GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY
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VOLUME 57, ISSUE 5
Greeks unite for competition
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014
Daughter speaks out By Ashley Trawick chief reporter
AMY THORNE | STAFF
Yamma Brown’s story is the one of a survivor and an example of how a negative situation, like suffering an abusive relationship, can still have a positive outcome. The daughter of the late funk and soul singer James Brown visited Georgia Regents University Oct. 14, in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, to talk to students and the community about her new book “Cold Sweat: My Father James Brown and Me.” In the book, Brown writes in great detail about witnessing her mother
being beaten by her father and then entering into a violent relationship herself. “I went (and) got my doctorate (degree) at 24 in pharmacy,” she said in her speech addressed to attendees. “I thought this would never happen to me – I’ll never be in a relationship like that, and got right into one. It didn’t start off that way. It started out great (and) nice. You know, going out to dinner, doing all those fun things you do and then he became controlling, eventually verbally abusive and, right up until the end, physically abusive.” see Daughter on PAGE 3
All nine Greek-letter organizations performed during the Clash of the Titans step competition. Read more about it on PAGE 6.
Siri comes to Augusta By Jordan Barry production manager
“Indiland wanga yo spina spicket clinic. Boil your mildge jewel weed today. The tellers sallow the talley. Say the zzzzzzz jing again. Militia oye hallucinate bucra orca ooze. Sbapapa Vacua open porn?” That was part of a script given to voice actors to create digital voices for a text-to-speech company, said Susan Bennett, a voice actor whose voice became the basis for Siri, Apple’s digital assitant. “In other words, the creators of these phrases and sentences that we had to read were thinking only about getting the greatest number of sound combinations in the language, and they didn’t really care how they were saying them,” she said. “So, consequently, some of these phrases and sentences were pretty darn strange.” She said she was flattered when she found out she was the voice of Siri. But it was a discovery that came as quite a surprise, she said Tuesday, Oct. 21, speaking at the Women in Business’s 2014 signature event.. “I found out that I was Siri from a colleague,” Bennett said. “She emailed me and said, ‘We’re playing around with this new iPhone. Isn’t this you?’”
HALEY HARRIS | STAFF
Siri’s sense of humor shows in her responses when she is asked questions.
Her voice was used for Sirius Satellite Radio, Bennett said. When Apple bought out the company, they acquired her voice and decided to use it for Siri. “All of us who recorded those original Siri voices had no idea that we were becoming Siri,” she said. “So, it was a complete and utter surprise. So, those of you who want a loan for a few mil, don’t call me.” Bennett came out as the voice of Siri last year, she said. “When I revealed myself as Siri last year, I met a lot of people who were absolutely shocked that there was a person behind the voice,” she said. “Well, machines can speed up the voice, slow down the voice, add reverb to the voice,
compress the voice, but the actual sound itself has to come from a real human ... So far.” Larry Jones, the chairman of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, introduced Bennett to the audience. Jones said it was “just kind of amazing to put a face with this voice that knows literally everything.” Beth Britt, a patron at the event, said she heard about the event through work. “It was interesting to hear,” she said. “I’m an engineer, so it was interesting to hear how she did everything and how it all happened.” Britt said she really enjoyed the event, and liked that Bennett used humor. “I don’t use Siri that much,” Britt said. “In fact, I’ll be driving down Washington Road and wonder why traffic is backed up, I’ll say ‘Is there an accident?’ And she’ll be like, ‘What? I don’t know what you’re saying,’ and she hangs up on me.” As for the new voices of Siri, Bennett said she thinks Apple was more careful about how they chose the voice actors. “I thinks it’s gonna take an act of God for you to find out who the new Siri voices are,” she said, “because I do believe those people have non-disclosure agreements.” jbarry3@gru.edu
New security changes to be made “ ” By Richard Adams & Ashley Trawick editor-in-chief, chief reporter
Limiting students’ access to the 24-hour computer labs on the Summerville campus may be addressed soon due to safety concerns. During the Oct. 6 University Senate meeting, Chief of Police William McBride addressed his concerns to the senate, then Ricardo Azziz, the president of Georgia Regents University, assessed the situation. “These are decisions that we do want faculty input in,” Azziz said at the meeting. “Remember, these are security issues at the end of the day.” Azziz said he hopes to decide on the specifics of this issue sometime in November by finalizing a plan and moving forward with it.
Nobody does that where they give a student body a card that gives them 24-hour access to buildings... --William McBride
McBride said it’s always been disturbing to him that the university has large academic buildings like University and Allgood halls and students are able to access them with a swipe of their JagCard at any time, despite there being no supervision after classes are done. “I did some research on (some) other colleges in Georgia (and in other states),” he said. “Nobody does that where they give a student body a card that gives them 24-hour access to buildings when there’s no one there. That’s problematic for us from a public safety perspective.”
The senate, McBride said, responded with two suggestions: Figure out a way to staff the buildings at night, or change the lab hours for student access. He said the university is exploring ways to still provide lots of access for students to study on campus, but with far safer security measures in place. Priscilla Mason, a first-year education specialist student in curriculum instruction, said the peace and quiet of the 24-hour computer labs are invaluable after long days full of work, night classes and traveling back and forth from her home in Keysville, Ga., which is about 45 minutes away. “It is an advantage to stay here and finish my work,” Mason said. “I’d really hate it (if they ended 24/7 lab access).”
radams99@gru.edu atrawick@gru.edu
ASHLEY TRAWICK | STAFF
James Brown’s daughter, Yamma Brown, discusses domestic violence prevention.
Summit educates on cyber security By Haley Harris news editor Threats to the security of cyber networking have become an increasingly prominent issue in today’s nation, and a possible solution could be the education and initiative of the younger generation. Georgia Regents University accommodated guests from all over the country Thursday for the Cyber Education Summit to address the concerns of cyber security and the new changes that will soon be occurring in Augusta at Fort Gordon. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee as well as vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, hosted the event. “When I go around the country or around our state and I talk about Al-Qaeda, I talk about ISIL, I talk about al-Shabaab, people get excited,” he said. “They’re interested in hearing what you have to say … Somehow they identify with it. Then all of a sudden, I go to talk about what I think, long term, is the most serious issue we have on a national security perspective, and that’s cyber security, and all of a sudden people’s eyes glaze over. Because they don’t know really what’s happening.” Chambliss said that with Fort Gordon, National Security Agency and now Cyber Command all standing in Augusta, it makes the CSRA pinned at the “point of the spear.” “What the issue is about today,” Chambliss said, “from the standpoint of the public, is that we have a job to do as policy makers
and as folks involved in the military side of this to educate the public.” The keynote speaker of the event, Adm. Michael Rogers, addressed the issues of having Fort Gordon become the permanent location for Army Cyber Command headquarters and Georgia Regents’ involvement with cyber education, according to the summit’s agenda. Rogers assumed his position as Commander of U.S. Cyber Command and Director of NSA in May of this year, according to his introduction and biography found in the summit’s agenda. Rogers said he believes that as a nation America has got to harness the capabilities of the NSA to defend against the cyber challenges facing the country. “This is not a short-term problem set,” Rogers said. “If you think that we’re going to fix this (in) two or three years, I don’t believe that that’s going to happen.” Right now, NSA is focusing on cyber theft through the increase in technology accessibility from hackers, Rogers said. “What are the Russians, what are the Chinese, what are the Iranians or what do you think 15-yearold kids down the street are up to?” see Summit on PAGE 3
HALEY HARRIS | STAFF
Attendees of the Cyber Education Summit listen to a panel discuss NSA.
Karla Leeper Page 3
Glow in the Park
Bollywood Fusion
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Students start Indian dance team
New chief of staff arrives at GRU
Runners get painted neon for a cause
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NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014
www.grubellringer.com
The voice of
Georgia Regents University EDITORIAL STAFF adviser MATTHEW BOSISIO mbosisio@gru.edu editor-in-chief RICHARD ADAMS radams99@gru.edu copy editor JESSICA SAGER jschucke@gru.edu news editor HALEY HARRIS hharris9@gru.edu arts & life editor AMY THORNE athorne@gru.edu sports editor ANTHONY GARCIA agarci11@gru.edu chief reporter 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 JEAN-PAUL CASSAGNOL jcassagn@aug.edu photographer SHELDONIA BESSENT sbessent@gru.edu columnist NEIL DAVENPORT cdavenp3@gru.edu contributors STEPHEN HAYNES ETHAN HOLLIMAN SCHYLO PHILLIPS BRIKKEL RUCKER ERICA RUGGLES 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
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Police advise about safety By Rebecca Perbetsky production assistant New precautions are being taken to ensure safety on campus. After receiving an email from a concerned person, Chief of Police William McBride said security is being looked at closely and changes are going to be made. Since no one will force the issue of identification badges, McBride said, the public safety officers do not know who is supposed to be on the campus and who is not. “There are cameras being installed in the Christenberry parking lot,” McBride said. “We have had problems with break-ins up there, so we are putting prox readers on all exterior doors, alarms on all the exterior doors. They are going to have card readers.” The only problem with having cameras, McBride said, is you get a vague shadowy figure and it is sometimes hard to identify people in the footage. Director of Athletics Clint Bryant said currently they have been informing people to not leave things in their vehicles. “At one time there were several break-ins and it is just a sign of the times,” Bryant said. “I think people are working in groups because of cell phones and things like that and they can be in your car and gone in less than 30 seconds.” When vehicles are broken into it usually happens during the nighttime, McBride said, and also happens during sporting events and other events that are open to large numbers of people. Cynthia Panzella, a junior majoring in both music and history, said she thinks installing cameras is a great idea. “I think definitely a presence would be nice to help make people more secure,” Panzella said. “Hopefully to prevent some of the crime just because I know someone is there, someone is watching.” rperbets@gru.edu
JESSICA SAGER | STAFF
Penny Mehaffey, one of the speakers at the Fall Sleep Seminar, shows some of the equiptment used to treat sleep disorders.
Seminar educates By Jessica Sager copy editor
The third annual Fall Sleep Seminar, where professionals discussed sleep disorders and treatments, took place at the Kroc Center Friday, Oct. 17. “Our sleep center at GRU was the first sleep center in the area to be accredited by the AASM,” said Penny Mehaffey, registered polysomnographic technologist, referencing the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “And I felt like, the caliber of the institution that we are, that we should be able to offer some educational type training for sleep technologists.” Among the professionals who spoke at this year’s seminar was Dr. Amy Blanchard, who spoke about narcolepsy. One symptom of narcolepsy, she said, is called cataplexy, which has been the subject of YouTube videos. “Cataplexy is muscle weakness triggered by strong emotion,” Blanchard said. “So a person laughs really hard and falls on the ground. Or they might laugh really hard and slur their speech a little bit, so it can be from extreme, you know, cataplexy to very subtle.” People who have cataplexy do not fall asleep during these episodes, she said. They are actually paralyzed but awake and aware of their surroundings. In people without cataplexy, this paralysis hap-
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Our sleep center at GRU was the fist sleep center in the area to be accredited by the AASM. --Penny Mehaffey
pens when they are in dream sleep. Not everyone who has narcolepsy has cataplexy, Blanchard said. “Pathological sleepiness,” however, is a symptom shared by all people who have narcolepsy. “Some of the rules for scoring sleep in children can be a little different,” said Mehaffey, talking about pediatric sleep scoring. “And definitely the way a child’s sleep waves look can be more difficult to interpret than those of adults because not all the waves that we need to look at to interpret sleep are always developed in very young children, especially.” Other subjects covered at the seminar included relaxation techniques, parasomnia and oral appliances used for the treatment of sleep apnea. Veronica Jordan said this was her first time attending the Fall Sleep Seminar. Her favorite lecture was probably the one on oral appliances, because it will help her give more insight pertaining to patients. Though the information at the seminar is geared toward sleep professionals, Mehaffey said, anyone can buy a ticket and attend the Fall Sleep Seminar. Two of the biggest sleep issues that affect college students,
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Blanchard said, are “self-imposed sleep restriction” and sleep apnea. “It doesn’t have to be in an overweight person, but that does kind of increase your risk,” she said. “So, anybody with big tonsils or adenoids or any blockage in their upper airway, whether it’s from fat tissue or, you know, big tonsils, can have sleep apnea ... So basically if a person has a narrow upper airway, when they lie down and go to sleep and the muscles relax that hold their throat open, if they’re already narrow they kind of collapse, and so they stop breathing and they kind of snort themselves awake or their brain awake, and so the reason it makes people sleepy is because they’re having sleep fragmentation from those multiple brain rousings at night.” People who want to sleep better, Blanchard said, should not take naps during the day if doing so prevents them from sleeping at night. They should not drink alcohol excessively or have the TV on in their bedrooms. Exercise is helpful, but not shortly before a person wants to go to bed. A bedroom should be a “cool, dark, quiet place,” with only sleep and sex happening in the bed itself. jschucke@gru.edu
Professor takes pride in career By Richard Adams editor-in-chief He opens each class with a story or joke, but Michael Dugan, only the second person in the Hull College of Business’s history to be named the Peter S. Knox III Distinguished Chair of Accounting, is serious about teaching. “This (distinction) tells you how distinguished that professor is and how much that they have already contributed to the field in which they work and how much that they will then, therefore, contribute even more into the future,” said Marc Miller, dean of the Hull College of Business. “So the distinguished chair is as high as you can get.” Miller said he is very particular about who holds this position, which is why it is so rarely offered. Among Dugan’s many accomplishments, Miller said, are approximately 150 articles written in top accounting journals and having taught for 25 years at the University of Alabama, one of the best accounting programs in the world. “My vision was to find a worldclass scholar in accounting to do a couple of things,” Miller said. “One is to help to bring all the accounting faculty to a new level in their re-
search. … I wanted somebody that could even bring them to another level, that could help them at creating research and thinking of new ideas, of thinking of the ways that accounting is changing.” Throughout his almost 30 years as an academic, Dugan said he has counted among his students WorldCom auditor Cynthia Cooper, who was named one of three of Time Magazine’s People of the Year for 2002, and Lance Nail, former dean in the college of business at Southern Mississippi University. Cooper said Dugan was known for his lecture style, in which he would fill up the entire blackboard with notes transcribed from memory, only to leave the classroom trailing chalk dust. The impression Dugan has made on the lives of his students can be indelible, said Matthew Stapleton, a student Dugan mentored at the University of Southern Mississippi. “He motivated me more than anyone else ever has,” Stapleton said. “He has been instrumental in my success, and I owe a lot of my success to that man, because, to be honest, I was not the strongest candidate for the Master’s program. … (but) Dr. Dugan lobbied for me. He put his name on the line for me.”
RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
Distinguished Chair, Michael Dugan, stands teaching one of his accounting classes.
With Dugan’s leadership, Stapleton said his graduating class at the University of Southern Mississippi had a 100 percent placement rate. “In accounting, where we have a profession out there and jobs available, I always try to help students find jobs that are most suited for them,” Dugan said, “and help them in the process of developing into a professional accountant.” Having seen teaching styles of all kinds, Dugan said he chose to maintain a laidback class where questions and student interaction with the professor are encouraged. Having had teachers who used intimidation methods to teach difficult subject matter in the past, Dugan said the choice to become a more nurturing kind of professor came naturally. “How do you make a differ-
ence in a student’s life? Well, being an effective teacher involves more than just doing an excellent job in the classroom,” Dugan said. “That’s a necessary condition, but it’s not a sufficient condition. You have to take a sincere interest in the development of your students, and help them if they’re struggling.” Miller said acquiring Dugan was a “real coup,” one which will benefit the program’s growth now that the college of business is part of a research institute. “I believe that teaching and research are complimentary, instead of conflicting activities in the work portfolio of a professor,” Dugan said. “Because doing research makes me a more effective teacher because it keeps me more up to date on financial accounting knowledge.” radams99@gru.edu
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THE BELL RINGER
New chief welcomes challenge By Ashley Trawick & Taylor Mitchell chief reporter, staff writer
STEPHANIE MCCRAY | STAFF
Assistant professor, Amanda Behr, assists student as he works with medical illustration tools and equiptment to sketch a skull.
Address sets goals By Stephanie McCray staff writer
Andrew Balas, dean of the College of Allied Health Sciences, discussed accomplishments and goals for Georgia Regents University when he gave the State of the College Address Sept. 23. “We have an interest in promoting quality improvement, high-quality education,” Balas said. “Overall, our college really can generate great ideas, and also has the ability to make sure those great ideas actually become reality.” One of the topics discussed was the advisory board for the college. Balas said that although it is important to consider internal input, it is equally important to include input from community leaders. “The advisory board is actually an interesting opportunity for us to get linked to the community,” Balas said. “We are constantly looking for community leaders who are not necessarily healthcare professionals, but who have an interest in what we do.” While the local community is important, CAHS strives “to be a nationally and internationally recognized leader in applied health sciences education, research, innovation and service,” according to the vision statement in the strategic plan for CAHS. The medical illustration program at CAHS is “one of four in North America and one of three that are actually accredited in the United States,” said Amanda Behr, anaplastologist and assistant pro-
STEPHANIE MCCRAY | STAFF
Assistant professor, Michael Jensen, assists a medical illustration student with work.
fessor of the department of medical illustration. “If you think about all of the medical education that we do on campus and even scientific education, could you imagine trying to learn this stuff without visuals,” Behr said. “Our students, and us as professionals, we are the type of people that provide those visuals.” Behr is also director of the newly opened clinic for prosthetic restoration. She said that the clinic provides patients with the option of removable prosthetics when surgery is not an option. “The patient comes to us because they have missing or malformed anatomy, and it’s typically facial anatomy,” she said. “I make facial prosthetics as well as other prostheses. I can make toes, breasts and others, but basically a prostheses for someone who’s lost anatomy in an anatomically critical area.”
The clinic is the only one of its kind in the state of Georgia, said Behr. Miriam Cortez-Cooper, associate professor of the department of physical therapy, said she has submitted a program proposal for a Ph.D. in applied health sciences that would allow healthcare professionals to resolve clinical obstacles. “The idea is that it would be collaborative,” Cortez-Cooper said. “So a respiratory therapist might seek to answer a clinical problem but they would get input from other entities.” The Ph.D. in applied health sciences will help achieve Georgia Regents’ mission by developing interdisciplinary healthcare researchers well-prepared to work in healthcare teams or take a faculty position to further evidence-based practice, according to the program proposal. smccray1@gru.edu
Program gains interest By Brikkel Rucker contributor
Medical illustration is a profession that combines both art and science and allows individuals to take the complex scientific information they’ve been given and relay it in an artistic form. Founded in 1948, the Medical Illustration Program within the Allied Health Sciences at Georgia Regents University is only one of four such graduate accredited programs in North America. This program requires students to complete a 21-month curriculum in order to obtain a Master of Science in Medical Illustration degree, according to the Profession of Medical Illustra-
tion handout. Students would need to be skillfully artistic and have knowledge of basic medical subjects prior to participating in the program, Bill Andrews, program director and professor of medical illustration, said. During the first and second years of a student partaking in the program, Andrews said, they learn a range of traditional illustration techniques and use computer technologies and digital techniques. According to the Profession of Medical Illustration handout, before a student can fully carry out his illustration for a certain task, he must spend time each week in the designated operating room observing and sketching the project he’s
working on at that time. Andrews said there are several career opportunities available for individuals within this program. People in this profession could draw innovative surgical procedures for medical journals, design multimedia websites, produce 3D animated films of cellular processes or handcraft prosthetic appliances. “The program is interdisciplinary,” Regina Milner, a senior workstudy student in the medical illustration field, said. “It’s an interesting blend of art and science. There are great opportunities with medical illustration. I encourage everyone with an interest in science and art to pursue medical illustration.” brucker@gru.edu
Campus app aims to secure By Rebecca Perbetsky production assistant
A new app is available to download that could save lives. The Rave Guardian is a newly created app that is free for all students, faculty and staff, Chief of Police William McBride said. “Anybody who has a smart phone and has a gru.edu email domain can get it,” McBride said. “We paid for it.” The app costs $10,000 a year out of the budget, McBride said, but it does much more than just calling public safety. If off campus, McBride said, you can also call the local 911. “Most 911 people now use what
is called ‘smart 911,’” McBride said. “You can also send a tip.” When using the Rave Guardian app, McBride said, a screen comes up on the dispatch’s end with a grid map of where you are. Director of Athletics Clint Bryant said the app is good and anything that can be done to help with break-ins is great. “Young people are more comfortable using apps,” Bryant said. “I think that if it deters crime or makes people feel better about how to report something or seeing suspicious activity, there needs to be somehow you can report.” Although the new app is ready for use, the blue towers are still present, McBride said.
“To me, those blue tower phones are worthless,” McBride, said. “I did a 15-year analysis of them and they have never, one time, been used to call for (an) emergency ever.” Ashleigh Walters, a sophomore kinesiology student, said she thinks the app is a good idea. “(It’s) cool, especially if you are not near an emergency tower,” Walters said. “It is a lot easier because you always have your phone with you.” Not only are the blue towers usually not where people need them to be, but, McBride said, they are money pits that always need something done. rperbets@gru.edu
Karla Leeper is one of the newest members of the administration at Georgia Regents University. Leeper, the new chief of staff in the Office of the President, arrived in June from Baylor University in Texas. She said she likes to think her role is similar to a point guard in a basketball game. Every university, Leeper said, has its own culture and that’s one of the reasons she loves Georgia Regents. “You (have) got to be really careful about taking what you learn in one context and automatically applying it to another,” she said. “Because every place has its own culture, its own traditions and you’ve got to be really sensitive to that. … This campus is amazing. It has incredible potential, incredible history but it also has been through incredible change, and whenever you’re dealing with external relationships, you want to make sure people understand who and what we are.” Leeper, who has a strong background in debate, said one of her top priorities since she’s been here is working with the Office of Communications and Marketing in establishing a more marketable website. “It’s a consolidation,” she said.
“You’re trying to put the website for three totally different institutions together and how do you do that? We’ve really started to focus on that because that’s our portal to the world.” Leeper said Dale Herbeck, a professor and chair of the communication department at Northeastern University, was an undergraduate mentor for her. Herbeck said he was first introduced to Leeper when she was a college freshman at the University of Iowa. He said she really came into her own over time. “She came to college, and this miraculous transformation happened,” he said. “She went from a run-of-the-mill high school debater to being, her senior year, one of the probably three or four best debaters in the country.” Epiphany Clark, the development assistant for the Georgia Bulldog Club, was a colleague of Leeper’s at Baylor. She said an important quality Leeper brings to Georgia Regents is her support for the students. “She’s not afraid to go to bat for students, whether it be with administration or whether it be with everyday faculty,” Clark said. One instance, she said, that came to mind was when Leeper served on the diversity council. “In any position that she’s in, she (is) always the constant reminder to think about the students because that’s the reason the university even exists,” Clark said. atrawick@gru.edu
ANTHONY GARCIA | STAFF
New chief of staff, Karla Leeper, speaks with students about her plans for the future.
Daughter CONTINUED from PAGE 1
Brown said that unfortunately, her self-esteem was so low she was unable to get herself out of that type of relationship for over ten years. . The chair of the Domestic Violence Awareness Month planning committee at Georgia Regents and associate professor of criminal justice, Allison Foley, said she read the book in just 10 hours. “It’s really compelling,” she said. “(Brown) talks about the circumstances surrounding her father’s death and some of the issues that have been talked about in the media regarding the conflict over how to execute his will. There’s some interesting tidbits about Augusta and about different smaller areas in South Carolina where he grew up.”
Summit CONTINUED from PAGE 1
Chambliss said. “It literally gets to that degree of differences as to where these intrusions are coming from. How many intrusions are there out there? Gee, we have no idea. But one thing we do know, in the year 2013 alone the department of defense and the department of energy and National Nuclear Energy Association had 10 million intrusions a day into their system.” Rogers said that when he thinks about the work force’s future, he believes that if people are going to wait until men and women reach
Jennifer Kresslein, the development director of SafeHomes of Augusta, said she found out Brown was writing a book and invited her to speak to the Young Professionals of Augusta group. Kresslein said Georgia ranks 10th in the nation for domestic violence. “With that, one, that says how big the problem is in our area,” she said. “And two, you know, it’s very important that they’re able to stay in our shelter.” Brown credited her strength to get out of the relationship to her two teenage children. “Finally, I just said, ‘Enough is enough,’” Brown said. “Sometimes … your whole world has to come crumbling down around you, and I’m just saying it doesn’t have to get to that point. I would say to a woman or a man that’s going through it right now: Get out.” atrawick@gru.edu
college age, then the country will be way behind. “We need to implement this in our foundational and education programs at the elementary and high school level,” Rogers said. “We can’t wait.” Aaron Mercer, who attended the summit, said he was curious about the panel. “After the increased situations of password hacks and information breaches, I was curious to find out what the next step was,” he said. “Are they not working towards a solution? Because, quite honestly, it seems almost stupid to put any of your information on any type of technology nowadays.” hharris9@gru.edu
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014
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OPINION www.grubellringer.com
editorial
Access must be balanced
Students need a place to study, plain and simple. The university, because it provides an educational service that requires extensive out-of-class course work, is in a position to accommodate this very relevant student need. Because concerns have been raised about both the prudence and safety of the current policy (in which multiple buildings on campus allow relatively unsupervised 24/7 access via a JagCard swipe), much of what students know about after-hours computer and workspace access on the Summerville campus is about to change. What that change might be seems very much in the air, and in the hands of the administration. Thankfully, President Azziz seems to agree with the student
perspective. “I think students have a right to study 24/7, and we have a right, an obligation really, to give them a protected place for that time,” he said. In one corner is the argument that these unsupervised late-hour spaces are an incident waiting to happen. On the other is the completely valid desire of students to have a place to come late at night to do their work undisturbed. When she began pursuing her Masters in 2010, Priscilla Mason, a first-year specialist in curriculum instruction, said campus police would often come by and check IDs to make sure only students were still inside the buildings: “Women here, we’d feel safe.” But back in August, she said, she noticed a change. She said it is
rare to see an officer after 6 p.m. anymore in the 24/7 lab. While she said she could understand cutting down on building access during the weekend due to decreased lab usage, Mason said it is a much different story during the week. Often, her research class meets together after 9 p.m., a “good crowd” usually numbering eight or nine students. The decision university leaders are faced with is not whether or not to end the current policy, but when and how. In this matter, The Bell Ringer cautions against hastily moving forward without a definite and well-communicated solution in place. If students are to be locked out of areas where they once freely came and went, they should know beforehand that there is a new
I got discouraged, then, and figured the dog had probably wandered away from where I’d seen it. The second time, I was able to get in touch with an official, I don’t remember where from, and that was good. The third time, I got the number for Augusta Animal Services, called, and got a voicemail, which referred me to the Sheriff’s Department. That number, however, is only for emergencies, such as when an animal attacks someone. The last time was after midnight, just the other day, and I saw what looked like a yellow lab on the sidewalk. And I didn’t call anyone, because I knew they wouldn’t help me. To put a twist on one of Gandhi’s sayings: Judge a city by how it treats it’s animals. The fact that Augusta-Richmond Animal Control could not come out in the evening to rescue a lost dog is deeply troubling to me. I want to be a good Samaritan, but I can’t take every dog home, and so I need my city’s help.
Twins share for life
Phone calls ignored by authorities D
o unto others as you would have them do unto you, right? If someone saw my dog wandering by the side of the road and didn’t do anything about it, I would be furious. So, am I going to let someone else’s dog get run over? I hope not. Whether it’s a well-groomed, lost looking pet or a stray, I never want to leave a dog without help. Even if there isn’t a loving Jessica Sager family worrying copy editor itself sick, no animal deserves to starve or get hit by a car. I’ve seen loose dogs with no owner in sight in the Summerville neighborhood four different times. The first time, I was very late to class because I was on the phone trying to find the number for the Humane Society or animal control. I finally got a number, only to be greeted by an answering machine.
jschucke@gru.edu
Apple innovates new way to pay
A
pple’s new payment option, called Apple Pay, hit its devices on
Oct. 20. If you own the latest pieces of Apple technology, you can access Apple Pay. In 2015, when the Apple Watch launches, it will also support Apple Pay. The way the service works Jacob Scharff is that you store webmaster your credit cards, gift cards and other payment cards into the Passbook app on your phone. Then through Apple Pay you can bring up those cards and use wireless transmission and near field communication, known as NFC, to detect a point of sale, or POS, system nearby and pay for things. The use of Touch ID will help to secure things, and where the Apple Watch is concerned there is a sensor on the watch that will read whether or not the watch is on skin. The Apple Pay system is also set up to work with the Visa, Mas-
tercard and American Express tap and pay systems that are already in place. At launch, Apple Pay was in 220,000 venues, but for now the service only exists in the United States. Of course having all this information stored on your phone means someone could potentially hack in and take your info. Apple is trying to prevent that by letting you switch off the service via the Find My iPhone service. Most of the initial reception for Apple Pay has said that the service is smooth and fairly easy, but some feedback suggests a few potential flaws, one being that if you have all your cards on your phone and your phone runs out of juice or if the service ever goes down, then you’re out of luck. While storing my cards on my phone would help with pocket space, it also means that all my info is basically on my phone. I think Apple Pay is a great start for future ideas like it, but the next step really needs to see Apple working with banks to provide handheld access to more services. jscharff!gru.edu
I
think that I can read minds. When I am sitting next to my sister, and a person that has been staring at us walks up, I smile and say yes. I know exactly what they are thinking and going to say: Are you guys twins? I have been a twin for almost 22 years, and I have heard that question probably close to 10,000 times. I know once I Schylo Phillips hear it, there contributor will be multiple questions that follow. Such as, “Who’s the evil one and who’s the good one? Are you guys identical? Who’s the oldest? Have you guys ever switched places?” All of these are pretty valid questions to ask! Yet, the one that I find the hardest to answer is, “What is it like being a twin?” Man, how do you answer a question like that? It is just like asking someone what is it like to be black, a girl or a guy? It is hard to explain because it is the way I was born and it is the only life I know. I can try to say it is like having a best friend, or a soul sister, but that just scratches the surface. I feel like I can never fully express what it is like, but I can try. Having a twin is amazing. Most of the time when I ask other twins if they like being a twin, they say, “Sure”. Some, on the other hand, hate it. I had twin boys living in my dorm during my first year of college. I asked one if he liked being a twin, he told me that he “would not wish being a twin upon anybody.” I was shocked! I love the twin life and I see no reason not to. I have a lifelong partner, confidant, advisor, supporter, defender and cheerleader. I will probably never be closer to anybody in my life, and that is mainly because of our circumstances. We
place to go. Many schools have expanded library hours and adapted this option to fit their budgetary needs by restricting access to a single room, wing or floor. When the University of Bath became the first university library in the United Kingdom to open its doors to students 24 hours a day in 1996, administrators found it had an unintended effect on enrollment.
“It wasn’t intentional, but 24 hour libraries became a major selling point for prospective students,” said Gavin Rea, deputy librarian at the University of Bath, in an interview with The Guardian. In demanding more of its students academically than they’ve ever given before, the university must be willing to meet its students halfway and provide the necessary resources for their endeavors.
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
shared a stomach, crib, bedroom with bunk beds, of course, friends, teachers, a car and we even work together. Because of our life style, I have had the opportunity to share so many moments and achievements with her; for all of the ups and the downs, she was there or knew about them. I have been asked if it is weird seeing someone that looks exactly like me and acts like me. Honestly, I think we look nothing alike and we have pretty different personalities. It is cool to have someone that is the same size as me. She can try on clothes for me when I don’t feel like it, and I can wear all of her cute outfits when I run out. Other than that, when I look at her I see my sister who is different and amazing in her own right. Of course, we are human, and like every relationship we have our moments of pure hate and disgust. Those moments only last for a short while because in the end I know I am stuck with her for life and I love her. We have never dated the same guy and I am sure some guys have that fantasy, but we will never fulfill it! People wonder if our boyfriends ever get us confused, and of course. Mainly in the beginning, but after being nagged at a couple of times, they get us down pat. I am used to people not knowing who is who, but if you cannot tell a twin apart, even when you think you’re a pro, don’t worry. I have known some people for years that still get my twin and I confused. It just comes with the territory. Sometimes I can see why people get us confused, especially when we wear matching clothes. I think that is a cool perk with being a twin. We would wear matching clothes when we were little. I would wear one color and she would wear another. We do not dress the same as often nowadays because we both have such different styles. It is hard to come to a
consensus on an outfit. There is a downside to being a twin for me, and that is all of the attention that we receive. I am a horribly shy person and it is hard to cope with people staring at me on a constant basis. I know people probably only stare because they are amazed at the fact that they see girls that look alike and have afros, but I think it is something that I will always be a little uncomfortable with. I will admit, even this downside brings us good fortune, because when these people come up and talk to us we end up making new friends. Having a twin that is more outgoing than I am is a huge asset to me. For most of my life, she has been the one that helped me start a lot of the friendships that I have. She will make the first move and then after she warms the people up, that is when I come in. I got used to the way things worked, so when I went to college five hours away, I was nervous. Not having my friend recruiter and conversation starter was difficult. It was strange when I had to tell other people about my sister because they had no clue. She was not by my side. Those years made me realize how lucky I was to have a twin and made me appreciate us much more. I will never know what it is like to not have a twin, or even be in a family that does not have twins. My little brother and sister are also twins. Our mother had two sets, and she is Wonder Woman in my eyes because of that. This is my life and even if I had the choice to not be a twin, I would not pick it. An older lady in Oregon that had a twin that passed away told us something that I will never forget. She said, “Enjoy it while it lasts,” and I intend to. So keep the questions coming and I will just adjust to all of the stares because that is just the life of a twin.
sphill17@gru.edu
PAGE 5
THE BELL RINGER
Overlooked employees are noticed D
RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
Cynthia Cooper, 2002 Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, speaks about her experience as an auditor and as a whistleblower.
Ethics talk inspires A
s I stand in line after the lecture, I’m quickly debating what to say. It can’t sound too dorky, and it can’t sound too eager. I have to settle on a tone of enthusiastic admiration; I need to emphatically communicate my feelings in the space of about a minute and a half! Finally, it’s my turn to have my book signed. “Hi,” I say, already almost gushing at the first word. Erica Ruggles I remind contributor myself to stay cool and collected. We exchange pleasantries, and I hand her my purple pen as she opens my book to the title page. “What year are you? What’s your major?” she asks. “I’m a junior public relations major,” I say. (I know I’m probably smiling like an idiot by now.) “I really loved the lecture,” I continue. “It’s so inspiring to see a powerful female in a male-dominated industry.” “Thank you,” she says, handing my pen back. “That’s a cool pen. You should hold on to it.” I find it hard to contain my excitement after my encounter with Cynthia Cooper, who exposed fraudulent activity worth billions of dollars at WorldCom back in 2002. The $11 billion fraud began as a massive cover-up by WorldCom and was, at the time, the largest corporate fraud in United States history. Cooper and her team of corporate auditors worked tirelessly
in secret over a stretch of time to uncover their company’s financial misstatements. And after the fraud was announced, she was labeled a whistleblower by the media and shunned by some of her coworkers at the company. More than three years after the fraud was identified, the company’s CEO, CFO, accounting controller and others involved in the fraud were sentenced to prison and probation time. It took Cooper years to write “Extraordinary Circumstances: The Journey of a Corporate Whistleblower,” an extensive and finely detailed account of the circumstances that led to the fraud at WorldCom. She wrote the book not only from her own point of view, but from the perspective of others working at the company as well. Since the completion of her book, Cooper has traveled the country speaking to college and high school students. She focuses her lectures on personal and business ethics. Here at Georgia Regents University, it was the Hull College of Business and Georgia Bank and Trust who arranged for her to come speak. I was personally instructed to read the book and complete a project on it as part of my principles of marketing course. Although I don’t read many nonfiction books, Cooper’s book was enthralling and kept my attention until the very last word. The language used accurately presented the details of the company and the fraud in a manner that was easy to understand, even though I don’t know anything about the business operations side
of telecommunications or internal audit. Thoroughly reading the book also helped me gain a better understanding of her lecture, although I feel that I would not have been entirely lost if I hadn’t read it before the lecture. Bringing Cynthia Cooper to our university was a fantastic choice, because, as college students, it is crucial that we be reminded of the importance of personal ethics and values as we prepare to transition from student to professional life. Cooper weaved everything together perfectly throughout her lecture. She succeeded in stressing the significance of establishing a set of personal ethics, even if we doubt that we will ever be faced with such a monumental crisis like the one at WorldCom in our careers. It was also mentioned during her introduction that there were several other past speakers who were part of the lecture series. I duly noted that the majority of them were men, with only two women, including Cynthia, included in the mix. I sincerely hope that GRU will push for more intelligent women who challenge the status quo to come speak to the student body. As I mentioned, Cynthia is a hugely inspiring female figure to me. She is an extremely talented speaker and succeeded in capturing the attention of both myself and my father, who excitedly agreed to attend the lecture with me, and I don’t doubt that she also inspired many of my peers, GRU faculty members and others in attendance that evening.
eruggles@gru.edu
uring the spring of 2012, my job took me down Walton Way almost daily, where I would pass the grounds of the then Augusta State University. Knowing next to nothing about the institution, it struck me how beautiful and inviting the campus was. Being a 33-yearold and single father of two daughters, the option of going Stephen Haynes back to school contributor had not come to mind. After months of driving by the campus, the thought finally occurred: “Could I actually go back to school and possibly better my life and that of my daughters?” I decided to file for FAFSA and see what happened; the only school choice that I entered was Augusta State University. If I was going to make the leap, that was the place I was going to attend. Somewhat to my surprise and delight, I qualified for tuition assistance. I then applied to and was accepted into the Social Work program at ASU. A new, terrifying and exciting period of my life was about to begin. From the first day of classes, I noticed the many individuals in uniforms that roamed the grounds and buildings picking up trash, emptying ashtrays, cleaning the restrooms, lawn maintenance, etc. I had never seen so many support staff, smiling and seemingly happy to be doing their jobs (which included cleaning up our mess) at a school or anywhere else. All of my classes that first semester were in University Hall. It did not take me long to begin recognizing the same, wonderful employees every day, going about their daily routines. It quickly became a joy to greet and be greeted by these individuals. Every time that I walk through these halls or enter any of the facilities, the level of care and attention that these employees put into their
“
I am very thankful for the unsung helpers, the men and women that work tirelessly every day to maintain a clean, safe environment for me and every other student as we pursue our aspirations. --Stephen Haynes
”
jobs is readily apparent. This has had an interesting effect on me. I find myself picking up trash as I walk across the parking lot and being more mindful of how I leave my area when I am done studying or eating; I want to participate in the privilege of keeping my school looking great for any other person driving by the campus daily or the soon-tobe high school graduate taking a tour in an attempt to find their next scholastic home. Two years later and with some transfer credits, I am now in my senior year, hoping to graduate in May 2015. Many things have changed for me over these last two years. I accepted my love for writing and switched my major to English-creative writing. Along the way, I have made many new and incredible friends. Also, I have seen my self-confidence grow, largely due to participating in school events such as Writer’s Showcase. And, nearing the end of this journey, I now see a brighter future for my daughters and me. The one thing that stands out as staying the same is the wonderful people that make up the university’s support staff that I see daily, and this is still the prettiest college campus that I have ever had the opportunity to attend or visit. I am very thankful for the unsung helpers, the men and women that work tirelessly every day to maintain a clean, safe environment for me and every other student as we pursue our aspirations. Next time you pass one of these individuals in the halls or elsewhere on campus, stop and take the time to let them know how much you appreciate the time and effort that they put into maintaining the wonderful grounds of the now Georgia Regents University. shaynes3@gru.edu
Make your mark on Nov. 4, Election Day
E
lection Day is November 4th and there are three contentious races for power that warrant special attention during this year’s midterm election cycle. First, Georgia’s gubernatorial campaigns include Governor Nathan Deal (R) versus State Senator Jason Carter (D). Contrary to conventional wisdom among the politically astute, Deal may struggle to maintain his power for a second term due to the Peach State’s quickly evolving demographics, a prevailing anti-incumbent fervor among stalwart voters, and a relatively unshakable perception that the Governor has delivered tepid solutions to improving Georgia’s stagnant economy. Ethan Holliman His opponent, Carter, contributor a protege of his grandfather, President Jimmy Carter, ostensibly offers a fresh perspective that includes reprioritizing investments in our intellectual infrastructure as paramount. Having avoided a contentious primary fight, Carter consolidated Democratic support and is out-funding Deal, causing this year’s gubernatorial race to be not only a toss-up but an ominous game-changer for the Georgia GOP. Secondly, the race to replace retiring Senator Saxby Chambliss is proving to be another dubious call. Businessman David Perdue (R) is a handsome and skilled orator who enjoys the fringe benefits of bearing the last name of his cousin, Governor Sonny Perdue, and all the political capital that
CONTRIBUTED BY ETHAN HOLLIMAN
Ethan Holliman, a senior political science major, electioneers with fellow students to get the vote out.
derives from it. Perdue also commands significant personal assets to finance his campaign and is a beneficiary of the subliminal influences of competing in patriarchal Georgia. However, his counterpart, Michelle Nunn (D), the granddaughter of former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, enjoys the support of an even more extensive political network, including Governor Zell Miller (known for sponsoring the HOPE Scholarship). The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also consolidated support behind Nunn, even persuading our very own Congressman John Barrow to forego seeking the Democratic nomination to support Nunn’s prospects. However, since President Obama will
not be on the ballot, Democratic turnout is projected to be lower during the midterm elections, while dedicated Republicans are encouraged to vote if it means thwarting the efforts of the current president. Lastly, the competitive race closest to home involves the 12th Congressional District which encompasses Augusta and Evans and numerous counties across the rural landscape. Congressman John Barrow, the last white Democrat in the Deep South, vies for reelection against Republican nominee, Rick W. Allen, a construction mogul with vast financial resources to compete with the fiveterm incumbent. Barrow is a famous survivor, an ef-
fective fund-raiser and a bane to national Republican strategists seeking to uproot one of the few conservative Blue-Dog Democrats who has managed to carry a district dramatically gerrymandered to benefit a Republican contender. Allen, an Augusta native multimillionaire and relatively polished first-term candidate capable of wooing the moderate Republicans that tend to encompass the upper-middle class of the 12th district, enjoys the combined efforts of the Georgia GOP and the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, entities that have committed millions of dollars to turning the district Red. Whoever wins this congressional throne will establish a legacy, for it is considered the last rallying cry of Republicans and the last Southern stronghold among Democrats. There is no question that political legacies weigh in the balance among the three races described. Vast wealth will be expended, hundreds of thousands of calls made and doors knocked, Machiavellian strategists will flourish and perish, and the future of our nation will cross a threshold for better or worse. The time is ripe for prospective campaign volunteers seeking to advance their career network amongst the governing class and its ancillary agencies. As a former campaign operative, I argue that students, as the future leaders of our nation, have a unique duty to help ferment governments by supporting candidates that seek to represent the interests of a virtuous people. So, I beseech you all, my fellow Millennials, to go forth and multiply your votes, your voices and your noble values. ehollima@gru.edu
PAGE 6
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014
ARTS & LIFE www.grubellringer.com
Step competition unifies letters By Stephanie McCray staff writer The Clash of the Titans step competition involved Greek-letter organizations in a collaborative demonstration of Greek unity and talent. Georgia Regents University’s Greek Council hosted the step show, the first of its kind in the university’s history, said Nora Johnson, president of the Greek council and a senior Spanish major . All nine Greek-letter organizations participated in the event, which was held Saturday, Oct. 11, in the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre. Teams consisting of one sorority and one fraternity choreographed, practiced and performed an original routine based off of a chosen theme, Johnson said. The winners, which were the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Alpha Sigma Phi teams, were awarded $500 and had their names inscribed on a plaque, she said. “We came up with the idea for the step show to not only show that there are Greeks on campus … but to show that we do fun things,” Johnson said. “It gets the community involved, and it’s a way to make our school bigger and better.” Johnson said that she wants the event to be held annually and hopes that Greek Week and Clash of the Titans will come to be synonymous with other university events hap-
AMY THORNE | STAFF
Members of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority break it down for the audience during the first Clash of the Titans competition on Oct. 11.
pening in October. The event was also memorable, she said, because of its diversity. “I know a lot of people, when they think of step shows, they only think of black sororities and fraternities, but that’s not all we have at our school,” Johnson said. “So, it’s also a way to involve both the black and also the predominately white organizations and know that we can put them together and make something amazing happen. I want to break that stigma that Greeks are
(racially) separated.” Sharonda Hillman, senior business administration major at Georgia Regents and president of the Mu Xi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, said the event was also an opportunity for students to get involved. “It gets the students’ minds set on being involved on campus and gives them a reason to want to join an organization,” Hillman said. “It keeps them from staying cooped up in their room all weekend.” Kenneth Holley, member of
Alpha Sigma Phi and senior kinesiology major at Georgia Regents, shares Johnson’s belief that the step show encouraged unity among the Greeks. He said that this unity helps to eliminate a lot of the racial taboos that are often associated with the South. “It was a really amazing experience,” Holley said. “Members that wouldn’t normally hang out are actually seen together on and off campus. All of the organizations were able to work together and have
Improv troupe holds workshop By Anthony Garcia sports editor Four chairs, six actors and a live audience made for an evening of improvisational entertainment at Georgia Regents University as members of The Second City improv touring company entertained an almost full house of audience members Oct. 12. The Blue Company, one of The Second City’s touring groups, consisted of actors Lisa Beasley, Alan Linic, Scott Morehead, Liz Reuss, Marlena Rodriguez and John Thibodeaux. The following day, a workshop was held at the theater, where students and enthusiasts performed improv games with Reuss and Thibodeaux, who afterwards held discussions about the craft. Barbara Coleman, a marketing professor at the Hull College of Business, said she was impressed with the actors’ work. Coleman said workshops like these give people a stronger grasp of approaching business people.
“I’m so glad we’re doing this,” she said. “I was concerned, at first, that it wasn’t connecting to anything they might do in business … but, clearly, business is about meeting strangers and breaking down barriers, and I think these activities will help that.” Reuss said she has been touring for less than a year, and picked up on acting from the writing perspective. The workshop also addressed how actors approach improv with an audience member, and Reuss said that their backup plan, in case anything happened came from their teamwork as performers. Thibodeaux said that approaching audience members genuinely helps actors keep with the rhythm of their performance. As for their Oct. 12 show, both actors said they were impressed with the energy of the crowd and the freedom of the large stage. “It was a great crowd,” Thibodeaux said. “This venue is excellent for the type of work that we do.”
agarci11@gru.edu
AMY THORNE | STAFF
La Tuna de Salamanca entertains students on the JSAC patio with a Spanish song.
Spanish ensemble serenades students By Jessica Sager copy editor The musical group La Tuna traveled from Salamanca, Spain, to spend a week in Augusta and entertain and educate Georgia Regents University and the community. Jana Sandarg, a Spanish professor at Georgia Regents, said La Tuna is a European custom that dates to the Middle Ages. “The students who went to university didn’t have a lot of money, so they were hungry, and they
would go around singing for their supper, basically,” she said. “And so they wore a wooden spoon in their hat, because if they sang and you gave them a bowl of soup then they could eat it right there, and that’s how it started.” La Tuna still wears medieval-style costumes, Sandarg said. There may be more than one Tuna group at a university, she said. For example, there might be different Tunas associated with different academic departments. This particular group from Sal-
fun doing it. I think that seeing our differences and using them in a creative way really united us and made the show great.” He said that the event bridged the gap between Greek organizations. Holley said that the collaborative efforts between groups that are so culturally and racially diverse allowed for the opportunity to create lasting bonds and learning experiences among members from organizations that have very little interaction with each another. Chelsea Lewis, a student of the College of Science and Mathematics and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, said that the event gave a platform for members to demonstrate their talents and their ability to work together in harmony. “It meant a lot to us just having that many people come out and support us,” she said. “I think it really gave Greek life a bigger presence on campus, just because Greek life was overlooked for so long.” Lewis said the success of her sorority’s team came from the positive and dedicated attitudes shared by the Alpha Kappa Alpha and Alpha Sigma Phi members. “The more we practiced and the more we got time together, the more exciting it was,” she said. “It was great because we were actually able to come together as a team, which brought about lots of Greek unity.” smccray1@gru.edu
amanca has traveled to Augusta before, Sandarg said. They played at both Georgia Regents (then Augusta State University) and the Hispanic Heritage Festival in 2011. Laura Pierson was a student at Georgia Regents during that time and said she first met La Tuna when studying abroad in Salamanca. “(Their) music is very folkloric,” she said. “It’s actually very folkloric. They incorporate a lot of folkloric songs from both Spain and Latin American countries. They have a whole repertoire of songs they do from all over the Spanish-speaking world.” La Tuna in Spain is similar to fraternities in the United States, Pierson said. Andres Izurieta Andrade said he has been a member of La Tuna for nine years. He plays the guitar. “(Being in La Tuna is) very similar to having brothers,” he said. “Yeah, there’s a lot of fraternity involved, but there’s also a lot of jokes, lots of teasing, lots of fighting, lots of everything. So yeah, very similar to having brothers.” Izurieta Andrade said he has traveled to France, Italy, the Netherlands, the U.S. and other countries with La Tuna. Another member of La Tuna, Jose Garcia Garcia, said he loves Augusta. jschucke@gru.edu
Indian dance team adds diversity to student life
Hiphopanomics: Rapper drops knowledge on industry
By Amy Thorne arts & life editor
By Richard Adams editor-in-chief
Georgia Regents University has come one step closer to being like other top-tier research universities. Coed Indian dance teams, like GRU Nesha, are common cultural staples at larger schools such as the University of Georgia or Georgia Institute of Technology, said Arjun Bora, a freshman marketing major and team manager. “They have this thing called the Bollywood circuit and they have Bollywood fusion dance teams,” Bora said. “What a Bollywood fusion dance team is, it’s a dance team that puts together a variety of performances, a variety of dance styles from Bollywood to hip-hop to classical.” The coed team currently has 13 members (six men and seven women), said Eesha Oza, a sophomore biology major who is the team’s founder and captain.
“It’s been kind of a bumpy start because we’ve been getting our mixes together and stuff,” she said. “Right now, it looks like we’re going to perform at UGA in January. It’s just a big performance so we have to work hard.” Oza, who has been dancing for 13 years, said she started the club because she didn’t want to miss out on the dance team experience that other universities offer. “I first asked my academic advisor and she hooked me up with another advisor,” she said, “and then I just started posting on Facebook and talking to people and figuring out who was interested.” Oza said she thinks this team will serve as an encouragement to those interested in creating arts-related student organizations. The addition of GRU Nesha as an organization broadens the diversity at Georgia Regents, Bora said. “We hope this team continues to run every year,” he said. “It’s
AMY THORNE | STAFF
Arjun Bora leads a formation as part of GRU Nesha’s first practice of the year.
definitely good to know that you were on the first team that helped build the foundation.” Sarvani Ginjupalli, a freshman biology major, said the cooperation among the team members makes the experience fun. “It’s going to take a bit (to) get it kick started,” she said. “But once we get it started, it’s going to be a blast.” athorne@gru.edu
He may still hold the position of minister of information for hiphop pioneer Public Enemy, but Richard Griffin, known professionally as Prof. Griff, doesn’t restrict his desire to spread knowledge to the musical stage. The lecture Griffin brought to Paine College on Oct.11, was “very fiery,” Corey Washington, an educator at Lucy Craft Laney High School, said; in it, Griffin compiled many personal theories into a multimedia presentation called “HipHopanomics.” “He spoke about (how) a lot of times the music industry, they have a lot of people in the music industry that are just there to take your money,” Washington said. “And so, I guess, before you even get to that part, as an independent person, you must know how to make money off yourself.”
Travis Wright, a local spoken-word poet who served as the first Poet Laureate for the CSRA African American Arts Alliance in 2012, said Griffin’s lecture helped to show how pursueing a major label deal is not the best choice. “Personally, what I got out of it is (that) Indie is the way to go,” Wright said. “As far as being an independent artist, that kind of lets me know I’m on the right track because I’m already an independent artist.” Years ago the emphasis was on getting signed to a major label and garnering a big money record deal, Wright said. Likening most rap music enjoying radio airplay to “bubblegum, you chew the flavor out and spit it out, hoping it doesn’t get stuck on the bottom of your shoe,” Griffin said he liked to employ a phrase to describe commercial music he learned from Prince, calling it “disposable music.” radams99@gru.edu
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014
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ARTS & LIFE Verdict out for ‘Judge’ By Neil Davenport columnist
“T
he Judge” covers the roots of a parent/child relationship in which two members of a household struggle to communicate properly with one another, owing to an uncomfortable sense of generational distance after years of silence. In it, a son needs to be assured in knowing that his father loves and respects him so he can do the best he can at whatever he is doing. From the spinning of an empty chair to the harsh shadows on the jurors’ faces in the court room, David Dobkin’s film, “The Judge,” speaks the truth of why love between a father and son is tough. On a more personal level, I saw this film with my father, with whom I am very close. It reminded me that even though our parents are hard on us (at
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times more than we would care for), the actions they force on us are for our own well-being, for a healthy state of mind and for a potentially successful future. When Hank Palmer, Robert Downey Jr.’s hysterically urbanized character, drives into his home town of fishing poles, dirt-covered trucks and the occasional waves of friend-
AMY THORNE | STAFF
Tour guide Michael Wolff tells patrons about the history of the Haunted Pillar.
Tour tells of spooky legends By Taylor Mitchell staff writer
The Augusta Ghost Trolley continues to entertain patrons by offering chilling Augusta history while servicing the historic downtown community.
ly strangers driving by, he realizes he cannot run from his past - no matter how hard he tries. When Hank gets on the airplane in the beginning of the film in order to see his recently passed mother for the last time, he revisits his memories to find he still has zero empathy for his stubborn father, Judge Joseph Palmer, who is played
“The best part about this job is being able to educate people through entertainment,” said Michael Wolff, the host of the Augusta Ghost Trolley. “What we’re trying to do is, we are trying to grow tourism in Augusta, but we are trying to present it in a fun way.” Starting on Broad Street, the Augusta Ghost Trolley encompasses sites, such as Augusta’s Imperial Theatre,Sacred Heart Cultural Center, the Old Medical College of Georgia and the Haunted Pillar. Wolff said telling stories of ghostly cat cries sometimes heard in the old theater, signals for slavesturned-grave robbers, are invaluable aids for learning about all things Augusta. “I came to take my wife out on a date,” Ghost Trolley patron Jason Porporino said. “I like the medical college part of it a lot. It was kind of creepy, and I think that’s why it was my favorite part. I like learning about all the back doors and entrances of the medical college, and all the bodies they found under there. Who would take that job (and become a body snatcher)? I know I wouldn’t be able to do it.” tmitch22@gru.edu
by the exceptional Robert Duvall. As the story progresses, Hank not only discovers his memories have more of an emotional value than he previously thought, he eventually sees his father as his father again and comes to accept his past while on the path of becoming a son again. People, like Hank’s
By Jacob Scharff webmaster
I
n my last column, I looked at the top five games coming this holiday to game systems. Now, it’s time to look at the five games set for release in 2015. These are games that have been confirmed one way or another, and are, again, in no particular order. 1. “Mortal Kombat X”: This latest game in the Mortal Kombat franchise looks to seriously change the way people play with brand new characters by giving each and every fighter three different and unique fighting styles. The usual blood and gore is sticking around, too. X-Rays, brutal bone splintering moves where the camera changes to an x-ray to show you the internal damage happening, is a feature making a welcomed return
COURTSEY OF DISTRIBUTORS AND OFFICIAL GAME WEBSITES.
cdavenp3@gru.edu
Science meets art in festival By Ashley Trawick chief reporter
In its fourth biennial year, the Photography Festival made its return to the Garden City of the South. Its purpose, according to the organization’s website, is to bring the beauty of Augusta and the world to the forefront. Rebecca Rogers, the marketing director for the Augusta Canal National Heritage Area, said a huge part of the festival this year was the acquiring of the “International Images for Science” exhibition, sponsored by Georgia Regents University, from the Royal Photographic Society in the United Kingdom. Bill Andrews, a professor and program director of the medical illustration department, said the connection with the department and the festival came up when he was the president of the Augusta Arts Council. As a visual artist, he volunteered
Game guy gushes on great 2015 games from “Mortal Kombat 9.” It’s nice to see some companies take time with their fighting games and are not just uploading disappointing clones. I’m looking at you, Capcom. 2. “Batman: Arkham Knight”: The final game in the Arkham series is being brought to the world by Rocksteady, the studio that produced both “Arkham Asylum” and “Arkham City.” A new villain, the game’s title character, the Arkham Knight, lurks in the shadows. Practically nothing has been revealed about this black armor-clad figure, but all footage points to the idea of him being quite the formidable foe. All of this, plus a Gotham that is five times bigger than the one in “Arkham City” and the ability to finally drive and use the Batmobile during game play, is going to make for a fantastic game. 3. “Mighty No. 9”: From the
high school sweetheart, Samantha (Vera Farmiga), carry the reason for why his past is incredibly important. These characters are people that live in the past and help make memories last forever. Every time you revisit these memories, like Hank remembering his mother’s loving heart, you will be reminded of why you care about those people for whom you say you care. From the heavily imaginative dialog to the vast set of emotions and the actors’ excellent portrayals of the characters in this film, you realize you cannot only return home, but, most importantly, you discover no matter how difficult your family dynamic may seem, you can always learn from your mistakes, love again, forgive and cherish the memories that make you who you are.
mind of the “father of Mega Man,” Keiji Inafune, comes this Kickstarter-funded gem that plays as a spiritual successor to “The Blue Bomber.” This game has been a long time coming, and it’s really nice to see Keiji Inafune’s full weight and presence behind another title, especially since Capcom has put a virtual stranglehold on Mega Man and has done practically nothing of note with him. 4. “Tales of Zestiria”: This title in the “Tales of” series takes things back to a more fantastical world than the previous entry, “Tales of Xillia 2.” That’s not to say that “Tales of Xillia 2” didn’t have fantastical things, because it did. . “Tales of” games always have fantastic stories with many unsuspected twists and turns, gorgeous cut-scenes and battles that will draw you in and make you want to keep playing. 5: “The Legend of Zelda”: Nintendo has confirmed that the next title in this storied franchise will be out some time in 2015. All we have beyond that is a trailer that was shown at E3, that’s the Electronic Entertainment Expo, earlier this year. ”The Legend of Zelda” games are always well-received hits, and there’s always some great innovation that’s taken and used in them, so I can’t wait to see what has been brought to the table this time. jscharff@gru.edu
to help put the exhibit together and ended up being in charge of it. “It’s almost 100 photographs taken by scientists, medical and scientific photographers from around the world,” he said. “It really does span the possibilities, the horizons from the telescopic, because it includes images of astronomy, to the microscopic.” Mark Maio, a former member of the Medical College of Georgia’s department of ophthalmic photography, whose 20/20 image of eye irises will be included in the exhibit, said the image ironically came out of a National Geographic cover when the magazine did an issue that focused solely on vision. “I just think (the exhibit is) a very unique blending of art and science,” he said. “The great thing is Augusta is the only place in the United States that that exhibit is going to be shown.” atrawick@gru.edu
RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
Neil Davenport (left) and Brandon Fields (right) dress up for the 80s Night Halloween Movie Marathon at the Maxwell.
Actor is high on life By Taylor Mitchell staff writer
From the somewhat doctored British accent, the go-getter attitude and the slight obsession with “Star Wars,” Brandon Fields, a senior communications major in the television and cinema track, is one to take life by the horns. Fields said his aspiration is to become the next big voice actor. “I kind of want to do voice, TV, film, all of it, but voice acting is the one that’s most freeing,” Fields said. “If you’re doing live action you have to make sure your face isn’t turned the wrong way, your hand isn’t doing this, and your arm isn’t doing that and you’re not doing the chicken dance or something. But in the voice studio you can just scream and you can look right into the microphone and be fine.” He said his interests were sparked from a young age by doing one simple task: watching TV. “What type of person is Brandon? You can’t sum that up,” said Jaleesa Mitchell, a creative writing and anthropology major. Matthew Buzzell, one of Fields’ instructors and influences at Georgia Regents University, said he sees in Fields potential to be great. “Brandon is a good student and one of our bright talents,” he said. “I look forward, with great anticipation, to glean how he is going to focus his talent ... There is a bit of an old soul in Brandon, and I think that’s terrific.” tmitch22@gru.edu
Let’s go out Oct. 29
Oct. 30
Kevin James performs at the Bell Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
Shine a light on GRU ghosts in front of Bellevue Hall from 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 31
OCT. 31
EAC Pumpkin Carving Contest at Terrace Dining Hall on the Health Sciences campus from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Augusta Ghost Trolley Haunted History Tours departs from The Book Tavern. Call for times.
NOV. 1
nov. 1
Dia de Los Muertos
Hounds Around Towne at the Evans Towne Center Park from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
nov. 6
nov. 7
Edwin McCain with special guest Shawn Mullins at the Evans Towne Center Park at 6 p.m.
Corey Smith performs at The Country Club Dance Hall and Saloon. Ages 21 and up, doors open at 7 p.m.
nov. 8
nov. 11
Red, White and Blue Celebration from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Evans Towne Center park.
Veterans Day
THE BELL RINGER
comics
PAGE 9
Haunted America
ACROSS: 8.Moundsville, 9.Devils, 10.Stanley, 11.Fox, 12.Tuberculosis, 15.Augustine, 16.Marilyn, 17.Pulaski DOWN: 1.Amityville, 2.Borden, 3.Chute, 4. White, 5.Gettysburg, 6.Weston, 7.Alcatraz, 8.Myrtles, 13.Lemp, 14.Villisca
Across 8. The ________________ Penitentiary was once one of America’s most violent correctional facilities. 9. The paranormal mystery along a road in Oklahoma has been called the Hornet Spook Light, or the ______ Promenade, by locals. 10. Colorado’s _____________ Hotel spooked horror master Steven King and inspired the setting for one of his novels. 11. The face of a confederate private has been photographed in a window at the ____ building. 12. Waverly Hills Sanatorium was opened due to the outbreak of _______________. 15. Legend has it that the daughters of the Superintendent of Lighthouse Construction drowned at the St. _________ Lighthouse. 16. ___________ Monroe is thought to be one of many restless spirits that haunts Hollywood’s glamorous Hotel Roosevelt. 17. Late at night, Fort ___________ is known to have strange noises, such as gun firing, people dying and a little girl crying. Down 1. The Lutz family moved into the _________ House, but quickly moved out after reports of unexplained paranormal activity. 2. Lizzie ______________ is said to haunt the home where she murdered her family with an axe. 3. The Body ________ was a tunnel which lead from the back of Waverly Hills Sanatorium to the train tracks at the bottom of the hill. 4. The _______ House is said to be a hotbed for haunted activity. 5. The Devil’s Den, a rock formation where dozens of bodies and limbs were discovered after the Civil War, is located at the _______________ battlefield. 6. The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was once know as the ________ State Hospital and housed thousands of people with mental illnesses. 7. _____________ was created to get rebellious prisoners in line by making them participate in a structured and boring regimen until their time was up. 8. The ______________ Plantation is believed to be one of America’s most haunted houses and is located in the heart of Louisiana’s voodoo land. 13. _________ Mansion is said to be one of the ten most haunted places in America. 14. The ___________ Axe Murder House became a gruesome crime scene after the Moore family and two young girls were murdered there.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014
sports Sirens jam latest bout www.grubellringer.com
By Anthony Garcia sports editor
After losing to the Molly Roger Rollergirls this summer, the Soul City Sirens, Augusta’s roller derby team, ended their second-to-last game of the season, winning against the Melbourne, Fla., team 177-153 Oct. 18 in a rematch at the Columbia County Exhibition Center. Courtney “Speedy” Garcia said playing against Molly Roger proved a close game for her team. “Keeping it close always makes it interesting for the crowd; it makes it a little tense for us, but we came out in the end,” she said. “We played them before; they’re a great team. We love playing with them.” Jessica “Hell2Pae” Pae-Basom said the last jam of the second bout was a challenge getting into the final minutes of the game. “The last jam (was) where we only had two blockers on the track, and they had their four, and our blockers took out their jammer, and (was) out of bounds, and took her out again,” Pae-Basom said. Close to finishing their sixth season in Augusta, the Soul City Sirens are preparing for next year. The team joined the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association last year and has been holding boot camps for those interested. Tracie “Space Invader” Williams, secretary of the Soul City Sirens, coaches the new players (or “fresh meat,” as they are referred to) from the ground up, she said, as the team prepares for its next session in February. “It’s basically where we teach basic skills to girls,” she said. “In derby, you don’t just come out and
ANTHONY GARCIA | STAFF
Courtney “Speedy” Garcia avoids a jab from a player of the Molly Roger Rollergirls.
start hitting; you have to learn how to fall faithfully, stop, skate around other people. The most important thing is safety, making sure you’re not a danger to yourself or others.” Despite the competition in roller derby, Williams said that the team mostly embraces the opposing teams and supports each other throughout practices, including Molly Roger.
“Most of us have formed friendships,” she said. “We play together, we play against each other... We actually have a really good relationship with each other, and practice together and play against and with each other.” The rematch game was followed by the men’s roller derby teams, the Carolina Wreckingballs and the Brevard Area Men’s Roller
Run raises awareness of drug abuse By Amy Thorne arts & life editor
Two local nonprofit organizations recently came together to reach out to local youth in the community through a charity 5K. Hope House of Augusta and Columbia County Connections hosted a Red Ribbon Run Oct. 18 at Steed’s Dairy in Grovetown, Ga. The two organizations hosted the run as a way to celebrate the start of Red Ribbon Week, which promotes drug awareness, prevention and treatment in youth, Jessica Brown, the research coordinator for the Hope House of Augusta, said. “Red Ribbon week began Oct. 23, but we wanted to have this 5K as a kickoff for something for the youth to participate in, just as a positive initiative, which is one of the reasons why we partnered with Columbia Community Connections, another local nonprofit,” she said. Don Prosser, who ran in the 5K, said he participates in runs that support causes like those of the Hope House and Columbia County Connections almost every weekend.
“I pastor a church where there are some young people that are being bullied and abused at school,” he said. “And so this has definitely helped them to bring more awareness to that, as well.” Karen Saltzman, executive director of Hope House of Augusta, said the event was a great opportunity to encourage young people in the community to make good choices. “You know, with our youth, we have to offer them positive things to do,” she said. “We offer them healthy things and healthy alternatives so that they don’t turn to unhealthy alternatives.” Hope House is a treatment facility that focuses primarily on treatment for women, she said. “Heroin is back on the street, and we’re seeing a lot of younger women, 18 and 19 years old, that have started taking opiates and have, unfortunately, turned to heroin, and that’s really hard to treat,” Saltzman said. “Their lives spiral out of control really quickly. It hits any socioeconomic state.” athorne@gru.edu
AMY THORNE | STAFF
Uriah Fedak and her son, Liam, cross the finish line during the run at Steed’s Dairy.
Derby, from Brevard County, Fla., as they ended their season. BAM Derby won 191-179 against the Wreckingballs, and Allyssa “Weeble” Stanley, who coached BAM Derby for the night, said she was very enthusiastic for the final win of the season for the men’s team. “This was an amazing game,” she said. “My team played really well against a really, really difficult team, and I couldn’t be more proud of how the guys played.” One of the highlight moments for the team, Stanley said, was its comeback after numerous lead changes throughout the second half of the game. Despite sweeping the floor against the Wreckingballs, Stanley said that, having played the team before, she has high regard for its technique. “The other team is amazing,” she said. “They are great on walls, they are great on jamming; they’ve got both strength and agility, and it’s just a really hard team to come up against anytime we’ve ever done it.” Looking into next year and next season, Stanley said both BAM Derby and Molly Roger will be practicing hard together for their next games. “Now we’re going to go into offseason training,” she said. “The BAM team practices with the Molly Roger Rollergirls, so they’ll be practicing three nights a week with us, and killing it hard. So they’re going to be trying to increase their endurance and their agility against the girls, and then they’re going to come back next season and, hopefully, kill again.” agarci11@gru.edu
ANTHONY GARCIA | STAFF
5K participants Emma Coleman and Stephanie Cucci sprint down Mcdowell Street.
Campus jaunt benefits school By Anthony Garcia sports editor The annual 5K to benefit the Georgia Regents University campuses was held Oct. 11 at the Summerville Campus, with more than 210 participating runners. Part of the “I’m Giving, Are You?” (IGRU) fall campaign, the 14th annual Jaguar Jaunt 5K aids in funding academic programs for the students, patients and faculty of both of the Georgia Regents’ campuses, said Kelly Schulte, Georgia Regents board coordinator. Rhonda Banks, director of alumni affairs, said at the event she was excited with the overall turnout of participants. “This is my first year doing it, so I’m pretty darn excited with the turnout,” she said. Schulte said the annual run began in 2001, and that, while the history of the Summerville campus has changed, including the 2012 merger with Georgia Health Sciences, the run, itself, hasn’t changed much. “The course changed a little bit when we were out in the parking lot by Fanning (Hall), but other than that, the course has been the same,” Schulte said. “We were only expecting, from pre-registration, about 150. It surpasses last year by about 60 runners.” Bill Nolan, who ran the 5K, is
a graduate kinesiology major, and at 67 years old, said he has been running the Jaguar Jaunt since its inception. “It’s a tradition with me,” he said. “It really hasn’t changed; same location, same number of people and it’s always a fun race to do. I enjoy it.” Compared to Nolan, Cyndi Evans said she participated in the run for the first time this year. Her husband is a Georgia Regents alumnus and both live on Mcdowell Street, where the start and finish line for the 5K was located. “I can see myself doing it again,” she said. “I’ve done other ones that had bigger hills, and this was a smooth, nice course.” Banks said the environment and atmosphere the Jaguar Jaunt creates for participants in the area resonates with the attitude and purpose of the run. “I think, for us, we have more of the ‘Hey, GRU is important to me, I want to give back, somehow’… than the super competitive runners, and what’s awesome is the neighborhood around here really, really gets involved,” she said. “80 percent of the folks that came out (this morning) are from the neighborhood, and they just get up and walk over and register, so it has that really nice neighborhood feel to it.” agarci11@gru.edu
The Rookie Report Anthony Garcia sports editor
So why do we run?
W
hile these three pages of sports you read every issue are dedicated to the diverse sports coverage around campus and the Augusta area, one thing that is discussed often at the Bell Ringer office is how many runs we cover. While Augusta holds numerous sporting events every week, what stands out the most, I think, are the benefit runs and 5K’s here. Some take place at set locations, most take place at the Savannah River Rapids Pavilion, and all have some specific motive for them. So why do we run? Of course, the physiological ability to walk and run on two legs is essential to most things in our lives, let alone competition - but we’re talking about recognizing running as a competitive sport. As entertainment, its history goes as far back as the B.C. years, where running was celebrated for ceremonious and religious purposes. Over time, runs became more competitive, with the Olympic games of ancient Greece highlighting the competitive aspect of foot racing one another for victory. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s when the sport boomed here at home after American long-distance runner Frank Shorter won gold at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Afterward, an epic attention to running, the most common being road running and jogging, emerged, with an estimated 20 million Americans running for either competition or fitness. Since then, outside of competitive running events, there’s been a rise in charity races and cause-running. People from all over can join and donate their time and money for a sport as basic as running. It can be for almost any fundraising purpose, from drug awareness in youth to benefits for Georgia Regents University. What’s outstanding about the sport of running is that, for the most part, there are almost no boundaries of entry. Instead of learning a physical skill with a ball or heavy equipment, all you need are comfortable workout clothes and good shoes. While professionals keep with a set diet day by day, you can just keep to any healthy diet. Practice times and distances are your own to improve upon. Instead of segregating genders or ages, almost all running events involve people of all ages. I can’t say we’ll ever stop covering the numerous recreational, competitive or charitable runs around Augusta anytime soon, but there’s no denying running’s position as a sport for all.
agarci11@gru.edu
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Costumed characters run canal By Jordan Barry & Anthony Garcia production manager & sports editor
JESSICA SAGER | STAFF
Swimmers from across America come together for the inclusive environment the Fred Lamback Disability Meet shares for them.
Swim aids disabled By Jessica Sager copy editor Swimmers came from around the country to participate in Aiken-Augusta Swim League’s third annual Fred Lamback Disability Meet Saturday and Sunday. “Well, really, the thought and the idea and the genesis behind the meet came from Coach Fred Lamback,” said Neil Harper, program director at ASL. “He is one of ASL’s coaches, and he’s sort of a pioneer in disability swimming. His son, Lantz, was a U.S. Olympian... and gold medalist from the Paralympics in the past, and Fred goes all over the state and all over the country to competitions and promoting disability swimming meets.” Participation at ASL’s other meets can vary from about 300 to 500 swimmers, most from the Southeast, John Meadows, meet director, said. But the Fred Lamback Disability Meet attracts swimmers from all over the United States. This year’s meet had more than 67 swimmers, which is a large number for a disability swim meet. Participants of the meet started arriving Oct. 22, with the meet itself taking place Oct. 25 and 26, Harper
said. “There’s a protocol with USA disability swimming there so they have, basically, rules in place,” he said. “So anyone that’s interested in competing nationally and internationally, this is another place where they can come to get looked at, to get observed, obviously, (and) to sort of have a physical, and sort of be placed in a category that would allow them to swim with other swimmers with similar disabilities in the same category.” The disabilities the swimmers have range from physical to mental, Harper said. “It’s truly humbling, I think, to see someone that obviously is either missing a limb or two limbs, or maybe three limbs, that can’t see, that maybe has cerebral palsy, that maybe has a wide variety of disabilities,” he said. “And it’s just great to watch these guys be hungry for competition, to be swimming up and down the pool, and I think it just puts everything in perspective about sport, in general, and society, and I think it’s just good for the community.” ASL seniors, Harper said, are encouraged to volunteer at the meet. Some of them keep time.
“I was down working out a couple of the swimmers and the senior national group from ASL came walking by,” Coach Frederick Lamback said. “And I stopped (some) of the girls. I said look at these two right here, and they were watching my two eleven-year-olds swim, and I said, how many legs do you count? And, of course, there were two swimmers in the water and there were only two legs. The girls were amazed: ‘Oh, look at that.’” The meet is also rewarding for the parents of the participating swimmers, Lamback said. “The parents suffer so much with the children as they come up, because when your kid walks out on deck and everybody’s looking, you know, he doesn’t walk right, or can’t move one of his arms or something like that,” he said. “But (here), they’re swimmers, and they’re athletes, and they’re treated like athletes. That means a ton to the swimmers’ parents. It means a lot to the swimmers, too; but to the parents it’s so great to have somebody treating their child as an athlete and not as someone with a physical disability.” jschucke@gru.edu
Golf club holds charity game to fight cancer By Haley Harris news editor
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, people are picking up their golf clubs to swing this fundraiser into action. The annual golf tournament, Tee Off Fore Tatas, hosted by the nonprofit organization Apartment Association of Greater Augusta (AAGA) took place Oct. 11 at the Jones Creek Golf Club to benefit breast cancer research. “It’s just an all-around great time,” attendee Danielle Reed said. “My husband and son and I came last year and wanted to come again. It’s a nice way to support the cause and enjoy the club. My husband plays, and I’ll mingle and watch and take part in the raffles.” The tournament is an annual charity event, and is open to the public, Jamie Morgan, associate executive of AAGA, said. The donations and money raised during the
event go toward funding the breast cancer research facility at Georgia Regents University. Allen Tailor, who played in the event, said he found it to be humbling, and makes him value what the tournament is actually doing. “I don’t just come for the game and prizes; it’s more than that,” Tailor said. “My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer over a year ago and she was able to overcome and defeat it. I try to honor her and others who are dealing with this cancer any way I can.” Tailor said the event was enjoyable to him as a golfer, but the chance to donate for further cancer research was an added incentive. “It just really makes me realize, events like this one, we sit around and we talk about cures and people always want to help, but things rarely get done,” he said. “Today we’re coming together to play golf, but you have to remember that there are people who die from this. And if
Airmen and civilians alike dressed up to dash around the Augusta Canal. The Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 480 hosted a Monster Mash Canal Dash 5K fundraiser Oct. 18. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sara Davidson, an organizer of the 5K, said her chapter was started on Jan. 1. The goal was to reach out to the community, and raise funds for the airmen at Fort Gordon, she said. “Our overarching goal is making sure the airmen are taken care of and always put first,” Davidson said. “But because of our unique situation, being so far away from an Air Force base, it’s important for us to cultivate an air force family and to bring things that are normally at an Air Force base to the airmen here at Fort Gordon.” Davidson came up with the idea of a costume 5K as a way to make it more appealing to the community. There were 42 participants,
and they were a mix of airmen and civilians, she said. “I think next year we’ll have a better idea about what to expect,” Davidson said. “So it’ll be easier to plan, especially for the volunteers. But, so far, it’s been pretty smooth.” Estevan Price, a participant in the 5K, said he enjoyed the run. “I’m all for a good cause,” he said. “I’d take that all day long, even if I came in last.” One airman and participant, Melissa Ford, dressed up as Ash, a character from the popular anime show “Pokemon”; she said her dog was painted to look like Pikachu, another character from the show. “There are more layers of clothes, and it’s not as lightweight as I’m used to,” she said. “I’m also wearing a wig, which adds heat- and a hat – so all the heat’s in my head, and this dog was kind of going crazy. It was a little bit of a challenge, but we both overcame it.” The first and second place winners in the male and female categories received donated gift cards, Davidson said. jbarry3@gru.edu agarci11@gru.edu
ANTHONY GARCIA | STAFF
Melissa Ford and her dog sprint to the end of the Savannah Rapids Pavillion trail.
Predictions from a Wrestlemaniac By Jacob Scharff webmaster
I
HALEY HARRIS | STAFF
Tee Off Fore Tatas is a golf tournament that donates to breast cancer research.
you can, you have to help.” Tee Off Fore Tatas encouraged CSRA businesses to sponsor and make donations as well. This allowed people to network with the local businesses, Morgan said. “I was able to make multiple connections and even new friends during the event,” said Amy Sims, an attendee from the Jones Creek neighborhood. “I went around and ate and enter in the raffle a few times, and got to know a couple of people. It was a good experience. Definitely worth going to and such a nice thing to have in our neighborhood.” hharris9@gru.edu
t has been a little more than six months since World Wrestling Entertainment’s biggest show of the year, Wrestlemania 30, and the landscape has changed tremendously since that time. Brock Lesnar is the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He won the title from John Cena at August’s Summerslam event in a very convincing fashion. There really aren’t any general managers on shows anymore, as everything is completely and utterly run by wrestling heel, The Authority, a faction consisting of Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Corporate Kane, Randy Orton and most recently Seth Rollins. As of this writing, we haven’t seen Lesnar since Night of Champions, September’s big event, and rumor has it we won’t see him again until January’s Royal Rumble event thanks to his special contract that says he only has to work so many dates. Roman Reigns has
had surgery due to an incarcerated hernia, which means he’s on the shelf for a bit, as are Bad News Barrett and Daniel Bryan. The biggest rumor is that Reigns will win the 2015 Royal Rumble, and go on to Wrestlemania against Lesnar, where he will be the man to finally take down “The Beast Incarnate.” The big question surrounding Wrestlemania 31, however, is Sting. He wants to work a match with WWE but desperately wants to face Undertaker, whose unbeaten Wrestlemania streak was broken at the hands of Lesnar. Of course, all of this is strictly speculation until we actually get to the 2015 Royal Rumble, and WWE starts slowly revealing its plans. All of this could change in that time. For all we know, we could end up with a main event that’s The Bunny vs. Mini-Gator in a ladder match. If I have to explain any part of that, you’re better off not knowing. Follow the buzzards, and smell what “The Rock” is cooking. I’ll see y’all after Wrestlemania 31. jscharff@gru.edu
Cross country teams get runners ready for Peach Belt By Fatima Frasher staff writer GRU Augusta’s cross-country teams are advancing to the Peach Belt Conference Nov. 8. With both teams recently moving up a spot each in the regional rankings, and overcoming having young team members, they plan on leaving their legacy over the next couple of years. Head Coach Adam Ward said that, in order to prepare the cross-country teams for the Peach Belt Conference, he has been focus-
ing on sharpening up the end of the season with intense workouts. “Most people will look at it kind of like a race simulation,” Ward said. “We are going to do a tempo run. Most of the folks will do equal race distance (and) a couple of folks, like Boyd (Guttery) and Nick (Del Guercio) on our team, will do about a mile longer than our conference race. Most of the women will all do four miles for their tempo run as well, just in prep. So that way they can kind of get comfortable covering the distance.” The cross-country teams com-
peted at the Falcon Classic in Montevallo, Ala., Oct. 18, the men running in an 8K and the women in a 5K. Boyd Guttery, a nursing and clinical nurse leadership student, said he is usually the No. 3 runner on the team. At Montevallo, he raced the course with a time of 27:42.50. “It was a tough course,” Guttery said. “(It) had a lot of hills and everything, so that’s where the regional course was going to be, but they end up changing the course and they kind of took the hills out. That
was the toughest course so far.” The season for the team has had its challenges, but the runners said they’re hoping that this season is going to finish on a great note. The Lady Jag runners, likewise, strive to overcome the issues that come with having a young team. Olivia Rodriguez, a sophomore communications major, said the women’s team is doing some of the hardest training that it has done all season. This training helped them secure a sixth-place spot at Montevallo.
“It’s just the matter of holding on and toughing it out,” she said. “Because we know that we’ve done everything, and we want it as bad, if more, than the other teams. It’s about being mentally tough right now. All the hard work is done physically; it’s just kind of like doing the short speed stuff now.” Both teams said they hope to advance forward Nov. 8, when the Jaguars host the Peach Belt Conference at Fort Gordon’s Barton Field. The top three teams will move on to compete regionally. ffrasher@gru.edu
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014
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Men’s golf drives for next match By Jessica Sager copy editor
In its three tournaments of the season, the GRU Augusta men’s golf team has tied for fourth, sixth and 10th, respectively. “(At Tavistock Collegiate Invitational) we played better than what we finished,” Coach Jack O’Keefe said. “(We) played against a really, really (good) field. (The) No. 1, No. 2, No. 4 teams in the country were all there, so we were right there with them for a few rounds and then we struggled a little bit on the last day coming in. But, overall, we’re getting better, but our scores are not quite showing the improvement we’re making. We’re making some good strides. We just need to put it all together.” The team’s putting, which it has been working on, has improved, team member Jake Marriott said. “(At Tavistock) it was better; actually, it was a lot better,” he said. “I had 26 putts the second day and 28 the last day, so it got a lot better.” O’Keefe also said the team’s putting is steadily improving. “I had several guys, I think two guys, that did not have a 3-putt,” he said. “So that’s a good thing for us,
and any program. So we’re making some strides there. We just have too many mental mistakes.” One of the team’s strong points is its ball striking, team member Cody Shafer said, but an area it can improve in is its short game. “You just got to keep practicing at it,” he said. “It’s one of those things where if you don’t keep working towards it you’ll lose it.” The team’s short play is “coming around,” O’Keefe said. “We’ve had three guys really improve some areas of their short game, which is chipping and pitching and bunker play, and a little bit of putting, as well, and so that’s been a good thing to see,” he said. “I think the thing that hurt us the most (at Tavistock) was our tee shots. We hit some drives out of play and some drives in the water, which are costly. There’s penalties and stuff that go along with that, as far as a shot added to your score.” Team member Jackson Stroup said the team’s qualifying scores have been better than its tournament scores. “We still haven’t really shown how good we are, I think, in our tournament play yet,” he said. “But I think we’re definitely moving forward.” jshucke@gru.edu
JESSICA SAGER | STAFF
Player Maverick Antcliff practices at the golf course on Christenberry Fieldhouse.
STEPHANIE MCCRAY | STAFF
Sophomore early childhood education major Jessica Haigwood practices her putting at the Forest Hills Golf Club golf course.
Golfers sink top 25 By Stephanie McCray staff writer
The GRU Augusta women’s golf team dominated the competition at the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate Oct. 14 with a 19-stroke lead that left them ranked at No. 25 in the nation. “That was, I’d say, our major highlight for the season so far,” Head Coach Kory Thompson said. “That win got us in the top 25 in the country of all Division I golf programs.” Thompson said she attributes the progress of the team to the players being dedicated to the team, and also to each other. “They’re all self-motivated, that’s the main thing and they have a good attitude,” she said. “You don’t have to ask them to practice longer, or to work harder. They do it because they want to do well.” She said that her players inspire and encourage each other to strive for their best. “(They) have that inner drive to want to be successful,” Thompson said. “I think success kind of breeds success. So when one player is playing well, I think it pushes the next player to play at a higher level.” Jessica Haigwood, a sophomore early childhood education major, came in second place at the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate.
“I lost by two strokes, but it was a fun tournament,” Haigwood said. “We all played amazing. We came in strong the last day, which was awesome. We’re usually kind of not like that, but we’re finally learning how to finish strong and I’m proud of the team for that.” She said she has been a member of the Lady Jags women’s golf team for two years, and looks forward to future successes. “I absolutely love being a part of GRU golf,” she said. “It’s a wonderful program. We have a great facility and great teammates. I’m excited to be here another year and look forward to two more years.” Eunice Yi, a sophomore business marketing major, has also been a member of the team for about two years. “We’re really hard working and I think we make a great team,” Yi said. “I’m pretty sure every single one here wants to one day pursue golf professionally. Everyone here is serious about golf.” She said that during the Lady Pirate Intercollegiate, everyone on the team came together and supported one another. “I would say we had a great time,” Yi said. “Everyone played well. We needed everyone on the team and everyone pulled through, so it was a good one.” Teresa Caballer, a junior psychology major, said that, in prepa-
ration for the coming season, she has been working to improve her game. “I was struggling the last three tournaments,” Caballer said. “I have been practicing being focused and being one hundred percent in every shot, so that when I get to the competition I can give the best performance I can give, you know, towards my goal.” She said she feels the players on the team have a good chemistry, which has a positive impact on their performance. Although her official title is head coach, Thompson said she serves as a mentor to the players on her team as well. “I think with any coach, you’re more than just a coach,” she said. “I think you do a lot of life skills things, as well. Whatever it may be, you just try to be there for them and push them to get better each day. We have a small group, so you get to spend a lot more time with each player.” She said that the players’ comradery is evident during competitions and is important in maintaining the level of progress they have achieved throughout the season. “They really care about their teammates and I think it shows,” Thompson said. “It helps them play better when you want to work as a team to do something.” smccray1@gru.edu
Volleyball team vies for Peach Belt title By Rebecca Perbetsky production assistant
The GRU Augusta volleyball team is looking to score big over the next few weeks leading up to the Peach Belt conference tournament; after a seven-game winning streak, the Lady Jags lost to Columbus State 3-2, but that doesn’t put the goal of conference tournament play out of reach for them. “They take the top eight teams, two teams are left behind, so it’s
the top eight that go,” Head Coach Sharon Quarles said. “Last year we were not part of the eight, so this year we expect to be not only part of the eight but in the top tier of the eight.” Currently ranked fourth in the conference, Quarles said the team should be fine during conference play, leading up to tournament play, as long as everyone performs. “If we take everyday the way we need to take it, as we need to prepare for the next opponent, that
should take care of itself when it comes to conference time and regional time,” Quarles said. “Right now we are about to enter the gauntlet, basically, of the conference season.” Autum Harrington, a freshman right side, said even though she is not able to play, she is still helping the team in their efforts to make it to the conference tournament. “I’m just helping the girls get better; that is really what it is all about,” Harrington said. “I really
want our team to get better, and we have so much potential.” Not only will other teams see that the Lady Jags have variety in the lineup, Katie Beresford, a junior middle blocker, said, they will see how persistent her team is. “We don’t lay down, especially when we get down,” Beresford said. “There have been a couple times when we have lost a couple games pretty heftily, and a lot of teams that I know would just give up and quit. We always come back
and we are very offensively diverse. We probably, in our conference, have a go-to kid at every position, and a lot of teams we play have one big outsider, one big right side.. We are stacked across the net.” Leading up to regional rankings being released, Quarles said if the team is ranked in the top six they should be fine. “At the end of the day, what really matters is where you are in November,” Quarles said. rperbets@gru.edu
Runners glow in the park after dark for charity By Stephanie McCray staff writer The Glow in the Park run, sponsored by Trivium racing, held its first Augusta Race Saturday at Diamond Lakes Regional Park. Libby Swor, owner of Trivium Racing and the Glow in the Park run, said that her company offers other racing events, but this was only the second time they hosted an event of this kind. “We are a for-profit company and we do running events of all different kinds,” she said. “This is the more fun-run side of it, but we do some other serious races like the Greensboro Marathon
and other stuff like that.” Swor said that 25 percent of all proceeds from the event will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta. “We found the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta, and they seemed really excited about it, so we brought it down here,” she said. “It’s good to get people out and doing something active. We don’t care if people run this race. It’s not a racerace per se; it’s just a way to do something fun with friends and family.” The course had five stations that runners went through during the race: two neon-colored powder sta-
STEPHANIE MCCRAY | STAFF
Participants gather for refreshments after running through the course.
tions, two stations where volunteers sprayed runners with paint and a foam pit. Once runners finished the race, they were given refreshments and invited to stay and cheer
others as they crossed the finish line, Swor said. “We hope to come back and host this event again,” she said. “We are probably going to stick with (the Ron-
ald McDonald House) for another year because we’ve had a good relationship with them and we want to help out.” Sean Frantom, development director of the Ronald McDonald House charity and volunteer at the event, said that a portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House to help contribute toward maintenance. “Hopefully, they’ll ask us to be the beneficiary again,” Frantom said. “We are just grateful to be a part of it.” Sean Murphy, a participant, said that he thinks the event is important to the com-
munity because it promotes a positive environment with a diverse group of people. “I’ve seen lots of different people out here and it’s good to see a mix of older and younger people that can come together and participate in this community-building event,” he said. “I’ll definitely come out again next year if they have it.” Samantha Murdock, a graduate student in the public health program at Georgia Regents University, said she thought the run is a great opportunity to give back to the community, while also encouraging people to get involved in healthy activities. smccray1@gru.edu