GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY
www.grubellringer.com
VOLUME 57, ISSUE 12
TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015
Interim Jag athletes build steam for season catches attention By Leslie Anne Wiedmeier contributor
Jack Evans, former interim vice president for the marketing and communications department at Georgia Regents University has been named vice president of marketing and communications. Evans said he served as interim vice president from April 2014 until February. He originally came to Georgia Regents in 2005 to supervise the advances and regulation of the digital communication and information system. “I had been in the interim role for nearly a year,” Evans said. “So I had a pretty good understanding of what was going to be expected of me and what the challenges were going to be.” When he was first appointed as the interim vice president, see INTERIM on PAGE 3
richard adams | staff
Sophomores Andrew Folk (middle) and Justin Harrison (left) wait for the starting gun at the Lion Jaguar Invitational March 7. Read more about the outcome on Page 9.
c-CARE:
By Sidney Fowler contributor
contributed by christen carter
Jack Evans said he is eager to accept the challenges of his new VP position.
Georgia Regents
The Georgia Regents University Cancer Center is implementing the c-CARE initiative in 12 community sites to lower the rates of cancer, starting with awareness and education. The c-CARE initiative stands for cancer-Community Awareness Access Research and Education. Dr. Samir Khleif, director of
GRU initiative aims to improve cancer rates among minorities
the Georgia Regents cancer center, is leading the c-CARE initiative. The program is aimed at spreading awareness and knowledge, increasing adherence to early detection and prevention of cancer and to provide services to people regardless of racial or financial background, Khleif said. Leslie Alexandre is working on research development and collaborations at the cancer center. Having c-CARE will reduce the burden of
Presidential Search
see c-CARE on PAGE 3
New dorms to arrive in 2016
By Richard Adams editor-in-chief
By Richard Adams editor-in-chief
richard adams | staff
The presidential search committee listens to the search firm’s address Feb. 26.
“I would venture to say that not many people woke up this morning thinking, ‘I’m going to be the next president of Georgia Regents University,’” Wilder said. “What our job, in working with (the institutional search committee), is to convince them that they should have.” Another core area of expertise for the firm is its academic health science practice where it
can-American communities and people who lack access to proper care,” she said. Tamira Moon works in the Chronic Disease Prevention Section of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Georgia,” Moon said. “Prevention is a very key part of us here at the Department of
Freshman housing
Private firm to aid with search progress An Atlanta-based company featured in Forbes magazine for specializing in executive searches will be aiding in the search for the next president of Georgia Regents University. Prior to the first meeting of the presidential search committee Feb. 26, the University System of Georgia hired the services of Parker Executive Search firm to provide support and to actively recruit applicants for the process, according to a Feb. 10 press release by the USG. “We have been in business for over 25 years,” Laurie Wilder, firm president, said. “We have four core practice areas. About 80 percent of that, quite frankly, is done on a college campus. I live probably four to five days a week on a different university campus across the country.” Aggressive recruiting, Wilder said, is what Parker Executive Search is able to bring to the search process.
largely preventable cancer in the community, she said. “Instead of waiting for people to get treated for cancer, we are taking it to the community,” Alexandre said. “In particular (we are bringing help to) minority populations and low-access, or underserved.” Alexandre said there are certain people and areas that are at a higher risk for getting cancer. “Rates of getting cancer and death of cancer is higher in Afri-
represents medical schools in their search at, typically, chair level and above, Wilder said. Katie Bain is the vice president and managing director of the firm’s Academic Health Sciences & Healthcare division. “One of the first steps of the process is advertising,” Bain said. “We are going to reach out to insee PRESIDENT on PAGE 3
With a proposed 400 beds for freshmen and 325 for graduate and Health Sciences students, all to fit within two new residence halls to be located on the Health Sciences campus for fall 2016; the expansion of university housing has begun in earnest. “The difference between the two buildings is that your undergraduate building will be a traditional residence hall style,” said Dale Hartenburg, director of student services. “But then the graduate and Health Science building will be a lot of studio and one-bedroom apartments. And they’ll sit right next to one another … behind where the wellness center is (on the Health Sciences campus).” The setup, as it stands for the freshman housing, will be a traditional style residence with two beds per room, Hartenburg said. In the current basic floor plan, there will be two bedrooms per suite, with four occupants total. The shower and toilet will be separated so they can be used individually. “The reason the freshman building is designed the way it is, is because what you’re trying to do
with first-year students is create intentional opportunities for them,” Hartenburg said. “One, it just helps them develop the skills they need for, you know, when you find two people living together, whether that’s conflict resolution or whether that’s just learning to work in a shared space.” After the freshman year, he said, students will rotate out of the new housing and, for the time being, into University Village where see FRESHMAN on PAGE 3
richard adams | staff
Two new residence buildings will arrive in fall 2016, replacing outdated housing.
Movie has bite Page 6
Electric Car Charger Page 2
Track and Field Page 9
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Review of Iranian vampire flick
New technology arrives on campus
New coaches propel team forward
THE BELL RINGER
PAGE 2
NEWS www.grubellringer.com
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 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 ANNA DRESSER adresser@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 PHYLICIA CORNELIOUS pcorneli@gru.edu SIDNEY FOWLER sfowler@gru.edu LESLIE ANNE WIEDMEIER lwienmei@gru.edu photographer ALEJANDRO SMITH alesmith@gru.edu JEAN-PAUL CASSAGNOL jcassagn@gru.edu
Latest way to fuel at GRU
Property found in JSAC cafe By Jessica Sager copy editor
By Amy Thorne arts & life editor
An ecofriendly change has come to the university’s parking and transportation services. Georgia Regents University unveiled a new electric vehicle charging station capable of powering two vehicles simultaneously. The level-three charger, located in lot three in front of the student center on the Health Sciences campus, charges almost any electric vehicle in about 22 minutes, said Karl Munschy, director of auxiliary services. Though the station is open to the public, those who use the charging services will pay two dollars for the first 30 minutes, then it becomes five dollars every hour afterward, he said. To pay, drivers use a special key fob that automatically puts a debit balance on their account, or they can do payment processing on their phones, Munschy said. The system would send a text to the vehicle owner’s phone. This machine has two arms with the capability to charge many types of vehicles, said Nathan Raith, project manager and consultant for ChargeUp. The left side’s CSS combo arm supports all American and European manufactured vehicles, he said. With an adapter, it charges the older Teslas. The right side connects to General Motors vehicles. “We hope that by having two different types, we’ll eventually get to charge them all,” Munschy said. “It’s kind of like the Betamax (and)
richard adams | staff
Consultant Nathan Raith demonstrates using the new charging station on campus.
VHS days, or other people have called it diesel and regular gas.” The station doesn’t accept all electric vehicles, Raith said, like the Chevy Volt, which is a hybrid, and the plug-in Prius. “Prior to 2014, Nissan Leafs that were being made, it can’t accept it either unless they go in and get a new receiver module that can accept that fast charge,” Raith said. Georgia Regents is the first educational institution in the state to have this type of fast charger, he said. “What Nissan has done, this is the most advanced, newest charger that has come out on the market, between the hardware and the software, the safety features, as well, the ability to communicate,” Raith said. “What Georgia Regents is going to be able do is real-time use, historical metrics.” He said the school will be able to tell who is charging what types of vehicles and when. “It’s got internal safeties, because, you know, 50 kilowatts and the electrical field is normally under four (feet) of concrete,” he said. “But it’s got three or four different
By Jamie Sapp staff writer There will be a new dean at Georgia Regents University’s college of education. According to the GReport, Zach Kelehear is currently the asso-
ciate dean for academic and student affairs at the University of South Carolina. On July 1, he will be a dean at Georgia Regents. Kelehear said Georgia Regents is at a point of great excitement and possibilities with the merger of Augusta State University and Georgia
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New dean imagines possibilities
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shut offs … to make sure it’s extremely safe.” Michael Summers, facilities services manager, said the process of working with ChargeUp was seamless. He said teaming up with the Georgia Environmental Financial Authority made this a “very informative” experience. “All the schools are currently environmentally focused, so it just shows the commitment that the university is making to be environmentally conscious,” he said. “The president of the climate control committee agreed some years ago that anything we can do (that is) environmentally friendly from a facility standpoint shows that the facilities are committed to doing the research and making it more environmentally friendly.” If Georgia Regents receives another grant, Munschy said, the next station would go on the Summerville campus. He said he also wants to start another green initiative that would limit gas emissions from shuttle buses that idle for more than 60 seconds at a stop.
A man’s belongings were found in the Cyber Cafe at the Jaguar Student Activities Center last month. “Somebody said that they found a bunch of stuff, you know, like a backpack or two, and a little duffle bag full of stuff,” Chief William McBride of the Georgia Regents University police department, said. “It looked like the guy was carrying around everything he owned, which is typically what you see with homeless folks. So we took some pains to find out what the deal was.” Nathan “Doc” Jacobs, a JSAC manager, said one of the items was a coffee pot. “But it wasn’t coffee in there,” he said. “That was a weird thing; it was a coffee pot with stuff in it.” Officer Peter Barbara said he was called to the JSAC that evening. “As part of our procedure, we have to catalog everything that we find and put it in found property,” he said. “So as I was getting ready to catalog … I located a phone number inside there and took a chance and called. The fellow on the other end would not identify himself and he said the property wasn’t his, but that he would find the fellow.” According to the police report, Andre Von Eden, the owner of the property, came back to the Summerville campus and identified his possessions. It appeared he might have been living in the cyber cafe. Von Eden was “nervous and verbally combative” according to the police report. Criminal background reports “came back with negative results but revealed” that he was on felony probation. A master name file showed negative results. Von Eden was issued a criminal trespass warning and escorted off campus.
jamie sapp | staff
Carol Rychly (Left) and Gretchen Caughman (Right) discuss future college plans.
Health Sciences University. “I imagine all of the possibilities to be enormous and almost limitless,” Kelehear said. “I also think the College of Education would do well to consider ways in which its professors could collaborate.” Kelehear said the dean’s responsibility is to know where he must be comfortable with division and the leadership of the provost. “Dr. Caughman is really thrilled about the possibilities in someone who had that sort of sense of fairness and vision and perspective,” he said. “She’s the real deal, and that’s the kind of provost I would like to work with.” Gretchen Caughman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said Kelehear brings a lot of outstanding qualities. “He will be building on a long record of experience in higher education, in a number of different roles,” she said. Carol Rychly, vice president for academic and faculty affairs,
Campus Crime Log
said Kelehear is enthusiastic about Georgia Regents. “Well, I think it’s always the possibility when you have a new set of eyes looking at things to bring some new ideas,” Rychly said. “He’s a very visionary (and) very, very careful of moving forward kind of person.” Caughman said she thinks Kelehear will be a great person to help move the College of Education forward. “We are very proud of the current faculty, the great work that’s been done by Dean Chance … who’s been the dean, and really helped to grow the program to the point that it is now,” Caughman said. “But there’s always more. So, I think that he’s a great choice and look forward to him as a colleague.” Rychly said Kelehear is the kind of person who is going to take some time to know what’s going on and build on the strengths that the college of education already has. jsapp270@gru.edu
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Interim CONTINUED from PAGE 1
Evans said, a national search was started and the search was postponed because Evans caught the attention of several people. When the position of vice president was posted, the hiring committee looked for qualified candidates within the organization. Evans said he was given the opportunity to apply for the position. “This is something that is a great honor, and I am very proud to have this opportunity,” Evans said. “I have worked very hard to reach this point.” The switch from interim to vice president was an easy adjustment Cathleen Caldwell, director of marketing at Georgia Regents, said. “It was actually a very smooth transition, which isn’t always the case,” Caldwell said. “We have all
TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015 been very grateful for his leadership, and it’s been smooth sailing ever since he took over.” Caldwell, who worked with Evans while he served as the interim vice president, said she supports Evans’ role as vice president. “Jack is great to work with,” Caldwell said. “He’s very evenkeel. He listens and has great responses, and he’s just a good energy for our department. He has accomplished a lot already. Even when he was the interim, he accomplished a lot. He’s been able to lead our department in a positive direction.” Caldwell said that more policies had been put in place, and the department has been operating more smoothly since Evans’ promotion. Evans, a graduate from the communications department at then-Augusta State University, said he is supportive of the university’s media. “I was an assistant editor for The Bell Ringer at Augusta Col-
lege, and I feel very strongly that what we do here at the university is important,” Evans said. “And I feel like what the communications department does is very important.” Christen Carter, director of media relations at Georgia Regents, said Evans’ posting is a good fit. “I think, for Jack, and especially the undergraduate campus, since he is an Augusta State alumni in an enterprise department, it should be good for tying the two campuses together,” Carter said. Evans said he is excited about the hands-on learning experiences that GRU has to offer. “I feel like (student publications), as well as other things that the communications department is doing, really gives people a chance to experience what they will be doing in their field,” Evans said. “There’s a certain intimidating factor about putting your name in print next to a story.” lwiedmei@gru.edu
Freshman CONTINUED from PAGE 1
there’s “a little more space, a little more freedom and basically where they begin to transition their skills into more independent living.” Philip Howard, vice president of facility services, said planning is still at a stage where his department has not yet seen a final design for the building. As for the decision to locate the new housing on the Health Sciences campus, Howard said, a lot of it had to do with space and the ability it provided the university to continue to grow campus life. Because the freshman residences will not have kitchens, Hartenburg said, facilities has had to look into providing viable dining opportunities. “In the (Health Sciences) student center, we are undertaking a project to expand the student services, or the food service, that’s in that space,” said Daniel Merrell, senior project manager with Georgia Regents facilities. “Right now, (what we have on that campus), that’s going to be expanded to have more of a tray line, like cafeteria style almost.”
richard adams | staff
The Health Sciences campus will be undergoing construction for new residences.
An upgraded aesthetic for the dining room is also being considered, Merrell said. He said that these plans are all pending approval by the Board of Regents. As far as housing costs are concerned, there should be no major increase for students, Hartenburg said. In terms of absorbing costs for the new housing, according to a November 12 press release by the University System of Georgia, Corvias Campus Living was selected as a housing partner with the system, part of the Public-Private Partner-
ship initiative, or P3. “(The Residence IV) buildings will be demolished after the spring semester this year,” Hartenburg said. “And the students who need to stay on were offered the opportunity to locate to a different property ... We notified them all the way back in November that the property would be closing, and so they’ve known for a while.” For those living in Residence IV, the project will not impact their schedules, Hartenburg said; they will move at the end of spring 2016.
According to the police report, the officers “activated their Emergency Equipment” after following the car. The car did not stop. Dunne said he told the two officers who were following the car to let it go. “See, each police agency has its own policy in regards to (whether) we chase or do we not chase, and I do inspections of police departments in the state of Georgia,” Chief William McBride of the Georgia Regents University police department, said. “… I see all kinds of policies. Some say you will chase them until you catch them. Some say you will not chase anybody ever, because chasing people is dangerous. Some people say you will chase until such time as it becomes dangerous.” Officers watch for “suspicious
stuff” in parking lots and decks, Dunne said. He said no further action is being taken in this case. “We ran the car, the car came back legal, you know, it had proper insurance, the registration was valid,” he said. “She wasn’t causing a threat to anybody; we were just (wondering) what she was doing.”
radams99@gru.edu
Car raises suspicions By Jessica Sager copy editor
A car driving slowly through Summerville campus parking lots would not stop when police tried to make contact with the driver in an incident March 4. According to the police report, a car was “observed following various vehicles throughout the area, stopping behind parked vehicles, and pulling up in between parked vehicles” that evening. “(An officer) noticed a vehicle,” Lt. Richard Dunne said. “I believe it was in lot four, a car driving around for a while, and then when he came back it was still there. So he approached the vehicle to see if he could be of help to her, and then she just kind of drove off.”
jschucke@gru.edu
When students prop open doors or forget to check locks on campus, it creates a security problem for staff, including public safety, to deal with. “Most of the (unsecured doors) up here at Summerville are University, Allgood or Science Hall, where people go out a specific door and they prop them open,” said Chief William McBride of the Georgia Regents police department. “We find a stick of wood, we find a napkin holder, we find a floor mat stuck in the door so it won’t shut.” Propping is not the only reason doors are unlocked. Vince Thomas, facilities specialist at JSAC operations, said that, after the Jaguar Student Activities Center was locked, people would open the door to leave the building and not check that the door was closed. “When the 24-hour (Reese Library trial) period hit us, things
were brand new for us,” he said. “Instead of just securing the doors that are outside, now we have to close and secure the doors inside.” Sgt. Jeffrey Lord said he has worked at Georgia Regents since 2010. Reese Library being the only building that’s open 24 hours “makes keeping students safe” easier, Lord said. “When they built Allgood, University and Science Hall, they did not put any door alarms on them,” McBride said. “Most of the buildings at the medical campus have those alarms.” Those buildings have intrusion and prop door alarms, he said. A prop door alarm will respond if a door is left open too long. At Summerville campus, McBride said, “it’s just people” making sure doors are secure. Having officers check the buildings often is the only way to improve security. “I’ve put in a request to retrofit (the buildings) with intrusion
c-CARE CONTINUED from PAGE 1
Health.” Lovoria Williams, who is an assistant professor in Georgia Regents’ college of nursing, said the key to changing cancer outcomes is to make people aware of the risk factors. “Forty percent of people in the U.S. will have a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime,” she said. Williams works with Martha Tingen, a professor of pediatrics at Georgia Prevention Institute who assists with the implementation of c-CARE. “I’ve been to several of the community organizations,” Tingen said. “I have gotten letters (saying) they want to participate with us.” Tingen said she is passionate about encouraging people to be healthy and to take control of their health. The Antioch Baptist Church is one of the community sites implementing c-CARE. Rev. Kenneth Martin said this program will enable members of the community to
President CONTINUED from PAGE 1
dividuals – this is a proactive process. We’re going to identify and contact and recruit leaders across the country. But we do have to place the advertisement to meet all of the necessary requirements and, also, to make that broad announcement.” The search committee will have the opportunity to review the firm’s ad before publication, Bain said. The ad will be placed in appropriate publications in an abbreviated form. It is important, Wilder said, that the firm does not have a vote as to which candidate names are submitted to the Board of Regents. “The firm from Atlanta is not going to come here and tell you who
haley harris | staff
At Summerville, GRU police followed a suspicious car whose driver acted oddly.
alarms and prop door alarms,” he said. “But that’s a very expensive process ... We retrofitted (Christenberry Fieldhouse) and that project cost over a hundred thousand dollars. That was one building. So the money to do Science, Allgood and University, the three main academic buildings, is going to be a big expense. We may have to do it incrementally over time instead of just jumping out there ... I’m trying to push people to let me install door prop alarms, so that when you’re in Allgood at 9:30 at night, you have some reasonable sense that the only people in the building are other students.” The Summerville campus, McBride said, is a comfort zone for students. “It’s a comfortable place and people just have this tendency to lower their defenses a little bit,” he said. “And in terms of propping the doors open, they don’t think of the ramifications.” jschucke@gru.edu
have connections to resources and education about preventing cancer. “If they are in a high risk group, (this will make) them aware they are in a high risk group and what precautions they need to take in order to not get cancer or to treat it early,” Martin said. In order to accurately spread education, a trained-to-trainer module will be used to keep the program sustainable, Williams said. Reaching out to the community will not be restricted to just the community centers or the events held. Volunteers and employees will be knocking on doors in communities and providing education for certain communities in their home, Khleif said. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation awarded a $1.74 million grant to the GRU Cancer Center in February. This three-year pilot program will fund one component of c-CARE, which is the lung cancer module, Alexandre said. “Thirty percent of all cancers can be prevented,” Tingen said. Community sites will begin to hold c-CARE events starting in the fall. sfowler@gru.edu
you should pick,” she said. “That’s just not what our responsibility is. We’re going to do everything we can do to ensure you have all the data that you need to help you.” Often, candidates have very similar questions for the firm during their initial contact, Wilder said. “The first three things, questions a candidate asks us every search is, ‘What do they (the university) want?’” Wilder said. “Then they say, ‘What are the opportunities? Why should I leave a phenomenal job where we are today?’ (Georgia Regents) deserves a president who is gainfully employed, happy where they are at their own campuses and institutions … that’s what you need. So, we’ve got to recruit those individuals. Then they ask, ‘Why? Why should I be there?’” radams99@gru.edu
Alumni speak of reunion weekend By Taylor Mitchell staff writer
Campus doors left unlocked By Jessica Sager copy editor
haley harris | staff
The GRU Cancer Center is implementing c-CARE in order to lower cancer rates.
Next month the GRU Alumni Association will be hosting Alumni Weekend. According to grualumni.com, the four-day weekend’s signature event features astronauts Jim Lovell and Gene Kranz. The two were onboard Apollo 13 when an oxygen tank exploded, and together they brought it back to earth safely. The two will “explain how competence, perseverance, and leadership combine to assure ultimate victory in any circumstance” April 25 at 5 p.m. “The alumni association does an amazing job,” Stephanie Scott, a 2013 graduate, said. “We’ve all done something great. We’ve graduated first and foremost from a prestigious institution also known as little Harvard on the Hill. We have become something more than pupils, and now we have our own. I’ve come back to town just to mingle during alumni weekend ever since I graduated from college, and I feel like every year it gets better. To know that your alma mater still cares about you after all these years is a great thing. They have a whole program and a weekend carved out just for us. I appreciate it all.” According to grualumni.com, the weekend will include musical performances, lectures, a golf tournament and banquets.
Mi’esha Frierson, who graduated in 2013, said alumni weekend is like a family reunion. “Alumni weekend for me is really a time to rekindle all those old relationships that no one ever really keeps up with after graduation day,” Frierson said. “Now that I’m in graduate school at the University of Georgia, it’s so huge that not everyone knows your name. That’s definitely not the case back in Augusta. I really miss the small campus, at-home feel. I can’t wait to come back and see all of my old friends, roommates and other young professionals. This will be my second one, and I can’t wait. It’s great to catch up and see where we are and what we are doing with life. … Not everyone gets the opportunity to call themselves alumni.” Tamika Lampkin graduated in 2013, and this will be the first Alumni Weekend she attends. “I don’t know how this works at all, and I’m actually nervous to see everyone,” she said. “People from my graduating class went off to be doctors and lawyers. What if my job isn’t exciting enough? I know it’s weird, but I think about stuff like that. Outside of that, I’m extremely excited to see all of my old teachers; they were amazing and they really helped me become the person that comes to these things and has all those amazing job stories to share.” tmitch22@gru.edu
THE BELL RINGER
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OPINION www.grubellringer.com
editorial
Augusta deserves access W
e at The Bell Ringer see the wheels of change in motion at Georgia Regents University and, as Mario Savio once put it in 1964, feel it is time “to put (our) bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and (we’ve) got to make it stop.” Or, at least, to move its direction ever so slightly. Merging Georgia Health Sciences University with Augusta State University resulted in the creation of a new research institute with a large undergraduate base that the school could see through to graduation. Berfore the merger, much was made of what was lacking at the undergraduate level; often, the only defenders of the programs of
Augusta State University were the students and graduates themselves. Who were these students? Many were nontraditional - students who sought to improve upon their grades and graduate from college. They were, often, the people of the CSRA. At ASU, the retention rate was lower than the University System of Georgia desired. Georgia Regents University was posed as the solution to these problems. But now, the prestige sought by the university system threatens those for whom this university once represented an opportunity to grow, to learn and to advance. Tenuously, there is the link between the community and the school provided by the more accessible admissions standards of the
East Georgia State College satellite campus. In Georgia Regents’ period of transition, East Georgia Stateprovides a buffer for incoming students whose grades do not meet the new standard. We at The Bell Ringer believe this should always be the case; admission via East Georgia State is a door that should always be open to students of all walks of life for possible entry into Georgia Regents. The diversity, experience and point of view that non-traditional students bring to a university are indispensible to the type of community of wisdom we want to become. It is only fitting that Augusta’s best opportunities remain open to those who make the city what it
is. We can think of no university on earth that survived the demise of the city that fostered it. The connection between school and city should be considered essential. Let those who tout Augusta’s downtown as the hub around which the university will center its new student population remember that many of the people who saved downtown from economic
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
Put down your phone to live life T
ake a look around. If you’re near other people, what are they
Rail would benefit US T
he 21st century might be defined by a U.S. – Chinese rivalry. As a rising power, China is becoming more and more assertive toward its neighbors. President Obama’s last visit to India could be seen as an attempt to boost relations with China’s regional counterweight. TIME foreign affairs columnist and Giorgi Khatiashvili editor-at-large columnist Ian Bremmer puts it this way: “The possible alignment of Washington, Tokyo, and New Delhi into a sort of axis of democracies has seized the attention of China’s leaders and military planners.” Economically and militarily,
the U.S. is stronger than China, but there is one field where China is winning globally: high-speed rail. China began the construction of a high-speed railway in 1999. By 2012, 17,000 km (10,563 miles) of rail were built. According to chinahighlights.com, China is “planning to invest $300 billion to construct the largest, fastest, and most technologically advanced high-speed railway system in the world by 2020.” According to U.S. Department of Transportation, the president is committed to “giving 80% of Americans access to high-speed rail within the next 25 years.” In 2009, Congress allocated $8 billion for high-speed rail, and eventually funding rose to $10.1 billion. However, Republican governors of Florida, Wisconsin, and Ohio rejected high-speed rail funding, with conservative columnist George Will declaring in Newsweek that
“the real reason for progressives’ passion for trains is their goal of diminishing Americans’ individualism in order to make them more amenable to collectivism.” America deserves modern infrastructure. The high-speed rail cuts traveling time, and at the same time is environmentally safe. The report published by American Public Transportation Association indicates that a fully functional high-speed rail would reduce trip time between Los Angeles and San Francisco from 6 hours (by car) to 2 hours and 40 minutes. In 2007, the Federal Highway Administration estimated that a $1 billion investment in infrastructure creates 20,000 long- and short-term jobs. Let’s hope that this one day becomes a reality.
gkhatiashvvili@gru.edu Khatiashvili is a graduate assistant in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program.
What we are seeing is real
I
suppose it’s a difficult time to be conscious in America—conscious and present, that is. More and more the news reports warlike scenes in our city streets, often times requiring a double take. But no, we are not dreaming - we did not missee what we just saw. Yes, we saw the body of an 18-year-old lying in the Missouri sun for over four hours. Yes, we did see reporters decapitated by terrorists in Syria. And yes, we did witness an unarmed man choked to death on a Staten Island street corner a few months ago, and we heard correctly: “I. Can’t. Breathe.” But, most recently, we are seeing the dismantling of an entire justice system in Ferguson, Mo., against the backdrop of protestors demanding justice. I’m forced to ask myself, “Is this justice, and if it is, is it too little too late?” But
I’m jarred back to reality as a hail of bullets make their way into the crowd, wounding two Ferguson police officers. Suddenly, we the people are stunned to silence as the chants from the crowds die down. For a moment, we are witness to fear in the eyes of both bystandLeah Smith ers and police. contributor There is no time to try and veil pained eyes with vengeful stares. In this moment we are witnessing the unfolding of prophecy: “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” And we are just that—blind witnesses coming undone, changing the channel to reality television
or “Scandal,” anything to blot out the images of real life that beg for our attention. There is a dark irony in the catharsis we experience watching Viola Davis effortlessly get away with murder on Thursday nights, all the while demanding justice for Eric Garner and others. But I’m not judging. I, too, indulge in my own escapism. I’m the first one to cover my ears with oversized headphones to let the world know that, for the time being, I am not listening. At some point, however, we have to turn off our televisions and iPods and face the silence, the silence that screams for our attention: the silence we bear only until we fall asleep.
ellesavvy8490@gmail.com Smith is a 2014 graduate of Georgia Regents University from the department of English and foreign languages.
extinction are alumni of Augusta State. They had something even the greatest academic can lack: vision. We urge those in the administration and various departments to appreciate the vision and the strength that makes Augusta the community it is – and to fight for the university to remain open to the community. It is a resource far too precious to remain untapped.
doing? Are they talking amongst each other? Are they making plans for the weekend? Are they exchanging stories about how much fun they had at some event? Are they pouring their heart out to someone about how Joshua Adams they recently staff writer had their heart broken, and how it’s cast darkness onto their dayto-day lives? Is there a starry-eyed girl peering into the eyes of a boy, looking deep into his soul only to find that he doesn’t care about her? Is there a boy staring at a pretty girl from a distance, wondering what makes her heart throb? I’m no psychic, but it’s quite possible that the people around you have their eyes fixed on a handheld electronic device that they can’t go one day without. I’m talking, of course, about cellphones. If you’re old enough to remember a time when these amazing devices weren’t so common, can you remember what the world was like? People weren’t so concerned about a silly meme poking fun at Kanye, nor were they trying to figure out the color of some stupid dress. They weren’t freaking out because someone is taking more than five minutes to text them back. They were looking into the eyes of the person in front of them, fully connected and ready to listen. Small talk between strangers waiting in a line was common, and it’s possible that people developed real, profound connections with these strangers. Is it just me, or has it become harder to establish a real connection with anyone since cell phones became an extension of our bodies? Don’t get me wrong; cell phones are awesome. It’s truly fascinating to see how far the human race has come in technology. You can instantly find information on just about anything now. Need to replace the radiator in your car? Just google it. Interested in Nussbaum’s view on the role of disgust in laws? Google it. Curious about ISIS and how the radical group is affecting the world? You can google that, too. Cell phones have made all forms of art accessible at any time. You can watch your favorite band play a live set in full on YouTube. You can download
Netflix to binge-watch movies and TV shows. There are even apps that you can download to read entire books. With all this and more made possible by your handy-dandy cell phone, I understand why people from all corners of society have become addicted. It’s not what cell phones are capable of that troubles me. It’s how they seem to have affected us during our daily lives. When I’m at a restaurant, I notice people on dates looking down at their phones more than they look at their date. People get into wrecks because they were texting and driving. Children are taking selfies on outings with the family instead of being inquisitive of the beautiful world that surrounds them. I’m guilty of it, too. Whenever I’m standing in line amongst others, annoyed at the person at front taking forever to buy copious amounts of lottery tickets, I look at my phone instead of turning to the person behind me and jokingly saying, “Ugh, no one ever wins the lottery.” Are we becoming less and less like humans and more and more like robots? My girlfriend is more concerned about our relationship status on Facebook than our relationship status in real life. People are taking pictures of their lives and posting them on the Internet, not to cherish their memories but to build a facade that resembles nothing like their actual lives. Texting has become a prominent form of conversation where tone is absent, making it easy to get things misconstrued. When a person feels lonely, they turn to social media sites like Facebook and Tinder instead of going out and establishing a genuine connection. It’s like we’ve become so connected via cellphone that we’ve actually become disconnected in real life, and I miss that connection. Through my cracked, glass screen I see the entire world, but I don’t feel like I’m a part of it. After reading this, take another look around. There’s a table full of people you’ve never met before, and they’re probably all on their cell phones. Go up to that table and ask each person what he or she is doing with their lives. When you’re somewhere waiting in line, turn to anyone around you and see how his or her day is going. I wonder if it’s even possible to get a straight answer without them seeming confused and distant. Don’t be distant: connect. There’s a big, beautiful world out there: Quit observing it and start being a part of it.
jadams35@gru.edu
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TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015
ARTS & LIFE www.grubellringer.com
Play brings Victorian poem to life By Haley Harris news editor What could be better than reading a poem full of hidden meanings and rich language? How about watching it come to life on stage? “Goblin Market,” a 19th century poem by Christina Rossetti, adapted into a play by Patricia Pace, will be performed Thursday, Friday and Saturday by a troupe of actors from Georgia Regents University. Melanie O’Meara, assistant professor in the communications department, said Pace is better known as Patti Pace and that the annual Patti Pace Theatre and Performance Festival is named after her. O’Meara, who is directing the Georgia Regents production of “Goblin Market,” said she acted in Pace’s adaption of the play when she was an undergraduate. She said she wanted to take the play further, readapt it and add things to it. “I knew that one day, once I had a position somewhere, that I would
want to direct it myself,” O’Meara said. “The play follows these six women who are Victorian actresses, and they are on stage performing this Victorian poem. And then we see them backstage dealing with women’s issues of the time.” O’Meara said the poem may seem lighthearted, but has a much darker side to it. Stephanie Farmer, a junior majoring in communications studies with a double minor in history and theatre, said she plays the characters of Lucette and Goblin. “(Lucette) is the one who … has a semi-masculine role,” Farmer said. “She is a little more older (and) she’s a little more experienced. She’s a really fun character to play when it comes to the actual poem part, because she’s playing a goblin - and being a goblin is really fun because I get to do really crazy, ridiculous things.” Allie Owens, an undeclared freshman, said she plays the role of Dame Miriam.
haley harris | staff
Cast and crew members of “Goblin Market” set the stage and rehearse for the play, debuting March 19 in the Maxwell Theatre.
“She’s sort of the leading actress of the company,” Owens said. “She’s very flirtatious, always making jokes, but she’s also the comforter.” Owens said that she has always been involved in drama, and now that she attends Georgia Regents she wants to expand that experience to the college. She said “Goblin Market” was the first play she heard of, and so she “went for it.” “It has humor in it,” Owens said. “We use a lot of modern music. I mean, we even use a song
from The Beatles. I enjoy the play. It’s been a lot of fun working on it.” The play is performed by an all-female cast and will be close to 70 minutes long, without an intermission, O’Meara said. “I think that students should be taking these opportunities to support the university (and) to support other students,” O’Meara said. “I mean these students have been working so hard for eight weeks, Monday through Thursday.” Farmer said she hopes the audience will see the greater meaning
behind the play. “It is both a fun play to watch and listen to,” Farmer said. “But it does have some deeper meanings that are going on, and it’s really fun to find those deeper levels when you’re in the midst of laughing at a situation that you didn’t realize was - ‘Hey, this is a pretty serious topic.’ ”. O’Meara said she is excited for the audience to come out and enjoy “Goblin Market” and hopes everyone learns something from it. hharris9@gru.edu
Talk puts issues to bed Literature festival By Jamie Sapp staff writer
continues its story
The Initiative hosted a forum discussion, “Pillow Talk,” which brought to light perceptions of interpersonal relationships between women and men. The two-and-a-half-hour event provided the students opportunities to discuss in depth relationship misconceptions that can affect couples. Demetrius Lowery, a senior political science major and an activities coordinator in The Initiative, said he saw something very important in the event. “I saw the fact of a lot of adults coming together and being able to have a conversation about a lot of things that we don’t usually have a conversation about, things that seem like taboo,” he said. “We’re always talking about what we think as human beings or what we think as adults. But we never really address them …” Lowery said the goal of the event was for both genders to sit and be honest with each other. “As adults, I expected us to be able to talk about anything,” he said. “We have to understand we’re in a college environment. We’re constantly evolving. We’re constantly growing. So, it is that type of event where you have to put your childishness aside and understand that as an adult you need to be able to talk about whatever.” In the beginning of the event, the women were placed in a separate room from the men to discuss the misconceptions of relationships. During those sessions, each group was asked specific questions
The Augusta Literary Festival gave thanks to book lovers by inviting authors of all genres to the Augusta-Richmond library headquarters to display and sell their work, hold various discussions and talk one-on-one with readers. According to the event pamphlet, the Fourth Annual Augusta Literary Festival was created to inspire readers and promote literacy and education in the community. Cheryl Corbin, coordinator of the event, said her responsibilities included selecting authors, running advertisements to make the community aware of the event and making sure the event went off smoothly. “In order to be recognized in this festival, an author must have at least two published books, a professional website and an Amazon. com page,” Corbin said. “However, there is no charge for authors to participate.” Corey Washington, a nonfiction writer, graduated from Augusta State University in 2003 as an undergraduate and earned a Master’s in teaching middle grades in 2006. He said he was thrilled to be allowed to display his works at this festival. He said freelance writers are prone to become authors and should just start writing, even if they haven’t yet been published by traditional means. “History is an extension of writing,” Washington said. “And that’s how we got into writing.” John Gibbs of Waynesboro,
By Phylicia Cornelious contributor
jamie sapp | staff
A student engages in “Pillow Talk,” a discussion of sex and relationships in college.
that were based on dating, sex, flirting and statuses of relationships. Briana Kelly, a sophomore from East Georgia College, said she doesn’t feel comfortable texting a man first to show interest. “I feel like if you want me, you know, we exchange numbers,” she said. “I feel like he should approach me first, or he should text first. That’s my opinion.” Nandi Watts, a sophomore psychology major, said she disagrees with the idea that a man should text her first to show interest. “If you give me your number and I don’t give you mine, then of course I’m going to text you, especially if I’m interested in you, just (to) see if you’re interested in me,” she said. “I don’t think it has to be he has to text me first just to show interest.” After the first session, women and men were able to meet and communicate with each other. During intermission, women and men played a trivia game called
Battle of the Sexes. Patrick Joiner, a sophomore middle grades education major, said it can be hard sometimes to distinguish whether a man is flirting with a woman or is just being nice to her. “I believe people are so starved, like people haven’t been given good manners,” he said. “Good manners are so rare, nowadays. But for me, if I see you and make eye contact with you, I am going to say something to you. ” When asked about getting into new relationships, Benjamin Porter, a sophomore history secondary education major, said he always tries to heal through other people. Janiequa Kittles, a sophomore psychology major and a member of The Initiative, was one of the coordinators for “Pillow Talk.” She said she enjoyed the event. Kittles said the organization is planning on making “Pillow Talk” a recurring event. jsapp270@gru.edu
Ga., attended the festival. He said it is good to come to the library to advance oneself and one’s children. “Kids change the way perceptions are,” Gibbs said. “The double standard will change with kids.” According to the event pamphlet, the festival awards authors who have traditionally or self-published in 2014 with the Yerby Award. Authors are judged on literary merit, cover design and content. Charmain Z. Brackett is the 2014 Yerby recipient. Brackett said she graduated from Augusta College in 1988 with a degree in English. Brackett’s first novel, “The Key of Elyon,” was the book she won the award for. Another of her books, “Little Pearl’s Circus World: Based on the True Story of Pearl Clark LaComa,” was also displayed at the festival. phylicia6@gmail.com
Phylicia cornelious | Contributor
Authors talk to festival patrons as they promote and display their publications.
What are students doing for St. Patrick’s Day?
“
“ “ debauchery “ “
Going to the parade.
Beau Webster, sophomore history major
Savannah for
Bryan Stringfellow, junior psychology major
Nothing Karen Callaway, junior biology major
“ with friends “ “ “ Hanging
Damien Rogland, freshman nursing major
Free pancakes at IHOP
“
Anna Ellison, freshman psychology major
Let us know what you’re doing by emailing bellringerproduction@gmail.com
THE BELL RINGER
PAGE 6
Musicians educate community about Irish music
Garden City Grub Shellie Smitley
staff writer
Dish conquers foes
A
Amy Thorne | staff
Uillean piper Jimmy O’Brien Moran (left) plays a tin whistle during Saturday’s music workshop. Students and community members sit around him.
Elton John rocks again By Jacob Scharff webmaster
What’s nearly three hours long and a rocking good time for all involved? An Elton John concert, that’s what. Elton John returned to the James Brown Arena for the first time in three years Wednesday. For a man nearing 70 years of age, Elton doesn’t appear to have lost any steps. His voice is still so recognizable, and he even got up after most of his songs to play to the crowd a bit. Toward the end he even signed autographs. Elton’s entrance to the stage was phenomenal. Smoke rolled over the floor of the stage, and a haunting melody quickly engulfed the James Brown Arena. People rushed
to fill the final few empty seats as the haunting melody turned into awesome, instrumental hard rock, then Elton soon segued into four straight songs from his album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” Elton played nonstop for the nearly three-hour concert, save a less-than-10-minute pause to set up his encore at the end. My girlfriend went with me and was far more excited at the prospect of this concert than I was. He is at the top of her list of must-see artists, and once the first note dropped, the smile never left her face. While he’s not at the top of my list, I have been exposed to many Elton John songs over the years, so I wasn’t entirely
got what can be considered nosebleed seats for the James Brown Arena. The seats up there are not made for people like me, who are just wider than others, so it was a bit of a tight squeeze, and the angle we were at made it hard to see certain things. However, none of that detracted enough from the experience to make the night any less memorable. jscharff@gru.edu
Film excels in artful suspense
Atlanta concert fun time for fans
By Jessica Sager copy editor
By Joshua Adams staff writer I first got wind of the band Cursive doing a re-release and supporting tour for its acclaimed album “The Ugly Organ” back in December and decided that I would go see the show in Atlanta. Although it’s not a very widely known band, Cursive has been in my top five favorite bands for almost a decade. I have a sentimental attachment with “The Ugly Organ,” as it seems to tell the story of my life, and I was immediately stoked beyond belief when I found out that Cursive would be playing the album in its entirety on the tour. When I got to the venue, The Earl, there was almost no parking for a few blocks. I eventually lucked out with a spot right next to the venue after someone decided to leave. The Earl is a small bar in the heart of downtown Atlanta. At the back of The Earl was a small merchandise stand, a bar, a small stage and about 300 excited fans. All things considered, The Earl reminded me of Augusta’s own Sky City, in that it was spacious, yet very intimate. I grabbed a beer and made my way to the very front of the stage, just in time to catch Beach Slang, a band supporting the tour. They reminded me a bit of Nirvana, although the sound at the venue made it hard to distinguish what the singer was singing. Beach Slang played for about 45 minutes, then cleared
out of my element. Of course, anyone raised in the Disney era of classic films knows “Circle of Life” and “Your Song” are classics. My favorite, however, is a song I found in an anime music video many years ago. The song is “I’m Still Standing,” and I always loved the never-giveup mentality it could inspire. The biggest problem was that I paid $160 for the seats for my girlfriend and I, and that was the second highest price level, and we still
joshua adams | staff
Tim Kasher, lead singer of Cursive, fronts his band at a show in Atlanta.
the stage for Cursive. At that point, more people were crowding around me and there was an uplifting spirit throughout the room: We were ready for Cursive. As the band walked on stage, everyone cheered. It opened the set up with the song “Big Bang” off of its record “Happy Hollow,” a very hard-hitting song with guitarists banging on a dissonant chord every measure. Of course, I knew every word to this song and, since I was at the front of the stage, Tim Kasher, the singer of the band, noticed my passion and reached out his hand to shake mine at the end of the song. My night was made. This was my third time seeing Cursive, and it was most certainly my favorite. They played “The Ugly Organ” in its entirety, along with several songs off of EPs and other albums. I was even able to stage dive one time, even though the venue doesn’t permit it, and it reminded me of going to shows when I was younger. The only negative aspect of the show was the people who weren’t as excited as me getting in my way of having fun. All in all, it was an amazing experience, and I’m glad I didn’t miss it.
jadams35@gru.edu
Vampires. Iran. Those weren’t two words I associated with each other until I heard of “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.” I was intrigued - even before feminism was added to the mix. The story’s setting is Iran’s fictional Bad Town, but the movie was actually filmed in California. The director Ana Lily Amirpour is Iranian-American, as are many of the cast members. Whether you like surprises or not, not knowing what will happen next is the only way to appreciate this film. I appreciate good vampire stories, so I went into the Maxwell Theatre with a few ideas and expectations. Soon, the black and white movie was elegantly knocking those expectations down. The opening music wasn’t all that caught me off guard; the first character introduced is a young man stealing a cat in broad daylight, not a girl walking home at night. For a while I sat there, thinking, “When is this movie going to begin?” Because the beginning was so different from what I expected, I wondered when the “real” story would start. As it turns out, the main story had already begun; I just needed to be patient Though “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” is only about an hour and a half long, the pace is eerily slow. The effect is more tantalizing than frustrating. The slower pace allows the suspense to build ... and build ... and build! Instead of being boring, the movie’s atmosphere creates a sense of imminent danger
and, sometimes, sensuality. “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” frightened me, but not so much because of blood and gore, which there isn’t much of. I became attached to the characters, and as their stories progressed, I was afraid to see what they would become. Every suspenseful moment was a chance for a character I liked to do the right thing ... or become a murderous monster. The real source of suspense and anxiety was seeing who and what the characters would become. The movie’s artistic qualities add to the story instead of taking away from it. The music, in particular, was used well, often explaining or implying more about the characters than the dialog does. . “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” asks just how much the prey must become the predator, how ferocious one must be to survive. Whether the movie’s message is about justice or cruelty, heroes or monsters, is up to each moviegoer to decide.
lthough I am not a cosmopolitan person, the warrior in me recently embarked on a culinary journey outside of my comfort zone into a land far away. It was a courageous, yet cautious, endeavor. As I voyaged to a place and culture unfamiliar to me, I imagined the worst. Would I be dished up some cuisine that was unfit for my timorous taste buds? Would one bite cause my face to scrunch up in disgust? Atanur Caliskan assured me that I was not alone in my fear. Caliskan and his wife, Yonca Caliskan, are the owners of the Shishkebab Turkish Restaurant, which is located on North Belair Road in Evans, Ga. He jokingly refers to his position and title as “slave.” “Since we are Turkish and being like a foreigner food here, a lot of people have fear to try our food,” Atanur Caliskan said. “I would say don’t have fear. Try it once, and if you don’t like it you don’t ever have to come back - but we have no problem with that (because) we are 100 percent sure that if they try it they will love it.” Caliskan assured me that I should try the menu item called “Troy the Mixed Kebab,” along with his specialty baklava. I agreed to brave the unknown waters and put my taste buds into my host’s hands. While we waited, he shared with me the story behind the dish. During the time of the Trojan War, Greek warriors sailed across the Aegean Sea into the Troy area of Turkey. They were unprepared and therefore did not have adequate food or supplies. As was customary for the Turks that lived in that area, the Greeks also started hunting animals and cooking them on their swords over open fires. Traditionally, there were various meats lined up on their swords, which is why this menu item comes with six different meat kebabs. “This is a popular dish that is currently served especially in the area of Troy,” Caliskan said. The dinner was served and it came out looking like a meat lover’s dream come true. There was enough food on the plate to feed a Greek army. The dish included gyro, chicken, beef and lamb kebabs along with a patty of spicy kofte and a patty of ciz biz kofte. The meats were prepared with seasonings Caliskan imports from Turkey. All of this was served on top of pilav situated next to a salad that included pickled red cabbage, onions and lettuce, topped in pomegranate vinaigrette dressing and freshly made tziky sauce and pita, which were served on the side. Caliskan capped off the meal with his freshly made baklava sprinkled in ground pistachios. The legend behind the Trojan War can be argued as either fact or fiction, but the truth about this dish was that it tasted amazing and would more than conquer the hunger of any great warrior. The baklava was delicious enough to curb the anger of any mythological god. sbarb@gru.edu
jschucke@gru.edu
shellie smitley | staff
Vice pictures
Sheila Vand plays the lead role in “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.”
The Shishkebab Turkish Restuarant serves baklava (top) and its “Troy the Mixed Kebab” (bottom).
PAGE 7
comics
Day of Green
Across
Down
2) He wrote “Green Eggs and Ham.”
1) Supposedly, eating this while pregnant
6) John Green wrote “The _____ in Our
increases your chances of having a boy.
Stars.”
3) It’s one of Green Day’s famous albums.
7) It’s a type of green apple.
4) We’ll use it for special effects.
10) This tall guy has a vegetable company
5) You become green with it.
named after him.
6) How many shades of green does Ire-
11) Green stands out as one of only two
land have?
___ M&M characters.
8) Bruce Banner when he’s mad?
13) It’s where actors chill.
9) Jason Aldean might drive on a big
14) You’ll find Mr. Green in this game.
green one.
15) What is the capital of Greenland?
12. Pay at St. Patrick’s Day visit to Eire’s
16) Author Erma Bombeck wrote “The
___ Isle.
Grass is Always Greener Over the ____.”
Answers for last issue: Across: 4. Softball 9. MichaelDiamond 11. Lokal 13. Redshirt 14. Measles 16. FiftyShadesofGrey 17. JagTV Down: 1. Trolley 2. MiddleEast 3. Trudy 5. TakoSushi 6. RomanHill 7. HairShow 8. FabricDesign 10. LaneyWalker 12. CREW 15. Caterpillar
17) If you follow the Yellow Brick Road, you’ll find The Wizard here.
Happy St. Patricks Day!
TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015
THE BELL RINGER
PAGE 8
sports www.grubellringer.com
Men’s golf ties at Aiken By Jessica Sager copy editor The GRU Augusta men’s golf team tied with Idaho for fifth March 10 at the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate in Aiken, S.C. “It went alright,” said Viktor Edin, a member of the team. “I mean, all of us played good … obviously we wanted to at least be top three, because we were playing this course many times, and we know it like it would be our home course. We’re a little bit disappointed; at least I am.” The tournament was played from March 9 to 10. South Carolina won the tournament with a team score of 825, according to jaguarsroar.com. On the first day, the Jags were in first place through the opening nine holes. “It’s a 36-hole day, so we play two rounds in one day,” Head Coach Jack O’Keefe said. “I don’t get too excited or too nervous that early in the tournament. Starting the last day is when we want to be kind of ready and prepared and we got off to a good start. It’s just a tricky golf course and a difficult golf course, and we just couldn’t maintain that good, solid, fast start.” The team has made some improvements in its play since earlier in the season, he said. “We putted the ball
The Rookie Report Anthony Garcia sports editor
The coach and the athlete
I
jessica sager | staff
Sophomore Viktor Edin and junior Meechai Padung practice their iron shots at Christenberry Fieldhouse after the tournament in Aiken.
much, much better this tournament than we did last year, and then also much better than we did in the fall semester,” O’Keefe said. “So that was a nice sign to see and that was probably the biggest improvement that we made. And then we reduced our double bogeys, the bad stuff, a little bit, but we still need to improve there.” Sophomore Jake Marriott, who finished 31st at the tournament, said the greens at Palmetto Golf Club are difficult.
“There’s a lot of falloffs, so you have to be careful and hit to the center of the green and make sure you stay away from certain areas,” he said. “If you miss it in certain places, then you don’t really have a good chance of getting up and down and making a par. If you play smart, you miss in the right spots, you eliminate the double bogeys and give yourself a better chance at getting up and down, making pars.” O’Keefe also said the greens were challenging.
“It’s a short golf course by yardage standards,” he said. “But we’ve got some guys that hit it pretty far, so that was not to our advantage as much. And the greens being very difficult made it challenging for all the players, including our guys, but that’s probably the biggest thing … the greens out there are the toughest. It’s not a long golf course; it’s not a narrow golf course.” Another challenging course that the team will compete on, O’Keefe said,
timothy howard | staff
jschucke@gru.edu
Teams adapt to challenges By Timothy Howard staff writer
Senior Aida Castany performs a forward swing during a match against Clark Atlanta.
is Kampen Course, which the team will play at the Boilermaker Invitational April 18 to 19. Right now, though, the team is focusing on the tournaments that come before. “We’re trying honestly to build up toward our home tournament here the first part of April,” he said. “We have a great field, and if we could play well there we’ll have a really good chance to improve our ranking and move up to where we want to get to, which is top 25.”
Weather has put a damper on many outdoor activities, including GRU Augusta tennis matches, but the Jaguars are staying focused despite various postponements and cancellations. The Lady Jaguars topped Clark Atlanta University in a home game March 9 with an 8-1 score, while the men’s team grabbed a victory over Erskine College on the road, also by a score of 8-1 March 10 in Due West, S.C., according to jaguarsroar.com. Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams are sporting nearly identical records so far this season. According to jaguarsroar.com, the men’s team is ranked No. 21 in the nation, and is 9-2 for the current season; the women’s team is 10-2. Head Coach Michael McGrath said that luck has been on both of his teams’ sides. “We’ve been lucky so far,” he
said. “We’ve only lost one match (due to the weather), and the rest have just been rescheduled. We’ve had to shuffle a few things around, but we’ve been lucky. A lot of other teams have lost five or six matches so far, so we’ve been fortunate.” Despite the postponements, both teams have been able to defend their home court at Newman Tennis Center, with both teams carrying 5-0 records at home, according to jaguarsroar.com. Senior Romain Brunie said that the postponements have caused the team to play more matches per week than it is used to. “It’s not easy, because we’re supposed to have two matches per week,” he said. “And now, we’re up to, like, three or four (matches) per week, so it’s not as easy.” McGrath said that while nonconference matches could be cancelled, Peach Belt Conference matches could not be cancelled besee TENNIS on PAGE 9
Jags grab close win over Erskine By Anna Dresser contributor
Though Erskine took the lead late in the baseball game March 10, the GRU Augusta baseball team made a comeback to win 8-7. At 2 p.m. in Lake Olmstead Stadium, the Diamond Jags played a nonconference game against the Erskine College Flying Fleet, a team that, at the time, was 17-1 overall (currently 18-2). Despite Erskine’s near-perfect season and GRU Augusta’s 6-10 overall season (currently 7-10), the Jaguars made a comeback in the bottom of the 11th inning, making Erskine’s overall season not so perfect anymore. At the start of the game, the Jaguars quickly took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first
inning. The Flying Fleet scored one run in the third, fourth and seventh innings. After the first inning, the Jaguars had a stagnant score until they scored another run in the seventh inning, as well, putting the score tied at 3-3. In the eighth inning, two runs were scored for both the Flying Fleet and the Jaguars, tying the score once again at 5-5. The game continued past the usual nine innings and a fumble with the ball in left field allowed for two runs to be made by the Flying Fleet in the top of the eleventh inning, making the score 7-5. “It kind of put a damper on it,” first baseman Connor Gilbert said. “But we just do what we practice.” Despite the mistake and the new lead by Erskine, the Jaguars
advanced to the eleventh inning and final chance to turn the game around. They did just that by scoring three runs, leaving the final score 8-7. “Hopefully this puts a spark in us,” first baseman Drew Taylor said. “We just need to keep growing as a team.” Head Coach Jason Eller said he hoped the win would kick start momentum as well. After losing earlier this month against Montevallo March 1 and Young Harris March 7, the Jaguars welcomed a win against a tough opponent like Erskine. “We’ve played a really tough schedule,” he said. “But the idea behind that is to make us battle tested for Peach Belt games on the weekend.” Eller said that regardless of how his team plays, it keeps mov-
ing forward. “It’s a credit to the guys that love this program, the young guys and the old guys,” he said. “We are continuing to come together to create a good atmosphere of fight.” adresser@gru.edu
Baseball Stats •
March 14 - conference match against Lander. Win, 10-9, at 11th inning.
•
March 15 - conference doubleheader match against Lander. Loss, 21-5, in first game. Loss, 17-4, in second game.
•
Currently 8-12 for season
•
March 17, home game against West Georgia.
recently indulged in a film from last year’s awards catalog: “Whiplash.” It earned its spot in that catalog, not just because it was an excellent film on its own, but because it had a deeper message about how far someone would go to perfect his craft and for what (or whose) purpose. The care and balance that have to exist in a student-teacher relationship apply equally to the athlete-coach relationship in sports and, much like some of our best and most recognized players in GRU Augusta demonstrate, it takes a great amount of dedication and conviction from both parties to reach those great levels of success in Division II. How do you define being the best player? For most of us, we remember their names by heart. We see them highlighted repeatedly in recap stories, watch as awards are given to them, and hear their names echo across the annals of sports history. But how do these players get so far? From the player’s perspective, it’s always about how much you apply and dedicate yourself to your practice. The more practice, the more you’ll improve, that much is certain. But here’s where the coach comes in. The relationship between a coach and a player, no less a team, is essential for success, and while every head coach has an individual style of coaching, the end goal is forward momentum. You won’t find a perfect balance between great players and great coaches, but if a team is not leading with wins for the overall season or has players not performing to their personal best, then something is wrong, and that’s where the coach steps in. From the coach’s perspective, it’s not just knowing what game plan to follow or what drills to follow or what to work on. It’s knowing how hard to push your players, and how they’ll respond to your ethics, not just as a coach but as a leader. Push too softly and you’ll slowly lose motivation (even for ranked games), which is even harder to build up. If you push too hard, however, you’ll be betting on a wild card your team will respond. I’ve been to different games where I felt the coach was expecting too much, and some where I felt he or she was not pushing enough. Much like J.K. Simmon’s character, you can look at a style of coaching however you want, but in the end, the players (and the fans) will observe whether the team is rushing or dragging. That’s what will come back to the coach in the middle of game day.
agarci11@gru.edu
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TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015
Jaguars leap at third season By Richard Adams editor-in-chief
With 19 athletes qualified for 36 events for the Peach Belt Conference Championships scheduled for April 16 to 18, the GRU Augusta track and field teams are building the required steam to establish themselves as regional contenders. On March 7, the teams co-hosted the Lion Jaguar Invitational at Westside High School with Paine College, both finishing third overall, said Head Coach Adam Ward. “This was most of the healthy sprints and throws folks that competed,” he said. “Anybody that was suspect or a little bit beat up, we didn’t compete them. On the distance side, this just would have been our third meet in a row, so we didn’t compete most of those folks.” Ward said he keeps a close eye on the athletes’ health, as the team had difficulty competing last season because of so many injuries. There were eight or more players on both the men and women’s teams that did not compete, in order for them to rest and be in their best health for the next competition. Last year was the first year the teams used players with scholarships, and many members of the teams were freshmen and not used to the responsibilities of college,
Ward said. That year he had to weather a lot of growing pains and wait for a certain level of maturity to surface in the team, he said. “Now they’re kind of focused more on (what) they’ve got to do in terms of getting better and, also, getting good grades,” he said. “(They’re) focusing more on their
By Anthony Garcia sports editor
“
Flatline Pro Wrestling, an independent wrestling organization in Grovetown, Ga., held its annual March of Champions show for a full house March 7. The Rapture, led by Anthony Henry, and consisting of David Yale, Shane Hexxon, Damoan Rashad and Scott Mayson, has taken over Flatline since taking the Flatline Championship at a fall show last year. This year’s March of Champions saw former championship holder Antrone “Da Fireman” Brewer try to reclaim his former championship belt, but he was defeated by Henry once again, who retains his belt. “Rapture, celebrate,” said Da Fireman after the show. “Celebrate long and hard, because Da Fireman is on a completely different level right now.” Flatline has introduced new wrestlers to the shows over the last few months, including Adrian Armour and Adrian Davis, both of whom wrestled at this show. Jason Norton, a media representative for Flatline, said finding new talent to represent Flatline is a win-win for the organization and the wrestlers. “Sometimes Chris Wiggins or Daniel Mayne will go to some of the other shows that are two or three hours away and scout talent, and look at other talent and bring those guys in,” he said. “It’s a chance for new faces to come in, and it’s a chance for the guys to get the expe-
rience up under their belts.” Wiggins, who cofounded Flatline with Mayne, said incorporating the new wrestlers with veterans from past Flatline events is a process often dictated by fan response. “We have core wrestlers that we kind of focus on the most, and it’s more or less ‘Who would we use,’” Wiggins said. “We rotate them out to keep the product fresh, but we have our core guys that we like using on a regular basis because they’re just big fan favorites.” The show began with a singles match where Seth Delay took out Billy Brash. Afterward, a qualifying match for the Pulse Championship was held between J.C. Walker and current Pulse champion C.B. Suave. Walker won the match, but by disqualification on Suave’s part for shoving the referee. After another singles match between Adrian Armour and victor Joe Heiken, Shane Hexxon defeated Brandon Parker in a Sin City street fight, a rare match for Flatline in which all the rules are discarded and wrestlers can use whatever melee weapons are at their disposal. For Hexxon overtaking Parker, this included a ladder, a folding chair, two stacked tables and a full bag of thumbtacks spread across the ring. Immediately after the match ended, Hexxon and members of the Rapture attempted to put Park-
richard adams | staff
Senior Christian Collier qualifies for the PBC Championships with a 40.71m javelin throw at the Lion Jaguar Invitational meet.
future.” With a new assistant coaching staff, Ward said he can focus more on the overall team and let those more skilled in specific disciplines teach the other team members. This year, he added Emily Smith to the team as an ssistant coach specializing in throws.
Rapture continues dominion at Flatline
radams99@gru.edu
Rapture, celebrate. Celebrate long and hard, because Da Fireman is on a completely different level right now. --Antrone “Da Fireman” Brewer
”
Tennis
CONTINUED from PAGE 8
cause the team would be ineligible for the PBC tournament in April. “All of the conference matches will have to be played,” he said. “None of those were lost. The one we lost was with Queens (University), and they are in region, but not in conference.” Maria Cecilia Pimentel, a junior on the Lady Jaguars team, said that if any more postponed matches are cancelled, the team might not play in the postseason at all. “Once we cancel the ones that are not from our conference, we don’t play against them anymore, because we don’t have time on the schedule,” she said. “We have to finish all of our matches before the conference and the regional (tournament). If we do not meet the exact amount of matches that we need,
“This year, Coach Smith has done a phenomenal job,” he said. “I wish we had more folks for her to work with, because I have no doubt she would score a ton of points with her people at conference – because she’s just doing a great job.” Smith, a graduate student studying toward a master’s in kine-
siology, said she is training to qualify for the Pan American Games. “We’re only three years old, so we’re pretty fresh,” she said. “Our first meet, we came out and I had JaVoni Canty, who had a six-foot personal record in shot put. She broke the school record by about three and a half feet.” According to jaguarsroar.com, Canty was named one of the PBC’s Women’s Track and Field Astroturf Athletes of the Week after her performance at the Lions Jaguar Invitational. During that meet, she succeeded in breaking the record for longest discus throw in the PBC women’s competition this season. Aaron Gordon is another new assistant coach for the teams, specializing in sprints, jumps, pole vault and hurdles. During Gordon’s freshman year of college, he, too, was part of a brand new track and field team. He said he has already seen the Jaguars go on to break seven school records this season. “That’s why I applied for the job,” Gordon said. “I was like, ‘Hey, I know that feeling.’ I know what it feels like to go from nothing to everything. So I just wanted to come out here and do that myself and actually be the coach this time … Progression wise, we’re getting there.”
TImothy howard | staff
Joao Gabriel Freitas practices with the men’s team at Newman Tennis Center.
then we don’t make it to either one.” McGrath said that playing so frequently can have positive and negative effects on the team, he hopes the weather will hold off so that the team can make up post-
er into a custom-built coffin the Rapture brought out, hoping to end Parker’s tenure with Flatline once and for all. However, the coffin burst open to reveal Salem Sinner Sixx, one of the newer faces of Flatline, to take out the Rapture and carry Parker backstage. The show continued with a tag team match, in which Worst Case Scenario took out duo Chaos & Drake. Saying they are “the baddest team in all the land,” Worst Case Scenario is made up of Ethan Case and Elijah Evans IV. “When (the crowd) sees it like a professional setup, that feeling comes into the crowd,” Evans said. “You can feel it going through the whole (show).” The final show before the Flatline Championship match was the Flatline Rumble, where Jacoby Boykins held his own against new opponents after every minute, including Oz Knight, Mikey Gulino, Adrian Davis, David Coleman, Kid Riot, David Yale, Ken Lee, and Rashad and Mayson from the Rapture. The show in April, Wiggins said, will test how long the Rapture can last as Flatline champions. “Hopefully, we’re going to be tearing apart the Rapture and, finally, find that crack so that we can break the mold and we can tear down the foundation,” he said. agarci11@gru.edu
poned matches. “It can be good and bad, because at tournament time, whether it’s the conference tournament or the regional tournament, you’ve got to play twice in a day,” he said. “The most we will do in a season is a match every day. Typically, I don’t like to do more than four matches a week, and that’s pushing it. If we get rained out this week, it’s going to become crunchy toward the end of this month, because then we’re on to spring break.” Postponed conference matches have to be made up before the start of the conference tournament. And with spring break around the corner, the Jaguars are running out of time to postpone any more matches. The March 14 home game against Indianapolis was eventually cancelled for both teams, though the following games are still on schedule. No information has been given as to the cause of the cancellations. thowar20@gru.edu
jamie sapp | STaff
Mallory Ferguson waits at bat in a doubleheader game against Tusculum March 1.
Softball players adjust to games By Jamie Sapp staff writer
The GRU Augusta softball team continues to play strong this season. According to jaguarsroar.com, the Diamond Jags won four home games from Feb. 28 to March 1: two wins against Queens University and two wins against Tusculum College. The Jaguars won the first home game against Queens 5-3 Feb. 28. In their second home game, the Jaguars had a winning score of 12-4 against Queens. March 1, the Jaguars held a doubleheader against Tusculum College and won both of them 2-1 and 12-4. Hannah Wilson, a second basewoman, said the games with Queens were better to play. “I think Queens was a better overall team,” she said. “But then, against Tusculum, we had bases loaded.” Outfielder Molly Walton said her team had a few weaknesses. “Probably, our weakness is being ahead and not allowing runners to get on base so they can have a chance to come back,” she said. “That’s probably our biggest weakness, I would say, right now.” Wilson said the weather was out of the team’s control when some of its games were cancelled. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job, as far as stay(ing) on top of our game, despite the weather,” she said. “I really don’t think it has affected us that much.” Walton said she thought her team was more prepared for the conference game with Georgia College. “Five games ago, when things were getting cancelled, it was getting us all a little nervous,” she said. “But after winning, having a pretty good record so far, I think we’re prepared.” Walton said the team would have to focus during the conference game.
jamie sapp | Staff
Outfielder Ashley Benton runs to first base after hitting in the bottom second.
“I think we’re ready,” she said. “I think the pitching is going to be a little different or faster than what we’ve seen. So, we just have to get our heads focused.” Center fielder Kendyl Conner said the team expected to win both March 7 and 8 doubleheader games against Catawba and Georgia College. While they won both games in the doubleheader against Catawba, the Lady Jags lost their second game of the doubleheader against Georgia College. Conner said trying to make it to plates was one mistake to avoid. “Simple plays, those are really important in the game,” she said. “If you miss catchable balls that should be outs or make bad decisions running the bases, then those things will come back and bite you.” The following games showed more forward progress for the Jaguars. At a home match against Wingate March 10, the team won both doubleheader games 4-1 and 3-2. When playing against Erskine March 12, it won the first game 111, but lost 2-0 in the second. At a conference game March 15 against Flagler, the momentum continued with both games won at 7-5 and 14-5. jsapp270@gru.edu
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TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 2015
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