@TheColonnade
@TheColonnade
The Official Student Newspaper of Georgia College & State University bobcatmultimedia.com
March 26, 2025
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NBA update
School lunch debt Who pays the price? Brianna Heard Staff Writer For millions of students across the United States, school meals are essential to their daily well-being. Yet, for many families, the cost of these meals is an overwhelming financial burden, leaving children with unpaid meal debts and limited options. According to the education data intiative, the national estimated school meal debt is $176 million a year. While some districts attempt to alleviate this burden through government assistance programs, many children still fall through the cracks, accumulating meal debt. Teachers, cafeteria workers and community members have stepped up to address the problem, sometimes
Brennan Schmitz
raising money through donations or social media campaigns. However, their efforts are not always welcomed by school administrations. Near the end of 2024, cafeteria worker for Shelby Elementary School in Alabama, Avette Dunn, wanted to make sure no child went hungry and began collecting donations to help pay for student’s food. However, she was terminated shortly after due to being untrained in handling donations for the school. Jack McKinney, a junior rhetoric major, described the situation as both realist and dystopic. ”Faculty should not get fired for committing an act of great charity, but in the process of doing that charity is to acknowledge the reality of a broken education system,” McKinney said.
Sports Editor
School Lunch
Many were angered by Dunn’s termination, arguing that she performed a good deed. Schools hold food drives, operate food pantries and accept donations as short-term fixes for meal debt, so many wonder why faculty are being punished for helping students in need. When a student has a negative balance in their account, they are often punished or embarrassed by the school. Sometimes students are given
a cheaper, cold meal option and are not allowed to eat a warm meal. Breanna Thompson, a music education major, believes no one should have to go into debt over food. “The faculty who help kids eat should be given some type of award and recognition for the outstanding kindness that the employee shows,” Thompson said. See DEBT | Page 3
As the NBA approaches the 2025 playoffs, which begin on Saturday, April 19, teams across the league are fighting for playoff spots and better placement. The Cleveland Cavaliers currently sit atop the Eastern Conference, boasting a 57-14 record and clinching the Central Division. The Cavaliers are led by veteran shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who averages 23.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. The defending champion Boston Celtics follow close behind in the east with a record of 52-19, and they do not look to be slowing down anytime soon, winning 10 of their last 11 games en route to the tune of a guaran-
teed postseason berth. The Celtics are led by star small forward Jayson Tatum and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Tatum leads the team in average points, assists and rebounds, with 27.2, 5.9 and 8.7, respectively. Brown averages 22.8 points per game. In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder lead with a league-best record of 59-12. The Thunder, after losing talents like James Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and experiencing a period of down years, seem to be back in competition for an NBA title. The team looked to make a run last year, but after finishing the regular season at an impressive 59-25, that run was cut short in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks See NBA | Page 4
St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah Mary Ciucevich A&L Editor March 17 marks the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day around the world. While many places like Chicago, Boston and New York host parades and celebrations of the Irish holiday, I think Savannah, Ga.’s St. Paddy’s Day parade puts it on top, making it my favorite day of the year. “I absolutely loved it,” said Kylie Totten, a junior education major and parade first-timer. “The St. Patrick’s Day parade and celebration in Savannah was so lively and it was really awesome to see how invested so many people were in all the festivities.” The celebration of St. Paddy’s Day has become widely important in Savannah due to the city’s deep-rooted Irish heri-
tage. Savannah is home to many Irish and Celtic groups and organization chapters, like the Hibernians, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, The Irish Society, The Daughters of Ireland, the Savannah Port Society, Savannah Gaelic Athletic Association and many more. “I think that because we have such a large Irish Catholic population it just is a big deal for the people that are here,” said Julia Whalen, a junior marketing major and native of Savannah. The first public observance in Savannah of what became known as the St. Patrick’s day parade took place in 1824, with the Hibernian Society’s lead. In present day the parade is commemorated with over 280 different units of bands, families, societies, soldiers and public and commercial floats.
In 2025 Savannah’s parade marked the 201st anniversary of the celebration of the Irish. The parade followed the same route it has for several years, totaling around three miles long per start of the route. Savannah’s Irish season starts in early February and kicks off with the Savannah Irish Festival, which hosts many traditions including the eating of Irish foods, gathering of the societies, the viewing of Irish dancers, music and the selling of various items of Irish origins or nature. The season consists of other traditional events like the grand marshalls’ investiture and greening of the fountains, all leading up to the main event, the parade. While many people have traditions of watching the parade in designated spots, my family
Mary Ciucevich | A&L Editor
and many others walk in the parade each year. For as long as I can remember my family and I have walked with the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), one of the soci-
eties my dad is a part of. “It’s been very special here, maybe because Savannah is very historic, a port city or because there are a lot of people here who love to cele-
The illusion of clothing sizes Molly Goff
Savannah
native.
See SAVANNAH | Page 7
habits, self-esteem and body image. Vanity sizing, a marketing strategy that allows brands to label their garments with smaller sizes than actual measurements, empowers companies to create an appealing illusion. Especially for young girls and even extending to students on our GCSU campus, the perception of wearing a “size small” can be intoxicating, lending a sense of status in social interactions and on social media platforms. However, this superficial allure often masks a larger concern: the disconnect between size labels and reality, which can lead to confusion and frustration among consumers.
ARTS & LIFE | PG. 7
OPINION & MISC. | PG. 9
GCSU BASEBALL IN-GAME REPORT
THE FRIGHT SOCIETY
IS DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ACTUALLY NECESSARY?
Bobcats win three-game series opener against USC.
GCSU’s latest student-led horror organization meets once a month to disucss all things frightening.
Every November and March, the question gets asked once again.
memory,
Cities like Fort Lauderdale and Clearwater enforce new policies and saftey measures as college students vacation.
and
SPORTS | PG. 5
recent
FLORIDA CONTINUES SPRING BREAK SAFETY
communications major
I love to shop, especially online shopping. However, my biggest pet peeve is shopping online and realizing that the measurements are not all that true to size….. There are many online representations of this struggle shown in a term called “vanity sizing,” more typically known in stores where they
OPINION
In
NEWS | PG. 2
ey, a freshman mass
will only have in stock on a saleroom floor sizes between 0-4. These sizes contain the ideal image of a consumer, not how the range of consumers actually purchase size-wise. In a time where personal identity is often linked to appearance and self-expression, the fashion industry’s embrace of “vanity sizing” poses serious downsides for young consumers. As clothing sizes continue to shrink their clothing and still be sized normally, the impact of these altered measurements takes over shopping
Opinion Editor
Julia Jensen | Art Director
brate,” said Keelie Minc-
See SIZES | Page 9