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\ - JAHAMF Volume 56 - issue 3 The O.C. brings new nightlife to Carrollton By Stephanie Pauli Staff Writer span 111 @my. westga.edu Just recently 1 set loot inside T.C. Rose for the first time since its renovations, and I couldn't believe it was the same place. It is now known as Off Campus Bar and Grill not to be confused with Off Campus Spirits located across the street, both located at the comer of Alabama Street and Columbia Drive. Hardly anything is the same inside anymore. The floor and the walls are all concrete instead of wood and carpet. The NASCAR inspired artwork has been replaced with brightly colored paintings. And the back bar near the game room is no longer a bar, but open space that leads to a back See oc page 2 UWG Advanced Academy puts new twist on high school By Tracy Ammons Staff Writer tammonsl @my.westga.edu Twelve years ago, 21 high school students said good-bye to lockers, hall passes, and the prom. They packed their things and moved into a college residence hall. They began a trek through the University of West Georgia—and they sowed the seeds for a nationally recognized gifted program. Today, their legacy is the Advanced Academy of Georgia—one of nine programs in the United States that allows gifted When vending machines attack By Dana Edwards Staff Writer dedwardl @my.westga.edu Ever had a vending machine steal money? What about trying to get a free soda by giving the machine a punch to its’ robotic belly? For as long as there have been hungry and thirsty patrons, there have been vending machines. However, when a person gets angry at lost money or food, some try to fight back by rocking the machine. Many go as far as to tilt it over. It seems harmless, but these actions have resulted in 37 deaths and 113 injuries since 1978, according to the See Vending page 2 the West Georgian jEfefefjg^ Photo hx Josh Grubb Every morning students anxiously line the parking lots waiting for spots to clear, with the TLC lot (above) among the most popular. The UWG Parking and Transportation Survey is now available online so that students can voice their opinions and a solution can be found. students to earn college and high school credit simultaneously in a full time residential program. The program has expanded since its establishment in 1995, and 98 students are currently enrolled. UWG President Dr. Beheruz Sethna initiated the Academy because he had experience with early entrance programs at universities in Texas and New' York. Because of his efforts, UWG is the only four year university in Georgia to offer an early entrance program. The Academy is comprised of students from all over the country Sudanese "Lost Boys" find home in America Compiled from staff reports Hunger. Thirst. Pain. Exhaustion. Death. These are not words we typically associate with children—but according to UWG guest speaker Mark Bixler, young boys in Sudan live these extremes first hand. “The Lost Boys of Sudan” are a group of thousands of children who walked hundreds of miles with nothing, from Sudan toward Ethiopia. Bixler who has been a journalist for 15 years specializes in immigrant and refugee writing, has been with the AJC since 1997 has been an editor for less than one year. His book, “The Lost Boys of Sudan: An American Story of In News drill 3®s lie Off Campus Bar & Orill WWW. i HEWESTtiEORGIAN.COM and the world. Students from Spain. South Korea, Russia, and Canada have all been a part of the program. Academy students are generally between ages 15 and 18. Most of these students reach a college junior status by age 18. “Icame to the Academy because I was extremely bored in high school; I had simply learned all that 1 could at the private school 1 attended,” said Kristen Matus, a second year Academy student from Canton, Ga. “1 was ready for something new, even if it meant leaving my home at the age of 15.” the Refugee Experience” tells their story. In 2001, the phone rang in the newsroom on the 6th floor of the AJC building in downtown Atlanta. A woman named Dee demon called and began telling Bixler about a group of young refugees who cannot return to their home country for they will face extreme persecution. “They would be persecuted for not what they’ve done but for who they are”, he said. Sudan is the largest country in Africa, bordered by Ethiopia and Egypt, and civil war has plagued the nation for years. War rages between the more educated northern region of Sudan, dominated by Arab See LOSt BOVS page 2 In Entertainment I k | * P H ||h' iJm- ' Ijß ML ft hmAvp' - ' pH LTOM Wk r Reviewing Wii games galour Academy students live in Gunn Hall, where 13 resident assistants coordinate social activities and community services. After-school tutoring at Carrollton middle and elementary schools, volunteering with the annual A-Day run, working with the Special Olympics and the Humane Society, and donating time to Habitat for Humanity and the Excel Center are just a few of the groups’ community service projects. Also, every March the Academy hosts the St. Pattie’s Day Cafe, where donated items and baked Dining Event of the Century Photo by Randie Mayo Hope Mullins and Sheena Daniell present their own crafted table at the Dining Experience. The show consisted of a variety of tables created by Interior Design students and was put together by associate professor, Sang Won Sohn. In Sports Intramural basketball kicks off in Campus Center Parking survey set to aid administration in finding new solutions By Lauren Kania Staff Writer uwg24 @y ahoo.com With all the new and exciting changes on our campusoverthe past few years, the one thing students want to change the most is parking. It is the main reason why students are late to class and the biggest cause of frustration on campus. In efforts to alleviate the problems with parking and transportation, the University is preparing to update its’ Facilities Master Plan, which will take a closer l<x)k at finding solutions to this never ending problem. The University has created a survey to give insight into the perceptions of the current parking situation and how it can improve. The UWG Parking and Transportation Survey, open to ail enrolled students, faculty, staff and community members, is now goods are auctioned off. The group has earned between S4OO and S9OO over the past years with this event, and each year the money is given to a local charity. “The kids come for an academic experience, but they actually love the community we create in Gunn Hall,” Susan Colgate, director of the Academy said. “They have the best of both worlds, both academically and in the residence halls.” Eligibility for the Academy requires a minimum SAT verbal score of 580 and at least 530 for math, but the In Opinion NEA’s censorship of the arts WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 31. 2007 available online at www. zoomerang.com/survey. zgi?p=WLB2263AAPNBJD. The survey will be available until Friday, Feb. 2. Along with the survey, a committee comprised of faculty, staff, students and community members will give UWG students the opportunity to have their voices heard. 3Tie Parking Committee has planned two open town hall meetings, which will take place on Monday Feb, 12 at 3:30 p.m. in TLC 1303 and Tuesday Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. in TLC 1301. These meetings will let students learn more about the current situations and help committee members strategize ways to improve the problem. “I think the open town hall meeting is a great idea and will give See Parking page 2 combined score must be at least 1150. Students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA. The application process involves several student essays, two teacher recommendations, and an interview. Academy students leave high school far behind, and they step into a bigger, more challenging world. And though homesickness is sure to take its toll, in the end, UWG becomes home for the students. “We create a family like atmosphere,” Colgate said. “High school becomes less important as time goes on.”