Reflector Magazine, Spring 2017

A Place to Land Local Restaurant with a college feel pg. 6

Don’t Want None unless you’ve got protection hun pg. 13

Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking Spring 2017 Fashion Trends pg. 16

Food For Thought

Kratom: The LesserKnown Herb Fighting for Equality

Traveling in Your 20’s

Career Tips For College Students

ENTERTAINMENT

10 Basics of Birth Control 13

Hop Into This Spring’s New Trends

LIFE & STYLE

A Town For Recovery

FEATURES

HEALTH & FITNESS

CUISINE & CULTURE Gnat’s Landing: A Place You’ll Always Want To Come Back To

The Art of Fiction: The Importance and Relevance of Political Media

Paying the Price for Higher Education

Pros vs. Cons: A Glance at Business vs Liberal Arts Degrees

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Underground Statesboro

Photos by Kiara Griffin

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR WHAT DEFINES A GENERATION?

Pay attention, be aware, take in everything that surrounds you.

Photos by Kiara Griffin

Remember it. Embrace it. Be a part of it.

We are the so-called millennial generation. A couple decades from now, our technology will be outdated and our fashion trends will have become vintage, but I don’t want to look back and think of an era of iPhones and lip kits. Those things may be by-products of our times, but they do not define us as a whole. We are a generation that created waves of art and music and literature and change. That’s what I want to remember. I want to remember how Michael Gatto’s death shook our little world. I want to remember the victory of Georgia Southern’s first bowl game. I want to remember the 2016 presidential campaign and the impact it had on our campus and our country. We are not a generation of entitlement or privilege or instant-gratification. The critics that call us that now were once criticized themselves. Don’t act as if Da Vinci wouldn’t have loved the Snapchat filter of Mona Lisa, or had Chaucer and Shakespeare been alive at the same time they wouldn’t have exchanged memes with each other. As if F. Scott Fitzgerald wouldn’t have been just another guy at the bar on the weekends. We’ve seen protests and marches and movements occur, and whether or not we believed in every one of them, they still had an impact. I want to say I was there when it happened. We are not just a part of this generation. We created this generation; we built this community. I want to remember the way the world changed because of us. We cannot talk about the good ol’ days if we don’t first fully embrace the days we are in.

Cheryl Nuzum Editor

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STAFF LIST Editor-in-Chief Michelle Pratt Reflector Editor Cheryl Nuzum Creative Manager Lauren Grizzell Design Editor Erin Fortenberry Designers Rakel Brown Shelby Bragg Contributors Rashida Otunba Conrad Graham Ariane Jensen Brooke Thompson Casey Rohlen Kenneth Lee Kristy Daniels Business Manager Austin Hinkley Marketing Manager Haley Clark Public Relations Coordinator Imani Moody Director of Student Media David Simpson Business Coordinator Samantha Reid

MISSION STATEMENT The Reflector is copyrighted 2017 by Reflector Magazine and Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Ga. It is printed by South Georgia Graphics, Claxton, Ga. The Reflector is operated by GSU students who are members of Student Media, a Georgia Southern student-led organization operating through the Dean of Student Affairs Office and the Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management. The magazine is produced twice a year by GSU students for the Georgia Southern University community. Opinions

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expressed herein are those of the student writers and editors and DO NOT reflect those of the faculty, staff, administration of GSU, Student Media Advisory Board nor the University System of Georgia. Partial funding for this publication is provided by the GSU Activities Budget Committee. Advertisements fund the remaining costs. Advertising inquiries may be sent to Office of Student Media, PO Box 8001, or by calling the Business Office at 912-4785418. Inquiries concerning content should be sent to

Magazine EIC Michelle Pratt by emailing magseditor@ georgiasouthern.edu. All students are allowed to have one free copy of this publication. Additional copies cost $1 each and are available at the Office of Student Media in the Williams Center. Unauthorized removal of additional copies from a distribution site will constitute theft under Georgia law, a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine and/or jail time.

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GNAT’ S Landing

A place you’ll always want to come back to By Kenneth Lee

Photos by Mick Miller

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stickers and neon signs of fan favorite beers cover the walls. Out back is a deck where students can enjoy the weather during summer days or slip out from the crowds to drink in peace during busy nights. “Some of the bars are too packed, too loud, but Gnats never really seems like that, even though it can get pretty going in there,” Joe Charron, a senior general studies major, said. “It can be busy on certain nights, but that’s not really much of a deterrent. You can either go there to relax and have yourself a quiet evening or you can go with friends when they have bands playing there.” Manager Dustin Grace, who in charge of booking touring bands and local artists, works to ensure live music is available at Gnat’s every weekend. “It’s amazing how much music can change people’s moods on a Friday afternoon when people

nat’s Landing is more than a mere bar where you can grab a few drinks: it’s where college students can go to purchase their first beer (and their second and third); it’s where professors and other trivia fans can pool their IQs for the chance to become champions; it’s a restaurant that’s able accommodate students, professors, and locals alike. Al Chapman, owner of Gnats since 2007, has worked tirelessly to transform the restaurant into a familiar, inviting atmosphere where both newcomers and regulars can feel relaxed when they walk through the door and satisfied when they exit. Inside Gnat’s, a string of Christmas lights can be found hanging above the bar, giving the room a cozy, warm glow. The menu is made up of sandwiches, seafood and classic soul food items like fried chicken, smoked pulled pork and shrimp and grits. Giant

get off work after a long week,” Grace said. “They just want to let loose to some easy, good music and wind down from the hard week. It makes a huge difference, having entertainment and having something to go see.” Gnat’s Landing is also a popular venue for bands who were once Georgia Southern students, such as The Orange Constant and Those Cats. “I’ve been down here for almost ten years. I was watching and listening to Those Cats back in the early, early days,” Grace said. “It is always good to see some old friends come back around. They tend to bring in the same people we saw five years ago. It’s always a good time.” Trivia night on Tuesdays and karaoke on Wednesdays also dominate the entertainment scene drawing in students and other members of the community. Christina Olsen, a trivia fan and creative writing professor at Georgia Southern University, has attended Gnat’s Trivia Tuesdays regularly for three years with her husband, friends and coworkers under the name Up North. “It’s been long enough where a lot of the teams who were made up of undergraduates have graduated, but we’re still there,” Olsen said. Olsen enjoys the trivia at Gnat’s largely due to their trivia master, Jake Hallman. She appreciates his strong anti-cheating stance and is quick to note the clear enthusiasm and work he puts into hosting a successful, fun trivia game for all members of the Statesboro community.

“He comes up with categories and questions that are geared towards those different audiences and he has a tendency to be really inclusive in them, which I like,” Olsen said. “Some people will just download questions from the internet and you can tell that’s not the case for Jake’s trivia at Gnats. A good trivia master makes you feel really proud for knowing something. It’s not just state capitals. Jake works really hard to make it nice for the community and he just really likes what he does, which is kind of fun.” After an exciting win or crushing loss of Georgia Southern football, Gnats serves as a haven where students can swig drinks and order food. Another manager, Austin Dill, calls Gnat’s “the home of Georgia Southern football,” a title that’s hard to dispute with television screens airing the big game always in sight, guaranteeing you never miss a game pass or fumble. “Whenever we won, people would be pretty pumped, of course, so the feeling was pretty light hearted and happy,” said Briana Green, a Georgia Southern alumna who frequented Gnat’s after cheering on the Eagles at Paulson Stadium. “There was football talk going on everywhere. It’s a good place to spend like two hours eating and catching up with each other.” Gnat’s Landing may be well embedded within the Georgia Southern community, but it’s more than just a casual dining hangout. It’s a place for a good time, whether you’re into sports, trivia, karaoke, or a just a decent happy hour spot. It’s a cornerstone of Statesboro.

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By Brooke Thompson

While Ziccarelli mostly shops at Wal-Mart, another option for buying organic food is the Herb Shop & Organic Foods here in Statesboro located on Buckhead Drive. They have served Statesboro and surrounding areas since 2001. Owned by Malcolm Taylor, the store carries several product suggestions for vegan and vegetarian diets. Taylor stated that the store carries vegan cheeses, vegan sour cream, cream cheese, cookies, almond milk, coconut milk and other items as well. Taylor also said, “grains like quinoa are very important grains for vegans. It has all of your amino acids.” He also suggests people try the Enjoy Life products at his store. They are allergy friendly, non-GMO, gluten free, and have no artificial ingredients. There’s an option for everyone. Vegans and vegetarians have eating options in Statesboro even though it might not be easy. People who choose this lifestyle have to constantly be aware of what they consume and where it came from. Even if you are not vegetarian, being conscious of where your food comes from is important. You only get one body. George Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright among other things, once stated, “animals are my friends … I don’t eat my friends.” Vegans and vegetarians would all agree that he is correct.

Photo by XXavier Robertson

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order to guarantee their diet is not compromised. Besides just abstaining from meat, Larson also chooses to cut gelatin from her diet due to the animal by-products it contains. Items like marshmallows, pop tarts, and candies all contain gelatin. In order to ensure she is taking in the right amount of nutrients, Larson said she adds plenty of beans, whole grains, and dark, leafy greens into her diet. Because of the lack of meat in their diets, the iron levels in a vegan and vegetarian diet can drop to an unhealthy level, so most try to stay mindful about their intake and supplement their diets somehow. Heather Ziccarelli, a senior nutrition and food science major, has been a vegetarian for about three years. She finds the hardest part about being a vegetarian is the lack of options in Statesboro, arguing that, “Out West, they have so many options for vegans and vegetarians”. Ziccarelli generally shops at Walmart for groceries. She also can find food to fit her diet at Mexican restaurants because “they offer a lot more vegetarian options just with having lots of bean [options].” In addition, she said she can always find something at Subway and she does eat vegetarian pizza. Ziccarelli said, “if you are going to eat [meat], I recommend definitely going for more organic and lean meats.”

ish are friends, not food” is a famous quote from Finding Nemo, and it exemplifies how many vegetarians and vegans might feel about eating meat. Becoming a vegetarian or vegan is a huge lifestyle choice. Vegetarians do not eat meat, but they typically will eat products such as eggs and dairy, while vegans will not eat any animal products at all. While Statesboro does not have any specialty restaurants that only serve vegan and vegetarian food, there are still local options for vegan/vegetarians. Rebecca Larson, Georgia Southern clinical instructor of nutrition and food science, has been a vegetarian for almost 15 years. She prefers to shop at the local farmer’s market, stating, “the food is fantastic, and when stuff is in season, it’s a great variety and really high quality,” but also finds great options at WalMart during the off-season. Larson stated, “I rarely eat out … I don’t think that very many people understand vegetarian issues, and there’s a lot of cross contamination. Even just watching people try to serve pizza. They’ll use the spatula to pick up a piece of pizza that’s a pepperoni pizza, and then they’ll go to the vegetarian piece.” Vegetarians may need to stay aware of what kind of food they eat and where it is from in

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Photo by XXavier Robertson

HEALTH AND FITNESS

STATESBORO A TOWN FOR

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It crosses all socio-economic boundaries. It is at a crisis point right now. The combination of young bravado and the deadliness of drugs like heroin is lethal. - Sarah Dasher

being in the top 20 of the 100 best treatment centers for alcohol and drug abuse. When Sarah Dasher, the alumni director for Willingway, was asked about some of these numerous awards over the course of Willingway’s 45 years of operation, she thought she’d best start from the beginning. Even before Willingway officially opened in 1971, Dr. John Mooney and his wife, nurse Dot Mooney, saw a need for a place for people to recover from addiction. They themselves struggled with addiction, from heavy drinking to other forms of self medication, and they found themselves checking into hospitals or hotels

Photos Courtesy of Willingway Hospital

When out-of-towners think of Statesboro, GA they may know it as the home of Georgia Southern University or maybe even as a party town. Then again, some may simply see it as just another pit stop to seek refuge from that dreaded I-16 drive. The Bible belt community, with roughly 30,000 residents, is a college town at heart where the locals can sometimes be seen as the outsiders from the student perspective. The surrounding locale teeming with day-to-day life can often go unnoticed by the 20,000 plus university students living in their on-campus bubble. To the untrained eye there isn’t much to ‘The Boro’, but for those looking to seek refuge from something much more frightening than I-16, it’s a place for recovery. Known for its top of the line facilities and treatment programs, Statesboro has become a safe haven for thousands of people over the years. One facility in particular, Willingway Hospital, is renowned all over the country for its ability to change lives and, more importantly, to get people sober. According to its website, Willingway has been the recipient of multiple prestigious honors over the years such as being ranked as one of the top 10 treatment centers in the U.S. by Billboard Magazine, being the top treatment center in the Southeast U.S. by Guideposts Magazine, and

RECOVERY

By Casey Rohlen

Photos Courtesy of Willingway Hospital Designed by Shelby Bragg

to detox. However nothing really worked until John was sentenced to spend time in a federal prison for prescription fraud. After John found sobriety in a Kentucky prison and the Mooneys returned home to Statesboro, they began taking people who needed treatment into their home on Lee St. when the local hospital wasn’t able to accommodate them. Through the practice of letting people recover at their home, the small community continued to grow until there were at times upwards of 30 people in the residence. “It just took on a life of its own,” said Dasher, “Word spread and families were coming by and bringing their alcoholic relatives to Lee Street.” After a family friend and accountant told them that this practice wasn’t going to last with the resources and funds they had left, the Mooneys decided to open up Willingway with the help of a Small Business Administration loan and some local investors. Since opening, Dasher estimates that the facility has treated over 20,000 people, with roughly 500 a year now coming through its doors. With about 120 people currently on staff, many of whom are in recovery themselves, they are a far cry from the makeshift treatment house on Lee St. They offer a full range of services from assessments to detox, to inpatient residential treatment, extended residential treatment, sober-living facilities, outpatient care, and intensive outpatient care. A lot has changed in 45 years, including trends in substance abuse. While it used to be primarily alcoholics needing help, Dasher said that she has noticed a heavier emphasis on drugs in recent years. “It crosses all socioeconomic boundaries. It is at a crisis point right now and the combination of young bravado and the deadliness of drugs, like heroin, is

lethal because of some of the stuff it is cut with. We’re also seeing more elderly people too becoming addicted to opioids from having surgery and this can lead to the cycle of addiction,” said Dasher. The sheer scale of Statesboro’s population in recovery is staggering and the amount of resources in the town probably wouldn’t be there without what John and Dot Mooney did so many years ago. There are currently over 80 12-step meetings a week and an estimated 1,000 people in the recovery community. While the number seems high a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that as many as 90 percent of people who need drug and alcohol rehabilitation do not receive it. The problem will likely continue to grow, but as it does so will the safety net and support system of so many others in a relatively small area who are going through the same thing. One such person who is in the lifelong process of recovery is recent Georgia Southern graduate Bret Frazier who went to Willingway all the way from Houston, Texas. Since he started using drugs recreationally at the age of 13 his drug use progressed from marijuana to pain killers until he found himself going to pain clinics to sell the pills to support his own habit. After managing to graduate high school Frazier said he went to a dark place, “Nothing I was doing was productive, I wasn’t working anymore, I was basically only going to different doctors to get pain medicine, but eventually my habit was stronger than the amount I could sell. It’s hard to maintain an addiction like that.” After being evicted from his apartment, moving back in with his family, and a failed attempt to get clean in a mental health clinic, his life reached

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I remember laughing, like really laughing, and realizing I hadn’t laughed or even smiled in a really long time and that was a really important part for me was just having fun again,” said Frazier

a breaking point. For him the fun was over, it wasn’t about partying anymore, and it became something that was consuming his life. He unknowingly walked into an intervention set up by his family and made the reluctant choice to go to Willingway to seek treatment. After six weeks in Willingway he agreed to go to an extended treatment center where he ended up remaining for 16 months, which he compared to a sober-living group home. “It was somewhere that had a little bit of structure and accountability, a safe environment to learn how to get sober. To stay sober,” said Frazier. When people reach a point that they realize they need to get sober it is often one of the lowest points in their life. Even after his grandmother died of cancer while he was in treatment, Bret’s life wasn’t finished testing his will to survive. After experiencing various illnesses, cumulating in him losing 40 pounds and the sight in one eye, he was diagnosed with Leukemia after being 10 months sober. Bret worked with Willingway and physicians to continue his treatment while ending up going through three and a half years of chemotherapy.

After finishing his cancer treatment and being declared cancer free he was able to enroll and eventually earn a degree in marketing with a sales emphasis and minor in business management from Georgia Southern in December of 2016. Today he is still active in the sober community in Statesboro and is currently engaged with a child on the way. There are numerous resources besides Willingway in Statesboro to cater to someone’s specific needs, and whether the problem is with drugs, alcohol, sex, eating, or gambling, there is a place where you can find happiness again. For someone who has lost their way, finding a place to enjoy the simple pleasures in life again can be the biggest reward. “I remember laughing, like really laughing, and realizing I hadn’t laughed or even smiled in a really long time and that was a really important part for me was just learning to have fun again,” said Frazier reflecting on his fondest memories from his time in the sober-living home. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction of any kind you can call a hotline at 1-877959-2454 or call Willingway 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-242-9455 or email them at admissions@willingway.com.

By Ariane Jensen Birth control is a hot topic in our country right now - with conversation ranging anywhere from funding (or lack thereof) for Planned Parenthood to abstinence being pushed in sex ed. Many sexually active women want to have control over their bodies and peace of mind with their health. There’s a multitude of options for that, and ways to educate yourself to figure out exactly what works best for you, but it’s really about the journey of figuring out what’s best for your body. The pill has been around since the nineteen fifties however it was only approved in the nineteen sixties by the FDA. Condoms were created in 1859 and have been used by women around the world since. Sixty-seven percent of women who practice contraception currently use nonpermanent methods, primarily hormonal methods (the pill, patch, implant, injectable and vaginal ring), IUDs and condoms. The rest rely on female (25 percent) or male (8 percent) sterilization. (guttmacher.org) Ask yourself this: have you ever used birth control of any kind? What type? Would you use it again? And, are you grateful? There are plenty of different types of birth control, ranging as small as the birth control pill to something as large as an IUD or a cervical cap. The Health Services on campus has many of these forms available for prescription. Dr. Brian Deloach, the medical director at Georgia Southern, names a

variety of them. “We prescribe oral contraceptive pills, cervical contraceptive rings and hormonal patches, and we administer Depo-Provera.” Offcampus there are many more types, such as IUDs (IntraUterine Device), the sponge, the rod and the diaphragm, available for prescription Each of these types lasts a different variation of time. The IUD lasts for about three to five years depending on the brand that you get, choosing from copper or the hormonal option otherwise called Skyla, which is made for women who haven’t had children yet, making it popular among college students and young adults. IUD’s are inserted through the cervix into the uterus and stays positioned there for three to five years depending on the brand. The Depo-Provera shot is administered by a nurse into your arm or bottom, and lasts for three months at a time. The shot is an injection of hormones into your body that slowly tapers off until your next appointment. Cervical contraceptive rings are inserted into your vaginal canal and secretes hormones into your vaginal mucus to thicken it so semen cannot penetrate through it. Hormonal patches are placed wherever you may please on your body, and they work the same way a nicotine patch works, by secreting hormones into your skin. However, they have the ability to get dirty, and feel more like a bandaid than a birth control method. Lastly the pill is a small, about 2 mm, hormone pill that is taken once a day,

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every day until you decide not to. Many women reactions they may or may not notice.” However, find it difficult to keep to this daily regime, getting there are common side effects with most birth caught up in their own hectic schedules, but it really controls, so ask your provider what you might want depends on the individual. to look out for. Dr. Jatlaoui, an OB-GYN and expert in CDC's Birth control can provide peace of mind, less Division of Reproductive Health talks about the anxiety, and a safer sex life, but make sure to still safety of birth control “All contraceptive methods use condoms and continue regular STD testing. are safe, or generally safe, for a woman to use And if you’re worried that the birth control will affect based on either her young age or if she hasn't had you negatively in the long run, Jatlaoui describes children before.” “All contraceptive methods are reversible and If you’re looking to get into birth control, it’s do not affect future childbearing, except for quite simple really, Dr. Tara Jatlaoui, gives this permanent sterilization. If a woman has certain answer: medical conditions or takes certain “For most women, most medications, certain methods exams and/or tests are not may not be safe for her to use. recommended prior to A woman should talk to their “Each individual starting different methods health care provider after person has their own of contraception. discussing all available However, certain contraceptive methods unique physiology and tests, like a blood to decide which is right way of metabolizing pressure check, for her.” drugs and other are recommended Just in case you before starting had any questions compounds, so there combined hormonal about the future of is no way to predict in contraceptive that your uterus, birth contain estrogen and control shouldn’t a specific individual progestin, such as affect negatively in which side effects or pills, the patch or the the long run. Deloach reactions they may or ring. For an IUD, a pelvic says, “We tell all patients exam is needed for the that they should consider may not notice.” placement, and screening themselves to be fertile may be recommended for and capable of becoming sexually transmitted diseases. pregnant immediately after For all other contraceptive methods, stopping any of the reversible forms a pelvic exam is not recommended before of contraception.” So keep yourself safe starting the method, except the diaphragm, unless it always, you will never know how quickly you may is otherwise indicated.” become pregnant after stopping the contraceptive It is important to not take pap smears and other method you just had. tests for granted, and it’s vital to know when it’s time One thing you should know is that you have the to go into your Healthcare professional. Watch your option to be at ease, and also know you have the body and understand that your body may react to right to the opinion that you want, but that the school the birth control that you take and that will take is here for you, as well as the community around time for your body to adjust. Dr Brian DeLoach, you. Look around at all the health care providers the medical director at Georgia Southern’s Health and pick which is best for you so that you can enjoy Services, explains, “Each individual person has their yourself worry free. own unique physiology and way of metabolizing drugs and other compounds, so there is no way to predict in a specific individual which side effects or

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FEATURES REFLECTOR REFLECTORSPRING FAL L 2 2 017 016 | | 15 15

HOP INTO THIS SPRINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

NEW TRENDS: Trends come and go, and in fashion you need to be on your A-game to keep up with the constantly changing trends. No matter if you are trend savvy or a complete fashion noob, you should look out for these two trends when shopping for a new Spring 2017 wardrobe. By Michelle Pratt

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Photos by Ricky Jones

FEMININE TAILORING: (black dress with maroon cardigan)

Adding a little structure can always be a good thing, and yes that also applies to clothing. A simple black dress and tailored cardigan can make this casual outfit transform into an outfit that will turn heads. These are the types of tailoring to look out for this season: -Cigarette pants -Trench coats -Button up blouses -Tie waist jumpers â&#x2014;? - Blazer styled jackets

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EMBROIDERY: (embroidered shorts with accent top)

The delicate placement of flowers on basic items is making a comeback. Embroidery can change a normal pair of jean shorts into a fun and flirty statement piece. When pairing embroidered items make sure that it is the focal point of your outfit, and you are using simple pieces to complement the detailed work. You should look out for embroidery on these staple items: -Jean shorts -Skirts -Boyfriend jeans -Shirts -Bomber jackets

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The Lesser-Known Herb Fighting For Equality By Casey Rohlen

Photos by Mick Miller

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For those born and raised in the decade. According to addiction. United States the name “kratom” com, a website dedicated to helping “Just in the way that those with drug or alcohol problems, may sound foreign, but for others people take advil, or around the world it has long been overdose deaths from prescription drink coffee, you may used as a natural remedy for a variety painkillers has increased 300 not do it everyday, of ailments. Kratom grows naturally percent since 1999. in Southeast Asia and Indochina, Kratom, known scientifically by the but when you do it specifically in countries such as name Mitragyna speciosa, is from the helps you. There is Thailand and Indonesia and on the same plant family as coffee or kava. no reason this herb islands of Borneo and Bali. Its uses With positive effects on mood and shouldn’t be treated vary from the minor medicinal, such energy levels, it’s understandable with the same amount as pain relief or anxiety treatment, why some people choose to use of respect.” to more serious treatments such as kratom rather than caffeinated drinks. to lower blood sugar or as an anti“It offers a lot of people options -Shelby Whitaker talking inflammatory. The plant is imported as far as replacement for everyday about breaking the taboo to the U.S. from countries where it coffee, people can wake up, take the surrounding kratom. grows naturally and processed into kratom and they’ll have this really one of its many forms including clean energy that’ll get them through basic leaf, powder, liquid, or extract the day,” said Shelby Whitaker, by companies who in turn sell it to consumers in a Georgia Southern student and employee of states where it is legal. Statesboro smoke shop and kratom retailer A Perhaps the most intriguing part about Kratom Smokin’ Place. Whitaker continued, “Just in the is its potential to replace certain prescription way that people take Advil, or drink coffee, you medications with a high potential for abuse may not do it everyday, but when you do, it helps which has lead to countless deaths, especially you. There is no reason this herb shouldn’t be with the rise in opioid dependency over the past treated with the same amount of respect.”

As this herbal treatment may allegedly take away from the profits of pharmaceutical companies, similar to the blossoming legal marijuana industry, it has recently come under scrutiny from lawmakers around the country with a proposed federal ban in October of 2016. However amid petitions, protests and the spreading awareness, the government concluded that they did not know enough about the plant to go forward with the ban until further studies could be completed. Like medication of any type its effects depend on the dosage the user ingests. Per the website kratomscience.com, an authoritative site on all things kratom from comparing different strains, to dosage, to where to buy kratom: â&#x20AC;&#x153;In low doses of a few grams of (kratom) leaf, kratom functions primarily as a stimulant, with effects similar to caffeine without the marked jitteriness of drinking several cups of coffee. In higher doses, kratom functions as a neurological opiate, triggering the mu opiate receptors in the brain.â&#x20AC;? While kratom affects the same areas of the brain that both commonly prescribed pain medications and illegal opiates target, it is chemically

different and not habit forming. Medications such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine and any number of other opium-based substances have come into the spotlight in recent years for the epidemic of addiction they have caused. An epidemic of spiraling, unflinching addiction that leads many users to switch to heroin to chase a stronger, cheaper high. While it may be uncomfortable to face, the opiate drug user is often not someone you may see disheveled and begging on the streets for change; the addiction can afflict

anyone at any age with chronic pain or without. According to the the CDC, from 1999 to 2015 more than 183,000 people have died as a result from an overdose from prescription opiates in the U.S. alone, a statistic not including the thousands who died from the escalation to heroin use. The statistics seem to be on the rise with more than 15,000 people dying from heroin overdoses in 2015 alone. To understand the sheer scale of the problem, in 2014 it was estimated that two million Americans were misusing or addicted to prescription opioids. So when painkiller abuse is referred to as an epidemic, it is not an over exaggeration. Perhaps the most potent argument on the pro-kratom side is that to date there have been no known deaths resulting from kratom use alone. This is certainly something considering that people die each year simply

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from over caffeinated energy drinks or over the counter medications. The American Kratom Association is one of the organizations at the forefront of the fight for kratom. Their mission statement is to “support consumers, educate the public, amplify success stories, spread global awareness, and protect kratom as a precious natural resource.” As explained on their website, kratom is currently banned by state law in six U.S states: Tennessee, Indiana, Alabama, Vermont, Arkansas and Wisconsin. Legislation was proposed to ban the substance and/or make it a schedule 1 narcotic in 12 other states, including Georgia, but the law was either amended or failed to pass after petitions and protests from users and

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advocates alike. A Smokin’ Place, a Statesboro smoke shop or “head shop”, has been selling kratom for about two and a half years to Georgians over the age of 18. They are one of the only such vendors in the area, selling a variety of strains and forms of kratom from their most popular strain Bali to more obscure strains like Hulu Kapues. Jessa Grossman, an employee and senior Georgia Southern geography major, said they see people of all ages buy the product, from college aged students to middle aged adults, both male and female. To ensure quality control, the store keeps lab results of the strength of their kratom and a chart explaining proper dosages so no customer purchases an amount that would give them an effect they don’t desire. “In general anywhere from one to three grams is a great starter dose, this is where you feel the stimulating energy effect that kratom can provide and then as you move up to larger dosages it is supposed to be more sedative despite the strain,” explained Grossman, “It’s an all-natural pain reliever, it’s a plant that has been broken down into a powder form and I think the way in which it interacts with your body is a lot cleaner than prescribed opiates. It just doesn’t change your brain the way opioids do.” To its advocates, taking the jump to make kratom a schedule 1 narcotic is extreme. As it already has been enacted in several states, the regulation would put possessing kratom on the same level as possessing heroin, MDMA, GHB and a number of other drugs. As a plant that many users boast results in little worse side effects than occur after drinking too much coffee experiencing a headache, it is certainly being held in dangerous company by lawmakers. The arguments are similar to those being made for the legalization of marijuana. That the plant has real life medicinal benefits and while it can have the potential to be misused, the benefits outweigh the costs for its users. As the legal status of kratom continues to change, especially with a newly elected president in office, time will tell how this herb will be seen in the ensuing months and years. One thing can be certain, its supporters will continue to fight for its full decriminalization.

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or try to join travel groups so that you don’t feel too alone, but also learn to see the world through other people’s eyes, and you get to understand their views as well. You’ll also have places to stay around the world later in life if you stay in touch. -There are ways to make money while traveling, but you can also find jobs that take you across continents- so that you can explore and experience more. -The adventure really gives you the possibility to learn about yourself in every environment and become the person you’ve been yearning to become while you were stuck in college life. -Businesses, and employers appreciate candidates with international experience. According to the Erasmus Student Network, ninety-two percent of employers preferred the candidate that had studied abroad. -Traveling in your twenties makes traveling a lot more affordable because you haven’t become accustomed to the “finer” things in life yet. Taylor Henry, a business management major, says “[traveling] is an experience everyone should have, because staying in the same place is not good. You should always experience different ways of life.” -There is no reason not to go. In your twenties, you have nothing to hold you back, like a mortgage or

any huge assets. It’s a crucial time to go and travel. -Have a foreign fling. (we know everyone has always dreamt of one) -In your twenties, you’ll never look better in a bathing suit- so go show it off. -You’ll really learn about the world in a different way. Andrew Donalson, a finance major explains that “it’s good to explore other cultures and see how they live.” It’ll make your conversations deeper in the future and you’ll be able to have your own stories instead of living vicariously through friends. -You won’t have time to travel later when you have a family and a desk job that works you 40 hours a week. -Some people can save for 2 years and then pull off traveling full time for up to four years. -You can drink more and get away with it. Have you seen the TV show booze traveler? Goals. -Lets face it, the world is changing, and some of the stuff you love, and look forward to seeing wont be there when you’re forty. Live a little. -There are teaching opportunities all over the world to teach English or to volunteer with several different world peace organizations or orphanages. One website, workaway.info, provides travel opportunities all over the world.

hen you first learn about how big the world is, most children want to learn everything there is to know about it. Somewhere along the line, many people lose that passion and never venture out of the country. But some people never lose that wonder and it’s with those people that this article starts. If you’re interested in traveling after you finish college, or during the summers, or sometime in between, there’s a whole world out there at your fingertips. Sure it may be expensive, but you just need to exert yourself and realize what you want. Save up and know where your first destination is. Where your first adventure will start. It’s waiting for you and here’s why: -You get a break from social media, and you get to really see the world instead of through pictures. -It’s easy to study abroad, and it’s an incredible opportunity- allowing you to gain class credit, and see new cultures. -Backpacking, walking or taking trains everywhere that you go can help cut down on costs instead of taking taxis and planes. -You’ll never experience more freedom than when you’re trekking across the globe on your own. -You can still live out of a backpack without needing much else. -It’s important to get to know people, and make friends globally. So try and stay the night at hostels

By Ariane Jensen

Tips and tricks for acing the interview and landing the job By Rashida Otunba Job hunting is difficult and can often times seem overwhelming. For many college students, the simple thought of starting the job hunt can seem frightening. Philip Bruce, director of Career Services, offers his expert tips to help students find a job.

1. Use Social Media to Your Advantage

“It’s something that you have to be very careful and very strategic about,” Bruce said. “When you think about social media, yes there are certainly opportunities there for you to make mistakes. . . But on the flip side of that, you can also be strategic and use social media very effectively when it comes to getting a job, so instead of being scared of it, I would encourage students to be smart about it. As we all have seen with our own eyes, it only takes one wrong post to cause your entire career to come crashing down, however don’t let other people’s snafus intimidate you from using social media platforms. What you post on social media is available globally and can be seen worldwide. Because of this, social media can actually be one of your most effective marketing tools! (And, yes, LinkedIn does fall under the umbrella of social media.)

2. Post Responsibly

The fact of the matter is that prospective employers are going to look at your online profiles, regardless of whether you have branded them as professional or private. Employers and hiring managers have the right just like anybody else to look at any and everything that you post online and judge you based on that.

3. Follow Up After the Interview

“You don’t have to do it, but it really makes a good impression for you to shoot an email and say ‘Thank you for your time,’” Bruce said. While it’s not really necessarily required, following up after an interview is a polite gesture. Bruce advises following up like somebody you’re trying to date. “That’s how I’ve always treated employers If you feel like they’re interested, call them or shoot them an email, but if you didn’t get that vibe then move on and find a different position. “ Before you leave the interview, ask the interviewer what the next steps in

the hiring process will be. Sometimes, it might seem a bit old fashioned to send a thank you card after meeting someone in person, but it very well might be the difference between getting hired and remaining unemployed.

4. Learn How to Sell Yourself

Of course, there is a difference between confident and cocky, know your strengths and know how to sell them to a potential employer. Career Services hosts mock interviews that will help any students feeling nervous or unsure about how to go about this.

5. Focus on More Than Your GPA

Having a perfect 4.0 GPA is fantastic, especially if you plan to work in a STEM field, or when it comes to getting scholarship money, but when it comes to searching for a job, out of class experience is more important. That’s not to say, though, that a 2.0 is winning, still try your best to keep it at 3.0 or above.

6. Focus on the Resume

“[The resume] really speaks to people’s qualifications. If [employers are] following the Equal Opportunity Employment Act, which [they] better be, [they] need to be looking at people’s qualifications and seeing whether or not that individual, on paper has the ability to do the job. A cover letter won’t tell you that always. A cover letter is very useful, though, at adding details to what’s on your resume,” Bruce said. “Customizing the resume to include the buzzwords is very important. That’s going to get [recruiters] to the cover letter,” Bruce said. I’m sure that we have all heard that the cover letter is the secret ingredient to finding the right job, and it’s definitely important, but an awesome resume is what gets a prospective employer to get to notice you in the first place. Be sure to pay attention to the keywords in the job description because they are important, especially when applying for internships or jobs with large companies.

Due to the large influx of applicants, large companies use software that will pull resumes electronically, so using the words in the application will help your resume get chosen over other applicants.

7. Don’t Put Limits On Your Job Search

“Liberal arts students are some of the most qualified and diverse folks we have on campus and there is not a single employer, with the exception of some of the very specialized technical industries that would not want a liberal arts major to apply,” Bruce said. This tip applies mainly to non-STEM majors. When it comes to finding a job, make sure to look outside your comfort zone a bit. Big companies often hire liberal arts majors for various roles because liberal arts curriculums allow students to gain a world perspective and an understanding of how people interact with one another.

8. Hunt For a Job Early

“Identify a company you’d love to work for at a career fair. Come up to the recruiter and say ‘Hey this is my resume. I’m going to graduate in two years, what do you want to see on this resume that would make me a good candidate? What could I do right now to make myself more marketable when I graduate?,’” Bruce said. Internships and professional experience in your chosen field is an important aspect to finding a job. Bruce says that as many as 97 percent of coops and 67 percent of internships lead to job offers. Hope is not lost if you are a senior. “Try to go to as many information sessions as you can each year,” Bruce adds.

9. Look at campus resources

Career Services, located on the bottom floor of the Williams Center has multiple resources that are designed to aid students, both current and alumni, in helping them find jobs. REFLECTOR SPRING 2 017 | 25

Paying the

for Higher Education M

ost students pay for college with student loans. According to Student Loan Hero’s website, approximately 44 million borrowers have nearly $1.3 TRILLION in student debt. Each of those borrowers therefore has an average debt of $37,000 - the equivalent of a pretty nice SUV. So why spend money on education when it could just be going toward a new car? Higher education is one way to obtain a higher standard of living, which will affect more than just the cars in the garage. In 2015, the average salary of someone with a bachelor’s degree was $48,500 but someone who only graduated from high school only made $23,900, according to study.com. That difference is plenty to pay off a college grad’s loans!

Student loans

Taxes

Thanks to technology, taxes are easier than ever. A simple online search reveals several reputable

For more information about student loans and other types of aid, be sure to check out https://studentaid. ed.gov/sa/ 26 | REFLECTOR SPR IN G 2 017

tax-filing agencies, like TurboTax, and many of them have free options. These free programs will walk you through your taxes step-bystep, so you never need to feel left behind or lost. Keep in mind, there are limitations to the free programs. For instance if you purchase TurboTax Deluxe for $34.99, it will ask you questions about your living situation and expenses in order to get more money back when you get your tax return. Even if you choose to walk through your taxes by yourself, again, it’s not that bad because of technology. If you work for a business that processes taxes electronically, at the end of the year they will give you a filled-out tax form that you submit to the federal and state governments as necessary. Now, let’s say you work for a small business and the owner doesn’t set aside any of your paychecks for taxes. You can print out tax forms from the IRS website (https://www. irs.gov/) and you will be fine as long as you can read. There’s a ton of fine print, but each box in the tax form tells you exactly what to do - you just need a lot of patience and all your records. (For the love of everything holy, hang on to your pay stubs through the year. You will thank yourself come tax season.) When you’re done, mail your forms off to the both federal and state governments and you are good to go! You’ve done your civic duty, and we will all thank you when we drive on nice highways paved with federal tax dollars.

What’s a loan servicer? And who is mine? Because there are so many people taking out loans, there are several companies who take payments for student loans. When you take out federal loans through by filling out your FAFSA and sending it to the school, your loan servicer will contact you.

One of the reasons to think about student loans now is so they don’t seem as daunting when we graduate, find a full-time job and then have to start splitting our paycheck between rent, groceries and loan payments (among other things). Let’s break these student loans down a bit. For mathematical ease, let’s assume everyone’s average student debt is $35,000 even. If you’re single and have an interest rate of 4.66%, Nelnet offers a “standard” repayment plan where you pay the same amount of money every month for 10 years. That monthly payment is only $366. Let’s divide up your previouslydiscussed average salary of $48,500:

if you get paid every two weeks, your checks are going to be $1,865 and some change. Take $366 from your first check of each month and send it straight to your loan provider. You don’t have to think about it until next month! Doesn’t that seem so much more doable now? Oh, right, there’s interest on that loan too. The government likes to make some money off of sending you to school for all those years. For the same person in the same situation, the total interest paid on that loan is going to be just under $9,000. That’s not insignificant. But if you make enough money to comfortably pay off your student loans faster, you save yourself all of that money! Now, if you can scrape together a few pennies while you’re in school, you can start paying off your interest here and there. It may not seem like much to knock $50 off a $37,000 mountain, but you can write that off on your taxes. Your loan provider will give you a Form 1098-E that you can add in to your taxes as a deduction - but keep in mind, depending on what you pay and other variables, you may not be able to deduct the full amount. Even after all we learned in high school (do you still remember the quadratic formula?) we never really did learn how to do our taxes.

By Conrad Graham

Pros vs. Cons

A Glance at Business and Liberal Arts Degrees By Kristy Daniels

veryone has a dream career they hope to achieve, whether it is through a high school diploma and tons of work experience, or through a post high school education degree such as college or trade school, but what if your dream was belittled or rumored to be a waste of money and time put into the degree? Common arguments heard around career decision related conversations are “business degrees are more successful than liberal arts degree,” or “liberal arts degrees will fare better in the real world because. . .” Perhaps, you are just curious about the advantages and disadvantages of having a business or liberal arts degree. There are different types of business/STEM degrees, such as: accounting, finance, real estate, and marketing. STEM is a nifty acronym that stands for Science Technology Engineering and Math. Some of the more popular liberal arts degrees are history, English, philosophy, political science, sociology, communication, and anthropology.

What sets a liberal arts degree apart from a business degree? For starters, it is a common belief that liberal arts degrees focus more on communication i.e. socializing, reading and comprehending, and adapt more understanding of the world in a broader view. Business and STEM fields, on the other hand, focus more on calculation, solving real world problems, and tackle issues with logical thinking. “In recent years there has been a shift in mentality of thinking that you have to major in something that specifically prepares you for a career,” says

Christy Curley, advisor for the college of liberal arts and social science. It's often an assumption with liberal arts degrees that teaching is one of the only fields you can go into. “That’s not always the case, and I think that kind of thinking leads us to believing it’s useless.” Curley expressed her belief in the advantage of having a liberal arts degree, preparing you for several different career fields, versus a business degree, in which you are only prepared for the specific area you studied for. If, for instance, you are unhappy with your degree , it can get frustrating due to the sole preparation of one specific field rather than outside of the box. Curley believes this could be a disadvantage for business majors. On a personal note, Curley chose to obtain a liberal arts degree because, “I wanted to be a teacher, so I majored in English.” However, Curley is thankful for the change in becoming an advisor because she enjoys it more. “I feel like the skills I got as an English major has lots of different areas like thinking and communication, problem solving. . .” She added that being an English major has helped her see things from multiple perspectives, not just her own. “That’s a lot of what you do in English class! You write papers. . . when you are analyzing literature you are constantly thinking beyond what the words are saying.” Many studies in liberal arts fields focus on what the words say both literally and figuratively. Curley was asked if she thought there were any disadvantages to having a liberal arts degree, “I would say that it takes a little bit more effort on the

student part to determine what they want to do with it because it is not specifically prescribed that ‘with this degree, you are going to have this job.’ Outside of class, you have to get more training and experience.” Because of their experience in class, students in the liberal arts majors are often thought of to be more creative and to think outside the box when faced with a challenge. According to Curley, 95% of employers agree that communicating clearly was more important to them than a college major, and that they are looking for strong intellectual, interpersonal skills, and out of the box thinking. Mikaela Shupp, an advisor for the college of business administration, has different opinions. “I chose to study business, specifically management, because it has more flexibility within the degree. You can serve other companies out there, even hospitals and colleges. I can serve in different areas,” she says. Shupp thinks the obvious that anyone else would think, “A business degree [holder] would fare well in a business setting.” When asked about teamwork within business careers, she responds, “In all of our classes, we have team projects. So we have that within our curriculum and a liberal arts degree can definitely compliment those skills. For example, I have a liberal arts degree as well; I studied Spanish.” Combining a skill in liberal arts with a business degree can help you to appear a better candidate when searching for jobs. “The versatility of the degree [is the best thing about it].” said Shupp. She feels that having a business degree has personally

helped her with financing and networking. She learned how to communicate and make social connections that may have benefited her career-wise. When asked who she thought would fare better in the career world, business or liberal arts, Cassandra Scott, freshman business management major, said, “I believe both would do fairly well because liberal arts majors do communicate with each other and so do business majors who try and strive to map out networks and make connections for businesses and companies.” She added, “I don’t think either would ‘fare better’ because we communicate in everyday life. Liberal arts may teach communication in a different way and a different method, but either way we’re still going to enhance our communication skills at college.” According to Curley, more than 33 percent of people change jobs once a year. Since most people don’t stay in one job permanently, the skills learned can provide more versatility in a career field than the title of a major Both degrees have equal opportunities to do well in their career. The main factor here is that communication skills are a vital component of one’s career mainly because networking and making connections are imperative to expand in your respective field. This is why colleges provide job fairs and internships because it allows you to make connections and appeal to potential employers. One degree is not “better” than the other degree; they are different in their own ways.

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By Brooke Thompson

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said, “I kinda remember in my mind how many beads I need and what size need to go on the string.” Located just outside of Statesboro is another unique shop find, Southern Soap Co. based in Brooklet, Ga. Owner, Anna Kate Lanier, started her business in September 2016, and you can find her products on Facebook and Etsy. Her main product is soap, which is made out of goat milk, but she also sells bath bombs and sugar scrubs. All of these affordable products come in a wide variety of scents. When looking for inspiration on scents, Lanier said, “I mainly just ask people around me. I go to Compassion Christian Church … I’m really close with the people there, so I mainly just ask them what they would like because a lot of them are my customers.” The current winter scents are winter mint, winter candy apple, and mango. Lanier recently announced on her Facebook page that her spring scents will be released soon. Among the many lesser known online pages based in Statesboro is the “GA Southern Clothing Exchange” Facebook page. Created in February 2016, t has more than 11,000 members and is still growing. Illiegh Emanuel is the page admin, and she said, “I

started it because my friends and I were already sharing clothes and always borrowing each other’s stuff, and I just felt like I had a ton of different GroupMe’s with people asking to borrow things. I felt like it would be easier to just make a Facebook page where we could add everyone and kind of expand our horizons a little bit.” A wide variety of items are posted on the page. Clothing, jewelry, furniture, and other miscellaneous things can be found on it. This page is perfect for college students and others who are looking to make some cash or find that perfect top for your night out. The page can also be used to find missing items, connect with people, and learn more about local Statesboro. The “GA Southern Clothing Exchange” is the perfect page to be a part of to help make you some cash, put a dent in your wallet, and link yourself to others. Statesboro has a lot to offer its residences. Shopping local makes up a large part of the local economy. If you shop at your local “mom and pop” store, you know exactly where your money is going. It is paying for the store to stay afloat and the family the owner is supporting. In any community, it’s helpful to dig a little deeper and shop local!

hop small, not at the mall. Buying local products allows more money to go back into the economy and thus improving the way of life. When you think of Statesboro, you may think about a college town full of teenagers, but it is much more than that. It is a town full of people who take pride in their city and choose to shop locally everyday. Statesboro is not just the home of nationally-recognized, chicken franchise Zaxby’s. It’s the home of many other locally founded shops and products that are worthy of both your time and your dollar. Lacy Kamppi, a Statesboro local, handcrafts bracelet stacks that she sells either online and at the boutique, Vault 206. She has named them Harper Elizabeth after her daughter. Kamppi first starts making the bracelets by picking out beads. She finds colors that work well together and creates a collage of bead colors to ensure that they will work well together. After she gets the beads, Kamppi lays them all out and begins on making the bracelets. Kamppi states that making bracelets “takes a lot of patience,” but she finds time when her daughter is at daycare or at night while watching TV to make them. She freehands all of the bracelet lengths. Kamppi

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The Art of Fiction:

The Importance and Relevance of Political Media By. Kenneth Lee

ach presidential administration has its critics and its defenders. Depending on your political leanings, you might look back at the Bush or Obama years with white-hot anger or wistful heartache. However, regardless of their political persuasion, television fans can still look back at episodes of “West Wing” or “House of Cards” and marvel at Aaron Sorkin’s sharp writing or David Fincher’s stunning directorial work. Political fiction – dramas and comedies with politics as a backdrop – may lean left, right, or stay nonpartisan, but it’s more than just mere entertainment and pop culture. It’s a time capsule capturing public concerns of a specific era, a mirrorimage of reality, an artistic outlet for the disenfranchised

and an opportunity to pit two opposing viewpoints in the same room with the hopes for compromise and empathy. Pop culture - television shows and movies - reacts to and reflects the politics of their respective periods. Great political entertainment has existed before in the Clinton and Bush administrations, during the Obama years, and will continue on into the Trump presidency. However, regardless of when they first aired, political fiction is able to still hold significance and remain relevant as rotating presidents enter and exit The White House. Here are a few political dramas you can easily watch and stream and why they’re important to examine in concurrence with the politics of the past and future.

The West Wing, an Administration built on Optimism and Empathy

Perhaps the most prestigious work of political fiction on television was Aaron Sorkin’s West Wing, a show which followed the fictional administration of Democratic president Josiah Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen. For the many Americans frustrated with the political atmosphere of that time and disillusioned with inept presidential administrations, this show offered an alternative, idealistic take on behind-the-scenes governance. The show provided an optimistic glimpse on a fictional White House staff largely devoid of shortcomings and moral failings and a dream of what well-meaning public service could actually accomplished. Sorkin’s show hammered home all the milestones and progress government could possibly achieve when Republicans and Democrats found common ground for the greater good – The American public.

The West Wing may have endorsed idealism during its run (1999 to 2006), but House of Cards, which first streamed on Netflix in 2013, falls on the other ends of the spectrum,

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evoking cynicism and distrust in elected officials. Sexton explained the shift in tone from the two popular political-dramas as dwindling public faith in government. “What happens is popular culture is a reflection of what’s going on in the world,” Sexton said. There were

these movies about The White House being taken over – White House Down and Olympus Has Fallen – released in the exact same year. White House Down and Olympus Has Fallen came about when people were starting to get worried about Barrack Obama as president and they felt like the country

Why House of Cards Struck a Nerve with Viewers on Netflix

Jared Sexton, a creative writing professor at Georgia Southern, covered the 2016 election and had his political writing published in Atticus on the Trail, New Republic, and The New York Times. He

explained how West Wing, despite being “fanciful” in its depiction of a consistently efficient government, created a bridge between viewers with opposing political affiliations. “[Sorkin] loves to have his characters, his protagonists, be certain of something,” Sexton said. “They’re always bedrock in their beliefs, but then a Republican will come in, an opponent will come in, and prove them wrong. The supposed ‘enemy’ comes in and shows them. Part of politics, in the past, is about concession. If I’m talking to someone about politics, I get a lot farther with them, if I concede that something about their argument is right, and all of a sudden, we’re not on opposite sides anymore. West Wing succeeds in a lot of ways because it meets people halfway.” The West Wing stars Rob Lowe, Allison Janney, Dulé Hill, Jimmy Smits, Alan Alda, Kristin Chenoweth, and many others. All eight seasons are available for streaming on Netflix.

could fall apart. Conservatives were afraid of Obama unwittingly, or willingly, giving away the country.” The morally duplicitous Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey, is a stark contrast from Martin Sheen’s President Bartlet. Underwood regularly uses underhanded tactics to manipulate and outplay fellow politicians, the press and the American public. Underwood increasingly amasses political clout as the series progresses to further his singleminded agenda of achieving as much political power as he can attain. “House of Cards, for a lot of people, is a reflection of what they think is actually happening in Washington,” Sexton said. “They’ve lost all faith and trust in the system and they assume everyone in the system is a crook. So what happens is depending on where public approval is, or Congress’s approval rating or the President’s approval rating is, what happens is the scale of popular culture moves back and forth alongside those numbers Bryce Colvin is a fan of House of Cards and a first-year political science

major who serves as one of the hosts for Modern Political Debate, a weekly campus radio show created to connect students to politics. Colvin believes that political fiction, when staying “parallel with the modern issues,” can carry the potential to stir interest and enthusiasm

Braindead’s Warnings on Extreme Partisanship.

Braindead is a 2016 sciencefiction, comedy-drama TV show that takes place in Washington D.C. during the recent 2016 election. Creators Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife) comment on the polarization between political parties, critiquing extreme partisanship on both sides by having Democrats and Republicans alike fall victim from brain-devouring, invading ants from outer space. Those infected by the ants have their partisanship exaggerated to new heights, becoming increasingly combative towards the opposing political. Amanda Mazzillo, a Film Inquiry contributor and GS alum with a B.A. in Writing & Linguistics and a minor in Film Studies, comments on the weirdly relevant wackiness of this off-kilter space invasion. “The show is trying to point out that government will never achieve something great for both sides if we are completely partisan,” Mazzillo said. “It’ll be more of a competition instead of a compromise,” Mazzilo states that the buginfested people represents “people whose minds are too far to change”

due to being too enthralled in party ideology. She also acknowledge that although the show leans Democrat, it’s still more about both sides “being able to listen to each other.” The 13-episode, one-season wonder stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, 10 Cloverfield Lane) as Laurel, the left-leaning, female protagonist and Aaron Tveit (Gossip

towards politics within their viewers, even informing them along the way despite the theatrics of storylines and character arcs. “I guarantee you there’s a large majority of the viewership that had no idea what a majority whip was until they actually watched it,” Colvin said. “It’s very imperative that people take its value as entertainment and realize this isn’t what really happens, but if we can encourage anyone to get involved with politics, and if that’s through entertainment and media, the more the merrier. The more involved people are in politics, the better our society is going to be. If they clicked with the entertainment side, hopefully they can click with the real side.” House of Cards also stars Robin Wright, Kate Mara, Corey Stoll, Mahershala Ali, and others. All four seasons are available for streaming on Netflix, with season five premiering on May 30. Modern Political Debate airs on Fridays, from one to three p.m., on 91.9 FM “The Buzz.”

Girl, Les Misérables) as Gareth, the Republican, male lead. Mazzillo says Braindead’s function as an effective political message isn’t perfect due to it being “aimed more towards people who lean left, but it tries to comment more and change the minds of people who lean right.” Even so she still believes that viewers who identify with either party will be able to enjoy the inherent wackiness of space ants-fueled antics and the strong, well-written relationships between characters. “If you’re not really there for the [political] commentary, there’s relationships between characters that I didn’t think I would get too involved with, but I still got invested in,” Mazzillo said. “The relationship between Gareth and Laurel is kind of a commentary, because they were showing what can happen when people work together, understand and listen to views that they might not agree with. They framed it in a way where there’s still political commentary but you can still enjoy it outside of that.” Braindead also stars Tony Shalhoub (Monk) and is available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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he editors of Georgia Southern Student Media have created “The Journey,” a commemorative magazine telling the story of Georgia Southern football. It’s a story drenched in tradition, brotherhood and the ability to go against the odds and come out on top. Our reporters bring you the stories of our legendary coaches and players, historic rivals, traditions and the big games that have made Eagle football the program it is today. From Erk Russell to Tyson Summers, from six national championships to the first bowl game and the score of every game the Eagles have played, the story is here. The 52-page glossy magazine is securely bound to hold up for years of reference. It is a must for the bookshelf, coffee table or basement fanzone of every devoted Eagles fan. It’s available for $7, including shipping. To order securely with your credit card: www.thegeorgeanne.com then click “Order The Journey”

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Because college isn’t just a phase, it’s a lifestyle.

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