@TheColonnade
@TheColonnade
The Official Student Newspaper of Georgia College & State University bobcatmultimedia.com
April 23, 2025
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Breaking records and battling bias
The rise in popularity of women’s sports and barriers that still linger Hope Martin Staff Writer With the Women’s National Basketball League and Women’s National Soccer League heating up, women’s sports have become a rising topic in sports scenes. While many men’s sports, such as the NBA and NFL, have gained global popularity, women’s sports have often lurked in their shadow. According to recent data and student interviews, that might change over time. While many women’s sports have been gaining popularity, in part due to players with significant social media presence, such as Ilona Maher for Rugby and
Simone Biles in Gymnastics, no sport has risen in interest as much as Basketball recently. This sudden boom in viewership is due to a new rising athlete, Caitlin Clark. This is something Forbes has dubbed the “Caitlin Clark Effect.” Clark is a recent addition to the Indiana Fever and played college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes. She is a three-time USA Basketball Gold Medalist, and is very sought after as she is considered one of the best collegiate basketball players. While Clark has brought much attention to the WNBA, women’s sports have risen in popularity even before her addition. “I think women’s
sports are definitely getting more popular,” said Kell Carpenter, Associate Director for Access Services of Ina Dillard Russel Library. “I think more people are discovering it.” Several women’s leagues recently broke records for women’s sport, including NCAA Women’s Basketball, the WNBA and the NWSL. “I think it’s really cool that women who are really talented in their sports are getting more recognition and maybe pay is starting to get closer to what men’s pay is, for the same or sometimes better talent,” Carpenter said. The “Crossover at Kinnick” set a new NCAA women’s basketball attendance record and is the first time a women’s game
was played outdoors in a football stadium. The NCAA women’s basketball championship game between Iowa and South Carolina drew 18.9 million viewers, setting records as both ESPN’s most-watched college basketball game ever and the largest audience for any women’s college basketball game in history. With so many records set, it is clear that women’s sports are rising in popularity, but the wage gap does not seem to reflect this. The average WNBA salary in 2024 was about $150,000 per season, while the NBA average salary was roughly $10 million, according to Forbes. Women’s sports have faced challenges over the years. Wage gaps,
Parking fees but no guarantees
Caitlin Clark
sexualized or strict outfit guidelines compared to men and fewer viewership are only some of the challenges faced by women’s athletes. “I remember learning about the pay gap and thinking about Alex Morgan and famous women’s soccer players and being shocked that they had to do so much
Paige Blakemore
Kennedy Welker
factors that contribut-
Asst. A&L Editor
ed to the evolution of
GCSU held its 2025
Managing Editor
campus-wide Research
In an effort to combat growing concerns over limited parking spaces, GCSU announced phase one of its new parking plan on Wednesday, April 15. While the implemented changes were created to utilize more parking spaces, many students, faculty and staff alike were left frustrated. “For students choosing to bring a vehicle to campus, there will be an elective fee of $50.00 per semester,” said GCSU Parking and Transportation in a campus-wide email. “The $87.00 mandatory parking and transportation fee covers parking infrastructure, lot maintenance and shuttle services.” In addition to these changes set to go into effect on the first day of classes, Aug. 18, commuter parking permits will no longer be guaranteed to students. Instead, the permits will be issued on a lottery basis, dependent on class standing. Furthermore, the most accessible commuter parking to campus, the Liberty St. lot, will no longer be available to students. In light of the dissatisfaction, a petition on Change.org was posted the same day as the policy announcement titled, “Demand GCSU to Retain Existing Parking Policy and Reject Lottery System.” The petition has nearly 250 signatures. “The people in charge of parking and transpor-
Day on April 16, consisting of a plethora of
poster
Opinion Editor
OPINION
In
recent
memory,
Freshman year of college is often a whirlwind of excitement, adjustment and new beginnings. Amid the chaos of orientation, class schedules and navigating a new campus, one of the most formative aspects of the experience is learning to live with roommates. For many first-year students, sharing a liv-
NEWS | PG. 3
COMBINED COLLEGES IN GEORGIA University system of Georgia talks of merging Georgia Southern with East Georgia State.
presentations,
exhibits and competitions. The two daylong event ran from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Julia Jensen | Art Director
How to handle sharing a living space ing space is a new challenge. As an only child with older parents, I was used to solitude and an early bedtime. The idea of roommates was both thrilling and unfamiliar. Finally, I would have friends nearby, not just people I planned to hang out with, but individuals I would see every day. I found my freshman roommate through GCSU’s Instagram page, and we were later assigned two random suitemates. It felt like the typical
pan-
screenings, receptions,
Dorm room dynamics Molly Goff
overlapping
els, oral presentations,
See PARKING | Page 3
freshman year experience I had hoped for. Naturally, living together wasn’t without its challenges. Our personalities differed greatly, and we had our share of conflict. But over time, maturity helped us navigate those differences. We learned how to share a space respectfully, and despite the ups and downs, I have nothing but love and respect for my roommates. Still, it’s rare to hear stories of lifelong friendships forged in those first
Research day is an event that offers students the opportunity to
dorm rooms. I’ve found that many students don’t remain close with their freshman roommates beyond that initial year. Recently, during a group project, I visited my friend Cami’s apartment and met her roommates. With my own mixed experiences, I was curious to see how their dynamic worked. See DORM | Page 8
the Spanish Language in
Mexico,
including
the Spanish conquest, technology and political, social and economic factors. According to Agullo and Bustamante, there continue to be intercultural
exchang-
es between indigenous languages, Spanish and English, which create a unique blend of languages that reflects a diverse history in Mexico. The presentation of a
both share their research
topic revolving around
with their students and
the
faculty and discover the
and culture is a require-
research that their peers
ment for Spanish 3010 as
have been working on.
a way to prepare Spanish
All graduate and un-
majors for their capstone
dergraduate
students
project. For Agullo, who
from across disciplines
is not a Spanish major, the
are invited to partic-
purpose was to employ
ipate
Spanish
language
by
submitting
research strategies as an
proposal
pertinent
undergraduate student.
to their area of study.
“If people choose to
a Julia Jensen | Art Director
See WOMEN | Page 4
GCSU research day
GCSU recieves backlash after new parking policies
tation have never been putting students’ needs in the forefront,” said one commenter on the petition. “... For a school who preaches about their care for students’ safety, why take away the safest lot from students behind public safety and make them walk long distances when some classes don’t let out until past sundown? Stop putting students at risk! Shame on GCSU Parking & Transportation Service.”
else to make money too,” said Kate Domaleski, a senior psychology student. “I would say I know more about men’s sports than women’s sports. As someone who cares more about women’s sports, I think that’s pretty telling about the culture.”
a
participate in Research
sophomore history ma-
Day, I encourage them
jor, along with her re-
to do so out of their own
search partner Sherlyn
will and desire,” Agullo
Camacho Bustamante, a
said. “I encourage them
sophomore accounting
to have a passion for the
Eowyn
Agullo,
major, presented “The Evolution of the Spanish Language in Mexico.” The presentation was an analysis of the many
topic they choose and to make consistent progress with the support of a mentor at every step.” See RESEARCH | Page 6
SPORTS | PG. 4
ARTS & LIFE | PG. 6
OPINION & MISC. | PG. 8
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL MAJOR CHANGES
ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER?
WHAT’S WITH THE OBSESSION WITH UNDERWEAR?
The MLB implimented new rules to the game to improve the quality of the sport.
Students, do you think that you are smart enough to answer these elementary level questions?
Celebrities like Bad Bunny and Robert Irwin are receving all the buzz for their latest underwear advertisments.