On a streak...The Bobcat soccer team grabs two straight wins.Page 12

Weekend Weather

Features

sports

700More students participated in

summer classes in 2008 than 2007.

See story page 4

Making it up as they goCrowds come to see im-prov group The Armed Farces perform in the basement at BlackbirdPage 9

Bands at the Buff showing their stuffBands out of Athens play at Buffington’s restaurant on Thursday.Page 9

Fri. Sat. Sun.

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88 94 9268 65 67

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People really do use that math stuffMath colloquium show-cases math in real lifePage 2

the Colonnade

The Official Student Newspaper of Georgia College & State University

Friday, September 12, 2008 - www.gcsunade.com - Volume 85, No. 3

Bands jam at Buff

katelyn hebert

staFF Writer

As the past slowly dwindles in our memory, has the tragedy of Sep-tember 11 been forgotten? Everyone knows what happened that fateful day seven years ago, but many are tired of remembering it. Should we be reminded every year, every month, and every day of our lives? Or is it just something we should learn to forget?

Many people remember the day the planes crashed into the Pentagon; sopho-more Meredith Carpenter recalls how she found out.

“I was in my seventh grade English class, and a boy came back from his dentist appointment and said that the World Trade Center was bombed,” Car-penter said. “I didn’t even know what that was at the time. I remember every detail of my day, however. I stood behind a door and watched the news because my parents didn’t want me to see it.”

Many others weren’t allowed to watch the tele-vision coverage of the events. Sophomore Lauren Van Wicklen, who saved all the newspaper articles

from the tragedy that day, remembers panic spread-ing throughout her school.

“I was in my seventh grade algebra class, teach-ers weren’t allowed to tell us what happened, they canceled afternoon class-es, and the word ‘terror-ism’ flew quickly around the school,” Wicklen said.”It generated panic, everyone was crying. My elementary school brother, however, got to watch the bodies fall (from the build-ings) at school.”

Bodies did fall. Ac-cording to the New York Magazine, the number of bodies found “intact:” 289. The number of body parts found: 19,858. In the 111 days left in 2001, af-ter September 11th , Rudy Giuliani attended 200 fu-nerals to honor the vic-tims.

Sophomore Jesse Lau-dino speaks out about his experiences the day of Sept. 11.

“I was almost devas-tated because I have a lot of family in New Jersey, and I called my dad, and he could actually see it,” Laudino said. “I was afraid my family was around it

In MemoriamSeven years later,

9/11 revisited

MattheW kuhl

staFF Writer

The American As-sociation of State Col-leges and Universities has selected GCSU as a participant in its Civic Agency Initiative, a proj-ect to build connections between the college and the community.

The Civic Agency Ini-tiative is a recently de-veloped concept created by Dr. Harry C. Boyte of the University of Minne-sota’s Center for Democ-racy and Citizenship, in partnership with the American Association of State Colleges and Uni-versities. It aims to give college students the tools to work with local com-munities and to encour-age students to use those tools and their education for the good of those communities.

Dr. Robert Haney, In-terim Vice President for Academic Affairs, sup-ports the agency.

“The Civic Agency Initiative seeks to cre-ate the next generation of informed, engaged citizens. I hope that stu-dents will see that they have the ability to leave higher education with the skills they need to become leaders in their communities,” Haney said. “Liberal arts edu-

cation, which has been defined as the education of a free people, is the perfect backdrop for this initiative.”

Dr. Gregg Kaufman is responsible for bring-ing the Civic Agency Initiative to GCSU and is thrilled for the oppor-tunity.

“This will allow stu-dents to apply what they learn in class to help the community. It will let them see that they can make a difference in a real-world situation," Kaufman said.

Although Kaufman says that so far the Civic Agency Initiative is only in its formative stages, he plans to involve students in the planning process at a later date.

Kaufman says that the Civic Agency Initiative should formed more by spring.

Kaufman already has plans for the direction of the Civic Agency Ini-tiative. He has volun-teer faculty from several departments, including Government & Sociol-ogy, Marketing, Rheto-ric, English, Speech and Journalism, Early Child-hood & Middle Grades Education and Econom-ics.

“We are open to any

GCSU newest member of Civic Agency Initiative

Civic Initiative Page 3

Housing on the risetiM GrahaM

staFF Writer

College is expensive. With the exception of some scholarships for athletes and students, many stu-dents struggle with taking out thousands in loans each year, all while struggling to find a job in a small college town.

And now, with a floun-dering economy and the standard costs of living increasing, it has become even more important to track every cent.

Many GCSU students have noticed the dramatic increase in tuition and on-campus housing at GCSU this year. The most signifi-cant increase is the nearly

$700 raise per semester at The Village apartments. These rate hikes force students to look elsewhere for places to stay. Some return to campus, others move to apartment com-plexes promoting cheaper rates, and still others may switch to schools closer to

Housing Page 3

kelsie FunkstaFF Writer

A new radio station will hit the airwaves of Middle Georgia within the next year courtesy of GCSU and 5,000 watts of power.

“I am very excited about the new station and our abil-ity to service a good part of the state with the stronger signal,” said Bryan Jack-son, director of University

Communications and front-runner in establishing the station.

With 5,000 watts, the school hopes to further in-volve the community and alumni with GCSU and its events. The new non-com-mercial station will reach surrounding cities such as Macon, Eatonton, Oconee, Greensboro, Gray and War-ner Robins.

The new station will

broadcast completely sepa-rate from WGUR 88.9 FM, GCSU’s current student-led radio station.

The 5,000 watt show air-ing on 88.3 FM will cover GCSU events, live concerts, Bobcat sports, local news, and talks by resident his-tory buff Dr. Robert “Bob” Wilson. GCSU also hopes to team up with Georgia

New FM Page 3

Matthew Perez/ Staff PhotograPherGuitarist, Bryan Aiken of Lazerwulf, plays to a hyped and sold-out crowd at Buffington’s, one of Milledgeville’s favorite music spots on Friday Sept. 12, 2008. For the complete features story turn to Page 9.

Tuning in to Middle GARemembering Page 3

Photo CourteSy of www.gCSu.eduBell Hall (pictured above) is one of the residence halls on main campus. University Housing is at full capacity this year thanks to growing population and convenience of location.

2 the Colonnade neWs septeMber 12, 2008

heather raines

staFF Writer

The Mathematics Department at GCSU launched the first of a monthly Math Colloquium series this week by highlighting math that is actually seen in current movies and television shows.

The series is intended for anyone interested in math, not just math ma-jors. The talks are designed for a broad audience and presented in a way that everyone can understand.

Dr. Hugh Sanders, professor of ap-plied mathematics, began the series with the lecture on mathematics in the media. The lecture began with a trailer from the release of the movie “21,”which was released in March. In “21,” six students at M.I.T. use their superior math skills to win millions of dollars gambling in Las Vegas. The movie is based on a true story and math is the main theme throughout the film.

Next, Sanders showed clips from a few other popular movies with some unintentional math errors.

One clip was from the 1939 clas-sic, “The Wizard of Oz.” Many view-ers may not notice, but the scarecrow actually exclaims a distorted version of the Pythagorean theorem after he receives his brain from Oz.

Sanders then presented other clips from well-known movies and televi-sion shows such as “The Swimmer,” “Cast Away,” “Star Trek” and epi-sodes from “The Simpsons” and the CBS series “Numb3rs.”

All of the clips were linked by one common thread. They all have scenes that are strongly related to mathemat-ics in the real world.

Some clips showed funny acciden-tal math errors, while others demon-strated serious expressions of math.

“I was interested in finding these for a class I taught, but as a hobby as well,” Sanders said. “I came across all the clips from many different sources. Many were given to me by friends such as Dr. John Hornsbey who taught a class called ‘Math Class goes to Hollywood’ and Dr. Oliver Knill, a

professor at Harvard, who has a Web site called ‘Mathematics in Movies.’ Some clips I found in movies I rented, and my wife even found several for me.”

Dr. Ryan Brown, assistant profes-sor of mathematics and coordinator for the event, encouraged more stu-dents to come to the colloquium.

“This is not intended for solely math majors, but really anyone who is interested in what mathematicians actually do,” Brown said.

The first meeting had many students and faculty in attendance, including senior math major Joey Shackelford.

“I wanted to go to the colloquium because I felt like it was good expo-sure to learn about math in the me-dia,” Shackelford said. “Afterwards, I was definitely glad that I went. Dr. Sanders was very well organized, and I found the entire presentation very enlightening. It made me want to learn more.”

The Math Colloquium will con-tinue to meet throughout the semester every first Wednesday of the month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in A&S 272 to discuss various topics in the field of mathematics. Each week a new speaker will share a different aspect of math.

Math series equates to movies

Sean noah/ Staff PhotograPherStudents learn of real life math application in literature and film during the first of the Math Colloquium series for this school year.

GCSU Idol Auditions

Hands on Milledgeville, NAACP, and SGA are proud to bring you the fifth Annual GCSU Idol. Audi-tions will be held in A&S auditorium from Sept. 16-18 from 5-9 p.m. This is not just a talent show; the contestants showcase remarkable talent. This year’s competition is open to students, faculty, and staff. The contestants will not only be critiqued by the judges, but by the audience too. Each contestant will go through a series of audi-tions, and only the best will be showcased in the 5th An-nual GCSU Idol Competition. GCSU Idol will be held in Russell Auditorium on Feb. 6, 2009 at 7 p.m. This will be the event of the year, come showcase your talent because the next GCSU Idol might be you!

Constitution Week celebrated at Times Talk

Lambda Pi Eta and the American Democracy Project will sponsor Times Talk, “What the First Amend-ment Means to Me”, on Sept. 17, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. in Chappell Hall Room 113. “What the First Amendment Means to Me” will be highlighted by speaker Don Schanche. Schanche is the day supervisor of the Associated Press’ Atlanta Bu-reau. The Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, and is the foundation of all law and government in the United States. A perfect way to commemorate this anniversary is to have the opportunity to talk about the First Amendment. With the Presidential Election near-ing, the Constitution and what America has stood for over the past 221 years is of particular interest to citi-zens around the country as well as to registered student voters. “The Times Talk will be a perfect way to honor Constitution Day”, said Jodie Aldridge, Lambda Pi Eta President. “We really hope that students and faculty will be willing to participate and realize that we all have a voice to be heard here on campus. Executive members of Lambda Pi Eta will be hosting and monitoring the event and encourage audi-ence members to participate in the discussion. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend and welcome to invite guests

For submissions email us at www.gcsunade.com

y= mx + b3 1 8

45

2

69

Math Colloquium Series

When: Every first Wednesday of the monthWhere: A&S 272 12:30- 1:30 p.m.

Sample Housing Rates, 2005/Current

GCSU – Residence Hall, semi-private $1,553.00/$2,729

Georgia Tech – Traditional 4-Person $1,898.00/$2,188.00

University of Georgia - Double Room$1,991.00/$2,080.00

Georgia Southern University – Kennedy Hall, 2 BR $1,720.00/$2,020.00

Valdosta State University – Double Room $1,344.00/$1,670.00

Columbus State University – Double $1,500.00/$1,900.00

Savannah State University – Double $1,068.00/$1,300.00

Albany State University – Double (East, North, South) $980.00/$1292.00

septeMber 12, 2008 neWs the Colonnade 3

or involved; it made me scared.”

Last year, the GCSU College Republicans dec-orated front campus with one flag for every person that died during the at-tacks.

Most students think these events should be re-membered like this, espe-cially senior Erin Beall.

“It should be remem-bered every day, taught in schools, students should be shown the clips and

videos, not just pushed under the rug,” Beall said.

“Everyone should be reminded of it, I think people get upset over the war but we have to remember, they invaded our country; it was a huge tragedy,” Carpenter said.

A country song was written shortly after Sept. 11 entitled “Have You Forgotten” by Darryl Worley.

“Have you forgotten how it felt that day, to see your homeland un-der fire, and her people blown away?” Worley wrote. “Have you forgot-ten when those towers

fell? We had neighbors still inside, going through a living hell.”

This song is played on the radio every Sept. 11 by many stations to let everyone remember the day 2,819 people died.

According to the New York Magazine, the tow-ers stood and burned for 56 minutes and 102 min-utes, but they fell in just 12 seconds.

Freshman Rebecca Payne agrees the date should be remembered.

“Innocent lives were lost and that brought the nation closer to-gether,” Payne said. “We should never forget that.”

Remembering 9/11Continued from Page 2...

Public Broadcasting (GPB) and National Public Radio (NPR) and may air some of their programming as well as a variety of jazz music.

With WGUR only run-ning at 37 watts, the new 5,000 watt station blows open the doors of oppor-tunity for students and the community.

The stronger signal will also benefit students work-ing with the station as volun-teers or for a mass commu-nication telecommunication practicum. The station will offer paid positions for ex-perienced students.

At least 65,000 people are in the primary coverage range and many more will have access to the station. Student disc jockeys will obtain valuable experience for future employment.

“I am hoping that the 5,000 watt station will be yet another rung on the ladder for the students at GCSU,” said Angela Cris-

coe, an instructor in Mass Communication and the faculty adviser for WGUR 88.9 FM.

Criscoe said gaining support from the faculty and staff will also be a high priority. She says if they are on board, the station will be successful in uniting the school with the community.

“I am really excited about the new station, and I see potential for great things and new ways to reach the community and the stu-dents,” says Randi Noble, a senior mass communication student and former WGUR DJ.

GCSU will continue to run WGUR as completely student-led, serving as a training ground for students beginning in radio accord-ing to Jackson.

The FCC opened an opportunity for a non-commercial station for the first time in 10 years last October and chose GCSU over one other contender because the new station at GCSU would reach many more people than WGUR currently reaches.

The FCC will issue the

school a construction per-mit this month and then the school will have three years to get the station up and running. Jackson projects a much shorter time than that.

“We already had a tower on West Campus so it gives us a head start in the pro-cess,” Jackson said. “Hope-fully the station can be run-ning within the next year.”

The university is hop-ing GPB will donate a transmitter and other equipment, reducing the school’s costs. The biggest and most expensive item needed is a directional antennae vital in keeping with FCC sanctions.

Jackson says he is look-ing into a federal telecom-munications grant that has helped build new public radio stations in the past. The grant could cover 75 percent of costs.

The radio station is still in its infancy, but Criscoe and Jackson are work-ing together to see what dreams they can make a reality with GCSU’s new FM station.

home.“The lower price is much kinder to

your bank account,” said sophomore Nikki Wheeler.

Wheeler stayed at The Village the first semester of her freshman year but moved back onto main campus second semes-ter.

“The dorms are cheaper, more ac-cessible via walking, and cheaper,” she said.

Brandon Landreau, another student who moved back to main campus, is a bit more irked.

“Three of my other friends moved back from the apartments [because of rate increases],” said Landreau. “(Living in a residence hall) limits who I’m able to see, because I have a lot of friends at The Village. I either have to bike or ride the shuttle for 15 minutes over there. It restrains me from cooking. I really en-joyed it over there.”

Costs at every school in the Univer-sity System of Georgia have steadily increased since at least 2005, with the highest coming from GCSU.

Larry C. Christenson, executive di-rector of University Housing, explains where the additional money is going.

“The cost of running our halls has

increased. Utility costs have risen for the University just as they have for in-dividual consumers. We do everything we can to reduce costs and conserve, but that only gets us half way,” said Chris-tenson. “Rate increases are inevitable. To rebuild and refurbish our facilities, we had to take out more than $100 mil-lion in bonds. The interest rate on these bonds increases 3 percent annually. That means we need to increase rates annually by at least the same amount just to pay our debt.”

These numbers eventually add up to a lot of money.

Like other apartment and housing complexes around Milledgeville, Uni-versity Housing raises its rates to make improvements.

“Student rates allow us to maintain our facilities and make improvements such as replacing worn out mattresses, painting rooms, replacing furniture, in-creasing wireless Internet speed and adding features such as Residence Life Cinema,” said Christenson. “It becomes very costly to provide housing for our students, but it is important to do. Stu-dents are here to gain a college education and they can’t do that when their home doesn’t meet their needs.”

Every rate change is finalized by Geor-gia’s Board of Regents, which oversees the University System of Georgia. Many housing Web sites clearly state that final-ization comes from the BOR.

major Cody Fox thinks students should be more involved in the community.

“I think that involving students in their classes would give them a lot more incen-tive," Fox said.

Kaufman plans to kick off the Civic Agency Initiative on Sept. 15, when Dr. Boyte, the cre-ator of the Civic Agency Initiative, comes to GCSU to speak to stu-dents and faculty for Constitution Week. Kaufman also plans to host a candidate forum for Baldwin County Commission and School Board candi-dates. He plans to involve GCSU students and members of the Milledgeville com-munity.

“We’re going to have a team of mass communication students promoting the forum, writing the press releases, etc. Then we’ll have students in the Political

Science 1150 classes writing questions for the candidates, and we’ll assemble them," Kaufman said. "We’re partnering with the Milledgeville Chamber of Com-merce, 100 Black Men of Milledgeville, and other community groups for this fo-rum.”

Kaufman also hopes that later in the fall, GCSU will host similar forums for U.S. House of Representatives District 12 candidates John Barrow and John Stone,

and U.S. Senate candidates Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin, though these events have not been officially announced.

Kaufman also said that GCSU

would play host to Government Career Panels on Nov. 17-18. Representatives of different parts and levels of government, from the federal government all the way down to local government will speak to GCSU students and lead panel discussions about the need for public service and the many ways in which students can help fill that need.

Civic InitiativeContinued from Page 2...

New FMContinued from Page 1...

Looking and pondering...

SoPhie Singer/ Staff PhotograPherMark Sullivan ponders the paintings of Frances De La Rosa at Blackbridge Hall Art Gallery as the GCSU Art Department hosts the first gallery of the fall season.

HousingContinued from Page 1...

inforMation CourteSy of the web

4 the Colonnade neWs septeMber 12, 2008

Chelsea thoMas

staFF reporter

The world has shrunk. Perhaps not from the physical aspect, but socially the division between our cultures has dwindled immensely. For students more opportunities abound than ever before to experience a new, more con-nected world.

On college campuses and in the world of business more people are stepping foot into unknown territory.

The International Education Center at GCSU has been offering students a passage into a world of cultural experi-ences for years. Many students attend a semester or year-long study program in countries such as France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and Spain. However, the most common study abroad expe-ditions usually take place beneath the hot summer sun.

Tyler Bennett, senior criminal jus-tice major, says his study abroad ex-perience opened his eyes.

“Going to Italy this summer really made me realize just how sheltered I was. I had never really experienced a culture outside of my own, and I learned that the world is really differ-ent outside of the United States,” said Bennett. “The biggest thing that I took away from my trip to Italy was prob-ably the historical aspect. I got to see places where many prominent histori-cal figures once walked.”

Many students who return from studying abroad have a new perspec-tive on the world and themselves. Ju-nior mass communication major An-drea Lowery divulges how her trip to Paris this summer changed her world-view.

“Study abroad opened my eyes to how much my life is influenced by my culture. Being a Christian, that was a really big deal for me,” explains Low-ery. “I realized that some of my beliefs were mixed with my culture rather

than straight from the Bible. In expe-riencing another culture I was able to separate my culture beliefs from what the Bible says.”

Study abroad can also benefit stu-dents academically and prepare them for success after college.

An article recently published in The Philadelphia Inquirer called “More U.S. workers getting global assign-ments”, found businesses are looking for more internationally conscious workers. Many companies are hiring younger employees with global expe-rience and comfort.

Furthermore, according to Orc Worldwide’s 2006 survey, “com-panies have doubled the amount of employees they are sending abroad.” One example of this is the account-ing firm KPMG L.L.P. Of its 120,000 international personnel, this company currently has 2,500 spread out across the globe working on foreign invest-ments.

What does this mean to GCSU stu-dents?

The study abroad program is be-coming increasingly useful after grad-uation by providing employers with proof of the applicant’s international experience.

Liz Havey, Study Abroad Advisor at the International Education Center, says studying abroad is crucial in our current society.

“It helps develop cross-cultural communication skills, global aware-ness of how countries interact togeth-er and how their decisions impact the rest of the world,” said Havey. “Fur-thermore, it enhances self confidence and gives students a tangible experi-ence to talk to employers about.”

Now is the time for GCSU students interested in studying abroad next summer to begin asking questions. Every Monday at 4 p.m. and Wednes-day at 11:30 a.m. Havey offers Study Abroad information sessions offered

in the International Education Center’s Resource Room at 223 Lanier Hall. The sessions cover programs offered, scholarships available, and deadlines that must be met.

Overall, the ex-perience by stu-dents through the study abroad pro-grams, is influential in their p e r s o n a l motivations and later suc-cess. Many stu-dents who have returned from their trips are more self assured.

Stephanie Boylston, graduate student in special education, studied in Spain for a year.

“I learned that it is so important for people to submerse themselves in other cultures and appre-ciate areas and ideas that others have,” Boyl-ston said. “I have a better appreciation of other cultures and ways of life after studying abroad. I would go again in a heartbeat.”

Lowery seems to ex-press the general con-sensus.

“The only thing I would change about my study abroad expe-rience would be to make it longer.”

Shrinking the globe

skylar deriGht

staFF Writer

Even after slaving away in classes throughout the tra-ditional fall and spring semesters many GCSU students chose to spend their summer months in school. In fact, GCSU records show almost 40 percent more students took classes in summer 2008 than in 2007.

Why are more students willing to trade beach time for study time? Two reasons- to keep their heads above water and stay afloat.

“Many students see the summer semester as an op-portunity to get ahead and stay ahead,” A. Kay Ander-son, GCSU’s registrar, said.

The GCSU summer registration report showed 3,087 students enrolled this summer between Milledgeville, Macon Center, and the Warner Robins Campus. To-gether, these students are using summer vacation to ac-cumulate a combined 18,746 hours. This past summer’s suntanned bookworms accumulated over 6,000 more hours than the bookworms of summer 2007.

Even though not every course met on the Milledgeville campus, the 751 summer courses of-fered many opportu-nities for students to get ahead and stay ahead.

Each summer the courses are divided into four sessions: Maymester, Summer I, Summer II, and the Study Abroad Pro-gram.

“Summer school gives many students the opportunity to study abroad or participate in intern-ships that they might not be able to take part in during the regular school year,” Anderson said.

This past summer, over 700 more students passed up the beach in order to study in Milledgeville than in summer of 2007.

GCSU enjoyed the rise in summer enrollment.

“The university benefits [from summer classes] be-cause students benefit,” Anderson said. “Summer school supports students and student learning. That’s the reason for everything we do.”

Leslie Farman, a junior business major, took her first summer class in 2007. She was able to complete her science requirements after taking astronomy in Maymester.

“Taking a science course allowed me to get four credit hours because of my lab,” Farman said. “Sum-mer classes are helping me to graduate on time.”

Last summer’s experi-ence encouraged Farman to take two courses over the summer. She took world literature in Maymester and

business statistics during Summer II.“My parents made me take classes last summer, but

this year (I was) excited to stay in school,” Farman said. “I do a lot better in the summer.”

To help students succeed, the GCSU learning center remained open throughout the summer. Lori Robinson, The Learning Center coordinator, received the most re-quests for math tutors.

Because summer classes move quickly, Robinson en-couraged students to come to The Learning Center early in their summer session.

“If they utilize all resources they can definitely suc-ceed over the summer,” Robinson said.

Math professor Blair Dietrich encouraged his stu-dents to take advantage of The Learning Center and peer tutoring.

“ Concepts aren’t harder,” Dietrich said. “There is just a shorter turn around time between new concepts and being tested.”

Dietrich enjoys teaching summer classes because his students are more focused. His summer students seem to make better grades than his fall and spring students.

“I have fewer people fail because they know what’s expected,” Dietrich said.

After dropping math modeling in the fall, freshman Laura McEachern knew she would be more successful in the summer.

“Math is one of my weaker subjects,” said McEach-ern. “By taking math modeling over the summer, I can give all my time to this one particular class.”

Along with 3,087 other students, McEachern is part of the rising trend of students using summer to get ahead academically in Milledgeville.

“I know my May and June classes let me take lighter loads in the fall and spring,” McEachern said. “I have no doubt I will continue to take courses during future summers.”

Summer classes popular

Photo CourteSy of www.flagS.net

Milledgeville 2071 2800 11522 17020

Macon Center 108 197 617 1237

Warner Robins Campus 90 90 519 489

Headcount 2007 2008

Hours 2007 2008

inforMation by gCSu offiCe of the regiStrar

septMber 12, 2008 neWs the Colonnade 5

tyler bryant

staFF Writer

Students are still abuzz about the lady of the hour on the Republican ticket, Gov. Sarah Palin and the recent news of her daughter‘s pregnancy.

In a statement released hours before the Republican National Convention opened, Palin and her husband, Todd, did not say when their daughter Bristol, 17, told them of her pregnancy. Bristol, who is five months into her pregnancy, intends to marry the father and raise the child.

The subject of personal lives of family members has, in recent years, been a question of right or wrong. In re-cent years, family members' personal lives have taken a front seat position, which in previous elections were kept fairly classified.

A current situation involves Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter who is openly gay. The media quickly pointed out the alleged hypocrisy of his views in contrast with his own daughter’s lifestyle.

GCSU students are closely following the presidential

election. Now, with the recent gossip swirling around the John McCain Presidential campaign, interest has height-ened significantly.

When asked about whether the issue of Palin’s daugh-ter’s pregnancy should be an issue, students at GCSU had strong opinions.

Jason White, a senior, who serves as the College Re-publicans chairman, believes family members’ personal lives are off-limits.

“Let's look at Sarah Palin's record and judge her on that, not on choices that her family makes," White said. Marlee McCampbell, a sophomore disagrees.

“In a way I know it shouldn't matter, but I also think it's just another example of Neo-Con hypocrisy,” McCamp-bell said. “No, it shouldn't be an issue, sort of. It's pretty juicy, though.”

While the choice to nominate Palin as McCain’s run-ning mate has conservatives enthusiastic, not all the mem-bers are breaking out champagne. Mary Ford, a senior information studies major said. She hopes a Republican wins, but she’s not sold on Palin.

“I really liked her in the beginning. But the more I

learn about her, the less I like. She's overly conservative and underqualified in my opinion.” Ford said.

However, Ford agrees family members are not fair game in elections.

“(They) should be kept out of debates and the media," Ford said.

Junior Joel Graham is happy with the choice to add Palin to the Republican ticket, hoping it may attract some feminist voters.

“Many pundits have also said that she represents the realization of many of the goals of the feminist move-ment: success, independence and influence in society for women,” Graham said. “This could bring many women to the party who ordinarily wouldn't think of voting Re-publican.”

McCampbell believes the choice of Palin is a desperate move.

“I think that McCain's choice of VP is obviously a desperate attempt to grab some of the women voters,” McCampbell said. “But maybe this will encourage more people to get out and vote for Obama.”

Democratic Presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama echoed the words of fellow GCSU students. In a statement to the press in Michigan, Obama, whose own mother was 18 when he was born, agreed family mem-bers should be off-limits in campaigns.

raChel Foss

staFF reporter

Even before the candidates on both the Republican and Democratic side were decided, it was a frantic primary sea-son. Now, Nov. 4 is just around the corner, and no matter which side gets elected, it’s a history-making race. There is the first African-American candidate, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, and the first female vice presidential nominee, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. Young Demo-crats and College Republicans alike, as well as some unde-cided students, came together to watch the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in the lower level of the GCSU library on Sept. 4.

Dr. Gregg Kaufman, professor in the Department of Government and Sociology, arranged the viewing. It was the first time the library was used to broadcast the conven-tions.

“I was very pleased with the turnout; I’m sure once the candidates begin the debates, there will be more people coming to watch,” Kaufman said. “The conventions are an important part of the political process, and its importance has changed over the years and served different purposes. It is my hope that students get a better idea of the political process.”

Dr. Kaufman also hopes that the viewings will help in-crease voting among young people.

Students of all political views came to watch the conven-tion.

Noah DeWalt, a senior and president of the local chapter of Students for Barack Obama attended the airing.

“I wanted to see the other side of the race for president. I’m also interested in what John McCain stands for and what he had to say at the convention, and also why some-one should vote for them,” DeWalt said.

First year graduate student and Republican Daniel Simp-son attended to share the event with other students and en-gage in debates.

Not all students, however, were polarized to one party. “[I attended] to compare it to the Democratic Convention

from last Thursday, and to see which candidate addresses the issues,” junior Beth Gaylor said. “I’m still trying to make up my mind about which candidate I’m voting for, so I wanted to know what they stood for.”

The election season is coming soon, and GCSU students are already getting ready to vote for the next president. Stu-dents are getting an idea of what kind of issues the candi-dates stand for. Come Nov. 4, all of America will decide who will fill the Commander-in-Chief’s seat in January 2009. It is the youth of America who will help decide.

What did you think of the Democratic and Repub-lican Conventions? What are you anticipating in the upcoming Presidential Debates? What issues would you like to hear about the most? Voice it off at www.gcsu-nade.com and let your opinion stand.

Party conventions gather bipartisan students to discuss

How personal is too personal

ryan delCaMPo/ Staff PhotograPherThe Republican Convention was covering the speeches lead-ing up to John McCain’s acceptance speech. Some students gathered at the Books & Brew to watch it together

Opinion The Colonnade’s Forum for Public Debate

Friday, September 12, 2008 www.gcsunade.com Editor in Chief, Corey Dickstein

Constitution Week: celebrate your rights

Next week marks an important week in the United States of America: Constitution Week.

As a newspaper, and more specifically as a student newspaper, the constitution is very important to us at The Colonnade.

Not only does the constitution guarantee every Amer-ican the freedom of speech, among a multitude of other rights, it guarantees us, the press, the freedom to print the news without government censorship.

The media has often been referred to as the fourth es-tate, an independent form of checks and balances that has the ability to keep an eye on the government and report to the public information about their representatives.

Unfortunately, in today’s world the press has sometimes found itself limited in its ability to report the news.

In February 2007, a freelance news photographer was arrested in Miami, Fla. after taking pictures of police offi-cers in public – a blatant constitutional violation and abuse of power by the officers.

In another incident, during the Republican Party Na-tional Convention in St. Paul, Minn., police arrested four journalists who were attempting to photograph an alterca-tion that involved police officers and protesters after an anti-war march. At the conclusion of the march, a group describing themselves as anarchists erupted into a violent protest.

One of the journalists was an AP photographer. The other three were representatives of the University of Ken-tucky’s student newspaper, The Kentucky Kernel. Two were journalism students and the third was their photog-raphy adviser.

All four were simply trying to do their job and capture photos of the event.

Of course, we are lucky that in America these incidents are not the norm.

In many countries, the government controls the media. For example, in China they do not have freedom of the press. Instead, the country owns a monopoly on their me-dia.

China even restricts foreign media correspondent’s ac-cess to information.

We take our rights very seriously in America. We should all take advantage of our freedoms, after all it is these free-doms that make us Americans. They are the foundation in which the greatest nation in the world has been built upon.

Our forefathers wrote the U.S. Constitution to protect the rights of American citizens 221 years ago. Today, the media strives to do its part to protect those rights, but when they are interfered with the public cannot be informed in the way that it needs and expects to be.

Now is not the time for the government, or any other entity, to limit our rights.

The Colonnade believes in the constitution and believes that it is our duty to inform you of what is going on in our campus community without “Big Brother” limiting our ability to do so as the constitution allows us.

Please join us and take part in Constitution Week, which officially runs Sept. 17 to 23.

This is our week to remind ourselves of the importance of our constitutional rights and remember that it is up to us as citizens to uphold and protect the rights our forefathers granted us.

ad disClaiMer

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CopyriGhts

All stories and photo-graphs appearing in this issue and previous issues, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted by The Colon-nade.

CorreCtions

The Colonnade wants to correct mistakes appear-ing in the newspaper. If you believe we have made a mistake, please call us at 478-445-4511 or 478-445-2559 or e-mail us at colonnade@gcsu.edu.

Editorial BoardCorey DicksteinEditor in Chiefcolonnade@

gcsu.edu

Ana Maria LugoNews Editor

colonnadenews@gcsu.edu

Ashlee MooneyhanFeatures Editor

colonnadefeatures@gcsu.edu

Preston SellersSports Editor

colonnadesports@gcsu.edu

Erin GishPhoto Editor

Christa MurphyAd Manager

colonnadeads@gcsu.edu

Amanda BoddyAsst. News Editor

P.J. SchinellaAsst. Features Editor

Kyle CollinsAsst. Sports Editor

Chelsea ThomasSpotlight Editor

Bobby GentryAsst. Photo Editor

Kim BrumfieldCopy Editor

Claire KerseyAsst. Copy Editor

Lee SandowWebmaster

Tyler AndersonBusiness Manager

Macon McGinleyFaculty Adviser

by andreW adaMs

ColuMnist

Two weeks ago, John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his Republi-can Presidential running mate. Since that time, I think Americans have learned more about her and her family than we know about the families of our good friends.

The simple fact is, Sarah Palin is such a big news story I can’t sim-ply write just one article about her. With all of the “scandals” and criti-cisms coming out in the news, I feel as if I need to spend some time dis-pelling these denigrating rumors.

Sarah Palin was on the cover of US Weekly this past week. The title, in very large print, is “Ba-bies, Lies and Scandal.” Surrounding this title are the phrases, “Under Attack, Admits Daugh-ter, 17, is pregnant.” “Investigated for firing of Sister’s ex-husband.” and “Mom of Five: New embarrassing surprises.” I get the feeling that US Weekly will not be cam-paigning for McCain and Palin this fall.

Let’s start from the

top. Very soon after John McCain selected Pa-lin as his running mate, liberals and bloggers all over the country cre-ated a scandal regarding Palin’s four-month-old son, Trig. They claimed Bristol, Palin’s daugh-ter, was Trig’s biologi-cal mother. Once these rumors were picked up by the national media, the Palin campaign de-cided they had to dispel these rumors with the truth. At this point, the campaign disclosed that Bristol couldn’t be Trig’s mother, as she is five months pregnant with her boyfriend’s child. In a statement released by Palin and her husband Todd, they said that they loved their daughter very much, were proud of her and her decisions to have the baby and marry her boyfriend.

While many consider this loving and compas-sionate, it set off a na-tional firestorm as Palin’s detractors started ask-ing what kind of mother would let her 17-year-old daughter get pregnant? This is a stupid ques-tion. Anyone who has at-tended an American high school or college knows that the percentage of young adults participat-ing in premarital sex is extremely high. Very simply, parents can’t control their children every second of every day, and even the best of children fall far short of perfection. Sarah Palin should be praised for her love and commitment to her family as they go

through and deal with issues that are common in the modern American family.

The biggest “scandal” facing Palin is an ethics investigation in Alaska regarding the firing of Public Safety Commis-sioner Walter Monegan. It is believed that he was fired for refusing to fire the ex-husband of Palin’s sister, a police officer named Michael Wooten. However, ac-cording to CBS News, Monegan stated that no one ever asked him to fire Wooten. Recogniz-ing the ethical issues that Monegan’s firing brings up, Palin called for an investigation into this by Alaska’s Personnel Board to clear her name. Typically, when people ask the government to investigate themselves they don’t have anything to hide.

For now, liberals will run with this so called “scandal”, but I sus-pect in the future her name will be completely cleared. Democrats most popular criticism of Sar-ah Palin is that she lacks experience. The truth is that Palin actually has more executive experi-ence than John McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden combined. While her executive experience is short, she’s the only person on either ticket that has ever worked in an executive capacity.

Shortly after Palin was chosen as McCain’s run-ning mate, Obama tried to showcase that he has more executive experi-

ence than Palin.“My understanding is

that Gov. Palin’s town, Wasilla, has I think 50 employees. We’ve got 2,500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe $12 million a year – we have a bud-get of about three times that just for the month,” Obama said.

Libertarian radio talk show host Neal Boortz looked into the matter and found that while Palin was governor of Alaska she managed a $9 billion budget with $13 billion in revenue, and 25,000 employees. If Palin’s executive ex-perience is weak, then Barack Obama’s must be nonexistent.

A recent Rasmussen poll found that 51 per-cent of Americans be-lieve the media is trying to hurt Palin, while only 5 percent believe the me-dia is trying to help her. There are many other unfair attacks that I’ve heard in the blogosphere and on liberal sites like Daily Kos. For instance, some say Palin shouldn’t be running for Vice-President because she should be at home rais-ing her children. This is a ridiculous argument that moves the women’s rights movement back about 40 years. Unfortu-nately, these attacks by leftists aimed at helping the Obama campaign are unfairly disparaging a woman and her family who have done nothing to deserve it.

VP candidate Palin unveiled

The hard Pressby JaMes odoM

Poll of The WeekGraphiC by Corey diCkstein

What do you think about the proposed smoking ban on campus?

I don’t really care 10%

I hate it! 30%

I love it 60% Log onto GCSUnade.com to vote for this

week’s poll

septeMber 12, 2008 opinion the Colonnade 7

letters to the editor

Which presidential candidate had a better vice president pick?

“McCain because I’m more Republican.”

Heather Maddox, junior, psychology

“Obama because Biden balances out Obama.”

Christie Keene, junior, history

“McCain because Palin has better views.”

Blake Packard, freshman, undeclared

“McCain because Palin balances family, life and work.”

Kate Blackburn, freshman, exercise science

“Obama because Biden has foreign affairs experience to balance out Obama.”

Tony Whitten, senior, psychology

Reported by Bobby Gentry

Want to vent about something? Send us a message about what’s bothering you to screen name ColonnadeVent using AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), or by E-mail to colonnadeletters@gcsu.edu, with the subject ‘Vent.’

I love him, and he will never have any idea. How pathetically junior high is this?

I miss the village market. Anyone with me?

I HATE NEW FACEBOOK!

I hate death! It always comes at the wrong times! I feel like there is a bubble over my heart and it hurts. I need a hug, but all my friends are in class. There is no one for me to hug. It’s...sad.

Do you (ColonnadeVent) ever write back?

I wish people would stop cutting me off in traffic.

Seriously? Do we really need a “Public Safety Report” about someone’s toilet not working? Come on, surely there are more important things going on!

Am I the only one that follows the rules and laws over here in The Vil-lage? The sounds of people stomping, doors slamming, and loud music all around me probably wouldn’t be so loud if it weren’t for the nightly smells of various kinds of smoke in my room. Unbelievable.

These posts lately have been really uninspired. Is it too much to ask for some vent-age posts?

Can Milledgeville finish that bridge? I’m really tired of having to drive all the way around it all the time.

If more people would vent... that would be great!The Colonnade encour-ages readers to express their views and opinions by send-ing letters to the editor at: CBX 2442; Milledgeville, Ga. 31061 or by e-mail at colonnadeletters@gcsu.edu

All letters must be typed and include:• names• address/ Email address• telephone number

• year of study• major

Only your name, year of study and major will be listed.• Unsigned letters will notbe printed. Names will be withheld only under very unusual circumstances.• Letters longer than 300 words may be condensed.• All letters will be edited

for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.• All letters become the property of The Colonnade and cannot be returned.• We are not able to ac-knowledge their receipt or disposition. Letters will be printed at the discretion of the Editor in Chief.

The Colonnade PoliCy: leTTers To The ediTor

Obama’s election to loseDear Editor,

I’m writing in response to a recent editorial by Andrew Adams, which claimed – almost guaran-teed, actually – that Barack Obama is far too liberal to be elected President of the United States, and that John McCain’s independence and willingness to compro-mise would whisk him into the White House, no prob-lem.

Unfortunately, the study Adams cited as evidence of Obama’s “extreme liberal-ism” is an extremely flawed one. It’s conducted annu-ally by the National Journal (not the National Review, as Adams stated – a textbook Freudian slip, considering the rabidly conservative na-ture of the Review) and this year was based on 99 Sen-ate votes, a third of which Obama missed due to cam-paign demands. (McCain missed over half the votes, disqualifying him from the study.) These absences skew the data; had Obama been present for every vote, he most likely would have crossed party lines more frequently, lowering his score. In fact, he was only the 10th most liberal sena-tor in 2006, and 16th in 2005. In both those years, he participated in a much higher number of votes.

The truth is, since win-ning the Democratic prima-ry Obama has been nudging his views to the center in an effort to broaden his appeal. In July he voted to pass George Bush’s FISA bill, granting immunity to tele-

communications companies who wire-tap. In August, he proposed that America tap into its strategic oil reserves in order to provide relief from high gas prices. At the Democratic Convention, he promised to lower taxes for 95 percent of Americans. These are not typically left-ist stances; in fact, the first two were blatant reversals that infuriated Obama’s lib-eral base.

Interestingly enough, McCain has been utilizing the same strategy – a shift to the right – for different rea-sons. He’s looking to shore up the Republican base, which wasn’t exactly doing back-flips over his nomina-tion. In the past 18 months or so, McCain has reversed his stance on Roe v. Wade (he supported the decision until early last year, now wants it overturned), Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy (opposed until last May; now supports), his own im-migration bill (said that if the bill came to a vote, he would vote against it), and offshore drilling (opposed until June of this year; now passionately supports).

Consider all those poli-cies, then throw in the fact that McCain – according to a study by the Congres-sional Quarterly – voted in line with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007, and hinting that he might be a “Democrat in disguise” (as Adams did) becomes laughable. (Sidenote: Mc-Cain did dissent from the Republican party one-third of the time – back in 2001. In 2007, he voted in line

with his party at an uncom-promising 90 percent clip.)

Even McCain’s Vice Presidential pick, while risky and unpredictable, was yet another appeal to the right. Were McCain as independently minded as Adams suggests, he would have chosen the running mate he really wanted: good friend and former Demo-cratic Vice Presidential can-didate, Joe Lieberman. Talk about a ticket that could woo independents and dis-illusioned Hillary support-ers. Alas, John McCain’s maverick streak seems to have run out just in time to reassure Republicans on the eve of the big election.

Andrew Adams is right about one thing: This elec-tion is about the political ideology of two men, a fact all too often lost on the electorate, the media and the men themselves. One is a liberal – but far from extreme – and the other is a conservative, now more than ever. It’s still too early to tell whose changes of heart will pay off in No-vember, but to deem an Obama win unimaginable is absolutely ludicrous. Recent polls show either a dead heat or Obama with a slight advantage, and the majority of Americans agree that this country is in desperate need of a change. Consequently, this is – and always has been – Obama’s election to lose.

Evan AllgoodGraduate StudentCreative Writing

Dear Editor,

Who needs handicapped access to Lanier Hall, or fenced-in parking lots, or emergency stations on cam-pus with functioning lights, or a library staff sched-uled 24/7, or a donation to the progress of a battered women’s shelter in Milled-geville, when we can have 19 snazzy-looking LCD screens all over campus? More importantly, was there a public outcry demanding this excess? If SGA repre-sents the student body, then who exactly were they rep-resenting when this legisla-tion was passed?

Maybe SGA hasn’t no-ticed, but people walk past those TV screens as if they aren’t there. Who is going to stop in the middle of a congested hallway and look up while tons of announce-ments scroll past too quickly to memorize or write down, and tons of people are shov-ing their way past you AND the TVs to get back to their apartments?

I’m offended that SGA thinks having something shiny to look at will make people more aware of what’s going on at GCSU. The people who are clue-less to the kinds of an-nouncements that will be on Bobcat Vision aren’t clueless because there isn’t an effective mode of com-munication between RSOs and the student body - they are clueless because they don’t care. And they will continue to be that way re-gardless of the money spent on advertising materials.

For those students who DO care, there is MyCats, the Student All Digest, the

Colonnade, fliers, chalking, Facebook, bulletin boards, table tents in Sodexo, tables on front campus, MySpace, announcements in class-es, and most importantly, word-of-mouth.

By refusing to create more and more methods of communication for those on campus who can’t seem to figure out what is going on, then we indirectly in-crease the dependency of the students on the meth-ods that already exist. Once a student realizes that the events they are interested in are only advertised on Facebook, for example, then they will monitor that medium as needed to keep informed.

If someone can’t fig-ure out what, where, and when something is going on here at GCSU after go-ing through one or all of the above channels, then there is something wrong with the user, not the program.

SGA says that it is at-tempting to be more “green” by reducing the number of fliers, but let’s be honest here - who is going to stop printing fliers just because they have a 10-second (or less) spread on a TV screen that no one is paying atten-tion to? There are so many more ways to be “green” without spending the kind of money that went into these TVs, like emphasizing the Student All Digest, My-Cats, gcsunade.com, chalk-ing, Facebook, and word-of-mouth as valid means of communication.

There are already multi-ple paper-reducing options in place, why do we need more? This seems to be SGA’s main selling point on

these screens, but it doesn’t hold any water. I’m sure if we looked into the amount of electricity used to power these screens (which are not turned off at night, I’ve checked) we would find that they are just as detri-mental to our environment as the amount of paper used to print fliers.

If anything, SGA only managed to increase the amount of energy and re-sources this campus con-sumes by installing these LCD screens. What will SGA do about this issue, I wonder? If SGA really wants this campus to be more “green”, they would sponsor recycling drives, replace the automatic flush-ing toilets with manual ones, buy recycled paper for use in the library and tech center, sponsor speak-ers to hold workshops on low-impact living, spon-sor PowerRides so students could feel more comfort-able riding their bikes on the roads as well as learn-ing proper cycling etiquette and stop driving their cars, and, I repeat, emphasize the use of environmentally-friendly means of commu-nication already in place on campus.

I am incredibly disap-pointed in the way SGA used students’ funds as far as these screens are con-cerned. If you want to feel like you’re at a school so rich it can be fiscally friv-olous, then Athens is less than an hour up the road. -

Kim O’TooleJuniorLiberal Studies

A complaint on Bobcat Vision

Features The Colonnade’s Guide to Art and EntertainmentFriday, September 12, 2008 www.gcsunade.com Section Editor, S. Ashlee Mooneyhan

Armed Farces hold captive audienceby lee sandoW

senior reporter

The bar fight escalated quickly, and just when things were winding down, the bull rampaged in. That’s exactly how the fight went, at least to hear The Armed Farces Improv troupe tell it.

The actual fight was no-where near as interesting, but in the game of “Mov-ing Pictures”, the truth is whatever the Farces make the picture out to be. One member draws a picture, based on a story someone from the crowd contributes. Then, the other members have to tell the story from the picture.

“The main goal is not to be funny,” said senior Ian Custar, president of the Armed Farces, in a train-ing session. “It’s not to tell jokes, but to set a scene.”

Funny is as funny does

For the Armed Farces, setting the scene starts sev-eral hours before the show at Blackbird Coffee ever begins.

Those participating in the week’s show perform sever-al different warm-up games to get their creative juices flowing and to ease up their bodies.

The Armed Farces held a training session on Sept. 2 for potential new members. Custar spent the first several minutes stressing that the point of improv was not to be funny.

“Funny happens,” Custar

said. “Funny comes from the situations, funny hap-pens on it’s own.”

Ben Bradberry, a regular performer with the Armed Farces agreed with Custar.

“It’s not a big deal to be funny; don’t be an ass trying to be,” Bradberry said.

Setting the scene“The first thing we do

is warm up,” Custar said. “Shake it out.”

On that cue, everyone standing in the practice circle started shaking each limb one at a time, ten times each, then nine, then eight and so on.

“Get to looking goofy, looking retarded in front of each other,” Custar said.

Several members of the group stumbled, some made contact with each other as they lost their balance.

“We play full contact, so stay on your toes,” Custar said.

The troupe practiced sev-eral other warm up games. For the rules of these warm up exercises, see the side-bar on the right side of this page, and after the story on page 11.

“You need to do these exercises to ‘hang out’ with the games,” Vice President of The Armed Farces Justin Miles said. “Games are just these (warm-ups) with more rules.”

Show timeBy the time the members

of The Armed Farces arrived on stage on Thursday night,

the stage in the basement of Blackbird Coffee was over-flowing with people. People sat in the seats, on the floor, on the staircase and some sat on the stage itself.

On the average night, anywhere from five to eight members perform on the stage, doing improvisation games and earning judge approval similar to the show “Whose Line is it Any-way?”

On this particular Thurs-day, Custar and Miles were performing. They were joined by Ben Bradberry, Drake Simons and John Russell.

They performed about a dozen different improv games throughout the hour. Some were done in teams and some were done indi-vidually. Some involved all five players, while some only involved one.

Junior Erin Williams host-ed the show and announced the rules of the game, she also introduced the men on stage. She even endured the taunts they tossed at her throughout the show.

“Hosting improv is great because I get to be the me-diator between the audience and the players,” Williams said. “I still get to make jokes, but not a lot of pres-sure is on me. It only gets really stressful when there is a huge audience.”

Beyond the basementOn Sept. 6, the same five

Improv night at Blackbird forces bursts of laughter

erin giSh / Senior PhotograPherPresident of the Armed Farces, Ian Custar, improvises another hilarious scene with fellow member Ben Bradberry.

erin giSh / Senior PhotograPherThe Armed Farces perform to a roaring audience packed into the basement of Blackbird Coffee every Thursday at 8 p.m.

Play at home“Rhyme or Reason”

All players stand in a circle. This game works best with four or more players.

The player who goes first says a word.

The next player says a word that rhymes with the word before theirs, or says a word related to the word. Example: Red could become bed, or it could become green. Or sunburn. Or dead. Whatever you think of. Focus on speak-ing quickly and say-ing the first thing that comes to your mind - don’t worry too much about making sense.

by Claire dykes

staFF Writer

Lazer/Wulf, Flagpole Magazine’s Band of the Year, stirred up the downtown Milledgeville scene at Buffington’s last Thursday night.

This three-piece thrash metal band, based out of Athens, Ga., brought a dif-ferent genre of music than what this small town’s bar typically plays.

To win Band of the Year in 2008, Laz-er/Wulf played at Athfest against groups such as Modern Skirts, Dark Meat and Elf Power.

Lead guitarist Bryan Aiken, 23, gradu-ated from University of Georgia with a bachelors of arts in journalism.

“We’re like a trampoline ready to ex-plode. Fun for everyone but likely to kill you at any moment,” said Aiken.

Michael Christopher, 20-year-old bi-ology major, logged onto their website to hear the band before the show.

“This band is really impressive,” Chris-topher said. “It’s great that a metal band is coming to play in Milledgeville.”

The band started instrumental with two members and has added and dropped musi-cians along their way. One of the members acquired during its rise in Athens was a vo-calist who was talented but untrained. The band recently fell back to its instrumental roots due to the polyps that formed on the musician’s vocal cords. The style of music, if not performed correctly, can be danger-ous to practice for extended periods of time.

Sean Peiffer, bassist, is the only origi-nal member of the band left. His inspiration comes from the bands Death and Atheist.

“A lot of people tell us we sound like Between the Buried and Me,” Peiffer said.

Mathius, 25, holds the spot as Lazer/Wulf’s drummer. His favorite bands Me-shuggah and Radiohead heavily impact him. He also feels Beethoven influences his beats.

“We play funk-metal-jazz-fusion,” Ma-thius said.

Aiken looks to The Mars Volta, Radio-head and Animal Collective to become a better musician.

Lazer/Wulf played its first show outside Georgia in August. Pensacola, Fla. allowed them to test new waters with their music.

Different locations provide a different type of audience. They have played bars full of old men one week and the next week an audience comprised of mostly teenage girls.

While Aiken and Mathius hope at any show that the audience will participate, Pe-iffer wants the crowd to shed a tear.

The name Lazer/Wulf comes from Ma-thius’s talk with the hardcore metal band Every Time I Die’s guitarist Andy Wil-liams.

“I love Every Time I Die, so I just asked Andy what would be a good name for a band. He told me Lazer/Wulf, so we went with it,” Mathius said.

Lazer/Wulf’s new album titled “The Voice That Isn’t” is their first full-length release. It is comprised of six songs lasting a total of 32 minutes. The recordings will be available to listen to on Sept. 20 on their Web site. They will also sell CDs at their upcoming concerts.

To listen to their music and find out more about the band visit www.myspace.com/lazerwulf.

Lazer/Wulf howls at the Buffby Claire kersey

staFF reporter

The GCSU orchestra, in partnership with the Kazanetti String Quartet, put on a Musical Petting Zoo for children in the Putnam County area. Through this pro-gram, children were able to see and touch string instruments that would otherwise be out of reach to them.

The event took place in the Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton, Ga. Parents and chil-dren crowded the lobby and enthusiasti-cally traversed the room, trying out each instrument: the violin, the viola, the cello and the hit of the night, the bass.

Through the eyes of a child, nothing is better than an instrument twice his size. Hence, the bass, the largest instrument present, appealed to many visitors. Chil-dren had to sit on a tall stool to handle the instrument, which provided opportunities for their parents’ cameras to click away. The bass was demonstrated by sopho-more chemistry major Carter Watts. He has played the bass since sixth grade, and this is his first year in the orchestra.

“We are introducing younger people to music,” said Dr. Daniel Kaplunas, direc-tor of the GCSU orchestra.

They are trying to get a string program started in Putnam County schools.

While they have band and chorus, like many schools, they lack an orchestra. This alliance provides opportunities for both GCSU and the Putnam County school system. GCSU students will be able to do their student teaching in the schools and Putnam County students will benefit from a new musical program.

“This gives students an opportunity to teach and is a good relationship for every-one,” said Michele Volz, violinist of the Kazanetti String Quartet.

As artists in residence at Eatonton’s Plaza Arts Center, the string quartet played shows for over 2000 students in Putnam County in an effort to raise awareness for string instruments.

“We want to foster a partnership be-tween Putnam County and GCSU,” said Elizabeth Alvarez, a second violinist in the quartet. “It’s just a win-win situation for everyone.”

Matt Perez / Staff PhotograPherMetal band, Lazer/Wulf rocks the crowd at Buffington’s last Thursday night.

Orchestra strikes a positive note

tennySon MoSher / Staff PhotograPherChildren are given the chance to play several musical instruments under the instruction of the GCSU Orchestra Sept. 6 at the Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton.

Improv Page 11

septeMber 12, 2008 Features the Colonnade 10

by ashley puGh

staFF Writer

Apartments have been decorated, books have been purchased and classes have resumed, but as some GCSU students take their first steps toward a new year on campus, they are not focused on the massive amounts of homework that loom ahead. Instead, they remember conversing in Spanish to a taxi driver on a busy day in Chile, play-ing in the snow in May in Sweden or walking along the streets of the city of lights while eating crepes with their friends. What-ever their memory, these students have recently re-turned from adventures that will not soon be for-gotten.

Over the past Mayme-ster and summer sessions, 286 GCSU students par-ticipated in study abroad programs, traveling to exotic locations includ-ing Ghana, Russia, Chile, Sweden, France and Italy.

“It’s important for stu-dents to study abroad, be-cause they gain a greater

understanding of other cultures, awareness of global issues and the way the United States’ foreign and domestic policies im-pacts operations of other countries,” said Liz Havey, Study Abroad advisor.

A typical Maymester or summer program lasts be-tween two and eight weeks. Students can add to their course credits at GCSU while being immersed in an eye-opening experience in a foreign world.

“From my own study abroad experience and the testimonies of returned GCSU students, I know that students gain a lot of tangible academic and communication skills that are valued by employers and graduate school co-ordinators,” said Havey. “Students also gain a greater understanding of local cultures and customs, and the ability to look at problems and situations from multiple perspectives so that they can come up with broader and more ap-plicable solutions.”

Students have the op-portunity to find the per-fect program to suit their needs. If a student is look-ing to take specific courses while abroad, or just look-ing for a little travel, the staff of the International Education Center is more than willing to help find the perfect program.

“I picked Paris because of the classes offered,” said Elyssa Sanner, senior Eng-lish major. “As a senior, I don’t have many credits to give away, so I picked a program that could fill two required classes.”

Though Sanner chose a location based on its abili-

ty to satisfy course credits, it still proved to be more than she bargained for.

“It might sound cliché, but I gained a greater un-derstanding of the world,” said Sanner. “I feel like I’m focused on myself so much, between class work, extracurricular activities, and building a resumé, that I forget about the world outside my door.”

For each student, the ex-perience is different. Many gain the academic knowl-edge that is expected from such a trip; many others connect with a world they have never known.

“I learned that everyone on this planet is connect-ed, some way or some-how,” said Jennifer Irish, senior Spanish and busi-ness management major. “Deep down, we are very similar.”

Whether through semes-ter or yearlong exchanges, or through a Maymester or summer sessions, a wide range of study abroad programs are offered to GCSU students. Informa-tion sessions are held ev-ery Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. and every Friday at 4 p.m. in the International Education Center located in Lanier Hall. Start your search early and sit down with a staff member of the International Education Center to go over all your options when choosing a location.

“Go somewhere that speaks to not only your mind, but also your heart,” said Irish. “Be flexible, open-minded and open-hearted because you never know what’s going to hap-pen while you’re abroad.”

by aubrey petkasstaFF reporter

It is a little-known fact that sitting on the benches outside Lanier Hall is a sign of disrespect. If you have never worn the Greek let-ters of one of The Divine Nine, doing so is just that.

The painted benches lin-ing the walkway between Parks and Atkinson Hall are seen by the majority of the student population daily. Their presence on campus is unmistakable, but what they symbolize is a mystery to many.

“Most students who sit here aren’t trying to be dis-respectful,” senior Micky Mack said. “They just don’t know.”

There are nine histori-cally black Greek letter or-ganizations that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Collectively, these organizations are referred to as The Divine Nine. The organizations included are: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Soror-ity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fra-ternity, Omega Psi Phi Fra-ternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity.

Reese Fitzpatrick Cohn, assistant director for stu-

dent involvement, describes the benches.

“[The benches] are a rep-resentation of The Divine Nine and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) on campus,” said Fitzpat-rick Cohn.

Controversy over the benches is not overrated. Sitting on one of the bench-es without being a member of that organization would be similar to wearing the letters of a Greek organiza-tion without being a mem-ber.

“It is disrespectful for their letters,” Cohn said.

There are six organiza-tions that have benches on campus. They were given to the groups in the 1990s.

The benches are known as plots. A plot is a desig-nated area on campus where a sorority or fraternity dec-orates with their letters and colors. It serves as a gath-ering place for members. Plots are more often seen as historically black and the central component is usually a large stone, tree, sculpture or bench.

The historically white Greek organizations have houses surrounding campus as their place to gather.

“The NPHC is trying to find a place for a memorial garden area dedicated to them,” Cohn said.

Diversity Program Coo-

dinator Nadirah Ross be-lieves the movement to-wards finding a new way to be represented on campus is not meant to be discrimina-tory.

The NPHC recognizes that people do not know about the symbolism sur-rounding the benches, but merely would like to have something that is theirs and theirs alone.

The Monuments and Memorial Committee is in charge of placing monu-ments and memorial areas on the GCSU campus. Find-ing the proper place for the NPHC’s new plot is soon to be underway.

“We are in the process of talking to various com-mittees on how to be better represented on campus,” said the NPHC President Brandon Kennon.

Perhaps there will soon be a new addition to the GCSU campus, that The Divine Nine can call their own.

The National Pan-Hellen-ic Council meets in the Stu-dent Activity Center every couple of weeks on Thurs-day at 5 p.m. The council’s purpose is to promote unity and expose members to the service philosophy and to foster leadership, develop-ment and scholarship.

The truth of the sacred benches

Memories from abroad Modern Skirts album review online at www.gcsunade.com

ana Maria lugo / Senior rePorterThe Modern Skirts performed at Amici on Thursday, Sept. 4 for a packed out crowd.

SPeCial to the ColonnadeElyssa Sanner, senior English major in Paris, France.

septeMber 12, 2008 Features the Colonnade 11

Spotlight

My portrait of Moses Collins, a gentleman who works at the recycling center near my home in Milled-geville, has been the inspiration of this piece of work. It is a 15 foot by 8 foot nontraditional rendering of a photographic image. It is constructed entirely of bamboo and steel wire, with the negative space provided by the black wall behind the piece. It took about two weeks to cut the golden bamboo out of Professor Katie Aiello’s backyard and another week to husk and clean the canes. The entire piece took close to two and a half months to construct. The process involved the use of digital cameras, projectors and various other technological gadgets. It is a hand rendering of a digital image.

The purpose of this piece is to celebrate and memorialize Moses. It is my way of telling him and others that he is important and special. I met Moses while I was recycling my trash and knew immediately that he was the person that I wanted to honor.

This piece of art will be on view at the Merge Visual Exhibition being held at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Macon, Georgia. The show is hosted by Craig Coleman and will also feature the work of GCSU faculty Ernesto and Emily Gomez. The opening reception for the show will be held Friday, Sept. 12 beginning at 7 p.m. The show is free and open to the public. The focus of the exhibition is on the ways in which technology has impacted how artists work.

-Michael Murphy, GCSU Art and Technology

Through the artist’s eyes: Michael Murphy

By Chelsea Thomas

SPECIAL TO THE COLONNADEMichael Murphy’s 15 foot by 8 foot rendering of Moses Collins, to

the right, made from bamboo and steel wire, above. On the top left is a close up photo of the bamboo used to make the piece.

members of The Armed Farces that acted at Improv Night traveled to Atlanta to compete in an improv show-down with the members of the JaCKPie Improv The-atre.

“We completely hosed them,” Custar said. “They are a school that teaches improv and we are still the funniest.”

In the competition, they competed in a long-form dramatic scene, which was different from the normal activities on Thursday nights It was a single scene that ran for 15 minutes. The entire scene was improvised.

In the act, Bradberry and Miles acted as their recurring characters Herman Winkle-ton and Tony the Deuce, who sell products on info-mercials. Simons and Rus-sell worked in background roles and Custar served as narrator.

The group is currently organizing an invitational for spring 2009 that plans to

invite individuals from the community to compete in a local improv competition. Custar said the group plans to invite the Milledgeville players, students from Bald-win High School and Geor-gia Military College, as well as anyone else who is inter-ested to compete.

Anyone can do itThe Armed Farces are

currently entering their fourth year of operation and are applying for RSO status for the next school year.

Students interested in joining can find The Armed Farces on Facebook and are encouraged to join the group. The group also has a YouTube account where they post videos of some of their performances. Find them on YouTube at www.youtube.com/armedfarces-improv.

Custar offered advice for anyone who wants to work on their own improv work.

“Find somebody who thinks you’re funny,” Custar said. “Bounce ideas off them. Surround yourself with people you find fun-ny.”

“De Niro & Pacino are a righteous duo in a shaky scenario”

by Chris Moskaly

Movie revieWer

Hollywood icons Robert De Niro and Al Pacino had vast chemistry together in Michael Mann’s classic heist thriller ‘Heat.’ And what made that chemistry so amazing was how they both leveled their talents to such greatness from op-posing sides of the altercation. Now, in ‘Righteous Kill,’ their third collabora-tion (their first being ‘Godfather Pt. II’), the two stars bring that same level of intrigue to the fullest once again, only this time, they’re shooting in the same direction. Unfortunately however, they are the only pieces of this puzzle that actually fit together, bringing this “righ-teous” project just one step short of ex-cellence.

Maybe they should’ve stayed on op-posite sides, or maybe they’re just too good for the rest of the cast. At least they get to beat the hell out of several of their co-stars before the final act.

Following a recent controversial mur-der in New York City, veteran cops Turk (De Niro) and Rooster (Pacino) must put their skills together as they try to find a serial killer in a case that could possibly have a connection to a previous murder in which they may have put the wrong suspect behind bars. As the chips begin to fall, and the truth slowly starts to un-fold, these two devoted officers must come to terms with their own justice as they realize that they can’t trust any-one... not even their own. Some clichés are notable, and certain “shots” may look familiar, but anyone favoring the leads shouldn’t have any trouble look-ing past the obvious in this satisfying crime thriller that couldn’t have come at a calmer hour before the Oscar storm.

In pure masterful form, Robert De Niro plays Turk (I guess his pale skin reminds them of turkey) who for lack of a better term, is the brains of the duo. He has quick draws and excellent accu-racy with his hands, but it’s his cocky policeman one liners that sell him to viewers in a heartbeat. He can maintain his posture behind a desk, but behind a gun, he gives a whole new definition to “bad cop.” Especially when the cheapest

gangsters in town (50 Cent) try to play him like a fool... big mistake! Because Turk isn’t the type of cop who will ask 21 questions... at least not nicely.

The rookies (Donnie Wahlberg & John Leguizamo) can whine all day about how they hate being called pigs when all they wanted was to serve and protect, but those, like Turk, who have experience know a whole lot better: “You don’t become a cop so that you can serve and protect; you do it because you get respect. Most people respect the badge, but EVERYBODY respects the gun.” De Niro might’ve had better times in the mob with Martin Scorsese, but even as a cop, this man still has a tough attitude we can’t help but admire.

My ‘Scarface’ loyalty can easily speak for itself, but Al Pacino was the real “eye-popper” of this one for me. Not only does he have the more intimi-dating name, but his troubled person-ality is easier to relate to. He has a hot temper, and a trigger-happy finger, but his pure devotion to the job makes up for any overused traits Joe Pesci made famous during the 90s.

Rooster is the type of person who was born to be a cop, and couldn’t think of a better way to go down than on the job itself, much like De Niro and Pacino are with acting. Maybe that’s why these two just keep going and going, but nonethe-less, they don’t need badges or guns to get respect from us. They have heart, and that is a strength which nothing could ever surmount.

Two top-notch talents on top of a quick 100-minute reel do make ‘Righ-teous Kill’ worth anyone’s time and money, but I won’t lie, the film does suf-fer from some of the obvious cop movie clichés, and if you’re expecting a total package of awesomeness like ‘Heat’ to repeat itself, then you’ve picked the wrong show. I enjoyed it completely for what it was, and it does serve its purpose of entertainment in the dry box office period, but if you’ve seen anything like it before, then you just might’ve seen a better one already. Their efforts to carry such a shaky scenario are truly unique (and only these two could’ve done it right), but as long as there is a ‘Goodfel-las’ and a ‘Scarface,’ De Niro and Pa-cino will always have bigger paychecks to cash, and better days to remember.

‘Righteous Kill’ just shortGrade: B+

Play at home“Five second - ten second”

This game involves two or more players. The first player will mime a motion for five

seconds. They cannot speak. After those five seconds are over, the next

player enters. They can both speak at this point, but the new entrant must speak first. This lasts for ten seconds. The new entrant has to guess what the other one was doing, but cannot ask it as a question. They can guess wrong for come-dic effect.

If playing with more than two players, the second person to enter will begin at step two.

Check out Improv video online at www.gcsunade.com

ImprovContinued from Page 9...

SportsThe Colonnade’s Guide to Athletics and Recreation

Friday, September 12, 2008 www.gcsunade.com Section Editor, Preston Sellers

THE SHORT STOP

Upcoming Sports

Soccer:Sept. 14 4:30 p.m. @ UAH

Tennis (Men):Sept. 12-14 all day Milledgeville

“I’ve said all along, even when he was a teammate with us, once he figures out how to win a race he’s not going to stop. . . I feel the same for a champion-ship” – Jimmie Johnson regarding Kyle Busch, the favorite to win NASCAR’s Sprint Cup

Quote of the Week Stat of the Week

1Goals allowed in three games this season by the Bobcat soccer team.

The

Side

Line

We get it, Lance Arm-strong. We know you’re the greatest cyclist of all time.

We know you battled cancer and won, and came back to win seven consecu-tive Tours de France.

We have watched you bring cancer to the fore-front of America’s psyche, and create an unfortunate trend of rubber bracelets along with it.

We cheered for each win, and supported you through a doping scandal.

Then you retired, sup-posedly for good. There was marriage and divorce drama with a certain singer, and we tossed you to the Hollywood crowd.

So it was; you would fade in time and we would remember you as a super-hero among mortals.

So what’s this, Lance? A comeback? Really? Dude, you have nothing left to prove.

Like Michael Jordan before you and now Brett Favre, even the greatest should accept when the time is right to step away from his passion.

It is a joy as a sports fan to watch the greats per-form at their highest level. Conversely, it is painful to see Michael Jordan hobble around on 40-year-old legs and brick shots he would have drained ten years ear-lier.

The same goes for you, Lance. You don’t realize that you will make a carni-val show out of the world’s greatest bicycle race? Let the younger, talented rid-ers have their moments to shine.

Biking for cancer aware-ness is a noble cause, sure. So find your local philan-thropy and bike all you want.

Just please don’t compete in the Tour de France ever again. You will only end up like Mike, and not the one we all wanted to be.

Now don’t misinterpret this as Lance-bashing, be-cause I was and somewhat still am a Lance Armstrong fan. I just get irritated with athletes who think they are bigger than the sport, even though in this case you are probably right.

Cycling without Lance Armstrong is like pop with-out Michael Jackson. But guess what? Pop music moved on, evolved into something else.

So too, should go the saga of Lance Armstrong. Leave the sport alone, Lance. You’ve done more than enough.

by preston sellers

sports editor

by elise ColCord

staFF Writer

Following the tie in their home opener, Bobcat soccer is back on track after two wins this past weekend.

The team notched its first win of the season, a 2-1 back-and-forth affair, Fri-day at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., then returned to Milledgeville to beat Limestone College 1-0 on Sunday.

In Tennessee, GCSU took an early lead when junior forward Lyric Burnett put a shot swiftly past the Pioneers’ goalie off an assist by junior midfielder Jamie Nev-in.

The Pioneers recovered in the second half when Kelly Barron pounded one to the back of the net, but another tie was not in the cards for the Bobcats.

Senior midfielder Mary Byrne knocked a shot past the keeper from 15 yards out just minutes after the Pioneer goal. The Bobcat defense held strong for the re-mainder of the game, earning them the 2-1 win.

Head Coach Juan Favero was encour-aged by the team’s resolve.

“I was very pleased with our overall effort and attitude against an upper na-tionally ranked team,” Favero said. “The girls came out strong and ready to play.”

On Sunday, despite the blistering after-noon heat, both teams charged the field looking for a victory. From the begin-ning, the Bobcats dominated possession in the attacking third, giving the Saints’ defense a constant challenge with 12 shots on goal.

Quick, short passes moved the Bob-cats up the field like a well-oiled machine toward the Saints’ goal and in the thirty-fourth minute, a pass off a dead ball from junior midfielder Kara Teresi hit senior

forward Hayley Ferrell, who slipped an arching shot past the keeper into the top left corner of the net.

Both teams responded well to the heat, with the Bobcats again showcasing their stamina.

GCSU had plenty of opportunities to capitalize in the form of corner kicks, but just could not get a foot on the ball.

A Saints breakaway midway through the second half stirred up frantic pressure in the Bobcat defense as the Limestone forwards attempted to weave the defense in a knot. As skilled as the forwards were, it was to no avail. The back line of the Bobcats held strong, shutting down the Saints’ attackers.

Favero praised his team’s desire, deter-mination and attitude, but noted that fin-ishing scoring chances has been a trouble spot this season.

“It is always a dangerous position to be in, a let-down after a big win like Friday,” he said. “I am very proud of the girls for coming out ready and focused after play-ing less than 48 hours ago - especially with the day being so hot.”

Junior defender Erika Kolodin thought the Bobcats had a solid couple of games and proved that they are a team for op-ponents to worry about.

“We played well the whole weekend and definitely showed the conference and region that we are a big threat,” Kolodin said. “I am proud of us and we will be ready for Thursday.”

GCSU now sits at 2-0-1 on the season, and has only allowed one goal in their three games. The Bobcats look to keep their winning streak alive with a home game this Thursday at 7 p.m. against the University of Montevallo Falcons.

Soccer on point in weekend sweep

roSS CouCh / Staff PhotograPherSophomore defender/midfielder Ally Treat goes for the ball off the head of a Limestone player. Treat was named the All-Peach Belt Conference defender of the week for her play in the Friday and Sunday wins. It was her first such selection as a Bobcat. Treat and the rest of the GCSU defense have allowed just one goal in the three games this season.

Cross country earns twin third-place finishes at home

‘Cats take third at Kiawah, Young shines

by MaGGie Jensen

staFF Writer

Running on a brand new course at West Campus, the GCSU cross coun-try teams hosted their first ever home meet on Saturday, Sept. 6.

The ladies started things off at 8:30 a.m. on their 3.1-mile loop, which cir-cled around West Campus’s intramural fields and baseball field. The portion behind the intramural fields was hilly and strenuous, and added a challenge for the runners.

Shortly before the race, sophomore Jessica Forbes had mixed emotions.

“It’s my first race this season and I can’t wait. I am really nervous and excited,” she said. “We haven’t raced against any of these teams this season, so it’s going to be an indicator of how we are going to place in conference.”

The men ran a modified course which totaled 4.96 miles, beginning at 9:15 a.m. The race was a pre-confer-ence showdown against several region schools, including conference foes Au-gusta State University, Columbus State University, North Georgia College & State University, Francis Marion Uni-versity, Clayton State University, the University of South Carolina at Aiken and Georgia Southwestern State Uni-versity.

Both Bobcat squads placed third in the Peach Belt Conference last season and aim for similar success this year.

“We are seeded third this year, and aim to finish in the top three again,” sophomore Alex Taylor said.

Strong performances from freshmen and the consistency of experienced runners pace the Lady Bobcats this season. On Saturday, freshman Kar-issa Ekstrom was the top finisher on the team, winding up tenth in 20:07, tying for the sixth-best time in school history.

Just three slots behind in thirteenth

was junior Heather Raines with a time of 20:24, and the third finisher for GCSU was freshman Sarah Balkcom, who ran a 20:51 to come in twenty-first.

The all-PBC duo of junior Bonnie Ueltzen and sophomore Dani Destiche finished in twenty-third and twenty-fourth, respectively.

As a team, the Lady Bobcats placed third overall with 91 points, behind only Columbus and Augusta.

The story is the same for the men’s team, with two freshmen pacing the Bobcats and veterans right behind. The top four runners each set personal records on the eight-kilometer course on Saturday.

Rookie Colin Conroy looks to be a force already for GCSU, as he was the top Bobcat finisher again this week, running a 27:49 for fourteenth place. Fellow freshman Rob Manning fol-lowed closely behind in fifteenth, only seven seconds later.

Sophomore Erik Ottoson placed seventeenth, running a 28:05, and the fourth runner for the Bobcats was an-other freshman, Travis Knight, who completed the course in 28:30 to finish twenty-first.

Returning all-PBC junior Josh Hol-lar finished right behind Knight in twenty-second, and gave his thoughts on running his own race.

“I get anxious at the starting line with anticipation,” he said, “but I al-ways try to run a strong race by pacing myself really well.”

The men also placed third overall with 89 points, behind Columbus and Clayton. Columbus has the top-ranked men’s and women’s teams in the re-gion, and they shone on Saturday.

The next race for the Bobcats is the pre-region meet on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Wingate, N.C. The only other home meet this season for the Peach Belt championships, is to be held Oct. 25.

by kyle Collins

senior reporter

The GCSU golf team got their fall season rolling Sept. 8-9 with a third place finish at the Kiawah Invitational. The host school, the University of South Carolina at Aiken, won the event held on Cougar Point Golf Club in Kiawah Island, S.C.

The Bobcats finished the 36-hole event nine-under-par, placing them eight shots be-hind Peach Belt foe USC Ai-

ken and two shots away from second place Coker College. Coker’s Chris Marsh and Ai-ken’s J.P. Solis tied regula-tion play at 11-under before Marsh prevailed in a two-hole playoff.

Returning All-PBC sopho-more Joe Young led the way for GCSU with rounds of 66 and 70. Young’s eight-under-par total put him in third place, which was just three

Golf Page 13

file PhotoSophomore Joe Young prepares to crush another iron shot. Young established himself as a force last season, his freshman year at GCSU, and looks to continue his success in 2008-2009.

septeMber 12, 2008 sports the Colonnade 13

by MitChell davis

staFF Writer

GCSU students participating in intramurals this year will find a new twist in the midst of organizing teams, practice and games. Every team will be required to pay a $30 fee to partic-ipate. This charge comes in an effort to bridge the gap between the ever-increasing number of teams and the intramural budget.

Last year, the budget was $45,000. This didn’t stop the GCSU intramural program from spending almost $70,000. Funds were used for new equipment, sending teams to state tourna-ments and paying officials, scorekeepers and supervisors.

Bert Rosenberger is the coordinator of intra-mural and recreational sports at GCSU. He is working with the budget to see what the school can and cannot afford.

“Our budget is going up a little bit each year and our participation is going up more than the budget is,” Rosenberger said. “And basi-cally, the way our budget works, if we have 50 teams we get the same amount as if we have 100 teams. As long as our numbers continue to grow, and our budget doesn’t grow at the same rate, there’s going to be a deficit there.”

This year, the budget has been increased to $60,000. The remaining deficit of $10,000 is expected to be collected through revenues and entry fees to available sports throughout the year. At Rosenberger’s request, the Student Government Association and the Administra-tion for Student Affairs approved a policy re-quiring payment for participation in intramu-rals. Teams can anticipate incurring a cost of about $3 a person.

“Last year, we went over our budget and the way the current university system works, it was OK to pull a little bit of money from here or there,” Rosenberger said. “But this year the whole university system across the state of Georgia, not just Georgia College has a 6 per-cent budget cut.”

Dean of Students and Vice President of Stu-dent Affairs, Dr. Bruce Harshbarger, shed light on where last year’s extra financial aid to the intramural department originated.

“There’s a reserve fund that comes from two sources really; money that’s left over at the end of this year on July 1, any untapped student ac-tivities fees will roll under reserves,” he said. “Also, the student activities budget committee tries to leave usually about $60,000 or $70,000 unallocated as a reserve. They do that because they’re budgeting based on what their guess is for fall enrollment and they could guess low.”

Harshbarger also mentioned that going over budget in intramurals was acceptable because of the boom in student participation.

However, warnings to the intramural depart-ment about another year in the red have already filtered through the ranks. Sending teams to state tournaments, championship T-shirts and officials would be the first amenities to be lost. Rosenberger has already had part of his travel expenses cut in an effort to save money.

Josh Smith, a junior history major and three-year intramural participant, is concerned about the recent changes.

“I thought we had recreational dues or some-thing that we paid through tuition so we could just pay through that,” he said. “I’m not too happy about it, but I’m still going to play and everything.”

GCSU does not charge as much for intramu-ral participation as the University of Georgia, which requires students to pay $85 per team. UGA’s higher charge also comes with a guar-antee of only three games while GCSU intra-mural teams are scheduled for five games plus playoffs.

Rosenberger put the money issue into per-spective while considering his tighter budget.

“This year, it’s pretty much if we go over budget, then all of a sudden for softball sea-son you play two games because there’s just no money there.”

Intramurals: Follow the money

Rosenberger

shots out of the individual playoff.“I felt like it was a good start for

me, but I definitely want an individual title this year,” Young said.

Also turning in good performances were the international crew, led by Sweden’s Niclas Johansson and Ar-gentina’s Francisco Bide. Both fin-ished the week in tenth place at two-under-par.

The juniors shot rounds of 72 and 70 and flip-flopped scores the first and second days.

Johansson said the hot and calm weather was ideal for scoring as the competitors dodged potential hurri-cane trouble on the coast.

“I could have played better myself because I was a little rusty,” Johans-son said. “This week was a good start to get into tournament mode.”

Adding to the Bobcats’ foreign fla-vor, Brazil’s Pedro Lima finished his first college event at three-over-par after carding 71-76. Lima, a junior transfer, was a late addition to the ros-ter this fall.

“(Lima) is getting along great with us,” Head Coach Jimmy Wilson said. “ He’s just grateful for the chance to play.”

Rounding out the Bobcat five, sophomore Billy Shida struggled to

find his rhythm, shooting 76-79 in the opener. Shida looks to rediscover the late season birdies he showed in last year’s NCAA regional and national tournaments.

The third-place team finish was the best ever for the Bobcats at this event. They more than slightly improved on the twelfth-place finish from the fall 2007 tournament.

“It showed us the work we need to put in to win and how we stack up in the conference,” Young said.

Wilson felt there were a few first-tournament jitters that the team shook off at Kiawah.

“I think Francisco turned a corner in the way he bounced back from a few double bogeys early in the second round,” Wilson said.

The golfers get little rest as they head to Florence, S.C. for their second of four fall events hosted by Francis Marion University on Sept. 15-16.

Red shirt sophomore Matthew Yonz will compete as an individual next week as he tries to earn a spot on the traveling team.

“I have all the confidence in the world in Matt,” Wilson said. “ He just needs a chance to shine.”

GCSU is one of few Division II schools competing at the Raines De-velopment Group Intercollegiate tour-nament. The tournament allows the Bobcats to see where they stack up against top-level competition at The Country Club of South Carolina.

GolfContinued from Page 12...

Athlete of the week: Jamie Nevin

Nevin

by preston sellers

senior reporter

The GCSU Athletic Department has named Jamie Nevin, an All-PBC mid-fielder for the soccer team, its athlete of the week for the week ending Sept. 7.

She became the Bobcats’ all-time as-sist leader on Friday against Tusculum. With assists on both goals in that game, she pushed her total as a Bobcat to 13.

Nevin is the type of player every soc-cer team should have to be successful. A silent assassin, she controls the buildup of attacks and finds the open teammate with the best scoring chance, time and time again.

file PhotoSenior Erick Siquiera prepares to smash a serve. He has dominated opponents throughout his career at GCSU.

Tennis opens fall slate this weekendRecord-setter Siquiera begins senior campaign

by preston sellers

senior reporter

The GCSU men’s tennis team begins its fall tournament schedule this Friday, Sept. 12 at home. The Bobcats will host the Geor-gia College Men’s Fall Collegiate Champi-onships through the weekend and concludes play on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Friday also marks the beginning of an end for GCSU tennis, with the last season of eligibility for senior Erick Siquiera (Sao Paolo, Brazil). Siquiera is already regarded as one of the best in Bobcat history, and his final season will be something special.

septeMber 12, 2008 CoMMunity neWs the Colonnade 15

Friday, September 12

Friday, Sept. 12- Thursday, Sept. 18

Sunday, September 14

Monday, September 15

8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Men’s Tennis Fall Championship, Centennial Center 8:30 p.m. “Deliver Us Not! (Or, Birth, Where is Thy Sting?),” Max Noah Recital Hall

A Thief of a Roommate

On Sept. 4, at approximately 8:15 p.m. a fe-male student reported that she was missing many of her clothing items from her room. Upon looking in her roommate’s room, she discovered the missing items. The items were in her closet, a suitcase and about the room. The case has been turned over to De-tective Butler.

A harassing check

On Sept. 4, at approximately 12:29 a.m. a female student reported to Public Safety that she was receiving harassing phone calls from another student. The calls were in ref-erence to a check being cashed by her for the GCSU dance team. The case has been turned over to Detective Butler for further investigation.

Read the road signs freshmen

On September 3, 2008 at approximately 7:06 p.m. Sgt. Pissott issued a warning to a freshman student for Driving Wrong Way on a One Way Street at the intersection of McIntosh and Clarke Streets.

Lost or Stolen?

On Sept. 4, at approximately 9:56 p.m. a fe-male student reported that she lost her wal-let on Sept. 3, near the Golden Pantry. Her Wachovia Bank advised that someone tried to withdraw $800 from her account, but was unsuccessful. The attempt of fraud was done at the Suntrust Bank in Milledgeville. The case has been turned over to Detective Butler for investigation.

Three years short of legal

On September 4, 2008 at approximately 1:44 a.m. Sgt. Pissott was dispatched to MSU in reference to a male vomiting in the grass. Contact was made with the student, who was passed out. Sgt. Pissott was able to wake up the student after a few attempts, but he was extremely intoxicated and unable to stand on his own. A check of his ID showed that he was 18 years of age. When tested on the Alco-Sensor, he registered .172. The male student was arrested and transported to Milledgeville PD and charged with Un-derage Possession of Alcohol.

Information compiled by Alanna Llewellyn

Please go online to gcsunade.com to download the

extended Public Safety Report podcast.

Tuesday, September 16

Wednesday, September 17

8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Men’s tennis Fall Championship, Centennial Center 4:30 p.m. Soccer v. Alabama-Hunstville, Huntsville, AL

12:30 p.m. University Convocation, Russell Auditorium 12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. “The Good Body: A Body Image Discussion Group” Women’s Resource Center, 143 Maxwell Student Union 7 p.m. Harry C. Boyte: Making a Difference as a Citizen, A&S Auditorium 7:30 p.m. Courtenay Budd and Marcelina Turcanu, Max Noah Recital Hall

12:30 p.m. What can I Do With a Major in Management Information Systems? 107 Atkinson Hall 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Times Talk, Beeson Hall, Lower Level Conference Room

Problems with snack or drink? Laun-dry or cable on the blink?

Call 445-FIX ITAlways striving to continually improve

services to our campus, the department of Auxiliary Services has implemented a new customer service hotline. If you experi-ence any problems with snack and bever-age vending machines, with laundry ma-chines, or with cable TV reception, just call 445-FIX IT (445-3494). Whether a ma-chine took your money and didn’t vend the product you wanted or the machine simply needs to be replenished, we want to know about it. If your residence hall washer isn’t working properly, or channel 51 is on the fritz, we want to know about it. Vending refunds are available, and we want to fix all problems as quickly as possible. Of course, we can’t fix what we don’t know is broken, so we ask for your help in reporting any and all problems.

Future High School Educators ClubHave you ever considered teaching high

school? It is a wonderful way to share your passion and make a difference in the lives of others. If you are thinking about a ca-reer in secondary education, you may want to join the Future High School Educators Club (FHSE). The club is a great opportu-nity to meet others with the same interests, connect with students who are currently working on their teaching certificates and find ways to start building your resume.

‘Paintings’ ExhibitBlackbridge Hall Art Gallery and the

GCSU Museum present the Frances de La Rosa’s exhibition: ‘Paintings.’

The exhibition co-sponsored by Arts Un-limited will be displayed Aug. 18 through Sept. 12 at Blackridge Hall Art Gallery and Aug. 18 through Oct. 2 at GCSU Museum.

The opening reception will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28 at GCSU Museum and at 5 p.m. at Blackbridge Hall Art Gal-lery. The artist talk will be held at 6 p.m. at Blackbridge Hall.

Courtney S. Mims, GCSU senior Muse-um Studies art major and curator of the ex-hibition, worked with Frances de La Rosa, Professor of Painting at Wesleyan College in Macon, to develop an exhibition that showcases de La Rosa’s abstract landscape paintings.

Frances de La Rosa’s compositions are rendered with numerous layers of brush strokes that shift from recognizable scenery to non-representational textures, patterns, shapes, and lines that alludes to nature. Na-ture provides the artist with endless themes for artistic expressions. As a result she has selected and simplified while working with a subject matter full of vast resources.

The theme focuses on the creative en-ergy found in visualization and the power of nature. Displaying diverse patterns, im-agery, and stories, the subject matter comes from the stimulations of life, anything that she has seen in the real world and the inner world of her imagination.

For more information contact gallery di-rector Carlos M. Herrera at 478-445-7025.

Saturday, September 13 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Men’s Tennis Fall Championship, Centennial Center 8:30 p.m. “Deliver Us Not! (Or, Birth, Where is Thy Sting?), Max Noah Recital Hall

Please send calendar submissions to colonnadenews@gcsu.eduThe Coming national

elections and SGA’s push for voter registration, The American Democracy Proj-ect, various other campus political action groups and the Student Government Association are in the thick of a campaign to register voters and request absentee ballots for those students that will be out of precinct on Election Day. At these tables, you will have the option to submit your ap-plication to register to vote or request an absentee bal-lot. People will be on hand to help you out if you get stuck. Remember, in order to vote this November, you have to be registered. All you have to do it meet a few basic requirements:

•Be a citizen of the Unit-ed States

•Be a legal resident of Georgia and of the county in which you want to vote

•Be 18 years old within six months after the day of registration and be 18 years old by election day

•Not be serving a sen-tence for having been con-victed of a felony

•Not have been judicially determined to be mentally incompetent, unless the dis-

ability has been removed The registration deadline

is approaching fast, just un-der a month away! Gener-ally, the cutoff is the fifth Monday before any primary or election. This year, the last day to register to vote in the 2008 Presidential elections is Monday, Oct. 6, 2008.

But what happens if you just ignore all of these tables and opportunities to register or get to the polls and find out that you’re not registered? Don’t worry! If for some reason when you get the polls a poll worker tells you your name is not on the voter lists, you can still vote with a provision-al ballot. As a simple rule of thumb, if you get to the polls, don’t leave without voting. If you do cast a provisional ballot instead of a normal one, you’ll prob-ably need to follow up with the election authorities to prove that you are qualified to vote. Ask the poll-worker for instructions on how you can do so or contact your Secretary of State’s office.

Now that you’re regis-tered, when can you vote? You can vote by absentee ballot by mail, absentee bal-

lot in person at your county registrar’s office, or during advance voting week. Voting one of these ways before the big day will pre-vent a long wait and long lines. You can request a ballot now and the absentee voting process will begin on Sept. 22, 2008. On this day, requested absentee ballots will be mailed and voters can vote absentee in-person at their county registrar’s office. If you are registered here in Baldwin County, or are going home to vote, the polls will be open on Nov. 4, 2008 from 7:00 a.m. un-til 7:00 p.m. However, any voter who is waiting in line at 7:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote. But remember, some states require some form of ID when voting. Georgia is one of the three states that require a photo ID when you vote. Make sure you’re prepared before you head to the polls.

You have a choice this election, and the only way that you can voice that choice is by voting. Reg-ister to vote today and do your civic duty!

Thursday, September 18