Issue 11 | Volume 101

Suspect in Pentagon’s leaked documents case

Kate Verity

Contributing Writer

On Friday, April 14, the U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal charges against 21-yearold Jack Teixeira. Teixeira is a member of the Massachusetts National Guard, and he has been accused of posting over 50 classified documents to the social media site Discord. These documents included loads of sensitive information relating to covert U.S. operations to gather intelligence on both adversaries and allies, as well

as federal assessments of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Specifically, some of the documents held assessments of Russia’s war efforts and proved that the U.S. has conducted surveillance on allies South Korea and Israel. Additionally, these files showed that a Russian jet fired a missile at British aircraft last September and that Ukraine might be closer to falling to Russia than it is letting on.

Teixeira was a computer services technician with top-secret security clearance. So far, it has been asserted that

he began to post this sensitive information in December 2022 and began to upload images of the actual documents in January 2023.

Many GC students have strong opinions on the matter.

“We need to make sure that this person is held accountable for their actions, and we set a clear precedent that if you do these types of things and sabotage your country, then you are going to pay the price,” said Colin Hall, a senior political science major.

ANNUAL MUSIC FESTIVAL IN MILLEDGEVILLE RETURNS FOR ITS SEVENTH YEAR

Katherine Futch Editor in Chief

This Saturday, the seventh Porchella music festival will take place at the DuBignon Farm in Milledgeville. The event is an all-day festival, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Porchella will feature eight artists: Lina Williams, Better Yet, blue., Atticus Roness, Soup Kink, Jeremy Stinson, Lady Eleven and The Muskogees. Venders from the community of Milledgeville will also

be in attendance, including catering from Dungeons & Daiquiris.

GC alumni Mason Baxter has been a part of the planning process for Porchella since its first year.

“The first Porchella was in someone’s backyard,” Baxter said. “I think there were about 40 people there. It was a really small festival; there were four bands and two vendors. We also had a truck with a tarp filled with water as a mobile pool.”

The original founders graduated after Porchella’s first year. Baxter said he enjoyed his time so much that he asked if he could continue running the event.

“I had so much fun at Porchella,” Baxter said. “I felt like it was a great community event and something that should continue since there are not a lot of events in Milledgeville.”

For the next five years, Porchella was held at different locations across Milled-

Cizek brings in #71 national tennis ranking

Drew Bogumill Staff Writer

Sophomore Gabe

Cizek of the GC men’s tennis team was named the No. 71 singles player in the nation

He

by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Cizek now has a 7-5 record on the season, hitting in the first slot all

season. He is 2-1 on the season against nationally ranked opponents.

geville. Each festival took place in a backyard.

The event grew in numbers each year; it became apparent to Baxter that there was not a way to hold Porchella safely at such small venues.

“Once there is a certain number of people, it becomes impossible to fit everyone safely,” Baxter said. “We also have to be really mindful of noise ordinances in Milledgeville.”

“Gabe has always been a good player, and it is no surprise to me that he is now one of the leaders of this team,” said Karol Malirz, a sophomore. “I am very happy for him, and hopefully, he can keep improving.”

Cizek has found his groove recently, as he is currently on a threematch win streak. These wins include topping the No. 24 singles player in the country, Nikita Tatyanin, from No. 15 Flagler College, and the singles player at No. 27 Augusta University.

-Jesus Villamizar

“Gabe has transmitted a great work ethic for the team,” said Jesus Villamizar, a senior. “He is always showing us that we can find the time to put in extra work in order to improve.”

See CIZEK | Page 4

Teixeira, an Air National Guardsman, was arrested in connection to leaking classified documents.

Courtesy of Mason Baxter

The official poster for Porchella Music Festival See PORCHELLA | Page 6

Courtesy of GC Athletics

Gabe Cizek

is always showing us that we can find the time to put in extra work in order to improve

See LEAKS | Page 2

A federal judge in Texas ruled against the FDA’s longrunning approval of the abortion pill.

Tennis Association, or ITA, ranked the team as No. 14 in the nation.

Looking back at how GC’s Women’s Center came to be — and what it means to current students.

Leaks

Continued from page 1

Many wonder why Teixeira decided to choose to reveal sensitive information and put national security at risk. Some speculate that there may be political motivation behind it. There was no given motive behind Teixeira’s actions. As of now, prosecutors do not believe that Teixeira leaked this information for any reason other than to prove

to his online associates that he really did have top-secret security clearance. He had found a way to impress and engage his online audience, even though, through doing so, he risked jeopardizing countless intelligence efforts and revealing sensitive information about Ukraine.

The documents were available online for a number of months before the Pentagon flagged them as classified information. The extent of time that it

took for the nation’s intelligence agency to realize that top-secret information had been leaked by a 21-year-old has many people wondering if the government has given out too many top-secret security clearances to efficiently keep track of them all.

However, this event does not compare to Daniel Ellsberg’s massive 1971 leak of information about war crimes in Vietnam, dubbed the Pentagon Papers. Dr. Roger Coate is a professor

of political science and public administration at GC, and he emphasized that this leak is not of the same scale as the release of information that took place some 50 years ago.

“I hate the concept of Pentagon Papers,” Coate said “I feel like that it is just totally fallacious. That was a very, very different kind of phenomenon. No, this was more like WikiLeaks, where somebody is out there, but I think even WikiLeaks had sort of a politi-

cal motive behind it.”

Nonetheless, this situation still has the potential to jeopardize U.S. intelligence operatives around the globe.

“One thing you have to be very careful of in intelligence is how things are made public because it jeopardizes those individuals who are — for example, in the special forces — those individuals who are the informants,” Coate said.

GC students continue to be upset about the incident and have begun

Electric vehicles are placed at the forefront

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, recently proposed new auto pollution rules with a plan to place electric vehicles at the forefront by 2032.

As the main source of greenhouse gasses, which contribute to pollution, climate change and global warming, the Biden-Harris administration and many other political figures are looking to regulate the car-

bon emissions from automobiles and factories.

“I think this is one of those opportunities to make it more available,” said Lorianne Hamilton, GC’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “For admissions, it is going to increase the sales, and the more electric vehicles we have out there, the lower emissions are going to be because automobiles are our highest producers of emissions.”

If implemented, the proposal would affect

Editorial Board

Katherine Futch..............

Cale Strickland................

Claire O’Neill...................

Rebecca Meghani..........

Lily Pruitt............................

Hayden Flinn....................

Brennan Schmitz...........

Jennifer Crider.................

William Van de Planque..............................

Abigayle Allen..................

Hannah Adams...............

Anjali Shenoy................

Marissa Marcolina.........

Connor Patronis.............

Robert Trotter...................

William Burke..................

light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, starting with model year 2027.

The limits would aim to mandate greenhouse gas emissions rather than the sales of electric vehicles. According to a recent Gallup poll, 41% of Americans would not consider purchasing an electric vehicle.

Many have denounced the cars because of how little travel each vehicle can handle. The average EV can travel just 211 miles on one charge — which takes an average of 40 to 50 hours to reach — according to the Electric Vehicle Database.

Others worry about the ability to charge and fix these vehicles, considering their popularity has not hit the levels of gas-powered vehicles.

“For electric vehicles, if you are traveling any distance, you have got to be able to charge

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on the new proposal.

“I think they are sustainable, but I would not go out of my way to get one right now, because of the prices,” said Reagan Smith, a junior management major. “I feel like the prices cut off low-income people from getting sustainable cars and things like that.”

The cost of maintenance is a large issue to consumers.

“Anybody that tells you there is no maintenance with EVs is not exactly accurate,” Hamilton

growth of EVs could save Americans up to $1.1 trillion on gas.

“The question is not can this be done; it is how fast can it be done,” said John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. “How fast will depend almost exclusively on having the right policies and market conditions in place.”

Those in favor of EVs support the movement because the cars are energy efficient and cut down emissions.

However, many have

to question our national security clearances.

“Of course, certain people do need access, but there are tens of thousands of people, and I think that number is extremely high given that such young individuals, such as this 21-year-old guy, had access to it when he didn’t necessarily need access to all of that,” said Ansley White, a senior criminal justice major.

ments to maintain such a high level of electric ture. This would include cantly larger number of vamping electric grids munities and collecting materials needed to produce necessary batteries.

“Sales will go up, and I think that is the whole point of trying to push this out there,” Hamilton said. “I think the main thing is that the infrastructure is really what is going to hold us back.”

Despite criticism and concerns, the Biden-Harris administration and EPA expect to reduce air pollution, a goal referenced during Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.

Grace Robertson Staff Writer

-Reagan Smith

I feel like the prices cut off low-income people from getting sustainable cars and things like that

Claire O’Neill | Art Director

Federal abortion pill ruling stirs debates

Controversy arises as preliminary religious ruling invalidates FDA approval of Mifepristone

Lilyana Kovacheva Senior Writer

Controversy has erupted in the wake of a preliminary religious ruling that invalidates the FDA’s 23-year-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone. A federal judge in Texas handed down the ruling, and if it stands up to legal challenges, it could have a significant impact on abortion access nationwide, not just in states that are actively seeking to restrict the procedure. Mifepristone is the most commonly used abortion pill in America, and its removal from the market would represent a significant setback for reproductive rights advocates.

The availability of mifepristone, which is the first pill in a twodrug combination used for terminating pregnancies, is the focal point of the current debate. This medication is now responsible for over half of

all abortions in the United States and has been used by over 5 million women in the country. In addition, numerous other nations have also approved mifepristone for use as an abortion pill. These figures underscore the widespread use of mifepristone and its significant role in the landscape of reproductive healthcare in the United States and beyond.

A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that medication abortion is a safe and effective method of terminating a pregnancy, with a success rate of over 95%. These statistics illustrate the significant impact that mifepristone has had on the landscape of abortion care in the United States and highlight the potential consequences of any efforts to restrict or remove access to this medication.

“This is just another way for the government to have control over women’s produc-

tive rights,” said Kendal Mcauliffe, a senior mathematics major. “But, even more than that, it takes away another safe way for someone to have an abortion. The pill offers a high success rate and is a safe option for the women who take it.”

According to an article in The New York Times, the plaintiffs of the case have claimed that the pill is unsafe and that the agency’s approval process for the drug was flawed. The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has forcefully countered those claims, contending that the drug is very safe and effective. It has cited a series of studies that show that serious complications are unusual and that less than 1% of patients need hospitalization.

The dispute traces back to a lawsuit by an umbrella group, composed of medical organizations and four doctors who oppose abortion, which challenged the

FDA’s approval of mifepristone 23 years ago.

“I think this just opens up the door for another pharmaceutical company to come in and create a sister pill and form a new path to get it to the hands of patients across the nation,” said Jack Ryan, a junior MIS major. “It’s not going to be as simple as that, of course, but if history truly repeats itself, then there will be a time when the pill is

back in circulation, and abortions are going to be legally performed by it in different states again.”

The ongoing legal battles between the parties involved will have significant implications for the resolution of the abortion pill conflict.

Furthermore, the outcome of a recent lawsuit filed in federal court in Maryland is also expected to impact the matter.

In the lawsuit, the man-

The Willow Project receives backlash

Rebecca Meghani News Editor

On March 13, the Biden administration approved ConocoPhillips’ Willow oil drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve. This project has stirred up controversy among environmentalists for months, and there has been increased activism against it. Biden has received backlash from many due to his campaign promise of not touching the oil reserves which was a primary reason for citizens to vote for him.

The project will take 30 years before we see the full effects of it and if everything is going perfectly right, it will take 10 years before we see any yield from it. The administration estimated about 9.2 million metric tons of carbon will be released every year which is the equivalent

of 2 million new cars on the road every year.

“Biden is offering to sway ecologists, environmentalists and conservationists by limiting one of the pads, but ConocoPhillips would sue because the contract states 3 pads,” said Morgan Host, a senior art history major. “Biden wants to plant trees to offset but it won’t do much because there is so much carbon being released.”

The Willow Project has been a difficult situation to navigate due to the different moving parts.

“The lease to drill oil was approved in the previous administration and it is important to understand that what is happening right now is a reflection of what happened in the Trump administration,” said Dr. Alexandre Ribeiro Scarcioffolo, assistant professor of economics.

“They accepted the lease proposal so they have the right to drill oil in Alaska and there is noth-

ing Biden could have done right now to avoid it. Biden has two possibilities: accept they are going to drill oil and try to manage the activity as much as they can or say, you know what, I am not going to let you drill oil here and I’ll buy the lease from you which would cost a lot of money.”

There has been a divide between many citizens in Alaska and the rest of the United States who have been advocating for terminating the project.

“Alaska needs revenue so to increase the money that the states generate, they can produce oil and put all the money back in the economy,” Scarcioffolo said. “The state does not have a lot of infrastructure so this might be a good thing for them to make more money and to improve citizen living conditions in the state.”

While the state will benefit from the project financially, there are long-term environmental consequences

that its citizens will feel.

“The effects will be caribou loss which is the biggest source of food for the Alaskan natives in the area,” Host said. “It will cause more climate warming and heating

“ConocoPhillips has other locations and last year, there was a location that had a leak where 7.2 million cubic feet of natural gas was released in the atmosphere,” Host said. “Over 300 workers

The state does not have a lot of infrastructure so this might be a good thing for them to make more money and to improve citizen living conditions in the state.

the ocean which means whales will not be in the area as much which is the second biggest food source in the area.”

The project will put pressure on the state from an environmental perspective in the sense that we will have a lot of pollution, especially from oil spills.

evacuated, and a local village had to leave due to health reasons. The leak existed for three weeks without anyone realizing due to the permafrost layer melting and not keeping the gas in. If they keep going in this cycle, they are going to have to refreeze permafrost repeatedly and there is no way to slow down or negate it.”

The rising temperatures are already melting the permafrost which the company has to continuously refreeze in order for them to drill which has become increasingly harmful to the area.

According to the ConocoPhillips website, they are attempting to work towards renewables and the oil that they are drilling is gap oil. This is meant for the transition towards renewable energy and this will be the last of it.

Alaskan representatives for the House and Senate agree that it will be beneficial for jobs, infrastructure, and de-

ufacturer of the generic version of mifepristone is seeking a court order preventing the FDA from immediately withdrawing generic mifepristone from the market if another court orders it to do so. The resolution of these cases will have a significant impact on the availability and accessibility of mifepristone and on the broader landscape of reproductive healthcare in the United States.

veloping undeveloped areas. There was a bipartisan vote to pass it and there was no major opposition from the Alaskan government.

“It is a domestic source of fuel but we won’t reap the benefits for 20 to 30 years, so it is not doing much in the short term,” Host said. “If the native tribes are in favor of it, I can sympathize with why but I would encourage people to look at the cost down the road rather than the immediate pros. Ultimately, the cons outweigh the pros in the long run and it is probably a lack of information of knowing the repercussions of it to be okay with it.”

In the discussion of climate change, the Willow Project has made a significant dent in progressing toward a cleaner future, but there is still room for action and change on an individual’s side.

“It was passed but it can be reversed by calling or writing to the White House, contacting advocacy groups, signing the Change.org petition and posting on social media,” Host said. “Rather than big changes, it’s going to have to start from individuals making choices like buying electric cars, using solar panels in their yard or simple things like going from gel to tablet toothpaste. If the government sees that it is on an individual basis and that it is collectively what we want, there will be more of a push toward it. If we can give research and communicate research more clearly, I think it will be an easier transition.”

-Dr. Alexandre Ribeiro Scarcioffolo

Continued from page 1

The Bobcats’ men’s tennis team has had a pretty mediocre month. They started April with a close loss to No. 24 Florida Southern College.

They then faced off against Lander University, where the Bobcats could not find any momentum. They lost the series 6-1.

The Bobcats then rebounded with a 4-0 win against No. 45 Young Harris College, followed by another win against No. 18 University of North Georgia on Senior Night.

The next matchup was against No. 4 Columbus State University, where GC looked to win their third match in a row. Unfortunately, they lost 6-1 in a grueling battle.

Gabe Cizek has had a tremendous impact on the team this season.

“I think that crucial thing for me to do well on the court is to play relaxed, enjoy every second on the court and try not to stress too much,” Cizek said. “But, most importantly, I have to give credit to my teammates because the team spirit is awesome, and all the guys keep motivat-

ing me and making me feel very comfortable, even though I am very far from home, and this second family bond is the reason that allowed me to uncover and try to use my full potential.”

However, to get to this point, Cizek has had to put in a tremendous amount of effort throughout the season.

“I don’t think I had to put in any supernal

work,” Cizek said. “I just try to focus and work hard at practice, and I also like to workout.”

Cizek takes a slightly different approach than most tennis players.

“Tennis players are usually not gym rats, but in my case, I like to feel sturdy on the court, and also my type of game is based on heavy strokes and big serves, so it wouldn’t really work

if I was a toothpick,” Cizek said. “I also love to cook, and I am very much into nutrition, so that helps me to eat well.”

The Bobcats now look to face off against Lander University again for the first round of the PBC tournament on April 21. Lander is ranked as the No. 3 seed for the tournament, but the Bobcats hope to come out on top in their rematch.

Bellflower walks it off in game two as Bobcats take the series versus the Pacers 2-1

Emily Henderson Staff Writer

The GC baseball team hosted the USC Aiken Pacers in a three-game series this past weekend.

The Alumni Weekend games filled the stands for a fun baseball weekend with two games that did not disappoint.

The first game of the series, on Friday, started strong for GC, scoring first in the bottom of the first. While the Bobcats reached scoring position, they could not drive in the runners, leaving them stranded at the end of each inning.

The Pacers, on the other hand, came back after the first, producing eight runs on 14 hits and finishing the game 2-8.

Game two, on Saturday, was a different story for the Bobcats.

USC Aiken started the first with a two-out hit to shallow center. Junior catcher Trevor Knowles showed off his arm, gunning a runner trying to advance on a bad pitch in the dirt out.

Again, the Pacers produced a two-out hit with a double to left field, followed by a triple, to score the first run of the game.

The Bobcats reached base in the fourth and

fifth, with singles by freshman first baseman Jaxson Weatherford in the fourth and senior outfielder Baylin Moore in the fifth, but no one else hit safely to put the Bobcats on the board.

The team found some success in the bottom of the sixth after a bad throw by the shortstop put the leadoff hitter, Dominic Arienzo, on first. Then, a bunt by Evan Cowan advanced the runner to second, and a wild pitch put Arienzo on third. Next, a twoout walk put runners on the corners for the Bobcats, but, unfortunately, a ground ball to the shortstop ended the inning.

The Bobcats found themselves in trouble in the top of the ninth after a quick first out. Backto-back singles then put runners on first and second, with only one out. Both runners advanced during the next pitching sequence on a pitch in the dirt. GC freshman pitcher John Raines kept his composure, striking out the next batter, followed by a fly ball to right field to end the top of the inning.

The bottom of the ninth started with an infield single by senior infielder Ben Tuten after a long at-bat. Junior

Brandon Bellflower was next up for the Bobcats. On the first pitch, Bellflower timed up the pitch and hit a deep shot to right field. The ball sailed over the wall and into the night to walk off the game for the Bobcats, ending the game 2-1.

“Games like this just build camaraderie for the team,” said Trey Felt, a senior pitcher. “We played well. We didn’t give up, and we were able to win the game. It just creates memories that are going to last forever for every one of us.”

Game three, on Sun-

day, was a completely different game for GC. With two big innings, the third, scoring six, and the sixth, scoring four, the Bobcats produced 10 runs off of only nine hits. The Pacers, also with nine hits, came up with five errors, which cost them the game. GC ended the series with a 10-3 win against the Pacers.

“On Friday, we were putting good hard swings on balls, but they were right to people,” Bellflower said. “We didn’t play great. We lost. But we were able to keep the same focus, get good

hits in BP [batting practice] and just keep our gameday routine going.

What changed, and what happened after game one, was a product of all the hard work that everyone was able to put in.”

USC Aiken was the No. 1 team in the Peach Belt Conference, or PBC, coming into this series. These two big wins from the Bobcats knocked the Pacers down to two while also keeping the Bobcats high in the rankings.

“We just need to keep getting better each day, like usual,” said head coach Nolan Belcher.

“We just need to work and practice hard the right way. If we can do that consistently and improve each time we are out here, good things will happen at the end.”

GC has one more important conference series at home, April 2830, against Columbus State University. Both teams are currently tied, each with a conference record of 17-10 coming out of this weekend. This big series will determine the ranking of both teams going into the PBC Tournament the following weekend.

Courtesy of GC Athletics

Marissa Marcolina | Digital Media Editor

Freshman outfielder Evan Cowen drives a ball to left field versus USC Aiken on Saturday, April 22.

Women’s tennis earns outstanding national ranking

Bruce Smith Staff Writer

The GC women’s tennis team is ranked the No. 14 team in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, or ITA.

The Bobcats received this top-15 ranking after a strong 14-2 start to their season.

With the Bobcats on track for a historic season, they still have some difficult opponents left on the schedule.

They managed to sweep Young Harris College 5-0 shortly after the release of the rankings and improved their record to 17-2.

Sophomore Sofia Shing has shined this year, and with no shock, she was able to take down her Young Harris opponent 6-0.

Shing was named

to the first-team AllPBC singles team along with being a three-time Peach Belt Conference, or PBC, Player of the Week (2/6, 2/13, 3/7).

“She really just dominates and controls every game,” said Sebastian Nuñez, a senior and captain of the men’s tennis team. “I’ve been lucky enough to watch her play almost every match this season, and it really is a thing of beauty watching her play and dominate the competition.”

With the strong play of Shing, along with other team members stepping up, there is no surprise that the Bobcats received the high ranking that they did.

Even with the target of being the No. 14 team in the nation, the Bobcats have proved to

live up to their ranking, taking down No. 12 University of North Georgia 4-3 on Senior Day.

Junior Ashton Morrison and sophomore Jada Young took a doubles point, defeating UNG 6-2.

“It felt great to get an early win for the team,” Morrison said. “Jada and I knew how important our match was, and we went out there and played really well against a strong opponent.”

With the teams tied 3-3, it came down to one final singles match between GC’s Shradha Chhabra and UNG’s Svetlana Teterina.

Even with the pressure, Chhabra powered through and got the final point, securing the upset victory for the Bobcats.

The Bobcats were all smiles after securing a win in their final home match, sending the seniors off with a great memory for

their last time playing in Milledgeville.

Although they got the win on Senior Day, the team is still locked in and ready for the rest of the season.

“It was really nice for us to be able to beat UNG and win not only a big match, but an important one for our seniors,” Young said. “I am just really looking forward to the rest of the season because I feel like we have a really strong

Braves fall to Astros late in all three games

Hayden Flinn Sports Editor

The Atlanta Braves are 22 games into the new season. They currently hold a record of 14-8, which is good enough for first place in the NL East division, as they are half a game ahead of the New York Mets (14-9).

According to MLB, this start of the season has awarded the Braves with second place in the MLB power rankings, only trailing the Tampa Bay Rays (193) as the supposed best team in baseball.

The end of this last week was rough for the Braves. They took on the defending world champions, the Houston Astros, for a three-game series at home in Truist Park. Unfortunately, the team came up short in all three games, allowing the Astros to complete the road sweep.

All three games in this series had a similar ending, with costly mistakes from Braves

relief pitchers helping the Astros score late.

Game one was not decided until the final inning, as the Astros drove home two runs

catcher Sean Murphy broke the goose-egg score with a home run to left field. Later in the sixth, second baseman Ozzie Albies homered

game two. The righty went five innings, allowing seven hits, four runs (three earned), one walk and two strikeouts. The Braves

to win, as he left the game with the lead, 1-0.

The Astros stormed back late for the third consecutive game, driving in two in the eighth

team and have potential to do really well.”

Young has been a solid player for the team and won PBC Player of the Week on April 19. With the end of the season nearing, the Bobcats are looking to make a strong run in the PBC Tournament, starting Friday, April 21.

The Bobcats will take on six-seed Augusta University in a win or go home format, looking to take home the PBC Title.

of the Year outfielder a season ago in Michael Harris II, their starting shortstop in Orlanda Arcia and a few others.

Perhaps the only consistent bright spot for the Braves this past weekend was outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Acuña Jr. had a tremendous series at the plate. Over the three games against the Astros, he went five for 12 (.417), with three doubles, one walk and two runs scored.

For the rest of the lineup, the Braves saw a significant decline in hits. After this weekend, the team only has two hitters with batting averages over .300: Acuña Jr. and Sam Hilliard.

in the top of the ninth after a two-run home run by former All-Star Yordan Alavarez. The Braves failed to score in their half of the inning, coming up short, 6-4.

The Astros struck again late in game two to pull out the win. Braves

to left center, driving in two runs and cutting the lead to just one run. However, the Astros kept their foot on the gas and scored two late runs again, one in the eighth and one in the ninth.

Kyle Wright took the loss for the Braves in

fell in game two, 6-3.

Max Fried took the mound for the Braves in game three. The lefty put up a solid performance, going six and two thirds, giving up three hits, no runs, three walks and striking out five. Fried pitched well enough

and three in the ninth, taking game three, 5-2.

The Braves are not 100% healthy, and it showed in this series.

They are currently missing their All-Star catcher in Travis d’Arnaud, their closer in Raisel Iglesias, their Rookie

The team will look to heat their offense back up in a four-game home series versus the Miami Marlins before traveling up to New York to take on arguably their biggest rival in the Mets. The hard-throwing Spencer Strider will take the mound in game one versus Miami.

Courtesy of GC Athletics

Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.

PORCHELLA

Continued from page 1

Baxter knew he had to find a new location; he stumbled across DuBignon farm. Porchella was held there for the first time last year and will take place there again this weekend.

“It’s basically just a huge field that has room for lots of vendors and attendees,” Baxter said.

Preparing the farm for the event did not come without its challenges. Last year, Baxter

installed electrical wiring. This year, a permanent stage is being built.

While Porchella typically features more than 10 artists, they are headlining eight this year. Baxter’s hope in doing this is that each artist will receive the same amount of exposure from the crowd.

Baxter is currently living in New York City and works as a set production assistant. Oftentimes, this constitutes working 14-hour

days. Nevertheless, he orchestrates the festival from afar and travels to Milledgeville the week of for final preparations.

“I want this to be the next Deep Roots,” Baxter said. “This is a place to come and celebrate music and art. It becomes a place of community.”

Tickets are still on presale and will also be sold at the door. For more information, visit Porchella’s official Instagram, @porchella.musicfest.

Phi Mu and ATO dominate GC’s Greek Week

Kylie Rowe Contributing Writer

GC Greek Week is an annual event filled with friendly competition between both sororities and fraternities.

It is an opportunity for members to represent their chapter in different competitions, each with the goal to win the most points of the week. Students, both involved in Greek life and not, look forward to the week’s events every single year.

This year, Phi Mu and Alpha Tau Omega became consecutive Greek Week Champions after a week-long performance that challenged the performance the two chapters gave last year. Phi Mu took home the first-place trophies for tug, volleyball and

kickball, as well as many second-place trophies.

ATO, partnered with Kappa Delta, took first place in kickball, volleyball, tug and Greek sing.

These two chapters showed great sportsmanship and teamwork during Greek Week. Phi Mu members could be seen cheering on the other sororities during events, including holding signs for members.

“Training for tug meant getting [themselves] in a good mental state,” said Mallory Free, sophomore mass communication major and Phi Mu’s Vice President of Committees. “The competition is 99% mental.”

Phi Mu’s tug team also focuses on their weight training during team conditioning. Tug is one of GC students’ favorite

events of Greek Week. This year, they had a snow cone truck so that spectators could enjoy a frozen treat while those involved sat in holes in the mud and got rope burn.

“[Greek Week] is like field day in elementary school, and sometimes, it’s pretty fierce competition, but, at the end of the day, it’s all in good fun,” said Emily Jarvis, GC’s Executive Director of Student Engagement.

Many students would agree with Jarvis that Greek Week returns the students to an elementary-like excitement. She also believes Greek Week is a time for students to see Greek life in a new light.

“There is a complexity in each of our organizations and no matter your interests you are

able to let those interests shine,” Jarvis said.

GC’s Fraternity and Sorority Life Instagram account spent the week keeping everyone updated on the event schedule. At the end of the week, they thanked everyone for being involved and making this Greek Week the best yet.

Phi Mu and ATO won

this year, making it their second championship in a row, and they are very proud of their members for achieving this honor.

“Super proud of everybody because everyone worked really hard, and this is the best weekend we have,” Free said.

Greek Week is loved by many for the fun events, entertaining ac-

tivities and the camaraderie that students are able to partake in. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to see a new side of Greek life, and it is great for the fraternity and sorority members to be able to show their school spirit by taking part in a week full of Bobcat-friendly activities.

Courtesy of Jennifer Crider

Jennifer Crider, A&L Editor, wearing Soup Kink merch at Porchella 2022

Courtesy of Jennifer Crider

Erin Tapley, Jennifer Crider, and Dani Mathis having so much fun at Porchella 2022.

Courtesy of Claire O’Neill

Taurus season horoscope

What does the future hold for each sign from April 20-May 20?

Jennifer Crider A&L Editor

Taurus: Beginning in May, Jupiter will be in Taurus. This will last until May 2024, and this is awesome for you. Jupiter is the planet of growth, which will put your sign in a positive light that will often be rewarded by others. This will be especially prominent at the beginning of May.

Gemini: Mercury retrograde, from April 21-May 14, is going to impact you A LOT. Although you are typically a scatterbrained person, your life will feel especially all over the place. Try to make showing up on time a priority.

Cancer: There is a big change coming your way. You might not want to hear this, but a sig-

nificant relationship in your life is going to end soon. This could be romantic or platonic, but it is ending for the best.

Leo: Mercury retrograde is going to help you rethink your goals, and you might have to go back and review work you thought was complete. When this happens, do not feel frustrated. It is imperative that you speak your mind, and do not bottle up these emotions.

Virgo: Do not overwhelm yourself with more commitments that you can handle. Mercury retrograde will make it hard for you to stay on task and be on time. Focus on balancing your life, and make sure not to focus more on your business life than personal relationships.

Libra: The lunar eclipse will make you feel very empowered and like you can fully be yourself. These emotions might manifest in imposter syndrome, but do not listen to that. Be confident in your abilities.

Scorpio: There is a lunar eclipse occurring in your sign this season. This will force you to tie up loose ends in your life, specifically in an emotional way. You are the main character this season.

Sagittarius: The solar eclipse and the sun meets Jupiter in your solar fifth house this month. This is a perfect time to do some creative self-expression. This month is all about fun for you. You are going to party hard and have a blissful social life.

Capricorn: Do not let

people back into your life that do not deserve it. In particular, do not let in past romantic relationships. Typically, you are not one to do this; however, mercury retrograde will make you feel more nostalgic than usual. Just be careful.

Aquarius: You are going to prioritize emotional refreshment this season. You might feel an urge to detach from

your typical routine, and this will help you feel revamped and ready for the summertime.

Pisces: You will feel the need to make changes in your life regarding money, income and self-worth. If you have had something in your mind that you feel like you need to change, you will this season. This is also the time to improve your communica-

tion skills with friends.

Aries: These past few weeks have been hard, but this is going to change, as there is a solar eclipse occurring in Aries this month. Just like Scorprio, you are the main character this season. There are going to be a lot of new opportunities for you that will help you achieve your goals — so many that you might feel overwhelmed at times.

Claire O’Neill | Art Director

Cale’s cinema reviews: Cannes Film Festival preview

Cale Strickland Managing Editor

Opinion

Every year, one of the biggest events in the movie world happens not in Hollywood, California, or in New York, New York, but in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, along with the Berlin International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival, is one of the “big three” film festivals. It is a celebration of cinema — to the highest degree. Look at any of the press photos taken from inside the invite-only festival, and you will see all-time auteurs and allstar actors, all dressed to the nines, lining the seaside city’s steps. Many of the films featured at the festival go on to compete for Oscars come fall and winter. And, of course, the festival is a far-reaching encapsulation of international cinema; directors and actors from all across the world are in attendance.

On April 13, the festival committee an-

nounced this year’s lineup, whittling more than 2,000 submissions down to a taut 52-film itinerary.

Here are a handful of highlights:

“Killers of the Flower Moon” (dir. Martin Scorsese)

Scorsese is a name synonymous with film

Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.” The film will premiere at Cannes, out of competition, before appearing in U.S. theaters in October. All I know is it is about a series of murders and the investigation which follows them. Scorsese, DiCaprio, De

his heartfelt ode to The New Yorker, with “Asteroid City.” The cast is, as with every Anderson project, stacked. A series of fresh faces are joining his troupe: Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johannson and Maya Hawke — among others. The first trailer is out. The

he is one of the most well-acclaimed directors of the past few decades. His new film, “May December,” follows an actress studying the life of a woman she is set to play, and stars Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. “Carol,” Haynes’s ‘50s-era romance starring Cate

auteur Pedro Almodóvar, and Ethan Hawke, for what is being described as a “Brokeback Mountain”-esque short. I have not seen much of Almodóvar’s work, but I was a big fan of his last feature, “Parallel Mothers.”

“Perfect Days” (dir. Wim Wenders)

itself. His latest, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” has been sitting on ice for the better part of the pandemic era. The threeand-a-half-hour Great Plains drama stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons and new Oscar-winner Brendan Fraser and is based on David Grann’s “Killers of the Flower

Niro and Jesse Plemons, who may be one of my five favorite actors, are all teaming up. That is more than enough for me.

“Asteroid City” (dir. Wes Anderson)

All of Anderson’s candy-colored projects, each aesthetically masterful in its own way, are treats. He is coming on the heels of “The French Dispatch,”

film appears to be about an alien invasion of some kind. Last year, Jordan Peele delivered one of the best alien movies in recent years, “Nope.” If anyone can deliver a delightful and worthy follow-up, it is Anderson.

“May December”

(dir. Todd Haynes)

Haynes may not be a household name, but

Blanchett and Rooney

Mara, is one of my favorite films of the 2010s.

“Strange Way of Life”

(dir. Pedro Almodóvar)

Between “The Last of Us” and, barring a slight downturn from season two to season three, “The Mandalorian,” Pedro Pascal is on top of the world right now. He is teaming up with Spanish

If you have been listening to Lana Del Rey’s new album, “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd,” chances are you are familiar with the city of Paris, Texas. Wenders’s filmic rendition of the small Lone Star State town, “Paris, Texas” — in addition to inspiring Del Rey’s song, of course — won the Palme d’Or, the highest prize at Cannes, nearly 40 years ago. Five years after his last narrative film, “Submergence,” he is returning with “Perfect Days,” a Japan-set drama which follows the day-to-day life of a toilet cleaner.

Streaming service subscription strife

Price increases and new password sharing regulations lead students away from subscriptions

Shaw Coggin Staff Writer

Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and many other streaming giants recently started to raise prices and crack down on password sharing.

The companies may find themselves in danger, though, as for the past two quarters, cancellations have outpaced new subscriptions. According to Rocket Money and the subscriber-measurement firm Antenna, these cancellations for Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Prime, and many others are up 49%

from the previous year.

Many college students can not afford to continue to pay for multiple streaming subscriptions after the price spikes, which has led them to get creative with the ways they view their favorite TV shows and movies.

ney Plus and Netflix account, but I also use my roommate’s HBO Max account a lot,” Esposito said. “I have a site that I can stream sports on and another site that I can stream any show that I want. Those are really good ‘cause it’s annoying finding them on streaming platforms.”

students, like Esposito and Weaver, to turn away from these services.

-Haileigh Weaver

Elliot Esposito, a sophomore accounting major, said that though his family does have a Disney Plus and Netflix plan, he finds himself turning to his roommates and online websites to stream whatever Disney does not have on their platform.

“My family has a Dis-

Haileigh Weaver, a sophomore environmental science major, shares a similar sentiment. Though she said that she subscribes to most, if not every, streaming platform, she still finds herself turning to other online services to watch her favorite shows and movies.

“I will look up a movie online, the illegal version, and then watch it, even if my computer gets a virus,” Weaver said. “I still do that very often.”

The price increases and stricter password sharing rules are causing many college-age

“I think it’s stupid and not a good marketing plan, to be honest, because less people are going to want to pay for it,” Weaver said. “My parents at home pay for my subscriptions. Your household can pay for your subscriptions, but since I’m not at my house right now, I won’t be able to watch Netflix.”

“Why increase the price?” Esposito said. “That leads me to use more of these sketchy websites, and a lot of people feel the same way: to get something for free instead of having to pay for it.”

Mason Heard, a sophomore education major, also disagrees with these streaming platform’s decisions to increase prices.

“I don’t think it’s smart on their part, because

college students are broke, and we don’t have enough to keep paying $20 a month for a subscription,” Heard said. “I think if they were to lower the price, they would actually get more customers that are college students because we can afford it. Even people in a lower income status want to watch movies too, so if you lower the price, you have a better chance to sell to them as well.”

The need for women’s centers on college campuses

Paige

Staff Writer

Many students and faculty would be surprised to know that GC houses a women’s center on campus that provides resources and educational opportunities — at no cost — to all students.

to start GC’s in 2003.

“We needed to have a place,” Graham said. “We needed to have a place for us, for our students, faculty and staff, to come and be in community together and work towards equality and equity.”

During her third year

started the Clothesline Project and Take Back the Night. The Center also became the first-ever lactation lounge for faculty and staff on campus.

“We’ve grown to have multiple staff,” Graham said. “We’ve gotten lots of grants through the years that enable us to continue. Now, LGBTQ+ programs are a part of tional community that also needs supporting.”

giate activism for the dance of support for the center. The Wom

fill

nifer Graham, who now serves as the director of the Women’s Center and LGBTQ+ programs and as GC’s Interim Chief Diversity Officer, that made the initiative

For her senior internship, Graham devoted herself to starting the GC Women’s Center.

In the Spring of 2005, the Women’s Center had its grand opening and

en’s Center would not be here if it were not for Graham’s own activism.

“Students have an amazing ability to bring about change on their campuses,” Graham

said. “I think that’s such an important piece in helping colleges and universities move forward. There’s a really long history of collegiate activism and the ways in which college students have helped shape the history of our nation.”

Graham believes the most rewarding part of her position is being able to provide guidance and support to students who want to enact change.

Kiley Fry, a sophomore English major, works as a student assistant at the Women’s Center. She sees the center as a safe space for students interested in activism.

“College is a lot of people’s first time getting out into the world and starting to find interests and causes that they want to fight for,” Fry said. “[The Women’s Center] is a wonderful place to start with ev-

erything and have a safe and accepting space to experiment with that.”

Additionally, the cen-

ter provides resources for students who have experienced gender-based violence, those undergoing gender transition and anyone who needs a safe source to connect with.

“The Women’s Center has helped me to feel more self-assured as a woman,” Fry said. “There’s always been a history of women facing prejudice in higher education, and it’s still felt today. I love that we have a resource and a source of safety and comfort.”

The Women’s Center’s official website lists a plethora of pro-

-Kiley Fry

grams and involvement opportunities to fight against various forms of oppression: Lending Library, Feminist Leadership Academy, Menstruation Station, Women’s Giving Circle, Pride Alliance, Project BRAVE and many more.

“We want all students on our campus to persist through college, graduate on time and then go off into the world and be the amazing changemakers in whatever field they want to go in,” Graham said. “The Women’s Center has provided an important piece of that puzzle in supporting students so that they can go do all of those things and be successful in them.”

I will look up a movie online, the illegal version, and then watch it, even if my computer gets a virus

Blakemore

Graham’s ambitions.

GC’s Women’s Center is located on the 2nd floor of the HUB.

The Women’s Center has helped me to feel more self-assured as a woman

Students sticking with stick-shift

William Van de Planque

Asst. Arts & Life Editor

In an increasingly automated world, many young adults, especially college students, opt for manual transmission vehicles when searching for a new daily driver.

Younger drivers claim a variety of different reasons for owning what some may consider outdated equipment.

“I really came in possession out of necessity,” said Michael Marcinko, a senior mass communications major and enthusiastic stick-shift driver.

Marcinko was driving a 2002 Honda CRV with 270,000 miles on it

and the Vibe has been his daily driver ever since.

Now, Marcinko says he probably will not be able to forget how to drive stick shift, comparing it to learning how to ride a bicycle.

“It’s a lot of muscle memory and feel of the car by balancing the clutch and the gas,” Marcinko said.

Travis Schriver, a sophomore nursing major, and Celia McDaniel, a freshman economics major, both drive Mini Coopers with manual transmissions.

Mini recently added three new models to its lineup of stick shifts,

manual,” Schriver said. “It wasn’t too hard; it was cheaper.”

McDaniel’s family, on the other hand, has always had at least one stick-shift car in the driveway because that is what her parents grew up driving.

“My parents were like, ‘It’s a skill that everyone should know, even though it’s a dying art,’” McDaniel said.

Both Mini drivers agreed that driving a manual transmission vehicle provides a heightened sense of control over the functions of the car.

“It might sound

someone around who can drive stick can come in handy when he accompanied GC students in his home country for a study abroad program.

“We rented two minivans,” Christensen said.

cheaper initial cost.

According to The Wall Street Journal, manual sedans no longer necessarily get better fuel mileage than automatic ones do.

Christensen sees the surge in popularity of

when he decided it was time for something new and sold it to a friend for $500. It was the summer before his sophomore year at GC, and he ended up buying a three-pedaled 2009 Pontiac Vibe a week before classes started — with no knowledge of how to drive stick shift. He taught himself in time,

with four more just last month, according to The Wall Street Journal.

After his first car, an automatic Nissan Xterra, had reached its limits, Schriver’s mother wanted him to learn how to drive a stick-shift car, but he had no contact with one before then.

“We were just looking for cars that were

cheesy, but you’re more in tune with the car,” McDaniel said.

Dr. Mikkel Christensen, a professor in the mass communication department, grew up in Denmark, where the majority of cars on the road have manual transmissions.

Last summer, he proved that having

“One of them was stick shift, so I drove that, and that was not a problem.”

There seems to be a strong desire among members of the stickshift-driving community to share their increasingly rare knowledge.

“I’ve had a lot of people ask me to teach them to drive stick,” Marcinko said.

He said he is more than willing to take anyone to an abandoned parking lot to try and figure it out with them.

Travis Schriver said that he was the “pioneer” stick-shift driver when he was in high school, teaching all of his friends the unique skill, and McDaniel has taught about five people how to drive stick-shift.

In terms of practicality, owning a stickshift vehicle has little benefits other than the

manual cars among college students as simply an increase in enthusiasm for their retro aesthetic.

“It’s kind of like vinyl records,” Christensen said. “It’s not the most convenient way of doing it, but sometimes, you want to be a little special.”

Whether these stick-

shift drivers learn to drive the uncommon cars for the enjoyment, the aesthetic or the inexpensiveness, one cannot deny the enhanced control the driver has over the vehicle, allowing them to accelerate faster than with an automatic transmission.

Shriver eloquently described the experience with an expression commonly known in the racing world

“Drop a gear, disappear,” Schriver said.

Anjali Shenoy | Digital Media Editor

Courtesy of Celia McDaniel

Celia McDaniel posing on the hood of her 2015 Mini Cooper.

Courtesy of Travis Schriver

Travis Schriver photographed at his home next to his manual transmission 2012 Mini Cooper.

Anjali Shenoy | Digital Media Editor

Michael Marcinko’s 2009 Pontiac Vibe has been his daily driver since his sophomore year.-

Tucker Carlson has left Fox News

And been sued twice in the process

Hannah Adams Asst. Opinion Editor

Tucker Carlson is officially cutting ties with the Fox News network, as the corporation is making arrangements to replace his segment. Along with this departure, the network is facing a lawsuit after Carlson’s previous head of booking, Abby Grossberg, came forward with accusations of sexism and harassment. Grossberg has made a series of claims against Carlson and the news network, one of them being that the male staff consistently made vulgar jokes regarding women and antisemitism.

Grossberg also claims that during her first day working with Carlson, she discovered posters of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wearing a swimsuit plastered around the

room. Along with the sexist and hateful speech Grossberg has reported, the previous employee has also come forward to say that Fox News lawyers tried to coerce her into making an untruthful deposition in the Dominion Voting Systems defamation case. She was instigated into defending an offensive text message sent by Carlson and eventually “rewarded” by the network heads, initiating a holiday called “Abby Day” to celebrate.

According to the investigative reporting done by The New York Times in the article “In a lawsuit, Tucker Carlson is Accused of Promoting Hostile Work Environment,” Carlson’s departure has been, in part, a result of his consistently aggressive behavior.

“In a statement on

Monday, one of Ms. Grossberg’s attorneys, Tanvir Rahman, said that Mr. Carlson’s departure from Fox News ‘is, in part, an admission of the systemic lying, bullying and conspiracy mongering claimed by our client.’ Mr. Rahman said that the legal team would be taking Mr. Carlson’s deposition and those of his subordinates ‘in the very near term.’”

It seems about time that Carlson takes accountability for the plethora of problematic behavior he has exhibited throughout his career. Carlson is known for

being aggressive in both his personal and professional life, and has often been seen on-air with a scowl in place and a condescending attitude. This is not the first time that attention has been drawn to speculation

“His show has been condemned by civil rights leaders for broadcasting racist, antisemitic and anti-immigrant ideology. His work on his show — accentuated by specials on the streaming service — also sparked a firestorm by seeking to exonerate people who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol as civic-minded people who were being politically persecuted.”

that Carlson runs a supremacist segment. In July 2020, Carlson’s head writer was released from their position after posting homophobic, racist and sexist commentaries. According to NPR writer David Folkenflik, Carlson’s behavior has been considered problematic by civil rights leaders since the start.

Carlson is a reporter that seemed to be given a special privilege of maintaining his position on air, despite his problematic behavior being nothing new. The anchor has been accused many times of being racist and anti-immigrant and has even been sued multiple times for spreading false information as news. This has caused Fox

lawyers to make claims of rhetorical hyperbole. This ultimately means that the speaker has used exaggerated speech to emphasize a point, and it cannot be taken as fact. A claim like this, even one time, can diminish the credibility of any honorable journalist; multiple claims make the journalist look as if they should not be delivering news to the people at all, and Carlson is no exception. Carlson deserves to be held accountable for the harm he has done to others and his failure to do his job as a journalist. The accusations against him, and Fox News’s failure to take initiative, show the shortcomings of both parties. The real shame is how long it took for a consequence like this to take place.

-David Folkenflik

His show has been condemned by civil rights leaders for broadcasting racist, antisemetic and anti-immigrant ideology.