The Colonnade The Official Student Newspaper of Georgia College
April 13, 2012
www.GCSUnade.com
Volume 88, No. 22
Single copies free
Subway makes a smash on campus Brennan Meagher Staff Reporter A Subway eatery and a renovated Einstein Bros Bagels are among the campus dining upgrades in the works. “Students were loud and clear that Subway was the preferred sandwich vendor,” Greg Brown, director of operations for auxiliary services said. Subway opened on Wednesday, April 11, with student enthusiasm creating long lines. The decision to exchange Subway for Blimpie came as a result of a student survey. “We hope sales will increase as a response to students being pleased with Subway,” Kyle Cullars, assistant vice president of auxiliary services said. Students should also be on the lookout for a change at Einstein’s. According to Brown, the university is waiting on approval through the Board of Regents in order to begin con-
Lindsay Shoemake / Staff Photographer Students crowded into the Bobcat Food Court on Wednesday, April 11 for the opening of Subway.Various other eateries are slated to open in the Fall, depending on pending deals with restaurants.
struction. Currently there is a design for the expansion and auxiliary services has fulfilled 90 percent of their requirements. Although there is not currently a start date for construction, once approved by the Board of Regents, Brown estimates there will be about 2.5 months of construction needed to complete the renovations to Einstein’s Bros Bagels. Much like the decision to bring Subway to GC, deciding to expand Einstein’s came as a result of student opinion. “Students, faculty and staff wanted more options through Einstein’s. Einstein’s will be able to offer more services, more of their menu and more options for lunch. We will be getting close to full service. There will also be more physical space,” Brown said. Depending on the hours of operation, this expansion could potentially create more student employment opportunities.
Back to the drawing board
Senate
Presidential Search Committee will review new candidates for GC president Noelle Brooks Staff Writer The search for Georgia College’s next president continues after the Regents committee was unable to choose a candidate for the position based on the submitted recommendations. Associate Vice Chancellor John Millsaps said this is not an unusual request when determining a president for a university. “We want to get the right person for the position, but it’s not about a timetable or a deadline,” Millsaps said. “The process is built so that at the end of the day the campus and the regents feel good about the person chosen to lead the institution.” What is unusual, however, is that instead of revisiting the current pool of candidates for president, the committee is working with the contractor to find new individuals who may quality for the position. Although this means reviewing brand new candidates for the position, Ken McGill member of the Presidential Search Committee, believes the hard part is over. “We’ve done a lot of the work over the course of the year with finding out what the campus wants and knowing what we’re look-
Rosemary Magee Emory University
ing for,” McGill said. “We’ve gotten pretty good at looking for it, so we are just going to continue to move forward.” In the coming weeks, the committee will meet for video teleconferences with new candidates who will later be brought to campus to determine if they are a good fit for Georgia College. The hope is that new recommendations can be submitted by May, but the goal is to find someone who meets the requirements that students suggested are essential to the university. A primary way of ensuring this is through the use of surveys during the open forums that reflect the needs voiced by students and faculty. The surveys provide a ranking system where each candidate is ranked based on how well they represent a particular quality listed. These include vision and leadership, a sense of the liberal arts mission, strong interpersonal skills, resource development and shared governance. Students, however, voiced other concerns, particularly the amount of spending that occurs with the university. “Personally I think the president of the university should not be afraid to put their foot down about overspending,” junior psychology major Kathryn Weaver said. “There are a lot of things that we don’t have that we need and things that we do need that we don’t have.” Weaver mentioned the building of the expensive new Wellness and Recreation Center which has ultimately raised costs increased the cost of student fees. This change coupled with the reduction of HOPE funding raises concern for students such as junior psychology major Mindy Miller.
“We want to get the right person for the position, but it’s not about a timetable or a deadline.” John Millsaps, Associate Vice Chancellor “I have HOPE, but I have to pay some of my semester tuition, too,” Miller said. “And with the student fees I will still have to pay like $1,200 for summer just because of these outrageous fees.” In addition to having a president who is sensitive to the financial constraints of students, there also exists a desire for a strong presence on campus. “I think it’s good to support the really big stuff, but also support the smaller stuff, too,” sophomore music therapy major Kylie Bentz said. Bentz said support for some of the less prominent events on campus could help boost morale and show that the president has a real interest in the students. For sophomore psychology major Kimberly Callahan, this interest would include respecting the student’s viewpoints. “I know Stas got upset about the whole memes thing, and it just seemed a bit much,” Callahan said. “It was a way of voicing our
Sue Henderson Queens College
President page 7
Pamela Gunter-Smith Drew University
The Presidential Search Committee narrowed it down to one candiate and submitted the bid to the Regents committee. After the rejection of the bid, the committee is now searching for entirely new candidates.
News Flash
Quotable
The annual student research conferences take place this week. Both graduate and undergraduate students will present research on topics ranging from scientific research to art presentations. A total of 217 presentations involving 378 students will take place during the three separate research conferences: GC Showcase of Graduate Research, Student Research Conference and the COPLAC.
“Art is far more than something I am interested in; it is something that I need in order to complete communicate things I am unable to verbally.” -Courtney Denis, senior art major
See page 11
News
Restaurants page 5
SGA
Organizations request over $300,000 Bobbi Otis Senior Reporter Thirty-eight Registered Student Organizations and other groups on campus requested Student Activity Budget Committee fees to help with their funding. A total of $311,742 was originally requested by the deadline of March 30. Using the initial budgetary information provided by Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Paul Jahr, there is $157,280 to be allocated for the purposes of SABC, which is 16 percent of the Student Activity Fee. Thirteen of the requests come from groups who are new to requesting funding. All together the organizations requested over $56,000. One of those new groups is Student Government Association, which is also formula funded at 8 percent. The request comes in at $4,362. “It’s for a Homecoming expenditure, the fire marshal requires a better total of the individuals in the Homecoming concert and so (the money) is for two to three turnstiles to count individuals and currently we don’t have any on campus,” SGA President and SABC Chair Evan Karanovich said. “So it may even be something we can use for other events on campus.” Without the turnstiles Karanovich says there
Inside
KA house gets a facelift ..........................................3 Green Fee funds are allocated...............................4
Features
Sounds of the South...............................................11 Senior art exhibits..................................................11
Sports
“I have mixed feelings about the Blimpie being changed to a Subway. I like both restaurants, but now that Blimpie is gone there is no other in Milledgeville, and there were several items on the menu that Subway doesn’t have that I liked,” Emily Rivers, junior mass communication major said. “But in all reality, I didn’t eat at Blimpie very often, mostly because it took so much longer to get my food than Chick-fil-A,” Rivers also sees the expansion of Einsteins as a positive. “I think by expanding more students will want to come and stay at Einstein’s. It’s usually really quiet in that building, which is why I prefer to sit in there rather than at the Books and Brew in the library,” Rivers said. Another campus restaurant that recently experienced ma
Tennis teams defeat North Georgia...................14 Baseball takes win from West Georgai..............15 Community News........................................9 Leisure................................................................13
might not be a way to accurately count the individuals entering the concert, and if that doesn’t happen, the Homecoming concert might not be possible next year. Other groups are returning in their requests. Student Night Auxiliary Patrol, which requested and received $17,500 for FY12, has requested $32,220 for FY13. Detective Michael Baker says this is to look at expanding hours and will also be used to pay the wages of the drivers if the extended hours were to be made possible with a budget increase. If the funding increase is not approved by SABC, SNAP will continue operating at the same level as they do now. Arts Unlimited, which requested $26,600 and received $19,000 for FY12, has come back to the table with a request of $25,500 for FY13. The mission of Arts Unlimited is to “sponsor events that will enrich the cultural life of the campus and of the academic programs of students majoring in the various artistic areas.” The request is $25,500 this year because the money is needed to offset the loss of funding from the $6,500 Gilbert Foundation. Chair of Arts Unlimited Peter Carriere says it is important for the organization to continue to be
SABC page 7
Number Crunch
$9.6 million The amount allocated for building renovations from the Georgia Legislature. The money will be used largely to renovate Ennis Hall. See the full story in the next Colonnade.
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The Colonnade
April 13, 2012
Campus radio station changes frequency Kyle Shanahan Staff Writer Georgia College’s campus radio station recently switched frequencies. WGUR, which had been at 88.9 on the FM dial, is now at 95.3. A notice posted on the station’s Facebook page reads, “No longer shall you have to deal with the Christian station out of Macon…No this is not an April Fool’s joke. With the recent success and skills that WGUR has recently shown in becoming nationally recognized at the IBS conference, the FCC has given WGUR permission to up our dial and our wattage.” IBS, the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, is a New York-based organization of nonprofit radio stations and webcasters affiliated with education. The system, which currently consists of over a thousand members, holds conferences in various cities across the United States every year, from their hometown in New York to Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago. Conferences attract hundreds of college radio personnel and present over 39 awards for
achievements including Best Newscast, Best News Feature and Best On-Air Personality. Several members of WGUR attended the conference in New York about a month ago and became finalists in the competition between college stations, winning first place for Best Event Promo while being nominated for Best Website alongside three other contestants from Tennessee, Texas and Illinois. WGUR’s Production Manager Chris Rogers, whose Fall Fest Studio Tours promo won the award for Best Event Promo, said the Georgia College station has already participated in two New York conferences and plans to attend another in Las Vegas. While he himself will not be going, he said that several key members of the WGUR staff will be attending the conference on April 14. As for the frequency change, Rogers said, the proposed change had been on the drawing board for at least a year; the radio’s executive staff had been “…planning a frequency change
WGUR page 6
Sabrina chandler / Staff Photographer Junior English majors Ward Bowles, left, and Stephen Hundley on air during their Wednesday afternoon talk show, White Girl Problems. Both say they do WGUR for fun.
City Council institutes code of ethics for staff Sabrina Chandler Senior Reporter Milledgeville’s city government now has concrete rules of conduct to abide by following the adoption of the new code of ethics policy at a city council meeting about a month ago. Until now, there has never been a written document outlining the code of conduct that the members of city government should follow. Though city government has received a bit of disparaging publicity lately, Mayor Richard Bentley says this adoption had nothing to do with any particular event or occurrence. “There is nothing that transpired recently that encouraged us to create the ordinance,” Bentley said. “It has been
something in the making for a long time.” Councilman Steve Chambers said the council has been discussing adopting this code of ethics for eight to 10 years but has always had more pressing issues to tend to. “There has been several attempts to create it, but there was always something else that got in the way,” Chambers says. “We finally decided to go through with it so we wrote up the resolution and then an attorney and the Georgia Municipal Association teamed together to write the ordinance that we adopted.” Chambers said the Georgia Municipal Association has certain levels that a city can reach. “One level that a city can reach is to become ‘a city of ethics.’” Chambers
said. Now that Milledgeville is a ‘city of ethics,’ there are certain written rules the city employees and elected officials must abide by. Bentley said that the code of ethics for city government was always inferred, but that they really wanted it to be in writing so that it would be official. “We always want to have people working for (the city) with the right motivations. If we demand higher expectations of our employees, those that are a part of the community will be more willing to behave the same,” Bentley said. According to the ordinance, “public officials (must) be, and give the appearance of being, independent, impartial
Ethics page 7
Codea of Ethics At Glance: Code of Ethics The city of Milledgeville has implemented a new code of ethics for city employees and elected officials. According to the ordinance, some of the news policies include that public officials must be independent, impartial and responsible to the people, and that public office not be used for personal gain. According to the Mayor, the code of ethics for city government has always been inferred, but has never been put in writing.
April 13, 2012
The Colonnade
k a e r B g n e i g r @Colle Sp a i g r o e G
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Of 113 students surveyed...
52% Stayed home
38%
10%
Traveled with friends
Traveled with family
GC students’ dream vacation spots: The good, the bad, and the wacky
Panama City Beach
Atlantis
Bahamas
Puerto Rico
Jurassic Park
The Shire Hawaii
GC students who stayed home:
GC students traveled to:
Slept
Romania
Worked
Destin, Fla.
Hung out with their friends
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Caught up on “Phineas and Ferb”
Disney World
Watched “The Hunger Games”
Jekyll Island Graphic by Laura van Tuyll van Serooskerken
KA house first LITC reaches out to students to be recognized as permanent Nick Widener Senior Reporter
Alyson Crosby Senior Reporter The college’s Epsilon Nu Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order recently moved into its new location, the Bell-Martin House on South Liberty Street. The organization hoped to keep both the new house and its old house on West Thomas Street. But instead, KA will give up the old house, fraternity president Ross Sheppard said. The new house is undergoing simple fixes including replacing gutters and getting rid of rotted wood, and painting is being done in the interior of the house. Rep. Rusty Kidd from the Georgia House of Representatives bought the Bell-Martin House for KA. “Representative Kidd purchased the house for us to use with the intention of selling it back to us. Currently, he is the landlord; we are in the process of setting up a housing corporation as well as doing fundraising to pay off the house more quickly. In the meantime, the rent from the men who will be
living there will be more than enough to cover the mortgage,” Sheppard said. Resolution 2172 from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizes this property as the permanent home for KA, making it the first Greek organization at GC to have a permanent home. “I think it’s good for the community to see a fraternity house that is trying to better itself rather than tearing the house apart,” Sheppard said. KA is not the only Greek organization that has a house near campus. Almost all of the sororities and fraternities in the Interfraternal Council and the College Pan-Hellenic Council have houses near campus. Delta Sigma Phi has had an unofficial house for about three years at the corner of North Columbia Street and Montgomery Street. According to Paul Ogletree, the president of the IFC and a resident of the Delta Sigma Phi house, their house is not recog
Greek page 5
This week libraries around the nation celebrate National Library Week. But there won’t be festivities or fireworks. The week is more about the unseen, serving as both a thank-you and a reminder to patrons. The digital age has dawned, and libraries have struggled amid the mass appeal of e-everything. This is not the end for libraries, though. Instead of death, libraries interested in surviving have embraced technology and begun an e-renaissance to serve their communities. “We’re progressing. We’re not just stacks of books,” said Kate Pope, who oversees the library’s marketing and promotions committee. “We’re going more digital. We have e-books. In Special Collections, we’re using QR codes.” Although economic hardships have turned some library lights off, now, in dire times, the library persists as a relevant tool. “Especially now, when the economy is not so good, people don’t have as many resources available to them,” said Brandy Horne, Library and Instructional Technology assistant. “The library becomes more important. It is a place where you can look for jobs or apply for jobs.” GC’s LITC serves locals and students. But, of course, their primary
Courtesy of Vanessa Whited The LITC hosted the first logo design contest for GC students to celebrate National Library Week. Junior mass communication major Vanessa Whited designed the winning logo, an owl representing the late nights many students have in the LITC.
interest is the students. The LITC staff consists of information professionals, not just curators of books, Horne said. As information providers, the staff is there to aid students in any way they can. “Our purpose is to provide them with all this stuff to help them with their studies and to equip them with the skills they need to be successful once they
leave college,” Horne said. “Information literacy skills, being able to track down information – evaluate it, manage it – that’s what we do. But I don’t think people realize that.” The library is a resource metropolis. Offering services like GIL Express,
Library page 7
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April 13, 2012
Green Fee Committee allocates funds Mark Watkins Staff Reporter Last week, in an effort to utilize the yearly budget of $60,000, the Green Fee Committee passed grants that would make Georgia College more sustainable. The Green Fee, in it’s second year, is a student run mini-grant program that enables students to fund their ideas on how to make GC’s campus and community more eco-friendly and is itself funded by a $5 sub-fee of the larger Student Activities Fee. Students propose ideas to a faculty member, who sponsors the proposal, and are then reviewed by the student-
led Green Fee Committee. “One of the proposals was for new holds and crash pads that are made from eco-friendly materials,” Colin Maldonado, junior environmental science major said. The crash pads and holds, with an estimated cost of $1,915.32, will be labeled to indicate their purchase by the fee, and a dedicated climbing route composed of green colored holds will put on the wall in hopes to raise student awareness of the availability for funding and expose students to sustainable products. Other student proposals that have been approved and carried out in the Wellness Center include the ReRev
technology installed on four Precor elliptical machines which allows them to convert kinetic energy into electricity. The system, which costed $9,750, produces 50 watts of energy per 30 minute workout and has produced 38,156 watt hours to date. This energy can be used by the wellness center or sent back to the electrical company. Not all proposals have been worked so seamlessly. “Since the Green Fee is such a new program, we’ve learned that program costs have to be all inclusive,” Doug Oetter, chairman of the Sustainability Council said. “We can’t expect physical plant to buy the concrete we need
Green Happenings
Earthfest What: Come celebrate the Fifth Annual
Fall Line Farmer’s Market What: Seventeen vendors are gathering to
Where: When:
Where: When:
Earthfest with arts and crafts, eco-friendly games and bands, including Soul Tree and This House. Front Campus
Saturday, April 21 - 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Check out Earthfest 2012 on Facebook
sell an array of delicious products with the sound of bluegrass serving as the backdrop.
First Presbyterian parking lot Saturday, April 14 - 9 a.m. to 12 p.m
Check out Fall Line Farmer’s Market on Facebook
and be able to install these new bike racks. They just don’t have the manpower.” The Green Fee approved a $16,435 grant for three of the $5,000 shelters and one $1,000 repair station which failed to include the cost of concrete and installation. Kristian Page, author of the grant, applied for a second grant to cover these costs. The price was subcontracted to a local construction company bringing the total cost of the grant to $24,435. The previous bike racks proposal included new bike racks featuring a roof to protect bikes from the elements, and a station for small repairs. “The fix it station will have a bike pump, different size allen wrenches to fix your bike if it breaks on campus, get a flat tire, things like that,” Page said. The bike racks were purchased last year and are expected to be installed this summer. Placing timers on vending machines around campus, a previously approved initiative designed to cut power to machines when buildings are closed, has been put on hold. “Because of (Georgia College’s) contract with the vending machine companies, they’re not allowed to
tamper with them at all. The contract says they have to be on all the time,” Sam Ovett, co-author of the grant and junior environmental science major said. Before last week, the Green Fee had only two approved proposals which left much of the budget unused for the coming year. “A big problem with the Green Fee is getting people to know about it, and if they do know about it they don’t know how to get an actual proposal,” Maldanado said. The fee hopes to familiarize students with the program by using grants, such as the green themed climbing gear and passing out refillable water bottles with the Green Fee logo on them, to raise awareness of both the availability of the Green Fee to students and sustainable practices currently on campus. This contributes to one of the long-term goals of the Green Fee. “It creates a culture of sustainability on campus,” Oetter said. “A place where everyone is involved instead of a few individuals here and there.”
SGA treasurer balances budget and school work Taylor Lamb Senior Reporter A senior staff writer for The Colonnade sat down with Student Government Association Treasurer Sean Espinosa, after his recent award for Most Promising Leader for 2012, to discuss the details of handling a $90,000 SGA budget while maintaining academics and extracurricular activities. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home in New Orleans, Espinosa’s family moved to Lawrenceville. In Fall 2010 Espinosa entered GC, where he started as a biology major but
later changed to management. In Spring 2011 Espinosa ran for a seat in senate against 12 other freshmen. He earned one of the five spots and began his path into the university’s business side. Why and when did you get involved with SGA? “I was looking to be involved in some campus organization my freshman year, and I was looking through the Week of Welcome pamphlet, and I saw SGA as one of the advertisements. I was involved with student council, and I thought, you know, I have some experience with this, and I think it would be good to have a
big impact on campus in such a huge and prestigious organization such as SGA.” Why did you want to become treasurer? “I would be able to do more and make a bigger impact not just for myself, but also for the student body. With being the treasurer, you are handling a $90,000 budget; you’re allocating funds for students to attend academic conferences; and you’re allocating funds to student activities and organizations, so they can host events that are open to the student body that help progress the liberal arts mission that Georgia College is trying to perform.” Can you tell me an average day of being the
Georgia College SGA Treasurer? “I guess on a Monday I’ll probably wake up around 9 or 9:30, go to class from 10 to 12, and then from 12 to 2 o’clock I will just be in (SGA office) working, balancing the budget, filling out paperwork. Then I have a class from 2 to 3:30, and then after that I have free time. I’m involved with other organizations, so sometimes I take time out of the day to address something for some of the organizations or I’ll stay in (the SGA office).”
SGA page 4
201 Roberson Mill Rd Ne Milledgeville, GA 31061-
April 13, 2012
The Colonnade
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Interfaith group observes spring holidays Bobbi Otis Senior Reporter Matzo sheets were broken to be shared between people at white-covered tables. Parsley, salt water and horseradish were arranged on plates among chocolate eggs and around Easter-bunny centerpieces. A buffet spread appeared at the front of the grouping of tables where matzo ball soup simmered and asparagus steamed as students, faculty and staff, and community members streamed into the brightly lit atrium of Kilpatrick Hall. The combination is unique, and on Thursday, April 5, this was the scene of InterViewsAlliance’s Easter/Equinox/Passover/Vesak event. The Interfaith Council, an advocacy group on campus that aims to educate students about various religions, collaborated with InterViews Alliance to host the event, which showcased information about Judaism, Christianity, Paganism, Buddhism and Jainism. “I’m so inspired at all the guest speakers and by having such a great crowd—from children to college students,” Goodrich Hillel Faculty Adviser Karen Berman said. “I am so inspired by all the unity and goodwill of all the religions. It’s a great night for GC.” For the first portion of the evening the group
Greek
Continued from page 3... nized by their national chapter but serves as a home for some members of the fraternity. “The members who live in the house pay their own rent and utilities and the fraternity is responsible for any monetary charges that may result from a social gathering held on the premises,” Ogletree said. “The house is not recognized by nationals because we are such a young chapter that we have not had a chance to set up a house based on national standards just one that we use for meetings and social gatherings.” Brina Potvin, executive vice
“I’m so inspired at all the guest speakers and by having such a great crowd, from children to college students.” Karen Berman, Goodrich Hillel Faculty Adviser was lead in an abbreviated version of the traditional Passover Seder by Rabbi Laurence Schlesinger. According to Schlesinger, Passover is directed more towards children than adults. “Adults know why we eat these things,” Schlesinger said. A youth group of from Milledgeville First Methodist Church was in attendance and was able to help kick off the Seder when one of their number asked the traditional questions associated with Passover starting with, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” Also in the abbreviated Seder the ten plagues were read aloud and participants dropped grape
president of Alpha Delta Pi and a resident of the ADPi house, lives there as an executive member of her sorority. “As executive vice president, it is a part of my job description to live in the ADPi house. All eight members of executive committee live in the house. A total of ten girls live there, though,” Potvin said. “So, these ten positions must also sign a lease to live at the ADPi house as a part of their job descriptions. These are not national ADPi rules; they are just specific to our chapter since there isn’t enough room for more than ten girls to live in the house.” These houses are for the entire organization to gather in, not just
Interfaith page 7
Courtesy of Karen Berman Alexandra Garver, part of the Correllian Nativist Tradition, which is a tradition of the pagan religion speaks at the InterViewsAlliance’s Easter/Equinox/Passover/Vesak event on April 5.
the few who live in them. The residents have plenty of visitors and some say living in the house makes them closer to their organization. “I think that living in the house makes me much closer to many more girls in the sorority because although only ten girls live there, it is the entire sorority’s house,” Potvin said. “Girls are constantly stopping by and it is so great to be able to see so many faces every day,” Although some may not be recognized as official Greek houses by GC and their national chapters, these houses serve as a central location for the organization to hold meetings, host socials and are a home to the Greek members who live there.
Restaurants
Continued from page 1... jor changes is Jittery Joe’s. The coffee shop was owned by an independent owner who elected not to renew his contract. The closing of the store opened up some options for auxiliary services. According to Cullars, options are currently being explored as to how to fill the space once occupied by Jittery Joe’s. “We are trying to find what could work best now for students and the community,” Brown said. There is also another eatery in the works. “The next concept to come online will be an Asian fusion concept by
the Bobcat Food Court called Mein Bowl,” Brown said. However, there is not set schedule for the Mein Bowl to be on campus. Another possibility is the addition of Dominoes or Papa John located next to World of Wings — but the timeline for that project is also still in the works. Currently, auxiliary services has many other ideas that they would like to implement, but many of these are just that, ideas. All of the changes being made to the restaurants around campus are funded through auxiliary services as part of their retail operation. These renovations are not funded through student tuition or student fees.
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April 13, 2012
Mayor talks about life as a leader, gives advice to students Sabrina Chandler Senior Reporter Richard Bentley is very invested in the well-being of Milledgeville. This, in part, is because he is our mayor. But there are different threads which sew Mayor Bentley tightly to Milledgeville--he was born and raised here. Bentley attended Georgia Military College for high school and later graduated from Georgia College. He has walked the sidewalks of downtown Milledgeville for many more years than most of us have. But Mayor Bentley didn’t grow up with dreams of becoming a mayor. He didn’t go to college to become a politician. He owns and is a licensed agent at his business, Wilkinson Insurance Agency on North Wayne Street, where he sat and talked with The Colonnade about how he’s gotten to where he is in his life and things that he hopes to get done as the mayor of Milledgeville. What made you want to become mayor? “I was a banker for 14 years. I was very active in city clubs, United Way… those types of community service organizations,” Bentley said. “I decided in 2001
that I would like to further that service. I felt like being mayor, if I was fortunate enough to be elected, would be a wonderful gateway for me to better the community in a much bigger way.” What do you most like about being mayor? “You know, I get asked that question on occasion. I always respond with the same answer,” Bentley said. “I relate it to playing a game of golf, there’s always one shot that you hit that makes you want to come back and play again… Having a person approach you at the grocery store and tell you that you’re doing a good job, making a difference, that’s rewarding.” What are you most proud of in the community? “We’re working really hard every day to make a difference, to make a change in the economy,” Bentley said. “But when you can cut a ribbon on a business that will employ several hundred people—that’s the road to recovery and that’s when we know we’re doing something right.” What is the most important thing you’re working
Mayor page 7
President
Continued from page 1... opinions in a funny way and just understanding that we may voice our opinions in different ways is important. I mean, it’s a liberal arts school.” Understanding the unique liberal arts mission of Georgia College goes beyond allowing students to voice their opinions and involves creating an environment that fosters critical and analytical thinking while maintaining diverse and harmonious atmosphere. “They got to know who we are and appreciate who we are,” McGill said. “That’s what we’re really looking for. We’re pretty proud of who we are, and I think we’re just going to have to look for someone who can take us to that next level and appreciate the level that we’re already at.”boost morale and show that the president has a real interest in the students.
SGA
Continued from page 6... took office and where does it sit today after being under your control? “When I came here in June for summer classes, I was trying to take care of (SGA’s) 2012 fiscal year budget, and there were some things that I tried to get the grasp of real quick. There were a few screwups every now and then, but once Fall rolled around and I got into the swing of things, that’s when I was just constantly turning wheels, and now it comes second nature to me.” The treasurer is also the chair of the Academic Travel Fund Committee, which provides financial support to students presenting projects or research at an academic conference. How has the ATFC prospered since you took over? “I can say we’ve received an increase in the number of applicants who are ATFC funded. I think the word (is getting out) about Academic Travel Fund’s towards the college and students across the university (and they) are coming to SGA for funding and help. I’m happy that ATFC was able to fund students to a conference in Denver, Co., who brought back national recognitions, and
Aubrie Sofala / Senior Photographer Rally members marched from the Smith House on West Greene Street on April 5 at 6 p.m. to Front Campus during the annual Take Back the Night rally. Students and community members held signs advocating for women’s rights and ended the march on the balcony of Atkinson Hall. Afterwards at 8 p.m., students and community enjoyed a Benefit Concer with Emily Hearn.
WGUR
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since September (of 2011).” WGUR had been working to change their frequency in order to increase their station’s broadcasting range and improve the quality of their broadcasts. WGUR Advisor and Mass Communication Professor Angela Criscoe said the frequency switch involved both WRGC and WGUR stations preventing interference with each other’s broadcasts. “WRGC is the professional station,” Criscoe said. “Their frequency is 88.3.
For sophomore psychology major Kimberly Callahan, this interest would include respecting the student’s viewpoints. “I know Stas got upset about the whole memes thing, and it just seemed a bit much,” Callahan said. “It was a way of voicing our opinions in a funny way and just understanding that we may voice our opinions in different ways is important. I mean, it’s a liberal arts school.” Understanding the unique liberal arts mission of Georgia College goes beyond allowing students to voice their opinions and involves creating an environment that fosters critical and analytical thinking while maintaining diverse and harmonious atmosphere. “They got to know who we are and appreciate who we are,” McGill said. “That’s what we’re really looking for. We’re pretty proud of who we are, and I think we’re just going to have to look for someone who can take us to that next level and appreciate the level that we’re already at.”
these were undergraduates going against graduates and doctorates.” You started as biology major, switched to pre-exercise science, and now you are management. Why did you change majors a few times? “I thought about going to medical school, and I still do. It’s in the back of my mind, but it was a doozy after a while. I guess I can say SGA was more interesting than biology class. Needless to say I lost interest in that major, and I switched to pre–exercise science. Come Fall I was taking anatomy classes, which is definitely one of those classes that I commemorate students that are able to stick it through because they have to dedicate time and effort, and that’s something I was putting towards SGA. I switched to management because it just seemed that it was the most suited for me with all of the other organizations I was in.” You are involved in Theta Chi fraternity, Student Oriented Activities and Resources (SOAR), Thunder Crew, The GIVE Center, and you are a student ambassador. How do you handle all these extracurricular activities along with your role as treasurer? “It’s definitely time manage-
“Being able to allow SGA to continue serveing in the best possible way in my capacity as treasurer.” Sean Espinosa, SGA Treasurer ment, just being able to buckle down and be self-disciplined. I know I did have that problem last semester being able to stay on top of every single thing because it’s never going to be balanced. It’s always going to be a balancing act. One day I’ll just have to focus on things for SGA, just because it has to get done. Then there are days that I have to take time for myself and focus on my academics.” During your time in office, what has been the most rewarding thing that you have accomplished? “Being able to allow SGA to continue serving in the best possible way in my capacity as treasurer. Not just making sure we have funds available to continue our operations but to also help our senators with knowing what the best way to serve our students.”
The problem is that 88.9 and 88.3 were so close that we had to move from Mayfair to boost our [signals].” Interference appears to be a typical problem for the college radio station; broadcast quality remains the best within the bounds of the GC campus, but once outside of a certain range, listeners to WGUR will notice more prominent static and even catch bits from other outlying stations broadcasting in the area. Hopefully improvements will become recognized now that the station’s antennas have moved from Mayfair Hall to the roof of Atkinson Hall. WGUR continues to operate on their standard broadcasting schedule and stream shows from
their website.Professor Angela Criscoe said the frequency switch involved both WRGC and WGUR stations preventing interference with each other’s broadcasts. “WRGC is the professional station,” Criscoe said. “Their frequency is 88.3. The problem is that 88.9 and 88.3 were so close that we had to move from Mayfair to boost our [signals].” Interference appears to be a typical problem for the college radio station; broadcast quality remains the best within the bounds of the GC campus, but once outside of a certain range, listeners to WGUR will notice more prominent static and even catch bits from other outlying stations broadcasting in the area.
April 13, 2012 Library
The Colonnade
sign features a wide-eyed owl with the tagline “I give Continued from page 3... a hoot” and is prominent on T-shirts the LITC gave away to celebrate the week. Galileo and Interlibrary “Maybe it’s because it’s Loan, some students are a committee full of girls, oblivious to services the li- but we really like the owl,” Horne said. “I liked the brary offers. This is what National Li- message behind it, and we brary Week is about, to ac- liked the image.” On Tuesday, there was a quaint students with all of the options the library has Q-and-A with bestselling– and to give away T-shirts. author Robert Venditti in For the first time, the the Museum Education LITC held a logo design Room. “I think it’s important to contest for students. National Library “We started the compe- recognize Week because if we’re not tition to try and give a brand going to toot our own horn, for the year,” Pope said. “So the competition will be who will?” Horne said. “I don’t think it’s a sense of held every year.” Junior mass commu- obligation as much as it’s, nication major Vanessa ‘Oh, let’s do this, and it’ll Whited won this year’s be fun.’” competition. Whited’s de-
Ethics
Continued from page 2...
and responsible to the people; that governmental decisions and policies be made in the proper channels of the governmental structure; and that public office not be used for personal gain.” As Mayor Bentley said, these expectations are inferred, but were never written down. Though the ordinance includes certain ways that employees should behave, there are no concrete consequences for those that act out of line. “That’s a gray-area really. Outside of being convicted of a crime, being removed means that you are requested to leave,” Bentley said. “I don’t like for the government to be serving in a political way. Politics is really power over people and removing that aspect of governing is really the best for everyone.” Chambers pointed out that the document states the city will be setting up a three member-board that will be in
Mayor
“We’re hoping that with Continued from page 6... the large nursing programs at Georgia College and a little help from suron right now? “There is no question rounding programs, it will about it, beyond anything become a very highlyelse, the economy is most respectable research cenimportant,” Bentley said. ter. This facility could be “We have to create an op- a great turnaround for our portunity for people to economy, something that work if we want them to we have been waiting for.” What advice would stay and grow in our comyou give to students? munity.” “I always tell students What do you think to really look for someabout the repurposing of thing they’re passionCentral State Hospital? ate aboutwhether it’s “I’m really hoping that it will become a large re- through churches, through search facility that will clubs, civic services… any employ a large number way that you can go about of people,” Bentley said. serving each other.”
charge of ruling misconduct. The ordinance states “the Board of Ethics of the City shall consist of three residents of the City, one appointed by the mayor, one appointed by the city council and the third appointed by the mayor and approved by a majority of the city council.” Chambers gives an example of how this board will work. “The public could file a claim with the city if they feel like someone, a city councilman for example, violated the code of ethics. This claim would be sent to the city manager, then he decides whether or not to send it to the review board,” Chambers said. “If it makes it to the review board, they then either charge the subject or dismiss them. If charged, the board may give a recommendation to the governing body, in this case city council, to either force or suggest a resignation.” Chamber thinks the code of ethics will benefit the community. “The ordinance really gives us the ability to censor as well as the ability to ask for a resignation, which is helpful in keeping up a certain level of respectable behavior,” Chambers said.
SABC
Continued from page 1 funded at at least the current level because it affects all of the students at Georgia College because Arts Unlimited organizes cultural events on campus and all students are required to attend at least one of these events in their core curriculum. With a decrease in funding, fewer and lower quality performances might occur. As of Wednesday Karanovich says Resident Student Association dropped their request. College Republicans, the philosophy club and Alpha Psi Omega did not meet the requirements. The Department of Theatre was also notified they did not meet the re-
7 Interfaith
Continued from page 5... juice onto the paper tablecloths to symbolize each one. Following the Seder, InterViews Alliance President Troy Henceley invited the 30-something in attendance to visit the buffet catered by Sodexo. After dinner, Henceley introduced Alexandra Garver, who is a part of the Correllian Nativist Tradition, part of the Pagan religion. Garver has been a practicing pagan for 10 years and told the crowd about equinox. Director of Youth at Milledgeville First Methodist Church Sean McConnell spoke to the group about Easter and concluded the presenter portion of the event
quirements. That frees up $17,240 of requests. No matter the RSO, Karanovich says it is important the group directly affects student activities. “It’s incumbent upon SABC to really verify that the money is being used for student activities,” Karanovich said. “It’s the Student Activity Fee, so it needs to be for student activities, and really it’s the opinion of this SABC that we really want to impact student involvement and engagement. So if students directly touch it, then there’s a level of ‘okay, this is worth funding.’ We have a lot to consider when you have various organizations requesting funds that touch students but not directly.” Hearings to discuss funding requests are happening this Friday.
by saying everyone needs to believe in the message of hope and that it is positive when all faiths come together because they all have something to learn from each other. College students in attendance thought it was a worthwhile event. “I thought it was really cool how people could get together and learn because it’s what makes the world go around,” freshman biology major Olivia Mendonca said. The night culminated in finding half a sheet of matzo wrapped in linen that was hidden earlier in the evening; the finder received a prize. Attendees also searched around the atrium of the education building for brightly colored plastic Easter eggs that contained candy and a few gift cards.
By the Numbers: Student Activity Budget Committee
311,742 dollars were requested overall
32,220 dollars were requested by the Student Night Auxiliary Services
25,500 dollars were requested by Arts Unlimited Source: Student Government Association
Opinion
April 13, 2012• Editor-in-Chief, Bobbi Otis
Navigating campus proves difficult
Bobcat Beat Reported by Marilyn Ferrelll
“What do you think about the Board of Regents requesting the presidential search committee to find more candidates for Georgia College?”
Thunder&Lightning by
Zach Keepers
“If you’re coming to tour Georgia College and considering coming here, then we should have a president in place to know there is a good future for our college.” Ben Dolezal, freshman management major “I think that they should use as much time as they need to find a president that is good for our college.” Charlotte Gwynn, freshman undeclared
“I feel like they should extend the search as long as necessary to find the right president.” Michael Sousa, freshman mass communications major
Our Voice GC students need to be informed Recently Milledgeville City Councilman Phillip Joiner, The Union Recorder uncovered, was using his city-issued credit card to cover purchases that seemed like they weren’t for city-related affairs. Upperclassmen will recall Phillip Joiner campaigning on our campus and asking students to register to vote in Milledgeville to ensure his being elected. Elected officials exploiting taxpayers’ dollars is nothing new. But Joiner’s constituents, those students convinced to register to vote for him, deserve to know. And although he
wrote an apology letter to The Union Recorder, where do GC students come in? Joiner was a proponent of allowing more than four students to live in a house together and fought against the legislature that tried to ban it. He has been active in uniting the community and the campus through holiday festivities, Milledgeville Idol and cooperating with the Student Government Association. But Joiner’s raucous behavior tends to get in the way of his appearance of a councilman with the community’s best interest in mind. And this is a shame. He is gregarious and has helped Milledgeville grow, but he is also someone students helped to elect, and he should be embodying that. Lately it has been evident Joiner hasn’t had this goal in mind. This brings the role of both the city and the student to the forefront. Up until a month ago, the city had no policy with councilmen, allowing them to behave as they wished, without consequences. The addition of a code of ethics to the city’s policy demands a more conscious attitude from officials.
But as students who cycle in and out college here, how is it possible to advocate better policies and consistent procedures? Registering to vote in Milledgeville would be the ideal thing to do, but this may not be the option for everyone. And even if a student is registered, it is does not mean they will show up to cast a vote. Local politics can sometimes be a stalemate. As the city council said they had been working on implementing a code of ethics for several years, but there shouldn’t have been a pile up of unruly behavior for it to come into effect. Joiner said his card was to be used as he saw fit, but once all of the charges on his card were uncovered, he paid them back in full. For the remainder of his term in office, less than two years, Joiner should maintain the profile of a councilman invested in his city. Being knowledgeable about everything from politics to shootings and sex offenders are things GC students should be aware of, and not only when they fall into our campus’ perimeter.
Trayvon Martin/ George Zimmerman: Blunder of the season
“I think that after almost a year, we have found three qualified candidates, and we should have chose one of them. The candidates were good enough to make it to this far, so I think they’re good enough to serve our campus.” Logan Murray, freshman physics major “I think it is good because it shows they are really concerned about finding the right person for our college.” Nora Anderson, freshman undeclared
“I feel like it is good because they want to find a good president, but it is bad because our intern president is leaving in June.” Shayna Irvin, freshman undeclared
“I think they should take as much time as they need because this is a process that shouldn’t be rushed.” Toby Harrell, freshman marketing major
The Litter Box Thoughts and Rants of Georgia College
Kyle Shanahan Columnist You are no doubt aware of the Trayvon Martin case. If not, then all you need to know is how big a mess it is: a young, black teenager leaves his gated community, goes to the store for some treats, wanders back through another neighborhood and is then promptly hunted down and shot by a neighborhood watchman for looking suspicious. It plays out like a hate crime so well that there seems to be little chance that watchman George Zimmerman will not become more of a social pariah than he already has. After more than a month of investigation, the public still doesn’t know all the facts about what happened on that night in late February. Most of the story has been pieced together from various witness statements and police reports, but thousands of Facebook activists, social justice-seekers and the African-American community continue to cry for Zimmerman’s blood. Everyone is fully convinced that this was a race-motivated crime, but that’s just the problem. It seems too easy to just up and label this a hate crime. There have to be other reasons behind what happened. Some have come to this realization, of course, while thousands continue to brand Zimmerman as evil incarnate, many more have scoured the Internet for photos and proof that Trayvon was not the innocent little teenager the media have portrayed. Unfortunately, even after finding Trayvon’s trashy Facebook photos and proof of his suspension from school, the masses continue to pity Trayvon as a helpless victim claimed by the forces of hate. So, according the world at large, Trayvon was an innocent
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Anna Morris
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Lauren Davidson Features Editor
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victim. That much is indisputable. But why haven’t the masses bothered to see the situation from Zimmerman’s point of view? With a little research, it would be a relief to learn that Trayvon’s death was a product of irrational thinking and rash actions instead of just racism. Just look back on Zimmerman’s history: he was the only volunteer for neighborhood watch on his block. He put more than 400 calls to police in one year. At the time of the shooting he was almost finished with an associate degree in law enforcement. On top of all that, his constant calls to the cops were posted in local newspapers. If Zimmerman had any prior notoriety, it most likely had to be from wanting to be Batman instead of being intolerant. Personally, I like to think that Zimmerman’s actions occurred because he couldn’t deal with his frustration. Imagine you’re him: you’re convinced that your neighborhood is swarming with criminals who must be stopped. The police refuse to do anything, seeing that you’ve become another annoyance for them. No one is willing to help you, so you decide that from this point forward, you’re going to have to defend everything by yourself; at which point, you notice a suspicious looking character coming down your street, so you grab the weapon closest to you and march out the door, vowing to never again let these hooligans walk through your home territory unchallenged. Don’t get me wrong; Zimmerman is in no way off the hook for murdering a teenager, be it self-defense or otherwise. What we need to do is find the truth, and fast. With Zimmerman still in hiding and racial tensions nearing the point of violence, this case could most likely evolve from an unfortunate criminal proceeding into a full-blown public upheaval.
Steffi Beigh
Community News Editor Special Section Editor
Michael Mertz Business Manager
Macon McGinley Faculty Adviser
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Copyrights All stories and photographs appearing in this issue and previous issues, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted by The Colonnade.
What’s up with all the couples making out on campus? I need to start carrying a water bottle with me so I can spray them whenever it happens. Omg I think I’m pregnant!!!! My roommate is complaining that all her teachers are failing her because they hate her. Reality check, she’s failing because all she does is talk for hours on the phone, go to the tanning bed and get drunk. Its called priorities. it’s a real pain in the ass to drive over an hour every day for classes and not have any parking spots in the commuter areas because people from magnolia or the grove decide to be lazy and drive. Then they close down the centennial parking lot for stupid reasons....not everyone has the leisure to live within walking distance...how about making sure those of us that HAVE TO DRIVE get parking.... This month needs to hurry up and end already!! It’s almost time for sweet summertime.YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!
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Community
April 13, 2012 • Editor, Steffi Beigh
Public Safety Report
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Wallet amiss
March 3 at 9:57 p.m. Officer Tron Smith was dispatched to the intramural fields about a stolen wallet. The woman who called police said she left her wallet on her bag at the intramural fields. When she returned to her bag, her wallet was gone.
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April 1 at 7:55 p.m. Officers Purvis and White reported that a student’s Xbox was stolen at Bell Hall during spring break.
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Hear the report on our podcast channel
Game over
Missing his tail
April 5 at 3:29 p.m. Officer Norris Miller was sent to the Bobcat Village Apartments about a theft. The victim said his left and right tail light lens and right tail light bulb had been stolen.
GCSUnade.com
By The Numbers
*Incident does not appear on map
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Loud driver
March 15 at 2:15 a.m. Officer Floyd Quattlebaum walked up to a car at the intersection of West Hancock and North Wilkinson streets with its windows rolled down. There was loud music coming from the car. The driver was arrested, charged with DUI and playing loud music.
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Marijuana use
DUI
One too many drinks
April 4 at 11:39 p.m. Officers Purvis and White saw a car on North Jefferson Street without a license plate. White stopped the vehicle and smelled alcohol. The man driving smelled like he’d been drinking. He also had bloodshot eyes. The driver had a blood-alcohol level of .126. He was arrested and taken to the Milledgeville Police Department, charged with DUI.*
Classifieds Furniture for sale: Oval kitchen table with four chairs: T V and DV D player:
$75
$125 $40
Call or Text 478-396-7866 Room Available for Sublease for May & June: Rent: $450/month One room available in 2 br/2.5 bath townhouse
Call or Text 478-396-7866 Day Camp Counselor wanted at Crooked Pines Farm Counselors will plan, teach, coordinate, andcarry out activities each day on the farm during the camps. Themes include Farm Animals, Gardening, Horses & Riding, Western Movie, and Wildlife.
Counselors must be willing:
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Information gathered from Public Safety records.
What’s Happening Friday, April 13 All day
GC Student Research Conference Health Sciences (Health Sciences Building)
7:00 p.m.
First Friday Foreign Film: “Incedies” (A&S Audito- rium)
7:30 p.m.
Department Scholarship Concert (Russell Auditorium)
April 13- 19
Greek Week
Saturday, April 14
Standing bathroom cabinet in white:
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Thefts
Five guys high
April 1 at 11:44 p.m. Officer Purvis and Officer Reid White were tipped off about possible “drug activity” on West Montgomery Street. At the front door of a house there they smelled marijuana. Five people there admitted smoking weed. They handed over their stash and paraphernalia.
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Care and handle animals with assistance from the Camp Director Apply basic youth development principles in working with campers through communication, relationship development, and involvement Assure campers are properly supervised at all times and implement safety guidelines. Assist in program areas such as nature, arts and crafts, and assigned camp activities. Be a role model to campers and staff in your attitude and behavior.
Camp dates and more information at http://www.crookedpinesfarm.com/careers.html or contact Duncan Criscoe at info@crookedpinesfarm.com
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Junior Day
9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Buzzy’s Fun Run for Kids (Sinclair Christain Acad- emy Soccer Field)
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Alzheimer’s Tribute Walk (Oconee River Greenway) 12 - 7:00 p.m.
Safe & Healthy Milledgeville Day (Milledgeville Mall)
7 - 9:00 p.m.
5th Annual Poetic Notions Poetry Fest
8 - 9:00 p.m.
The 24 Hours Play (Max Noah Recital Hall)
All day
Big Brothers Big Sisters heart of the Dragon Festival (Lake Tobesofkee Sandy Beach)
All day
COPLAC Southeast Regional Undergraduate Research Conference (Health Sciences Building)
Sunday, April 15 All day - April 20
National Volunteer Appreciation Week
Monday, April 16 11:00 a.m. - May 11
Redefining the Multiple 13 Japanese Printmakers (Museum of Fine Arts)
Tuesday, April 17 7:30 p.m.
Small Ensembles (Max Noah Recital Hall)
Thursday, April 18 10 - 11:00 a.m.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Russell Auditorium)
10 - 11:00 a.m.
All About Us (Goldstein Center)
7 - 8:00 p.m.
Pre-Dental Club Cord Ceremony and Social (Museum Education Room)
NOTE: If you would like to see any events incorporated on the calendar, please send them to colonnadenews@gcsu.edu.
A&E
April 13, 2012• Editor, Lauren Davidson
Art
Senior art exhibits embody natural, domestic theme Lindsay Shoemake Senior Reporter Tennyson Mosher and Courtney Denis, senior art majors, are the creative minds and hands behind two of the upcoming senior art exhibits to be held in Blackbridge Hall Art Gallery from April 16 through April 19. Abstract nature photography is the premise behind Mosher’s final exhibition, while Denis’s exhibit centers on painting and printmaking. Mosher’s interest in nature photography stems back to years ago,
when she received her first digital camera. “Once I got my first digital camera, I got into shooting nature photography,” Mosher said. “I shot with my film camera before that, but it was a lot different being able to see things immediately and get immediate feedback, while also having a lot of manual operation to change the settings on the camera.” Although formal photography courses are offered at Georgia College, Mosher attributes most of her extensive photography experience to
simply reading the instruction manual that came along with her cameras. “I’ve learned a lot on my own,” Mosher said. “I read the entire manual of my first digital camera … and I learned everything about aperture, shutter speed and ISO.” Mosher’s exhibit, “Nature’s Impressions,” evolved organically in August 2011 when the photographer began experimenting with the manual focus on her camera when shooting outdoors. The eclectic and abstract feel of the photos led to further experimentation and, eventually, a exhibit.
“After looking at all of the photos, even the blurry and abstract ones, I actually fell in love with the abstract shots versus the high-detail macro ones,” Mosher said. “The macro ones looked gorgeous, but they looked like everyone else’s. I liked the Impressionistic ones; they were technically out of focus. They looked so cool.” Upon viewing “Nature’s Impressions,” Mosher hopes that exhibit patrons will hold a strong visceral response to the nature-inspired works. “Nature really uplifts me, and I have the most fun being outdoors be-
cause of all the color,” Mosher said. “I want to make visual feasts of color through the exhibit.” Professor of photography, Emily Gomez, agrees that Mosher’s exhibit will play heavily on color and human interpretation. “Viewers will have the opportunity to experience nature the way Tennyson experiences it — as a place of exploration and discovery; of color, light and form,” Gomez said. For Denis, painting and drawing
Senior Exhibits page 12
Spring concert raises funds for music scholarships
Anna Morris / Senior Photographer (Top left) Indie band Young Orchids was the first act to take the stage at Buffington’s. Playing sonds from both their 2011 album and their most recent release, “Knives,” the rock quartet prepared the crowd for a night full of musical entertainment. (Top right) Fontez Brooks, lead singer for Baby Baby, serenades the audience with their “fun rock” tunes. Hailing from Carrollton, Baby Baby has played in Milledgeville before Sounds of the South and promised to bring the same energetic performance as before. (Bottom left) The Delta Saints were one of the last bands to play for the night. With passion fueling every beat, this Southern rock band brought spectators to their feet, bringing life to the Buffington’s floor. Between fierce guitar riffs and heart-pounding drum beats, harmonica player Greg Hommert wowed the crowd with his God-given talent.
New festival rocks ‘n rolls Milledgeville for a night of live music, friends and fun while benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network Anna Morris Senior Reporter Hoping to provide locals an entertaining night and raise money for charity, bands played downtown bars at last week’s Sounds of the South music festival. With electronic beats vibrating the walls of Capital City and shirtless men jamming their way into the hearts of an eager crowd at Velvet Elvis, there was a little bit of everything at the concert crawl. “My favorite part about Sounds of the South was the fact that there were many different types of music within one block of each other,” Tori Maddox, junior kinesiology major and the woman behind Sounds of the South, said. “I feel there was a taste of something for all preferences. You couldn’t really
get bored with any of it.” The diverse group of musicians did not go unnoticed by festivalgoers. “(Sounds of the South) was great. I really enjoyed the different varieties of music,” freshman outdoor education major Johnny Brooks said. “It really highlights how diverse the music scene in Milledgeville is and how great our local bands are.” Falling on the same weekend as Easter, Sounds of the South was in danger of having a small number of attendees. Fortunately, this was not the case. Each bar was filled with students, locals and music-lovers alike. “The turnout for the event was more than I had expected,” Maddox said. “With it being Easter weekend, I thought more students would have gone home. All in all, we had about 800 people confirm the event on Face-
book. But exact numbers, I couldn’t quite tell you.” Moving from bar to bar and taking advantage of the drink specials provided, spectators appeared to thoroughly enjoy Sounds of the South. But they weren’t the only ones who looked like they were having a good time. Bands such as Wowser Bowser made a point to interact with their audience, inviting them on stage and throwing trash bags full of balloons out into the crowd. Baby Baby, a highly energetic, self-proclaimed “fun rock” band brought a lot to the table during their performance at Velvet Elvis. Performing in nothing but Umbro shorts, Baby Baby had the crowd excited by the first beat. The crowd was so pumped up, in fact,
Sounds of the South page 12
Lauren Davidson Senior Reporter
Burt Bacharach, George Gershwin, Frank Ticheli, Kenny Dorham and Daniel E. Gawthrop all have two things in common — they are American composers, and will have their work, along with the work of many other composers, featured in this year’s Department of Music Spring Concert for Scholarships. This year’s concert, “Made in America,” will kick off this Friday, April 13 in Russell Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The Georgia College Wind Symphony, Women’s Ensemble, GC Orchestra, Max Noah Singers, Jazz Band and University Chorus will perform 13 pieces by American composers, ending with a grand finale performance of “America, The Beautiful.” This is the second year that the spring scholarship concert has been held and the first year that a theme has been selected for the concert. Cliff Towner, director of bands, says that the theme of “Made in America” is not intended to focus on patriotic music. “The thought just came to me as I was pondering a way to unite the six participating ensembles under one musical umbrella,” Towner said. “The concert is not intended to focus on patriotic music, though we are closing with ‘America, The Beautiful,’ but to instead focus on music composed by Americans. I feel the audience will enjoy the wide variety of musical styles that are represented on the program, and the finale will inspire that patriotic voice in all of us.” The concert is being held as a fundraiser for incoming student scholarships. The tickets are priced at a flat fee of $10 and all proceeds will go into the department’s scholarship fund. According to Victor Vallo, chair of the Department of Music, they raised approximately $1,000 last year and were able to give about 20 students who auditioned scholarships ranging from $250 to $1,000. Thus far, 45 students have auditioned for the scholarship. Jennifer Flory, director of Choral Activities and chair of the scholarship committee, says that out of the 45 students, 19 students auditioned on Friday, April 6. Flory said that students are judged by the department’s need for the performer’s instrument and the level of performance of the auditionee. “Basically, the scholarship criteria are good performer, and then, I mean if they are an amazing performer, it doesn’t matter whether we need their instrument or their voice part,” Flory said. “But if there may be not the best performer, but say they play oboe or they play bassoon or viola or something like that, and we don’t have that many people that play that instrument then even if they’re not as good as the other performer because we need them we offer them a scholarship.” This Friday’s concert will bring to stage songs such as “The Symphonic Gershwin,” performed by the Wind Symphony, “I Say a Little Prayer,” performed by the Women’s Ensemble and conducted by Angela Marie King, a student conductor, “Lullaby,” played by the GC Orchestra, “Earth Song,” sung by the Max Noah Singers and conducted by students conductor, Erica Wright, “Una Mas,” performed by the Jazz Band and “Sing Me to Heaven,” sung by the University Chorus. Steve Holbert, administrative assistant for the Department of Music, jokingly asked students to come to the concert by saying, “If you love America, come to the concert.”
Creator of ‘The Surrogates’ visits Georgia College Powell Cobb Staff Writer It wasn’t until a friend literally forced Robert Venditti to read a graphic novel when he decided that comics weren’t only “just for kids,” but writing them was a career path he wanted to pursue. The irony still makes him laugh to this day. The irony still makes him laugh. “I always thought comics were beneath me, that they weren’t highbrow enough or something,” Venditti said Tuesday night as he casually stood in front of a small audience inside the Pat Peterson Museum Education Room. Proudly displayed on a table
behind him was a selection of graphic novels he had written and published over the course of his 10-year career. “I actually got started in the industry by working in the mailroom of a comic publisher in Atlanta,” Venditti said. “I volunteered to pack boxes for shipping, and I did that as way to meet people and become familiar with how comics are created.” Sure enough, after handing off an original script he had penned to one of the company’s editors and constantly badgering him to read it, Venditti’s first graphic novel story was published. “I thought that showed some real-
ly solid initiative,” Mason Girard, senior political science major said. “He didn’t pack boxes because he wanted to work in the mailroom, he was in there trying to make connections and get something published.” Curiously titled “The Surrogates,” Venditti’s debut book quickly reached a high level of success and was even adapted into a feature-length film starring Bruce Willis, to which Venditti attributes to an extreme case of luck. “If it wasn’t for the writer’s strike in 2008 and a shortage of scripts floating around Hollywood, ‘The Surrogates’ would never have been
made into a movie,” Venditti said. “It just so happened that Bruce Willis was looking for a sci-fi movie, and he liked the script.” More recently, Venditti has been in charge of writing the graphic novel adaptation of the wildly popular children’s series “Percy Jackson & the Olympians.” With the first graphic novel already published and more on the way, Venditti is enjoying the chance to create comics in a different way than he’s familiar with. “The adaptation process for writing these ‘Percy Jackson’ books is basically to take this 375 page novel and reduce it to 125 pages,” Venditti
Powell Cobb / Staff Photographer Robert Venditti, graphic novelist, thumbs through a copy of his most well know comic, “The Surrogates.”
Graphic novelist page 12
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The Colonnade
April 13, 2012
Golden Dragon Acrobats swing, tumble, fly into GC A Q&A with Patty Digh, writer
Taylor Seay Senior Reporter
In downtown Milledgeville’s Folks Art, author and speaker Patty Digh sat poised to share her life in descriptive, colorful narratives. She had an attentive audience last Friday. With a playful streak of purple in her hair and a tattoo of her own handwriting inked on her forearm, the mother of two is as unconventional as it gets. Digh, the author of six books, saw her life change after she began writing a blog called “37 Days,” which chronicles her life and encourages readers to “live like you’re dying — because you are.” Q: How did your blog begin? A: “37 Days” was my attempt to write stories for my kids so they would know me as a person, not just a mom. A place for me every week to post a story. After reading my blog for a while, publishers contacted me to publish a book of my stories. Q: Was writing “The Geography of Loss” difficult? A: It’s more difficult to write stories to figure out things for yourself. It’s also difficult because grief and loss are so personal and everyone handles those things differently. Q: What is your writing process like? A: First, you have to get past having the perfect conditions for writing, because there are no perfect conditions for writing. I write by hand and also by keyboard. I am a big fan of fountain pens. I’ve even written on planes and in cars
before. Once I laid out index cards in a hotel room and wrote on them. I also went on a road trip to finish a book, and I wrote it in the back of the car. Q: What advice would you give to budding writers who would like to share their lives through writing? A: I’m teaching an online writing class right now, and the premise behind it is “to be a writer you have to write.” I think the best advice would be to sit down and write. Make it a daily practice. Set yourself up for success by saying, “I’ll write for five minutes” or “I’ll write for 10 minutes,” but make it consistent over a long period of time, as opposed to saying “I’m going to sit down and hour a day.” I think the other is to figure things out through writing rather than sitting around thinking about the things you want to say. I think a lot of writers wait until they know what they want to say, but knowing what you want to say only comes by writing. What you want to say will come out by physically writing it.
For more information on Digh’s published works, personal thoughts and life advice, visit the author’s official site at 37days.com.
By Lindsay Shoemake
Check out
GCSUnade com for a Q&A with one of the cast members of “American Reunion.”
Courtesy of Universal Pictures
High-school hijinx continue into adulthood as “American” friends gather for laughs and lots of booze Nick Widener Reviewer “American Reunion” blends nostalgia and dirty humor, reuniting us with a cast of characters that helped define high school humor over the last decade. The once troubled youth are now in their thirties and are plagued with similar problems they faced in their high school days. Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle, (Alyson Hannigan) are still married but coping with intimate problems. Oz (Chris Klein) is a sports reporter discontent with his buxom, blonde girlfriend. Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is an alleged world traveller but still looking for love. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is a stay-at-home cook wondering if he has found contentment. And Stifler (Seann William Scott) is an intern at a law firm. Since we haven’t seen an “American” movie with the original cast since 2003, there are plenty Facebook and
technology jokes to make, as if the characters were waiting a decade to make them. But playing catch-up is only a small piece of the film because jokes about genitalia are timeless, of which, Stifler has plenty. Seann William Scott is indubitably the film’s biggest asset. Arguably he plays similar roles in all of his films, but this doesn’t take away from his original craft as the notorious high school dick. The remaining cast members try to conform to their archetypes, but ultimately realize they’re not in high school anymore. Based on a script by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg (“Harold & Kumar” series), the team does a splendid job of not making “Reunion” feel like a shameless money grab and more so a genuine cause to bring these characters back together. The real reunion only occupies several minutes of the film, as it is the hijinx surrounding the reunion week-
end that garner the laughs. Some of the melodrama feels a bit out of place, but some of it resonates as hopelessness still enshrouding their postcollege lives. This is why “Reunion” succeeds where a lot of other reunion films fail. It’s unafraid to highlight the grim reality the class of 1999 faces – and then mock it. While there is no pie humping in the movie, there still are MILFs and high school girls, and Jim’s dad (Eugene Levy) and Stifler’s Mom (Jennifer Coolidge). It’s a shame “Reunion” doesn’t rise to higher standards. But as Heather (Mena Suvari) says to Oz, “In some ways you’ve changed, and in some ways you’re exactly the same.” This is an accurate description of the formulaic curse of the sequel, where only what needs to be changed is changed.
GRADE: C
The Golden Dragon Acrobats presented Georgia College with the best of a time-honored tradition on April 5 in Russell Auditorium. The Town & Gown Arts event featured world-renowned producer Danny Chang and choreographer Angela Chang, who combine award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, elaborate costumes, ancient and contemporary music, and theatrical techniques to present a show of skill and beauty. The acrobats performed 10 acts, all of which showed skills of balance, strength, flexibility and coordination. The acrobats opened the show with a performance called the “Thousand Hand Dance,” where six female acrobats were dressed in spectacular costumes with headdresses and elaborate accessories. The second act was one of the most impressive of the entire show. This act included one female acrobat contorting her body in various ways while balancing up to five objects containing water; one object was balanced on her head, one in each hand, and one on each foot. Another impressive act, which was performed late in the show, featured a male acrobat stacking and balancing multiple chairs on top of one another. The chair statue almost reached the tall ceiling of Russell Auditorium. Nate Hinkle, a senior mass communication major, said the acrobats put on a really great show. “I was happy that they brought multiculturalism to Georgia College,” Hinkle said. The acrobatic performance not only featured impressive balance and strength, but also entertained spectators with traditional Chinese music and colorful lights. The Golden Dragon Acrobats are recognized throughout the United States and abroad as the premiere Chinese acrobatic touring company. The Golden Dragon Acrobats have per-
Sounds of the South Continued from page 11
that a rather peculiar spectator decided to join in on the fun. “It was fun, especially the shirtless guy that kept popping up everywhere,” Grant Wallace, drummer for Baby Baby exclaimed. “He was throwing down nonstop.” Other crowd favorites included indie-rock band Young Orchids and rock-country outfit Saint Francis. “Young Orchids was a band I had only heard a song or two from,” Ansley Burgamy, junior mass communication major, said. “They were surprisingly really great. They had an unusual sound that really came alive during a live show.” Even though there is one thing Maddox
Graphic Novelist Continued from page 11
said as he flipped through the graphic novel, holding certain pages open for the audience to see. “Now, that sounds like a lot of work, but what I realized is that four or five pages of description in the original book can be rendered in one page of illustration in the graphic novel.” TJ Cornay, a junior economics major and longtime comic book fan, attended the graphic novelist’s talk and said he really enjoyed learning about Venditti’s process of making his comics. “It was really cool hearing about his creative process and how he’s able to make these novels work in a comic book format,” Cornay said. But taking descriptions and dialogue from the novel and creating scripts is only half of the
Senior Exhibits
Continued from page 11 came naturally at a young age, and the artist has diligently honed her craft ever since by relying on art as a cathartic outlet. “My fine motor skills such as holding a pencil or crayon ‘properly’ came very naturally to me at an early age of two,” Denis said. “Art is far more than something I am interested in; it is something that I need in order to completing communicate things I am unable to verbally.” Denis’s exhibit, “Domestic Bliss” is a critical commentary on American middle-class suburbia and portrays the stark reality and danger of attempting to “keep up with the Joneses.” “My show highlights how conformity causes
formed twice at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for a six-week engagement at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. Allied Arts and the GC Arts Unlimited Committee sponsored the Town & Gown event. “Town & Gown is a series in which the university and Allied Arts make money available, and that way we can bring more expensive acts to campus than we could otherwise bring individually,” Peter Carriere, chair of the Arts Unlimited Committee and professor of English, said. Allied Arts and the Arts Unlimited Committee learned about the Golden Dragon Acrobats through the Performing Arts Exchange annual conference. “When you go to one of those conferences, it’s kind of neat because these people put on their act for you while you are there,” Carriere said. Town & Gown has not calculated all of the costs at this time, but $13,500 was set aside for planning and $2,000 was set aside for production. Airfare and lodging was not included in these estimates. Tickets were sold throughout the community. Ticket costs were $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and GC students were admitted free of charge with their Bobcat Card. Allied Arts and the Arts Unlimited Committee are still reconciling the information, but they calculated between 400 and 450 people attended the performance. Ticket prices were set accordingly to offset the cost of the acrobats coming to Milledgeville. The performance was a success and Liz Havey, study abroad advisor, was amazed at the acrobats and dancers, and the way they contorted their bodies and balanced objects. “It was one of the best outside performances that I’ve seen at Georgia College in my seven years of being here,” Havey said.
wished would have been different, Sounds of the South was still well-received, and she would like to bring the festival back to Milledgeville next year. “If I could do it all over again, I would have started getting sponsors a little earlier than I did,” Maddox stated. “ ... Next time I would like to break even with sponsorship money so wristband sales are all proceeds. … I definitely want this festival to happen again. It is something I want to do with my life, and it was such a learning experience.”
“It was fun, especially the shirtless guy that kept popping up everywhere.” Grant Wallace, drummer for Baby Baby creative process. An artist has to be assigned to illustrate the comic and bring the story to life. Typically, Venditti gets to choose the artist he would like to illustrate his own work, but it wasn’t his decision with “Percy Jackson.” Even still, the collaboration process and seeing art roll in is one of the most rewarding parts of his job. It’s really exciting to see the story come to life through the illustrations,” Venditti said. On a usual work day, Venditti likes to write between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Some days, however, he just can’t get into the mood to write, so he makes an effort to get out and experience things that can help spur his creativity. According to Venditti, your thoughts, impressions and experiences are what make your work different from someone else’s. “All writing is inherently biographical,”
conflict,” Denis said. “Throughout my work there are also themes that include facades of the household, questioning identity, family roles and public versus private space.” Although “Domestic Bliss” is an artistic interpretation of dark and weighty themes, brushstrokes of humor and sarcasm are also dispersed throughout Denis’s works. “The area I grew up in, East Cobb, as well as the many years nannying various families inspired my show,” Denis said. “The outside of the house might be perfect, but the inside tells another story.” “Nature’s Impressions” and “Domestic Bliss” will both open on Monday, April 16 in Blackbridge Hall Art Gallery, with the artists giving their oral defenses at 12:30 p.m. The opening reception for the exhibits will begin at 5 p.m.
Leisure
April 13, 2012 • Editor, Anna Morris
‘The Hunger Games’ satiates Constantina Kokenes Reviewer It’s not often that a movie based on a book captures the true essence of the original work, but “The Hunger Games” does. “The Hunger Games” is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who is fighting for her life in the annual Hunger Games. In this post-apocalyptic world, two tributes — one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18 — from each of the 12 districts are chosen to fight in an arena until there is a sole victor. Each tribute is accompanied by a mentor from their district — someone who has once been a Hunger Games victor in the past — who gives them advice on how to win the Games. Katniss’ mentor, Haymitch, aides her before and during the games, but his help can only do so much; it’s up to her to win. There are obvious differences between the movie and the book, and fortunately, the filmmakers don’t completely tarnish the book, as most book-to-film adaptations seem to do. In the book, Haymitch, Katniss’ mentor, is the stereotypical drunk and is not as lovable and sober as Woody Harrelson portrays him in the movie. Harrelson’s portrayal depicts a mentor who quickly cleans up from his booze-fest and is nice to his tributes, especially Katniss. Throughout the book, Haymitch and Katniss’ relationship is strained, at best, and they resent one another’s basic existence. In keeping with the movie, he does believe in the strength she has in order to win the Games, quite possibly because she is as bitter about life as he is. The second difference between the book and the movie is Caesar Flickerman’s extended role. Throughout the course of the book, he’s only a talk-show host and nothing more. In the film he’s also a spectator for the viewers at home. Although this difference is huge for fans of the book, it’s nonetheless crucial to the movie. Because of his explanations, viewers who haven’t read the book are able to understand important elements of the Games, such as what “tracker jackers” are and what the fired cannons signal. Without these explanations, the viewers would be lost in the story. But these explanations don’t seem to cover things as thoroughly as one would hope; many who have viewed the film but have not read the book were left confused about certain elements.
“The announcers did an okay job of explaining without going into detail,” senior mass communication major Sean Michael Noah said. “I would have liked the detail because I was really interested in the world that the story took place in.” The third new element added to the story is the behind-the-scenes look of the Hunger Games. During the Games, there are reoccurring scenes of Seneca Crane and his Gamemakers. These scenes are not shown in the book, yet I believe they provide great insight into how the Games are made and how cruel the people behind the Hunger Games really are. It also helps show the manipulation of the Games and how the tributes are merely pawns to the Capitol. Although there were significant differences between the book and the movie, the movie has been generally well received by those who have encountered both. “I thought that the movie closely portrayed the book, even though there were a few sections that were either left out or not emphasized as much compared to the book,” sophomore marketing major Meredith Briscoe said. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as Katniss Everdeen was exquisite. She brought to life the protective nature of Katniss over her younger sister, Prim, and effortlessly seemed to build up the wall Katniss has around her. She captures the trauma and turmoil of seeing the bloodbath that occurs during the Games and helps viewers have a better understanding of her actions. Josh Hutcherson’s portrayal of Peeta Mellark was also well done. He truly captured the kind-hearted and selfless persona that is Peeta. The movie, while intense, does not completely capture the violent nature and darkness of the books. The violence was toned down by a landslide, although I speculate that the reason for that was to keep the PG13 rating. The shaky camera work made it hard to understand what was going on. At times, the shakiness worked for the film; for example, it worked when the audience gets to see Katniss running through the woods through her point of view. But for a majority of the time, I found myself struggling to focus on the screen. Overall, “The Hunger Games” is definitely a book to be read and a film to be seen. No matter which you choose — one or both — you will ultimately be pleased with your experience.
Sudoku
Solutions from 3/16/12
Food Network is known for shows such as “Cupcake Wars” and “Iron Chef.” Here at The Colonnade, we decided to bring a little bit of Food Network to the paper by doing a Colonnade-style spinoff of the show “Chopped.” Two students will be given five secret ingredients and only 30 minutes to make a dish that will wow the judge. I, Anna Morris, will judge these dishes based on taste, creativity and presentation. The winner will move on to the next round, and the loser gets “sliced and diced.”
Secret ingredients: oranges, crackers, cream cheese, brown sugar, coconut
Coco Esser’s “Something Delicious”
Jennifer Clark’s “Inverted Orange Tart”
Crossword
Sports
April 13, 2012 • Editor, Sam Hunt
Collegiate
Tennis teams slaughter Saints
The Side Line
Month in Review Kevin Hall Sports Columnist
Jen Hoffman / Staff Photographer Junior Kayla Barksdale swept her North Georiga opponent 6-0, 6-0 on Monday’s match in the No. 3 singles slot. Barksdale also paired up with junior Lisa SeytonOrtenzio to form the No. 1 doubles team for GC and defeated thier opponents 9-8.
Jen Hoffman / Staff Photographer Junior Johan Wadstein prepares to serve in the Bobcats’ match against North Georgia on Monday. Wadstein won his No. 2 singles match 6-3, 6-2 and his No. 1 doubles match with senior Jerome Leborgne 8-3 in their eight-game pro set. The men took an 8-1 win overall.
Georgia College men’s and women’s teams defeat North Georgia in home match Noelle Brooks Staff Reporter With only two games left in the Peach Belt Conference season, Georgia College’s tennis teams garnered a victory against North Georgia College & State University, the men snagging an 8-1 win and the women taking a 7-2 victory. At No. 29 in the state, the Bobcat men’s tennis team took down No. 25 North Georgia in a win that Coach Steve Barsby feels was much needed. “This was probably the most com-
plete performance of the year,” Barsby said. “We have been working hard on consistency…they played real solid and I was really happy.” Seniors Jerome LebMen’s orgne and Leo Barnades earned four victoGC 8 ries for the Bobcats, NG 1 both players winning their singles’ and doubles’ matches. Leborgne partnered with Junior Johan Wadstein for the No. 1 doubles pair and defeated their North Georgia opponents 8-3 in the eight game pro-
set. “It was probably one of our best matches this season,” Wadstein said. “All of us were playing really well and fought extra hard for Women’s these guys who have been here three, four GC 7 years.” NG 2 Bernardes and junior Wictor Andersson secured the second doubles win for GC in the No. 3 spot, dropping only one game to their opponents to take an 8-1 win. Leborgne set the pace for the GC
men when he took the No. 1 singles spot win 6-2, 6-4. Wadstein claimed a winning score of 6-2, 6-3 in the No. 2 singles slot against North Georgia’s Mateus Camasmie. Bernardes claimed the No. 3 singles slot victory for the Bobcats. After dropping the first set 6-0, Bernardes came back and took the next two sets from his opponent 6-0, 6-4 to secure the win. The women’s team earned a solid
Tennis page 17
Collegiate
Golf grabs third at PBC Championships Sam Hunt Senior Reporter The 21st-ranked Georgia College golf team took third place at the 2012 Peach Belt Conference Championships. The Tuesday tournament at Pine Mountain on the Callaway Gardens course was hosted by Columbus State University. The PBC Championships consisted of three rounds; rounds one and two were played Monday while round three was finished out on Tuesday. Eleven teams competed. The Bobcats shot an overall team score of 293 in Monday’s first round and in rounds two and three shot 291 for an overall team score of 875 to place third in the Championships behind UNC Pembroke and USC Aiken. GC finished three strokes behind UNC Pembroke and USC Aiken and finished seven strokes ahead of tournament host Columbus State, who finished with an overall team score of 882.
The Short Stop
Leading the pack for the Bobcats was freshman Ryan Trocchio who finished ninth individually, who was awarded Freshman of the Year by the PBC. Trocchio carded a pair of 71s in the first two rounds and on Tuesday he closed out his final round with a 77 for a three-over par score of 219. Finishing two spots behind Trocchio was fellow Bobcat junior Patrick Garrett who shot a 76 in Monday’s first round. Garrett then shot a pair of 72s in rounds two and three to take an 11th place finish with four-over par score of 220. Following Garrett were sophomore Victor Monte and freshman David Sullivan who both tied for 21st place. Monte started off the tournament with an 81 in round one then improved his play and shot a 73 in round two. In round three, Monte continued to lower his score and shot a 71 for a nine-over par score. Sullivan shot 74 in the first round and a 75 in Monday’s second
Golf Season Recap Tournament Title:
Place:
Matlock Invitational
12th of 15
Armstrong Pirate Invitational
1st of 13
Southeastern Intercollegiate
9th of 14
Bobcat Intercollegiate
10th of 17
Bearcat Invitational
2nd of 17
PBC Championships
3rd of 11
Golf page 17
Upcoming Games Softball:
April 13 @ GC v. Lander @ 3 p.m. April 13 @ GC v. Lander @ 5 p.m.
Baseball:
April 14 GC @ Augusta State @ 1 p.m. April 14 GC @ Augusta State @ 4 p.m. April 15 GC @ Augusta State @ 1 p.m.
Quote of the Week “Our approach to these games was to just come out playing our own game and not to worry about thier record. We just wanted to play solid ball and the rest would all handle itself.” — Junior shortstop Natalie Bellantoni about the softball team’s away doubleheader to North Georgia College & State University on Tuesday. The Bobcats lost 2-1 in game one and 9-1 in game two to the Saints.
The paper has been on hiatus for almost a month, but the sports world stayed busy while we were gone. Here’s a recap: ·The developing saga of the New Orleans Saints and their bounty program seems to finally be settled. Commissioner Roger Goodell has upheld all of the suspensions of Saints coach Sean Payton as well as general manager Mickey Loomis. On top of that, former defensive coordinator Greg Williams has been suspended indefinitely and is looking at a possible lifetime ban from the league. ·The big-league baseball season started, and our hometown Atlanta Braves begun the season where they left off last year…with no offense. Going into Wednesday’s game with the Astros, the Braves have the 25th-worst batting average in baseball with a staggering .194. Hopefully the return of Chipper, who hit a homerun in his first game back, will give the offense a much needed spark. ·Teams in both the NBA have started their respective playoff pushes. The most intriguing matchups in the NBA are a possible finals meeting between the Thunder and Heat, who played in an atmosphere similar to that of Game 7 in the Finals on April 4, where the Heat won 98-93. That win for the Heat avenged a loss at the hands of the very same Thunder team who dominated them in Oklahoma City March 25 by a score of 103-87. We also have a possible first round matchup between the Bulls and Knicks who played a simply magical game in Madison Square Garden on April 8 where Carmelo Anthony hit a 3 in the waning seconds of regulation to tie the game and again in the final second of overtime to give the Knicks a 100-99 victory in Derrick Rose’s return to the Bulls lineup after missing 12 straight games due to injury. The Bulls avenged their loss as well by beating the Knicks just two nights later in Chicago 98-86 sans Rose who sat out the game because of injury. ·And of course I cannot miss the opportunity to talk about another unforgettable Sunday at Augusta National. While the finish was one for the ages, one thing that was kind of glossed over was Bo Van Pelt shooting an eight under par 64, to tie the best final round ever at The Masters. Unfortunately he finished 9 strokes back of the leaders. The winner of the 78th Masters was University of Georgia grad Bubba Watson who defeated Louis Oosthuizen in the second sudden death playoff hole to capture his first ever Green Jacket. Most years around these parts, it is all about Saturdays in the fall Between the Hedges, but this year it was great to be a Georgia Bulldog on a magical Sunday in the spring on the tenth green at Augusta National.
Notable Stat
23
The number of games the GC softball team has won this season. With four games left in the regular season, the Bobcats currently have an overall record of 23-21.
April 13, 2012 Collegiate
The Colonnade Collegiate
15
Bobcats crush ‘Canes, Softball falls to Saints devour West Georgia in away doubleheader Baseball defeats Georgia Southwestern in away series 2-1, takes 10-7 victory over West Geogia Bobbi Otis Senior Reporter The Georgia College baseball team beat West Georgia 10-7 Wednesday. The Bobcats took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and led 7-0 after a six-hit second inning. Momentum slowed in the third for the visiting Bobcats as West Georgia scored its first run when senior catcher Andy Marinelli singled to right field to make it 7-1. In the top of the fourth, GC’s junior infielder Jeremy Donaldson scored on an error. The Wolves scored again in the fifth, 8-2. The sixth inning was good for GC junior centerfielder/first baseman Cody Maas, who knocked in two runs to round out the scoring
for GC. West Georgia battled back and added five runs, but it was not enough to beat the Bobcats. The baseball team faced Peach Belt Conference opponent Georgia Southwestern in a three-game road series, winning two of three games April 6-7. On Friday night, the Bobcats smashed the Hurricanes 10-2. Georgia Southwestern was held to no runs until the bottom of the eighth inning, when it scored its only two runs of the game with a pair of hits. Maas scored three runs. On GC defense, junior righty Darin Wiltgen
Baseball page 17
Jen Hoffman / Staff Photographer taken Feb. 15, 2012 Junior outfielder Heine Rivera three at-bats in the Bobcats’s game against West Georgia. He hit a single through the left side in the top of the second inning resulting in an RBI and scored later in the second.
Matt LaMothe Staff Writer
two hits for the Bobcats. After falling just short of the Saints by one run, the Bobcats looked to stay up and fire on all cylinders for game two. Senior right-handed pitcher Haley Burnett was on the bump for the Bobcats during the second matchup. “After the close lose, we
were definitely ready to come out and get the hits and runs for the second game,” Burnett said. “I thought we had a good first inning in game two as well.” Sophomore outfielder Whitney Okvist started off
The Georgia College softball team was on the road Tuesday at North Georgia College & State University and lost a doubleheader to the Saints 2-1 and 9-1. The first game was a pitchSoftball page 17 ing duel by senior right-handed pitcher Sabrina Chandler, but unfortunately she was on the losing end of this duel. Chandler went six strong innings while only allowing a pair of runs on six hits, a walk and a strikeout for the Bobcats. The Saints were first to take the lead in the third inning when a single down the right field line resulted in an RBI, giving North Georgia a 1-0 lead. “Our approach coming into these games was to just come out playing our own game and not to worry about their record,” junior shortstop Natalie Bellantoni said. “We just wanted to play solid ball and the rest would all handle itself.” Kelsea Martin had the only RBI for the Bobcats on a triple in the top of the fourth inning, plating senior first baseman/ pitcher Haley Burnett, and tying the game 1-1. North Georgia reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth when a single hit through the right side resulted in an RBI, giving the Saints a 2-1 lead. The Bobcats were unable to tie the game and the Saints took the first game of the doubleheader. In game one, freshman utility player Kristen Kendyl Wade / Senior Photographer taken March 7, 2012 Humphries and freshman in- Freshman pitcher Erica Bell pitched two innings in the Bobcats second fielder Frankie Walls each had game of their doubleheader against North Georgia, which GC lost 9-1.
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RecSports preps for Greek games Morgan Wilson Staff Reporter The Spring intramurals season ended April 12. While winding down their last few games of the regular season, RecSports is also putting on Greek Week events. “We try to manage Greek Week along with intramurals,” Coordinator of Recreational Sports Bert Rosenberger said. “(The last week) is the most intense week of intramurals. It can be pretty challenging.” Even though the Spring sports flag football, indoor soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball and ultimate ended Thursday, RecSports doesn’t get a break just yet. Ultimate Frisbee ended the season Thursday night as “Sky Guys Edited” and “Destructo Discs” battled it out in the last game. But RecSports is far from being finished working. They have been working with the Assistant Director of Greek Week, Reese Cohn, in order to put on the Greek Week events. “I think it’s awesome that the intramurals department is helping out with Greek Week,” junior nursing major Stephanie Hedlund said. “RecSports does a great job with intramurals, so I’m sure they will make Greek Week memorable for everyone involved.” Greek Week, which is one of the largest student run events on campus, starts Friday, Feb. 13. It is a chance for all of the different Greek organizations to compete against each oth-
er in a friendly rivalry. Greek Week starts off with softball, which along with many other sports, is managed by the intramurals department. Softball is followed by flag football on Saturday, and tug-of-war and the Greek Show on Sunday, which ends the weekend for the Greeks. “It can get kind of competitive,” junior Kappa Delta Mary Barnett said. “But it’s mostly just fun. Some people take it more seriously than others, but at the end of the day we are all still having a great time.” According to Rosenberger, while it’s meant to be fun, it can also get really intense. Depending on the event, certain sororities and fraternities sometimes train for months in order to win. He knows several sorority girls who have been training for Greek Week since the beginning of the semester. “I really love Greek Week,” junior Delta Zeta Jacki Artis said. “It’s a fun way to bring everyone together, and we have a great time.” RecSports continues to be involved on and off throughout the entire week. Greek Week continues with family feud on Monday, basketball on Tuesday, volleyball and swimming on Wednesday and canserve-a-thon and warrior dash on Thursday. The events are followed by an awards ceremony where the winning teams are awarded. All the proceeds from Greek Week are donated to a designated community service organization.
The Colonnade Club
April 13, 2012
Fishing team nets big catch at Lake Lanier
Greek Week Calendar of Events Friday, April 13: Softball Saturday, April 14: Flag Football, Tug-of-War Sunday, April 15:
Greek Show
Monday, April 16: Family Feud Tuesday, April 17: Basketball Wednesday, April 18: Volleyball, Swimming Thursday, April 19: Can-Serve-a-Thon, Warrior Dash, Awards
Courtesy of Paige Ellington Freshman Robbie Caron (left) and junior Clayton Faircloth (right) with the spotted bass they caught at Lake Lanier in the Georgia Southern Collegiate Bass Fishing series this past weekend where GC took first place in the tournament with a score of 30.68.
Fishing crew of 14 members snags title at Georgia Southern Collegiate Bass Fishing Series at Lake Lanier last weekend Alan Martin Contributing Writer The Georgia College fishing team recently reeled in first place at the Georgia Southern Collegiate Bass Fishing Series at Lake Lanier. GC completed the tournament with a score of 30.68, which is the combined weight of fish caught by the top two GC squads. GC also caught the second-biggest fish, a 4.74 pound spotted bass. Grant Kelly is a junior pre-engineering major and the president of the team, which is about halfway through its season. “We usually have a lot more fishing tournaments in the Fall semester, but this year the Spring is loaded with them,” Kelly said. “It almost seems as if we have a tournament every weekend, hopefully we will continue to finish strong.” At Lake Lanier, junior Clayton Faircloth of GC took the individual first place finish. His big catches helped GC take first and have helped set the pace for this year’s team. He doesn’t attribute his big performance to luck, but Faircloth admits that he and fishing partner freshman environmental science major Robbie Caron were using a different of style of play than what they practiced with. “It turned out to be a great day of fishing, sharing the boat with Robbie went well because we have similar fishing styles,” Faircloth said. “This is actually my first semester here, and I have really enjoyed fishing with the team and getting better at the sport.” Faircloth is one of many students at GC involved with the team and plans on staying with the club until he graduates. Jared Hendrix a junior environmental sci-
ence major has been involved with the fishing team for around two years now. Hendrix says that living in a house with Kelly has really caused him to fish more and that he is motivated because a large portion of conversation he has with his roommates is about fishing in general. “It’s exciting to see how new guys have come on the team and stepped up,” Hendrix said. “It’s really cool to see consistency with our team and it is really getting me excited about next year and all the new guys we have coming.” Although the results for schools rankings for Nationals this season have not been released yet, the GC fishing team began the season ranked ninth in the nation out of over 300 schools. The GC fishing team has had plenty of new guys this semester join the team which could benefit the club for the level of competition next school year. The GC fishing team currently has 14 members. One of the newly joined members is freshman environmental science major Robbie Caron, who partnered with Faircloth during the Moonshine Run Tournament two weekends ago. “The two practices before the tournament we were able to catch a little bit of fish, but we were quick to move on to different areas,” Caron said. “At the actual tournament we were really doing a good job of honing in on certain spots and taking advantage of the bass that kept popping up.” The Georgia College fishing team’s competition will be this weekend at the Chattahoochee Shootout on Lake West Point and will also be hosted by the Georgia Southern Collegiate Bass Fishing Series.
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April 13, 2012
The Colonnade Golf
Softball
round. On Tuesday, Sullivan carded a 76 to tie his classmate and to take an overall score of 225. Bringing up the rear for the Bobcats and finishing one stroke behind Monte and Sullivan was junior Taylor Smith, who shot 72 in the Championships’ opening round. Smith shot a 82 and a 72 in rounds two and three for 10-over par score of 226 and a 27th place finish. The PBC Championship title went to both UNC Pembroke and USC Aiken, who both tied for first place. UNC Pembroke led at the end of round one, shooting an overall team score of 288 while USC Aiken trailed at 295. USC Aiken came back and outplayed USC Aiken in round two, shooting a 287 over UNC Pembroke’s round two score of 291. In the final round on Tuesday, USC Aiken outplayed UNC Pembroke shooting a 290 while UNC Pembroke shot a 293, tying the two schools at eight-over par with overall team scores of 872. The individual winner of the PBC Championships was Joel Dahlenburg of Flagler College, who also was an individual medalist in 2011. Dahlenburg shot a 73 in round one and a 67 in round two. In Tuesday’s solo round, he shot another 73 to snag a three-under par score of 213. With just two tournaments remaining in the Spring season, the GC golf team will be on the road May 7 to Hickory, N.C. to compete in the South/Southeast SuperRegional. On May 14-17, the Bobcats will compete in the last Spring season tournament, the NCAA Championships held in Louisville, Ky, at the 2012 Spring Sports Festival.
game two with a leadoff double in the top of the first inning, and then went on to score after an RBI single by hit by junior utility player Michel’le Hull, giving GC a 1-0 lead. After going hitless in the first game of the doubleheader, Okvist looked to dig deep to come back strong for her team. “I just went over my previous at-bats and figured out what I needed to do differently to change it and be successful,” said Okvist. Okvist went 3-for-3 in game two for the Bobcats, and also added a stolen base to the stat sheet. She extended her single season stolen base record to 50 on Tuesday. “When I was about to steal, I just told myself I needed to do whatever I could to get around
Continued from page 14
Jen Hoffman/ Staff Photographer Senior Jerome Leborgne (left) and junior Johan Wadstein (right) combined forces on Monday to form the No. 1 slot doubles team against North Georgia and defeated thier opponents 8-3.
7-2 victory against the Saints, earning the top three spots in doubles. “We played well in doubles,” Barsby said. “We always wanted to get 3-0 and we did.” In a close 9-8 victory, Junior Kayla Barksdale and Lisa Setyon-Ortenzio secured the top spot in doubles despite both battling with injuries. “It was hard and I was trying to win faster,” Seyton-Ortenzio said. “I just kept thinking if I could play through the pain then we can win.” Freshman Leah Pridegon and junior May Johnson earned the No. 2 doubles slot for GC with an 8-3 victory. Sophomore Ivana Marevic and junior Michelle Lingner joined forces to create the No. 3
doubles pair shutout North Georgia’s Maria Casseres and Nela Handac for an 8-0 win. This was Lingner and Marevic’s first time playing together. “I felt we came out with a lot of energy,” Lingner said. “We didn’t let up the whole way through and it was a really fun match.” In the No.1 singles slot, Johnson earned a 6-1, 6-0 victory that secured the Bobcats’ win over North Georgia followed by Marevic’s defeat of the Saints’ Juliana Chiang, 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 2 singles slot. Barksdale closed out the top-three singles with her 6-0, 6-0 victory, boosting her singles record to 15-4, the top of the team. Pridegon also improved her statistics by earning the fourth singles spot with a 6-2, 6-2 victory, making
this her 10th singles win this year. The GC men’s and women’s teams are on the road Friday to face Augusta State University. “If we can win both of these weekends on both sides that will set us up real nice for nationals,” Barsby said. “But it’s up to us… if we do well we may get a decent spot in the conference which could lead to a spot in the nationals. If we don’t, well, we may not.”
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GCSUnade com for more information about the Bobcat tennis teams’ Monday victoriew
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Baseball
Continued from page 15 pitched eight innings, allowing two runs and striking out four. On Saturday, the Bobcats dropped their first contest of the day’s doubleheader 2-1. Georgia College did not score until the fourth inning and was held scoreless the rest of the game. Georgia College bounced back in the day’s second game, eventually winning 3-1. Junior right-handed pitcher Matt LaMothe took the mound for his first Georgia College start. LaMothe hurled five shutout innings, striking out three, allowing no walks and scattering eight hits. “It meant a lot,” LaMothe said. “I’ve been a starter my whole life, so I was excited to finally get back into that role.” The Bobcats plated their first run in the fifth inning and followed up in the sixth inning with two more. Southwestern didn’t get on the board until the ninth inning. Donaldson attributes the wins to strong offense and hot bats. “We’re just getting timely hits right now and pitches when
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the tag and throw,” said Okvist. “I just put my head down and ran as fast as I could until finally getting around the tag.” Burnett hit some trouble by allowing three runs in 1 1/3 innings of work. Freshman reliever Erica Bell came in after but allowed four earned in 2 1/3 innings. The Bobcats went on to fall 9-1 to the Saints in a shortened five inning contest. GC had a doubleheader scheduled last Thursday against Columbus State University Cougars, but due to incoming thunderstorms they were forced to cancel. The doubleheader has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 17 starting at 3 p.m. The Bobcats are back in action on Friday when they will be at home to host Lander University in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
we need to and that’s a big thing that’s keeping us winning games,” Donaldson said. On April 3, the Bobcats suffered a tough 10-9 loss to Young Harris on the road. Georgia College started off down three at the end of the first inning despite the runners plated by Maas and Donaldson. GC battled back by the fourth inning to tie it up 9-9. In the bottom of the seventh the Mountain Lions scored the run to take the win. LaMothe did not play during the game but encouraged his team from the dugout. “I talk a lot and I try to keep the dugout as happy or as positive as possible,” LaMothe said. In order to prepare for the upcoming games the Bobcats aren’t doing anything out of the ordinary. “We are just practicing the same and basically it’s kind of like in our mind it’s like we don’t even know who we are playing,” LaMothe said. “We just know we have a game and what we gotta do to prepare for it.” The road games continue for the Bobcats this weekend at Augusta State.
Close up Themes, ideas and events of the 21st century
April 13, 2012 • Editor, Steffi Beigh
Photo Illustration
Financial side of criminal justice explored Kathryn Shadden Staff Writer There is a sense of justice prevailing when a criminal gets punishment, whether it is punishment by death or punishment by time. Television shows like “Law & Order,” “CSI” and countless others exploit this quality by emotionally investing us in the plight of the fictional victims. Unfortunately, these shows rarely go into the behind-the-scenes aspects of crime, the most important of which is the price tag attached. Crime is not only expensive for the criminal, but for the victims, the police force and the rest of society. According to data collected by the Georgia Department of Corrections, the cost per offender in state prisons in 2011 was $18,683. Breaking down the cost per day of each offender is $51.19. For probation, the cost per offender in 2011 was $487 for regular supervision but for “intensive and specialized” supervision the price rose to $1,599 per offender. Sheriff Bill Massee of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office stated that the cost of incarceration and probation has gone up, especially for local government. “We run a bare-bones staffing in our jail,” Massee said. When the BCSO moved to its new facilities, an assessment was done to see what sort of security was needed. “Because of the economy, we went with what we could afford. We don’t have any fat to cut out of this budget.”
According to Massee, inmates in jails in the U.S. are the only class of person guaranteed safety and health benefits under the Constitution. This is because if an inmate gets sick, the state has to pay for it. “We’ve paid for heart bypass surgery … because we’re obligated to do it,” Massee said. The sheriff’s office also has the added burden of transporting inmates to doctor’s appointments outside of the jail, emergency room visits and guarding an inmate if they are admitted to a hospital. According to Massee, the budget for BCSO is $2.9 million, and that only covers fixed costs — feeding the inmates, paying the staff and electricity. The greatest strain on them, however, is the inmates with mental health issues. “Twenty percent of our inmates have diagnosed mental health issues,” Massee said. In January of 2012, the cost of mental health expenses was $3,300 for pharmaceutical products, but according to Massee, this was a low month. In March the amount shot up to $6,900. “We’ve been averaging 250 inmates per month … the cost per inmate per day is about $32,” Massee said. Out of those 250 inmates, usually about 60 inmates have mental health issues. Baldwin County has one of the worst economic standings in Georgia according to Massee, and the sheriff’s office is feeling the strain. Another costly issue is the death penalty and probation. Junior psychology and criminal justice
“We’ve paid for heart bypass surgery ... because we’re obligated to do it.”
By the Numbers: Finances in Jail
Bill Masse Baldwin County Sheriff ’s Office Sheriff double major Leslie Albrycht said “the death penalty is expensive because of all appeals. The drugs used in execution also cost a lot … And when a person is on probation, they have to pay a fee.” Marci Day, a probation officer in Eatonton, explained that when on probation, a person has certain conditions they have to follow. “People on probation may have to pay fines, depending on what the judge orders,” Day said. People on probation also have to submit to drug tests and be checked on periodically by their probation officer. Some of the cost, then, would be on the offender. Sheriff Massee stated that probation is not a direct cost to the jail, but that it still cost the local government money. Whether the cost relies on state, federal or the offenders wallet - incarceration and probation are hefty fines.
$18,683 cost per offender in state prisons
$51.19 cost per day per offender in state prisons
$487 cost per offender for probation with regular supervision
$1,599 cost per offender for probation for intensive and specialized supervision Source: Georgia Department of Corrections
Incarceration can cause emotional harm Constantina Kokenes Staff Writer People often stereotype those who have been incarcerated as lazy, untrustworthy and disrespectful. They don’t think about the psychological toll that being locked up can have on prisoners. The effects of incarceration vary, according to Georgia College’s Carrie Cook, an assistant professor of Criminal Justice. “Ultimately, it depends on the kind of prison they go to and how long they were incarcerated,” Cook said. “It also depends on the type of person they are.” Those who attend minimum-security federal prisons tend to bounce back emotionally, especially if they are not there very long, Cook said. On the other hand, super-maximum facilities tend to have more lasting emotional impacts on
inmates. According to Cook, these prisons isolate their inmates from society, sometimes giving them one hour of recreation a day. This leaves the inmates locked in their cells isolated and alone for 23 hours a day. Effects of super maximum facilities include post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and self-harm said Cook. “The large influence on how an inmate will do in these types of facilities is based on how the inmate is himself,” Cook said. These types of institutions have more inmates than guards. These inmates essentially live amongst each other and have freedom amongst each other; however, the freedom leads to the formation of subcultures, said Cook.
Emotional page 19
Emotional Effects of Incarceration Effects of super maximum facilities: post tramatic stress anxiety depression harm Super maximum facilities is where prison inmates are confined for 23 out of 24 hours each day. Source: Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Carrie Cook
April 13, 2012
The Colonnade
Females in law enforcement Aubrie Sofala Senior reporter Sheriff’s deputy Haley Holloway’s bulletproof vest bulges beneath her uniform. Her fingernails are painted pink. Her long dark hair is pulled up in a bun. The badge on her chest, a gold star, looks almost … delicate. But Holloway is all cop. In a field long dominated by men, she is one of the growing number of women. And since she signed on with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office about two years ago, she says she has never experienced any gender discrimination. A 2008 Bureau of Justice Statistics survey of 62 federal law enforcement agencies, there were 90,000 sworn officers in all. About 18,200 were women. “It’s not a profession that is all male,” Holloway said, “but if someone looks at me weird I don’t think of it as a negative thing. I just go with it as opposed to fighting it. I do the best I can. My motto is to fight smarter, not harder.” This idea of accepting being a woman in a generally maledominated field is a facet of law enforcement that Capt. Lynnette LaRocque of BCSO has dealt with in her 26 years of being on the job. “It doesn’t matter who you are. If you work hard and you do what you’re supposed to do, you can do anything,” LaRocque said. LaRocque always knew her future lied in law enforcement, since the beginning of her childhood. The attraction was in the super-hero-like qualities of policemen. “It was the uniform for starters. I remember these men, I can still see them, they looked great in their uniforms and they were fit. They were here to help,” LaRocque said. “Being so small, they made a huge impression on me. It’s like they came in and saved the day.” The rest was history for LaRocque. She served three years in the military, as military police. She then started at BCSO in April of 1990 and began as an undercover officer working the drug beat. As a newcomer to Baldwin and unfamiliar with drugs—she was soon swept into classes that told her how to walk and talk like a drug dealer. “Back then, you were by yourself while undercover and for someone that knew nothing about drugs, it was tough. I was a little nervous because it wasn’t my forte, there were a few times that made me think twice,” LaRocque said. However, LaRocque said there wasn’t a time that she felt aware that she was a female, but rather thought of herself as simply a neutral person working in the field of law enforcement. More trying times occurred in her career, such as having a knife pulled on her and being shot at twice. But, LaRocque does not equate the physical aspects as being the most difficult part of her job, but the emotional ones. “To feel something emotional at work is the hardest part. We have to be totally separate from everything that happens. It’s almost like you’re not a person, but you are,” LaRocque said. “When you go somewhere and you see someone has been shot your immediate reaction is to freak out or you feel so bad
you want to cry, and you can’t. Intimidation is also part of the role that women have to factor in when working in law enforcement, which is what Holloway has remained aware of. “You get calls and you never know what it’s going to be. Yes, it’s intimidating sometimes because I am a female but I’m also smaller. So these people are bigger, faster and stronger, but I just have to be smarter.” The reminisce of days where men were the token watcher’s of justice have seem to take a back burner, allowing women to make more of a presence in law enforcement. However, LaRocque doesn’t chalk her achievements up to being a women in a male dominated career, rather she looks at them as simple accomplishments. “I don’t look at something and say, ‘Look at what I did and I’m a woman,’” she said. “I don’t really view anything I do as a woman. I just view it as in I am a person.”
Aubrie Sofala / Staff Photographer Sheriff Deputy Haley Holloway has worked for the BCSO for two years. Her duties include writing up reports, going on patrol and communicating with dispatch.
19 Emotional
Continued from page 18... According to Cook, these subcultures highly affect life in prison. Within these subcultures, inmates are taught to be tough, not show emotion, fight anyone who is disrespectful and ignore authority. Any sign of weakness is exploited, and some inmates within this subculture are mentally and physically dangerous. This way of thinking along with their daily routine in prison affects their lives when they are released said Cook. While incarcerated, inmates are told what to do and when to do it. According to Cook, when they are released, they are thrown into a world in which they have to make their own choices and are not prepared to deal with the new liberties they have. This causes former convicts to project the social and psychological reactions with the subcultures they encountered in prison which can cause problems in their personal relationships and with future employers said Cook. It is widely known that people who have been incarcerated are less likely to get jobs. “Sixty percent of employers would not hire someone who has been incarcerated,” Cook said, “because they see faults in integrity and there is a lack of trust.” Some employers will ask for the reason of incarceration while others will simply dismiss the candidate solely on the fact that they have been to prison. “Employers should certainly ask about the charges in order to get a better understanding of the character of the potential employee and its impact on how the person might perform the job; however, it shouldn’t be required by law,” senior marketing major Paul Rossetti said. “Ultimately, if an employer feels that a per-
“Employers should certainly ask about the charges in order to get a better understanding of the character of the potential employee.” Carrie Cook, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice son with a criminal record at all, regardless of the charges, will not be a good fit for the company then that is the right of the employer to decide.” According to Cook, former convicts who are lucky enough to get an interview are usually unprepared on how to represent themselves in the best light. Former convicts lack the resources available to buy suitable clothing in order to represent themselves in a better light, and the knowledge of how to appropriately respond to the interviewer’s questions said Cook. Having worked at Riverstate Prison in Milledgeville for three years, Cook attests that society’s focus is not where it should be. Society focuses on punishment rather than rehabilitation, and what it needs to do is help those who are incarcerated prepare for life after jail rather than hinder that progress. “In my experience, there aren’t a lot of rehabilitation services available in prisons,” Darcy Shores, forensic psychologist at Central State Hospital said. “Some have GED training, but those are superficial at best. They give you the book and say, ‘Study the book and then there’s a test.’ Clearly, we’re not focused on trying to help people change their lives.”