Newspaper Page Text
Page 2
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
NEWS IN A
IHJIIKY
Freshmen
learn civility
The University of
West Georgia is welcoming
its freshman class this
year with a schedule
that includes a study in
civility.
The UWG Civility
Project is an innovative
approach to bringing a
spirit of cooperation and
understanding to students
and the campus.
The project centers
on the book. Choosing
Civility:Twenty-Hve Rules
of Considerate Conduct.
Written by P.M. Fomi,
professor and cofounder
of The John Hopkins
Civility Project at John
Hopkins University, the
text is required reading for
freshmen and will be used
by teachers as a resource
to emphasize the tenants
of thoughtful behavior,
communication skills,
common respect and
decency.
How students
present themselves,
their interaction with
others and what sort of
expectations they bring
to their new environment
are all helped through a
better understanding of
civility, said Dr. Jane Hill,
professor and chair of the
Department of English.
Hill is chairing the UWG
Civility Project.
“From my
perspective, the program
allows both faculty and
students to have clearer
expectations of how we
The Rant & Rave!
“Are all classes cancelled this Friday so
we can go and see Snakes on a Plane?”
If you have pressing
questions like the one
above, send them to us at
uwgpaper@westga.edu
Sudan prepares for
peace amid conflict
By Tim Sowers
Staff Writer
tsowersl @my.westga.edu
Sudan has been getting
much attention in the news
on and off for some time.
The crisis there has
many people concerned
becauseofthedisplacement
of many people and the
mass killings and rapes
that have occurred.
This May, a peace
agreement between the
Sudan government and the
largest of the rebel groups,
the Sudan Liberation
Army, made many hope
for a reduction in tensions.
Two major rebel
groups have yet to sign the
Darfur Peace Agreement.
The agreement has
not eliminated all violence
however as this past month
has seen 200 rapes in
should negotiate the many
complicated interchanges
we have among ourselves
each and every day,” said
Hill. “By having incoming
students exposed to a text
that raises questions about
how humans can most
successfully participate
in a community, we have
automatically created first
year students more prepared
for our environment than
ever before.”
Fomi wrote the book
to gently persuade the
average citizen that “good
manners aren’t just good
for others—they are good
for us, too.”
Messages and rules
such as “think twice before
asking for favors,” “refrain
from idle complaints” and
“respect one another’s
space” head chapters filled
with advice, wisdom and
common sense.
The book is not a
required text in any of the
freshman classes but will be
available more as a tool for
faculty in the classroom.
Choosing Civility
teaches students how to
negotiate the tricky terrain
of the transition from high
school to college.
Fomi w ill be visiting the
UWG campus in March as a
guest lecturer on civility.
For more information
on the UWG project and
Choosing Civility, go to
http://www.westga.edu/
-bigbook.
Faculty shows
off art work
The Department of Art
at the University of West
Georgia is hosting a faculty
exhibit this month in two
galleries in the Humanities
refugee camps and at least
10 killed from groups in
Sudan to offer aide.
Jendayi Frazer, U.S.
Assistant Secretary of
State for African Affairs,
has said that a U.N. force
will be needed to prevent
a renewed outbreak of
violence.
Violence in Sudan
started three years ago
between ethnic African
groups and an Arab
controlled government.
Since then, the central
government has been
accused of supporting
militias called Janjaweed
which have been reported
to have committed the
numerous atrocities.
Many in the
international community
have leveled charges
of genocide against the
Sudanese government.
Building.
The show will
close with a reception
from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on
Thursday, Aug. 31, in the
Main Gallery.
Faculty members
exhibiting their work are
Kevin Shunn, interim chair
and associate professor
of art; Dr. David Webster,
Debrah Santini, Perry
Kirk, Ozzie Lee Binion
and David Collins,
associate professors of
art; Sangwon Sohn, Clint
Samples and Eilis Crean,
assistant professors of art;
Stephanie Smith, gallery
coordinator and temporary
assistant professor; Angela
Turbeville, temporary
assistant professor of art;
and Kevin Rutherford, a
temporary' instructor.
The exhibit is a
free event. For more
information, call (678)
839-6521.
Observatory
set to open
The University of
West Georgia’s observatory
will open its doors to the
public for a viewing of the
celestial skies at 9:30 p.m.,
Monday. Aug. 28.
The West Georgia
Observatory, located off
Plant Op Drive on the
UWG campus, will be
open to the public once a
month through May when
the skies are clear.
The observatory
features a Cassegrain
reflecting telescope with a
mirror whose diameter is
14 inches.
Stargazers will be
treated to spectacular
views of stars, moons and
However, it is
believed that both sides
have committed atrocities.
Frazer is scheduled
to make a trip to Sudan
in an effort to help reduce
violence and open the
way for international
involvement in the region
to maintain peace.
The African Union has
already sent 7,000 troops
to the region of Darfur
in hopes of stopping the
violence but has had little
success so far.
Frazer hopes that by
the end of the month a
U.N. resolution will be
in place to send in U.N
peacekeepers.
Frazer also hopes that
there will be a possibility
to integrate some 5,000
African Union soldiers
into a joint U.N.-African
Union force.
planets, but rumors of
Mars having another close
encounter with the earth
are not true, according to
Dr. Bob Powell, director
of the observatory and
professor and chair of the
Department of Physics.
“Both Mars and the
Earth orbit the Sun in
elliptical orbits,” said
Powell.
“They are relatively
close to each other when
Mars is at its closest point
to the sun, which occurs
about every two years.
This month. Mars will be
more distant from the earth
than the sun. But, everyone
is invited to come to the
observatory’ to enjoy other
celestial objects.”
The community is
invited to the viewings,
which are free and
scheduled on the following
dates: Aug. 28, 9:30 to
10:30 p.m.. Sept. 25, 9
p.m. to 10 p.m., Oct. 30, 7
p.m.to 8 p.m., Nov. 27, 7
p.m. to 8 p.m., Dec. 11,7
p.m. to 8 p.m., Jan. 22, 7
p.m. to 8 p.m., Feb. 26, 7
p.m. to 8 p.m., March 12,
8 p.m. to 9 p.m., April 23,
9 p.m. to 10 p.m.. May 1,9
p.m. to 10 p.m.
For more information
or to schedule a special
viewing for a group
or organization, call
Powell (678) 839-4095
or send an email to
bpowell@westga.edu.
Earth day
raises energy
awareness
Earth Day 2006 at the
University of West Georgia
raised energy conservation
awareness and a donation
to the Ferst Foundation for
INTIBTftIMR
continued from page 7
own worst critic or you think you're too
good.”
Before he started his own shows,
Daniels competed in Elvis competitions.
He has gotten to perform in many
places. In Vegas, he performed with
Elvis Presley’s original backup singers.
The Jordanaires.
From international competitions out
of Vegas and Memphis, he placed fourth
out of 200 people. He holds the Georgia
state title as well.
Daniels does not compete anymore
because he wanted to do his own Elvis
shows. He says that competing in shows
got expensive and it is also hard work.
It is hard work because to perform
in the Elvis competitions, one has to
have a good voice. Daniels had to record
himself over and over to listen for Haws.
He listened for mistakes that he might not
have noticed before.
Accuracy was an important part of
the competitions. The hair had to be just
right as well as the uniform. The posture
of the body had to be perfect as well.
The judges listened for vocal range
and would look to see if the sideburns
were too long or too short on someone.
For the first year of competing, Daniels
was not winning anything. He said that he
learned from each of his competitions and
straightened up his details.
After two years of competing, he
starting winning a lot. He has enjoyed
his winnings, but he likes doing his
own Elvis shows now as well as hosting
karaoke.
At the present time, Daniels’ weekly
schedule keeps him busy because he does
karaoke, for which he goes by the name
of DJ Rice.
On Mondays, he is at Island Flavas
in Douglasville. Tuesdays, one can
find him at Gipsons, which is located in
Douglasville as well.
Wednesdays, he is in Carrollton at
Childhood Literacy.
A can recycling
competition at the UWG
Earth Day event raised $ 148
for the Ferst Foundation.
The foundation
delivers a hardbound book
each month to children
from birth to five-years-old
at no cost to the families.
Participants in the Earth
Day check presentation
included Tracy Stallings,
a consultant to Southwire,
an Earth Day sponsor;
Lauren Kania, UWG Earth
Day 2006 coordinator and
UWG student; Wesley
Kirkbride, Delta Chi
president at UWG; Martha
Ann Saunders, a Carroll
County Community Action
Team (CAT) member; and
Dr. Ron Reigner, UWG
professor of curriculum
and instruction and CAT
member. Last year, the
foundation delivered free
books to more than 13,000
children in Georgia
Head of tech
institutes
visits UWG
The University of West
Georgia received visitors
from the National Kinmen
Institute of Technology in
Taiwan.
Chung-JuFan,assistant
professor, and Chin-Cheng
Lee, president of KMIT,
visited with acting UWG
President Thomas J. Hynes
and toured the campus.
Hynes accepted several
gifts from Lee on behalf of
the university including a
hand painted ceramic vase.
An agreement
was signed to continue
diplomatic and academic
communications between
UWG and the institute.
Mellow Mushroom on Maple Street.
On Thursdays, he is at Taco Mac in
Douglasville. He can be found at Lake
Billiards, in Woodstock, on Fridays and
Saturdays. Sundays are his only days off
to rest. He also attends school in Lithonia
and is pursuing a degree in Theology.
Daniels has also had his “15
minutes of fame” so to speak, in the film
industry, doing a couple of Elvis related
documentaries.
He was also an extra in the television
miniseries, “Andersonviile," which aired
on TBS.
When asked why he decided to
move down to Georgia to work in the
entertainment business instead of doing
it in California, his reply was that “there
were more lucrative opportunities in
living conditions, and it was easier to
get started.”
Daniels might seem like a busy
man but he is never too busy for his
three children. Laurent, 10, Shacora, 7
and Rondell, 4, all are an important part
of Daniels’ life.
Laurent can usually be seen at
karaoke in Carrollton on Wednesdays.
Who knows, maybe Laurent w ill follow
in his fathers footsteps.
This past semester, Daniels worked
with Residence Life at the University of
West Georgia to host an end of the year
celebration with the University Suites
and Watson resident halls.
Many students came for food and
to sing some karaoke. It was easily the
best event of the year because it was a
great turn out.
Daniels agreed to work with the
school even after being asked a week in
advance.
It seems that Daniels has done it
all. He said that it has been great so far
because of the places he has been and
the people he has met.
“It has been a fun adventure so far
and I look forward to many more.”
If you are interested in having
Daniels host a karaoke event, call (404)
281-5050.
(Fife Ifleat tfn'urqiuu
Lambda meets
tonight
Lambda will hold a
meeting tonight in Pafford
Room 302 at 7 p.m.
Everyone is invited to
attend. Lambda is UWG’s
only GLBT group on
campus.
In the summer, the
group wen to Atlanta to
participate in the Gay
Pride march.
The group also holds
events to raise awareness
of issues in the gay
community.
International
scoop begins
its run
Beginning this issue
The West Georgian will
help create Cultural
Awareness by sharing
stories of international
studuents with the UWG
community.
They will talk
about adjustments to
the American life, their
cultures, special skills
that they possess and lots
more. It is a big effort on
their part to come forward
and help us w'ith this
endeavor and we would
like to thank them for their
contributions.
If you have traveled
or studied abroad and
have similar or different
experiences, funny or
overwhelming stories to
share please feel free to
come forward and share
your experiences with us.
If you are interested in
sharing your experiences
with the newspaper, contact
Mariam Abuhaideri at
mabuhaideri@yahoo.com.