The Southerner, Volume 68, Issue 1

Page 1

HENRY W. GRADY HIGH SCHOOL, ATLANTA

Sept. 5, 2014

Katherine Merritt

Artist Drue Dun paid homage to the Atlanta classic Gone with the Wind. Dun uses a razor and spray paint to make his art pop. This piece was found in Virginia Highlands.

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EBOLA STRIKES IN WEST AFRICA; U.S. PREPARED F

The search for free art provides an unexpected rush for both the art creator and art hunter. Some artists take part in Free Art Friday to enjoy art without the stress involved in exhibiting and selling art while others participate purely for the fun of it. “I participate to get my creative juices flowing,” artist and hunter Ashley Bishop said. A well known artist, Christian Danley, who goes by Clunky Robot, has been heavily involved in Free Art Friday for more than three years now. “It’s silly,” Danley said. “But I get an adrenaline rush every time I hide a piece of art, the mix of anxiety, hope, and excitement.” For Bishop, Free Art Friday is a diversion from her job in the financial field. She has been hunting for art for about two years and has been creating art for about a month. According to Free Art Friday originator, Kenn Twofour, Bishop’s transition from art hunter to art maker highlights one of the main purposes of the event: turning takers into makers.

By Margo Stockdale or many Atlantans, the greatest impact of Ebola has been Emory Hospital’s decision to treat two American patients with the disease. For Atlantan Leo Mulbah, however, the disease hits much closer to home. “Almost every day I get news of either family members or friends who have fallen ill,” Mulbah said. “Today I found out that two of my friends have gotten ill.” Mulbah is a Liberian-American and the president of the Liberian Community of Georgia, a nonprofit organization. The organization is responding to the Ebola outbreak by organizing town-hall meetings to send medical equipment to Liberia. Mulbah said the meetings are necessary because many hospitals are closing in Liberia. Ebola is one of several hemorrhagic fevers. The virus is spread through contact with blood or bodily fluids as well as through consumption of animals infected with the virus. Symptoms include high fever, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea. Affected people may also bleed both externally and within the body. The overall fatality rate is 60-65 percent. First detected in March 2014, this outbreak is the largest since 1976 in terms of the number of human cases and fatalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak began in Guinea but has since spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. Susan Van Duyne, CDC employee in the Salmonella reference lab,* said the disease has spread so widely and quickly because of the lack of border control in the affected countries. “The borders are fluid,” Van Duyne said. “If someone lives in Liberia, but the closest market is in Sierra Leone, they will go to the market in Sierra Leone.”

To follow Katherine on her quest for free art, see page 18.

see EBOLA, page 9

Finders, keepers on Free Art Friday By Katherine Merritt ree Art Friday, a hidden gem of Atlanta, unites artists and encourages people to escape their daily routines and scavenge for free art around the city. With the use of social media websites including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, artists post hints to give viewers an opportunity to find and keep a unique piece of art. Artists may “drop” their art anywhere in Atlanta. Common spots include Virginia Highland, Fourth Ward, Little Five Points, Decatur and Midtown. Determined hunters and participating artists make Free Art Friday an increasingly popular event. The most eager art enthusiasts search on various social media websites with the hashtag fafatl (#fafatl) to find hints that will hopefully lead them to the art they desire. If they get to the art first, it’s theirs; First come, first serve. After someone finds the art, it is common courtesy and an implied rule in Free Art Friday for them to tag the artist’s account in a post on social media to announce to the artists and art seekers that their art has been claimed.

VOLUME LXVIII, NUMBER 1

Hollywood heads for high school at APS film locations L

news

nomic impact in fiscal year 2014 according to the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office. This is a sharp increase from production companies investing only $3.3 billion in Georgia in fiscal year 2013. For Atlanta Public Schools, this new source of revenue by renting out school properties is a welcome opportunity, and not only as a source of revenue. “[Filming] showcases our facilities as well as brings in extra money for the district,” said Crissi Calhoun, director of accounting for Atlanta Public Schools.

8 lifestyle

Gubernatorial candidate Jason Carter was endorsed on Aug. 27 by the Georgia Association of Teachers at a conference held just outside the Grady campus.

courtesy of reddit.com

By Lucia Lombardo ong known for its high concentration of Fortune 500 companies, Georgia does not have a reputation as a place where film companies make movies and TV shows. That changed in 2008 when Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, which gave a 20 percent tax credit for all qualified productions and an additional 10 percent credit for including a Georgia logo in the final product. Over the past six years, more than 90 film companies have filmed on location in Georgia. These companies generated $5.1 billion in eco-

see FILM, page 10 SUMMER SCHOOL: The D.U.F.F., set at fictional Malloy High School, filmed at Grady over the summer.

14 a&e

Three members of the Grady Robotics team traveled to Portland, Ore., to compete in Drone Prize 2014, in which they won more than $3,000 in prizes.

18 thesoutherneronline.com

A week of exhibitions from Living Walls culminated in an art event at The Goat Farm on Aug. 16. The exhibition raised community awareness for local artists.

Timothy Guiney sat down with The Southerner before starting his tenure as principal on July 1. Read his exclusive interview on The Southerner online.


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