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The Red a Black | Friday, January 1a, 2001 | 3
Lessons teach students to soar
Federal court to hear case filed
By GREG BLUESTEIN
For The Red & Black
As a young fifth-grader, Jake
Fox had no idea that a trip with
his best friend’s dad would send
him soaring — literally.
Flying for the first time in a
single engine airplane, the fresh
man from dimming said he knew
that he was destined to one day
pilot an airplane himself.
“Flying is a feeling of total
freedom,” said Fox, who is now
taking lessons at the Georgia
Flight Academy. “You are not
restricted by anything.”
It may not be “Top Gun,” but
East Athens offers the chance for
students to fly sky-high.
Clark Flying Service, Georgia
Flight Academy and Sonny’s Air
Service — all located at Athens
Ben Epps Airport — offer classes
for obtaining flight licenses.
After passing a third-class
medical exam — which includes
urine, eyesight and reflex tests —
students can begin the pilot cer
tification process.
The costs of these lessons vary
I depending on the instructor and
the type of plane. On average, a
single engine airplane costs $53
an hour, plus a $25 fee to the
instructor.
The Federal Aviation
Administration requires that stu
dents obtain at least 40
hours of experience piloting an
airplane before undergoing a
written exam and a final
flight test administered by an
DANIEL HENRY I The Rid . Buck
▲ Potential pilots take
lessons at Athens Ben
Epps Airport in student
planes like the one above.
FAA examiner.
Much of the training comes in
cross-country sessions — classes
that teach students to fly dis
tances of over 50 nautical miles
from one point to another, such
as from Athens to Augusta, said
David Clark, who has taught stu
dents to fly since 1970.
Jon Brewer has been training
pilots at Sonny’s Air Service for
five years.
“Over the years, we’ve had a
number of students and profes
sors from the University fly with
us,” Brewer said.
He said he uses a three step
process in the training of his
students.
After basic training, the stu
dents fly solo to test their knowl
edge of fundamental flight con
trols. Next, the prospective pilots
practice cross-country flights.
The last stage involves earning
hours in both nighttime flying
and instrument trips — a flight
where a hood is placed on the
student’s head, forcing the pilot
to fly relying only on the plane’s
instrument readings.
“It was really freaky,” Fox said,
referring to his first instrument
flight. “There was a time when
my body was telling me I
was going to the right, but my
instruments clearly told me I
was actually flying straight.”
Fox, who has logged nearly
30 hours as a pilot, said he plans
to get his private pilot certifica
tion by March and eventually fly
professionally.
Aspiring pilots aren’t the only
ones who sign up for the courses,
though.
“I’ve had a lot of students
wondering why they are getting
their license,” Brewer said.
“Some get it for business purpos
es and others for recreational
purposes.”
FLYING LESSONS
Clark Flying Service
353-3213
Georgia Flight Academy
543-4359
Sonny’s Air Service
549-9294
Influential ecologist honored
By KIMBERLY COOPER
kcooper@randb.com
The. director emeritus of the
University’s Institute of Ecology
was honored Thursday at an
Atlanta event, sponsored by the
Georgia Trend magazine.
Eugene Odum was honored as
one of the most influential
Georgians in a ceremony that
highlighted other notable natives
from the state.
“I’ve worked with Dr. Odum
for the past six years,” said Terri
[ Morgan, scientific administrator
j for the Institute of Ecology. “He’s
made excellent contributions to
our college.”
The ceremony honored
Odum’s achievements with an
unveiling of his photo in the
Sheraton Atlanta Hotel’s
ii
“Dr Odum is a brilliant
writer and thinker ”
PHIL WILLIAMS
Director of Public Information for the
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Georgia Hall.
Known as the “father of mod
em ecology,” Odum has taught
generations of students.
Phil Williams, director of pub
lic information for the Franklin
College of Arts and Sciences,
said Odum’s skills and new
concepts made him a notable,
person in the Institute of
Ecology.
“Dr. Odum is a brilliant
thinker and writer,” Williams
said. “He’s had a huge influence
on the scientific community (and
has) made real remarkable
contributions.”
Williams said Odum has had
practical influence on how stu
dents view the ecosystem
and also taught Dr. Gary
Barrett, a University ecology
professor.
The ceremony also honored
other prominent Georgians
including former president
Jimmy Carter and Martin Luther
King Jr.
Williams said Odum’s impact
has been immeasurable.
“His influence has spread to
national and international
levels.”
Odum is an author of several
books, including “Principles of
Ecology. ”
by former University professor
By KERRI GRAFFIUS
kgraffius@randb.com
A former professor who
accuses the University of deny
ing her tenure and a promotion
because of her gender will have
her case heard before a federal
court at the end of the month,
according to her lawyer.
Linda Brooks first claimed in
a suit filed in late 1998 that the
comparative literature depart
ment denied her promotion and
tenure, refused to renew her
contract and destroyed her
career “under the auspices of
supposed ‘objective’ criteria
‘subjectively’ applied in a bla
tantly discriminatory fashion.”
Brooks’ lawsuit further cites,
“strong evidence of prejudice
against women exhibited by
several of the male faculty who
controlled the decision making
process.”
According to her lawyer John
Beasley Brooks is suing the
Board of Regents for back pay
and compensatory damages.
The Regents will be repre
sented by the state attorney
general in a jury trial that could
last more than a week, Beasley
said.
During two meetings in
March 1993, the department
faculty voted to deny Brooks’
promotion and tenure. Six
months later, Brooks was
informed by department head
Ronald Bogue that her contract
for the following year wouldn’t
be renewed and cited the rea
sons for the decision.
Among those reasons cited
by the department was the pub
lication of her works by an
“undistinguishable press” and
recent concerns about her
teaching evaluations and rela
tions with students.
Brooks’s lawsuit, however,
contends that the same criti
cisms used by the department
to deny her tenure and promo
tion “were ignored in the votes
on male candidates.”
Brooks filed her claim under
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, which prohibits employ
ers from discriminating against
“any individual with respect to
his compensation, terms, condi
tions, or privileges of employ
ment, because of such individu
al’s race, color, religion, sex or
national origin.”
Two years ago, the University
said that Brooks’s case wasn’t
valid since it wasn’t filed within
90 days of her receipt of a docu
ment from the Equal
Employment Opportunity
Commission. Yet in August, U.S.
District Judge Duross
Fitzpatrick disagreed and
allowed Brooks’s case to contin
ue.
After obtaining her doctorate
in English literature from
UCLA, Brooks taught graduate
classes at Emory University
and was an assistant professor
at Florida Atlantic University.
She also received the two-year
Andrew Mellon Post-Doctoral
Fellowship before accepting
a job with the University in
1988.
According to her lawyer,
Brooks is teaching literature at
a Los Angeles high school and
couldn’t be reached due to her
busy schedule. Beasley declined
to further comment on the case.
Weekend events to
inspire local youth
Athens honors slain
civil rights leader
By LACEY WHITE
lwhite@randb.com
A number of weekend events
planned by the Athens Area
Human Relations Council will
bring to life the legacy of slain
civil rights leader Martin Luther
King Jr.
William T. Hargrove, presi
dent of the Athens Area Human
Relations Council, said he hopes
the weekend’s events will inspire
young blacks to have the same
courage as King.
“We need to keep our young
people involved in the move
ment because (King) put so
much effort in it,” Hargrove said.
“We also need to let them know
of his trials and tribulations.”
To help encourage youth’s
involvement, Hargrove said two
scholarships will be awarded to
high school students pursuing a
college education. The awards
banquet will be held today at
the Georgia Center for
Continuing Education.
Hargrove encourages youth,
as well as the Athens communi
ty, to attend the weekend’s two
other events.
On Saturday, there will be a
pow-wow at the New Grove
Baptist Church, an event for
children in kindergarten
through 12th grade. Monday’s
services at Hill Baptist Church
will mark a day of reflection on
King’s work, Hargrove said.
The Lyndon House Arts
ART BY STEPHEN JONES I The Red a Buck
Center also will remember King
in a day-long Monday celebra
tion, which will include a living
history display, dialogues on the
Civil Rights movement and
exhibit the work of black artists.
The event is free and open to the
public from noon to 4 p.m.
Marie Cochran, a speaker at
the celebration, said the timing
of the event is meaningful
because of its close proximity to
Tuesday’s 40th Anniversary of
Desegregation at the University.
“The African-American com
munity needs to be seen by the
campus community,” she said.
got books?
UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE has the lai
inventory of used textbooks in Athens!
We can also outfit your semester with:
New Textbooks • General Interest Books
• School, Office & Art Supplies
Computers • Georgia Sportswear • Snacks
The University Bookstore is located across from
Sanford Stadium, next to the Tate Student Center
Telephone: 542-3171
Extended hours during book rush:
Thursday, January 11 th
8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday, January 12 th
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday, January 13 th
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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