Newspaper Page Text
Graduate student dies of unknown cause
Univ. recognizes
master’s degree
By JULIA SEVY
The Rki> & Black
University graduate student
Andrew Taylor Mason, 24, died
Dec. 5, shortly before his sched
uled graduation.
Prior to his death, he com
pleted almost all of the require
ments for his master’s degree in
the College of Education’s
Instructional Design and
RICHARD HAMM The Hep a Black
▲ Athens-Clarke County Fire and Rescue officials search for missing graduate student Cayle By water at Memorial Park Friday. By water was last
seen Saturday, Dec. 29, walking her dog at the park, and she was reported missing Monday, Dec. 31.
MISSING: Search for student
‘expanding’ with volunteers
► From Page 1
Clarke County Police
Department said in a tele
phone interview there was
no sign of forced entry or
struggle at Bywater’s
home.
“We are not ruling out
anything there are just a
lot of factors we don't know
because there is no trail to
follow everything was
left at the house." Smith
said.
"We have been talking to
people at the park who saw
her on the 29th. Small bits
of information may seem
unimportant, but we may
be able to put them
together and establish
TELENOVELA: Indie-pop pair rises
to unexpected fame with music
► From Page 1
But neither Smola nor
Clayton expected to be
recognized, or to be known
as a band at all.
"We’re both really kind
of shocked," Smola said.
"It was almost more like a
hobby. We never planned
on playing live until we
were asked to play for
WUOG Live in the
Lobby.’”
Noah Koon, a senior
and cellular biology.
Japanese and history
from Lilbum, has
been a friend of Smola
since his freshman year of
college. He said he remem
bers the first CD
Telenovela recorded in
Smola’s bedroom.
“They played it for me
in a portable CD (player)
in the parking lot of Agua
Linda. (Zach) acted as if
he never intended for any
one besides his friends to
hear, but we were all
amazed at just how great
and different each song
was.”
Music has always been
a part of Smola’s life, he
said. Both he and Clayton
had many musical friends
in high school, which led
them to each other.
“The starting point was
music from the ’6os and
’7os,” Smola said. “And
also Brazilian music. Our
sound reflects what we lis
ten to, and we like to play
with detailed recordings.”
Koon describes the
music as darkly cynical
pop songs about love, din
ers and the American
dream.
“I once heard someone
call them cuddle-core,” he
said. “Although Zach
described their later songs
as ‘dad-rock.’”
About a week before the
band began. Smola said.
Development program. He was
preparing to graduate on Dec.
15.
Because of his preparations,
the University agreed to honor
his family's request to grant
him a posthumous degree.
The cause of Mason’s death
remains unknown.
After his parents had not
heard from him for several days,
they called the security officer
for his Baxter Drive apartment
complex, Athens-Clarke County
Coroner Bobby Tribble said in a
telephone interview.
Mason was found dead in the
bathroom of his apartment.
a timeline.”
Volunteers hung flyers
with Bywater’s picture
around Athens. Those who
knew Bywater mentioned
her work at NuQi's Space
and love for her dog.
"She used to come to
the dog park to walk Oliver,
especially in the last year
and a half.” Christopher
Weaver, a volunteer, said.
“We saw a lot of each other,
but she became busy and
came less often.”
Bywater’s/parents are
staying in her home and
caring for Oliver as the
search for their daughter
continues.
Family members, law
enforcement, volunteers
he and Clayton began dat
ing. Smola admits that
their relationship compli
cates things sometimes.
“In any business with a
friend or someone closer to
you, you have to treat the
band as a separate busi
ness.” he said.
“The biggest difficulty is
that we are less produc
tive. Sometimes when we
are supposed to be record
ing, we decide to go watch
a movie instead.”
Clayton said she views
their relationship as a kind
of Venn diagram.
“We both love music, we
s useoi
NEWS & VARIETY
where he lived alone.
The results of the toxicology
tests taken by the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation Crime
Lab are still pending, Tribble
said. Because there was no
hint of foul play or criminal
intent, Tribble said that the
results could take several
months to process.
Mason graduated from
Brookstone School in Columbus
in 2002 and earned his under
graduate degree from Florida
State University. He wrestled
in high school, won awards for
his knowledge in Latin and also
enjoyed the outdoors, comedy,
and Bywater’s dog have
been searching the area
around her home, focusing
on Memorial Park.
Authorities searched the
woods of the park, lake and
the trails near the
Intramural Fields at the
University.
"We were hoping maybe
she would turn up, and at
this point, we are expand
ing our search,” said Sgt.
Brad Collinsworth of the
ACCPD.
Anyone with informa
tion is asked to contact
ACC Police Central
Communications at (706)
613-3345 or Det. Dustin
Smith at (706) 613-3888,
ext. 795.
both love each other, and
at times those two things
affect one another,” she
said.
As for the future, Smola
hopes to play more and
send out more demos.
“We'd still like to con
tinue making music
together for as long as we
are able,” Clayton said.
The next live perfor
mances both in Athens
and in Atlanta should be
in February, both said.
“I’m always hesitant,
but I think we are getting
more ambitious,” Smola
said.
music and art, according to an
obituary in the Columbus
Ledger-Enquirer.
In an online guestbook dedi
cated to Mason’s memory, fami
ly and friends describe him as
polite, friendly and bright.
“He was one of those gentle
souls,” Gwynn Powell, an asso
ciate , professor who worked
with Mason, said in a telephone
interview.
“I was so impressed with his
creativity and his ideas.”
Tina Harkness, a fellow grad
uate student in the same pro
gram as Mason, had taken sev
eral classes with him over the
Whistlebuiy • WhMlebuiy Walk • Waterford Place
Z 3, 4 IVP
♦ ♦
CONDOMINIUMS
Luxury Suites
Now Leasing for tall 2008
UNITED AVAILABILITY HURRY IN!
• Walk to campus & downtown
• Townhomes & flats
• Laminated hardwood flooring
• Ceiling fans V
• Monitored alarms
• Washer / Dryer
• All kitchen appliances
• ENERGY Efficient
For leasing information call:
Whistlebury Whistlebury Walk & Waterford
543-0320 353-2077
The Red & Black | Monday, January 7, 2008
past year and a half and worked
with him on their final.group
project. In a telephone inter
view, she described Mason as a
great teammate with a wide
range of skills.
“He would do anything for
you if you asked,” she said. “He
was very much a fun-loving
guy who wanted to experience
life.”
He is survived by his parents
Marsha and Clifford Mason, sib
lings Ansley Forsberg (Thomas),
Eliza and Patrick, and dog Cole.
His funeral was Dec. 8 at St.
Luke United Methodist Church
in Columbus.
gg
5