@GCSUnade
@TheColonnade
The Official Student Newspaper of Georgia College December 7, 2022
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BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SUED BY SIX STATES OVER STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PLAN Lily Pruitt
Asst. News Editor Is no debt really more debt? Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and South Carolina all sued the Biden administration to block the president’s student loan forgiveness plan. These six states followed one filed by the Pacific Legal Foundation, on behalf of an individual borrower, Frank Garrison, who argued that Biden’s plan will “saddle him” with a large tax liability. The states claimed they will be financially harmed if the federal government canceled student loan debt. Moreover, a judge in North Texas ruled that Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan is un-
lawful
because
Biden
Job Creators Network
disagree with the pro-
suits, along with the in-
Many students are still
did not follow federal
Foundation filed a law-
gram’s eligibility criteria.
dividuals and the Texas
receiving emails from the
procedures to allow for
suit in court on behalf of
Biden’s Student Loan
Judge’s ruling. The U.S.
Federal Student Aid, informing them that their student loan debt relief application has been approved. According to the email, the administration seems confident that they will not lose in court. “Unfortunately,
a
number of lawsuits have been filed challenging the
program,
which
have blocked our ability to discharge your debt at present,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona wrote. “We believe strongly that the lawsuits are meritless, and the Depublic comment prior to
two borrowers who do
Forgiveness Plan is tem-
Department of Education
the policy’s announce-
not qualify for all of the
porarily halted because
closed the online portal
ment. Before this, the
program’s benefits and
of the six states that filed
for student debt relief.
partment of Justice has appealed on our behalf.” See DEBT | Page 4
RAPPER’S REPERCUSSIONS: THE BARS PUTTING ARTISTS BEHIND BARS Cale Strickland Staff Writer
City police arrested Atlanta-based rappers Jeffery Lamar Williams and Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, known to the world of hip-hop as Young Thug and Gunna, in May for violating Georgia’s racketeering laws, or “RICO.” The phrase “RICO” refers to Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which was created to combat organized crime, including gangs. The rappers’ charges are in connection with the gang Young Slime Life, which shares a similar name to Williams and
Kitchens’s label, Young Stoner Life Records. The rappers’ trial is set to start next month. A series of Williams’s lyrics, which refer to Young Slime Life and various criminal acts, are being considered as evidence. Affected songs include several of Williams’s biggest hits, including “Anybody” and “Take it to Trial.” The practice of using rappers’ lyrics as evidence in court is nothing new. For instance, in 2000, McKinley Phipps, Jr., or Mac, was convicted of murder, even after another suspect confessed to the crime. Phipps, Jr.’s lyrics, rather than physical evidence,
were used to connect him to the crime scene. Adam Lamparello, a criminal justice professor, believes there is nuance to the debate over the practice’s ethics. “First, certainly rappers, like all other citizens, have a First Amendment right to express opinions that some may consider unpopular, offensive, or distasteful,” Lamparello said. “Indeed, the primary purpose of the First Amendment is to protect such speech from government censorship or punishment; this purpose facilitates a diversity of perspectives in public discourse.” See LYRICS | Page 3
Claire O’Neill | Art Director
Georgia handles LSU in SEC championship game Hayden Flinn Sports Editor The 31 meeting of the SEC Championship took place over the weekend between the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs and the No. 14 LSU Tigers. The Bulldogs contin-
ued their dominant season, handling LSU 50-30, and punching their ticket to the College Football Playoff as the number one seed. This game got off to a slower start than the Bulldogs expected. They forced an immediate stop on LSU’s opening
drive, but the Dawgs themselves followed that up with a three and out. During LSU’s second possession, the Tigers drove down the field with a tough drive that set them up for a short field goal and to go up early on the National Champs. Georgia quickly
turned the tides in their favor after bull rushing straight up the middle and blocking the field goal attempt. As the ball hit the ground, LSU players began walking off the field as if the play was over, but a blocked field goal is a live ball just like a punt until downed or the
ball rolls out of bounds. A second later, Georgia safety Christopher Smith waited for the LSU players to make their way far enough off the field, before picking up the live ball and returning it 95 yards down the field for the game’s first score. The discipline and
awareness shown on this play is why Georgia is where they are now. The only players in the stadium that knew what was going on were the Georgia players. LSU had no idea what had just happened. See SEC | Page 3
NEWS | PG. 4
SPORTS | PG. 6
ARTS & LIFE | PG. 8
OPINION & MISC. | PG. 10
Three UVA football players were killed on a charter bus while the team was returning from a field trip.
Harper Vick won her second Bobact Athlete of the Week
Taylor Swift fans are outraged at the recent ticket sale. Ticketmaster experienced technical difficulties during the presale that prohibited many from purchases,
GC’s religious observance policy is not as respectful as it seems.
TRAGEDY AT UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
HARPER VICK WINS BAOTW
TAYLOR SWIFT TICKETS
GC’S RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE POLICY