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WEDNESDAY August 30, 2006 Vol. 114, No. 11 | Athens, Georgia Partly cloudy. High 87 | Low 70 | Thursday 86 ONLINE: www.redandblack.com MORE INSIDE >- Lazer/Wiilf celebrates in style. PAGE 5 IN VARIETY: Review of the new NCAA 07 game. PAGE 6 An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1980 Check out audio ofRicht’s press conference online. www.redandblack.com SPIA class sizes increasing By BRIAN HUGHES bhughes@randb.com For some, it’s a rung on the ladder to law school. For oth ers, it’s a cushion after being denied to the Terry College of Business. Perhaps it’s just a fix for political junkies. Whatever the reason, an increasing number of stu dents are pursuing degrees in the School of Public Administration and International Affairs, accord ing to school officials. Any student can declare a major in political science or international affairs without having to apply to the school or take an entrance exam. SPIA Administrative Manager Paul Welch said majors in the school won’t be classified as high-demand any time soon. According to the Academic Affairs handbook, a major is classified as high- demand when it receives or expects to receive more appli cations from rising juniors than the program can accom modate without diminishing the quality of instruction offered. The Terry College, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and College of Education are labeled as high-demand. According to the Office of Institutional Research, 897 students were either intend ed or active political science majors last fall. International affairs enrollment totaled 452. In Fall 2006, numbers are expected to increase in both majors. Welch said it would be a contradiction of philosophy to apply the same standard to SPIA majors. “The purpose of (the SPIA undergraduate program) isn’t to determine the best people for the major,” he said. “It’s designed to give (students) the opportunity to discover their interests.” In response to the flux of students, officials have been forced to increase class sizes. When professor Charles Bullock began teaching polit ical science at the University close to four decades ago, he lectured in front of fewer than 30 students, he said. He now teaches more than 80 in his class on the legislative process. “We have so much demand that our hands are kind of ► See SPIA, Page 3 SPIA ENROLLMENT Fall 2004: International Affairs: 306 Political Science: 944 Public Administration and Policy: 136 Fall 2005: International Affairs: 452 Political Science: 897 Public Administration and Policy: 141 Fall 2006: (preliminary) International Affairs: 561 Political Science: 825 Public Administration and Policy: 145 CHICK-FIL-UGGGGGHH CAROLINE C. KILGORE | The Red & Black A Eddie Geopp, left, watches as his friend Matt Kreis, right, eats one of the 80 nuggets he consumed Tuesday at the Chick-fil-A on Alps Road. Kreis beat the record of the most nuggets eaten at once, 78, at that particular Chick-fil-A. SCOTT CHILDS | The Red & Black A Sigma Nu's efforts to build a new house at this site on Meigs St. have been halted by the “special use” restrictions passed by the ACC on Aug. 1. Frat explores off-campus living options By JOE MASON jraason@randb.com A second fraternity may pursue an off-campus hous ing option rather than accept a recent University offer to build a multi million dollar house on campus. “Right now we’re consid ering several options,” said Bobby McMillin, president of Sigma Nu fraternity. Sigma Nu may build a new fraternity house on property it owns at 399 Meigs St. near Prince Avenue instead of accepting the University’s offer to lease a house that would be built on River Road. But new restrictions on Greek houses in Athens- Clarke County may limit Sigma Nu’s off-campus housing options. The ACC commission passed new “special use” guidelines Aug. 1 that require any new buildings being built off campus by fraternities or sororities be approved by the ACC mayor and commission. Kappa Alpha, exempt from these rules, is consid ering building a new house on land it owns on West Hancock Avenue. But Sigma Nu may not be able to build off campus so easily because it did not act before the new ACC rules passed. “They didn’t have any plans or applications sub mitted with the building permit department, so, unlike Kappa Alpha, they will be subject to the spe cial use guidelines,” said David Lynn, ACC District 5 commissioner. Kappa Alpha is exempt from the “special use” rules because the fraternity sub mitted its building applica tions before a six-month building moratorium on Greek houses was passed in February. The temporary moratori um was replaced Aug. 1 by the “special use” restric tions. ACC District 3 Commissioner George C. Maxwell, in whose district the Sigma Nu property lies, declined to comment on what the “special use” guidelines would mean for the fraternity. Lynn said the mayor and the ACC commission would have to see any possible building plans from Sigma Nu before he could specu late on whether the plans would be approved. Lynn said the plans would be evaluated on their merit. >- See FRAT, Page 3 DE Charles Johnson the ‘total package’ Heaven-sent bulldog stood in as wartime mascot It is just a shame he has slipped through the cracks in history. He is a part of the history of Georgia. MARIE COLEMAN WILSON Caretaker’s granddaughter SPECIAL | The Red & Black A Mr. Angel, the bulldog who represented the University during World War II, poses with University cheerleaders during a home football game. By ALEX BYINGTON abyington@randb.com All-American defensive end Quentin Moses is the team’s “Big Man on Campus,” becoming this football season’s media darling. But if you ask him who he models his game after, the answer is not David Pollack or other great Bulldogs from the past. It’s Charles Johnson, the guy that lines up on the other side of the field. “Charles, he’s basically the total package — he can do it all. He’s got the power and strength to run right over you, the ability to finesse you, (and) he’s elusive,” Moses said. “As far as being a complete defensive end, I strive to be more like him.” Johnson, who is just as quiet and unassuming as anybody on the team, refuses to be taken in by his team mate’s praise. “I don’t feel like I should be getting nothing. I haven’t even started a game yet,” said Johnson, a junior preparing for his first season as a starter. Last season, Johnson appeared in all 13 games behind starter Will Thompson, racking up four sacks and 23 tackles. In April’s G-Day game, Johnson recorded five tack les and two sacks en route to being named the “Best All-Around Defensive Player” at the end of spring practices. Defensive end coach Jon Fabris refuses to start any hype though, refer ring to Johnson as an “unproven com modity.” “If Charles does well, everybody in the stadium — everybody’s grandma, everybody who doesn’t know much about football — will say ‘Who’s that No. 99?’” he said. “Charles hasn’t done it full time. (It’s about) consisten cy and how you do it over the long haul — it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and that’s what I want to see.” While Fabris takes a wait- and-see approach, defensive line coach Rodney Garner is excited about the possibili ties afforded to him with Johnson lining up opposite >- See END, Page 6 By SAM STEINBERG ssteinber@randb.com More than 60 years ago, during the last years of World War II, Mr. Angel watched over Sanford Stadium, much like Uga VI will do this Saturday. Like Uga VI, Mr. Angel was a bulldog who wagged his tail during his tenure from 1944 to 1946. Mr. Angel’s caretaker, Dr. Warren A. Coleman, passed away years ago, but his daughter, Marie Coleman Wilson, is on a mission to bring Mr. Angel’s story out from out beneath history’s haze. “It is just a shame he has slipped through the cracks in history,” said Wilson. “He is a part of the history of Georgia.” Mr. Angel is not found among Butch, Mike, all six Ugas and even a goat in the football media guide today. The catalogue shows a gap from 1894 to 1947 without a mascot. “I don’t know why he was not written up,” said Wilson. “He was there during the war years, which were not the happiest times to be at school.” Wilson, 81 and residing in Lilburn, was a student at the University from 1944 to 1946. She remembers hearing the names of students who passed away in battles against fascism and that Mr. Angel provided a distraction from the stresses of war. “He was available and eager to do it,” said Wilson. “He was such a sweet dog, so sweet.” Mr. Angel served his post during the war on the side lines as a source of school pride, much like his bulldog successors Butch (1947-50), Mike (1951-55) and the line of Ugas who have served the University since 1956. Contrary to the media guide’s neglect, Mr. Angel was a part of University in some capacity. Wilson pro vided The Red & Black with photographs of Mr. Angel at football games and with cheerleaders. In addition, Mr. Angel is pictured on the field during ► See ANGEL, Page 3 INSIDE TODAY | News: 2 | Opinions: 4 | Variety: 5 | Sports: 6 | Crossword: 3 | Sudoku: 5