The Colonnade, March 8, 2013 by The Colonnade

The Colonnade The Official Student Newspaper of Georgia College

March 8, 2013

www.GCSUnade.com

Volume 89, No. 20

Single copies free

Bridge over Hancock poses threat to travelers Sarah K. Wilson Staff Reporter The decrepit concrete and metal bridge spanning across West Hancock Street between The Bellamy apartments and the North Irwin parking lot is an eyesore. With a crumbling foundation, redrusted fence and a padlock on the catwalk to keep pedestrians off the potentially hazardous structure, the bridge has been deemed unsafe by the Georgia Department of Transportation. The problem lies in that no one is willing to do anything about it. After changing hands through its many years, the bridge has become shrouded in a confusing mix of interested parties, all of whom have allowed the bridge to rust into an ugly reminder of its former self. It was originally built as a pedestrian overpass for students of the old Baldwin County High School, although the year of construction is a mystery. “We’d walk over the bridge to get from the high school to the elementary school on the other side of the street,” said Vicki Folendore, a local who grew up in the area. “So it’s been there since the ‘60s, at least.”

Baldwin County Schools Maintenance Supervisor Glenn Wood could not provide any information on the origins of the bridge. “I don’t know anything about the bridge,” he said. “I don’t even know who installed it.” What is known, however, is how helpful the bridge would be to current students living at The Bellamy. Without a catwalk over the road, students living at The Bellamy must dodge fast-moving cars and turn-lane traffic at the intersection of West Hancock and North and South Irwin streets in order to catch the GC shuttle bus that stops at the parking lot across the road. “Sometimes it’s pretty dangerous,” Kristen Chonka, a junior pre-special education major, said. “It’s really a pain to have to run across the road, dodging cars. There’s no crosswalk or anything to make it easier on students who live at The Bellamy and need to catch the bus. If that bridge was open, it’d definitely be safer for us.” This concern seems to be something the univer

Bridge page 3

Mark Watkins / Senior Photographer The maintenance on the bridge between The Bellamy apartments and Irwin Street parking has been neglected to the point that it has been declared unsafe.

Gamers fade into indifference The working-man gamer is pushed into the background of discussions surrounding mass shootings

Nick Widener Senior Reporter

Mark Watkins Senior Reporter Will Thorpe, a junior history major, reclined late in the evening, beating opponents to simulated death with his riot shield and mowing down pixels with his fully automatic Glock 18 pistol on “Call of Duty.” He’d just taken a study break and was winding down the few hours he usually spends per day gaming in his dorm living room. He and his suitemates had pushed their beds into the adjacent room and converted the other into a study-game room. A scene similar to this one might be what nights would have looked like for Adam Lanza, the shooter at the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, if he’d gone off to college, fueled by his obsession with violent video games like “Call of Duty.” But Thorpe is a nice guy – collected, of an even-kilter and easy to talk to. His roommates are open and conversational, and the first thing he mentions about “Call of Duty” is how much more fun it is playing with a bunch of friends. Gamers like Thorpe seem to have lost their voice in the national discussion surrounding video games and mass murder as the nation seeks to understand the outliers like Lanza. As a result, the every-day gamer, the one that truly

Complaints of voting system failure; results questioned

tional Academy of Sciences investigating the impact of video games. “Throughout my career, I have strongly supported this kind of research to better inform our work on violent acts, and I will push for this bill to be part of any comprehensive plan to improve protections against gun violence and safeguard our children,” Rockefeller said in a press release. This answer has been sought

Callie Wiley went to cast her vote at the Bobcat on Front Campus. She said while she was logged on to OrgSync, the WiFi went down. She was told to vote again later. But when she logged back on, her vote had already been cast for her. “I never even got to the page with the candidates on it,” Wiley, a junior mass communication major, said. “Later that day at my house, OrgSync told me that I had already voted.” Wiley said she was unhappy her vote was not counted, but she didn’t know how to complain. Freshman Ashlyn Hogg said she also encountered difficulties voting on Front Campus. She, too, tried to vote again on her own computer. “When I logged on and tried to finish my voting, it said that my ballot was already completed,” Hogg said. “I looked at it, and saw that someone had voted on my ballot for Mr. and Ms. Georgia College, but my SGA votes were the same ones I voted for on Front Campus.” Hogg said she sent an email to Tom Miles, director of student life, but she never heard back. “I emailed someone about it but was never replied to, so I was unable to vote,” Hogg said. However, Miles said students voting were seeing previous voters’ ballots because students were not closing their tabs.

Video Games page 3

Voting page 3

Mark Watkins / Senior Photographer Will Thorpe, center, racks up 18 kills in a round of “Call of Duty” on a Wednesday night with his friends. While it’s not his favorite, the fun is more in the conversations he has while playing, than the game itself.

makes up the industry, has faded into indifference. “Video games are designed to make you larger than life,” Thorpe said. “In real life, I’m not a special forces soldier killing terrorists, but playing video games lets me do that.” And that’s where it stops. The violence found in these games goes no further than the reach of his PlayStation 3 controller, and the aggressive nature encouraged by the competitiveness of the game

fades with the green light of the console. But with the shooters at Columbine High School and the movie theater in Aurora, Colo., also showing obsessions with violent video games, the nation has collectively asked whether these games are to blame for massacres like Sandy Hook. Hoping to answer this question is Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va, who recently introduced bill that would begin a study with the Na-

Pinwheels blow in the wind in recognition of child abuse

Post bomb threat technology increases alert preparedness Clayton Roper Staff Writer

Mark Watkins / Senior Photographer Kappa Delta sold the blue pinwheels lining the sidewalk on Front Campus this week to students for $1 in the LITC. The proceeds went to child abuse charities associated with the sorority.

News Flash

AIDS awareness week

A GC professor’s study shows that colleges across the nation are not meeting student’s needs for HIV testing. Student Health Services on campus, however, does. To read the full story, go online.

To increase campus-wide awareness during moments of danger, the Department of Emergency Preparedness received a $40,000 grant last year to install and update Georgia College’s mass notification systems. The grant was given by Alertus Technologies, a company that specializes in emergency alert products and software. These funds were used to purchase a computer-based emergency notification system called Alertus Desktop, which has been installed on all GC computers. “We are always looking at expanding things, making things

Quotable

“ We’re gonna bring the rock and shatter some glass.

”

-Daniel Hutchens, member of Bloodkin

See A&E on page 9

News

better,” Justin Gaines, associate director of emergency preparedness, said. When activated, Alertus Desktop will display a fullscreen warning on all GC computers in use at that time. “The system was a roll-out project, consisting of many days to install the program on all our computers,” Gaines said. “We sent our first notice to faculty and staff on Jan. 8.” Alertus Desktop was adopted specifically to deliver messages to classrooms where professors enforce a zero-tolerance cell phone policy. In this setting, Gaines hopes that the professor’s computer will interrupt the lecture by displaying an alert.

Inside

Q&A with the King and the Queen......................2 Open observatory night..........................................3

A&E

For the love of music................................................9 Theresa Sagan profile................................................9

Sports

The agents of information....................................13 Talk derby to me....................................................14 Leisure................................................................12 Community News........................................6

Some students appreciate this new system after their experience with the bomb threat. “I think that would be a much better way to send out the message more quickly,” Kollin Adams, sophomore computer science major, said. “My class didn’t even know until one student saw it on their phone.” In conjunction with Alertus Desktop, the Department of Emergency Preparedness has also expanded GC’s previous alert system from text messages and emails to incorporate phone calls on both campus landlines and personal cellular devices.

Alert page 3

Number Crunch

The number of bands that will be at Sounds of the South. See page 9

THE COLONNADE

MARCH 8, 2013

He’s the King, she’s the Queen

SCOTT CARRANZA / FILE PHOTO

Open observatory night invites GC members for stargazing MARK WATKINS / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Colonnade reporter Mary-Martin White sat down with Thad Thompson to discuss his crowning and recent appointment as the national vice chairman of Kappa Alpha

NICK WIDENER / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Colonnade reporter Olivia Morales spoke with Homecoming Queen Mackenzie Burgess about her life, plans and embarassing moments

colonnade:

Congratulations on taking the crown of Georgia College’s Homecoming King this year! Do you have any plans for this win?

Why did you want to be Ms. GC?

thad:

I really want to make more out of it than it has been in the past. I want to set some standards for the future Homecoming winners through community service. This past Saturday was Dr. Seuss Day, and my girlfriend and I visited one of the local elementary schools to read Dr. Seuss books to the students.

colonnade:

mackenzie: In chapter (weekly sorority meeting) someone gets nominated, and I got chosen. So why did I accept it? It’s an extremely huge honor to be representing Zeta (Tau Alpha), and to even be on the court is really cool and just a really fun experience. Representing Zeta is why I wanted to do it, and I wanted to make them proud.

colonnade: What did your sorority do to get ready for the campaign?

Can you tell us how you were elected as the national vice chairman of Kappa Alpha Order?

thad: I was nominated by the President of the Gamma Chapter at the University of Georgia, Hamilton Harbin. There were seven more guys nominated. I was the last to speak and pumped up the crowd when I closed my speech with ’Merica, Party On.

mackenzie: I actually designed the ﬂyer of the magazine cover. That was so fun, putting my advertising major to use! They also made like ﬁve sheet signs, which takes so much time – they put so much effort into that. Also, so many people baked cupcakes and stuff to have at the table at 8 a.m. And last minute we made that video we put on Facebook. We ended up kicking that out in one day.

Go to www.gcsunade.com to read the full Q&A from the king and queen

SARAH K. WILSON STAFF REPORTER On the right side of Herty Hall is an illuminated concrete path. Follow it to the glass-paned wall of the science building and you’ll find a staircase that leads to something extraordinary in our small town. Georgia College’s very own observatory sits in a metal dome atop Herty Hall on the fourth floor. Although the observatory usually limits access to science students and staff, the telescope is opened to the public in regularly scheduled events and for special astronomical occurrences. The telescope itself, a 24-inch Corrected Dall-Kirkham Astrograph, is installed in a small room in a 16-foot dome atop Herty Hall. Entering the dome is like stepping outside; the cold night air seeps into the room from an open section in the dome’s roof. Through this open slit in the metal roof, the telescope’s lens can peer into the far reaches of space. Last Wednesday night’s sky was almost perfect for such spying: clear, dry and very cold, albeit a little windy. “Every time we’ve had an open observatory night, the weather’s been good,” Donovan Domingue, professor of physics and astronomy, said. “So we’ve been very lucky.” Wednesday’s open observatory night was the fifth event of its kind

since the observatory opened in October 2012. About two dozen students were lured to Herty by the telescope, most of whom had never been to the observatory before. “I didn’t even know that we could come up here,” Hilary Lassetter, a senior exercise science major, said. “I hope more people will start coming to this (event). If this isn’t one of the coolest things I’ve seen in awhile, I don’t know what is.” Other students who attended the event had similar sentiments. “This is so incredible,” Abigail Dillon, a freshman pre-mass communication major, said. “I think (the observatory) should advertise more, though. Not enough students know they can come up here on nights like this.” Once in the dome, guests climb seven steps on a narrow white ladder to the metal platform on which the telescope sits. A handful of astronomical sights could be seen Wednesday night, the ﬁrst of which was the Owl Cluster. “The two brightest stars, side by side, are the ‘owl’s eyes,’” Domingue said. Peering closely through the lens, one could see how the bright white stars could indeed be seen as eyes and the ﬂurry of stars beneath could make up an owl’s body, complete with folded wings. For the rest of the story, go to gcsunade.com

THE COLONNADE PLACES

“BEST OF THE SOUTH” SOUTHEAST JOURNALISM CONFERENCE’S

ANNUAL JOURNALISM AWARDS COMPETITION.

NEWSPAPER PAGE LAYOUT DESIGNER 4TH PLACE MARILYN FERRELL COLLEGE WEBSITE 6TH PLACE ADVERTISING STAFF ADVE MEMBER 9TH PLACE JEN HOFFMAN

MARCH 8, 2013 Bridge

Continued from page 1 sity would take seriously. “For us, safety is number one,” Paul Jones, vice president for administration and operations at GC, said. “We certainly pride ourselves on a safe environment for our students and staff. We have been looking at a number of pedestrian safety concerns and discussing it with the Department of Transportation (DOT).” These discussions focus on constructing more crosswalks and rerouting the notorious tractor trailers away from heavy pedestrian trafﬁc around campus. GC is placing most of its focus on West Campus, where the DOT has approved a plan to construct a deceleration lane and stop light on the 441 Bypass in front of West Campus.

THE COLONNADE “Bottom line: we have to be careful with how we use state dollars. Most of our efforts are focused on West Campus (pedestrian and driver) issues,” Jones said. “It looks like we’ll be able to make progress there.” Despite the discussions with the DOT, no action has been made for the decaying bridge. “At one time, (the DOT) was going to restore it before we were approached by the college,” Kraig Collins, the Baldwin County DOT’s area engineer, said. “GC was going to buy the bridge from the Baldwin DOT and use it as a way for students to get from North Irwin to South Irwin.” Yet upon the purchase of the land where The Bellamy now sits by a private buyer, the deal between the DOT and GC never went through. “The other side was going to be purchased by the school, but then the

apartments were built,” Collins said. So, does GC have any plans to purchase the bridge for use by students? “If anything, we have to make sure the bridge can be renovated at all,” Jones said. “We do need to probably survey the students at The Bellamy to determine how many use the parking lot (across the street). We need to hear their voices in this matter as well. It is something that is an ongoing concern, but a lot of our efforts are focused on West Campus issues right now.” While GC ofﬁcials toy with the idea of purchasing and renovating the overpass eventually, the Georgia DOT, which owns the property, has set the bridge on the backburner. “(The DOT’s) ultimate plans are to remove the bridge,” Cissy McNure of the Baldwin County DOT, said. “But we have no timeframe on removing it at this time.”

Voting

Video Games

“While no voting process is flawless, I am very confident that OrgSync ensures that our elections are fair and that each current student gets one vote,” Miles said. SGA President Cody Allen said Miles monitored OrgSync constantly. “Tom’s literally looking at it every five minutes, and looking at how the votes are coming out,” Allen said. Wiley said when her ballot was cast, the first person in each category was already voted for. “It doesn’t seem to me that that happened, but people are going to say what they think happened,” Stephen Hundley, vice president of SGA, said. Allen said the numbers for this year’s election were the highest yet at 2,208 students participating. “We had 600 or 700 more students this year than last year,” he said. Allen and Hundley said if there was an error in the results, the election would have to be done over. “It’d be the only option, to do a recount,” Hundley said.

before by a swiftly growing number of researchers, but there has been no study that has conclusively given a yes or a no answer. With a number of peer-reviewed studies supporting both sides, research can often be chosen and presented to support whichever angle suits best. A 2009 study by Christopher Barlett, psychologist at Iowa State University, is a prime example. The study found that violent video games “had a signiﬁcant increase in aggressive feelings” over a four- to nine-minute period. Leave out the time period and that study suddenly strongly supports violent video games causing violence in reality. Or, if you want, make the time period very important and invalidate the games effects on premeditated attacks like Lanza. All depends on how you want others to see it. When these shooters’ proﬁles are examined by programs like “Raising Adam Lanza” on PBS “Frontline,” it’s clear it was more than a nine-minute spurt of aggression that sparked these atrocious acts. There were instead a lifetime of factors. Studies like the one proposed by Rockefeller will turn to college-aged men and women to collect information, but the overall focus is to provide information to identify the Adam Lanza’s rather than understanding gamers and their culture – the guys and girls that play video games and love them but leave them on the screen. That’s what Thorpe is, though. He’s immersed in the gaming culture and has been since he was 12, even publishing a few game reviews in The Colonnade his freshman year. The background on his computer is anime characters, and

Continued from page 1

What were your voting experiences? Check gcsunade.com for a voting survey, or contact us at colonnadenews@gcsu.edu

Continued from page 1

MARK WATKINS / SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER The Georgia Department of Transportation owns the bridge and plans to remove it, but no renovation or removal plans have been put into work.

he’ll admit freely that he is a gamer. “It used to be really into it and play all the time,” Thorpe said. “But I’ve cut back a lot. I’ve realized there’s more fun things to do than just games.” With the rise in popularity of online gaming and avatars giving limited accountability, the online culture is laden with verbal abuse hurled between players in online lobbies. The sheer competitiveness of online gaming seems to promote the aggressive language, but Thorpe is unmoved. “I always just laugh at it,” Thorpe said. “You really can’t take it personally.” He even dishes it out sometimes, but always as a joke. One person will be playing and the other will be on the mic hassling the other players. Even this is just for fun, theres no extreme aggression that he feels when he re-enters reality after giving or taking verbal abuse. “I don’t feel any change at all when I play,” he said. “It’s just a game.” Though his reaction to violence on screen is non-existent, he understands that others might be more susceptible. “Everyone thinks it’s a video game, it shouldn’t have an effect on kids,” he said. “Back in the day, everyone smoked cigarettes, and no one knew it was bad for you. Maybe you can say the same for gaming.” What lies at the heart of the discussion is the divide between reality and fantasy and gamer’s abilities to differentiate between the two. For Thorpe and those like him games are something to be fun and enjoyable. A time to be something larger than yourself and a brief escape from dayto-day struggles. “It lets me live in a fantasy world, and when you go to a video game store, thats what they’re selling – fantasy,” Thorpe said.

Alert

Continued from page 1 “Whenever I send out a GC alert, it’s almost like a one-stop-shop for everything,” Gaines said. Even those utilizing the GC cable television service will be informed of an emergency via an emergency broadcast alert. “It will cover all the channels,” Bill Wendt, manager of television services, said. “No matter what you’re watching, the graphic will come up and the sound will come up to alert you.” Although last November’s bomb threat acted as a concrete example of how these new systems could better serve the GC community, Gaines was already working closely with information technology director James Carlisle at the time. The bomb threat incident is still considered an active case and no suspects have been charged for the false report. Gaines has also expressed interest in forming a campus emergency response team. This group would be comprised of GC students, faculty and staff that are properly trained to handle crisis situations by applying aid and crowd control. “I think it’s going to be very important,” Gaines said. “We want to do it in a controlled manner where people are trained, they know what to do, they have the proper protective equipment to do it and have a little bit of authority.” Although the plans to form a response team remain tentative, Gaines hopes to start work on the group in fall of 2013. “I don’t want to do something halfhearted. If we’re going to do it, we want to do it right,” Gaines said.

Close up Themes, ideas and events of the 21st century

March 8, 2013 • Editor, Scott Carranza

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT CARRANZA AND KENDYL WADE

N THE FAMILY IN THE WARD M

Stefﬁ Beigh volunteers at Central State Hospital to learn about the caretaking of the mentally impaired STEFFI BEIGH STAFF WRITER Driving up the broken, paved roads at Central State Hospital is a throwback to the 19th century. The historic buildings’ facades crumble with each passing year; only a handful of buildings are fully used now. One of these buildings is the Craig Center, which cares for mentally ill and developmentally disabled patients. Even the Craig Center is outdated, with the furniture being hand-me-downs from the ‘90s. The boring, neutral-colored walls contrast with the employees’ energetic personalities. It is 7:30 a.m., and I am not smiling until my coffee kicks in. “I’m here to see Ms. Kathy Smith,” I say while keeping my eyes on an unattended, wheelchair-bound patient. She pushes herself backwards while chomping her toothless jaws. “Umm,” I think, “Unattended patient – an old patient at that – roaming around the lobby. This is where government funding has gotten us: short staffed and patients running free.” “Welcome, welcome, I’m Kathy Smith,” she says. “Are patients allowed to roam free here?” I ask, as the unattended patient rolls backwards toward a hallway. “Oh yes, oh yes. We have an open door policy here,” Smith says, her ironed orange scrubs contrasting against the hospital’s cracking walls. “You are free to walk out those doors. If you’re physically capable, you can leave.” But once a patient checks in, they don’t leave, and they don’t want to leave. The Craig Center are the patients’ home: where they live, sleep, eat, go to church, play bingo and make arts and crafts They are a community and a family condensed into a seven-unit building. With over 300 employees and 127 patients, it makes for a big family; a family that takes care of you, bathes you, laughs with you and yells with you. Central State Hospital was home to over 12,800 patients at its height in the ‘60s. Since then, the campus has steadily declined as treatment for the mentally ill became decentralized, which moved patients into community group homes throughout the state. Currently, the Craig Center and Cook buildings are the only Central State Hospital facilities continuing patient support. In just 50 years, Central State Hospital has downsized from 12,800 to 307 patients, and the state is wanting to downsize even more by eliminating the Craig

Center, leaving only 180 patients on Central State Hospital’s campus by Jan. 1, 2014. Where they are going to go doesn’t concern the patients or employees at the moment, for it’s breakfast time. In the cafeteria, there are dozens of small tables covering the white-tiled ﬂoors. Patients choose where to sit, but most choose to sit alone. Employees line the walls keeping a watchful eye on the patients since they will try to eat their tableware. The staff also mentally keeps up with patients’ dietary needs. Most patients have a restricted diet: Some are diabetic, others have a habit of overeating and others may not eat enough at all. “I stand back here and don’t touch her,” Smith says cautiously as she peers over Miss Freeman. “She might bite you if she thinks you’re going to take her food away.” Patients gawk at me, chewing at their tongues, wailing like babies and gesturing. They know I am a stranger.

“

The employees don’t come to work, they come to be with their family: a family that has been here since the ‘60s and will soon be broken and scattered throughout the state.

” Smith stops and greets each patient individually, asking about their mornings and helping them unwrap their silverware. She is constantly helping the patients and never stops moving. Every employee greets all 127 patients by name. No one is forgotten in this big family. The staff continuously mark their patients progress, like a mother tallying her kids’ report cards progress. One patient is severely depressed from an accident years ago. “He’s better than he used to be,” Smith reassures me. Another is a mute by choice. She ignores my presence by staring through the wall. She

doesn’t move. She has a military background, I am told, and she looks younger than my 22 years. “Alleged sexual abuse from a parent,” a nurse whispers. Any engagement from her excites the staff. “She drew on the map today,” a nurse tells Smith. “We’ve given her a map asking where she would like to relocate to when they close this place down.” Although some patients are unaware of the closing, the employes cannot hide from that reality. The Craig Center patients will be individually evaluated and transferred to community homes, nursing homes and assisted living throughout the state, and the employees are doing the best they can to keep the atmosphere upbeat. But looking around, I know what they are going to lose. The bed-bound patients like Ms. Walters can’t be transferred comfortably, I thought. How will Mr. Goldberg, a hard-headed old man who refuses to remove his food-encrusted jacket, react when a new employee tells him to clean his jacket? Will he curse until they learn his ways? And Ms. Redding? The new caretakers surely can’t handle her outbursts and violent tantrums. How will the patients feel being torn away from their family, the only family some of them now have? It’s wrong. I ﬁght the churn in my stomach and ﬁdget to avoid the childish tears. The employees stay strong, so should I. I mirror the employees. They make the patients laugh: treating them with kindness and affection, treating them like family and friends. Angela Butts, activity therapist, says she treats her patients as if she was them. “Don’t assume ... give them choices; by allowing them to have choices they have more independence,” Butts says, as she and Ms. Landsman clasp hands. “We’re here for them … and they are just like us except without the same capabilities … they learn at a slower rate.” Ms. Landsman, who rarely speaks, shrills with laughter every 30 seconds, and I can’t help but giggle along. It doesn’t matter that I don’t know what she’s laughing at, but at least we can relate through laughing. We are making Thanksgiving turkey decorations, and I am tasked with cutting out circles for the turkeys. But I quickly learn I always have to be watching them, something I am not good at, but the employees have perfected. “No, no, Ms. Sanders, that’s not candy,”

“

One-hundered-and-seventy personalities, and each employee knows each patient: their history, emotional behavior, their family and friends.

” Butts says, prying the chalk out of Ms. Sanders hands. “It looks like colorful food to them. She thought the chalk was candy,” Butts says as she multitasks crafting, holding hands with Ms. Landsman and keeping eye over everyone else. “Patience and tolerance,” Butts reminds herself as she concentrates on helping Ms. Landsman glue the paper together to form a turkey. Butts advises to hide frustration because the patients can pick up on it which makes them more frustrated. I try, but it’s hard. I can’t relate to their psyche. This isn’t a test I can study for. I can’t grasp where their minds are and how best to talk to them. It is too much to be doing at once: Multitasking at its prime. But the workers don’t seem to struggle. “It’s about them, not us … it’s all about knowing them. I’m learning, and I’ll know what to do and not do,” Butts says. One-hundred-and-seventy personalities, and each employee knows each patient: their history, emotional behavior, their family and friends. They take pride in the patients’ small accomplishments. It was more than an 8 hour babysitting job. The employees don’t come to work, they come to be with their family: a family that has been here since ‘60s and will soon be broken and scattered throughout the state. Working for the patients is very humbling and exhausting experience both emotionally and physically. My eyes are sore from darting around, making sure the patients aren’t eating up my Thanksgiving turkeys. My throat is sore from Ms. Landsman and my laughing ﬁts, and my heart aches from the dread of the upcoming close.

Creepiest ghost stories from around the town Mary Virginia Harrison was a fun-loving, exotic beauty. Yet her ghost is said to haunt the Harrison House off of West Hancock Street. One day, after moving back home once her second husband died, Harrison impulsively grabbed her mother’s handgun, ran outside to the magnolia tree and shot herself. Bob Wilson, professor of history, lived in the house for a year working on research. One night, as he was unpacking his books, all three doors in the room slammed shut. Wilson later found that the room he stayed in was connected to Harrison’s old bedroom. Wilson found out later that Harrison’s favorite perfumes were White Shoulders and Chanel No. 5, which would explain the whiff of perfume that can be smelled from time to time. The story goes that one of the Central State buildings was dedicated to criminally insane children. A security officer was patrolling its hallways one day, and a small fire was started on the floor above him. The officer kept walking his rounds, completely unaware of the flames spreading above him. The fire raged and consumed nearly all the children. According to the story, the officer blamed himself for the children’s deaths and wasted away from remorse. Brad Higgins, sophomore pre-nursing major, said it still remains a mystery as to how the fire was started. “If you believe in ghosts I guess (the ghosts of the children) are probably there,” Higgins said.

The cemetery is known for many mysterious happenings. It is said that if you touch the fence on the night of Halloween, you will be cursed for the rest of your life, and many locals tell their children that a witch is buried there. Bob Mercer, a barber in downtown Milledgeville, said there is a little brick building in the cemetery where a man he called “Little Fish” killed his family. Some say he sat in a rocking chair inside the building and shot himself, and that you can still hear a creak of a rocking chair in the small brick building today. Mercer said the running joke around town is if you knock on the building where Fish killed himself, you won’t hear anything because he’s dead. In the only green house on Jefferson Street, the story goes that a little boy fell down the stairs to his death as his father, Sam Marker, was beating him. The boy was trying to convince his father to take him to the doctor but to no avail. According to Mercer, a local to Milledgeville for 77 years, “They say you still see the little Jefferson boy from time to time.” The house was made into apartments, and a little girl told her mother she made a new friend, but there were no other children around. A while later she told her mother she didn’t like playing with the friend anymore. Her mother didn’t stay too long in the house. REPORTED BY BETHAN ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT CARRANZA

Community PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT

March 8, 2013 • Editor, Jeannie Huey

What’s happening?

Monday, March 11 All day

Summer and fall registration (seniors)

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Try On MS (Front Campus)

11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Career Expo & Interview Day (Magnolia Ballroom)

12 p.m.

Art faculty exhibition: Perspectives (Museum of Fine Arts)

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Tech Talks (GIVE Center computer lab)

2 p.m. & 4 p.m.

GC Softball vs. Carson-Newman

4:45 - 7:15 p.m.

GC showcase of graduate research (GC Macon Center)

Tuesday, March 12 Hear the report on our podcast channel

GCSUnade.com

*Incident does not appear on map

Feb. 25 11:30 a.m. Someone told campus police that a couple was fighting. The person said the couple, a boyfriend and girlfriend were arguing and that the guy shoved the girl. The two then they left in a car. The person who called the cops was worried that the girl was in danger. The police posted a lookout for the car, a black Nissan. Officer Earnest Spikes later called the girl on her cellphone and she told him where she was. Before long, another officer, Sgt. Brian English, pulled the car over. Officer Spikes met up with English and talked to the girl about the argument. She told him that she and her boyfriend were fighting because of “something on Facebook,” and that he had pushed her but added, “he didn’t push me like that,” according to officer Spikes’ report. The boyfriend had been banned from GC campus earlier this semester and was told that if he was found on campus again he would be considered trespassing. The police watched surveillance tapes from the Village and saw that the boyfriend had forcefully grabbed the girl by the arm. The boyfriend was arrested and charged with criminal trespass and simple battery.

2 THIS ISN’T THE REDNECK GAMES Feb. 26 12:46 a.m. Officer Reid White was on patrol when he noticed deep tire tracks leading from the road and onto the shoulder of West Campus Drive. It looked like the driver had been mudding because there was significant damage to the area of GC campus. Officer White followed the tire marks and found a Ford truck parked near the 200 building of The Village. The pickup was caked with mud. Photos of the damaged property and the truck were take. The case was turned over to investigators.

3 POSSIBLE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Feb. 26 11:49 p.m. Officer White went to Foundation Hall because about a fight. When he got there, he talked to a student about a confrontation a female had just had with her boyfriend, who had already left. She said that he yelled curse words at her and was physically aggressive because he was mad at her. She told White that in other fights they’d had he pushed her and put his hands on her and left bruises. She said he’d broken things because he was so angry, and even punched a hole in her closet door. She said that he would probably come back. She said she would let police know when he got there and would like for him to be banned from GC campus.

4 WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD

March 2 2:47 a.m. Sgt. Gary Purvis was on patrol when he saw a truck riding on the wrong side of the road. He pulled the pickup over near Magnolia Park apartments and the driver opened the door to get out of the truck. Sgt. Purvis told him to stay in the truck. The driver said he’d had a couple of beers in Macon and was headed toward Gordon. Sgt. Purvis told him that he’d stopped him because he was driving in the opposite lane and asked him to take a breath test. The driver’s blood-alcohol level was at .16, twice the legal limit. He was arrested for suspicion of DUI and taken to the Milledgeville Police Department. He was charged with driving on the wrong side of the road and DUI.

DUI

Summer and fall registration (juniors)

11 a.m. - 3p.m.

Try On MS

5- 7 p.m.

Reception for art exhibit “Perspectives” (Museum of Fine Arts)

Wednesday, March 13

1 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

All day

March 4 12:40 a.m. Officer Megan Frasier went to Foundation Hall because someone called the police to report that “a strong odor of marijuana” was coming from one of the rooms on the second floor. When she got to the room, she talked to three students inside who all had large pupils and red, glassy eyes. One of the students told officer Frasier that the smell was coming from a candle. The students resisted directly answering any questions and would not say if they had been smoking or if they had any drug paraphernalia on them or in the room. One student was particularly difficult and lied to officer Frasier, his report said. The other two student confessed that they had smoked in a car at The Grove. One student gave Frasier some kind of smoking device. The students were referred to the Student Judicial Board.

All day

Summer and fall registration (sophomores)

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Try On MS

12 - 12:50 p.m.

Times Talk: How can GC become a more diverse campus? (LITC 2nd ﬂoor)

12 - 1 p.m.

Prezume (resume + Prezi) workshop (113 Chappell Hall)

3 p.m.

GC Baseball vs. West Georgia (West Campus)

3 p.m.

GC Women’s Tennis vs. Concord (Centennial Courts)

3 p.m.

GC Men’s Tennis vs. Concord (Centennial Courts)

Thursday, March 14 All day

Summer and fall registration (freshman)

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Try On MS

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Spring Health Fair (Magnolia Ballroom)

3 - 7 p.m.

Printmaking open house (AGL Miller Annex)

7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Reading and presentation by Sonja Livingston ( A&S Auditorium)

Friday, March 15 All day

4-H Club Purple Up (GC Campus)

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Try On MS

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Reading and presentation by Kirun Kapur (MSU Lounge)

4 p.m.

GC Women’s Tennis vs. Clark Atlanta (Centennial Courts)

7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Wind Symphony Tributes (Russell Auditorium)

8 p.m.

Arts & Letters Festival (Max Noah Recital Hall)

8 - 9 p.m.

“One-act play” by James Armstrong (Max Noah Rectial Hall)

Saturday, March 16 3 p.m.

GC Baseball vs. Francis Marion (West Campus)

4 p.m. & 6 p.m.

GC Softball vs. UNC Pembroke (West Campus)

The arts do not discriminate. The arts can lift us up. – FORMER TEXAS CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA JORDAN

Opinion Our Voice New SGA press policies infringe upon ‘our voice’ in student media When any major scandal, political affair or injustice arises, you can count on the media being at the scene to objectively report and accurately inform the general public. The practice of watchdog journalism has undoubtedly held governing bodies accountable over the years through reporting gathered right from the source – whether at a town hall meeting or a White House press conference.

But what happens when the line of direct communication with sources is suddenly severed? On Tuesday, The Colonnade met with SGA President Cody Allen and Press Secretary Dawn Parker to discuss a new policy implemented by SGA regarding student media communicating with its executive staff. Starting this week, The Colonnade may only conduct interviews with SGA staff on Wednesday evenings from 8:30-9:30 p.m. in the SGA ofﬁce, after receiving prior approval for an interview through the press secretary. Furthermore, the press secretary must be present in the room while the interview is being conducted. These policies were brought to the table following last week’s front-page story, “SGA election results are in…”. The Colonnade believes that not only is this new policy damaging to the quality and quantity of SGA coverage printed in the paper, but it is also hindering the sense of transparency and truth that should be guaranteed when reporting on governing bodies. Our reporters will no longer be able to hold brief interviews with Senators following SGA Student Senate sessions, nor will they be allowed to facilitate interviews on

March 8, 2013• Editor-in-Chief, Lindsay Shoemake

their own time with SGA sources. Additionally, the new proposed meeting time for interviews coincides with The Colonnade’s Wednesday evening production night, when our editorial board should be ﬁnalizing edits on the newspaper. As journalists, the basic tenet of journalism has been ingrained within us: to seek the truth and report it. We are ardently seeking to provide Georgia College with the best credible news coverage and will continue doing so in the name of free press. As stated in SGA’s bylaws, “...all students enrolled at Georgia College & State University shall be members of the Student Government Association and be entitled the rights, privileges, and protections thereof.” If SGA wishes to “deal effectively with matters of student affairs” like it states in Sec. B of its name and purpose, then singling out a body of students and forcing them to abide by a rule is the opposite of their mission. If you are enrolled in Georgia College, you are a member of SGA. To express your feelings or concerns regarding SGA’s new press policies, contact SGA by phone at (478) 445-2795 or email sga@gcsu. edu.

Bobcat Beat REPORTED BY ANSLEY BURGAMY

Have you ever visited Central State Hospital’s grounds before? What was it like or what have you heard about it?

“No, but I have heard that it is haunted and creepy.” Rebecca Garrison, sophomore psychology major

“No, but I’ve heard about how creepy the old buildings are with busted windows and vines covering everything.” Sara Kathryn Hendrix, junior Spanish major

“Yes, I have been there to do clinicals. The old buildings are pretty freaky. I was nervous to do clinicals at night, but once I got there it wasn’t scary.” Hannah Smith, junior nursing major

Political accountability and journalism LAUREN DAVIDSON THOMPSON During my time at Georgia College, I served as a Colonnade editor and Student Government Association beat reporter. I wrote several articles covering the legislative accomplishments of SGA and, on occasion, articles that cast the student government body in a negative light. The sad thing is that the stories that stood out more to the student population and the members of SGA were ones covering the arrests of SGA members. I was called out on a number of occasions, at SGA meetings, with rants that the stories were unnecessary and just downright distasteful to be printed in a paper. The thing is, they aren’t. The Colonnade in no way is wrong reporting the way it does about SGA. The newspaper is merely doing business the same way a professional publication would. Its reporters are seeking to do the same thing that SGA states as its primary initiative – represent the best interests of the student body. Yes, SGA is not a real political body; they are simply students governing the student body. However, the executive and legislative branches of SGA should be held to a higher degree of accountability than the average undergraduate student on campus because, after all, they do handle thousands of dollars of students’ money.

They should serve as role models for the student body because they are the face of GC. No longer a college student, I still find myself reading The Colonnade. I read last week’s article, “SGA election results are in….but the Colonnade does not have them,” and the memories of my time covering SGA flooded my brain. SGA representatives would be more than eager to sit down and talk with me – only if I was writing about a great piece of legislation or initiative a Senator was trying to make. The Colonnade asked for the election results, mere numbers, last Monday. After requesting the information from three members of the executive branch and the director of campus life, Tom Miles, the response was, “I think we deleted them.” I think we all know that nothing was deleted because the results miraculously resurfaced on March 4. If the Office of Legal Affairs was in possession of such information, then the reporter should have been told that on Monday. There was no reason for these shenanigans. Voting results are open record and should be made easy for anyone, not just reporters, to get their hands on. The only thing that needs to be redacted from such a document are pieces of sensitive information, like the student’s social security number. After all this ranting, my message is clearly this: The stigma of The Colonnade, or any newspaper for that matter, is that reporters are always out to get the government. That is not true. These reporters are merely doing their job, which is to inform the general public about the good and sometimes awful things that the government officials, that they elected, are doing.

Class registration starts next week...

“No, nothing speciﬁc, just that it’s haunted.” Nicholas Kollinger, freshman psychology major

That Q&A with Cody Allen is weak and he’s just beating around the bush. I could have said all of that in my sleep. What are your REAL goals for the year?? RAWR! This whole CAS thing is reminiscent of the internet in general back in 1996. I suppose it wouldn’t be so annoying if the thing actually worked. If you’re an alumni who went here while we paid the How inFee, thethen WORLD am I supposed tomoney chooseto Wellness we shouldn’t have to pay what to do and where to live after graduation get in there after we graduate. We already paid plenty of whento the possibilities litter-ally money put that thing up,are so why are weENDLESS?!? continuing to #seniorindistress #punintended pay if we want to use it after we graduate?

THE LITTER BOX

I wish my roommate would stop clogging the toilet! Every. Single. Time. There's a barista at Blackbird that looks crazy similar to Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He's such a cutie!

Glad Rand Paul is standing up for us. Sad the POTUS won't just say that he won't authorize domestic drone strikes on U.S. citizens, without due process. It's sad we have to ask for clariﬁcation!!

What's with all those damn strings on Front Campus? Scissors, please.

Text your message to (708) 949-NADE / 6233 By Zach Keepers

EDITORIAL BOARD Lindsay Shoemake

Morgan Andrews

Editor-in-Chief

Asst. Ad Manager

Nick Widener

Scott Carranza

News Editor

Anna Morris A&E Editor

Powell Cobb Sports Editor

Marilyn Ferrell Photo Editor Leisure Editor

Jen Hoffman Ad Manager

Constantina Kokenes Asst. A&E Editor Close Up Editor

Asst. Photo Editor Close Up Editor

Ansley Burgamy

Mark Watkins

Jeannie Huey

Lee McDade

Bryce Martin

Laura van Tuyll van Serooskerken

Macon McGinley

Asst. News Editor

Asst. Sports Editor

Designer

Matt Brooke Web Master

Spotlight Editor

Community News Editor Business Manager Faculty Adviser

Joe Kovac Copy Editor

AD DISCLAIMER The Colonnade is not responsible for any false advertising. We are not liable for any error in advertising to a greater extent than the cost of the space in which the item occurs. The Colonnade reserves the right to edit or reject any advertising copy submitted for publication. There is no guaranteed placement of ads. The Colonnade does not accept advertising concerning ﬁrearms nor guarantee ads concerning alcoholic beverages.

COPYRIGHTS All stories and photographs appearing in this issue and previous issues, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted by The Colonnade.

CORRECTIONS If you feel anything we’ve printed or posted online has been reported in error, please send an email to Colonnadeletters@gcsu.edu.

Leave your message at Twitter.com/GCSUnade Like us on Facebook and send us a message

CONTACT US Ofﬁce: MSU 128 (478) 445-4511 ColonnadeLetters@gcsu.edu ColonnadeNews@gcsu.edu ColonnadeAE@gcsu.edu ColonnadeSports@gcsu.edu ColonnadeAds@gcsu.edu GCSUnade.com Like us on Facebook: The Colonnade Twitter.com/GCSUnade colonnadeconfessions.blogspot.com

A&E

March 8, 2013• Editor, Anna Morris

Sounds of the South is coming back for more ANSLEY BURGAMY SENIOR REPORTER Thirty-one bands. Two nights. No cover. Downtown Milledgeville will become a music-lover’s paradise on April 5 and 6 when Sounds of the South returns, raising money for The Children’s Miracle Network. The success of last year’s event prompted organizers to make it a two-night affair. As the brains behind the event, senior sociology major Tori Maddox connects music enthusiasts with her passion to give back. One of her childhood friends suffers from mitochon-

drial disease, and knowing the challenges he faces has been her inspiration. Deep Roots Festival is the musical gathering of the year in Milledgeville, but locals can now look forward to this one. Last year, Sounds of the South was so successful that Develop Downtown asked Maddox if the event could be extended to two nights. “My vision was to create an event that everyone could beneﬁt from,” Maddox said. Maddox recruited several Georgia College students to organize the event. Gina Webber, sophomore mass communication major, is responsible for the diverse lineup. “I tried to pull bands from all of the major towns in Georgia. We have bands from Atlan-

“

We are happy to be doing Sounds of the South. It’s a great cause, and it’s close to home. ... What’s not to love? We’re gonna bring the rock and shatter some glass.

”

Daniel Hutchens, member of Bloodkin

For the love of music

ta, Athens, Augusta, Macon and Statesboro,” Webber said. The event will feature more than 30 bands. There is a band for most every musical preference, ranging from rock ’n’ roll and blues to indie and electronic. “Sounds of the South has so much to offer to the college music scene. We cannot wait to share the stage with such great artists as Dank Sinatra and All The Local,” a member of the band Downside Up said in an email. Sounds of the South has partnered with Milledgeville’s First Friday, and two of the

Sounds page 10

Sounds of the South Featured Band

By Ashley Clifton

eet The Electric Sons. They create music that gleams through and raves with passion and their personalities are just as bright. One thing band members Andrew Miller and Ben Richards wanted people to know about their music, band and them as individuals didn’t render the typical response. For Miller, it was, “In the words of the great David Grohl, fresh pots.” Richards went with two simple words – boxer briefs. With big hopes and the aspiration to achieve big things with the group, Miller and Richards are doing everything they can to make sure that they play more shows and write more songs, and they are off to a good start. The Electric Sons are an Atlanta electronic and alternative band founded by vocalist and guitarist, Miller, and keyboardist and vocalist, Richards. Their creative sound and catchy lyrics are the influences of numerous things and people. Miller, who grew up aspiring to be John Mayer, says that everything they hear influences them one way or another, and music pushed him along the most. “You have to keep a constant flow of good music going into your creative pot in order to get good music coming out,” Richards said. Before the Electric Sons, Miller, an Atlanta native, was an illustrator for the FX Network series, “Archer.” Two years ago, Miller left his job to team up with Richards, who was an advertising graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design. “I left because of the band, really,”

Electric page 11

From managing a stage to directing a play Theresa Sagan takes her turn at calling the shots LAUREN CORCINO STAFF WRITER Trading in the familiarity of scheduling rehearsals, notating the director’s decisions about blocking and actor’s notes and running each show behind the scenes for the last four years, senior theater major Theresa Sagan is stepping out into the spotlight as the director of her senior capstone, “Time Stands Still.” Sagan originally began as an English major at Georgia College, despite her involvement in theater during her younger years. She was encouraged to become a theater major by a professor and decided to pursue a double major. Sagan felt more drawn toward her theater major during her junior year and dropped her English major. Sagan applied for her senior capstone and was granted a directing senior capstone for the 2012-13 academic year. Sagan began working on “Time Stands Still”, choosing the play in February 2012, throughout the rest of the semester and during the summer by script analysis and creating original ideas and concepts for the play. “Time Stands Still” follows the story of two journalists coming back to the United States after covering the Iraq War and weaves together a journey of ﬁguring out how to live a normal life after facing traumatic experiences and the transformative process of healing. “Reading and realizing that the play is all about connections and relationships and how every choice you

make directly impacts people that are directly connected to you is what drew me toward the play,” Sagan said. “I think that is totally where I am in my life right now, especially with choosing where to go and what to do with my life. Choosing this play was all about connectivity, how I connected with the play and how it connected with my life.” As the director of “Time Stands Still,” Sagan has created methods to get the intimate cast of four ready for the play. Oftentimes Sagan allows the actors to dictate what each rehearsal will consist of based off of their needs instead of planning out each rehearsal beforehand. “In rehearsals, we do a lot of music work,” Sagan explained. “I’ll turn on a couple songs and give the cast an ambiguous objective of different times in a person’s life like ‘I want you to reenact a vignette of how it felt to get married,’ or ‘How did it feel when you found out you were pregnant.’ It has become somewhat of a tradition for us, and we try to do it in rehearsal once a week.” Working with Sagan in her role as Sarah in “Time Stands Still,” senior theatre major Anna Fontaine applauds Sagan’s directing style during rehearsals. “The best part of working with Theresa as a director has been her openness when it comes to ﬁnding our characters and developing the play,” Fontaine said. “She knows what she wants, but she lets us ﬁnd our

Theresa page 11

SARAH K. WILSON / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER A mixed media piece featured in Laura Bell’s “Delicate Intricacies” exhibition is one of many pieces displayed in Blackbridge Gallery. Bell’s “Delicate Intricacies” displays patterns seen in bacteria and viruses. Laura Bell is an Atlanta-based artist, and the show is curated by senior museum studies major Katie Herrig in order to fulﬁll her senior capstone requirement. “I have really enjoyed the process, especially working with the artist and the actual artwork,” Herrig said. “I look forward to doing this again in the future.” The exhibition will continue through March 22.

THE COLONNADE

MARCH 8, 2013 Sounds

Continued from page 9...

potlight:

Erica Betross discusses her senior capstone thesis project, “PERSPECTIVES:Art Faculty Exhibition.”

the colonnade: What is the “Perspectives” exhibition? erica: As museum studies majors, our capstone project is to ﬁnd an artist and curate our own show. I collaborated with May Johnson, senior art major, to create a GC faculty art exhibition.

the colonnade: What made you want to do this exhibition? erica: May and I were extremely excited to do a faculty art show because we work with these teachers every day, but we never get to see their artwork. the colonnade:How many professors will be featured? erica: All 13 art professors will be exhibiting work. Most studio teachers are doing a form of studio art. Our art history teachers are exhibiting research papers or their interpretations of other works. the colonnade: Will all of the pieces be new works? erica: I would say 90 percent of the works have been created in late 2012 and early 2013.One professor will be exhibiting artwork she painted as an undergrad to show the progression of her work.

the colonnade: When and where is the exhibition? erica: There will be a reception on March 12 from 5-7 p.m. and then the exhibition will run through April 12 in the Museum of Fine Arts. the colonnade:What has it taken to put this exhibit together? erica: This event has taken a lot of research and collaboration. We have a theme of “exhibit what you teach,” which is why we are also featuring research papers. We have to get all of the artwork in and exhibited, while gathering artist statements and bios. Also, we have to write a curatorial statement. the colonnade: What are you most proud of? erica: I am most proud of the fact that we have 13 artists all exhibiting at once. GC has done faculty shows in the past, but this will be the ﬁrst that will contain the entire art faculty. the colonnade: Is there anything interesting students can look forward to? erica: There is an installation that will happen including water and sound by professor Michael Murphy. An iPod will be hooked up to the piece and the sound vibrations will move the water.

By: Ansley Burgamy

Sounds of the south Spring 2013 line up Bloodkin The Isaac Bramblett Band Dank Sinatra Saint Francis The Electric Sons All The Locals Distopia Chris Peeler Betsy Kingston and the Crowns Downside UP Free Lance Ruckus Scarlett Baby Baby Doug Funny and the Freshtones

bands will be performing outside. Radio station Z-97 will be hosting its boat show. When First Friday festivities wrap up, people can go from bar to bar and take in the Sounds of the South lineup, which features artist such as Bloodkin, Saint Francis and The Electric Sons. “We are happy to be doing Sounds of the South,” Daniel Hutchens of the Athens-based Bloodkin said. “It’s a great cause, and it’s close to home. … What’s not to love? We’re gonna bring the rock and shatter some glass.” There will also be several bands from Milledgeville playing, including The White Kids, Free Lance Ruckus and The Stumblin’ Toads.

The Sons This House Elements of Style DJ Jedidiah Lindberg Three Down Crew Kinky Aphrodisiacs Gold-bears Sundollars Shook Foil Rapanui The Ramblin' Fevers Dana Swimmer WoolFolk The Stumblin' Toads

“Last year we had an awesome time being a part of the Sounds of the South music festival,” Richard Martin of Free Lance Ruckus said. “Being from the Middle Georgia area, it’s good to see something like this with so many bands from so many different places all converging on one weekend right here in Milledgeville.” The event is free and open to the public, but attendees can purchase a $7 wristband that will provide drink specials both nights and waive all covers the second night. Check out Sounds of the South Facebook page for more info and band announcements leading up to the event.

MARCH 8, 2013 Electric

Continued from page 9... Miller said. “We were getting a lot of great feedback after we released the EP and things started to pick up pretty quickly, so being at work all week didn’t really seem to help the band move forward.” Whether it was the light, sweet sounds of saxophone notes fluttering in the air or the upbeat sounds of “Billie Jean” being played through the radio, music has always been a big part of The Electric Sons’ life growing up. Richards, who counts himself lucky to have been raised around James Taylor, Patsy Cline, Michael Jackson and Dave Brubeck, says that the creative side of music came from having access to instruments and being able to “plunk around on a keyboard” when he wanted. For Miller, growing up around the melodic sounds was inevitable. “My dad and my uncle are big into jazz,” he said. “My uncle has played all over the world with various bands so it was sort of inherited I guess. As far as writing music, I can’t really explain why, it’s a need that we both have. It comes out whether we like it or not.” After releasing a lyrically-energetic home-recorded EP entitled “Color & Sound,” the band, then named AM83, started to quickly increase its fan base. Within a week of the release of their EP, they received a five-star review and were featured on the cover of Indie Music Review Magazine. With the success of their first EP, Richards and Miller began to self-produce their latest EP, “The Electric Sons.” It is in

THE COLONNADE this album that their love for electronic vibes began to guide their music. “We were a nameless entity for a little while,” Richards explained. “I think while writing ‘Swing’ we were tossing around the lyric ‘…an electric son.’” Their success does not stop short of the ﬁve-star review. Since then The Electric Sons have won the Masquerade Atlanta Musician showcase and have been featured on fanbolt. com as Artist of the Month as well as featured artists on music blogs such as The Kollection, DML.fm, Indie Music Filter and FMI Tracks. In the spring of 2012, they played main stage at Star94’s annual music festival. The typical and cliché songs about breakups, makeups and falling in love cannot be found in The Electric Sons songs. Instead, Richards says that since they both have potent imaginations, their music deals with far off places or escape. As far as inspiration goes, Miller gets his from movies. “I’m pretty visual, so a lot of the time when we are working with an idea, an image will pop into my head that ends up turning into whatever it is the song ends up being about,” he said. Fans and new listeners can mark their calendars and can expect to see The Electric Sons April 5-6 in Downtown Milledgeville for Sounds of the South, a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network that features a two-night lineup of performances. “Of course we are super pumped to play,” Richards said. “We played a show at Amici a little ways back and the crowd was just incredible. They invited us back to play, and we said yes.”

Photo courtesy of Theresa Sagan

Theresa

Continued from page 9...

Illustration by Powell Cobb

own way of getting here and developing our characters. She listens to us and how we feel our characters might act in any given situation.” Sagan has had to readjust her mindset, swapping out her usual role as stage manager for director, and has had to become acquainted with the world of directing. “I think the most interesting thing is that as a stage manager, you go behind the scenes and are in charge of everything,” Sagan said. “As the director, I just tell people what to do instead of just being in charge of them. They don’t report to me; they report to the stage manager. It is weird to not have that control because I have always been a stage manager.” Sagan has worked in some aspect on every senior capstone since her freshman year, and the reality of her own senior capstone coming to fruition and being seen by GC students and the local community has been an emotional journey. “Honestly, I have cried 12 times, just realizing that this is happening,” Sagan said. “It has been something that I have always wanted. It means a lot because this really is something that I want to do for the rest of my life and this is the ﬁrst time that I am actually doing it. It is such a huge opportunity for us as theater majors to get to do this because our work is seen a lot but it is never seen in a capacity where it is fully student-run and student-designed.” With certain contexts of the play being about realistic issues surrounding the Iraq War, Sagan believes that the underlying message of “Time Stands Still” is one that everyone can relate to in their lives. “This play is not all about the Iraq War,” Sagan said. “It is more about the relationships and the people and ultimately how we affect each other. That’s what I want people to take away from it. To change is to transform yourself. Ultimately, it will be okay. No matter what happens, it will be okay. It has to be, that’s life.”

Join GC’s Performing Ensembles

For more information, visit www.gcsu.edu/music or call us at (478) 445-8289

Leisure T o ast

March 8, 2013• Editor, Marilyn Ferrell

to the

Irish

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, A&E editor Anna Morris did a beer taste test and rated them to point readers in the right direction for celebrating this party-ﬁlled holiday. Read up, drink up and stay safe.

Blonde BottleTree Beer Leinenkugel’s canoe paddler Uinta wyld extra pale ale Matching its earthy, free spirited bottle, this beer is a no-fuss, downto-earth sip. The beer is surprisingly light, despite its 6.0 percent alcohol level. In fact, it had the highest alcohol content of the bunch. But at first sip, this blonde ale easily beat out its predecessors. The Blonde BottleTree Beer is perfect for a low-key night with good friends. Its smooth taste won’t sit heavy on the stomach, and its subtle bite combines nicely with the overall sweetness of the beer. Pick up a six-pack at Gil’s Package Store, or buy it by the bottle at Blackbird.

I’m no beer connoisseur; I simply know what I like and what I don’t. So when I saw a beer labeled as a “Kolsch-Style with Rye,” I had no idea what to expect. However, I have yet to be disappointed by a Leinenkugel’s beer. I wouldn’t say I didn’t enjoy the Canoe Paddler, but my initial thought was “This is an upscale Bud Light.” I would recommend this beer to anyone who is craving the simplicity and familiarity of a Bud Light, but wants to look like they know more about beer than they actually do. Leinenkugel beers can be found at Walmart.

No lie, I see some hipster in Little Five Points sipping on this one during the middle of the day, just because. Maybe it’s the minimalistic bottle design, but more than likely it’s because of the USDA Organic label in the corner. However, in my opinion, this is one good beer. And my mom agrees. A certain bitterness is present, but it’s nowhere close to the bitterness of an IPA. I’m big on aftertastes, and this beer passes my test. It’s a smooth, almost airy taste that lingers for a minute, leaving the drinker wanting more. Find this gem at Blackbird or Buffington’s.

Powell Cobb’s t Corner To get a sophisticated taste of Ireland this St. Patrick’s Day, try a glass of Jameson Irish Whiskey. I like to drink Jameson neat (no mixers, straight from the bottle to the glass to my mouth). The whiskey itself is light, easy to sip and served in almost any bar in America. It’s easy to blow off Jameson as too cheap or simple. But it’s actually quite the opposite. Whenever I feel like enjoying a quick drink after a

busy day, it’s never a Lagavulin or McCallan that I’m pouring, it’s good old Jameson. Those other whiskies are too heavy and expensive to enjoy on everyday occasions. A glass of Jameson, however, is always just right. The low complexity and sweet vanilla notes hit the nose and tongue softly, making it the perfect introductory whiskey. Pick up a bottle for $20 at your favorite package store.

What to do in Milledgeville on St. Patty’s Day What: Delta Sigma Pi’s Pub Crawl Cost: $13 includes T-shirt and drink specials When: Friday, March 15

Sudoku

Solutions from 3/1/13

newcastle werewolf The bottle was enticing. The name “Newcastle Werewolf” drew me in. The description of its blood-red color intrigued me. My high expectations for this one came to a crashing halt at first sip. Although it had the lowest amount of alcohol (4.5 percent), it had the strongest, most bitter taste of the group. According to the back of the label, this beer is “real,” but to me, this beer is nothing but “real bad.” The most upsetting part? Despite being labeled as blood-red in color, it was nothing but a non vibrant brown. If you’re up to a challenge, it’s at Gil’s.

Beer-ﬁlled, tasty beef stew St. Patrick’s Day is not all about having fun and drinking, it is all about the food, too. Here is a good recipe to try when getting together with your friends beef stew with pumpkin an d beer Start to ﬁnish: 3 hours Servings: 2-3 1 pound of beef 1 ounce of butter 4 small onions Half of a medium pumpkin 7 ounces round carrots 12 ounces stout or pumpkin beer 5 cloves garlic 1 cinnamon stick 2 bay leaves Sugar to taste Cut beef into cubes and season to your liking. In a medium-high stock pot, melt butter and add meat. Cook meat until it is brown. Cut up 3 onions and add to pan. Cook for another 5 minutes then add beer. Add in garlic cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Bring to boil, add salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Put lid on and let simmer for 2 hours. Add carrots, and let simmer for another 30 minutes then add in diced pumpkin. Let simmer for another 30 minutes until meat is falling apart and pumpkin is fully cooked. Recipe courtesy of craftbeer.com

Crossword

Sports

GC’s

March 8, 2013• Editor, Powell Cobb

For all SPORTS

One STOP SHOP

THINGS

the

AGENTS of INFORMATION [ By Lindsay Shoemake

It’s 10:06 a.m.

on a Friday,

and although the main level of the Centennial Center is quietly inhabited by a lone jogger, the basement-level sports information office is bustling. Manned by Sports Information Director Al Weston and assistant Trevor Kuss, the sports information office is a vibrant hub of media relations, marketing, promotions and outreach, all in the name of bolstering the Georgia College Bobcats’ 10 varsity athletic programs. On this morning, Weston sits behind his desk, with the shelves and walls of his office clearly reflecting where his priorities lie – adorned with a collection of family pictures and GC Athletics posters, the man has a passion for both his family and work. “The job has evolved considerably over the six years that I’ve been here,” Weston says. “Originally it was a media relations position; heavy on statistics and heavy on writing game recaps. It has evolved a lot to social media, and has basically become a public relations position for athletics.”

Photos by Mackenzie Burgess

Weston’s list of tasks for the day hangs next to his desk, and consists of a smattering of jobs – some that must be completed now, others later. “Right now I’m putting together a media package for basketball games for local media outlets in InDesign, which includes bios, trends and statistics for quick reference,” Weston says. “I also have to get a preview of a game done for The Union-Recorder, a game program done, a ﬂip card, and a splash page for our website to promote the seniors on both basketball teams.” The list may seem lengthy, but the workdays in sports information often entail out-of-ofﬁce perks – Weston will conduct PA for a local high school basketball tournament in the Centennial Center later that afternoon. Although the men of sports information are most accustomed to working with local and on-campus media outlets like The Union-Recorder, WMAZ and GC360, Weston experienced a run-in with national media after sophomore Shanteona Keys’ infamous free throw. In his easy-going fashion, Weston took the incident in stride. “There are two options when something like that happens,” Weston explains. “Bury the thing as much as possible, or use it as a positive. Keys

is our top marketable student athlete, and this was an opportunity to get her out there.” While Weston rapid ﬁres emails and continues down his checklist for the day, Kuss sits in his own ofﬁce across the hall.

“

Originally it was a media relations position. It has evolved a lot to social media, and has basically become a public relations position for athletics.

”

Al Weston, sports information director Hailing from Davis, Calif., Kuss accepted a 10-month-long internship with sports information and has been immersed in the world of GC Athletics since June of last year. Kuss admits that his move to the East Coast entailed a bit of a culture shock. “No one ever told me about the humidity,” Kuss says with a laugh. With his own InDesign ﬁle pulled

]

up on his desktop, Kuss is spending the morning designing promotional materials for GC Athletics. A majority of his time is also spent writing game recaps and posting them to the GC Bobcats’ website. Although mornings in sports information tend to be low-key, tasks can change at the drop of a hat. “Catching up on emails is usually something I do in the morning,” Kuss says. “But yesterday I was here in the morning and then left with the basketball team to go to Lander University in South Carolina. It’s very much whatever has to get done that day has to get done.” Kuss’ constant involvement with GC’s athletic teams has allowed him to get to know the athletes on a personal level – another perk that comes along with the job. “The athletes are always in and out, and a lot of them are really cool people,” Kuss says. “It’s just a really fun, relaxed environment here – ” Before Kuss can ﬁnish, and nearly on cue, senior tennis player Wictor Andersson sticks his head into the ofﬁce. “Want me to give you a brief overview of him?” Andersson says, point

Sports Information page 15

(L) Trevor Kuss, sports information assistant, works at his office computer on the bottom floor of Centennial Center. (A) Al Weston, sports information director, and Kuss show their sense of humor in Weston’s office. According to Kuss, who is about to complete a 10-month internship with the Department of Athletics, working for sports information is a combination of fun and hard work.

The Short Stop

Upcoming Games Tennis

March 9 Men’s & Women’s @ March 13 Men’s @

Softball March 8 March 11

Baseball March 8 March 9

@ @ @ @

Home, 11 a.m Home, 3 p.m.

Home, 3 & 5 p.m. Home, 2 & 4 p.m. Home 6 p.m. Home, 1 & 4 p.m

Quote of the Week “Keys is our top marketable student athlete, and this was an opportunity to get her out there” -Sports Information Director Al Weston said regarding the video of Shanteona Keys’ botched free throw that has since gone viral.

LEE MCDADE

Basketball saves America? North Korea. It is a battered country, historically plagued by the most radical regime alive today. Millions of people find themselves trapped within the ironclad confine that is North Korean government. The people, starved from decades of government-dictated famine, live a day-to-day nightmare eerily similar to the lives of the unfortunate community within George Orwell’s “1984.” The United Nations has had very little cooperation with North Korea, whose government has been described as a totalitarian Stalinist dictatorship. All of this has transpired under the rule of Kim Jong-il and more recently his son Kim Jongun, North Korea’s new supreme leader. The relationship between the U.S. and North Korea is unfavorable to say the least. The situation in North Korea is like a pot of boiling noodles, bubbling around vigorously while everyone else stands aside watching, waiting to clean up the mess after the whole thing finally boils over. However, a slice of solace presented itself in a very unusual way. Dennis Rodman, the basketball hall of famer straight from Mars, recently became the first American to meet Kim. Rodman was in North Korea for two days working on a project with HBO and the Harlem Globetrotters. As it turns out, Kim is a huge ’90s-era Chicago Bulls fan and insisted on meeting Rodman during his two-day stay last week. So here you have Dennis Rodman, a 6-foot-7 giant with a face full of metal sitting down for a chat with Kim Jong-un, the man responsible for the suffrage of millions while barely amounting to half the size of Rodman. The intimate details of the conversation between the unlikely pair was revealed by Rodman himself during an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC. Rodman described Jongun as a very humble guy who he really liked as a person. Rodman then reveals what could be considered by some to be a diplomatic request. Rodman claims that Jong-un said he doesn’t want war and wishes to have President Obama call him. Rodman then told Jong-un that Obama also loves basketball so they could start from there. Is this really a proposal of peace from a historic enemy? Is Dennis Rodman an American diplomatic hero? While the idea of basketball saving America from potential “destruction” is alluring, the reality of the situation is that North Korea is a very complicated place filled with terrible anguish. Rodman says Jong-un is a great man. Jong-un’s actions suggest otherwise. I think Rodman is naively stubborn to the true situation in North Korea. Sure, making amends with this radically insane man is an important step in allocating a balanced relationship with the country, but Rodman is no American diplomat. Rodman’s misconceptions of North Korean society altered his better sense of judgment, producing a dangerously misleading portrait of Kim Jong-un.

HAVE A RESPONSE? Send it to colonnadesports@gcsu.edu

Notable Stat

The number of varsity athletic programs that Sports Information covers here at Georgia College.

The Colonnade

March 8, 2013

Talk Derby to Me Constantina Kokenes Senior Reporter

“That’s how they break.” My bad. We continued on to the different types of stops. The one that seemed easiest to me was the Snowplow. Ritter put it in terms I could unhave never skated before. Okay, well, maybe once – for five derstand, but I missed most of it due to the blarminutes at some sixth-grade birth- ing music. All I heard was, “You widen your day party. But I quit as soon as I got legs and kind of stick your butt out like you’re sitting down.” out there. I opted for the arcade. I tried what I heard and crashed into a wall. So when I decided to try out roller For the most part, I wanted to focus on the derby, I was terrified. I’d seen “Whip It,” but despite how violent it looked, I was still odd- skating itself. Just about everyone else around ly attracted to the idea of speeding around on me was shooting by while I struggled to lift up my legs. They resisted due to my fear. skates. After a while, I was skating faster, going When I heard about the roller derby team on campus, I looked up its information and saw from granny mode to looking like I was skating when and where they were practicing. I got up leisurely. I might have gotten too cocky because I began to wobble. My natural instinct was to the nerve to say I’d be there … a year later. I wanted to at least look “bad” to them be- immediately stand straight up, so I did. I regretted it. cause it was a notch above “beyond helpless” I yelled to myself, “SQUAT! SQUAT!” but when I started. So, the night before my first practice, I went skating. My natural grace that I before I could, I fell, wrists out and on my carry around as I trip my way through campus knees. Luckily, I didn’t break anything. Just got a helped me, and an hour later, I made it onto the massive bruise – to add to the collection all over rink. “Took you long enough,” Justin Dickinson, my body – on my left knee and sprained my my best friend and junior psychology major, wrists. As I was lying on the ground, I felt totally said. “I’m going to die!” I yelled at him as he skat- defeated. “I’m never going to be able to do this,” I ed past my flailing arms and legs. To be honest, I was waiting for him to fall, just to make my- thought. But then I remembered what Sarah said at the beginning of practice: “Everyone self feel a little better. falls. Don’t be embarrassed if you do. No one He didn’t. here will judge you.” I did. And normally, I would be paranoid enough Karma. As my face hit the ground, I realized two to think everyone was judging me in that mothings: 1) This was the most exercise I’d gotten ment, laughing at me for falling and not being in a long time. 2) I was going to have to get used able to get it. I’m naturally that confident, what can I say? But when I looked up, no one had reto falling in derby. The next day, sore and tired, I went to their ally noticed. People asked if I was okay. No one practice at Fun Factory. I learned that my body laughed. No one was mean. Sarah was right. was in the wrong position for derby. The natural Everyone falls. So I picked myself back up and got deterposition in derby is to squat. To me, I thought that would make it easier to fall. To my surprise, mined. Going to practices, practicing the derby stance at home, practicing the different ways to it helped a lot. I actually had better balance. We then learned how to fall. In derby, it’s in- fall; I felt ready. I felt like I was progressively evitable, but there are ways to fall so that you getting better. About two weeks into it, I still sucked, but I don’t injure yourself too badly. We learned a lot was at least getting faster. It took me about an of these during practice. “This sounds weird, but in midair, try to turn hour to get my speed up though – I wish I was your body and land on your butt rather than lying. Sarah graciously loaned me her gear and your tailbone,” Laura Ritter, junior business tried to teach me to skate. “I think you’re too major, said. A lot of how to fall defied the natural defens- afraid of falling,” she called from outside of the rink. “If you feel like you’re going to fall, just es to when someone falls. “If you feel yourself falling, squat lower,” do it.” So I did – twice; one right after the other. Ritter said. “I know this sounds weird, but if The first one felt planned. I landed like I you stand straight up, you’re going to fall.” learned in practice. “That one’s called ‘The Whoops. “Don’t put your wrists out in front of you,” , Porn Star’ because of how you look when you sophomore studio art major Sarah Cooper said. land,” Sarah said. I looked down at myself. I

Scott Carranza/ Senior Photographer Junior mass communication major Constantina Kokenes practices her fall at the Wellness Center and Recreation Center. This style of falling is called the “porn star.” The club meets every Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Wellness and Recreation Center and Thursdays at 7 p.m. at The Fun Factory.

was on both knees, my butt was sticking out a little, my back was curved, and my fingertips were on the ground in front of me. Blood rushing to my cheeks out of embarrassment, I got up and laughed it off. Well, I tried to get up. I ended up slipping and rolling around in that stereotypical way you’d see in the movies. I landed on one knee this time, but the whole thing looks

awkward. I got back up and kept skating. If my self-consciousness wasn’t so bad, I probably would be a better skater. A big motivating factor for me continuing was the fact that I was getting in shape. “A month or two into it,” Sarah said during our falling practice, “your legs and butt are going to look fantastic.”

BROUGHT TO YOU BY GEORGIA COLLEGE HEALTH SERVICES FOLLOW US: @GCSHS

LIKE US:

GC STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES

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WWW.GCSU.EDU/STUDENTHEALTH

MARCH 8, 2013

THE COLONNADE

Softball refuses shutout at home TAYLER PITTS STAFF WRITER The Georgia College softball team split a doubleheader on March 3 against Francis Marion. It was cold and windy afternoon at the Peeler Complex. The two teams’ pitchers battled into extra innings in the opener. In the bottom of the eighth, freshman Abi LeRoy cracked a walkoff homer to right-center field to claim the 1-0 victory. The Patriots didn’t waste any time as they came out in game two with a vengeance, taking the second game 6-1. Senior pitcher Dani Gallucci went the distance on the mound in game one for the Bobcats as she recorded seven strikeouts and gave up only four hits to take the win. Sophomore Kristen Humphries lead the team with two hits and a walk. The Patriots’ pitcher, Taylor Luff, was no walk in the park either as she kept the Bobcats quiet with only three hits until LeRoy snagged the fourth hit and turned it into the game winning solo shot. “Game one, Dani threw a great game and kept us in the game the whole time and luckily we came up with a big hit at the end,” LeRoy said. “Second game we came out flat. We just didn’t string together the hits that we needed to string together to put the runs on the board and that cost us.” Game two took off quickly with there being no shortage of action from the Patriots bench. They came out fast, scoring a run in the first and second inning against GC’s freshman pitcher, Marisa Boyette. The Pats added another run in the top of the third with a home run, forcing the Bobcats to bring in LeRoy to

pitch. The pitcher change didn’t stop much at first when Patriots’ Megan Smith hit a two run shot over left field and pushed the score to 5-0. “Game one we just fought harder and second game we were just comfortable with our win that we felt like we didn’t need to actually come out and play the second game,” Gallucci said. “But it’ll come – it comes with age.” The game slowed down during the fourth and fifth innings as both teams let their infields do some work recording the outs. LeRoy pitched for three innings only giving up one hit that was the home run in the top of the third. With the start of the sixth inning, GC brought in sophomore Erica Bell who pitched the rest of the game giving up one hit and one run. “I think showing up for seven innings and hitting a little earlier in the first half of the game instead of waiting till the last couple of innings – I think that’s generally what our problem is,” assistant coach Brittany Bennett said. “We wait too long sometimes to get on the board scoring wise, and I think as long as we can continue to win game one we’ll always have a chance to win game two.” It took the entire game, but the Bobcats refused to be shutout as they took advantage of their final at bat, bringing junior pinch runner Emily Hammond across the plate giving the Bobcats their one and only run of the game. “We are young, so I feel like this is a learning experience,” Gallucci said. “And it can only get better from here.” The Bobcats will return to action when they travel to play Georgia Southwestern State University on Wednesday, March 6, at 4 p.m.

SCORE SHEET

Basketball

baseball

Saturday, March 2 vs. Armstrong Women

Loss

71-69

Men

Loss

73-68

Saturday, March 2 vs. UNC Pembroke Game 1

Loss

Game 2

Win

3-5 11-6

Sunday, March 3 vs. UNC Pembroke Game 3

Win

softball

9-2

tennis

Sunday, March 3 vs. francis marion

Saturday, March 2 vs. Montevallo

Game 1

Win

1-0

Women

Game 2

Loss

6-1

Monday, March 4 vs. florida tech

Sports Information Continued from page 13...

ing at Kuss. “He’s from California. And he’s a pretty rad dude. That’s all I have to say.” And with that, Andersson is gone. “It’s a fun environment working here with Al and the coaches and the administrators,” Kuss continues. “There are times when you have to buckle down and the work needs to get done, but for the most part I think everyone

Win

5-4

Women

loss

5-4

Men

Win

6-3

really enjoys being here.” Although Kuss’ post-internship plans aren’t set in stone, he plans to apply to numerous full-time positions doing similar work at Valdosta State University or Syracuse University in New York. The work may pile up during the GC Bobcats’ athletic seasons, but the men of sports information are grateful for their home away from home in the Centennial Center. “I have to take a few steps back and realize that I’m not punching rivets, I’m not piling lumber, I’m not doing anything that I don’t want to do – so quit your complaining,” Weston says. “I get to work around sports all day. That’s what I wanted to do, and that’s what I get to do.”

Lee McDade

C A P S

T S ES

I A V A L L I

– E L LAB

W E N RE

! Y A TOD