COVID continues
FLiRT variants and how to protect yourself this season
Ellis Goud
Since 2020, COVID-19 has surged across the nation and the world. With variants like Omicron, Delta, Alpha and more, this virus has continued to evolve. But what does it look like now, and what can we expect this season?
COVID-19, then and now
The virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, has had periodic surges over the past few years since the start of the pandemic. Because of its continuous change, a number of variants have emerged.
Coronavirus variants occur as the virus mutates to evade our immunity. The virus has gone through several variations.
“SARS-CoV-2 virus is continually evolving,” Spencer Fox, an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Georgia, said. “As it evolves, basically to evade our immunity right now, new variants emerge, which then can become kind of the dominant circulating variant.”
The World Health Organization uses the Greek alphabet to name new variants as they emerge, starting with Alpha. Alpha first emerged in November 2020 and became the dominant variant in the U.S. until the Delta variant arrived, hitting the U.S. in March 2021.
Today, Omicron is the dominant variant. Omicron emerged in December 2021. By 2022, several subvariants spawned.
Several of the current subvariants are being referred to as FLiRT, based on the technical names for their mutations. They are all descendants of the original Omicron strain, which is no longer circulating.
Evidence suggests that FLiRT variants are more transmissible than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, according to the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
The 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccination composition was changed this year to include a new variant more closely related to the FLiRT variants.
Expectations for this upcoming season
Similar to the flu, COVID-19 has seasonal patterns. Last year, cases peaked starting in July and August and again starting in late December, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Fox expects COVID-19 to follow a similar pattern this season.
By developing models based on epidemiological data in Georgia, he makes projections about what things will look like in the future.
“We are expecting the epidemic to be smaller to as big as what we saw last year,” Fox said. “We’re not expecting it to be much larger. Though, that could change if there is an impactful new variant that emerges in the next couple months.”
While cases are expected to rise again in the winter, the COVID-19 virus will look a little different. As the virus continues to change and evolve, different variants appear with the ability to overcome existing immunity.
At of the time of publication, the CDC estimates that over half of cases come from the KP.3.1.1 lineage, which is derived from the Omicron family. The latest coronavirus strain, XEC, makes up 17%. It is another descendant from the Omicron family, according to Yale Medicine.
Despite a consistent evolution of the virus, symptoms
have not evolved to become more severe. The Infectious Diseases Society of America states that the most recent variants “do not appear to cause more severe disease than the original strain or other SARS-CoV-2 variants.”
How to protect yourself
As the colder months arrive, so does a surge in respiratory viruses. The CDC recommends that people use its core prevention strategies, which includes staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and practicing good hygiene.
It is recommended that everyone ages six months and older receive the 2024-2025 vaccine. For people 65 years and older and for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, the CDC recommends a second dose of the vaccine six months after the first dose.
Vaccination appointments can be made with local pharmacies or through vaccines.gov. Since August 2024, free vaccinations are no longer available through the CDC’s Bridge Access Program.
Paid University of Georgia faculty, staff and students are eligible to receive the vaccine at the University Health Center. The UHC has the updated vaccine as of Sept. 13.
“There is a charge for the vaccine, but we will file insurance,” Steve Rose, the assistant director of communications and external relations at the University Health Center, said in an email. “Currently the price is $200, but most of the major insurance carriers have been paying for it. Patients should check with their particular insurance provider as we cannot guarantee coverage.”
Getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine is important because vaccine protection decreases over time, according to the CDC. The vaccinations are updated to give the best protection from currently circulating strains.
“The best things we can do as a community are to go and get vaccinated.” Fox said.
Breaking records Athens voters show up for Election Day
Staff reports
Kalki Yalamanchili, the independent candidate for District Attorney of the Western Judicial Circuit candidate, defeated incumbent Democrat Deborah Gonzalez. Friends, family and supporters of the independent candidate gathered at Big Dogs On The River for an election watch party.
Yalamanchili won Oconee County with 76.51% of the votes and Clarke County with 50.63% of the votes.
“It’s time to get to work,” Yalamanchili said. “It feels amazing. I’m honored by the opportunity to go out and serve people that need it — that really need it.”
After spending more than six years as a prosecutor and teaching at the University of Georgia Law School for the past three years, until this fall semester, Yalamanchili decided to run because he believed the DA’s office was a place for public service, not for politics. He stated his displeasure for the way things have been handled.
On the topic of immigration, a key issue in Athens, Yalamanchili said the DA’s office does not play a role and that he will prosecute everyone fairly to the standard of the law. Regarding abortion, he said that he will not impose his judgment for individuals needing medical care. He continued, saying that abortion laws in Georgia do hold exceptions for cases of medical need and that he will leave these discussions between patients and their doctors while upholding and honoring the law.
“I really feel like we had the right plan on how to run this campaign,” Yalamanchili said. “We’ve had the response the way we wanted to as an independent campaign from across the political spectrum, everybody from Sheriff Hale in Oconee County to Mayor Girtz in Clarke County.”
Breaking down the results
Over 50,000 ballots were cast in Athens-Clarke County, resulting in a 74% turnout rate, according to the Georgia Secretary of State. Vice President Kamala Harris won Clarke County with 68.54% of the vote. However, former president Donald Trump claimed the state of Georgia with 50.9% of the vote. The Associated Press called the 2024 election early Wednesday morning as another Trump presidency.
Mike Collins (R) defeated Lexy Doherty for the Georgia District 10 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the Georgia Senate, Bill Cowsert (R) defeated Gareth Fenley for District 46, and Frank Ginn (R) defeated Conolus Scott for District 47. Four Georgia House of Representatives seats were up for election. Houston Gaines (R) won against Andrew Ferguson in District 120. Marcus Wiedower (R) won against Eric Gisler in District 121. Spencer Frye (D) ran unopposed for District 122. Finally, Trey Rhodes (R) defeated Melanie Miller in District 124. The Local Homestead Tax Exemption ballot measure was approved, as well as a measure to increase the Property Tax Exemption. The motion to create a Tax Court was close, but it was approved with 51.9% of the vote.
The positions for Clerk of Superior Court, County Sheriff, County Tax Commissioner and County Coroner were all unopposed. Elisa Zarate, John Q. Williams, JP Lemay and Michael Eberhart all won, respectively.
Key issues at the polls Voters turned out to the polls for a variety of reasons, including abortion, the economy and immigration policy.
Linda Dodson, an 63-year old accountant originally from St. Petersburg, Florida, but who has lived in Athens for 24 years, voted early for Harris because she supports women’s bodily autonomy. Cynthia Bennett, 57, who’s lived in Athens since she was 4 years old, also voted for Harris because of her stance on abortion and because she’s a woman. “She’s a woman and she stands for our rights, especially against abortion,” Bennett said. “Any woman can go out, somebody could rape her, somebody could whatever, and then their rights is that they can’t have an abortion. That’s not right.”
Lee Hand, a 69-year-old real estate broker who has lived in Athens for 35 years, voted for Trump because of the economy. She also spoke about her support for democracy, foreign policy issues and women’s rights, which she believes are safe under a
second Trump presidency.
“The biggest issue for me is money — I have to survive,” Hand said.“We’re not the same and I just need to feel safe in my own home and like taxes won’t screw me out of everything I’ve saved in 69 years.”
At Clarke Central High School, poll watcher Peg Throop voted for Trump during advance voting before volunteering to work at the polls. Throop supported Trump during his first term of presidency and expressed belief that his economic policies will decrease national inflation. Throop also expressed support for Trump’s policies on immigration.
“I think of Laken Riley,” Throop said. “Legal immigration is fine. I am totally for that. I support immigrants that come in if they come in legally. I think that’s an awesome way to grow the country, but illegal? Wrong.”
At Gaines Elementary School, a polling location for precinct eight of Athens-Clarke County, Emmala Johnson, a 22-year-old executive assistant, voted for Harris because
of her economic policies, namely her proposal to provide up to $25,000 in down payment to first time home buyers.
“I’d say economic policies is the main thing,” Johnson said. “I feel like a lot of people in America are struggling, especially … financially.”
David Heard, a 52-year-old counseling home agent for seniors in Athens, feels that the most important issues he believes need to be handled are bringing the taxes down on groceries, bills and healthcare. Heard expressed concerns over getting older, and hopes that whichever president wins, they can do this for Americans so he can have better financial security as a senior citizen. Heard noted concerns over the economic state of the country currently, and said he doesn’t want his kids and grandkids struggling as they grow up.
“We’re just trying to look out for the future now,” Heard said. “I’m just trying to be one of the ones out of the millions of Americans to make sure that gets taken care of.”
Live reactions
The Athens-Clarke County Democrats hosted a watch party at the Little Kings Shuffle Club. Located in downtown Athens, the club offered both food and drinks for those wanting to watch the election results come in on television in real time. The watch party included members of the ACC Democrats, individuals running for local government and University of Georgia students.
As initial results of various races rolled in, attendees expressed concern about what a win for Trump could mean.
“I’m scared of things continuing the way they are and more women dying,” Talley Breedlove, member of the ACC Democrats, said in reference to abortion laws.
“It’s a good turnout,” Conolus Scott, candidate for the Georgia State Senate seat in District 47, said. “The emotions are good. Everybody, of course, wants to win, including me. The rest of us want our local candidates to win, but it will be what it will be.”
Turning Point UGA President Emily Grace Kinsey and College Republicans President Luke Winkler organized a Republican watch party at Silver Dollar in downtown Athens on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Kinsey talked about certain policies that interested her during this election such as being pro-life and a free-market capitalist. These policies pushed her to vote for former President Trump, she said. Winkler stated that the economy and foreign policy was better under the Trump administration.
“Kamala Harris is a continuation of Joe Biden to a worse extent, with less experience in politics,” Winkler said. “She is the worst.”
With all eyes on Georgia, there’s no doubt that this Election Day was one of the most important in the state’s history. Georgia saw record-breaking turnout, with over 4 million Georgians voting early. Tia Corbin, a 38-year-old Medicare billing specialist originally from Elberton, Georgia, cast her vote at Cedar Shoals High School. Although she does not like him personally, Corbin voted for Trump because she feels that he is better to run the country. Corbin stressed the importance of loving everybody during this time.
“I don’t care who you are, everybody’s vote counts,” Corbin said.
Athens District Attorney candidate Kalki Yalamanchili celebrates after winning the election during his watch party at the Big Dogs On The River business in Athens, Georgia on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.
PHOTO/ASHTIN BARKER
Scenes from the College Republicans and Turning Point watch party of the 2024 Presidential Election at Silver Dollar bar in Athens, Georgia on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. PHOTO/SAMANTHA HURLEY
A poll worker poses for a portrait outside of the Timothy Baptist Church on Election Day in Athens, Georgia on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. PHOTO/ZACH LEGGIO
China ends international adoption
There’s not a right way to talk about it
Libby Hobbs
My narrative is like many other women Chinese adoptees: I was found in a box on the side of a rural street, with nothing but a few milk packets. Rumor says my biological mother was probably nearby to make sure someone found me. But, the core of my story is this — I was abandoned.
China put an end to international adoptions in September, which stops anyone outside of the country (besides relatives) from housing these children. To put this news into perspective, more than 160,000 Chinese children have been adopted by families around the world since 1992, with about 82,000 of them going to the U.S. alone, according to China’s Children International.
With adoption stories back in the headlines, many American families in the middle of adoption processes are expressing their frustration. I genuinely feel for them because it’s true — I wouldn’t be here without my own adoption.
I’m incredibly thankful to be raised by a family who fosters a positive experience for me. But, there are many I know who don’t feel the same way. So, reading stories that sympathized more with American narratives than the Chinese children themselves led me to conclude: There’s just not a right way to talk about adoption.
Foreign adoptions became popular after China enforced what is commonly known as the “one-child policy.” This policy aimed to curb rapid population growth, ultimately leading to more girls being placed for adoption than boys due to cultural norms. As a result, my story is not unusual.
Though, not all are as sensitive to word choice as I am. When I read in the New York Times that families were forced to “abandon their babies,” it honestly stung. I don’t often feel abandoned. Even when kids would correct me on the elementary school playgrounds — “No, do you know who your real parents are?” — I’ve always felt like my parents are all I’d want to know.
My upbringing was open and honest. I was adopted by a white family at the age of one, and every year on Aug. 11, coined “family day” for when my father and I united with my mom and baby brother, we flipped through my adoption scrapbook. The pink leather was full of pictures, words, stickers and so much love for what my experience meant to our family.
But, I realize now that “abandoned” is an accurate way to describe my story. I was forced to use survival instincts from just a few days old, alone without the nurturing care of a mother. From a journalistic perspective, what other word choice would I go with? “Given up” or “got rid of” is almost worse — there’s just not a right way to talk about it.
I can say that the feeling of meeting another adoptee is unmatched. When I finally met someone who instantly understood the alienation and struggle to connect with others, I felt so validated. This was another girl who grew up getting weird stares at the grocery store, being asked if the checks were separate at family dinners and longing for blue eyes and blonde hair.
STUDENT VOICES
Falling for fall
Reflecting
This was another girl who always felt too Asian for her white friends but too white for her Asian friends. This was another girl who had a k-pop phase just to learn and find a puzzle piece into Asian culture somehow. This was another girl who got mocked for her eye shape and native tongue, two things she didn’t feel like she could fully claim as her own.
However, there’s not just one adoptee experience. Many of us bond over shared “abandonment issues,” but the homes we are raised in can break our outlook on our own experience. I’ve heard of adoptees with racist parents who didn’t allow them to explore their Asian identity at all. Some find adoption to be an incredibly isolating, neglecting and abusive experience.
When I look at the bigger picture, I can’t decide how I feel about this international ban. I wear my adoption badge with pride, but it took a lot of time and support for me to get to this point. I want us to grow up in a country where we feel like we belong and can succeed at the highest level. But, who’s to say white Americans should be the ones to fill that role?
The New York Times reported that the Chinese government’s move to end international adoptions was in line with global trends. With birth rates at a low in China, domestic adoptions have been encouraged. There’s also growing national pride and resentment toward America in China, which might have influenced the decision.
I grieve the loss for other adoptees to have opportunities like the ones I’ve found here in Georgia, where I call home. I struggle to imagine that there’s now a world where my narrative ends. I grieve because the cherished words my dad used to say to me every night before bed — “woaini,” meaning “I love you” in Chinese — may not have been said if I was born in 2024. But, I also remember my fellow adoptees who were hurt by their experience and have always speculated about their biological family. While I grieve the end of something that could’ve been, I also celebrate the opportunity for a united Chinese family that some have wished for their whole lives and never had — there’s just not a right way to talk about it.
Libby Hobbs is a senior journalism major with a music minor at the University of Georgia.
on favorite autumn memories
The Red & Black asked University of Georgia students to share their favorite fall memories from years passed.
Chase Whalen
JUNIOR JOURNALISM
Whalen said.
JUNIOR MARINE BIOLOGY MAJOR
“[The] Georgia versus Tennessee home game [in 2022] and it started pouring down raining, and Tennessee came in with all this pride in them and they thought they were going to win the game, and we just completely demolished them.” Ferber said.
Lexie
FRESHMAN JOURNALISM MAJOR
“I guess that time of year that I get to go in my kitchen and make pumpkin bread when I go home. That’s something I’ve done every year, nobody else in my family does it but me, but it’s something that my family like knows me doing every year,” Wheless said.
JUNIOR JOURNALISM MAJOR
“My favorite fall memory is probably going to pick pumpkins with my family and carving them when we got home and watching ‘Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin’,” Salazar said.
Thames Cranz
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Photo of Libby Hobbs as a child. COURTESY/LIBBY HOBBS
en Español
Out with the old
The new CFP format and what it means for
Georgia
Two years ago, the College Football Playoff Board of Managers voted to expand the playoff format to 12 teams, beginning this season. The previous format only allowed four members to be in the playoffs, so more teams will get the opportunity in this new format.
In this new playoff format, the five highest-ranked conference champions will automatically get a spot. Of those five teams, the four highest-ranked will not play in the first round. The seven other spots will be filled by teams that are selected by the CFP Committee in its rankings.
When the eight teams in the first round play each other, the games will be played at the stadiums of the four higher-ranked teams. However, in the second round, the games will all be hosted by bowls, like the Rose Bowl.
This new format offers Georgia multiple routes to the playoff. The first way is for Georgia to win the SEC Championship. Right now, the Bulldogs are at the top of the SEC standings, so they are in a good position to make the SEC Championship game.
The second way is for Georgia to either lose in the SEC Championship game or not play in the game at all, but still be ranked high enough to earn one of the other seven spots. After missing the playoffs last year, the Bulldogs are looking to make their return, and at 7-1, their chances are favorable.
Fuera con lo viejo
El nuevo formato de la PFU y lo que significa para Georgia
Owen McDaniel, Traducido por Isa Sucre Pardo
Hace dos años, la Junta Directiva de los Playoffs de Fútbol Universitario votó para ampliar el formato de los playoffs a 12 equipos, comenzando con esta temporada. El formato anterior sólo permitía que cuatro equipos estuvieran en los playoffs, entonces más equipos tendrán la oportunidad de competir en este nuevo formato.
En este nuevo formato de playoffs, los cinco campeones de conferencia mejor clasificados automáticamente obtendrán un lugar. De esos cinco equipos, los cuatro mejor clasificados no jugarán en la primera ronda. Los otros siete puestos serán ocupados por equipos seleccionados por el Comité de la PFU en su clasificación.
Cuando los ocho equipos de la primera ronda se enfrenten entre sí, los partidos se jugarán en los estadios de los cuatro equipos mejor clasificados. Sin embargo, en la segunda ronda, todos los juegos se jugarán en tazones, como el Rose Bowl.
Este nuevo formato ofrece a Georgia múltiples rutas hacia los playoffs. La primera forma es que Georgia gane el Campeonato de la SEC. En este momento, los Bulldogs están en la cima de la clasificación de la SEC, por lo tanto están en una buena posición para llegar al juego de Campeonato de la SEC.
La segunda forma es que Georgia pierda en el juego de campeonato de la SEC o que ni juegue, pero aun así esté en una clasificación lo suficientemente alta como para ganar uno de los otros siete lugares. Después de perderse los playoffs el año pasado, los Bulldogs buscan regresar y, con marca de 7-1, sus posibilidades son favorables.
Owen McDaniel
Sedrick Van Pran and Chris Smith hoist the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship trophy on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Georgia defeated TCU 65-7. PHOTO/KATHRYN SKEEN
Sedrick Van Pran y Chris Smith levantan el trofeo del Campeonato Nacional de los Playoffs de Fútbol Universitario de 2023 el lunes 9 de enero de 2023 en el estadio SoFi de Inglewood, Califronia.
Georgia venció a TCU 65-7. FOTO/KATHRYN SKEEN
Bo Underwood
Both Georgia basketball teams opened their 2024-25 seasons on Nov. 4, with the women’s team hosting North Carolina Central at 5 p.m. and the men’s team hosting Tennessee Tech a few hours later at 7:30 p.m. Both teams are in year three under their respective head coaches, Katie Abrahamson-Henderson and Mike White, and have a lot riding on their performance this year.
The men’s team finished 20-17 last year and has not qualified for the NCAA tournament since 2015. However, this year’s roster has more talent than any Georgia roster since the pandemic-shortened 2020 squad, featuring eventual No. 1 NBA draft pick Anthony Edwards. Guards Silas Demary Jr. and Blue Cain both return as sophomores after promising starts to their college careers as freshmen.
The most high-profile addition to the men’s squad is undoubtedly freshman forward Asa Newell, a five-star recruit out of high school who joins his brother Jaden Newell on the team. Asa Newell has already turned heads in camp with his high motor and impressive skill for his size.
“A big time mover at 6-foot-11 laterally, and the way he changes ends, he plays with a lot of energy,” White said. “He had a really good summer.”
Georgia has a lot of production to replace from last year.
Key contributors who have since moved on include Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Noah Thomasson, Russel Tchewa and RJ Melendez.
The Bulldogs brought in veterans from the portal to keep the team competitive as it continues to build around its young core. Junior forward RJ Godfrey joins after contributing to a tournament team last year in Clemson. Senior forward Tyrin Lawrence transferred in from Vanderbilt, and graduate guard Dakota Leffew came in from Mount St. Mary’s. It’s a lot of roster turnover, as is common in the modern era of college basketball, but Georgia is hoping the group clicks well enough for the team’s first tournament run in a decade.
Last season was rough for the women’s team. After stalwarts Diamond Battles and Brittney Smith graduated, the team struggled to replace its production and went 12-18, including just three conference wins.
Georgia is returning six players from last year’s roster, bringing in four freshmen along with two transfers. All four players were ESPN Top-100 recruits, with the highest-ranked being four-star guard Trinity Turner from Florida.
The biggest returner from last year’s team is guard Asia
Avinger, who averaged nearly eight points per game last season in her first year after transferring from San Diego State. Avinger also ranked fifth in the SEC in total assists last year and led Georgia in steals. This year, she’s switched back to the No. 1 jersey she wore at San Diego State, and Abrahamson-Henderson already spoke highly of her improvement this offseason.
“Asia looks amazing,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “She’s strong, she’s healthy, she’s fast, she’s aggressive. She’s ready to have a great senior season.”
This Georgia roster might not be as competitive as its veteran-driven group that made the NCAA tournament in Abrahamson-Henderson’s first season, but it’s more talented than the team that bottomed out last year. Abrahamson-Henderson’s long term vision for the roster is becoming more clear. She has prioritized players who are highly competitive and take pride in playing defense, while also spreading the ball around on offense and creating easy looks.
“I think winning teams play defense, period,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “I don’t know any college coach that won’t say that. I think a lot of people only like to watch offense, but if you’re going to win, you have to play defense. And I think that’s been our staple since I’ve been a head coach.”
Georgia forward RJ Godfrey (10) in action during the Georgia vs. Tennessee Tech game at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. Georgia won 83-78. PHOTO/LANEY MARTIN
MOST BEST AWARDS 2024
The GA Mom A mom when you’re
away from home
Jesse Wood
Enrolling in college and moving away from home can be a scary leap of faith for not only students, but also their parents and guardians as well.
The University of Georgia’s graduating class of 2028 is comprised of about 20% out-of-state students, originating from 49 states and Washington D.C., out of the over 15,900 total admits, according to a report published by UGA Student Affairs.
Ruthie Seiders, a mom of two from Austin, Texas, was worried about the distance between herself and her daughters when her eldest enrolled at UGA in 2019, and her younger daughter followed in her footsteps three years later. With Seiders living in Texas, she knew her eldest daughter would need someone to help her assemble furniture when she began moving into a house of her own in 2021. That was when she found Lisa Beasley, The GA Mom, in a Facebook group for UGA parents.
Beasley identifies herself as a college concierge, offering local help to students at UGA who are far from home.
Soon thereafter, Seiders developed a relationship with Beasley and turned to her for miscellaneous tasks that she could not complete because of the distance.
“Just being that we’re not close [to Athens] and can’t get there quick, it’s really nice to have friends in Athens that could go and help,” Seiders said.
In 2021, Beasley quit teaching elementary school after 21 years and was unsure of her next steps. Around the same time, her son was enrolled in college four and a half hours away at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee.
“He’s my needy kid,” Beasley said. “It was just little stuff, not necessarily an emergency or anything … I just kept thinking, ‘Man, if I had a mom I could call and ask to help … that would be so awesome.’”
Beasley began her new career path and launched her business: The GA Mom. In the beginning, Beasley said that she wasn’t sure if there was a need for her services in Athens, but as she began to understand the needs of UGA students, her popularity grew.
Much of Beasley’s business comes from social media and word of mouth among UGA parents, which is exactly how Beth Josephs, a mom from Austin, Texas, whose daughter is currently a junior at UGA, found The GA Mom.
“When I first heard about her, I was like, ‘Who is this? She just does everything,’” Josephs said. “It’s nice because I’m so far away, to know that someone’s there.”
When Josephs’ daughter’s birthday rolled around in September 2022 during her freshman year at UGA, Josephs turned to Beasley to send birthday goodies to celebrate. From there, she continued to hire Beasley for other things, including moving her daughter out of an apartment in 2023.
“[Beasley] is very down to earth,” Josephs said. “She’s what you want in someone who’s doing different errands
or things for your kid because she’s a mom.” Beasley’s business has grown to offer many helpful services for college students, including meal deliveries, themed care packages, laundry services and everything in between.
[Beasley] is very down to earth. She’s what you want in someone who’s doing different errands or things for your kids because she’s a mom.
BETH JOSEPHS | MOM
In total, Beasley estimates that she averages about 450 care packages and meals per semester. Beasley’s operation requires her to spend almost the whole day cooking, packaging and delivering everything.
“I will do anything that I can possibly do to help kids [whose] parents are away,” Beasley said.
Hugh Hodgson Annual
Lisa Beasley poses for a portrait in front of Black-Diallo-Miller Hall in Athens, Georgia on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. PHOTO/JESSE WOOD
From colonels to CrossFit
How Larry and Jennifer Reeves made Athens their home
Ella Kroll
Serving people has always been at the forefront of Larry and Jennifer “Jen” Reeves’ lives.
After decades-long careers as colonels in the Army and Air Force, the Reeveses are no strangers to putting their teams, and the people in them, first.
But now, they’re serving those around them in a different way. At CrossFit Liberate, the downtown gym they co-own, the Reeveses work to cultivate connection, community and a safe space for those who visit.
Career colonels
While sharing the same rank of colonel in their respective branches of the military, Larry and Jen Reeves had different paths finding their success and each other.
Larry Reeves’ career spanned 27 years, including combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Haiti, but he never intended to join the Army until they offered him a scholarship in college, and he decided to take the chance. Jen Reeves, on the other hand, grew up in a military family, decided at 15 years old that she wanted to be an Air Force officer and worked toward her goal, finally serving a nearly 29-year career.
The pair met in 2011 at a senior service college, an institution that provides military officers advanced-level education, and got married in 2012.
Larry and Jen Reeves both emphasize the importance of understanding human nature during their time in service and that “people matter more than anything,” Larry Reeves said. According to Jen Reeves, understanding people’s perspectives allowed her to manage situations in the Air Force, and now she translates these skills to running a business.
“I was generally considered a different type of leader in the military because a lot of people take that human aspect and set it aside,” Jen Reeves said. “When you can walk all that back, you become more successful in the long term because you preserve; you have perspective.”
After lengthy military careers, Larry and Jen Reeves each reached natural stopping points and both retired as colonels. For many, retirement can bring excitement and relaxation, but for the Reeveses, it was a somewhat unfamiliar,
reflective time period.
“You spend time looking back over 27 years and the relationships that you made, the decisions you made that you regretted, you can never go back and change any of that,” Larry Reeves said. “You can just learn your lessons from that and try to apply them to what you’re doing in the future.”
We’re both operators. You give us something, we just go do it and we figure it out. Now we’re the ones that are giving the guidance and going into it, so it’s a little bit different.
LARRY REEVES | C0-OWNER OF CROSSFIT
Jen Reeves always wanted to own a business, and the pair saw the sale of CrossFit Liberate in April as the perfect opportunity to try their hand. Their gym co-ownership currently functions with Larry Reeves as a CrossFit coach and the “public face” of the gym, while Jen Reeves handles behind-the-scenes operations as the “chief financial boss.”
The shift from serving in the military to owning a business has been one they are working to navigate.
“We’re both operators. You give us something, we just go do it and we figure it out,” Larry Reeves said. “Now we’re the ones that are giving the guidance and going into it, so it’s a little bit different.”
CrossFit, the body and the mind
Jen Reeves got involved in CrossFit over 15 years ago before introducing it to Larry Reeves when they met in 2011. Jen Reeves said that, while she was into the fitness regimen for a longer time, her husband went deeper into it and has been a coach for the past nine years.
CrossFit is a high intensity fitness program consisting of functional movements in varied and challenging routines. The Reeveses describe it as “infinitely scalable,” meaning any movement, weight or time constraint can be whittled down to match the capability of the person, and it can also be turned all the way up to become more intense and challenging.
Larry Reeves views CrossFit as a long-term fix to a myriad of physical ailments through teaching clients how to meet their fitness goals, lose weight sustainably, apply proper nutrition and practice correct form in both a fitness setting and everyday life.
“We teach you how to use your body and carry your body in the way that it was designed to be carried,” Larry Reeves said.
Larry Reeves has had a neck surgery, a shoulder rebuild, three lower back surgeries and four knee surgeries. Most of these procedures were the results of injuries acquired throughout his military career. Nevertheless, Larry Reeves emphasized that he would rather be sore from movement than be unable to “move appropriately.”
“I am 100% a disabled veteran,” Larry Reeves said. “So is my wife, and we still do CrossFit.”
While CrossFit is beneficial to the Reeveses for their physical health and fitness, it also provides them something else — a form of therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Larry Reeves has experienced PTSD in both active duty and retirement, and grappled with pushing those feelings down until they burst out in the form of anger. He explained that high-intensity exercise such as CrossFit releases endorphins, which can lift mood, improve sleep, and have helped alleviate his symptoms of PTSD.
Jen Reeves described the hardworking, small group dynamic of the gym as somewhat comparable to what she imagines Larry experienced with his team in the Army. This environment, she said, provides him an outlet.
“There’s a real sort of ethos in there that you put it out there on the line pretty much every time,” Jen Reeves said. “What’s most important for me is that that environment scratches some kind of itch for [Larry].”
Settling into the Classic City
If Larry Reeves could live anywhere, it would be Athens. When he planted the idea of moving in 2017, Jen Reeves was willing to give it a shot.
After purchasing a Five Points home six years ago and renting it out while they prepared to move, the Reeveses took a chance on moving into that home in September 2022. While Jen Reeves still commutes to Washington, D.C. for her other job at the Mitchell Institute, a think tank advocating and educating on Air Force and Space Force interests, Athens is feeling more and more like home for her. “For me, I’ve been so rootless, such a nomad for my whole life, it’s a little scary to even think about settling down,” Jen Reeves said. “I think it’s nice the gym is offering new opportunities for me to get more involved across the community.”
According to the United States Census Bureau, veterans account for approximately 3.5% of Athens-Clarke County, forming a small minority in the vibrant college town. After spending most of their lives around service members who shared their lived experiences, Larry Reeves said they are still navigating how to forge relationships with people who may not relate to them.
“You’re having to expand your horizons a little bit,” Larry Reeves said. “It’s helping us grow as humans and everything else.”
CrossFit Liberate has been passed from owner to owner over its seven years of operation. Larry Reeves said they did not want to see the gym close after building friendships there, and that operating it keeps them focused and working on enriching other people’s lives in their retirement. Chandler Spivey, a CrossFit Liberate coach who views the Reeveses as her “adopted Athens parents,” said the pair has made a “positive, upward impact” on the gym since taking over, introducing initiatives such as nutrition challenges and staff bonding events.
“There are some gyms where the members may not even know who the owner is, they probably can’t even pick them out in a line up,” Spivey said. “So it’s really nice that they’re super involved.”
According to Larry Reeves, what he finds joy in is seeing people hit their personal goals and watching them understand their work as they become stronger. The Reeveses want to serve as “value added” in people’s lives — something they strive for both inside CrossFit Liberate and throughout the home they’ve found in
“You
Larry Reeves coaches at CrossFit Liberate Gym in Athens, Georgia on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. PHOTO/LANEY MARTIN
Larry and Jennifer Reeves and their dog, Jake, pose for a portrait at CrossFit Liberate in Athens, Georgia on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. PHOTO/LANEY MARTIN
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Empourium
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Serving craft and frozen cocktails, Empourium’s rooftop bar and lounge offers an atmosphere unmatched by the usual stretch of indoor downtown destinations. Featuring string lights, palm trees and greenery, outdoor heaters and benches for seating, the Empourium rooftop is a premier spot for any good time, from private events and watch parties to an unforgettable night on the town.
BEST OUTDOOR SIPS
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235 W. Washington St.
Paloma Park, downtown Athens’ Tex-Mex inspired restaurant and tequila bar, features a beer garden that sees no shortage of guests sitting at tables, enjoying live music or watching a sports game on the big screen. Whether it’s a University of Georgia football gameday or a happy hour with friends, Paloma Park’s beer garden is the place to be for fresh air and outdoor beverages.
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The four new solar eclipse flavors from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Athens, Georgia on Friday, April 5, 2024. The flavors are Nebula Berry, Cosmic Bloom, Super Moon and Purple Star Born. PHOTO/AVNI TRIVEDI
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Buvez 585 Barber St. Suite A
“Buvez” in French translates to “drank,” and the Athens cafe and bar of the same name certainly embodies this ideal. Buvez is a Euro-style cafe with a full bar that serves unique coffee creations, alcoholic drinks and bites such as pastries, sandwiches and salads. With a breezy outdoor patio and an indoor bar/seating area that dances with natural light and hosts live music, trivia and more, this establishment has perfected its vibes from day to night.
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Enjoy food, drinks and friendly competition at The Rook & Pawn, one of the first board game cafes in the Southeast, according to its website. A $7 fee will give you all-day access to over 800 board and card games at the old London-style cafe, and pub foods, spirits, tea, coffee and more are all available for purchase, even if you choose not to play.
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Memorial Park is a 72-acre park in Athens featuring Bear Hollow Zoo, walking trails, a swimming pool, a dog park and a pond. The pond at Memorial Park is home to a variety of native Georgia turtles and visitors have the opportunity to purchase turtle-safe food from a gumball machine at the pond.
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On your mark. Get set. Go.
Over 3,000 runners began a 13.1 mile dash through Athens’ historic districts and downtown, as well as the University of Georgia’s campus.
On Sunday, Nov. 3, crowds of runners gathered at the start line in downtown Athens at 7:30 a.m. to begin the 15th annual AthHalf Half Marathon. AthHalf is put on by AthFest Educates, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding high-quality music and arts education for K-12 youth in Athens-Clarke County.
Pre-race requisites
AthFest Educates Executive Director Mary Joyce said the planning of this year’s AthHalf, which began in November 2023, presented the organization with challenges due to the fluctuation of the UGA football team’s schedule. AthHalf was planned for the first Sunday in November, which is a little later than the race usually occurs.
“We can’t have downtown events in Athens if there’s a UGA [home] football game that weekend,” Joyce said. “There were only two open weekends in October, and there’s a lot of events that are vying for that space, so Porchfest and Wild Rumpus took up those two spots.” AthHalf opened with guitarist and artist Timi Conley standing on the stairs of Athens City Hall and playing “The Star Spangled Banner” on his electric guitar. Various runners stretched and exercised in the streets under a gray overcast sky. Family members and friends stood with homemade signs in anticipation for the race to begin.
For many, training for the half marathon began months prior to the race. Jackie Olson, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and Erin Scannell, a photographer, both trained for the race in North Carolina during the summer, participating in long runs on the weekend and short runs during the week.
Run a mile in their shoes 15th Annual AthHalf raises money for education Supporters cheer for a runner during the AthHalf Half Marathon in Athens, Georgia on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. PHOTO/FOREST X. DYNES
“[The biggest challenge is] probably the mental challenge of really anticipating being done but knowing a lot stands between me and actually getting there,” Olson said.
Holly Cobb, a school board member for Henry County Schools, and her husband Wes Cobb, the CEO of Jerry L. Johnson & Associates, came to support their son and daughter, who were running the race. Holly Cobb said she was impressed with her daughter for running despite the fact that she has had exercise-induced asthma for most of her life. As a family, they often participate in athletic challenges like Savage and Spartan Races, which have multiple obstacles along the course.
“I like [our children’s] self-determination. They got something inside of them that makes them want to go do it,” Wes Cobb said.
The start line
The race began by City Hall on Washington Street, and runners made their first turn to go down Hancock Avenue, through the Boulevard neighborhood, Five Points, down Baxter Street and Lumpkin Street and eventually made their last loop around the Sanford Stadium, where they finished at the Tate Student Center.
The route was a USA Track and Field Certified Course, complete with hydration stations, medical tents, portable
toilets and thousands of people cheering on the runners as they charged through the course.
The streets were lined with supporters holding signs and encouragement. Some signs included messages that said: “Don’t Half Ath this one” and “Running 13.1 miles only makes you half crazy.”
Jack Schlafly, a law clerk, stood at a corner in Five Points cheering on his girlfriend, who he said ran 20 to 25 miles every week. He believes the start is the easiest part of the race because racers “ride the adrenaline,” while the end of the race is the hardest because of the terrain.
“There’s a really strong running community here,” Schlafly said. “There’s multiple running stores in the area, so it makes sense. It definitely brings out the community a little early on Sunday.”
Something that makes AthHalf unique is that local Athens bands perform on the course every couple of miles. This year, AthHalf had seven bands and four DJs stationed along the course to provide entertainment to runners as they powered through the half marathon.
“There are a couple other rock ‘n’ roll half marathons across the country, but I think the fact that our bands are all local makes the AthHalf special,” Joyce said.
Music along the route is not only key to keeping the runners motivated, but Joyce said that it “was just logical” to include it in the half marathon, given that the race raises money for music and arts education.
This is something that lots and lots of people can do, and you don’t have to be fast. Just the enjoyment of seeing people cross the finish line is wonderful.
MARY JOYCE | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ATHFEST EDUCATES
Meet ‘Legacy Runner’ Denise Spangler
Denise Spangler, the dean of UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education, is an AthHalf “Legacy Runner.”
“This year is the 15th half marathon, and so we have ‘Legacy Runners,’” Joyce said. “These are folks that have run every single one of those 15 races. Seeing those folks is incredible.”
Spangler began running in the ‘90s because she was looking for a form of exercise that avoided the cost and time constraints of a gym. Spangler ran in the first AthHalf in 2012 with a group of friends, and they haven’t stopped since.
“Not breaking the streak is pretty motivating,” Spangler said. “The fact that I’ve done all [15] of them, it’s pretty motivating to be able to say I’ve done all of them.”
Spangler said that the race has always been very well organized and continues to be refined every year, including
tweaks to the route, packet pickup and the start and finish lines. Her favorite memory was during her first marathon when she ran through Sanford Stadium, where the runners can see themselves on the jumbotron.
Spangler said that she trained for this year’s AthHalf through Fleet Feet’s training program on Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. The program increases by a mile each week and takes runners through a different part of AthHalf’s course each week to prepare.
As the dean of UGA’s Mary Frances College of Early Education, and as a former Clarke County Board of Education member for 12 years, the philanthropic side of the AthHalf sits close to Spangler’s heart.
“Arts education is what helps a lot of kids stay in school,” Spangler said. “If they’re not so inspired by the academic part of it, but they want to [be in] the next play, or the band, or art class [to] have access to sculpting tools or a kiln … I think the arts are really important.”
Spangler said that she plans to continue running the AthHalf for “as long as her knees will let her.”
The finish line
After running through the stadium, participants finished outside of the Tate Student Center and medals were offered to each one as they passed the finish line.
“This is something that lots and lots of people can do, and you don’t have to be fast,” Joyce said. “Just the enjoyment of seeing people cross the finish line is wonderful.”
A common theme among some of the runners was the difficulty in the last three mile stretch of the race. Scannell said that the last three miles are always the biggest challenge for her, but she is proud of herself and Olson, for pursuing longer races through incremental steps in their training. They both intend to run the race again next year.
Courtney Keeler, a graduate student studying chemistry at UGA, said this was her first year running the AthHalf. She also found the last three miles the most challenging, but said the crowd encouraged her to keep moving forward, especially her dad and boyfriend who were supporting her. She recommended runners stay “conservative” the first half, try to pick up speed later and enjoy the last lap in the stadium.
As the half marathon came to a close, winners were announced outside the Tate Student Center where the Original Splitz Band played. The top three male winners of the race were Collin Silliman from Athens, Wesley John from Watkinsville, Georgia and Gray Frederick from Newnan, Georgia. The top three female winners were Athens residents Sam Drop and Audrey Knoper, and Kelsey McGuire from Tega Cay, South Carolina. Winners were offered coffee, smoothies from Smoothie King and bags with bananas and other food to replenish themsleves after the race. Several people stayed on the lawn to listen to music and talk about the race.
“There’s people from every neighborhood, on every corner, a lot of people that wouldn’t normally interact with one another are all here running,” Keeler said.
A supporter hugs a runner after the AthHalf Half Marathon in Athens, Georgia on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. PHOTO/FOREST X. DYNES
Runners fill the streets during the AthHalf Half Marathon in Athens, Georgia on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. PHOTO/FOREST X. DYNES
Oliver Robinson, 1,
Runners
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