Nov. 11, 2014 - Vol. 57, Issue 6

GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY

www.grubellringer.com

VOLUME 57, ISSUE 6

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

App helps rate food

Lady Jaguars compete at Peach Belt

By Ashley Trawick chief reporter JEAN-PAUL CASSAGNOL | STAFF

The women’s cross-country team takes off alongside 101 runners from 12 colleges at the Peach Belt Conference Championships during the 6K run Nov. 8 at Barton Field on Fort Gordon military base. To find out Georgia Regents’ other PBC Championship results, read CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNERS TAKE FOURTH on PAGE 10 of sports.

Petition:

By Ashley Trawick chief reporter

An online petition has been spreading among students regarding the new advising policies.

Students who have between zero and 60 credit hours now have to be advised and registered through the academic advisement office, but not all students are pleased with how things are going.

Katy Self, a junior English major, said she didn’t realize there was a change in the rules until she went to the academic advisement office and was surprised when an adviser told her she couldn’t register for classes herself.

“I was really surprised and I didn’t have any say in my schedule or what professors I wanted,” Self said. “I didn’t object to (the adviser) choosing my classes for me until I pull up my schedule online later on that week, and I found that I had two classes a week next semester that are roughly eight hours apart. Now I live over 30 minutes away, so this is excessively inconvenient to me.”

Self, who started the petition, said she spoke to her classmates after she discovered her schedule and said among the explanations from the other students, there were a lot of inconsistencies regarding registration. She said everyone was having a different experience.

“Either way, it was frustrating for me, as well as plenty of my

Students come together to stop controlled registration

other friends who have their own families, full-time jobs or what not and they just did not appreciate the fact that they were having to manage their whole lifestyle around the school when the school should be giving them the choice,” she said. “I just felt a growing frustration, not just (with) myself, but with many other people. I thought, ‘Well, there’s enough people upset about it. If we make enough noise then maybe the administration or the academic advisement office, anyone who is in charge of this will take notice and put a change to the rules.’”

Katherine Sweeney, the director of academic advisement, said the new rules were put in place because some programs had professional advisers previously, but not all of them did. With moving forward, she said, the administration needed to take some steps to increase retention and graduation rates quickly.

“Where the disconnect happened was (the adviser) was giving you advice. But as a student, when you logged on to register, you could throw that advice out the window and register for anything you wouldn’t have prerequisites for that may or may not apply to your program,” she said. “But some students say, ‘Well, that looks interesting’ or ‘My friend’s doing this.’

And since the machine would let them do that, even the best advice isn’t always followed.”

JORDAN BARRY | STAFF

Junior, Katy Self, highlights comments from students about controlled advisement.

By bringing students into one center and advising and registering them, Sweeney said, it’s ensuring students are taking the right courses at the right time to complete degree requirements. Of the entering freshmen, 91 percent are taking 15 or more hours. Pre-consolidation, the number was 8 percent.

“Since those numbers were like they were, I think we had to be fairly rigid to start this process and we’ll keep the dialogue going and tweak along the way,” she said. “And we anticipated that there would be a group of students – end of the sophomore students – who had not had the requirements. We knew they would be probably a little less than pleased and so we’ve tried to be as sensitive as we can to it.”

Sweeney said that after 60 hours students are advised within their departments.

Carol Rychly, the vice president of academic and faculty affairs, said one of the strengths of having academic advisement is helping students to stay on track so they are taking the correct course so they can get admitted to their chosen programs as early as possible.

“Our ultimate goal is to have students be successful and obtain that degree as quickly as they can,” she said. “And in order to do that, we have to work together with the students so that they are getting the very best advice and so that they are following that advice as well, and that was the intent on putting together the advising center.” atrawick@gru.edu

Cannabis research slowly moves forward

By Richard Adams & Stephanie McCray editor-in-chief staff writer

Georgia Regents Health System is currently preparing to be a part of a drug trial exploring the possibility of using marijuana to make new kinds of medicine to treat children with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Dr. Yong Park, director of the pediatric epilepsy program, is going to be the principal investigator for the study. He said the trial will be doubled-blinded and placebo-controlled, and very narrow in its initial focus.

“The studies, the concept of, the purpose for the study actually originated from Gov. Deal in the week of Masters,” said Dr. Michael Diamond, Associate Dean for Research with Georgia Medical College. “His office called,

and the governor wanted to learn more about clinical trials and how they could be done for the purposes of trying to provide cannabidiol, which is a marijuana extract; it’s the non-hallucinogenic (component of marijuana). It’s a very purified compound.”

It is important, Park said, not to equate t h e school’s research with the more traditional image of marijuana usage.

Research into marijuana’s medicinal qualities, he said, can help educate the public on which form or component will be beneficial to the specific illness. The classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug means added barriers to research and the study of its potential benefits.

“GW (Pharmaceuticals, a drug

company in the U.K.) has graciously agreed to provide medicine for free,” Park said. “So, they provide the medicine, the governor provides some of the expense for study, we provide the patients and, eventually, hopefully, maybe two years, three years, four depending on the study, we will have proof that leads to legalization of CBD for epilepsy patients.”

There will be a public hearing Wednesday at Georgia Regents where lawmakers will meet with physicians and researchers, said State Rep. Allen Peake (R). It will be the fourth of five such meetings that have been held across the state, looking at various aspects which might figure into creating new state legislation regarding the medicinal use of

marijuana.

Peake, who spearheaded last year’s failed bill, said he is working on legislation to establish “a medical cannabis infrastructure” in Georgia so research can progress much more quickly than it currently is in order the meet the needs of thousands of families in the state.

The current FDA approval is only for a two-patient study, Diamond said. He does not want families with children with intractable epilepsy to get their hopes up.

“We run the risk of creating confusion for these families who have lots of stress and lots of issues,” Diamond said. “I think it’s great for them to know we’re working on something, but all the specifics, which are out of our hands to control, makes me very hesitant to go into specific details … at this point in time.” radams99@gru.edu smccray1@gru.edu

Those who are health-conscious may want to download a new app that stemmed from a night out downtown.

Chris Peoples and James van Dyke, owners of Modern App Solutions, LLC., created the “What the Health” app after meeting up one night in downtown Augusta for dinner. They were basing their restaurant choice on health inspection scores.

The app lists 100 of the closest restaurants based in Georgia around the consumer, Peoples said. He also said he would think that health inspection scores are information that people would want to use instead of watching the evening news report about low health inspection scores.

“We’ve (had) people test it out in Savannah, Atlanta, Athens, all around the entire state and it seems to work,” he said. “They really like it and they’ve passed it on to their friends. Their friends have it and it’s just being utilized. We have analytics that’s showing all sorts of different cities.”

Peoples said what they’re trying to do next is go around to local restaurants and talk to owners and show them their competitors’ scores and hope that the app will continue to grow and gain attention.

Van Dyke, who works for a research and development team at Via Forensics, said if people care about what the scores are at different local restaurants, they should definitely download the app.

“I eat fast food and all that, but I don’t want to eat somewhere where the employees just don’t really care about health,” he said. “I don’t eat something off the floor or meat that’s kind of rotten.”

Diane Wilson, a physical therapist and van Dyke’s mother, said she uses the app frequently.

“People get sicker now from things that didn’t used to make people really sick,” she said. “I think a lot of the virus and bacteria (are) out there now and they’re worse. They’re harder to treat than they were before.” atrawick@gru.edu

ASHLEY TRAWICK | STAFF

The “What The Health” app lists restaurant health inspection scores in cities throughout Georgia for its users.

Military Initiative Page 2

Study Abroad: Japan follow us like us on facebook @BellRinger_News

CMFA Zombie Shoot Page 9

Page 6

Students to go to Japan next summer

University and military base pair up

Archers take aim at zombie targets

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

NEWS www.grubellringer.com

Jags take initiative The voice of

Georgia Regents University EDITORIAL STAFF adviser MATTHEW BOSISIO mbosisio@gru.edu editor-in-chief RICHARD ADAMS radams99@gru.edu copy editor JESSICA SAGER jschucke@gru.edu news editor HALEY HARRIS hharris9@gru.edu arts & life editor AMY THORNE athorne@gru.edu sports editor ANTHONY GARCIA agarci11@gru.edu chief reporter ASHLEY TRAWICK atrawick@gru.edu production manager JORDAN BARRY jbarry3@gru.edu production assistant REBECCA PERBETSKY rperbets@gru.edu staff writers FATIMA FRASHER ffrasher@gru.edu STEPHANIE MCCRAY smccray1@gru.edu TAYLOR MITCHELL tmitch22@gru.edu photographer SHELDONIA BESSENT sbessent@gru.edu

By Richard Adams & Anthony Garcia editor-in-chief sports editor

Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association is expanding its local intercollegiate reach with the U.S. military, and both the GRU Augusta Jaguars and Fort Gordon are at the forefront.

Both university and military facilities have partnered with the NCAA for the Division II military pilot project team, after its inception in December 2014. Clint Bryant, GRU Augusta director of athletics, is currently the executive chair of the project committee, and said the program stems from the focus to broaden Division II, specifically.

“The bottom line is that one of our strategic initiatives in Division II over the last 10 years is this whole thing about community engagement, and that’s how colleges and universities are able to engage in the communities in which they exist,” he said. “And what we’ve known for some time, unlike bigtime colleges who play athletics at the very highest levels (Division I), us smaller colleges don’t have the national brand.”

Division II of the NCAA focuses on college teams that balance between having a highly competitive environment but also having less resources and funding for competition, Bryant said.

“Most of us smaller universities are locally or regionally connected, and what we do have in a number of our communities around the country is some military installations,” he said. “What this is going to give us is an opportunity is to figure out just what kind of partnerships and relationships that exist nationally among colleges and universities and military installations … we’ll have some idea to create a blueprint

RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF

Fort Gordon’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation program signs up college and military athletes for a community run.

or game plan of how we can tackle this from a national perspective.”

This blueprint is being designed by the 25-year-relationship both Fort Gordon and the original campus have had, Bryant said, and the NCAA and Department of Defense help drive this blueprint in recognizing relationships between military bases and their regional colleges as a national model.

Col. Samuel Anderson, Fort Gordon garrison commander, said he felt the relationship between Fort Gordon and Georgia Regents University would eventually benefit both the student and military populations.

“We’ve learned that the Army has a lot of facilities that can be utilized by collegiate athletics,” he said. “We have a world-class golf

columnist RICKEY JONES ricjones@gru.edu

By Fatima Frasher staff writer

contributors VICTORIA AYRES ALEXANDRIA BENNETT BLAKE COLLINS RACHEL COX JESSE HUBER NICK MITCHAM JAMIE SAPP ROBERT SCOTT

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work really well with the military… similar ideas about career building, career services, building skills for future leaders that, I think, we’ve learned can go beyond just an athletic realm.”

Over time, Anderson said he hopes this initiative will benefit both the students and military in understanding and relating to each other’s work environments.

“Really, for me, from a military perspective, what I want to get out of this is that, eventually, we have a partnership to the point where when our soldiers decide to leave the Army and go back to college that they feel very comfortable transitioning from the Army to a campus life,” Anderson said. radams99@gru.edu agarci11@gru.edu

New class will teach coaching

JEAN-PAUL CASSAGNOL jcassagn@aug.edu

Cartoonist DAQUAN MIDDLETON dmiddle6@gru.edu

course, (and) great venues, like softball fields that the NCAA probably didn’t realize that we had on military bases.”

Terri Steeb Gronau, vice president of NCAA Division II governance, attended the championship, and said both the NCAA and the military share the same commitment to making better leaders out of their students.

“Clint’s very passionate about this initiative, so with his passion, and Col. Sam Anderson’s passion behind it, it was a unique and great opportunity,” she said. “Initially, it was sort of focused on the athletic side, and in Division II, we’re part of higher education, and that there are some things that our schools do for just students, in general, as well as student athletes, that could

AMY THORNE | STAFF

The campus shuttle, which is contracted out, drops off students at University Village.

Campus keeps buses regulated

By Rebecca Perbetsky production assistant

Safety is always a priority, especially when it comes to the shuttle buses on campus.

The smaller shuttle buses were contracted out by Director of Auxiliary Services Karl Munschy before the consolidation, Chief of Police William McBride said.

“Those people are his,” McBride said. “When it comes to Summerville campus and the ones that run from Summerville to Christenberry, to (University Village), all those buses, all that is contracted out.”

The buses that run within the Health Sciences campus are university-owned buses, Munschy said.

While smoking continues to be an issue on campus, said Shemaiah Stewart, a public relations and sociology major, there isn’t an issue with smoking on the buses.

“In between stops or at certain stops, when they are there for a certain amount of time, (the drivers) would go outside of the bus and smoke at the stop,” Stewart said.

“I have never experienced anyone smoking on the bus.”

The bus drivers are given regu-

lar breaks, Munschy said, but they should not be smoking on university property.

“The DOT rules that every so many hours they have to step off the bus, and they do smoke on break,” Munschy said.

The auxiliary department does not hire the drivers because it is through a contract, Munschy said.

Even though the contract is through Horizons, there were provisions placed within the original contract, Munschy said.

“They had to pass a criminal background check, they have to abide by our rules,” Munschy said.

“They all have to abide by the same kind of standard. In addition, we require in that contract that they have to do training, regular training on safety and all that kind of stuff.”

It is different for the buses that the university owns, Munschy said.

“When you look at the numbers, they are really good at being on time,” Munschy said. “They are really good at safety. There has not ever been a safety violation since 2006, I don’t think.”

The drivers are pretty nice, Stewart said. But at times safety is questionable. rperbets@gru.edu

Spring 2015 will provide a new opportunity for students who are interested in coaching.

Graeme Connolly, kinesiology graduate program coordinator and associate professor of kinesiology, is offering a first-time elective class for undergraduate students called Fundamentals of Coaching.

“This is a new class,” Connolly said. “It’s an elective. First time I’ve offered it: a coaching class at the undergraduate level.”

Connolly said the class will cover multiple elements.

“Anything from developing a coaching philosophy, to communicating with athletes, managing groups of people, providing feedback, instructional delivery and other elements,” Connolly said. “We’ll cover probably a little bit on conditioning, principles of fitness, even a little bit of nutrition.”

Robert Wachman, a senior in kinesiology, said he needs one more

elective, and he figured this was the best class for him.

“I thought it was a good (class) and I need one more elective to finish my degree,” Wachman said.

“And whenever I had saw this on the board, it kind of fit into what I am doing. I’m the assistant baseball coach here at GRU, so any time you can learn new techniques to be a better coach you definitely got to take advantage of that.”

Shanquliea Stevens, a junior majoring in kinesiology, also said she was excited to learn about this new class in her major.

“I was actually going to my ‘Mode of Behavior’ class, and I happened to look on the little bulletin board in Christenberry,” Stevens said. “I seen that it was a coaching class, and I said I was always interested in coaching.”

Stevens said she is looking forward to this new experience, and said she is excited to see just what Connelly has in store for those in the class. ffrasher@gru.edu

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THE BELL RINGER

OPINION www.grubellringer.com

editorial

Alert: Recently, The Bell Ringer became aware of an email that was sent to faculty members in the College of Allied Health Sciences. We feel the content of this email should be made public.

Most importantly, we feel it is time to set the record straight, because we have been unjustly accused (by association) of practices we do not engage in.

After we received this email, we underwent an internal review.

After questioning staff members who have contact with the hospital about their interactions there, we are confident that their practices are both sound and ethical.

The Bell Ringer staff often discusses ethics, because being the best university newspaper we can also means adhering to the values of conscientious journalism. Over the past semester, The Bell Ringer has made a deliberate effort to address the gap many perceive to exist between the two campuses.

For the department of media relations to threaten the bridge we have strived to build between the two campuses by falsely representing our reportage is deeply offensive to us.

We believe this email attempts to sow distrust between

The Bell Ringer rebutes accusations by director

our staff and the faculty of the health sciences division by insinuating The Bell Ringer has threatened patient confidentiality.

We believe this because we are the only publication mentioned by name.

There is a growing resistance against The Bell Ringer’s inquiries from departments which rely on the office of media relations as a crutch when a subject of distaste – not sensitivity – is referenced.

After The Bell Ringer asked human resources a question about the Press Ganey survey of faculty and staff morale, this is the reply we got: “The Press Ganey survey is an engagement survey for faculty and staff, and I believe the Bell Ringer is a student publication.”

We were contacted by the department of media relations exactly 14 minutes later. We are not asking the wrong people; we are asking the right people questions they do not want to answer.

The morale of the faculty and staff who instruct, mentor and provide for the needs of this student body is most definitely the business of the university newspaper.

On its website, the office of media relations states that it “is

responsible for positioning the institution as a leading comprehensive research university.”

Contrastingly, The Bell Ringer prides itself on being “the voice of Georgia Regents University,” one that represents this community and the aspirations of its individual members, the great and wonderful diversity of which this school is comprised.

In the name of the “enterprise,” the department of media relations is attempting to silence the only truly representative voice this university has.

Because of The Bell Ringer’s daily interactions with the faculty, staff and student body, because the people and events we cover are our own classmates, our professors, our university, we feel we are in a position capable of delivering that balance.

This information was brought to our attention because, as a news provider, we are respected and trusted by members of this university who feel we have a duty to fulfill.

Instead of force, we use the greatest weapon of all: Integrity.

It is a foundation upon which truly great institutions are built. And we hope, one day, that Georgia Regents University will one day follow this example.

Myspace decline hurts musicians

B

ack in 2002 I attended my first local concert.

Mind you, the Internet was around, but it was nothing like today’s fast-paced social media. At this time, promoting your band required mailing out demos, mailing out invitations, and passing out flyers.

When I decided I was ready to take on my first event as a promoter, it was 2004 and Nick Mitcham the only thing I contributor can remember doing is passing out flyers at my high school begging people to come for fear the bands would beat me up if I didn’t have their money.

Myspace was one of the first

social media networks that everyone accepted and customized to their own preferences. I chose to make one fowr myself and one for my shows.

Myspace was perfect because it integrated our society’s newfound love for information about others. But while you looked at other people’s pages, you could choose to have a song playing for visitors.

I can’t count the times that I went to someone’s Myspace page and heard a new band that made me started humming along with the actual song. It’s Myspace that helped make these artists explode over night.

If we want to put the music scene back on the map we need a social media outlet that allows you to be exposed to multiple new artists daily. nickmitcham@gmail.com

Presidential search may be in store for Georgia Regents

A

ll of us in the GRU academic family, and those in Augusta know that our current President, Dr. Ricardo Azziz, has interviewed for positions at several other prestigious Universities – most recently at the Robert Scott University of contributor Nevada, Las Vegas. The results of UNLV’s presidential search has not yet been announced as of the deadline for this column, but it is

clear that before too long GRU will be faced with the need for our own presidential search. How will this be conducted?

The Board of Regents will be choosing the next GRU president, and there will be a process to advertise the position. Some of the applicants will doubtless choose not to have their names revealed until late in the process in order not to jeopardize their present jobs. The candidate pool will then be narrowed down to four or five, who will then be announced publicly and will visit the campus for face-to-face interviews. Those interviews will result in recommen-

dations, and only after that process will the Board of Regents begin negotiations about who it perceives to be the top candidate.

But let’s look at that process.

Who is it who decides what, exactly, should be in that job announcement? President Azziz heads both GRU and GRHealth. Should his successor continue to head both?

Or should there be two searches: one for the President of GRU and another for the CEO of GRHealth?

Once the job description is announced, who should be involved in the process of screening and, ultimately, interviewing candidates? Specifically, what should

be the role of the GRU faculty and students in that process?

These are questions that most of us can only speculate about. The AAUP has a recommended policy on the subject, emphasizing the primary role of faculty and board in the search for a president. The AAUP recommends, for example, that the composition of the various screening boards be tailored by agreement of the faculty and board, reflecting both the primacy of faculty concern and the need to provide students with a voice.

The Board of Regents, with whom the legal power of appointment rests, should agree to select a name

from among those submitted by the committee, and, in any case, should agree that no person will be chosen over the objections of the faculty representatives. Those are the AAUP recommendations, but there is no guarantee that the GRU selection process will follow them.

Faculty and students both need to know more about the process and how we can help tailor it to meet our unique needs at GRU. Our AAUP GRU chapter is already planning a program for early in spring semester, and perhaps we can partner with student government in the idea.

rscott5@gru.edu

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

PAGE 4

Dancing touches the divine W

hen I was six years old, my mother finally put me in a ballet class, mainly for her own preservation. I was a very kinetic child. I climbed on everything.

I did my own “dance” constantly. I just could not stop moving. I loved my class dearly!

As I got older, Victoria Ayres I went more contributor and more days a week until finally I danced at least five days a week, and, if we were performing, six and seven. I was insatiable.

When I was nine years old, Mr. George Balanchine came to our school to view me and my classmate, David. We both received local scholarships from the school of American ballet, the school of the New York City Ballet. When we were older we studied in New York at the school.

I truly hated the city. The school was fine, but I missed my teachers back home. I was 14 when we came back home after the summer course. I was glad to be back.

I did not return, though David did.

I continued dancing with all the regional companies and the Dallas Ballet and the Atlanta Ballet.

“

One of my fondest and proudest memories of my school was when a student, a little girl with Down’s syndrome, led the line in the recital.

--Victoria Ayres

”

Sometimes you can blank and have no idea what the choreography is. One time, when I was 15 I was dancing a pas de deux at the Dallas Ballet Theater and my partner stepped back and said, “What do we do now?” I was fine until he said that and then I couldn’t remember either! So I said, ‘Promenade.’ I struck a pose and he turned me slowly around. By then we had regained the choreography and picked up the music. I always told my students if they forgot, to make it up: No one will know but us. That did happen a couple of times and they carried on. I was so proud!

One time when I was dancing with the snow scene in “The Nutcracker” with the Dallas Ballet they were making it snow on the stage.

This is very long and tiring to dance. Toward the end of the piece we were all supposed to kneel and raise our arms and faces up. At that point I took a deep breath and inhaled a plastic snowflake. For a

moment I couldn’t breath. After the performance I went to the stage master and explained the situation and asked if we could have less snow. The next performance we had more snow. That time someone fell; after that we had less snow.

I opened my own school in which I taught for 18 years. Those were some of the happiest years of my life. One of my fondest and proudest memories of my school was when a student, a little girl with Down’s syndrome, led the line in the recital. She took lessons from me from the time she was four years old. Her parents wanted her to have as much stimulation as possible. Her grandmother came with her and manipulated her body because she could not do it on her own. This carried on for about two years. She gradually became more adept. The rest of the girls were fiercely protective of her and helped her when she needed it. The day she lead the line, she was nine years old. I hear from my girls occasionally, and I’m always so glad when I do. I love and miss them so very much.

I have very wonderful memories and enjoyed my life very much. It was incredibly hard work, physically, mentally and emotionally, but for me, it was worth it!

Dancing, for me, is touching the divine.

VICTORIA AYRES | CONTRIBUTO

Victoria Ayres, who studied ballet in New York City, poses in the attitude position.

Magic Bands aid Disney visitors I

’ve been going to Disney my whole life. Anyone who knows me is almost too familiar with this fact. My little sister asked me how many times I’d been to Disney, and my reply of around 100 was no exaggeration.

However, due to financial reasons I had not been able to go back there for over eight years, and there was a single change that struck me the most upon my vacation there this October: Magic Bands.

I was first introduced to the Magic Bands when my mom and sister were selected to test-run them last October.

The goal of these Magic Bands is to combine five different things: credit or debit card, room key, park pass, Fastpass and the Disney dining plan. And in my opinion, they did a very successful job.

Originally they started combining things into the room keys themselves: The first feature included being payment, like with a credit card, that was charged to the room where you would pay the bill at the end of your stay and then

RACHEL COX | CONTRIBUTOR

Visitors to Walt Disney World approach a machine that will read their Magic Bands.

later your pass into the park. The payment feature currently works by connecting a debit or credit card to your Disney account and charging $500. That money, along with a pin number you select, is loaded onto the band.

Once that money is used up another $500 is charged, and the money not used is returned at the

end of your trip.

Fastpasses have always been a Disney staple to cut down wait times on popular attractions, and while other amusement parks have tried to replicate them, the catch is that you have to pay for them and they aren’t cheap.

Disney’s have always been free with a specific catch: You can only

have three at a time and they have hour-long time restraints. Once the hour is up, so is the pass; but once all three have been used you can get three more.

Now, in addition to the rides having Fastpasses, certain live shows also have that feature.

The dining plan is one of Disney’s latest Rachel Cox additions to contributor guest services, but it is the most cost efficient way to eat in the park.

The Magic Bands are a simple enough design, with a plain band of a color of your choosing with a grey extender that can be peeled away to shorten the band. They are a matte finish with a single shiny detail on them: a classic raised Mickey ear symbol.

Another great feature: Charging was only allowed to be used on my parents’ bands.

The scanners that you use to

read the bands are universal for everything: a sphere with a clear outline and clear Mickey ear detail in the center.

So my initial opinions on these bands was skeptical. I did not know how efficiently these would work given all of their fabled functions.

All in all, I am very pleased with how they turned out. With the ability to connect to the My Disney Experience app, the possibilities are endless.

However, there are three changes I would suggest: 1) a watch feature, 2) the ability to change Fastpasses and reservations on the app and 3) change how Fastpasses work with the band. As I mentioned earlier, once all of the passes were expired, you used to be able to get three more. Now you can only change one Fastpass, even if the other two are expired and you cannot delete the expired passes to make room for two more. Personally I liked the old system better.

Other than that, overall, these are a smashing success. racox@gru.edu

Politics challenged by demographics A

fter the recent huge defeat for Democrats in the Senate elections, Republicans have been quick to call this a renaissance of the nation’s politics and a revitalization of conservatism in America. However, Republicans should not be so quick to call this a major victory, nor should Democrats be so quick to wave the white flag after this defeat.

The 2014 midterm elections are just the beginning of what will be hard political battles for Republicans across the nation. States that have always been considered solid “red” will be shifting into the “purple” swing state category, including Georgia.

Locally, the rise of the population in not only the blue counties

of Atlanta’s metropolitan area, but also around the state, has shifted momentum from Republicans to Democrats. While this shift is slow, it is a certain one. Census data shows that Georgia saw a change from a 37.4 percent minority population in 2000 to 41.1 percent by 2010.

Jesse Huber Breaking contributor down the numbers, minorities grew in double-digit percentiles.

For example, during that 10-year period, Hispanic growth was 94 percent; Asian growth was 81 percent; and African-American growth

was 26 percent. Paling in comparison, white population growth only stood at 5.6 percent between 2000 and 2010.

This is a nationwide shift, and these numbers hold true for other states that have always been considered solid “red.” Using Census data, projections put Texas in swing state territory by 2024 - if current population trends continue.

Arizona, another state that has been a surefire Republican state, is also seeing population trends that put it into play as soon as 2020. Between Georgia, Texas and Arizona, there are 65 electoral votes up for grabs.

Electoral votes that Republicans, for years, have not had to fight for.

Going forward, Republicans will have to take a deep look in the mirror. They have few options

for the future, and their path to 270 electoral votes continues to dwindle.

Republicans depend on their solid red states to bolster their electoral votes then they require massive ground and advertising campaigns in the swing states to push them to 270. Democrats won seven out of nine swing states in 2012. However, if Georgia swung blue, Democrats could have lost Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada, Virginia, Ohio, New Hampshire and Colorado, yet still have won the election with 282 electoral votes to the Republican’s 256 electoral votes.

Republicans will need to start considering the outcomes of their political positions on the future of their party. They need to start courting the minority voters, or

their chances of winning the White House will be lost for years to come.

On the other hand, Democrats need to realize that if they don’t put any significant effort to get minority and youth voters to the polls, they will continue to lose.

The main reason they win states like Florida and Virginia is due to their efforts to engage young and minority voters, so they need to continue to do so to win elections.

Demographics are destiny, as they say. But there is much time for the Republicans to recover and change the trend. It relies solely on how the political parties embrace the ever-changing face of America over the next few decades.

jhuber@smartweb.augustatech.edu

Seize opportunity: National Scholarship Month

I

t is time to prepare ourselves for National scholarship Month.

National Scholarship Month is sponsored by National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA).

November is Jamie Sapp a great time to contributor get a head start in finding and applying for scholarships.

As students, we not only have to prepare ourselves for the chilly weather, major exams, homework assignments and special upcoming events, but we also have to prepare ourselves for scholarships.

Scholarships are helpful and necessary in paying for our education. They are a form of financial aid that we don’t repay.

Scholarships come in many different categories, and include various requirements and provide different rewards for current and future college students.

Whether online or in print,

scholarship applications are going to ask for basic information, academics and talents, which include activity in clubs and organizations, sports, interests and even employment. We have to put our information correctly into the application, know how long the application is going to be, recognize the application deadline, and submit and wait for a response.

There are millions of students in the U.S. that are in need of financial aid in order to pay for higher education, reach for their goals and create their own success-

es. As winners, we not only receive money, but also we gain excellence, recognition, experiences and supporters throughout our own paths toward success.

Go to http://www.finaid.org/ scholarships/nationalscholarshipmonth.phtml and get to work on your future today.

jsapp270@gru.edu

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

THE BELL RINGER

ARTS & LIFE

PAGE 5

www.grubellringer.com

JEAN-PAUL CASSAGNOL | STAFF

Jeffery Porterfield plays his viola for the talent portion of the Big Man on Campus competition, Oct. 30, the last day of Zeta Tau Alpha’s annual Week of Pink.

Pageant promotes pink

By Rebecca Perbetsky production assistant The fight against breast cancer has never looked so good.

The Eta Mu chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) hosted the first Big Man on Campus, Oct. 30. Director of Philanthropy Ashley White said, this is not an event that she came up with on her own.

“This isn’t just a random idea that popped into my head,” she said. “Tons and tons of schools all over the country have this event, and some school in Indiana raised over $250,000 from their event. Their school body and their school is a much bigger school, but it is an event that is really popular for Zeta chapters all over the country, and I know oth-

er sororities and fraternities, too.”

The event was a part of ZTA’s Pink Week, White said, and was a fundraising event for the organization.

“I was in charge of just handling the event this entire year,” she said. “Last week was Pink Week and Big Man on Campus was our finale to the week, and we have been preparing for it since the summer.”

The event was another way for the organization to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research, but there was also a service project aspect to it.

“That event, specifically, we did not require people to bring money for admission,” White said. “We didn’t expect to know how many people to expect to come so we made it (so), with a valid JagCard, people could get in

free with a canned good.”

After Big Man on Campus, she said they donated more than 100 canned goods to the Golden Harvest Food Bank and the event raised about $350.

“That week we raised $1200,” White said.

The only requirements for the participants were to be a part of a student organization, she said.

“I didn’t want more than one contestant or participant from the same organization,” White said. “We had a guy from intramural sports, so I counted that as an organization.

And then the winner was from the student government association.”

SGA comptroller and senior finance major Jeffery Porterfield was crowned Big Man

on Campus. Porterfield said it was something he had never done before.

“It was definitely a different experience,” Porterfield said. “It was fun, though. It got everyone very involved. It was informal and fun.”

Porterfield said Sabina Khoja, a senior in the fraternity, told him about the event, which got him interested in participating.

“She approached me and asked me if I would be interested in doing that and told me it was for a good cause, which is breast cancer awareness,” Porterfield said. “She thought I would be a good candidate for it.”

The event consisted of different requirements and a group routine, White said.

“At the very beginning they all performed the ‘Wobble’ together,” White said. “Brandon Rose, the homecoming king, got up on stage with them just to have a good time and get the crowd laughing, just to start off the night with some fun. Then they went offstage, took a five-minute water break and then got back on stage and they had an interview question.

Then they did their talent and it couldn’t be longer than three minutes and they could wear whatever they wanted. And then after that, it was a pink-wear fashion show.”

For the talent portion of the event, Porterfield said he played his viola.

“I played four little pieces that I had,” Porterfield said. “I tried to do them for the holidays we had coming up. We had Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For Halloween, I played the ‘Ad dams Family’ theme song. I played ‘Turkey in a Straw’ for Thanksgiving and ‘Jingle Bells’ for Christmas. And for the last song I played ‘Ode to Joy.’ That was for dedication to all the breast cancer survivors out there.”

History and political science major and homecoming king Brandon Rose said he had never hosted an event like this before and he was honored to be able to do it.

“I felt like the contestants did a very, very, very good job,” Rose said. “I was very proud of Ashley White.”

The winner was given a crown and a sash, and the runners-up were also given a sash, White said.

“One of the contestants said he is going to participate again next year,” she said. “I think they all had a good time.” rperbets@gru.edu

KICKS 99: Radio station sees waves of technological changes

By Blake Collins contributor A local radio station’s history combines community involvement and the implementation of progressive technology to enhance its future.

Kicks 99 entered the fray of radio airwaves on Aug. 1, 1988, said Steve Smith, co-anchor of Kicks 99’s morning show.

“What Augusta and Kicks 99 has going for it is the success of its predecessor’s station, like WGUS,” Zach Taylor, Kicks 99 afternoon DJ, said. “It is not just country music history that leads to the success of the new format. Migrating in this new direction were stations like WBBQ in Augusta, Ga., to pave the

way for Kicks 99’s success with the format.”

This format change caught the ears of the listening audience and it brought them through two decades of musical styles, Taylor said.

“The market of Augusta was once again making a turn like it has in the last two decades,” Taylor said. “We had a transition phase from the line dance craze from the 90s. Then, a transition happened the last ten years, becoming more forefront and a more accepted format in the population of the country.”

The Federal Communications Commission later allowed Kicks 99 to acquire more expansive signal strength, which expanded the range from Aiken and Augusta to signals towers in Madison, Ga., Savannah,

and Columbia, S.C., and even into Athens, Ga., Smith said.

The station expanded its signal strength from 3,000 W. to 50,000 W., and the owners seized an opportunity to shoot ownership over to Beasley Broadcasting in 2001.

Kicks 99 used quipment such as 8-track and a wax pencil for editing their voices and content, which set the stage for future technologies, Taylor said.

The intricate system the station uses today combines all facets of what the disc jockeys do into a big bundle of simplicity, Smith said.

“We use an automation system called AudioVAULT,” Perry said.

“These house the commercials, the liners between the songs and house all the music.”

Comedy shines light on family

By Ashley Trawick chief reporter

“Beware of Hootie Pie!” Sidney Fowler said this line as Cassandra, one of the characters in the play “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” which was performed in Maxwell Theatre on the Summerville campus Thursday to Sunday.

Fowler said she’s been in several shows before “Vanya,” but it was her first show at Georgia Regents University under Douglas Joiner’s direction. She said the character was difficult to play.

“I’ve never played such a role as Cassandra,” she said. “She is clairvoyant and she can see, basically, images and she can see the future. She cares a lot about Vanya and Sonia, and in the show she may be perceived as a little off-her-rocker, but she has an earnest heart and good intentions all around.”

Joiner, who has taught at Geor-

gia Regents for 15 years, said he offered up this play to be shown at Maxwell because it’s a goofy comedy with a bit of drama involved.

“We wanted to do it (and) it was good for the students,” he said.

“It all worked out. The ending is quite touching. So, I like that kind of contradiction of the funny, ridiculous, farce-like comedy and then the heart of the play, which is the relationship between a brother and two sisters.”

Dana Cheshire, an alumna of Georgia Regents, played Masha.

She said she knows people like the characters in the play, and that’s why it was received so well: because it’s relatable.

“Well, (my character) is very self-absorbed,” Cheshire said. “I think what’s sort of sad in this society is that people have a tendency towards the more self-absorbed a person is, the more they coddle to that. And so people become more and more selfish and self-centered.

BLAKE COLLINS | CONTRIBUTOR

Kicks 99 radio personality Bryan Axelson utilizes new technology like AudioVAULT.

Smith said social media change and websites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter have helped Kicks 99 connect with its fans.

The streaming components allow the station to put music online and post videos for the listeners to see.

The high speed of the Internet

has allowed for Kicks’ growth to expand its fan base globally, Smith said.

“A lot of the time we have people listening to us in Iraq and in other war zones,” Smith said. “They would write us and tell us they listened to us when they could. That, as far as I can see, is the biggest

Unique business pops up in town

By Ashley Trawick chief reporter

ASHLEY TRAWICK | STAFF

Actors portray siblings in the play “Vanya, and Sonia, and Masha, and Spike.”

We’re scared, you know, to rock the boat sometimes, especially with that money that they have. That kind of power – we’re scared to tell them ‘you’re not a nice person.’ Well, maybe, if I ever got to that point, (I would want) someone (to) tell me ‘shut the f--- up.’”

Those who did not attend the show, Joiner said, missed out on a shared experience with others.

He said students should get off the couch, stop watching Netflix and enjoy a good show. atrawick@gru.edu

Ramon and Bianca Brown are expanding their gourmet popcorn business to the Garden City.

The owners of the gourmet popcorn store, De La Pop, opened their first store in Columbus, Ga., last December. Now, they’re opening a second location in the Augusta Exchange on Agerton Lane, and its soft opening will be Nov. 11, Bianca Brown said.

The husband-and-wife team came up with the idea of a gourmet popcorn store from a Texas visit, Bianca Brown said.

“A lot of friends of ours have had our popcorn before,” Ramon Brown said. “Either they ordered it or they brought it from Columbus to here.”

He said the process of getting a second store has been a little tough, but it just comes with the process of owning a business.

There are 125 sweet, savory or

spicy flavors customers can choose from, Bianca Brown said.

Popular flavors include banana split, spicy buffalo, dill pickle, salt and vinegar and their signature flavor, “De La Mix,” is their take on a Chicago-style mix.

The store’s master chef and Ramon Brown come up with flavor names and the combinations, sometimes taking suggestions from customers.

“That’s kind of one of the big things about our store – if you come in and suggest (a flavor), then we’ll work it out and it may be on the shelf next week,” he said. “It’s (a) matter of kind of building … the different methods of developing flavors, and kind of creating something that can (have) the cohesiveness of one good flavor.”

Community members, family friend Camellia McCoy said, should visit the store because seeing a black-owned successful business in two different locations is rare. atrawick@gru.edu

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

ARTS & LIFE www.grubellringer.com

Show overcomes venue change

By Haley Harris news editor Edwin McCain delivered an evening of 90s nostalgia for audience members as he performed at the Columbia County Exhibition Center in Evans, Ga., Thursday, Nov. 6.

Singer-songwriter McCain, who was born and raised in Greenville, S.C., according to the concert’s program, said he was glad to be performing for the Augustan crowd and also that he hoped next time “we can do this outdoors.”

McCain opened the show with his 1999, Top 40 in the U.S. radio hit “I Could Not Ask For More,” and after finishing said to the audience, “Thank God for that song.”

“He had a nice sense of humor,” Katelyn Garrett of Evans, said after the concert. “He was so down-toearth and such a sweetheart that it made me like him even more.

Hearing him live was something that I’ve been wanting to attend for a while. I liked him when he first came out and then having him come here, I mean I was tickled. ‘I’ll Be’ is one of my all-time favorites and my girlfriend even had it played at

HALEY HARRIS | STAFF

Edwin McCain performs for an audience during a concert hosted by WBBQ at the Columbia County Exhibition Center on Nov. 6.

her wedding. I recorded it and sent it to her.”

Garrett said she attended the concert with her husband, Donnie Garrett, as their date night.

“Well I can say I thoroughly enjoyed myself,” Donnie Garrett said. “We got pretty good seats and got some great shots of Edwin and

Shawn (Mullins). It was just a fun night. Might have been better outside but I got to see someone I heard on the radio all the time in person so I can’t complain.”

Both Donnie and Katelyn Garrett said McCain’s presentation was exciting.

“It wasn’t boring at all,” Don-

Series and Georgia Regents Cinema Series combined.

“He’s really the brains behind the whole thing,” Thomas said of Buzzell. “He’s really the man to make it happen.”

The theme for the day is Cinema Francais. The classic French films that will be showcased are not only being screened because they’re native to France, but because of the series’ new directive, Buzzell said.

“The new directive of the series is to, as best we can, with the budget that we have, to show films that are very new, that are brand new, that have never played in our local multiplexes: independent cinema, foreign films,” Buzzell said, “And from time to time, classic films that are deserving of a revisit, particularly a revisit on a big, big screen.”

The series will include films such as “The Red Balloon” and “Hiver Nomade.”

After “Hiver Nomade”, the game of petanque, the French ver-

sion of bocci, will be played.

“The fantasy for me is that we are able to get some students interested in the game and maybe even form a little petanque club here at Georgia Regents,” Buzzell said “It’d be nice to put a little team together and travel and play, because it’s just a great game.”

Daniel Newkirk, a sophomore with an undeclared major, said he loves petanque, and is excited to attend.

“It’s rare that you will find an event focused on one country here in Augusta where you will get to experience multiple platforms of just one country specifically,” Newkirk said. “I would love it if they were to bring a petanque club to Georgia Regents, too. That needs to happen.”

The event is free for everyone to attend, Buzzell said.

“I felt it would be nice if no one had to pay,” Buzzell said. “Because I love, I love what the cinema series has become, what I like to say, a beacon of goodwill for not just the academic and the Georgia Regents community, but for the community at large: the CSRA. I want the public to come, we want the public to see that there are exciting and fun, cultural and artistic things happen-

Films feature French culture

By Alexandria Bennett contributor Anyone who has an interest in France and its culture can experience and celebrate all things French with Cinema Francais, hosted by the Georgia Regents University Lyceum Series and the Cinema Series at Georgia Regents.

The event will take place at the Maxwell Theatre Nov. 15. The day will begin at noon with DJ Matthew Porter, who will spin vinyl records and play French pop. A showcase of four French films along with French food, games and music will continue throughout the day.

Kelly Thomas, the director of the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre, said he gave Matthew Buzzell, the co-chair of the Cinema Series, free rein to frame the event as long as there was concentration on one country. This will be the first French Film and Culture event hosted by the Georgia Regents Lyceum

Writers speak about inspiration

By Jessica Sager & Haley Harris copy editor, news editor The Sandhills Writers Series brought poet Campbell McGrath and fiction writer Karen King Aribisala to Georgia Regents University Thursday, Oct. 30.

African fiction author King Aribisala said she always wanted to be a writer.

“I always wanted to tell my own stories, and I think my intellectualizing of the process, it helps me to deal with reality to give my life some kind of structure,” she said.

“For instance, even now, if I’m very upset, I write it down and then I get a handle on it. So it’s not only writ-

ing as a craft, it’s not just something I enjoy: It’s also a survival thing in a way.”

King Aribisala said that when she was seven years old and living in Guyana she applied her creativity to a biology paper.

“I remember that we had to write on beans,” she said. “You know, this experiment that they have where you have a jar and you put blotting paper and a bean and you watch it grow. And we had to watch and write down, and I pretended I was the bean and I wrote in bean writing.”

For McGrath, he said his love of reading made him realize he wanted to be a writer.

After being asked by an audience member how he finds inspi-

HALEY HARRIS | STAFF

Karen King Aribisala recites a poem during an event for the Sandhills Writers Series.

ration to write, McGrath said one thing he writes about is his experiences.

“Life is composed of a lot of things, and I think one of the cool things about poetry is that it’s omnivorous,” he said. “It goes everywhere. Obviously there’s, like, standing around in beautiful meadows with, like, rainbows and unicorns, but more often you’re stuck in traffic. So you need to find a way to say, well, being stuck in traffic can be a part of my process ... In fact, you’re helping your audience out more if you have a good poem about being stuck in traffic than you do (with a poem) about unicorns and rainbows.”

Writing poems, McGrath said, is not only fun, it’s like getting “paid to make finger paintings.”

“For me, to pick up words and make poems feels like a very fun, plastic, visceral, creative thing that I really just think is fun,” he said.

Drew Thomas, a junior majoring in French, said he came to the event because he loves to write.

“I wanted to get (the writers’) input on specifically the writer’s block question, but also just how they find topics to write on,” he said. “And I found that Karen’s stuff was particularly interesting because of her use of presenting in the way that she did.” jschucke@gru.edu hharris9@gru.edu

nie Garrett said. “He can really play that guitar and even if I didn’t recognize the song, I listened.”

The concert was originally scheduled to take place at the Evans Towne Center Park, but was relocated due to “unfavorable weather conditions,” according the website for 104.3 WBBQ, the host of the

concert.

“The change of venues was awful,” James Craddock, of Augusta, said. “I was looking forward to the amphitheater and then when it got moved I was like, well, this is going to be weird. It looked a little like a concert inside of a high school gym.

It felt maybe a little cozier and personal because McCain was right there, but still it just wasn’t what I wanted. Though, ignoring the atmosphere, it was amazing. It was like seeing my youth on stage.”

Craddock said the lighting bothered him because when trying to take pictures, it was blurry and too dark.

He also said that having chairs set up the way they were made him feel unable to really get into the concert.

“Even when Shawn Mullins came on I was pretty excited,” Craddock said. “But everyone was in their seats and in rows, and I felt like I wasn’t supposed to stand and come up closer to the stage. Like, I definitely would have had it been outside.”

Craddock said he felt “a little restricted” even though there was beer and he was “in the mood to get

Japan on map for study abroad trip

By Amy Thorne arts & life editor

With stops in Tokyo and Kyoto, the study abroad program at Georgia Regents University is taking a trip to Japan next spring that is scheduled to run from May 28 to June 7.

T h e cross-department trip will offer classes that tend to satisfy upper level electives for education and communications students, but students from all majors can attend, said Maria Darley, director of the study abroad program.

Misato Yamaguchi, assistant professor for the department of teacher education, said she will be teaching courses about history, culture and education in Japan.

“I think Japan is an interesting place,” Yamaguchi said. “(It’s) exotic enough, yet very westernized at

the same time, so I think it’s a very happy medium of a place.”

Because she is from Japan, Yamaguchi said, it will be easier to add a depth of understanding to the students’ experience of common tourist attractions and activities.

“Even though (the) activity itself is kind of going around a major fun part of the city,” she said, “I can share what’s behind it.”

Assistant professor of film Matthew Buzzell said he will be teaching a course called “Japanese Genre Cinema,” which will focus on how western ideas have influenced Japanese filming.

“It’s a give-andtake,” Buzzell said.

“It’s a cinematic culture exchange of influences.”

Buzzell said he anticipates the trip will be “an incredible experience, a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” athorne@gru.edu

Let’s go out nov. 13

“20,000 Days on Earth” at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre.

nov. 14 Electroswing/Steampunk Dance Party at 9 p.m. located at Le Chat Noir. Admission is $7, ages 18 and up only.

nov. 14 Unwine and Relax Wine/ Beer tasting at 7 p.m. located at St. Paul’s Church River Room. Admission is $40, ages 21 and up only.

nov. 18 Kicks 99 Guitar Pull Presented by Boots, Bridles & Britches at 7:30 p.m. located at the James Brown Arena.

“Hunger Games” marathon at the Regal Cinemas Augusta Exchange Stadium 20.

Visit the theater for more information.

nov. 22

Augusta Amusements: Karla Bonoff at 6:30 p.m. located at Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center.

Advanced tickets are $27.50 and $32.50 at the gate.

Auditions for Fort Gordon Dinner Theater: “Follies” at 7:30 p.m. Located at the Fort Gordon Dinner

nov. 20 Stillwater Tap Room: Adam Harris Thompson performs at 10 p.m. Admission is $5, ages 21 and up.

nov. 20 Lights of the South.

For more information visit lightsofthesouth.com.

Artists Guild of Columbia County Art After Dark at 7 p.m. located at Savannah Rapids Pavilion and open to all ages.

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 7

Actor makes skin crawl

By Amy Thorne arts & life editor

W

hat happens when you mix Patrick Bateman from “American Psycho” with Jordan Belfort from “Wolf of Wall Street” and give him a camcorder? You get the protagonist of the new film “Nightcrawler.”

The psychological thriller tells of Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), who finds work as a freelance crime journalist in the late-night streets of Los Angeles, filming the aftermath of everything from car crashes and stabbings to home invasions.

The dark tone of the aptly named film will leave you feeling as grimy and uneasy

OPEN ROAD FILMS

as the picture it paints of the ethical issues facing the world of journalism as both a media practice and a business.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance makes the movie. He crafts one of the most wonderfully loathsome movie characters I’ve seen.

Gyllenhaal, who lost 20 pounds for the role, creates the

perfect cracked-out look for his sketchy character by adorning his gaunt frame with discount collared shirts, sporting hair slicked back like a used-car salesman and frequently hiding behind a stylish pair of RayBans.

Bloom proclaims himself to be a “hard worker” who is willing to “start from the bot-

tom,” but does things like steal to afford video equipment and lie to authorities to get leads for his stories.

With lines like, “If you want to win the lottery, you have to buy a ticket,” which he repeats several times throughout the film, Gyllenhaal makes Bloom sound like an old training videotape stuck on repeat.

Bloom’s eventual climb to pseudo-success, fraught with the manipulation and extortion of everyone around him, will make you only hate him more.

Watching Gyllenhaal’s character is like watching the crime scenes Bloom films; no matter how disgusted you may be, you’re too intrigued to look away.

athorne@gru.edu

Buzzell & Pukis Secret of film series out

By Anthony Garcia sports editor “Augusta Magazine”’s annual “Best of Augusta” feature, written yearly by Daniel Pearson, was revealed Oct. 14, and among its list of people, places and things deemed worthy to be called the best in Augusta, it recognized the Cinema Series at GRU as one of the “best-kept secrets” in the Augusta area.

The Cinema Series earned second place in the “Best-Kept Recreational Secret” category on the miscellaneous portion of the annual feature, according to the magazine’s website.

“We have some of these categories that are just fun categories,” Sherry Foster, the editor for the magazine, said. “I know a lot of people who know about (the Cinema Series), but I guess in terms of our readers, for

the people who read our magazine and who vote, maybe they don’t know about it.”

Assistant professors Matthew Buzzell and Rick Pukis, who both specialize in the television and cinema track of the department of communication, run the Cinema Series.

Pukis said the Cinema Series has been around for more than 25 years, and one of the ideals both he and Buzzell, now in their second year as co-chairs of the series, strive for is to make each film screening a unique event.

“If you look at the schedule in the past, at some of the things we’ve done … in trying to make it, as the saying, the best recreational secret, (we’re) trying to make it an event where we have, besides sometimes just seeing a film, there’s much more to it,” Pukis said.

Buzzell said the Cinema Series takes

pride in not enforcing pricing for its events, something that separates it from other theaters and outlets around the area.

“I feel great,” Buzzell said on the recognition. “I feel great on one level that we have been singled out, that people recognize us and that, hopefully, next year we won’t be a best-kept secret. We don’t want to be a secret; we want everyone to know about us, so it’s a nice honor, and I’d like to thank all the people that follow the Cinema Series at GRU.” Pukis said that both he and Buzzell are fond of each other’s devotion to make the Cinema Series what it is.

While the core of the Cinema Series isn’t anticipated to change, Buzzell said that he hopes the community continues to grow along with the range of films the series aims to provide its diverse audiences. agarci11@gru.edu

Fashion is my creed Rickey Jones

Columnist

Winter Essentials

W

inter is amazing. I love it because of the freezing cold weather and the celebrations that come along with it!

My closet and style are very dependent on layering, and I can do that so much better with colder weather!

However, every fashion season, I like to have a list of essentials that I want to buy.

These will enhance my closet and keep me current in the fashion world: 1. Boots: Boots are so essential for the winter season! It is crucial to keep your feet safe, and there are so many options!

From Balenciaga, Doc Martens and Timberland, there is no excuse for you not to have numerous pairs of awesome boots!

Having the right color of boots is important, too. When buying boots, think about what you wear on a daily basis, and make your decision based on what will match that!

2. Dark Wash Jeans: The correct wash of jean is critical - you don’t want your outfit to be thrown off by the wash of jeans you wear! If I am wearing a white button-up with a brown pair of boots, dark wash jeans are going to look better! Dark wash jeans are great because they almost look like slacks and are chic and slimming!

3. Scarves: Wearing the correct scarf is very important, and how you wear it is important as well! Colder seasons call for colder colors: Stick with navy, black, forest green or gray. That way, you’ll stay warm and current!

I hope these fashion essentials help you in your never-ending quest for style!

Fashionably Yours, Rickey

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comics

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

WOOF WOOF

ACROSS: (4) Teeth, (5) Afghanistan, (9) Beatles, (10) Tiger, (11) Sweat, (13) Dalmatian, (14) Scent, (15) Taste, (16) Muscles, (17) Zealand,(18) Pink DOWN: (1) Russian, (2) Myth, (3) Predators, (6) Tapetum, (7) Newfoundland, (8) Wetness. (12) Panting, (18) Pekingese

Across

4. Puppies have 28 _____ and normal adult dogs have 42.

5. Two stray dogs in ___________ saved 50 American soldiers.

9. It is rumored that, at the end of the _______ song, “A Day in the Life,” Paul McCartney recorded an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, just for his Shetland sheepdog.

10. _____ Woods stuttered as a child and used to talk to his dog until he fell asleep in an effort to get rid of the speech impediment.

11. Unlike humans, dogs only _____ through the pads of their feet.

13. _________ puppies are pure white when they are born and develop their spots as they grow older.

14. When dogs kick after going to the bathroom, they are using the _____ glands on their paws to further mark their territory.

15. Dogs have about 17000 _____ buds.

16. There are more than a dozen separate _______ that control a dog’s ear movements.

17. There is a dog-shaped building in New _______.

18. While the Chow Chow dogs are well known for their distinctive blue-black tongues, they’re actually born with ____ tongues.

Down

1. Some stray _______ dogs have figured out how to use the subway systems in order to travel to more populated areas in search of food.

2. It’s a ____ that dogs only see in black and white.

3. Dogs curl up in a ball when they sleep due to an age-old instinct to keep themselves warm and protect their abdomen and vital organs from _________.

6. Dogs’ eyes contain a special membrane, called the _______ lucidum, which allows them to see in the dark.

7. The ____________ breed has a water resistant coat and webbed feet.

8. The _______ of a dog’s nose is essential for determining what direction a smell is coming from.

12. A _______ dog can take 300 to 400 breaths with very little effort.

18. Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic: two Pomeranians and one __________.

THE BELL RINGER

PAGE 9

sports www.grubellringer.com

The Rookie Report Anthony Garcia sports editor

My Jaguar Pride

I

AMY THORNE | STAFF

A participant in the CMFA Indoor Zombie Shoot lines up his shot at one of the “zombie” targets during a practice session before the second-half of the archery competition.

Archers shoot zombies

By Amy Thorne arts & life editor

Zombies were the targets of an indoor archery competition and fundraiser Nov. 1, hosted by a local charity.

All the proceeds from the Champions Made From Adversity’s Zombie Shoot benefited the CMFA’s archery program to help wounded warriors and civilians, Community Programs Director Pam Wooten said.

The idea came from CMFA archery coaches and office manager Kelly Garcia, Wotten said.

“You know, with it being right around Halloween, we wanted to have a Halloween feel to it,” Wooten said. “So, we’re going with the zombies since that’s such a hot commodity right now and every-

thing is zombie(s).”

Archers of all levels of experience shot at paper zombie targets for the chance to win zombie medallions, she said.

“We’re always looking to change things up and do something new and different and see what catches and what works,” Garcia said. “And we keep our costs low, so that it is a fundraiser for archery.”

CMFA hosted an indoor archery tournament last year, but without a “fun” theme, Wooten said.

Jeff Snover, cofounder of CMFA, said he only had three weeks of archery experience before competing in Zombie Shoot. Paralympic archer Kinga Kiss-Johnson has been coaching him.

“With all the different sports that we do, I got to see each of them and what they were all about and

how they’ve helped people along the way,” Snover said. “Archery was just something that CMFA has been doing and, as the former chairman, I couldn’t get really involved in the individual sports.”

Snover said the CFMA wants “hundreds of people” to participate in the event when it returns.

Kiss-Johnson, who also participated in the CFMA shoot, said the more serious target tournaments typically occur earlier in the year.

“The spring one is going to be (the) Georgia Archery Association tournament that happens every year,” she said. “Then there is the FIDA archery tournament, which is the national archery tournament, right after that … this one is a fun shoot. That’s why we call it Zombie Shoot, because it’s just a fun shoot.”

She said she started with the

CMFA through the military program and started to shoot while on active duty at Fort Gordon, and discovered that all people have different ways of playing the same sports.

“I shoot from a stool, because I can’t stand long; and (Jeff’s) shooting from a chair,” she said. “Some athletes can’t use their arms; they use their mouth to shoot with. So, we adapt the sports to the athlete that wants to shoot. It still gives them something to look forward to.

Just because we have a disability doesn’t mean we stop.”

Kiss-Johnson said the Zombie Shoot helped make the community more aware of the archery program’s presence.

“CMFA offers other different sports. Just come out and play with us and try it,” she said. athorne@gru.edu

Rowing Club championship docks at home

By Ashley Trawick chief reporter JESSICA SAGER | STAFF

A driver and her horse navigates obstacles during the final day of the Katydid event.

Horses driven in S.C. competition

By Jessica Sager copy editor

The 11th annual Katydid Combined Driving Event took place from Oct. 30 until Nov. 2 in Windsor, S.C. Combined driving can be done with horses or ponies, said Margaret Dils, secretary at Katydid Farm.

A carriage can be pulled by a single horse, a pair of horses or be driven four-in-hand (with four horses).

There were training, preliminary and intermediate divisions for the drivers to compete in, according to the event website.

Competitor Irene Gillis said that each division includes three phases: dressage, marathon and cones.

“The first part, which is dressage, is a little bit like compulsory figures in figure skating,” Dils said. “It’s a prescribed pattern that their drivers perform ... The goal of the driver is to make the test look sort of effortless and obedient and the horse to be responsible, so it’s a little bit like regular dressage but it’s, of course, the driver only has

its voice as an aid rather than legs if you were riding a horse.”

The second phase, marathon, consists of three sections, Gillis said: Section A, a walk (or transfer at the upper levels) and the marathon, also called cross-country, which is the hardest of the sections and requires the horses to have a vet-check beforehand.

Muffy Seaton said she competed in the preliminary category with her pony, Blazer, who she has been training for a year and a half. She said that in combined driving there is a “trust-bond” built between the horse and driver.

“It really is a leap of faith, especially for a single horse, to be out there all on its own,” Seaton said. “I mean, if you think about who they are, who these horses are, they’re prey, herd, flight animals and they’re up there all by themselves, and you can’t pat them on the neck.

So they’ve got to absolutely trust you.”

Both Gillis and Seaton said there is comradery amongst the drivers, even as they compete. jschucke@gru.edu

Some boat action took place Sunday on the Savannah River.

The USRowing Masters Head Race National Championship was hosted by the Augusta Rowing Club and the Augusta Sports Council. Hundreds of highly skilled and trained competitors raced along the course, which started at Hammond’s Ferry and ended at the Augusta Rowing Club boathouse.

Event coordinator for USRowing, Sarah Joos, said the event originated three years ago in Cleveland.

“Essentially, this regatta came about from some USRowing members who put forth to us an idea, and we went for it,” she said. “And we did it in Cleveland, originally. Then last year we were in Oklahoma, and this year we’re in Augusta. So what we do with this event is on Sundays, we do it in conjunction with an event coverage that’s being done on a Saturday. So (Augusta has) Head of the South, which is a really big event for (the city). We bring our events in and I kind of piggyback it off of that event and that way, we

can sort of showcase this event nationally and, essentially, go to different venues throughout the United States for the event.”

Brinsley Thigpen, the chief executive officer for the Augusta Sports Council, said they partnered with the rowing club and put in a bid for the event.

George Fry, who has been on the board of the directors for the Augusta Rowing Club for 25 years, said he used to be a spectator at rowing events when the former Augusta College had a large crew.

“There’s a race reported in the local newspaper in July of 1837,” he said. “That’s a year after Alamo.

They had 6,000 spectators back in the 1830s, so rowing was popular then, and it continued after the Civil War. There were a couple of clubs in the area: the Rebel Boat Club and the Augusta Boat Club.

In about 1900, you just didn’t read anymore about them, so they kind of faded away. But the modern day club was established in 1984 when some of the local business leaders saw the opportunity to develop the Riverfront.” atrawick@gru.edu

ASHLEY TRAWICK | STAFF

Participants row a 5 km course on the Savannah River for the championship race.

t was a cold Wednesday night, and the energy was high for the volleyball team.

I’ve lately been having to go to Christenberry Fieldhouse to take volleyball photos to go with our stories.

The seats behind me have been filling up with more people each time I go.

As of this writing, the GRU Augusta volleyball team is ranked second in the Peach Belt Conference.

When it plays next weekend, Nov. 20, it’ll be playing the NCAA Southeast Regional, which will pit it against Armstrong, USC Aiken and Montevallo in the top 4.

For Georgia Regents, this is basically “the” game to watch.

Whatever happens at Peach Belt, this will be a historic season for the volleyball team. The game I went to saw the team win their 24th game for the season, breaking their last record of 23 games set almost 20 years ago in 1995.

Next to volleyball, the GRU Augusta cross-country team picked itself up from the bottom of the top 8, to finish fourth at the PBC Championship at Fort Gordon Saturday. This will be the next game to watch, as its regional game takes place Nov. 22, before the championship just after the school semester is out.

Though both GRU Augusta golf teams won’t start NCAA championships until spring, they continue to gain momentum. The women’s team placed 21st nationally, putting it on the spotlight for the top 25 leading into regionals in May. The men’s team won second in its last game of the year, the Palmetto Intercollegiate, as it continues its push toward qualifying for Division II. And while Peach Belt is underway, both GRU Augusta basketball teams are starting season play, which is guaranteed to attract an audience, especially with Jaguar Madness taking place Tuesday.

It’s taken me a while to really understand school pride, but what we have here, “Jaguar Pride,” this is something to be recognized.

Leading into Peach Belt this coming week, I ask that the students and community of Georgia Regents carry that same pride for our athletes into the rest of the season.

Ignore the controversies, the PR stunts and the campus changes. Instead, for now, let us focus on what it means to be a student here.

What it means to represent Augusta, Ga. What it means to be a Jaguar.

We are Jaguar Nation.

And we are only getting better.

agarci11@gru.edu

PAGE 10

sports

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014

www.grubellringer.com

PEACH BELT

Lady Jags spike record

By Rebecca Perbetsky production assistant

The GRU Augusta volleyball team is advancing into postseason conference play.

Leading up to conference play next week, Alyssa Latham, a junior setter, said the team feels good about where it stands in postseason play and breaking the school’s record, but there is still one factor that will determine the team’s final ranking.

“We are excited,” Latham said.

“We really wanted to break the record, which is 23 wins. Hopefully if everything works out we will be second in conference, but it all depends on how Aiken does in their games, which hopefully they lose to Armstrong.”

The Lady Jags are currently ranked second in the conference, and Lantham said they have , regardless, already secured a spot to play for the regional title.

Head Coach Sharon Quarles said it feels good to be in the postseason, knowing the team will be heading to regionals.

“It’s a very good feeling, and like I told others, it’s given an opportunity for seniors who haven’t ever done this,” Quarles said. “This is something they are going to experience for the first time since they arrived. And for the newbies, it is the start of things to come. So it is a

ANTHONY GARCIA | STAFF

Middle blocker Paige Elliott and outside hitter Kristen Koch block the ball during a game against the Georgia College Bobcats.

very good thing on both ends.”

The new, young players will get to experience postseason play, Quarles said, and also look at what the future has in store for the team.

“It is just the start of things to come,” Quarles said. “It just sets the tone of ‘now you have experienced it’; we are only going to get better because of bright talent. You bring in better talent each year than what you currently have, because

that’s where you get better. It is from within, and if you just keep recruiting better talent, it keeps those kids hungry, but they have that backup. They have that teammate that is going to be on their heels for playing time, and as coaches, you can motivate, you show them and encourage only so far, but there is no better motivators than when you have competition. When you have a teammate that is, whether they

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2014 VOLLEYBALL PBC STANDING

2nd OVERALL SEASON

2015 MEN & WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PBC Championship FINAL RESULTS

26-7

4th

FINALS Nov. 20-22 -- NCAA Southeast Regional

Steadily increasing their pace as regional championships approach, the GRU Augusta men and women’s cross-country teams are nearing the finish line neck and neck with the competition.

Both teams placed fourth at the 2014 Peach Belt Conference Championship held Saturday at Barton Field; the next step, Head Coach Adam Ward said, will be waiting and continuing to train for the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championships on Nov. 22 in Montevallo, Ala. “Honestly, I wouldn’t have been more proud unless we’d won

it on both sides,” he said. “And even then I’d think, the way they fought and effort, and their passion they poured in the last few weeks, has been really impressive and I appreciate all that they’ve done.”

Looking forward, the men’s team in particular will benefit from differences between the regional and conference runs because the men’s race at Montevallo will be longer, said Boyd Guttery, a graduate nursing student who had the team’s second highest finishing time with 25:50.29.

“We did an 8K today; we’re going to do a 10K at region,” Guttery said. “I think, you know, that extra 2K will benefit us as well, because we’re moving up so well with the race that we’re going to catch more people.”

RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF

Taylor Shaw runs the women’s 6K at Barton Field during the PBC Championship.

Ward’s training, Guttery said, emphasizes teammates with similar time brackets running together and pushing one another to go further.

He said he has been paired lately during practice runs with topplaced teammate Nick Del Guercio, in preparation for postseason competition. Both were named All-Conference at the end of the race.

Sophomore runner Olivia Rodriguez, who had the team’s second highest time at 22:10.58 and qualified as an All-Conference runner, said her team’s fourth place spot was, itself, evidence that teamwork and morale have improved. “(It makes me) really, really happy, honestly, because last year I’m pretty sure we came in sixth or seventh,” she said.

When one of the women’s top runners, Morgan Ryffe, rolled her ankle during the first lap of the course, the team members’ commitment to one another was on full display, Rodriguez said. Ryffe still placed 49th on a field of 101 runners with a time of 23:59.60.

“She didn’t just die off and give up, she got up and ran extremely well,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of times, when it gets tough, you roll an ankle, it’s really, really easy to slip into that ‘Oh well, I have an excuse now for why I’m going slow, I rolled my ankle, I can go slow.’ But she didn’t. She kept fighting.” radams99@gru.edu

rperbets@gru.edu

Basketball team preps next season

By Rebecca Perbetsky production assistant

Cross-country runners place fourth at Barton

By Richard Adams & Anthony Garcia editor-in-chief sports editor

are starting or not starting, they are ready to go. It is just you have to come to play, whether it is practice or game, because there is someone always ready to take a spot.”

Not only does this set the tone for next year, Quarles said, but it makes other teams anticipate, and even fear, the team.

“We are going to be a team that people will dread, going into play,” she said “Not only are you balanced

across the board and across the net, but you’re versatile.”

Now that postseason is starting, senior outside hitter Kristen Koch said the team is excited about it.

“We are going into postseason, so I think we are all really kind of ready to get into postseason play because we are ready to actually go,” she said.

Along with working on improving the game, Latham said, the team has started watching more film.

“We watch a lot of film of the teams we have played and we scout them out and see who is the best passers and who is the weakest passers and things like that,” she said. “Then we just kind of take it easy at practice and doing skill work, instead of working as hard and running.”

Throughout the season, Latham said, there isn’t one play that stood out.

“We are definitely a team,” Latham said. “We worked well this year, and we have a chance of going to nationals.”

The season was not only about conference wins, Quarles said. It was about how the team played in every match and how it is currently playing.

“The end of the story has not been written for this season, so who knows,” Quarles said. “The sky is the limit.”

The GRU Augusta men’s basketball team is looking for a slam dunk this season.

Leading up to the start of basketball season, many fall sports have pushed and fought their way to conference games and even regionals, said Head Coach Dip Metress, which is potentially a sign of something good.

“When the fall sports start off well, hopefully it leads to everyone doing well,” he said. “There are several years where they don’t do as well and we do better. Whenever the fall season starts off well, it seems like the school starts off well. It is a good omen.”

With good karma in place, Metress said the team is in good shape for the start of the season with five returning seniors.

“We are hoping that those five seniors can lead us to the seventh National College Athletic Association tournament in the last nine years,” he said. “That is our goal.

We always want to compete for a Peach Belt title, and (are) looking forward to getting back into the postseason play.”

With the season steadily approaching, Trevor Foreman, a sophomore guard, said he has the same expectations.

“Hopefully, we win the Peach Belt Championship this year; that is what we are working for,” Foreman said. “We haven’t won in a while, so that is what we want.”

Along with having five experienced seniors on the team, Metress said there are also new players on the team who are getting ready for the season opener.

“We have got 14 players dressed, and we have four or five who have never played here,” Metress said. “So we are trying to acclimate those guys with the returning guys. We are in a situation

where (we have) five seniors and, really, one junior, who is hurt right now. We have old guys and young guys, and we are just trying to get them acclimated together.”

Senior guard D’Angelo Boyce said he is excited for the season.

“We’ve got six returners from last year, and I’d say we all have experience, with five of us being seniors,” Boyce said. “Keshun played a vital role last year, so he knows how it feels to go far and do well. And it is just the freshmen that come in, and they have to learn faster and be patient and learn and be focused every day.”

During this season there will be a new element of instant replay, Metress said.

“We had some questionable calls last year and if there was a replay thing at the table, they would not have counted the basket,” Metress said. “I think anything to enhance the game is good and there is never a problem with replay, unless you are on the other side of it.”

Although the Jags haven’t played yet, the competition is fierce, Metress said, and there are going to be teams that will bring the heat. rperbets@gru.edu

REBECCA PERBETSKY | STAFF

Forward position Devon Wright-Nelson practices at Christenberry Fieldhouse.