Volume 55, Issue 8

AUGUSTA STATE UNIVERSITY

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VOLUME 55, ISSUE 8

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NEWS | PAGE 3

Local shelter and outreach group provides warm beds for homeless men in Augusta.

Amendment causes controversy in education community

By TAMIKA LAMPKIN senior reporter

The votes are in.

On Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, the choice for president was not the only decision Georgians were asked to make. The decision to add charter schools to the educational process in Georgia was among one of the major changes voted for by voters.

Although the decision was made by the people, public school teachers and some parents still oppose the decision in fear of the effects on the future of public education.

Louis Erste, the charter schools division director for the Georgia Department of Education in Atlanta, said he is enthusiastic about the vote in favor of charter schools.

“The fact that people voted means they paid attention,” Erste said. “It means that they paid attention and are willing to work towards a better educational process for the children of Georgia.”

Erste defined charter schools as public schools of choice with more freedom than typical public schools. They use their freedom to have use more innovative methods of teaching children. However, it is still up to the district to vote the charter school in, he said. If the local district votes “no,” there will not be a charter school unless the state challenges the decision and decides a charter school is necessary for the area.

“The decision also clarifies the state’s authority in matters like this,” Erste explained. “Now that it is written in the Georgia Constitution that the state can override charter schools, we can ensure better options for children.”

Erste said the decision should not affect the economy; taxes should not be raised to allow charter schools to be created. If anything, he said it will help create revenue with the additional job opportunities charter schools will provide.

Not everyone is as enthused as Erste about the decision voiced by the people on Election Day. Cindi Chance, the dean of the College of Education at Augusta State University, said she is not in favor of the new amendment allowing the creation of charter schools.

“The impact (of) this new decision has potential to be negative,” she said. “The reason why is because charter schools do not have to hire certified teachers.”

Chance said the initiative to create charter schools was funded by out-ofstate, for-profit agencies. It is more about the financial gain for such agencies than about the options for the children involved, she said.

“Their bottom line will be to make money,” Chance said. “They will look for the cheapest option. Therefore, why hire certified teachers?”

She further said the decision will move governance away from local-ruling and into the hands of Atlanta bureaucrats, resulting in local boards losing much of their control over their school systems.

Sierra Benning, an Augusta State alumna and an educator, said she is anxious to see how the decision will affect educators in particular.

“I have worked hard to receive my degree, and I am working on my master’s,” Benning said. “I hope that this decision will not give (schools) incentive to hire unqualified individuals to teach children. That would be unfair in so many ways.”

But Benning said the creation of charter schools could potentially be a good thing for the community. As a parent of two, she said the more options available to parents for their children, the better. However, Benning said she cannot help but be a little concerned about the future of her chosen profession and what the new amendment could possibly mean for her field.

“All we can do is hope for the best,” Benning said. “It could be a good thing.

We just need to wait it out and see.”

tlampkin@aug.edu

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012

ARTS & LIFE | PAGE 6

SPORTS | PAGE 12

Several area dance companies perform a classic holiday ballet

Soul City Sirens host an invitational in preparation for their upcoming season.

Georgia Regents University Augusta: Students, faculty can expect little visible change in January

By JILLIAN HOBDAY news editor

C

hange is on the way for the future Georgia Regents University.

Nearly one year ago, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents collectively approved the merger of Augusta State and Georgia Health Sciences universities. The plan was implemented almost immediately and said to take 12 to 18 months for the full merger to occur.

However, it seems students, faculty and staff of the Summerville campus will little visible effects of the merger in January and can expect a more holistic implementation in the next fiscal year.

“On the visible changes, there aren’t going to be that many in January,” said Gretchen Caughman, the executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at GHSU. “Yes, there will be the new name and new branding will begin to roll-out next semester in order to build on the sense of a unified community of the new university; but in terms of the day-to-day things students encounter, it’s not going to be very different.

KELSEY DONNELLY | STAFF

Shirley Kenny, the interim president for Augusta State, talks about changes to the academic process for the new merged university.

But we are going to be moving into a time where there will be more and more rapid changes.”

Caughman said she thinks people were initially expecting an “allin, everything change in January” type approach to the merger, but as plans are continuing to be finalized, it is evident that nothing dramatic will take effect next semester.

As far as the branding name “Georgia Regents University Augusta” goes, the process of finding an

Eddie Howard Jr. will leave university next month

By LEIGH BEESON copy editor

A

ugusta State University is losing its acting assistant vice president for student life in January.

An email sent from Carol Rychly, Augusta State’s vice president for academic affairs, Tuesday, Nov. 27, reported that Eddie Howard Jr. will leave the university to assume the position of vice president for student affairs at Augusta Technical College.

Howard, who has been with the university since 2004, according

to the ASU Report, also serves as the adviser to the Student Government Association.

Howard was absent from Friday’s SGA meeting because of a meeting. Dean Smedley, the assistant director for the student center operations, addressed Howard’s unexpected departure at the organization’s meeting, saying the university will be losing a powerful advocate for the students but that the opportunity to serve as a vice president was too good for Howard to pass up.

In response to questions from see SGA on PAGE 3

LEIGH BEESON | STAFF

SGA President Andrew Phillips listens to senators’ concerns during the meeting.

appropriate logo is still in the works.

The plan, Caughman said, is to unveil a limited number of “looks” to the internal community - students, faculty and staff - to vote on.

Although the branding logo will most likely be released after accreditation, Carol Rychly, the associate vice president for academic affairs at Augusta State, said come January, tuition, fees, parking, professors and schedules will continue to be the same as the current semester.

Students will not see major changes in these areas until the fall and subsequent semesters after the university is accredited and each concern is evaluated as part of the new university and not individually.

Like the logo, other cosmetic changes include the immediate release of a new email address and the slow implementation of new name badges, or student IDs. “The email addresses will be one of the first things to change,” Rychly said. “There will be a period when either @gru or @aug will work, but eventually it will start to direct people to the new email address for the new university.”

As for student IDs, the GHSU campus will not change its requirement that employees wear them on campus. However, due to opposition of this policy from Augusta State students, Caughman, Rychly and those consulting on the issue decided students at the Summerville campus will not be required to wear their JagCards, which Pam Lightsey, the JagCard manager, said will continue to be the name of the student ID. “We will still validate the cursee CHANGES on PAGE 2

Spam emails flood inboxes of Augusta State students

By MINDY WADLEY correspondent

A

series of seemingly innocuous emails offering discounts to Augusta State University students may be the result of a phishing scheme.

The emails, delivered from an address titled “ASU Discount,” link recipients to a site called CollegeBudget.com. The concept is similar to Living Social or Groupon but offers discounted goods and services to college students only. A thorough privacy policy indicates ways to optout of receiving future emails, but how did students opt-in to receiving these messages in the first place?

Gina Thurman, the acting assistant vice president for student services, said the university never sells email addresses to anyone.

“It sounds like some kind of spam that’s worked its way into the system,” Thurman said. “We try to limit the ASU emails to things specifically that are related to ASU.” Thurman said even Augusta State-related events are not emailed to students if they come from a third-party organization.

The Web directory of student

email addresses may have been a source for the ASU Discount emails or other spam messages, said Chip Matson, the director of IT services and the chief information officer at Augusta State. He said that searching the directory only pulls a limited number of results but that in the past, an entire page of results may have been generated from just one search.

“People would set up what’s called a ‘bot,’ and automatically scroll through these things and scrape addresses,” Matson said.

“Some of these services will go through and take jjones@aug.edu (or) kjones and just run through the whole list automated. They operate on the premise that they can send out thousands or hundreds of thousands of e-mails, and if they get 10 responses, that’s a good deal for them. They have no cost to generating all these e-mails.”

Matson described another series of spam messages sent to Augusta State email addresses from a source claiming to be Bank of America, which turned out to be from a different site altogether. He said students should use caution when receiving see EMAILS on PAGE 2

House Bill allowing guns on Georgia campuses fails to pass

By RON HICKERSON chief reporter

A

s more and more states begin to allow concealed firearms on college campuses, Georgia is continuing to block gun presence at its institutions.

House Bill 55, a bill that would have allowed licensed gun carriers to bring their guns with them onto college grounds, was brought to the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee of the Georgia General Assembly, but the bill failed to progress any further after being written by its sponsor, Representative Bobby Franklin. According to a member of the committee, the bill was not even presented to the assembly to be heard.

The committee member said if the bill is to be heard in the future, it has to be presented when the assembly meets again in January.

While it is conceivable that the bill may be reintroduced, the committee

is unaware of any plans to introduce a similar bill after Franklin’s death last July. If there was an interest group behind the bill, the group would have to look for another representative willing to present a similar bill.

To some, the bill’s failure to pass comes as a disappointment, but to others it is a sigh of relief.

For Andy Pelosi, the president of GunFreeKids.org, it’s the latter.

“In a nutshell, we think that campuses for the most part are pretty safe environments and that introducing concealed weapons on campus is only going to create potential for incidents and for theft,” Pelosi said. “And with drinking and all of that going on at schools, we think it’s a dangerous mix.”

Pelosi has fought legislation like HB 55 across the United States, even coming to Atlanta and combating a similar bill from the assembly, House Bill 981, which was even broader than HB 55.

Yet, for David Burnett, the di-

JILLIAN HOBDAY | STAFF

A bill that would allow weapons on college campuses in Georgia did not pass.

rector of public relations for Students for Concealed Carry, having a sign posted on the door of a college saying “No guns allowed” does not necessarily guarantee a safe environment. To him, the main issue these bills raise is giving students on campus the right to self-defense.

“The bottom line is self-defense is a right that should not be

checked at admissions,” said Burnett, explaining how college regulations overrule regulations approved by law enforcement and state governors.

Pelosi acknowledged the right people have to protect themselves.

“There are some folks that feel that this is in line with the Supreme see GUNS on PAGE 3

PAGE 2

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 www.asubellringer.com

NEWS Our Bodies, Ourselves, Our Voices

Women’s studies program welcomes student submissions for health-themed symposium

By LEIGH BEESON copy editor

The voice of

Augusta State University EDITORIAL STAFF adviser MATTHEW BOSISIO mbosisio@aug.edu editor-in-chief TRAVIS HIGHFIELD thighfie@aug.edu copy editor LEIGH BEESON kbeeson1@aug.edu news editor JILLIAN HOBDAY jhobday2@gmail.com arts & life editor KRISTIN HAWKINS khutchi2@aug.edu

Students have a unique opportunity this semester to contribute to the first Georgia Regents University Women’s Studies Symposium in March.

Although Augusta State University’s women’s studies program has previously facilitated two symposiums in 2009 and 2011, the upcoming symposium will be the first for the merged university. The 2013 symposium, titled “‘Our Bodies, Ourselves, Our Voices: Health and Human Rights in the Twenty-first Century,” focuses on health-related issues, said Marie Drews, an assistant professor of English and the director of the women’s studies program at Augusta State. “(The theme is) health and wellness-related topics but from a holistic perspective, so not just thinking about the kind of health conversations you have when you go to the doctor’s office but about how can I be well in my body in multiple ways,” Drews explained. “My mental health is important; my spiritual and emotional wellness is important. How I think about what it means to be well is important.”

JILLIAN HOBDAY | STAFF

The theme of the symposium was inspired by the book “Our Bodies, Ourselves.”

The title of the symposium draws off of an important text, “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” from the 1970s, said Seretha Williams, an associate professor of English and the current organizer of the symposium.

“Before that point, there hadn’t been any kind of comprehensive text that talked about women’s bodies and how women’s bodies worked, women’s sexuality,” Williams said.

“So the chapters deal with things like menstruation, menopause, women’s sexuality or sexual disorders. There

Changes

sports editor JOHN-MICHAEL GARNER jgarner6@aug.edu

CONTINUED from PAGE 1

chief reporter RON HICKERSON rhickers@aug.edu production manager KELSEY DONNELLY kelseydonne@gmail.com production assistant JACQUELYN PABON jpabon@aug.edu senior reporters KARL FRAZIER TAMIKA LAMPKIN staff writers NIKKI SKINNER FARRELL BROWN contributors DANIEL BROWNING MICHEAL CLARK ALISSA FAULKNER PARKER SINES LAURA STARNES circulation manager TREY UNDERWOOD zildjianman08@gmail.com advertising manager HANNAH FOERSTER hannahrosefoerster@gmail.com web master SI-LONG CHEN schen1@aug.edu

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are pictures, and I know it may seem unbelievable but lots of women (at that time) had not looked at their reproductive parts.”

Williams was the interim director of the women’s studies program when the first symposium was organized in 2009. The symposiums, which are held every other year, are meant to serve as opportunities to discuss gender-related issues and how gender affects day-to-day interactions, she said. The Women’s Studies Student Association plays an integral role in organizing the events

JILLIAN HOBDAY | STAFF

Some students have voiced complaints about recent emails from ASU Discounts, a scam website purporting to save students money on products and services.

Emails CONTINUED from PAGE 1

unsolicited emails requesting their personal information.

“We try to be very careful with it because we want to use email at Augusta State as an official means of communications,” Matson said.

“We don’t want you to get a bunch of junk mail that clutters up your inbox so you can’t pay attention to the important things. So we would definitely not give it out to something like a business. That would not be a good thing to do.”

Even though the university doesn’t distribute lists of student email addresses, there are other means that these businesses may use to acquire them. Matson said using one’s email address for online shopping, for example, can lead to those addresses being sold to third parties who go on to send spam e-mails.

“It’s called a phishing attempt because they’ll throw out a hook and see if somebody will respond to it,” Matson said. “Half of them may be invalid addresses, and one out of a hundred or a thousand will respond, and they’ve got somebody hooked.”

Forwarding Augusta State emails to another email server can also lead to those sites gathering information from a student’s account for advertising purposes, Matson said.

Thurman said even she receives spam emails from time to time.

“I get all kinds of e-mails about academic resources and things, and they’re not anything I’ve signed up for,” Thurman said.

CollegeBudget.com representatives failed to respond to a request for information and comment.

mindyawadley@gmail.com

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rent cards with the spring semester decal like we do now, and it will still be the JagCard,” she said. “Our recommendations are to implement the (new) cards in segments. So as orientation groups come through for the fall, they will have the new cards.

It’s going to be a slow progression.

You may see some changes over the summer but definitely in the fall.”

Although the policies will be different on each campus, Caughman said one thing will be the same - Georgia Regents University will be on all new cards.

Academically, the new university will not see a change in the platform until the fall semester, Rychly said. Changes in the academic process include a new catalog, different admissions requirements and registration.

One major change in the academic process is the policy on course withdrawal, more specifically the number of times a student can drop a course, what Rychly called “challenging” a course. Shirley Kenny, the interim president at Augusta State, said this one change will remove a major obstacle for students and, in turn, help students progress.

“We have a great deal of tolerance for students taking a course, withdrawing, failing or taking it again.” she said. “That is not helping that student; that is a cruelty to that student. Give them a chance, and if they are not going to make it, then give them a chance to go somewhere else where they can succeed.”

There is still no answers to what tuition and fees will cost because that is ultimately determined by the Board of Regents. A mandatory fees committee, consisting of at least 50 percent student involvement, makes recommendations to the president who then sends it to the board for

and coming up with the themes. But the symposiums are open to all students, not just those pursuing a minor in women’s studies.

“Most of the students who will present don’t minor in women’s studies,” she said. “They’re just interested in gender issues. So anybody interested in gender issues (and) health issues they’re all invited and welcome to present. We’re just the people organizing it. That’s all.”

Drews said the title of women’s studies is somewhat of a misnomer because the program and the symposium focus on more than just female issues.

“One of our goals of the symposium especially is to take an issue that influences everyone and bring it to the forefront of conversation and invite people from across departments and across the disciplines to engage in conversations about health and wellness, to recognize the real value of thinking about women’s health and wellness in particular,” Drews said.

“I think the symposium is important because it shows that there are these moments for community dialogue.”

The president of WSSA, Sabrina Biddle, said student and faculty insee SYMPOSIUM on PAGE 3

approval. However, not all fees will be decided by the committee.

“There were some decisions that were executive,” Caughman said. “(Ricardo) Azziz said early on that everybody, regardless of what program, was going to pay the athletic fee... Azziz said ‘I’m sorry, but this is part of being a citizen of the university.’”

Another fee applied to all students will be the health services fee because student health services will be extended across the university beginning August 2013. The facility is executed as a typical doctor’s office with examination rooms, physicians and services ranging from day-today office visits to gynecologic and minor surgical procedures.

“We have proposed to have a health fee of $80,” said Diane Norris, the administrative services director of Student Health Services. “So that entitles students to all services here for $80. All we charge for are immunizations, lab services and medications.”

Change is inevitable when merging two institutions, and Caughman and Rychly said next semester will be important as the university enters the “transitional stage” of the merger. Both said they want to assure students that with these changes not only come anxiety but a “legacy.”

“The students who were here during this transition are going to look back and say, ‘You know, that’s a great diploma to have on my wall, and it’s growing in value everyday,’” Caughman said. “It’s not going to happen tomorrow or even in January. We aren’t going to be that mature organization (immediately), but we really want every year to get better and better.”

jhobday2@gmail.com

Old arsenal Quad Wall in renovation for new FYE office

By SI-LONG CHEN web master The old Testing and Disability Services building is currently under construction to prepare for a new use in the spring of 2013.

As a part of the Complete College Georgia Initiative, the renovation on the Quad Wall will be used for undergraduate education and the First Year Experience program, not just those who are in housing, said Carol Rychly, the vice president for academic affairs.

“It will probably still become firstyear experience space, but it won’t be as limited as our vision used to be,” She said. “Our vision of what the firstyear experience can be is broadening as we go forward.”

Hector Caceres Jr., an intern architect at 2km Architects, is helping to manage this project.

One of the many purposes of the renovation is to meet the standards of the other buildings in that same area on campus while respecting the historic nature of the buildings and the quadrangle area, he said.

“The exterior of the building fol-

The furniture consists of

CONTRIBUTED BY HECTOR CACERES JR.

floor plan for the new First Year Experience modern-style chairs and tables for student

lows the campus standard colors and details that other similar historic projects on campus have had,” Caceres said. “It will become an excellent example of a renovated campus historic building.”

Fred Ricketson, the campus architect, said the original building was built in two different phases. The fort wall was built in 1847, and its thickness was meant to withstand incoming attacks.

Later, the building was constructed within the fort wall, he said. The south

office use.

addition was built in the late 1940s or 1950s.

“If we were to come in here and take the sheetrock down and expose the studs, we’d find the brick that this building was built out of,” he said. “One thing we found on the west side of the building, the side that is facing St. Mary on the Hill, was the gun ports.”

There was a slight change to the design of the building after the discovery of those gun ports, he said. The change was made to incorporate the

gun ports, keeping them as a prominent feature by installing glass to turn them into windows.

Caceres also mentioned that the project has been through various phases, revisions and schematic changes since 2010. The scope has changed based on the needs of the campus during each phase. The final approval of this revision of the project was in summer 2011 and construction began in July 2012.

The construction is slated for completion right before Christmas and ready for use for the spring semester.

Student and academic services will collaborate on creating a plan to determine how the First Year Experience program is going to develop, Rychly said. There are eight different faculty and staff teams that are working on various initiatives for undergraduate education in order to provide the best experience for students, she said.

“We might use it in a very limited way when it’s finished,” she said. “But in terms of what its final state will be, (that) will probably be (decided) after we hire a new vice president for student services.”

schen1@aug.edu

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Debate League may be added to Peach Belt

Homeless during the holidays

As rates increase with the change of seasons, one Augusta organization is dedicated to transforming the lives of the homeless through education and counseling

By FARRELL BROWN staff writer The Peach Belt Conference may be adding a new sport sooner rather than later.

Jim Brady, the faculty adviser to the Augusta State University Student Debate Club and head coach of the debate team, submitted a proposal for a Peach Belt Conference Student Debate League to the conference’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Council of Athletic Directors, at the request of Augusta State’s athletic director, Clint Bryant.

The answer is expected to come sometime next month, and this may be exactly what students need, Brady said.

“It’s always the right time to bring debate back into the mainstream,” he said. “Educated and polite civil discourse is and should always be a premium for students.”

The Debate Club is officially a club that can divide up into three teams, with each team having its own team captain for competitive purposes, according to the club’s charter. All debate club members, except the four elected officers and the appointed research officer, can only participate in one of the three teams. The elected officers and the appointed research officer can be part of more than one team. If other members decide to be part of more than one team, they must differentiate between “primary” and “alternate” affiliation. Team selection and affiliation does not guarantee that all members will be able to debate in a particular debate.

With three teams in the Debate Club, forming a PBC league is ideal.

“I think it would be a wonderful addition and would be worthwhile for every school in the Peach Belt Conference to form a team,” said Philip Stanley, an Augusta State senior and debate club member.

If the proposal is approved, there would be a full league with all 14 PBC teams having a debate team. There would be semi-annual or quarterly meets. A new league would provide a more cost-convenient way of competition and getting experience for the teams.

“As a member of the debate team, it’s exciting to know that ASU and the PBC (are) taking notice of the value of having debates and the value of coming together and having a battle of the minds,” Stanley said. “It’s a great concept.”

The Student Debate Club is excited about the possibility of the new league. Stanley pointed out that, although traveling within a local league would be easier than national competition, the club’s goal is to reach the national Ethics Bowl competition.

“As long as we dedicate ourselves to case studies and putting in effort on an individual and team basis, I’m sure we would do very well,” said Stanley.

Assistant Coach Steven Weiss would not only like to see a league formed, but also a new class created that could be used to help both train the team and teach interested students about debating as well as about the topics the club debates.

“It would be wonderful if we had a league right here at our back door,” Weiss said. “We could practice with other teams. We could interact with other teams.”

Weiss said he thinks the team will perform well in the potential new debate league.

He said the team is incredibly skilled and has already had success in the short time it’s been together. He also pointed out that the new league could create interest and excitement.

Stanley said the interest and excitement would come depending on the team’s performance in the new league.

Volunteers

serve

CONTINUED from PAGE 2

volvement is key to the symposium’s success. “(We’re) trying to really advertise to get people to become more engaged in submitting things,” she said. “I mean, it’s very nice to have a good, prominent speaker and such, but we’re really trying to encourage students and staff as well to be involved.”

The senior psychology major said students don’t have to submit research papers; the symposium also welcomes creative works, including literary pieces, visual art and film, as long as they somehow incorporate the broad theme of health and wellness.

Drews said she is talking with students and women’s organizations at Georgia Health Sciences Universities about including some of their work in the symposium and that she expects this year’s symposium to be larger and more successful than in years past.

Drews also said she is hopeful that the merger with the health sciences university will positively impact the symposium and the women’s studies program as a whole.

“The women’s studies program committee is excited about how the consolidation is going to encourage dialogue,” Drews said.

“Both of our campuses have a lot to offer each other… We’re really hoping that our students don’t underestimate what they have to contribute to this conversation because you guys as students up here at ASU’s campus have a lot to teach healthcare providers, people who are learning to be doctors, nurses, specialists, about what it means to be well in the same way that they have things to teach us.”

kbeeson1@aug.edu

of

food

at

Augusta

By RON HICKERSON chief reporter As the holiday season approaches, people are continuing to look to help those less fortunate.

According to a publication from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 636,017 people were estimated to be homeless in 2011. While this number was a decrease from the 2009 study, the number of people only decreased by about 1 percent, or 7,000 people.

One analyst from the alliance said the organization focuses mainly on economic factors that contribute to homelessness, especially as they pertain to housing. For some groups of people, there is a disconnect in housing that makes some people fall through the cracks. When the economic recession hit, the alliance saw a spike in homelessness in 2007, but the analyst said the group expects to see large levels of homelessness remain even after the recession recedes, most likely among homeless families.

But usually between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the analyst said there is a large focus on improving the homeless’ lives, especially as people begin focusing on those less fortunate than themselves.

“You do see a spike in people who are looking to make homeless people’s holidays not so bad,” the analyst said. “So you might have shelters that stay open 24 hours instead of kicking people out at 7 a.m. on Christmas day.”

Some shelters even have holiday parties for the homeless, and there is a big increase in volunteering in shelters and media focus on shelters during the holiday season.

On a local level, Vicki Johnson, the community development manager for the Augusta Housing and Community Development Department, said homelessness is a serious issue in Augusta, Ga., too.

“Regardless of how large or small the problem may be, homelessness is an issue,” she said.

“When you go to a large city, of course you see homelessness. You may not see homelessness in

Rescue

Mission,

an

organization

that

Augusta, but we have a fairly decent amount of homelessness. It is a problem, and it has been for years.”

According to a point-in-time count, a study to measure the amount of homeless people in a given community, conducted by the department this past January, 504 people were staying in homeless shelters in the Augusta area.

Johnson said at any given time, though not all of them may be out on the streets, hundreds of people may be homeless in Augusta, but the numbers do ebb and flow from season to season.

“It is cold during the holiday season so most definitely you see a spike,” Johnson said.

“Being in the Augusta area, we usually see a spike whenever some of the large business closes.

A few years back when (Savannah River Site) laid off (workers), we saw a spike in homelessness. And the thing with that is that often times, the spike is in families.”

Yet there are several rescue organizations in the area dedicated to helping the homeless. One organization trying to make a dent in Augusta’s homelessness is the Augusta Rescue Mission.

A non-profit organization dedicated to transforming homeless men’s lives, the mission has been serving homeless men since it was founded in 1965. Augusta Rescue Mission takes men off the streets and gives them the chance to enroll in a year-long program that teaches them job skills as well as offers counseling and help to transform their way of thinking.

“Mostly we’ve learned just to love on guys,” said Rusty Marsh, the executive director for the mission.

He said most of the men they come into contact with have hit rock bottom, are dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, or have lost their jobs and are being alienated from their families. So by

provides

help

to

homeless

JILLIAN HOBDAY | STAFF

men

in

August.

working with them, Marsh said the mission fills a very important niche in society by bringing men into the program in order to bring about a total transformation in their lives. And they have had great success over the years, he said.

Marsh said he began tracking the success rate of men who graduate from the program and go on to live productive, stable lives since he arrived in 2009.

“Our success rate is 32 percent, which for the homeless is pretty unheard of,” he said. “I was told when I came here that I would be lucky if I could help 10 percent of the people, which one out of 10 didn’t sound too good to me.”

Even in the past three months, the mission has been able to get 15 men jobs so they can begin to take - Vicki Johnson care of themselves.

At a more immediate level, the mission provides emergency housing for the homeless in the area. Homeless men can come and stay for up to 15 nights if they need a place to lay their heads, Marsh said. This part of the mission caters more to men who have families they can reach out to but have not had the opportunity to contact them yet or men who have just been put out on the street with nowhere else to go. As it gets colder, Marsh said the emergency housing begins to fill up quickly.

He agreed with Johnson and the alliance that during the holiday season there is a definite increase in aid needed for the homeless.

“The economy’s not getting any better; it doesn’t seem like it from all the sources,” Marsh said. “There are more people unemployed, and once somebody loses their job, they’re a couple of paychecks away from being homeless so the need just keeps going up. Each year our numbers grow.”

“Regardless of how large or small the problem may be, homelessness is an issue”

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Symposium

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SGA CONTINUED from PAGE 1

Senators Demetrius Lowery and José Lugo, Smedley said the administration does not know who will fill Howard’s position in the Office of Student Activities temporarily or permanently after Georgia Health Sciences and Augusta State universities merge in January.

SGA President Andrew Phillips said that Howard leaving was a surprise to him but not completely shocking.

“It wasn’t completely unexpected because there had been a few people from ASU leaving just with the consolidation,” Phillips said. “They’re not going to have as much power going forwards so obviously there are better opportunities elsewhere for some people.”

Phillips said Howard’s departure also provides an opportunity for a fresh perspective in the SGA and student activities, though.

kbeeson1@aug.edu

Guns CONTINUED from PAGE 1

Court’s positions saying that you have the right to carry a weapon or protect yourself in the home,” he said. “But the court also set certain exceptions like you can’t bring guns into schools, so we like to point to that court decision.”

He argued that legislation removing the ban on guns is often opposed by law enforcement and school officials who say allowing guns on college campuses could create more problems of safety.

Jasper Cooke, the director of the Department of Public Safety at Augusta State University and the chief of Campus Police, agreed.

“Especially with our colleges across the country, we have enough issues with alcohol and drugs and legitimate prescription medicines without throwing a bunch of guns in the middle of it,” Cooke said. “You see the brawls and the fights that break out at big sporting events and this, that or the other. Well, think if half those folks were carrying weapons.”

While this may be an outcome of removing the ban on guns, Burnett said if that were an issue, it would have already happened at one of the 200-plus schools across six states that now allow guns on their campus.

Bills like HB 55 do bring up questions for how shootings like the Virginia Tech Massacre in 2007 would have been different had students been allowed to carry guns. But Cooke said having guns on campus may not even make a difference.

“There’s no real evidence in any of the shootings that have occurred in K-12 (schools) and colleges that people having guns would

JILLIAN HOBDAY | STAFF

Concealed weapons are not allowed on Georgia campuses, and there is currently no pending legislation.

have prevented or stopped that,” he said.

Pelosi agreed.

“We don’t know because we haven’t been confronted with that situation where people could stop somebody,” he said. “I’m wondering how students in the heat of the moment are going to react to an active shooter on campus.

Who’s going to be taken out in that scenario? I think there’s a lot of hypotheticals and there’s a ton of unintended consequences to allowing guns on campus. And I think that you hear this a lot, that someone could stop this, but I just don’t think there’s any evidence to back that up.”

Burnett said arguments like this one are an overstatement of the SCC’s position, explaining that the organization’s members do not believe

guns are the “magic bullet” solution.

“There’s no way we can make that statement,” he said. “All we’re saying is even if we introduced a one-in-a-million chance of an alternate outcome, that’s an improvement in the odds of survival for students. We’re just trying to give them a fighting chance.”

According to the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, these kinds of legislative moves always fall under close scrutiny.

“There are people who believe that the Constitution has given them the right to bear arms,” Cooke said. “But where and how you bear them can play a significant part in other people’s safety or non-safety, and that’s where the conflict comes from.”

rhickers@aug.edu

PAGE 4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012 www.asubellringer.com

the opinion pages: editorial So long, Augusta State Who saw this day coming?

We, the staff of The Bell Ringer, never thought we would see the day we would be forced to write a farewell editorial to the university that we so diligently work for, but here we are. And on a side note, we never thought we would be consumed by the medical giant down the street either.

The exoskeleton of the university will remain: the buildings and structures, the history walk, the cemeteries, the sports field and the grove. But despite all this, we won’t be the same. Administrators will change hats, signs will be taken down and reconstructed, and admission standards will rise.

We have plenty to look forward to with the merging of these two prominent universities, but we aren’t sure that the city of Augusta, Ga., is ready to say goodbye just yet.

We didn’t get the name we wanted, and that stings. We were shunned by the Georgia Board of Regents, and now we are forced to suck it up and go with the flow.

But instead of wallowing in the sphere of negativity that engulfs this merger, we would like to use this editorial, the last in which The Bell Ringer will serve as the public forum of Augusta State University, to celebrate all this university has achieved in the last 16 years under the Augusta State banner.

Normally we would address the university’s academic achievement, but the athletic department has earned far too much respect on a national level to be put on the back burner. After all, athletics is one of the few things that will remain after the merger.

You would be hard pressed to find

someone who doesn’t remember where he was when the men’s golf team defeated perennial powerhouse Oklahoma State University for the school’s very first national championship in any sport. The rollercoaster ride didn’t stop there as we toppled our in-state rival and big brother, the University of Georgia, for our second consecutive national championship.

Given Augusta State’s size, and the fact that we only field two NCAA Division I teams, beating up on national powerhouses on the biggest stage in collegiate sports is something that will stick with this community for a long time.

But our success hasn’t been limited to Division I athletics; Augusta State has been among the most successful Division II programs in the nation. The men’s and women’s basketball teams have both reached the Elite Eight in the 16 years since Augusta College became Augusta State, with the men’s team reaching the 2008 national championship and finishing as national runner-up. Also, just this summer our men’s tennis team reached the Final Four for the first time in school history.

And while Augusta State has many other athletic achievements to be proud of, like the success of the softball, volleyball and cross country teams, we still have to bow down to the upcoming merger. All of the record books will be updated to reflect the new university name, and Augusta State will only be recognized by a tiny asterisk at the end of the new name. For all that this university has gone through to get to this point, that is a shame.

But one thing will remain: We have been, we are and we will remain a Jaguar nation.

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

ferent out of college—you are not writing or reporting “up” to a professor who knows more about a subject than you do; you are explaining complex concepts to someone who knows less, even though that person may be your boss. You need to do it well.

The joy of learning: Undergraduate years are the time to learn about subjects outside your major. I loved anthropology and political science and theatre, which had nothing to do with my major fields, but I managed to squeeze in courses. The college experience is not about meeting requirements; it’s about expanding your mind. It is the biggest chance you have in life to study things that really interest you with incredibly knowledgeable professors to guide you. Seize the moment.

And finally, having fun: Your college friends will end up being life-long friends, at least the best of them. This time of your life is so crammed with opportunities, this period is so short—enjoy every special minute of it.

Yes, the mechanisms have changed— I’m not nearly as good at the computer as you are, I don’t even have an iPod and I didn’t ever attend a professor’s lectures via a screen. But what was great about college then still is—the values are the same, the friendships are as important, the opportunities even more delicious.

And for those of you who don’t have my special opportunity to stay on a campus for your entire career—embrace the possibilities you have right here and now.

College is about a lot more than a way to make a living. It’s about life.

Sincerely, Shirley Strum Kenny Augusta State University Interim President skenny@aug.edu

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Keep up with Jaguar sports online at: www.asubellringer.com

-from the staff of The Bell Ringer

Cropping ears and docking tails is not always animal cruelty

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT It’s been a long time since I went to college, and things have changed. But I never really left college either—I graduated, went to graduate school, taught, became an administrator. I moved from the University of Texas at Austin to the University of Maryland at College Park and finally to the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Throughout, I have been part of the kind of university that the combined ASU and GHSU aspires to become. I have loved it all.

We managed without computers much less iPhones, mostly without cars.

We actually scribbled notes in spiral notebooks and studied them for tests.

Still, we had a lot of exceedingly good experiences that would be equally fresh now. Here are some of the most important undergraduate opportunities, then and now.

Collaborative learning: I worked on The Daily Texan, our student newspaper, and there I learned the value of teamwork, knowing that we depended on one another as surely as a basketball team. I recently talked with the ASU student coauthors of the prize-winning book “Augusta’s WGAC Radio: The Voice of the Garden City for Seventy Years;” they had the same kind of experience. Our campus orchestra, chorus, actors, ROTC cadets, all succeed or fail together; everybody has to pull his or her weight to excel. That’s the way life is. People do not work alone.

Communication skills: I learned that writing is an essential life skill. With all of the emphasis these days on “STEM”— Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—you still need to be able to communicate or you simply will not succeed.

My own children, who went into fields as varied as statistics, science management, business and education, have all told me that their most important career skill was writing well. Communication is very dif-

Happy Holidays!

do

“Little did I know, my spoiledrotten puppy would become the ultimate controversy on every family outing we would have. ”

I never thought in a million years that I would be ridiculed for and accused of animal cruelty.

First, I feel the need to discuss my background in animals. I grew up in a house on three acres of land with a house full of dogs, cats, horses and even a donkey at one point.

My mother has never had less than four dogs at once as far back as I can remember, and our house was always spotless. My mother has always been an animal lover and has taught me the proper ways of taking care of animals as far back as I can remember. Needless to say, we have rescued animals on every account and have even gone to great lengths toward helping puppy mills to be forced to shut down.

So, four months ago, my boyfriend and I decided to purchase our second joint-custody animal together. Our puppy of choice was an 8-week-old red Doberman puppy. Little did I know my spoiled-rotten puppy would become the ultimate controversy on every family outing we would have.

A muscular body, rigid pointy ears that stand erect and a short and stumpy docked tail define the typical look of a Doberman. Unfortunately, this does not come naturally.

The Doberman breed has undergone surgical procedures for hundreds of years to properly crop the floppy hound ears that a Doberman naturally has and stand them erect.

But, what the public doesn’t understand is the proper procedure for these animals.

The breed is to have the puppies’ tails docked within the first few days of life in order to prevent severe pain infliction to the animal. And, as for the ears, there is a time gap where the puppies can have their ears cropped

you

have an opinion on things at ASU? if so, email us at bellringerproduction@gmail.com

JAQUELYN PABON production assistant jpabon@aug.edu

as well in order to prevent severe pain.

Yes, I know it sounds cruel, but with the advancement of medicines and surgical processes, the animal feels little to no pain under anesthesia during the process.

Of course, I was torn because of the process and the stigma behind it, but after much research on veterinarians and the breed itself, I made the decision to have my dog’s ears cropped.

So my dog’s ears were trimmed down to size and sewn up but left down unwrapped to heal naturally, which is a common misconception. Once his ears healed and the stitches removed, we then began to tape and post his ears to stand erect.

What people do not know is the tape is there to help create sturdy ears. The puppy is not experiencing any pain whatsoever at this point.

A few days ago, my boyfriend and I took our puppy to a dog park in Evans, Ga., and this snobby girl with a 2-year-old Boxer made a comment to another dog owner about how she could not believe people in this world could cosmetically change the look of an animal and commented on how it was animal cruelty.

Ironically, the Boxer she owned had a docked tail, and obviously she had no clue that her animal had been altered at a very young age to prevent the animal from pain.

What an ignorant dog owner.

I cannot deny the fact that there is an abundance of botched and disgusting at-home surgeries for these procedures, but if done in a proper manner, these surgeries are not cruel.

Get a clue, get informed or go home.

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a public forum Why Christmastime is really the Stop and think before stereotyping most wonderful time of the year “While stereotyping is a

common occurrence, it can be hurtful to the individual receiving the criticism. ”

“What we should really spend our holiday break focusing on is our family and friends.”

In today’s materialistic society, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the lights, the toys and the food during the Christmas season.

We toss tinsel on freshly chopped trees, drape lush garlands from our banisters and put antlers and a bright red nose on our cars.

We buy Timmy the latest interactive Elmo or Katie the newest Barbie. We go into debt buying everything everyone wants because we think not giving in to the begging for all those new, lust-worthy gadgets somehow makes us less of a parent, spouse or friend.

We think if we don’t throw the most memorable holiday party or don’t decorate the house with enough sparkly Christmas baubles the world will come crashing down, that Christmas will no longer be special without the material things.

It’s almost like what happens in Whoville in the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” We’re focused on creating the ultimate light display or throwing the perfect Christmas party. Somehow, we’ve lost sight of what Christmas is really supposed to be about.

In the movie, Cindy Lou Who searches for meaning in the holiday hoopla and ultimately finds it in the hapless grouch known as the Grinch. Because of her persistence, the Grinch is included in the village’s festivities and eventually realizes the importance of friends and family.

This message is applicable to all of us.

Granted, we aren’t green and super hairy, and hopefully we have normal-sized hearts. But the emphasis of the Christmas season, what we should really spend our holiday break focusing

LEIGH BEESON copy editor kbeeson1@aug.edu

on, is andshould be our family and friends.

And it is our family and friends who should remind us of the real reason the Christmas season is important.

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the savior given to us by God so that we could be saved from ourselves and our natural inclination to sin. Pure and innocent, Christ came into this world as one of us, but he was so much more than we as mere humans could ever hope to be.

The ultimate gift of love, God’s willingness to send humanity his only son, a child he knew would eventually be tortured and sacrificed by an ungrateful people, shows a grace mankind can never truly comprehend.

God allowed his son to be persecuted, mercilessly beaten and crucified. Christ took on the sins of man so that we could be forgiven of the inevitable transgressions we will commit against God. We reject him, blaspheme him and curse him, and yet he loves us regardless. As humans, it’s impossible to fully understand such unconditional love.

We don’t have to understand it or make up explanations for it. We just have to believe – in him, in his love and in his redeeming grace.

Sometimes it’s easy to get wrapped up in the pomp of Christmas, in finding the perfect gift or having the best Christmas light display.

But, ultimately, that’s not what Christmas is about.

Christmas is about God loving the world so much that he sent his son to save us.

Perserverance, passion and love: writing my first full-length novel

While everyone has his or her own opinion, it’s unwise to stereotype.

As a child, I didn’t understand what stereotyping meant. However, once I became an adult, I started listening to what people had to say about certain issues or about people and realized people have a tendency to put everybody in the same boat.

After Sept. 11, I noticed how people started to look at Muslims in a different light. Once some people found out Al-Qaeda was a terrorist group rooted in Islamic beliefs, they began to think that all Muslims were terrorists and would try to harm the United States. I have met people who were Muslims, and I know they are model citizens who would never cause any harm to anyone. Sept. 11 sparked my interest in knowing why people have a tendency to stereotype.

As I began my research on stereotyping, I realized that stereotyping is something that goes on all the time, and that it comes in different forms. Foreigners are one example of the common stereotype that I see a lot. Some people have treated people from other countries with such disdain that it makes me sick to my stomach.

Some have said they don’t like their culture or the way that they talk. When people start thinking in this manner, they are limiting their opportunities to learn or experience something new. That is why I always try to speak to someone who I know is not

Because we write, the world exists.

I love to write, and I can never emphasize that enough. I never write to earn a paycheck, to gain recognition or to fulfill a class requirement.

I’ve written diaries, fantastical stories and poetry since my youth. Now that I’m in college, I am more engaged with more professional writing, such as newswriting, business writing and public relations writing. Fictional writing is my paradise, but I also have the same amount of interest in professional writing.

My love for writing builds on perseverance, engagement and, of course, love.

I say perseverance because of my gut instinct to find things to do and to get things done. My perseverance stems from my stubbornness. Sometimes I can wear myself out too, as well as the people around me. However, once I set my mind on something, I’ll definitely give it all that I’ve got.

Engagement comes from my desire to learn. Learning is for a lifetime, and it applies to everyone. Learning new things and to be well endowed in experience and knowledge is what I crave. People don’t ask me to write. I offer to write under my own will.

Without passion, life is nothing. My life burns with passion, especially toward writing. Everything about writing is wonderful to me. The pre-planning period and brainstorming utilizes my ability to create, the writing process challenges my grammar ability and enhances my literary skills, and the proofreading period allows me to realize what I did wrong and what needs to improve for my next project.

Let me share with you my biggest writing project to date: composing my first novel.

I had already planned on writing a novel from the moment I first heard about senior projects in high school. As a result of this plan, my dream of becoming a novelist and my senior project intersected.

My project was different from other

senior projects because this project was not just to meet the requirements to graduate from high school, but to walk one step closer on the path to my future career. Through this project, I learned multiple things about writing, and I actually read a portion of my novel to my peers for my product. I spent a total of 127 hours writing the book when the required hours for the senior project only called for 15.

For the first nine weeks of the project, I practiced planning and organization skills. Starting in August 2008, I wrote for at least two hours every day until the due date, which was in February 2009. I did what I promised to myself: to write one page per day and to shutdown the computer before 8 p.m. so I could have the rest of the night to study for my classes.

This schedule was difficult to maintain, however. It stopped when I was scheduled to take the SAT in October. The combination of doing homework, taking the SAT, filling out college applications, attending class and other miscellaneous things as overwhelming. Without determining what my priorities were, I tried to do them all at the same time, but I was unsuccessful. I, unfortunately, fell behind on my writing schedule and my grades suffered.

I eventually finished the book, nevertheless, and I titled it “The Heavenly Bird.”

The novel has a total of 77 pages and more than 31,000 words. I also love drawing, and I designed the front cover of the book, as well as a few drawings to fit within the story.

In my junior year of college, I took a class titled “Writing for book-length prose.” I used this opportunity to polish up my novel. I reedited the first few chapters of the book, laughing at how terrible my grammar was. At the same time, I was proud of how much I have improved as a writer.

Follow your passion, but also be responsible and faithful.

from America and try to make them feel comfortable.

I talk about this issue because I have been guilty of stereotyping people. I used to think that all rich people lived in $1 million houses and drove around in the high-class vehicles like Mercedes or Rolls Royce, and all poor people drove around in beat-up cars, living in two-bedroom houses. Once I started reading books about the rich, I understood that many wealthy people tend to drive around in used cars and live in older houses. The saying never judge a book by its cover makes a lot more sense now.

As a society, we must stop stereotyping people. While stereotyping is a common occurrence, it can be hurtful to the individual receiving the criticism. I have been stereotyped because I am a preacher’s kid. When people found out I was the son of a preacher, they immediately began to tell me that I was going to do something bad because that is what most children do when they grow up as the children of religious leaders. I had to make a conscious effort to not let what people said get to me.

Also, being a journalist has helped me to be more objective. As a journalist, you must go into an interview with an open mind and be willing to listen to the person’s point of view. So, before you stereotype someone, ask yourself would you want to be treated in the same manner? In all likelihood, the answer is no.

Holidays: more than just shopping “Take a break and truly remember what the season is about. ”

“My love for writing builds on perseverance, engagement and, of course, love.”

SI-LONG CHEN web master schen1@aug.edu

KARL FRAZIER senior reporter kfrazie9@aug.edu

NIKKI SKINNER staff writer nskinner@aug.edu There is nothing I love more than getting ready for the holiday season.

My excitement begins as early as Halloween because I know just as soon as Halloween is over, all the holiday festivities are about to begin.

What’s better than spending time with your family and getting a break from school and work for a few days? It’s nice to be able to relax with your loved ones and eat your weight in unhealthy food.

This year, while I was in line at the store purchasing last minute items for Thanksgiving, I was reminded that not everyone gets to relax during the holidays.

Like many other people on Thanksgiving, I got up early and went out to get the newspaper to browse the Black Friday advertisements, excited to go ahead and put a dent in a majority of my Christmas shopping.

What I failed to realize was there are many people who don’t even get to really enjoy Thanksgiving because they have to prepare for the sales that follow this national holiday. Even some friends

of mine went into work as early as 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. It was then I realized that some things are just not that important.

Yes, I love going out and saving money just as much as the next person.

With the economy the way it is, every penny counts. But I also feel like family time is precious, and I hate to know that many miss out on the joys of the holiday season because they are stuck working.

McDonald’s doesn’t need to be open.

Those people need a break too. The holidays are meant for families to come together and see one another. Now it is all about making a dollar. People seem to have lost sight of what exactly the holiday season is about.

And the sales not only happen at Thanksgiving but also on the day after Christmas. I just think it would be nice to give people a break and enjoy the festivities. Take a break and truly remember what the season is about. It is not about shopping but being with your family and friends.

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Jag Cast at www.asubellringer.com

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012

PAGE 6 www.asubellringer.com

ARTS & LIFE

Dancing into the holiday season on pointe

LEIGH BEESON | STAFF

By LEIGH BEESON copy editor

L

ocals have numerous opportunities to see a much beloved ballet come to life onstage this holiday season.

The Christmas classic “The Nutcracker” has been performed in venues throughout Augusta, Ga., for decades by various dance companies. Having just wrapped its 15th annual showing Nov. 30, the Columbia County Ballet’s production of the popular ballet is one of the area’s longest running staples. Ron Jones, the director of the Columbia County Ballet, said he participated in “The Nutcracker” as the cavalier, one of the coveted lead parts in the performance, for years as a professional dancer prior to introducing the ballet to the company and school of dance he founded.

Despite spending decades participating in or directing Nutcracker performances, Jones said the classical music of the ballet, originally

composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, continues to touch him.

“As long as I’ve been in dance, as long as I’ve done Nutcracker, I’ve never tired of it,” he said. “I’ve had other dancers say to me when I was with Atlanta Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, they would say, ‘I’m so sick of Nutcracker. If I hear that music again, I’ll just go nuts!’ They hear it so much because they rehearse it so much. But I’ve never felt that about (Pyotr Ilyich) Tchaikovsky’s music. I think it’s just magic every time I hear it.”

One of the reasons Jones said he has the company perform “The Nutcracker” on an annual basis is he wants all of his students to have the opportunity to perform the “most popular ballet that has ever been done,” an opportunity Jones said he personally treasured as a student. “‘The Nutcracker’ is ideal, I think, for children to perform (in) it,” he said. “In the party scene, for instance, we have adults for parents, but we have children for the children. Some professional produc-

Lighting up

By KARL FRAZIER senior reporter

W

ith the support of the community and a constant increase in patronage, one local event takes Christmas light decorations to another level.

Benjamin Bell, the founder and owner of Lights of the South, said he started the event after noticing a change in the way Christmas was portrayed.

“As I have gotten older, (Christmas) has become too commercial,” Bell said. “We built this to have a place for people to come and for two or three hours forget about paying bills, forget about all their problems and have good time and not worry about the cares of the world.”

the night

In 2004, Bell said he came up with idea of having a Christmas lights show after seeing three families put up all white Christmas lights in the neighborhood. Bell said he always loved seeing Christmas lights. Fortunately, Bell had bought 106 acres of land. At first, Bell said he wanted to use the land to build a house so that he could be out in the country, but he later changed his mind.

Being a general contractor, Bell said he did not want to put houses or shopping centers on the land but instead wanted to do something fun. After seeing what the three families did, Bell said he decided to build his Christmas light display.

Bell said he started working on the project in May 2005 with 12 people working for weeks at a time see LIGHTS on PAGE 8

CONTRIBUTED BY NICHOLAS FRAZIER

Two toy soldiers flank the entrance to a tunnel of lights at Lights of the South.

tions end up with full-grown adults as children. And it’s very effective because they’re such good dancers, but it doesn’t have the same magic for me as when I see children.”

The Aiken Civic Ballet will also feature students and younger children in its upcoming performances of “The Nutcracker” at the University of South Carolina Aiken’s Etherredge Center, said Wendy Swygert, the president of the Aiken Civic Ballet Board of Directors.

Like the Columbia County Ballet’s annual production, the Aiken Civic Ballet Company’s performance is highly anticipated each year, Swygert said. Past performances have sold out or been just a couple tickets short of selling out. Because of the tremendous community support, Swygert explained, the company makes sure to reach out to local fans.

“As a prelude to The Nutcracker, the week before we do a Nutcracker tea for the children of the community at the Aiken County Historical Museum,” she said.

“We invite children in and they can meet the dancers, watch them dance a little bit. And there’s crafts and light hors d’oeuvres (offered).”

Not all of the CSRA’s productions of “The Nutcracker” strictly follow the traditional storyline and feature the classic music. Cutno Dance Center for Dance Education will perform “Holiday Cheer: Nut­ cracker in the City,” an updated, jazzier version of the classic story, said Ferneasa Cutno, the founder and artistic director of Cutno and its artistic group, the Magnolia Dance Theatre.

She said Cutno has been performing some version of “The Nutcracker” for ten years but that she thought local children needed a ballet that was more modern, that was easier to for children to connect with and that taught a moral lesson to those watching.

“It’s based loosely on the original Nutcracker – so the kids do go off and they visit a foreign land – but the twist, I think, with our Nutcracker is that it’s not just self-serving,” Cutno explained. “It’s (about) reaching out

to a family in the storyline that’s less fortunate and they lost their home in a fire during the Thanksgiving holiday. The little girl takes her friend along on the journey so that she can have toys for Christmas.”

What audiences don’t see, though, is the amount of work and effort that goes into making the experience for patrons “magical,” Jones said.

“When you’re sitting in the audience, the curtain opens and what you see is the finished product,” he explained. “So it’s hard to dissect it and see all the bits and pieces that go into making it flow so smoothly. But it really is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, a very complex jigsaw puzzle.”

But that effort ultimately pays off for the performers because participating in such a largescale, successful production is rewarding in and of itself, he said.

kbeeson @aug.edu

American Idol winner is coming to town

By NIKKI SKINNER staff writer

T

he first annual Jingle Ball will take place on Dec. 12 at Surreal at Surrey with doors opening at 8:30 p.m.

Opening for this event will be Chris Wallace and A Rocket to the Moon. The headliner will be this year’s American Idolwinner Phillip Phillips, who just released his debut album, “The World from the Side of the Moon,” featuring his hit single “Home.”

This event is put on by WHHD 98.3 and will be the station’s new seasonal event, said Bryan Alexson, the promotions director at Beasley Broadcasting. It is going to be taking the place of its previous event, The Little Black Dress, which began back in 2008.

“We felt as though The Little Black Dress had run its course,” Alexson said. “It was time for something new, and this event seemed appropriate.”

Katie Miles, 24, of Augusta, Ga., said she agreed.

“The Little Black Dress event brought in a lot of people,” she said. “The Jingle Ball will be better in the sense that it is a concert for an up-and-coming performer.”

It just so happens that this venue was where Little Black Dress event was held, and it seemed fitting to continue to use this location, Alexson said.

“We really lucked up with this event,” said Clint Martin, the owner

CONTRIBUTED BY BEASLEY BROADCASTING

of Bar West and a partner of Surreal at Surrey. “We went into the radio station and told them what they were looking for, and they told us they had stuff coming up.”

Then the station got in touch with Phillips’ record label, Axelson said.

“They let us know that with his touring schedule it would work out for him to do a show here before he heads to Atlanta,” he said.

“Planning this event has been a lot like preparing for previous events.

We really just changed the date and the name; otherwise, it is all about making sure everything is running smoothly. From booking hotels, working with the artist and getting things ready at the venue.”

Martin said planning for this event really has been hectic. In preparation for this event, members of Surreal at Surrey have been attending live shows and talking to other people about what to expect.

“We are honestly just try-

ing to learn as much as we can at the moment,” Martin said.

“We really are just trying to put on the best show possible.”

With the tickets for this event selling out Nov. 27, the only way to get tickets now is by calling WHHD 98.3 on weekdays at noon for the chance to win.

“We honestly had no idea tickets would sell out this fast,” Martin said. “Within the first two weeks, we sold two hundred tickets at the Bar West location alone.”

A lot of live acts come through the area, he said. Surreal at Surrey wants this event to live up to the standards that have already been set.

“We want it to be a great show,” Martin said. “We want to be seen then more than just a top-40 night club.

We also want to bring in more diverse types of entertainment, and we feel like this is a great way to show that.”

nskinner@aug.edu

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 7

Artists bring personal touch downtown for the holidays

By RON HICKERSON chief reporter

E

ncouraging buyers to shop locally this Christmas season, the Gallery on the Row hosted its Deck the Halls event.

Gallery on the Row, an art gallery located on Broad Street, displayed its artists’ wares Saturday.

The gallery displayed seasonal art, gave away door prizes to customers inside and held demonstrations for passersby on Broad Street who were attending the city’s Christmas parade.

Walking into the gallery, customers could look at the paintings hanging on the walls, the hand-carved figurines and even handcrafted instruments.

Pat Warren, one of the gallery’s original artists and founders, said the gallery has hosted this event off and on since its opening in 2004. The event encourages Augustans to buy art from local artists and see what the gallery is all about.

“It’s just a Christmas open house, just to invite the customer in and do something a little bit special,” said Cyndy Epps, another of the gallery’s artists. “It’s kind of a special day to invite people in and do some Christmas shopping and get to

know the artist a little bit better, too.”

By having these open houses, Warren said customers can see the range of artwork the gallery provides.

“The variety of handcrafted things is larger than anywhere else in Augusta,” she said, listing the gallery as containing clay work and pottery, watercolor paintings and more. “Something you can’t get anywhere else you can get here.”

Throughout the event, Epps said former and current gallery members would have stations posted outside the gallery to give demonstrations of how they create their artwork. These demonstrations included calligraphy, portrait sketching, ornament-making and pen-turning.

Donald Henshaw was the event’s pen-turner. Epps said he could make a pen from just about anything.

Standing on the sidewalk behind his lathe, a machine used to shape wood and metal, Henshaw demonstrated his craft by carving a pen body from a piece of a counter top, dusting his station with little, white shavings. He said he got involved with the hobby after a friend invited him over to make a pen at his house.

After making his first pen, he said he went out and bought his own lathe to support his new, “addictive” hobby.

Over the years, he has been known for making pens from several unlikely

materials. His latest media included Confederate money, a microchip, bullet casings and even pine cones.

“That’s one they said I couldn’t make,” said Henshaw while holding one of the pine cone pens. “But I did and that’s one of my best sellers because of the novelty of it.”

Events like this one are meant to give the gallery more exposure to Augustans, reminding them of all the good that goes on downtown said Margaret Hunt, another gallery artist.

Along with seasonal events, she said the gallery “religiously” hold events at every First Friday downtown.

“Just think if all of my 700 Facebook friends just came once,” she said, illustrating the impact of getting the gallery’s name out more.

Epps agreed, saying the hope is to gain a lot of foot traffic from people attending the parade.

Along with the variety of art offered at the gallery, Warren and Hunt said the gallery also contains a lot of art experience from the combined years that artists have been practicing their work. Warren explained that the gallery is operated by a group of seven artists who share all the responsibilities and obligations of running the gallery.

Epps said events like this one are a collaboration between the artists, but the main objective of these events is to promote the gallery’s

RON HICKERSON | STAFF

Customers browse the art displays in the gallery during its Christmas open house.

presence downtown and to encourage buying locally produced art.

“The thing that we like about doing this sort of thing is that it gives people the opportunity to buy locally,” she said. “It also gives them the opportunity to meet the artist and see them at work. For a lot of folks that

come into our gallery, that’s one of the first questions that they’ll ask, ‘Are these local artists?’ And we’re proud to be able to say, ‘Yes, they are.’”

rhickers @aug.edu

New bar provides a greater selection of whiskey to Augusta area

By TAMIKA LAMPKIN senior reporter

O

n the first Friday in November, the Whiskey Bar (Kitchen) joined the list of bars located in downtown Augusta, Ga. Conveniently located next to the Metro Coffeehouse and Pub, the new bar is an extension of owners Kenny Morrison and Bobby Morrison’s vision of a greater Augusta.

“I wanted it to be a progression from the neighborhood pub to a slightly more adult version,” Morrison said. “We wanted the new place to be unique and approachable to all walks of life to enjoy. Everyone can come and feel comfortable and accepted.”

The new bar is equipped with a new look, new atmosphere and new variety of foods to choose from. The bar is offered as a non-smoking environment. Morrison said the new bars will give people who love the bar atmosphere, without the smoke, a hangout spot as well.

Only open for about three weeks, the bar has had a heavy impact on the downtown community. When people found out there

JACQUELYN PABON | STAFF

The Whiskey Bar offers a variety of whiskeys and bourbons that includes Crown Royal Maple.

would be a new innovative spot beside the Metro Pub, they could not wait to try it out.

Adrienne Lowry, a bartender at the Whiskey Bar (Kitchen), said she is amazed by

the number of patrons in the past few weeks.

“It’s a very casual cool spot with a calm and relaxing atmosphere,” Lowry said. “It gets a little rowdy when the games are on, but other than that it’s a nice chill spot to visit.”

The name speaks for itself. The Whiskey Bar (Kitchen) offers more than 35 different traditional bourbons and whiskeys, along with 11 Irish whiskeys, 19 Scotch whiskeys, seven Canadian whiskeys and a full bar with other cocktails and beers. The name may brings people in, he said, but the food keeps them there.

The Whiskey Bar (Kitchen) offers a large variety of what Morrison likes to call “Japanese soul food” as well as traditional bar cuisine.

Brandon Whitaker, the sous chef, said the cuisine has been uniquely tweaked to satisfy any taste palate. The vision of the food offered is a mixture of Asian meets American. Whitaker said traditional Irish food is next on the menu.

“Everyone here has a tie to an Irish background,” Whitaker said. “We are trying to incorporate the culture of our owners and staff with our food choices.”

Whitaker said the foods and sauces are made fresh and in house. Morrison said their

guests should expect the unexpected from their menu. They offer burgers and fries and fun finger food, but the hits are the specialty plates they offer. The Whiskey Bar (Kitchen) takes traditional dishes and creates its own spin on the items to make them its own.

“We sell higher-end bar food without the higher-end pretension,” said Morrison. “We are not inventing the wheel. We just want to create a tastier version of it.”

The bar has become popular for all walks of life. Morrison said he has had doctors, lawyers, television and radio personalities all come and try out his new place. He claims the atmosphere and location is central for anyone who just needs to have a drink or a bite to eat in a laid back environment. Ashley Campbell, an NBC 26 News reporter, said she has fallen in love with the new bar.

“I love the atmosphere; it’s something different for Augusta,” Campbell said.

“The food is amazing, the staff is welcoming and this place is great for the city.”

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tlampkin @aug.edu

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012

PAGE 8 www.asubellringer.com

Mann Ray introduces indie music with a twist

By MICHEAL CLARK contributor

I

t was a cool night as the band members of Mann Ray started arriving for their weekly practice.

They started off by ripping out some covers of Nirvana and, after some prodding, Britney Spears.

Mann Ray was originally founded in 2010 by Miles Anderson and Chris Connolly as a duo-acoustic group. Now, two years later, Mann Ray has added two members, Wes Fritz and Chris Bailey, to form a full band.

Anderson, the vocalist and guitar player, said he has been playing guitar and singing for more than 10 years. Anderson has played in multiple bands and has been involved in the local Augusta, Ga., music scene since he started playing music.

“I draw my inspirations from Jesus and ex-girlfriends,” Anderson said. “I have my friends around me. I just feel like this band plays well together and has certain camaraderie.”

The meaning behind the band’s

name comes from one of Anderson and Fritz’s previous bands, The Kilpatrick Project, which played from 2001 through 2006. One of their song titles was “Man Ray.” “‘Man Ray’ was one of the first songs that me and Miles learned together,” Fritz said.

Fritz, the bass player, was just recently added to the band after coming out of a more than six-year break from music. Fritz said because the band is so dynamic, it can change its tone and structure from song to song. He also said he believes that Mann Ray will be able to keep its sound fresh and interesting for the future because of the individual band members’ diverse talents.

The members of Mann Ray consider their music to have rhythms, indie aesthetics and some folk sensibilities thrown in. Fans have said they sound like Bright Eyes, the Cure and the Shins.

“We don’t necessarily have a select genre or audience, birds of a feather flock together kindof-thing,” Connolly said. “Hopefully, people can see we have a diversified taste and recognize that.”

Connolly, the cello player,

CONTRIBUTED BY STEPHANIE MONICA

Members of Mann Ray goof around while posing for a group picture.

draws his rock influences from Pearl Jam, Bach, Cursive and The Beatles. He said playing in the band is a rewarding and fun experience

Lights CONTINUED from PAGE 6

to create the perfect arrangement. Bell said he used road lights instead of mini lights after going on vacation and realizing the advantages of using road lights.

After months of hard work, Bell said they opened the show in November 2005.

While some critics shunned him, Bell went through with his vision. He said the turnout was greater than he anticipated.

“We actually had 17,000 people that first year,” Bell said. “It was way better than I expected because everybody told me I was crazy and that it was not going to work.”

Because of the growing population, Bell said they continually build something new every year. Some of the main attractions at the event are a Christmas Maze, where people can get lost in a large Christmas tree-shaped maze; Mrs. Clauses Kitchen; and Candyland, where children can run around and play for a few minutes. Lights of the South also features hay rides for people to get on and tour all of the different light attractions on the land. Bell said he chose to have hay rides instead of car rides so that people could take their time and not feel rushed. The event also has a walking trail for people

to use instead of riding the hay ride.

While the event is known for its light attractions, it has become famous for its hot chocolate. Brenda Davis, known as the queen of hot chocolate, said people come out to have some of her well-known hot chocolate. Davis said Lights of the South has made a big impact in her life.

“I look forward to (Lights of the South) every year,” Davis said.

This year, Bell said he doubled the amount of parking spaces because parking has always been an issue. He said he also added scanners for people who buy tickets online so that they can go to gate and get their tickets scanned instead of waiting in line for a hard copy.

Visitors aren’t the only ones enjoying the light show. Employees get a kick out of the display too.

“Every year before we start, I get on the hay ride and try to enjoy it with my family,” said Brittany Turner, Lights of the South’s manager. “I think it’s a good family facility so that everybody can come out and enjoy themselves.”

Lights of the South is opened from Nov. 20 to Dec. 30 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

kfrazie9 @aug.edu

because it challenges him to use his cello in interesting and creative ways. The band’s goal is to keep diversifying its sound and to continue

pushing the band to new places.

“We enjoy playing music,” Bailey said. “It is a good outlet for creativity; it’s a good thing to do after a hard day at work.”

Bailey, the drummer and backup vocalist, has a very diverse background with music and has always been surrounded by it. He said his father built and played guitars, and his grandmother played piano. Being a part of the Bailey family meant he had to be able to play some kind of musical instrument. After high school, he went to college for piano. Bailey had a set course to his life surrounded by music. However, he ended up taking a break after graduation to pursue a life that was not dominated by music. Bailey only started playing consistently again after graduating.

“We put a lot of time and effort in to what we do,” Bailey said. “I think it really shows in how we come across on stage.”

Members of Mann Ray agreed that after the day is done, they are happy to just produce good music that people want to hear.

mclark18@aug.edu

Forgotten but not lost: Chronicling Augusta State’s history

E

‘A’ look at the past

By KRISTIN HAWKINS arts & life editor

ven though it has only been around for a decade, Augusta State University’s trademark “A” logo has come to carry significant meaning for students, staff and faculty.

The athletic department was approached by the TaylorMadeAdidas golf company in 2002 about creating a new branding image for the university, said Joey Warren, the media relations director at Augusta State. The company claimed that the old logo - a Jaguar enclosed in a circle - was not an effective marketing tool.

“We started working with them and took the idea to (athletic director) Clint Bryant and the university’s PR people, and that A is what came out of it,” Warren said.

Pam Lightsey, the director of the JagCard office, said one reason the A logo has become more prominently featured around campus in recent years is due to the fact that the old symbol of the Arsenal Oak has become less frequently used since the tree was removed in 2004.

The alumni committee started utilizing the logo in its “A Day” campaign, which Lightsey said she believes is a contributing factor to the popularization of the symbol.

Although the A started in the athletic department, its use has spread to the larger university as a whole, Warren said.

“It’s taken 10 years, and we finally have some brand recognition,” he said. “People know the A. The ‘Save the A’ campaign probably helped a lot, but winning two (golf) national championships probably helped, too.”

The future of the A remains unknown, but Warren said that the logo is likely to be retained in future branding efforts.

To longtime faculty and staff, Lightsey said the A represents the university’s evolution.

“For someone (like myself) that has been here for 22 years, it (symbolizes) growth and progression from Augusta College to Augusta State,” she said.

For Warren, the logo symbolizes the success and tradition of the Jaguar athletic programs. Since the logo was created, the men’s golf team has won two national championships and the men’s basketball program has reached the NCAA Elite Eight on three separate occasions.

“That’s our identity,” Warren said of the school’s emblem.

“That’s who we are.”

khutchi2@aug.edu

Local nonprofit organization has bands caroling for a good cause

A

By LEIGH BEESON copy editor

favorite annual concert is expanding to include a full-fledged festival this year, with proceeds benefiting Georgia Health Sciences University Children’s Medical Center.

The 12 Bands of Christmas, an Augusta, Ga., holiday staple since the early 2000s, has held concerts and sold CDs for years, but in 2010 12Bands became its own nonprofit with the goal of helping to raise as much money as possible for the Children’s Medical Center, Executive Director Joe Stevenson said.

“The mission is to support families affected by pediatric cancer,” he said. “We take care of families who are struggling because they’re out of work because they have a child being treated here locally. A lot of times what happens is a parent just can’t work because of the time demands (of taking care of a sick child) and then they get behind on bills. What 12Bands does, is we get requests from the families through the hospital social worker and help pay for bills they’re behind on.”

Stevenson said he got involved in 2003, a couple of years after the concert highlighting local bands started after sensing a need for holiday tunes created by local artists.

Gradually, 12Bands began to increase concert attendance and CD sales, and this year the nonprofit is organizing a full festival, featuring vendors, a VIP section, and food and drink sales, said Leza Witherington, the event’s volunteer coordinator and an adminis-

CONTRIBUTED BY JOE STEPHENSON

trative specialist at Augusta State University.

She said she chose to help out with the event because 12Bands serves a very important role in the Augusta community, though

many people don’t know that 12Bands is a nonprofit fundraising vehicle at all.

“You know what the Ronald McDonald house is: The Ronald McDonald house

helps people who are here away from their home,” she said. “This charity (12Bands) helps people who are in trouble here locally.

So if you have a child that’s in the hospital with a major illness or something like that and you’re struggling to pay your electric bill, they’re going to help you do that.”

Witherington said the nonprofit has positive indirect effects in addition to just paying down patients’ families’ debt and bills.

“If the parents are not stressed, then it leaves them time to be with their child and help their child without that child seeing that stress,” she explained. “Kids are smart, and they pick up on stuff. If you’re worried about paying the electric bill, then they feel guilty like it’s their fault.”

12Bands also provides musical entertainment to patients and their families at the Children’s Medical Center on a monthly basis, Stevenson said. The nonprofit also brings musicians out to perform during the summer at Camp Rainbow, a camp for children with pediatric cancer and their siblings.

“Anytime you can help children in the area and help their families – music is a healing power of its own and so what we like to do is really engage the artists to share their music for this cause,” Stevenson said. “Basically, our tagline on the cover of the CD, it says, ‘Giving Augusta’s pediatric cancer patients the gift of music while giving their families immediate financial assistance.’ That’s a cause that a lot of bands want to get involved with.”

kbeeson1@aug.edu

Augusta studio is going M.A.D. over music, art and design

By DANIEL BROWNING contributor

A

new addition to downtown Augusta, Ga., may have artists of all sorts buzzing.

Many artists in every classification come and go; it’s just how the industry works. One day you’re hot and popular, and the next day you’re invisible. The key to being successful revolves around knowing how the business works. This is where M.A.D. Studios come into play. A group of four members with different fields of expertise have come together to provide media services to artist of all styles, said John Cannon, or “Stoney,” the me-

dia coordinator for M.A.D. Studios.

Cannon said he works on the recording side of the studio as well and also puts together performances and promoting events.

“I think what makes us different is that we are a multimedia studio,” he said. “Aside from the business part of it, we are a ‘support your art’ kind of place as well.”

The studio has a lot to offer in each of its three categories of music, art and design. The music side of the studio provides a listening room that will give the music listener a chance to enjoy a live performance or live recording in an intimate setting, said Leah Deslandes, the studio’s photographer.

“We have acoustic artists that come in and people are surrounded

by beautiful art,” she said. “It’s a tiny personal space that makes the experience of our shows comfortable, and people can enjoy the time.

We also do once a month showings just for the art work itself so people can come in and just focus on art.”

The most important part is the education of music. M.A.D. offers learning segments and workshops that will provide artists with knowledge for their futures in the industry. Deslandes said that photography classes are on the way as well.

“I plan to teach children to take pictures, and we have painters who want to come in and do classes,” she said.

Art is also incorporated and pretty important as well in M.A.D. studios. According to the studio’s

website, exhibits are available to showcase the CSRA’s talented artists. The art will span everything from painting to photography. There are talented staff members who are available in the studio and are willing to help. The art portion of the studio also provides lessons and workshops that can deliver knowledge on photography and filmmaking.

Christopher Crozier, an undecided major at Augusta State University and an art enthusiast, recently attended an event at M.A.D. Studios.

“M.A.D. is truly a great supporter of the arts and put on display some great unknown talent around the area,” he said.

Cannon said the main focus will be music, art and design services. The open space will also have

consistent art and photo exhibits and host some small group listening parties or indie film screenings.

Benjamin Lowe, a biology major, has had the privilege of working with some of the people at the studios.

“They are great help and truly know what they are doing there,” he said. “The environment is perfect for an artist but more importantly someone who just wants to learn.”

M.A.D. Studios continues to be successful and is in its third month of business. It is a public-friendly studio, and all ages are welcome.

It is a no-smoking environment, Cannon said. Events are weekly and are posted on the website.

dbrownin @aug.edu

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 9 www.asubellringer.com

comics: entertain

In this Issue...

DOWN 1. The 9th annual ______ Bands of Christmas will be held in the Augusta Commons this year.

2. The real meaning of _________ is lost in shopping and greed.

5. This new bar/kitchen downdown is located next to Metro Coffeehouse and Pub downtown at the corner of 11th and Broad.

7. The Paine College _____ will be the first local university to get a football team.

8. The Augusta Rescue Mission is a organization that helps local _________ men.

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yourself

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ACROSS 2. A Bell Ringer staff member published a book in the __________ language before moving to the United States.

3. House Bill ________, which would have legalized guns on campus, failed to pass.

4. _____________, the current acting assistant vice president for student life, will be leaving Augusta State University to become the new vice president of student affairs for Augusta Technical College.

6. The local women’s Roller Derby team 9. There are over five _______ lights decorating 100 acres of land at Lights in the South.

10. The former head coach of the Augusta RiverHawks

In the last issue...

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comics in your n e w s p a p e r and send your drawings to free time? bellringerproduction@gmail.com

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RiverHawks KELSEY DONNELLY production manager

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012

PAGE 10 www.asubellringer.com

SPORTS

Evans run Rapidly growing recreational sport of bicycle brings cheer polo is making its way to the local community

By RON HICKERSON chief reporter This year, the sound of jingling sleigh bells belongs to runners.

Local runners turned out in droves to attend the second-annual Jingle Jam 10K Saturday. The 10K race, a fundraising event to support Safe Homes of Augusta, was held at the Evans Towne Center Park in Evans, Ga. Runners showed up in the 45-degree weather, donned their jingle bells and prepared to run the six-plus miles of the race.

For some runners, the race was a great way to train for future running events.

Mike and Meagan Janik, two runners who attended the road race, said they were there training to run a marathon and that this event was another “step along the way.” But the race surprised them when they discovered that the funds raised would go to domestic violence survivors, especially as two members of the seven-person planning committee were survivors of domestic violence.

“I am a domestic violence survivor, and one of the ways, I guess, I gained my self-esteem back was I started running,” said Goldei Limbaugh, the race’s founder and chair.

She explained that as she began making progress in her running, she discovered the impact of road-race fundraisers.

“After (I ran) a marathon, I realized that as a fund raiser, road races are where it’s at because runners are a different breed of people,” she said.

“It usually doesn’t matter the weather.

It usually doesn’t matter the season.

They’ll come out to get a great race shirt and to run a fun race, but those are the keys: a great race shirt and a superfun race.”

She admitted that she and her husband now schedule vacations around upcoming races in different cities, so she came up with the idea of creating a race for Augusta, Ga., modeled after all the races she and her husband have traveled to.

“We wanted something that would grow exponentially every year,” said Limbaugh, describing the brainstorming process for the race’s first year.

“We wanted something fun. We wanted something unique to the area, so we see JINGLE JAM on PAGE 11

CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREW PARKER

A group of cyclists from around the country gather following a bicycle polo race in Florida last month; the sport is currently experiencing a surge in popularity, and local riders and business owners are trying to expand its influence within the Augusta, Ga., market.

By LAURA STARNES contributor The popularity of bicycle polo is on the rise throughout the country, and the sport is coming to the Augusta, Ga., area.

Andrew Parker, a junior music major at Augusta State and employee of 6 Degrees bike shop, is attempting to bring bicycle polo to Augusta. Parker said he got the idea after participating in Alleycat bike races in Miami and Gainesville and Jacksonville, Fla. “Anytime I go to Florida, there is this huge bike polo presence,” Parker said. “So whenever I go race, I find out and learn about it from them.”

In addition to seeing bicycle polo at the races, Parker said he has also read in magazines, such as Urban Velo, that the sport is becoming more popular in the United States, specifically in the Southeast.

Daniel Sprouse, a local cyclist and a recent Augusta State graduate, said he has also noticed the sport carving out a niche.

“I’ve heard a lot about bike polo becoming more popular,” Sprouse said. “I’d love to see polo make it to the Augusta area.”

Bicycle polo is similar to the traditional polo game that is played on horseback. The only major difference is that the players ride bikes instead of horses. Players ride on a

cement surface and attempt to hit a polo ball in to the opposing team’s net.

The North American Hardcourt Bike Polo Association has a set of official rules that leagues are encouraged to use to maintain consistency across the country.

According to its website, the North American Harcourt Bike Polo Association was founded in 2010.

The country is divided into seven regions, each having three representatives. Together, the 21 representatives are responsible for planning and organizing tournaments across the nation.

Parker explained that though the six pages of rules can be difficult to read through, watching a game in person is the best way to learn.

While the group is looking for more people to join the league, it is also looking for a place to build a permanent court, Parker said. The group currently rents the top level of a parking garage downtown.

6 Degrees, a local downtown bike shop, is helping Parker build the league. The manager of 6 Degrees is in the process of obtaining a lot owned by the city of Augusta, Parker said. The agreement would include paving the lot and putting up fences at the renter’s expense.

Anyone who can ride a bike is invited to join the league. All a player needs to get started is a bike and a mallet. Beginner polo mallets can be

CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREW PARKER

Andew Parker, an Augusta State student and an employee of the 6 Degrees in downtown Augusta, Ga., competes in an Alleycats race in Florida last month.

made from ski poles and plastic pipe.

Parker estimated that making a mallet could cost as little as $15, if the materials are found at secondhand stores.

“As far as bikes are concerned, you can pretty much use whatever bike you want,” Parker said. “You can have mountain bikes, fixed gear bikes or cyclocross bikes, as long as you don’t have baskets or saddle bags.”

In addition to creating an additional recreation sport for cyclists, Parker said he envisions using the

polo league to reach out to the local community.

“One of the original missions of 6 Degrees bike shop was to put a bike in the hands of every kid that wanted one (to ride),” he explained.

Parker said he has read that other groups have been successful in recruiting the youth of the area to play for a league. He said he believes that it would be a great thing to bring to the downtown Augusta area.

lstarnes@aug.edu

Coach prepares for more responsibilites Paine to bring college football back to the Augusta area after long hiatus

By KARL FRAZIER senior reporter

CONTRIBUTED BY ALISSA FAULKNER

Cross country coach Adam Ward will lead the track and field teams at Augusta State starting next spring.

By ALISSA FAULKNER contributor With outdoor track and field being added to Augusta State’s Athletic Department, head coach Adam Ward said he is excited about the development and future of the program.

Adam Ward, a graduate of Murray State, is Augusta State’s head men’s and women’s cross country and track and field coach. The crosscountry teams have been at Augusta State for quite some time, but this spring the school will launch the track and field programs.

Ward was attracted to Augusta State because of his desire to be involved in college athletics, which led to him taking over the position of cross-country head coach in July 2004.

Competing in track and field himself, Ward describes himself as a huge fan of the sport and said it has been encouraging to see students growing in interest and enthusiasm. As of right now, 10 to 12 men and nine women have been training with Ward preparing for the start of the track and field season.

Because of Ward’s passion for what he does, he said he does not even consider coaching a job.

“I have never worked a day in my life,” Ward said. “I love what I do, and it’s not hard.

I’ll wake up at 6:15 a.m. with the athletes and go run with them Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and I’m excited to be there.”

Micah Herriman, a senior on the track and field team, said he has benefited a great deal

from Ward’s coaching.

“Coach Ward has bent over backwards to give me a chance to compete my senior year,” Herriman said. “From getting me eligible to preparing me to be a competitor, he’s done a great job of giving me a chance to do something that has never been done at ASU. History is about to be made, and it’s going to be exciting when it does.”

Ward said he enjoys that he gets to be a fulltime coach, pouring all his efforts into recruiting and helping his athletes succeed on the field and also academically in the classroom. As head coach, he puts the same amount of emphasis on athletic training and discipline as he does success in the classroom. He is training up well-rounded individuals because he wants his athletes to succeed not only in their athletic events but also in life now and after college.

With the spring season approaching, Ward said he is excited about the start of track and field and also for the vision he has for the program at Augusta State.

“I would like to develop this into a national program, qualifying people for national championships, having the university recognized for All-Americans and maintaining the high academic status that we’ve set for ourselves,” he said.

With passion, discipline and high standards, Augusta State’s new track and field team has a lot to look forward to under the coaching of Ward.

afaulkn3@aug.edu

After decades of absence, college football will return to Paine.

Tim Duncan, the athletic director at Paine, said the idea of starting a football program, which will start in fall 2014, began a year ago.

“Dr. (George C.) Bradley (the president of Paine) assigned me the task of performing a feasibility study in September 2011,” Duncan said. “They had me go out and research some other institutions and see how they started football.”

Throughout the course of the year, Duncan said the school interviewed five or six different institutions. During the interviews, he said the institutions showed their budgets, talked about how they started football and discussed how they manage football on

a day-to-day basis.

Duncan said Paine also did surveys with students, faculty and alumni to get their views on having college football in the CSRA. After presenting the feasibility study to the board of trustees, Duncan said the college got the approval to start a football program.

Duncan said Paine is going to raise private funds to support the program as schools such as Georgia State and Mercer had done in the past. He said Paine is already in the process of looking for a head coach and wants to have one by January 2013.

Once the program starts, Duncan said, the team will compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, a Division II conference that Paine is already part of in its other sports. Some members of the conference include Albany State, Tuskegee and Morehouse. The feedback about the see PAINE on PAGE 11

Undefeated Jags stay focused on goals

By FARRELL BROWN staff writer The Augusta State basketball teams have come out of the gates firing on all cylinders.

“We’re handling business,” said women’s head coach Nate Teymer, whose team won its first five games to open the season. “We’re doing what we’re supposed to do. The way the schedule sets up, I feel like we should be in every game.”

Players and coaches of both teams so far are excited at the fast start they’ve had while also pointing out that they can’t afford to become cocky. Players from both teams said they have yet to play a conference game, which are the most competitive games of the season.

“We’re proud of our accomplishments thus far but not satisfied,” senior guard Eryka Menzies said. “When you become satisfied you get complacent.

We’re still working to meet our goals this

season. We don’t want to be remembered for being undefeated our first five games.

We want to be remembered for winning a conference championship.”

The Lady Jags had not started 5-0 in 10 years prior to this season. Junior guard-forward Jac’ Weathers said the goal is to be 8-0 at the end of this semester and build off that momentum in the spring semester.

The men’s team also got off to a strong start to the 2012-13 campaign, winning each of its first three games at Christenberry Fieldhouse before a 73-68 road win over Virginia Union Sunday.

“We’re playing good,” men’s head coach Dip Metress said. “We just have to get better at some things.”

Players and coaches on the men’s team agree that even though starting off 4-0 is great, there is still work to do in order to accomplish the team’s goals.

Metress said his team is a work in progress and needs to continue its improvement toward playing “championship bassee BASKETBALL on PAGE 11

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 11 www.asubellringer.com

Lady Jaguars’ basketball program has strong support system

By TAMIKA LAMPKIN senior reporter It’s a commonly heard adage: Fans are everything.

This proves to be true for the Augusta State Lady Jaguars. Fans, along with friends and family of the players, prove to be the driving force that moves the team along. Jemimah Ashby, a junior marketing major and a small forward for the team, said the team’s fans are truly everything to it.

“They don’t realize how much they mean to the game,” Ashby said.

“They make a big difference in our confidence, energy and enthusiasm.”

Ashby said the team feeds off of its fans and that the Lady Jags’ supporters help the team’s players remember what they came to do. On days when the team may not be at its best, the Lady Jags remember that there are people who believe in their ability and are there to cheer them on.

Supporting one another is more important than people realize. A lot of the time it is not recognized that when a support system is present, it helps

bring a vision to life. Leza Witherington, the administrative assistant to the Department of Communications and Professional Writing, said support is pivotal.

“It is important to support athletes male or female, especially when they may not be the best in the league,” Witherington said. “They need to know that their fans love them no matter their rankings.”

Witherington went on to say that student athletes earned and deserve the support of their fans.

The Lady Jaguars’ fans are not limited to those who attend Augusta State or the faculty and staff members who assist them. Some fans make it their responsibility to support their team at all costs.

Brittany Snell, an Augusta State alumna who currently lives in Atlanta, said she makes a conscious effort to attend as many Lady Jaguar basketball games as she can. Snell traveled from Atlanta on Tuesday evening to witness her women’s basketball team lead its school to an 83-37 victory over Claflin.

“I find it very important to re-

NIKKI SKINNER | STAFF

Fans of Augusta State’s women’s basketball team enjoy a blowout win over Claflin.

main active with my college and their athletic teams,” Snell said. “The Lady Jaguars have come a long way since I began my college career in 2008. I am very excited about their upcoming season.”

Snell said it is important for not just Augusta State but also the community to get involved in their local

college sports.

“If Augusta State had half of the support that small towns have for their major college teams, we could go a lot further,” Snell said. “Our women’s teams work hard to bring home a win, and we should be there to cheer them on whether they do or don’t.”

The bottom line is that teams

RON HICKERSON | STAFF

women’s basketball

race has seen some growth, Limbaugh said.

“Last year our goal was 500 runners, and that’s pretty ambitious for a first-year race,” she said. “And we did it – our official count was 496.”

This year, 585 runners turned up to run the race.

Jennifer Kalakikos, a senior management information systems student at Augusta State University, said the race holds a special place in her heart, being the first 10K she ran in last year.

“This one’s definitely the best organized,” she said, describing what distinguished this race from other races in the Augusta area. “Goldei does a great job. It’s a really well put together race.”

She said she thinks she will come to the Jingle Jam every year it’s held because it is so well put together and because it is for a great cause.

Dec. 8 at Lander Dec. 10 vs. Clark Atlanta Dec. 17 vs. Montevallo Jan. 2 at Francis Marion Jan. 5 at UNC Pembroke

Runners wait for the starting gun at the Jingle Jam 10K in Evans, Ga.

At the start of the race, Limbaugh announced that this race is the only street race in the Augusta area that benefits domestic violence survivors and charity organizations dedicated to helping them. And to some runners it seemed that there weren’t many events that brought awareness to the issue.

“There’s ‘Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,’” said Caroline Bradford, another runner in

the race. “It’s for men and you have to wear high heels, so that’s a little different.”

Limbaugh explained that the funds raised from the runners’ registration fees benefit the local Safe Homes. This year, the fee was $40 for each of the 585 runners that turned out that chilly morning for the race, raising more than $23,000.

men’s basketball

came up with the Jingle Jam 10K and a 10K because the Augusta area, the CSRA, is essentially saturated with 5K fundraisers, and a 10K is long enough that we could put entertainment at every mile.”

So this year, runners were able to enjoy musical acts, belly dancing and other entertainment groups at each mile of the race as well as come back to the park at the end of the race to enjoy further festivities.

In light of the holiday season, runners showed their holiday spirit by tying jingle bells to their shoes and dressing in holiday-themed costumes that would later be judged in a costume contest as a part of the post-race festivities. Runners arrived dressed as Christmas presents, Santa Claus and even Buddy the Elf. With all the festivities, the

tlampkin@aug.edu

upcoming schedule

Jingle Jam CONTINUED from PAGE 10

need support. They tackle the difficult part by perfecting their craft and they need fans to be there and witness their triumphant moments. Kirstin Stallings, an Augusta State alumna and a former member of the basketball team, said that support and fans kept her going when she was on the court.

“There were days when school works was piled up, tests were under way and I was completely stressed,” Stallings said. “On those days, I stepped on the court and with the support of my team and the fans in the stands I pushed forward.”

Stallings said basketball helped her remain focused in school, and by doing well academically, she could continue to represent her school well on the court for the fans of the game of basketball.

“Fans are more important than they think,” Stallings said. “If I could, I would thank everyone who ever attended a game in support of the Lady Jaguar basketball team.”

rhickers@aug.edu

Dec. 8 at Lander Dec. 17 vs. Montevallo Dec. 19 vs. Lincoln Memorial (James Brown Arena) Dec. 30 at Mount Olive Jan. 2 at Francis Marion Jan. 5 at UNC Pembroke

to university in coming years The Bell Ringer’s Soccer could be returning Augusta has a strong backing for soccer fees.

By PARKER SINES with the Augusta Arsenal and the GeorgiaWhile soccer may seem like a relatively contributor College Football South Carolina Bulls soccer clubs. The city cheap sport, it is actually one of the more exalso has various soccer leagues for men and pensive programs to implement, Bryant said.

With the Division II soccer finals and the women as well as indoor soccer leagues.

A single soccer player and equipment really Top 10 Peach Belt Conference and Division II soccer Augusta State already has someone who doesn’t require that much money to support.

1.

Alabama (12-1) Survived a scare from Georgia in SEC championship to earn chance to defend national title.

2.

Notre Dame (12-0) Despite undefeated record, Irish will be prohibitive underdogs against Tide in BCS championship game.

3.

Georgia (11-2) Valiant effort against Alabama came up five yards short.

4.

Florida (11-1) Gators racked up as many signature wins as any team in the country this season.

5.

Ohio State (12-0) Head coach Urban Meyer did a remarkable job in year one with a team ineligible for postseason play.

6.

Oregon (11-1) BCS-bound Ducks will forever rue home loss to Stanford.

7.

Kansas State (11-1) Despite ugly late-season loss to Baylor, Wildcats still earned Big XII title.

8.

Texas A&M (10-2) Aggies finished the regular season playing arguably the best ball in the country.

9.

Stanford (11-2) David Shaw should get Coach of the Year consideration for leading Cardinal to Pac-12 title following loss of Andrew Luck.

10.

LSU (10-2) Tigers registered a boatload of close wins in 2012.

finals taking place last month in Evans, Ga., the question lingers: When will Augusta State get a soccer team?

It’s been more than 10 years since Augusta State had a soccer team on its list of athletic offerings. The university shut down the soccer program due to Title IX and funding, said Clint Bryant, Augusta State’s athletic director.

Title IX is a law that requires schools receiving federal funding provide their students with an equal amount of activities, or in this case sports, based on sex. In order to comply with the law, Augusta State had to cut soccer, Bryant said.

This year’s men’s and women’s Peach Belt soccer finals took place at Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Ga., in November. The NCAA Division II soccer finals took place at Blanchard Woods as well.

could fill the role of a coach. Graeme Connolly, who teaches the soccer class at the university, has an extensive soccer background as a player and a coach. Connolly showed much enthusiasm when asked if he would be interested in being a coach of a soccer team at Augusta State.

Bryant said there are high hopes for soccer in the near future, especially women’s soccer.

“Our plans are to bring women’s soccer back by 2015,” said Bryant. “That’s our target date.”

Bryant went on to discuss how that would require an addition to Christenberry Fieldhouse, which would include a field for women’s soccer and a track. Commodities will also be added such as player locker rooms. With an addition to Christenberry as well as a soccer team, this would mean an increase in student

psines@aug.edu

Basketball

Paine

CONTINUED from PAGE 10

CONTINUED from PAGE 10

football program has been positive in the area.

“I think it will be wonderful for the morale of the institution and for the community,” said Mallory K. Millender, an historian at Paine.

“Football is not played anywhere between here and South Carolina State and Columbia. This city is essentially starved for college football.”

This will not be the first time Paine has a football team. Millender said Paine had a football program as early as 1914. However, he said Paine did not offer players any athletic scholarships while the teams it played against did. Adding to their troubles, Millender said the team from 1954 to 1962 did not win a game. The program was discontinued in April 1963.

With this in mind, Duncan said Paine will offer scholarships to 36 players as part of Division II rules.

He said the Lions are also looking for a coach who has collegiate experience and is willing to build the program over time to make it successful in the long run.

Duncan said he is happy to have the football program back at Paine because Augusta, Ga., currently does not have a football team

However, with a sport like soccer, it isn’t a question about how much the cost is per player but how many players are being paid for. With fees such as traveling, housing, coaches and trainers for 18 players, soccer is an expensive endeavor for an athletic department.

Augusta State is currently the only team in the Peach Belt Conference that does not have a women’s soccer team. The 2015 date for women’s soccer is not set in stone, but the optimism Bryant showed is very promising for soccer fans.

Men’s soccer will still have to wait its turn to become a sport held at Augusta State, but as the school grows in size, so will its potential for more sports, Bryant said.

at the collegiate level, despite being the second largest city in the state of Georgia. Because Paine will be the first college to have football in the area, Duncan said the college will be proud to be Augusta’s football team.

With a local team also comes local recruiting. Duncan said Paine is trying to recruit players from the local high schools in the area.

He said the program will be beneficial to the local players because they will be able to play in front of their family and friends. Duncan said students from other schools have already asked to transfer to Paine because their institutions did not have football programs.

Duncan said he sees the football program as an opportunity to provide 100 young men with the opportunity to play in front of a knowledgeable and great crowd in Augusta.

kfrazie9@aug.edu

ketball.”

“Everybody falls in because everyone knows their role on the team and what piece they bring,” sophomore forward Devon Wright-Nelson said.

Both the men’s and women’s teams note team chemistry as one of their strengths. Menzies said the women’s players fit well with one another both on and off the court. Sophomore point guard D’Angelo Boyce said that the men’s team is an unselfish team that doesn’t have many complaints and that every player contributes.

Other men’s players list the team’s other strengths as communication, 3-point shooting and post offense. They point out finishing off games as the team’s collective weakness.

The men’s and women’s teams’ next games will take place in a doubleheader Saturday in Greenwood, S.C., against Lander.

“Every game is a big game,” junior forward Harold Doby said. “So we just focus on the next game because you never can (look) down (on) your opponent.”

With the new players fitting in the systems of both teams so far, the Jags and the Lady Jags said they think that the key to maintaining their level of success is consistency and remaining humble.

“All of us love to play basketball,” said senior center Chad July. “All of us want the ring so there isn’t really any bragging until we get the ring. After we get the ring, then we can talk all we want to but until then we have to stay focused.”

fbrown19@aug.edu

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2012

PAGE 12 www.asubellringer.com

SPORTS Slow start leads RiverHawks to enforce major changes

JACQUELYN PABON | STAFF

Drew Baker, a defenseman for the Augusta RiverHawks, sets up for a pass in a recent game against the Southern Professional Hockey League rival Pensacola Ice Flyers.

By JACQUELYN PABON production assistant With one-fifth of the season complete and an overall standing of 1-10-2, the Augusta RiverHawks made big changes in hopes of improving.

These changes, including several player trades and new systems, also involve the most significant change for the team: the dismissal of head coach Rob Miller, a decision made in large part due to the team’s lack of home victories this season. The president of the RiverHawks, Mark Richards, is interim head coach until further notice.

Richards said Miller’s dismissal was based solely on performance and records.

“We’ve had the best record over the past two seasons in the whole league,” Richards said. “To be 1-9-1 (at the time) through 20 percent of our schedule is a tough pill to swallow.”

But Richards said he does not blame Miller’s coaching for the team’s rough start.

“He’s a guy we hired with confidence, and we’re still confident in his abilities,” Richards said. “He had a bad run, and it happens. In pro sports (with) a lot of guys that are fit for jobs, it doesn’t work out for some reason. It is what it is and it’s behind us now.”

And with changes happening

rapidly, the RiverHawks have to come together with the new players such as right-winger Shawn Skelly, traded from the Mississippi Surge, if they hope to turn their season around.

Skelly said he has already seen improvement in the team’s organization and focus.

“Leaving there and coming here, I think one of the things was they (the Mississippi Surge) are a little bit more organized there compared to here,” Skelly said. “With the new changes that have just happened, things look like they are turning around. There looks like there is more direction with the program. I think the guys are starting to buy into everything, and we’re trying to turn things around.”

With these new changes in place, Skelly said he thinks the players are stepping it up.

“There is starting to be more leadership from guys who have been here for years (compared) to guys that this is their first month of pro hockey,” Skelly said. “The team is starting to grab each other and realize that we struggled at the start, but it’s a long season and we just have to get together and turn it around as a collective group. It can’t be a coach, (and) it can’t be equipment guys. It has to be the guys on the ice to turn it around. I think everyone knows what we have to do.

We just have to go out there and do it.”

JACQUELYN PABON | STAFF

Augusta RiverHawks’ defenseman Kyle Watson gets into a scuffle with right-winger John Dunbar of the Pensacola Ice Flyers during a 5-3 setback for the Riverhawks on Friday Nov. 16 at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Ga.

Even the veterans of the team have acknowledged the need for change. Assistant Captain Jason Price said the team’s new systems are going to help it work towards more wins. He said he thinks the problem was not with Miller but with the players on the ice.

“We just weren’t getting it done,” Price said. “I don’t know if it was (Miller) not getting it out of us or, finding (a) way to get it out of us, or just not us doing it. But that’s what I would have to say, just the guys on the ice not getting it done.”

Richards thinks the players Miller brought to the team are talented but underperforming. He said he is working to correct the issue.

“We’re just trying to kind of define assignments a little better and responsibility in all ends of our game,” Richards said. “With the bottom line in the simplest form, we just have guys that have underachieved so far this year and underperformed. Guys that are very good players have really been struggling collectively as a team, not just one or two. You can usually pick up that slack if it’s just one or two, but when you have over half of them struggling, it makes it tough on the

JACQUELYN PABON | STAFF

RiverHawks’ interim head coach and team president Mark Richards coaches the team through a home loss against the Fayetteville FireAntz.

game.”

Richards said he plans to make these changes with his own coaching style that he described as “yippy.”

“I am detail-oriented, (and) I am emotional,” he said. “I have passion for the game, and I like guys that play hard. And sometimes when you play hard and give the effort, that’s all you can ask (for).”

But Richards said the change of coach is not the answer to all of

their problems. He said it’s up to the players to make the change for the rest of their season.

“We held our coach accountable for the record of the team, and now the players are to be held accountable,” Richards said. “They have been warned that we just can’t keep getting rid of the coaches. At some point, some of our veteran core guys have to start performing.”

jpabon@aug.edu

Local roller derby team prepares to jam its way through a new season “For the majority of us, it’s a way to not be who we are in real life.”

- Eloisae Patterson, member of the Soul City Sirens

By JACQUELYN PABON production assistant Rolling into its fifth season, the local roller derby team is preparing for its upcoming bouts with a team jam-packed full of veteran players.

The Soul City Sirens, the roller derby team in Augusta, Ga., is currently prepping for its upcoming season with practices and an invitational bout in which women from around the league were invited to compete on two teams in one event. The event allowed for some of the new players around the league to get a feel for the actual gameplay, said Jason Craig, the head coach of the Sirens.

Craig said his team is looking sharp with much of it consisting of veteran players.

“A lot of times we will have a few vets and a lot of fresh meat people,” he said. “Now we have a whole crew of vets, and that’s really exciting.”

Once the team begins its official season in January, Craig said it will play usually once a month, alternating between home and away contests. The team will have games every two weeks. With this busy schedule of bouts and games to come, many of the players manage their roller derby lives alongside the roles of mother and wife while also working full-time jobs.

Eloisae Patterson, better known as the blocker “Elle ә Deville” in the roller rink, is a fifth-year veteran who is also the mother of two boys and a 9th and 11th grade English teacher at Evans High School. She said she looks at roller derby as a sport that gives her an outlet to express herself in a different way.

“For the majority of us, it’s a way to not be who we are in real life,” Patterson said. “I’m not a mom. I’m not a teacher. I’m not a wife. I’m not cleaning up the house. I am just doing something competitive that I really enjoy. I think for the majority of us that play on the Sirens and a

lot of people who play derby, that’s what it is because it’s so different.”

Patterson attributed her involvement in the sport to Jessica Thompson, the founder of the team, who wanted to get a team together because she had reached the age of 30. Patterson said she was pregnant at the time, but four months after she had her youngest son, Ian, she started the boot camp for the team.

And for all the women on the team, this is a competitive sport in which the players constantly have to work toward getting better regardless of position.

Kristina Perez, also known as “Pink Sox,” is the president of the team and a veteran jammer. Although her position is the only pointscoring member of the team, she said she feels the responsibility of ensuring that both the blockers and the jammers contribute to the team’s success.

“You score the points, but if you don’t have good blockers, you’re not going to be a good jammer,” Perez said. “It really is 50-50. I do feel a lot more pressure to be in shape just because it takes a lot out of you.”

With the responsibility split, even the blockers have to work hard for the success of the team. Mel Jacobs, a blocker better known as “June Cleaver” and a newer member of the team, said she has to work even harder to conquer the art of skating alongside her roller-derby skills.

“I didn’t grow up skating,” Jacobs said. “I only skated at birthday parties. So it was pretty much from Bambi. I was not really able to do stops or even stay upright for very long to learning how to do crossovers, how to do the falls and the stops, and then getting voted onto a roster.”

But the hard work pays off after the women hit the rink hard for each bout with their unique derby names sported on the backs of their tight shirts or shorts. The names are usually puns of common phrases and are not always created by

JACQUELYN PABON | STAFF

Members of the Soul City Sirens roller derby team split amongst the black and blue squads during a invitational for teams from surrounding leagues at Red Wing Rollerway in Augusta, Ga.

the derby player. Sometimes, the team or coach gives the names to the player.

Perez said the name Pink Sox stuck with her after her very first day of practice because of her attire.

“They kind of called us by yellow pants, pink socks, yellow helmet,” Perez said. “It just stuck after the first night. I tried to skate under ‘Betty Blackout’ my first season and nobody called me that. They stuck with ‘Pink Sox.’ So I said ‘Forget it. I’ll go with Pink Sox.’” Craig said he thinks the team is important because of its history and success to Augusta as a sport, and with all the work effort put in by the team, trainers and coaches, he also thinks the team will have another successful season.

“This is really rewarding because we’re treading new ground,” Craig said. “We are helping shape the sport. It’s really exciting and it’s changing so fast. I really feel like I’m a part of it in how it changes. It’s cool to be a part of it. I think we are making history here.”

jpabon@aug.edu

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