Macon State College’s Award-Winning Student Newspaper

VolumeVolume 43, 43, Issue Issue 99 Feb. 22,Feb. 22, 2012 2012studentweb.maconstate.edu/maconstatementstudentweb.maconstate.edu/maconstatement

Novel Eating Options

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Andrea Watts|MCOM 3131

Macon State College has adopted a meal program called, “The Dining Dollars Program;” it began spring semester, 2012. For many semesters, the company, Aramark, has provided catering services for the daily nutrition of students and faculty. They have also been the company to provide food for special events held on and off campus for Macon State.

Instead of simply supplying sandwiches here and there, Aramark, along with Macon State College, has now created a meal plan designed with four tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The meal plans are designed for students and faculty members to purchase one of the tiers using either Financial Aid or their personal funding. The student’s I.D. card called, “The Blue Storm Card,” is now set-up to link any money placed on the card to

the student’s individual meal plan option. Student cards can be used at any of the three dining locations on campus. According to the Macon State College website, “The minimum deposit into the account is one hundred dollars,” which is the Bronze option, the “deposits may be made with cash, check, and debit/credit cards”( m a c o n s t a t e . e d u /bluestormcard/account.aspx).

Continued on page 3

JESSICA SPENCER | EDITOR IN CHIEF Greg Harrison, Greg Jefferson, and Jordan Clay eat lunch in the school cafeteria.

NEWSDr. BloodworthPage 2

OPINIONSHigher OnePage 4

FEATURESRoger Bonair-AgardPage 6

SPORTSJump leads the gamePage 8

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2 NEWS Feb. 22, 2012

Courtesy of School of EducationCarol Bloodworth

Cortesy of Marsha Hall, School of Education

Beloved faculty member, Carol Jessica Bloodworth, passed away Sunday February 19, 2012. Carol was a Macon native and a dedicated educator in the Bibb

County elementary schools for over 30 years. She was a graduate of Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville and received her specialist degree in Education at Mercer University in Macon. Carol taught and served as a resource to various schools throughout Bibb County. She progressed to administrative positions of vice principal

and principal within the school district. Carol retired in 2007 after serving as principal at Bernd Elementary, the same school she attended through her own elementary years. Her passion for education led her post retirement focus to educating teachers of the future at Wesleyan

College and Macon State College. Carol was also a member of Phi Delta Kappa International Honor Society. Carol was devoted to her students at Macon State. One of her fi nal duties, aside from teaching, was advising indicated education majors. Her passion for teaching was passed on to many incoming freshmen and transfer students. A card left for Bloodworth by School of Education Seniors read, “Ms. Bloodworth was such an amazing woman. She was always there for anyone and everyone to talk to. I will never forget a day junior year when I was having a rough day; she stopped me and asked what was wrong. I usually don’t talk to people about my problems especially after just meeting them, but Ms. Bloodworth was such a kind soul, I immediately found comfort

talking with her. We will miss her!” Macon State SeniorsHer same love for teaching carried over into the classroom. Outside of teaching, she was an active and beloved member of St. Francis Episcopal Church where she served on the vestry and, of course, as a teacher. Carol will be remembered for her laughter and uncanny sense of humor. She shaped the minds of many students and infl uenced the lives of so many people throughout the community in a very special way. Her favorite quote was “Success is not measured by what we have. It is about who we are and what we give” -Anonymous. Carol was defi nitely a success!The School of Education will hold a service in memory of Ms. Bloodworth on Wednesday, March 21, at 5 p.m. in the education building, room 231.

Education faculty member passes over weekend

Tony Barnstone shares his readings with Macon State’s Poetry Circuit

Sade Olajide | MCOM3131

Macon State’s Georgia Poetry Circuit held a poetry reading in Jan. The Georgia Poetry Circuit, itself, was founded at Mercer University in 1985 and today Macon State is among the

numerous colleges who have divisions

of the poetry circuit. Poet Tony Barnstone attended and shared some of his most famous works. Tony Barnstone is an Albert Upton Professor of English at Whittier College and an author of 12 books. He is a nationally known poet. According

to Kelly Whiddon, Assistant Professor of English at Macon State College, “All of the guest speakers who were chosen to be on the circuit are highly acclaimed.” Some of Tony Barnestone’s poetry readings include: “Tongue of War: From Pearl Harbor to Nagasaki,” “The Golem of Los Angeles,” “Sad Jazz: Sonnets,” “Impure: Poems,” and “Naked Magic.” He has also won several poetry prizes and awards, such as, the Poet’s Prize, John Ciardi Prize, and Benjamin Saltman prize. Among his awards are the Grand Prize of Strokestown International Poetry Festival, Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts council. “Barnstone is a highly published poet who was nominated and selected by the Georgia Poetry Circuit faculty representatives,” said Whiddon. 45 students attended the event and Barnestone recited his works. He read various genres that have subtle meaning fr

om the apocalypse, WWII to martial issues, and zombies. “I really enjoyed the imagery from the WWII poems,” said Mikey Sanders. He is in his sophomore year of school; he is an exercise science major. Barnestone also translates Chinese poetry; he writes literary prose and edits literary textbooks. His books include, the “Chinese Erotic Poetry,” “Laughing Lost in the Mountains: Poems of Wang Wei,” and “The Art of Writing: Teachings of the Chinese Masters.” Barnestone’s cultural textbooks are “Literatures of Asia,” “Africa and Latin America,” “Literatures of Asia,” and “Literatures of the Middle East.” “Hearing a seasoned poet read his or her work is always a treat for fledging poets,” said Whiddon. Barnestone is currently is working on turning his poems into graphic novels and music. This will help inspire up and coming poets to go above and beyond their varieties of poetry.

Courtesy of maconstate.edu/studentlifeTony Barnstone

3 NEWS Feb. 22, 2012

Financial Aid tightens its funding procedures

College growth causes need for meal plan

JESSICA SPENCER | EDITOR IN CHIEF Larry Thomas buys lunch with his i.d. card.

Continued from front page

Food Service Director, Bruce Gonsalves, aided in the construction of the food program. Gonsalves said, “Dining Dollars came about simply because of the growth of the college. As we continue to transfer from a community college to a residential community, it is essential that we start adding some type of meal plan for the students.” Students are now able to purchase meals without having cash; student identifi cation cards now have a duel use. Students that are currently utilizing the Dining Dollars Program, admire the program’s usefulness. Mireille “Mimi” Bibole is a senior transfer student from Georgia College & State University at Milledgeville, Ga. Bibole said, “I would participate, but I can’t afford the choice payment plans that are offered right now. If I was working, I most likely would invest in the program.” Bibole is an international student from Congo, Central Africa, so she is unable toreceive fi nancial aid funding. She would love to participate in the program, but feels the tiers are a little too expensive. Macon State’s website includes several rules and regulations concerning the use and participation of the dinning program, but for the students who have already begun to utilize the novel dinning option they have given the

cafeteria good criticism of the program. Gonsalves said, “I think it is a great program to invest in, we have heard great comments about it, and look forward to the future of this program as well as the college.” For more information on how to use the new Blue Storm Card for food services and many others please go to: maconstate.edu/bluestormcard.

Andrea Watts |MCOM 3131Jessica Spencer|Editor-in-Chief

Students attend colleges to secure a future with a degree to maximize opportunities in hopes of getting a job after graduation. Many students attend college with the assistance of fi nancial aid. According to the, National Center for Education Statistics Fast Facts webpage, “66 percent of all undergraduates received some type of fi nancial aid in 2007–08” (nces.ed.gov). Over the last three years, fi nancial aid has had signifi cant changes. Students will face signifi cant fi nancial changes in the 2012-13 school year. The Department of Education has already begun to enforce stricter Pell Grants eligibility requirements. Macon State students who are currently receiving Pell Grant funding are going to see these new changes. The maximum Pell Grant will remain at its current level of $5,550 dollars but qualifying for the full award itself will be done in accordance with the new guidelines. Under the current legislation,

families with incomes of $30 thousand or less dollars, automatically qualify for the full grant. However, for the 2012-13 school year, the income threshold will be lowered to $23 thousand dollars. Jimmy Outler, a science major at Macon State College said, “I am so glad that I did graduate in May; it seems that by 2013, you have to literally be homeless before you can receive Pell Grant.” Not only is the Pell Grant getting a budget cut, so are the Stafford subsidized and unsubsidized loans. According the assistant director of fi nacial aid at Macon State College, Gloria Wonnum, the Department of Education has recently passed a number of new restrictions this past December that will be enforced July 1st of this year. First, the new rules restricts the number of repeat classes fi nancial aid will include. “In a nutshell, basically if you have taken a course more than once fi nancial aid will not pay for that course if you received a passing grade such

as ‘d’ and you would like to take that course again,” said Wonnum. Currently, there is not a limit on the number of courses a student can unsuccessfully complete and retake using his or her fi nancial aid, but if the student does pass the class, he or she will not be able to repeat the class using the Pell Grant any longer. Secondly, the number of semesters the Pell Grant will fund has decreased. Wonnum said, “Pell Grant funding has moved from previously funding 18 semester hours to only funding 12 semester hours in the upcoming school year.”

Starting in the fall of 2012, there will be a review of how many hours students have currently received the Pell Grant. “If you are graduating in December 2012, these new regulations will still apply to your amount of Pell Grant funding,” said Wonnum. And thirdly, Wonnum said, “Students who receive Subsidized Loans will no longer have a six month grace period; interest will now begin accruing on that loan right after they graduate.” “Even though I will have graduated from Macon State, I want to still try bettering myself …now, it seems I may have to fi nd an alternative route,” said Jennifer Holmes-Jones about the new loan restrictions. Macon State students who have concerns about the changes that may affect them and their educational future, are encouraged to stop by MSC Financial Aid Offi ce about their personal fi nancial status. For more information on Pell Grants and subsidized and unsubsidized loans, please visit: nces.ed.gov/program.

“Starting in the fall of 2012, there will be a review of how many hours students have currently received the

Pell Grant.”

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Letter to the editorAdministrators Save Money While Exposing Students to Fee

Macon State has joined a growing list of colleges that are choosing to outsource fi nancial aid disbursement responsibilities to for-profi t companies. While regulation enacted in 2009 sought to limit the activities of credit card companies on campus, not all banking services or cards are limited by these laws. Take the case of Higher One, who’s OneAccount and OneDisburse services offer checking and fi nancial aid reimbursement to over 800 schools nationwide. Based on NerdWallet calculations from their fi nancial results, Higher One earned, on average, $44 in fees from each of the 2 million students enrolled in their OneAccount program. So why would Macon State offi cials enter into agreements with companies that generate profi ts from their students? Because it saves the school money. By outsourcing fi nancial aid reimbursement,

schools subcontract administrative work and save money at the expense of students.

CEO Dean Hatton summed up Higher One’s sales pitch in a 2011 earnings call: “When we sell our product, we’re selling it to the campus CFO or the chief business offi cer...The business offi cer is not in the business of buying checking accounts for students, [he’s] buying a service that will enhance campus effi ciencies.” It’s no surprise that companies like Higher One are looking for a profi t, but school

administrators should not be choosing effi ciency over their students’ best interests. Higher One offers resources on its website to help students avoid its fees, but students often do not understand the charges or the alternative banking options available to them. “In a period when fi nancial literacy is at all-time low, it is irresponsible for school administrators to expose students to these fee-based banking services,” says Joseph Audette, VP of Education and Financial Literacy at NerdWallet. “They should be protecting the interests of their students, not pursuing the most cost-effective solution for the school.”

Joseph AudetteVP of Education and Financial Literacy

NerdWallet

617.838.9306

665 Third Street, Suite 405San Francisco, CA 94107

Student consolidation concerns and opinions

…continued from special edition

Student concern

“What will future colleges and potential future careers think of my educational background when they see I have a degree or two from a school that no longer exists?”-Gary King, Junior Business Administration duel Spanish major at Middle Georgia College

“Colleges do change names. There is a way, there is a proper way by which the name of this college and all previous names of this college are registered and they always exist. So even though I graduated from Macon Jr. College and this college is now Macon State College my degree is still as valid and confi rmed as it was when I fi rst got it.” -Lynn McCraney, Macon State College dean of students

Answer from administration

“In a period when

fi nancial literacy is at all-

time low, it is irresponsible

for school administrators

to expose students to

these fee-based banking

services”

Feb. 22, 2012 OPINIONS 5

Got opinions? Share them by commenting here: studentweb.maconstate.edu/maconstatement.

We Are Currently Looking for A New Macon Statement Staff

Editor-in-Chief: Jessica E. Spencer editor@maconstate.eduNews Editor: Apply Today newseditor@maconstate.eduOpinions Editor: Apply Today opinionseditor@maconstate.eduFeatures Editor: Apply Today featuresseditor@maconstate.eduSports Editor: Apply Today sportseditor@maconstate.eduPhoto Editor: Apply Today photoeditor@maconstate.eduOnline Editor: Apply Today onlineeditor@maconstate.eduCopy Editor: Apply Today Writers/Columnists: Apply Today Photographer: Apply Today Cartoonist: Apply Today

Contact Student Media Coordinator Katherine Tippins (katherine.tippins@maconstate.edu) if you’re interested in joining The Macon Statement staff.Letters PolicyThe editor of The Macon Statement will try to print all letters received. Letters should be, at maximum, 250 to 300 words long. The writer must include: full name, professional title if a Macon State employee or Georgia resident, or year and major if a student. An address and phone number are required with all letters sent, but this personal information will not be published. The student newspaper reserves the right to edit letters for style, length or possible libel. The newspaper will not, under any circumstance, withhold names. Please address all correspondence to Letter to the Editor at editor@maconstate.edu. Where current events are concerned, priority

will be given to those letters written by students, faculty and staff of Macon State College.DISCLAIMER: The Macon Statement is the registered student newspaper of Macon State College and is published biweekly (Mondays) during fall and spring semesters. Opinions and ideas expressed in The Macon Statement are those of the individual artists, authors and student editors, and are not those of Macon State College, its Board of Regents, the student body or the advertisers. The Macon Statement is paid for, in part, through student activity fees.Contact Us:The Macon StatementStudent Life Center Room 120100 College DriveMacon, GA 31206478-757-3605, Fax: 478-757-2626editor@maconstate.edu

Macon State and Middle Georgia College search Realtime results for #thoughts #merger #mascot #opinions

20 min 30 seconds

Terry Roth @maconstatecollge.edu: I wonder about the merge, however I am hoping that Macon State will still keep its name and atmosphere. I would like Macon State College to stay the same...so if and when the #merge happens I hope I won’t feel a big change in Macon Statecollege. 18 min ago Reply View Post

Lauren Gibbs @mgc.edu: I #think this will bring in more job opportunities, more learning opportunities, more students, and give these two colleges the chance to make a greater impact on the lives of college students. 17min ago Reply View Post

Pamela Rugen @maconstate.edu: I believe #merging MSC and MGC will provide expanded academic options. I am a little hesitant to see how this will play out regarding including all students in extra-curricular activities, especially sports teams. 15min ago Reply View Post

Saundra A Giles @maconstate.edu: No #opinion, just sorry about the cut in jobs. 13min ago Reply View Post

Stephen Mathis @mgc.edu: I think it’s a great idea. It will ultimately be better for many reasons. #mascot Defi nitely Warriors! And red and black 10min ago Reply View Post

Dustin Bloodworth @maconstate.edu: If it saves the state money then I am all for #consolidation. 10min ago Reply View Post

Ericka Inman @mgc.edu: I #think it is a power move! #TheMaconStatement new name should be The Courier 8min ago Reply View Post

Amanda Ston @maconstate.edu: #TheMaconStatement new name should be The Georgia State Statement 5min ago Reply View Post

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6 Erma Halstead | MCOM 3131Jessica Spencer|Editor in Chief

February is Black History Month. The celebration can be traced back to the efforts of many. According to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASNLH), it was Carter G. Woodson’s participation in “a national celebration of the 50th anniversary of emancipation sponsored by the sate of Illinois” that led him to develop the ASNLH (asalh.org). With Woodson’s persistence and enouragement, Omega Psi Phi developed “Negro Achievement Week.” Woodson announced the new celebratory week in 1926. According to the ASNLH, the month of Feb. was chosen in particular because of its preexisting celebratory efforts. Abraham Lincoln was born on the 12th of Feb. and Fredrick Douglass was born on the 14th of Feb.; Woodson was well aware that “Since Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, the black community, along with other Republicans, had been celebrating the fallen President’s birthday” and Douglass’ celebration

had been included in the celebratory efforts since the late 1890s (asalh.org). Woodson was not trying to create a new tradition. Woodson’s hope for Negro History Week was to “ask the public to extend their study of Black History,” (asalh.org).

Black History Month programming at Macon State College has been developed and co-sponsored by the Macon State College Black History Month Committee and the Black Student Unifi cation Organization. Mary Mears, Associate Professor

of English and Reading Department of English and Chair of the Macon State College Black History Month Committee said, “ I want the students at MSC to be aware of the differences that African-American people have made in society. Naomi Robertson, Assistant

Professor of Political Science Department of History and Political Science and Advisor to the Black Student Unifi cation Organization, said, “I want the students at MSC to walk away from these events with an appreciation for the contributions that African Americans have made.” Robertson went on to say, “The last Friday of Feb., there will be a Heritage P r e s e r v a t i o n

Luncheon. All events held are free and open to the public. One of the highlights of this year’s campus efforts will be the presentation of special guest Roger Bonair-Agard. The event will take place at 11

a.m., Wednesday, Feb 22, Macon Campus, 100 College Station Dr, Arts Complex, Theater. And, the event will take place again at 5:45 p.m., Wednesday, Feb 22, Warner Robins Campus, Academic Services Building, Auditorium. In celebration of Black History Month, Roger Bonair-Agard will be reading his poetry.A professional performance poet since 1997, Bonair-Agard is a two-time National Poetry Slam champion. He is a native of Trinidad and Tobago; he has lived in New York for nearly two decades and currently is writer-in-residence with Vision Into Art, a music and interdisciplinary arts production company in New York City. He has appeared three times on Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam on HBO, and he is coauthor of Burning Down the House (2000) and author of Tarnish and Masquerade (2006) and Gully (2010). After Bonair-Agard reads, students are encouraged to stay because there will be a question and answer option that will follow each session. For more information, please contact Mary Mears 478-471-2888.

Photo courtesy of maconstate.edu/studentlife/blackhistorymonthRoger Bonair-Agard

Events on campus celebrate Black History Month

Student media widens oppurtunities for the futureLilly Bilingsley|MCOM 3131

One of the best secrets on the Macon campus is the Student Media Organization, which is part of the Offi ce of Student Life. Student Media is made of three outlets: The Macon Statement, Macon State College Television (MSC TV), and The Fall Line Review. The Macon Statement is the student newspaper and provides the college with current and relevant news about the college community. The Macon Statement gives students opportunities to develop their journalistic talents in news writing, design layout for newspaper, collaborative assignments, and management skills. Students working for the paper learn to write news in Associated Press format (AP), design layouts using Adobe InDesign, and attend meetings with the colleague and Editor in Chief. Students have the options to become part of the staff of editors, copywriters, and photographers encompassed within the paper. The Macon Statement is usually printed every two weeks during the spring and fall semesters; its publishing schedule is determined by via its

editorial staff. It is produced in-house at the Student Media Offi ce. MSC-TV is the campus closed circuit television lab. Students have opportunities to develop stories for a television studio setting, including the use of video cameras, video editing software and hardware, as well as journalistic and anchor ship skills. The students produce self-contained stories related to weekly campus activities, which can be viewed on television sets throughout campus, and online. The Fall Line Review is an annual literary and art journal at Macon State College, students create all of the works printed in the journal. The staff of the Fall Line Review is made of a content editor and a design editor, also students, and guided by faculty advisers. Submissions in the creative writing categories include poetry, fi ction, prose, and essays. The visual arts category includes photography, sculpture, sketches, paintings, comics, and digital art. The music category

includes any style as long as it is original and created by a current student of Macon State College. The submission guidelines for the Fall Line Review are posted on campus and online

during fall semester. Student Media is governed by the Student Media Bylaws of set by the college; each media division has its own handbook of policies and procedures, which listed within the college Student Handbook. The handbook utilized for the Macon State media sectors is also the offi cial Registered Student Organization Handbook for the University

System of Georgia. The most wonderful highlight about student media is that it is not an avenue open to media driven majors; anyone can join and be trained using the latest technical programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign. Whether its business, humanities, sciences or so on, the media divisions at Macon state are homegrown opportunities for betterment.

It is not an avenue

open just to media majors; anyone can join and be

trained.

7 FEATURES Feb. 22, 2012

Allison L. Boutwell | Staff Writer National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is an honor society that provides leadership skills to college students so that they can be successful in the world. Three speaking events, which are video seminars, takes place in both fall and spring semesters. During the seminars, a successful business owner, company CEO, author, or celebrity bring their experiences to the table and offer tips on various topics. At times the topic is about fi nances, and at other times it is about building a successful business. Leadership is a common theme throughout. Secretary Britni Fleming, a recently inaugurated member said, “My favorite part about being a member is the close friendships you build with your peers in SNT groups.” She later added that, “SNT members hold you to the goals you set forth, and support you in achieving them.” According to Stephanie Hughes, president of NSLS, there are currently 651 members. At the last speaker event, 99 members attended. Hughes said, “On average 68 members attend speaker events.” “There are opportunities to learn real world

skills that will help you outperform your peers in the workplace, and an enviable network of movers and shakers that are all a part of the drive to create lasting positive change in the world,” Hughes said. “Additionally you will receive other tangible benefi ts such as online resources on our website, customized letters of recommendation for prospective employers or graduate schools, access to exclusive scholarships and awards, Success Coaches and our entire Keynote speaker series.” A major facet of NSLS is community service. Currently, the Society is participating in Absolutely Incredible Kid Day, collecting letters written to third and fi fth graders. “This community service project centers on encouraging the academic achievement of some of our disadvantaged elementary students in the Bibb County Title I schools,” said Hughes. “Our chapter at Macon State College began supporting this important campaign last year and we hope that students at Macon State will do the same.” Additionally, Pamela Rugen, Vice President of NSLS, is currently gathering a group of members for Relay for Life. Meetings are also an important part of the

Society. Members are assigned to groups that meet at least three times a semester. These groups are like a c c o u n t a b i l i t y groups. Each member sets goals, describes action steps to complete them, and their group members offer suggestions for achieving each persons’ goals. To be inducted as a member, students are required to attend Orientation, L e a d e r s h i p Training Day, and at least three speaker events plus three SNT meetings. Also, the National Excellence in Leadership Award can be earned if students attend O r i e n t a t i o n , Leadership Training Day, six speaker events, six SNT meetings, and do at least fi ve hours of community service.Other offi cers of Macon State’s Chapter are Pamela Rugen, Vice President; Dan Wheeler, Member Outreach Chair; and Britni Fleming, Secretary. Director of Career Services Barbara Warren is Macon State’s chapter advisor for NSLS. Speaker events are open to the public. The next

speaker event is Tues., Feb. 28, from seven- nine p.m. at the Academic Services Auditorium at the Warner Robins Campus. The meeting will be a live broadcast event, so students will have the opportunity to text-in using their smart phones to participate in polls and ask questions of the speaker. Kevin Carroll will be the keynote speaker for the event. The event will also take place on the Macon campus in a non-live

format on Friday, Mar. 9th in the Math Auditorium from 10:30a.m till noon.Currently, NSLS has open offi cer positions. The positions in need of being fi lled are the Community Service Chair, the Fundraising Chair, the Success Networking Team Coordinator and the Technology Chair. If students are interested in any positions, they should contact Stephanie Hughes at stephanie.hughes@maconstate.edu.

Students attend leadership training

Allison Boutwell | Staff Writer 146 members attended Orientation and Leadership Training Day Jan. 13.

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Cortney Brown |MCOM 3131

Macon State basketball club is coming off a win against Darton College on Jan. 22nd this year. The game was lead by their freshman Manny Coker, and fi rst year head coach Dustan Jump. Dustan Jump is the head coach of the 2011-2012 Macon State College club basketball team. Jump has been coaching for four years, with the boys and girls club in Roberta Ga. Coaching is his number one goal to focus on when he is fi nished with his history degree. Macon State basketball practices are in the gym located on the campus. They have practice Mondays thru Thursdays from 6:30-8:30, with a mandatory study hall/fi lm session on Wed. from six to eight p.m. Jump preaches accountability to his players. “ I encourage my players to approach practice as if they are in the classrooms. I encourage them to strive for success whether they are taking a test or playing a game,” said Jump.

In the second half of the season coach Jump expects both he and his players to be more focused and more team oriented. A jump anticipates the perception of the college community and the Middle Georgia community about the basketball club to change.

Jump does not expect the team to grasp every concept idea that he teaches, but he does expect his team to take the advantage of the opportunity he preaches to succeed. Jump is seeing all club sports at Macon State College as an opportunity for college students to understand the importance of hard work and the rewards that it follows.

Manny Coker is a freshman here at Macon State College. He was about nine or ten when he started learning the game of basketball. Coker said, “the team is shaping up pretty well; they are doing a lot of conditioning to prepare them for the season.” “Everybody gets alone pretty well we have a good chemistry. I see this team making Macon State something special for all club sports,” said Coker. His greatest strength on the basketball court has been his ability to rebound and his tough defense. Coker said, “Some of the things I can improve on is his ball handling skills and court awareness.” “I think that if I improve on my game that I will become a talented ball player, and take my talent to the next level,” said Coker. Coker’s goals for the team this season is to make Macon State basketball a better program, and also getting more wins at home. Coker’s plan for the future is to get recruited by a Division One program; he knows has the potential to become a great athlete in years to come.

“I think that if I improve on my game that I will become a talented ball player, and take my talent to the next level.”

A Winning Spirit

Photo by Jessica Spencer | Editor in Chief Damien Fluellen practices with Basketball Club Adviser Tercelle Williams.