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Student Newspaper of Augusta University Volume 59, Issue 4 Thursday, March 30, 2017
www.aubellringer.wordpress.com
The Spring Break Issue Illustration By: Morgan Hayes
@aug_bellringer @augbellringer @aug_bellringer
Knowing the Strategic Planning Project Page 3 and 5
The 2017 Women and Gender Studies Symposium Page 4
Progression of The Effect: A photo page on the spring play Page 6
“Time to Get Lit or Be Chill�: A Guide to Spring Break Page 7
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Thursday, March 30, 2017
The Holi Festival
Jamie Sapp | Staff Writer (Top) The CREW hosted the Holi Festival on Mar. 20 at the Science Hall field lawn which is known as the “festival of colors” or “festival of love.” A group of students threw powder paint up in the sky for fun. (Bottom Left) Several bags of powder paint is displayed on a table. (Bottom Right) A student gets powder paint on his face by a friend during the Holi Festival.
NEWSPAPER STAFF editor-in-chief Jamie Sapp jsapp270@augusta.edu copy editor Austin Wright twrig32@augusta.edu staff writers Kait Fruechting kfruechting@augusta.edu Sequoia Sinclair sesinclair@augusta.edu Skyler Mitchell skmitchell@augusta.edu contributor Morgan Hayes mohayes@augusta.edu
adviser Todd Bennett tobennett@augusta.edu Direct advertising inquiries to: Jamie Sapp Editor-in-Chief jsapp270@augusta.edu Address all correspondence to: The Bell Ringer JSAC Building, Room 237 2500 Walton Way Augusta, Ga 30904 706-737-1600 www.aubelllringer.wordpress.com
Editorial Policy
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. The views expressed in the Editorial 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
Corrections Policy
We strive to bring you accurately reported news. If you wish to report an error, please provide your name, phone number and a detailed description of the error and the necessary correction. PRINTER Aiken Standard 326 Rutland Dr. NW P.O. Box 456 Aiken, SC. 29802
THE BELL RINGER
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Editorial
Knowing the Strategic Plan What it means for Augusta University The future of Augusta University is currently being decided upon, where many organizations and committees working hard to ensure it survives. Now, students have an opportunity to help improve it. As of right now, the university is currently working on the Strategic Planning Project, a project trying to improve certain aspects of the university on both school campuses. The plan is currently being put under review, so students and faculty were encouraged to come to the town hall meetings that were held on Mar. 23 and Mar. 24. The meetings were livestreamed for those that could not attend. In the timeline of the project, the first stage is the preparation of the Strategic Planning Project, which was made in the fall semester of 2016. The current stage is where students and faculty are becoming aware and engaging in the project. The final stage is where the project is finalized. For the Strategic Planning Project, there are four focus areas in the project: education, research, clinical and outreach. Each focus area was placed under review during the two town hall meetings on campus. Focus Area: Education The Strategic Planning Committee’s goal on education is to prepare the student body to contribute to the communities they will serve after college. They plan to do this by trying to foster an environment that encourages preparation, reforming the curriculum, improving the academic reputation of the university, and recruiting more educators. Focus Area: Research Their main priority of the Committee on research is to advance knowledge that addresses the needs of communities that Augusta University serves. The ways they plan on doing it is by enhancing fundable research, create targeted education, change the research infrastructure to improve the process of research, and align Augusta University priorities to enhance retention. Many deemed this an appropriate and excellent approach, though some have stated that these definitions remain vague and indistinct.
“While the university would most likely not try to waste time and resources by doing things like the town meetings and producing online surveys, there is still some doubt.” Focus Areas: Clinical and Outreach For those who work on the Health Science Campus, clinical care will focus on providing patient and family care that is exceptional across the board. They plan on doing this by focusing on the quality and safety of health care; encouraging performance excellence; enforcing inter-professional collaboration; enhancing cyber security; and delivering high quality patient care. In outreach and economic development, the focus is on helping others through social, cultural, professional and economic development. Those in charge, they plan on doing this by gaining more partnerships, collaborate with local communities on certain projects, and increasing economic disciplines within the university. However, each of these strategies will abide to a set of guiding principles placed by Augusta University. The principles stipulate that these strategies must be the following: based upon our values; participatory; built on past successes, planning efforts, and current initiatives; ready for implementation; open and transparent; strategic and forward looking; streamlined process; focused and realistic; communicable; and must have measurable anticipated outcomes. Originally operating under the Transition Forward strategic plan, which was originally created in 2013, Augusta University hopes to take new steps by shedding the old plan in which had come to the end of its intended purpose. Preparation for a new strategic plan started as early as May of last year. Now, they are intending to finalize the plan in Fall 2017. Not starting from scratch, the committee plans to build upon the planning work of the past three years from
the old strategic plan. The plans include the Education Mission Plan, the Research Mission Plan, college strategic plans and support unit strategic plans. By utilizing these new plans on the horizon, the university hopes to reach the vision of becoming a top-tier university. Feedback will most likely be taken into consideration, but there is no guarantee. While the university would most likely not try to waste time and resources by doing things like the town meetings and producing online surveys, there is still some doubt. When the university had to change the name from Georgia Regents University to Augusta University, they consulted students on what the new name should be until they decided to do it themselves. It is up to the faculty to decide whether or not it uses the feedback. There are also other opportunities to give feedback at various locations on April 18-20. Students and faculty are encouraged to take the online survey provided by the university or to leave feedback on the goals for on http:// www.augusta.edu/about/planning/2017_strategic_planning_process.php. Editorial Staff: Austin Wright, Jamie Sapp, and Skyler Mitchell
Editorial Policy
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. The views expressed in the Editorial 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
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Thursday, March 30, 2017
Women’s History Month
Illustration By: Morgan Hayes
AU hosts WGST Symposium By Jamie Sapp & Sequoia Sinclair editor-in-chief & staff writer March is known for plenty of things, but it is also recognized as national women’s history month. The Women’s and Gender Studies program, along with the Women’s Studies Student Association hosted its fifth biennial symposium at Augusta University in Allgood Hall on Mar. 18. The theme of the symposium was “Year of the Woman? Gender and Power in Action.” Guest speakers presented topics from the female body in art and literature to trans women health issues throughout the symposium. There were four various sessions with eight panels and four films. At the beginning of the symposium, specifically in session one, one panel discussion was on “The Gender of Health: Trans Mental Health, the War on Drugs, and Chronic Pain.” Thomas Toomey, an educational associate at the university, discussed his research evaluating the mental health concerns between females who identify as as either lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Compared to the mental health needs of trans women, Toomey noted that the approach to treatment must be looked at through a different lens when treating trans women. “Trans women are reporting higher rates of mental health concerns and disparities,” Toomey said. “There is not much focus on the treatment of trans women and it is important to educate yourself with the
Jamie Sapp | Staff Writer (Left to Right) Ruth McClelland-Nugent, Angela Bratton, Aspasia Luster, Sudha Ratan and Liana Babayan speak on challenges of female empowerment and gender equality in developing countries.
issues of trans women in order to reduce these disparities.” Aspasia Luster, a senior library assistant at AU, then spoke about “Women and Chronic Pain.” In a survey answered via social media and friends, Luster discovered that women’s physical health needs are more likely to be dismissed as mental health issues. “My participants want their pain to be legitimized,” Luster disclosed. “They want to be taken seriously between doctors family and friends.” The final speaker at this panel took a different turn, but it was an important topic nonetheless.
Mary Morrissey from the Simmons College discussed the relationship between being a female and the war on drugs. “Many women are overcharged during drug-related crimes in order to be coerced into taking a lesser plea,” Morrissey said. “Women typically have less power or connection in the drug traffick economy and are more vulnerable to longer times in prison. Their subordinate role is taken advantage of for prosecutors to exploit them.” For the fourth session, there was one roundtable discussion that focused on the challenges of female empowerment and gender equality in developing countries. The guest speakers from the round-
table discussion included Angela Bratton, Ruth McClelland-Nugent, Aspasia Luster, Sudha Ratan and Liana Babayan. Sudha Ratan, a political science professor at AU, discussed her life experiences in India as a female and how older systems on rule of law conflict with customs and systems of justice for women in India. “I think one of the interesting things for me is looking at the tension between systems where countries with rule of law are present but customary systems of justice continue to operate,” Ratan said. “… Women and older women in particular play a very important role in sanctioning systems and customs of justice. I don’t blame women for this. It’s a very interesting role that women play because they’re victims of the system, but at the same time, often times they are also sanctioning the system and be training younger women into accepting the system.” Ratan posed the question to the audience, “What can people do to change and make people more accountable for the violations that they place with customary systems of justice?” In response to the question, Liana Babayan, an assistant professor in the department of english & languages, mentioned the structure of the honor system in Armenia and a few other countries. “It is interesting how women’s bodies become the victims of the male honor system,” Babayan said. Contact Jamie Sapp at jsapp270@ augusta.edu. Contact Sequoia Sinclair at sesinclair@augusta.edu.
THE BELL RINGER
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Strategic planning gets feedback By Skyler Mitchell staff writer Augusta University is planning a big change in how it is going to be run and university officials are looking for feedback before it is put into place. The university is currently going through a change in planning, which is called the Strategic Planning project. The project is supposed to focus on changing things like education, economic development, research and clinical care. The plan is currently in its second stage. Students and faculty were encouraged to attend the town hall meeting on Mar. 24 at noon, hosted by Dr. Gretchen Caughman, vice president of academic affairs and provost, and Lee Ann Liska, CEO of AU Medical Center. The meeting was held in the Maxwell Theatre. Students and faculty that presented during the town hall meeting were given small clicking devices that allowed them to give instant feedback to the general goals of each focus area. The meeting also allowed the attendees to comment live by a microphone to voice more specific concerns. The meeting was livestreamed for those that could not attend. The goals for education are having a relevant curriculum; providing an environment to increase student progression; offering high-quality academic programs; and recruiting diverse and talented educators. While many agreed the goals for this plan were good, there were some interesting comments from those in attendance. “I believe we should give students more ability to voice concerns,” said student Robert Scotland. “I felt like I didn’t have anyone on my side, when I tried asking my teachers questions and was told I was being disruptive.” The second topic of discussion was research. The goals are fostering development of creativity and research through targeted education; enhancing research infrastructure; aligning priorities and services to enhance retention; and gaining new partnerships. Again, there was deemed excellent by those voting, although there were still some who believed more should be added. Dr. Christina Heckman, an associate professor of English, said that, “I think
we should add interdisciplinary rules [for enhancing infrastructure.] Student research has many problems.” A study abroad student mentioned that, “These goals that you’ve shown us are very broad and should be more specific. We don’t really know what and how you’re going to change things.” Clinical care was next on the list. The goals for this topic are the delivery of value-based healthcare across Ga., advance a culture of performance excellence, encourage inter-professional collaboration, advance cyber security to protect patient information, and maintain a high-quality environment for patients. Widespread support came for these goals as well, along with several comments. “I do like the idea of offering faculty the chance to do something other than just talk on the phone occasionally,” said Allie Newman, another faculty member who came to the town hall meeting. “However, we should promote creativity in clinical treatment as well.” Outreach and economic development was the final topic in the town hall meeting. The goals are the expansion of partnerships as a catalyst for development; positively influence regional communities; and enhance infrastructure to help increase community service opportunities. This was the more divisive topic, with more people thinking that it was poorly planned. Kim Davies, the professor and the department chair of sociology, argued that, “I think we can argue over what communities we serve. We should also define what community means.” There were also complaints on how these communities were being represented. “We should allow membership of these communities into the plan so they can get their say,” said an unknown student. There is some debate on whether the feedback given will be considered by the university. CEO Lee Ann Liska encourages students and faculty to give feedback and let their voice be heard. “If you have specific comments on the goals, please go online,” Liska said to everyone in attendance. Contact Skyler Mitchell at skmitchell@augusta.edu.
Skyler Mitchell | Staff Writer (Top Right) Dr. Gretchen Caughman, vice president of academic affairs and provost, and Lee Ann Liska, CEO of AU Medical Center, discussed the Strategic Planning Project on Mar. 24 in the Maxwell Theatre. (Bottom Right) Students and faculty asked questions and addressed their concerns on the Strategic Planning Project.
Crime Log March 12 - 27, 2017 Incident (Classification) Battery Theft by Taking Simple Battery Entering Auto Theft by Taking Simple Battery Theft by Taking Obstruction Simple Battery Criminal Trespass Theft by Taking Theft by Taking
Number 17-0061 17-0062 17-0063 17-0064 17-0065 17-0066 17-0067 17-0068 17-0069 17-0070 17-0071 17-0072
Date/Time Reported 03/12/14 – 14:13 03/13/17 – 16:34 03/14/17 – 11:09 03/15/17 – 17:11 03/16/17 – 09:59 03/16/17 – 14:28 03/16/17 – 17:40 03/17/17 – 08:41 03/19/17 – 17:03 03/20/17 – 20:57 03/22/17 – 14:03 03/27/17 – 09:23
Date/Time Occurred 03/12/14 – 14:13 03/13/17 – 16:34 03/14/17 – 11:09 03/15/17 – 17:11 03/16/17 – 09:59 03/16/17 – 14:28 03/16/17 – 17:40 03/17/17 – 08:41 03/19/17 – 17:03 03/20/17 – 20:57 03/22/17 – 14:03 03/27/17 – 09:23
General Location AUMC Reese Library Laney Walker Blvd AUMC AUMC AUMC AUMC JSAC Student Center AUMC AUMC JSAC
Disposition Active Active Inactive Inactive Unfounded Active Active Active Active Active Inactive Cleared
Thursday, March 30, 2017
PAGE 6 A.
A. Students Hunter Thomas, who played Dr. Lorna James, and Benjamin Evans, who played Tristan Frey, performed a scene in The Effect. B. Michael Fortino, who played Dr. Toby Sealey in The Effect, holds a human brain on stage in a scene. C. The Agency students, Amisha Johnson and Keshun Sherrill, invited students to take a dose of The Effect on Mar. 15. in the JSAC Breezeway. D. Allison Berres (left) gave insight into her character and feelings about the play in an interview with The Agency. E. AU students prepare to audition for The Effect, a play by Lucy Prebble, on Jan. 23-24. C. B.
Progression of The Effect Layout Design By: Jamie Sapp Photos By: Kait Fruechting Augusta
University’s
pro- munication majors, produced a
duction of Lucy Prebble’s play, documentary of the play in which The Effect, a story of a chemical showed the entire process from romance, was documented from the auditions to cast interviews, the beginning to the final stages. The
Agency,
a
set design, rehearsals and the
collabora- cast’s reactions to the opening
tive capstone course for com- night of the play. D. E.
THE BELL RINGER
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Time to Get Lit or Be Chill: A Guide to Spring Break Story By: Jamie Sapp, Kait Fruechting, and Skyler Mitchell After dealing with classwork, and long hours of studying, Jaguars, it is time for Spring Break. This is the time to get lit or be chill. Before you get started, here is a guide to enjoy it with caution and with fun. Stay safe, Jaguars!
Travel & Safety
Sex & Health
Fact: In popular spring break destinations, traffic fatalities
Facts:
increase by 9 percent. (Source: Time Magazine)
•
More than 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are
Tips: (Source: University of San Diego)
victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each
• Plan Ahead. Take Turns Driving.
year. (Source: NCADD.org)
• Protect yourself from the Sun.
•
• Eat healthy.
On average, most college students gets 6-6.9 hours of sleep per night. (Source: Uhs.uga.edu)
• Stick Together. Come with friends. Leave with Friends.
Tips:
• Pace yourself. Set a limit for yourself if you are
•
drinking.
Make sure you have full verbal consent before having sex with someone. Silence doesn’t mean yes.
• Know your limits and when to get help.
•
Quote:
Quotes:
• “Be safe, be smart, and have fun.” - Grant Warf, a finan-
•
cial aid assistant at Augusta University
Get some sleep.
“When it comes to sex, have safe sex” - Fre’Derek Miles, a junior communication major
•
“Wrap it before you tap it.” - Erin Johnson, a junior communication major and art minor
Money & Jobs
Classes & Internships
Tips:
Tips: (Source: College.usatoday.com)
• Don’t carry all your money with you. Keep some in a
• Apply for internships.
safe place just in case you lose it or it gets stolen.
• Review your resume.
Quote:
• Get organized.
• “I think that everyone should have as much fun as they
• Make study guides for your final exams.
can during spring break. They should work hard also
Quote:
during spring break to make a little couple extra dol-
• “The best advice that I can give to students is still keep
lars. Masters Week and stuff like that will give you a but
on track of D2L. Make sure they are doing their assign-
load of money apparently, so do that.” - Irisa Wheeler, a
ments, but also take a break because school can be over-
junior communication major and business minor
bearing sometimes.” - Pia Roden, a transfer sophomore student with an information technology major
Illustration By: Morgan Hayes
Layout Design By: Jamie Sapp
E V C E N A T L E D A R
Spring Break April 3-7
Eiga Fest: A Celebration of Japanese Cinema and Culture April 15 Noon-10 p.m.
Take Back The Night Rally
Earth Day Celebration
Augusta Univerity Wind Ensemble
April 22 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park
April 25 7:30 p.m. Maxwell Theatre
Final Exams May 3-9 Source: calendar.augusta.edu
4th Annual LGBTQ+ Prom April 14 9-11 p.m. JSAC Ballroom
International Fashion Show April 12 6:30 p.m. Maxwell Theatre
April 20 6-8 p.m. Maxwell Theatre Lawn
Great Stride Augusta Walk and CF Education Day May 6 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Riverview Park
CommuniCon April 21 2-6 p.m.
Alumni Weekend April 27-29
Commencement May 12