Jan 21, 2015 - Vol. 57, Issue 8

GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY

www.grubellringer.com

VOLUME 57, ISSUE 8

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

haley harris | staff Ricardo Azziz, on the day he announced his resignation, has an exclusive press conference with The Bell Ringer to answer questions from the student body about why he decided to step down and what comes next.

Azziz: Richard Adams & Haley Harris editor-in-chief news editor Near the end of his fifth year as a university president, Dr. Ricardo Azziz, first president of Georgia Regents University, said he has decided to leave the position, by his own free will, while still “on top.”

“The single thing that I am most proud of, the thing that I keep telling people, is really the success we have had in moving student success forward,” Azziz said. “That’s what I’m really proud of. When

First president of Georgia Regents decides to step down after five years of leadership

people ask me, you know, ‘I know you’re doing a lot of things, what are the things you really feel proud of?’ The fact that we’re improving graduation rates, the fact that we’re improving retention rates, the fact that we’re improving students’ experience - that’s what matters.”

According to a statement issued by the Board of Regents, Azziz’s last day will be June 30. This, Azziz said, will allow him to continue to work on the initiatives started under his watch for another six months.

“We have to complete our master plan,” Azziz said. “We have to solidify our cybersecurity education

curriculum and develop the center around cybersecurity education.

We have to continue expanding ... ensuring that we are a global entity and play a role there.”

Charles Sutlive, vice chancellor of communications for the University System of Georgia, said the chairman and chancellor will create a presidential search committee.

“The institutional search committee will have representation from faculty, alumni, foundation, students and the community,” he said. “Our goal is to select the next president of GRU by this summer.”

Azziz said he hopes and knows

the next president will focus on forging students into leaders.

“The job continues for the next president,” Azziz said. “It’s an ongoing journey. So when people say, ‘Why five years?’ Because it could be 30, right? Or it could be 100, because universities always have a life that lasts forever.”

Azziz said his resignation would not be the end of his relationship with the university and was only an opportunity to do more.

Azziz said the decision was one of personal consideration, and that he plans to rediscover some of his former academic pursuits.

“I am planning to take some time off, maybe away, to reconnect and spend some time with other laboratories, other researchers around the country,” Azziz said. “That’s the kind of thing we’d normally do, and the kind of thing that I’d missed doing for the past number of years. But that still means that I will be faculty here. I will be returning, certainly, to teach.”

William Bloodworth, former president of Augusta State University, said Azziz’s future value as an educator is a resource the school see AZZIZ on PAGE 2

McDonald house opens

By Haley Harris & Jessica Sager news editor copy editor

The start of the year brought about a new beginning for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta with the opening of a bigger and better residence located on the Georgia Regents Health Sciences campus.

On Jan. 8, the committee of the RMHCA cut the ribbon to the new house located at 1442 Harper St. Betts Murdison, president and CEO of the RMHCA, said the new

home offers many updated features. It has increased the number of bedrooms available for families from 11 to 23, is open 24 hours and seven days a week, is located within walking distance of the Children’s Hospital and is now 28,500 square feet.

“Well, I really can’t believe I’m standing here,” Murdison said.

“I really, really can’t. This is just amazing. Just take a moment to absorb it all.”

Pat Goodwin, RMHCA board chair, said the new home is for all see MCDONALD on PAGE 2 contributed by Auxiliary Services

New Health Sciences campus transit routes coming Jan. 26 that will utilize two new parking areas. For full story SEE PAGE 2.

Mayor to bring changes

By Richard Adams editor-in-chief

JESSICA SAGER | STAFF Haley Peeples helps Ronald McDonald cut the entrance ribbon to the new house.

For mayor of Augusta and former state senator Hardie Davis, Georgia Regents University is an integral component in his plans to see the city flourish under his administration.

“I’ve had a unique opportunity in the House (of Representatives), and now certainly in the Senate … being a member of Higher Education Committee, I’ve seen firsthand

the role that local communities can play in helping the growing institution,” Davis said.

Davis stepped up to the podium Jan. 5 to take the oath of office in a ceremony held at Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel on the Paine College campus, effectively becoming the 84th mayor of Augusta.

Even before his inauguration, Davis said he was working to address what he saw as “a lack of viable arts and entertainment opportunities” and is seeking to put

in place opportunities to increase quality of life and engagement for both the university population and the community overall.

“I have a team of people that is actively working on identifying not only opportunities for success (for the arts community), but any strengths that we have, any weaknesses or threats that we have in the arts, culture and entertainment community,” Davis said. “I am exsee MAYOR on PAGE 2

Monster Trucks

Author

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Jaguar Express Page 2

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Indie band visits Augusta

New transit route coming to campus

Extreme sport attracts crowds

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

www.grubellringer.com

McDonald CONTINUED from PAGE 1

The voice of

Georgia Regents University 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

the families that are seeking the best medical care and need a place to stay.

“Today’s celebration is really about us bringing this home to the campus of Georgia Regents University, and what better place to bring it to,” Goodwin said. “Everything is kind of new this year in Augusta. We got a new mayor, so why not have a new house? So, I know many of you have been on trips before and you’ve taken your children with you. How many times have you heard from the backseat, ‘Are we there yet? Are we there yet?’

Well, we’re here.”

Mayor Hardie Davis came to the ribbon cutting and said he was honored to be a part of the celebration.

“This is what makes Augusta a great city,” Davis said. “It’s these types of things. It takes a community such as this to lead together not only to raise funds … but to meet the needs of people near and far.”

During one of the keynote speeches of the ceremony, Dr. Charles Howell, chief of pediatric surgery and co-medical director of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, said he has wanted these types of improvements of the house to happen for many years.

“My bucket list is long and some things I might not ever accomplish and I’m sure you feel the same way,” Howell said. “My first dream was to build a children’s hospital, and my second one was to have a Ronald McDonald house right here.

So, I thank everyone for helping make my dream come true.”

Betty Wilson, RMHCA volunteer for two years, said she came to the ribbon cutting ceremony in support and celebration of the opening for “a bigger and better Ronald McDonald hous.” “(The house is) right next door,” Wilson said. “They can walk to it. (Families) don’t have to worry about transportaion ... and we’re going to be able to support twice as many families. So it’s just a blessing.” hharris9@gru.edu jschucke@gru.edu

sports editor ANTHONY GARCIA agarci11@gru.edu chief reporter postion open production manager JORDAN BARRY jbarry3@gru.edu

JAMIE SAPP jsapp270@gru.edu SHELLIE SMITLEY sbarb@gru.edu photographer JEAN-PAUL CASSAGNOL jcassagn@aug.edu cartoonist DAQUAN MIDDLETON dmiddle6@gru.edu advertising manager ASHLEY SHELTON ashelto9@gru.edu webmaster JACOB SCHARFF jscharff@gru.edu contributors JOSHUA ADAMS jadams35@gru.edu TIMOTHY HOWARD thowar20@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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New transit route to open

By Richard Adams & Jordan Barry editor-in-chief production manager

production assistant position open staff writers TAYLOR MITCHELL tmitch22@gru.edu

jessica sager | staff

Ronald McDonald plays games with one of the longtime residents, Haley Peeples.

richard adams | staff

Hardie Davis (Center) sits before a crowd of Augustans at his inauguration Jan. 5.

Mayor

CONTINUED from PAGE 1

cited about some of the things that I have heard from them already in terms of what we can do to put together a cohesive approach to arts, culture and entertainment, certainly with an emphasis on millennials.”

Davis’ immediate predecessor Deke Copenhaver served for the allotted span of two terms as mayor of Augusta, a time during which he said he saw the university and its impact on the community grow exponentially due to the merger.

Part of his job as mayor, Copenhaver said, was considering and evaluating the shared interests of both the university and city.

“It’s always a difficult balancing act, and you realize that with change there’s always going to be some resistance,” Copenhaver said.

“I mean, I have been, I would say, a change agent as mayor, and you do see resistance to sometimes new ideas.”

Davis said he has one project in particular in which he would like to see cooperation between the city and the university.

“We’ve got 17 acres of land right there on the river that was formerly the Georgia Golf and Garden Hall of Fame land that in my first year in the Senate we actively worked on getting that in the possession of the city of Augusta,” Davis said. “That was in 2010, and now we’re at a place where that property is in the possession of Georgia Re-

Azziz

CONTINUED from PAGE 1

should consider utilizing. “(Georgia Regents) might well benefit in the years to come from his talents as a physician, a researcher and a teacher,” Bloodworth said.

Provost and executive vice president of academic affairs Gretchen Caughman said she does not think the loss of Azziz will have a major effect on the current academic operations of the school.

“You know, honestly, one of the things that Dr. Azziz did with us in his leadership team was that he felt

gents University, and I’d like to see us do something collaboratively at that space.”

One change Davis is trying to foster is the bolstering of the computer science program at Georgia Regents.

“That’s a conversation that I started well over a year ago with Chancellor Huckaby and Chairman of the Board of Regents Phil Wilheit, that we need to create a partnership between Georgia Regents University and, possibly, Georgia Tech,” Davis said.

Heather Miner, senior director of government affairs and statewide activity with the Technology Association of Georgia, said she has worked with Davis multiple times.

“He seems very interested in moving Augusta along in the innovation sector,” Miner said. “We talked about, potentially, a cybersecurity resolution through the general assembly. Essentially, doing a study committee to look how the state of Georgia can help with making, now with the Cyber Command unit there (at Fort Gordon), helping make Augusta the highlight of cybersecurity in the nation.”

This, Davis said, begins with the schools and universities. radams99@gru.edu

“

I’ve seen firsthand the role that local communities can play in helping the growing institution.

- Hardie Davis

”

really comfortable getting onto a new phase of his life,” Caughman said. “He really felt confident in the leadership team that is here in place and that we are in the position to continue on with his work.”

Azziz said he appreciates the people who have been with him along the way.

“You cannot achieve what we have achieved without everybody rowing in the same direction at the same time and everybody believing in the future,” he said. “So my second message is stay on course.

Believe in your greatness, because we are a great institution.” radams99@gru.edu hharris9@gru.edu

A new transit route will be arriving Jan. 26 to alleviate some of the parking woes felt by many on the Health Sciences campus.

In order to address the lack of parking options at the downtown campus, auxiliary services has redesigned the existing routes and will employ buses along two continuous fixed routes, Director Karl Munschy said.

“And it sounds strange, but there’s a really close relationship between a shuttle operation and parking,” he said. “The first thing we felt we could do is shuttle routes, because we couldn’t do a lot with parking planning because of master planning efforts still going on.”

There will be three buses along the gold loop in the morning, making laps in what are roughly 7-minute intervals, Munschy said. This means that between 5:30 and 8 a.m., a bus will arrive at each stop every 7 to 8 minutes. Between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. only two buses will run, he said, and the arrival times will be roughly every 11 minutes.

“There’s some times in the middle of the day where there might be one passenger on it, but to make a transit route effective, people have to trust it,” he said. “And that’s the biggest thing, awnd so you have to know that, okay, this is where the stop is, I know this bus is coming.”

Green route locations will have buses arrive every 10 minutes, Munschy said. In the coming weeks, a new app called “Smartrax” will be made available ... allowing users to track the buses.

Georgia Southern uses a similar app called “StreetEagle,” said Kristi Bryant, director of parking and transportation at Georgia Southern.

“We’ve found it to be as close to real time as one can expect,” Bryant said. “Again, our students have really enjoyed that technology.”

In addition to the more frequent routes, two parking lots will be opening, said Beth Bryson, manager of parking and transportation.

“We’re adding 150 more spaces at [lot] 69 which is the old Fat Man’s lot (located on Moore Avenue), and we’re going to also open up on Walton Way what’s called lot 65 at the PL building,” Bryson said. radams99@gru.edu jbarry3@gru.edu

Human traffic warning spreads

By Jessica Sager & Jamie Sapp copy editor staff writer January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Augusta is near one of the illicit industry’s biggest hubs: Atlanta.

Human trafficking is not a major issue in Augusta like it is in Atlanta, said William McBride, chief of police at Georgia Regents University. In Atlanta, young, homeless runaways are often targeted by traffickers who promise them food and a place to sleep. People are also brought in from other countries through Hartsfield Airport.

“You’ve got somebody from Croatia or the Ukraine, and they’re just dying to get to the U.S.,” McBride said. “So these predators, and some of them are based out of Atlanta, will say, ‘We’ll get you a job as a nanny, making nice money.’ And they arrange to have her get over here and, of course, when she gets here they don’t give her a job as a nanny. They put her in some slave-labor factory or prostitution.”

Elizabeth Smith, cofounder of the organization ‘I’m Aware’, said different pimps operate in different

“

If you can’t bear to talk about it, think about people that are living this every day...

--Elizabeth Smith, cofounder of I’m Aware

”

ways. For example, a male modeling agent manipulated one of his clients and trafficked her after getting her legitimate jobs for almost a year.

Human trafficking is becoming more talked about today, Smith said.

“So me, what I’ve always said to our friends and family is, if it’s something that you just can’t bear to talk about, then that’s kind of a selfish way to look at it,” she said.

“If you can’t bear to talk about it, think about people that are living this every day, you know. We can continue to sweep it under the rug or we can do something. I think the numbers speak for themselves, you know. Anybody who can face the statistics is going to see that we don’t have an option to not talk about it anymore.” jschucke@gru.edu jsapp270@gru.edu

THE BELL RINGER

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OPINION www.grubellringer.com

editorial

Azziz leaves memories F

or some students, Georgia Regents University and Dr. Ricardo Azziz are the only university and president they’ve known. For others who started college as students of either Augusta State University or the Medical College of Georgia, the name Azziz may conjure a variety of thoughts and emotions.

On the Summerville campus, juniors and seniors may think of the “Save the A” campaign that enflamed state-wide dialog in 2012. Other students may have happier memories of Azziz, such as graduation when they shook hands

at the completion of a hard-fought degree, or when he participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge.

Faculty and staff may remember the day ground was broken on a new campus building, or the doubt and fear some have expressed to The Bell Ringer about the possibility of their jobs being in jeopardy.

At the health sciences campus, students may think of Azziz when they look at the new Ronald McDonald House he helped make possible, or when they collaborate with researchers through the Confucius Institute.

Students and faculty from both

The shock of President John F. Kennedy’s November 1963 assassination in Dallas had not worn off yet, lingering over a nation struggling with its own reflection.

In his autobiography, Malcolm X wrote, “I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.”

America was a dangerous Drew Galloway place for leaders contributor of the Civil Rights Movement. Violence seemed commonplace, and no one knew this better than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leading the Montgomery protests that Rosa Parks initiated, King became a household name as more media outlets shined a light on desegregation efforts in the South. After a yearlong campaign, a Supreme Court ruling segregation unconstitutional cemented King’s footprints in Alabama.

King’s campaigns continued under constant threats of violence and repeated incarcerations. In 1961, he staged desegregation protests in Albany, Ga., for over a year, resulting in defeat. King pressed forward, expanding simultaneous efforts in Fort Augustine, New York City and Selma. After Alabama state troopers attacked marchers with clubs and tear gas on Bloody Sunday, King and nearly 20,000 fellow protesters proceeded to the Alabama capital’s steps, eventually resulting in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In March 1968, King arrived in Memphis to help publicize a black sanitation workers strike.

As a red-orange sun began slowly setting over the tree line, birds hurriedly scrambled toward the clouds as the single shot echoed across the Memphis neighborhood.

It happened again.

Later that evening, Robert F. Kennedy would announce the tragedy of King’s death to an Indianapolis crowd. The same fate would befall him 63 days later.

Today, our nation is still plagued with similar racial rhetoric, political partisanship and police brutality King fought against. The death of Trayvon Martin in a Sanford, Fla., stunned the nation. Michael Brown’s death in a Ferguson, Mo., street caused violent riots, exactly what King would have cautioned the crowd against. The senseless murder of Eric Garner in New York City has further raised public alarm.

Policy topics are expanding rapidly outside of the arena of race relations to include women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, income inequality and privacy rights. Utilizing Twitter, Facebook and other social technology, millennials are picking up where King left off in Memphis, redefining the roles of government, the media and the public.

It is hard to imagine what our nation would look like today had King not fallen to the Lorraine Motel’s floor that April evening in 1968. Could he have ushered in better race relations across the country? Could his message of community and hope have resonated in enough American hearts and minds to heal these societal divisions?

Seek an answer to his idea of “life’s most persistent and urgent question: ‘What are you doing for others?’” Take action on a cause dear to you, lending a hand to the community in which you live and work. Volunteer, donate, teach or protest. And support what is right, no matter who tells it.

King’s battle for equality still ongoing

campuses – as well as the community as a whole – will inevitably associate Azziz with the merger between the campuses, with the clash of two university’s cultures and the challenges that arose.

They might well remember when university transport was used for his niece’s wedding.

Azziz is not solely responsible for the many changes, for better and for worse, at Georgia Regents; the difficulties the merger caused were inevitable. Emotions would have been high, no matter what.

But just as Azziz represents the start of a new university to the wid-

er world, in Augusta he represents the merger and all it stands for: the triumphs, the disappointments and the still-uncertain future of Georgia Regents.

While Azziz’s name is written

in history forever as the founding president of Georgia Regents, the memories of the students who lived the experience will always be more complex, human and real – like the man himself.

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

richard adams | staff

The Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial in Washington, D.C., commemorates King’s legacy through a presentation of his sayings.

Relating to the past A

hdrewgalloway@gmail.com Drew Galloway has worked for the White House and the city of San Antonio. He founded The Civic Court Project, a Clinton Global Initiative University-recognized nonprofit.

s educators, we feel an overwhelming need to teach. As we plan daily lessons, it becomes increasingly clear that students need more than to pass a test. They need real world experience: a way to connect schoolwork to their daily lives.

Third grade curriculum dictates that students study Tabitha Purvis the lives and incontributor fluences of Thurgood Marshall and Lyndon B. Johnson. For most, this is only their second exposure to the Civil Rights era, having been introduced to Martin Luther King, Jr., in second grade. As teachers, we essentially have two options: blanket the kids with facts to memorize or give them meaningful ways to understand the Civil Rights era in an age-appropriate manner.

Herein lies the struggle.

What is age appropriate? How meaningful should it be? Living in the Deep South, there is a fine line between what will ruffle feathers and what will suit the situation.

Ultimately, young minds need to understand that there is great com-

even basic civil and human rights were denied to anyone then called a colored person or a Negro.

When I first was introduced to Martin Luther King, Jr., I was 12 years old, living in my home community of Tuskegee Institute, Ala. This community was engaged in a struggle for voting rights, after having been gerrymandered out of the municipal boundaries of the city of Tuskegee by the state legislature.

This 27-year-old Baptist preacher graciously accepted an invitation to speak at a civil rights meeting in an African-American church in Tuskegee. My father and Rev. King were very well acquainted, since my father was Rev.

King’s insurance agent. After the meeting ended, my father introduced me to Martin Luther King, Jr. The only thing that my father and Dr. King wanted was what all Americans had come to expect as a birthright: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In 1957, these basic promises of American citizenship were a long way from being fulfilled for Americans of African descent. Great changes were on the horizon in the 1960s, however.

In 1965, I was a student at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), which was founded by my great-grandfather, Booker T. Washington. In March 1965, the African-American citizens of

plexity to the Civil Rights Movement. Having 8 and 9-year-olds truly experience the blunt emotions of the era is not wise. At this tender age, they are not equipped to perceive the complete picture.

Thus, they assume misconceptions and generalizations that are untrue.

Students need to make a personal connection in order for it to be meaningful and to achieve retention. But many attempts to make a personal connection either extend beyond what the teacher intends or are misinterpreted. Experience evokes emotions that can be hard to contain, while straightforward reading of facts does not match the depth that students need for understanding.

From my experience, there is no single best method to introduce impressionable minds to this era.

Living in Georgia, one can imagine the range of statements that are carried from the kitchen table to the classroom floor. Do teachers have the right to advise a child against his parent? I cannot fully blame a novice teacher for avoiding this altogether.

What solution is there? Facts and honesty. Let them gather their own facts and tell the children when you don’t have an answer. “I don’t know” is not forbidden in the

classroom. In this situation, it promotes self-reflection, because students struggle to believe that their teachers do not know everything.

When they ponder why I have no answer, they discover the depth of the controversy for themselves.

Vanishing Georgia is a website available to the public. It catalogs old pictures. From this database, I pull classroom pictures from the 1950s to show their questioning minds. They observe and compare and the room is silent. They are first amazed at how different the classrooms are from their own.

Slowly, students begin to question why supplies vary within the segregated schools. They notice the disparity among them and they ask naive questions.

This is where to begin. No one has been called out. No one is embarrassed. On an equal playing field, each student sits in his integrated classroom and wonders what it was like. Each one begins to understand that the Civil Rights Movement is more than a speech about a dream and a tired lady who wanted to sit down. From the eyes of an innocent child, they see the world was different then, and they want to know more.

tabpurvis@gmail.com Augusta State, Class of 2005

Walking with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I

am a product of the second World War and the Civil Rights Movement. My father was one of the very first African-Americans to be allowed to pilot U. S. military aircraft.

When I was a boy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., became one of the most influenMarshall M. Abuwi tial people in contributor my life. Like myself, he had endured a youth filled with humiliation solely because his ancestors were from sub-Saharan Africa.

During the days of our childhood,

nearby Selma, Ala., were struggling against a century-old “Jim Crow” system of racial injustice and oppression. Dozens of African-American citizens of Selma had recently been terrorized by white law enforcement officers. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., organized a major demonstration, which took the form of a 50-mile march from Selma to Montgomery. I participated in that, and many other demonstrations, with Dr. King.

I was present with him during his final protest demonstration in Atlanta, a week before he was shot by an assassin.When he spoke at a packed African-American church the night before he was killed, he said that he wanted to be remem-

bered as being a “drum major” for freedom, justice and equality for all people. When I viewed his lifeless body at his funeral, I was only 24 years old and Martin Luther King, Jr., was 39. I am now 71, and he would have been 86 this week. As I reflect upon his current relevance to American life, I must candidly admit that Dr. King’s life was not in vain, but his work is far from finished because the three great enemies that he attacked – racism, poverty and war – are still a weight that holds down our great nation from achieving the magnificence for which we are destined.

mabuwi@gru.edu Abuwi is research consultant & reference assistant in Reese Library.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

ARTS & LIFE www.grubellringer.com

Indie band raises local questions Joshua Adams contributor A need for change in Augusta’s music scene was brought to attention when Minneapolis indie band, Author, performed Thursday with Capital Arms at local concert venue Sky City.

Singer/guitarist Trevor Bartlett said “Of Brighter Days” is a follow-up to the band’s first release, an extended play titled “People Are Alike All Over.”

Bartlett said the tour has had bigger and smaller shows and that Augusta was convenient with the route. While the band enjoyed its experience in Augusta, Bartlett said the Minneapolis music scene is much different.

“We have a really good public radio system,” Bartlett said. “Min-

neapolis is home to a public radio station, The Current. They support local artists a lot.”

The event was organized by Carlin Thompson, a local music promoter.

He said he started booking shows to give independent bands an opportunity to spread their music.

Thompson also said almost 45 people came to the show, which didn’t generate enough revenue to keep him from having to pay the bands out-of-pocket.

“Forty-five was under the amount that I wanted,” Thompson said. “I’d say a wanted amount would have been 60 to 70 people, but 45 in Augusta is rare, especially on a Thursday night.”

Thompson said that there are a lot of good musicians and venues in Augusta, but the msuic scene is

Joshua adams | contributor

Trevor Bartlett, vocalist/guitarist of the Minnesota indie rock band Author, plays for the audience at Thursday’s show at Sky City.

lacking support.

“I’ve been booking shows now for a year and a half, and I’ve probably lost a couple grand in guarantees,” Thompson said. “But if you compare it to other music scenes like Atlanta or Columbia, colleges there are much more involved in the music scene. Augusta has a really big college crowd, but they don’t put anything into the music scene.”

Thompson said if the local colleges had more involvement with downtown, there might be more people coming to events and fewer businesses closing down.

Sky City’s owner, Coco Rubio, said he’s seen fluctuations in Augusta’s downtown in his 30 years of involvement.

He also said there was a time when people seemed to care more

about seeing live music and people were more involved, but now only shows with bigger names seem to be doing really well.

“It’s really hard when you don’t have a college radio station in your town,” Rubio said. “In Augusta, there’s no college radio station... there’s nothing for the more independent bands in the area.” jadams35@gru.edu

Program exhibits art

By Haley Harris news editor

Jamie sapp | staff

Models strike a pose for the “Back to School” category in a hair and fashion show.

Models show flair for fashion

By Jamie Sapp staff writer

The Johnson Youth Organization held the Dominion Beauty & Barber Hair & Fashion Show Extravaganza on Jan. 17 in order to support young adults within the community.

The Dominion Beauty & Barber Hair & Fashion Show Extravaganza started at 6 p.m., in the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre. Arlean Edwards, assistant general manager and music director of WAAW 94.7 FM, hosted the event with Darren Martin, director of marketing and promotions for Sheen Magazine. Hair stylist George Cooper and CSRA Poet Laureate Anthony “Sleepy Eyez” Carter were also guests at the event.

Tara Johnson, CEO of the Johnson Youth Organization, said she founded the organization Jan. 26, 2002.

Freelance makeup artist Santana Johnson said that there were two purposes for having the hair and fashion show.

“Obviously, it’s for entertaining purposes,” Johnson said. “But it’s also to raise money for the organization that the spot owner and creator of the fashion show has. It’s

for her organization, a positive organization.”

Tara Johnson said that she wanted viewers to understand her underlying reasons for holding the hair and fashion show.

“I want viewers to understand that the show has young people that know the importance of unity and teamwork,” Johnson said. “Viewers will understand that we can collaborate as people, whether you’re young or old.”

There were 17 categories in the Dominion Beauty & Barber Hair and Fashion Show Extravaganza.

Some were back to school, summer, fall, formal, prom, dressy and styles of the decade. The models had different styles and outfits in each category.

Felice Ange’ll said that she wanted viewers to understand how much effort the hair stylists, fashion stylists and makeup artists put into the show.

“I want viewers to know that we put our hearts in hair, fashion, beauty and clothes,” Ange’ll said.

“That’s what I want them to understand.”

Tara Johnson said giving young adults opportunities like the hair and fashion show is life-changing. jsapp270@gru.edu

Spring semester may have started with chilly temperatures, but PaCE photography students thawed the campus with photographs of wildlife and warm weather.

The Georgia Regents University Division of Professional and Community Education showcased the Photography Certificate Program students’ photography pieces in the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre lobby Jan. 12 to 14.

“The photos are really beautiful and interesting,” Hilary Duggan, an alumna of Augusta State University, said. “I wish there was a better place to showcase them for more people to see, though, because I

honestly never came in here unless I was watching a performance.”

Duggan came with her friend Anastasia Burton, who said she was touring the campus with plans to enter into Georgia Regents as a fall 2015 freshman majoring in art.

“I’ve taken a little bit of photography in high school,” Burton said.

“And since I’m wanting to be here next semester, I thought it would be cool to see the kind of photography that people take here.”

Duggan said she came to the opening reception after hearing about it from the events calendar located on the Georgia Regents website.

“I’ve had a passion for photography as a hobby for years,” Duggan said. “So, when I saw the

event...I really wanted to take the time to view other people’s shots.”

The photographers are all students of the Photography Certificate Program, and the photos were all parts of projects for their classes.

The photos were set up along tables and each photographer was given a table displaying three of their photos and a brief summary about the artist.

“My favorite might be the one where the couple is holding hands, walking down a dirt road,” Burton said. “It was so simple and so cute.”

Classes for the Photography Certificate Program are offered every semester and registration is provided online, according to the PaCE website. hharris9@gru.edu

Mason maintains university

By Jessica Sager copy editor

“If I can watch somebody do it, I can do it.”

Richard Riffe, mason and maintenance worker 2 at Georgia Regents University, said he’s worked at the university for 17 years.

When he started the job, he knew about masonry from previous work at Augusta Ready Mix, but he said he “didn’t know the first thing” about irrigation systems or many of the other jobs he would do.

“He basically maintains the irrigation stations, the controls on the Summerville campus,” said Scott Davis, manager of landscaping and grounds at Georgia Regents. “And we rely on him heavily to make sure the schedule is right, or to make sure it’s not coming on in freezing weather.”

Riffe said his work also involves taking care of the parking lots on campus.

“Rick is responsible for the traffic signs around campus,” Paul Wood, grounds foreman, said. “He makes sure they’re secure, straight-

Jessica sager | staff

Part of Richard Riffe’s job at GRU is fixing the irrigation system by Allgood.

ened. He is also doing a lot of the parking lot painting, curb painting, handicap ... which is very crucial, not only for the sake of the students but for the entire campus community.”

When Riffe needs to repair old parts of the campus, Wood said, he cannot buy cement colors that match brickwork that’s more than

200 years old.

“I’ve seen him use dirt, grass and different things to try to blend the colors together,” Wood said.

“So when you look at it, it doesn’t look like a brand-new repair job.”

Riffe said he tries not to ask for help unless he needs it.

“He’s good about, basically, finding the project that needs to be done, rather than being told, ‘Here’s the project, you need to do it,’” Davis said. “So that’s one thing I do appreciate ... he’s kind of a jack-ofall-trades.”

Riffe’s repair work has eliminated safety hazards, Davis said.

“There was a recent event outside of Allgood Hall where somebody twisted their ankle,” he said.

“It was a loose brick, and (Riffe) was able to make the repair as soon as we were made aware of it, so fortunately we had somebody on campus to be able to do that.”

Aside from masonry and irrigation work, Riffe works with heavy machinery. He said there’s “no telling” what a day at work will consist of for him. jschucke@gru.edu

‘Oil & Water’: Students, teachers collaborate for new art exhibit

By Jordan Barry production manager

People crowded into the Art Hall at Sacred Heart Cultural Center, filling it wall-towall to get a first look at the “Oil & Water” exhibit.

On Thursday, Jan. 8, Sacred Heart hosted an opening reception for its latest exhibit.

Artists and instructors Judy Avrett and Lucy Weigle said they endeavored with their 11 students to create an exhibit of 39 paintings.

Judy Evans, the Art Hall and gift shop manager at Sacred Heart, said the exhibit was named after the mediums that Avrett and Wei-

gle use.

Weigle and her students created landscapes from oil paints, Avrett and her students used watercolors, and each of them produced three paintings for the exhibit, Evans said.

“Oh, this is amazing,” she said. “I mean, the students are very eager. They’re all, I guess, at a point in life where they’re very free to pursue a new skill ...They all seem to be developing a passion for painting, and some of them have been painting for a long time.”

Anna Marks, an attendant at the opening reception, said she was really enjoying the exhibit.

“Oh, it’s wonderful,” she said. “I just am amazed. I’m blown away. I think the art is just fabulous ... I’m thrilled.”

Weigle said that, though it wasn’t the first time she or Avrett displayed their art in an exhibit, it was a new and important concept for a lot of the students.

“It’s really good for the exposure for the people who are just starting to paint,” she said. “The students are really nervous about it, but it’s really good for them to see how people react to their work.”

Weigle said she has been teaching oil painting for 35 years.

“It’s just a good feeling,” she said. “You

work with it for a long time till you get it the way you want it, so it’s fun.”

Weigle and her current group of students have been together for about four or five years, she said.

“We usually paint from photographs,” she said. “A couple of us went out to North Carolina and painted outside, but usually we work in my studio for two-plus hours once a week.”

All of the paintings will be on display and for sale until Feb. 27. A percentage of the sales will go to Sacred Heart as part of a fundraising program, Evans said. jbarry3@gru.edu

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 5

START READY FOR CHALLENGES.

START TAKING ON CHALLENGES.

START STANDING APART.

START READY FOR LEADERSHIP. START CLIMBING HIGHER.

START READY FOR THE FUTURE. START TAKING CHARGE.

START STRONG. SM

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 6

comics

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Across

Down

1. King received the _____ Prize in 1964.

5. ______ King was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s mother.

8. Like Abraham Lincoln, King suffered from _____.

11. _____ ended one of King’s childhood freindships.

13. The Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial is near the National _____.

14. King’s first name was changed from _____ to Martin.

2. King wrote a memoir about the Montgomery _____ Boycott.

3. King married ______ in 1953.

4. King’s family was proven to have some _______ ancestry.

6. The ______ Campaign took place in 1963.

7. King opposed the war in ______.

9. “I have a ______” is King’s most famous speech.

10. After skipping two grades, King started ____ at 15.

12. ______ was an inspiration to King.

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 7

sports www.grubellringer.com

Rodeo rides to Augusta

By Shellie Smitley staff writer

The 2015 Extra Inning Bull Riding competition was one of several Western-culture sporting events that took place at the James Brown Arena Saturday. The competition benefited the University of South Carolina Aiken baseball scholarship fund.

Kenny Thomas, USC Aiken head baseball coach, said the event has been a fundraiser since he arrived at USC Aiken in 1999. He said that part of the proceeds are donated to the Aiken Ambucs Club, and the rest of the proceeds go into a general fund.

Thomas said the bull riding included some well-known bull riders, competing for six prizes totaling $15,000. He said this event has become the top kickoff event in the area and attracts around 5500 spectators.

“It’s some big-named guys,” Thomas said. “They go for a lot of money (so) it’s not hard to get the riders here, that’s for sure.”

Alan Kane, coordinator of Augusta Cutting Horse Futurity, said the enthusiasm for the bull riding can be felt throughout the packed crowd of spectators.

“There is definitely a lot of energy,” Kane said. “Everybody gets to screaming when those crazy guys get up on the bulls.”

Thomas said besides the riders and the bulls, there are two types of clowns in the bull riding arena .The bullfighting clown’s job is to divert the attention of the bull in order to give the rider a chance to get away.

SHELLIE SMITLEY | STAFF

Teams of bull riders compete to break each other’s total times during the fundraiser.

He said Rockin’ Robbie Hodges is a clown that entertains the crowd.

“He is the best in the business,” Thomas said. “He has been ranked the No. 1 rodeo clown in the country.”

Hodges said he has worked at the James Brown Arena between

seven and eight times. He said that because of the way the arena is set up, there is not a bad seat in the house. He has even turned down gigs in order to attend the rodeos in this arena.

“This is one of my favorite rodeos, because it’s always a big

sell-out crowd,” Hodges said. “The people want to have a good time.”

Hodges said that bulls can be unpredictable. He said every bull has a different personality and that after a while he can figure out a bull’s tendencies; there are some bulls that scare him, and there are bulls that demand his respect.

“Just like people, (there are) some that you like to be around and some that you don’t,” Hodges said.

“You have people that are assholes and people that are nice, and it’s exactly the same.”

Hodges said he has suffered a lot of concussions and dislocated shoulders during his career. He said that he rode bucking horses for 16 years, and after he retired he decided to become a rodeo clown in order to stay in the business. He says that he does 40 to 45 rodeos a year.

“This is the greatest job in the world because it makes people laugh,” Hodges said.

Kane said this year marks the 36th year of the Augusta Futurity.

He said that besides the bull riding event, those who attend have the opportunity to see some of the best horsemen in the country. The James Brown Arena will host cutting competitions Jan. 18 to 24. He said that the Futurity held in Augusta is the largest cutting event east of the Mississippi River and has a community economic impact of around $1 million a year.

“The futurity is a whole different experience for folks in the CSRA,” Kane said. “It is a chance to immerse themselves in a completely different culture.” sbarb@gru.edu

Team struggles with losses

By Timothy Howard contributor

Forty minutes of action wasn’t enough to settle the courtside contest Jan. 7 between the Lady Jags and the Nighthawks, so overtime settled the dispute.

Despite a game-high 17 points from forward Kariel Hutt and a late rally to send the game into overtime, the North Georgia Nighthawks edged the GRU Augusta Lady Jags 63-60 in the Peach Belt Conference match at Christenberry Fieldhouse.

The team struggled with the following matches after, with a 8356 loss against Lander, and a 59-53 loss against Armstrong.

The Lady Jaguars are currently 2-13, 1-7 in the Peach Belt Conference, while North Georgia moved to 12-2, with a 4-1 mark in conference play, according to jaguarsroar. com.

This was the team’s first home game of 2015, and the team’s its first home game since a 60-50 win over PBC opponent Montevallo Dec. 20.

Fouls and a lack of free throw attempts in overtime swung the game in favor of the Nighthawks,

who scored all five of their points in overtime on free throws and missed their lone field goal attempt. The Lady Jags did not get to the free throw line in the bonus period and made one field goal in seven attempts.

Head Coach Nate Teymer said he understands the challenges of staying competitive in the PBC. Despite the close loss, he said he remains optimistic about his team and its prospects as it enters the fray of PBC competition.

“We have a lot of new people, and we have to make sure that we’re playing together as a unit and getting better, and I think we’re already getting better playing together,” he said. “We have to look at that as the positive and move forward from it.”

Assistant Coach Special Jennings said “it’s all about our defense,” and she understands where some of the team’s challenges come from.

“We don’t defend,” she said.

“And if we don’t do what we’re supposed to do on defense, then the outcome is going to be what it is today.”

Freshman guard Joshlyn

TIMOTHY HOWARD | contributor

Guard Kayla Roberts passes the ball away from Nighthawks player Cierra Jackson.

Belcher said she feels the team knows what it needs to do, but needs to execute it.

“We have practices the next couple of days, and we have to make sure we have our minds right, and focus on what we need to focus on,” she said. “We just need to get it together and play hard in practice, and it’ll work out. But I feel like every game, we’re getting closer and closer to our goal. We just have to finish.”

Teymer said the road games do not bother him. He said the season will be decided not by how many games are played at home, but “how we react to some adverse situations,” and the team will “have to tighten it up, because if we don’t execute, it’s really going to get (us) on the road.”

The Lady Jags lost their Jan. 17 game against Columbus State 6660. thowar20@gru.edu

Ndhlovu runs pre-Olympic race

By Haley Harris news editor Graduate student and assistant cross-country and track and field coach Pardon Ndhlovu keeps his dream alive by running in half and full marathons around the country.

Ndhlovu came in first place Dec. 6 at the 38th OUC Half Marathon in Orlando.

“This was the first time I was really running alone,” he said. “It can be a confidence boost, but at the same time I like having other runners around; because if not, you can become comfortable and you won’t push yourself.”

Ndhlovu said this was his second time competing in the OUC Half Marathon. He came in second place the last time he competed.

Ndhlovu said he enjoyed placing first but immediately focused on his

“

This is what I’ve been training for and working towards. I think I have trained well and I have prepared, so we will see.

--Pardon Ndhlovu

next race.

“I think it was a good step to see how I will be in Houston,” he said.

The next big event for Ndhlovu was the Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday. The Wednesday before the race, Ndhlovu said he was feeling optimistic and ready, but also that marathons are never easy to predict.

“If the body is feeling good and you feel good then you can do it,” Ndhlovu said. “And it could not be me (placing in the race), or it could be me.”

Adam Ward, head coach of the men’s and women’s cross-country

”

teams, said he has the utmost confidence in Ndhlovu. He said he wanted to give Ndhlovu practical advice before the marathon.

“It’s one of those races that’s really tough to say that it is going to go exactly the way you want it to go on paper,” Ward said. “They don’t always work out that way and anyone who’s ever ran a marathon can tell you that.

Ward said he also advised Ndhlovu to trust in himself. “(We talked about) getting into a rhythm and just trusting all the training and the assistance that he’s had,” Ward said. “Don’t make it bigger than what it is. It’s not like he’s

running the Olympics this weekend.

It’s just another step in progress, and he’s done plenty of work. He’s more fit now than he was this summer, and he knows that.”

Ward said Ndhlovu’s personal goal for the Houston marathon was to run it in 2:13 or 2:14, which is faster than the 2:15 needed to meet qualifying standards.

According to the marathon’s results on the Chevron Houston Marathon’s website, Ndhlovu ran the marathon in 2:16, which is not an Olympic qualifying time.

Ward, in reference to Ndhlovu eventually qualifying, said that it is a matter of “when” and not “if”.

“His thumbprint on this university will be everlasting,” Ward said.

“He’s such a good role model for the team. Once you meet him, you can’t help but root for him.” hharris9@gru.edu

The Rookie Report Anthony Garcia sports editor

PSU’s different victory

A

$60 million fine issued, 112 wins reinstated and a legacy somewhat restored.

So goes a proposed settlement made by the NCAA for the Penn State football team Jan. 16, following a lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s merits in practically dissolving the team’s legacy after the Sandusky abuse scandal in 2012.

My question: Did the NCAA consider the fate of an entire football team when it punished two coaches?

Because of the circumstances between the NCAA and those who were guilty, my concern with this scandal is with the penalties placed against the blameless: the actual football players and the team’s fans, whose years and dedication to football victories were dropped like a spike. This football team dedicated its time, social life and practice sessions to deliver Penn State’s football record.

The sanctions placed against Penn State were some of the most severe in NCAA history, but at what costs to the innocent players and fans? The Sandusky trials looked at the facts, but did the NCAA look as well? This is where the question of legacy comes into play for me.

Was it ever fair to penalize a football team without focusing strictly on those really in question?

One can only imagine the anger everyone – the NCAA, the media and the team – experienced when the abuses came to light. Something obviously had to be done, but it just wasn’t clear who was really to blame at the time. This is why, along with many others, I can’t agree to the validity of the NCAA’s original decision to sanction the entire football team.

When it penalized the players, past and present, I feel the NCAA used them as scapegoats and worsened an already wounded image of Penn State.

NCAA president Mark Emmert said the settlement - which included Penn State agreeing that the NCAA acted “in good faith” - did not put into question the organization’s actions when it penalized Penn State.

“We are not at all admitting that we didn’t have the authority to impose the penalties,” Emmert said.

“This was, in all ways, an extraordinary circumstance.

We all hope that we never find ourselves in a position like this.”

I agree that this was an “extraordinary circumstance” that would be hard to face, but it seems to me like Emmert was running on panic, instead of precise punishment.

agarci11@gru.edu

PAGE 8

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

sports Monster X rolls Augusta www.grubellringer.com

By Shellie Smitley staff writer The Bigfoot Monster Truck celebrated its 40th anniversary at the James Brown Arena Jan. 9 and 10 during the Augusta stop of the Monster X Tour.

The monster truck lineup included Bigfoot 19, Rockstar, USA1, Holman’s Beast and Son of Beast, according to monsterxtour.com.

Larry Swim, Bigfoot driver, said that Bigfoot is owned by Bob Chandler, who started driving monster trucks 40 years ago.

Swim has raced for 15 years.

He said it is the fans that keep him in the sport.

“I get to travel the world and meet different people, you know, race a 1500 horsepower monster truck and, ah, it’s an adrenaline rush,” he said. “We are adrenaline junkies, so it works out great.”

Swim said racing is his life and he has no time for anything else.

“When we are not out on the floor driving them, we are behind the scenes working on them and driving somewhere else,” Swim said. “It’s a lot of work, but it is also a lot of fun.”

Cody Holman, driver of Son of Beast, said that monster truck racing is a sport rather than a hobby.

“It takes so much out of your

body to hold onto these trucks,” Holman said. “Not only physically, but mentally, too.”

Holman said he and his team put NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip in one of their trucks and that afterward Waltrip commented how one had to be a real man to hold on to one of these things.

“That’s coming from a NASCAR legend, and he’s gone 200 mph,” Holman said. “It’s definitely exhausting, just like any other athletic sport.”

Alli Focke, marketing director of the arena, said the arena has hosted Monster X events year after year because of their popularity. She said they are great family events and a remedy for the post-holiday blues.

“The kids get excited to see this,” Focke said. “(The drivers) make it so assessible.”

Focke said spectators who purchased a VIP ticket or pit party pass could meet and greet the drivers, take pictures and get autographs.

“We are a family-friendly event,” Focke said. “I think it’s just exciting to see these big trucks that these guys have had to learn to drive.”

First-time spectator Renae Griffin said she brought her sons and anticipated it would be a good family event.

“We will probably come back

SHELLIE SMITLEY | STAFF

Larry Swim and Bigfoot 19 drive through the James Brown Arena for spectators during the Augusta stop of the Monster X Tour.

next year,” Griffin said. “But I don’t follow it throughout the year.”

Blake Michaels, a student at Evans High School, said this was the second time he had attended.

“I have always loved cars and trucks; I’ve always worked on them and always liked them, so I like to see what people have got,” Mi-

chaels said. “Last year was a little bit better; it was a little bit more organized.”

Focke said through the Monster X Crush Hunger program, the arena partnered with CW Augusta to donate 1500 canned goods to the Golden Harvest Food Bank.

The public was invited to do-

nate 15 canned goods in exchange for an adult ticket, valued at $25, according to the CW Augusta Facebook page.

The Monster X Truck tour features singer Lenny Cooper, and the tour’s next stop is Jackson, Miss., according to monsterxtour.com. sbarb@gru.edu

Men’s team enters challenging games

By Anthony Garcia sports editor

Anthony garcia | STAFF

Keshun Sherrill does a layup during a game against the North Georgia Nighthawks.

With the school semester back in play, the GRU Augusta men’s basketball team is still winning against increasingly difficult opponents, despite two losses against North Georgia and UNC Pembroke.

The team is currently 12-5 for the season, and the rest of the season from Jan. 3 to Feb. 25 will be strictly Peach Belt Conference matches, which Head Coach Dip Metress said will mean for more intense play.

“Conference games are always a little bit more at stake,” he said.

“You got to win your games at home, and try to steal as many as you can on the road.”

At a home game Jan. 7 against North Georgia, the Jags lost 87-83, which, Metress said, is unacceptable for a home game.

“You can’t do that,” he said.

“It’s a conference game; they came in and played hard with us on our

home floor. When you lose two games in your home floor, you’re asking for trouble in this league, and we’re going to play now with our backs against the walls now.”

Free throws are something Metress said the team has to improve.

“We got a little bit of foul trouble,” he said. “That hurts us a little bit. We got a lot of slippage in the game, and I think it’s because we’re relaxed. And we got to fix that.”

The following games after North Georgia showed improvement, with the team going into overtime with Lander 97-88 and Armstrong 75-62.

At the game against Armstrong Jan. 14, guard Keshun Sherrill said the team did more defense during the first half of the game, but went into offense more in the final minutes of play.

“When they came out, they were 8-0, and they were on it real quick … they weren’t getting some shots, but we were missing some easy shots as well,” Sherrill said.

“But when we started playing defense and (forward guard) Devonte Thomas got us going, and we kind of failed and sat on defense, and defense turned into offense. So, that’s what our main focus was on the second half.”

Despite the change of play, forward Henry McCarthy said the team has to improve at rebounds.

“It was a physical game, but we managed to pull it off with a win,” McCarthy said.

Sherrill said that Armstrong was one of the more physical teams the Jags have played against.

“We’re going to try and carry that momentum, because we’re playing Columbus State in their gym,” Sherrill said. “So, we have to take what we know about them at basketball and how we play at GRU basketball, just take that down there and, hopefully, come back with a win.”

The Jags lost to Columbus State 82-65 at the away game Jan. 17. agarci11@gru.edu

Archery business rises across the CSRA

By Shellie Smitley staff writer

The release of “The Hunger Games” movies has sparked a wave of enthusiasm for archery amongst girls and women.

Jake Martin, the owner of Top Nock Archery, said that he deals in retail of archery equipment, building custom bow strings and coaching. Martin coaches the Columbia County 4-H archery program and said that participation in archery in the Augusta area has grown tremendously.

“I bet that it has grown 100 percent in the last two years,” Martin said. “For example, with the 4-H signups, this year we took 60 kids into the program and had to turn away probably 40.”

Martin said the part of the market that has grown the most in the last three years caters to teenage girls. He attributes this to TV and movies. He said that participation in archery is increasing among college students, as well, and there are several colleges that have collegiate

archery programs, especially in Georgia.

“Archery is a great way to learn focus and attention to detail, and stress relief,” Martin said. “All of those things that are very important to college students, and it allows them to take a break from their studying, and go focus on something else and take their minds off all the pressures that young college students have. It helps build some camaraderie and team work for some of those kids that are not part of other groups or other organizations.”

James Weeks, the owner of Diamondback Archery, said that sometimes he has whole families come out and spend the day shooting.

“They will come out and say, ‘I want the bow the girl was shooting in the movies,’ and that’s an Olympic-style recurve, and Olympic-style recurves are in the $1600 to $1800 range,” Weeks said. “So, people are a little bit uneducated to the price of that stuff to where they need to get in at the beginner’s level

and not spend a ton of money.”

He said the enthusiasm for archery in the Augusta area is growing, but that it needs to be promoted more.

“My personal opinion is that it needs to be advertised a little more,” Weeks said. “Archery is such a great family sport, and you can get into it from 5-years-old to 70 to 80-years-old.”

Michael Tyrell is the owner of Archery Shooters Association and said that the ASA has women’s classes that in the last three to four years have tripled in the number of participants. He said “The Hunger Games” movies have changed women’s mental image of archery.

Tyrell said that there are three disciplines of archery: Olympicstyle, field archery and 3D. He said that the 3D style is more realistic, and that there is increasingly more interest in that style.

“If you watch ‘The Hunger Games,’ (Katniss, the main character) is not just sitting there statically shooting in the air at a target at 50 yards; she is making deci-

SHELLIE SMITLEY | STAFF

Jake Martin, of Top Nock Archery, builds custom archery equipment like stabilizers.

sions, and making shot decisions and everything else that goes into that,” he said. “So, that creates in 3D a much more realistic form of archery, which is more or less what ‘The Hunger Games’ is trying to represent. Now, obviously, we are not shooting at other people; that is a no-no, but we are creating an environment that does challenge you to do more things.”

Zack Wright, intramural sports coordinator at Georgia Regents University, said the university does not offer archery as a recreational activity for students.

“If it is something that we can get the funding for and have the interest from the student body to do, it is something that we will definitely look at,” he said. sbarb@gru.edu