Newspaper Page Text
FRIDAY
September 16, 2005
Vol. 113, No. 21 | Athens, Georgia
Isolated T-storms.
High 91 | Low 65 | Saturday 89
ONLINE: www.redandblack.com
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1980
INSIDE:
>- Is the University
going to crack down on
ticket scalping?
NEWS, PAGE 5A
>- Is anyone going to
stay in town for this
weekend’s game?
SPORTS, PAGE 2B
A
home
for
now
Transfers adjust
to new lives
at University
By TODD SOUTH
tsouth@randb.com
Many transfer students
from universities closed by
Hurricane Katrina say
they are adjusting well to
life on the sprawling
University campus.
From learning the bus
system to catching up in
classes, the transfer stu
dents said they were
receiving help with their
problems and questions
from fellow students and
teachers.
Diane Isaacson, a
Tulane University transfer
sophomore originally from
Marietta, is living in
Mary Lyndon Hall, the
University’s language
community.
Students there study
either Spanish or French
and immerse themselves
in the language by speak
ing it on a daily basis.
An intended chemistry
major, Isaacson lives in the
French hall.
She does not speak
French.
Her hallmates have
helped her and her room
mate — another transfer
student from Tulane — get
around and adjust to cam
pus, she said.
University faculty also
have been helpful, she
added.
“One of my teachers
has postponed a test,”
Isaacson said.
With Tulane’s ability to
hold classes in the spring
uncertain, Isaacson’s
options are open.
“If (Tulane) opens in
the spring I’ll go back,”
she said. “If not, I’ll proba
bly stay here.”
On Tulane’s Web site,
the university’s president
has posted a message
detailing current recovery
efforts.
Based on current infor
mation, he said the univer
sity will be open in the
spring, but, “we will not
start classes until it is
> See KATRINA, Page 3A
INSIDE: More on the
players affected by Katrina
in First & Goal, Page IB
SARA FREELAND | The Red & Black
A Wesley Voyles, a conference facilitator at the Georgia Center, performs a “Rock and
Roll” at the Skate Park of Athens at Southeast Clarke Park.
Surprise tour visits Athens
By DANA SCHMIDT
dschmidt@randb.com
Tony Hawk’s American
Wasteland Secret Skate Park
Tour won’t be a surprise
when it comes to Athens on
Sunday.
After stopping unan
nounced at four other
skate parks, the exclusive
tour will make its last
stop at the Skate Park
of Athens (SPOA), which
opened to the public in
April.
“This is the first time
they’ve done a secret tour
with advance (publicity),”
TONY HAWK TOUR
What: Tony Hawk’s American
Wasteland Secret Skate Park Tour
When: Sunday, 2 p.m. Park opens
for the event at noon
Where: South East Clark Park
on Lexington Road, Lexington
Road entrance will be closed
but parking available at the Whit
Davis Road entrance.
Cost: Free to public, parking is
$5, all proceeds benefit the
Red Cross.
said John McKinney, facility
supervisor of Southeast
Clarke Park.
The tour features skate
boaring star Tony Hawk,
along with other big names
like Bam Margera, Bob
Burnquist, Ryan Sheckler
and Rick Thorne performing
skateboard and BMX demon
strations.
To promote Tony Hawk’s
new video game, tour organ
izers chose four random
skate parks to appear at
without warning.
“They just ride up in
jeeps, pop out and start
skating,” McKinney said.
“Then people realize who
► See HAWK, Page 6A
ASHLEY E. CHAPMAN | The Red * Black
▲ Nicole Lehrer, a senior psychology major, washes
windows as she hosts for Doc Chey’s Noodle House
on Clayton Street Thursday afternoon. Lehrer said
that she does not have to work but feels bad taking
money from her parents. Lehrer said 90 percent of
the large staff are students which allows for a flexible
work schedule.
Athens job
market shows
little promise
Recent grads
look to other
cities for work
By KATHLEEN FREY
kfrey@randb.com
Amanda Mays wants to
know — can she begin a
career in Athens after grad
uation?
“There are not very many
job opportunities,” said the
senior from Rome. “My
degree will get me nowhere
staying in Athens.”
Jeff Humphreys, director
of the Selig Center for
Economic Growth, said in
comparison with other met
ropolitan areas, Athens is a
small market and not one of
the fastest-growing in the
state.
Since the beginning of
the year through July, 400
new jobs have been added
to the total 76,700 jobs in
the Athens area, which
includes Clarke, Madison,
Oconee and Oglethorpe
counties.
The Athens market
seems particularly weak
compared to nearby cities
like Atlanta, which has a
work force of about 2.4 mil
lion, according to the
Georgia Department of
Labor’s Web site
(www.dol.state.ga.us).
Humphreys listed
Atlanta, Savannah,
Columbus and Brunswick
as cities where job growth is
noticeably increasing.
“There is far more supply
of students that want to
stay in Athens than the
demand from employers,”
said Jason Aldrich, director
of employer relations at the
University Career Center.
For the last five years,
Athens has placed in the
top 10 of in-state destina
tions for graduates entering
the job market, according to
data collected by the career
center.
Mays, a geology major
who will graduate in May,
said she knows the odds
aren’t exactly on her side.
She says she’ll certainly
search for a local job, but
admits: “I’m not looking for
ward to looking.”
>- See JOBS, Page 5A
SARA FREELAND | The Red & Black
▲ Jane Douglas poses for a portrait after finishing a recording session at the the Georgia
unit of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. The retired University piano professor has
volunteered at the studio since 1965.
Volunteers help blind, dyslexic
By CRISTEN CONGER
cconger@randb.com
Once a week, between law
classes, Lindsay Willis sits
down and reads textbooks
aloud for 90 minutes.
Recently, it’s been
chapters on administrative
law, but other times it’s
parts of history or literature
books.
Willis isn’t studying or
doing homework, she’s read
ing for pleasure.
For two years, Willis, a
third-year law student from
Gastonia, has volunteered at
the Georgia unit of Recording
for the Blind and Dyslexic
(RFB&D).
The books she has helped
record are used by blind,
dyslexic or physically handi
capped students who could
not otherwise successfully use
the texts.
Even though she may
never meet the recorded text
book “borrowers,” she said
she enjoys reading the law
books in particular since it
helps “fellow colleagues”
learn.
“It’s a way I can contribute
to someone who has similar
interests that I do,” Willis
said.
RFB&D was founded in
1948 in New York to record
textbooks for World War II
veterans who lost their sight
in the war but wanted
to attend college under the
GI Bill of Rights, which guar
antees all veterans a right to
a college education.
Today, the non-profit
organization has 29 studios
across the nation that serve
more than 137,000 people.
The Athens site — the only
one in Georgia — was started
in 1958 in the University
library, according to the
RFB&D Web site
(http://www.rfbd.org/
Georgia_Unit.htm).
Located on Hull Street,
RFB&D houses eight digital
recording booths that an
average of 140 volunteers use
on a weekly basis, said Fred
Smith, RFB&D production
director.
The volunteers, composed
of retirees and University fac
ulty and students, can act
either as book readers, direc
tors — who control the
► See BLIND, Page 3A
News: 2A | Opinions: 4A | Variety: 6A | Sports: IB
INSIDE TODAY
Crossword: 5A