Newspaper Page Text
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Athens, GA
Permit No. 1
THURSDAY
August 10, 2006
ONLINE: http://www.redandblack.com
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1980
Make a home away from home
Plus-
By AUDREY LEWIS
alewis@randb.com
Trying to turn a closet
sized dorm room into a home
can be challenging.
Students’ living situations
can affect their entire year, so
here are some tips to turn
that 10 by 15-foot rectangle
into a cozy room for two.
Jessica Fowler of
DesignWorks Interiors sug
gests buying a carpet or
mats to cover the floor. She
also recommends softening-
institutional furnishings with
fabrics by putting curtains
and tapestries over windows
or table runners or place
mats over bookshelves and
dressers.
Using bins or organizers
as storage units is practical
and can enhance the look of
the room, Fowler added.
Finally, Fowler said that it
is really important to loft
beds to create more space.
Jewelin Patulot, a fresh
man from Stone Mountain,
said she used the extra space
the loft created to house a
futon. She also had a book
shelf built into the loft as a
space saver.
Keisha Murdock, a fresh
man from Kennesaw, said
she and her roommate use
decorative lamps to add style
to their dorm.
But perhaps the most
important way to create a
home is to get along with
your roommate.
Jennifer Mangon, a
► See DORM, Page 5A
LEIGH AUERBACH | The Red & Black
▲ Ida Jones (left) a freshman Pre-journalism major from LaGrange and Jewelin Patulot (right), a freshman from Stone
Mountain watch TV on their Russell Hall dorm Tuesday, July 25. The two roommates used the extra space their loft
created to house a futon and they also had bookshelves built into their lofts as space savers.
Biking can be better way
By AUBREY SMITH
basmith@randb.com
As freshmen begin to accli
mate themselves to Athens,
they soon will discover get
ting to and from class can be
one of the most trying
aspects of University life.
For new students, as well
as veteran Bulldogs, biking to
class may be the best option,
but many students choose
not to cycle because of vari
ous concerns surrounding
man-powered transportation.
“It’s actually faster for me
to bike than to drive in or
ride a bus,” said Mick Stukes,
president of UGA Cycling.
Though Stukes lives less
than two miles from campus,
he said one of his friends
cycles thirteen miles to class
everyday.
“It’s kind of scary to be out
there with cars all around,
but there is a smart way to do
it,” Stukes said. He empha
sizes being well-informed and
wearing protective equip
ment. “It’s really unsafe to
ride without a helmet.
Helmets have saved my life
twice.”
While motor vehicle traffic
tends to be minimal inside
campus itself, many promi
nent roads in Athens have
bike lanes or multi-use paths,
including Lumpkin, Baxter,
East Campus and College
Station.
Beyond the distance to
class and battling motorists,
inclement weather often con
cerns possible cyclists,
though Stukes said they
shouldn’t let precipitation
deter them.
“In rain it’s a good idea to
wear a waterproof jacket and
not a good idea to wear
jeans,” Stukes said, offering
shorts as a suggestion for
rainy days.
Bike theft also is an issue
about which students have
legitimate cause for concern.
In 2005, 16 cycles were
>- See BIKE, Page 5A
Graduation is a
lifestyle change
By LIZZIE HUMMA
For The Red & Black
There comes a time in
every college student’s life
when the reality of the
adult world sets in and the
responsibilities of a career,
bills, insurance and taxes
come into play.
Just as the transition
from high school to college
involves many lifestyle
adjustments, the college
culture of two classes
a day, lazy Tuesday
afternoons and beer pong
doesn’t mesh with 40-hour
work weeks.
Jay Sammons, a 2005
graduate from Barnesville,
said he understands that
transition well.
“At first it was kind of a
shock to not be in college
anymore,” Sammons said.
“I started my job the
summer after graduating
and realized this was it. I
wasn’t going back to
Athens in the fall — it’s not
like a summer job that you
know is going to end.”
The biggest change for
many graduates is learning
to take care of everything,
especially finances, with
out the parental safety net.
Aside from costs such
as rent, utilities and credit
card bills, there are others
students might not have
considered such as taxes,
car and medical insurance.
Lauren Myer, a 2006
graduate from Fayetteville,
is preparing to attend
medical school in August
at Mercer University
“I’m completely on my
own now, and I’m off my
parents’ insurance once I
turn 23 in October,” Myer
said.
“I’m taking out loans for
school and living expenses
because I’ll be studying all
the time and not working,
and that’s making me a lot
more responsible financial
ly,” she added.
Mercer financial aid
have helped Myers organ
ize the loans through
FAFSA, Free Application
for Federal Student Aid,
and the school also has a
student health insurance
plan, she said.
Health Insurance is a
>- See AID, Page 10A
minus
system
in place
By JESSICA LUTON
ljluton@randb.com
As the University prepares
for the start of the fall semes
ter, the new plus-minus grad
ing system has already been
in place since the beginning
of the summer semester in
May.
Jere Morehead, vice
provost of academic affairs
and co-chair of the Task
Force on General Education
and Student Learning that
recommended the plus-
minus system in the 2005
Task Force Report, said that
there have been no problems
with the system so far.
“We haven’t received any
complaints in this office
about the new system, and
that is very encouraging,”
Morehead said. “It’s hard to
criticize a grading system
that’s more precise.”
Under the new system, an
A receives a 4.0, an A-
receives a 3.7, a B+ receives
3.3 and so on.
However, Mark Evans, a
graduate assistant in the
Department of Elementary
and Social Studies
Education, said he’s not a big
fan of the new system.
“I think it’s just a way for
the University to show that
they’re tough on grades,” he
said.
Evans also said he is con
cerned that it will affect
HOPE-scholarship eligibility
in the future if the pilot pro
gram is adopted permanently.
Under the current pilot
program, the University will
not use the plus-minus grad
ing system to calculate HOPE
scholarship eligibility.
However, any plus-minus
grades received under the
pilot program will be reflect
ed on student transcripts,
and a change in the
University’s grading system
also will be noted on tran
scripts.
SGA President Jamie
Peper said that there has
been little feedback from stu
dents and professors who
have used the new grading
scale for the summer semes
ter, but previous feedback
>- See GRADES. Page 10A
PLUS-MINUS SYSTEM
Values assigned to each
grade for computing grade
point averages:
A = 4.0
C+ = 2.3
A-= 3.7
C = 2.0
B+ = 3.3
C- = 1.7
O
CO
II
CD
D = 1.0
B- = 2.7
F = 0.0
Understand your leasing rights
By HEATHER MEADERS
hmeaders@randb.com
This semester many stu
dents will be packing their
bags as they hunt for that
ideal off-campus residence.
But renting, leasing and
subleasing can be a tricky
business, and uninformed
students can fall victim to
faulty rental contracts, bro
ken amenities and techno-
blaring roommates.
First-timers looking to
lease an apartment need to
ask if amenities and utilities
are included and investigate
the history of the surround
ing community, said Crystal
McElhannon, property man
ager of Willow Mist
Apartments.
Just because it’s cheaper
doesn’t always mean it’s
safer, McElhannon added.
McElhannon also sug
gests becoming acquainted
with the property manager
of the apartment complex
before the scheduled move-
in date.
“If you get a bad vibe
from them, you won’t want
to lease from them,”
McElhannon said.
Those subletting their
pad for the semester should
make certain they trust the
subleaser.
“People run ads for sub
leases and don’t thoroughly
screen the applicants,”
>- See LEASE, Page 10A
. »**<<
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