@TheColonnade
@TheColonnade
The Official Student Newspaper of Georgia College & State University October, 1 2024
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Hurricane Helene damages Georgia Emma Eslinger Asst. News Editor
sider normal during a
ville River Arts District
typical hurricane season.
completely
As of Monday eve-
ter. A Tennessee hospi-
ning, the storm is con-
tal was flooded as well.
The storm was about 350
The hurricane made
a day. Its rapid strength-
miles long with wind
landfall on the big bend
ening contributed to the
gusts up to 140 miles per
of Florida and then
large amounts of damage
hour when it made land-
plowed north into all
seen across the southeast.
fall in Florida, and by the
of Georgia and many of
The Gulf of Mexico is ex-
time it hit Milledgeville,
the surrounding states.
periencing record warm
the wind was estimat-
This is the third storm to
water temperatures, with
ed to be 45 to 50 mph
hit this region of Florida
Hurricane Helene hav-
Thursday
with gusts reaching 70
in the last 13 months.
ing a water temperature
evening and the heavi-
mph, prompting Bald-
The hurricane started
of 89 F. That is two to
est effects continued into
win County to issue a
as a Category 1 but grew
four degrees above what
flooding the whole
early Friday morning.
local State of Emergency.
to a Category 4 storm in
climate scientists con-
town, with the Ashe-
GCSU canceled classes on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 26 and 27, due to Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm. The hurricane hit Baldwin County
on
underwa-
firmed to have killed 116
Many Georgians lost
people, including 25 in
power and spent the last
Georgia. More people
few days dodging large
remain missing, largely
debris, heavy rain and
due to widespread loss
large wind gusts. All of
of service and power.
Georgia experienced the
The hurricane trudged
impacts of the storm,
all the way up to Ashe-
but some areas were
ville, North Carolina,
hit harder than others. See HURRICANE | Page 3
Chlorine skies? Conyers BioLab fire blows smoke and smells south Kate Verity Editor in Chief The smell of a swimming pool and a white tinge filled the air in Milledgeville on Tuesday, Oct. 1 as a cloud of chlorine drifted south from Conyers, Ga. where a chemical plant caught fire on Sunday morning. The incident occurred at BioLab, a facility that manufactures chemicals to treat pools. The acciMatthew Malkowski | Digital Media Editor
SIP AND SEE: new mural brightens walls of Milledgeville coffee shop Morning Grind coffee
owner of Morning Grind.
Staff Writer
shop, already a favorite
“We collaborated with
As students returned
among students, added
Visit Milledgeville, and
a new, colorful mural to
they ended up giving a
its walls that has made
grant to our building, and
it all the more popular.
the grant was able to cov-
“The mural was hon-
er the cost of the mural.”
to Milledgeville this fall, many of them noticed the colorful new mural adorning the corner of
estly a God thing,” said
West Montgomery Street.
Bridgette
Smith,
the
Smith
recruited
to fill the east Atlanta sky into Tuesday is no longer the product of fire, but that of a chemical reaction. The white pillar of smoke was both visible and smellable from I-20. The interstate was shut down Sunday afternoon but reopened by the following morning. Additionally, a shelter-
Morning Grind sports a colorful map of the city Kate Walker
dent began as a fire, but the smoke that continues
Thompson, a graduate of the studio fine arts program, and junior graphic design major Landry Weaver to paint the mural. Weaver now works as a barista at Morning Grind.
in-place order was issued to local residents in Rockdale County, but it too has since been lifted. On Monday afternoon, the smoke could be seen from the interstate as a plume in the distance. However, just 24 hours later, the interstate itself was shrouded with white smog in the miles that stretch nearest to the plant.
See MURAL | Page 7
GCSU students Mattie
See CHLORINE | Page 3
Life after college: Where do we go from here? Delaney Derry
ing after we’ve graduated college?
been working towards the past
It’s becoming more and more
four years will come your way…
Opinion Editor Students of GCSU, it’s no mystery that once we graduate, there’s an entire world out there just wait-
apparent to me that once we leave
I
college, our dream jobs do not just
tually
really
wish believed
I
acthat.
magically fall into our laps. That’s
We spend the entirety of college
fine though, because we are pre-
juggling classes, work, internships,
pared for that. We know that it
extracurriculars and more so that
takes work to get the jobs we want.
we can be set for a life beyond our
Let’s be honest, we’re still young
university bubble. We work and
So, we’ve made it to graduation,
and figuring things out. There’s so
study hard so that we can have sta-
but where do we go from here?
much time. We are just starting, so
bility, security and peace of mind.
How are we supposed to afford liv-
let’s relax. Your career that you have
ing for us. There are endless possibilities for what we can do with the rest of our lives once we leave university and enter into the desolate place that is the real world.
See WHERE | Page 9
Julia Jensen | Art Director
GCSU STUDENTS FORM WEEKLY PODCAST
SPORTS | PG. 6
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL HAS TOUGH WEEKEND
ARTS & LIFE | PG. 8
OPINION & MISC. | PG. 9
The Podcasting Club has launched “GC Weekly” to inform the students body on all campus happenings.
The Lady Bobcats faced tough competition at Lee University where they played in two tournaments.
Do nontraditional college students have different experiences? See what 30-year-old Irma Ali thinks.
Soccer legend Alex Morgan announced her retirement. How heavily did she impact girls in the sport?
NEWS | PG. 3
MEET IRMA ALI
ALEX MORGAN HANGS UP HER CLEATS