The Red & Black | September 28, 2023 publication

‘Armed and dangerous’

University community reckons with campus carry after UNC shooting

Lucinda Warnke

The message came just after 1 p.m.

It was Monday afternoon — an otherwise bright start to a new week at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — and campus life hurried on as usual. That all changed when a text was sent out to the campus community warning that an “armed and dangerous” person was on or near campus.

Just after the text, warning sirens blared. Students raced to take cover, shoving themselves into dark closets and gyms. Community members scrambled to alert others and tell friends and family that they loved them. Little information was available, and terror filled the empty space that knowledge couldn’t.

Police cars swarmed Caudill Labs, where the active shooter reportedly was. It was more than three hours of chaos until the “all-clear” came.

Police arrested a graduate student in the department of applied physical sciences, for shooting and killing Zijie Yan, an associate professor in the same department.

The next day, in Athens, Janet Frick — an associate professor of psychology at the University of Georgia — opened X, formerly known as Twitter. She had friends on UNC’s faculty who experienced the shooting first-hand and watched as academics discussed guns on college campuses online. Now, she wanted to contribute.

Affirmative action ends in America

Athens students reflect on how Supreme Court case hits home

Katie Guenthner

The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in higher education in June, ending race-conscious admissions after years of debate on the policy.

Although Georgia has not allowed the consideration of race in college admissions for decades, the Supreme Court’s decision has implications for local high school and University of Georgia students pursuing higher education in other states.

Initial Reaction

At first, Cedar Shoals High School senior Jacqueline Medina didn’t know how the decision could affect her — until she spoke with her older sister, a junior at UGA.

“The more I looked into it, I realized how much of an advantage affirmative action was to people of color,” Medina said. Medina, who identifies as Latina, feels that affirmative action helped level the playing field for first generation families like her own. She wants to become a developmental behavioral pediatrician but feels stressed as she navigates the college application process alone.

The process includes finding the proper documentation for and filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. And in a temporary change for the 2024-2025 school year, the FAFSA is set to open in December rather than October, giving families less time to apply.

“A lot of parents do not know that the FAFSA has changed this year,” Gabriel Smallwood, Clarke Central High School college adviser and 2022 UGA graduate, said. “I’ve had a lot of people reaching out to me. … I’ve gone and added it to our college timeline. ”

Now that affirmative action is gone, Medina worries that her application will be affected in ways she can’t control.

“I definitely do think [overturning affirmative action] will affect my application process because the majority of the schools I want to apply to are predominantly white,” Medina said.

Some of her peers at U-Lead Athens, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping immigrant students access higher education, share her concerns.

“We go through the FAFSA trying to figure out what we have to do, what documents we have to ask our parents for,” Medina said. “Then we also go through the college application process where we don’t know what’s going to be good enough for college admissions officers.”

Their experiences are not unusual, according to Smallwood. He advises all of

Clarke Central’s seniors but says part of his role is to also advise the parents of first generation students on how to navigate the application process.

“Some parents have no idea,” Smallwood said. “They’ve never been through the process before, they don’t know [where] to start — that’s where I come into play.”

Like Medina, Clarke Central High School senior Brandon Wilson-Price wasn’t initially worried about the ruling until he later thought that it might affect his chances of getting into college.

Wilson-Price, who wants to study mass communications at the University of Miami, identifies as African American and says diversity on college campuses is important to him because he wants to be around people he can relate to.

The states that already overturned affirmative action experienced a decrease in racial diversity after the policy change, particularly at selective colleges.

A 2020 University of California Berkeley study found that Black and Latinx student enrollment at the University of California Los Angeles and Berkeley dropped by 40%

after California overturned affirmative action.

The University System of Georgia stopped race conscious admissions in 2000 after a case in which three white women sued for alleged discrimination after their denial to UGA. UGA sophomore English major Jake Hays says that a lack of diversity in colleges would lead to a lack of diversity in other areas of life.

“Diversity, especially at more elite institutions — it directly impacts who our world leaders are going to be,” Hays said.

Another UGA student, fifth year economics major Trey Holloway, was not surprised when he heard about the ruling. He said he expected it after recent Supreme Court decisions, such as the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Holloway, who identifies as Black, thinks that affirmative action helped address systemic inequalities against people of color.

“It was meant to sort of level the playing field for people who have been oppressed for generations,” Holloway said.

Moving Forward Wilson-Price thinks students of color might

be discouraged from applying to more selective, less diverse schools in the future. He thinks ending affirmative action won’t end racial bias in admissions either.

Even if colleges can’t see an applicant’s race, they might still hold an unconscious racial bias based on an applicant’s name — a form of discrimination that is evident in job applications and housing.

In fact, in another study by UCB and the University of Chicago involving 83,000 job applications, researchers found that applicants with “distinctively Black-sounding names” were called back 10% fewer times, despite having comparable applications to their white counterparts.

But some students see other ways forward to make an equitable college admissions process that does not rely on affirmative action.

Mexican American Clarke Central High School senior Cristian Paez suggested that colleges could take into account economic class instead of race to maintain and even increase diversity. Paez, who wants to work in government, believes economic diversity is ignored in college admissions, even though it is just as important as ethnic diversity.

Hays suggests that colleges could continue affirmative action indirectly by admitting more students from Title I schools. Smallwood explained that Title I is a designation that grants federal funding to schools with high percentages of low-income and otherwise disadvantaged students. Both Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central are considered Title I schools.

Some disagree that other methods will be as effective as affirmative action in promoting equality. Holloway believes that admitting students based on economic diversity rather than racial diversity fails to acknowledge that racism affects all people of color, regardless of class.

“Having a focus on class is good, but it can’t just only be class,” Holloway said.

Despite their concerns, students don’t want to let politics affect their future as they apply to college. Wilson-Price said he feels like there’s always going to be a group you feel welcome in, as long as you really get out and look for the right fit.

Smallwood said his counseling approach won’t change, and the focus will remain on the individual student — meeting them where they are to help them achieve their goals.

“I don’t think it’s going to affect the colleges I apply to because I don’t want to let it affect me,” Medina said. “At the end of the day — If I get in, I get in; if I don’t, I don’t.”

Gabriel Smallwood, senior class college adviser at Clarke Central High School looks out the window of his office in Athens, Georgia, on Sept. 15, 2023. LIZ RYMAREV/STAFF

It was meant to sort of level the playing field for people who have been oppressed for generations.

CARRY:

UGA community considers safety of campus gun policies

Lucinda Warnke

The tweets were short — a thread of just two messages — but they hit a nerve within the UGA community.

“This afternoon I’ll be teaching intro to psychology to 300 undergrads, in a room with multiple entry points we could not safely secure in such a horrific event,” Frick tweeted in response to the shooting. “I am once again reminded that our Republican [legislature] and governor passed laws allowing guns in my workplace while continuing to ban guns from their workplace.”

The law Frick is referring to is known as campus carry, which allows people to legally conceal carry handguns in most buildings on University System of Georgia campuses. Since its implementation in 2017, campus carry has drawn attention from UGA’s campus community and beyond, sparking discussion about safety and the role of guns in institutions of higher learning.

‘There’s no difference’

Frick said the decision to call out the law following the shooting at UNC was an obvious one.

“North Carolina, Virginia Tech, these are places that are just like UGA, there’s no difference,” Frick said.

Under campus carry rules, a “lawful weapons carrier may carry a handgun in any building or on any real property owned or leased by the USG and its institutions,” with some exceptions.

A lawful weapons carrier is defined as anyone who is not otherwise prohibited from owning a firearm, UGA spokesperson Greg Trevor said in an email to The Red & Black. The law no longer requires people to obtain a permit to carry as of 2022 when Georgia passed permitless carry. UNC does not allow guns on campus. The student shooter was charged for having a gun on educational property in addition to first-degree murder.

Other UGA faculty are also concerned. John Knox, an associate professor of geography at UGA, said he worries about the law’s impact on student safety.

“What really worries me is that having guns on campus

with a student body that is more depressed than any other I’ve ever seen,” Knox said.

Additionally, Knox worries about the potential for accidental shootings. He pointed to an instance in October 2019 when a student who was concealed carrying a handgun accidentally shot himself in the thigh in the Chemistry Building.

Reports from the incident describe people in the building hearing a crack followed by a scream. When police arrived in the lounge, bystanders had wrapped a computer cord around the student’s leg as a makeshift tourniquet, and the gun lay on the floor, jammed with a nearly full magazine in a puddle of blood.

“For me, [the incident] was the proof of what could go wrong with campus carry,” Knox said.

Delaney Tarr, a UGA alum who graduated in May 2022, was a freshman and remembers being in a philosophy class when she got the news that someone had been shot. With little information available, rumors abounded.

Tarr was terrified. Her first encounter with guns came in February 2018, when a man opened fired on her high school — Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida — killing 17 people.

“I didn’t have the luxury of being able to associate a gunshot with somebody going on a hunt or just having a nice time shooting their gun,” Tarr said. “For me, that experience has exclusively been associated with a mass shooting and tragedy.”

Tarr went on to help found March For Our Lives with several other survivors of the Parkland shooting. She said the campus carry policy worried her as a student and that she believes guns have no place at universities.

Benjamin Price, a second-year UGA law student, echoed a similar sentiment. He said that he feels comfortable with guns on campus as someone who grew up in a family that shoots recreationally, but wishes that campus carry would require people to obtain a permit and take basic safety courses before being allowed to carry.

CAMPUS CARRY TIMELINE

2013 The Safe Carry Protection Act, which includes an early version of campus carry, is introduced. It clears the General Assembly, but the bill’s sponsor backs out before it’s signed into law.

2016 An initial version of campus carry is proposed. It passes the General Assembly, but then-Gov. Nathan Deal doesn’t sign it due to it not having enough exemptions.

2017 A modified version of campus carry with more exemptions is signed and goes into effect, allowing licensed weapons carriers to conceal carry handguns in most campus buildings.

2019 A UGA student sitting in a lounge in the Chemistry Building accidentally shoots himself in the thigh with a gun he was carrying legally. He survives with non-life threatening injuries.

2022 Georgia passes a law dropping the requirement for people to obtain permits to purchase or carry a gun. People can now conceal carry on campus without a permit.

2023 A graduate student shoots and kills a professor at UNC Chapel Hill. Thousands of people on campus are forced to shelter-inplace for more than three hours.

marched towards downtown Athens in protest of campus carry. UGA President Jere W. Morehead voiced his opposition to the bill in an Archnews email, and The Red & Black ran an editorial decrying the proposal. Protests broke out again in 2017.

Knox was also on campus when the bill was being considered. He felt so strongly about the law that in 2017 he sued the state of Georgia along with other USG professors. In May, the Supreme Court of Georgia ruled unanimously to dismiss the challenge.

“I’m okay with a person having a gun, but I think that having no kind of regulation, or training or permitting process now, people are putting themselves at a greater risk by having guns that they aren’t adequately trained or prepared to use,” Price said.

Ligon Fant, a UGA alum who graduated from the law school in May, conceal carried a handgun while he was a student. An army veteran who survived a carjacking as a teenager, Fant said he’s carried most of his adult life because he feels an obligation to look out for those around him.

He said he believes that college students are able to take on the responsibility of carrying a gun on campus if they want to and that it’s not possible to entirely remove guns from college campuses and prevent violent incidents from occurring. He believes people who want to commit crimes will bring guns regardless of the law.

Fant suggested that UGA should instead approach the issue of guns on campus by offering safety courses through the UGA Police Department.

“My general attitude towards guns is they’re a tool,” Fant said. “These are things people are going to come across, see people carrying them. I would rather people be familiar with them and understand basic safety stuff.”

While Frick and Knox also acknowledged that people may still break laws banning guns from campus and commit crimes, they said banning guns would at least lower the chances of accidental and spur-of-the-moment shootings.

“The purpose of the law is, number one, to set expectations for what is allowed, and, number two, to allow for consequences when that is violated,” Frick said.

Conflict and controversy

USG’s campus carry policy has been a political lightning rod for years. A version of it was first proposed in 2013, but it failed to pass the final stages of the legislative process after USG presidents wrote letters to the Board of Regents and bill sponsor Rep. Rick Jasperse, pressuring them to reconsider.

Campus carry succeeded in 2017 when Gov. Nathan Deal signed an updated bill that included more exceptions. The Board of Regents adjusted its policy to match the new law shortly after it passed.

When lawmakers were considering the 2016 version of the bill, UGA students and staff flooded Tate Plaza and

USG Communications reaffirmed the integrity of the law and the process that created it in an email to The Red & Black.

“These same debates and issues were present when the law passed in a democratic way, and the University System of Georgia is committed to abiding by the law,” the email said.

An intractable problem

Regardless of their feelings about the law, the UGA community is united in feeling the anxiety of gun violence, the fatigue of shooting after shooting and the stress of wrestling with what can often seem like an intractable problem.

After the shooting, Frick returned to teach in the Journalism-Psychology Instructional Plaza. She was hyper aware of how many entrances were in the room, and the impossibility of keeping herself and her students safe.

“I don’t know what to say to students,” Frick said. “I don’t want to teach in a classroom that’s built like a bunker, but we don’t have training.”

Fant said seeing news of shootings affirms his decision to carry. While he acknowledges having guns so easily accessible can be risky, he thinks about what he might do in an active shooter situation and wants to be ready to defend himself and others in case the worst comes to pass.

“The chances of being in a classroom and somebody comes in shooting? Super low — like crazy, crazy, crazy low,” Fant said. “But if it did happen, that’s extremely high risk, like you’re probably going to die.”

Knox said while he feels it’s impossible to completely protect college campuses from guns and shooting events, he hopes that with stricter laws UGA and other colleges can reduce the risk of violence.

He also said the constant cycle of shootings on campuses is exhausting. According to a tally by CNN, the shooting at UNC was the 15th to occur this year on a university or college campus.

“There’s so many shootings … UNC, Michigan State, take your choices,” Knox said. “Maybe I’m just numb at this point. It doesn’t make me any more scared because it’s not like anything’s changed. This has been a thing my entire career.”

Editor’s Note: Delaney Tarr was a contributor to The Red & Black’s Eat & Drink desk in 2021.

Maybe I’m just numb at this point. … This has been a thing my entire career.

JOHN KNOX | ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY

Delaney Tarr, University of Georgia alum, is pictured in her apartment in Atlanta, on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. Tarr is a co-founder of March for Our Lives after surviving the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in 2018. LIZ RYMAREV/STAFF

Hate on the rise

Anti-LGBTQ+ hate is skyrocketing and the GOP is to blame

Carson Barrett

From June 2022 to April 2023, there were at least 356 documented acts of anti-LGBTQ+ incidents such as harassment, vandalism or assault, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. At least 59 transgender or gender non-conforming people were killed by violent means in 2021, the highest number since the Human Rights Campaign started collecting data. A California store owner was killed in August for having an LGBTQ+ rainbow Pride flag outside and a gay man was killed for voguing in New York — a form of dancing from the historically Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ Ballroom community.

Violence is not the only attack on the LGBTQ+ experience. Corporate giants have also turned their backs to the community. On April 1, transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney posted a promotional post on Instagram about a Bud Light giveaway, which included a picture of a can she was sent from the company with her smiling face on it. The company faced boycotts, and Mulvaney dealt with bullying for months without any support from Bud Light.

Target also experienced backlash over their annual LGBTQ+ Pride merchandise collection, which has been a staple of the chain for over a decade, according to a statement from the company. Both companies faced financial blowback and calls to boycott over nonissues, which were sensationalized over social media and from political talking heads. In my personal experience, I’ve heard misinformation from gay satanic cult couture to Mulvaney’s being underage — she’s 26. Needless to say, it’s absolutely ridiculous.

But none of these instances are surprising. Hate is not normal; it’s bred and grown from generation to generation through history until it reaches a flash point, usually resulting in a genocide. From society to speech to policy, hate against the LGBTQ+ community is reaching its breaking point.

“As [the LGBTQ+] community has achieved significant legal victories and gained greater visibilities, there is a segment of society that feels threatened by this progress,” said Danielle Bonanno, president of the Athens Pride and Queer Collective, in an email to The Red & Black. “This fear or discomfort with change often manifests as hostility.”

The American Civil Liberties Union is currently tracking 496 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the United States. Not only have Republican-controlled governments attempted to ban drag performanc-

es, but they also may criminalize being transgender due to overly broad legislation in some states.

Trans youth may have already lost their access to healthcare. 35.1% of them live in a state that has passed bans on gender-affirming care. Without this necessary healthcare, these minors will undergo the process of puberty, which may be a death sentence for some. Conservatives attempting to ban minors from accessing this care does not stop anyone from being transgender, and only serves to make life harder for trans youth.

“It is a terrible thing for any person to turn on a television and see people debate their very existence,” said Cameron Jay Harrelson, president emeritus of the Athens Pride and Queer Collective and member of the Athens Human Relations Commission. “We shouldn’t be debating at all people’s right to exist and live in a free society.”

Still, around 91% of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in 2022 failed and more were blocked by courts, according to the Human Rights Campaign, and no states have active drag bans. Thankfully, Georgia’s ban on gender-affirming care was blocked by a federal judge.

FALL 2023 STAFF

EDITORIAL 706-433-3027

LEADERSHIP

EDITOR IN CHIEF Liz Rymarev

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While most of these bills will not become law, their effects are still real and dangerous. The threatening rhetoric that propels these discriminatory bills forward also captures the public in culture wars, which keeps the coals hot on the hate boiling over across the country.

It’s fall, y’all Students welcome autumn by sharing fall traditions

Sophia Eppley

Autumn is beloved for many reasons, including football Saturdays, pumpkin spice menu additions and cooler, more comfortable weather.

Summer has officially come to an end, and students at the University of Georgia are ready to embrace the beauty and traditions of the fall season. The Red & Black asked UGA students what they are most looking forward to the months ahead.

Olivia Lasken Freshman psychology major

“My favorite thing about fall coming around is probably all the menu changes. So Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes.”

Laurel O’Brien Sophomore elementary education major

“I’m most looking forward to the weather change, how it’s gonna be a little bit cooler and more enjoyable to be outside. And all the new fall outfits coming out.”

Mac Lane Freshman civil engineering major

“The football games.

I’ve always been a football guy and Georgia is the best place to be during the football season.”

Alexis Derickson

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Cameron Munn Senior anthropology major

“I’m looking forward to the leaves getting crunchy again [and] the crisp autumn air … It all just contributes to this overall atmosphere that comes around in the fall, and I just love it.”

As [the LGBTQ+] community has achieved significant legal victories and gained greater visibilities, there is a segment of society that feels threatened by this progress.

DANIELLE BONANNO | APQC PRESIDENT

GRAPHIC/ABBIE HERRIN

Beauty in business

Melanie Levi

Ay Bonita, which loosely translates to “how beautiful,” is a salon that’s more than a business. It’s community, family and friendship that represents the beauty of Hispanic heritage.

The budding esthetics enterprise on Hawthorne Avenue is co-owned by a trio of licensed estheticians and best friends: Yasiri Michelle Parra and sisters Kat Sanchez Patel and Milushka Sanchez. They are of Puerto Rican and Peruvian descent, respectively.

From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Hispanic Americans across the nation are recognized for their contributions to society. National Hispanic Heritage Month was implemented to celebrate the influence of Hispanic history, culture and achievements throughout the country, and it serves as a time to commemorate the stories of these local business owners.

Sanchez Patel, who specializes in eyelash extensions and eyebrow art, says that being Hispanic is akin to being a fighter.

“Both of my parents, I feel like they left so much in Peru to come and move here,” Sanchez Patel said. “They decided to leave everything behind and make that sacrifice to move here for us… That’s why we work so hard. Everything I do is because of them and for them.”

When Sanchez Patel immigrated to the United States over a decade ago, she was separated from her daughter for 18 months. She drew inspiration to persevere from her mother, who made numerous difficult decisions to provide for her daughters.

“When my mom moved, she was like, ‘If I have to clean bathrooms you best believe I’m going to clean bathrooms. I have to make it work and make my family proud,’” Sanchez Patel said. “So I was like, ‘I have to start from there too,’ and that’s what I did.”

The Sanchez siblings maintain some of their traditional family values both in the workplace and their homes.

“My dad makes a tradition to spend Sundays together,” Sanchez, who performs eyelash lifts, facials and waxing, said. “I like to spend [Sundays] with family and friends.”

Naomi Ibanez, a Mexican American nail artist, says that working at Ay Bonita is one of the best things she has done in her career thus far, particularly because of her co-workers.

“Being surrounded by them is so much fun, and just being around people who you can connect with on a cultural level,” Ibanez said. “Sometimes, if you come in here, you’ll hear Bad Bunny blasting and you can just tell it’s a bunch of Hispanic women working.”

The women of Ay Bonita offer facials, eyelash extensions, nail treatments, waxing and more. Surrounded by tire shops and automotive repair garages, Ay Bonita brings a touch of beauty to Hawthorne Avenue.

“What I like most about my job is how good we make women feel. You come in feeling sad, depressed, and you leave feeling like a bad b*tch,” Sanchez Patel said.

Melanie Levi

Ay Bonita, lo que se traduce libremente como “qué bonita”, es un salón que es más que un negocio. Es una comunidad, familia y amistad lo que representa la belleza de la herencia hispana.

La empresa de estética en Hawthorne Avenue es propiedad de un trío de esteticistas licenciadas y mejores amigas: Yasiri Michelle Parra y hermanas Kat Sanchez Patel y Milushka Sanchez. Son de ascendencia puertorriqueña y peruana, respectivamente.

Del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, los hispanoamericanos de todo el país son reconocidos por sus contribuciones a la sociedad. El Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana se implementó para celebrar la influencia de la historia, cultura y los logros hispanos en todo el país, y sirve como un momento para conmemorar las historias de estos dueños de negocios locales.

Sanchez Patel, quien se especializa en extensiones de pestañas y el arte de cejas, dice que ser hispana es similar a ser una luchadora.

“Siento que mis padres dejaron tanto en Perú para venir y mudarse aquí,” dijo Sánchez Patel. “Decidieron dejar todo atrás y hacer ese sacrificio para mudarse aquí por nosotros… Es por eso que trabajamos tan duro. Todo lo que hago es por ellos y para ellos.”

Cuando Sánchez Patel emigró a los Estados Unidos hace más de una década, fue separada de su hija durante 18 meses. Se inspiró de su madre para perseverar, quien tomó muchas decisiones difíciles para mantener a sus hijas.

“Cuando mi madre se mudó, ella dijo, ‘Si tengo que limpiar los baños, ¡claro! que crees, voy a limpiar los baños. Tengo que hacerlo funcionar y que mi familia se sienta orgullosa,’” dijo Sánchez Patel. “Así que yo era como que, ‘Tengo que empezar desde allí también,’ y eso es lo que hice.”

Las hermanas Sánchez mantienen algunos de sus valores familiares tradicionales tanto en el lugar de trabajo como en sus hogares.

“Mi papá hace una tradición en que pasemos los domingos juntos,” dijo Sánchez, quien hace levantamientos de pestañas, tratamientos faciales y depilación. “Me gusta pasar [los domingos] con mi familia y mis amigos.”

Naomi Ibáñez, una artista de uñas mexicoamericana, dice que trabajar en Ay Bonita es una de las mejores cosas que ha hecho en su carrera hasta ahora, particularmente por sus compañeros de trabajo.

“Estar alrededor de ellos es muy divertido, y estar cerca de personas con las que puedes conectarte a nivel cultural,” dijo Ibáñez. “A veces, si vienes aquí, escucharás la música de Bad Bunny muy fuerte y solo te das cuenta que hay un montón de mujeres hispanas trabajando.”

Las mujeres de Ay Bonita ofrecen tratamientos faciales, extensiones de pestañas, tratamientos de uñas, depilación y más. Rodeado de tiendas de neumáticos y talleres de reparación de automóviles, Ay Bonita trae un toque de belleza a Hawthorne Avenue.

“Lo que más me gusta de mi trabajo es lo bien que hacemos sentir a las mujeres. Entras sintiéndote triste, deprimida y te vas sintiéndote como una mujer poderosa,” dijo Sánchez Patel.

Sanchez, Yasiri Parra, Kat Sanchez Patel y Naomi Ibañez posan para una foto en Ay Bonita en Athens, Georgia, el 23 de septiembre de 2023. JIM BASS/PERSONAL

La belleza en los negocios Hispanas dueñas de un salón generan confianza

What I like most about my job is how good we make women feel. You come in feeling sad, depressed, and you leave feeling like a bad b*tch.

Coast to coast

Hannah White brings fresh face to Georgia soccer

Virginia Miller

With championship hopes and a team of fresh faces, Georgia soccer has grabbed the attention of fans and the media as the team continues to put up strong performances.

One new transfer athlete from the University of Southern California has propelled Georgia’s championship aspirations even further. Graduate transfer Hannah White is the starting center forward for the Bulldogs and is leading the team in scoring through the first month of the season.

White also saw success with USC, as she finished her career there with five goals and three assists. This season, before the Bulldogs were even entrenched in SEC conference play, White had already scored three goals and had 14 total shots on goal. Despite her history with the Trojans, the Atlanta native used her final year of NCAA eligibility to move across the country and come back home.

“I knew I wanted to finish my last year at USC so that I could get my degree,” White said. “I knew deep down UGA was where I needed to be because of the connection I have to Georgia.”

Head coach Keidane McAlpine was White’s coach for three of the four years she played at USC before he left and became the head coach at Georgia, with White following close behind. White’s decision to leave a team with more success and a greater reputation to become a Bulldog would be a significant decision for anyone, and for her it was no different.

“It was very individualized at USC, but here everyone wants to see each other succeed and support each other for having a good game or scoring a goal or anything,” White said.

The graduate student has already showcased her leadership on the pitch this year, and McAlpine said he purposefully recruited White for this role because of the potential she displayed at USC.

“We know what she can do, we trust what she can do, she is willing to lead the team and hold the pressure in her role,” McAlpine said. “It’s massive for the group to have that person up there willing to take the shots.”

For someone who has played soccer their entire life, passion and motivation can be inconsistent. White shared that her late uncle continues to be her greatest inspiration for her soccer career. White said that her uncle grew up playing soccer with McAlpine and was part of the reason White went to USC in the first place to play with McAlpine as her coach.

McAlpine and White have worked together for a while now, and the connection shows on the pitch with their

ability to make plays and control the team from leadership positions.

“Every team has to have someone they can lean on to be the person who is willing to bear the weight of scoring goals,” McAlpine said. “She is her own person — she brings her own intensity about things.”

Unfortunately, as with most sports careers, White’s soccer journey was not without setbacks. She started off her freshman year with a season-ending ankle injury that forced her to redshirt her first year at USC. When she was healthy again, she faced another season-ending injury on her other foot.

When White recovered from both injuries, it was hard to come back her junior year and play at the same level she once did, but she ultimately returned.

“I knew at the end of the day I wasn’t ready to give this up,” White said. “I knew I was going to do whatever I could to get back and put in whatever effort it took to compete again.”

White worked hard her junior year, and for her senior and final season at USC, she played in 17 games, starting seven.

“It’s different having her here. She had injuries early on and was very frustrated at USC,” McAlpine said. “Finally seeing her healthy, we get a player who has a different focus who finally has a chance to be special and succeed on a consistent basis.”

White’s success at the top of the pitch could help lead

the Georgia soccer team to its first SEC championship in program history. With strong performances against ranked teams such as the University of Central Florida, Clemson and Alabama, the team is already off to a strong start so far this season.

Sets, serves and stories

Krista Blakely serves Georgia volleyball with family legacy

Micahya Costen

The Georgia volleyball team is all over the map. Of its 16 players, only one is from the state of Georgia, and twelve different states are represented, in addition to Canada. Right side hitter Krista Blakely, a graduate transfer from Detroit by way of Eastern Michigan University, is one of the newest members of Georgia’s volleyball melting pot. Blakely grew up in a family of athletes. Her two brothers played basketball and football before transitioning to baseball. Her older brother Christian played for the University of Michigan baseball team, while her younger brother Werner started as an Auburn baseball commit before being drafted out of high school to the minor leagues in Los Angeles.

Krista Blakely started as a track runner, competing in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 4X100m with the 400m being her least favorite event. She then made the switch to volleyball in high school and started to take it seriously.

Blakely said that although the house was full of athletes and competitive spirits, there was never a feeling or experience of having to outperform her siblings to feel validation.

“It was kind of a thing where if something good happened for one of us, it was like something good happened to all of us,” Blakely said.

After not getting any offers out of high school, Blakely made the decision to walk on to the Eastern Michigan volleyball team. She attended a camp that her club coach recommended to her and left with a guaranteed spot on the team. Then, the summer before her junior year, she

HANNAH WHITE | GEORGIA STARTING CENTER FORWARD

White blended instantly with the aggressive spirit and intense work ethic of the Georgia soccer team and through the early part of the season, has shown how valuable she can be

“I absolutely love it here,” White said. “I am 10 times happier being on this team. The people on this team make the experience worth it.”

started playing on a scholarship.

Blakely is not the first Eastern Michigan Eagle in the family, as both her parents were athletes there. Her dad was on the football team for four years from 1988-91, and her mom was a member of the 1990 volleyball team that won a program-record 30 games.

Blakely said she’s gotten used to being in the minority on her teams since high school, but she’s found ways to hold her own and establish her identity on any team she’s a part of. She said that always speaking up and advocating for herself is what she found important.

When Blakely arrived at Georgia, the roster was dealing with a plethora of injuries. Still, despite being severely understaffed, she noted the team’s willingness to compete in practice and commit to improving, which inspired her.

“I love that because it’s hard when you have limited bodies in practice to still be intentional,” Blakely said. “That was cool for me to see.”

Through the University of Georgia’s journalism program, Blakely is interested in getting a sports media certificate to pursue her passion in sports media and hopefully walk in Grady alum and current NBC sportscaster Maria Taylor’s footsteps.

“I feel like since I grew up around sports it’s something that I have a passion for,” Blakely said. “And also I feel like I would be pretty good in front of the camera. But, I also wouldn’t be opposed to doing stuff behind [the camera], because I do enjoy writing.”

Georgia volleyball head coach Tom Black said that experienced graduates on the team are great additions because they are proven athletes who bring leadership and experience to the table. When he first watched Blakely’s film, he said her talent jumped off the tape.

“If you’re an opposite [hitter] you have to be able to hammer, and have to be able to block the outside hitter,” Black said. “So when I saw her film I thought she definitely had the ability to do both those things. And I was really excited that we get to develop her.”

Blakely, through two starts and 17 sets played so far this season, has 25.5 points and 23 kills. Defensively, Blakely has eight digs and five total blocks.

Blakely’s advice for athletes who feel as if they’re getting looked over by college scouts is to not be discouraged and remember that ultimately, anything could happen.

“I definitely remember getting looked at by D1 schools, and then them dropping me because they had someone else in front,” Blakely said. “It was hard.”

Krista Blakely has come a long way from the under-recruited kid from Detroit who followed her parents to Eastern Michigan.

Now, as a graduate transfer at Georgia, she’ll be able to compete on a larger stage for a national championship — and get a chance to build her own legacy as a Georgia Bulldog.

Georgia center forward Hannah White celebrates her winning goal during a match against the University of Central Florida at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2023. MADY MERTENS/STAFF Georgia rightside Krista Blakely (21) during Georgia’s match against the University of Connecticut in the Ramsey Center in Athens, Georgia, on

I am 10 times happier being on this team. The people on this team make the experience worth it.

Krista Blakely has 23 kills this season, the sixth most on the Georgia volleyball team.

Hannah White has scored three goals this season, leading the Georgia soccer team.

A run around Athens

Get to know cross country athlete Sophia Baker

Owen Warden

Georgia track athlete Sophia Baker has been with the cross-country team for the past three years. So far in her senior season, Baker has placed 12th overall and third for Georgia in the first meet of the season — the Stan Sims Cross Country Open — and fourth overall and second for Georgia in the Gamecock Challenge.

Prior to the season, The Red & Black spoke to Baker on what drew her to Georgia, her favorite spots in Athens and more.

The Red & Black: When visiting Athens, what convinced you to commit to UGA?

Sophia Baker: The excitement of everyone. Everyone was always happy, always excited. Whether it be for me personally in the track and field and that team aspect I had, or if it was just walking to classes on campus or getting ready and going to the football games. ... [I felt] at home, everyone was nice and friendly. It’s a very big ‘go team’ environment.

R&B: When you’re not training at the athletic facilities, where are some of your favorite places to run?

Baker: I love going to the intramural fields next to Lake Herrick. For me, it was always a convenient spot just because it was next to the dorm I stayed in freshman year, and it’s super pretty. It’s like that soft surface that we get on in the woods around the lake [during races]. On [Georgia] gamedays, I do love running through downtown and through the road where the stadium’s on, because you

see everyone setting up for the game and I do a little loop downtown past the stadium.

R&B: You’ve had the unique opportunity to see the city from a different angle than most, having run around it so much. What is your favorite part of the city?

Baker: Running here in Athens, you see a lot more people — it’s a very alive city. Back where I live, there’s not too many runners. But here, you run down Milledge [Avenue] and you see people walking, biking, getting coffee, going on walks or runs. It’s very nice to see how alive the city is. … I see my teammates, I see past teammates. I see some of my friends [that] are in sororities, I just see so many different types of people out for walks ... It keeps running fun because you don’t feel like it’s a desolate city at all.

R&B: What about your teammates? What has your relationship been like with them?

Baker: My team is definitely like my family. They’re my closest friends and they helped me become better. We compete against each other but also with each other. We push each other just to be better people [and] better athletes. Just having these girls, all going through it together, makes it a lot more enjoyable to know you have that support system, but we also have fun together. We’re proud of each other. ... I think it’s the team and the people you have around you that really keep you going, keep you pushing, fighting to become better because they’re becoming better with you and you don’t want to give up yet.

R&B: What are your hopes and goals for your senior cross country and track season?

Baker: I am very excited. I have some big goals so I’m very excited to see how the season progresses. But honestly, goals aside, as I’m towards the end of my running career, I’m really just taking advantage of all the opportunities I get. Really just embracing my team that’s around me and [take] each race as it goes. I love training. I love racing. I love competing. Just working hard in the mornings, and I’m really excited to see the outcomes for this cross-country and indoor and outdoor [track and field] season. We got some big goals on the track and off the track, so I’m really excited to see how this progresses. We have a good freshman group coming in [and] I’m excited to see how they mesh with the team. I’m really excited just to have another season with the Dawgs.

This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

GUIDES & MAGAZINES

My team is definitely like my family. They’re my closest friends and they helped me become better.

SOPHIA BAKER | GEORGIA TRACK ATHLETE

Distance runner Sophia Baker competes in the 2023 Stan Sims Cross Country Open at Allatoona Creek Park in Acworth, Georgia, on Sept. 1, 2023 COURTESY/UGA ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

Women’s soccer and volleyball highlights

Georgia forward Caroline Smith (26) dribbles the ball during a match against Clemson at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. MADY MERTENS/STAFF

Georgia midfielder Aly Akers (left) and forward Hannah White (right) smile before a match against UCF at Turner Soccer Complex in Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2023. MADY MERTENS/STAFF

MUSIC

A growing music ‘Persona’

Wim Tapley flexes music

muscles in new EP

Wim Tapley’s rise to popularity in Athens has much to do with his eccentric stage presence and lyrical prowess. With the release of his EP “Persona” on Sept. 1, Tapley continues his path toward the company of Athens’ musical legends.

The project opens with its self-titled track “Persona,” which introduces the listener to the groove-and-funk inspired instrumentals with Tapley’s encapsulating vocals. From the initial track, there is a distinct improvement from his 2020 album release, “The Woodlands.”

The three songs sandwiched in the middle of the EP seem to hone in on the artist’s romantic life. Tapley sings longingly for a classic right person-wrong time scenario in “Mary,” chases after the apple-of-his-eye in “Ronda” and sings about his general pursuit for a love interest in the penultimate track, “Lover.”

Tapley closes out the short EP with “Tree Song,” a feel-good track that also invokes nostalgia. The acoustic guitar chords match well with the nature-inspired song title, which certainly feels like a callback to his 2020 album in sonics and lyricism.

Tapley, his band and their production team certainly use this opportunity to flex their collective music muscles throughout the EP’s 19-minute runtime. As a listener, the EP feels like it ends just as it was hitting its stride. Audiences will have to wait for Tapley’s next album to hopefully hear their continued success and improvement, but “Persona” will serve to please Tapley’s longtime fans and attract new ones.

Justin Brosemer

—

DINING

Back-to-Back Burger

Farm Burger’s gameday- only bacon brisket burger

In the wake of the University of Georgia’s back-to-back College Football Playoff National Championship wins, Farm Burger rolled out a new menu item, the “Back to Back Bacon Brisket Burger,” available only on home-game Saturdays at the Athens location.

The burger is stacked high with beef brisket which is smoked and locally-sourced by Athens Farm Burger’s culinary director, Drew Van Leuvan. In addition, the grassfed beef patty is filled with pickled jalapeños and topped with caramelized onions and melty pepper jack cheese, all wedged between a toasted sesame bun.

The first bite filled my mouth with a perfectly smoky flavor, with the tender brisket spilling out the side of the stacked burger. The jalapeños provided a kick which was balanced out with the gooey, warm pepper jack. This burger screams “attack the day.”

According to Van Leuvan, it was inspired by Kirby Smart’s own burger preferences and is extremely reminiscent of gamedays and tailgating. The kick of spicy flavor is reminiscent of our own Bulldogs and how they pack a punch on the field.

This burger is perfect for gameday, especially after a noon game or in preparation for a long night of shouting between the hedges.

The meat was tender, the ingredients meshed amazingly and the essence of Georgia Football was captured perfectly in every bite.

— Mary Catherine Dodys

Local News.

DINING Trick-or-Treat Yourself

Molly’s Coffee Company serves fall latte and muffin

With the return of crisp mornings, cozy sweaters and changing leaves in Athens, Molly’s Coffee Company has two menu items that are the epitome of autumn: the Trick-or-Treat Yourself Latte and the pumpkin chocolate chip muffin.

The Trick-or-Treat Yourself Latte is a pumpkin spice-flavored latte, available either hot or iced. I ordered the drink iced and with oat milk. The latte was the quintessential fall drink with a pumpkin spice flavor that wasn’t too sweet or too bitter.

I recommend getting the drink with oat milk, as the sweetness of the oat milk complemented both the coffee taste and the pumpkin spice flavor. The latte has a cinnamon aftertaste that left me wanting another sip every time I put the cup down.

Within the first bite of the pumpkin chocolate chip muffin, I was instantly a fan. The crunchy sugar crystals on top perfectly complemented the airy interior and the melty chocolate chips.

I definitely recommend getting the muffin warmed, as it made the chocolate chips gooey and the fluffy interior even more mouthwatering.

Although both the Trick-or-Treat Yourself Latte and the pumpkin chocolate chip muffin are delicious and satisfying on their own, I recommend trying them together. The flavors of the latte and muffin interact well with one another, making them a great way to treat yourself this fall.

— Lucy Grey Shields

ARTS Seeing ‘Red Green Blue’

Artist Paul Pfeiffer

shows different side of gameday

For many Saturdays this fall, the University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium will be home to a must-see ceremony for football fans. Paul Pfeiffer, a New York-based contemporary artist and former Lamar Dodd professorial chair, approaches Athens’ beloved pastime from a reversed perspective with his audio-visual art piece “Red Green Blue,” currently on show at The Athenaeum through Nov. 18.

The exhibit immerses the audience in the gameday experience. The room is composed of three vital elements: a large screen display, a backing illumination fitted with red, green and blue lights and three fabric-covered steps serving as the seating area.

As the presentation plays on a loop, the audience sees shots of raving fans, the waistbands of the band directors and the desolation found within historical sites just outside the arena.

The exhibit aims to have a larger conversation about the stadium’s manufactured hype by way of synchronicity within the band directors, cheerleading squad and heads of audience members.

As Pfeiffer said, “the stadium is like a microcosm of society.” Sanford Stadium on gamedays is no different than the Colosseum during the Roman Empire — as far as audiences are concerned.

Pfeiffer zags when everyone else zigs, taking an in-depth look at the crowd and surrounding burial grounds while everyone else concentrates on the field. He has created an experience that is one-of-a-kind in every sense of the term. —

Justin Brosemer

Wim Tapley and the Cannons perform at AthFest in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, June 23, 2023. LANEY MARTIN/STAFF

Harmonizing heritage

Celebrating Athens Latinx musicians during Hispanic Heritage Month

Nava Rawls

Sept. 15 marked the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time that celebrates the contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans. In Athens, a town famous for its booming music scene, the artistic contributions of this community are undeniable — and only growing more prevalent.

Expressing culture through music

Latinx artists throughout the city are finding ways to incorporate their culture into their music. One of these artists is Tony Oscar, a Puerto Rican percussionist who spent his entire life in Brazil before moving to Athens in 1991.

Oscar has done various musical projects since moving to Georgia, primarily playing Latin music such as Bossa Nova, a relaxed style of samba developed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Around eight years ago, Oscar founded Bichos Vivos, currently his main project, that plays Forró music with roots in Brazil’s northeast region. The band’s music is driven by guitar, bass, percussion, triangle, Zabumba, accordion and vocals, according to their Instagram.

Gabriel Osoria, also known as Domino787, is a Puerto Rican artist who makes Afrobeat and reggaeton music. He first came to Athens in 2020 and started performing under the name Domino787 shortly after.

All of Osoria’s music is sung in Spanish. In an American town where most events are in English, he acknowledges that this is unique but strives to do what feels most comfortable. Osoria incorporates a lot of Puerto Rican “countryside” slang and phrases, a lot of which are derived from other languages such as Taíno, a Caribbean language.

“If you do go out there and perform, you want people to understand you,” Osoria

said. “But also, it’s very rewarding when you’re able to get people to dance and enjoy your music without them even understanding a lick of what you’re saying.”

Deaf Condors, a musical duo, is composed of Peruvian brothers Bob and Darrick Alvarez. Their band name is based off of the Andean condor, a bird that lives in the Peruvian mountains. The brothers, who started the local band in 2019, base many of their lyrics off of their personal lives. For Bob Alvarez, this means sharing his experience as an immigrant.

“We have such [a] rich culture that we left behind,” Bob Alvarez said. “It’s nice to find traces of it in what we’re doing here in the states. In a way, you’re paying homage to your ancestors, and that’s what we’re trying to do. Paying homage to our ancestors, but also our parents and the sacrifices they made for all of us.”

Although Deaf Condors make many references to their cultural background, Bob Alvarez describes their sound as psychedelic mirage rock music with hints of punk and hard rock.

Hollowbody, a local band that’s been in Athens since 2013, was founded by Mexico City native Salathiel Saldana. The band incorporates both hip-hop and punk elements in their music, but Saldana often raps and sings in Spanish to add diversity to their sound, he said.

One of the most well-known Latinx artists in Athens is Joshua Garza, an artist with Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage who currently makes rap and hip-hop music. Also known as Cortez Garza and “Niño Brown” in his hip-hop projects, Garza first moved to Athens in 2007 to make “folky” acoustic music.

The Latinx experience in Athens

Despite these Latinx artists embracing Athens as the place to pursue their music careers, some say it’s not always easy being a minority in the community.

Bob Alvarez recalls a review by a local publication on a newly-released Deaf Condors single. He said he felt the reviewer viewed the track as simply “another Spanish song by a Spanish band.” The reviewer went as far as to comment about conga drums in the track when there were no conga drums featured, Alvarez said.

“It’s easier to write us off because they don’t know who we are, what we’re about,” Alvarez said. “Of course they’re going to write better about what they already know, what they’re familiar with, which, in my opinion, is an out-of-date kind of outlook.”

Non-traditional expressions

Despite some commonalities, Latinx culture is not a monolith. Several Latinx musicians in Athens enjoy experimenting with their sound and blending culture with other genres of music.

Oscar said that Bichos Vivos is one of the only Latin bands in Athens and hopes to see more in the future.

“I’m sure that one of the reasons [there are not more Latin bands in Athens] is because there’s not space for it,” Oscar said.

“When I say space, it’s because there’s not an opportunity for it to happen.”

Obstacles aside, Garza maintains that there are still many positive sides about being a local Latinx musician. Garza moved to Athens because of the opportunities he saw in the city for artists, and he has recently found more inspiration from the town’s prevalent college football culture.

Right before the University of Georgia won the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship, Garza got the idea to make a “Georgia Bulldogs rap anthem.” He worked on the track for six to seven months before the game and released it when the Bulldogs won. Many told him that the song was a big risk, but he believed so strongly in the school and in the Athens community that he released the song, titled “Red and Black,” anyway.

The prevalence of local Latinx culture can also be seen in events such as LatinxFest, an annual festival in Athens that celebrates the Latinx community.

“Latin music is growing and I think it’s very acceptable here in Athens,” Saldana said. “I did [LatinxFest] maybe a year or two ago with Cortez [Garza], and it was a good turnout. They really care about the culture. I’m just glad that Athens is very open to all cultures. It’s definitely not as big as AthFest … but I know they have welcomed other artists.”

Despite the undoubtedly diverse experiences and artistic expressions of local Latinx artists, the contributions of Latinx musicians are gaining recognition locally and nationally as significant cultural additions.

“I think Hispanic music and Latinx artists are finally getting the credit they deserve for their impact on popular culture,” Garza said. “I mean, you look at artists like Bad Bunny, it’s pretty amazing. We’re living in this time where one of the biggest artists in the world is a reggaeton artist. I’m pretty happy with that.”

We have such [a] rich culture that we left behind. … It’s nice to find traces of it in what we’re doing here in the states.

BOB ALVAREZ | DEAF CONDORS MUSICIAN

Tony Oscar, the founder of Bichos Vivos, poses for a photo in his home in Athens, Georgia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. Oscar has been performing Latin music in Athens since 1991. NAVA RAWLS/STAFF

‘Labor of Love’

Athens says farewell to Viva! Argentine

For 12 years, Viva! Argentine Cuisine on Prince Avenue served a slate of Argentinian cuisine from Wednesday to Saturday, including empanadas, chicken sofrito, Argentine sausage, pastel de papa and more, as well as Gaby’s “Custom Atomic Cupcakes.”

The spot was close to owners Gaby and Jesse Lindsey’s family’s heart, as it was the fulfillment of Gaby’s late Argentinian mother’s American dream. The Lindsey’s seven-year-old daughter even aspired to work there one day, Gaby said in an email to The Red & Black.

Then, on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023, Viva announced on its social media that it permanently closed on Aug. 12 after a dozen years of serving the Classic City.

Viva’s quick closure was a surprise to the owners, employees and customers. Its lease was up in November, and multiple factors led to the owners’ decision to not resign.

The restaurant started out in what was initially the Taco Stand space in a small strip mall on the Eastside in 2011, until it eventually moved into the Bottleworks on Prince Avenue. It grew in popularity as a beloved family business, but its closure now joins a growing list of iconic Athens restaurants that have shut its doors.

Viva! Argentine quick closure a surprise to all

Previous employees Denton Vargo and Jamie Baldwin shared sentiments of surprise and frustration over the restaurant’s closure.

Both Vargo and Baldwin are University of Georgia graduates who became friends during their time together at Viva. Vargo began working at the restaurant in August 2021 as a line cook and doing “a little bit of everything.” Baldwin spent five months working the front-of-house from March to July 2022, returning again from July to August 2023. Similar to other college students in the service industry, the pair saw the job as a transitional position rather than a permanent career choice. Although Vargo enjoyed his time at Viva, he decided that it was time for him to move on to something new.

On Friday, Aug. 11, he put in his two weeks’ notice, along with one other cook.

The restaurant closed for the day on Saturday, Aug. 12, which Baldwin assumed was because Gaby and Jesse needed time to figure out the restaurant’s next steps after two cooks quit.

However, the next day, the employees received the news that Viva was closing for good. The closure was announced to employees via a photo of a typed statement sent in a group chat — which Gaby provided to The Red & Black

via email — stating the owners’ reasoning behind the short notice.

Both Baldwin and Vargo expected a gradual close but did not expect it to occur as quickly as it did. Vargo expressed frustration at the employees’ inability to finish out their two weeks’ notice.

“They could have not only allowed everyone to work a two weeks notice and have money and time to figure something else out, because there’s still four or five people with no job from Viva … they could have kept working up until November,” Vargo said.

However, Gaby expressed in the closing statement that the Lindseys planned to stay open until the lease terminated to allow everyone time to figure out their next moves, but the timeline was accelerated when half of the kitchen staff put in their two weeks’ notice.

“We don’t see a point in retraining a new kitchen for such a short period,” the note read.

Gaby said that since half of the kitchen staff quit and asked for days off within their two weeks’ notice, it would mean longer hours for the Lindseys — which they vowed they wouldn’t do again.

“When Alice was little, we would work 14-hour shifts. … COVID taught us how important being a family unit is. We would never go back to working those crazy hours again,” Gaby said.

by updating on renovations. However, in its last update in July of this year, it used the hashtag “#notsurehowsoon.”

In 2022, Athens said goodbye to the long-lived spots Heirloom Cafe and Fresh Market, in business for over a decade, and The Grit, in business for three decades.

This year, International Bar and Grill closed unexpectedly, Slutty Vegan temporarily closed and speculations on the closing of Ideal Bagel have surfaced amid continuous days of unexpected closure.

Athenians also look ahead at a future without The Mayflower, Zombie Coffee and Donuts and Sweet Spot Athens. Viva! Argentine’s lasting legacy on loved ones Despite the dissatisfaction with the way their time at Viva came to a close, both Vargo and Baldwin spoke fondly of their experiences working there — emphasizing the relationship between the other employees and the community that they were able to create.

“It’s a heartbreaking thing,” Vargo said. “It’s hard for any of us to feel angry, because we’ve made such great friends working there.”

Baldwin expressed a similar sentiment.

“It felt very special. I think everyone knew what they had,” Baldwin said.

Vargo and Baldwin are not the only members of the Viva family who feel the loss of its closing. On Wednesday, Sept. 13, customers lined up to place their last orders at the beloved Argentinian restaurant.

Carla Braswell, a devoted customer, started coming to Viva when it was on the Eastside in 2013. Braswell stated that she was “devastated” by Viva’s closing and spoke on the character of the Lindseys.

“For me, it was the music, the art, the casual atmosphere and the people. It was Jesse and Gaby,” Braswell said. “They’re phenomenal community members who donated so much of their time and resources to other organizations within the community.”

This admiration was reciprocal, as Gaby spoke on the positive relationship between Viva and its community.

The latest in Athens restaurant closures Viva, unfortunately, is now a part of the growing list of closed, temporarily closed or rumored-to-be closing eateries in the Classic City.

In 2021, The Varsity closed after almost 90 years in business in Athens, although one opened this year in nearby Bethlehem, Georgia.

Athens Bagel Company closed in May 2021 due to “unforeseen circumstances,” according to its Facebook page.

It has since teased the Athens community with reopening

“The community as a whole has been amazing. We really love them. They really love us,” she said.

As the recent closures show, many unique spots that have played an integral role in the Athens restaurant scene reach the same sad ending. But the imprint they have left on the Athens community will remain.

“It’s been amazing and joyful,” Gaby said. “First dates, rehearsal dinners, weddings, baby showers, birthdays, funerals and celebrations of life — we’ve been allowed into so many people’s most special and significant moments. Viva truly has been a labor of love.”

The outside of Viva! Argentine Cuisine in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. JESSICA LIN/STAFF

Katie Hughes, Jayden Henson

We’ve been allowed into so many people’s most special and significant moments. Viva truly has been a labor of love.

GABY LINDSEY | VIVA! ARGENTINE OWNER

Lunch with Lind

Athens foodie Lindy Simmons tastes a bite of fame

Katie Hughes

The Athens food scene is unique and beloved by residents and non-residents alike, and recently, one local restaurant enthusiast sits at the forefront: Lindy Simmons, the creator of the viral Instagram and TikTok accounts, @lunchwithlind.

Simmons graduated from the University of Georgia in December 2020. Now, at age 25, she lives in Atlanta where she works as the social media manager for the brand Smalls Sliders. Her free time, however, is devoted to her “passion project” — @lunchwithlind.

@Lunchwithlind pairs Simmons’ love for food with her love for Athens in a way that engages Athens residents. Her content consists of her trying new Athens restaurants and menu items, providing viewers with a guide of places to go for the best eats and shining a spotlight on the lesser-known places in the Classic City.

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Her platform has gained popularity over the years, with over 19 thousand followers on Instagram, over 4,000 followers on TikTok and a few viral TikToks. Despite its growing popularity, @lunchwithlind was not always in the spotlight. In fact, it started out as a Snapchat private story where Simmons would post pictures of her food.

“People would swipe up and be like ‘oh my gosh, where is this, where are you, this looks so yummy,’” Simmons said.

However, it was her freshman year roommate who pushed her to make it more.

“One of my friends was like ‘if you don’t put these photos elsewhere, no one’s ever gonna see them,’” Simmons recalled.

Simmons decided to take her friend’s advice and started @lunchwithlind in her sophomore year of college.

At first, the account was just random photo dumps without a true focus, and it wasn’t Athens-based.

Simmons’ fun side project expanded when she got an in-

The discipline of

dance

Highlighting UGA’s dance faculty

Most student-professor relationships are contained within a classroom and last for a semester, but the faculty at the University of Georgia Department of Dance have a more lasting bond with their students. Their lessons are taken from the classroom to the studio and onto the stage. The department may be small but contains a dedicated faculty, and each of their unique backgrounds make an impact on the department.

Assistant professor Elizabeth Stich is a UGA alum who spent 20 years traveling and dancing across the United States. Her performances went past the traditional stage and into festivals, fairs and theme parks. Last year, she returned to UGA and brought her experience with non-traditional dance forms into the studio.

“There is performance work that’s in that more commercial context that can be accessible to our graduates in a way that sometimes the traditional model [is not],” Stich said. “I’m happy to be able to share that.”

Stich also specializes in aerial dance. This semester, she’s teaching two sections of aerial dance technique. She hopes that her students will start to choreograph their own pieces in the future.

“There’s a real sense of empowerment and agency that comes from aerial dance,” Stich said. “There’s not one body that’s necessarily the right body to have for aerial, but it’s more figuring out how your body can relate to this apparatus and how you can problem solve within that.”

Since returning from her years traveling, the nostalgia has been very strong for Stich.

“Going back down into the dressing rooms and not being a student anymore — being faculty and using that dressing room is a mind shift that has taken me back,” Stich said.

Her favorite part of teaching is being able to create with her students and form close connections with them. As she reflects on her own fears as an undergrad, she advises her students that everything will work out in the end.

In the future, Stich would like to see more diversity and inclusion in the dance department.

“[I want us to] be as rigorously welcoming as we can be as a department,” Stich said.

She’s also looking forward to the Young Choreographer’s Series this year, where junior and senior students will choreograph and perform their own dances.

Some lecturers have had an even longer journey to UGA. Jason Aryeh was born and raised in Ghana and is currently the only African male dance instructor. His knowledge of West African dance allows him to bring a unique perspective to the department.

He has also brought a new aspect to the dance appreciation course. Instead of just reading articles about a certain dance form, students go into the studio and practice that style. Then, the class separates into groups called tribes

ternship with Guide2Athens, and her interest in food photography grew. Simmons got to eat at all of the restaurants in Athens and take and keep her own photos. As Simmons’ account started to narrow to Athens restaurants, she discovered what she wanted her platform to be.

“Once I had my Athens footing, it was then that I kind of decided … I was once in a sorority, I’m a student, I know how to speak this language and talk to people. Let me use this as a platform to advertise for restaurants,” Simmons said.

During Simmons’ junior year of college @lunchwithlind started becoming what it is today — a way to highlight the best Athens eateries.

While it took some time for Simmons to find the location for her platform, she has always been a foodie, fascinated by cool dessert places and more “low key” restaurants. She was drawn to food because of its ability to bring people together.

“It’s just one of those things to me that is an immediate connection. ... It’s something that everybody can relate to no matter literally who you are,” Simmons said. She started @lunchwithlind as a way to foster a community of people who love food and to bring all of Athens together.

One of the ways Simmons does this is through what she likes to call “Munch Madness.” The challenge, which began three years ago, is an annual way to find Athens’ best restaurant according to her followers’ input and opinions.

Every night during the first week of March, her followers are able to vote for their favorite restaurant. According to Simmons, people to this day say that it is their favorite time of year and that they follow her because of this specific online event. In Simmons’ first year of Munch Madness, she gained thousands of followers.

Although Simmons’ Instagram account has been growing for a few years, her TikTok platform is relatively new, getting its start in 2022. She said her main goal with her TikTok account is to go viral and help amplify the restaurants she spotlights. Simmons said she doesn’t want her TikTok to be about her — it’s about the restaurants themselves.

and creates and presents their tribe’s project. Aryeh’s multifaceted approach differs from previous years.

“What I brought to the class is a movement component,” Aryeh said. “Everybody gets heard and it’s an open class where you can freely share your thoughts.”

Because dance is still seen as an occupation for women, Aryeh seeks to break down the stereotypes in dance.

“It doesn’t matter your gender, what matters is what it makes you feel. A lot of people are crying inside their souls wanting to do dance, but this stereotype has locked them up from coming into that world,” Aryeh said.

Currently, Aryeh is preparing for the third annual Black History Month performance which details the history of African Americans in the U.S. through dance.

Aryeh also directs a study abroad program in Ghana. While there, students immerse themselves in West African culture and perform with the help of a local dance group. Aryeh is not only excited to share his culture, but urges his students to learn various dance styles. Non-dance majors can also apply to this program.

“You don’t have to be a dance major or a dance minor,” Aryeh said. “[Just] have your body ready to learn.”

Aryeh admits that he usually feels alone in his position and constantly questions his words and actions. That is why he always strives to go outside the bounds of the traditional dance mold and add more diversity of all backgrounds.

“I tried to create that safe space for myself,” Aryeh said. “Because if you don’t, nobody’s gonna do that for you.”

Another aspect of many students’ college experience is their mental health. As an undergraduate student, dance lecturer Barbara Powers never sought to be a teacher but instead a professional dancer.

“If you would have told me when I was in college that I would be teaching at a university, I would have just laughed,” Powers said.

Powers did achieve her goal, even performing as a Radio City Rockette. Along the way, she discovered her love of teaching after instructing a yoga class.

“I think the complexity of teaching really allows me to be saturated in questions and in reflection, and I think I really liked that,” Powers said.

Powers has been a lecturer of dance at UGA for five years. During that time she has integrated her passion for wellness into the department.

“[Wellness is] a holistic care that we are providing our-

“I’m not really showing my face very much … it was just strictly me just hyping these places up,” Simmons said. Simmons aims to keep her focus on food. Although she thinks it would be cool to become a big influencer through her platform, it’s not her true goal.

“My end-of-the-day goal with @lunchwithlind is to just make people feel seen and heard,” Simmons said.

One day, Simmons hopes to open up a cafe or bakery in Athens called “Lunch with Lind” as an ode to how she got her start. However, she’s happy with where she is now — advocating for the lesser-known restaurants in Athens. “I like being able to root for the underdog. … Most of the time it is those underdogs that have the best food in Athens,” Simmons said.

selves and others … and encompasses practices that really allow us to sustain our effort, our energy, our attention, our bodies and our minds,” Powers said.

Currently, Powers teaches a class in practicing wellness along with other studio and lecture courses.

Powers and her colleague Rebecca Gose also introduced The Art of Wellness, a living learning community on campus. According to the dance department’s website, the program is open to “all first-year students intending to major or minor in an arts discipline,” and participants live together in Building 1516.

This community seeks to help students “engage in enumerated practices that foster greater mental, physical, and social well-being.” Students take two wellness courses along with co-curricular activities like yoga, hiking and volunteering. There are also other events that are available to all UGA students.

Powers believes wellness is important for everyone, but especially college students.

“When I was in college, I think I struggled being well. I didn’t know how to take care of myself,” Powers said.

She urges her own students to prioritize themselves and remain focused on their goals even as they’re pulled in many directions.

“I feel like sometimes we’re on autopilot and we don’t really think, we just pile things in our calendar,” Powers said. “The more we don’t have our eyes on the bigger goals, we just get further from them.”

The UGA dance department is a tight-knit community that continues to grow and diversify with the help of these professors.

Brooke Liddell

I like being able to root for the underdog. … Most of the time it is those underdogs that have the best food in Athens.

LINDY SIMMONS | FOOD INFLUENCER

I think the complexity of teaching really allows me to be saturated in questions and in reflection.

BARBARA POWERS | UGA LECTURER OF DANCE

Athens foodie Lindy Simmons photographed at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Aug. 27, 2019. Simmons is the creator of the viral Instagram and TikTok accounts @lunchwithlind. COURTESY/PARIS JOHNSON

Elizabeth Stich (right) teaches an aerial dance class in Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. LANEY MARTIN/STAFF

ARIES: MARCH 21-APRIL 19

Is your romantic relationship on the rocks?

Is there a toxic friendship that’s been giving you constant anxiety? This month will be a time of turning points — it’s time to make some hard decisions. Relationships are an important part of our lives, so don’t be afraid to end the ones that don’t serve you.

HOROSCOPES

TAURUS: APRIL 20-MAY 20

Although although autumn is in full swing, these next few weeks will be the ideal time to spring-clean your life. Try to create daily habits and rituals that benefit your wellbeing — and don’t be afraid to get rid of ones that may be holding you back.

GEMINI: MAY 21-JUNE 20

This month will present the opportunity to tap into your creativity and bring out your inner child. If you aren’t naturally artistic or are in a career that doesn’t allow much creativity, now is the time to break out of your comfort zone.

CANCER: JUNE 21-JULY 22

Transformation is critical for growth and inevitable with the passage of time. A major change may occur this month that takes you for a loop, but don’t be afraid of the unknown. What comes may be scary at first, but you’re equipped to adapt and face whatever may come your way.

LEO: JULY 23-AUG. 22

As you navigate through a major ending and turning point in your work life, you will be more sensitive to the dynamics of your surroundings. You might also outgrow your spaces and move through a different attitude and crowd.

VIRGO: AUG. 23-SEPT. 22

You might be feeling a better sense of your place in the world and feel more grounded in your beliefs. This mindset won’t be static. Embark on a new journey that will give you more perspective.

LIBRA: SEPT. 23-OCT. 22

This month, the solar eclipse will occur in your sign. Be on the lookout for new beginnings. You’ll need to consider some personal choices and prepare for a significant ending. Show up to important goodbyes — don’t avoid them in an attempt to forget they’re happening.

SCORPIO: OCT. 22-NOV. 21

The month ahead is full of reflection. Look inside at your wellbeing as a whole: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Big things are wrapping up in some of your relationships. Focus on yourself this month.

SAGITTARIUS: NOV. 22-DEC. 21

A new beginning emerges this month with a call to join community spaces and meet new people. You will start to move away from toxic work habits, values and beliefs and move toward a more healthy approach to balancing your work and social lives.

1. HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL

WHAT: The third annual

Above Athens Hot Air Balloon Festival, hosted by the AthensClarke County Leisure Services Department, will feature several tethered balloon rides, food trucks and free children’s activities.

WHERE: Sandy Creek Park

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 30, 3-8 p.m.

PRICE: Free

CAPRICORN: DEC. 22-JAN. 19

You will go through a time of blossoming in your career and face overall contemplations over your life path. You’ve had some time to figure out what makes you happy and what ticks you off, so now is the time to let go of what doesn’t help you.

AQUARIUS: JAN. 20-FEB. 18

Dive into something new this month that will change some of your beliefs. Let go of the past that’s been on your mind for the past few months and move forward with a new sense of inspiration.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2. APQC PRIDE FEST

WHAT: Celebrate love and acceptance at Athens Pride and Queer Collective’s annual PrideFest at Terrapin Beer Co. The event, which is free to attend, will feature vendors, entertainment, a drag show and more.

WHERE: Terrapin Beer Co.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 30, noon6 p.m.

PRICE: Free

3. SEPTEMBER DAYS FESTIVAL

WHAT: Presented by Aubrey Entertainment and Super Canoe, the third annual September Days Festival returns for two days of performances. There will be 17 artists, including Modern Skirts, Upchuck, Monsoon and more.

WHERE: The Southern Brewing Company

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 29 and Saturday, Sept. 30

PRICE: $20 - $40

4. GEORGIA RODEO

WHAT: Gather around the ring to watch participants compete in bull-riding, saddled bronco riding and bareback bronco riding before attending the country music festival featuring live performances from Yung Gravy, Megan Moroney and The Castellows and more.

WHERE: Athens Fairgrounds

WHEN: Friday, Oct. 6, doors open at 10 a.m.

PRICE: Tickets start at $63

PISCES: FEB. 19-MARCH 20

This month will serve as the perfect time to confront that thing you’ve been avoiding. Don’t be afraid to have those hard conversations and finish that task you’ve been putting off. In the end, you’ll feel relieved to have gotten it out of the way.

By Avni Trivedi, Nava Rawls, Isabelle Manders

5. FOLK FESTIVAL

WHAT: Join the Athens Folk Music and Dance Society for the 38th Annual North Georgia Folk Festival, a celebration of folk art featuring live performances, arts and crafts demonstrations, food vendors and activities for children.

WHERE: Sandy Creek Park

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m.9 p.m.

PRICE: $15 for adults, $8 for students, free for kids under 12

6. HISTORIC ATHENS PORCHFEST

WHAT: Historic Athens Porchfest is an annual outdoor music festival that spans seven historic neighborhoods and features over 200 local performers.

WHERE: Boulevard, Buena Vista Heights, Cobbham, Newtown, Normaltown and Pulaski Heights neighborhoods

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 15, noon-8 p.m.

PRICE: Free

GRAPHICS/BLAKE CAMPBELL

Winterville Mayor Dodd Ferrelle performs with his band at Porchfest in Athens, Georgia, on Oct. 2, 2022. JESSICA GRATIGNY/STAFF