eller said. The team is still trying to figure out its chemistry, and once that happens things will fall into place, Eller said. “We are just trying to understand who we are and how we can win games and our style of play,” he said. “We are still working on that.”
The Diamond Jags recently played in a series at Georgia College March 21 through 22, and Eller said the team didn’t do so badly. “They were a highly ranked team and a good offensive club that pitched OK,” he said. “We got beat 4-3 on (March 21), but we played good.” During the series, the Diamond Jags had times when they could have taken the lead, Eller said, but for one reason or another they couldn’t seem to. “We were up early in the game, and then it was tied up and they hit a home run in the 8th inning, a solo job to beat us 4-3,” he said. Eller said the team came back from the loss March 21 to beat Georgia College 7-1 the following day. “Tyler Brown pitched very well,” he said. “He was freshman of the week, which was nice.” The important part about the win wasn’t so much that it was a win but rather that the Diamond Jags beat a ranked team for the first time this season. After beating their first ranked team, the Diamond Jags continued to keep up with Georgia College; however, the team was unable to make the third game another win. Clint Echols, a senior pitcher, says the team still hasn’t won a lot of games, but that they have already won more games than last season. The team has been playing solid as of late, Eller said, but in order to make it to the tournament, it will need to get over the middle half of the season. Sophomore pitcher Trey Mcavoy said he also feels as if the team can make it all the way this season. rperbets@gru.edu
Committee assists athletes By Richard Adams staff writer The Georgia Regents University Senate Athletics Committee is advocating for advisement for all studentathletes, a failsafe measure not currently in place. A network built of several departments and committees coordinates throughout the semester with the Athletic Department to provide oversight for the academic standards of the athletes, said Kay Allen, the assistant athletic director for Compliance and Academic Services. One key component to this system is the transparency provided by the GRU Senate Athletics Committee, currently chaired by Assistant Professor of Sociology David Hunt. “We have faculty and student representatives,
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I honestly couldn’t tell you what other people do - I just know what we do. For those who adhere to it, it works.
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--Adam Ward, the head coach of track and field along with representatives from the athletic department,” Hunt said. “And we just deal with any athletic issues that may come up that may need us.” Hunt said one change to policy the committee recently suggested concerns an extension of advising services for student-athletes who are neither freshmen nor transfer students. “What we’re looking (at) is whether it would go through the regular academic advising or whether we need to have specific academic advisors for the Athletics Department,” Hunt said. “And the reason for that is that
athletes have stricter requirements than a lot of other students do.” The current approach to advisement is limited to firstyear students, Allen said. “Currently for students, when they come to GRU, if they are new freshmen or new transfers, I (or an assistant) meet with them every two weeks,” Allen said. Adam Ward, the head coach of the cross-country and track and field teams, said mandatory advisement schedules for students who are not new to the school is a resource each coach must ultimately decide whether to utilize.
“I honestly couldn’t tell you what other people do – and that’s fine,” Ward said. “I just know what we do, for those who adhere to it, it works,” Coaches not only monitor their students’ GPAs at the beginning and end of each semester, Ward said, but also have the ability to keep track of their academic progress by way of a new system that allows for feedback from the faculty. “In monitoring their academics, we now utilize the GradesFirst software, which is part of the whole university,” Allen said. “It’s basically just an academic alert system. So Academic Advisement in particular is using it to monitor freshmen. We use it not only to monitor freshmen but our student-athletes.” radams99@gru.edu
Softball player captains young squad By Meredith Day staff writer Even as a freshman, Hannah Vaughn was a natural leader, head softball coach Melissa Brocato said. It’s this quality that allows Vaughn to be such an effective captain to the GRU Augusta softball team, Brocato said. “(Vaughn) steps up, she doesn’t mind taking on that leadership role, and it’s not a burden; it’s more of a joy,” Brocato said. “She naturally gravitates to that, and so I would say she is the strongest personality that we have as a leader.” It’s not just Brocato who thinks highly of Vaughn’s leadership capabilities. Ashley Benton, a teammate of Vaughn’s since high school, agreed that leadership is one of Vaughn’s strongest traits.
MEREDITH DAY | STAFF
Junior second base player Hannah Vaughn prepares for a grounder.
“She’s a hard worker,” Benton said. “She’s fun to play with because she’s always encouraging and even if she’s down she always keeps everyone up.”
Vaughn started playing softball when she was only 5 years old, and she said she always knew she wanted to play sports in college. It was through her years of play-
ing sports that she picked up her strong leadership skills. However, Vaughn said that the whole team relies on each other. “It’s definitely a responsibility knowing you have 13 girls relying on you all the time, but it’s also a family,” Vaughn said. Now, in her third year on the team, Vaughn not only has taken on the role of team captain but also a new position on the field. “She’s playing an entirely different position this year, and she’s willingly doing that,” Brocato said. “She was a second baseman, and now she’s a third baseman. I think she’s handled that really well, which is the mark of a good leader. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her team the most successful.” mday4@gru.edu
The sideline report Jordan Williams sports editor
Golf teams flex muscles on the greens Both GRU Augusta golf programs have been spending the spring season testing their strength against top-notch competition. The women’s golf team recently wrapped up a two-day tournament at the Briar’s Creek Country Club March 24 through 25 in John’s Island, S.C. The Briar’s Creek Invitational was hosted by the College of Charleston, and 17 teams participated. Out of the 17 squads, five of them were ranked in the top 50 Golfstat. com women’s rankings. Entering the tournament, GRU was one of the ranked competitors, placed at No. 34 in the polls. And after the opening rounds, GRU sat at first place on the scoreboard. In the first 36 holes of play, GRU climbed atop the scoreboard with a team score of 596 (+20). Heading the charge was freshman Josefine Nyqvist, shooting a 1-over 73 in the second round to tie for eighth among individuals. Behind GRU after day one was East Carolina (600), followed by Clemson (601), and Texas Tech (602). The next day, GRU not only had to battle its opponents but also high winds and moisture. During the finals phases of the tourney, the team slipped in the standings to finish fourth in the 17-team field event. GRU turned in a final score of 895 after a total 54 holes of action. Nyqvist continued to lead the way in the closing rounds by finishing the tournament tied for ninth. Senior Casey Kennedy shot a 2-over 74 in the final rounds to tie for 15th overall, while freshman Jessica Haigwood was right behind Kennedy tied for 18th with a 2-over 74. Amid the same time period the women’s team contended in the Briar’s Creek Invitational, the men’s team was in Awendaw, S.C., for the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate at the Bulls Bay Golf Club hosted by South Carolina. The Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate lasted from March 23 through 25, and the 15-team field consisted of five clubs placed in the top 50 Golfstat.com rankings. Under the leadership of new men’s golf head coach Jack O’Keefe, the team opened the tourney tied for 12th with USC Aiken. Senior Alex Wennstam and junior Cody Shafer highlighted the opening rounds for GRU. Wennstam and Shafer both scored a 1-under 71 to tie for 18th among individuals. Wennstam fired four birdies and Shafer sunk six in the first day. During the second day, GRU was able to move up to 10th on the leaderboard behind the swing of Wennstam and his 4-over 76 posting. In the final day of the Intercollegiate, GRU continued its climb way up the standings to clinch eighth in the event, and all five players for GRU shot under par for a strong finish. The team ended the tourney with a total score of 876, and Auburn won the overall team event at 12-under par. Men’s and women’s golf will both take the greens again April 5 and 6. The men’s team will host the 3M Augusta Invitational at the Forest Hills Golf Club. The women’s program is set to travel to Oxford, Miss., for the Rebel Intercollegiate hosted by Ole Miss. jwill143@gru.edu
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Track and field raises the bar
JASMINE GRIFFIN I PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman Grant Newman (left), who specializes in sprints and jumps, races past his opponent in the high hurdles in the Coastal Carolina Invitational.
Jaguar track teams shatter records to start new campaign By Meredith Day staff writer With the spring season underway, the GRU Augusta men’s and women’s outdoor track and field team is excited to compete. With many sports, athletes work consistently as a team in order to win. Track is a more individualized sport since athletes often compete solo, but freshman Adanna Thompson said there are still moments when the runners have to come together
as a team. “Only you can motivate yourself,” she said. “But there also are team moments, like the relay, where the team has to be dedicated and motivated to make the team work, to make the relay work.” The sport also requires teamwork in the sense that each individual victory contributes toward the total score for the team, Thompson said. The men’s and women’s teams both had a few outstand-
JESSICA SAGER I STAFF
Senior Julie Fontaine prepares for a PBC match against GeorgIa College.
JASMINE GRIFFIN I PHOTOGRAPHER
Freshman Morgan Ryffe (front) races in the 3K steeplechase at the Coastal Carolina Invitational in Conway, S.C.
ing performances in their second meeting of the season at the Coastal Carolina Invitational in Conway, S.C., March 14-15. Junior Dustin Ross broke his own record in the 5000m race, placing third in the event with a time of 14:57.16. Sophomore Jordan Humphrey captured the women’s record in the same event as Ross by finishing in third with a time of 18:25.79, along with freshman Morgan Ryffe, who registered a record in the women’s 800m run at 2:28.05. The track teams are still, in
a lot of ways, in their infancy in their second year of existence, and there are more freshmen than sophomores, juniors and seniors combined. Despite this, the team is confident and excited about the rest of their spring season and future. “We need to continue as a team, get better and, hopefully, win conference championship,” senior Garrett Matthews said. As far as weaknesses go, the only one Thompson said she could think of was the teams’ size in numbers.
“The team needs more sprinters as girls because other teams have 20 or 30 different girls on their teams,” Thompson said. “We only have 14, and if we had more people, we’d be amazing.” While the teams may be young and smaller than other schools, they make up for this in their determination to win. “Our strength is our ambition and our pride,” Thompson said. “We won’t allow ourselves not to go out and not perform to the best of our abilities.”
By Jessica Sager staff writer
Gisela Font sealed the big win. Another important victory was against Anderson March 21, Pimentel said. The women’s team handled Anderson in a 6-3 win after rescheduling due to prior weather issues. Anderson was only able to win two of the singles matches and one doubles. The season has been so far so good for the men’s team (134, 3-2), senior Max Coulomb said. He said a team asset is how close-knit it is. “Our biggest strength is the fact we’re a family,” he said. “We always take care of each other, always look after each other, and yeah, it’s like our closeness with each other that makes a strength, I think.” The men’s team earned a big 5-3 win against then-No. 18 ranked Georgia College March 22, and it was the first Peach Belt Conference win for the team this season. Then the Jags turned around and blew out rival
USC Aiken 5-1 March 26. Against USCA, the Jags swept all three double matches, and USCA’s Ettore Damiani was the only player to win a match, beating senior Victor Cabellos in the No. 1 singles contest. Head coach Michael McGrath said he is satisfied with the progress of both teams in the 2014 campaign. “On the guys’ side we’ve lost two, the only teams we’ve lost to have been top five in the country,” he said. “On the girls’, we have a tough loss to Lander, but then we turned around a day later and beat Montevallo, which is a great win for them. Beat Anderson yesterday so we’re on track.” Seniors on both teams have stepped up the last two years to meet this charge, McGrath said. The team hopes to make it to the regional tournament, which only takes eight teams from the region, he said.
mday4@gru.edu
Teams smash foes
Midway through the season, the GRU Augusta men’s and women’s tennis teams are doing well. “We’re actually really good, we’re the same way that we were last year, and last year we were able to make it to regionals, so we are hoping to do the same thing this year,” Cecilia Pimentel, a sophomore, said. “We had a very tough match against Clayton, and we won it and against Montevallo. The two of them were very important, and we won them.” In the Montevallo matchup March 9, the women’s team (10-6, 4-4) made a comeback in doubles play to gain a 5-4 conference win. Montevallo held a close 4-3 lead entering the last two double matches, but an 8-6 win by Roberta Oliveira and Julie Fontaine along with an 8-0 shutout from Pimental and
jshucke@gru.edu
It’s all about hats and horses in Aiken By Mindy Wadley copy editor For some of the crowd at Ford Conger Field, it was one big party. For others attending the 48th annual spring Steeplechase in Aiken, S.C., March 22, it was a chance to see and be seen in their race-day best, and patrons packed in from all around the world to watch the races. “I love seeing those ladies with those different hats, the outfits,” said Maria Munoz, a first-time patron at Steeplechase who is originally from Argentina. “I mean, it’s incredible. It’s different. It’s fun.” Trainers like Lilith Boucher, whose husband is a jockey, said it isn’t just winning a race that draws families to the sport. “You have to be judged on your success, and they label success by winning, which is great that we won a race today, but I’m equally as proud of the two that were fourth,” Boucher said. “Sometimes people judge your success, but the one that was fourth might have been more difficult.” Boucher, who is both a trainer and a horse owner, said racing gives her family the chance to meet different types of
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The fact that they go out there and do their best, they put their head down and pin their ears back and try to beat the horse next to them, that’s probably the thing that I admire the most. --Jonathan Sheppard, a horse trainer
people. “In horse sports in general, you meet everybody,” she said. “It brings you together, and it’s amazing. You meet people from all over the country, and you have something in common, which is the love of animals.” People who are involved in horse racing and equine sports are more likely to be drawn to other extreme sports as well, Boucher said. Race organizers said the heart of the animal shows when it trots onto the track. Jonathan Sheppard said he has been training horses for 48 years, and he loves spending time with the animals. “Even though I enjoy the racing, because that’s the culmination of all our work, I think really from a personal standpoint I just enjoy the training and being out with the horses,” he said. “Being with them in the morning and feeding in the afternoons, that’s what I really
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love.” The competitive spirit of the horses is what drives them to perform, Sheppard said. That determination showed up in race three of six when Le Chevalier, a grey gelding, stumbled over a jump and lost his rider but finished the race on his own. Pleasant Woodman, owned by Lazenby Stable, took first prize in the feature race, the Budweiser Imperial Cup. “The fact that they go out there and do their best, they put their head down and pin their ears back and try to beat the horse next to them,” he said, “that’s probably the thing that I admire the most.” Getting the horses ready to compete can be challenging, Sheppard said, since it is difficult to predict which ones will be winners. When it comes to their breeding, good genes can only take a horse so far.
“A lot of the better horses are the ones that have more quality in the breeding, in the races on the flat,” he said. “But there’s always the odd horse that comes from nowhere, humble background, and wins a big race.” Sheppard said a lot of behind-thescenes work goes into breeding and training the horses. “We’re looking more for endurance than for speed, or a combination of the two at least,” he said. “So it takes a little bit more time to build them up, to get the two miles plus … Most of us involved in it are really passionate about the sport, and we love our horses.” While the horses were running, the party was in full swing. The colorful fashions and party atmosphere provided a pleasant backdrop to the horses running, said Tink Callahan, an Aiken resident who regularly attends the races. She said her party brought along drinks, such as champagne and Jell-O shots in large syringe tubes. “It’s tons of fun,” she said. “It’s all about the horses, and it’s partying. It’s the horses, and the racing.” And even the horses got to enjoy a cold drink (of water!) after a hard day’s work. mindyawadley@gmail.com
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TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 www.grubellringer.com