The Red and Black (Athens, Ga.) 1893-current, December 07, 2007, Page 4A, Image 4

Previous Page Next Page

Previous Issue Next Issue

Clip Visible Area View Page Text View PDF

Newspaper Page Text4A Friday, December 7, 2007 | The Red & Black Finals Ewnon Juanita Cousins | Editor in Chief editor@randb.com Matthew Grayson ! Managing Editor me@randb.com JoAnn Anderson | Opinions Editor opinions@randb.com Opinionmeter A wrap-up of the semester’s ups and downs H.Oh no Tnis fall, a record-breaking drought ravaged through the state of Georgia, ——3 forcing those at the University and (j at home to think at the sink. Let’s hope there’s more precipitation next J semester before Athens starts emulat ing the Sahara. Back in black This has been a pretty huge year for the football team, and with wins against the Florida Gators, the Auburn Tigers and the unpredict able Kentucky Wildcats, the Georgia j) Bulldogs have made us proud. The seniors also instigated the first black- --fg> out game. They may have ended the season ranked No. 5 in the BCS poll but always will be No. 1 in our hearts. On Jan. 1, wear black and cheer them on against Hawai’i in the Sugar Bowl. Smile, the campus is watching The notoriety of newspaper mug shots began with a certain elected official, continued with the freshmen seven gmrnßM. and also included a sobbing woman. T A If arrested during this holiday season I—\ 1 —\ or spring semester, smile when police officers take your mug shot. Since you likely will wind up on the front page of The Red & Black, enjoy your 15 min utes of fame. Small sports, big victories Though we love Knowshon and the football team, we’d like to high-five the other sports. The soccer team advanced to the NCAA tournament, „ and head coach Patrick Baker was honored as the South Region Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association. Fifteen swim mers qualified for the NCAA meet, and the women’s cross country team finished its season at the NCAA meet and ranked 22nd in the nation. RIAA Madness The University deserves a big thumbs down for its ongoing tango with the Recording Industry Association of America. University President Michael Adams and Executive Director of Legal Affairs Steve Shewmaker tried f~ 3 to defend the actions of EITS and L _3 Legal Affairs in separate visits to The \ \ Red & Black newsroom, but both were woefully misinformed regarding the University’s outing of students who illegally download. They call it “education,” but calling a dog’s tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg. Crank dat Bulldog Nation As the Soulja Boy phenomenon swept the nation, the University was not J] immune. While the football team , /k added to its appeal, many students I J +Z) felt the need to join in and show just how rhythm-less we all can be. Quote of the semester: “About two weeks ago, I said ‘when we score, if we don’t get a celebra tion penalty, I’m going to run every one of you at 5:45 in the morning.’ I just said we’ve got to have some passion here and if we have to cre ate it, we’re going to do it.” Coach Mark Richt reflecting on the celebra tion penalties after the first touchdown during the Georgia-Florida game. Our Staff NEWS: 706-433-3002 Newt Editor: Alexis Garrobo Associate News Editor: Melissa Weinman Sports Editor: Tyler Estep Variety Editor: Whitney Kessler First A Goal Editor: Phillip Kisubika Out A About Editor: Alec Wooden Photography Editor: Kelly Wegel Chief Photographer: Sara Guevara, Richard Hamm Chief Copy Editors: Christina Graff, Shannon Otto Design Editor: Melanie McNeely Online Editor: Paul Ruddle Online Project Specialist: Joe Mason Recruitment Editor: Lauren Leschper Editorial Cartoonist: Bill Richards Editorial Assistant: Claire Scully Editorial Adviser: Ed Morales News Staff Writers: Kristen Coulter, Carolyn Crist, Whitney Homans, Brian Hughes, Tom Marine, Claire Miter, Brian Mink, Pearman Parker, Samuel Steinberg, Sarah Watkins, Mandi Woodruff Sports Staff Writers: Jason Butt, Lawrence Conneff, Kevin Copp, Marshall Duncan, Robbins Exume, Adam Upper Variety Staff Writers: Tamara Best. Elizabeth Dillard, Charles Griffin, Jennifer Jackson, Anna Krakovski, Mandy Rodgers, Valentina Tapia Photographers: Mike Comer, liana McQuinn Design Desk: Courtney Chauvenne, Colin Dunlop, Lauren Edson, Katie Gasner, Lyndsay Hoban, Christina Lee, Cathryn Mclntosh, Darline Oyemakinwa. Lindsey Peacock, Caroline Ruse, Kristen Shaw, Jennifer Taylor, Ashley Twist Stringers: Rusty Bailey, Matt Barksdale, John Barrett. Aaron Barton, Kristen Boyd, Paul Cherian, Chelsea Cook, Jake Daniels, Ryne Dennis, Lindsay Dobras, Lindy Dugger Opinions expressed in The Red A Black other than unsigned editorials are the opinions of the writers of signed columns and not necessarily those of The Red and Bteck Publishing Company Inc. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of the editors. Editorial board members include Matt Brandenburgh, Jay Buber, Juanita Cousins, Matt Grayson, Jacquelyn Greenwood, Bill Richards, JoAnn Anderson. Reaching Us Phone (706) 433-3002 | Fax (706) 433-3033 opinions@randb.com | www.redandblack.com 540 Baxter St., Athens, Ga„ 30605 Letters should include name, year in school, hometown, phone number, major or job title or other appropriate identification. Letters should be no more than 150 words. All letters are subject to editing for length, style and libelous material. Holly Ellington, Frannie Fabian, Jenna Findlan, Melissa Garza, Tyler Goforth, Sara Goodman, Lauren Grundhoefer, Cameron Hubbard, Sarah King, Waites Laseter, Rene Lautenschlager, Lauren Leighton. Julie Leung, Jenna Martin, Joe Mason, Seth McKetvey, Colter McWhorter, Julia Norman, Sara Osteen, Nick Passarello, Jennifer Paxton, Diana Perez, Denechia Powell, Samantha Promisloff, Clarke Schwabe, Julia Sevy, Colin Smith, Harrison Wagener, Marlee Waxelbum, Rachel Webster, Emily Yocco Copy Editors: Angela Burch, Elizabeth Fuller, Tiffany Howard. Meridith Moon, Tiago Moura, Anna Rodriguez, Tahni Segars, Kelly Shaul, Erin Summerlin ADVERTISING: 706-433-3001 Account Executives: Abby Ammons. Rachel Causey. Irena Chernova, Tyler English, Jennifer Mendel, Chris Merville, Lindsay Nichols, Amanda Ryan. Valerie Traber, Julie Turner Classified Manager: Enn Beasley Classified Adviser: Amanda Goforth Advertising Assistant: Ryan Roddenberry. Diana Young Advertising Director: Rick Chapman Web Developer: Nikita Smeshko Production Staff: Gary Bardizbanian, Julie Leung, Leske Mintz Production Night Supervisor: Chris Lee Production Manager: Sam Pittard Receptionist: Erin Beasley Assistant Office Manager: Lauren Albert Office Manager: Mary Straub Publisher: Harry Montevideo The Red 4 Black is published Monday through Friday fan and spring semesters and each Thursday summer semester, except holidays and exam periods, by The Red & Black Publishing Company Inc., a non-profit campus newspaper not affiliated with the University of Georgia. Subscription rate: $195 per year Opinions - . / 'iES, V*BN'A, THEKt K SfWTK CUtiS. NNDVENbWS ffiWJc* \ U£6NuMfIO(WtEVES m \ MVN&tf6 OUR BOKtQS To TBfftoßtZE ) *SO AN£> VOUR FAMILY. / New Orleans reeks of injustice Oh my god, it smells like shit,” I said as I stepped out of the cab and onto Decatur Street in New Orleans’s historic French Quarter. I hadn’t been in the city more than an hour and already I was confronted with a horrendous odor. It was one so powerful I never thought I’d get used to it. It was the kind that brings tears to your eyes and makes you pity other people on the street who are breathing the same foul air. Surprisingly, after about three minutes in the pungent aroma, I adapt ed. Good thing too, I was about to spend the next five days in this city with my graduate health and medical journalism class. We’d be covering a major medical convention as well as interviewing health officials as they attempt to rebuild New Orleans’ broken health care sys tem. While there, I found how woefully ignorant I was of the situation in one of America’s greatest cit ies. FEMA trailer parks still litter the landscape; entire fields exist where houses used to sit and a health care facility sits in an abandoned Wal-Mart parking lot. These were not signs of the rebirth I heard New Orleans already experi enced. To call towers or trash outside gutted hous es “piles of progress,” as one of our tour guides did, was an overstatement. As we continued our tour, I was shocked at the stories of how the people felt they had been abandoned by their government. “How can this be? How was I so out of tune with Mailbox E-mail and letters from our readers Knowshon a ‘hero’ for young children My hero is Knowshon Moreno. He is a really good student and makes really good grades. When ever he comes out on the field, if you look at his hel met, he probably has some black bones because of school. The white bones are for games, touchdowns and stuff like that. He is a good athlete. He has good footwork. He can do amazing stuff. When you think he is gonna get tackled, the next thing you know he gets out of the big mess and scores. When they blow the whistle and say they got a touchdown everybody’s like, “How did he do that?” He is also good at catching the ball and can juke. He is good at running the ball. A lot of the time he gets four or five yards. Sometimes he gets 45 to 60 yards. When he scores, he makes me laugh when he does his pose and when he does that hand clappy thing with someone else. He could run for a mile just to score. Sometimes, he gets more than 160 rushing yards a game. I wanna grow up and be like him. That is why he is my hero. MATTHEW HAMIL 10 years old, Dawsonville Colin Dunlop ▲ “But we move on - we get used to the smell of injus tice, heartbreak and hurt. ” the situation?” Because I, like many, got used to the stench. In the direct aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we were glued to our TVs and computers. We couldn’t believe what we saw. It even brought tears to our eyes. But we move on we get used to the smell of injustice, heartbreak and hurt. In our busy lives and news cycles, we forget that we used to live in a world without that particular smell. We students have par ticularly short memories. There are thousands of volunteer opportunities in NOLA, and unless they make a Facebook applica tion for it, I honestly doubt many of us will do any thing at all. How do I know this? Because I am guilty of it, too. I am guilty of being caught up in my own life of school, work and a little too much play time. There’s nothing wrong with being self-involved, but it is a sign of our gen eration to get totally Sorority brings programs to Univ. (In response to the Dec. 5 “Sorority returns to make fresh start”) Thank you to the mem bers of the Greek commu nity and students who showed their support to the Eta Xi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. on Wednesday afternoon. However, I never spoke with a Red & Black reporter about hazing and was incorrectly quoted. I would like to empha size that Alpha Kappa Alpha is dedicated to ser vice to all mankind. The Eta Xi Chapter is known - for its MiAKA (Men Interested in AKA) Date Auction to benefit Dance Marathon and other char ities. Our other traditional events include the Pink Ice Ball and the Mr. Esquire Pageant. We look forward to bringing these programs and community service projects back to the University and Athens-Clarke County. Expect to see waves of pink and green. ALEXANDRA ROBINSON Senior, Atlanta Alpha Kappa Alpha President Red&Black Am mdepemdemt student nev spaper serrtnff the Iniversxty of Georgia community ESTABLISHED lift. INDEPENDENT M*l worked up about some thing that we can’t help but do absolutely nothing. We don’t vote (see presidential or even Student Government Association elections), we don’t generally protest in mass (see the relatively small crowds at the arch every now and again) and we don’t question those in power (see dismal atten dance at Open Mic with Mike). We seem to be there iri spirit, but we never breath deep enough get a good whiff of the not-so-fresh air that makes us truly jump into action. At the end of this month, we as University students have a special opportunity. As the football team travels to New Orleans to face Hawai’i in the Sugar Bowl, many of the Bulldog faithful will follow for what most likely will be Fall Break H. But I beg you, my fel low students, do not waste your time in one of America’s greatest cities. Move beyond the borders of the French Quarter and see the Ninth Ward, Charity Hospital and St. Bernard Parish. Stop by Southern University of New Orleans and see alu minum trailers serving as classrooms and FEMA trailers doubling as dorms. If you take an extra day and drive around, I prom ise you’ll be heartened by the stories of progress from residents and pro foundly disappointed with how little help they’ve got ten from the rest of us. Colin Dunlop is a page designer for The Red & Black. Coaches’ bias aids poll choices Tyler Estep’s Dec. 5 “Coaches should avoid team bias” was clearly an opinion piece. The bot tom line is that yes, there always is going to be bias. Do you think the for mer players, coaches and media members that com pose the Harris poll don’t have bias? Coaches also are busy to watch all the college games and must use what they see on the field and read the statistics on Saturday night to make their choices. If Coach Richt had put Georgia third and it turned out that it could have played in the BCS title game if he’d voted them second, we’d be all over him. Give Hawai’i some props for going unde feated it’s not the players’ fault they play in the WAC. Be glad the BCS isn’t all computers. Virginia Tech, which lost to LSU by 41 points, aver aged first in the computer poll, and explaining why that is would take anoth er letter. ANDREW TYNDALL Senior, Lawrenceville Political Science Jacquelyn Greenwood A Texan trades in her boots for Georgia Being from Texas is not a small ordeal. It’s a legacy, an honor, a bragging right. When I decided to write an opinions col umn about my experi ence “abroad,” I felt obligated as a Texan to explain that no other state not even Georgia can compare. You might argue that it’s been my calling since birth to enlighten all non-natives about the grandeur of Texas. I grew up wearing red and black for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, not for the Bulldogs, and I come from a family that knows nothing about Georgia and everything about the Lone Star State. Before putting pen to paper for this column, I had a mental list going of all things unique only to Texas: home of the rodeo, Dr. Pepper, Anna Nicole, its indisputable size, its world-renowned Tex-Mex, barbeque and that little trivia bit about Texas being the only state to also have been its own nation. However, I spent the vast majority of my Thanksgiving holiday wishing I was back in Georgia, and since then, the idea of embellishing Texas to an audience of Georgians has seemed less and less appealing. The truth is, Ray Charles had it right when he sang, “just an old sweet song, keeps Georgia on my mind.” With Christmas break approaching quickly, I am reminded that my time in Athens is coming to an end, and by May it will be over. Out of respect for the Peach State, instead of making this article about why Texas super sedes all, I would like to make it about the quali ties of Georgia that Texas cannot dominate. Here are the things I will miss most about Georgia: Georgia has the friendliest people. In Texas they say “Howdy” and “Hey y’all” to strangers, but in Georgia they have a whole cul ture of Southern hospi tality that ranges from everyday social graces to good-mannered bar eti quette. The people here aren’t just nice, they’re neighborly. Georgia has the pret tiest country. In Georgia, you’re never far from a coastline, a lake, the mountains or the low lands. And you’ve never seen redder clay or a greener pine tree than in the Peach State. Georgia’s got soul. If tacos and beer in Texas are analogous to sweet tea and Weaver D’s in Georgia, then soul food must be one of God’s gifts from Heaven. Georgia has the proudest history. I thought I was from “the South,” but I thought wrong. From the Civil War to the Civil Rights era, Georgia boasts a long legacy of true Southern heritage. Athens is the liveliest college town. There’s no doubt about it that Athenians have spirit. The music, the bars and the energy rival anything I’ve ever seen. When I went to the blackout game against Auburn, the football heat took my breath away. This is Bulldog country. May all others exalt the Georgia Bulldogs, and glory, glory. Jacquelyn Greenwood is a senior from Austin, Texas, and a student member of The Red & Black editorial board.

Georgia Historic Newspapers

The Red and Black (Athens, Ga.) 1893-current, December 07, 2007, Page 4A, Image 4