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Spring 2011 Articles

Allison L. Boutwell

Staff Writer JOUR 3131



January 24, 2011nstatement.com 3

ued from

ON CAMPUS

Watch for the e-mailtation from NSSEaining your log-inrmation.he questions are easy.he impact is great.et your voice be heard!

Ashley O’Neal,

Macon State Senior Amber Osgood,Macon State FreshmanOf ce of Student Life

You may know him asChip, Dr. Rogers, Mr. Chip,Dr. Chip, but certainlynot as Mr. Rogers! He’squick to claim that he’s noPollyanna.

At the age o 46, Dr.Chip Rogers, assistantpro essor o English, wasdiagnosed with stageIV chronic lymphocyticleukemia (CLL), in June2007. CLL occurs whenwhite blood cells multiplyso much that they eatthe red blood cells, whichsupply oxygen to thebody.

“I was diagnosed just bygoing to a regular doctorvisit-the frst time I did

that in my li e,” Rogerschuckled. That is whenhe discovered his whiteblood cell count was too

high.When asked how CLL

has a ected his li eas a teacher, Rogersresponded that itexplained his atigue, butwhat was already di cultwas made more di cultby the leukemia.

“It made it a little bitharder to be hard onsome students,” Rogerssaid.

According to Rogers,work was a diversion thatkept him rom thinkingabout his predicament.

“Even grading paperswas escapist!” Rogerslaughed. Once he evenwent to work immediatelya ter chemotherapy, andtaught two classes.

In the summer o

2008, Rogers receivedchemotherapy, whichnearly killed his bonemarrow. He received20 units in bloodtrans usions. Accordingto an article written byRogers on acebook.com,he went into remission inOctober 2008.

“Oh no!” Rogers said,when asked i he wantedsympathy or normalcy,“I wanted to be a normalperson, in act that’s whyI didn’t tell anybody thatI worked with, except ormy boss and my job inOklahoma.”

Since then, Rogershas been involved with Team in Training and theLeukemia and LymphomaSociety.

Modern day super heroes can be found at MSC By Allison L. Boutwell Staff Writer

Photo by Allison L. BoutwellDr. Chip Rogers is an AssistantPro essor o English at Macon StateCollege

ring auditions wered Jan. 18-20 or Macone College’s Companylayers’ productionom Stoppard’sy, “Rosencrantz andldenstern Are Dead.”rector Jason Levitt saidhe was looking or 155 people or the play.backs will be Jan. 24

m 6-9 pm.is is Levitt’s ourth yearcting plays at Macone College. Levitt saidhe wants experiencedinexperiencedents to participate,

he program providesents with supportiveortunities to learnut the art and cra t o ter.e story line or the

play is very ast pacedand loosely based onShakespeare’s “Hamlet.”Levitt said his analogyor the play was: “words,words, that’s all we havegoing on!”Levitt said he has 43

years o theater andeducation experience andnone o this would exist i God didn’t bless him. Headded that God gave himgi ts, such as exceptionalstudents who participatein his plays.Levitt also said that he is

grate ul or the continuedsupport o the Macon

State sta , the undingthrough student activityees and most o all, thestudents who participate.

ompany of Playersuditions held for thepring play

Erica D. Hill f Writer



February 7, 2011nstatement.com 7SPORTS

gnups for theamural sport Ultimatebee are taking placel Feb. 10 on theamural Sports Leaguessite for all interestedents taking six ore hours of college

dit at Macon Statelege.he season will start onentine’s Day, Feb. 14,lasts for four weeks

ording to Intramuralrts Coordinator Rachel

Hardy.“That’s up to the team

captains,” Hardy said whenasked when practiceswill be held. She saidthat some teams do notpractice, because theyhave enough experience.

Registration endsFeb.10; students can formteams until that date.After registration, studentscannot form teams, butthey can join an existingteam, according to Hardy. To register, students mustgo to imleagues.com to

sign up, Hardy said.“I’d like to encourage

everybody to come andsign up,” Hardy said. If students encounterany problems, Hardyencourages studentsto come and see her. “I

want them to have anopportunity to play.”If students do not have

a team to with which tosign up, they can signup as a free agent, andthey will be assignedto a team, according toJames Hagler, Director of

Recreation and Wellness.Hagler also said that

there are no requirementsfor playing UltimateFrisbee or other intramuralsports, except that playersmust be Macon StateCollege students taking at

least six credit hours.“It’s a really simplegame,” Brandon Thomason, a seniorbusiness major fromByron, said. “Pretty muchanyone can pick it upand know what to do.” Thomason says he will

play if he can get enoughplayers for a team.

Games will be onMondays from 3-6 p.m.,and on Wednesdays from4-8 p.m., according toHardy. Games are free andopen to the public and

will be held on the track eld, Hardy said.Playo s will be the

week of March 14, andfood will be served onthe 16th; each winnerwill receive an intramuralchampionship shirt,according to Hardy.

Ultimate!!! Intramural Frisbee Sign-Ups Going On

Photo courtesy the Blue Storm Baseball ClubMacon State Blue Storm Baseball Club will be playing its home gameseason at historic Luther Williams Field.

Photo courtesy The Blue Storm Baseball Club The 2011 Macon State Blue Storm Baseball Club, is (from left, back row) Brandon Byram, Austin Duckworth(assistant coach), Clae Mathis, J.P. Mitchell (head coach), Tyler Sailors, Jake Wood, (front row) Kody Patrick, DevonCrouse, Shane Smith, Travis Grimes and Kurt Thornburg. Not pictured are players Dillon Mitchell, Elijah Acklin,Blake Burriss and assistant coaches James Hagler, Chris Summerlin, Jeremy Aikin and Steve Wallace.

Help Wantedove to watch sports? Can you tell someone all about

ame and get them excited about it? How aboutoming a SPORTS WRITER? You can be paid and

lished! Apply at The Macon Statement, in the Mediaom 120 in the Student Life Center.

Allison Boutwell f Writer

pop time, meaning hethe catcher who was

fastest at throwing out

stealers at second. With all of Bluem’s talent what isrent about the teamyear?ne of the mosti cant di erencesaseball at Macone is this season’snge in competition.man University hasn removed from theirsion to be replaced the addition of:ttahoochee Tech,versity of Oxford,nesaw State University,West Georgia Tech. Tore that the team staysstep ahead of theirpetition, the teambe increasing practice

sessions from 1-2sessions a week to 2-3.

Another di erence inthis year’s baseball teamis that the experiencegained from last year’s

successful season can rubo on the new recruits.New additions to theteam include; junior DillonMitchell (OF, P), freshmanBlake Burriss (third base), junior Clae Mathis ( rstbase), freshman ElijahAcklin (second base, OF),freshman Shane Smith (P,OF), and freshman TravisGrimes (OF).

The upcoming seasonis predetermined by thesuccess of last season, theincrease in competition,and with the addition of new players. Bearing thenew name of Blue Storm,playing on a new stage,Macon State Baseball isabout to begin.

STORMued from front



Volume 42, Issue 12

February 21, 2011nstatement.com

SOCCER | Page 4 BASEBALL | CLUB RUSH | Page 8OSSROADS | Page 6 CHEER STUNT | Page 4

STATEMENT n ac o

n M

The

Blue Storm BaseballClub swept away theGeorgia Tech YellowJackets during theiropening weekend seriesat Luther Williams Field.

The series beganFeb. 12 on Blue StormBaseball’s opening day.

To mark the importanceo the game, David Bell,

Ph.D., president o MaconState, threw out theceremonial frst pitch.

The frst game o theseason was game one o adouble header Feb. 12 at1:30 p.m.

In the frst game o the season, veteran le thanded No. 2, BrandonBryam, took to the moundor Blue Storm against theYellow Jackets.

It was a shaky start

or Blue Storm. Duringthe frst inning, Bryamallowed two runs and twowalks while Blue Stormwas set down and struck out in order by the YellowJackets’ pitching sta .

Momentum ound BlueStorm when they weredown by two in the thirdinning.

Pitcher Bryam reachedbase by an E6, ollowedby a single by No. 9 Travis

Grimes. Second basemenand coach, J.P. Mitchell,ollowed up with a singlethat drove in Blue Storm’sfrst two runs o theseason and then he stolesecond base. The last areo the third inning wascatcher Tyler Sailors’ singlethat drove Mitchell inrom second.

Summer Leverett ager Editor

n honor o Black ory Month, webrate thesearkable individualsmade signifcant

tributions to science,tics, the legal feld,

dicine and the arts.

James Weldon Johnson

n author who mostably composed theck National Anthem900, “Li t Every VoiceSing”

Henry McNeal TurnerGeorgia politician

o helped organize thergia Republican Partyin 1868 was one o ourteen black stateesentatives elected

he Georgia House o resentatives.Benjamin Bannekern ingenioushematician and

entor who was bestwn or his annualtribution o thermer’s Almanac.”Zora Neale Hurstonnovelist who

ressed issues acingman, in particularlycan American women,er work. Her mostous novel was “Theirs were Watching God”37).

Sea lions, tigers and snakes, oh my! 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival

Blue Storm Baseball Club sweeps the Yellow Jackets 3-0

The 29th Anniversaryo the Cherry BlossomFestival (aka The 2011Pinkest Party on Earth)will be held March 18-27.

According to a CherryBlossom Festival PressRelease, Macon is knownas the Cherry Blossom

Capital o the World.Last year, Macon State

had the opportunity

o hosting Tunes andBalloons. This year, Tunesand Balloons will againbe held at Macon Stateon Saturday, March 19.According to the CherryBlossom Festival website,the gates will open at 4p.m., parking is ree, and

admission is $5; childrenunder age 6 get in ree.

“The location worked so

well last year that estivalorganizers couldn’t bemore excited to take itback to the campus o Macon State,” MarketingDirector or the CherryBlossom Festival StacyCampbell said in an emailinterview. “The eedback

on parking, location, andthe entire event was allavorable!”

“I’m actuallyconsidering [attendingthe Cherry BlossomFestival] since I’m so closethis year,” Joshua Akins, areshman business major

By Allison L. Boutwell JOUR 3131

By Kaleb Clark Sports Editor

CHERRY BLOSSOMcontinued on page 8

BLUE STORMcontinued on page 5

FRICAN AMERICANScontinued on page 3

Photo by Lily Billingsley#2 Brandon Bryan, pitched game one Blue Storm’s opening series.

UE STORM PEP RALLY ome support yourcon State sports clubsPep Rally in the

con State Gym, 4:30

p.m., Thursday, Feb.A terward head overteak ‘n Shake or theer Club Spirit Night

d raiser. For morermation, contactector o Recreation &lness [email protected].



ebruary 21, 2011 maconstatement.com

m Forsyth said. “I’veays heard about it.” the 500 eventsestival ofers, 80

cent o them will beaccording to thes release. Favorite

actions are Centraly Park, the Diamond

, Tunes and Balloons,Bed Race, theade, Third Street Park ivities, the Fashionw, Party with apose, the Internationald Fair, Tour o Homes,Street Party and thend Finale, according

to the 2011CherryBlossomFestivalwebsite.

Each nightwill eaturea concert inCentral CityPark rom6-9 p.m.

Accordingto Campbell,CentralCity Park,the nightlyconcerts,and the street party arethe events that have hadthe highest turnout rates

or college students in thepast, and are the eventsthat will most likely attractcollege students again

this year.“I have

been tothe CherryBlossomFestivalprobablyevery yearI’ve beenhere, whichhas been20 years,”Pat Bork,the librarydirectorat MaconState said.

Bork said that she goes toCentral City Park annually,which is her avorite event

to attend. Bork also saidthat her sister will bevisiting during the time o the estival.

“I’m sure I’ll do morethan I usually do, sinceshe’ll be here visiting,”Bork stated.

The Marriott Macon CityCenter is the o cial hotelo the Cherry BlossomFestival. Tickets or CherryBlossom Festival Eventswill go on sale starting onValentine’s Day.

For more in ormationabout the Cherry BlossomFestival, visit www.cherryblossom.com or call(478) 751-7429.

RRY BLOSSOMnued from front

ON CAMPUS & COMMUNITY

Photo by Kayla BartonJunior and senior In ormation Technology majors invite students to jointhe Association o I.T. Students. I you “liked” A.I.T.S. on Facebook, theygave you a shirt. Le t to right: Calvin Echols, Alex Wang and Albert Maine.

Photo by Kayla Barton The crowds continue around the corner by the cofee shop.

Photo by Kayla BartonRespiratory Therapy majors, ShannonHill and Tifany Williams, promote theirmajor at the Club Rush.

Photo by Kayla Barton The Counseling Center ladies explain services oferedto Macon State’s students.

Photo by Kayla BartonClub Rush Jan. 26, 2011

Photo by Kayla Bartono right: Jacob Cannon, Biology major and treasurer o RSA; Tierra, Nursing major and President o RSA; and Herman Driskell, Biologyand member o RSA.

Photo by Kayla Bartonrowd gathered tight around the entrance rom the Jones Building.

Photo by Kayla BartonNatural Sciences Network has sought theion o a ew students.



arch 14, 2011 maconstatement.com

The 11th AnnualGeorgia TutoringAssociation (GATA)Conference was heldSaturday, Feb. 26 in theProfessional SciencesCenter atMacon StateCollege.

Accordingto Tim Vick,director of AcademicResourceCenters(ARC) atMacon StateCollege andconference

chair forthe 2011conference,235attendeeswereexpected atthis year’sconference,making thisthe largest conferencesince he’s been a part of the organization. Vick saidhe has been a member of the GATA since 2003.

“The conference is anopportunity for anyoneinvolved in tutoring oracademic assistance atthe post-secondary level… to network … [andto] provide professionaldevelopment,” Vick said.“For the tutors, we holdworkshops [and] talk about the tutoring craft.”

The GATA Conferencehas been held at MaconState for the past veyears, Vick said. Theconference will be heldthere again next year

on Feb. 25, 2012, GATASecretary and Coordinatorof the Warner Robins ARCJeannie Ruggerio statedin an email.

“We’ve held it here …because of our central

location in the state,” Vick

said. “Everybody can drivein, and then drive back home before dark.”

There were 21 di erentworkshops o ered at thisyear’s conference. Amongpresenters were MaconState’s own JeannieRuggerio; Paul Johnson,coordinator, ARC; NaliniPattanaik, academicresource specialist;Burgundy Mathis, part-time academic resourcespecialist; JoshuaHarrelson, peer tutor;Omar Aba, peer tutor;and Allison Boutwell, peertutor.

“The GATA Conferencewas helpful by giving meuseful tips that I can take

into the tutoring sessions,”Allen Wilson, peers tutorat the ARC and a studentat Macon State, said. “Thebene t to the students isbetter tutors.”

According to this year’s

secretary for the GATA,JeannieRuggerio,the followingo cers wereinstated at theConference:PresidentKim Ascani,Coordinator– TutoringCenter,AbrahamBaldwinAgriculturalCollege;President-Elect RobertJordan,Math andScience LabCoordinator,KennesawState

University; Vice PresidentKimberly Sloan, Managerof the Student SuccessCenter, DeKalb TechnicalCollege; Treasurer AlanCraig, Coordinator –Learning and TutoringCenter, Georgia PerimeterCollege; Secretary JeannieRuggerio, Coordinator– Warner Robins ARC,Macon State College.

Ruggerio also statedthat Vick will be theconference liaison to thecouncil for next year’sconference.

The writer of this articleattended and presented

at the conference, andis a tutor at Macon StateCollege.

Tutors get a dose of training at the11th Annual GATA Conference

By Allison L. Boutwell JOUR 3131

Spring Gardenymposium teaches

ommunity membersabout gardening

Allison L. Boutwell f Writer

ON CAMPUS & COMMUNITY

Photo by Kayla Barton The majority of Macon State College tutors attended the 2011 GATAConference. Top Row-left to right: Jeannie Ruggerio, Burgundy Mathis,Omar Aba, Trey Bernard, Paul Johnson, Tim Vick, Allen Wilson, Josh Bryant,Johanna Acevedo; Bottom Row-left to right: Nalini Pattanaik, FrankieIsrael, Joshua Harrelson, Allison Boutwell, Elisa Acevedo; Not Pictured:Sandy Calla

he Spring Gardenmposium was heldhe rst oor of thefessional Scienceslding at Macon Stateege Saturday, Feb. 26

m 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.ttendees were

eted with breakfastprovided lunch later

he day. During theference attendees hadchance to purchase

nts and pictures of nts at the plant and art.The Garden

mposium is part of theddell Barnes Botanicaldens,” Director of Plantrations David Sims. “The purpose of theposium is to allows to be able to comeand learn more aboutdening in Centralrgia.”ccording to thestration form, guestakers included Tomick, a botanist forGeorgia Department

of Natural Resources,Natural HeritageProgram; Mike Sikes,Horticulturist andMarketing Coordinatorfor McCorkle Nurseries,Inc.; Hal Massie, Localgardener and naturalist;Ian Campbell, of Bartlett Tree Experts; Tm Smalley,UGA HorticultureDepartment; andkeynote speaker, DorindaDallmeyer, editor of Bartram’s Living Legacy: The Travels and theNature of the South.

“My mother worked forDr. Barnes for 33 years,so I’ve known Dr. Barnesever since I was a child,”Dallmeyer said. “That’sreally my connectionwith [the Waddell BarnesBotanical Gardens], isthrough him and hisability to get somethinglike this started like this inMacon.”

“It’s just great to beable to see somethingthat he has been soinstrumental in creating,”Dallmeyer said, afternoting that this was herrst time coming to theSymposium.

According to AndrewGoodman, a reporterwith MSC-TV, TimSmalley spoke on cuttingpropagation and hadparticipants actuallytaking cuttings.

Attendees paid a $30

admission fee that wenttoward the programs,paying for the speakersand the food, accordingthe Sims.

Photo by Lily Billingsley

Photo by Lily Billingsley



March 28, 2011statement.com 7

he Macon State chapter of theional Society of LeadershipSuccess (NSLS) is growinglst training Society memberse successful in life.he Society currently has 365

mbers, including inductedmbers and pending but activembers, according to Marcellaz, the Macon State chapterisor of the NSLS.As a chapter, we striveccomplish six steps of ership: clarify your purpose,te a shared vision, challengestatus quo, inspire positiveon, empower others and seek stant improvement,” Diaz saidn email interview.Every semester we havee speaker events,” Jennifermons, president of the

con State chapter of theLS, said in an email interview.eaker events are held onMacon Campus (Learningport Auditorium) and Warnerins Campus (Room 102

ministrative Services BuildingC2).”

Speaker events consist of avideo seminar teaching studentshow to be successful or how tobe a leader in some particularaspect of their lives. There isusually an activity for attendeesto do after the video.

According toSimmons, speakerevents are open toboth membersand the public.She also saidthat theMacon Statechapter isplanningto invite amotivationalspeaker to cometo Macon State.Members are alsoencouraged to be part

of a Success Networking Team(SNT). These teams serve asaccountability groups to helpstudents reach their goals.

“All aspects of the leadershiptraining are bene cial, butI strongly believe that theSuccess Networking Teams havereally made a di erence in our

student’s lives,” said Diaz. “SNTshave proven to be extremelysuccessful in enabling studentsto set and achieve their personaland career goals. These teamsalso provide an environment for

gaining the invaluable skillsof networking, team-

work, leadership,goal-setting and

accountability.” The

society doescommunityservice eventsas well. InDecember2010, the

society stu edstockings for

children at theChildren’s Methodist

Home in Macon.

Students are required to attendOrientation, Leadership TrainingDay, three speaker events andthree SNT meetings in order tobe inducted into the Society andreceive lifetime membership,according to the Society’swebsite.

“If you are a non-member, NSLS

sends out invitations before FallSemester starts to students witha 2.7 GPA or higher,” Simmonssaid. “If a student does notreceive an invitation, they cancome to Career Services toobtain a nomination form whichrequires two faculty references.”

Simmons listed several bene tsto members including: SuccessNetworking Teams, personalsuccess coaches, job bank, a one-time fee lifetime membership,leadership certi cation, resumeenhancement, and opportunitiesfor leadership positions.According to the Society’swebsite awards and scholarshipsare also available.

This year’s induction ceremonywill be Friday, April 8, from 10a.m. – 12 p.m. in the ProfessionalSciences Center Banquet Hall,

Simmons said.For more information about theNational Society of Leadershipand Success, contact CareerServices at (478) 471-2714, orvisit www.societyleadership.org.

The author of this article is thePublicity Chair for the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Many dogs and catshe Macon area are ind of adopting thisng, especially with thent low adoption rates

h several pet sheltersother adoption

ups due to thenomy.pringtime is normally ae when pet adoptionsease. Mysheainson, ARC Humaneiety president, saysthe economy of thefew years has taken itson the number of petptions though.t has been horriblelast few years with thenomy the way it is,”inson said.t’s been slower in the

past year,” Carol Lentz,treasurer of the Heart of

Georgia Humane Societysaid. “Right now becauseof the economy, there aremore and more dogs. It’s just slow right now, buta few more have beenadopted in the last fewweeks.”

Robinson said thatthere is also an increasein the number of puppiesbeing born during thespringtime.

She said that springtimeis also the peak of parvoseason, a time when dogsand especially puppiescan become seriously ill if not properly vaccinated,so it is important that petsare given the proper shotsand vaccinations.

The ARC Humane

Society (not a liated withthe United States Humane

Society) is one of severallocal pet adoption groupsthat make sure that allpets taken in are given allof the proper shots andvaccinations as well asbeing spayed or neutered.

“Once we can rescueand pull them fromhigh kill shelters, theygo to the vet and arespayed or neutered, getshots, and heartwormtested,” Robinson said.“If they have any kind of behavioral or aggressionproblems, we work withthem until they are better.”

Several other suchadoption groups bringsome of their pets out toPetsmart on Saturdays orSundays for the public to

see.Save A Pet, FURever

Friends, the BarnesvilleAnimal Shelter, andManes and Danes outof Savannah are severalgroups that also do petadoptions and sometimeswork along with theHeart of Georgia HumaneSociety, All AboutAnimals, and the ARCHumane Society.

The ARC HumaneSociety, a relatively newgroup, has a cat shelteron Pio Nono Ave whilethe dogs are kept in fosterhomes in order to ensurethat they are thoroughlysocialized.

ARC Humane Societyhad adoption fees of about $150 to help coverthe vet costs. All About

Animals has an adoptionfee of about $125, which

includes similar servicesfor the pets such asspaying, neutering, shots,and six months of HeartGuard.

The Heart of GeorgiaHumane Society has acomparable adoption feeof around $150 for dogsonly.

When asked whatthe most importantquality for a pet owneris, groups unanimouslysaid that they adopt forcompanionship and makeit a lifelong commitment.

“When you adopt one,you save the life of two.Because when you adoptone, it opens up anotherspot for another one to besaved,” Robinson said.

Training students to be successful: The National Society of Leadership

Dogs and Cats of Middle Georgia are in need of adoption

Allison Boutwell UR 3131

Kelly GeeslinUR 3131

Photos by Kelly Geeslin

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY



April 11, 2011nstatement.com 9

ind the scenes at Ma-State: How does Ma-State stay so pretty?ave you ever wondered

w Macon State always

ms to look so good,de and out? It’s almostlittle fairies keep the

rooms and halls cleaning the day and do lawnntenance at night.terviewed two of these

e fairies, or staff mem-s, at Macon State, aboutr jobs and about them-

es.

Glenda McGriff, Custo-dianGlenda McGriff hasworked with Macon Statefor six and a half years.Her job consists of theupkeep to the ProfessionalSciences and the Jonesbuildings, including therestrooms, making surethe rooms are ready and“presentable,” as she put it,for conferences and work-shops that will take placein the PSC building, mop-ping, cleaning the warmingkitchen in the PSC build-ing, as well as emptyingthe trash cans.“Pretty much, I multitask

during the day,” McGriff said. “I’m doing a little bitof this and that, anythingthat needs to be done as faras what’s still here, or anof ce needs something –[I] check – so I multitaskduring the day.”McGriff said that as far asher hobbies go, she simplylooks forward to the week-ends, when she can relaxwith her family, and she

enjoys cooking during theholidays. She likes learn-ing new recipes.When asked what shehas always wanted to do,McGriff replied: “I wantto just be the best personthat I can be. I’m a merci-ful person, I’m always acaring, a helpful person,”McGriff McGriff also mentionedshe wants to make a differ-ence in life.“When things get a littleoverwhelming, and I havesomeone to come up tome and tell me how theyappreciate what I do, wellthat makes a big differ-

ence,” McGriff said whenasked about what she likesabout her job and workingat MSC. “When I work, Iwork with a passion; I takemy work seriously,” sheadded.“I thank Macon State forallowing me to be a part of the upkeep of the campus,”McGriff said when askedif she had any other com-ments. “I’m very thankful

that I’m making a differ-ence also. I’m one that’smaking a difference.”Derrick Catlett, HeadArboristDerrick Catlett has workedat Macon State for sixyears come fall. His jobconsists of tree and shrubmanagement and tree in-ventory with a GeographicInformation Systems(GIS) inventory, which hedescribes as “a GPS withdatabase collection behindit.” Catlett oversees the ir-rigation system and chemi-cal applications (fertilizer,insecticides, herbicides,etc.). Catlett also does

most of the updates on theWaddell Barnes BotanicalGardens website.“I like listening to goodmusic. I love camping. Ihave a canoe, and a pon-toon boat and a shingboat, so it’s safe to say Ilike being on the water,”Catlett said when askedwhat his hobbies were.“Other than that, I hang outwith my wife and my pets,

(and) do a little gardeningin my yard.” Catlett didmention, however that heis a workaholic.“Travel the world, see theworld…I haven’t beenover the Mississippi River.So yeah, going over theMississippi River hasalways been a real goodgoal,” Catlett said aboutwhat he’s always wantedto do. “If I go that far,then I’m probably goingto make it to the GrandCanyon and the RedwoodForest, all in one. I’m justgoing to do a loop. Maybeend up skiing in Denver inthe end, y home.”

When asked what Catlettlikes about his job andworking at MSC he re-sponded rather quickly:“Couldn’t ask for a better

job, being outdoors and thefruits of your labor to seethe beautiful landscape,that says a lot in itself,”Catlett said.Catlett said that peoplemay stop and talk aboutthe plants if they see him.

Paul Roadarmel has ahobby that you don’t hearabout often: he juggles.Roadarmel said he wasat a conference when herst became interested in

juggling. A booth at theconference was givingaway squishy balls, andRoadarmel picked someup. One of the people inthe band at the conferenceknew how to juggle andshowed Roadarmel.“It was really kind of aspur of the moment thing,”Roadarmel said.Roadarmel said that jug-gling is more of a hobby,

something he does forhimself right now, thoughhe did juggle at the BizarreBazaar, a fundraising eventof the Crossroads WritersConference.“It took a lot of stick-to-it-iveness to actually learn

how; it took me about asolid week of…spendingquite a bit of time workingon it each day,” Roadarmelsaid. “I’ve shown peoplethe pattern, andpeople have pickedit up in ve minutesbefore – it drives

me crazy – and I’veshown other people,and they still haven’tgotten it, so I thinkit comes down to apersonal aptitude…I think anyone can[learn to juggle] if they’re willing to putthe time and effortinto it.”Roadarmel recom-mends using items that areheavier and items that willnot bounce or roll away tolearn with.“The most dangerous it’sever gotten has been drop-ping [pins] on my toes andhitting myself in the head,”

Roadarmel said; althoughhe did mention a timewhen he broke the weldingon a stairwell on the MSCMacon campus trying to

walk a slack line.Roadarmel mentionedthat he would like to havestreet corner performancesin downtown Macon onFirst Fridays, maybe with afriend who plays guitar.

ehind the scenes at Macon State: How does Macon State stay so pretty?

Interesting People: Paul Roadarmel‘Ready, Set, Go’

Allison L. Boutwell f Writer

By Allison L. Boutwell Staff Writer

f Reports

Derrick Catlett

Paul Roadarmel

Ready, Set, Go,”nference to helpteacher education

duates get ready forr rst day in thesroom, will take place

m 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.sday, May 17, in thequet hall of the PSCding.he one-day conference,nsored by the Georgiacator Support Alliance

MSC, is designed ton action- lled dayractical informationexperiences to helpeducation graduates

pare for a successful

t to the school yearhey begin their rsthing jobs. Jadun

Carthy, Bibb County’scher of the Year and ast for state Teacher of

Year, will speak.

The conference isespecially designed forgraduates or soon-to-be graduates who havealready been placedunder contract for nextschool year and thoseexpecting to be hired. Theregistration fee is $35for Macon State teachereducation graduates and$65 for teacher educationgraduates of othercolleges or universities.The fee includes a lightbreakfast, lunch, andmaterials. Door prizeswill be given.

This conference is madepossible, in part, by agrant from the Peyton

Anderson Foundation.For more informationand to register, contactLisa Collins at [email protected] or (478) 471-5380.

ON CAMPUS



April 25, 2011nstatement.com 11ON CAMPUS

Multiple Sclerosis doesn’t stop this professor

nformation Technology and cupcakes prove a success for graduate

ydney H. Chalfa,ciate professor of tre, was diagnosed Relapsing-Remittingtiple Sclerosis (MS) 27s ago. Chalfa has beenhing at Macon State forears.

MS is a disease wherebody attacks itself,it attacks the lining of nerves,” Chalfa said.elapsing-Remittingis] when you’re rstnosed, you havehed a certain levelamage to the body,then you’re supposedave episodes of ptoms.”lthough she has not had

pisode in a couple of s, Chalfa said she haskness in her legs fromearly damage of thease.wo major obstaclesaving MS are aof energy and she

walks slowly, accordingto Chalfa. But thesesymptoms do not hinderher from living a fairlynormal life.

“I thought it would bethe end of the world,”Chalfa said. She said hersons were two and veyears old at the time. “I

made up my mind at thetime I was diagnosed thatI would do everythingpossible to keep [MS] frombeing what my life wasabout.”

Chalfa said that sherst refused, but changedher mind and underwentchemotherapy to helpher MS. She encouragesanyone with MS to trychemotherapy. Chalfa saidthat since she has gonethrough chemotherapy, shedoes not need her walkingcane much anymore.

“This past January I just nished two years of chemotherapy,” Chalfasaid. “I am thrilled; I amin such good shape becauseof that chemo. Novantroneis the name of the drug, it’sa new drug approved bythe FDA, and it heals a lotof the damage to your bodydone by the disease.”

According to Chalfa, her

hobbies include reading,writing plays, watchingand going to movies,playing with her dogs andcommunicating with hersons.

“I don’t think of myself as a victim, at all, of

anything,” Chalfa said.“I have a great life. Ilove teaching; I lovemy students; I have aphenomenal family. If Ididn’t have a great familyand friends, I would neverhave done near as wellwith the disease as I’vedone, because I’ve got agreat support network.”

Chalfa said that MS issimply a portion of her lifeand not who she is.

“It makes me verygrateful for what I’m ableto do,” Chalfa said when

asked how MS has affectedher life as a teacher. “Itmakes me very gratefulfor the people I work with.

I love my students…mystudents keep me young…and it makes me appreciatepeople so much morebecause the students are soaccommodating when theysense that I need it, that Ineed help, and I appreciatethat. I can’t tell youwhat it’s taught me aboutappreciating people, and Imean that sincerely.”

Chalfa said that havingMS has also taught her thatshe needs to be organized,to appreciate her students,to appreciate people and toappreciate other people’sneeds and abilities.

“I don’t want to becorny,” Chalfa said. “Butthe best medicine forliving with something likethis is to be happy. Havepeople around you who aresupportive; have peoplearound you who make youlaugh; have people thatyou can depend on and behappy!”

Macon Statemmunication

rmation TechnologyT) graduate Amandadows uses degrees in running her own

ery.Meadows owns and

ates her bakeryanda’s Cakery inntown Macon.

Meadows was busy inback of her bakery,ging out the freshcakes for the day.pite being the owner,

was working directly her staff with oured on her hat.

Meadows had noal plan after collegedegree choice. Likey students she went

from degree todegree, trying to ndsomething that t.Finally deciding to

join her friends, shechose the CIT majorand took off fromthere.

While a student,Meadows worked atthe local BackburnerGrill and Loco’s topay her tuition. Aftergraduation she had noplans on where shewanted to take herdegree. Answeringan expired ad for a

baker’s assistant, forwhich she was initiallyturned down, shepersisted enough and wasgiven the job.

On her rst day,

however, it was clear shedid not receive a degreein confections. Meadowsrecalls, “The mixing bowl

was literally rockingall over the counterand almost fell acouple of times.”She has come a longway since then. MSCeducation major,Lauren Fox, said,“These are amazing!”regarding Amanda’scupcakes.

Though hernewfound skills forbaking have broughther a successfulbusiness, they werenot without the helpof her CIT degree.

“Yes, the skills helpedme a lot, especiallywith the logo creation

in Adobe Illustrator. AndI created and manage thewebsite. It really helped

thinking about usabilityand how to use your whitespace, those things youlearn in CIT classes,”Meadows said, explaininghow she was grateful forthe skills she had learned.

Having a successful CITgraduate here in Maconcan be an inspirationto all those in the eld.Meadows had a few wordsfor current students:“There are a lot of peoplein the program and it’sbroad enough that you’renot limited to only a fewcareers. It’s wide enough

that you can make it yourown.” And her favorite partof the CIT program? “Myfavorite part was de nitelythe humanities faculty andstaff. They rock!”

ison L. Boutwell ff Writer

Photo courtesy of LundizignAmanda Meadows

to courtesy of Amanda’s Cakery Photo courtesy of Amanda’s CakeryPhoto courtesy of Lundizign Photo courtesy of Amanda’s Cakery

Photo by Allison L. BoutwellSydney H. Chalfa

“You can have something like MS and not have to stop

living…You are

not the disease.” -Sydney H. Chalfa

acqueline Hunsicker R 3131



April 25, 2011nstatement.com 9

adiation from the nuclearis in Japan resulting from thent tsunami has been detected

Georgia at very low levels thatnot affect Georgia residents.

We have routine radiation

nitoring networks,”ironmental Radiationgram Manager for Georgia,Hardeman, said. “When weected samples two weeks ago

m around Plant Hatch and Planttle we saw [radiation] in very,

y small quantities of iodine-131ir and water.”ardeman also said thatation was detected at Plantey in Ala., which lies aboutyards from the Georgia state However, Hardeman alsothat the radiation will have no

act.We accelerated our sample

collection schedule. Normally wecollect these samples every fourweeks,” Hardeman said. “We’llcontinue at the every-two-weeksfrequency until we’re convincedwe are seeing no more of thismaterial.”

Hardeman said that iodine-131

travelled to Georgia throughatmospheric transport (by windcurrents), and it has been foundin air and rain. Iodine-131 occursin rain due to it being rained out:when radiation is in the air therain absorbs it as it falls, just likerain pulls soot down out of the airwhen there is a re, Hardemansaid.

“I have heard the radiation wasdetected in the western side of the U.S, but I had not heard aboutit being detected in Georgia,”Patrick Goodman, a freshmanmathematics education major said.“The news is talking a lot about

how it is affecting Japan and somecountries nearest Japan, which isvery good. It would just be nice toknow about radiation in Georgia.”

Radiation has been foundin North Carolina, SouthCarolina, Florida, Massachusetts,Pennsylvania and Nevada, among

other states, according to anarticle in the “ Citizen Times ,” anAsheville, N.C. newspaper.

“Absolutely nothing happens;you just eat it,” Lee Cox, chief of the Radiation Protection Sectionof North Carolina said when askedwhat happens when people eator drink radiation. “In fact I’mdrinking water now and had milkthis morning.”

Cox said North Carolinahas seen iodine-131 in air,precipitation, milk and vegetation,but it occurs in such low levelsthat it will not cause any healthconcerns.

“[We] would not be surprisedto see other isotopes, such ascesium-137, -134, and othertypical ssion products from thistype of nuclear incident,” Coxsaid.

According to USA.gov, the FDAdeems that the U.S. food supply isnot at risk as of April 7.

igh gas prices haveved; averaging $3.79llon nationally, bute’s no need to let nail-ng prices keep you

me.With the followingctical tips you canease fuel ef ciency,

nage your driving habitse effectively and saveuel cost. Accordingrian McCullough, an

o mechanic technicianco-owner of B&Bair Center in Warnerins, maintenance

ys an important role inroving fuel ef ciency.

important to change the oillter every three monthsor 3,000 miles, set the tirepressure to vehicle specsand check it monthly,and to have air lterschecked with every oilchange. Getting tune-upsat manufacturer’s speci edmileage helps conserve gastoo,” McCullough said.

Improving gas mileagedoes not stop with vehiclemaintenance. Accordingto the EnvironmentalProtection Agencieswebsite, the way you drivesigni cantly impacts gasmileage. Drivers canimprove fuel ef ciency upto 25 percent by driving

i hi h d li i

the load on the engineresulting in decreased fuelconsumption. Finally,idling is wasteful. Whenyou expect to idle for twominutes or more, turn off

the engine. Many studentsM S h

their gas mileage seriously.Felicia Hudson, a

sophomore majoring inbusiness and informationtechnology, drives 45miles to class each day.But she manages to spendan average of $50 perweek on fuel. Hudsonshared how managing andconsolidating driving taskshelps save fuel costs. “Itry to do all my errands inone day, a day that I knowI’m going to be in Maconfor a while,” Hudson said.“Also, I try to buy gas onlyin Macon because in myhometown gas is 10 to 15cents more per gallon.”

There are several onlined

Monitoring gas mileageallows drivers to spotdiscrepancies that mayrequire automotivemaintenance. The website,fuelly.com, providesusers a social networkingresource to track, share andcompare gas mileage withother members. They alsooffer an application forsmartphones so users caninput data at the pump. Tond the lowest gas prices

locally, gasbuddy.comoffers a database of currentgas prices. Their freewebsite relies on the inputof users across the nationand the data is removedafter 72 hours to ensure all

he Macon Statement domly distributedveys to students onpus in order to gaine of an insight oneaders’ views andnions.ritics of The Maconment said that theer needed to: stopting articles and bee critical of the schoolits policies, write moreut upcoming events

and establish more steadycolumns with varioustopics.

According to thesurveys, students want toread more about: sports,upcoming events, campus

activities, articles thataddress pop culture,critical situations andchanges that directly affectstudents and articles aboutstudents’ and professors’accomplishments.

When asked whetherstudents would rather read

news articles online orprinted, the results werethat 60 percent of studentspreferred online becauseof easier access, while 40percent preferred to readprinted news, so that they

could save articles to readlater.A majority of students

stated that they read The Macon Statement to ndout what is going on atMacon State College. Thepurpose of the surveyswas so that the staff of The

Macon Statement can writearticles that our readerswant to read about, andto address the problemsour readers currently hadwith the paper. In addition,the goal was to increase

readership of the studentfunded paper.Students are always

welcome to share theirviews and opinions aboutThe Macon Statement .Feel free to email letters [email protected].

Radiation in Georgia: Should Georgians be concerned?

Practical ways to save at the pump

Student’s statements about The Macon Statement

Allison L. Boutwell UR 3131

Shanna DixonR 3131 High

Kaleb Clark rts Editor

Photo courtesy of Metro CreativeConnection



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