Feb. 3, 2015 - Vol. 57, Issue 9

GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY

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VOLUME 57, ISSUE 9

Kevin Locke comes to town

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

Library to extend availability

By Amy Thorne arts & life editor

haley harris | staff

The Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble performs at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre Jan. 24. Read more on PAGE 6.

Mental health seminar

Experts offer insight

By Jessica Sager copy editor

A mental health seminar called “I’m Fine, and You?” was hosted in the JSAC Ballroom Jan. 21 at Georgia Regents University.

Lindsey West, an assistant professor at Georgia Regents, gave a presentation in which she talked about racial microaggressions and mindfulness.

“So, racial microaggressions are subtle forms of racial discrimination or subtle forms of prejudicial attitudes,” West said. “So, what

I mean is lots of times when people think about racism they think about more overt acts … Often (racial microaggressions) go unnoticed (but) they still have a same negative effect on the person who is on the receiving end of that.”

A racial microaggression might be a racist joke that everyone laughs at, or an employee following someone in a store to make sure he or she isn’t stealing, West said.

Experiencing racial microaggression can result in a person avoiding certain places, or feeling sad or angry.

Presidential Search

Mindfulness, West said, is a way of dealing with racial microaggression, as well as other problems faced by people.

“Mindfulness refers to living in the present moment,” she said.

“So, it’s this moment-to-moment, intentional way of being. You are using compassion, so you’re compassionate to yourself, so you’re approaching situations without judgment. You are paying attention to your present moment experience with a nonjudgmental attitude. This will then lead to acceptance, curios-

Search council members recommended As the search for the next president of Georgia Regents University by the University System of Georgia begins, student and faculty groups provide input in hopes of influencing the outcome.

“There’s a process that’s been followed in Georgia … for decades,” said Steve Anthony, lobbyist for the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors. “And it’s fairly open, as searches go.

Searches by nature are closed and secret, up to a point. … But when it gets to a point of the finalists and that kind of thing, anybody has a right to give their outlook, their opinion on it, what’s going on.”

There are still several opportunities for students, faculty and staff to be involved with the process through communication with various official representatives, said Robert Scott, lecturer at Georgia Regents and the acting president of the local chapter of the AAUP.

richard adams | staff

Susan Norton, vice president of human resources, reads USG policies.

“(The AAUP doesn’t) have any formal role, and I don’t see us taking on any formal role,” he said. “(As for) our informal role ... AAUP has lots and lots of recommended policies and lessons learned from other schools ... including searches that did well and searches that went awry somehow.”

Scott said the Georgia Regents AAUP chapter held an open meeting Tuesday, Jan. 20, and invited Susan Norton, vice

see LIBRARY on PAGE 3

see EXPERTS on PAGE 3

Georgia Regents

By Richard Adams editor-in-chief

While 24-hour campus facilities like Allgood and University halls are restricting their hours of operation, Reese Library is looking to provide 24-hour access for late night studiers.

The Reese Library at Georgia Regents University will be launching a 12-week trial keeping the facility open from 10:30 p.m. to 7 a.m., in addition to its existing operating hours. Head librarian Barbara Mann said the tentative start date is mid-February.

The trial will answer the request for students to have a safe, controlled place for extended study hours, Mann said.

“The library is really looking forward to doing this,” she said.

“We think it’s a wonderful service for the students, and we really are hoping that we will see the atten-

dance to make it successful. We’re really looking forward to having the students come and be in the library, because we very much want it be a student-centered space.”

During the trial, students will still have access to the library’s computers, study rooms, markers for the white boards and access to checking out reserves with limited circulations, Mann said.

The purpose of the trial, Mann said, is to determine whether extended hours are necessary and, if so, what they will be.

“We’re going to be counting every hour to get an idea of the attendance,” Mann said. “But we have to have a figure that makes it both beneficial to the students and cost effective, because it costs money.”

In light of Reese Library extending its hours, Allgood and Uni-

president of human resources at Georgia Regents, to review and discuss the USG’s policies for presidential searches.

“If they elect to do a search, and if the chancellor decides to appoint a committee, the committee has to be composed of representatives from the faculty,” Norton said during the meeting.

“You also see alumni there, the foundation, a representative from the students and also a representative from the community.”

Seven members of the Board of Regents will also comprise the committee, Norton said.

Michael Banks, president of the Student Government Association, said he was contacted by the USG several days after the initial announcement that Dr. Azziz would be stepping down in June. In the email, an invitation was extended to Banks, a senior majoring in applied information systems and technologies, to nominate students and faculty to be potential members of the institutional search committee.

“The nominations they asked see PRESIDENT on PAGE 3

amy thorne | staff

Chasmine Cook, nursing major, uses the library to do her studying and homework.

Shelter adapts to extreme weather

By Shellie Smitley staff writer

The Salvation Army in Augusta offers individuals extended hours at the homeless shelter during inclement weather conditions.

Maj. Tony Perez, Salvation Army of Augusta area commander, said that under its inclement weather policy the shelter extends the hours that individuals are able to stay during extreme weather conditions.

“For instance, if in the morning time it is a certain temperature, we will have (guests) stay longer,” Perez said. “And if it rises above that temperature, then individuals will begin leaving the building.”

Perez said the extended hours are determined by whatever the Salvation Army considers to be inclement weather.

“So, those that come to our location to spend the night, overnight, whoever comes in and stays there, if it’s inclement weather, it could be an extended hour, could be an extended three hours,” Perez said. “It just depends on what the weather is like.”

Perez said the capacity of the shelter is between 120 to 125 peo-

Student Spotlight

ple. He said when all of the beds are filled, individuals are offered mats to sleep on the floor. He said that typically, on a day-to-day basis, the shelter does not reach its capacity, and during the last cold spell no one was turned away for lack of space.

John Sebby, director of development, said that the inclement weather policy primarily only affects the hours of the transient shelter. He said people who stay at that shelter are given eight free nights a month, and then after that they are charged $7 per night.

“The Salvation Army has been in this community offering these services for 124 years,” Perez said.

“And this community has supported us greatly, and that is the only reason that we are able to do what we do, because such a great community cares about their neighbors.

I’m just grateful that we have a shelter.”

Brian, a military veteran who asked that his last name not be published, said that he stayed at the shelter when it was 16 degrees outside.

“They don’t turn people away during inclement weather,” Brian see SHELTER on PAGE 3

Dog Gone Cold

Page 6

Page 11

Freedom of Speech Page 3

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Collector shows off kimonos

Professionals speak about freedoms

Runners compete beside furry friends

PAGE 2

NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

www.grubellringer.com

New degree offered in education

The voice of

Georgia Regents University

By Jamie Sapp staff writer

EDITORIAL STAFF adviser MATTHEW BOSISIO mbosisio@gru.edu editor-in-chief RICHARD ADAMS radams99@gru.edu copy editor JESSICA SAGER jschucke@gru.edu news editor HALEY HARRIS hharris9@gru.edu arts & life editor AMY THORNE athorne@gru.edu sports editor ANTHONY GARCIA agarci11@gru.edu chief reporter postion open production manager JORDAN BARRY jbarry3@gru.edu production assistant position open staff writers JOSHUA ADAMS jadams35@gru.edu TIMOTHY HOWARD thowar20@gru.edu TAYLOR MITCHELL tmitch22@gru.edu JAMIE SAPP jsapp270@gru.edu SHELLIE SMITLEY sbarb@gru.edu columnist SCHYLO PHILLIPS sphill17@gru.edu contributors ALEJANDRO SMITH alesmith@gru.edu photographer JEAN-PAUL CASSAGNOL jcassagn@aug.edu cartoonist MORGAN BARRY morganlb43@gmai.com advertising manager ASHLEY SHELTON ashelto9@gru.edu webmaster JACOB SCHARFF jscharff@gru.edu Direct advertising inquiries to: Ashley Shelton, Advertising Manager ashelto9@gru.edu Address all correspondence to: The Bell Ringer 2500 Walton Way Augusta, Ga 30904 706-737-1600 www.grubellringer.com

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Letters to the editor must be accompanied by the author’s name, phone number and email address. All columns and letters to the editor are the opinion of the author.

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Haley harris | staff (top) taylor mitchell | staff (bottom)

Amber Jones and Jocelyn Johnson (top from left to right) cook dinner for themselves and friends in the community kitchen of Residence IV as a way of bonding.

Alternate style dorm offered

By Richard Adams & Taylor Mitchell editor-in-chief staff writer

At the Georgia Regents University Health Sciences campus, Residence IV, a traditional dorm, stands as a less costly alternative to University Village. Though Georgia Regents now offers both housing options, there are several differences separating the two options from one another.

“This is a temporary solution to the increase of first-year students that want to live on campus,” said Dale Hartenburg, assistant vice president of student services. “The new projects for new first-year housing and new graduate housing will be the permanent solution, and those don’t come online until the fall semester of 2016.”

After the university took over management of University Village last April, Hartenburg said, Residence IV became a way to accommodate the increase in freshmen seeking student housing.

“We also had a very high demand from returning students,” he said. “Last year, our number that we could house, across the entire campus, was about 725. This year, we’re approaching 800.”

By fall 2014, 325 freshmen were living in university housing, compared with 215 the year before, Hartenburg said. .

“There’s no distinct reason for who we put down there (at Residence IV),” Hartenburg said. “Basically, what it came to was once University Village was full, we opened it up and said, ‘Are you interested in this property? This is what we have available.’”

Requel Petersen, freshman,

said the family feeling is hard to get away from when in the traditional dorms. Residents end up cooking community meals for the floor to share, washing clothes together and passing each other in the halls.

“Nothing can compare to where I’m from, but, in general, the whole feeling, it just feels original to me,” Petersen said.

Georgia Regents resident life coordinator Daniel Meadows said the difference between Residence IV and University Village lies in the people and in the atmosphere brought about by the building.

“Residence IV is a traditional-style dorm,” Meadows said. “It’s all interior. The rooms don’t have the outside access like the apartment style that University Village has. Living down there, at Residence IV, it’s a little bit more homey, I would say, because of the way the building was designed. People are close together.”

Meadows said the price varies significantly between University Village and Residence IV, also. The amenities provided in University Village vary from those offered when it comes to Residence IV. “I don’t go to school on (the Health Sciences) campus,” Anye Miller, a junior physical therapy major, said. “I mean it’s quiet down here, but as far as interaction, I don’t know anyone on campus.”

Miller said that though the downtown community feeling is nice, Residence IV doesn’t really offer the apartment-style feeling.

She said living downtown separates one from a lot of the social events, resources and opportunities happening at the Summerville Campus and in University Village. radams99@gru.edu tmitch22@gru.edu

Classes for the new doctorate of education in educational innovation program will begin May 29 and May 30.

Georgia Regents University recently became one of the 87 universities that are working in the collaboration, nationally and internationally, to redesign the doctorate of education in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, according to the Ed.D. program proposal and the Georgia Regents college of education website. The Ed.D. in educational innovation is the first doctoral degree at Georgia Regents outside of the health and medical professions. The program will be offered as a three-year cohort model, which consists of 55 hours beyond the master programs.

Gretchen Caughman, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, said it was a multi-step process for the new degree program to be approved.

“It begins in the college with the faculty, because they are always the ones who initiate and do the work and the content verification of it,” Caughman said. “It then goes through committees and approval processes within the college, in this case the college of education.

Because it was a doctoral program or a graduate program, you know, a postgraduate program, it also went through an additional layer with the graduate school.”

Wayne Lord, associate dean for graduate programs in the college of education, said there are many positive aspects of the doctorate program.

“Well, we believe that we’ve developed and designed a very interesting and unique doctoral program that focuses on educational innovation,” Lord said. “And the design of the program incorporates some credential courses that you would find in a doctoral program.

But our program has an integrated grading curriculum.”

Lord also said the doctorate program has some unique qualities.

“Other unique qualities, I think, are the fact that it’s going to be driven by looking at real problems of practice in a variety of educational

settings,” Lord said. “So, while we may not be solving those problems, we will be looking at what are possible solutions and testing some of those solutions.”

As for the school academically, Caughman said it means that the college of education now has academic programs that range across the entire field of postsecondary education.

Mary Quinn, an associate professor in the department of teacher education, said the program is really unique because the Ed.D. is in educational innovation and it has two different tracks for students.

“Those kind of orientations are working together,” Quinn said. “So one is in curriculum and instruction, and one is in educational leadership, and I think that those kind of pairings are very generative and can, hopefully, illuminate sort of new ways of leading and new ways of thinking about curriculum.”

Nicoetta Christodoulou, an associate professor in the department of teacher education, said she likes the doctoral program because it will give opportunities to those who graduate from the program to practically apply what they are learning in class.

“It gives them the opportunity to actually apply what they are going to be learning,” Christodoulou said. “They will be able to apply in practice and find solutions to practical problems.”

Christodoulou said people need to be able to collaborate. She also said creative thinking and critical thinking are characteristics that will further develop within students in the program.

Andrew Kemp, an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction for the department of teacher education, said the program will allow students to see things differently.

“It’s not about a single teacher, or a single school, or a single district,” he said. “Education crosses all borders, all ethnicities and all types of people … having that view will allow the people (who) graduate from this program to have that big picture of issues in social justice and equity and why education is important for all people.” jsapp270@gru.edu

jamie sapp | staff

Members of the college of education are excited about the newly offered degree.

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 3

GRU wellness center upgrades

haley harris | staff

The student wellness center, located on the Health Science campus, celebrates its grand reopening Jan. 30. Renovations include new LED lights, carpet and rubber floor replacements, new equipment, new score board and a new desk.

Experts CONTINUED from PAGE 1

ity, self-compassion and openness.”

Dr. Gina Duncan gave the second presentation. She talked about anxiety and depression.

“They are very treatable, yet they’re significantly under-treated and stigma has a lot to do with that, and they often occur at the same time,” she said. “The word we use in the mental health field is comorbid. So, they are highly comorbid conditions. Oftentimes, if somebody has depression they also have anxiety, and very often if somebody has anxiety they’ve also experienced depression as well.”

Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety and sadness, Duncan said, but there is a difference between normal feelings and clinical syndromes. It is normal to worry about paying the bills or studying for an exam, for example, but that worry becomes a problem when it prevents someone from working.

“This is the key for all psychiatric disturbances, but especially for anxiety and depression: The anxiety or physical symptoms cause an impairment in function,” Duncan said.

Antoinette Clark, a registered

nurse who works in the Warrior Transition program at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, said she came to the seminar because many of her patients have mental health conditions. She said the best thing about the seminar was that local health experts acknowledged mental health.

Dy’meshia Newsome, a freshman majoring in biology, said she came to the seminar for extra credit, but also because she wanted to learn about mental health. She said she would recommend the seminar to other students because it would help them “throughout (their) college life.”

Nachelle Roddy, a sophomore psychology major, also came to the seminar for more than extra credit points.

“I’m a psych major, and I know I’ve dealt with mental health, and I wanted to learn more about how can I do better than I’m doing and how to teach other people how to deal with it,” Roddy said. “Because I know depression is a sad thing and sometimes you don’t even know you’re depressed, and that opened up a lot for me when I was listening to the psychiatrist and she was talking about depression and the ways to combat it.” jschucke@gru.edu

jessica sager | staff

Lindsey West, assistant professor, speaks to guests about racial microaggressions.

Shelter

CONTINUED from PAGE 1

said.

Brian said that if the shelter did not extend the hours during inclement weather conditions, he and others would have to resort to sleeping outside in the cold temperatures.

“If I don’t have anywhere to stay out here, I will grab a mat and sleep on the floor,” Brian said.

“Sometimes, when I was homeless before, I have slept in an abandoned house or something like that. Find something up off the ground where

it is not as cold, and get a bunch of blankets if you can get them and stay until it got warm enough to where you can get around good.”

Lionell, who also asked that his last name not be published, said that he did not take advantage of the extended hours during the last spell of inclement weather. He said that the extended hours benefit individuals that would otherwise have to sleep outdoors.

“There is no other place else to go,” Lionell said. “I think the shelter does a good job.”

The shelter is currently not offering extended hours due to the warm temperatures. sbarb@gru.edu

shellie smitley | staff

The Salvation Army is an international religious organization based on Christianity.

President CONTINUED from PAGE 1

for was just directed at me as SGA president,” he said. “It didn’t have anything to do with SGA. I asked many people. I’ve come up to some classes, asked people if they’re interested. Most of them were SGA, the ones that were nominated, because they expressed interest.”

This was only a nomination for the search committee, Banks said, not a direct appointment to the committee.

“At first, I was looking for people that were involved,” Banks said.

“So, I reached out to some freshmen that are involved in some activities or different organizations on campus. … That was my intent. Granted, a lot of them didn’t even know.

A lot of freshmen I approached didn’t even know our president was leaving. So, I mean, it was hard to get (the desired level of representation from the freshman class).”

Banks, who ultimately nominated eight students to the search committee, said sophomores and

juniors comprised the majority. He said he wanted to make sure the students he recommended to the USG had some grasp of “what goes on on campus or what the university president basically does or is responsible for.” His initial goal of heavy representation among the freshman class was unattainable.

“I was trying to get some freshmen, cause they’ll be touched by what that person does, what that next president does,” Banks said.

“They’ll be here to see it.”

The chancellor, Norton said, has the ability to accept or deny the recommendations of the institutional search committee.

Still, the committee and its faculy and student appointees have an important task on their hands, Scott said.

“Part of the reason that they’re on that (committee) is to represent their constituency, so to speak,” Scott said. “The student representative is not there to give his or her input; they’re there to give the student body’s input. Unless they let the student body know what’s going on, that won’t work.” radams99@gru.edu

Freedom: Rights are discussed after recent events

By Shellie Smitley staff writer The recent release of the Sony film “The Interview” and the controversy of satirical drawings in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo highlight the need for consideration in regard to cultural differences.

Philip Hong, a pastor at the Korean American Methodist Church, said he believes that some North Koreans and possibly some South Koreans found “The Interview” to be disrespectful because, in Korean culture, elders and those in authority are shown a great deal of respect.

“I think that the movie’s makers did not fully understand about the Korean culture,” Hong said. “It was like it was portraying all Koreans in a communist way (and) not all Koreans are communist.”

Hong said that South Koreans and Koreans living in the U.S. probably realized that it was a comedy.

“People in the North live in an authoritative government,” Hong said. “They don’t have much choice, and they don’t have the freedom of press ... they really don’t have much freedom to enjoy something like a comedy.”

Hong said that since the movie was made in the United States, he did not feel that Sony had crossed any lines by releasing it.

“There probably is a line between freedom of speech and showing respect for cultural differences,” Hong said. “It is a very hard line to distinguish. I think it is very sensitive and hard to draw the line. You have to go case by case. You can’t generalize it, and say this is the one way or that is the one way. So, I think it is more case-by-case. We should be open to other cultures and other people.”

Mohamad Jamal Daoudi, imam of the Islamic Community Center of Augusta, said that the satirical drawings published by Charlie Hebdo were offensive to Muslims.

“When you mock or make fun

Haley harris | STAFF

The flag of the U.S. flies in the courtyard of GRU to remind students of their rights.

of something valuable or something respectful to you, more than your parents, more than your teachers, more than your own family or dearest members, you find it offensive,” Daoudi said. “When I say offensive, it doesn’t mean there should be a response in any negative way.”

Daoudi said it is not fair to label the attackers at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris as Islamic extremists, specifically.

“We feel, Muslims feel, that Islam, our beautiful faith, has been hijacked by a bunch of people,” Daoudi said. “This is not our faith.

The attack in France was an attack on not only the paper, it was an attack on our principles and our faith.”

Daoudi said people can be sarcastic or funny, but there should be some kinds of limits.

“We have to agree at least, and I hope that this will come up as a law sometime, that faith is very important and valuable to people of faith, any faith,” Daoudi said. “And wars have been (fought) because of offensive (remarks) made, or (were) built on insulting other faiths.”

Craig Albert, assistant professor in the political science department and director of Model United Nations at Georgia Regents Univer-

Library CONTINUED from PAGE 1

versity halls will be reducing theirs.

Chief of Police William McBride said both buildings will no longer have 24-hour access due to concerns for students’ safety.

He said the school has had problems with non-GRU students and affiliates entering buildings.

“I don’t want to be sitting across the table from a parent having to explain why their daughter or son got attacked and robbed,” McBride said. “Our job is to make sure that the students are safe.”

The two buildings will close in the late evening and reopen at 6 a.m., he said.

McBride said that if the Reese Library trial is unsuccessful, school officials will have to consider putting staff members or other personnel in those halls during evening hours.

amy thorne | staff

The Reese Library will run a trial in order to see if hours should be extended.

Brenda Seago, director of libraries, said there is a plan for making Reese Library a secure facility.

“The security will be at the front of the building, so we can make sure students are the only ones coming in,” Seago said. “Less places makes it more secure, and se-

sity, said that people have the individual responsibility to think about what they say, even if they have the right to say it, and that allowing the government to censor speech is a dangerous road to travel.

“My understanding of freedom of speech, coming from a philosophical standpoint, is exactly what it sounds like,” Albert said. “You have the freedom to express yourself (and) to speak your feelings on any subject any way you so choose, with the limitation being if it incites purposely, with the intention of inciting violence against another group or intended as purposely intended to inflict harm as hate speak through violence on another group.

If it is just controversial or offensive, I think that speech, philosophically, is protected as free speech.”

Albert said both cultural sensitivity and diversity are important, and that he believes that it is up to an individual to make a conscious decision on how far one is willing to extend his or her freedom.

“It’s tough,” Albert said. “It’s a tricky situation, but no side can allow another side to dictate it. So, there has to be some type of mutual understanding the more globalized we become as a world.” sbarb@gru.edu

curity can be focused on one area.”

The library will be hiring students to fill the positions the new operation schedule will create.

“If the library is going to be open 24-7, it has to be cleaned and other things have to happen, so we want to be not nasty,” Seago said.

“We also have to have a plan for keeping count of the students that are there and what times they’re (there).”

She said other roles include assisting at the front desk, checking out materials and checking IDs. Seago said it is important for students to participate in the trial, because those numbers will determine how the library decides whether to move forward with a 24hour schedule.

“We obviously can’t hire three people to keep the library open and only two or three people use it,” she said. “We can’t justify that. That’s why I’m really encouraging students to use the library at this time.” athorne@gru.edu

THE BELL RINGER

OPINION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

www.grubellringer.com

editorial

Students ignore chance W

ho is the future of GRU? You are.

One hidden aspect of journalism is the work that goes into determining for each new issue what is newsworthy and what is not. Ideally, the newspaper is filled with things that matter.

In covering the developing story of President Ricardo Azziz’s resignation and the need to fill that soon-to-be vacant position, The Bell Ringer has become aware of the sad fact that there are students on the Summerville campus who do not even know their university president’s name.

When Michael Banks, the president of the Student Government Association, approached freshmen about possibly representing their classmates and university as part of the presidential search

committee, he found no one among that class willing to do so. Not one.

Students should be invested in their own future, and right now that future lies in the grasp of an as-yet-unknown individual – someone who, the very moment you are reading these words, might be mulling over the decision as to whether to apply or not.

The presidency of Georgia Regents University is something that matters, and here’s why.

They say the quickest way to get peoples’ attention is to hit them where it hurts: their wallet.

So, chew on this tidbit for a while: The president of Georgia Regents, as CEO of Georgia Regents Health System, commands a $1 billion budget.

That’s right, folks: A 1, followed by nine 0s. A billion.

The presidency of Georgia Regents is not a symbolic position, and the chancellor’s decision to place an individual in it should not be one arbitrarily accepted.

In the past year, the University System of Georgia has significantly raised tuition at research institutes.

Its board of regents has also proposed cutting entire programs of study, at our university as well as at others. The president of the university has the ability to act as liaison between the Board of Regents and the university body.

If students stand obliviously by while the USG considers hiring a presidential candidate with a tendency or potential to ignore the needs, ambitions and ideas of the university body, then those students have no grounds upon which to argue in the future. They will have

missed the opportunity of a lifetime staring them dead in the face, right here, right now.

Although it has squandered its chance to directly represent itself (at least for now), we do not doubt the ambitions and talents of the freshman class. It consists of some of the most brilliant minds and richest hearts of its generation; this is something we at The Bell Ringer unquestionably believe. What we

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

Library has less to offer night owls I

Richard adams | staff

A brand-new DC fast charger sits outside of the Health Sciences campus and can be used by EV owners, who get a tax credit.

Tax credit fuels future I

was in a restaurant the other day when a legislator came up to me with an important question about the tax credit for electric vehicles. He asked, “What has Georgia received for the almost $15 million invested in electric cars via the tax credit?”

EV owners’ response to this question may determine whether Georgia’s $5000 state credit for electric vehicles Tim Echols lives or dies. contributor Most would agree that our first answer needs to be economic.

According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, for every one percent of petroleum-based miles traveled in GA that is displaced by electric vehicles, approximately $201 million dollars will remain in the state of Georgia annually.

Second, remember that the person who buys or leases one of these cars take some risks because an electric car has many limitations.

The tax credit they receive after they file their taxes has proven to be an effective incentive at getting

Georgians to take a chance anyway.

Third, the Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing their “Clean Power Plan” which will cost Georgians billions of dollars over the next 15 years. Electric vehicles, however, are one of our secret weapons at mitigating that impact. Here’s how. Georgia Power has a special “rate” to encourage people to get electric vehicles and charge them overnight—when power is super cheap and plentiful.

According to a study of 1000 of these Georgia electric car owners, these customers reduced their annual bill by $180—even though they charged their car and didn’t buy gasoline for the entire year. So not only are the cars not producing any greenhouse gases, but the entire household is cutting their energy usage.

Finally, electric cars send a message to young people. As I sat recently with Atlanta’s Mayor Reed discussing Atlanta’s success with electric cars, I asked him what he thought was the greatest benefit our region has received from the $15 million invested through state tax credits thus far. He didn’t hesitate. He said it has sent a strong message to millennials about our priorities. “Millennials care about the environment—an essential

characteristic for our city,” he said.

“In order for Atlanta to maintain domination in the southeast, we have to continue to attract millennials.” This investment, he further explained, makes Atlanta a more livable city where people, and companies, increasingly want to be. He likened our EV and associated infrastructure to the Beltline and other quality of life projects that are drawing talented young people back into the city to live and work.

Nissan is having great success with the LEAF and Georgia is the 2nd largest market in the U.S. for all EVs. But behind Nissan, BMW, Kia and many other manufacturers are coming with electric cars. It is my hope that the legislature will hold off for another year before taking action on reducing the tax credit. Let’s allow the other manufacturers to benefit as Nissan has done. Then, if lawmakers decide to eliminate this credit, do it slowly and phase it out over a decade.

techols@psc.state.ga.us Echols regulates energy on the Georgia Public Service Commission and leases a Nissan LEAF. He created the Alternative Fueled Vehicle Roadshow in 2011 that travels the state each summer showcasing alternative fuels.

do question is the genuine lack of enterprise and much-wanting sense of adventure this lack of engagement implies.

We propose this: Freshmen, if you have bothered to read this far, dared to care about something more than simple grades, email us at bellringerproduction@gmail. com, and let us know you’re out there, you’re listening and you care.

don’t know about anyone else, but even the notion of not having unlimited, 24-hour access to a building that contains three of the five classes that I’m taking this semester is extremely scary.

Allgood Hall houses the College of Science and Mathematics, the Hull College of Business and the dazzling Pamplin College. AllTaylor Mitchell good contains staff writer resources such as the MAC lab, tutoring for foreign languages and the communications lab, a lab filled with Apple computers that we work on for programs such as the Adobe Suite.

Now I can understand the desire to possibly shorten the hours that students are allowed into Allgood Hall, considering the possibility of unsavory activities on school property and the risk of classrooms or teachers’ offices being looted, but we run the same risk leaving the library open all night. Georgia Regents’ public safety has always done an amazing job of doing their hourly sweeps and keeping everything in order, or does Georgia Regents not think so?

(Ponders.) I guess that’s a different topic for a different story. Let’s move on.

The fact is some people really do need to be here at three in the morning. We are all overstressed, overworked, mothers, fathers, employees and, most of all, students.

We spend all our time here at Georgia Regents learning, to make something of ourselves, and we should be able to study where we

feel most comfortable.

There is nothing like having that long 3rd floor table in Allgood, right in front of the window overlooking the entire campus by yourself at 2:30 a.m., having everything sprawled across the table just where you need it while working on that final voicing project, your French presentation and those extra credit assignments all at the same time. We all pay tuition, so we all have the right to be there, right?

Counter to them denying to us Allgoodites our 24-hour access to the place we call home, they’ve decided to run trials on keeping the library open 24 hours. Now you may think, “Ahhhh, problem solved.” NO! NO, MY FRIEND, IT IS NOT. To me the rational conclusion would be to offer us the same after-hours amenities that we would have access to if we were still allowed in Allgood.

Free our Apple computers and submit to the fact that there are some things a PC can’t do for us. Release our French diction software and allow us to mispronounce conjugated verbs on the newly discovered Isle of Reese.

And, lastly, we DEMAND those nice little ladies pushing around that marvelous cart of bananas and water for us to pick up every hour, on the hour, until the cows come home.

We are being forced from our cushy home, which is endowed with vending machines, and we’re talking Flamin Hot Chile Limon Funyun vending machines. We won’t take this sitting down or without a fight. We Allgoodites will not be silenced. Well, that is, unless Reese Library decides it’s going to start offering sandwiches along with Flamin Hot Chile Limon Funyuns; then we might vote on taking a backseat to these hard-hitting issues and enjoy our breakfast.

Black History Month should be every month

O

n Jan.15, 2015, the annual Martin Luther King tribute was held in Atlanta by the department of community affairs in partnership with an organization in which I take part— the Martin Luther King, Jr., advisory council. We began in 2012 and have since worked diligently to fulfill our mission to promote the principles of nonviolence, peace and social justice; spread awareness of the Civil Rights Movement; and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King,

Jr. The Martin Luther King council members present were the Honorable Rita Samuels, Mayor William Austin, Mr. Tony Collins, Dr. Thomas Smith, Ms. Dilyana Kovacheva, Ms. Christine Miller-Betts Lauren Gaia contributor and Commissioner Camila Knowles.

The guest speaker for this year’s event was Dr. Christine King Farris—author, educator and eldest sibling of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Farris King delivered an inspiring presentation about her brother, and even though many of us had heard her tell the story of her family, we were all spellbound!

What a remarkable story! Other participants included the Atlanta Boy Choir, Rev. Charles Goodman of Tabernacle Baptist Church and Representative Dee Dawkins-Haigler.

Columbus Muscogee Councilman Jerry “Pops” Barnes, Sumter County Commission Chairman Randy Howard and Mark Speight, all of the River Valley Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council, received the Martin Luther King Community Award. Since the River Valley Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council was formed in 2012, the organization has documented the Civil Rights Movement experiences of people throughout the River Valley area and created video archives that capture and

preserve their stories. In addition, they have made efforts to have a historical marker placed on the site where Martin Luther King, Jr. was incarcerated in Americus on Dec. 16, 1963.

As I participated in that ceremony, I was reminded that Black History Month should be celebrated every month!

cbetts@lucycraftlaneymuseum.com Miller-Betts is the executive director of the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, located at 1116 Phillips St., in Augusta.

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 5

Disaster is victory for filmmakers I

t was a surprise when I saw “The Interview” headlining the homepage of CNN. Instead of other more pressing matters during this time in December of last year, it was a comedy starring James Franco and Seth Rogen that was in people’s discussions. Even the president discussed the state of distributing the film during his annual year-end press conference.

If ever there was a way to market your entertainment Anthony Garcia product, Sony sports editor Picture’s turnaround success with “The Interview” stands as a historic moment for cinema.

Seth Rogen and James Franco are now a part of American history.

Try and process that for a moment.

What would’ve been an average number of comedy moviegoers turned into a national phenomenon. When “The Interview” was released in late December, you would’ve been part of an epic club if you watched it on Christmas Day or afterward.

“The Interview,” a comedy film where two TV celebrities are tasked by the CIA to assassinate the leader of North Korea, is as crude-humored as today’s comedies go. It can be compared to “Pineapple Express,” “Superbad,” “This is the End,” “Ted” and “Hot Tub Time Machine.” It’s a brand of comedy that would appeal to a smaller, mostly younger market, and appeal less to older moviegoers.

And yet, those older moviegoers joined the masses in renting the film On Demand.

When Sony Pictures was hacked in late November, with employee privacy compromised and films leaked prerelease, it was a financial and corporate disaster that would take months and years to recover from. This was all sidelined, however, when alleged threats from the North Korean government pressured Sony Pictures against releasing the $44 million budget film. This put the distributor in an awkward position when it pulled all release plans for the film.

Celebrities and media outlets called out Sony Pictures for censoring itself. CEO Michael Lynton, to his credit, said the decision to pull the film was to protect his employees, who were already hurting under the corporate umbrella.

All of this real-life drama with releasing “The Interview,” and yet nobody was able to actually see it.

This can best be described as the Streisand effect. Much like “Grand Theft Auto” or “The Da Vinci Code,” audiences were attracted to this product that’s been causing buzz. Controversy sells, and “The Interview” was at the peak its cultural relevance. Sony Pictures had to act fast under such tight pressure if it ever wanted to recover something from its losses.

Video on demand services have hardly been tested to the level of releasing new, high-budget films directly. Alongside a limited release in art house theaters, selling “The Interview” at $5.99 per rental on Google Play (half the price of an average movie ticket) was going to hurt Sony Pictures. Under the circumstances, however, $5.99 meant everything if an audience could help recover the corporation, and when Sony Pictures reverted to its original plans to release the film, it knew people would pay something to see this.

Releasing entertainment online is always risky for business, if you account for software holes and online piracy. That didn’t stop “The Interview” from recovering its budget costs (not including marketing) of $40 million (as of Jan. 20). Not only did it break online video sales records and become one of the top pirated films of the year (pirating culture exists, and it is recognized), but it brought more positive attention to the future of online film releases.

It’s one thing for an independent film to release online, it’s another for a corporation to do so.

And while Sony Pictures still has a long way to recover, if ever, it turned what could’ve been an epic financial and political loss into a strange fairy tale success. agarci11@gru.edu

Courtesy of sony pictures

End of embargo may help Internet users O ne passage from Cuban dissident and independent blogger Yoani Sanchez’s book, “Havana Real,” perfectly exemplifies the damaging effect the embargo has not just on the Cuban government but on Cuban civil society and ordinary citizens. While there is Internet censorship in Cuba, the other part of the story Giorgia is that because Khatiashvili of the “anachrocontributor nistic embargo,” Cubans can’t access some American websites: “Those who think that limiting sites like Jaiku, Google Gears, and App Store will move authorities of my country are naive. Those who govern us have satellite dishes, broadband, open Internet, iPhones full of applications, while we – the citizens –trip over screens that say ‘This service is not available in your country.’”

Besides, Yoani has to pay one third of her monthly salary to get access to the Internet for an hour.

According to the World Bank’s statistics, Cuba has 25.7 Internet users per 100 people, whereas neighboring countries in the region such as the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Jamaica have 72.0, 45.9 and 37.8 Internet users per 100 people

respectively. Only the poor and devastated country Haiti ranks below Cuba with 10.6 Internet users per 100 people.

“FACT SHEET: Charting a New Course on Cuba,” released by the White House on Dec.17, 2014, has an initiative “to increase Cubans’ access to communications and their ability to communicate freely.” This measure includes allowing export and commercial sales of certain Internet and communication technology, and permitting telecommunications companies to provide internet services in Cuba.

Of course, nobody believes in the “naive assertion” that opening up with Cuba could finish communist dictatorship on the island and bring democracy; for example, according to the Washington Post, China and Vietnam “both combine relatively open economic systems with political systems that remain resolutely closed,” but as this one small example has pointed out, improving relations with Cuba and ending the economic embargo could empower not the regime but the ordinary citizens.

The better Internet service will certainly help struggling Cuban dissidents to spread information and communicate with the rest of the world more effectively, and more economic relations could certainly alleviate the suffering of average Cubans.

We should be honest: Not all

economic problems in Cuba are due to embargo. Only the failed economic model - “mismanagement of centralized economy”could explain why on a tropical island there is a deficit of citrus fruits, or why rationing is needed for sugar in a country that is a major exporter of it.

The ending of an embargo could remove the ability of the Cuban government to blame everything on the U.S. The blockade gave an excuse to Castro to instill siege mentality in Cubans, as Yoani puts it: “Several generations of Cubans came of age surrounded by billboards warning of possible invasion from the north. Calls to resist – though nobody knows exactly what or whom – remain a constant undercurrent.”

Yoani Sanchez describes internal Cuban strife between hardliners and dissidents: “In all that time, preparing for a battle that never came, we overlooked the fact that the main confrontation was occurring amongst ourselves: A prolonged battle between those fed up with warmongering and those who needed ‘a place under siege, where dissent is treason.’”

By removing the “siege,” the United States could, finally, side with dissenters.

gkhatiashvvili@gru.edu Khatiashvili is a graduate assistant at Georgia Regents University currently studying in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program.

Being mixed race is amazing but challenging

A

re you going to be black, or are you going to be white when you

grow up?

That is a question that a classmate asked me when I was in first grade after they found out that I was half black and half white.

They thought that once I got older my body was literally going to turn all white or all Schylo Phillips black. That did columnist not happen but, little did I know, that was going to be a question that I was going to hear in some shape or form for the rest of my life.

Being mixed is amazing, and I would not change it for anything, but being mixed in a country that puts such a huge importance on race is kind of tricky. I know if someone were to look online right now, they could Google “being mixed raced” and the first couple of stories that pop up are not very positive. The Thought Catalogue has a piece called “17 Struggles of

being Mixed-Race,” and as I keep scrolling through the search results I see titles such as, “Mixed-Race People Have Identity Problems,” “ I HATE being Mixed-Race,” “Being Mixed Race: Am I A Human Rorschach Test?” and finally “26 Questions Mixed-Race People Are Really Very Tired Of Hearing.”

On the other hand, if someone were to go on a social media site and type in “mixed” they would be bombarded with pages dedicated to people, well, mainly girls and babies, of mixed race. And these people aren’t just mixed with black and white; they are all different combinations. The girls, guys and babies are described as beautiful, unique-looking or exotic, amongst other descriptions.

After noticing these things, I sometimes think that people enjoy the appearance of a mixed person, but there are struggles that they go through while they are growing up, such as racism, feeling out of place and being teased or shunned.

I will only speak for myself on this topic, because I know that every mixed person has their own perspective. I have been fortunate enough to grow up on military bases for the majority of my life,

where I was not really faced with a lot of issues regarding my race. I knew I was mixed, my friends and peers knew I was mixed, and that was the end of it. It was not until I came here to Georgia and went to a school that wasn’t on a military base that I started to realize that race was somewhat a big deal.

I went to a middle school that was predominately black, and the kids acted a certain way that I was not accustomed to. I was technically black, because of the color of my skin, and I felt that I needed to try and fit in. I changed the way I looked, talked and acted.

Then when I went to high school a couple of years later, I ended up in a school that was predominately white. Because I was half white, I thought that I could just change the way I dressed, talked and acted once again, and I would be accepted. None of my strategies worked in either school. I felt like I never truly fit in anywhere. And looking back I get mad at myself for ever trying to change the person I was, but that is what I thought I had to do.

When I listen to rock, classical or country music I get funny stares from some black friends and they

ask me why I don’t listen to rap or know certain artists. Little do they know, I also listen to a good bit of rap. This is an example of my lifestyle choices being questioned.

When I dated a white man, I had black friends ask me when was I going to “give a brother a chance?”

Not that I have any issues with black men, but just because I am considered a black woman does not mean I will only want to be with black men.

People ask me if I say the N word, or if I celebrate Black History Month, and do I think I am better than a darker skinned person. These might seem like silly examples, yet if I am asked these same questions multiple times by multiple people, it must be a concern to them.

These are just small ways in which being mixed has affected my life. What I think is interesting is that in America, if someone were to see me, they would most likely assume I was mixed, and then proceed to guess what I am mixed with. But once I went overseas, all of that changed. While I was in England, people did not assume that I was mixed, they just thought that I was straight-up African or

Middle Eastern. When I went to Italy, people thought that I was Hispanic and tried to speak Spanish to me. Who knew that by having light skin and curly hair, or straight hair, meant that I could transform into all of these different races and ethnicities?

Sometimes I feel like I have to choose a race. For some reason, select people want you to be one thing or the other. I am supposed to act and dress a certain way because I am “black.” Yet if I dress or act like a “white” person, I am “the whitest black person ever.” Why? I am just as much white as I am black, but nobody will ever see me that way.

Over time, I have learned to just be myself, and I try to leave the racial stereotypes out, but I still struggle with it sometimes.

When people try to guess what I am mixed with I just laugh it off and congratulate them when they pick the right mix. Also, when I get compliments on my looks based on the fact that I am mixed, I just smile and tell my mom and dad thanks. Being mixed is interesting, and it is a huge part of my identity whether I like it or not. I love it! sphill17@gru.edu

PAGE 6

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

ARTS & LIFE www.grubellringer.com

Dance educates on way of life

By Haley Harris news editor

“Each instrument represents a part of nature. The drum is the thunder. The rattle is the rain. The voice is the lightning. The flute is the wind.”

The 47th annual Lyceum Series presented the Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre at Georgia Regents University Jan. 24. According to the event program, Kevin Locke, a Lakota American Indian, is a widely known hoop dancer, preeminent player of the indigenous Northern Plains flute, traditional storyteller, cultural ambassador, recording artist and educator who has traveled to more than 80 countries to perform.

“The show was fantastic,” Michelle Ruten of Aiken, S.C., said. “(I came here with) my husband and two daughters. I have Native American that runs through my family tree, and I’ve been to numerous reservations and have done plenty of research that has been able to even trace my family roots on my mother’s side back to the Mojave tribe in Arizona … So, a performance like this is what I want my children to learn from.”

The performers were Locke

Haley harris | staff

Dancers of the Kevin Locke Ensemble perform the Fancy dance to entertain and educate guests on Native American cultures.

and four other members of the ensemble. The event included the Hoop Dance, vocal performance, Fancy dance, traditional dancing and instrumental performances, according to the event’s program.

The Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble was created in 2004 and has since featured more than 20 top

dancers from across the country and has toured internationally.

Ruten said she enjoyed the Fancy dances the most because of the colors and details of the costumes.

Locke said his goal for the audience was to feel the performance through the “language of gesture,” and he wanted to share his culture

Ali’s, or Cassius Clay’s, life,” Pukis said. “And they were so impressed to actually learn that about those events in history in the United States, and so I felt so good that so many people that never would have learned anything about this did, and so they got to learn it in a fashion that they enjoyed by watching the moving image.”

Siegel said he’s attracted to stories that “come from the margins.”

“Not for any specific reason do I concentrate on the 1960s,” he said.

“But that said, you know, it’s a real vibrant time when everything was on the table and youth culture was finding itself as a real force in U.S. society.”

Richard Dillenbeck, who is on the Cinema Series Committee, said he remembers the Weather Underground and that was a reason he

wanted to see the film. “(Both films are) historically interesting, because in the beginning of the Vietnam War many people were kind of in accord with our governmental policy,” Dillenbeck said. “But then, slowly over the years, more and more people really did not understand why we were there and what we were trying to accomplish ... And so the antiwar movement grew slowly, but rather steadily, until it reached the point that lead to (the Weather Underground) doing what they chose to do, which was violent in a way.”

Siegel said he is “truly morally conflicted” about the actions the Weather Underground took.

Something students can learn from Siegel, Pukis said, is to follow their passion.

Films reflect on past

By Jessica Sager copy editor

Georgia Regents University students and the Augusta community got a chance to meet director Bill Siegel while watching two of his films, “The Weather Underground” and “The Trials of Muhammad Ali,” on the big screen Jan. 22.

Rick Pukis, associate professor of communications at Georgia Regents, said he’s known Siegel since the 1990s. He said he got in touch with Siegel about coming to Georgia Regents because he thought seeing “The Weather Underground” would be good for students of different disciplines.

“Student by student by student (in my class) didn’t know any of the aspects of the Weather Underground or the 1970s section of Muhammad

jschucke@gru.edu

Conference returns to Augusta Joshua Adams staff writer Public speaking event TEDx Augusta was held at the Imperial Theatre in downtown Augusta Jan. 30, and featured speakers from all walks of life.

TEDx is a nonprofit conference where speakers share innovative and moving ideas with the audience in an effort to reach and inspire audiences that would otherwise be impossible to reach, the event’s lead organizer Grace Belangia said.

“So, it’s really a point of getting on stage, getting your message to the audience, whether it resonates with them from an emotional or intellectual standpoint,” she said.

“Usually there’s sort of a call of action at the end. It’ll be something

joshua adams | staff

Speaker John Rigg plays guitar as part of his talk on trauma affecting the brain.

like, ‘Go change the world,’ ‘Go be a better parent’ or ‘Here’s this new technology.’”

TED conferences are nation-

al and global, Belangia said, and TEDx simulates the TED experience on a local level.

“TED mandates in your first year that you can’t name it after your city,” Belangia said. “They want to restrict that to people who have proven themselves. The fact that we’re now the TEDx Augusta licensing, there’s no other city in the world that can call themselves TEDx Augusta.”

The theme of this year’s conference was connections, be they between family, friends, media or technology, Belangia said.

“It transcends all industries and anybody in the community,” Belangia said. “You have soldiers talking to teachers talking to musi see TEDX on PAGE 8

with those who wanted to learn about it.

“We should open our eyes to new possibilities,” Locke said.

“Like here, I could look out here and see a group full of strangers, or we can see each other like flowers ,and the idea is that we all blossom.

We can all bring forth color and

beauty (and) lessons. We can look at each other as strangers, or we can see each other as stars and shine.”

There are no differences between the people sitting together in the theater, he said, because everyone is looking for the same thing.

“Every eagle, like yourself and myself, doesn’t matter if you’re a golden eagle, brown, white, black, we even have some bald eagles in here, too, whoever you are,” Locke said. “We all need a nest … right?

Augusta, a nice place to create security and safety, create strength for our little guys so that they can stand tall.”

Kyle Scoggins of Augusta said he came to see the show because he had heard about the Kevin Locke Native Dance Ensemble and had heard about the famous Hoop Dance and wanted to experience it.

“Oh, it was wonderful,” Scoggins said. “Kevin Locke connected so well, I think, with the audience and the way he was so comfortable and caring. You can really see his compassion for people and just life, in general. It was inspiring, which is funny, because I came here for a dance performance strictly, and instead ended up leaving with a calm and peaceful vibe, as if I just came from a motivational speech.” hharris9@gru.edu

Jordan Barry | Staff

English sophomore Amanda Redd explains the meaning of the print on her kimono.

Student dresses in Japanese art

By Jordan Barry production manager

The word kimono translates literally from Japanese to mean “thing to wear.” Today, however, the word is associated with a traditional Japanese style of dress.

Amanda Redd, a sophomore majoring in English, said she has been interested in Japanese culture since she was a child, and she learned a lot through media from Japan, such as manga, anime and period TV dramas. Several things inspired her love for kimonos.

“Rurouni Kenshin (a samurai -themed manga) was a real big one where I started really trying to figure out how kimono worked,” she said. “At first I thought it was two pieces, just how it was drawn. Then I went to my first anime convention in 2006 and I saw kimono for the first time in person, and I decided I really wanted one.”

Redd said she was also inspired when she read the book “Geisha, a Life” by Mineko Iwasaki and Rande Brown, which is now one of her favorite books.

Redd said she purchased her first and second kimonos at an anime convention in Atlanta in 2008.

Linda Redd, Amanda Redd’s mother, said she understood her daughter’s love for kimonos after seeing one in person.

“We didn’t really know much about it,” she said. “Mandy loves Asian things and everything, so when she got that first one, which I believe is the black one with the embroidery on it, when I saw it - to feel it and look at it – it’s just art.”

After about six years of collecting, Amanda Redd said, she has amassed 24 kimonos and about 12 obi, which are the long pieces of fabric that wrap around one’s waist see KIMONO on PAGE 8

What are Georgia Regents University students listening to?

Sarah Carter, a senior English major

Laura Cooper, a senior communications major

Jazzmyne Forsman, a junior psychology major

Bret Evans, a junior computer science major

Lauren Gordon, a senior ecology major

Let us know what you’re doing by emailing bellringerproduction@gmail.com

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 7

START READY FOR CHALLENGES.

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START READY FOR LEADERSHIP. START CLIMBING HIGHER.

START READY FOR THE FUTURE. START TAKING CHARGE.

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START STRONG with Army ROTC. You’ll develop leadership skills that allow you to lead in any career while earning money for your college tuition. And, when you graduate and complete Army ROTC, you’ll commission as an officer in the U.S. Army. Learn more at goarmy.com/rotc/j872 For more information about scholarship opportunities, contact Ryan Dimm at (706) 667-4795 or email rdimm@gru.edu ©2008. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

PAGE 8

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

ARTS & LIFE

The CREW premieres student showcase

Garden City Grub Anthony Garcia

sports editor

Friend of the Devil

F

Alejandro smith| | contributor

Trey McLaughlin (Left) and Arthur Chapman (Right) perform a song together, part of The CREW’s “UNplugged” series, which spotlights students’ talents.

Club makes promise of abstinence

By Jamie Sapp staff writer Pinky Promise is a new organization at Georgia Regents University dedicated to connecting, encouraging and guiding women into honoring God with their lives and actions.

Brittany Hatcher, a junior public relations major, is the president of Pinky Promise at Georgia Regents.

Pinky Promise at Georgia Regents, which was approved by the student government association and is now a chartered organization, she said, was founded during the last week of final exams in December.

“This organization is basically an entity of an existing organization called Pinky Promise,” she said. “It was originally founded by Heather Lindsey, but she gave us the authority to establish smaller groups of Pinky Promise in different cities, as well as on (college) campuses.”

According to pinkypromisemovement.com, Lindsey founded Pinky Promise on Jan. 27, 2012.

Le-Joya Bush, a member of Pinky Promise, said one of the main goals in Pinky Promise is that members be transparent, so people can join the organization and learn more about Jesus Christ.

Alexandria Bennett is a junior journalism major and member of Pinky Promise.

“I love the sisterhood,” she said. “Pinky Promise has been an incredible experience for me, just because in my walk with Christ, I continuously prayed for friends who would encourage me in my walk and friends who I could rely on just to know that I’m not alone.”

Accountability and encouragement are important goals for members in the organization, she said.

“Just because we’re in this group, we’re not perfect and we all fall short,” Bennett said.

“And I never want people to even think we have to be perfect to be in this group, because we are in this group because we’re not perfect, and we’re just striving for the same goals.”

According to the website, Pinky Promise is a promise for women to honor God with their bodies and their lives.

“If you’re married, you also honor your marriage covenant, and that you will not stray away from your marriage and that you will not cheat on your husband,” Hatcher said. “So, Pinky Promise isn’t just for single women. It’s also for married women as well.”

Although Pinky Promise is mainly focused on women, men are also welcome to come to its events, Hatcher said. Pinky Promise will meet every Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the JSAC Butler Meeting Room. jsapp270@gru.edu

joshua adams | staff

TEDx conferences give presenters the chance to share their ideas publicly.

TEDx

CONTINUED from PAGE 6

cians talking to philanthropists talking to entrepreneurs.”

Among the speakers was Amanda Dojack, a freshman biochemistry major at Georgia Regents University.

Dojack said her teacher suggested that she apply to be a speaker at TEDx Augusta after completing a community service project for a competition.

“The project is called Operation: PLARN,” Dojack said.

“It’s an environmental project.

Its main focus is to take plastic bags out of circulation to staunch plastic bag pollution.

There are over 500 billion plastic bags produced each year, and less than 3 percent of those will be recycled. We wanted this project to aid the environment while aiding others. We encourage people to quit using plastic bags, switch to reusable ones and take their bags and turn them into sleeping mats for the homeless.”

Dojack said that there is a three-step process for turning these plastic bags into sleeping mats.

Ali Llewellyn, an innovation strategist for NASA, also

Kimono CONTINUED from PAGE 6

Jordan Barry | Staff

Amanda Redd poses in her wintertime kimono.

and hold the kimono closed.

“She’s got some beautiful pieces,” Linda Redd said. “She’s got a wedding kimono, a dancer’s kimono...”

Amanda Redd said she strives to wear kimono as accurately as possible. There are many rules associated with wearing the traditional outfit, she said. For example, Redd said that the design on the fabric should match the season.

“You would not wear cherry blossoms in September,” she said. “You would wear cherry blossoms right before they bloomed or during when they’re blooming. And you wouldn’t wear plum blossoms during the cherry blossoms, because plums bloom in

spoke at the event.

“I look for ways to engage the public in the substantial mission of space exploration,” Llewellyn said. “I look for ways to strategically advance how, why and in what systems and formats we use data at NASA. ” Llewellyn said she flew from Houston to speak at TEDx Augusta because members of HACKAugusta worked on a project she led.

“Such cool, innovative ideas came out of it,” Llewellyn said. “So, we started talking about it. What were they uniquely doing here in this city? How are they cultivating a creative community of technologists?”

Through stories she told of being a child who was a clumsy rock climber aspiring to be an astronaut, Llewellyn discussed the idea of participatory exploration.

“My talk was about these things that we think are our limitations, that hold us back or disqualify us, (which) are really part of what makes our perspective so valuable,” she said.

“This new movement at NASA, participatory exploration, is looking at ways to engage people in contributing to the mission, even if they aren’t scientists, engineers or astronauts.”

or a corner sandwich shop on Broad Street, Knuckle Sandwiches has some wild tastes, naming one of its new specials Friend of the Devil.

Served on crisp, toasty French bread, the half-foot sandwich consists of two hotlink sausage slabs halved across. Layered to the side and across the top half of the bread slice was a sloppy combination of bacon, coleslaw and jalapenos. These spices are tucked under a hot spread of grated cheddar cheese and sprinkled throughout with light shakes of pepper.

Late on a Saturday night, there was no business save for myself and one couple sitting by themselves.

Takeout was quick, about seven minutes, and cost $10 with no tax. Straight out of the cramped kitchen and handed over the small counter, Friend of the Devil’s spicy aroma followed me out the sandwich shop and on the five-minute drive home. Lucifer wants you to know what you’re getting into.

Knuckle Sandwiches’ specials come with a side of french fries, which explains the heaviness of my grocery bag full of takeout.

The fries are a crisp, greasy and golden affair, salted and peppered lightly, and complemented well with two dipping sauces, ranch and a sort of tangy barbeque, both vinegar-based.

The heart of the matter is the sandwich, which fills your hands as you are getting into your first bites. You’ll bite into a jalapeno or two and feel something from that energy - but the intensity only increases the more you bite into it.

After three bites, the sensation of hot cheese and jalapenos overtakes the two sausage slabs, which are almost tasteless by comparison, save for the idea that you’re eating meat.

Biting more and more into the crunchy sandwich, flavors became more pronounced; the consumption of water and fries increases as you try to tamp the fire down. The overall taste is tacky with the use of the spicy staples. The inclusion of coleslaw is an interesting addition to the mix, but added more to my discomfort.

Instead of an epic journey, you get more of a momentary experience.

Those who crave hot cheddar cheese and the spice of jalapeno will be satisfied, but the light, creamy coleslaw spread doesn’t complement it.

Friend of the Devil isn’t so much the Devil’s friend as it is the intern for the Devil. It does its best to mimic the Devil’s hot moves and impress you, and though it eventually gets going somewhere the more you eat at it, it won’t reach the Devil’s level. In the end, it leaves an unimpressive and tacky taste to the mouth, failing to thrill the senses like the Devil would.

It’s not a bad sandwich, and for the quick, takeout nature Knuckle Sandwiches seems to shoot for, it serves its purpose as a quick meal while perusing downtown Augusta. For $10, however, you’d expect more value.

I stopped eating halfway through, and finished with the now-soggy fries. The Devil should expand his circle of friends. agarci11@gru.edu

jadams35@gru.edu

the winter. And they do pine needles and stuff like that for New Year’s, because it’s very auspicious.”

Redd said there are other rules, too. The sleeve length indicates the formality of the kimono and even the age and marital status of the wearer. The kimono should always be closed with the left side over the right side, because the opposite is done for the dead.

“There’s just so much about kimono,” Redd said. “Even the ones I have with me are all varying degrees of formality, depending on what you wear with it or if they have family crests.”

Linda Redd said she thinks it’s wonderful that her daughter is interested in the history and traditions of another culture.

“It’s such a unique thing that she has,” she said. “It’s not something you see everyday.” jbarry3@gru.edu

anthony garcia | staff

Knuckle Sandwhiches’ Friend of the Devil subsandwich makes for a hellish eating experience.

THE BELL RINGER

comics

Groundhog Day

Across

Down

3. Groundhog day is slang for doing the same things _______.

1. General _____ Lee is a famous Georgia groundhog.

4. Like rats and mice, groundhogs are __________.

2. ______ starred in a 1993 movie named after the holiday.

6. Groundhog day is celebrated in ________, Penn.

5. How much wood would a wood chuck chuck is a famous _____.

7. There is a Groundhog ______ in Cherokee tradition.

6. Gardeners may find groundhogs to be ______.

9. ______Woodchuck is a character in Wabanaki mythology.

8. A band called Groundhogs released an album called “Razor’s _______”

10. Groundhog is actually another name for ________.

11. Techies/animal lovers can buy groundhog cases for their ______.

12. A scientist might call a groundhog _______ monax.

13. The Staten Island Zoo may not let the _____ hold a groundhog this year.

14. If the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be ____ more weeks of winter.

Good Luck!

Answers for last issue: Across: 1) Nobel Peace 5) Alberta 8) depression 11) segragation 13) Mall 14) Michael Down: 2) Bus 3) Corretta Scott 4) Irish 6) Birmingham 7) Vietnam 9) Dream 10) College 12) Ghandi

PAGE 9

PAGE 10

sports

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

www.grubellringer.com

Women’s team wins big

By Joshua Adams staff writer The GRU Augusta women’s basketball team defeated UNC Pembroke Jan. 28, achieving its first back-to-back wins of what’s been a challenging season.

Although the Lady Jags were down five points in the first half, a double-double from forward Kariel Hutt and 18 points from guard Camille Gee pushed the team to win against the Braves 55-47.

Despite numerous losses this season, this was the second win for the team in a row, as the Lady Jags won 60-56 against Flagler Jan. 24.

According to jaguarsroar.com, the Lady Jaguars are currently 4-14, with 3-8 in the Peach Belt Conference, while UNC Pembroke stands at 6-12, 4-7 PBC. Head Coach Nate Teymer said he feels good about the back-toback wins and hopes the team will keep up the momentum.

“All year we’ve been gradually getting better,” he said. “We were in some close ball games that just didn’t go our way. So now that we’ve been in a few games where we made some plays and got a couple wins, hopefully we’ll keep building on that throughout the season.”

Teymer said the Lady Jags have improved on playing together as a team, along with sticking to the game plan.

“I think a lot of it is being able to stay on course when things aren’t going our way,” Teymer said.

“Like in the first half, we missed a lot of jump shots. And we just kept

Anthony Garcia sports editor

Super Bowl coverage preview joshua adams | STAFF.

Guard Camille Gee shoots a free throw during a game against UNC Pembroke, the team’s second win after a series of losses.

playing good defense, and the shots began to fall.”

Teymer said he’s proud of the whole team and the players’ ability to play off each other.

“We have a team where each night someone different can step up,” Teymer said. “Like, tonight, Kariel and Camille stepped up in the second half, but next game one of them might struggle, and hopefully the team will pick them up.

That’s the mentality we need to carry on.”

Kariel Hutt said the team talked about where it was in the season, and realized what it needed to do to

improve.

“We weren’t playing together,” she said. “It was like, ‘Let me drive,’ ‘Let me shoot.’”

With these two wins, Hutt said, she thinks the team will continue to win more games throughout the rest of the season.

“I feel like we’re playing together as a team now,” Hutt said.

“We were in kind of a rough patch at the beginning of the season, and (that) got us where we are, but now we’re working back to where we need to be.”

Camille Gee was the lead scorer for the game, and said the team is

on the right track.

“We know what each other are going to do now,” she said. “We’re just trying to get our chemistry together and play together as a team.”

Gee said that the recent victories after several losses have boosted the team’s spirit and confidence.

“We faced adversity,” she said.

“We handled ourselves really well.

We didn’t give up even though we were down at halftime. We came back, and we kept pushing through.”

The Lady Jags followed their Wednesday game with a 53-51 victory against Clayton State Jan. 31. jadams35@gru.edu

Bull rider holds on for prizes

By Shellie Smitley staff writer

The winner of the USCA Extra Inning Bull Riding event Saturday, Jan. 17, took home a prize of about $5500.

McKennon Wimberly, 26, and a resident of Cool, Texas, said this is the first time he has competed at this particular event. Although he has been riding bulls all his life, he said that he has been riding professionally for more than eight years.

“It’s always different, you always have good days and bad days, but there were amateurs and good bull riders there,” he said. “The bulls were really good, and it made it an even bull riding competition, instead of a bull drawing. Everybody that got to go got a good bull.”

Wimberly said that in addition to placing first in this competition, he has placed first in a number of competitions. He said that their mid-20s is the average age of most of his bull riding competitors.

“I am good at it,” Wimberly said. “It is a lot of fun; it is like being a top athlete, and the rock star kind of life... it’s a fun life to live.

You get to travel the world and see

lots of places and meet lots of people. It’s a very enjoyable life.”

J. Mark Wilson, marketing director of the American Bull Riders Tour, said Wimberly shows and gives a thousand percent every time.

“I’ve never seen this young man not pay attention to detail,” Wilson said. “I have never seen him be lackadaisical about his approach.

He is, in general, being the best bull rider that he can be, and we’re glad to have to him as part of our tour.”

Wimberly said he completely depends on the bullfighters in the ring to protect him from the bull.

“When we get off the bull, sometimes you are dizzy, you don’t really know what direction you are going or where the bull is at,” he said. “It is a lifesaver to have great bullfighters.”

Wimberly said his wife, Kaitlyn Wimberly, is supportive of his bull riding career and thinks it’s “hot,” but he will not let her or their son ride a bull.

“She rides cutting horses and (she’s) darn good at it, and I won’t let her get on a bull,” he said. “(My son) is going to grow up to do whatever he wants, (but) I don’t encourage it. Boys, when they make up

shellie smitley | STAFF

McKennon Wimberly (left) accepts an award after the Extra Inning Bull Riding event.

their minds to do something, they are going to do it. But I am not going to push him to do it.”

Wimberly said that both timing and strength are required skills.

“It is just what I do,” he said.

“Bulls can feel a fly on their back and shake that piece of skin where that fly is at, so they can dang sure know where we are, and they will try to buck out from under you, because they are always trying to buck

the guy off.”

Wimberly said he is not sure of his immediate plans for bull riding, but is considering entering the American Bull Riders Tour finals.

Wilson said the fan base at the James Brown Arena is awesome, and the competition in the Augusta event is just about equal to any of the American Bull Riders events. sbarb@gru.edu

Ndhlovu qualifies for Olympic run

By Haley Harris news editor GRU Augusta cross-country and track and field assistant coach Pardon Ndhlovu said that, though there is still work to be done, he is one step closer to competing in the 2016 Olympics.

Ndhlovu came in 10th place at the Chevron Houston Marathon Jan. 18, with a time of 2:16.52, qualifying him for the 2016 Olympics with a B standard, according to the Chevron Houston Marathon race results website.

“That was pretty cool,” Ndhlovu said. “I mean I’ve never really won (a) NCAA National Championship, which is one of the goals I had when I was back at Pembroke. And now, you know, just thinking of qualifying for the Olympics, it’s a bigger stage for me. Not

The Rookie Report

that I want to compare NCAA and the Olympics, but this is big and I’m pretty excited.”

Ndhlovu said that his goal for the race was to qualify with an A standard, but he went about two minutes over and was unable to qualify under that designation. He said that though he is proud of his score, he desires to strive for a better one.

“I’m happy with the way that I’m progressing,” Ndhlovu said.

“Every month it seems that I’m improving and improving. I’m looking forward to the next races that I’m going to run because I know that, by 2016, I (will) have gotten under the A standard that I want to get to.”

While having a B standard does help guarantee a spot at the Olympics, having an A standard would better his chances of securing his position, he said.

“Because what’s going to happen is there’s some people from Zimbabwe that have the Olympic goal, as well,” Ndhlovu said. “And they’re fighting for the same goal that I’m fighting for. So, I have to keep working harder and still keep on improving. And when I get under the A standard, then you know my spot is pretty much guaranteed.”

The next step before 2016, Ndhlovu said, is to keep his body trained and to keep improving until he makes his goal time.

“I’m going to be training, and I’m going to be racing,” he said.

“So one thing is to just get back into training and build up again for the next marathon. I think I’m going to race a couple track meets. Not really to focus on them, but just to touch on my speed for shorter distances, to help me in the longer distance. I think my next marathon will

either be in the summer or the fall.”

Ndhlovu said he keeps his family, which lives in Zimbabwe, updated about what races he competes in and his standings afterward. His name and Olympic progress are being aired in the news in his home country.

“My brother called me right after the (Chevron Houston Marathon) race because usually what I do when I have a big race coming up, I just keep them updated,” he said. “He was pretty excited and what they did is … they wrote an article about me qualifying for the Olympics, and that kind of stuff, and it was all over the news in Zimbabwe, as well..”

(Editor’s Note: The Jan. 21 article misread sources as Ndhlovu not qualifying, overall, for the 2016 Olympics.) hharris9@gru.edu

(Editor’s Note: This column gives impressions on Super Bowl XLIX before the game. The Feb. 17 column will discuss after-game impressions.) hether you’re rooting for the West Coast or East Coast, eyes are on the New England Patriots after the AFC Championship. This being their eighth trip to the Super Bowl, critics are asking the question, “What are they doing, and how are they doing it?”

Predictions are already claiming the Patriots will win the big game and, under the circumstances, they have the advantage to gloat over it.

First, we have Tom Brady, who brought the Patriots to the Super Bowl six times since his draft in 2000.

He’s been a key player for the team, and compared to anyone from the Seahawks, the Patriots alone have an advantage in him, alone. Next is their defensive strategy that has gotten them three Super Bowl victories.

Now, what do the Seattle Seahawks have getting into this game? By contrast, Seahawk fans aren’t being as vocal. Maybe that energy will be alive on the road trip to the game, but the team has one advantage right out of the gate: Russell Wilson. For the Seahawks, the quarterback is equivalent to Brady, and has as much, if not more, precision in his game. Running back Marshawn Lynch’s record plays are another highlight, though, hopefully, he can have something to say if the Seahawks win.

The elephant in the room is “Deflategate,” and while its media attention has steadily slowed down, the Patriots’ shadow with cheating controversies came at a really awkward time. My attention isn’t on Deflategate, and no solid evidence is pointing to foul play. But with the Patriot’s cheating allegations years before, it will be in the minds of viewers and fans.

Pats fans, meanwhile, have highlighted the Seahawk’s seven PED (performance enhancing drug) suspensions from the last three years. Maybe it’s just PR tactics from Pats fans to gain an edge. Or maybe the Patriots really are one of the best teams in NFL history.

As for the halftime show, I’m not expecting much from Katy Perry. At the most, I expect wild set pieces, dazzling lights and fireworks.

Because, well, “Firework.”

Controversy, tactics and fireworks.This is what drives viewership, and whatever happens Sunday, this Super Bowl will be one for the history books.

W

agarci11@gru.edu

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 11

Dogs run in support of fellow canines

jessica sager | STAFF

Hopeful Hounds, Inc., held the Fifth Annual Dog Gone Cold 5K Run/Walk Saturday morning near Lake Olmstead. The 5K began at 10 a.m., and a one-mile fun run took place at 9:30 a.m. Many participants brought their dogs with them. Winners in different categories were announced and received prizes. Rescue groups brought adoptable dogs in search of homes, and vendors set up in the Julian Smith BBQ Pit.

WWE feels Rumble W

SHellie smitley | staff

Mrs. Shannon Rabun of Appling Archers lines her target shot during a course run.

Archery group to host festival

By Shellie Smitley staff writer The Appling Archers in Appling, Ga., offers the public a number of archery-related activities.

Marcus Roseman, a member of the Appling Archers, said that the group maintains a 3-D fun course that is open to the public seven days a week. There is no charge for shooting on the course, he said.

“We do that so people and families alike can shoot at their leisure,” he said. “It just gives people an opportunity to shoot if they don’t have access anywhere else.”

Roseman said that, in addition to the open fun course, the group gathers on Sundays to shoot, and anyone is welcome to attend or participate.

“We do what we do for free, for the enjoyment,” Roseman said.

The Appling Archers also hosts an annual bow hunter’s festival during Memorial Day weekend.

Roseman said the festival is open to the public and shooting, camping, T-shirts and food are free.

“It’s been going on for about 17 years now, and we have people from all over the country come,” Roseman said.

He said there are two 3-D target courses that are set up hunting-style. He said prizes are given to top scorers.

“We stress that it is more about family, fun and fellowship,” Roseman said. “You won’t find it quite as ultra competitive as some of the Olympic-style shoots or some of the other 3D-style shoots where they have got really specific scoring systems.”

Roseman said campers typically start arriving on Thursday of that weekend, and there are morning and afternoon shooting rounds on both Friday and Saturday. He said that on Sunday afternoon there is an open course for families that want to shoot for fun. In addition to the shoots, there are vendors, music, guest speakers and children’s events.

“For the last three years we have averaged about 250 shooters,” he said. “They bring their families, too, and that is what is fun about it.

There are 300 to 400 people that are there all weekend, enjoying the fellowship, the vendors and making new friends.”

Shannon Rabun, an Appling Archer, said the 3-D course is made up of 20 targets on 26 acres, as well as an additional 50 acres that is used for tournaments. He said professional hunter Wayne Carlton was a featured speaker last year and loved the festival so much he’s coming back.

“It’s down-to-earth country,” Rabun said. “You have knappers up there making arrowheads, and we have tomahawk throwing, and it’s just good fellowship.”

Carlton said the neat thing about the festival is that there are a lot of shooters using primitive bows.

“It’s a wholesome, fun-loving bunch of people,” Carlton said.

“The guys are there that make the arrowheads, there’s a lot to be taught and people that work there with wood. There is stuff for kids to do there. It’s a family-oriented, well-rounded situation.” sbarb@gru.edu

orld Wrestling Entertainment aired its annual Royal Rumble event Jan. 25, and is still feeling the backlash.

Thirty men fought for a chance to be in the main event of Wrestlemania 31 against the man who had retained his title earlier in the night, Brock Lesnar. The fans were behind Jacob Scharff one man, Daniel webmaster Bryan, since he announced his entry. However, the company put their eggs in the basket for Roman Reigns.

People figured Reigns would win the Rumble this year ever since his dominating performance in the 2014 Royal Rumble. However, Reigns suffered an injury that took away his momentum, and he has not improved in his ability.

Couple that with Bryan making his triumphant return after a near career-ending injury and the fans’ predictions for Reigns turned into hopes and wishes of Bryan.

The problem for me wasn’t that Reigns won. It was how he won, and how Bryan lost. Bryan was eliminated from the Rumble very casually, almost like he meant nothing. Reigns ran in late in the match, and spent most of it getting beaten down, unlike last year where he was easily the most dominant man in the field. Last year he looked like he could take

on anyone. This year, however, he doesn’t look remotely as powerful.

The fans did not take kindly to Bryan’s rapid and anticlimactic elimination. They started chanting his name throughout the match, and at the end took to chanting the name “Rusev,” the anti-American character who was still in the match.

After the Rumble, fans flocked to WWE.com to cancel their $9.99 subscriptions to WWE Network, and the issue was so big that the site went down. The rush of cancellations even received coverage by Time Magazine.

So what does WWE do from here? Reportedly, Vince McMahon is going to stick with Reigns vs.

Lesnar as the main event of Wrestlemania on March 29. Another match that has been rumored for a while and looks definite is Sting vs. Triple H. There are also rumors circulating that would pit Randy Orton against Seth Rollins, and Bray Wyatt against the Undertaker.

It also looks like Rusev will take on John Cena, whom he nearly had a brawl with after the Royal Rumble event.

So where does that put fan favorite Bryan? There are two prevailing ideas at the moment. Bryan vs. Sheamus or Bryan vs. Ziggler.

The fans are definitely in the camp of Bryan vs. Ziggler, as together the two could easily be the best match at the show.

We’d probably have a slightly clearer picture of things, but WWE’s post-Royal Rumble RAW show was canceled due to the terrible snow up in the northeast,

which restricted travel. A broadcast was still held and WWE did what it could to set things up for the February pay-per-view event, Fastlane, but nothing it did really could take away from the sting of Reigns’ win the previous night.

I’m not going to say you should always give the fans what they want. You have to leave them wanting more, as they say. However, the WWE does rely on its fans a lot, and this is not the way to show appreciation. The more you listen to the fans, the more they’ll trust you when you try something new.

The answer is not to cave and give the fans exactly what they want, because if you do they’ll expect it every time. However, you can change things to make the match more interesting and still not put Bryan in a place you don’t want him.

For example, if Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, took the title from Lesnar and injured him in the process, you would get Seth Rollins vs.

Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania.

Then in the weeks leading up to the show, Rollins could find himself under fire from Dean Ambrose, who never got his revenge on Rollins, and the match could end up as Ambrose vs. Rollins vs. Reigns, all three former Shield members going one-on-one. Then at the last moment, have Brock return and demand the rematch he never got.

It becomes Lesnar vs. Ambrose vs.

Rollins vs. Reigns.

That’s a match I’d pay way more than $9.99 to see.

jscharff@gru.edu

Tennis team sets PBC goals

By Jamie Sapp staff writer

The GRU Augusta men’s tennis team was ready for matches to begin this year; the team’s first game of the tournament season was played Feb. 1 at Johnson C. Smith.

Michael McGrath, head coach of the men and women’s teams, said he has goals for the team this spring, specifically for overall rankings.

“The goal is to try to get into the top 15 in the country,” he said.

“We’re 21 in the country now, (and we also want) to make it into the PBC Tournament.”

McGrath said the men’s team has worked extremely hard to prepare for this season.

“There’s a competitive spirit within the team, and they push

each other,” he said. “It doesn’t take much pushing from me (for them) to push each other to do better. Everybody wants to play higher in the lineup, and it’s more of a pecking order that creates the competitive norm.”

The team won 24 of its 34 matches at the Georgia College Invitational Oct. 11, with seven single and five double matches, according to jaguarsroar.com.

The men’s team has a home-opening game Feb. 6 against Lenoir-Rhyne, McGrath said. He said he noticed differences from the previous season.

Joao Gabriel Freitas, a sophomore management major, said he likes the friendships he has developed with his teammates.

“We’re always together, always

studying together,” he said. “We have a great friendship here.”

Freitas said his goal is to have the best season possible.

“My goal is to have the best season that we have that we can,” he said. “For example, best results, maybe go to the nationals. To do the best as we can do. Like with the team, as fast as we can go.”

Romain Brunie, a computer science major, said that the team having new players gives older players a chance to teach the team how they play.

“I think it’s fun, because they don’t know what to expect yet,” he said. “I think me and the other French guy, Romain (Ferreira), would like to show them how to be a fighter.” jsapp270@gru.edu

PAGE 12

sports

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015

www.grubellringer.com

Jags win 2015 season opener

By Rebecca Perbetsky staff writer

After ending last season with a 19-30 record, the GRU Augusta baseball team is back to hit the 2015 season out of the park.

The team’s first game was a strong start, with an 11-1 win over the Newberry Wolves Jan. 31.

Head Coach Jason Eller said he is preaching simplicity to the team.

“We are trying to keep it simple around here and trying to get to the conference tournament,” he said. “(We) want to improve upon our record from last year. It wasn’t a whole lot to write home about, but we have made some baby steps and we are just trying to embrace the process and continue to grind.”

A deal was made at the beginning of the spring, Eller said, to just go out and try to improve as a team so that, when April and May come, the team can play its best.

“At the end of the day, we want to get to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament,” Eller said.

During the offseason, Eller and the rest of the coaching staff worked hard to bring in new players, Eller said. There are between 20 and 22 new players on the team.

Along with bringing in new talent, Eller said there have been some nationwide changes to college baseball that will help the team improve.

“The ball changed,” Eller said.

“That brought some extra base hits back into baseball. The homerun, I think, is going to be back in play,

anthony garcia | STAFF

Clint Hardy runs to first base moments after batting during the season opener Jan. 31, the first of two games against Newberry.

even here at the lake (Olmstead Stadium) where the dimensions are really big.”

Together with the national changes, Eller said there have been little things that the coaching staff has changed to help the team prepare for the season.

“The main thing I think we have tried to do a little bit different than last year is focus a little bit more on base running and a little bit more on team defense as a whole,”

Eller said. “We had some hamstrings last year that held us back, so (we’re) trying to run a little bit more bases and cut some 90s and do some things that we didn’t do. And then try to take care of the baseball, because our fielding percentage wasn’t great, and if we can improve upon that, then I think it will lead to more wins.”

In order to help with fielding, Eller brought in some local talent in the form of freshman centerfielder

Christopher Michals, but, Michals said, playing the field is not the only thing he is bringing to the team.

“I played centerfield my junior and senior years at Greenbrier, so I have quite a bit of experience out there,” he said. “My senior year I hit really well, with an average of 410, and I led the county in homeruns, too. I would like to say I bring some power, but this is a pretty big field and it’s a long ways to hit the ball.”

Junior outfielder CJ Reed, who last season had to sit out due to Tommy John surgery, will also be in the field. Reed said he is more ready than ever to play this season.

“It was actually my first year having to sit out of playing baseball,” Reed said. “I just have to sit and watch my team play.”

Although Reed was benched for the season last year, he said, he tried to help his team by helping the coach and by showing his support.

“It gives you a new love for the game,” he said. “You’re sitting there and you can’t help your team out. All you can do is talk to them.

So, coming out here and being behind the plate gives you a new perspective and (a desire) to play a little more.”

With a large number of new players, Eller said, the upperclassmen have really stepped up to show the younger players the ropes. They have also increased their work ethic while practicing, he said.

“We have got a mentorship thing going on behind the plate,” he said. “We’ve got some guys on the mound that have been feeding off of each other. It has been a good chemistry mix. I think the returners knew that we needed some help, and so these newcomers have provided some help. And I think, right now, our chemistry is as good as I have been around.”

The following game Sunday against the Wolves, the team lost 1-4 rperbets@gru.edu

Sherrill leads team with 57-55 win

By Timothy Howard staff writer With 16 seconds at the bottom of the second half, UNC Pembroke took the lead against the GRU Augusta basketball team, which had led for most of the game.

Then guard Keshun Sherrill stepped up, knocked down a few clutch shots and helped his team to another victory.

Sherrill, a sophomore point guard, had 20 points, including the final six points for his team, and the Jaguars held on to upset the No. 13 UNC Pembroke Braves, 5755, in a Peach Belt Conference game at Christenberry Fieldhouse Jan. 28 for their third consecutive win.

GRU Augusta led 28-13 at halftime. The 13 points at halftime were the fewest points allowed in a half against a conference foe at home since holding rival USC Aiken to 15 points on Jan. 24, 2011, according to jaguarsroar.com.

Jaguars Head Coach Dip Metress said he was pleased with his team’s first-half defensive clampdown.

“We defended really well in the first half and took them out of a lot of things they wanted to do,” he said. “They did not shoot well. (UNC Pembroke guard Quamain) Rose got in foul trouble. (He) is their best player, and we did a great job in rotating.”

Assistant Coach Jamie Quarles said that the team improved from its previous game against UNC Pembroke, an 82-76 road loss Jan. 3 at UNC Pembroke, during which Rose took the Jaguars for 24 points.

“One thing that we emphasized in our scouting report this week was getting out the shooters, and we knew that they had a lot of guys that were capable of really filling it up,” he said.

“Quamain Rose had 18 on us in the first half up there, he hit four 3-pointers, so we really wanted to make sure we

got there on the catch, and we didn’t give them any open looks for 3-pointers.”

The Braves, who trailed by 15 points at halftime, scored 42 points in the second half, and took the lead for the first time on a jump shot and free throw by forward Ben Jacobs that gave the visitors a 53-51 lead, with 1:28 left in the game.

Sherrill hit a 3-pointer in front of his team’s bench that put the Jaguars back on top, 55-54, with 72 seconds remaining. After being fouled on a drive to the basket with 0.8 seconds left, he hit two free throws to clinch the game, according to jaguarsroar.com.

Sherrill said the team had “to continue to play defense the whole game” when playing a team like UNC Pembroke.

“You have to continue to play defense, otherwise, just as they did, they chipped away at the lead, and they finally took the lead,” he said.

“So when they took the lead, we had to not panic. We had to keep our composure, and just continue to play our basketball – come down and get a good shot and make it, and then go back on defense.”

Senior shooting guard Devonte Thomas said he was proud of the win, but is looking ahead to the Jaguars’ next games, road matchups with conference rivals Clayton State and Georgia College.

“Last year at Clayton State, we came out unprepared and we didn’t come ready to play, so they beat us there,” he said. “And the Georgia College game, we’ve got to get back that one too, last year with the (game-winning) tip-in. So, these next two games are just going to be personal for us. We’re going to take it one step at a time with each game, and be ready to play defense.”

The team won another victory Jan. 31 against Clayton State, winning 67-58. thowar20@gru.edu

TImothy howard | STAFF

Forward Vlad Cobzaru attempts to shoot the ball before a UNC Pembroke player steals it during the Jan. 28 home game at Christenberry.

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