GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY
www.grubellringer.com
VOLUME 57, ISSUE 4
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014
Retired scholar writes about frontier
New eatery in the JSAC
By Jessica Sager copy editor
By Amy Thorne arts & life editor
Michael “Cowboy Mike” Searles is co-writing “Black Cowboys in the West,” an anthology about the little-known history of African-American cowboys. Searles, a former professor of history at Georgia Regents University, has been working on his book at the Center for the Study of Georgia History in Reese Library, Director Lee Ann Caldwell said. “Having him here is certainly a wonderful experience because he is a perennially upbeat, optimistic and happy person,” she said. “He’s a good scholar, he’s a hard worker and it’s nice to have that kind of person, you know, around.” Searles said his co-author is Bruce Glasrud. The two started working on the book last year, but were talking about the idea a few years ago. “We’ve collaborated before, and I knew him before that as well,” Searles said. “He is interested in black cowboys and the black West himself, and has been a scholar in that area for some time, and so we sort of had a lot in common.” Searles said he was fascinated with cowboys when he was very young, but came across a book, “The Adventures of The Negro Cowboys,” later. “(It) awakened me to the fact that there were black cowboys, because all the movies I’d gone to see when I was young…you didn’t see blacks in the movies at all, and so it was kind of interesting, cause I was always into black
A new Sodexo dining concept in the Jaguar Student Activities Center cafeteria celebrated its grand opening Sept. 30. Earl Evans, the area general manager, said Georgia Regents University brought Slice of Life to add more variety to the JSAC. “We had a pizza concept and that’s what we offered,” he said. “Now we can offer pastas, also the hot sandwiches on that concept.” Donny Jackson, retail manager, said he thinks the new addition to the cafeteria will benefit students. “Pizza also is an item I think (students) will be able to get in and get out faster,” Jackson said. “A lot of food at WOW is cooked to order.” He said the convenience of getting food faster will benefit students who have busy schedules. Whenever Georgia Regents’ dining services decides to make changes, it takes the students’ opinions into consideration, Evans said. “The reason we changed the concept is to get customer feedback,” he said. “We listen to our customer.” James Bowen, a senior marketing and management of information systems major, said he has already tried the spaghetti and meatballs and chicken pasta. He eats lunch in the JSAC almost every day. “Their vegetable pasta needs some help, but everything else is on point,” he said. “It’s better than a lot of the stuff that’s come out of there the last couple of years.” Despite the recent changes, he thinks there are several ways the school can improve the quality of their food service, he said. “They need to diversify and put other things in different locations around campus,” he said. “It wouldn’t take much to put a different restaurant in the science hall or Allgood.” He also said he had some dissatisfaction with the “crappy, crappy attitude” of some of Slice of Life’s employees. James McNeill, a junior nursing major, said he has also received very rude service when he bought food from Slice of Life. “The food is overly priced and the hours suck,” he said. “People who have 5 o’clock classes would like to be able to get something to eat.” Overall, he said he misses the Arsenal Grill.
see Cowboy on PAGE 2
JESSICA SAGER | STAFF
Michael “Cowboy Mike” Searles works on his anthology about black cowboys.
RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
Breast cancer survivor Connie Thompson shows her support by hanigng a pink ribbon outside of the GRU cancer center.
Specialists aid in cancer fight By Ashley Trawick chief reporter The process of being diagnosed with breast cancer and getting treatments can take a large toll on a woman’s overall health. When diagnosing or going through treatment with breast cancer, several physicians complete a myriad of tasks for the benefit of the patient. Among those doctors for the Georgia Regents Health System is Mohammed Ziauddin, a breast surgical oncologist for Georgia Regents University. His job is to perform surgery on operable breast cancer patients, and he said he can do that in one of two ways. “(I would usually do) what’s commonly called a lumpectomy,” Ziauddin said. “It’s removing the breast cancer with clear margins, meaning normal tissue all the way around the shoulder to make sure you got the whole thing out, and then the other option is mastectomy, meaning removing the whole breast. Most patients, you know, probably 60 to 70 percent at least, are candidates to have breast-conserving therapy, which is lumpectomy plus radiation.” Ziauddin said he works with plastic surgeons a lot to do breast reconstruction, especially in some cases with mastectomies. He said plastic surgeons get involved even if they do a lumpectomy with the possibility of getting a breast lift or a reduction. Catherine Ferguson, an attending radiation oncologist, said she sees patients about the radiation, about whether it will benefit them, plans the radiation if she recom-
mends it, prescribes the treatment and monitors how the patient responds to receiving the radiation treatment. “For cancer care, in general, and breast cancer care, in specific, treatments (are) very often multi modality,” Ferguson said. “The three main modalities for cancer care are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. A large portion of the patients that are treated for breast cancer receive radiation.” Ferguson said there are standards of care for the amount of radiation given for a particular risk of cancer in a particular setting and the dose that is administered varies because the treatment lasts for several weeks. “We generally prescribe a standard course of treatment but, of course, a standard dose is individualized for the patient’s body,” she said. “Radiation is prescribed for a delivered dose.” The director of breast imaging services, Karen Panzitta, said
the main imaging for examining breasts are mammograms, which help detect breast cancer early and allow for quicker treatment. “If someone has a lump in their breast or a problem with their breast, we do use mammograms to help determine what is the cause of that lump,” Panzitta said. “But we also use mammograms to screen women for breast cancer if they’re 40 or older. We do mammograms every year in women.” In addition to mammograms, Panzitta said it is recommended that women have yearly clinical breast exams by their health care provider. She said it should start when women are 20 years old. Panzitta also said younger women should feel what their breasts feel like and know what they consider to be normal. Women should give themselves self-breast exams on a monthly basis, she said, to detect something that may not be considered normal. atrawick@gru.edu
RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
P.F. Chang’s shows its support for breast cancer awareness by painting its horse.
Military student has PTSD epidsode during exam By Rebecca Perbetsky production assistant Campus police were called to the scene after a student ran out of a classroom in University Hall. While on regular patrol, officers Peter Barbara and Kyle Golden were called to University Hall in response to a call about a student who possibly had a gun, according to the police report. Wafa Abed, substitute associ-
ate professor of mathematics, was giving a test, and according to the report she stated that the student, Robert Clasen, left a note on his test and then exited. The Bell Ringer reached out to Abed and received this: “I don’t think that what happened is something I would want to talk about in an interview,” Abed said. “I care more for the learning process to continue being smooth in an institution as wonderful as
GRU.” William McBride, chief of police, said the instructor must have assumed that Clasen was an officer. “The instructor was wearing (a) head covering like Muslims do,” McBride said. “(Clasen) was in a uniform.” According to the report, the note that Clasen left stated that he could not stay in the room because of previous military-related experiences.
“He just wasn’t doing real well dealing with the situation, and then when she shut the door to give the test, he just freaked out,” McBride said. Clasen, who, according to the report, suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, was just having a bad day, McBride said. McBride did say that Clasen was at no point a danger or risk to anyone else in the room. rperbets@gru.edu
athorne@gru.edu
AMY THORNE | STAFF
Employee of Slice of Life refreshes pizza supply while awating customers.
Ebola Virus Page 2
Parkour
World of Coca-Cola
Page 11
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Family Fun Series goes to Atlanta
GRU informs about Ebola
Hayden’s Gym teaches Parkour
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014
NEWS www.grubellringer.com
The voice of
Georgia Regents University EDITORIAL STAFF adviser MATTHEW BOSISIO mbosisio@gru.edu editor-in-chief RICHARD ADAMS radams99@gru.edu copy editor JESSICA SAGER jschucke@gru.edu news editor HALEY HARRIS hharris9@gru.edu arts & life editor AMY THORNE athorne@gru.edu sports editor ANTHONY GARCIA agarci11@gru.edu chief reporter 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 columnists NEIL DAVENPORT cdavenp3@gru.edu RICKEY JONES ricjones@gru.edu contributors NICHOLAS HALL ERIC PARKER SCHYLO PHILLIPS ANDREW PILSCH ROBERT SCOTT 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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Letters to the editor must be accompanied by the author’s name, phone number and email address. All columns and letters to the editor are the opinion of the author. The views expressed in the Editorial section do not necessarily express those of The Bell Ringer, a designated public forum.
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RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
Jose Vazquez, chief of infectious diseases, discusses the facts about Ebola and steps in effect to prevent a possible pandemic.
Ebola virus spreads By Richard Adams editor-in-chief The day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of Ebola in the U.S., a standing room-only crowd filled the JSAC coffeehouse Wednesday to listen and pose questions to a panel of Georgia Regents University experts concerning the epidemic. Angela Bratton, associate pro-
fessor of anthropology and event speaker, said she wondered if the number of attendees would have been comparable if it had of been held Monday before the news broke. “I wasn’t quite anticipating this turnout,” said Saundra Ribando, the director of the Georgia Regents University Center for Public Service and the night’s moderator. Ribando opened the discussion by referencing the most recent de-
velopments in the spread of Ebola. “We have our first diagnosed case here in the United States,” Ribando said. “If you were watching or paying attention at all to CNN, then you know that there are some (approximately) 18 people that are being monitored, including five children, in the Dallas area for potential exposure to the disease.” As it stands, it is quite difficult to transmit Ebola from one person to another, said event speaker Jose
Vazquez, chief of infectious diseases at Georgia Regents University. “At this point in time, it is not transmitted via the airborne route, which is something important to note,” he said. “Is it possible that this virus could mutate later on and become (airborne)? Certainly. It’s a possibility. That would be a tremendous disaster.” Vazquez said the case of the infected man in Dallas is the first time there has been a reported case of Ebola in the Western Hemisphere. The current mortality rate for Ebola, he said, is between 50 and 70 percent, which is 20 to 30 percent less than the rate for this virus in its last major outbreak. “The reason for (the reduction in the virus’s mortality rate) is we know a lot more about the Ebola virus,” Vazquez said. “We know where it affects and how it affects, and probably we know how to, basically, quarantine people, which is probably the most important part.” Vazquez said the current outbreak dates back to December 2013 in Guinea, most likely spread from a bat to a female child who ate it as part of a diet of “bush meat.” From there, it spread outward to the capital city, Conakry. “(The virus) actually duplicates differently in every single country, depending on the sanitation and the resources there,” Vazquez said. The potential number of infected individuals in West Africa could reach somewhere between 550,000 and 1.4 million people by Jan. 20, 2015, according to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released by the CDC on Sept. 26. radams99@gru.edu
Police handle student conflict By Rebecca Perbetsky production assistant A fourth-year medical student was arrested on Saturday, Sept. 27, in connection to harassment charges. Shaina McCaskill, a Georgia Regents University student, stated in the police report that Merius Atangcho had been harassing her. “We met in the beginning of June,” McCaskill said. “I came to my car and he left a note and said I was pretty and he wanted to take me out.” Toward the end of August or beginning of September, she and Atangcho had sex, McCaskill said. “After we had sex, I realized I wasn’t interested,” McCaskill said. “So I told him we could resume as friends, but as far as us having sex and being more than friends, I didn’t want to do that anymore. He didn’t agree.” After telling Atangcho this, McCaskill said she received a number of texts from him. “I don’t know if he was trying to get under my skin, but he was just saying really rude stuff,” McCaskill said. “Like he pities the person who gets me pregnant, and he pities the person who marries me.”
Cowboy CONTINUED from PAGE 1
history,” he said. “And so that kind of gave me a taste of the idea that there were blacks in the West, etc. And from that point I began to incorporate some aspects of the black West into lectures I was doing.” One of the cowboys Searles has written about is Nat Love, he said. Love is the only African-American cowboy who wrote an autobiography about his experiences. “In addition to writing about his own life, he fills it with a lot of what we can say is the kind of literary excesses that were popular at the time,” he said. “That was published in 1907, and he was really writing it for a popular market. So he has a lot of adventures and things like that.” Most cowboys, Searles said,
After those texts, McCaskill said she told Atangcho she was going to contact campus public safety. “(Atangcho) told me to go right ahead and that the police on campus were racist and that they were going to think I was a loud black girl,” she said. According to the police report, McCaskill notified campus police. “So we went and saw him face to face and told him, ‘Dude, no more contact with this student’,” Chief of Police William McBride said. “Do you understand?’ ‘Yes, I understand.’ Well, we left.” Atangcho started again, an hour, if that, after police left, McCaskill said. “We went back and she wanted to make and file a complaint,” McBride said. “So we have a misdemeanor warrant. Any continued contact is going to be felony stalking.” Christen Carter, director of media relations, said discipline is based on the case. “In the case of misdemeanor offenses, discipline is determined on a case-to-case basis,” Carter said. “It depends on the nature of the offense and how closely it relates to the student’s work at GRU.” rperbets@gru.edu
only did the work for a short time. Not everyone was suited to the hard, tedious and lonely work. There was often more equality between cowboys, Searles said, than between other African-Americans and whites at the time. This “range equality” sometimes carried into the towns cowboys came to because they would look out for one another. Searles said he thinks the book will be published sometime in 2015. Caldwell said former students sometimes drop by Searles’ office in the library to say hello. Hubert van Tuyll, a professor in the history department, said he has known Searles for 23 years. “Mike was just an amazing colleague,” he said, “because, you know, he could manage to work with just about any students while doing original research at the same time, and that’s pretty unique.” jschucke@gru.edu
TAYLOR MITCHELL | STAFF
Ana Thompson sits at her desk and shows one of the models she uses for students.
New department chair remembers her path to the top By Taylor Mitchell staff writer Starting from the bottom and working her way up, Ana Thompson is an example of how patience and dedication can lead to a top position in one’s department. Ana Thompson is the newly named interim department chair in dental hygiene at Georgia Regents University College of Allied Health Sciences Department of Dental Hygiene, according to the GReport webpage. Thompson came to the United States from Mexico City to visit her brother, a college student, on what was intended to be a short trip, she said. Instead, she met the man who would become her husband. She is now the mother of a daughter. Thompson said she started from the bottom of the department, receiving an associate-level degree at the Medical College of Georgia in dental hygiene. “I was hired in the year 2000 as a hygienist,” Thompson said. “At that time I didn’t even know that I would end up being a teacher. Then one of my mentors advised me into continuing my education. At that time I had an associate degree, then it was onto my master’s, and (I) got the opportunity to become faculty while getting my master’s. Primarily I was hired on doing research. I didn’t think I would be a teacher, and especially not the chair of the department.” Thompson said she attended
school as a nontraditional student. “What makes it interesting for me is that every day is different,” Thompson said. “Some days I’m cleaning, some days I’m teaching and some days I’m in administration. I’m sometimes working with professors from other colleges and what’s interesting is that I still see patients. So one day a week, I’m actually working as a hygienist. My job isn’t boring at all.” One of Thompson’s students, Justin Gill, a senior dental hygiene major, said he appreciates the time he spends with her in class. “She’s a great teacher,” he said. “She really takes her time with us; it’s more of individualized learning. She’s really hands-on. She spends a lot of time with us in clinic. Honestly, I just would like more time with her because we have so many classes and so much to do in such a sort amount of time (that) we don’t get to spend that much time with each teacher. She’s a great teacher.” With 11 publications under her belt dating back to 2004, Thompson said she has made a name for herself by overcoming all odds to become the best instructor and chairwoman she is capable of being. “It’s funny because I was in there doing the same thing they were doing, and now I’m the boss of everything,” Thompson said. “They say you’re a minority and that I speak good English and I do a lot of good stuff, but I don’t really see it like that. I just do my job.” tmitch22@gru.edu
THE BELL RINGER
Dogs at Georgia Regents University Need Your Help! Dogs like Shy Guy still need your help. Nearly a year ago, The Humane Society of the United States went undercover and exposed painful, lethal dental experiments on dogs at Georgia Regents University. Unfortunately, it seems that GRU is still doing the experiments. You can help end them once and for all. The Chancellor of the University System of Georgia needs to hear from you. Please make a brief, polite phone call to Chancellor Henry M. Huckaby at 404-656-2202 and GRU President Dr. Ricardo Azziz at 706-721-2301 and urge them to stop dental experiments on dogs at GRU. See humanesociety.org/gru for more information.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014
OPINION www.grubellringer.com
editorial
Acknowledging the elephant T
he Bell Ringer is well aware of the elephant in the room; therefore, we’ve decided it would not be prudent to ignore it, lest it trample upon us. Some loyal readers of The Bell Ringer may be questioning why we have run the ad found on page 3, an ad which may be considered by some at odds with the best interests of our university. To answer those doubts, we would like to invite you into the decision-making process that goes on behind the scenes at The Bell Ringer. The Bell Ringer, just like the student, faculty and staff bodies of the university, is comprised of many different opinions, personalities and approaches to life. In our discussions about this ad, this was
made very evident. What is important though, is that, ultimately, we weren’t simply expressing opinions but debating what it means to carry the news for Georgia Regents University. This is a duty we take seriously, and partiality is a trap we avoid at all costs. As we looked at reasons for or against publication, the greatest fear on display was the possibility that this might somehow damage The Bell Ringer’s reputation as an objective news service. From The Bell Ringer’s perspective, this is neither about animal rights nor our personal views on that subject. In fact, the morality of animal testing was never brought up in our staff meeting or our interoffice emails. Instead, we talked about what running or not running this ad meant.
Griffins meet Simpsons in cartoon clash O n Sunday, Sept. 28, Fox aired its “Family Guy”/“The Simpsons” crossover as a one-hour episode in the “Family Guy” continuity. This could have gone a lot of different ways, and everyone knew of the planned “chicken fight” well in advance, which is usually fantastic and over the top in all the best ways possible. I only started watching “The Simpsons” a few years ago, but despite all the wacky and sometimes crude humor it feels like a more wholesome show, and one where, even in the short time I’ve been watching, I’ve really gotten to feel like the characters are wholly-rounded people and not just gimmicks. I’ve been watching “Family Guy” since it premiered, and originally it was a lot of fun. Stewie was disturbingly evil, Brian was dull but interesting, Peter was just dumb, Lois was a put-upon housewife, Meg wasn’t terrible and Chris was dim but hilarious. Now, however, Stewie has become a less evil plotter and more of a prankster, Brian has admittedly improved much in my eyes, Peter is both crass and stupid, even more so than he was, Lois is someone who can be thrown just about anywhere as needed, Meg gets basically destroyed most weeks and Chris has become a little smarter. The outer characters in “Family Guy,” sadly, for the most part are
gimmicks, with only some of the names having ever had any sort of story to really flesh them out, and some having just been written off as a result, with a lot less impact than most of “The Simpsons” deaths and disappearances. Even the impact of Brian’s death last season was quickly, and rightfully so, rectified in two weeks’ time. So how did this crossover ultimately go down? Well, in a nutshell, Peter did something stupid and angered the entire female population of Quahog save his wife and daughter, so Lois suggested they leave town while things blow over. The Griffins stop for gas only to get their car stolen right outside of Springfield, home of the Simpsons, and in one of the funnier moments, Stewie asks what state and Brian says, “I can’t imagine we’re allowed to say,” a nod to the fact that Springfield really isn’t in a state, unlike Quahog, which has been identified many times over the years as being in Rhode Island. In Springfield, Peter and Homer quickly become friends when Homer buys Peter a dozen donuts, and the two families quickly start to bond, with the exception of Brian and Santa’s Little Helper, as Brian can’t stand the yappy, skinny dog. Things start to quickly go awry, though, as Brian loses Santa’s Little Helper while on a walk, and after finding the Griffins’ car, Peter and Homer go for a celebra-
On what basis would we not run it? This was simple: If it was libelous, if it were malicious, if it were patently untrue, we had a moral imperative not to run it. This, for once, was something easily agreed upon. It seemed the more we discussed the issue, despite disagreements, the firmer our footing became. With the public’s best interest in mind, we must sometimes make hard decisions; for us, that means not censoring our advertisers and denying our readership opportunities which may apply to it. In order for this paper to remain true to its readers, it must first be true to its own nature as a journalistic endeavor and fulfill its mission, as stated in our masthead,
to be “a designated public forum.” For example, in this issue we have printed the concerns of a faculty member who felt our coverage of February’s shooting at University Village was not comprehensive enough. Whether it be criticism of The Bell Ringer or a defense of principles, The Bell Ringer is not only obligated to be responsive to but also to encourage a healthy amount of feedback.
tory drink at Moe’s Tavern, where it’s revealed that Peter’s favorite beer, Pawtucket Patriot, is a cheap re-branded Duff beer. Springfield promptly goes for a lawsuit and wins in a decision that will shut down the Pawtucket Patriot brewery where Peter and many others work. This soon leads to the “chicken fight.” “Chicken Jacob Scharff fight” describes webmaster battles that Peter has had over the years with a man in a giant chicken costume who once gave him an expired coupon, and now almost any time they lock eyes, a huge brawl breaks out. These battles have just gotten more over the top and intense over the years, and that always means they’re a spectacle. This fight was a spectacle too, but it dragged on at points. In the end, to Brian’s surprise, Santa’s Little Helper finds his way home and the Griffins make their way back to Quahog, where it’s said that the Pawtucket Patriot brewery will stay open because, according to Lois, no one’s going to come check up on it anyway. I feel they could have done a lot more with this event, and while the jokes that broke the fourth wall, as well as the cameos, were well done, two of the jokes were just awful, one involving a gas station and the other during the making of prank phone calls in Bart Simpson’s bedroom. I wouldn’t mind if they tried this idea again, provided it’s not as half-baked as this attempt was, and I really hope that the upcoming “The Simpsons”/”Futurama” crossover is much better.
Professor wants better coverage
jscharff@gru.edu
If university administrators or others feel the advertisement run by the Humane Society of the United States to be unfair or biased, we open our pages to their responses. It is one of the stated desires of this university to develop into a world-class institute; if so, then it deserves to have alongside a campus newspaper of equal quality. This is what The Bell Ringer strives to be.
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
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here are several ways those of us on campus receive news about GRU, including The Bell Ringer, GReport both online and in print, official emails and the President’s periodic blogs. Each of these has its place, but the only one with an independent viewpoint is The Bell Ringer. I think it is the unique responsibility of The Bell Ringer to Robert Scott research issues contributor that are occasionally uncomfortable to talk about, with differing opinions across the campus, but that affect most, if not all, of us in the GRU community. One of these is the February, 2014, shooting of an unarmed student by a campus policeman. There have been several articles in The Bell Ringer about this incident, starting with the March 4th edition. Each of these articles ended with variations on “the investigation is not yet complete,” and so the reporting of exactly what happened, who did what that ended up with a student being shot, and more importantly what can and is being done to prevent this type of outcome in the future, has been obscured. This is a learning opportunity that we as an academic community cannot afford to let go. There was a noise complaint at University Village, and in the end a student, a freshman, was shot. What are we doing differently this academic
year, to make sure such an event does not happen again? Are we teaching this year’s new freshmen about what happened last year, and what to do and not to do, differently from what we have taught new freshmen in the past? Was this shooting the act of a rogue policeman who violated his training, or was it a response that was fully in consonance with our campus security policies and practices? What did our internal investigation conclude? Are there lessons our campus police have learned as well, and is their incident response training any different this year from last year? Campus safety is the job of everybody, including faculty members like me. George Santayana famously wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” As a community of students and scholars, we must remember this incident from our very recent past, all of us learn from it, and absolutely ensure we do not repeat it – not the institution, not our students, not the campus police. I am writing to ask that The Bell Ringer explore what happened seven months ago, what we have all learned from the incident and how we are all working together to make sure such an incident never again ends up with an unarmed student being shot by a campus policeman.
Dr. Robert M. Scott, Mathematics Department Acting President of the GRU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors rscott5@gru.edu
Power outage sparks thoughts about net neutrality
O
n Saturday, in Phoenix, Ariz., where I live, we had an incredible thunderstorm that, amongst other things, knocked out cable TV and Internet service to a large number of households throughout the city. Beyond the fact that Arkansas had just gone up on Texas A&M 28-14 and I never saw the end of the game, the loss of Internet access, other than what I could get on my ancient iPhone 4, was a major annoyance that became a bit of a crisis. With no more college football to watch, I suggested to my wife that we should watch some Netflix. NOPE. Then I wanted to complain to Twitter about this entertainment crisis. NOPE. We even thought about ordering pizza - but because I use Domino’s online app and don’t know the local shop’s phone number, NOPE. We often forget how much we use the Internet until we don’t have it, and during those four hours where I felt adrift without access,
I started to think about what life without the Internet, all the time, would be like. This train of thought was suggested because there is a matter of U.S. governmental policy, itself masked in the kind of mind-numbing legal distinctions and bureaucratic jargon that often accompany Andrew Pilsch such matters, contributor that currently threatens the very core of our ability to freely and openly use the Internet. This policy, being debated by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), will govern the future of a carrier-neutral Internet, and has been debated since 2003 under the name “net neutrality.” In essence, net neutrality refers to the debate about legally establishing the content neutrality
of the Internet. As it stands under current laws, your ISP can charge certain websites or charge you as a subscriber more to access content on certain websites. Do you watch a lot of Netflix, as I do? In the near future, you could start to pay your ISP (presumably a cable company such as Comcast or Cox) more for the privilege of using that website. Additionally, cable companies could refuse to connect you to a website at anything but the slowest speeds (do you remember dial-up?). This condition results from a 2002 decision by the FCC. To encourage the development of broadband Internet, the FCC defined the Internet as an “information service” instead of a “telecommunication service.” This means that the Internet is not subject to the government’s ability to regulate interstate commerce, despite the FCC regulating the ISPs as though they were. This condition continued until companies such as Netflix and Hulu began to offer video “on
demand” over the Internet, which directly competes with cable companies’ core business: Charging you too much for TV. The issue came to head when an appeals court issued a ruling in January resolving a 2011 case brought by Verizon against the FCC. The court ruled that the FCC has no right to regulate the Internet in the manner it did but suggested that the FCC must rethink its regulatory strategy, as it should be in charge. Since the ruling, the FCC has been debating rules and accepting public comments, of which the most in agency history were received over this issue. A decision about net neutrality should be forthcoming. The concerns here are myriad, but the debate about net neutrality is often framed in the press as a dispute between two industries: cable companies who deliver Internet content and the web companies who make this content. In fact, though, a non-neutral network is a threat to the very nature
of the Internet as we know it and we use it, not just the companies who make money off of our web use. The ability to use the Internet bandwidth you pay your ISP for in the way you see fit is currently threatened. Unlike Arizona thunderstorms, a non-neutral Internet threatens to knock us all offline, forever. As I twitchily waited for my phone to update football scores and watched the rain drive down in sheets, I realized that regardless of your views on how the Internet is changing us, spending time without Internet access reminds us that we have all been changed by the Internet. A decision on net neutrality that favors cable companies could threaten to be the biggest thunderstorm of all, disconnecting the Internet that has become an increasingly transparent part of our everyday existence.
Dr. Andrew Pilsch, assistant professor of English at Arizona State University andrew@pilsch.com
PAGE 5
THE BELL RINGER
ERIC PARKER | CONTRIBUTOR
The largest climate march in history attracted 300,000 protesters to New York and countless others to 2646 solidarity events in 162 countries. New York protesters marched from Columbus Circle to Times Square.
People’s Climate March inspires local W hat would it be like if you could get the entire population of Richmond County and Columbia County to gather together and work together in one common cause, even for just one afternoon? In building theClubhou.se and our movement to “Hack Augusta” to create a vibrant innovation-based economy and culture of collaboration, I ask this question often, and travel around the country to speak about the successes we have made so far. That is precisely what I was doing on Sept. 2, when I stumbled upon the People’s Climate March. I arrived in New York to speak at World Maker Faire at the New York Hall of Science to give a presentation on the DIY way to create a Makerspace in your city. On the subway and at the airport I saw signs for a climate march. They were quite provocative, some showing the Statue of Liberty underwater, others showing Wall Street and asking “How much will your money be worth under-
water?” I must admit I share a certain concern for the environment and the likely displacement of our coastal cities. Ultimately, however, it is not just a coastal concern. According to a U.S. Geological Survey study published in January 2000, the maximum potential sea level rise is 80.32 meters (approximately 263 feet 6 inches). Augusta’s elevation is 136 feet, Plant Vogtle is at 220 feet, and SRS is generally right at the edge of this rise. Simply put, rising seas matter to everyone. Despite my own concerns, what was interesting to me was that outside of this subway ride, I had not heard anything about this upcoming march. Let’s be honest, if I’ve spent enough time researching maximum sea level rises and was in New York to talk about how to organize grassroots communities, it would be expected that I have some awareness about a major climate march. This couldn’t be THAT big of a deal. Sunday morning, I went to
Maker Faire and gave my talk. Afterwards I returned to Manhattan for a stroll through Central Park before heading back home. As I walked down 59th Street it was clear something was going on. It’s funny how your pulse quickens when you sense something big is going on. When I arrived at 6th Eric Parker Avenue I was contributor confronted by what could only be described as a wall of people. They carried signs about pollution, fracking, conservation, greed, love and solidarity. They sang, they played music, they chanted, they yelled. And they just kept coming. Keep this in mind: The population of Augusta-Richmond County is 200,000 people, Columbia County is around 136,000. I arrived at 59th and 6th at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. This point was about two blocks from the start of the march.
A march that began at 11:30 a.m. and was still going strong. This was 300,000 people, from all over the world, united in one common purpose. There are many questions that could be raised from the People’s Climate March. We can ask why people marched. We can ask if the march is succeeding in influencing the U.N. vote on carbon emissions. We could even ask why there was virtually no news coverage of one of the largest protest rallies in the history of America. But I came away with one: How can we in the Augusta area learn to put aside our differences and unite in the common purpose to better the circumstances of our community? It’s the same question that has driven theClubhou.se for the last two years. If 300,000 people can shut down New York for a day, then 300,000 people have the same power to Hack Augusta. To learn more about the People’s Climate March visit: http:// peoplesclimate.org To Hack Augusta, join our next
hackathon November 7th at 5 p.m. at the Old Academy of Richmond County at 540 Telfair St.
Well after looking back on my life, all I have to say is that WORDS can mess up a person. Such a simple thing like a word can do major damage! Even though the words were said to us “so long ago,” that doesn’t mean we forget, at all. As children Schylo Phillips we do not really contributor worry about our appearance or really what people think about us, but at some point all of a sudden it starts to matter. Kids become mean and begin to point out things to us about ourselves that are “not right” - and once that’s in our mind it stays. The words “gay, ugly, awkward, loser and weird” come into the picture and are thrown around constantly. As time goes on people point out other random things, and this time maybe it’s just an innocent comment, but it still makes us
so self-conscious. Yeah, we “shouldn’t worry about what other people say or think,” but that is easier said than done - especially being a girl with all of the pressure that society puts out there to be beautiful and have no flaws at all. This self-consciousness turns into low self-esteem and seriously having low self-esteem can affect so many other aspects of life. Low self-esteem causes us to become distant and shy, which stops us from trying new things. Life should be nothing but trying new things and having experiences! Friendships could be toxic because maybe we are always comparing ourselves to the friend who is “attractive/confident,” so we think they have it all and then start to hate and nit pick on ourselves even more. Or, maybe, we are in a relationship and our significant other tells us how beautiful/great we are (and they mean it!), but we don’t believe them, so that constant
going back and forth can put a damper on the relationship. Some more serious problems are diseases like anorexia, BDD (body dysmorphic disorder), depression and self harming can arise as well. I know not all people let how they look/act take them to these extremes, but many do! And this is a real and very heartbreaking problem. What gets me is when people make fun or point out things about us that we can’t help at all. Like the size of our boobs, our height, the color of our skin, acne, stretch marks, mutations and so many other things. We should appreciate the way that God made us, but instead it has just turned into what can we hide, what can we change or fix. People might tell us how beautiful/wonderful we are all the time, and we still don’t believe it. So sad, right? It’s exhausting always going straight to our “flaws” when someone gives us a genuine compliment. Other people
might think we should just “stop being so dramatic” but it’s not that simple! It’s sad but true, a mindset like this takes time to change. Some people are 30… 40… 50 and still dealing with low self-esteem/lack of confidence/diseases. I have to get to the point where I do not let this mess with my life anymore! When someone tells me that I am pretty/awesome or anything I want to actually believe it and not think that they are just saying that to make me feel better or out of pity or something. The best way to get out of this cycle of hate, I think, is to realize that beauty isn’t everything, even though I might think it is about 75 percent of life as I know it! People are smart, creative, funny, witty, athletic, kind, adventurous, wise, talented and so beautiful on the inside! I want to know/understand/accept that I am beautiful/fabulous/amazing in my own special way and then start to move on! It might be hard - but so worth it, I’m sure.
By Eric Parker, The American Institute of Architects co-founder of theClubhou.se, and founder of HACK Augusta, Inc.
ERIC PARKER | CONTRIBUTOR
Protesters from one of six advocacy groupings carry signs picketing against the processing and use of tar sands oil.
Self-acceptance is the key to feeling beautiful
E
ven though this might seem random, I feel like it is such an important thing to discuss. This all started when I was looking at a girl’s profile on Instagram. She is like a model or something, and she is gorgeous. As I looked at the pictures I suddenly had all of these questions flood my mind. Why wasn’t I born that way? What lucky gene lottery did she win? What would my life be like if I was that beautiful? And etc. So then it began, the cycle of self hate that I go through almost every day. This time it was triggered by a picture, but sometimes it happens while watching TV, looking at a magazine, walking in the mall or just looking in the mirror. I sat there and got sad. I thought to myself, how did I get to this point where I was dwelling on the way that I looked and even questioning my life, activities that were wasting so much of my energy and time?
sphill17@gru.edu
The new hate speech: Political discrimination vs. democracy
O
ver the years, different professors have pointed out to my classmates and I that, not very long ago, many of us wouldn’t have been allowed to learn in the same classroom together. A hundred years ago, probably only the white, male students among us would have gone to college. When I go to class and feel tired, or annoyed with a class clown, I look at the rest of the class; I look at us sitting together, learning together and laughing together. Then the rooms looks brighter, and not in a florescent-lights kind of way. For all of the problems we still have in America, I look at the day-to-day interactions between people of both genders and of different ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, and I feel proud of us. I know that almost everyone still faces intolerance and discrimination; I’ve been discriminated against because of my gender,
mocked over my Native American heritage, and I know it’s much, much worse for a lot of people. Yet, walking around campus, I see people who are willing to give one another a chance, and I feel hopeful. Even as atrocities are committed around the world, people rally to protest those atrocities. This makes me hope that we are learning, albeit it slowly, to stand up for one another. But there is a form of discrimination that I have yet to see addressed in American media or everyday conversation. Many people think it’s acceptable, or at least act as if they do. Most don’t even realize it’s discrimination. While religious beliefs, ethnicity and sexual orientation are given some degree of respect by intelligent Americans, politics are an open battlefield. When it comes to our political beliefs, hatred, stereotypes and downright rudeness seem
to go unchecked. This isn’t just a problem with die-hard politicians. It’s a problem that seeps into every aspect of our lives. For example, why do people generalize Republicans as uneducated rednecks? Why do I have to tell people that Jessica Sager some of the copy editor most intelligent, well-traveled people I know vote Republican? Why do I have to hear that all Democrats are hypocrites, when I know deeply sincere people who cast their vote that way? (By “hypocrites” I mean more hypocritical than other humans. Obviously, there is plenty of hypocrisy to go around.) Something that’s stuck in my mind is the time when, at a
sleepover, a friend, hyped up on caffeine, cheerfully said, “I hate Republicans!” When else is it “okay” for someone – especially a child – to announce that she hates an entire group of people? Then there are the terms “liberal” and “conservative.” It is so ridiculous when people use those terms interchangeably with Democrat and Republican. I’ve known some rigidly conservative Democrats, and interestingly liberal Republicans. The terms, believe me, are not interchangeable. Finally, I come to the three things you don’t talk about: politics, religion and sex. How ridiculous is it that, in a democracy, politics is a “sensitive” subject? Democracy is founded on power residing with the people. How are we supposed to have power, much less make wise decisions, about something we don’t talk about? Not only does political discrimination result in ugly, rude
behavior that gets in the way of interpersonal relationships, but it gets in the way of Americans doing the most American thing we can do: participate in politics. Let’s face it: People become more concerned about candidates and political parties than with what they actually represent. If we were less focused on who has the most people in D.C., maybe we could work on getting things done, instead. Discussing politics should be an intellectual, common activity instead of an angry, awkward one. No candidate, or party, is perfect. More people seem to be accepting this, because I’ve noticed more people saying they dislike BOTH parties. Well, at least they are paying attention enough to be critical. Still, I’d like someday for the parties to fade into the background, permanently and peacefully, so that actual issues could take the spotlight.
jschucke@gru.edu
PAGE 6
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014
ARTS & LIFE www.grubellringer.com
NEIL DAVENPORT | STAFF
Assistant professor Matthew Buzzell carries on a conversation with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich before a screening of a film.
Director speaks up By Amy Thorne arts & life editor Students and other community members spent an evening getting to know an award-winning film critic and director as part of the Westobou Festival partnering with the Cinema Series. Famed filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich came to the Maxwell Theatre on Oct. 1 for “An Evening with Peter Bogdanovich” and a screening of the restored cut of his film
“The Last Picture Show,” which was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two, said Matthew Buzzell, an assistant professor for the department of communications. Wednesday night, Bogdanovich engaged in a pre-show conversation with Buzzell to discuss his life, his films and other aspects of the film industry. After the show, audience members had the chance to ask Bogdanovich their own series of questions, Buzzell said. “It (was) a rarified opportunity
for the students, faculty, staff and the general public to kind of meet a living legend and to enjoy these stories from the golden era,” he said. “He’s a living link to that era.” Buzzell said Bogdanovich is more than a man who interviewed golden-era filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hawks, John Ford and Orson Welles; he is also a great film historian and raconteur. “He became friends with them, so he has wonderful stories to tell about them,” Buzzell said. “He’s
also a perfect mimic, so when he tells a story about Cary Grant, he can speak like them, and it’s really entertaining and very charming.” Bogdanovich helped launch the careers of various filmmakers and actors, Buzzell said. “The Last Picture Show” was one the first movies for Jeff Bridges and Cybill Sheperd. Events like the screening of “The Last Picture Show” give moviegoers a chance to see films the way they were intended, with other audience members, Buzzell said. “It’s so much nicer to have a communal experience, to see a film on the big screen, in the dark, with an audience, where you can laugh and cry and sigh and applaud together,” Buzzell said. “It’s a much more rewarding experience.” He said the best part of the Cinema Series is that it’s free. Diamond Smith, a senior television and cinema major, said students could learn something from speaking with Bogdanovich. “For TVC majors, that could be really beneficial because we’re currently in the process of putting together scripts and also putting together documentaries and narrative films,” Smith said. “To get more insight and inspiration is always nice.” Nick Dahdah, a sophomore biology major, also enjoyed the film and the experience. “It really wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was interesting,” Dahdah said. “The film was wonderful. It was wonderful to see Mr. Bogdanovich. I really hope we have more stuff like this in the future.”
athorne@gru.edu
Campaign shines purple light on issues By Richard Adams editor-in-chief The simple act of speaking and sharing one’s story was the inspiration for a public advocacy campaign that has spread to 29 states, multiple provinces in Canada, Guam and, starting its third year observing the event, Georgia Regents University. Purple Lights Night began in Covington, Wash., a suburb of Seattle, said Victoria Throm, the personnel and human service analyst for the city of Covington, as well as the Director and CEO of the Covington Domestic Violence Task Force, which she helped begin in 2004. Two years later, she said, Purple Lights Night followed with the intention of involving the entire town in the conversation about domestic violence. “We’re trying to educate the community,” Throm said. “This campaign started because I wanted people to remember victims, the homicides that happen every year in every city, county, state around the world, any socioeconomic (background), any culture. It’s got to end and we have to break that cycle. If we remember those people who have lost their lives by just shining
RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
A group of students from Georgia Regents University and Paine College along with members of the community gather Thursday to discuss Violence Awareness Month.
a purple light, it’s simple to do. I want that to be what the purpose of the lighting is.” Education is a key to changing how domestic abuse is perceived in culture, Throm said. So often, she said, the behavior of victims of abuse is questioned, rather than that of the abuser. “I am a survivor, and I hadn’t shared my story,” Throm said, referencing her initial move to Covington, where she found work in city government. “I moved in a different area, just to get away from
that (relationship). After working for the city for several years, I felt it was time that I shared my story.” Marie Drews, assistant professor in the English and foreign languages department and director of the Women’s Studies program, said carrying over the conversation first started in Covington, Wash., and bringing it to the campus of Georgia Regents was possible because several students realized the importance of breaking the silence that so often surrounds domestic violence. “As we think about, what is the
importance of having these lights that are going to be on throughout the month, (it is necessary to talk about) how this initiative started,” Drews said. “And I think it’s fantastic that it’s here on our campus, and it’s here in our third year and it’s here because students were committed to continuing to bring awareness to issues like domestic violence in our community.” Bill Sealey, an electrical department employee with facilities management, has become an important part of the campaign to spread awareness, said Allison Foley, co-organizer of this month’s advocacy activities and an associate professor with the department of sociology, criminal justice and social work. Having strung the lights for this event all three years it has been on campus, Foley said, Sealey understands the value of making this event as visible as possible. Sealey said being involved with this part of the project has been particularly rewarding. “It’s telling the students what we’re doing and what the event is about,” Sealey said. “There’s a lot of students that ask (questions).”
radams99@gru.edu
Exhibit hails culture By Fatima Frasher staff writer The Augusta-Richmond County Public Library teamed up with the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana, to kick-off Hispanic Heritage month. Jana Sandarg, professor of Spanish at Georgia Regents University, said she was one of the cofounders for the organization, as well as Fares John, who was another cofounder from the Medical College of Georgia. He has since passed away. “I was hired here in 1981, and when they hired me they said they wanted me to do a study aboard and they wanted me to work with the Hispanic community,” Sandarg said. “So I thought that would be fun, so I came here and that’s exactly what I’ve done.” The nonprofit organization ACHA came together with the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library to display many of the different aspects of Hispanic culture on Sept. 27, said Edwin Perez, president of Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. “Last year’s was amazing,” Sandarg said. “We had all of these incredible dancers come and perform. Two or three groups were just phenomenal, and then we had some indigenous kind of costumes with big feathers from Mexico. It was just amazing.” Sandarg said the reason for splitting the month stemmed from the anniversaries of independence for several Hispanic countries like Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua being Sept. 15. “We invited anybody who (wanted) to attend the program, basically to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month,” Perez said. “So what we did (was) invited a few groups, dancing groups and musical groups, to come and share their music and their culture.” Cynthia Taylor, co-manager of Avenue, said she was looking for something interesting to do with her grandchildren when she stumbled across information about the Hispanic Heritage kick-off at the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library. “I heard they have a really great turnout and they are very multicultural, so I was looking forward to it,” Taylor said. “I looked forward to seeing those flamboyant colors and, of course, the great food. Just everything about it sounded very exciting, and my grandchildren loved it.”
ffrasher@gru.edu
Professors bring Irish myths and music home
Students think ‘Out of the Box’ to create cardboard sculptures
By Stephanie McCray staff writer
By Taylor Mitchell staff writer
On Friday patrons attended “Miotas Ceol Draiocht: Ireland in Myth, Magic and Music,” an event directed by two professors at Georgia Regents University. The event, which was held at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre, was a multimedia project that incorporated traditional Irish music and folklore with scenic as well as cultural art and imagery, said Debra van Tuyll, a professor of communications. at Georgia Regents. The night featured music performed by professional musicians, as well as children on stage dressed in Irish-style attire that listened to stories and danced to music and even a dog sleeping next to a pseudo-camp fire, she said. Carl Purdy, a professor of music at Georgia Regents, said the intent was to give audience members an authentic representation of tradi-
tional Irish history and culture. “I think they have a chance to experience that in this very interdisciplinary way,” he said. “Rarely do you get the kind of completeness in understanding magic and myth that you get in this performance. To merge the music and the stories and the imagery, in terms of the videos and the art, all at one time gives you a much more thorough, fulfilling experience.” Van Tuyll said she and Purdy, in preparation for the event, spent two weeks in Ireland collecting a variety of imagery and folklore along with the music that accompanied it. Purdy also said he constructed different musical instruments that he modeled after ancestral Irish horns and flutes which added to the customary Irish sounds during the event. “It was fantastic,” said Cody Woods, a junior public relations major at Georgia Regents. “I really
STEPHANIE MCCRAY | STAFF
Musicians and music lovers listen to Irish folklore and songs on Friday.
enjoyed the show. I liked the bagpipes and the live dog ... the music was really fun and the stories were entertaining.” Van Tuyll said the event is part of a larger, four-pronged enterprise that consists of interdisciplinary research groups that explore creative scholarship, music used in healing and the science and social science of music. smccray1@gru.edu
The three-dimensional-design art exhibit, “Out of the Box,” recently exposed students and spectators alike to its unconventional use of everyday materials. Jennifer Onofrio, a professor in the art department, said she pushed her first-year students in a direction completely “out of the box” they are stuck in when it comes to sculpture and design. Shifting completely from her photography, painting and drawing background, she has focused solely on teaching sculpting and design. “There are actually a lot of professional artists that are exhibiting in galleries right now that use this as a full-time material,” Onofrio said. “I think there’s a perception that it’s not a viable material by other professional artists, and it actually is.” She said exposing students to an exhibit-style setting that features
their own work has been extremely important to her teaching style. Payton Granade, a junior majoring in public relations, said she pushed the envelope with her cardboard interpretation of the Death Star from the movie “Star Wars.” “I figured a sphere would be a big challenge to make when morphing cardboard,” she said, “My vocabulary word was ‘symmetrical balance,’ and she gave us guidelines on different things we could use, how to morph the cardboard and different ways we could cut it and we all just went from there.” Christopher Calhoun, a senior majoring in criminal justice and psychology at Georgia Military College, invited to the exhibit by a friend, said he enjoyed the exhibit. “It amazes me how creative people can be, because I can’t do any of this,” Calhoun said. “I’m more strategic. I’ve tried to do art and I’m a plain Jane.”
tmitch22@gru.edu
THE BELL RINGER
PAGE 7
Top five games from a gamer By Jacob Scharff webmaster
T
he holidays are always a great time for gamers, and 2014 is no exception. Here are my top five games for the rest of 2014, in no particular order: 1. Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire - The latest installment in the huge Pokemon franchise takes players back to the land of Hoehn, introduced in the original Ruby and Sapphire. It also introduces Primal forms of two of the signature legendary Pokemon, Groudon and Kyogre, which are different from the Mega evolutions achieved by other Pokemon, including the third signature legendary from the land of Hoehn, Rayquaza. Couple those with the trading and battling that have always been a Pokemon staple and you have the makings of a fantastic adventure. 2. WWE 2K15: Like the Madden and FIFA franchises,
CONTRIBUTED BY JACOB SCHARFF
WWE has adopted a yearly release schedule for its games since the late 2000’s. This latest installment is set to include the 2K Showcase, which highlights famous rivalries like John Cena vs. CM Punk, and a My Career mode, which lets you run a created superstar all the way from the WWE Performance Center to a potential Hall of Fame slot. 3. Bayonetta 2: This Wii U exclusive title looks to be an exciting follow-up to the original
Bayonetta. If players didn’t manage to play the original, but look to pick the sequel up anyway, it’s no big deal because the sequel comes with the original packed in. 4. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix - Packing together Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Final Mix and cut scenes from Kingdom Hearts Recoded, this game is going to be huge. Mickey Mouse, Sora, Riku and all of their friends, or in
some cases past incarnations, namely Terra, Aqua and Ventus from Birth by Sleep, continue their fight against the Heartless, Nobodies, Organization and Xehanort. It should be just enough to keep fans of the series occupied until next year’s Kingdom Hearts 3. 5. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U- The latest installment in the great crossover fighter is jumping into high definition for the first time with the Wii U iteration and it looks gorgeous. The roster is highly diverse with newcomers like Mega Man and Wii Fit Trainer coming in alongside old favorites like Mario and Kirby. There’s also fun new stages and powerful new items, and there are Amiibos, Nintendo’s Skylander-esque creations that allow you to import characters and save and load data to change your gaming experience for the better! Head to www.grubellringer. com for my full video review.
jscharff@gru.edu
‘Gone Girl’ gruesome portrayal of marriage By Neil Davenport columnist
D
avid Fincher’s film “Gone Girl” was physically wicked, artfully brutal and emotionally provocative, but I found myself wanting to see it again as soon as the credits started rolling. This film is all about what could happen to people in a couple if they married someone who was secretly a psychopath. The institution of marriage is a beautiful series of events and should be treated tactfully, but as Rosamund Pike’s character Amy Dunne notes in her diary, “marriage is hard work.”
“Gone Girl” vilifies the potential problems within modern marriage, not only by showing how husbands can get addicted to the couch in times of unemployment, but also when love is lost and then found. Because the film is rated R for many reasons, I cannot speak of its physically wicked and artfully brutal elements. I can, however, speak of the emotionally provocative element. Without mentioning the fake pregnancy, the treasure hunt of riddles, the manipulation of death, the lies of sexual affairs/ domestic abuse, the false identity used, or the bogus presentation of rape, every significant charac-
ter has a shifting of sympathy. For example, I did not have sympathy for the main character, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck). The brilliantly crafted husband faces accusations for the murder of his missing wife at first, but in the second half of the film I cared for him. The opposite goes for Amy Dunne. I had sympathy for her in the first half of the film and then, when the second half turned everything around, I did not care for her one bit. There is nothing wrong with these emotions because it is how we relate to the media. Because of this, we are unable to understand we could be misinterpret-
ing the whole situation. We think we care about the person who is gone because our own judgment of the situation seems to be black and white, but we cannot fathom the experience of being set up by our spouse and pressured into being accused for something we did not do. Every moment puts you on the edge of your seat. Do not let the trailer for this film keep you from seeing it does not do it justice. If you think this haunting film is about Nick Dunne running away or Amy suffering from sexual abuse, my friend, you are in for a big surprise.
cdavenp3@gru.edu
Fashion is my creed Rickey Jones columnist
Sweater Weather
Y
’all, it’s fall, my favorite season of the year! I feel like I dress ten thousand times better during the fall! I know, you’re probably tired of me telling you how you should dress, but quite frankly, it’s my duty to mankind! I’m going to give you some tips on how to look your best this fall: 1. Layer Up: This is the time when sweaters can make or break your outfit. Let’s talk about how to wear your sweater: Preppy overlay is my go-to look for fall. Preppy overlay is pretty much taking a sweater and putting it over a button-up shirt! For instance, you could wear a baby pink shirt with a navy sweater with white stripes, or even a polka-dotted green sweater with a white button up. 2. Color Control: Fall is a time where loud colors aren’t the best to wear. It’s like the summer color palette takes a chill pill, and then you have your fall color palette. Cherry reds become burgundy, canary yellows become gold, and orange just delves its way into all color situations! Just keep up with colors. They are truly the backbone of your clothing. 3. Boots are Made for Walking: Fall is all about wearing your boots and strutting them out. However, when you’re styling your boots, make sure they don’t outshine your outfit. I hope these tips will help you look your best this fall! Fashionably Yours, Rickey
ricjones@gru.edu
RAISIN BRAN AND OTHER
Cereal WARS
Is the go-to source for anyone interested in learning more about the complex and stimulating confluence of business, law, lobbying and politics. It provides unique insights into the widely misunderstood role of corporate government relations and how it affects public policy. In this tell-it-like-it-is casual narrative, the reader gets an inside look at the life of a corporate lobbyist from someone who lived it.
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PAGE 8
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014
ARTS & LIFE
City remembers local comedian By Ashley Trawick chief reporter For 26 years, the city of Harlem, Ga., and its citizens have celebrated comic actor Oliver Hardy with a festival. The late actor, who was born in Harlem, is well known for being half of the slapstick comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. The other half of the duo was Stan Laurel. They filmed 106 movies together and their movies are still shown around the world, said Linda Caldwell, who has been a volunteer at the Laurel and Hardy Museum since its opening in 2002. She said what prompted the annual celebration was, of course, the birth of Hardy, and the small town community wanted to do something special that could be done on an annual basis. The first celebration was held in 1989, on the first Saturday of October, which has been the day of the festival ever since. Since 1989, the festival has grown dramatically in vendor and attendance numbers, she said. “We had about 30 vendors when we first started,” Caldwell said. “Now we’ve got anywhere from 200 arts and crafts vendors, we have two stages of entertainment, we have two food courts, one on either end of the town (and) we get anywhere from 30,000 to
ASHLEY TRAWICK | STAFF
Some Laurel and Hardy look-a-likes smile and wave at festival visitors Saturday during the parade at The Oliver Hardy Festival.
35,000 people just for the festival for one day.” Caldwell said Hardy was a good boy who entertained everyone. Entertaining people got into his blood and the rest was history. “When (Oliver’s) father died, his mother … moved them first to Madison then to Milledgeville, Ga.,” Caldwell said. “There was really nothing around Harlem at that time for her to do with children.
NICHOLAS HALL | CONTRIBUTOR
The Family Fun Series offers students the opportunity to have fun with their families.
Families seek fun from fizzy factory By Nicholas Hall contributor The Jaguar Production Crew’s Family Fun Series took a group of more than 15 families from Georgia Regents University to Atlanta for a tour of World of Coca-Cola. “Jaguar Production Crew is the main programming organization for students here on campus,” said Raysean Ricks, a sophomore public relations major. The Jaguar Production Crew aims to bring students together with events that foster development through social, educational and cul-
tural entertainment, Ricks said. It allows them to have a college life that also includes their home life. “We want them to feel welcome, have their children welcomed on campus, and as well as for our freshmen, to have their parents feel welcomed,” he said. The World of Coca-Cola allowed THE CREW a venue for an event like the Family Fun Series, Ricks said. “It’s aimed towards nontraditional students, like the ones with families,” said DeShyla Brockington, a senior sociology major who has been a part of the student-led
She ran the Baldwin Hotel there and when vaudeville started to come around, they would stay there at the hotel. When silent movies started coming around, Ollie would be the projectionist and do the film and just kind of entertained when they were changing the reels.’’ After 13 years of attending the festival, David Drabiak, a senior communications major at Georgia Regents University, is producing
a student film for his senior thesis project about Laurel and Hardy. He said he first became interested in the actor because of his mom. “She kind of introduced them to me when I was young,” he said. “I never realized there was a festival only 25, 30 minutes away.” Drabiak said he decided to do a student film about Hardy because he wanted to focus on something special for the senior thesis project.
group since July. Brockington said she had a leadership role in the group that planned the Family Fun Series trip to the Coca-Cola factory. The budget for the event was paid for by the use of student activity fees, Brockington said. “The Coca-Cola factory is kind of something for young and older people to enjoy,” Ricks said. The World of Coca-Cola trip offered 77 Georgia Regents students a chance to travel to Atlanta for the day with their families and tour the facilities of the Coca-Cola factory, he said. “I went to the Coca-Cola factory when I was in third grade, and it was a great experience for me just to be at that age with my friends, and I know that if I went there with my mom or especially with someone older ... I think it would have been a good experience,” Ricks said. Stephanie Wilson, a senior kinesiology major, attended the Family Fun Series event at World of Coca-Cola. Though Wilson had been to events planned by THE CREW prior to the Coca-Cola trip, she said this trip was her first Family Fun Series event. “They usually have a lot of events that only cater to the traditional students,” she said. “So it is nice to include the older students.” Wilson said being able to hang out with the friends she met at school was the best part of the trip.
Festival shows vocal artwork
nhall18@gru.edu
Silent film starts conversations By Taylor Mitchell staff writer I attended the 12th annual silent movie night at Sacred Heart Cultural Center commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I. Patrons new and old entered with awe as costumes, concessions and an unforgettable venue dazzled the senses. This year, the cultural center showed “The Big Paradise,” a 1925 silent movie about a businessman’s screw-up son, James Apperson, who enters into the war because of an ultimatum given to him by his father, finally making him extremely proud. He is shipped off to France only to find love within the arms of the farm girl Melisande, and unfortunately is shipped off to war, only to return to her for a storybook ending. “I’m sure he’ll come back and they’ll be happily ever after just like most of these movies,” said Sherry Key, a 5-year patron of the cultur-
al center’s silent movie night. “My first husband was in the army so he had to go overseas quite a bit and my dad was in the army and the civil service so, yeah, I can relate.” Of course, my 21st century mind couldn’t possibly comprehend what soldiers went through in the early 1900s. This black and white blast from the past was a welcomed enlightenment. The film gave the first glimpses of what war really looked like, the living conditions and hard manual labor that comes with it. Though in this movie some people did fall in love, it was not completely romanticized as if the war shapes around love and not the other way around. War here is portrayed as just that: war. There is death, survival and, of course, the mystical 1920s love scenes, but it is not so overbearingly riddled with them that it takes the focus off of the real issue: World War I. “I’ve read up on this film,” said Deb Barshafsky, fellow patron of
He said Hardy appealed to him as being a man who was fascinating and unique. He also said the festival is a great boost for the city of Harlem economically. “He was a 300-pound man who was light in grace at the same time,” he said. “Anyhow, he was the one with the mustache, the rotund comedian. Laurel was the skinny one. That was the (main) difference between them. Hardy was the obese one … and his main hobby was playing golf. He actually played for the legendary Bobby Jones.” Gary Russeth, a longtime volunteer at the museum along with his wife, Gene, said he became a fan of Hardy’s as a child watching the duo on a 9-inch TV in 1947. The couple helps plan the festival every year, especially with getting Laurel and Hardy impersonators to come down and perform their act in the parade. “They have been doing Laurel and Hardy impersonation for many years,” Russeth said. “And they’ve been coming to the Oliver Hardy festival for the past 20 years.” People come to the festival from all over the world, especially Europe, because a lot of Laurel and Hardy films are still being played there, Caldwell said. There are also a few museums around the world that focus solely on Laurel and Hardy attractions as well.
the cultural center. “What interests me is it’s the first film that isn’t treating war with romanticism. It’s the first film that is looking at war for what it really is. We shouldn’t romanticize war. There is a real human cost to war, and it should be looked at accurately.” tmitch22@gru.edu
By Haley Harris news editor The Mary S. Byrd Gallery welcomed artist Judith Barry Thursday, as she presented her video installation exhibition, “Voice Off,” as part of the Westobou Festival. Barry has been trained in architecture, art, literature, film theory and computer graphics, according to her biography found on the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation webpage. Her work includes creating pieces in the art of performance, installation, film/video, sculpture, photography and new media. “Voice Off” is a two-channel video and sound installation that involves the gallery being cut into two parts where each side plays a different video on a screen, according to the description found outside of the gallery. The two sides explore the representation of the human voice. “I really wanted to visualize the voice and show how it could be made visual,” Barry said. “It’s not
hharris9@gru.edu
Oct. 7
Oct. 8
The Flash Premiere Preview Party at the Augusta Book Exchange from 11p.m. - 2a.m.
G105.7 Fall Fan Jam featuring Colt Ford at the Evans Towne Center Park at 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 10-12
OCT. 11
22nd Hispanic Festival of Augusta at the Augusta Commons Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. Oct. 11-12 at 12 p.m.
HipHopanomics at 1:30 p.m. located at Paine College
Oct. 13
Oct. 15
(Last day to drop classes)
Pig Out: Survivor Edition from 11 a.m. - 2p.m. located on the Summerville campus
Oct. 17
Oct. 17
Fall Pause
Sky City: Rockabilly Jam Doors open at 8 p.m.
(NO CLASSES) Organist, Ron Carter, plays his organ behind silent films at Sacred Heart.
something that we think about as being visual.” The concept of the two sides allows the viewer to engage in the first video and then cross over to the next side and interpret the meaning, which allows them to be surrounded with the idea and be involved with the piece, she said. Barry said she realized that, for her audience to really visualize the voice, she needed to show someone listening. Diane Kettleburg, alumni of Augusta State University and Summerville resident, said she and her daughter were overwhelmed by the exhibit. “Video art is something I’m not used to seeing,” she said. “I really did not know what to expect. So walking in I was a little confused, but once I put both videos together, it was brilliant. It really does surround you and demand your senses.” Ashley Kettleburg, 16-year-old daughter of Diane Kettleburg, said she found the piece a little scary.
Lets go out
Midterm
RICHARD ADAMS | STAFF
atrawick@gru.edu
THE BELL RINGER
Across
comics
PAGE 9
World of Coke
2. Around the world, the average person consumes a Coke product every four ____. 7. Americans ingest 1.7 million tons, or 10.8 pounds per person, of _____ each year from Coca-Cola alone. 8. The average _______ drinks more Coke products than the average American, Brit, Indian and Chinese person combined. 10. In 1985, Coca-Cola became the first soft drink ever in _____. 11. The Coca-Cola brand is worth an estimated $74 billion: more than _________, Pepsi, Starbucks and Red Bull combined. 13. In 1991, Coca-Cola launched the first drinks bottle containing ________ materials. 15. Coke makes so many different beverages that if you drank one per day, it would take you over nine _____ to try them all. 16. If all the Coca-Cola bottles in the world were laid end to end they would reach the ____ and back more than 1677 times. 17. The concentrate is made centrally, then ________ to more than 900 bottling plants around the world.
Down 1. Coca-Cola was first invented by a __________ named John Pemberton. 3. Coca-Cola spends more money on ___________ than Microsoft and Apple combined. 4. In 1931, the Coca-Cola Santa Claus, created by Haddon _______, first appeared in advertising. 5. If you stacked up Coke’s 2.8 million vending machines, they would take up 150.2 million cubic feet of space; the size of four ______ State Buildings. 6. Only a few people know the secret _______ for Coca-Cola. 9. The Coca-Cola ________ page has over 50 million fans and continues to grow. 12. The red and white Coca-Cola logo is recognized by 94 percent of the _____ population. 14. ____ Coke was introduced in 1982. 18. Coca-Cola is the second most widely understood term in the world after __.
Across:(2)Days,(7)Sugar,(8)Mexican,(10)Space,(11)Budweiser,(13)Recycled,(15)years,(16)Moon,(17)Exported Down:(1)Pharmacist,(3)Advertising,(4)Sundblom,(5)Empire,(6)Formula,(9)Facebook,(12)worlds,(14)Diet,(18)OK
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014
sports www.grubellringer.com
The Rookie Report Anthony Garcia sports editor
A plan and some practice
ANTHONY GARCIA | STAFF
Kyle Allen (left) finishes his 5K run along the Augusta Canal Trail, (top right) Owen Zylla adjusts his bike alongside other cyclists, (bottom right) the cyclists begin their 10K.
iPad fundraiser aids disabled By Anthony Garcia sports editor iCan 4 iPads held its second annual fundraiser at the Savannah River Rapids Pavilion Saturday, Sept. 27, in its mission to raise awareness and funds in aiding people with cognitive disabilities through the use of language apps on Apple iPads. “The thing that’s so wonderful is we get the testimonials from the individuals whom we’ve presented these iPads to, and as you can imagine, for all of their life, they’re unable to communicate with the people that they love, their family members,” said Mark Swanson, the vice president of the fundraiser. “We’ve heard from some mothers and fathers (that) this is the first time that they’d actually communicated, or their son or daughter
communicated, with, ‘I love you,’ ‘Good morning,’ ‘Hello.’” Swanson said last year served as an introduction of sorts for those who helped organize this year and were able to learn from before. The fundraiser included a 5K run/walk, 10K cycle and 10K kayak across the Savannah River. 23 participants were registered for the walk/run, as well as 10 for the cycling event and seven kayakers, with volunteers from last year returning. “We did this event last year in late October, and it became really cold, so we didn’t have a lot of bike riders or kayakers,” Swanson said. “I think we had two or three kayaks in the water, because it was freezing, just a little above 40 degrees; I think we had about five bikes last year, but we had a good turnout with the 5K run.”
Swanson said one area he hopes will change is the media attention surrounding the fundraiser. “We have not been able to get any attention from the area TV news, and I’m a little disappointed with that,” he said. “We’ve made calls and actually spoke with people; they told us they would come back and talk to me, call me, and we just haven’t gotten any calls. I’m just hoping that they’re a little bit more receptive.” Kyle Allen helped in organizing last year, but participated in the 5K run this year. “(It was) really well-run, as far as I can tell,” Allen said. “I hope it’s raising some money for the iPads.” Vicki Davis is a parent volunteer, whose son, Joshua, is high-functioning autistic. Davis said she was introduced to the fundraiser late last year through a transi-
tion fair at a local high school. “(He) had a stroke when he was nine months old, and we were looking for options to help him; he has an IEP (Individual Education Program) in school but has struggled, continuously,” she said. “We met with the Columbus Organization at this transitional fair, and they were telling me about the iPad, and we filled out an application, and they actually had one left from this past year. They called me right before school started and ordered it to Joshua.” Davis said this motivated her to volunteer. “When someone helps you with your child, and when you’ve been through what I’ve been through with Josh, if you can give back to them in some way, it’s worth it,” she said. agarci11@gru.edu
Lady Jag runners finish in fifth place By Richard Adams & Anthony Garcia editor-in-chief sports editor
STEPHANIE MCCRAY | STAFF
Clay Casper, Greenbrier lacrosse midfielder, practices with players at Patriots Park.
Lacrosse club continues growth with community By Stephanie McCray staff writer The Augusta Patriots Lacrosse Club is a high school travel team that consists of students from Lakeside and Greenbrier high schools. The club was founded in 2012 and, due to an increase in participation, began its first formal tryouts in 2013, according to the Augusta Patriots’ website. Steven “Coach Steve” Boe is an Augusta Patriots coach and member of the Augusta Beavers Lacrosse Club, and said that the sport of lacrosse is not as prevalent in the Augusta area as compared to other cities. “There is a tremendous amount of lacrosse in Atlanta,” Boe said. “There is a lot of lacrosse in South Carolina, and so we kind of get overlooked here. We have some great players and some great athletes, but in order for our guys to get seen (we) have to travel.” The travel the club does provides students with the opportunity
to gain more exposure and experience on the field, which increases their chances of being recruited by lacrosse scouts from different colleges. Brandon Maria, a member of the Augusta Patriots and student at Greenbrier, said that his favorite thing about being a part of the team is the “family bonding and team spirit” that the players share on the field. Lee Doby, the fall defensive coordinator for the Augusta Patriots and member of the Augusta Beavers Lacrosse Club, said he expects “hard work and dedication” from players. “We expect them to be on their best behavior, both in school and in the tournaments,” Doby said. “We expect performance. We expect them to put their hearts into it.” Anyone interested in playing simply needs to get in contact with either Anthony Pelnar, the club’s event coordinator, or himself, Boe said. smccray1@gru.edu
In its first race after ranking as one of the top ten teams in the Southeastern region by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the GRU Augusta women’s cross-country team secured eighth place on Saturday at the Greater Louisville Classic, from a field of 46 teams. This ranking, after a fifth-place finish at the Jaguar Invitational, was a change from the underdog perception many of the runners said they’ve felt they’re viewed with this year. “I know a lot of people in the conference are maybe giggling to themselves because we have a team of seven girls,” sophomore Morgan Ryffe said. “Seven is the bare minimum for a team; the bare minimum being five for points … I think a lot of people are looking at us after our sixth or seventh place finish last year, I think they’re looking at us kind of, like, ‘Meh, they’re seven girls, they can’t really do much,’ but I think this year we’re especially (looking at) quality over quantity.” Adam Ward, head coach of GRU Augusta’s cross-country teams, said team size was a major factor this year, as he had to cut several players. He was only able to recruit three women this year to match those vacant positions. “Not as many as I would have liked, but enough to make me a little less nervous than when we only had four women coming back,” Ward said. “We had to kind of clean
house this past year. Just a lot of little things that just didn’t go well.” Those runners who Ward said were chosen to return this year were Jordan Humphrey, Olivia Rodriguez, Morgan Ryffe and Tia Ponsell. “I think this is the best team that we’ve had in the past two years,” assistant coach Pardon Ndhlovu said. The top five placers for the Jaguars were sophomore Jordan Humphrey, with a time of 19:09.41 for 13th; sophomore Olivia Rodriguez at 19:44.05 in 39th place; senior Tia Ponsell at 20:06.54 for 76th; Amber Palermo at 20:15.87 for 93rd; and Diana Petrmichlova finished for 128th with a time of 20:38.00, according to the GRU Athletics webpage “From the outside looking in, everybody just sees a really small team,” Ryffe said. “But then, when you’re actually inside, you’re seeing how hard we’re all working and how well we all get along. I mean, last year we had a team that looked like from the outside it would do really well, but then on the inside we didn’t work. And then this year, it’s the polar opposite of that.” radams99@gru.edu
“
I think they’re looking at us kind of, like, ‘Meh, they’re seven girls, they can’t really do much,’ but I think this year we’re especially (looking at) quality over quantity. --Morgan Ryffe, sophomore cross-country runner
”
Though I, myself, am not an athletic person, I do enjoy a good workout session. Every time I lay out my weights and bars, or spread out my yoga mat, I feel at home. Throughout the semester, however, between classes and work, I’ve mostly skimped out of my usual routine. Whenever I come back home, after a long and exhausting day, I just excuse myself and don’t make time, before regretting that time I just wasted watching YouTube and gaming. It was only last weekend that I got back into my workout groove, even if it was just one upper-body workout with P90X. I wrote a column about my love of P90X last semester (which you can find online on our website), but one of the benefits I left out of it was that it follows a set schedule and encourages you to make a plan and set goals. Be it working out or practicing your sport, here are some key pointers I’ve learned throughout my time that I feel should be addressed, at least for my sake. No. 1: Create a thorough schedule. Give yourself at least a day to devote to your field, and vary your schedule to allow for space. No. 2: Set your numbers. Are you going to practice for how many minutes? How many routines? How many are you going to do? How many do you think you can do? How many times are you going to do it? Every day? Every other day? No. 3: Increase your numbers. If you can do more than you can, do more. It’s something called progress. No. 4: Don’t practice alone. Motivation is made easier when you have a buddy to spot for you or fill a spot for you during a practice run. Vice versa, you can give each other pointers and ways to improve. Last to note is: Know when to stop. Of course, I’d encourage you to follow through with your plan, but if it’s obvious that certain schoolwork has to get done, or you have to fill a shift at work, or other obligations are to be accomplished, allow yourself to take a break. When the opportunity is there to practice your sport, take it. Look at me, giving out practice advice, and I don’t even play sports. But what I say yields truth throughout living on the field and off. Keeping to a routine and following through will yield its rewards, no doubt - but creating setbacks and not following through will also show in your physical and mental performance. If you keep to the idea that you can do anything, you will do it. Get to it.
agarci11@gru.edu
THE BELL RINGER
PAGE 11
Volleyball team continues streak By Amy Thorne arts & life editor Halfway through the fall season, the volleyball team at Georgia Regents University is working to continue its winning streak. Sharon Quarles, the head volleyball coach, said she is optimistic about the outcome of the season. “We’re 10 and 4 right now, and 2 and 2 in the conference,” she said. “It’s still early, which is good.” The team is ready to take on the competition, with practices being done to finetune its technique, Quarles said. Their recent games in October were straight wins: 3 in 2 against the Montevallo Falcons, 3 in 0 against the Francis Marion Patriots, and 3 in 1 against the UNC Pembroke Braves. Quarles said the team has been on target to finish in the top tier of the conference. In order to do so, she said, the team has to keep a good level of play and not lower itself to
the competition. “We get to the point where we’re playing down to our competition and we start exchanging points, which we can’t stand,” Quarles said. “We have a tendency to kind of misconnect and miscommunicate with one another on the hitter-setter situation, so we kind of drag things out longer than we need to.” This season, new players have been filling key positions and starting, she said. “We’re very happy with what the new players have contributed already to the team,” Quarles said. “It has been a major shot in the arm to help us.” Catherine DeSilvester, a sophomore political science major and libero for the team, said she is excited to see what the second half of the season will bring. Both the older and newer players have meshed well, she said. “I think there’s a big focus on team chemistry, because it’s on the court, as well as off the court,” she said. “I
think it’s just as important as the hours we put into practice, the little stuff, like seeing each other, hanging out with each other, you know.” Paige Elliott, a freshman biology major and middle blocker for the team, said she has been getting used to playing on a college team. “As a new player, I think that’s a big part of it and, just assimilating with the team, you know, finding your place on the team, whether it’s a supporting role and on-thecourt role, and adjusting that way,” she said. “You don’t want to be ostracized at all, so it’s about making friends on the team and finding your place.” Elliot said all the players, especially the newer ones, still have room to improve. “We do have a lot of hard teams in our conference,” she said. “So it’s just that mentality and mindset that we can beat them, and we’re not that team that we were last year or two years ago.” athorne@gru.edu
AMY THORNE | STAFF
Junior-transfer Alyssa Latham bumps the ball during practice with the team at Christenberry Fieldhouse.
Mixed martial arts school trains fighters By Anthony Garcia sports editor Greubel’s MMA, founded on Dec. 5, 2005, has eight years of experience educating students, young and old, the teachings and disciplines of mixed martial arts. Mark Greubel is the founder of the school, and said his inspiration for creating the school came from his own experience in attempting to learn the multiple disciplines of what is now known as mixed martial arts. “As I grew up, mostly as a late teenager, early 20s, I found myself bouncing around everywhere to go to different academies, different schools,” Greubel said. “I’d go to the high school to get some wrestling in. I’d go to my martial arts school to get my jiu-jitsu and kickboxing in, and I’d go to a tae kwon do school to get more flashy kicks in. I’d go to the boxing club to do my boxing… and it just became a grind, you know, and it became very expensive, gas and travel and time.” While in college, he said, he was assigned to create a business plan, and decided to focus it on a martial arts school. However, it took a personal tragedy to motivate him further. “I did it and threw it to the side, and left it sitting there for a couple of years,” he said. “And then my brother passed away, and then when he passed away, that motivated me to
ANTHONY GARCIA | STAFF
Instructor Chris Elms supervises Anthony Holloway as he blocks a kick from Tim Ryan in his jiu-jitsu class.
get off my butt and do something.” Years later, Greubel’s has grown with numerous students and trainers, all of whom contribute to the atmosphere of the academy, Greubel said. Chris Elms is a childhood friend, and an instructor at Greubel’s, who has instructed for more than 15 years. Throughout the years, athletes representing Greubel’s have competed across the
world, he said. Looking toward the future of the school, Elms said he and Greubel are striving to gain national recognition as a premiere mixed martial arts school. “I know that Mark and I’s goal is to try and make it a national landmark, so instead of just being really popular in our local area, we want people in California, New York, Texas and Paris and London and everywhere else to
know about us,” Elms said. Nathan Key began as a student at Greubel’s, one of the first people to be a part of the academy, and is now both a competitor and trainer. When he entered the facility, he said what first stood out to him was the range of disciplines he was free to take on. The people that have entered and left the academy throughout the years, Key said, also made an impact on the experience he’s had. “It’s just a big family,” he said. “Even with the people that are here or not here anymore, you’re building a family here.” Lakesha Springle started training at Greubel’s after finishing her basketball career at Florida State University, and said that her time at Greubel’s changed her life. “(When) I walked in, I was out of shape, overweight, confidence was a little low… all that changed,” Springle said. “I was close to 200 lbs. I got back in shape, and the first time I started, I was maybe 140, fought to 120, and I haven’t seen that number on the scale in a very long time, and it’s all because of Greubel’s.” Editors’ note: Though our Sept. 9 issue previewed this profile story for our last issue, due to time constraints, it was pushed to this issue. We apologize for the delay. agarci11@gru.edu
Volleyball serves in the sand By Jordan Barry production manager
HALEY HARRIS | STAFF
Kevin Kramer, a parkour enthusiast, practices with friends in front of Galloway Hall.
Parkour coach teaches amateurs basic skills By Jordan Barry production manager A local gymnasium trains kids in an underground sport to prepare them for the urban scene. Hayden’s Gym offers a number of parkour classes that range in skill level and age group, Gabe Freeman, a parkour coach, said. “Usually with the more difficult skills you get injured a lot more,” he said. “So, when you have something like a spring board or a few mats, it’s generally a lot safer to learn it that way.” Jack Flowers, a parkour enthusiast, started the program with the gym three years ago, but it took more than a year and a half for it to gain popularity, Freeman said. Benjamin Meyers, a student who used to coach parkour at
Hayden’s Gym, said there are safety and legal advantages to having a structured program for the sport. “The only problem, with me, personally at least, is that parkour is meant to be outside,” Meyers said. “It’s meant to be kind of playing with the child side of you where you’re curious, you’re exploring.” Freeman said he and the other coaches try to strike a balance between structure and the freedom of parkour. “It really depends on their skill level,” he said. “If they’re just beginning, we try not to do too much outside. But if they’re our upper-level students and they trust their own body and they know what they’re doing, then we really encourage it because that’s how they’ll grow in the community.” jbarry3@gru.edu
After being overwhelmed with coed sand volleyball teams last season, the local sports league was able to expand. The Augusta Sports League split the teams into separate recreational and competitive leagues, Bryan Collano, a player for Bumping Uglies, said. “Last season, it was just all eight or 10 teams (playing) together, and some teams are significantly better than the other ones and take it a lot more seriously,” he said. “All these (competitive) teams take it a lot more seriously, and try to actually bump, set and spike to get the ball over, as opposed to just hitting it over.”
JORDAN BARRY | STAFF
Rashad Carson, a player for Swat This, retrieves the ball to continue the game.
Keith Edmondson, president and owner of ASL, said the league chose to do sand volleyball because all of the other volleyball leagues in the area were court volleyball. He said he is excited the league can offer more opportunities now. “If they’re just wanting to have some fun and make some friends, we’ve got a recreational league for them,” he said. “If they want to compete and relive their glory days from high school or college, then they can try a competitive team.” Amanda Bailey, setter for Top Gun, said she was happy she found out about the ASL. She played volleyball in high school, and is glad she can continue. Bailey has been playing with Top Gun for a couple of seasons, and said the transition to the competitive league was natural for her team. “Last season there was a lot of teams, and we seemed to do pretty well,” she said. “So we figured, why not do the competitive league this season?” Top Gun won a season in the past and placed in two others, so it is definitely in the running for first place, Edmondson said. Collano, whose team Bumping Uglies played against Top Gun last Tuesday, said that Bailey’s team was a hard team to beat. “They’re pretty good,” he said. “They’re pretty crafty. You think the ball is going to drop on them, and it just never does. They can try to put it in one of the deep corners or try
a dink over the net, and they’re always going to get the ball.” Bailey said she feels good that people respect her team’s abilities, and thinks Top Gun has an advantage that the other teams don’t. “I think the reason people are saying that is because we’ve been playing together for a little while now, where a bunch of the other teams, they’ve just come together recently,” she said. “So we know how each other play.” According to the ASL website, the current team rankings are as follows: Top Gun in first, Bumping Uglies in second, Our Sets Are On Fire in third, and Swat This in fourth. At the end of the season, the first place team will receive a $100 gift card and the second place team will receive a $50 gift card, Edmondson said. On top of the perks that ASL offers to its players, it also aims to give back to the community, Edmondson said. “One of the things that we’re hoping to do is, I’m hoping to be able to do a charity tournament of some sort for local charities at least once a season,” he said. “I think it helps to get awareness for different charities in the area, and then it also helps raise the level of awareness for Augusta Sports League. And it kind of sets us apart because it’s not just about playing sports, but it’s actually getting involved in the community and serving others.” jbarry3@gru.edu
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Downtown celebrates Augusta Color Run
JESSICA SAGER | STAFF
A participant runs through a volley of green colored chalk along Telfair Street downtown, in celebration of the Color Run, which hit Augusta, Ga., Saturday. Titled as “The Happiest 5K on the Planet,” the run has no victors; runners just start and finish the 5 kilometer run covered in paint. Taking place in numerous cities around the world, the event ends with the Finish Festival, which includes live, outdoor musical performances.
Flatline show gives back to Lydia Project By Fatima Frasher staff writer
HALEY HARRIS | STAFF
Lauren Barnett, an Ironman contestant, places first in the women’s division of the triathalon with a recorded time of 4:11:33.
Augusta hosts Ironman By Haley Harris news editor Once a year Augusta hosts thousands of athletes as they tour the historic downtown area; the difference at this event was these tourists were sightseeing by water, foot and bicycle. Thomas McMann, who came from Atlanta as a first-time participant of the Iron Man 70.3, said he was nervous before the race began. “They keep playing this dramatic music,” he said. “I’m already nervous as it is. I must be crazy for doing this, but that’s what you’re about to do - something memorable, right?” The Ironman is a half-triathlon that occurs throughout the year and all over the world, according to its website. It is a three-part course that involves 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking and 13.1 miles of running. The Augusta course led athletes down the Savannah River, down the roads of Augusta and parts of South Carolina, and then finished with the athletes running through downtown Augusta before placing at the finish line on Broad Street in front of the Augusta Commons. The half-triathlon occurred Sunday, Sept. 28, with the first wave of swimmers entering the
water at 7:30 a.m. Amy Murphy, of Wilmington, N.C., said the weather was beautiful for all three challenges. “I’ve competed before in one half-triathlon Ironman in Texas and other runs,” Murphy said. “Never this one in Augusta, though. I have visited before for the Masters, so I’ve seen the area and know the climate. I have to say, though, I’ve never seen it through the Ironman eyes; the beauty of this area and the people. I don’t think we could have asked for a better day.” Murphy is 49 years old and fell in the 45 to 49 age bracket, she said. She ran alongside her friend, Rachell Gordon, who is 48 years old and fell into the same bracket. “We weren’t competing for a time,” Gordon said. “We did this for ourselves. I did it for myself. It’s one of those things that you train for and you think about for a long time, and then once it’s over and you accomplished it, you just feel lighter than air. I am so proud of myself and Amy. We were ready and we paced ourselves and we finished. That’s all you can hope for and once you get it, God, it’s like a drug. You just want to do it again.” Murphy hugged Gordon as they recuperated from the event and said they planned to stay another night in Augusta to enjoy the
hospitality and celebrate. “Well, I just want to eat and drink,” Murphy said while joking with Gordon. “I think we’ve earned it. There are so many things training limits you from doing, and it’s worth it and it’s become a part of my daily life, but the times you can splurge and cheat and just celebrate are wonderful. I plan on competing in more events and will, of course, keep my training up, but wine? Yes, please.” The final miles of the half-triathlon involved participants running down Broad Street in downtown Augusta, a stretch Kevin Hallen, from Charleston, S.C., said was his favorite part of the race. “The energy was astounding,” he said. “I was far in the back and my time was one of the longest, I’m sure, and yet passing the people on the sidelines, you would’ve thought I was in the lead. Their signs, their energy, it was awesome. People were cheering, ringing cowbells and encouraging you to keep going. I was tired, but it helped.” Hallen said that the Ironman was a life-changing event for him, and though he had never done anything like it before, he will remember it and believes that he now has something to look forward to and aim to do better in for next year. hharris9@gru.edu
Flatline Pro Wrestling’s monthly show Saturday raised funds to help support the Lydia Foundation. James Kitchens, event coordinator for Flatline, said he hopes to give back to a local organization that has given much more than it has taken. Daniel Mayne, co-owner of Flatline, said he is excited for this particular event and explained how much it meant to the organization. “Instead of just giving a blanket donation, we would just donate all the proceeds (and) for the show we are just cross-promoting it to help them out, and to give back to the community,” he said. “We are very happy to do it. It’s not about name sake or anything like that. It’s just about helping people.” This benefit match, Kitchens said, touches home for Chris Wiggins, one of the owners of Flatline. “(Chris) actually had a family member that was helped out by the Lydia Project,” Kitchens said. “So, we kind of rather wanted to sort of go above and beyond to help them out, rather than just making a donation.”
The independent wrestling organization recently entered its twoyear mark of entertainment in August. Antrone Brewer, pro-wrestler “Da Fireman,” said that giving back to the children in his community makes an impact on him. “I try to mentor young kids, and try to encourage them to stay in school and so forth,” Brewer said. “They will remember me once they see me in the store or somewhere. You’ll hear them say, ‘Hey, Mom, that’s Da Fireman and he came to our school and he talked to us.’ It’s very encouraging when they give you some feedback.” Regarding Saturday’s show, Brewer said he hoped to pick up where the last show in September left off, with Team Flatline recovering from their defeat by The Rapture. “(Shane) Hexxon turned on us and we wound up losing the match because he decided to quit for our team, so it’s going to be our first time back at Patriots Park,” Brewer said. “So, hopefully, Team Flatline will be able to find out some of the answers as to why Hexxon traded on us, and try to take out Team Rapture.” ffrasher@gru.edu
JEAN-PAUL CASSAGNOL | STAFF
Wrestler Kid Riot delivers a kick to the chest against Billy Brash during a singles match at Flatline’s benefit show, where proceeds were given to the Lydia Project.
Retired women’s pro golfer opens local golf school By Haley Harris news editor American Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour athlete and award-winning professional golfer Laura Baugh has opened a golf school at Jones Creek Golf Club. “If you play or follow golf, you have to know who Laura Baugh is,” said Amanda Lubert, a regular member of the Jones Creek Golf Club. “I’ve been golfing for about 10-plus years. It’s something that I’ve always enjoyed. I love it. So, I go out to Jones Creek quite often
to practice and better my game, or even sometimes to just blow off some steam and relax.” Baugh is a wife, the mother of seven children, and turned 59 this year, according to her biography on the LPGA website. She won the National PeeWee Golf Championship at the age of three, was named Los Angeles Times’ Woman of the Year in 1971, Golf Digest’s Most Beautiful Golfer in 1972, was named LPGA’s Rookie of the Year in 1973 at the age of 18, and then played for the LPGA Tour for 25 years until she retired.
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If you play or follow golf, you have to know who Laura Baugh is. --Amanda Lubert, a member of the Jones Creek Golf Club
The golf school, led by Baugh, will be able to teach four students at a time in a session and will accept all ages, said Jamie Harrison, mother of a 15-year-old daughter who has been interested in golf since she was little. Harrison said she did her research on the school as soon
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as she heard about it from a podcast online. She said she thought it would be ideal for her daughter. “Mrs. Baugh is a very good role model for someone like Alicia,” Harrison said. “I’ve looked into classes and camps for her and they’ve all been great and Alicia
loved them, but a program with someone who’s famous in the golf world and is so close to home should be ideal.” Her daughter, Alicia Harrison, said her love for golf will only increase over time and hopes to learn from Baugh. “I honestly didn’t know much about Laura Baugh until my mom told me about the program,” Harrison said. “I looked into it, though, and I really like the fact that she is a woman and has accomplished so much.” hharris9@gru.edu