March 31, 2015 - Vol. 57, Issue 13

GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 57, ISSUE 13

www.grubellringer.com

MCG 2017

Student recalls experience

Parody goes viral

By Taylor Mitchell staff writer Since last summer, a video made by Georgia Regents University students has swept the web, as well as administration offices and classrooms across campus.

“MCG 2017 – Med School Lifestyle (Study)” features three Georgia Regents medical students: Ravi Patel, David Deng and Taylor Phelps.

“Over the summer, we had an idea to make a funny song that would talk about our experiences in medical school,” Patel said.

“The producer for 12 Bands, which is a charity to raise money for pediatric cancer at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, was at the studio one day, and he heard the song and said he wanted to put us on the 12

Bands of GRU CD … we’ve actually sang for the children a few times … overall, it’s just a great opportunity.”

Patel said the video was for a good cause.

“The feedback seems to be overwhelmingly positive,” he said.

“It’s been really surreal. Everyone seems to be smiling about it. It’s made a lot of people happy, from just our classmates to even our own administration and faculty and teachers - even people that we haven’t even met before.”

Patel said that even though school has been very busy, the group has ideas for another song.

“We recorded the song about the first week of August, and I will say that it was quite a bit of a strugsee MCG on PAGE 2

jamie sapp | staff

Student writes about her experience and the challenges of performing in “Goblin Market.” Read more from her on Page 8.

New Arsenal Oak to be planted on campus

By Joshua Adams staff writer

taken from “mcg 2017 - med school lifestyle (study)”

Taylor Phelps, David Deng and Ravi Patel (left to right) from the MCG 2017 class.

Georgia Regents

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

The Student Government Association met with members of the Office of Advancement Friday, March 20, to discuss the continuing efforts to bring back the Arsenal Oak. The idea came from Daniel Porter, a senior history major and former SGA senator.

“When I started in SGA last fall, I thought about what we could

do to connect this campus back to the past,” Porter said. “I was thinking that maybe if we plant a new white oak tree on campus and name it the New Arsenal Oak, it would connect our campus to our university’s history.”

Porter said the tree’s history can be traced back to before the location became an arsenal during the Civil War. “When it was the Walker farm, it was made famous because there was a well-known author whose fa-

ther was a commandant for the arsenal,” Porter said. “When he was a child, he would sit in the tree, and write and do school work ...

It became a symbol for the arsenal and, eventually, became a symbol for ASU. It’s still on the seal for GRU.” The original oak had to be cut down because it contracted a disease, Porter said.

Current SGA senator and head see ARSENAL on PAGE 2

Presidential Search

Profile: James M. Hull chairs committee

By Richard Adams Haley Harris editor-in-chief news editor Regent James Hull, chair of the presidential search committee, has many titles around the Augusta community, and when it comes to helping to select the next president for Georgia Regents University, a combination of all of them will be needed.

“First of all, I was delighted by the regents’ selection of him as the chair,” said Gretchen Caughman, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs. “…

We were delighted both to have a regent that has so much played a part in our local communities … he’s been such a wonderful supporter and advocate for both of our legacy institutions.”

When Hull was named to the Board of Regents by Gov. Nathan Deal in 2013, the city had not had a representative board member in six years. Former Mayor of Augusta Deke Copenhaver said it was a “very exciting moment”

richard adams | staff

James M. Hull will have a prominent voice in the decision of the president.

because Hull represents “somebody that really has the big picture view of the (university’s) long-term success.”

“I think it can be such a once in a lifetime opportunity for our community (to choose a new president),” said Hull in a oneon-one interview with The Bell Ringer after being named chair of the search committee. “Geor-

gia Regents University is critical to the economic and health of the Augusta community.”

Chancellor of the University System of Georgia Hank Huckaby said it is a tradition to place the regent living closest to the university as the chair the committee.

“That was a logical thing to do,” Huckaby said. “The chair of the Board of Regents (Neal Pruitt) felt that not only could (Hull) do that job, but would also (being from Augusta) know more about the Augusta issues and needs of the community.”

Caughman, who currently serves with Hull on the Augusta State University Foundation, said not only is Hull an Augustan, but he was a vital intermediary during the merger of the two universities.

“He is a wonderful leader,” she said. “He has an ability to understand a situation ... he is a highly successful business man.”

Caughman said Hull is a major factor in the advancement of the Hull College of Business. see PRESIDENT on PAGE 3

JESSICA SAGER | STAFF

Michael Banks will be graduating in May; he says organization is a tool to success.

SGA president reflects on career

By Jessica Sager copy editor

Michael Banks is president of the Student Government Association and an ROTC cadet, as well as a graduating senior at Georgia Regents University.

Banks, who is majoring in applied information systems and technologies, said that, prior to becoming SGA president, he was special events director for The CREW. He said he asked CREW members who were also involved in SGA if it was possible to handle being in both organizations at the same time and they said yes. He joined SGA as a senator at large in January 2014 and

became president in April 2014.

“I thought I could handle being president of SGA,” he said. “So I ran and became president.”

Amma Sarfo, president of The CREW and an SGA senator, said she met Banks through The CREW and they became friends.

“Michael is a phenomenal SGA president,” she said. “I think that he keeps us working, he holds us accountable weekly for our specific duties … I think he’s mastered that level between nurturing and authoritative.”

Lt. Col. Jessica Cranford, professor of military science at Georgia see SGA on PAGE 2

GRU Softball

YUCHiKiOKEE Festival

Page 10

Page 6

Match Day Page 2

follow us like us on facebook @BellRinger_News

Family festival focuses on art

Medical students celebrate Match Day

Team pushes on despite loss

PAGE 2

NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

www.grubellringer.com

Match Day The voice of

Georgia Regents University

MCG class celebrates

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 production manager JORDAN BARRY jbarry3@gru.edu production assistant position open staff writers JOSHUA ADAMS jadams35@gru.edu ANNA DRESSER adresser@gru.edu SIDNEY FOWLER sfowler@gru.edu TIMOTHY HOWARD thowar20@gru.edu TAYLOR MITCHELL tmitch22@gru.edu JAMIE SAPP jsapp270@gru.edu SHELLIE SMITLEY sbarb@gru.edu

LESLIE ANNE WIEDMEIER lwienmei@gru.edu columnist GIORGI KHATIASHVILI gkhatiashvvili@gru.edu contributors ERIC STALLINGS estalli1@gru.edu photographers ALEJANDRO SMITH alesmith@gru.edu JEAN-PAUL CASSAGNOL jcassagn@gru.edu cartoonist DAQUAN MIDDLETON dmiddle6@gru.edu advertising manager ASHLEY SHELTON ashelto9@gru.edu webmaster JACOB SCHARFF jscharff@gru.edu Direct advertising inquiries to: Ashley Shelton, Advertising Manager ashelto9@gru.edu Address all correspondence to: The Bell Ringer 2500 Walton Way Augusta, Ga 30904 706-737-1600 www.grubellringer.com

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.

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

Richard adams and haley harris | staff

Under the theme “Welcome to the Jungle,” Hena Joshi and Nick Reising (top left), Adatee Okonkwo and Armond Jenkins (top middle), John Caldwell and Jenny Jia (right) and others celebrate as the soon-to-be graduates receive their residency letters March 20. Joshi receives her letter saying she has been placed in the same city as boyfriend Reising. Caldwell and Jia share their happiness at both being placed at Boston Medical. Jenkins watches Okonkwo learn she will go to Morehouse.

Website offers internship aid

By Sidney Fowler staff writer Glassdoor.com puts a focus on students seeking internships and entry-level jobs through new student-based links and resources.

Haley Woods, manager of the college partnership program at Glassdoor, said she works with career centers and alumni networkers to expose jobseekers to Glassdoor.

“Internships at entry-level jobs are right there on the website,” Woods said. “Students can use their email (accounts ending in .edu) and get unlimited access.”

Using the website, Woods said, makes being able to filter through internships quick and useful.

MaryJo Fitzgerald is the senior public relations associate at Glassdoor, which is located in California.

“This is a place where students can come to find internships, entry-level jobs and get more information about working for companies,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said glassdoor.com is free to use and will never cost anything. There are 27 million members and 340,000 companies on the website.

Woods said glassdoor.com is about targeting job and internship seekers. Those who aren’t students can still use Glassdoor.

Fitzgerald said content can be information about companies from employees themselves, which gives an inside look to the pros and cons of working for a company.

“Glassdoor is helping people

understand their worth and what they should be paid,” Fitzgerald said.

Woods said there is a team that makes sure the content is relevant.

“GRU does not have a formal partnership with Glassdoor,” said Julie Goley, director for career services at Georgia Regents University. “But it is one of many excellent online resources out there students can use.”

Fitzgerald said she knows people who have used Glassdoor and were satisfied with it.

“It’s helped them find a job and ... find the right culture fit,” Fitzgerald said.

Goley said Glassdoor is a good site but that researching a job takes a collective approach.

“Any comments or insights that are a year or more in the past are not going to be indicative of much, given the employer and the specific department of that employer,” Goley said. “A lot can change in an organization’s interviewing platform, structure, management base, etc. from the time the insight was initially gathered.”

Fitzgerald said there are articles available on the Glassdoor blog and links that are available for people to access on the site.

Fitzgerald said Glassdoor will change from helping people find a job online to helping them find a job on mobile devices. She also said Glassdoor is targeting the mobile web experience, so people can find a job wherever they are. sfowler@gru.edu

MCG

CONTINUED from PAGE 1

gle because we had never done anything like this before,” Deng said.

“We ended up doing that song by Usher and Juicy J, ‘I Don’t Mind.’

Of course, when everything was finished, we posted it on Facebook for our families and friends to see.”

Deng said it would be cool to be able to look back and show his kids the video one day. He said the

Arsenal CONTINUED from PAGE 1

of the Student Welfare Committee Andrew Sprankle is now leading the initiative for a new Arsenal Oak. “Over the next (few) weeks the student welfare committee will meet and we’re going to discuss proposals for what we would like.”

Sprankle said. “Potentially, establishing a scholarship.”

Rhonda Banks, director of

SGA

CONTINUED from PAGE 1

Regents, said Banks will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve in May. “(I saw) a lot of peoples’ lives, their military life,” Banks said. “I enjoy traveling. I enjoyed the military child experience, so naturally I would want to take the adult experience as well.”

Banks also participates in the Ranger Club.

video was fun and a great experience for a great cause.

“A lot of good came out of this video,” Phelps said. “To think we were just playing around, and a producer heard us, literally, the same day. We were even asked to perform at the Green Jackets’ season opener game. I’m excited about what’s next.”

Phelps said that hopefully he and the others can continue to help raise money and that, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. tmitch22@gru.edu

annual giving at the Office of Advancement, met with the SGA to discuss the future of the New Arsenal Oak. “It’s very cool that this is an idea coming from our students and that they’re the ones driving this initiative,” Banks said. “And we really want to get behind them and help them out as much as we can.”

Banks said that there is a possibility that the new oak will be a descendent of the original Arsenal Oak. jadams35@gru.edu

“He is very, very engaged, and from my interactions with him he manages it very well,” Cranford said.

Banks said the biggest challenge he faces is probably that there are “only so many hours in the day” in which to get everything done. He said he tries to balance “effectiveness and efficiency.”

“Luckily, organization is one of my strong points,” he said. “So that’s the only reason I survive. The calendar, believe it or not, is my strongest tool.” jschucke@gru.edu

Students will light the path of GRU

By Taylor Mitchell staff writer

Plans for a graduation tradition called Lighting the Path are underway.

“Lighting the Path is a ceremony that signifies the transition from the undergraduate experience, into the graduate experience and even into the real world,” said Amma Sarfo, president of The CREW. “So we are lighting the path for our students to go into the real world.”

Sarfo said the second annual Lighting the Path ceremony will take place on the Georgia Regents

haley harris | staff

The 2015 graduation celebration will include a new tradition of lighting lanterns.

Summerville campus. Students will light a luminaire and walk the campus one final time alongside family, friends and colleagues.

“Last year, the previous stu-

dent government president wanted a ceremony that was similar to (The Graduate School’s) hooding ceremony, because there was really no ceremony for undergraduates,” said Michael Banks, president of the Student Government Association.

Banks said the walk around campus is symbolically the last time graduates get to stroll their soon-tobe alma mater.

“This year we are thinking about doing lanterns,” Banks said.

“We are going to actually hold them and walk down the path this time.”

Banks said he wants the graduation ceremony to get better and

better and be something that students look forward to.

“I’m really excited to see how this one will turn out,” said Taylor Rodriguez, a psychology major and SGA senator.

Rodriguez said she really wants undergraduates to have something they can call their own.

“I feel like this event really will bring everyone together,” Rodriguez said. “If we can execute it correctly, it won’t be a bunch of strangers on the main floor of the James Brown Arena this May. It will be a bunch of family.” tmitch22@gru.edu

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 3

Committee releases job description

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia is conducting a national search for the next President of Georgia Regents University.

THE UNIVERSITY Founded in 1828, Georgia Regents University is a unique blend of the old and the new, the traditional and the innovative. Formed through the consolidation of Augusta State University and Georgia Health Sciences University, GRU is one of only four public research universities in Georgia.

The university’s mission is to provide leadership and excellence in teaching, discovery, clinical care, and service as a student-centered comprehensive research university and academic health center with a wide range of programs from learning assistance through postdoctoral studies.

GRU offers more than 110 degree programs in nine colleges, including the nation’s 13th-oldest medical school, the Medical College of Georgia; the state’s sole dental college; the nationally ranked James M. Hull College of Business; the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Education; Science and Mathematics; Allied Health Sciences; Graduate Studies; and Nursing. GRU’s Medical College of Georgia includes a partnership campus in Athens, Ga. and satellite campuses in the Georgia cities of Albany, Rome, and Savannah.

Students are taught by some of the most prestigious scientists, clinicians, artists, and scholars in the nation. Over 1,000 full-time faculty members not only convey vital information, many also conduct extensive research. GRU has a strong commitment to biomedical research, building on a proud tradition that boasts such breakthroughs as fertility treatments and beta-blocking drugs for cardiac arrhythmias. Graduate and undergraduate students have opportunities to conduct and present research, and many participate in faculty-led research.

GRU’s nearly 10,000 students come from over 83 countries and nearly all of Georgia’s 159 counties. Students may take advantage of an active student life with over 110 chartered student groups, Study Abroad trips, a challenging honors program, Reserve Officers Training Corps, cultural programming, intramurals and club sports, a wellness center, and intercollegiate athletics.

GRU’s research enterprise includes nearly $100 million in public and private-sector funded research programs aimed at reducing the burden of illness, with internationally recognized areas of excellence in cancer, neurosciences and stroke, cardiovascular biology, regenerative & reparative medicine, public and preventive health, and personalized and genomic medicine research and discovery.

GRU fields teams in NCAA Division I men’s and women’s golf, and the men’s team claimed back-to- back national championships in 2010 and 2011. In 11 other sports, the Jaguars compete in the Peach Belt Conference in Division II in basketball, baseball, cross country, softball, volleyball, tennis, and outdoor track and field.

Georgia Regents University comprises one of the largest employers in the Augusta area, and its overall economic impact on the area’s economy approached nearly $1.4 billion in 2011. With 650 acres of campus and nearly 150 buildings, the university includes nine colleges and the integrated academic health system includes Georgia Regents Medical Center, Georgia Regents Medical Associates, and the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.

Georgia Regents Medical Center consists of a 478-bed main adult critical care hospital, the 154-bed Children’s Hospital of Georgia, the largest children’s hospital in Georgia outside of Atlanta, a 13- county Level 1 regional trauma center, extensive outpatient clinics, and the region’s largest Cancer Center. Georgia Regents Medical Associates, primarily composed of GRU clinical faculty, represent the region’s largest multispecialty practice group, with over 400 clinicians.

While the Georgia Regents Health System, Medical Center, and Medical Associates are independent not-for profit entities, they are aligned to each other and to the university through a joint operating agreement and by an integrated management team. The President of the university serves as CEO and Chair of the Board of the Georgia Regents Health System and Chair of the Board of the Medical Center. The Dean of MCG serves as the Chair of the Board of the Georgia Regents Medical Associates.

Georgia Regents University is committed to creating and sharing new knowledge as a university and to growing national and international stature in education, research, and health care.

For additional information, please visit www.gru.edu (link is external).

THE COMMUNITY Augusta is Georgia’s second oldest and second largest city. Full of history, atmosphere, Southern charm, and activities to engage everyone’s interest, Augusta is a vibrant and livable community with a cost of living that ranks among the most favorable in the U.S. Sited on the Savannah River with convenient access to the city of Atlanta, the Georgia/ Carolina Mountains, and the Georgia/Carolina/Florida coasts, Augusta offers a quality of life that is second to none.

Nestled along the banks of the mighty Savannah River, Augusta offers its visitors, and more than half- a-million residents, traditional Southern charm plus the perks of big city life—arts, culture, shopping, educational opportunities, fine cuisine, state-of-the-art healthcare, sports and a slew of recreational pursuits. Augusta is a city that champions and values variety. Its’ increased multiculturalism adds to the city’s effervescent personality making Augusta a very desirable place to live. Here you can literally soak up the best of all worlds.

Augusta hosts a number of major sporting events including the Ironman Triathlon, the GRU Augusta Half Marathon & 10K, the Augusta Invitational Regatta, the Georgia Junior Championship, and the prestigious Masters Tournament. For additional information, please visit http://www.augustametrochamber.com/augusta-region/about-augusta-ga/ (link is external), http://www.visitaugusta.com/ (link is external), and http://www.augustaeda.org/Home.html (link is external).

THE OPPORTUNITY The President reports directly to the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia and the Board of Regents and is CEO and Chair of the Board of Georgia Regents Health System and Chair of the Board of Georgia Regents Medical Center. Georgia Regents University, formed through the consolidation of Georgia Health Sciences University and Augusta State University, is Georgia’s next great nationally recognized research institution. Recent accomplishments of the university include: • Increased graduation rates by more than six percent from 2012 to 2014.

• Received the largest gift in the university and University System of Georgia’s history with $66 million from the family of Medical College of Georgia alumnus Dr. J. Harold Harrison for endowed scholarships and another $10 million to become the namesake of the university’s new Education Commons Building.

• Closed Fiscal Year 2014 with $106 million in research funding, the highest in university history.

• Began Georgia’s first clinical trials to study the use of marijuana-derived oil in the treatment of children with medication resistant-epilepsies.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS The next President will be a visionary leader who understands and appreciates the relationship the University has with the Augusta community and the state of Georgia. The selected person will be a leading spokesperson for higher education in the state and will have strategic knowledge of the role and mission of a dynamic research university in an ever-changing world. The President will also work well with the other presidents in the system and seek partnerships to extend its teaching, research and service missions.

The President will be student centered and will be a person of creative vision, relentless energy, and unquestioned integrity. The institution is positioned for a bright future and offers an opportunity for the right leader to grow and develop in a dynamic, urban research university. The ideal candidate will be a consummate fund-raiser and friend-raiser and will understand how to work with public officials whose support for the University is essential. Desired characteristics include an appreciation for an excellent faculty and high quality research, a consensus-building style of decision-making, exemplary communication and interpersonal skills, and a passion for preparing students for productive and successful lives.

Other qualifications and characteristics: • An accessible leadership style and an open and approachable presence... a discerning listener, approachable, trusting of others, and encouraging and responsive to the ideas of others.

• Strong commitment to interacting with students, faculty, staff, and alumni and to being a central part of university life.

• A visible presence, not only on campus, but in external communities; cultivate positive town-gown relations and establish and reinforce linkages to business, industry, and grant-making agencies.

• A versatile, high energy, dynamic, and inspirational leader.

• Strategic visionary who has the highest integrity.

• Savvy, practical person who can lead everyone.

• An effective fund-raiser who can network effectively with various groups of people around the state.

• Team-builder, consensus-builder and an excellent communicator.

• Problem solver who has the ability to establish priorities.

• Record of achievement in a leadership role.

• Understands the academy and public higher education.

• A caring person who is honest and has common sense.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, comprehensive curriculum vitae, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting Georgia Regents University (electronic submissions preferred). Confidential review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to May 22, 2015.

Laurie C. Wilder, President Katie M. Bain, Vice President and Managing Director 770-804-1996 ext. 108 lwilder@parkersearch.com (link sends e-mail) || kbain@parkersearch.com (link sends e-mail) Georgia Regents University, a unit of the University System of Georgia, is an equal opportunity educational institution and is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

President CONTINUED from PAGE 1

College of Business Dean Marc Miller said he appreciates Hull’s generosity.

Hull is one of the most modest individuals Miller said he has ever met and that Hull is “not doing any of this for Jim Hull” and that “he is doing it for the community.”

“He understands that this university should be an anchor point of the entire community,” Miller said.

According to a Sept. 4 article

by Jenna Martin in the Augusta Chronicle on Hull’s leaving his 22year partnership with Hull Storey Gibson Companies LLC to create the Hull Property Group, Hull Storey Gibson was, at the time, one of the largest commercial real estate

owners in the nation.

Nick Evans, spokesman for the “Save the A” campaign and former GHSU foundation member, said he believes Hull is capable of making the right selection.

“His commitment to this community and to the school is tremen-

dous,” Evans said. “He has put his money where his mouth is … I am certain that he will help to make the right choice for new leadership for his school. We do not need another mistake.” radams99@gru.edu hharris9@gru.edu

PAGE 4

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

OPINION www.grubellringer.com

editorial

GRU: Do the right thing C

ontroversy is important; its causes are not to be ignored. It is only when valid concerns are dismissed that controversy runs the risk of damaging the reputations of all involved.

Appropriately, The Bell Ringer has decided to weigh in on what we feel is a pressing issue: the current state of care that the university affords its animal test subjects.

The reoccurrence of this specific issue is too large a warning sign for us to ignore; as journalists, we are tasked with asking questions the diverse students, faculty and staff need and expect us to ask.

And this is one of those questions that refuses the silence it is currently being offered in lieu of verifiable answers and concrete solutions.

According to the Augusta

Chronicle, on Feb. 11 the United States Department of Agriculture released a report in which Georgia Regents University is held in violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Of particular note is the isolated housing of many of the university’s macaques used for research, in direct violation with federal regulations.

No matter what one’s stand on animal testing is, one of the most disturbing details is the specific nature of the offense: Not only is this not the first time this infraction has been noted by the USDA, but the last time was little over a year ago. That time, the university said it had rectified the situation.

But here we are, once again.

Legally, it is important to note that the university is the steward of

these animals.Therefore, Georgia Regents’ treatment of them has a direct bearing on what type of institution it is.

What is done to many of these unfortunate creatures would be unconscionable outside of the research laboratory. It is allowed because the research of the university claims to strive for the greatest human good. But it must always be allowed to be scrutinized. This is not a responsibility to be shunned.

If there is a specific reason for these continued violations, a viable answer, we ask the administration to be transparent and open about it.

So far, the only response has been one that focused on the outcome and not on the specific means by which this outcome was garnered.

This is not a problem that is

going to go away. Instead of excuses, we at The Bell Ringer expect transparency and action.

An intellectually mature and academically free university is capable of discussing an issue like this, and it should be allowed to – not simply on an administrative level, but from the bottom up. We believe this is an issue that warrants a frank conversation, one that

deals with all levels of the university and acknowledges the responsibility this university owes to the students whose diplomas will bear its name.

To the readers of The Bell Ringer, hold us to our word. Don’t allow our silence to drown out your voice; even we need to be alerted to the importance of a particular issue every once in while.

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

Remembering Sir Terry Pratchett T

he beloved British author Sir Terry Pratchett passed away March 12. He was, and continues to be, an inspiration, a role model and a provider of much-needed (in)sanity to millions of people, including myself.

A couple years ago, I was flipping through a course catalog and trying to decide what to do with myJessica Sager self after the copy editor professional writing track was discontinued. The journalism track seemed like a pretty good fit, especially compared to transferring. But would this journalism thing be a good fit for an aspiring fiction writer? Hmm. Seemed to work out all right for J.K. Rowling, Charles Dickens and, yes, Pratchett ... who happens to be my favorite of the three.

Majoring in journalism is so far turning out to be one of the best decisions of my life. As a busy student and news writer, though, it is easy to lose track of time to write poetry or stories. It can even be tempting to lay aside a story or column for the paper and say, ‘I can’t do it.’ It’s not just being a student: I think most writers are prone to being too tired or too awake, too bored or too busy, too lonely or too happy, just too damn everything to sit down and write.

I still make these excuses for

Jordan barry | staff

Terry Pratchett wrote more than 70 books. The hedgehog is symbolic of Nanny Ogg, a character in his popular Discworld series.

myself, but because of Pratchett I know better than to buy into the idea that I ever just can’t write. In 2007, before he was even 60 years old, Pratchett was diagnosed with a rare type of Alzheimer’s disease.

Have you ever wondered how you would react to being diagnosed with a terminal illness? I have, and for me, it always comes back to the stories – the stories unwritten.

I hope this never becomes a reality for me, but I also hope that, if it does, I will react the way I want to, the way that Sir Terry did: Keep on writing. For eight years after his

diagnosis, Pratchett kept writing, releasing roughly one novel a year.

He needed help as his disease got worse, but nonetheless he kept writing. When compared to Alzheimer’s, my petty excuses slink away in shame. And I write.

What did Pratchett write? As I realized after reading a short story collection (“A Blink of the Screen”), he could have written anything he wanted, and he chose to write satire. An extraordinary thing about his writing is it’s never cruel. His parodies of the world reveal cruelty, of course,

but never generate it. For all that he was a satirist, he was gentle, finding goodness, as well as humor.

Pratchett’s writing isn’t flippant; the humor comes from his ability to see both the deadly seriousness and the bizarre, potentially funny sides of a situation. The simplicity and matter-of-factness of his writing make difficult things easier to read about and even possible to laugh at.

I’ve never read a word of Pratchett that didn’t ring true. I’ve never said to myself “That isn’t a what a real blank* would do!”

events that are essential to succeeding in college. But those seemingly trivial activities can provide you with skills and memories that will enrich your educational experience and that will last a lifetime. Each and every one of us who are part of a college campus should take the time to participate in campus traditions.

Campus traditions offer each student the opportunity to be included in something larger than themselves. These activities help to promote a sense of pride and inclusivity in your school. This is your time to express yourself, explore your independence and broaden your horizons socially, as well as academically. Especially if you are a freshman, traditions are great places to meet new friends. For many, college is a place where you develop into the person that you are going to be. This transitional phase is unique in that the quality of your experiences is completely

in your control. Your opinions, your concerns and your voice mean something to this institution. Much like you are blossoming as an individual, this university is growing and developing its own unique customs.

Embarking on your college journey may seem daunting at first, but participating in campus traditions broadens your understanding of the people who make up your campus community. Many of our traditions bring together alumni and students from across the university — people you might not have the opportunity to meet otherwise. Homecoming and Alumni Weekend bring together all the members of Jaguar Nation to celebrate what it means to be part of this incredible community and to support each other. These bonds are what brand a university and establish a campus culture that is representative of your own values.

If you choose to take on a

position of leadership in a campus tradition, you will develop your own skills and abilities. Regardless of your major, skills like the ability to work efficiently with a team will be beneficial in both your academic and future career endeavors. Although organizing a group to accomplish a task can be frustrating, you will put those marketing, leadership, time management, logistics, communication and accounting lessons from your courses to use in a way you never could in a classroom. Honing these skills is what builds the confidence that employers look for after college.

Many of our traditions offer you the opportunity to make a real difference. The Day of Service that we celebrate each fall pairs groups from GRU with organizations in our community with needs.

Our hard work on that day can make a difference for thousands of people across the CSRA. Events like the Heart Walk give you an

when reading one of his books.

I don’t know how he did that; probably by being a good journalist, i.e. an observant one. As far as I can tell, every experience in his books, no matter how extraordinary, is relatable.

Reading Pratchett’s books reminds me that authors can make a difference. Remembering the impact he’s had on my life, and those of millions of other readers, assures me that what I aspire to do isn’t just decoration, icing on a world that needs more than pretty tales. What Sir Terry’s books have done for me isn’t mere escapism, isn’t just one distraction of many.

It has influenced me and positively impacted my life, in part by reminding me that I, too, could someday help, comfort or inspire someone with my words.

Here’s what happens to me when I read a Terry Pratchett book: In the midst of the horror, the stupidity, the sheer insanity of the world, someone takes me by the hand. I’m pulled away from the latest disaster, personal or worldwide, and I walk away willingly to a place where I can breathe easily, a place where my brain whirs happily and my shoulders shake with laughter. As I get lost in this delightful, bizarre world, I find that it is the same world I was scared of a few pages before. It is my world, reflected back to me and made bearable. *Politician, orangutan, grim reaper, journalist, wizard, thief, actor, policeman, hedgehog, etc. jschucke@gru.edu

Your university will be what you make it

By Karla Leeper & Champagne Malone contributors

Y

ou have a unique opportunity. You have come to a university that combines the heritage of two historic institutions into something new and exciting.

Consolidating the Medical College of Georgia and Augusta State University has created a powerful new university that will have a profound impact on students for generations to come. You are here as we begin this journey and you have a unique opportunity to shape the way those future generations will honor our heritage and our culture. Your history is our history.

On their face, many traditions may seem frivolous or even silly.

Singing songs, celebrating the start of spring, practicing for hours to cheer on your team or dancing nonstop for two days hardly seem like

opportunity to engage with the community for a cause that benefits hundreds of thousands of people.

As you think about how you will spend your time this spring, or as you are planning for next fall, check out some of the great things that are happening on our campus. If you enjoy something, think about how you might contribute to the growth of these traditions on our campus by lending your time and talents to the organization sponsoring it. If you have a good idea for something that would make a great campus tradition, work with the Division of Student Life to turn your idea into something that can benefit the campus.

chmalone@gru.edu Leeper is the executive vice president for university relations and chief of staff to the president; Malone is a junior biology major and this year’s chair of the Jaguar Jam, as well as a member of the Homecoming executive council.

Correction for Issue 12, March 17 In the arts & life article “Talk puts issues to bed” (pg. 5), Benjamin Porter was misquoted. The paraphrase should have read: “Benjamin Porter, a sophomore history secondary education major, said he does not believe in trying to heal through other people.” We apologize for this mistake.

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 5

Student has tips to save in Augusta F

Warming is real issue T

ed Cruz announced his presidential ambitions March 23. Before this event, during a meeting in Barrington, New Hampshire, he said: “The whole world is on fire!”

When he was asked by Seth Meyers whether he actually meant that the world is warming, he answered: “I just came back from New Hampshire where there’s snow and ice everywhere,” and continued by saying “satellite data demonstrates for the last 17 years, there’s been zero warming.” Well, Mr. Cruz, let’s examine the satellite data.

The day Senator Cruz started his presidential campaign, the NASA published the news that Arctic sea ice reached its annual maximum of 5.61 million square miles on February 25, “this year’s winter peak extent is the lowest … on the satellite record that began in 1979.”

The senator from Texas also said “…it used to be called global warming and then magically the theory changed to climate change?

The reason is it wasn’t warming…” Interestingly, climate.gov published an article in 2014 called “Does ‘global warming’ mean it’s warming everywhere?” The first paragraph of the article answers Senator Cruz’s question, “No, ‘global warming’ means Earth’s average annual air temperature is rising, but not necessarily in every single location during all seasons across the globe. It’s like your grades. If one semester you get all Bs and Cs, and the next you get

all As and Cs, your grade point average rises, even though you didn’t improve in every class.” The Washington Post published a piece disputing Senator Cruz’s claim that “for the last 17 years there’s been zero warming.”

Cruz takes as a starting point 1998, one of the warmest years on record, and does not concentrate on the surface measurements.

Giorgi Khatiashvili It is true that columnist from 1998 to 2012 the rate of global warming was “smaller than the rate calculated from 1951,” but it does not mean it was zero.

Here, I think, it is prudent to insert some well-known scientific facts to remind everyone that the Earth is warming.

According to NASA and NOAA, 2014 was the hottest year since temperature recording began in 1880. Since 1870, the seas have risen by 7.87 inches (200 mm). Global warming is not without consequences. NASA finds that if current emission trends are maintained, the U.S. will be affected by severe droughts before 2100. According to an article in the New York Times, the Pentagon estimated that climate changes pose risks for national security, “with increased risks from terror-

ism, infectious disease, and global poverty and food shortages. (The report) predicted rising demand for military disaster responses as extreme weather creates more global humanitarian crises.”

The senator from Texas is not only skeptical about current warming trends, but he also questions the actions taken by national government or international organizations. To combat human effects on the environment and ensure sustainable development, more than 178 governments, including the U.S., at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio adopted Agenda 21, a voluntary action “that offers suggestions for sustainable ways local, state and national governments can combat poverty and pollution and conserve natural resources in the 21st century.”

During the Texas senate race in 2012, Ted Cruz referred to Agenda 21 as “a dangerous United Nations plan” that would “abolish unsustainable environments, including golf courses, grazing pastures and paved roads.” Cruz said billionaire philanthropist George Soros is the “originator of this grand scheme” and “candidly supports socialism and believes that global development must progress through eliminating national sovereignty and private property.”

gkhatiashvvili@gru.edu Khatiashvili is a graduate assistant in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program.

ull-time college life is a costly, time-consuming experience that often limits one’s ability to earn wages.

If you are broke like me, then you know that every dollar counts.

College life offers a few perks that students can take advantage of while attending Georgia Regents University.

The Maxwell Theatre often hosts events that are free to students. The Shellie Smitley CREW sponsors staff writer many events for students and their families. There are discounted movie tickets, free workout rooms and free counseling. Many services can be received at either a reduced cost or free through Student Health Services and the school of dentistry. (I got my teeth cleaned for free by agreeing to be a student’s patient). All of those things are great; however, they are not enough.

Being the resourceful person that I am, I have found a number of businesses in the area that offer discounts to students presenting their school ID. Do not be afraid to go and whip out the old JagCard, as I personally called all these businesses to confirm whether they participate in student discounts or not.

Do you have a large assignment? The FedEx at 1070 Bertram Road offers a 10 percent discount on all printing services.

Looking for something to do?

The Morris Museum of Art offers a yearlong student membership for $15.00 that entitles the student to all of the regular membership perks.

Do you have a hobby? Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft offers students aged 14 and older who register with the Jo-Ann Student Discount Program a 10 percent discount off

on all purchases, plus two special coupons.

Do you want to keep up with the latest news? The New York Times offers students the first four weeks for just 99 cents and 50 percent off the regular rate after that.

Do you love to shop? Banana Republic and The Limited, both located in the mall, offer students a 15 percent discount on purchases.

The Goodwill at 3179 Washington Road offers students a 10 percent discount on Tuesdays and Sam’s Club offers a collegiate membership.

If you are a college student, then I know you are hungry.

Subway, located at 2164 Central Ave., and Firehouse Subs, located at 1509 Walton Way, offer Georgia Regents students a 10 percent discount.

Rumor has it that there is also a way to download Microsoft Word for free through D2L to your computer or laptop; I haven’t figured that one out yet, but my daughter, who is also a student, said she did and it worked.

There are probably more perks out there for the thrifty minded: Happy hunting and good luck.

sbarb@gru.edu

contributed by maha ismail

Students can save money on a variety of services, including dental cleanings.

Greek life: students share experiences ZTAs earn friendships, academic successes

Greeks are your friends and classmates, too

ou’re buying your friends.”

As a sister of the female fraternity Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA), I’ve heard this line several times.

For many people, the word “sorority” conjures Amy Thorne images arts & life editor of heavy drinking, house parties and sexual promiscuity.

Thanks to the media and pop culture, this image is the only glimpse people get into sorority life. Once again, the movie and television industry has gotten it wrong.

Though every greek organization has its fun, there is more to greek life than wearing a T-shirt with funny looking letters. For me, being part of a greek organization on campus has proven to be an interesting and rewarding social endeavor.

My experience has operated around a few key words: Philanthropy - Each organization has its own official philanthropy. Ours is breast cancer awareness and education. Whether we are raising over $20,000 for breast cancer research and education through a

eing a greek and a student is anything but easy.

In between meetings, you also have 16 credit hours, community service, the undying need for sleep and nourishment and the enormous burden of Taylor Mitchell being the staff writer on-campus face for your organization.

It’s not hard to look up to greeks, because sometimes people aspire to be greek themselves, have parents that are greeks or look up to community leaders who are greeks. It’s so hard to forget that we are the same age, in the same classes and live very similar lives.

It’s not easy being pulled each and every way because someone always needs something.

Greeks on campus have been glorified to the point where they sometimes become celebrities, when in all actuality you, the non-greek readers, are better off than us. Every other Wednesday, Monday and Sunday while you’re at home, asleep or just hanging out, mine and several other greek organizations on campus are just about to call our respective meetings to order.

“Y

single bowling tournament or answering phones in the Radiothon for the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, we’re always looking for ways to help out in the community.

Bigs and littles - Most greek organizations have big and little sisters. This is our mentor system within the chapter. The bond between a big and little sister is what the two make it.

Ritual - My favorite part of being a ZTA is participating in the rituals that have been maintained since 1898. No matter the sister, university or time period, rituals are the common denominator among all ZTAs. Without our rituals, we’re just another organization.

We keep them secret, not because we’re sacrificing goats, but because we want to ensure ZTAs have a bond fraught with symbolism. Whenever I see a ZTA, regardless of where we are or came from, I’ll know she’s been through the same initiation process (and we don’t haze).

Academics - Despite popular belief, greeks are some of the most productive students on campus. Every ZTA on campus has to maintain minimum GPA requirements in order to retain her membership. We even have an academics chair to help teach sisters effective study habits and ensure academic success within the chapter.

Sisterhood - Ultimately, this is what being in a

sorority boils down to. If you think greek life is just going to be another blip on your resume, you’re sadly mistaken. When you join an organization, you hold a modicum of accountability to each individual in the chapter.

We are close. We’re bridesmaids in each others’ weddings, dates to the movies, study partners and partners in crime. My sisters have been there at 2 a.m. when I needed their help and advice, and I’ve done the same for them.

The sisterhood doesn’t stop in college. You really do make friends for life. In the next two months, I’ll be graduating from Georgia Regents and joining the Augusta Area ZTA Alumnae.

It’s not easy being in a fraternity or sorority. The time commitment can be overwhelming at times.

Whenever I think of how much easier college would have been if I had a little extra time to study instead of attending a chapter meeting, I am immediately reminded of how empty my college experience would be without ZTA. You can’t put a price on walking through campus and seeing a friendly face everywhere you go, or watching a girl’s face light up with excitement after she receives her bid from your organization.

If I bought my friends, then I didn’t pay enough!

athorne@gru.edu

B

Just think about it: How often do you just get to chill and hang out all summer with your friends, take vacations and visit family? Well, cut that in half because we will probably have a national convention we have to attend.

How many times have you just flown off the handle? Think about it: at work, in the grocery store or even just in class when you’re frustrated with someone?

Several times, you say?

Well, things as simple as being the slightest bit annoyed while you walk around campus are a no-go for us. Now, let’s say you do fly off the handle. The next thing you will hear buzzing around campus is, “Oh wow, those sorority girls really do have the worst attitudes,” and of course nobody wants to be looked at like that.

Greeks are required to keep everything under lock and key: Our secrets, our protocol and our traditions are protected from the public eye. Our emotions and our frustrations are secret and bottled inside to wear a smile for the whole campus to see. When you join an organization, you must always realize you take that organization with you everywhere you go and that you represent them in everything you do.

From the outside looking in, nobody cares whether I’m doing well in French, if I’m having a great day or

if I’m feeling well. People are only worried about what’s next. It’s hard living in a world where people befriend you just because you benefit them. Being a student greek isn’t easy, but I will say our Georgia Regents greeks make it look flawless.

We are the at the tops of our classes, presidents, vice presidents, club leaders, orientation leaders, student assistants and even sometimes staff. We make this profession - and yes, I do say profession - one to be envied and feared. I commend you, my fellow greeks, for letting out a mighty Jaguar roar.

We leave an amazing mark on the Summerville campus and community.

Our service projects, initiatives and overall willingness to get our hands dirty puts us on a higher plateau. We have all worked extremely hard for our letters and have used them as the push to start ongoing programs on campus and come out on top every time.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure every organization has a few kinks to work out, but the bigger picture is a beautiful one.

So the next time you see us on campus, wave, smile, ask us how our day is - we don’t bite. Just also remember, we are human, we are students, we have jobs, we have children, we need help and a kind smile also, just like you. tmitch22@gru.edu

PAGE 6

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

ARTS & LIFE www.grubellringer.com

Festival sees new season

By Amy Thorne arts & life editor

Amy Thorne | Staff

Bogan Shillingsburg (top) works on her “princess anime hybrid” for a sidewalk chalk competition. The Mason Jars’ Andrew Colbert (bottom left) performs an original song. Saturday, Ronaldo Perez (bottom right) fills in the community banner of the festival.

A new local festival has emerged to celebrate art, dance, music, heritage and the start of spring in Evans, Ga. The YUCHiKiOKEE Festival made its debut March 21 in Evans Towne Center Park The event’s coordinator Virginia Atkins said the event was a reboot of the Columbus Day Festival the county holds in the fall.

“We have dance, we have choral, ballet, artists guild right here in Columbia County, but we didn’t have a festival that just showed the spotlight on them,” she said. “So, the YUCHiKiOKEE was willing to do that and they did.”

Guests could partake in zorbing, live painting on stage, craft beers, a sidewalk chalk competition, kids crafts, artist demonstrations and craft and food vendors, according to the event’s schedule.

The festival’s name comes from the combination of two historical Native American tribes in the Columbia County area, Atkins said.

She said that author and Columbia County native Barbara Seaborn mentions the two tribes in her book “As Long as the Rivers

Run,” which is about the county.

“The book talks about, in one of the chapters, the Yuchi in the end and the Kiokee in the end,” Atkins said. “We have a Kiokee Baptist church ... we have Euchee Creek, we have Kiokee Creek.”

Seaborn spoke at the event about the tribes’ historical significance, Atkins said.

Festivalgoers also heard musical performances from the Columbia County Choral Society, Ed Turner & Number 9, The Mason Jars, The Harmony River Chorus and others.

Glass blower Michael Skeen, who sold his glass creations at the festival, said he and his wife were happy to bring art to the community.

“Well, festivals bring different kinds of information to people,” Skeen said. “And not a lot of people know anything about glass blowing, so we get to talk a little bit about glass.”

Atkins said the event had a great turnout, even though the second day, originaly planned for Sunday, was rained out.

Festivalgoers and locals can expect the event to return the second weekend of next March, she said.

athorne@gru.edu

Sisters share success

By Shellie Smitley staff writer

The Maura sisters, Yelitza and Mayra, are Spanish students that have excelled not only as individuals, but also as a team.

Yelitza Maura, president of Los Amigos Hispanos, is a Spanish major in her senior year. Mayra Maura, her sister, is also a Spanish major and is the vice president of the club.

The sisters have both been students of Jana Sandarg, a professor of Spanish at Georgia Regents University.

“Dr. Sandarg is our mentor, so to speak,” Mayra Maura said. “She is very close to us and very dear to our hearts.”

Recently, the sisters participated in the Phi Kappa Phi conference with Sandarg’s encouragement, and Yelitza Maura was chosen for the Student of Year, which was awarded by the Georgia chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.

sidney fowler | staff

Students Yelitza (left) and Mayra (right) Maura showcase culture in Dia Cultural.

Sandarg said she nominated Yelitza Maura for the award.

Yelitza Maura is very active in the community and very civic minded, Sandarg said.

Yelitza Maura said that after she graduates in May she hopes to take six months off to decide if she

wants to teach, and she intends on enrolling in graduate school for a master’s degree in Spanish American literature.

Sandarg said both sisters have brought excitement and enthusiasm to the department.

“They help recruit people for the Spanish program,” Sandarg said. “When all the students see the exciting things they are doing and enthusiasm they have for it, it makes them want to jump in, too.

That is just what we need. We need more like that.”

Although Yelitza Maura said she believes that Mayra Maura is the better student, Mayra Maura said they are both good students in their field.

“I am very proud of my sister for winning that award,” Mayra Maura said. “It’s been a long journey for her, trial and error, but I think that she has become a wonderful woman, and I think that in the long run it shows off.” sbarb@gru.edu

Club event spells game over for hunger

By Leslie Anne Wiedmeier staff writer

“There are a lot of people that I know personally in this town that don’t get the food they need every day,” Tedder said. “We’re trying to show people that, as gamers, we do care.”

The funds raised at the event are being donated to the Golden Harvest Food Bank, according to the organization’s Facebook page.

“I’m excited about the charity involved,” said Rachel Cox, a member of the club. “I’ve done work with Golden Harvest Food Bank in

The GRU Gaming Club put on an event called “Gamers Against Hunger” Thursday that allowed participants to buy tickets to play both old and new console games.

The event was designed to raise awareness about people in and around the Augusta area that don’t have enough to eat and face hunger on a daily basis, said Kyle Tedder, vice president of the club.

the past, and they are a really great organization.”

Jessica Faust, secretary of the organization, said that some of the members of the club have been homeless or are still homeless, so the club supports them.

“I noticed that we don’t really give much back yet, as we’re still kind of recent with our club, but what better to do than play games?”

Tedder said. “I’ve always loved ar see GAMERS on PAGE 8

jamie sapp | staff

The CREW’s annual talent show returned for its second year Thursday, March 26.

Talent competition increases diversity

By Jamie Sapp staff writer

The CREW hosted its second annual talent show March 26 at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre.

Danielle Schleifer, co-advisor of The CREW and coordinator of student involvement with student life and engagement, said the show is traditionally held on a weeknight.

“For this particular event, when they picked the date, they tried to pick a date that didn’t conflict with anything on the university calendar,” she said. “We didn’t want to try to compete for an audience with someone else.”

JoVawne Fletcher, a senior business marketing major, is The CREW’s vice president for public relations.

He said The CREW tried to add more variety to the show to

keep students excited.

“I think there is a lot of acts that people aren’t going to be expecting,” he said. “And we might have a cute little novelty to give out. So people should look forward to that.”

Amma Sarfo, president of The CREW and a junior psychology major, said the organization did not have categories for the talent show.

“We didn’t want to limit anybody in terms of talents,” she said.

“We just told them to come out and do whatever you think you can do.”

Fletcher said there was not a specific theme incorporated in the show.

“We’re thinking about incorporating themes in the future,” he said. “But for this year, there is not a theme.”

Sarfo said The CREW picked see TALENT on PAGE 8

What are students doing for Spring Break?

“

Going home to Savannah

“

Airi Lackey, freshman pre-biology major

“

Working on campus

“ “

Anferknee Hanson, junior communications major

No plans Denorio Daniel, senior business major

“ the Masters “ “ “ Working at Paige Tuttle, junior early childhood education major

Probably going to Six Flags

“

Anna Ellison, freshman psychology major

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

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 7

START READY FOR CHALLENGES.

START TAKING ON CHALLENGES.

START STANDING APART.

START READY FOR LEADERSHIP. START CLIMBING HIGHER.

START READY FOR THE FUTURE. START TAKING CHARGE.

START STRONG. SM

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

PAGE 8

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

ARTS & LIFE www.grubellringer.com

Student takes to stage

By Jessica Sager copy editor

H

ow long does a play last?

For an actress at Georgia Regents University, the work, stress and joy of a production start as soon as auditions are announced, if not sooner.

When I heard about the upcoming production of “Goblin Market,” I asked the director, Melanie O’Meara, if I could borrow a copy of the script to read before auditions.

In an audition, you act in front of the biggest audience you’ll get before opening night – and they’re all other actors, so no pressure, right? Happily, I was cast.

I’ve found the best way to deal with my nerves is to remember, no matter the outcome, the audition itself is an opportunity to perform.

Even if I don’t get cast, I

jamie Sapp | staff

Jessica Sager (left) plays a Victorian actress with Sidney Fowler (right) in “Goblin Market.”

can at least entertain for a little bit.

Despite the stereotypes of actors being petty, competitive and uncooperative, some casts are amazing to work with! The more energy, kindness and enthusiasm you can bring as an actor, the better. To my joy, everyone came to “Goblin Market” excited to work together.

The friendships we

formed helped, especially because we played a small troupe of Victorian actresses who were each other’s closest friends and confidants.

Supporting and joking with each other offstage strengthened us as we played a group of close friends facing challenges together onstage. I loved working with an all-female cast.

As someone who’d

never acted in a fulllength play before, I was very overwhelmed by dress rehearsals. It was amazing how wearing costumes and being in a fairly new environment made all of us fumble the lines we’d known by heart just a day earlier.

Opening week started with three actresses, including me, not being able to do a full rehearsal on Sunday. Monday

was soured by the rehearsal from hell.

But peace was silently, inexplicitly restored by Tuesday, and we were soon ready for opening night Thursday.

Performing in front of an audience is very different from any rehearsal. All I can say is to embrace those differences and love every minute of it! I couldn’t do that for the entirety of all three performances, but on Saturday night, I was able to let go of my anxiety and relish the moment. So did other cast members, because it turned out to be our best show.

Were the two months of nerves, long days and hard work worth it? Yes. It was worth it for the friendships made and strengthened, the strides I made as an actress, the joy I felt on stage and the chance to entertain a great audience. It was very, very worth it! jschucke@gru.edu

Yoga studio in fine form

By Joshua Adams staff writer

Shellie smitley | staff

The Augusta Museum of History hosted an after-hours tour event Thursday.

Historical figures return for a night

By Shellie Smitley staff writer The Augusta Museum of History opened its “Night at the Museum” event to the public for the first time March 26.

Julie Gazda, education manager, said last year the museum held the event for members only, and it was so well received that the museum decided to open it to the public this year.

Lee Ann Caldwell is a professor of history, director of the Center for the Study of Georgia History and university historian-in-residence at Georgia Regents University.

She has spoken at the museum’s White Glove dinners and said this was her second time attending the Night at the Museum event.

“It’s a really nice reception,” Caldwell said. “For one thing, they have food and beverages that people enjoy. (Also) because the tours are actually divided into two groups so that they are manageable, and the museum is darkened and each

Talent

CONTINUED from PAGE 6

acts that would give the audience a very diverse show.

“I think the majority was singing and dancing, but this year, we have so much more,” she said. “We have a poet. We have a rapper. We have the (GRU) Jhatka club coming to (do) a multicultural dance. It’s really beautiful. I’m very excited for it.”

Sarfo said the first talent show had too many acts last year.

group has a tour guide who is a character themselves, and they take you through to various parts of the museum where you are met by a person in character from a particular time period, in costume as well, and they tell their story and tell a little bit of the history of Augusta as a result of telling their story. It’s educational, but it’s also interesting and a lot of fun.”

Gazda said the museum’s staff chose and researched characters that were on exhibit and then developed three-minute long scripts that highlighted the most fascinating part of the characters’ lives.

She said that eight of the 10 characters portrayed were acted out by the museum’s board members.

“Some of the cast members really took ownership of their roles and rewrote the script to suit them with the same information and detail,” Gazda said.

“But it was their own style, and they found their own costumes and so forth.” sbarb@gru.edu

Host Kabir Singh, a standup comedian, appeared at the talent show with many jokes and stories to tell to the audience.

Freshman chemistry major Kitana Owens received first place for her poem “Queen Woman.”

The GRU Jhatka Club received second place for its dance performance. Singer Ariana Cherice received third place for performing her song “I’d Walk to Georgia.”

Sarfo said she thinks the students will have more desire to attend future talent shows. jsapp270@gru.edu

A local yoga studio held an open house event to celebrate its one-year anniversary Saturday.

Moniqua Acosta, owner and teacher at Space Yoga Studio, said the event features two community practices, which donate to charities and provide three mini practices for people to sample.

“We donate 100 percent of what we make to charities on those community practices,” Acosta said. “And the teachers are working on a volunteer basis. Within the last year, we’ve donated about $3,500 to different charities.”

After a year of success, Acosta said that Space Yoga will transition to a pay-as-yougo payment plan instead of the traditional membership.

“Right now we have memberships and set prices,” Acosta said. “But we’re moving, starting on April 1, to pay what you can, but we’re asking for a $5 minimum because we have to pay teachers. I think when you take away the pressure of what people have to pay, they’ll be more willing to pay.”

Acosta said that Space Yoga creates a sense of community for its instructors and students.

“The people who are coming here, they know each other and practice with each other,” Acosta said. “And it’s a really different feel than other studios.”

Gamers CONTINUED from PAGE 6

cades; everyone I’ve known in this club loves arcades. So we just set them up and have people play them like we used to have them here in Augusta.”

The club spread awareness about the event by passing out fliers on campus, as well as posting fliers at local gaming shops, and through sharing information about the event on the gaming club’s Facebook page, Faust said.

“I think this is the closest

Among the teachers at Space Yoga is Nicole Cox, who has been teaching yoga for about three years.

“Instructors give you the fish, teachers teach you how to get the fish,” Cox said.

Cox said she values students who truly want to learn.

Yoga allows people to learn more about themselves and the universe, Cox said.

Among the students at Space Yoga is Colleen Parr, an art teacher at Aquinas High School and an Augusta State University graduate.

“I like doing yoga here because it’s less of a gym situation, like trying to lose weight or get fit, and more of centering your mind and body at the same time.” Parr said. “Instead of it being a workout, you’re working on your internal, as well as external.” jadams35@gru.edu

Garden City Grub Jordan Barry

production manager

American finds Zen in Japanese eatery

F

or me, a typical trip to a Japanese restaurant includes teriyaki chicken, white rice and maybe a cucumber roll. In other words, I am not a food adventurer. I usually stick to what I know, but for Kawa I made an exception.

This small restaurant sits on Broad Street in Downtown Augusta, and it was recommended to me as a “new, Japanese tapas place.” Tapas … immediately I was skeptical. The word drummed up images of tiny plates and disproportionately large prices.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that tapas was not the only option Kawa had to offer. In fact, the menu was so immense that I spent about 15 minutes just looking over it.

It quickly became clear to me that I was not in your typical, Americanized Japanese restaurant, as I could barely pronounce anything on the menu. My waiter explained said that Kawa was probably as close to authentic Japanese as you could get in Augusta.

I figured I would take his word for it, and decided I owed the restaurant a little more than my “usual.” Finding the Teishoku, or entrees, I decided to order something called Saba Ageni.

When the starter miso soup and side salad came out, their small size brought the word tapas back into my internal dialogue.

But, on second evaluation, I determined that these were actually correct portion sizes, rather than the continental sized portions I was used to. And I was grateful that, for once, I would not be full before my actual meal.

The miso broth brought a welcomed warmth to my empty stomach, and I savored it before moving on to my salad.

Finally, the waiter placed the Saba Ageni on my table and, I must say, it looked nothing like I expected. On the menu, it was described as “deep fried saba or salmon simmer in sweet and sour sauce.” So, in my imagination, this fish was salmon, breaded, fried southern style and covered in a bright red-orange, tangy sauce.

In reality, however, the fish was saba (mackerel). It was not breaded, but fried with the skin on, and sat in a pool of brown sauce that had a watery consistency.

The dish was garnished with leafy greens, three large cubes of fried tofu and a red pepper with a separate bowl of white rice.

After looking it over, I tried it, and it was love at first bite. The fish was melt-inyour mouth soft and the sauce was desirably sweet. The rice was nice and sticky, which made it easy to eat with chopsticks. It paired nicely with the saba, and I found comfort in its familiarity.

The tofu was surprisingly appetizing.

The fried exterior vaguely reminded me of a donut, and the warm center was gooey like a cookie. The sweet sauce from the main course made the tofu seem like dessert.

Though it cost me $17.50, the satisfaction of a good meal eased the uncomfortable strain on my purse strings. Kawa is definitely a good place to go if you feel like treating yourself to a delicious, albeit pricey, meal. jbarry3@gru.edu

joshua adams | staff

Space Yoga student Liz Huber gets into position for her next yoga pose.

(to an arcade gaming experience) that people are going to get,’” Tedder said. “Even if people just show up and look around, they know, and might try and show up next time we try to do something like this.”

Ultimately, the club raised $150 to donate to the fight against hunger, GRU Gaming Club president Jacob Scharff said.

“To be involved with a group that I love, having people do things that I personally love doing to promote a great cause, is always a good day.,” Cox said. lwiedmei@gru.edu

jordan barry | staff

Japanese restaurant Kawa serves up authenic Saba Ageni with pieces of fried tofu and a salad.

THE BELL RINGER

comics

Masters Spring Break

Across

Down

3. This golfer won his second Mas- 1. Some college students visit in difters in 2014. ferent states or countries for this kind of work for spring break.

6. This city in South Carolina is a major hotspot for college students 2. Residents of Augusta and visitors to enjoy. attend this annual tournament.

7. All motorists, pedestrians and 4. College students work at their vehicles will be part of this during jobs to make this.

Masters Week.

5. One stroke under par.

9. This city in Georgia is another major hotspot for college students 8. This kind of driving is not acceptto enjoy. able or safe to do.

12. This tree was named after Pres- 10. Two strokes under par. ident Dwight Eisenhower, before it was taken down from the Augusta 11. The number of strokes an expert National Golf Club in 2014. golfer is expected to need to finish a hole or all holes on a golf course.

13. No one should do this while driving during their spring break trips. 14. Founder of the Augusta National Golf Club and the Augusta National 15. This golfer won the first Masters Masters Tournament.

Tournament in 1934.

16. One stroke over par.

Answers for last issue: Across: 2. DrSeuss 6. Fault 7. GrannySmith 10. JollyGreenGiant 11. Female 13. Greenroom 14. Clue 15. Nuuk 16. SepticTank 17. EmeraldCity Down: 1. Asparagus 3. Dookie 4. GreenScreen 5. Envy 6. Forty 8. Hulk 9. Tractor 12. Emerald

Have A Great Spring Break!

PAGE 9

PAGE 10

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

sports Jags work on defense www.grubellringer.com

By Joshua Adams staff writer

While the GRU Augusta softball team has had a strong season with many wins, recent games have shown that the Jaguars need to work on defense.

According to jaguarsroar.com, the Diamond Jags have played an impressive season so far, with a current 21-7 standing for the season.

They faced the nationally ranked North Georgia Nighthawks, ranked No. 8, March 26.

The Nighthawks had been on a six-win streak, and were a challenging adversary for the Jaguars, who entered this game in third place in current PBC standings, according to jaguarsroar.com.

After Thursday’s games, North Georgia climbed to first place in the PBC softball standings, while GRU Augusta fell to sixth, according to peachbelt.com.

“We were so close last year, we had a lot of run-run games,” Head Coach Melissa Brocato said. “This year, we’ve got the hitting to score those extra runs that we were needing in the last few years.”

Brocato said she attributes the wins to the team’s positive nature.

“They’re a really positive group,” she said. “We all have the ability to be moody or negative sometimes, but they really fight that on a majority of days. They work really hard in the off season to build team chemistry and be encouraging.”

While the team has had good offense this season, Brocato said that it still needs to work on defense.

“Our pitchers can lower the walks, and the defensive team can lower their errors,” she said. “We have the potential to be a super

Anthony Garcia sports editor

The retiring rookie

A

JOSHUA ADAMS | STAFF

Junior center fielder Caitlyn Glenn enters the plate at the second game of the doubleheader against North Georgia, March 26.

strong, defensive team, but we continue to make errors. We’re still putting the bat on the ball pretty well, even against the best pitching.”

The doubleheader against North Georgia put the team’s defense to the test. The Jags lost both games, the first ending with a 2-0 loss and the second with a 9-3 loss, according to jaguarsroar.com.

While the Jags played their best, Brocato said, it wasn’t enough to beat the Nighthawks.

“We just made mistakes that we don’t make, generally,” she said. “Every team has errors, but we made them back to back. When you let a good team put pressure on you and you put pressure on yourself, it’s kind of a recipe for disaster. We definitely have played better, but we

didn’t give up. We fought and came back and scored some runs along the way. We’re right there with the nationally ranked teams. I feel good about the team and its future in the rest of the season.”

Haley Birkle, who pitched 7.0 innings in the first game of the doubleheader and 3.2 innings in the second, said that she’s happy with how the team has been playing despite the loss. She said that the losses on Thursday were almost expected.

“I feel like we beat ourselves; there was a lot of negative energy,” Birkle said. “They were a good team, and we would have to have been near perfect to beat them.

They’re a great team; if we were going to lose to anyone, it would have to be them. I feel like we’ve

had a turning point from last season. We’ve gotten everything together and started putting up a good fight against a lot of good teams.”

Although the team suffered recent losses, morale is still high, Hannah Wilson, second basewoman and batting leadoff, said.

“I think the season has been going great,” she said. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work, and it’s paying off.”

Wilson said that conference games raise the stakes, but don’t add much pressure to the team’s performance.

Despite the upset, the Jags recovered with winning both games of a doubleheader against UNC Pembroke, 5-4 and 10-8. jadams35@gru.edu

A shout-out to Masters crew

By Amy Thorne arts & life editor

I

t’s 4:45 a.m. You’re already running late and you drag yourself out of bed to hit the snooze on the alarm sitting next to your work uniform.

This may sound like another day for a menial shift worker, but for some Augusta youths, this is their spring break vacation.

As you halfAmy Thorne consciously slip arts & life editor yourself into khakis and a collared shirt, the flash of a small yellow Masters logo reminds you why you’re going to grin and bear the next seven days.

While some high school and college students across the state and county have already headed to sunny beaches, had lakeside barbecues, engaged in various forms of debauchery or just slept in, some Augustans spend their breaks breaking their backs in the name of golf.

After two years of serving as a cashier at the Augusta National Golf Course’s main golf shop, I

The Rookie Report

“

Working for the Masters Tournament means more than just a paycheck or resume candy.

-- Amy Thorne

”

can say working for the Masters Tournament is truly a unique experience, fraught with a mixture of anguish and satisfaction.

When you’re hired to work for the Masters, understand that you’re now a tiny cog in one of the most well-oiled and finely tuned machines in the world. Everything at the tournament is a precisely orchestrated operation, with organizers tending to every detail to ensure the world’s most prestigious golf tournament runs smoothly.

It’s easy to get lost among the droves of people attending separately scheduled employee orientations, navigating a maze of shuttle buses to your assigned workstation and an array of uniform styles and colors.

Leave your wallet and cellphone in the car. You won’t be needing either of them. The only chance you’ll have time to use a cell phone will be spent using your meal tickets to purchase the same delicious food patrons eat.

Of the many areas of employment at the National, students most commonly work in either food and beverage, passing out concessions,

or in point-of-sales in one of several gift shops.

After a 12-hour shift or longer, you’ll clock out, take a shuttle to the employee parking lot, meet up with your carpool partner and finally give your swollen feet a rest during the car ride home.

I may complain about it, but working for the tournament isn’t all doom and gloom slave labor. It can also be one of the most rewarding work experiences you’ll find in the CSRA. Seeing the National for the first time has to be experienced in person, and I’m privileged to say I’m one of the Augustans who has done so. No high-definition camera or television could properly represent the beauty of the perfectly manicured grass.

The patrons (don’t you dare call them customers) are even more of a sight. These people have money, the kind most of us will never see in our lifetimes. As a former cashier, I would see people spend thousands of dollars on golf merchandise and tournament memorabilia in a single transaction.

Occasionally, you’ll hear of a

Basketball CONTINUED from PAGE 12

richard adams | STAFf

Charles Cummings, a former student of Marshall’s, referees the tournament game.

of play between the 25 and up age group. The final score, 115 to 121, was in favor of Mount Carmel, whose name will be embossed on a small plaque and put on the trophy, which will reside with the winning team until next year’s tournament.

“It’s a community effort,” Gibbons said. “It brings churches together, and it gives us time to fellowship one with the other.”

When the scholarship first began, Edwards said, the maximum amount allotted was $200. For each

celebrity sighting in the area, and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to see one. In my experience, I’ve had former professional golfers, CEOs of major companies, people from all over the globe and locals alike come through my checkout line.

As all things must come to an end, the last day of the tournament arrives, a golfer wins the coveted green jacket and workers leave to relish the joy of another year finished. Students who choose not to spend Monday sleeping return to classes as rugged and worn out as they were before they left on vacation.

You tell yourself after those hours of hard work that no paycheck is worth your vacation and that you’re never going to come back. Then, a few weeks later, you check your mailbox to see a $1,200 check and start to reconsider.

When you return the following year, the excitement of your time has worn off, but it’s just as fun to see some of the familiar faces of last year and do it all again.

Working for the Masters Tournament means more than just a paycheck or resume candy. You get the satisfaction of knowing you worked to make another year of Augusta’s most iconic tradition possible.

athorne@gru.edu

underclassman ranking, freshman through senior, the amount of funds increased as graduation neared.

“Now, we’re able to give every student the same amount of money,” Edwards said. “We’ve really gone from having a little. We still haven’t reached that (goal of) $10,000, which I think we’re going to meet. I think we’re going to get it this year.”

Last year, Edwards said, the fund was able to give $333 to 31 kids. Edwards and the fund hold a fundraising event every other month. The next event is an all-day sporting event to be held at Eubanks Blanchard Park in Appling May 16. radams99@gru.edu

new year, a new crew and a new staff. The time has come to pass the torch to new staff editors for The Bell Ringer, and this includes the passing of this one-column space for a new sports editor to write sports opinions in.

I’ve mentioned throughout op-ed columns and Rookie Reports how working for this paper has been a great experience, but one challenge I’ve had to overcome throughout has been deciding what this space would discuss with each new issue.

Sometimes I would be able to work off of recent developments in GRU Augusta sports or college sports, such as the basketball and volleyball teams’ exciting seasons.

I also wrote about the Paterno wins being reinstated by the NCAA. Most of the time, however, I would have to search within myself on what my columns would say. Writing The Rookie Report would become a second responsibility for me and a self-analysis of what it is I value out of sports.

We came up with The Rookie Report title because, compared to our past sports editors, I entered this position with a narrow perspective and opinion on sports.

Our former sports editor Jordan Williams was on a higher level when he wrote what was formerly The Sideline Report. I knew I couldn’t write like him, and I wasn’t going to pretend like I could. So with that, I tried a different approach. My first Rookie Report for our last issue of the Spring 2014 was an honest introduction to who I was and what I would write about. I attempted to make this column space more personal with readers, and discuss matters that I felt almost everyone of all backgrounds could read and understand.

After writing 14 of these weird things, I feel comfortable in saying I did my best and succeeded. It’s been a growing experience, but there’s always room for improvement. That’s why I kept to The Rookie Report title unto this point.

That, and also the confusing complications we’d have at the office if we changed it at this point.

The future will look bright with who we’ve got in mind as the new sports editor come Fall 2015, and I can’t wait to see the work from the sidelines.

If there’s anything left to say, it’s thank you.

Thank you for indulging, and reading my thoughts on something I had to grow into before really admiring what it really is and means to people. The wonderful world of sports, it is. agarci11@gru.edu

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 11

Strength found after Lander loss

By Timothy Howard staff writer At the end of its three-game series with No. 12 Armstrong State March 21, the GRU Augusta baseball team had lost all three games by a total of five runs.

But while those three losses in a row might not be a good sign, the Diamond Jags were coming off of a doubleheader against Lander in which they allowed 38 runs, while only managing nine runs of their own.

Head Coach Jason Eller said he thinks that despite the improvement, the Jaguars could have won all three games against Armstrong State, if not for some costly errors.

“I feel like we beat ourselves all weekend,” he said. “I think they (Armstrong State) had one earned run, maybe, after two games. We just made several errors – a few in the infield, a few in the outfield.

And it’s one thing if you get beat straight up, and they just played better baseball than you, but we just kind of beat ourselves.”

The Jaguars made a total of 12 errors over the course of the three-game series, according to jaguarsroar.com.

Despite the final results, freshman infielder Jim Wagner said that he believes in the team and its work ethic.

“We got guys playing hard out there, competing, never giving up,” he said. “And we kept it close against a great team. If a couple of things go a different way, we come out there with a couple of wins.”

Sophomore pitcher Tristan Jones said he thinks the team has to stay focused and be competitive for the entire game.

“We’ve just got to compete on every pitch,” he said. “If we make a few plays here and there, it’s a completely different ballgame. I

think we lost three games by a total of five runs. It could go either way when it’s that close.”

Eller said that he thought there were some positives that came out of the series.

“We had some good at-bats, at times,” he said. “Some of the freshmen played really well this weekend, which gives you a glimmer of hope for the future. Tyler Roberts has been out with some stitches in his hand, and he came in and made an unbelievable play in game one today, and it really kind of changes our mentality defensively when he’s on the field.”

Jones said that despite the score, the team was staying upbeat.

“We stayed alive,” he said. “It might not have seemed like it, maybe in the dugout as much, but everybody is still competing the whole time, and we’re not giving up.”

Eller said that while there were positive aspects to the series and it could be considered a moral victory, the team needs to learn how to win games on the field.

“We’re in the second year of our tenure, and just trying to get better,” he said. “I think last year

we had some moral victories, but we’ve got to kind of get past that and learn how to win. I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Jones said that the most important thing for the team was that everyone needed to “stay together.”

“We’re going to stay together, we’re not going to turn our backs just because we had a few errors here or a few errors there, or a bad game here by someone,” he said.

“We know what they’re capable of, and we’re going to stick with it.”

With a new week starting, Eller said he is optimistic about the team’s chances going forward.

“If we just get some momentum, we could end up, you know, winning four or five in a row, and really get back into the hunt,” he said. “If we can win the Georgia Southwestern series, with Flagler and some other teams coming in the second half (of the season), it’s perseverance.”

The baseball team swept the three games against Georgia Southern March 28 and 29 with three wins, and defeated Paine with an 11-2 victory. thowar20@gru.edu

Golf players lead at 3M tournament

By Jamie Sapp staff writer

timothy howard | Staff

The men’s baseball team lost all games in a three-game match against Armstrong.

Track & field player sets records for team

By Eric Stallings contributor

Though a sophomore, Georgia Regents University criminal justice major Sean-Michael Rand has already added a school record to the multiple records set by the GRU Augusta men’s outdoor track and field team this season.

The season is fairly young for the team, but the Jags are making progress, Head Coach Adam Ward said. Some of that success is coming from the high jump, an area the program hasn’t had major success in since the program was started two years ago.

“We’ve got probably about five or six total events out of probably 18, where we’ve got guys that can legitimately win those events, and (Rand is) one of those guys,” Ward said.

Rand, who graduated from Cross Creek High School in 2013, redshirted last season and didn’t participate in any events for a year and a half, Ward said, but he is working hard to improve each week.

“He wants to succeed and he wants to do well,” Ward said. “I think, it was funny, his specific event coach, Coach (Aaron) Gordon, was telling me earlier, ‘He wants to win medals, he wants to win,’ and things like that.

Those kinds of kids aren’t hard to motivate because, internally, they’re like, ‘If I want to keep winning, I have to get better.’”

Rand’s points have

jamie sapp | staff

Sonya Knebel practices with the women’s golf team after finishing the tournament.

Richard adams | staff

High jumper Sean-Michael Rand set a school record March 7.

“

I just wanted to have big competition, help everybody compete better.

--Sean-Michael Rand

been a major part of the Jags’ early success, Ward said, and could be the difference between a good season and a conference championship.

“Last year, we were fifth and sixth in the high jump, which was solid for us,” he said. “But any time you have a guy that could possibly pick up 10 points, that’s the difference between finishing first and second, overall, as a team, or fourth or fifth. It’s a game changer.”

Teammate Ryan White said Rand has contributed to the team by leading with points.

“I think he’s doing well,” he said. “I would say he’s having a big impact because he’s bringing points to sections we didn’t get too many points in last year. He already got the school record, so I would say he has a good

”

impact on the team, really.”

According to jaguarsroar.com, Rand mainly competes in the high jump, but he has competed in the triple jump and long jump this season.

At the Savannah State Eye Opener, his first event of the season, he finished first in the men’s high jump event with a final jump recorded at 1.93m, according to jaguarsroar. com.

“If we can keep his progressions growing hopefully by the end of the year … we can get him over 6 feet, 10 inches at that point, and give him a chance to get to nationals,” Gordon said.

Rand followed his first performance of the season with another first place finish in the men’s high jump at the Columbus State Cougar Invite

one week later, with a jump of 1.95m. This jump set a new personal record, according to jaguarsroar.com.

“I just wanted to have big competition, help everybody compete better,” Rand said, after setting a new school record in the men’s high jump event March 7 at the Lion Jaguar Invitational. “I just want to push everybody to their limits.”

Rand’s father, Michael Rand, said that he and his wife also participated in track and field.

“I ran the mile, my wife was a sprinter,” Michael Rand said. “I was a middle distance runner, but she was a sprinter.”

Rand’s mother, Avonelle Rand, said she is also responsible for getting him started in track and field.

“He started at Sue Reynolds,” she said. “His coach at Sue Reynolds said that in between classes he was jumping up and touching the exit sign. So he said, ‘Put him in track.’

Then I told (Sean-Michael), I said, ‘Do it.’ He said no. But he did it for fun. I said, ‘You need to take it higher.’ And from there he took off.”

At the Emory Invitational March 21, Rand placed first at the high jump, and set another personal record and a new Peach Belt Conference record with a jump that measured a height of 2.05m, according to jaguarsroar.com. estalli1@gru.edu

The GRU Augusta women’s golf team played at the 3M Jaguar Intercollegiate Tournament Mar. 13 to 15, gaining in strength and success.

The team opened play in its home tournament at the Forest Hills Golf Club. The Jaguars competed against 13 teams, and placed fourth in the competition, according to jaguarsroar.com.

In the first round, the Jaguars were tied for second with Furman and Costal Carolina, with a score of 298. Sophomore Teresa Caballer Hernani was tied for third individually with an even par 71. Freshmen Maggie Ashmore was tied for 47th with an 80, according to jaguarsroar.com.

For the second round, the Jaguars placed fifth with a score of 291 for that round, 589 total. Ashmore was tied for 55th with a 78, and sophomores Jessica Haigwood, Eunice Yi and Josefine Nyqvist were carded with 73’s.

For the final round, the Jaguars reached fourth place with a score of 289, and a total score of 878 for the tournament. Freshman Sonya Knebel was tied for 18th at 11-over par, with a 73 along with two birdies. Sophomores Haigwood and Caballer Hernani were each tied for seventh, with Haigwood having a 69 and Caballer Hernani having a 73.

Haigwood said the team performed well during the tournament.

“If we had those birdie putts, we would’ve done probably much better,” she said. “But, I mean, we’re happy with what we did out there. That’s much better than last year, that’s for sure.”

Haigwood said she had an idea of what was going wrong and right when she was playing.

“What I could see out there with me was probably my putting and my chipping,” she said. “With getting up-and-downs and stuff …

I left a lot of birdies out there. And I could have made those putts and brought in the team, you know, maybe a couple of strokes better.”

Knebel said she wants to improve with each game.

“I want to get more consistency into my distance game (long shots),” she said. “That’s why I am standing here right now (hitting long shots), and another goal I’m working on is to lower my score, like the scrambling and everything.”

Nyqvist said the team played solidly, and she felt pretty good about her game during the tournament.

“It’s a tough course and everything,” she said. “We just didn’t do the really low numbers. I was playing really good, I just didn’t make so many putts.”

Caballer Hernani said the team missed many putts, and had some doubts with hitting the putts.

“I don’t know about my teammates, but I was very far from the team,” she said. “So it was hard to make putts for me, I guess, maybe some of them had more experience than me. That particular day, all the team were missing putts, we all agreed. And, individually, I think I was not very good with the speed on the greens … But, in general, I think it was because I did not read the putts my best, and the speed of our putts were not correct.”

Caballer Hernani said coming to her routine helped her to focus throughout the tournament.

“I try to stay focused or try to stay in 100 percent in every shot,” she said. “It keeps me focused and stay there.”

Haigwood said the team members have workouts in the morning on certain days for increasing their strength.

“We just do strengthening exercises for our shoulders or hips that are equal to our golf swing, so we don’t do anything that would hurt us or weaken us,” she said. “But we do some running and just building our strengths so that we can keep up with endurance on the course.”

Haigwood said she really wants to be a better short game player.

“I think that will help my game tremendously to maybe be a better golfer,” she said. “Right now, I’m definitely not perfect, but that would just definitely help my game.”

The Jaguars’ next tournament will be the Bryan National Collegiate Tournament April 3 to 5 in Browns Summit, N.C. jsapp270@gru.edu

jamie sapp | staff

Teresa Caballer Hernani works on her putting at Christenberry Fieldhouse.

PAGE 12

sports

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015

www.grubellringer.com

richard adams | staff

George “Buddy” Curry and Bill Peake (top left) demonstrate proper helmet fitting, Bobby Butler (bottom left), former Falcons player, divvies up the teams, and ESPN announcer Forrest Conoly (right) helps lead drills.

Falcons hold clinic for moms

By Eric Stallings contributor

Some Augusta area moms teamed up with the Atlanta Falcons March 17 at Evans High School to show their commitment to youth football safety. Members of the Atlanta Falcons staff, along with current and former players, held a presentation and discussion for a Moms Football Safety Clinic.

Chris Millman, director of community relations for the Atlanta Falcons, said that events like this will help ensure that football will continue to grow despite some misinformation that may be out there about it. The parents at the clinic got a chance to see firsthand what proper tackling technique looks like, see new safety measures that

are being implemented in equipment and mingle with current and former Falcons players.

“We always strive to be the best in everything we do on and off the field,” Millman said. “So we obviously know that our job, being here in the National Football League, is to grow the game of football. Doing an event like this one tonight is a simple way for us to go out and educate moms and make sure that they are able to make informed decisions about their kids playing football.”

The night started with an introduction from Millman, followed by talks from former Atlanta Falcon George “Buddy” Curry and Bill Peake, a representative from sports equipment company Riddell.

Curry played eight seasons with the Falcons as a linebacker,

receiving the NFL’s Rookie of the Year award in 1980 and was also an All-Pro in 1980 and 1982, according to kidsandpros.com. He later founded the Kids & Pros nonprofit organization and the Heads Up Football program.

Curry said he partnered with some former players to go into their communities and give back because he saw a big need to offer instruction in football basics, as well providing life lessons.

“We started Kids & Pros 14 years ago,” he said. “We wanted to teach kids the fundamentals of the game, and we wanted to teach them about life.”

Kids & Pros helped launch the Heads Up Football program through a grant from the Falcons Youth Organization, according to

kidsandpros.com.

According to usafootball.com, the Heads Up Football program provides resources that include “programs, applications, and promotions to effect change and address the complex challenges of player health and safety in youth and high school football.”

Curry said there was knowledge he wanted every mother to leave with.

“Number one, we want everyone to come away better informed in how to fit helmets correctly,” Curry said. “‘What’s a concussion?’

‘What do I do as a mom if there’s a suspected event?’ ... (And) this is how you tackle without using your head, using the front part of your shoulder, so that they can go and talk to their coaches and make sure

that they are coaching it right.”

Peake also spoke about the realities of injuries if players aren’t properly equipped.

“Our main concern always was skull fractures,” he said. “The only way for a helmet to work is if it’s fitted properly.”

The parents were put into groups and went through tackling drills that promoted proper technique and footwork sessions with Curry and some other current and former Falcons. Coaches from the East Georgia Pop Warner football teams were also on hand to help.

“A mom’s always watching her child,” Rhonda Cronan, president of the Grovetown Pop Warner League, said. “If she has the knowledge, she’s more apt to catch something.” estalli1@gru.edu

Churches play ball for scholarship fund

By Richard Adams editor-in-chief The trophy stands at about three feet tall, but represents more than just the victorious outcomes of one single game; the names and dates inscribed on it, and the names and dates to follow, are the culmination of a partnership between two churches working together to give the opportunity of college to others.

The Hattie Mae Marshall Community Scholarship Fund held its second annual basketball tournament March 21. The participating teams were from Springfield Baptist Church in Thomson, Ga., and First Mount Carmel Baptist Church in the Winfield community near Appling, Ga. The scholarship began in 1991, three years after the death of its namesake Hattie Mae Marshall, a historically central figure in the religious and community life of Winfield, fund president Rebecca Edwards said. The scholarship carries

Richard adams | staff

Foundation president Rebecca Edwards carries the tournament trophy.

“

Even though she’s gone, it’s like her spirit’s continued to live on in activities like this.

-- the Rev. Roscoe Perry

”

on Marshall’s legacy as an educator deeply involved in the lives of the children she taught.

“It’s not affiliated with the church, even though Hattie Mae Marshall was the backbone of the church,” Edwards said. “She was the first black schoolteacher in Columbia County. My sister just felt like she did so much for the kids there, until we just needed to keep her name alive.”

Since it was begun, the scholarship has touched the lives of more than 100 students, said the Rev. Roscoe Perry, preacher at First Mount Carmel. Perry, who came to the church in the last year of Marshall’s life, said he became aware of her and her importance to the Winfield community as soon as he moved there.

“They just did not want her to die, did not want her legacy to die,” Perry said. “So this was a product of trying to keep her legacy alive and well, and also educating another generation about her impact.

Even though she’s gone, it’s like her spirit’s continued to live on in activities like this.”

Marshall was equal parts “compassionate, loyal, dedicated, fiery,” said former student Charles Cummings, a football announcer for T.W. Josey, referee for the Richmond County School System and, most recently, a mayoral candidate in the 2014 Augusta election. Cummings said Marshall’s influence on those living in Winfield was nothing less than that of “a legend … a

cornerstone of our community.”

“She taught me in the first grade,” he said. “And she lived less than a half mile from me. And oftentimes, I would go to her house and do chores for her. One time, she and I painted one of her bedrooms in her house. And she made me the Sunday school librarian, which was nothing more than picking up the Bibles and putting them away at the end of church, when I was about 13 years old … Consequently, by age 15, I’d become the youngest superintendent in the history of the church.”

Following Marshall’s lead, Cummings said, helped him develop his own leadership skills.

Marshall would provide him with scripts and speeches to read at various church functions in order to practice public oration.

“Then, eventually, she started to tell me to make up my own speeches,” he said. “And she would just critique them for me. She just was a great influence in my life.”

Cummings refereed the basketball game and fundraising event between Springfield and First Mount Carmel. Cummings, Perry said, has been helping with the scholarship and the activities that fund it ever since its inception.

The basketball game consisted of several short games between matched age groups, starting at ages six and up, said Springfield coach Tina Gibbons. Two of the teams, she said, were co-ed, a practice started this year in the church league.

At the end of the tournament, Edwards said, all the points earned were tallied up from each game.

The score this year was 115 to 115; this resulted in five extra minutes see BASKETBALL on PAGE 10

taylor mitchell | staff

Runners pass the finish line through the Savannah River bridge at Jaguar Rush.

Fast feet come to soldiers’ aid

By Taylor Mitchell staff writer Participants competed in the Jaguar Rush 5K Saturday, raising money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. 115 participants signed up, and $800 was raised to donate.

“Any way I can, I want to raise funds and awareness and I actually know people that have deployed and who have PTSD, and they go through a lot, and I would rather help by doing this,” said Alexa Stein, Georgia Regents University student ambassador for the Wounded Warrior Project.

More initiatives like this are slowly starting up, Stein said.

“There is a bake sale coming up and a couple of other things on the way, but I think we will try this race again next year,” she said.

Darrell Guillaume, a Military Science 2 cadet, said this fundraiser was an opportunity to give back.

“If you go to war and fight for your country, they deserve things like this,” he said. “This is a program that helps soldiers, and they really need and deserve the atten-

tion they’re getting.”

Guillaume said the military gives one the experience of being a leader.

“When I first got to this school, I was a shy kid,” he said. “I didn’t have many friends and didn’t like speaking publicly, but since I’ve been in ROTC program I’ve become a lot more sociable and met a lot of great people along the way.”

Guillaume said it is good that there are people on campus holding events like the 5K and raising awareness. ROTC donates to the Wounded Warrior Project.

“When I saw that The Wounded Warrior Project was doing a run I was like, yeah, that’s literally one of the best causes you can donate to,” said Mike Kilbourne, who placed first at the run. “They need a lot of support and that takes a lot of people, but it also takes resources, too, and that’s why we should really all be in support of our fellow soldiers.”

There are other drives and charities on Fort Gordon to support the Wounded Warrior Project, Kilbourne said. tmitch22@gru.edu