the collegian 9-10-14
DESCRIPTION
The Collegian's 9/11 EditionTRANSCRIPT
THE OFFICIAL VOICE OF THE STUDENTS SINCE 1987
Around the Perimeter
Sportsmanship: Men's Soccer
Opinion
Campus News
POLICE BRIEFS
11
3NEWS BRIEFS
3
Smokers Become Vexed
3
Sports
The Value of Philosophy 10Will Write for Food 2014 10
Features
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge 4
A Tribute to Robin Williams 5
September 10, 2014 VOLUME 30 NO.3 Visit online at www.collegiannews.com
Professors danced in the aisles to a medley of hit songs from the past five decades. The GPC cheer squad
brought energy and attitude to the proceedings. Retirees knocked around giant beach balls as surf rock played, and chants of G-P-C echoed throughout the gym.
On September 5th, at this year’s Fall Convo-cation, GPC faculty, staff, and retirees convened in the Clarkston gym to celebrate the college’s 50th anniversary. At the event, administrators updated attendees on the implementation of new campaigns to increase enrollment and ex-cite students about achieving their academic goals.
One such initiative, Complete College Georgia, a University System of Georgia (USG) program, addresses the state’s critical need to develop and produce a more educated citizenry. According to the USG website, the program intends to “rapidly increase the proportion of young adults with a certificate or degree, while
maintaining a commitment to quality.”Comparably, GPC’s Better Way Forward
campaign hopes to boost student enrollment, retention and graduation rates. The program aims to raise awareness of opportunities avail-able to non-traditional students, stress the im-portance of smaller class sizes and affordability, and emphasize the benefits of gaining an As-sociate’s degree.
These programs come at a time when GPC enrollment is down drastically from two years ago--by more than 20 percent--following a na-tional trend.
Tracia Walker, a second year communica-tions major at Clarkston, pointed out that, al-though enrollment is down, GPC serves tens of thousands every year. Still she agreed that any new campaign for student success is a good thing.
Many students define success as completing core classes and transferring rather than gradu-ating with an Associate’s degree.
“We love our students, but they shouldn’t be here six years,” said Jennifer Jenkins, Fall Con-vocation Committee co-chair. “We want to love on them then get them out and on with their
careers.” Emily Lipsey, a third semester theater ma-
jor, said there are plenty of opportunities avail-able to students if they are willing to look. She worked with Jenkins as an assistant stage man-ager and a student adviser to the convocation committee.
The convocation speakers included Dr. Houston Davis, USG executive vice chancellor and Interim President Rob Watts, who deliv-ered the state-of-the-college address.
President Watts was pleased to deliver the news that enrollment is up nine percent com-pared to last year.
He said, “We’re in good shape, and we need to keep it that way.”
GPC Celebrates 50th Anniversary (1964-2014)
Fall Convocation kicks off anniversary celebrations and new programsBy Grant Taylor
Staff Writer
Interim President Robert Watts (center with red bowtie) joins faculty and staff in kicking off GPC's 50th year. Photo by Grant Taylor
Centerfold: 9/11 Commemoration 6-7
Sports Briefs
11
New Programs- P.A.S.S.
- Better Way Forward- Complete College
Georgia- 15 to Finish
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2 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM September 10, 2014
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Wow. It's the third issue of
the semester already. This past weekend, Dunwoody photo editor and I went to a journalism conference. It was so incedible to hear from such a va-
riety of people who are specialists in their own capacities.
I got a chance to talk to someone who works at the Associated Press, CNN< Fox 5, and many other organizations. If there is one thing that I have learned from attending conferences, it is importance of networking. Do not mistake this for manipulation.
Networking allows us to build relation-ships with people we would have never met had we not gone to that conference, that seminar or that meeting.
Knowing people, being able to talk to people and connecting with them is a skill on its own. If you are able to hone this skill and use it to your benefit, I am almost posi-tive you will know someone in every indus-try. And that will come in handy no matter which profession you may choose.
GPC has a Career Day. These opportu-nities are not given to everyone. Therefore,
if you have the chance, then take full advan-tage of each opportunity given to you.
Whether you are a doctor, lawyer, engi-neer, journalist or banker, you must know how to converse with all different types of people. There will be some that annoy you to no end, but being cordial with them will show you just how strong you are.
I will leave you with this. If you want to go into any profession, know how to talk to people and know how to network. Those business cards will be your best friends.
I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading the content we put so much effort into producing. We hope to exceed your expectations. If you have any story ideas, comments, or questions, please contact us at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!
Farhin LilywalaEditor-in-Chief
EDITOR IN CHIEF Farhin Lilywala
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kezia Velista
SPORTS EDITORHope Dickson
MANAGING EDITORJabril Titus
MULTIMEDIA EDITORDinko Ivojevic
CAMPUS PHOTO EDITORSBilly Esselburn
STAFF
PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR9/15
9/18
9/19
The Collegian is the student newspaper of Georgia Perimeter College, and is a designated public forum for students, faculty and staff to share their opinions. Comments and views expressed herein are those of the individual writers, and not those of the college or the Collegian as a whole. We strongly encourage students to submit articles and artwork for publication. Single copies are free. More than three copies per person are $.50 each.Editors reserve the right to edit for grammar, space, appropriateness and length. Not all submissions will be published. To speak with a staff member, please call 678-891-3382 or e-mail us at [email protected].
DISCLAIMER
9/22
9/23
Source: GPC General Events Calendar
ofPhoto
the Week
Every day after Sept. 11, 2001, this flag has brought the American public together. "United we stand, divided we fall."
Clarkston- Nursing Seminar I-1700 - 12-1:30 p.m.
All campuses- Deadline to Petition for In-state Tuition for Fall 2014: The petition for in-state tuition and all supporting documentation must be submitted by this date in order to be considered for Fall 2014.
Clarkston- DeKalb Symphony Orchestra Concert with Fyodor Cherniavsky, conductorFeaturing Christina Smith, flute, Rodrigo: "Concierto Pastorale" & World Premiere: Greg McLean: "An Indoor Overture" Cole Auditorium, Fine Arts Building- 8 p.m.Tickets: $5 with each GPC ID; Full price tix: $22; Seniors: $20; Other Students: $10
All campuses- Second Half Application Deadline
Photo by Dinko Ivojevic
All campuses- GPC Night at the Georgia Dome Atlanta Falcons v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Enter offer code: tickets
September 10, 2014 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM 3
Campus News
By Ruth Green
Staff Writer
POLICE BRIEFSThe Stolen
J-Card
On Aug. 20, dispatch received a call at 5 p.m. At apporoximately 4 p.m. in building G of the Clarkston campus, a student's J-Card was stolen.
A suspect has now been arrested and charged. This case is now closed.
attempted break-in
On Aug. 30, between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. in Lot 3 on the Clarkston campus, there were two en-ter-in autos. Two visitors was attending a foot-
ball game at Clarkston High School. When they returned to their vehicles, they noticed a car door open. They then checked their belongings. One victim had a Dell laptop sto-len. As the serial number for the laptop is unknown, it cannot be tracked. There was a third attempt in Lot 6 between 9 and 10 p.m. An officer observed a male lurking around. When approached, the man ran away. Public Safety believes it may have been the same suspect.
the break-in
On Aug. 31, a break-in incident occurred at the Decatur campus. It is an open investigation, and no other information has been released. Public
Safety is actively investigating. Look for breaking news cov-erage on the Collegian's website: www.collegiannews.com
the case of the missing laptop
On Sept. 3, around 4:30 p.m., an instructor report-ed a stolen laptop on the Decatur campus. The instructor left the office door unlocked, around
2:30 p.m. on Sept. 2. When the instructor returned, the lap-top was not there. The laptop has not been recovered.
the case of the missing iphone
On Sept. 3, around 1 p.m., a woman's iPhone 5 was stolen. It was left in the women's restroom on the first floor of the E building on the Clarkston
campus. When the victim returned a short while later, the phone was gone. The phone has not yet been recovered.
Notes from GPC Public Safety: Please be careful where you leave your belongings. If you
bring an item of value to campus, please know where it is at all times.
North Indian Creek Drive has now turned into a single-laned road by the Clarkston campus. There are many cross-walks that intersect the road. Please be mindful of pedestrains. If a city or GPC officer finds you in violation of this law, you will be penalized. Be safe.
Information provided by GPC Public Safety.
By Farhin Lilywala
Collegian Staff
ClassifiedINJURY, TRAFFIC, CRIMINAL ATTORNEY.
Fight for your rights. Free Consultation. Accepts credit cards. Charles Bowling M.B.A.Attorney. 404-946-8571. www.charlesbowlinglaw. Advertisement.
NEWS BRIEFSSpring 2015 Scholarship Application Deadline
Approaching
The deadline for GPC students to apply for Spring 2015 scholarships is Oct. 1. There are more than 40 individual scholarships available in a variety of
different areas. Most require an essay and a letter of recom-mendation to go along with the application. Be sure to be prepared, and may the best candidates win.
GPC Newton and Clarkston Campuses Hold
Club Fair
On Thursday, Aug. 28, a club fair was held in the lobby of building 2N at the Newton Campus. Many students participated and took interest in
the different clubs.There was also a club fair at the Clarkston campus. The radio station V 103.3 covered and hosted the event. Many clubs set up booths, and students actively par-ticipated in signing up for clubs and interacting with the DJs.
Newton Campus JAG Hosts Six Flags Fun Day
GPC students from the all campuses will attend the Six Flags Fun Day on Saturday, Sept. 27. These students only paid a five dollar refundable
deposit to attend. Have fun!
By Luke Martin
Staff Writer
Everyone should be aware of the smoking ban on all University System of
Georgia’s colleges by now. If not, brace yourself for Oct. 1, because it’s right around the corner.
This raised so many different concerns with smokers and some non-smokers. There are mixed feel-ings about whether if this a good idea or not, but regardless of stu-dents opinion, this rule will be blasting into full effect within the next month.
It was essential to get the opinions of smokers and some non-smokers themselves, and most of them were not pleased at all. In-vading the smokers presence was very intimidating. They all have many different personalities, but they all connect with one habit they have in common: smoking. A non-smoker walking on to the campus may become consumed with the smoke around them, while
a smoker may be dying to have a cigarette to compensate such a stressful week.
In fact, some smokers be-come furious at the thought of the no-smoking policy.
GPC student Tahmarley Da-vis said, “It’s time for authorities to stop micromanaging our lives and mind their own fucking business.”
Many of the students felt that it was unfair for the government to ban smoking on the campuses, simply because they are addicted to a product that was produced by the government in the first place.
Another non-smoker was for the ban.
Brianna Parks, an early edu-cation major on the Newton cam-pus said, “I think this smoking ban is for the better, because a lot of non-smokers are in great danger of cancer from secondhand smoke.”
Most smokers believe that they should set up a pit where they can smoke without bothering non-smokers. On the other hand, some non-smokers indeed feel like this
is a change for the better, and that their health should be protected at all causes.
Whether or not the students of GPC agrees or disagrees with this law, it will not be stopped.
Julius Whitaker, GPC Li-brary Interim Executive Director and chair of implementation of the ban college wide, said, “They want-ed to be conscious in the outcome of second hand smoke.”
Whitaker stressed the fact that this law is indeed not intend-ed to penalize smokers but it’s to protect non-smokers and also help smokers better their health.
“The positive side of this is that individuals who do not smoke won’t be subjected to secondhand smoke, and I don’t believe there is a negative side to this because we’re providing services to smokers to help better their health condition,” said Whitaker.
GPC has provided a website that has a list of important facts regarding the smoking ban: www.tobaccofree.gpc.edu
Smokers Become Vexed
By Jabril Titus
Collegian Staff
Illustration by Jasmine Frierson.
4 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM September 10, 2014
Three words: Ice Bucket Chal-lenge. There is no way to avoid this combination of words on news feeds, televisions, and social media websites. The phenomenon ab-solutely exploded in the U.S. and other countries the past couple of months. Thousands, perhaps mil-lions, of these videos have been circulating around the internet and the world!
From Charlie Sheen pouring ten thousand dollars on himself to photographer Anthony Car-bajal rubbing his butt cheeks that mark, “kiss my ALS” against a car window, people have completed all sorts of ice bucket challenge videos.
Admit it though, before this started, some had never even heard of ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It is a disorder that af-fects muscles and neurons causing difficulty in breathing, talking, as well as swallowing. Not only that, it eventually deteriorates all muscular capabilities, prohibiting walking, using one’s limbs, and even getting out of bed.
When asked what he knew about the disease, computer science major Yale Davis explained, “It’s a
neurological degenerative disease that slowly makes the body be-comes paralyzed and shut down af-ter the neurons stemming from the brain and spinal cord break down. I actually only know this because of the ice bucket challenge!”
Also, ALS is not contagious. Most people are diagnosed due to their genetic history. ALS can happen to anyone no matter what race or background, which is why there’s a minority of sporadic cases in existence.
Unfortunately, the simple cause of ALS itself is unknown. There is also currently no cure for it; pa-tients with this disorder live usually up to five years and 10 percent of people live more than ten years.
Patrick Quinn and Corey Grif-fin are the men who helped made this Ice Bucket Challenge viral throughout the world. Quinn, who is actually diagnosed with ALS, was in shock of how quickly the movement grew. As of Aug. 25, 2014 the ALS association received $79.7 million in donations. This time last year, they only had about $2.5 million.
Even with all the positive light that has come through from the Ice Bucket Challenge, there are some
skeptics who are opposed to these challenges, saying that it is com-pletely useless and does not actual-ly help, like economics major Chris Charleston.
He rants, “I think that the challenge really hasn’t helped that much. Let’s look at KONY 2012. It is easy to generate hype on so-cial networks but hard to translate that into concrete actions. The in-centive to do the challenge is from peer pressure and wanting to be part of what everyone else is doing, with the charity token side effect. People may be more aware, but no more inclined to do anything about ALS itself.”
On the other hand, Yale said, “I think it’s important to raise aware-ness over all diseases that affect hu-man lives, because they pay respect to victims and honor the people helping those affiliated.”
Whatever your viewpoints or opinions may be, the ice bucket challenge is one of those things that’s at least raised a ton of pub-licity about ALS and shows that we as a society love to help others. For more information regarding to the disorder or to make a donation, visit http://www.alsa.org/.
By Kezia Velista
Collegian Staff
Clarkston Dean of Student Services, Matthew Robison takes the challenge.
From left to right: Fran Mohr, GPC Director of Customer Service, Lorretta Arrington, administrative secretary, and Marla Calico, Academic Dean, Clarkston Campus take the plunge.
With the help of a Jaguar cheerleader, Jaggy the Jaguar takes the challenge.
Clarkston SGA members take the challenge.
Campus photographer, Bill Roa takes the challenge.
Photo by Bill Roa
Photo by Bill Roa
Photo by Bill Roa
Photo by Lorretta Arrington
For more information about ALS, go to www.alsa.org, or scan the QR code below:
"Kiss My ALS" The Ice Bucket Challenge: Raising Awareness or Raising Peer Pressure
Photo by Farhin Lilywala
September 10, 2014 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM 5
A Tribute to Robin Williams1951-2014
There are three types of people in this world: the ones you know, the ones
you don’t know, and the ones you love but don’t know. The last cat-egory has our favorite characters from books, our favorite music art-ists, and even our favorite actors.
2014 has been quite the year in the entertainment world. We have lost too many greats this year. Just to name a few big names: Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Gar-ner, Shirley Temple, Joan Rivers, Mickey Rooney, Casey Kasem and Maya Angelou. But one of the big-gest shocks was Robin Williams.
As college students, most of us have grown up with Williams’ movies: “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Patch Adams,” “Aladdin,” “Hook,” “Dead Poets Society,” “Good Will Hunt-ing,” “Jumanji” and more than a hundred more. Williams entered our lives as a celebrity who loved to make us laugh but also found a way to teach us a valuable lesson in the process.
Some of the lessons he taught us were infinite love, the impor-tance of family, the joy in humor and the potential to do something great with our lives.
“My favorite would be ‘What Dreams May Come’ because it talks about true love,” GPC po-
litical science student, Jade Gibbs, said. “It’s amazing how they go through all these obstacles and still find their way back to each other.”
Movies give us an escape from reality. Sitting down, putting in a favorite movie and watching it after a long day gives us a differ-ent form of relaxation. Some prefer comedy, some like romance, while others enjoy action. Then there are the movies that were made to in-spire us.
“My favorite movie would be ‘Jack’,” said Kierra Johnson, a music student. ”Because it is really fun-ny and taught the importance of childhood, and what it really meant to be an adult.”
Williams’ death was one that affected many of us immensely. It was so unexpected to us that we didn’t know what to think. How can someone who always found a way to give us a reason to laugh also be so depressed to commit sui-cide?
“It made me realize that even a funny man like him can experi-ence depression,” said James Hill, a GPC film and journalism student. “It was a real surprise that someone like him would be that depressed.”
One thing that we fail to real-ize sometimes is that celebrities are people too. They are not the characters we see on the big screen, but people who struggle with the hardships of life just like the rest
of us. What makes them famous is what they do with their fame for the world.
Williams did it all: Comedy, movies, TV shows and made the men and women serving overseas laugh. He supported several chari-ties and found time for his three children in the midst of everything else.
Even though we loved what he did for the world, the world in-side himself was often a constant struggle to live in. Addiction was probably one of life’s most difficult obstacles to overcome.
Williams spent more than two decades struggling with his addic-tions to drugs and alcohol. Both of these things have been researched enough to show the altercations they have on one’s brain. Even get-ting help to overcome the addic-tions, the damage is still there and depression often sets in.
It’s hard to believe that the man who brought so much light to the world couldn’t overcome the dark-ness within.
Despite that, one thing is cer-tain. Robin Williams is somebody that will be truly missed.
His voice, his jokes, and his words of wisdom are all some things that will continue to bring us joy and laughter throughout our lives; as Robin becomes a memory to all of us.
R.I.P. Keep heaven laughing.
By Hope Dickson
Collegian Staff
“O Captain! My Captain!”Robin Williams lives on in our hearts
You Are Not Alone: Coping with Depression
Robin Williams’ death on Aug. 11 cast a dark shadow over the humor
he was famous for. His suicide was believed to be caused by his long battle with depression and early stages of Parkinson’s disease. Right now, the issue of suicide is in the national spotlight, and it hits close to home for a number of college students.
According to Emory Univer-sity, over 100,000 college students commit suicide each year. It is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 25 and 34 and third for those between the ages of 15 and 24. The thoughts and attempts of suicide are higher among adults between 18 and 25.
Why is the idea of suicide so contagious on a college campus? Emory’s study claims there are multiple reasons that students would want to end their lives. Some of the reasons are academic pressure, low social network, diffi-culty adjusting, fear of failure, and drugs or alcohol.
Mental illness is powerful. It can be blamed for about two-thirds of suicides in college.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) defines depression as “a medical illness that affects one’s thoughts, feel-ings, behavior, mood, and physical health. Symptoms include irregular sleeping, changes in appetite, poor concentration, and loss of energy,
a lack of interest or pleasure, low self-esteem, feeling guilty or help-less, constant aches and pains, and recurring thoughts of death or sui-cide”.
There are two forms of treat-ment for depression, the first be-ing medication. The two most common medications are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SS-RIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Both medications contain side effects of stomach aches, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, dizziness, headaches and weight change.
The third most common med-icine, triclinic antidepressants (TA) are not used as much as SSRIs or SNRIs, because they have a higher risk of side effects. They are treated as a back-up plan if the first two drugs do not work. The symptoms of TA are sleepiness, nervousness, dry mouth, constipation, bladder problems, blurred vision, and skin rash.
According to NAMI the other methods of treating depression are by psychotherapy and electroshock therapy for severe cases.
Help lines are ready to help anyone who is dealing with men-tal illness. For depression, NAMI hotline is 1-800-950-6264. The National Parkinson’s Foundation can be found at 1-800-327-4545. The American Foundation of Sui-cide Prevention can be reached at 1-888-333-2377. Any of these or-ganizations are ready to help any-one get out of the darkness.
By Ben Abrams
Staff Writer
“You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.” -Robin Williams
“My favorite would be ‘What Dreams May Come’ because it talks about true love. It’s amazing how they go through all these obstacles and still find their way back to each other.” ~Jade Gibbs, political science
“My favorite movie would be ‘Jack,’ because it is really funny and taught the importance of childhood, and what it really meant to be an adult.” ~Kierra Johnson, music
FAVORITES
Illustration by Hope Dickson
The Quality Enhance-ment Plan (QEP) of-fice sponsors four days
throughout the academic year when students have the opportu-nity to go to communities and vol-unteer at various locations. These days are 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance and Make a Differ-ence Day in the fall semester and Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day and Global Youth Service Day in the spring semester.
The 9/11 Day of Service en-deavors to engage students and faculty members in service to their communities. Whether it is the Atlanta Veterans Farmers Market, Stone Mountain Memorial Asso-ciation or the Special Equestrians,
the organizations specifically re-quest GPC students to help with their projects.
Last year’s event was such a great success that the QEP-office has expanded its service opportu-nities, enabling more students to join.
By creating this connection with students, people remember the love and charity in communi-ties during the aftermath of Sep-tember 11, 2001. The spirit of re-building and helping one another prevailed throughout the U.S. at the time, but has slightly declined as the years passed.
Nevertheless, last year’s activi-ties showed that another disaster like that does not need to happen to keep up the same spirit. Being aware of what is happening in the community is vital in maintaining
a healthy, social atmosphere. “Some communities don’t talk
to each other, know what’s going on in their households and don’t like each other half the time,” said engineering student Ladarius Jack-son. “Participating in a project like this would be an important bond-ing moment.”
The annual commemoration of 9/11 urges citizens to fulfill their responsibilities, to their country and their communities.
“Being a time-deprived stu-dent, if there would be less time-consuming options, I’d be open to the idea of helping in my neigh-borhood,” said biology major Lidia Fekadu.
Santiago Hémenez, a chemistry major, notices that helping others does not only make them better off, you’ll also feel better about yourself.
He thinks that in the future, extra credit would be a great incentive for students to come. Hémenez ad-mits that many schools in the USA already implement this system, but as a required part of their curricu-lum. Keeping it optional retains the character desired by the QEP, where everyone who feels they have something to offer.
The Service Opportunities are at six different locations on Friday, Sept. 12: Atlanta Veterans Farmers Market, Mountain-View Personal Care Home, Stone Mountain Me-morial Association, Blue Heron Nature Preserve, Dunwoody Na-ture Center and Senior Connec-tions. On Saturday, Sept. 13 there will be an opportunity to serve at Special Equestrians.
“Intentional Service Days such as these expand our understanding
by demonstrating that service is just one of the many ways we can give back to our communities,” said Engaged Learning Coordinator Mary Elizabeth Tyler-Boucebci. “Going to town-hall meetings, talking to local commissioner or even learning our neighbor’s names helps preserving that social capi-tal.”
This week, an e-mail will be sent to the student body and the faculty members with links to the organi-zations and how you can submit applications.
Encouraging students to partic-ipate, Tyler-Boucebci said, “As hu-mans, we are defined by the beauty we create from the ashes that are left us.”
6 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM September 10, 2014
Name: Naser BeshirMajor: Computer EngineeringCampus: Clarkston
"I was in Ms. Percel’s class, and all I remember was everyone going crazy, and my mom picking me up from school, I was only in the second grade; I didn't know how to respond or react.."
What do you remember about 9/11?Soapboxthe Photos by Fatuma Abu.
Name: Khadija NoorMajor: NursingCampus: Clarkston
"Around 9/11, I was in the first grade; I had no idea what was going on. I vaguely remember too. Looking back? I’m happy I don't remember."
#GPCsoapbox
Name: Prof. Jason ThibodeauClass: PhilosophyCampus: Clarkston
"It was very sad, a sense of sadness and fear, and aston-ishment. I didn't know how to react."
Name: Saleh HassanMajor: Business AdministrationCampus: Clarkston
"During 9/11 the teacher sat us in a circle crying, telling us how sad it was and how sad we should be. I had no idea what was going on; I was in the second grade."
Name: Jannah MustafaMajor: NursingCampus: Clarkston
"I was five, at home, about to go over my mom's friend's house when all the channels turned to the incident hap-pening on 9/11. Jokingly, we thought it was a movie; everything became hec-tic when we realized it wasn't a joke."
13 Years2 Planes
2 Towers1 Country
Changed Forever...
By Rangadevi Chakraborty
Staff Writer
A Day of Commemoration, A Day of Service
Illustration by Jasmine Frierson.
September 10, 2014 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM 7
Name: Ben HamiltonMajor: EngineeringCampus: Clarkston
"I remember that day we stood out in the halls for the pledge and had a moment of silence. I didn't really understand it until years later."
What do you remember about 9/11?Soapboxthe Photos by Alexis Duffey.
Name: Angel SimmonsMajor: PsychologyCampus: Newton
"I was in elementary school when they said that the Twin Towers were destroyed by two airplanes, and we took a few moments of peace."
#GPCsoapbox
Name: Chris LewisMajor: Computer ScienceCampus: Newton
"I was at school, we turned on the TV, and we watched what happened."
Name: Sean Caleb LoMajor: BusinessCampus: Newton
"I was in high school in my ag-riculture class, and I remember my teacher turning on the TV and people sad and crying."
Name: Melissa LattimoreMajor: EducationCampus: Newton
"I was at school, and my teacher was talking to another teacher. My teacher turned on the TV for us to watch. At the time I was too young to know what was going on."
September 11, 2001-
September 11, 2014
Thirteen years after the
horrific events of 9/11, there is no doubt that it was a day that forever changed the way we view the world. It
was one of the most catastrophic atrocities of the 21st century, in America and the world. The effects of that day have been far reaching on many levels, most of which are emotional.
I was devastated by what hap-pened that day, because I lived in New York City. Out of the many feelings that overwhelmed me, one of them was utter shock. Even though I could see what happened on TV and the images danced across screens worldwide replaying the destruction, I had a hard time grasping what I saw in my mind.
Other GPC students shared with me how they were person-ally affected by the horrific events of that day. Even though they were young, they still can recall the feelings caused by the attacks that marred the beautiful end of a summer day.
Dahabo Hassan from Somalia was twelve years old at the time, in the fourth grade. On that day, she was thinking about her upcom-ing birthday. She knew what was happening was very bad, and she felt that it would taint her birth-day celebration with sadness. As a Muslim, she immediately realized the validity of Islam was under at-tack and scrutinized from every angle. She was confused. She un-doubtedly faced future birthdays with a mixture of dread and ex-citement.
It was a terrible time in Amer-ica, because certain groups of peo-ple were targeted no matter where they lived. All you had to do was look a certain way, and you were under attack. Similar stories were everywhere. One of the ways peo-
ple protected themselves against unwarranted hostilities was the open display of the American flag. It worked - as Americans of all ethnicities rallied together to de-feat a common enemy.
Jeremy Baiye, who was young at that time, was conscious of the fact that Americans seemed to draw closer together. Everybody was being patriotic, because he recalled seeing American flags everywhere. He knew what had happened was a significant event of his life. Why else would people openly express such a deep sense of grief ?
Elise Berry said she was home from school that day and hap-pened to be watching TV. When she saw the plane flying into the World Trade Center, she thought, “Wow, this is happening in Amer-ica!” She had never seen anything like it in her young life. No one expects to see anything like that in their life, no matter how old they are.
I can remember my first visit to New York City after the attacks,
and it was disturbing to say the least. The Twin Towers, a NYC landmark since 1973 were no lon-ger erected like proud beacons in the city skyline. For 28 years, they loomed large in lower Manhat-tan. To return to the same spot and not see them was emotional for me. It rocked me to my core and made me sad for the city and all the people who lost their lives.
After the attacks, people started to re-evaluate their lives and made serious attempts to set priorities about how they wanted to live. People stepped back and made life altering changes mostly, because they realized how quickly things can change for the worse.
Jerel Peterson was twelve years old and in the 7th grade at Coo-per Middle School in Ga., where he was heading to his reading class. The TV was on CNN when he’d arrived, just in time to see the second plane hit the second tower. He was a youngster but shocked and surprised by what he saw. Although still relatively young, he has since learned not to
take things for granted and was changed internally. He came to the realization that you can never know what will happen. He recalls the day being a very solemn one that he will not soon forget.
The images of that day are for-ever etched in our minds. It is a part of our history and a part of who we are as a nation. The impact of the attacks has been reverberat-ing for thirteen years now and has affected our way of life from trav-el, to national security, economics, etc. We have even given up some civil liberties, so that we might feel safe on American soil.
Every year as the anniversary of 9/11 draws near we are reminded of our vulnerability as a nation. I like to think since that day we are stronger as a nation because of the events of that day. Even though it’s been thirteen years since the attacks, there will always be a place in me that mourns the events of that beautiful end of summer day.
By Ruth Green
Staff Writer
"9/11: A Day to Remember"
Illustration by Jasmine Frierson.
8 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM September 10, 2014
The AJC Decatur Book Festival 2014Photos by Hope Dickson.
September 10, 2014 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM 9
"The Best Advice is No Advice"A Look Inside the AJC Decatur Book Festival
Top: Author and keynote speaker Joyce Carol Oates takes questions from the audience at the AJC Decatur Book Festival. Bottom left: Oates reads aloud from one of her many manuscripts. Bottom right: The audience fills the auditorium to hear Oates speak. Photos by Hope Dickson.
More than 90,000 peo-ple came out Labor Day weekend to en-
joy the festivities of the AJC Deca-tur Book Festival. Starting it off on Friday, Aug. 29, author Joyce Carol Oates gave the keynote speech in front of hundreds of people.
Having written over hundreds of short stories, poetry, novels, fic-tion, plays, and essays; it is clear about one thing, Joyce Oates loves to write. She publishes works so frequently that it is hard to imagine she ever stops writing!
“There's no language to a story,” addressed Oates to the audience. “A story can be the same story told in a hundred different ways.”
After the keynote speech, peo-ple filed out and lined up to meet Oates and get their favorite books signed by her.
“I love so many of her short sto-ries,” said GPC English professor Shelli Welch. “The ones about Bet-ty Short, Marilyn Monroe, Black Dahlia, and White Rose are cool. I also love Cousins. I often teach it in my English 1102 class.”
While people were getting their signatures, the room was buzzing with talk about how awesome the keynote actually was.
“The whole speech was fabu-lous,” said attorney Amy Berne, “I didn't know how funny she was, because her writing is so depress-ing.”
Oates is an author that wants to teach her audience a life lesson.
She wants to inspire her readers to become the person that they were meant to be.
In fact, many of the authors that came out wanted to teach their readers a particular message in life. More than 600 authors came out to meet their readers and fans.
Guy Cote, author of “Long Live the King” said, “What I want my readers to know through my writ-ing is don't let any obstacle hold you back.”
The LGBT track was a popular spot this year at the festival. The books varied from same-sex family units to defining love, regardless of gender.
“Family is a lot bigger than it used to be,” said Elisabeth Sheff, author of "The Polyamorous Next Door: Inside multi-partner rela-
tionships and families.” “Families of gender and sexual minorities are not only quite common but can also offer stable living environ-ments for children.”
That's the thing about books. They can take you as far away from your reality as possible, and they can convey a message. There is usu-ally something writers want their readers to know.
“My favorite thing about read-ing is that you can live multiple lives in one book,” GSU student Sara White said.
Chances are that at some point in your life, you either picked up a book and read it or you had some-one read one to you. Readers every-where instantly fall in love with the escape.
“With the profound under-
standing that the human mindset chiefly characterizes itself by being 'eternally unfulfilled',” said Kyle Lineberry, M.M.ED. “Reading is one of the most common (and sys-temically healthy) forms of escap-ing the mundane and immersing oneself into the fantastical worlds we deem most worthy of our exis-tence.”
The AJC Decatur Book Festival has been held every year for the last nine years, and each year more and more people come, as authors or at-tendees.
Festivities include: meeting authors, purchasing books, short plays, music, food, poetry readings and more. It is a chance for upcom-ing authors to try to get their books out there, and a chance for the in-ner nerd to come out of all of us.
By Hope Dickson
Collegian Staff
10 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM September 10, 2014
Our Voice
In education, philosophy is among
the most impor-tant subjects for developing per-sonal values and critical thinking. It helps students
ask important questions, and encourages independent answers. This questioning oneself and the surrounding world is what learn-ing is all about.
These classes may go overlooked because it’s easy to wonder how
they’ll help us get a job. But keep in mind that we aren’t here to get a job; we’re here to get an education.
Philosophy translates to “love of wisdom.” The prefix ‘philo-’ mean-inf ‘love’ and ‘-sophy’ meaning ‘wis-dom.' But what is this ‘wisdom?’
It was not until I took an eth-ics class that I seriously considered topics like capital punishment, ani-mal rights and euthanasia. I didn’t think they had any direct impact on my life. As I read for class, their importance became clearer.
I believe this ‘wisdom’ is the ability to weigh perspectives and see life through the eyes of others, so we can view the world more ac-curately.
After several botched execu-tions, there is widespread concern about the “humaneness” of lethal injection. When I order a turkey club I sometimes wonder what the conditions of that slaughterhouse may have been like.
The truth is, until we debate and examine points of view that differ from ours, and consider topics we deem unimportant, we cannot help but be close-minded.
Our beliefs and values are put to the test by discussing ideas we may not agree with. In discussion, we are challenged to give good reasons why we believe what we do. Upon close examination, it may turn out that our political views really came
from our parents, or that our view of God is simply a product of the way we were raised.
Naturally, when we express our views we’ll have to defend them, but in the process of defending ourselves, we define ourselves. When we can rationally debate is-sues without emotionally “attack-ing” others, we can be fairly con-fident that we’re thinking critically and independently.
Philosophy offers us methods of evaluating arguments. It gives us the chance to live life based on well thought out principles, instead of ones we absorb from others.
This is the real value of philoso-phy to our lives.
Developing principles, a desire to gain knowledge, and the capac-ity to evaluate all perspectives be-fore we jump to conclusions is true education. It’s how we are “drawn out” of ignorance regarding others, the world, and ultimately ourselves.
So, when you sign up for classes, consider taking philosophy. While its “value” may not translate direct-ly into dollar signs, it will certainly be apparent in your life.
“Marathon lecture” courses, with their emphasis on memoriza-tion, generally fail at challenging students to think.
I promise, philosophy won’t deprive you of this freedom of thought.
By Barry Switay
Staff Writer
COLUMN The Value of Philosophy
Homeless p eop l e shou ld
stop being lazy. Homeless peo-ple don’t have anything to eat. Homeless people don’t do much.
That’s according to some of the people in the Hollywood, Fla. com-munity. Over Labor Day weekend,
I attended a program called Will Write for Food in which 20 other journalists and I ran the homeless newspaper for 36 hours.
Getting pizza at midnight. Meeting deadlines at two-thirty in the morning. Drinking unprec-edented amounts of water to keep hydrated, yet craving a coffee IV. That’s how my weekend was. Actu-ally, that’s how those 36 hours were. Yet, they were influential hours that left a lasting impact on me.
As soon as we walked in, the stench of cigarette smoke hit us.
Then, we found ourselves in a little cafeteria, much smaller than many of us have known even in elemen-tary school. Our advisers told us to mingle, to sit and eat dinner with a homeless person from the shelter.
When I got to the front of the-food line, I saw not only volunteers but also shelter residents willingly and happily serving me food. It brought a smile to my face, think-ing I had already seen something new to me.
After I got my food, I scanned the room, looking for a conver-
sation to join. Finally, I found a woman who was sitting by herself in a chair. I kneeled down next to her. She offered me her chair, but I politely declined.
She talked about her family. She talked about how she came to the shelter. She talked to about church.
I’m still not sure whether I be-lieve everything she told me.
When I saw her, she didn’t look like the stereotypical homeless per-son, and yet there she was with her blue eyeglasses strap, sitting and smiling at everyone.
I realized that there can be a homeless person sitting about twenty feet away from me, and I still won’t know. It’s heart wrench-ing to think that a person’s life can change so dramatically within a matter of days and yet many mem-bers of the community blame the homeless people themselves.
This experience was an eye-opening one, at the very least. I endeavor to share this new knowl-edge with communities in hopes that people can develop their own informed opinions.
By Farhin Lilywala
Collegian Staff
Will Write for Food 2014: The World Around UsCOLUMN
Opening your mind and challenging yourself
Photo by Dinko Ivojevic
EXTRA! EXTRA! WE WRITE ALL ABOUT IT!
Come join the Collegian and find out what's really going on at
GPC.
September 10, 2014 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM 11
Sports
Women's SoccerThe Women’s team travelled to Tifton,
Ga on Sept. 5 to play Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. They opened up their home schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 9 against University of South Carolina, Salkehatchie on the Clarkston campus. They head to Al-bany, Ga. on Friday Sept. 12 to play Darton State College. The team is back in Clarkston on Tuesday Sept. 17 to compete against Dar-ton State College.
Men's SoccerThe Men’s team extended their winning
streak with their 2-1 win over Louisburg College on Aug. 31 in the team’s home open-
er on the Dunwoody Campus. Jaguars for-ward, #4 Reece Weldon, shined in the games scoring both of the team’s goals. Goalie, #0 Kekuta Jetta, had his own contribution with five saves in the game. This win improves the Jaguars record to 3-0 for the conference. As well as maintain their #6 ranking in the NJ-CAA national poll for Division I Soccer.
They will be back in Dunwoody for two more home games against University of South Carolina Salkehatchie on Tuesday Sept. 9, and Darton State College on Satur-day Sept. 13.
baseball The team will begin their fall schedule
on Friday Sept. 12. They will be traveling to Carrollton, Ga. for a double-header with the University of West Georgia. Let’s go Jaguars!
Sports BriefsBy Ben Abrams
Staff Writer
The GPC Jaguar soccer team enjoyed a great win over Lindbergh
College on Aug. 31. Lindbergh College is ranked
amongst the top five teams, and GPC was able to edge out a victory with a 2-1 score.
The game was very intense. GPC’s Reece Weldon (number four) scored the first goal 10 min-utes into the game.
The next goal was scored by Lindbergh College 10 minutes into the second half. So the score remained tied at 1-1 until Wel-
don scored a penalty kick with five minutes and 32 seconds left in the game.
Freshman defender, Alejandro Mendoza (number 15) added, “The team lives by the motto of go hard or go home.”
This was a very competitive game with a lot of defense, but also a lot of penalties.
Heated words from the oppos-ing team towards our team almost caused a confrontation to break out. But due to the good nature of fellow teammates that showed good sportsmanship, the confron-tation was resolved.
In the midst of the game, the opposing team tried hard to use
dirty tactics such as tripping, slid-ing tackles, pushing, fake injury, and one crazy flying knee that missed one of our players. Also, there were plenty of yellow cards issued out to the opposing team for such actions. This was a shock because Lindbergh College is a top five team.
At the end of the game, the coach for LC came up to our play-ers and said some nasty words to our team. This infuriated our coach, Coach Zagara, in which he told him to leave the field.
While this was happening, some of the players from Lindbergh Col-lege decided to change their clothes while still on the bench. This was so
unprofessional as a team and as a college itself.
As their bus pulled up, Lind-bergh players proceeded to ex-change rude gestures to our team as they went into the GPC locker room.
When this occurred, Coach Za-gara told our players to cool down and just wait to use the locker room.
After the game, Coach Za-gara said, “Our strategy was to out-work the other team. And as far as improving, I want us to get a little better and improve every day.”
All of the players respect the coach a lot.
Freshman midfielder, Jhovany
Contreras (number eight) said, “We prepared for the game by lis-tening to what Coach Zagara says and work hard together.”
Afterwards, Coach Zagara told our team that they did a phenome-nally great job and they would have a dress up dinner the next day to celebrate in Downtown.
“We are looking forward to making nationals,” stated freshman midfielder, Israel Lopez (number 11).
If they keep playing this way, they will accomplish this feat with-out any difficulties.
Great job, Jaguars!
ScheduleMEN'S SOCCER
9/13- Darton State, Dun-woody, Ga.: 2 p.m.9/20- Andrew College, Dunwoody, Ga.: 2 p..m.9/21- Oxford College of Emory, Dunwoody, Ga.: 2 p.m.9/27- Broward College, Dunwoody, Ga.: 2 p.m.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
9/12- Darton State Col-lege, Albany, Ga.: 6 p.m.9/17- Georgia Military College, Clarkston, Ga.: 3 p.m.
9/19- Andrew College, Cuthbert, Ga.: 3 p.m.9/22- South Georgia State College, Clarkston, Ga.: 4 p.m.9/26- Georgia Military College, Milledgeville, Ga.: 5 p.m.9/29- Gordon State College, Clarkston, Ga.: 3 p.m.
baseball9/12- Univ. of West Georgia, Carrollton, Ga.: 2:30/5 p.m.9/17- GSBA, Covington, Ga.: 6:00 p.m.9/22- Titans Baseball,
Covington, Ga.: 6 p.m.9/24- Big Styx Baseball, Covington, Ga.: 6 p.m.9/26- West Georgia Technical College, Albany, Ga.: 3 p.m.
softball9/21- Georgia State University, Atlanta, Ga.: 1/3 p.m.9/27- Gordon Tournament, Locust Grove, Ga.9/27- Reinhardt College: 10 a.m., Georgia Regents University: 12 p.m.9/28- North Georgia College & State University, Dahlonega, Ga.: 3/5 p.m.
Information provided by GPC Athletics website
By Maurice Raeford, Billy Esselburn
Staff Writers
Good Sportsmanship Goes a Long Way
GPC's Men's Soccer team poses together after winning a long and hard-fought game against Lindbergh College. Photo by Billy Esselburn
GPC Men's Soccer Team vs. Lindbergh College (2-1)
12 COLLEGIANNEWS.COM September 10, 2014