Volume XLLLV. Issue VI January 27, 2010 Oglethorpe University

THE STORMY PETRELTHE STORMY PETREL

Amanda SerfozoNews Editor

! e Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has rea" rmed Oglethorpe University’s accreditation for a ten year period, as of the December 8, 2009, decision. ! e university remained fully accredited throughout the SACS time of review, and the committee has deemed Oglethorpe’s positive growth trends and more # scally responsible # nancial factors major points of interest in their thumbs-up decision. ! e “warning status” was # rst delivered in 2007, with regular intervals of meetings, reports, and resubmissions to SACS. ! e compliance issues were focused primarily on the Oglethorpe budget –unchecked spending combined with students’ inability to pay for tuition led to long term, pervasive debt. Although the accreditation agency has cleared Oglethorpe for the next ten years, the three years it has been in review count towards that long-term agreement. ! erefore, the university will have seven years of periodical checks, but nothing to the magnitude of attention the community has been facing. Oglethorpe University President Lawrence Schall ended 2009 with a

“nearly $1.5 million surplus,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ! e university projects an equally positive trajectory in 2010. Another point of pride for the administration lies in the boosted enrollment growth, which measured approximately 5% since 2005 and retention rates. Additionally, fundraising and more active admissions recruitment played critical roles in determining the rea" rmation status. Professor, faculty, and sta$ pay cuts, along with retirement (401K) plans, were revoked last year. ! ese packages have now been reinstated for the upcoming # scal year. “We are grati# ed that SACS has con# rmed both the academic and # nancial strength of the university,” President Schall said in an immediate press release following the announcement. “Oglethorpe continues to provide a superb education because of its outstanding and dedicated faculty.” Oglethorpe University Dean of Students Timothy Doyle remembered the moment he heard the news last month. “It was a culmination of relief and excitement,” he said. “! e real electric surge came from knowing that the sacri# ces, # scal responsibility, and overall tightening up of our budget had paid o$ .”

SACS, in its university-wide review, gave Oglethorpe the nod to put into e$ ect the new Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) proposed and implemented by Dean Doyle, Student A$ airs, Residence Life, and the administration. ! e program highlights the importance of teaching within communities, speci# cally targeting students that live together for more intellectually stimulating environments. Additionally, the QEP program requires Petrel Points and freshman experiential programs. Although Oglethorpe is cleared of magni# ed cause for concern by the accreditation agency, Doyle notes that # scal austerity and responsible budgeting will be the adopted status quo in the community. “We’ve emerged from this long-term situation with a signi# cant amount of discipline,” he said. “We now know how to have accounting systems controlled, maintenance to the plan we’ve created, and a sense of grati# cation that comes with weathering out the storm together.” Doyle also noted that the “external validation” of SACS’ oversight played a role in motivating the university to become more vigilant about spending. “Now that we’ve got the go-ahead, we

can start putting our e$ orts into bene# cial programs for the campus – improvement, activities, student support, alumni giving, culminating in a new capital campaign that makes sure our cash % ow remains constant. One of those programs comes in the expansion of the new intercollegiate lacrosse team beginning next year. Additionally, the O" ce of Admissions continues to recruit students regionally and nationally, sending representatives to high schools in neighboring states in hopes of attracting new attention – without the issue of accreditation in the background. “I’m personally proud of this Student A$ airs o" ce, the administrators on campus, along with the students and faculty who’ve made this campus stronger than ever in the midst of the SACS review,” Doyle reiterated. “! e community should be thrilled with its performance.”

Editor’s note: In previous coverage of the SACS accreditation issue, ! e Stormy Petrel implied that Oglethorpe University had its accreditation suspended while on probation. ! is was not the case. Oglethorpe University remained fully accredited throughout the entire process. We sincerely regret the error.

Oglethorpe breathes sigh of relief at SACS decision

OU: Please help HaitiOn January 12, disaster struck Haiti in the form of a 7.0 earthquake that ripped through its capitial, Port-au-Prince.

Over 3 million people were a! ected and need immediate help.

Even if you don’t have much cash, please consider donating $10 to the American Red Cross by texting “Haiti” to 90999.

Check out Creative Loa" ng and the AJC for news on what Atlanta is doing to help.

Photo courtesy of telegraph.co.uk Photo courtesy of cbc.ca

Life in the BubbleJanuary 27, 2010 T!" S#$%&' P"#%"( BUBBLE 2

Kenya AdeolaSta! Writer

For the past several years, Oglethorpe students have gone to New Orleans in lieu of spending winter and spring breaks with their family and friends. ! is year was no di$ erent.

Habitat for Humanity has built 264 homes for victims, and another 44 homes are still under construction. Habitat has also provided 25,000 vehicles for the people, gutted 3,000 homes, and has founded a health clinic and woman’s shelter, a free legal clinic and ! e Lower Ninth Ward Urban Farming Coalition, which ensures food security and environmental responsibility within urban agriculture.

! e Saint Bernard Project has also contributed greatly to the e$ orts of recovering the city of New Orleans. Since the storm, the Saint Bernard Project has built a total of 245 houses and 40 houses remain under construction. In order to rebuild a house, it takes $15,000 and 12 weeks of construction. However, because over 75% of those in need do not have the funds to initiate a rebuild, about 1,000 families remain displaced in St. Bernard Parish and about 13,000 families are still without homes in New Orleans.

! is year’s alternative winter break trip to New Orleans was Oglethorpe’s ninth trip to to the area and the seventh

break organized by the CCE. ! is year, 29 students, 4 sta$ members, and one former Americorp member loaded three white vans in preparation for the eight hour drive to Arabi, Louisiana to help Habitat for Humanity build a home. In order to participate in this trip students had to pay a fee of $125, a fraction of the total cost of the trip. ! e Center for Civic Engagement supplements the cost to make it a$ ordable for that students to attend. In addition to the cost, students # ll out an application and commit to being alcohol free for an entire week. ! e students ranged from freshmen to seniors, and two international students chose to participate (including one who had never left the state of Georgia).

! is year, due to previous experiences, the CCE decided to take the group back to Camp Hope. Camp Hope is located in the St. Bernard Parish and can provide housing for up to 300 volunteers. During the week Oglethorpe was there the camp had just reopened at its new location, and had approximately 240 volunteers in residence.

Camp Hope was a wonderful place. ! e rooms were # lled with bunk beds. ! e showers were hot and the food was decent, which was di$ erent from previous years (as reported from students who attended the trip previously). ! ere was even a computer room to check your Facebook status and

Twitter account so that during the week in New Orleans students did not have to be completely cut o$ from the world. Some took a break from Facebook and decided to play cards or taboo. Taboo was quite popular among the students and really made the time pass by.

On Monday, Oglethorpe students spent the day cleaning out, reorganizing, and taking inventory of donated supplies that # lled up two trailers. Temperatures in the area droppedlower than they had in fourteen years.

Tuesday was the day that the group was assigned their house site. ! e site assigned was located in the upper ninth ward; technically speaking, it was the eighth, between Music Street and Derbigny Street. Students’ assignments ranged from putting siding on the house, building a porch, sawing, and insulation of # berglass, caulking, and chalking. From eight a.m. until around 3:45 p.m., the students and sta$ worked diligently on the house. All of the students seemed to be enjoying themselves, and everyone was in very high spirits.

Four long days were spent at that site, and in that time frame two robberies took place. ! e # rst incident was directed at one of the Oglethorpe vans. ! e glass was broken and several items were stolen a$ ecting eight students and one sta$ member. Another incident involved Pete,

the Habitat for Humanity construction site supervisor, whose truck was broken into while he was working on the site His laptop and several tools were stolen. Robberies are quite frequent and. according to CNN, since Hurricane Katrina hit, the city has the worse crime rate in the United States. However, not everyone in the city covets tourists or volunteers’ valuables. ! e Gibson family bought the entire group lunch because she was so grateful for what the house will do for the community. She wanted the volunteers to come back and to continue to volunteer knowing that not all people from New Orleans are bad people.

In just four days Oglethorpe students and sta$ sided an entire house, put # berglass insulation under the entire underside of a house, built the front porch, and corrected previous volunteers’ mistakes. Also, thanks went out to the O’dell’s, the parents of Oglethorpe sophomore Katie O’dell,who hosted all the students in their home for delicious food and good music.

For the big celebration dinner, which is at the conclusion of the trip, the group went to Praline Connection and enjoyed some traditional Cajun and Creole food.

Overall, the trip has had many positive e$ ects on students. If you are interested in volunteering, visit Habitat’s website www.habitat-nola.org.

Students donate winter break to Habitat for HumanityEditor: Madison Bopp

Gave all OU students free admission to plays put on by the ! eater Department.

Brought music, food, and activities at Quadfest.

Exercised brains with Trivia Night.

Funded awesome senior class events at Pub 71 and the Georgia Dome, a freshman class ice cream social, and sophomore and junior class dinner parties.

Resurrected Dead Day’s Eve, even without Dead Deay.

Funded the Stormy Petrel newspaper and magazines the Tower and Telefunkin’.

Partied with steel drum music and mocktails at Virgin Bourbon.

Paid for serious equipment and licensing fees for OU Radio.

Brought Chik-# l-a to the Battle of Bloody Marsh.

Got one hundred students free admission to the Oglethorpe Museum Gala after-party.Exercised brains with Trivia Night.

Brought excellent food, free drinks, and a Frank Sinatra sing-alike to Boar’s Head 2009.

Supported Oglethorpe’s student

organizations as they held movie nights and Jewbilees, hosted speakers and made student goodie bags, and helped OU students get active.

And, had peepholes installed in the Phase II doors.

! ere has also been a change in personnel in the Oglethorpe Student Association. Zach Nichols has completed all the classes he needs for his degree and is therefore considered graduated by the university. Although he is still taking one class this semester, his graduated status coupled with his part-time student state has rendered him ineligible to serve as student body president according to the Constitution. ! erefore, the new OSA president is senior Nathaniel Goldman,

formerly Executive Vice President in charge of Senate. Filling Goldman’s position as the Executive Vice President will be senior Sarah Pha$ , formerly Parliamentarian, and # lling the position of Parliamentarian will be senior Max Flick, formerly senior senator. Club leaders should note that proposal forms for Senate must now be submitted to Sarah Pha" (spha" @oglethorpe.edu). Also, after the resignation of junior Cli$ Foster as Treasurer due to his full-time accounting internship at Ernst and Young, senior Enrique Sanchez will be serving as Treasurer for the spring semester. OSA would like to extend its thanks to Zach and Cli$ for doing a fantastic job in the fall semester, and its congratulations to the new President, Executive Vice President, Parliamentarian and Treasurer.

Cool Stuff OSA did with YOUR Activity Fee!

Photo by Kenya Adeola

Staff The Stormy Petrel

Volume 45. Issue VI© 2009 The Stormy Petrel

Emerson Student Center3000 Woodrow Way, Box 450

Atlanta, GA 30319

Email: stormypetrel09@gmail.comOffice: (404) 364-8425

! e Stormy Petrel is the # nancially and editorially independent, student-run newspaper of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA. Opinions expressed are those of the authors, and are

not necessarily shared by the sta$ of ! e Stormy Petrel or of Oglethorpe University.

! e Stormy Petrel welcomes article submissions and proposals from all members of the Oglethorpe community, including Letters to the Editors. Editors reserve the right to edit for grammar, appropriateness and length. Please keep letters to under 500 words, and include a e-mail address of telephone number for veri# cation. Please submit letters by e-mail to stormypetrel@oglethorpe.edu or my campus mail to Box 450.

! e Stormy Petrel reserves the rights to all content as it appears in these pages or on our web site, and permission to reproduce material must be granted to the Editors-in-Chief.

3 BUBBLE T!" S#$%&' P"#%"( January 27, 2010

Madison BoppBubble Editor

Over the past two years, the student body has seen the dilapidation of Greek Row. Not the physical aspect of it – at least, not exlusively the physical aspect – but the social experiences, once held so dear in many an Oglethorpe student’s mind, have dimmed in recent memory. No more ! irsty ! ursdays, no Friday and Saturday night hangouts, no Sunday recoveries after weekend binge-drinking or gossiping over brunch. I cannot count the number of times I have heard the phrase, “Back in the day, Greek row used to be…”

I am guilty of this kind of talk. Freshman and sophomores may not know of the wonders that Greek Row used to hold in store, but I remember the Row of old. Dance parties used to go on until 3 in the morning – on school nights, no less – beer pong would run wild, people would make out in bathrooms. Many relationships were started on the Row. Inevitably, many ended there as well, sometimes resulting in a huge blowout that half the students would be able to witness. ! e weekly gossip was made, and heard, at that mythological place. I was surprised at the relative lack of social events when I arrived at Oglethorpe, but I was able to discover the wonders of the Row.

So, where did all this insanity escape to? No one can really explain this tragedy. ! e real question is, how are we going to get it back?

Since Greek Row has shrunk considerably in the past year or so, options are limited. However, some of the students have taken it upon themselves to spread the word, through text and Facebook messaging, that they desire the return of the row and all the shenanigans that come along with it. ! is past weekend, my phone was lit up with texts that were sent explaining that Greek Row had returned.

My heart grew two sizes at the thought of beer being in high demand, walks of shame occurring, and drunken escapades being witnessed. Who knew that so much mischief could bring about so much happiness? Facebook statuses were eagerly anticipated the day after for comments such as “last night was crazy,” and “thank you so and so for helping me to my dorm.” How wonderful it is to be a student at Oglethorpe!

In conclusion, fellow students, I ask you to rethink the plans you make on the weekends, and ask yourself if they

involve Greek Row. If you’re bored with the Oglethorpe scene, then

breathe a little life back onto campus. Bring it upon yourself to carry out the work of the Row and bring the madness back. It has brought so many people together, friendships have been made and saved and true love has been found due to this place.

We upper classmen won’t be around much longer. I consider it our duty to instruct the will of Greek row for the future before it is too late.

For the uninformed, here’s an uno" cial list of upcoming events on Greek Row:

! e Disney Vault Lets Losse, at the Chi Phi house, will occur the evening of January 29. Costumes are strongly

encouraged.

APO, while technically not a member of Greek Row, is holding spring rush soon. Email Jen Riley at jriley@oglethorpe.edu as soon as possible for more information.

Be on the lookout for more fraternities and/or sororities to announce spring rush. Not all of them do it, but if you’re regretting not going Greek, ask some members of the Greek organization of your choice if they’re going to.

E!"#$%-"&-C'"()Carly Stewart

N(*+ E!"#$%+Matthew Claiborne

Amanda Serfozo

B,--.( E!"#$%Madison Bopp

O/"&"$& E!"#$% Sidney Pigram

A&E E!"#$%+Liz Weber

Daniel Suddes

S/$%#+ E!"#$%Stephanie Jefcoat

H"&!+"0'# E!"#$%Arion Win# eld

C$/1 E!"#$%+Kendra BillingsAmanda Rowell

O&."&( E!"#$%Amanda Serfozo

L21$,# E!"#$%Liz Weber

P'$#$0%2/'1Jen Riley

Zach Rossman

S#2)) W%"#(%+Robert Cairns

Miguel SantiagoKenya Adeola

A!3"+$%Seema Shrikhande

Where did the Row go? Revitalizing Greek life

Photo by Madison Bopp

4 OPINION T!" S#$%&' P"#%"( January 27, 2010

OpinionEditor: Sydney Pigram

Sydney PigramOpinion Editor

During the course of this wondrous winter holiday, I woke up, completed my day, and went to bed with two words constantly ringing in my ears: it’s cold. ! e last week of my vacation, my father surprised me with the delightful news that the chilliest days of winter would be slighted by an awkward bout of warm weather the week I moved back to school on Sunday, the 10th. I knew I wasn’t going to be walking around in my bathing suit this week, but I was excited to retire the woolly, winter animal hide—just some faux sheep fur, for all you worried animal activists—for at least a few days. As I’m sure most of you noticed, the air was not warm outside on Monday—let’s all agree that it was cold. Nor was the snow melted from the little sprinkles we all got so excited about the week before. Going one step further, I would like to point out that the weather was also cold on Tuesday, and I and some of my fellow Oglethorpe-folk walked around with a slightly pink nose and very red lips from the cold wind. So, as we have all agreed that it was cold both Monday and Tuesday, I can’t help but wonder why it is that I still saw some people tra-la-la-ing around in the frozen snow with open-toed sandals, or bare legs and % ats/boots? Let’s all just admit it; many of us have had a day where we knew it was cold and we still wore something ridiculous—like sandals—just because we either wanted to look cute, or we truly are immune to the cold and therefore belong in some kind of science lab. I, personally, did this in high school at least once, and only once, because my toes were frozen when I got home, and my parents did not # nd it amusing or cute that I would waltz past my closed-toe shoes and step outside in winter wearing % imsy thong things on my feet. However, it has been many years since high school. Now, if you were one of the people who were wearing some kind of skirt without

leggings, or you were walking around with your toes uncovered, I may or may not have talked to you before I started writing this article. I did, however, ask a few people as to why and how one could walk outside without the proper covering. I got some interesting answers, most of which made sense in one way or another. Firstly, however, I’d like to reiterate how cold it was by telling you that on Monday, the hi was 44°F and the lo was 18°F; and on Tuesday, the hi was 37°F while the lo was 27°F—and it was also windy. ! ere, that’s it; that’s the last time I mention how cold it was, I promise. As I said before, I asked some people about their fashion follies during winter. I won’t name them because I said I wouldn’t. One young lady informed me that she has rushed out of the house, in the snow, decked out in thick pants and a thick coat, wearing Rainbow™ % ip % ops. Personally, I thought that was hilarious. She then told me that she attributed the footwear to laziness, because slipping her feet in sandals is much simpler than taking the time to pull on some boots or warmer shoes. I found this explanation to be

understandable until she told me that although it was cold outside, her body felt the chill more than her feet—in fact, she says her feet weren’t cold at all. ! is statement leads me to believe that this dear girl has no nerves in her feet, which is both odd and fascinating. She did, however, agree that wearing sandals in the snow is not the best way to keep warm. Another young lady recalls the few times she has run outside during the chillier months at Oglethorpe wearing a thin skirt without any kind of leggings or closed-toe tights covering her legs. ! ankfully, she found the time to slip on both a thick sweater and a coat, along with some warm, woolly boots. She blames her out# ts on the confusing Georgia weather. One day is “bitterly cold,” and the next, she says, is full of “blistering heat.” I haven’t yet encountered days like those, but, like this girl, I would probably be as wary—if not terri# ed—of the Georgia weather if I had. ! rough much brainstorming, we both discovered that a great solution to this problem is to check the weather the night before so that one is always

somewhat prepared for change. As we have seen this week, the weather has gone from cold to cool to almost warm. Lastly, I talked to a girl, a northerner, who openly laughs at what Georgians consider to be cold weather. Up north, the air is colder, the snow is deeper—meaning it actually sticks to the ground—and 44°F in the winter is a blessing. Many a time this young lady will leave her dorm room in the winter wearing only a hooded sweater and jeans—with closed-toe shoes!—because “cold” down south does not amount to “cold” up north. Sometimes, she says, she is not even fazed by the cooler weather here because up north, she’s used to being chilled to the bone even when wearing a (fashionable) snowsuit. I am in awe of this young woman, and I would love to feel as she feels. However, I do # nd it interesting that, even with our di$ erent concepts of cold, this girl has never run outside wearing % imsy % ops or skirts without tights during the winter—Georgia or no Georgia. Something to think about. I suppose that I now have a greater understanding as to why some people choose to halfway attempt to dress warm when it is cold outside. I don’t necessarily think some out# ts make sense—such as, wearing a heavy, trendy winter coat with thin sandals, or wearing warm sweaters and furry boots with a skirt in-between—but I do understand, somewhat, the contemplation that goes into these out# ts before they are worn. Just from the answers I got from these girls, I have discovered that many of us are lazy, subject to extreme changes in the weather, or are from the north and must be sco" ng at those foolish souls who choose to dress warmly when it is cold outside. Or, maybe some of us simply do not care if there is a blizzard outside and are determined to exercise our personal fashion rights. Whatever the case, if you have ever worn any of the aforementioned items in the winter, I implore you to write to me and let me inside your head and understand what you wear and why you wear it. I am always willing to learn.

Seriously? Twenty degrees means forgo the 4 ip-4 ops

Liz WeberA&E CoEditor

So every year, most people make resolutions and goals that they want to achieve. However, what happens to a good portion of them? ! ey are thrown out the window whenever life gets stressful, complicated, or just don’t feel like doing anything. So here are some ideas and goals that you can make happen this year for your New Year’s Resolutions.

1) Be healthy - Late nights and bad food has taken a toll on my body and my mind. Along with being a typical college student, plus an internship, work, and anything else life can throw at me. It’s hard to think, “Oh yeah, that celery looks really good after working for eight hours!” Plus, it’s cheaper to buy a McDonald’s combo meal, instead of spending ten dollars on some fruit and humus. ! erefore, I’m making it a goal just to be more health minded this year, try and make better choices, bring pre-packed meals to work and snacks for in between classes. I am also trying to take advantage of the free kickboxing classes o$ ered on campus and utilize the gym as well as walk whenever I can. It makes a di$ erence when you really

take the time to think about your health.

2) Say “so what?” - I get stressed out over the littlest things, and this year I want to take a breath, and ask myself, so what? Will it matter in 10 or 20 years? ! inking in this mindset will help you determine what is truly important and what is just relative to the moment. Of course, I say this and I will probably start arguing with myself and look more like a schizophrenic than anything, but hopefully it will help me think about what really matters.

3) Learn your limits - I like to say I can do anything, but at times I know I take on too much. I hate to let people down, but when I overbook myself, I do it anyway. No amount of organization can solve this. It involves prioritizing and learning to say ‘no’ at times even when you hate to say it. ! is leads me to my next goal...

4) Find friend time - I had less time for my friends this past year and even less time for myself. I have committed myself to monthly pedicures and movie nights already with a few friends, but if I want to keep my friendships, I have to be just as committed to them as I am to my schoolwork or my

job. I care for each one of them, and they know it, this year I hope to show it more.

5) Be involved, and be successful - I am involved in so much, and I stress out over everything I do so much because I love it and I want to be successful in what I do. ! is year is to plan everything that I need to do and schedule it so there’s an equal opportunity to grow in everything that I love. For everyone else, you can start by just signing up for volunteering with the CCE at school for a clean-up day, or decide to join an up and coming club like OURadio. Whatever you can do to help out your fellow students and community can make a huge di$ erence in the world.

6) Learn something new - ! is may sound like a waste of a new year’s resolution, but think about it, I could learn to skydive, bungee& jump&or even just learn to knit&(hey, it’s winter, people need hats and scarves, right?).&Actually I just heard about knitting classes at Knitch in the Virginia Highlands.& & It’s an adorable store with a huge selection of yarn, plus a&cute classroom area& where they o$ er lessons for beginners and up. 7)& Get organized -& Let’s face it,

once the holidays hit, cleaning o$ my desk is the last thing I think about!&&But now that it’s January I need to make sure my vet bills are in one place, and my dry cleaning’s in another!& ! ere are a ton of cheap storage ideas from&Target, I saw this cute craft caddy that I may just have to get for my knitting needles and yarn!

8)& Enjoy life more -&When was the last time you took a walk in the park just for fun? &Go out and do it!&&Just doing little things&that are relaxing to you will make&such a di$ erence in your life. When I go home for the weekend,&I love taking my dogs for a walk outside, it gets all of us out of the house and we can have a little fun too!

9) Pamper myself –&After everything that I’m involved in, the one thing I neglect is myself. I used to go to the gym for kickboxing classes and every once in a while get a pedicure or manicure. What happened to that? Trying to # t into my schedule. So this year, I’m cutting down on fast food and putting it into a ‘Pamper Fund’ so that at the end of the month I can spend it on myself for something I wouldn’t normally do. If you can # nd an hour to have time to yourself, you’ll feel more relaxed and comfortable.

2010 New Year’s Resolutions you haven’t started

Photo courtesy of wordpress.com

A!E5 A&E T!" S#$%&' P"#%"( January 27, 2010

Matthew Claiborne News Editor

“Oglethorpe was a pioneer and an innovator in campus radio. We had the # rst college radio station in Georgia and one of the # rst in the nation (WJTL-AM) in 1931. Predating the current buzzword of Distance Learning by decades, Oglethorpe o$ ered college courses by broadcast media, with professors delivering lectures via radio. Students listened to live lectures over the air, then mailed in their assignments. ! e station eventually became so popular the transmitter was moved to downtown Atlanta for better coverage. I have a photo of the Oglethorpe transmitting tower relocated from the campus to the roof of the Fox ! eater.”

“! e University sold the license some years later to a commercial broadcasting company. In the 1970’s the station was back on the air as a low-power FM covering campus only. It has been o$ the air for at least 6 or 7 years.” ~Professor David Patterson, advisor of OURadio.

Since then, many students have tried to revive the station, but have never quite succeeded. ! e last time a station was started was nearly six years ago. Liz Weber, station manager for the new OURadio, has started it up again with much success. Since her internship with Q100, Liz has used the skills she learned and put them into practice at Oglethorpe. “I wanted to start the station to bring a new light to communications and arts on campus,” said Weber. “! en I started talking with Professor Patterson and with the help of Rebecca [Waltrip] and then AJ, everything sort of took o$ from there.”

Below is an interview with Liz Weber, station manager for OURadio and AJ Arend, one of the assistant station managers.

Q: What is your position with OU Radio?

Liz: I am the station manager for OU Radio.AJ: And I am one of the assistant station managers.

Q: Did you have active sign up at the club fair at the beginning of the year?

Liz: When we put out a table at the club fair, I was unsure of the student response we would receive. However, when I left at 1pm, I had three lists # lled of interested students. Since then we’ve had some drop and others join in, so we still have a pretty good following.

Q: Can Petrel Points be awarded for participation in OU Radio?

Liz: Currently, Petrel Points are not o$ ered, but hopefully participation in future OURadio sponsored events will. On a side note, we have our # rst intern for the station, and if his internship is reviewed and accepted by the board, we will be able to o$ er internship credits for participation.

Q: What inspired you to start OU Radio?Liz: Oglethorpe has so many opportunities to o$ er it’s students. We have a paper, a magazine, a in# nite amount of clubs, including a Quidditch team, but we have no radio, and we were one of the # rst national radio stations? ! ere’s something wrong with this picture. ! e idea that I could bring radio back to Oglethorpe and help out future students, interested in broadcasting, seemed like a plausible inspiration to start this.AJ: I’m in it for fame and fortune. Just kidding, I want to see it succeed and another creative outlook for students and the bene# t that it can create for OU students and the Atlanta community.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about your internship, and how that inspired you to work on OU Radio?

Liz: I started in the promotions department at Q100, learned about PR and advertising. Once I gained enough experience working with the sound systems and learned enough radio jargon, I was allowed to start working in the studio with a DJ. Very few interns stay long enough to get to this point. I now intern in both promotions and the studio. I help blogs and I am learning how to run the sound boards that incorporate the music and advertising that goes into radio production. Because of this experience, I wanted to pull

it into my college education. I realized that in order to get the experience I wanted at OU, I would have to build the radio station from the ground up, and make it sustainable, even after I graduate.

Q: Are you on the air?&

Liz: I am not on the air, I choose not to be, I like being behind the scenes and in the woodwork, making the station functional.AJ: I will be on the air of OURadio, doing a Reggae, Ska show.

Q: Have there been any complications to getting OURadio on the air?& Financial? Administrative?

AJ: No it’s been smooth as silk. OSA has been very supportive of our e$ orts, as well as the administration including President Schall and the sta$ of Oglethorpe. But most importantly, the students have supported us, and that’s what counts. ! e fact that the students have taken notice, and stepped up to help us out.

Q: What are some of the radio shows you have?& Include music and talk shows.

AJ: Our shows range from sports talk, to a world music hour, local bands and acoustic performances, and some hard rock thrown into the mix. We have an eclectic bunch of students on campus and this is re% ected in their musical tastes. It’s amazing to me, what these kids come up with and how they mold it together into a creative playlist.

Liz: Our station tag line is ‘create your own sound.’ ! is is truly re% ected in our students and I am so happy to be a part of this organization with such an amazing group of students.

Q: Are there any openings for shows?& How can a student go about joining OU Radio, participating, volunteering etc.! ere are openings for shows, students just have to email oglethorpeadio@oglethorpe.edu for more information. We have a fanpage on Facebook, just type into the

search engine: Oglethorperadio.

Q: What are some of the events that OU Radio has sponsored?

! is past semester we were asked to provide music for the Eggsam event. ! is semester the OUMuseum was kind enough to ask us to throw an after party for the students. ! is event was a huge success and we were so grateful to the museum for giving us this opportunity. Next we are throwing a live show for the JEO weekend. We have OU band Celestial Inferno playing and some DJs from Munki Trybe, to close out the evening.

Q: Are there any fundraising e$ orts that OU Radio has taken under way or will take?

We will be selling advertisements all semester. During the Valentine’s Day season, we want to air shout-outs for anyone who wants to buy a section of time. We would like to do a yard sale at some point in the Fall. We also are planning a concert series; this is still in the works, but we think it would be a great way to get the community and students involved.

Q: How has OSA helped OU Radio?

OSA gave us our start-up budget and showed an unwavering support.

Q: Where and when does OU Radio meet?

Our meetings vary from month to month and so does location. SO make sure to join our facebook group and email us if you have any questions.

Q: Does OU Radio have an o" ce on campus?

We are located in Jacobs Hall, Suite 12.

Q: How can students access OU Radio?

Students can log onto www.oglethorpe.edu and there is a module that will play the station 24/7.

Editors: Liz Weber & Daniel Suddes

Revamping OU Radio, interview with Liz Weber

Continued on P. 6

Matthew ClaiborneNews Editor

We have survived yet another decade, and we have done this because of the technological and business advances that have saved us all from boredom and mayhem. We jammed to teen pop songs with our CD players. We went to Blockbuster and discovered this new fangled thing called a DVD. Some of us struggled to let go of our *Nsync cassette tapes and two-tape viewings of Titanic. Just like our parents struggled to put down the Polaroid and the colossal video camera or the dreadful 8-track, some of us struggled to get rid of our own technological handicaps. We must eliminate them to move forward in this new fast-paced global world. ! is is 2010, a new decade and the dawn of revolutionary consumer products that will supplant old mainstays. DVDs, books, newspapers and magazines are losing

ground to in-home movie rentals and gadgets like Amazon Kindle. And, the push for energy e" ciency will continue to in% uence consumer decisions on cars and home upgrades. ! is means that many businesses may decline in productivity, yet many more business opportunities will spring up. Below is a list of 10 items not to buy in 2010.

1. DVDs

! e dawn of the DVD error is waning. Say goodbye to those late night runs to Blockbuster because the days of going to a video shop to rent a movie are coming to an end. In September 2009, Blockbuster said it plans to close 22% of its stores by December 2010. ! is is a sad reality for Blockbuster and video stores alike. ! is is also means that there is unfortunate news for DVDs as well. On average, DVDs cost about $20

Photo courtesy of cnet.co.uk

Top ten technologies not to purchase in 2010

6 A&E T!" S#$%&' P"#%"( January 27, 2010

each. ! at is pricier than signing up for Net% ix or renting movies from cable providers’ on-demand channels. ! is means that DVD purchases could turn cold. Net% ix charges as little as $8.99 a month to unlimitedly rent DVDs. Time Warner Cable o$ ers thousands of movies on-demand for about $4.99 each, and Verizon Fios cable service charges $5.99 a month to download unlimited movies.

2. Home Telephone Service

Home landlines are becoming as archaic as the rotary phone. For those of you not familiar with the rotary phone, look it up. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than one in # ve American homes has cell phones and no landlines. ! at is roughly 23% of U.S. households. Alternatives to home landlines are becoming increasingly popular. For example, magicJack provides phone service when it is plugged into a computer’s USB port and a home phone. It is $39.95 and includes a one-year license for calls in the U.S. and Canada. After that, magicJack services cost $19.95 per year. Skype is another phone service that uses the Internet as a platform to make calls, hold video conferences and send instant messages. Skype is free when you communicate with other Skype users. It is being used by major corporations, including CNN.

3. External Hard Drives

External hard drives in the past have been an absolute necessity. Consumers who keep their computers for years uploading thousands of songs, videos and photos have to eventually get more space. External hard drives are an option, but there is an alternative that might save you another transition down the road. ! ere are online backup services that have an endless amount of space, allowing users to back up data over the Internet. Carbonite.com and Mozy.com are great online backup services. ! ey are pricier than external hard drives though. ! ey typically start at around $70. A one year subscription at both Carbonite.com and Mozy.com are around $55.

4. Smartphones

Everyone has a smartphone these days. What an upgrade from those early prehistoric cellular phones that resembled bulky black land phones. In the past few years, several smartphones hit the market with similar features to the iPhone and BlackBerry. ! ese models just haven’t generated the same buzz among consumers. Because of this, developers are less likely to create applications and other products that cater to those phones. T-Mobile is having the most trouble selling their smartphones. According to ComScore, only 5% percent of consumers shopping for smartphones said they planned to purchase T-Mobile’s MyTouch. 51% planned to purchase a BlackBerry, and 20% planned to purchase an iPhone.

5. Compact Digital Cameras

Digital compact cameras have been on the scene since the dawn of the new millennium. But during the past few years, another type of digital camera has been rising in popularity: the single-lens re% ex (SLR) camera. Manufacturers such as Nikon, Canon and Sony are churning out these cameras in larger volumes now. ! ese cameras may not # t very well into

your pocket because they are bulkier, but these cameras produce pictures that more accurately represent what is in their view# nders than those that use older technology. ! ese cameras are also a lot pricier. Many of them are upwards of $500.

6. Newspaper Subscriptions

! e publishing industry has seen its worst days. Newspaper advertising revenues declined by nearly 20% in 2008, according to the Newspaper Association of America. It has been estimated that print newspapers will vanish by the middle of this century. Magazines aren’t doing much better. More than 360 magazines shut down in 2009, and ad pages fell 28%. ! e morning newspaper has been replaced by a growing online media presence, and much of it is free. Why pay for print when you can receive more current information free online? ! anks to resources like Amazon Kindle ($250), there is a one-stop-googolplex of sources to access newspapers, magazines and even books.

7. CDs

Who goes to the record store anymore? ! e answer is: hardly anyone. Record stores all over the U.S. are closing due to lack of sales. Most Virgin Megastores have shut down, and Tower Records entered bankruptcy. ! e past decade was one of the worst for the music industry. First there was Napster; then came iTunes in 2001. It o$ ered a$ ordability and easy accessibility. CDs just like those old cassette tapes, and dare I say 8-tracks are not coming back. When was the last time you bought a CD or even walked into a record store?

8. New College Textbooks

As much as we love the OU bookstore and those who operate it, there are several alternatives to save money in 2010 when it comes to books. You can save 70% to 90% o$ the retail price when you shop for used textbooks online. Check out Websites like Cheapesttextbooks.com, Booksprice.com or Amazon.com. And of course, get those used books from the bookstore before you get new ones. Another option is downloading books online. Sites like Coursemart.com sell subscriptions to digital copies of more than 7,000 textbooks. Texbookmedia.com allows students to download textbooks for free. You can also rent textbooks on Chegg.com.

9. Gas-Guzzling Cars

Some of the top news stories in the past decade revolved around gasoline prices. Who remembers the crisis last year when there was practically no gasoline in Atlanta following a string of detrimental hurricanes in the gulf? ! e Energy Information Administration also projects prices will raise in 2010 to their highest point in more than two years: $81.33 a barrel. Consumers are pushing away from gas-guzzlers. According to the Department of Energy, the most e" cient cars include the Honda Civic Hybrid, the Volkswagen Jetta and Volkswagen Golf and the Toyota Prius Hybrid.

10. Energy-Ine" cient Homes and Appliances

Ten years ago, shopping for home upgrades involved looking at a product’s functionality and aesthetic. Now, there’s another component: energy e" ciency. Today, the products most touted by manufacturers and retailers are those that are Energy Star certi# ed and those that meet new federal environmental standards—most of which have higher price tags than their counterparts but help to lower heating and cooling bills. ! e government is o$ ering a federal tax credit of up to $1,500 on energy-e" cient home upgrades through December 31, 2016, but many are set to expire by Dec. 31, 2010.

Let go of the past, and look to the future. Don’t allow the natural advancements of technology and energy e" ciency hold you back from e$ ectively functioning in the ever-evolving global world we live in.

Technologies from P. 5

Photo courtesy of simplethoughts.com

Photo courtesy of simplethoughts.com

Photo courtesy of carscarsandcars.com

Photo courtesy of image.guardian.co.uk

Sports7 SPORTS T!" S#$%&' P"#%"( January 27, 2010

Editor: Stephanie Jefcoat

Miguel SantiagoSports Writer

Coach Gardiner and the athletic department have established yet another milestone in the rich history of Oglethorpe’s athletic dynasty. As of the fall of 2009, Oglethorpe University has added another sport to its athletic spectrum, a men’s lacrosse team.

Never before seen in Oglethorpe’s program, Coach Gardiner and his sta$ have recruited among the talented student body to create Oglethorpe’s # rst ever lacrosse team. Under the direction of current Athletic Director—and now lacrosse head-coach—Jay Gardiner, the newly developed Oglethorpe lacrosse team prepares for their debut season in 2011. While they are still actively practicing and recruiting, Coach Gardiner displays much enthusiasm and promise for this historical addition to Oglethorpe’s athletic program.

Coach Jay Gardiner began his journey with

lacrosse at the age of 11. He played both lacrosse and basketball while attending Western Maryland College. Most of his direction and guidance came under the tutelage of the legendary Coach Bill ! omas, who inspired Coach Gardiner even more in life than he did on the lacrosse # eld. Carrying this wisdom, along with several years of experience coaching lacrosse at both high school and college levels, Jay Gardiner pursues his own path of instruction with Oglethorpe’s up and coming athletes, hoping to instill the same kind of knowledge and instruction upon them. “! ough it has been a while, I feel con# dent in my ability to do the job,” said Coach Gardiner.

Coach Gardiner and President Schall have been discussing the introduction of a lacrosse team to Oglethorpe University for a few years now. After a rough couple of years spent resolving various accreditation issues, Coach Gardiner feels that this newly developed team is not only of historical

signi# cance to the school, but is an excellent statement to the school’s already proli# c athletic presence in the SCAC. “Adding lacrosse is a way of sending a message of excitement and newness to the entire community,” said Coach Gardiner.

Right now the team has 9 players, 5 of which have experience in the sport, while the remaining members are trying the sport for the # rst time. Before next season begins, Gardiner expects to recruit between 15 and 25 players. Although young and newly developed, Gardiner believes the team will show much promise on the # eld. He mentions how, in the selection process of the team, he still searches for athletes that give justice to the sport of lacrosse but also fall in accordance with Oglethorpe’s academic mission. “We won’t compromise our character and values to bring in players that might have talent, but will ultimately hurt our program and our institution.& I will be patient in year one and hope to get better

every day,” said Gardiner.

Balbir Khalsa, residential assistant and newly recruited member of the lacrosse team, also expresses his excitement and high expectations for the upcoming season. He commented on how well the team vibes together and how they have already formed a great chemistry, helping one another to excel in the sport. Already vocal in his part in this historic process, Balbir expressed nothing but excitement and con# dence in the impact of lacrosse upon the student body, saying, “I think Lacrosse will become the premier spring sport. It’s entertaining and will surely attract a crowd.”

As Oglethorpe sits in high expectations and fervent anticipation, Gardiner eagerly awaits the moment when his team will reveal their athletic power and agility to the southern collegiate powerhouses.

SCHEDULE

Friday, Jan. 22 Men’s Basketball

vs. Austin, 6 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs.

Austin, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 24 Men’s Basketball

vs. Colorado College, 12 noon

Women’s Basketball vs.

Colorado College, 2 p.m.

SCORE BOXMen’s Basketball: 9-6 (as of

1/16)Women’s Basketball: 7-9 (as of

1/16)Practices are underway. ! e bats are swinging and the gloves are o$ the shelves. Photo by Stephanie Jefcoat

Oglethorpe adds a new sport to its athletic lineup

In the next issue, keep your eye out for our spotlight on the Oglethorpe Baseball team as they

warm up for the spring 2010 season!

HindsightJanuary 27, 2010 T!" S#$%&' P"#%"( HINDSIGHT 8

Editor: Arion Win" eld

Olivia Rocamora Contributing Writer

You can drive by Oglethorpe, take a tour, see photos, and read countless articles on our core curriculum and community service. You can marvel at the gothic architecture, the bell tower, the crypt, and the museum. You can research impressive statistics on the Princeton Review. You can even work for the university or serve on a committee board. ! ese things will tell you a lot. But unfortunately, you will miss what truly makes this university extraordinary. Because Oglethorpe is not any of the above.

Students will tell you that Oglethorpe is being one of Dr. Hetherington’s “Munchkins.” It is earning a “Gold Star” from Dr. Schadler. It is watching Dr. Stone form a triangle with his hands and sway from side to side as he responds “Not exactly…” to your incorrect answer. It is meeting Dr. Belcher’s mascot “Albert the Squirrel” and Dr. Nardo’s pride and joy “Miss Peepers.” It is watching Dr. McFarland spend twenty minutes explicating # ve words in Herodotus and realizing that you are sitting in front of one of the most impressive minds and moustaches you will ever know. Oglethorpe is visiting Dr. Aufderheide in his “Outdoor O" ce” so you can pass General Chemistry. It is witnessing the charisma and life-experience Dr. Carton brings to psychology every day. It is enjoying the plethora of “Monty Python” references in Dr. Hornback’s lectures (“A shrubbery!”). It is surviving Dr. Brightman’s threat of feeding you to rabies-infested sheep dogs should you ever use the words “always” or “never” in a paper. But after the threat is made, he always approaches your desk and listens, churns, drinks in every word you say. Oglethorpe is Dr. Blumenthal rolling a piece of chalk in between his hands and consequently getting chalk all over his right pants pocket as he thinks deeply about math. It is turning in a 5 page paper for Dr. Sparks and

getting your paper back with 5 pages of his comments. It is feeling so energetic about speaking Spanish after a class with Dr. Chandler that you are ready to get on the next plane to a Spanish-speaking country. It is Dr. Ray helping you overcome your insecurities and teaching you to sing Bach. You can feel the notes in your marrow. ! ese are my experiences and the experiences of several students, and let me tell you, the list of inspiring professors at Oglethorpe goes on. Many universities have a great campus, an active volunteer center, and a variety of academic opportunities for their students. But they do not have the committed, # rst-rate scholars that comprise the Oglethorpe faculty. It is not normal for students to have hour-

long discussions about academics and life with professors in their o" ces. It is not normal for professors to personally track down students because they found an internship or a graduate school that would be perfect for them. It is not normal, yet these situations happen every day at Oglethorpe.

I personally have Dr. Chandler to thank for preparing me for a study abroad in Spain that was one of the best experiences of my life. I have Dr. McFarland and Dr. Taylor to thank for supporting my dream to write about my Cuban and Spanish roots. I have Dr. Brightman to thank for helping me read critically, write clearly, and treat others with grace. ! ank you, Faculty. I watch how each semester, more work is expected of you, and yet each semester, you

continue to be more and more invested in the lives of your students. I am amazed.

My fellow peers (and sorry if I’m being cliché): Live some life in the 24 hour room. You might be there for hours, for days, for weeks—whatever the case, remember that in a few years, you will wish you were still there both reading Aristotle and avoiding reading Aristotle. You will remember that it is the perfect place to bring back Dunkin’ Donuts at 2am with people like Sarah Pha$ ’10. It is the perfect place for random, philosophical discussions with passionate people like Colin Kress ’09 who are outside your major and help you see the world in a di$ erent way. It is the perfect place to laugh really hard at people like Daniel Brown ’09 who “temporarily borrow” tricycles from the studio art room

and come riding in to the 24 hour room to make stressed students laugh. It is the perfect place for uptight people to shush you as you laugh. It is the perfect place to procrastinate and take pictures on your webcam with life-long friends like Kate Kimrey ’10 and Heena Patel ’10. Take advantage of the community and memories you can make in a room with uncomfortable wooden chairs, cubbies perfect for napping, and signs that say to be quiet. Bond over writing all of those core papers. And remember that it’s all worth it because you will turn your papers into faculty who care about your thoughts.

If I could end with a piece of advice for your time as a college student, I would say to do everything you can to take advantage of Oglethorpe’s study abroad program. One evening when I was in Barcelona, I had an amazing conversation with an 87-year-old artist named Pepe. He told me that most people have something in mind that they really want to do, but they never do it. Not because they don’t have money or time, but because they are scared of change or what is unknown. Pepe wanted to go to India when he was young. He had no money, but he got to India, lived with strangers, and hopped on trains to get around. And it changed his life forever. I never would have thought that one of the best pieces of wisdom I would ever hear would be abroad and in another language. I hope you too will study abroad and see what happens. You will learn so much about the world and who you want to be in the world. And you will come back to Oglethorpe changed, rejuvenated, and all the more in love with your professors and education here at Hogwarts.

See you in the 24 hour room.

Olivia Rocamora: What makes Oglethorpe special

One evening when I was in Barcelona, I had an amazing conversation with an 87-year-old artist named Pepe. He told me that most people have something in mind that they really want to do, but they never do it. Not because they don’t have money or time, but because they are scared of change or what is unknown.

Photo by Olivia Rocamora

Want to write for the Petrel? We have meetings most Mondays at noon in

the o! ce across from the mailboxes. Send us an email at carly.r.stewart@gmail.com if you’re

interested.