Yasmin Yonis
Alternative Story Text
The University of Georgia’s Financial Aid office received a 13 percent increase in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from last school year and a 22 percent increase from two school years ago.
The number of students receiving the Pell Grant, federal assistance that does not need to be paid back, has increased 36 percent from the 2007-2008 school year and 58 percent from the 2006-2007 school year.
The University has increased tuition by 25 percent for in-state students and 15 percent for out-of-state and increased fees for 2009.
The average national graduate debt is $22,000 compared to the University of Georgia’s average graduate debt of $13,000 or 40 percent less debt.
Almost 60 percent of students, who received a bachelor’s degree in 2007-2008, graduated with debt according to NACAC.
Direct subsidized loans
2007 6,662
2008 7,395
2009 8,438
2007-2008 25 percent change
2008-2009 14 percent change
Unsubsidized loans
2007 7,081
2008 9,629
2009 10,867
2007-2008 53.9 percent
2008-2009 12.9 percent
Monday, October 19, 2009
Alternative Story Text
- A higher deductible means lower monthly payments. On a health insurance plan, the deductible is the amount you have to pay annually (not counting co-payments) before your health insurance kicks in. Health insurance plans come with various deductible levels, ranging from $500 or less to as much as $5,000 a year. Typically, the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly payment will be.
- Location, Location, Location. While many states kick you off your parents' policy after you graduate from college, other states require your parents’ insurance to stick with you, sometimes until you're 26. To find out the rules in your state, visit the Kaiser Family Foundation Web site at statehealthfactsonline.org. You can also look up the rules on the Web site for your state's insurance commissioner at naic.org.
- Also, health insurance rates vary across much of the country. Ironically, cities that have higher costs of living often have cheaper health insurance rates. Each state has its own rules and regulations that affect competition among health insurance companies. So, when you’re trying to figure out where to settle down, make sure to check out the prices on health insurance before you move.
- TK. UGA also offers a voluntary short-term student health plan for an average of around $850 per semester. And if health insurance just isn’t an option, the Georgia Department of Health offers a range of services at free clinics in every county. For more information, visit publichealthathens.com or health.state.ga.us. To learn more about UGA’s student health insurance, visit hr.uga.edu/benefits/stuins/stuins.html.
Blake Trent
10/19/2009
Don’t Hate the Tate
Essentially, that means that each student will pay $50 a year for the new Tate Expansion. Caty Dickensheets, a senior from Savannah, Ga., had no idea she was paying for the newly constructed student center. “I guess it’s kind of like a tollbooth fee. We walk through here, we might as well drop a quarter every time,” she said.
Not every student is as sarcastic as Dickensheets. “I think it could have been used for something better, but I’m going to be paying $200 for my time here. So, I guess that’s not a high cost,” Brannon Biddy, a senior from Atlanta, Ga. said.
Biddy and Dickensheets both found flaws in how the new student center was constructed. Dickensheets is not a fan of the Tate Café. “You would think that they would put it on the top floor or somewhere with outdoor seating. It creates a bit of a traffic jam,” she said.
But, students are not paying for the student centers’ food courts. The student fees that paid for Tate II didn’t include food court areas.” said Mike Floyd, director of food services."Food Services paid for that area," Floyd added.“The building architects designed the building and they, in-turn, gave us the space,” added Floyd.
The Tate Expansion center was also constructed so it could be somewhat self-sufficient. “All meeting rooms and also the Grand Hall can be rented out,” said Banks. “That money that’s being generated is going toward the Campus Life budget to operate the Tate II facility.”
“The Dawg Pen is sort of like a sports lounge. It has flat screen TVs and an area for gaming. We will also be installing two counter-style seating areas with laptop plug-in,” Willie Banks, director of student life and the Tate Student Center said.
10/19/2009
Don’t Hate the Tate
Essentially, that means that each student will pay $50 a year for the new Tate Expansion. Caty Dickensheets, a senior from Savannah, Ga., had no idea she was paying for the newly constructed student center. “I guess it’s kind of like a tollbooth fee. We walk through here, we might as well drop a quarter every time,” she said.
Not every student is as sarcastic as Dickensheets. “I think it could have been used for something better, but I’m going to be paying $200 for my time here. So, I guess that’s not a high cost,” Brannon Biddy, a senior from Atlanta, Ga. said.
Biddy and Dickensheets both found flaws in how the new student center was constructed. Dickensheets is not a fan of the Tate Café. “You would think that they would put it on the top floor or somewhere with outdoor seating. It creates a bit of a traffic jam,” she said.
But, students are not paying for the student centers’ food courts. The student fees that paid for Tate II didn’t include food court areas.” said Mike Floyd, director of food services."Food Services paid for that area," Floyd added.“The building architects designed the building and they, in-turn, gave us the space,” added Floyd.
The Tate Expansion center was also constructed so it could be somewhat self-sufficient. “All meeting rooms and also the Grand Hall can be rented out,” said Banks. “That money that’s being generated is going toward the Campus Life budget to operate the Tate II facility.”
“The Dawg Pen is sort of like a sports lounge. It has flat screen TVs and an area for gaming. We will also be installing two counter-style seating areas with laptop plug-in,” Willie Banks, director of student life and the Tate Student Center said.
Publication's comic
Basically, I'll have three frames. The Recession monster is going to dominate the guy with a puny undergrad shield, and even make the graduate guy scared. It's addressing the question of how much school it takes to give an individual security nowadays. The old man is saying "it takes a bigger shield, gentlemen." The final illustration will be much less rough, and the dialogue will probably be a little more clever.
Alt. Story Text
--Despite reports that indicate less health care job opportunities in Georgia in 2009 than in past years, students at the University seem to remain optimistic about their career choice.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this year that although the health care sector had gained jobs over the past year, it was still the lowest increase since 2001.
Alan Langford, director of pre-medical studies and a clinical professor at the University, however, said that he has not seen a decrease in the number of students pursuing an education in medical studies.
The reason for this, Langford said, is that despite the fact there are fewer jobs available now, the medical field still has a much better job outlook than most professions.
Here is a look at how pre-medical majors stack up against some of the University’s other high-demand majors.
--Dell Whitehead, an advisor for exercise and sport science majors, has seen similar results in his department. Whitehead attributed the field’s ability to be somewhat recession-proof to the wide-ranging opportunities that it offers.
“There are so many different facets of the medical profession,” Whitehead said. “You have medical students but you also have exercise and sport science majors who are looking into being athletic trainers or something. There are endless opportunities within this field.”
Ten Ways to Save Energy and Money Year Round. – According to the U.S. Department of Energy and Georgia Power
1. Turn your A/C on 78 degrees in the summer and heat on 68 degrees in the winter. Doing this will save you money on your power bill.
2. Use fans in the summer to supplement the A/C. This allows you to set your thermostat about 3-5 degrees higher without sacrificing too much.
3. Replace all your light bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs. Although they cost more initially, this saves a lot of energy and money in the long run.
4. Lower your hot water thermostat ten degrees, but not lower than 120 degrees. This will save you 25 kilowatt hours a month and you’ll still have all the hot water you need.
5. While showering, plug the drain and use this leftover water for plants and washing your car.
6. Turn off computers and printers at night. Also, don’t use screensavers.
7. Make sure your weather-stripping is installed right as to reduce drafts from windows and doors.
8. Don’t put small pans on large burners. It takes extra energy to heat unneeded burner space. Putting a lid on pots also saves on energy.
9. While going on vacation, lower the thermostat to 55 degrees in the winter. It’s low enough to save on energy, but high enough to keep the pipes from bursting.
10. Only wash clothes in cold water. Also, hang them to dry.
We had the idea to have these tips hanging from a cord that is plugged into a power strip.
2. Use fans in the summer to supplement the A/C. This allows you to set your thermostat about 3-5 degrees higher without sacrificing too much.
3. Replace all your light bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs. Although they cost more initially, this saves a lot of energy and money in the long run.
4. Lower your hot water thermostat ten degrees, but not lower than 120 degrees. This will save you 25 kilowatt hours a month and you’ll still have all the hot water you need.
5. While showering, plug the drain and use this leftover water for plants and washing your car.
6. Turn off computers and printers at night. Also, don’t use screensavers.
7. Make sure your weather-stripping is installed right as to reduce drafts from windows and doors.
8. Don’t put small pans on large burners. It takes extra energy to heat unneeded burner space. Putting a lid on pots also saves on energy.
9. While going on vacation, lower the thermostat to 55 degrees in the winter. It’s low enough to save on energy, but high enough to keep the pipes from bursting.
10. Only wash clothes in cold water. Also, hang them to dry.
We had the idea to have these tips hanging from a cord that is plugged into a power strip.
The ABC's of fundraising at UGA
Photo illustration by Meg TwomeyMeg Twomey
10.19.09
A(rch Foundation): the official fundraising arm of the University. Incorporated in 2005.
B(uildings): Money from private donors helped pay for the erection of the Main Library. In recent years, that money has helped fund the recent Pharmacy school addition.
C(harter Scholarships): These are merit-based scholarships of $1,000 per year, usually awarded to the top five percent of the incoming freshman class.
D(onations…duh): This is the bread and butter of the Office of Development, the division of External Affairs that is responsible for most fundraising.
E(state Taxes): Estate taxes are exempt in many cases when someone bequeaths their estate to the University, which makes them more appealing for donors.
F(oundations): They also work with other charitable foundations to obtain research grants and more funding for faculty and student research projects. In 2009, Dan Colley, a professor of microbiology, received $18 million from the Gates Foundation to continue his research on schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease.
G(eorgia Fund): Another fundraising arm of the University. Works with the Arch Foundation and the Department of External Affairs.
H(eritage Society): This group honors donors who have bequeathed things or money to the University in their wills or in planned gifts.
I(RS): One important component of the Office of Development’s role is to understand tax laws and determine how donors can give as much to the University, while having to pay the least amount of taxes.
J(ournals and testimonies): This is what donors enjoy seeing the most, according to sources at the Office of Development. So their newsletters and Web sites emphasize the testimonials.
K(aiser Foundation): Like the Gates Foundation, External Affairs has also worked with the Kaiser Foundation to establish a Kaiser Permanente Health Disparities Graduate Fellowship in the College of Public Health. They received a $150,000 grant for this purpose.
L(andrum, Tom): The Senior Vice President for External Affairs. His office is located in the Administration Building.
M(illedge Center): Location of the Office of Development. 394 S. Milledge Ave.
N(eed Based Scholarships): Although some of the notable scholarships are merit-based, the office also gives out need-based scholarships to many students.
O(ne third): Direst state support only accounts for about one-third of UGA’s annual operating budget. The rest comes from private support.
P(hone campaign): Student callers reach more than 100,000 alumni through a successful telephone campaign.
Q(uestions?): Still have questions about the Office of Development or External Affairs. Check out the websites at http://www.externalaffairs.uga.edu/development/ea_about.html or http://www.externalaffairs.uga.edu/
R(ecent grads): The Office of Development tries to get graduates to start donating as soon as possible. However, recent grads are the hardest group to appeal to. Less disposable income as well as frequent moves makes it difficult for the office to get donations from this group, but they are working to change this.
S(enior signature): This popular fundraiser allows graduating seniors to donate $35 or more. They then have their name engraved on a plaque that hangs in the Tate plaza.
T(ravel monies): The Department also helps fund student groups who need to travel for competitions or conventions as well as faculty trips for research.
U(niversity Partners): These are donors whose annual gifts total $2,500 or more. $1,000 of this must go towards the President’s Venture Fund.
V(enture Fund): This is a fund that, at President Adam’s discretion, supports projects both large and small. Much of the money is used for special situations that are hard to budget or account for. Often this is deals with large grant opportunities that require a match of University dollars.
W(eird gifts): The Office of Development will take anything that donors are willing to give. Real estate, art, and collectibles are just some things that the University has been given.
eX(ternal Affairs): The University office that oversees the Office of Development, the major fundraising group. External Affairs also oversees alumni relations, the career center, and most things that deal with the “outside world.”
Y(ounger donors): While older donors tend to donate more, the Office of Development is trying to recruit more younger donors. The Parents and Families Association, which is for parents of current UGA undergrads, encourages people to start donating earlier. The Student Alumni Association also recruits donors while they are students in hopes that they will continue to give after they graduate.
Z(zzzzzzz): It might be sort of boring, but fundraising efforts by the Office of External Affairs paid for a lot of things students use every day.
picture
This is what $14 can buy a college student in the grocery store: A loaf of bread, cereal, juice, eggs, cheese, and chicken breast tenderloins. This food could last the average student at least a week.
picture
Plate of food from dining hall will go here
The cost per day to eat in all four dining halls on the meal plan is $13.98. Some students may go to the dining halls three times a day, while other go only once, or maybe not all on some days. The meal plan is great for those students that just don’t have the time to prepare their own meals and find dining halls convenient, but when it come to getting your money’s worth you’re better off on your own.
Monthly cost of Food at home on four levels for college age people
chart
Thrifty plan
Low-cost plan
Moderate cost plan
Liberal plan
males
$166.70
$214.10
$268.80
$329.30
females
$148.00
$185.60
$228.90
$293.70
United States Department of Agriculture- Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
The amount each student could save when buying their own food compared to being on the meal plan depends on which cost plan best suits their needs and wants.
This is what $14 can buy a college student in the grocery store: A loaf of bread, cereal, juice, eggs, cheese, and chicken breast tenderloins. This food could last the average student at least a week.
picture
Plate of food from dining hall will go here
The cost per day to eat in all four dining halls on the meal plan is $13.98. Some students may go to the dining halls three times a day, while other go only once, or maybe not all on some days. The meal plan is great for those students that just don’t have the time to prepare their own meals and find dining halls convenient, but when it come to getting your money’s worth you’re better off on your own.
Monthly cost of Food at home on four levels for college age people
chart
Thrifty plan
Low-cost plan
Moderate cost plan
Liberal plan
males
$166.70
$214.10
$268.80
$329.30
females
$148.00
$185.60
$228.90
$293.70
United States Department of Agriculture- Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
The amount each student could save when buying their own food compared to being on the meal plan depends on which cost plan best suits their needs and wants.
Alternative Story Format - Quotations - copy
Jenna Walker
“I prefer small classes because you can know the instructor instead of being another person in the crowd. It’s more personal.” Stephanie Tucker, 20, Psychology-Sociology
“Larger classes, because there’s no attendance policy. Let’s be real.” Caitlin Culpepper, 21, Comparative Literature
“Smaller classes make it easier to connect. I feel more obliged to go to class. Big lecture halls are distracting.” Ali Piacentini, 19, Biology
“I prefer smaller classes because of the more intimate setting. It’s easier to meet people. You come in and sit in the same spot everyday.” Gabriella Baetti, 19, Magazines
“I prefer smaller classes because I don’t follow well in large classes. There’s more accountability.” Joe Spiccia, 21, International Business
“I prefer smaller classes because you can know the teacher and have better discussions.” Ann Marie Graham, 18, Psychology - Biological Sciences
“I get really overwhelmed in a big class. I try to be social but you can’t really. It’s different than high school, it’s more of a support system. In a bigger class it’s less personal.” Elisabeth Laughlin, 18, Genetics
“It depends on the class. Big classes have the intimidation factor. With smaller classes, it’s easier for discussion.” Elizabeth Karam, 18, Art major for interior design
“Smaller classes, for obvious reasons. It’s paced a lot better, and it’s easier to communicate with the professor.” Ethan Lapaquette, 18, Undecided
“I like bigger classes because then the teacher can’t call on you.” Emily Corbin, 20, Journalism
“I prefer small classes because you can know the instructor instead of being another person in the crowd. It’s more personal.” Stephanie Tucker, 20, Psychology-Sociology
“Larger classes, because there’s no attendance policy. Let’s be real.” Caitlin Culpepper, 21, Comparative Literature
“Smaller classes make it easier to connect. I feel more obliged to go to class. Big lecture halls are distracting.” Ali Piacentini, 19, Biology
“I prefer smaller classes because of the more intimate setting. It’s easier to meet people. You come in and sit in the same spot everyday.” Gabriella Baetti, 19, Magazines
“I prefer smaller classes because I don’t follow well in large classes. There’s more accountability.” Joe Spiccia, 21, International Business
“I prefer smaller classes because you can know the teacher and have better discussions.” Ann Marie Graham, 18, Psychology - Biological Sciences
“I get really overwhelmed in a big class. I try to be social but you can’t really. It’s different than high school, it’s more of a support system. In a bigger class it’s less personal.” Elisabeth Laughlin, 18, Genetics
“It depends on the class. Big classes have the intimidation factor. With smaller classes, it’s easier for discussion.” Elizabeth Karam, 18, Art major for interior design
“Smaller classes, for obvious reasons. It’s paced a lot better, and it’s easier to communicate with the professor.” Ethan Lapaquette, 18, Undecided
“I like bigger classes because then the teacher can’t call on you.” Emily Corbin, 20, Journalism
5 Quick Tips on Saving Money
By Kristyna Mauch
1. Live within your means.
When looking for an apartment, choose one you can afford rather than a nicer place that is more expensive.
2. Use a water bottle.
The money saved by not purchasing bottled water really adds up, plus it’s good for the environment too!
3. Pay your bills on time.
Late fee charges can be expensive and unnecessary. There is no need to fork out more cash than you have to
4. Go to free shows.
Look for free entertainment on the weekends. Even $3 cover charges can add up.
5. Cut out Impulse buying.
Stop buying unnecessary items on impulse. Make a list of things you need before you go to the store.
1. Live within your means.
When looking for an apartment, choose one you can afford rather than a nicer place that is more expensive.
2. Use a water bottle.
The money saved by not purchasing bottled water really adds up, plus it’s good for the environment too!
3. Pay your bills on time.
Late fee charges can be expensive and unnecessary. There is no need to fork out more cash than you have to
4. Go to free shows.
Look for free entertainment on the weekends. Even $3 cover charges can add up.
5. Cut out Impulse buying.
Stop buying unnecessary items on impulse. Make a list of things you need before you go to the store.
Alternative Story Format Ideas
Quote Collections:
"It was interesting learning the ins and outs of running a practice and jumping through hoops to get the insurance companies to help the people in need. I am also interested in helping people who can't afford insurance and therefore can't get any treatment. I want to help them. I am not doing this for the money. It is my passion and I can't see myself doing anything else. People keep telling me that this is a tough time to be a doctor, but I still want to do it. I think something needs to change and Obama's health care plan can bring about this change. There will be kinks that need to be worked out and I know it will take time, but I am all for it."
- Marci Levy
"I don't want a doctor's office to become like the DMV or the Post Office. Those places are so frustrating. If people are sick, they shouldn't have the stress of waiting in long lines. I believe that they should receive care immediately."
- Becca Isaacson
"I am working so hard to get this education to become a doctor. At the end of the day, all that matters to me is using this education to follow through on my dreams and actually becoming a doctor."
- Kim Lincenberg
"I feel that his plan does not affect me wanting to become a doctor because I don't think the outcome of the health care plan is going to be as big as Obama is making it seem.I don't think socialized health care is a good idea."
- Whitney Seltman
*I have a picture to go along with each quote
Bar Graph:
The four main medical schools in Georgia listed on this Web site are Emory, Medical College of Georgia, Mercer and Morehouse. In 2003, total enrollment for all of these Georgia schools was 1,632; in 2008, this total was 1,826. In 2003, the total enrollment in the nation was 70,169 and in 2008 the total enrollment in the nation was 76,070. I am prepared to put these numbers into a chart.
Lists:
More Security and Stability
If You Have Health Insurance, the Obama Plan:
-Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions.
-Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age.
-Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most.
-Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don’t go broke when they get sick.
-Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money.
-Protects Medicare for seniors.
-Eliminates the “donut-hole” gap in coverage for prescription drugs.
Quality, Affordable Choices
If You Don’t Have Insurance, the Obama Plan:
-Creates a new insurance marketplace — the Exchange — that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices.
-Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance.
-Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees.
-Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice.
-Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national “high risk” pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created.
Reins in the Cost of Health Care
For All Americans, the Obama Plan:
-Won’t add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront.
-Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized.
-Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality.
-Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system.
-Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine.
-Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform.
Sources:
http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/schoolenrll0308.htm
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
Quote Collections:
"It was interesting learning the ins and outs of running a practice and jumping through hoops to get the insurance companies to help the people in need. I am also interested in helping people who can't afford insurance and therefore can't get any treatment. I want to help them. I am not doing this for the money. It is my passion and I can't see myself doing anything else. People keep telling me that this is a tough time to be a doctor, but I still want to do it. I think something needs to change and Obama's health care plan can bring about this change. There will be kinks that need to be worked out and I know it will take time, but I am all for it."
- Marci Levy
"I don't want a doctor's office to become like the DMV or the Post Office. Those places are so frustrating. If people are sick, they shouldn't have the stress of waiting in long lines. I believe that they should receive care immediately."
- Becca Isaacson
"I am working so hard to get this education to become a doctor. At the end of the day, all that matters to me is using this education to follow through on my dreams and actually becoming a doctor."
- Kim Lincenberg
"I feel that his plan does not affect me wanting to become a doctor because I don't think the outcome of the health care plan is going to be as big as Obama is making it seem.I don't think socialized health care is a good idea."
- Whitney Seltman
*I have a picture to go along with each quote
Bar Graph:
The four main medical schools in Georgia listed on this Web site are Emory, Medical College of Georgia, Mercer and Morehouse. In 2003, total enrollment for all of these Georgia schools was 1,632; in 2008, this total was 1,826. In 2003, the total enrollment in the nation was 70,169 and in 2008 the total enrollment in the nation was 76,070. I am prepared to put these numbers into a chart.
Lists:
More Security and Stability
If You Have Health Insurance, the Obama Plan:
-Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions.
-Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age.
-Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most.
-Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don’t go broke when they get sick.
-Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money.
-Protects Medicare for seniors.
-Eliminates the “donut-hole” gap in coverage for prescription drugs.
Quality, Affordable Choices
If You Don’t Have Insurance, the Obama Plan:
-Creates a new insurance marketplace — the Exchange — that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices.
-Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance.
-Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees.
-Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice.
-Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national “high risk” pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created.
Reins in the Cost of Health Care
For All Americans, the Obama Plan:
-Won’t add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront.
-Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized.
-Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality.
-Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system.
-Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine.
-Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform.
Sources:
http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/schoolenrll0308.htm
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
Alternative Story Format
Betsy Dienes
Alternative Story Format
JOUR3610
October 19, 2009
People on the Street: How Important is Eating and Buying Locally Grown Food to You?
**chart
What is the Biggest Factor Holding You Back From Eating Locally Grown Food?
**chart
“Being a college kid on a budget definitely limits my ability to buy locally grown food,” said Anna Roth, a senior at the University of Georgia majoring in magazines. “I would if I could, but it’s just not practical.”
“I honestly never even thought about that,” said Sophie Oreck, a sophomore at the University of Georgia majoring in psychology. “I just eat what I think tastes good.”
“I make it a personal goal of mine to only eat locally grown foods,” said Mary Katherine Ashmore, manager of Transmetropolitan. “I feel like I’m doing something for my body and the community. I’ll slip up every now and then, but overall I’m pretty good about it.”
Alternative Story Format
JOUR3610
October 19, 2009
People on the Street: How Important is Eating and Buying Locally Grown Food to You?
**chart
What is the Biggest Factor Holding You Back From Eating Locally Grown Food?
**chart
“Being a college kid on a budget definitely limits my ability to buy locally grown food,” said Anna Roth, a senior at the University of Georgia majoring in magazines. “I would if I could, but it’s just not practical.”
“I honestly never even thought about that,” said Sophie Oreck, a sophomore at the University of Georgia majoring in psychology. “I just eat what I think tastes good.”
“I make it a personal goal of mine to only eat locally grown foods,” said Mary Katherine Ashmore, manager of Transmetropolitan. “I feel like I’m doing something for my body and the community. I’ll slip up every now and then, but overall I’m pretty good about it.”
Alternative Story
Tips For RecyclingBy: Sophie Loghman
How to Go Green:
1. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Period.
2. Know what you can and can’t recycle.
--Bottles and cans- aluminum, food cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles
--Paper items- cardboard, office paper, newspapers, paper bags
3. Encourage those around you to recycle.
Where to Recycle:
· Around Campus Drop-off Locations
- -Bolton Dining Commons
- -Oglethorpe Dining Commons
- -Snelling Dining Commons
- -Carlton Street Lot
- -East Village Dining Commons
- -East Campus Parking Lot Deck
- -University Village (Building C Lot)
- -Recreational Sports Complex (Lake Herrick Pavilion Lot)
- -Rogers Road (Building P)
- -Riverbend Research Lot
(Locations are open 24/7)
· Off campus
- -Drop-Off Locations
1. 1005 College Avenue at Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department
2. 5700 Lexington Road at Athens-Clarke County Landfill
3. 1626 Danielsville Road at Athens-Clarke County Fire Station #9
4. 3955 Jefferson Road at Athens-Clarke County Fire Station #8
5. The Public Works Building in Winterville, located at the corner of Church and Parkview
- -Various downtown restaurants now have recycling bins, so look out for them
Some include Amici’s, The Winery, and Firehouse.
-Recycling bins are available upon request to any Athens resident by calling (706) 233-8000
Alternative story format: Start your own backyard harvest
How to start a garden in the winter
If the land has never been harvested before, it’s best to prepare the soil in the fall for spring planting. Sustainable farming without the use of fertilizers and pesticides doesn’t wear out the soil, rather builds it for long-term production.
1) plant a cover crop such as clover (or any other legume) which fixes the necessary nutrients in the soil for healthy plant production
2) make a compost of leaves and other organic material in a composting barrel (go to: http://www.solidwastedistrict.com/projects/bin_barrel.htm to learn how to make your own compost bin)
3) when spring comes in approximately March, spread the compost over the clover and till the top layer (for more information on your region's farmer's almanac, go to: http://www.local.garden.org/)
4) the soil is now ready for seeds
*All soils are different, and you can get your soil tested at UGA’s soil testing center for $6; this way you will know what your soil is lacking or has too much of. Using natural techniques, you can compensate for the specific inefficencies in your soil.
For more information on sustainable, organic farming along with tips and techniques go to: http://www.attra.ncat.org/ (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service)
If the land has never been harvested before, it’s best to prepare the soil in the fall for spring planting. Sustainable farming without the use of fertilizers and pesticides doesn’t wear out the soil, rather builds it for long-term production.
1) plant a cover crop such as clover (or any other legume) which fixes the necessary nutrients in the soil for healthy plant production
2) make a compost of leaves and other organic material in a composting barrel (go to: http://www.solidwastedistrict.com/projects/bin_barrel.htm to learn how to make your own compost bin)
3) when spring comes in approximately March, spread the compost over the clover and till the top layer (for more information on your region's farmer's almanac, go to: http://www.local.garden.org/)
4) the soil is now ready for seeds
*All soils are different, and you can get your soil tested at UGA’s soil testing center for $6; this way you will know what your soil is lacking or has too much of. Using natural techniques, you can compensate for the specific inefficencies in your soil.
For more information on sustainable, organic farming along with tips and techniques go to: http://www.attra.ncat.org/ (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Doctor's Orders: Know Your Health Care Options
Jessica Smith
When making the leap from college student to adult, the typical 22 year old is unlikely to consider shopping for health insurance. Unfortunately, the transition from student to civilian also means a change in health insurance coverage. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2008, more than eight million young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 were uninsured, making them the largest segment of the uninsured population.
When making the leap from college student to adult, the typical 22 year old is unlikely to consider shopping for health insurance. Unfortunately, the transition from student to civilian also means a change in health insurance coverage. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2008, more than eight million young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 were uninsured, making them the largest segment of the uninsured population.With the rise in unemployment and lack of new jobs resulting from the less-than-ideal state of the economy, the problem has no doubt compounded. But the decision to forego health insurance altogether could be one of the worst possible decisions—for your health and your wallet.
“I’ve never had health insurance,” said 22-year-old Ishita Chowdhury, first-year graduate student at the University of Alabama and recent graduate of the University of Georgia. “I’m from Bangladesh, and no one really has it there, so my parents always said compared to the amount of times you actually get sick in your life, it was more trouble, and money, than it was worth. “When I got into an accident last year though, I realized just how important having health insurance was.”
Chowdhury incurred a bill totaling close to $4,000 during her brief stay at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, Ga. All of which she is still paying out of pocket.
“I just wish I had had health insurance as a kid,” Chowdhury said. “Now is the worst possible time to try to and get something on my own; everything’s so ridiculously expensive.
“I feel like there are so many doctors’ appointments I could’ve had that I missed out on.”
While Chowdhury’s story, uncommon but not unheard of, can be viewed as something of a cautionary tale, a majority of students spend their lives securely under the blanket of their parents’ health insurance coverage.
As soon as they flip that tassel to the left, however, they find themselves alone, and in worst-case scenarios, unemployed and uninsured.
“For a lot of our young employees, this is the first time they’ve ever had to deal with benefits,” said Shirley Brock, Benefits Coordinator in the human resources department at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, Ga.
“So many of them are completely clueless when they come to me, but I’m glad to show them what’s best and what we have to offer them, especially since most of the time if they didn’t have that job, they wouldn’t have health insurance anyway.”
Aurora Ziobrowski, recent UGA graduate and corps member of Teach for America, a national non-profit that recruits recent college graduates to teach in low-income neighborhoods, can relate to that firsthand.
“When I found out that I got accepted at Teach for America, it was this huge rush of excitement and relief,” Ziobrowski said.
“I had no back up plan, and since my political science and psychology majors are more or less useless, I thought I was going to have to go to law school just to have something to do. Now I get to do something that I love, and I’m covered financially, at least for a while.”
It goes without saying that with finding a job, an apartment and the plethora of other pressures faced by new graduates, shopping for insurance can be a bit overwhelming. So if you’re in the market for a health plan, here are a few important things to keep in mind, courtesy of eHealthInsurance.com, an online marketplace that offers advice and lists sales quotes for health insurance plans:
A higher deductible means lower monthly payments
On a health insurance plan, the deductible is the amount you have to pay annually (not counting co-payments) before your health insurance kicks in. Health insurance plans come with various deductible levels, ranging from $500 or less to as much as $5,000 a year. Typically, the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly payment will be.
Location, Location, Location
While many states kick you off your parents' policy after you graduate from college, other states require your parents’ insurance to stick with you, sometimes until you're 26. To find out the rules in your state, visit the Kaiser Family Foundation Web site at statehealthfactsonline.org. You can also look up the rules on the Web site for your state's insurance commissioner at naic.org.
A higher deductible means lower monthly payments
On a health insurance plan, the deductible is the amount you have to pay annually (not counting co-payments) before your health insurance kicks in. Health insurance plans come with various deductible levels, ranging from $500 or less to as much as $5,000 a year. Typically, the higher your deductible, the lower your monthly payment will be.
Location, Location, Location
While many states kick you off your parents' policy after you graduate from college, other states require your parents’ insurance to stick with you, sometimes until you're 26. To find out the rules in your state, visit the Kaiser Family Foundation Web site at statehealthfactsonline.org. You can also look up the rules on the Web site for your state's insurance commissioner at naic.org.
Also, health insurance rates vary across much of the country. Ironically, cities that have higher costs of living often have cheaper health insurance rates. Each state has its own rules and regulations that affect competition among health insurance companies. So, when you’re trying to figure out where to settle down, make sure to check out the prices on health insurance before you move.
UGA also offers a voluntary short-term student health plan for an average of around $850 per semester. And if health insurance just isn’t an option, the Georgia Department of Health offers a range of services at free clinics in every county. For more information, visit publichealthathens.com or health.state.ga.us. To learn more about UGA’s student health insurance, visit hr.uga.edu/benefits/stuins/stuins.html.
UGA also offers a voluntary short-term student health plan for an average of around $850 per semester. And if health insurance just isn’t an option, the Georgia Department of Health offers a range of services at free clinics in every county. For more information, visit publichealthathens.com or health.state.ga.us. To learn more about UGA’s student health insurance, visit hr.uga.edu/benefits/stuins/stuins.html.
Photo Credit: iStockphoto
UGA Students Have Less to Fear From Debts
In a tough economic climate, many graduates are feeling the pinch.University of Georgia students could be safe from a financial trap that others are falling into nationwide.
The trap stems from the traditional belief that a college education is worth a massive financial burden in the long run.The common wisdom of past years has been simple and successful: a student could afford to go tens of thousands of dollars into debt because a secondary education would all but guarantee
them a much higher salary than they would have otherwise.
A combination of new economic trends caused by the recession is complicating this long-standing arrangement.
Foremost among these factors are the rising costs of tuition, living and debt.
The cost of being a student at the University of Georgia, including tuition and fees, has increased nearly $300 in the past year to $7,530 for in-state students and $25,740 for out-of-state residents.
While this sounds pricey, the Princeton Review still listed the University ninth place overall in its “Best Bang for Your Academic Buck” ranking.
Bonnie Joerschke, director of financial aid at UGA, said the average debt of a graduating senior at UGA with loans last year was about $13,000. Some graduate students can build up several times that amount.
This is still significantly less than the national average of more than $23,000 reported by FinAid.org.
“Georgia students in general have much lower debt burdens than the national average because of HOPE,” said Lee Maddox, an advisor at the Student Financial Aid Office. “Also, [the University] just has relatively lower prices in general.”
In addition, the unemployment rate for recent University graduates has risen from about 3.1 to 4.9 percent in the past year. This is slightly higher than the national average for college graduates but still significantly lower than the national average of almost 10 percent for all people.
The difference is that while other people who don’t attend college might be less likely to have jobs, they also don’t have huge debt burdens caused by the costs of higher education.
The combination of rising costs and decreasing employment causes a perfect financial storm. Higher prices raise debt, which can’t be paid off without income, thus causing greater interest payments and spiraling debts.
The situation has caught many recent graduates off guard.
“I was sure that, you know, I’d have something going by now,” said Kari Thompson, who graduated with a degree in advertising from UGA last spring. “I had a couple of places that I kind of had a relationship with withdraw their offers because of the recession.”
She now has two part-time jobs in Atlanta and works to make ends meet and pay off her only major debt, about $9,000 in student loans.
Because UGA students have relatively low debt they should come out “OK for the most part,” said Jim Verbruge, a finance professor.
“Twelve thousand dollars sounds like a lot, but it’s really pretty manageable for most college graduates,” he said. “The problem comes when they live extravagantly in college and don’t control their expenses and end up with way more debt than average. Or if they graduate and something happens to add huge costs, like having a child.”
He wasn’t so optimistic about graduates from other, more expensive schools. “It’s going to take some of these people 25, 30 years to pay off their student loans, especially if they can’t get a job now,” he said.
Despite the risks in a questionable economic climate, many University students are unconcerned about their student loans.
“I don’t really worry about it,” said Dennis Nichols, a junior who has received $7,000 in student loans so far. “I don’t think I’ll have to [take out any more loans]. And I’m confident I’ll be able to get a job when I graduate.”
If the economy begins to recover, recent UGA graduates could be much better off as a whole than others around the country.“We’re starting to see some signs of a turnaround for whatever reason,” said William Lestrapes, an economics professor. “But there will be lingering affects [of the recession] for months or even years to come. Either way, it’s obviously better to have less debt and better credit, to pay less on interest. That’s a lot of money that could be spent on other things, or saved.”
Meal Plan: Friend or Foe?
Jessica Walker
Athens, Ga. — The University of Georgia’s meal plan is more expensive than the national average, and for some students it’s not worth it.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the average 19-50 year old spends $228-$268 per month on food under a moderate cost plan.
Athens, Ga. — The University of Georgia’s meal plan is more expensive than the national average, and for some students it’s not worth it.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the average 19-50 year old spends $228-$268 per month on food under a moderate cost plan.
Snelling, one of the university's dining halls, is open 24 hours.
Although the University has won a total of 71 awards for their food service including the prestigious Ivy Award, the seven-day meal plan costs $352.20 per month, more than $84 over the national average. The five-day plan is $1660 per semester, which breaks down to $332 per month.
While the plan does offer unlimited access to its award winning food throughout both semesters, some students don’t feel it’s worth it.
“It’s not quite worth it because I live in East Campus Village this year, and I go to The Summit a lot,” said Niujing Jiang, a sophomore majoring in pre-business. “Plus, I don’t eat a lot.”
Senior Elizabeth Ames agrees, “I love being off the meal plan. I was on it my freshman and sophomore years, but now I like making my own food. I’m eating healthier now.”
Unlike most universities, which require students to buy their food service programs, UGA’s meal plan is completely voluntary and serves 96 percent of students that live on campus.
“Being on the meal plan is definitely easier than preparing my own food,” says Jiang. “I know I’m going to go there to eat, even if I don’t want to.”
Ames agrees that going to the dining halls is convenient for many students but believes that buying her own food is cheaper.
“My roommates and I rotate weeks that we each buy groceries,” Ames said. “When I do buy groceries I spend $80-$90, but I eat out a lot more now.”
“University of Georgia Food Services continues to rank in the top one percent of food services based on customer satisfaction and national awards earned,” according to UGA’s Food Service Web site.
“I like being on the meal plan a lot,” freshman Elizabeth Tori said. “It’s great because I can go around and grab everything and I don’t have to feel bad about spending money.”
After students factor in tuition, the cost of books and living expenses, spending $3,522 on the seven-day meal plan over the course of the academic year is overwhelming for some.
“I’m not getting the meal plan next year,” Jiang said. “I am tired of the food, and I want to save money.”
For Jiang and others, convenience does not outweigh the costs.
While the plan does offer unlimited access to its award winning food throughout both semesters, some students don’t feel it’s worth it.
“It’s not quite worth it because I live in East Campus Village this year, and I go to The Summit a lot,” said Niujing Jiang, a sophomore majoring in pre-business. “Plus, I don’t eat a lot.”
Senior Elizabeth Ames agrees, “I love being off the meal plan. I was on it my freshman and sophomore years, but now I like making my own food. I’m eating healthier now.”
Unlike most universities, which require students to buy their food service programs, UGA’s meal plan is completely voluntary and serves 96 percent of students that live on campus.
“Being on the meal plan is definitely easier than preparing my own food,” says Jiang. “I know I’m going to go there to eat, even if I don’t want to.”
Ames agrees that going to the dining halls is convenient for many students but believes that buying her own food is cheaper.
“My roommates and I rotate weeks that we each buy groceries,” Ames said. “When I do buy groceries I spend $80-$90, but I eat out a lot more now.”
“University of Georgia Food Services continues to rank in the top one percent of food services based on customer satisfaction and national awards earned,” according to UGA’s Food Service Web site.
“I like being on the meal plan a lot,” freshman Elizabeth Tori said. “It’s great because I can go around and grab everything and I don’t have to feel bad about spending money.”
After students factor in tuition, the cost of books and living expenses, spending $3,522 on the seven-day meal plan over the course of the academic year is overwhelming for some.
“I’m not getting the meal plan next year,” Jiang said. “I am tired of the food, and I want to save money.”
For Jiang and others, convenience does not outweigh the costs.
Creative Ways to Save Money in Athens
By Kristyna Mauch
ATHENS, Ga.—Univeristy students are coming up with creative ways to save money because they are working with tighter budgets due to the troubled economy.
Other than attending class and doing homework, students often spend their free time enjoying a meal, shopping with friends, or running the weekly errands. These activities are everyday basics but come with a hefty price tag. And these days, undergraduates need to save money any way they can.
Gillianne Gentzel, a history major from Jefferson, Ga., has a tight budget but still goes out to eat with friends.
“I always just split a meal with a friend,” Gentzel said. “They give you a lot of food in the first place. Why not share the cost?”
Gentzel’s last meal was at the Chili’s on Alps Road. Stacy, a hostess, says that there two for $20 entrée meal is back on the menu and is a good deal.
“I shared my meal with two other friends. It only cost me seven bucks to eat,” Gentzel said.
Another creative way to save money is to shop smart. University students are not cutting back on shopping but are browsing at places with cheaper prices.
Kelly Hill, sophomore chemistry major from Tifton, Ga., shops at Plato’s Closet, a gently-used clothing store located in the Beechwood Shopping Center.
“I can get a pair of name brand jeans for ten dollars,” Hill said.
There are other shopping options for used clothing such as Cillie’s downtown and various thrift stores located around the Athens area.
Athens is known for its downtown scene and students are using different methods to save money in order to have just as much fun downtown despite the penny pinching.
For example, some students are walking downtown instead of paying for an expensive cab.
Jack Hermanski, a chemistry major from Duluth, Ga., saves money on drinks by avoiding the expensive drinks at the bars.
“I buy my drinks from the store and then drink them before I go downtown,” Hermanski said.
By buying cheaper drinks from grocery or package stores, students save money on the pricey drinks downtown.
“I save so much money,” Hermanski said. “I used to spend almost $50 a night on drinks.”
Another money-saving option is collecting coupons. Students can take advantage of student discounts and buy-one, get-one free coupons. Bring a friend and share the cost. We’re all in this bad economy together; why not help each other out?
“I’m more likely to buy something if I have a buy-one, get one free coupon,” said Rachel Brent, a senior from Columbus, Ga.
Brent uses coupons with her roommate in order to take advantage of most coupon deals.
“I use coupons every time I go to the grocery store or eat out at fast food restaurants,” Brent said.
Elizabeth Brighton, a senior graphic design major from Warner Robins, Ga., says that searching for coupons is fun because it’s like a scavenger hunt and it saves her money.
Students all over campus are taking advantage of ways to save money in order to get by in this economy. Andy Wesche, a business major from Blairsville, Ga., is currently planning on using his $6.99 great clips hair cut coupon for his next hair cut.
“I use coupons like nobody’s business,” Wesche said.
Terry College Adjusts to Budget Cuts
BY: JENNA WALKER
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Students and faculty of Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia are managing to adjust to the constraints of budget cuts and limited funding.
Evidence of the economic recession has infiltrated practically every aspect of current events, including the education. Budget cuts have been implemented throughout the University’s many departments.
“They are trying to do the best they can,” said Mike Hill, a graduate student of Terry College who works as a teaching assistant for the Management of Organizations and Individuals course.
“Terry is managing,” Hill said. “We’ve had to make adjustments.”
Hill, who graduated from Terry College in 1998, points out that the biggest change is the increase in class size, specifically in the upper level classes.
Students entering a university as large as the University of Georgia expect to face congested lower level undergraduate classes. But with the recent budget cuts, even upper level classes are pushing their capacity.
For Hill, senior level courses had 30 to 40 students at most. Many upper level management courses this semester seat up to 52 students.
Melenie Lankau, a professor of management for Terry College, worries about the effect these larger classes will have on both her teaching style and her students’ education.
“It’s discouraging.” Lankau said. “It’s not the direction that I want to go. I don’t want my students to be a number. I want to know them.”
Whether or not the increasing size of these classes is negatively impacting the students of Terry College is debatable.
“It depends on the student,” said Neil Meredith, a graduate student for the economics department in Terry College and an instructor for macroeconomics course. “Some [students] thrive in smaller classes while others prefer the anonymity of larger classes.”
Still, smaller classes have advantages for students, Meredith said.
For example, students have more direct access to their instructors. For many students, having more one-on-one time with professors and student teachers allows for better learning.
“Some students come in on a weekly basis,” Lankau said. “It’s really beneficial to them. They build confidence when I am able to coach them.”
Jimmy Barrett, a student who plans to apply to Terry in the spring, prefers smaller classes for this reason.
“I think smaller classes are more effective learning environments,” Barrett said. “It’s more interactive with the teachers. It’s harder to get in touch with and arrange meetings [in larger classes].”
“Personally, I don’t mind large classes,” Barrett added.
Budget cuts have been largely responsible for the increase in class size. Restrictive funding makes hiring new professors difficult for Terry, said John Bundy, another graduate student and a teaching assistant for a Management of Organizations and Individuals class. Instead, hiring new faculty has been primarily for refilling teaching vacancies and maintenance.
“We offer fewer sections now with fewer faculty resources,” Lankau said. “We can’t go out and hire.”
With fewer faculty to teach the increasing number of students at Terry College, Lankau struggles to keep up with the packed-on responsibility.
“It’s a byproduct [of the budget cuts],” she said. “It’s draining with more students to keep track of. I get burned out. It’s too hard to manage.”
While the budgets cuts have been making an impact for the department in the last few months, these changes in the university system have been manageable, Bundy said
Both Meredith and Bundy, who previously attended the University of New Mexico, were, in fact, pleasantly surprised by the amount of resources Terry College has administered for the graduate students.
The university has provided plenty of resources for graduate students such as books and statistical software available through the library.
Research funding has been hit hardest by the economic downturn, though.
“While it was small to begin with, funding for research and travel has been significantly slackened,” Bundy said.
Professor Lankau and many of her colleagues are very involved in research. But with the budget cuts, their experience and reputation as professionals are beginning to suffer.
“The issue is burnout,” Lankau said. “Something will suffer if [funding for research] doesn’t get better soon. Research will die.”
Terry College does have one large advantage over many of the other colleges at the University of Georgia: fundraising.
“Terry receives a sizable amount of donations,” Meredith said. “Business students give more back to the school.”
“[Fundraising] is a fact of life now,” Lankau said. “Historically, the college hasn’t tried to have a big donor base. We’re state supported.”
But with only 40 percent of the school’s budget coming from state and federal aid, according to the 2008-2009 report to donors, donations are needed in order for the college to thrive.
“The school doesn’t provide us with much,” Lankau said. “We work hard to bring in more resources.”
Because Terry College is such a large school, many students who graduate and become successful are more inclined to give back to the school, Bundy said.
“The new dean does an excellent job of recruiting fundraising,” Meredith said.
“[He’s] been active in reaching out to the alumni and developing relationships,” Lankau added.
And Terry is continuing to thrive, despite the current conditions, Hill said.
“The college of business is growing significantly,” Hill said. “They are trying their hardest to meet the demand.”
Terry College supports around 60 to 80 master students. These students will likely give back to the college after graduating, Hill said.
“More students mean more money.”
“We’re optimistic,” Lankau said.
A student walks by Brooks Hall located on north campus at the University of Georgia. Brooks Hall is one of the main buildings for the business school.
Evidence of the economic recession has infiltrated practically every aspect of current events, including the education. Budget cuts have been implemented throughout the University’s many departments.
“They are trying to do the best they can,” said Mike Hill, a graduate student of Terry College who works as a teaching assistant for the Management of Organizations and Individuals course.
“Terry is managing,” Hill said. “We’ve had to make adjustments.”
Hill, who graduated from Terry College in 1998, points out that the biggest change is the increase in class size, specifically in the upper level classes.
Students entering a university as large as the University of Georgia expect to face congested lower level undergraduate classes. But with the recent budget cuts, even upper level classes are pushing their capacity.
For Hill, senior level courses had 30 to 40 students at most. Many upper level management courses this semester seat up to 52 students.
Melenie Lankau, a professor of management for Terry College, worries about the effect these larger classes will have on both her teaching style and her students’ education.
“It’s discouraging.” Lankau said. “It’s not the direction that I want to go. I don’t want my students to be a number. I want to know them.”
Whether or not the increasing size of these classes is negatively impacting the students of Terry College is debatable.
“It depends on the student,” said Neil Meredith, a graduate student for the economics department in Terry College and an instructor for macroeconomics course. “Some [students] thrive in smaller classes while others prefer the anonymity of larger classes.”
Still, smaller classes have advantages for students, Meredith said.
For example, students have more direct access to their instructors. For many students, having more one-on-one time with professors and student teachers allows for better learning.
“Some students come in on a weekly basis,” Lankau said. “It’s really beneficial to them. They build confidence when I am able to coach them.”
Jimmy Barrett, a student who plans to apply to Terry in the spring, prefers smaller classes for this reason.
“I think smaller classes are more effective learning environments,” Barrett said. “It’s more interactive with the teachers. It’s harder to get in touch with and arrange meetings [in larger classes].”
“Personally, I don’t mind large classes,” Barrett added.
Budget cuts have been largely responsible for the increase in class size. Restrictive funding makes hiring new professors difficult for Terry, said John Bundy, another graduate student and a teaching assistant for a Management of Organizations and Individuals class. Instead, hiring new faculty has been primarily for refilling teaching vacancies and maintenance.
“We offer fewer sections now with fewer faculty resources,” Lankau said. “We can’t go out and hire.”
With fewer faculty to teach the increasing number of students at Terry College, Lankau struggles to keep up with the packed-on responsibility.
“It’s a byproduct [of the budget cuts],” she said. “It’s draining with more students to keep track of. I get burned out. It’s too hard to manage.”
While the budgets cuts have been making an impact for the department in the last few months, these changes in the university system have been manageable, Bundy said
Both Meredith and Bundy, who previously attended the University of New Mexico, were, in fact, pleasantly surprised by the amount of resources Terry College has administered for the graduate students.
The university has provided plenty of resources for graduate students such as books and statistical software available through the library.
Research funding has been hit hardest by the economic downturn, though.
“While it was small to begin with, funding for research and travel has been significantly slackened,” Bundy said.
Professor Lankau and many of her colleagues are very involved in research. But with the budget cuts, their experience and reputation as professionals are beginning to suffer.
“The issue is burnout,” Lankau said. “Something will suffer if [funding for research] doesn’t get better soon. Research will die.”
Terry College does have one large advantage over many of the other colleges at the University of Georgia: fundraising.
“Terry receives a sizable amount of donations,” Meredith said. “Business students give more back to the school.”
“[Fundraising] is a fact of life now,” Lankau said. “Historically, the college hasn’t tried to have a big donor base. We’re state supported.”
But with only 40 percent of the school’s budget coming from state and federal aid, according to the 2008-2009 report to donors, donations are needed in order for the college to thrive.
“The school doesn’t provide us with much,” Lankau said. “We work hard to bring in more resources.”
Because Terry College is such a large school, many students who graduate and become successful are more inclined to give back to the school, Bundy said.
“The new dean does an excellent job of recruiting fundraising,” Meredith said.
“[He’s] been active in reaching out to the alumni and developing relationships,” Lankau added.
And Terry is continuing to thrive, despite the current conditions, Hill said.
“The college of business is growing significantly,” Hill said. “They are trying their hardest to meet the demand.”
Terry College supports around 60 to 80 master students. These students will likely give back to the college after graduating, Hill said.
“More students mean more money.”
“We’re optimistic,” Lankau said.
Out of State, Out of Mind
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Lydia Cardona, 20, holds a map of Georgia.
By: Savannah Weeks
October 12, 2009
The economic downturn may have reduced discretionary travel, but out-of-state students say it has had minimal effect on their trips home, while some in-state students have not been able to go home as much as they would like.
“It’s still eight hours away,” said Rebecca Perez-Espejo, a junior sociology major from Winter Park, Fla. “Parking at the airport is a hassle. I only go home for holidays. I don’t even go home for a four-day weekend, because it’s not worth it.”
One in-state student; however, says her wandering has become more limited since the economic downturn.
“The economy has definitely kept me from going home as much as I used to,” said Lydia Cardona, a junior international affairs major from Lithia Springs. “I used to go home every other weekend, but now I have to plan it out, because gas prices are higher than when I first came to college, and I pay for my own gas. I even carpool to school now, even though I have a parking pass, just to save on gas. Times are just hard all-around now.”
Cardona studied abroad this summer in France. “I took out loans, so the economy wasn’t a factor,” she said. “I would have done it either way.”
This fall; however, Cardona has had to make even more sacrifices when it comes to traveling.
“It’s stopped me from going on random excursions with my friends,” she said. “When we would normally go to the Mall of Georgia or Atlanta, we now have to plan ahead,” Cardona added.
Another student said she has reduced the amount of trips she makes to Atlanta.
“Gas is more expensive in Atlanta, so I don’t go there very much,” said Christine Wong, a junior psychology and biology major from Warren, NJ. “But I fly everywhere when I take long trips. I’m going to Chicago for fall break. I’ve only ever gone home for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring break, so it’s no different now.”
Perez-Espejo said she has always been able to take day trips on the spur of the moment. “Last year I went to Atlanta a couple of times when gas was like, $6 a gallon. I just counted quarters and somehow, I made it work.”
Another Florida native says plane tickets have actually been cheaper since the economy has plummeted. “It just makes you get them earlier and plan your trips ahead, especially since ticket prices have gone down,” said Diane Hernandez, a women’s studies and Spanish major from Celebration, Fla.
A resident’s assistant said the dormitories offer no flexibility for American students who cannot make it home over a break.
“Reed Hall is open 24 hours a day all year for international students,” said Aniekan Akpaninyie, a junior social work major from Columbus, and R.A. at Reed Hall.
“You just have to leave over long breaks,” said Akpaninyie. “A lot of people from other states plan ahead when they’re going to go home. If they can’t get home, they just go home with a friend from Georgia or some other relatively close state.”
Regardless of the economic outlook, time seems to be the biggest determining factor for homeward travel. “My home is eight hours away,” said Kaley Meier, a junior advertising major from Oviedo, Fla. “It’s easier to drive. It’s more of a time constraint.”
The Yuck With Bulldog Bucks
Blake Trent
10/12/2009
William H. McGee’s e-mail in-box is full. Since the beginning of the fall semester, the manager of UGACard Services and Bulldog Bucks has received a flood of e-mails from students concerning recent changes to the Bulldog Bucks system.
“I get a lot of emails,” said McGee. “So, you can imagine, there’s some that are positive and some that are negative.”
“Sometimes, they are very positive and sometimes they are very negative.”
The Bulldog Bucks office drew a great deal of criticism after it removed the direct deposit option from its virtual transaction stations or VTS machines. Students are no longer allowed to deposit cash onto their student IDs via virtual transaction stations.
“The biggest complaint that we’ve had is that you can’t add cash to Bulldog Bucks via VTS machine, because that was quick and easy,” McGee said.
“If I need it right then it takes like two days or something for it to go through,” said Carlie Traylor, a sophomore from Valdosta, Ga.
McGee explained that the deposit efficiency has slowed down, but not by much. “It’s not as fast, but it is usually 15 minutes or less,” McGee said. “The average is between 10 and 12 minutes. Unfortunately, beyond our control are things like internet and network problems. So, there have been cases where it has taken an hour.”
Bulldog Bucks can no longer allow students to add money to their student IDs via VTS machine.
“It puts us in a situation where we couldn’t allow deposits into a VTS machine because that would be a direct deposit to a student account,” said McGee.
Also, students can no longer add money to their Bulldog Bucks accounts in the Bulldog Bucks office and that has forced the office to make some minor changes.
“Really, the only change is that we don’t take deposits in the office. We’ve installed two computer kiosks so students can add money to their cards,” said McGee.
The office added computer kiosks because all Bulldog Bucks deposits must now be made online through the Office of Student Accounts.
Even though direct deposit options have been eliminated, virtual transaction stations have been reset to offer a visitor card. A visitor card can be replenished using cash, but can only be used for printing, copying, and laundry. The visitor cards can be reloaded at any of the nine VTS machines distributed throughout campus.
Some UGA students like the move to online depositing.
“I like the fact that you can deposit online,” said Whitney Firth, a sophomore from Macon, Ga., who uses Bulldog Bucks at the Bulldog Café and at drink machines in the biology building.
According to McGee, the Bulldog Bucks merger with Student Accounts was not meant to create division, even if students are divided on the issue.
“The primary reason (for the merger) was to take all of the fractioned financial systems on campus and bring them together,” said McGee.
Bulldog Bucks had no problem functioning before it merged with Student Accounts, but the consolidation provided students with extra security and better account management.
“We had a system that was very safe and proven, but we had a small department that was left to manage the system. By pulling it together, the university would have a financial team to monitor things more closely,” said McGee.
McGee believes that the changes will soon be forgotten and according to Sandra Riggs, a reference and instruction librarian at the Miller Learning Center, students are already beginning to adapt to the changes.
“I think they’ve almost gotten used to it,” said Riggs. “It has actually died down quite a bit.”
10/12/2009
William H. McGee’s e-mail in-box is full. Since the beginning of the fall semester, the manager of UGACard Services and Bulldog Bucks has received a flood of e-mails from students concerning recent changes to the Bulldog Bucks system.
“I get a lot of emails,” said McGee. “So, you can imagine, there’s some that are positive and some that are negative.”
“Sometimes, they are very positive and sometimes they are very negative.”
The Bulldog Bucks office drew a great deal of criticism after it removed the direct deposit option from its virtual transaction stations or VTS machines. Students are no longer allowed to deposit cash onto their student IDs via virtual transaction stations.
“The biggest complaint that we’ve had is that you can’t add cash to Bulldog Bucks via VTS machine, because that was quick and easy,” McGee said.
“If I need it right then it takes like two days or something for it to go through,” said Carlie Traylor, a sophomore from Valdosta, Ga.
McGee explained that the deposit efficiency has slowed down, but not by much. “It’s not as fast, but it is usually 15 minutes or less,” McGee said. “The average is between 10 and 12 minutes. Unfortunately, beyond our control are things like internet and network problems. So, there have been cases where it has taken an hour.”
Bulldog Bucks can no longer allow students to add money to their student IDs via VTS machine.
“It puts us in a situation where we couldn’t allow deposits into a VTS machine because that would be a direct deposit to a student account,” said McGee.
Also, students can no longer add money to their Bulldog Bucks accounts in the Bulldog Bucks office and that has forced the office to make some minor changes.
“Really, the only change is that we don’t take deposits in the office. We’ve installed two computer kiosks so students can add money to their cards,” said McGee.
The office added computer kiosks because all Bulldog Bucks deposits must now be made online through the Office of Student Accounts.
Even though direct deposit options have been eliminated, virtual transaction stations have been reset to offer a visitor card. A visitor card can be replenished using cash, but can only be used for printing, copying, and laundry. The visitor cards can be reloaded at any of the nine VTS machines distributed throughout campus.
Some UGA students like the move to online depositing.
“I like the fact that you can deposit online,” said Whitney Firth, a sophomore from Macon, Ga., who uses Bulldog Bucks at the Bulldog Café and at drink machines in the biology building.
According to McGee, the Bulldog Bucks merger with Student Accounts was not meant to create division, even if students are divided on the issue.
“The primary reason (for the merger) was to take all of the fractioned financial systems on campus and bring them together,” said McGee.
Bulldog Bucks had no problem functioning before it merged with Student Accounts, but the consolidation provided students with extra security and better account management.
“We had a system that was very safe and proven, but we had a small department that was left to manage the system. By pulling it together, the university would have a financial team to monitor things more closely,” said McGee.
McGee believes that the changes will soon be forgotten and according to Sandra Riggs, a reference and instruction librarian at the Miller Learning Center, students are already beginning to adapt to the changes.
“I think they’ve almost gotten used to it,” said Riggs. “It has actually died down quite a bit.”
Medical students remain optimistic despite decreased opportunities
By David Mitchell
An apple a day will keep the doctor away. Apparently it will take more than a struggling economy and tough job market to do the same.
Despite reports that indicate less health care job opportunities in Georgia in 2009 than in past years, students at the University seem to remain optimistic about their career choice.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this year that although the health care sector had gained jobs over the past year, it was still the lowest increase since 2001.
Alan Langford, director of pre-medical studies and a clinical professor at the University, said that he has not seen a decrease in the number of students pursuing an education in medical studies.
“I really haven’t seen much of a drop so far,” Langford said. “I think on the whole students are just as interested in pursuing a career in medicine now as they were.”
The reason for this, Langford said, is that despite the fact there are fewer jobs available now, the medical field still has a much better job outlook than most professions.
“Things are tough in every job market right now,” Langford said. “In medicine, at least, it is still growing, even if it’s not as much as it has in the past.”
Dell Whitehead, an advisor for exercise and sport science majors, has seen similar results in his department, as well.
“I think as long as there are people that need medical attention in whatever capacity, which is always,” Whitehead said, “the outlook for the profession will be fine.”
Whitehead attributed the field’s ability to be somewhat recession-proof to the wide-ranging opportunities that it offers.
“There are so many different facets of the medical profession,” Whitehead said. “You have medical students but you also have exercise and sport science majors who are looking into being athletic trainers or something.
“There are endless opportunities within this field.”
Jared Shafer, a former pre-physician’s assistant major and student athletic trainer at the University, has remained optimistic about his career choice.
Now a student and graduate assistant at the Medical College of Georgia, Shafer said that he is as busy as ever.
“We saw about 150 patients in the clinic just last week,” Shafer said in a phone interview. “I’m
pretty confident that the demand for medical aid is not going to go down anytime soon.”
Geoffrey Young, the associate dean of admissions at the Medical College of Georgia supports Shafer’s statement.
“Not much as changed,” Young said. “I know there are less jobs available now than in the past, but that’s simply a product of the economy. Every job sees losses during a poor economy. The great thing about the medical profession is that these losses are far less serious.
“As a result, you really never lose the interest students have.”
Langford said that he expects the trend to continue at the University and even improve as the economy rebounds from its recession.
“Right now there is less of an increase in jobs and there is just as much interest in studying medicine in school,” Langford said. “It’s still an incredibly high-demand major and I expect this will continue when job opportunities begin to increase again.”
An apple a day will keep the doctor away. Apparently it will take more than a struggling economy and tough job market to do the same.
Despite reports that indicate less health care job opportunities in Georgia in 2009 than in past years, students at the University seem to remain optimistic about their career choice.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this year that although the health care sector had gained jobs over the past year, it was still the lowest increase since 2001.
Alan Langford, director of pre-medical studies and a clinical professor at the University, said that he has not seen a decrease in the number of students pursuing an education in medical studies.
“I really haven’t seen much of a drop so far,” Langford said. “I think on the whole students are just as interested in pursuing a career in medicine now as they were.”
The reason for this, Langford said, is that despite the fact there are fewer jobs available now, the medical field still has a much better job outlook than most professions.
“Things are tough in every job market right now,” Langford said. “In medicine, at least, it is still growing, even if it’s not as much as it has in the past.”
Dell Whitehead, an advisor for exercise and sport science majors, has seen similar results in his department, as well.
“I think as long as there are people that need medical attention in whatever capacity, which is always,” Whitehead said, “the outlook for the profession will be fine.”
Whitehead attributed the field’s ability to be somewhat recession-proof to the wide-ranging opportunities that it offers.
“There are so many different facets of the medical profession,” Whitehead said. “You have medical students but you also have exercise and sport science majors who are looking into being athletic trainers or something.
“There are endless opportunities within this field.”
Jared Shafer, a former pre-physician’s assistant major and student athletic trainer at the University, has remained optimistic about his career choice.
Now a student and graduate assistant at the Medical College of Georgia, Shafer said that he is as busy as ever.
“We saw about 150 patients in the clinic just last week,” Shafer said in a phone interview. “I’m
pretty confident that the demand for medical aid is not going to go down anytime soon.”
Geoffrey Young, the associate dean of admissions at the Medical College of Georgia supports Shafer’s statement.
“Not much as changed,” Young said. “I know there are less jobs available now than in the past, but that’s simply a product of the economy. Every job sees losses during a poor economy. The great thing about the medical profession is that these losses are far less serious.
“As a result, you really never lose the interest students have.”
Langford said that he expects the trend to continue at the University and even improve as the economy rebounds from its recession.
“Right now there is less of an increase in jobs and there is just as much interest in studying medicine in school,” Langford said. “It’s still an incredibly high-demand major and I expect this will continue when job opportunities begin to increase again.”
Students Confirm Future of the Health Care Industry
caption: Marci Levy studies for her pre-med classes at UGA. Despite the amount of work and the unsure future of the heath care industry, Levy will continue on with her pre-med education.
By: Jillian Radetsky
The talk surrounding President Barack Obama's health care plan has been overly prevalent among news organizations and people alike.
According to barackobama.com, Obama’s health care plan “will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses and our government.”
Despite the details of Obama’s plan, the future of our health care system lies in the hands of today’s pre-med and med students who will implement the plan if it passes.
However, future doctors and nurses have a wide range of opinions on the health care plan, from those completely opposed to those in favor of the plan.
The views of these future doctors and nurses could affect their desires to enter the field, and, in turn, maintain the health care industry.
Gaining experience in a dermatologist office this summer, Marci Levy, a pre-med student at the University of Georgia, remains confident in her decision to become a doctor.
“It was interesting learning the ins and outs of running a practice and jumping through hoops to get the insurance companies to help the people in need,” Levy said. “I am also interested in helping people who can’t afford insurance and therefore can’t get any treatment. I want to help them.”
A major Obama supporter, Levy says that his health care plan didn’t influence her decision to become a doctor at all, even if Obama’s plan would decrease the typical salary of a doctor. “I am not doing it for the money,” she said. “It’s my passion, and I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
“People keep telling me that this is a tough time to be a doctor, but I still want to do it,” she said. “I think something needs to change and Obama’s health care plan can bring about this change. There will be kinks that need to be worked out and I know it will take time, but I am all for it.”
Unlike Levy, Becca Isaacson, also a pre-med student at UGA, says that she is nervous about Obama’s health care plan. “I feel like the hard work of doctors could potentially go unnoticed,” she said. “I feel like with this plan, the government would be making the medical decisions that doctors should be making.”
Isaacson compared future doctor’s offices to other government run institutes, like the DMV and the Post Office. “Those places are so frustrating,” Isaacson said. “I don’t want a doctor’s office to become like that. If people are sick, they shouldn’t have to have the stress of waiting in long lines. I believe that they should receive care immediately.”
Despite Isaacson’s feelings of opposition towards Obama’s health care plan, she is still working towards becoming a doctor.
Regardless of whether Obama’s health care plan passes or not, Kim Lincenberg, a med student at Washington University, is focused on her future career. “I am working so hard to get this education to become a doctor,” Lincenberg said. “At the end of the day, all that matters to me is using this education to follow through on my dreams and actually becoming a doctor.”
Whitney Seltman, also a pre-med major at UGA, has similar views to Levy, Isaacson and Lincenberg in that Obama’s health care plan has not affected her decision to continue on in the medical field.
“I feel that his plan does not affect me wanting to become a doctor because I don’t think the outcome of the health care plan is going to be as big as Obama is making it seem,” said Seltman. “I don’t think socialized health care is a good idea.”
According to the official Association of American Medical College Web site, enrollment in medical schools in Georgia has continually increased. However, the data available on this Web site ranges from the years 2003 to 2008, excluding the year that the said change would occur. The four main medical schools in Georgia listed on this Web site are Emory, Medical College of Georgia, Mercer and Morehouse. In 2003, total enrollment for all of these Georgia schools was 1,632; in 2008, this total was 1,826.
Enrollment numbers for the entire country followed a similar pattern to those in Georgia. In 2003, the total enrollment in the nation was 70,169 and in 2008 the total enrollment in the nation was 76,070. The question at hand is how this trend will change in the years to come with the installment of Obama’s health care plan.
The talk surrounding President Barack Obama's health care plan has been overly prevalent among news organizations and people alike.
According to barackobama.com, Obama’s health care plan “will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses and our government.”
Despite the details of Obama’s plan, the future of our health care system lies in the hands of today’s pre-med and med students who will implement the plan if it passes.
However, future doctors and nurses have a wide range of opinions on the health care plan, from those completely opposed to those in favor of the plan.
The views of these future doctors and nurses could affect their desires to enter the field, and, in turn, maintain the health care industry.
Gaining experience in a dermatologist office this summer, Marci Levy, a pre-med student at the University of Georgia, remains confident in her decision to become a doctor.
“It was interesting learning the ins and outs of running a practice and jumping through hoops to get the insurance companies to help the people in need,” Levy said. “I am also interested in helping people who can’t afford insurance and therefore can’t get any treatment. I want to help them.”
A major Obama supporter, Levy says that his health care plan didn’t influence her decision to become a doctor at all, even if Obama’s plan would decrease the typical salary of a doctor. “I am not doing it for the money,” she said. “It’s my passion, and I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
“People keep telling me that this is a tough time to be a doctor, but I still want to do it,” she said. “I think something needs to change and Obama’s health care plan can bring about this change. There will be kinks that need to be worked out and I know it will take time, but I am all for it.”
Unlike Levy, Becca Isaacson, also a pre-med student at UGA, says that she is nervous about Obama’s health care plan. “I feel like the hard work of doctors could potentially go unnoticed,” she said. “I feel like with this plan, the government would be making the medical decisions that doctors should be making.”
Isaacson compared future doctor’s offices to other government run institutes, like the DMV and the Post Office. “Those places are so frustrating,” Isaacson said. “I don’t want a doctor’s office to become like that. If people are sick, they shouldn’t have to have the stress of waiting in long lines. I believe that they should receive care immediately.”
Despite Isaacson’s feelings of opposition towards Obama’s health care plan, she is still working towards becoming a doctor.
Regardless of whether Obama’s health care plan passes or not, Kim Lincenberg, a med student at Washington University, is focused on her future career. “I am working so hard to get this education to become a doctor,” Lincenberg said. “At the end of the day, all that matters to me is using this education to follow through on my dreams and actually becoming a doctor.”
Whitney Seltman, also a pre-med major at UGA, has similar views to Levy, Isaacson and Lincenberg in that Obama’s health care plan has not affected her decision to continue on in the medical field.
“I feel that his plan does not affect me wanting to become a doctor because I don’t think the outcome of the health care plan is going to be as big as Obama is making it seem,” said Seltman. “I don’t think socialized health care is a good idea.”
According to the official Association of American Medical College Web site, enrollment in medical schools in Georgia has continually increased. However, the data available on this Web site ranges from the years 2003 to 2008, excluding the year that the said change would occur. The four main medical schools in Georgia listed on this Web site are Emory, Medical College of Georgia, Mercer and Morehouse. In 2003, total enrollment for all of these Georgia schools was 1,632; in 2008, this total was 1,826.
Enrollment numbers for the entire country followed a similar pattern to those in Georgia. In 2003, the total enrollment in the nation was 70,169 and in 2008 the total enrollment in the nation was 76,070. The question at hand is how this trend will change in the years to come with the installment of Obama’s health care plan.
Ciné Ups Length of Annual Environmental Film Fest
By Andrei Mihailovic
Locals outside of Ciné on Oct. 8, possibly waiting for the 5:30 p.m. showing of Milking The Rhino.
Ciné counted on the environmental films and shorts of the second annual EcoFocus Film Festival as a revenue source throughout October. The four-week festival was a far cry from the weekend-long event that took place last year. Organizers of the festival, which ran from Oct. 2 to Oct. 30, intended to draw all film lovers.
“I just want to let people know the films are entertaining,” Junior Grady fellow Angelica Gentile said, sitting at a table in the reception area. She noted how refreshing and grown-up the environment was, lamenting that more Athens venues don’t offer that level of intimacy.
Gentile and Jamie Woodhead handled the advertising, marketing and public relations for EcoFocus. Director Sara Beresford selected them because they were two of the few applicants who did not flaunt their environmental consciousness.
Beresford, as part of her effort to attract a broader audience, did not want conservationists doing the marketing.
“My job was trying to figure out how to get people to come out without targeting the environmental group,” Gentile said.
The atmosphere spoke for itself on opening night. About 25 people were strewn about the Ciné lobby during the six o’clock cocktail hour, with a slide show projecting images of African villagers or fish heads onto a large screen in the background.
The crowd conversed in small groups. Aside from the lone gentleman clad in hemp, sporting a beret and waist-length ponytail, no one could be pegged as quintessentially green.
“Last year it did well among die-hards,” Woodhead said. “This year it’s yet to be seen, but we’re trying to mix it up.”
Gentile and Woodhead got started this summer. They surveyed people to find out what kind of impact words like “environmental” and “film fest” had.
“They think it’s for people who drive hybrids and eat granola,” Gentile said. “That if you show up, you’ll be intimidated.”
To curb this effect, Gentile and Woodhead made a promotional Facebook group. They also held an EcoFocus sponsored competition among dorms to reduce power and water use called the Green Cup, which ended with a showing of Recipes for Disaster on the lawn between Mell and Lipscomb on Sept. 22.
Special film screenings were organized as Blue Card events, and on opening night, they painted colorful promos on Sanford Street in front of the Tate Center.
EcoFocus organizers and Ciné managers would love to see these efforts pay off. But the mention of profit or business tactics seems taboo among many in the Earth-first crowd.
“Ciné’s been really good to us,” Gentile said, then explained the venue’s commitment to the festival is far from profit-based.
But the profitability of conservationism cannot be ignored. In fact, one of the featured films stresses the economic up-side of going green. So Right So Smart, which won Best Feature at Reel Earth New Zealand this year, highlights some of the major businesses making headway towards sustainability.
“We did Food Inc.; we have EcoFest; it’s not a statement or anything,” Ciné manager David Basham said when asked if the theatre was bent on embracing the environmental movement.
In the quiet lobby on Sunday, Basham said he really couldn’t answer any questions about how the festival was going.
Terry Bardagjy, a senior majoring in history and German, does not fancy herself an environmentalist but plans on supporting the festival.
“The owners are great about supporting local stuff that matters,” said Bardagjy. “Like showing Rocky Horror for non-profit.”
Bardagjy idled about the entrance and looked at some posters, then said this was a busy Thursday for her so she would come back later.
Locals outside of Ciné on Oct. 8, possibly waiting for the 5:30 p.m. showing of Milking The Rhino.
Ciné counted on the environmental films and shorts of the second annual EcoFocus Film Festival as a revenue source throughout October. The four-week festival was a far cry from the weekend-long event that took place last year. Organizers of the festival, which ran from Oct. 2 to Oct. 30, intended to draw all film lovers.
“I just want to let people know the films are entertaining,” Junior Grady fellow Angelica Gentile said, sitting at a table in the reception area. She noted how refreshing and grown-up the environment was, lamenting that more Athens venues don’t offer that level of intimacy.
Gentile and Jamie Woodhead handled the advertising, marketing and public relations for EcoFocus. Director Sara Beresford selected them because they were two of the few applicants who did not flaunt their environmental consciousness.
Beresford, as part of her effort to attract a broader audience, did not want conservationists doing the marketing.
“My job was trying to figure out how to get people to come out without targeting the environmental group,” Gentile said.
The atmosphere spoke for itself on opening night. About 25 people were strewn about the Ciné lobby during the six o’clock cocktail hour, with a slide show projecting images of African villagers or fish heads onto a large screen in the background.
The crowd conversed in small groups. Aside from the lone gentleman clad in hemp, sporting a beret and waist-length ponytail, no one could be pegged as quintessentially green.
“Last year it did well among die-hards,” Woodhead said. “This year it’s yet to be seen, but we’re trying to mix it up.”
Gentile and Woodhead got started this summer. They surveyed people to find out what kind of impact words like “environmental” and “film fest” had.
“They think it’s for people who drive hybrids and eat granola,” Gentile said. “That if you show up, you’ll be intimidated.”
To curb this effect, Gentile and Woodhead made a promotional Facebook group. They also held an EcoFocus sponsored competition among dorms to reduce power and water use called the Green Cup, which ended with a showing of Recipes for Disaster on the lawn between Mell and Lipscomb on Sept. 22.
Special film screenings were organized as Blue Card events, and on opening night, they painted colorful promos on Sanford Street in front of the Tate Center.
EcoFocus organizers and Ciné managers would love to see these efforts pay off. But the mention of profit or business tactics seems taboo among many in the Earth-first crowd.
“Ciné’s been really good to us,” Gentile said, then explained the venue’s commitment to the festival is far from profit-based.
But the profitability of conservationism cannot be ignored. In fact, one of the featured films stresses the economic up-side of going green. So Right So Smart, which won Best Feature at Reel Earth New Zealand this year, highlights some of the major businesses making headway towards sustainability.
“We did Food Inc.; we have EcoFest; it’s not a statement or anything,” Ciné manager David Basham said when asked if the theatre was bent on embracing the environmental movement.
In the quiet lobby on Sunday, Basham said he really couldn’t answer any questions about how the festival was going.
Terry Bardagjy, a senior majoring in history and German, does not fancy herself an environmentalist but plans on supporting the festival.
“The owners are great about supporting local stuff that matters,” said Bardagjy. “Like showing Rocky Horror for non-profit.”
Bardagjy idled about the entrance and looked at some posters, then said this was a busy Thursday for her so she would come back later.
Athens Apartment Complexes and Recycling- Do the two Co-exist?
By: Sophie Loghman
When more than 30,000 undergraduates flock to the Classic City each fall, they generate much more than academic excellence. They also create waste—and lots of it. But are students getting the opportunity to recycle off-campus?
Area-wide recycling efforts are already in place to tackle student waste on campus and in
residential neighborhoods, but eco-measures are often left to individual tenants in area apartment complexes.
909 Broad, one of the newer apartment complexes here in Athens, has an on-site recycling center.
“We encourage our residents to recycle and a lot of people actually do,” Jessica Lee, leasing consultant at 909 Broad Apartments, said. “I see a lot of people recycling; the bins are always full.”
909 Broad Apartments also has a trash compactor and water-efficient showers. While many newer residents implement eco-friendly systems, some older ones have yet to develop “green” programs.
Neither the Reserve nor River Club Apartments, which are both older than 909 Broad Apartments, have a recycling center on their properties.
However, The Reserve may see a recycling center its near future.
“We’ve looked at getting one but haven’t because of money,” Greg Kearney, marketing director at The Reserve, said. “But we do use energy saving light bulbs and we have recycling bins at the club houses.”
Although The Reserve does not have a recycling center, the complex does have recycling bins in their clubhouses and it uses energy saving light bulbs in all the rooms.
Andrew Lentini, recycling coordinator for the University, sees many hurdles to incorporating eco-friendly initiatives at local apartment complexes.
“Multi-family recycling is really, really hard because of the turn over of tenants,” Lentini said. “So you’re constantly having to re-educate.”
He also anticipates staff objections because “they don’t necessarily want to give up a parking spot for a recycling center.”
Even if a center was added, he believes that some non-eco-minded people would dump their trash into recycling bins if the trash bin was full.
Lentini has noticed an annual increase in the number of students on campus wanting to recycle, though. In August, there were 441 tons of trash and of that, 318 tons were recycled. Most items recycled were cardboard, bottles, cans and mixed paper items.
On campus, there are multiple recycling drop-off locations including Bolton, Oglethorpe, Snelling, East Campus Dining Commons and University Village. These are open daily around the clock.
Students living in neighboring residential areas can take part in Athens-Clarke County’s municipally-operated, curbside- recycling program, the first in the state of its kind. With this curbside program, people can leave their recyclables outside their apartments or houses to be picked up. Since the establishment of this program over 10 years ago, recycling efforts have increased.
According to the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department annual recycling report, there was a 12 percent increase in the amount of recycled materials delivered from June 2007 to June 2008.
Natalie Busse, a junior biology major who lives downtown is passionate about recycling, but is not provided with recycling bins at her apartment. However, she finds a way to dispose of her reusable wastes. Her roommates and her set aside recyclables and drive to the recycling center weekly.
Not having a recycling center nearby does not stop her from doing her part to help the environment.
Raising Funds in a Recessing Economy
Meg Twomey
Oct. 12, 2009
The addition to the College of Pharmacy. Money raised by the Office of External Affairs helped fund this addition.
On an average day, a student walks past at least six plaques on campus honoring someone who has donated time or money to the University of Georgia.
Even though UGA is a public university, most funding comesfrom private donors, many of whom are trimming their discretionary budgets because of the recession. State budget cuts are simultaneously reducing the University’s funding. So the Office of External Affairs is working to ensure that private support will be able to cover the difference.
External Affairs uses various fundraising techniques to bring in private funds to support research, scholarships and general University building projects. Programs such as the Senior Signature project help the office raise an average of $10 million dollars per year.
And while the economy’s recent issues have affected individual donors, the office is working diligently to keep the steady flow of contributions coming. This past fiscal year, the office brought in $9.8 million, only $200,000 less than the yearly average despite the economic downturn.
“With the state budget cuts, the need for private support has actually augmented,” said David Jones, the senior director of annual/special giving and prospect development. His office deals with the largest group of donors, including recent graduates, older alumni and friends of the University.
One of the most successful campaigns they employ is a telephone campaign that has students call over 100,000 alumni to encourage them to donate. A direct-mail campaign and an e-mail campaign are two other successful campaigns. Jones said that they are making a move towards a stronger electronic presence. Instead of paying for postage and paper, they send out e-newsletters and encourage people to donate through their Web site. The Archway to Excellence campaign, which ended last year, was a comprehensive campaign that involved the entire University. It was only the third comprehensive campaign in the school’s history and raised more than $650 million.
“For the past year, we’ve still been riding the momentum of the Archway to Excellence campaign,” said Keith Oelke, executive director of gift and estate planning and corporate and foundation relations. His department deals with larger and more long-term gifts, such as real estate and stocks, as well as partnerships with corporations and charitable foundations.
Much of the money the office raises goes towards need- and merit-based scholarships, including the Charter Scholarship, which awards more than 300 incoming freshman with $1,000 per year.
“It was great, it helped me pay for books, which can get really expensive,” said Lanier Heyburn, a 2007 recipient of the scholarship.
Donations also helped pay for the pharmacy school addition on South Campus. The building can now accommodate larger classes and the addition adds two more labs to the existing building.
“The new building’s really cool,” said Kosta Kleyman, a first year pharmacy student from Marietta. “Now we have a learning center just for pharmacy students and student lounges.”
To continue these programs though, the office must keep it's presence known to alumni and supporters, and hope that the donor support will continue.
“For the most part, they’re [donors] responsible,” said Jones.“We try to be sensitive to people’s situations and [are] always appreciative.”Jones said their practices haven’t really changed, but they are adapting to new technology. Along with the e-newsletter and online donation options, the office has a Web site that posts links to testimonials.
Jones and Oelke agreed that testimonials from students, faculty and other donors are the most persuasive way to get donations. And while the amount of donations can be traced to the economies overall strength, monies usually remain fairly stable. Oelke said that his office, in particular, is more affected by the stock market, since many gifts may be given in the form of shares, but he asserts that the tendency of Americans to give to charities has remained constant, despite economic troubles. “We just try to be prompt, efficient and caring,” said Oelke.“And hopefully people will realize that and continue to give.”
Organic Matter Article
Organic Matter
By Kelly Hardin
Organic food has burgeoned in popularity in recent years, but many people are still wondering what the big deal is. There are still many questions about whether or not organic food is really any healthier than conventional food.
Those who haven’t jumped on the organic bandwagon have many reasons for not doing so; among them are the seemingly higher prices of organic food and doubts as to actual health benefits. Some of the questions they have are how they can know if the food they are getting is really organic, if organic food is really better and if so, where it can be bought cheaply?
According to the Web site of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 100 percent organic means that at least 70 percent of all the ingredients must be raised in a USDA approved manner and any products containing ingredients with less than 70 percent organic content cannot display the label claiming the product as organic.
So, if you see a food with an official USDA organic label, you can be sure that you are getting authentically natural food. But just because a food is natural doesn’t always mean it is better for you.
Organic products are no healthier than conventionally produced foods and do not provide any significant nutritional benefit, according to Dr. Robert Shewfelt, a food science and technology professor at The University of Georgia.
“Foods are processed—canned, frozen, and dried—to keep them from spoiling and keeping our foods safe,” Dr. Shewfelt said.
The life expectancy of Americans has averaged an increase of more than 30 years from 1900 to 2000 as more foods have become processed, he says.
“I firmly believe that part of the reason we are living longer is the greater safety of our food supply and the availability of affordable foods due to food processing,” Dr. Shewfelt said.
Many nutritionists suggest that locally grown foods have some health benefits over conventionally grown foods because they are more likely to be picked at peak nutritional value and consumed sooner. However, though locally grown foods are often organic, the terms are not always synonymous—local farmers may grow their food any number of ways.
There are many consumer’s who agree with Dr. Shewfelt’s ideas about organic food. Julianne King, a Music Education major at UGA, says that she feels it is important to eat locally grown foods because she does think that foods grown locally are more natural and often in better condition.
But she doesn’t really think there is any difference between organic and conventionally grown foods. “I just think that people were eating ‘organic’ food hundreds of years ago and their health standards were way worse than ours,” King said.
But not all scientists or consumers are in complete agreement with Dr. Shewfelt’s or King’s point of view. Dr. Philip Howard is a professor in the department of community, agriculture, recreation and resource studies at Michigan State University. His research focuses on the 'food system,' which involves all of the steps required to produce food and get it to households—from farming and processing to distribution and consumption.
According to Dr. Howard, some scientists suggest that there are higher antioxidant and nutrient levels as well as lower nitrogen and synthetic pesticide levels in organic foods.
Dr. Howard believes that the recent rise in the consumption of organic foods may help to “reduce exposure to toxic chemicals and the negative ecological impacts of agriculture.” Dr. Howard agrees with Dr. Shewfelt that there is not, at present, any scientifically conclusive evidence for substantial health benefits gained from eating organic; however, he does point out that there are significant differences between organic and conventional farming methods.
Although scientists may claim that there is no clear evidence of health benefits from organic food, those who eat organic stand by their belief in organic good.
Amal Mohamed is a pre-med biology and English major at UGA, who tries to eat organic food on a regular basis. “I feel like I have more energy, my skin looks better and I feel like I’m helping out the environment when I eat organic,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed says that finding it cheaply is not difficult, “I just did some research and found out how to buy cheap organic food.” There are a number of ways for consumers to buy organic food cheaply, such as shopping at farmer’s markets, co-ops, buying in season or shopping online, Mohamed says.
Most Americans can probably agree that they need to eat better foods. Currently, organic food is generally grown on small farms that emphasize a lifestyle of healthy eating and healthy living through work that supports the global ecosystem. Consumers and scientists may be divided regarding the health benefits of organic food, but they can probably all agree that a food system that encourages the health of the body and the earth seems pretty good.
Conventional Farmers:
By Kelly Hardin
Organic food has burgeoned in popularity in recent years, but many people are still wondering what the big deal is. There are still many questions about whether or not organic food is really any healthier than conventional food.
Those who haven’t jumped on the organic bandwagon have many reasons for not doing so; among them are the seemingly higher prices of organic food and doubts as to actual health benefits. Some of the questions they have are how they can know if the food they are getting is really organic, if organic food is really better and if so, where it can be bought cheaply?
According to the Web site of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 100 percent organic means that at least 70 percent of all the ingredients must be raised in a USDA approved manner and any products containing ingredients with less than 70 percent organic content cannot display the label claiming the product as organic.
So, if you see a food with an official USDA organic label, you can be sure that you are getting authentically natural food. But just because a food is natural doesn’t always mean it is better for you.
Organic products are no healthier than conventionally produced foods and do not provide any significant nutritional benefit, according to Dr. Robert Shewfelt, a food science and technology professor at The University of Georgia.
“Foods are processed—canned, frozen, and dried—to keep them from spoiling and keeping our foods safe,” Dr. Shewfelt said.
The life expectancy of Americans has averaged an increase of more than 30 years from 1900 to 2000 as more foods have become processed, he says.
“I firmly believe that part of the reason we are living longer is the greater safety of our food supply and the availability of affordable foods due to food processing,” Dr. Shewfelt said.
Many nutritionists suggest that locally grown foods have some health benefits over conventionally grown foods because they are more likely to be picked at peak nutritional value and consumed sooner. However, though locally grown foods are often organic, the terms are not always synonymous—local farmers may grow their food any number of ways.
There are many consumer’s who agree with Dr. Shewfelt’s ideas about organic food. Julianne King, a Music Education major at UGA, says that she feels it is important to eat locally grown foods because she does think that foods grown locally are more natural and often in better condition.
But she doesn’t really think there is any difference between organic and conventionally grown foods. “I just think that people were eating ‘organic’ food hundreds of years ago and their health standards were way worse than ours,” King said.
But not all scientists or consumers are in complete agreement with Dr. Shewfelt’s or King’s point of view. Dr. Philip Howard is a professor in the department of community, agriculture, recreation and resource studies at Michigan State University. His research focuses on the 'food system,' which involves all of the steps required to produce food and get it to households—from farming and processing to distribution and consumption.
According to Dr. Howard, some scientists suggest that there are higher antioxidant and nutrient levels as well as lower nitrogen and synthetic pesticide levels in organic foods.
Dr. Howard believes that the recent rise in the consumption of organic foods may help to “reduce exposure to toxic chemicals and the negative ecological impacts of agriculture.” Dr. Howard agrees with Dr. Shewfelt that there is not, at present, any scientifically conclusive evidence for substantial health benefits gained from eating organic; however, he does point out that there are significant differences between organic and conventional farming methods.
Although scientists may claim that there is no clear evidence of health benefits from organic food, those who eat organic stand by their belief in organic good.
Amal Mohamed is a pre-med biology and English major at UGA, who tries to eat organic food on a regular basis. “I feel like I have more energy, my skin looks better and I feel like I’m helping out the environment when I eat organic,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed says that finding it cheaply is not difficult, “I just did some research and found out how to buy cheap organic food.” There are a number of ways for consumers to buy organic food cheaply, such as shopping at farmer’s markets, co-ops, buying in season or shopping online, Mohamed says.
Most Americans can probably agree that they need to eat better foods. Currently, organic food is generally grown on small farms that emphasize a lifestyle of healthy eating and healthy living through work that supports the global ecosystem. Consumers and scientists may be divided regarding the health benefits of organic food, but they can probably all agree that a food system that encourages the health of the body and the earth seems pretty good.
Conventional Farmers:
- Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth.
- Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease.
- Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds.
- Give animals antiobiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth.
- Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants.
- Use beneficial insects and birds or traps to try to reduce pests and disease.
- Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
- Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.
Source: Dr. Philip Howard
Students Request More Financial Aid
Yasmin Yonis
Max Marceau is homeless.
A UGA senior, he sleeps in his parked car outside a local Publix supermarket. Occasionally, he sleeps on the couches of friends.
Unable to receive sufficient student financial aid to cover his last semester at the University after both his parents were laid off and his HOPE scholarship maxed out, he had to make a choice between a roof over his head or a diploma in his hand.
He chose the diploma.
A fifth-year senior due to graduate in December, Marceau received the HOPE scholarship, an unsubsized loan and money from his parents to cover any financial gaps in previous semesters.
However, the HOPE scholarship only covered tuition for four years of college, which Marceau had received. And with both parents laid off, he said he believed receiving an increased loan would be easy.
“My parents lost their jobs in November…but I didn’t anticipate any problems [with my financial aid],” said Marceau, a magazines major. “Maybe I was a little naïve.”
Marceau was told by the financial aid office to come back with different documents each time he inquired about the status of his request for an increase in his $3,500 loan.
“I gave up,” Marceau said. “The payment deadline had already passed. They tried to give me more money for next semester but I am graduating [this semester]."
The University of Georgia’s Financial Aid office received a 13 percent increase in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from last school year and a 22 percent increase from two school years ago, said Bonnie Joerscke said, the University’s Director of Student Financial Aid.
Almost 90 percent of American colleges reported an increase in financial aid applications since the recession, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).
The number of University students receiving the Pell Grant, federal assistance that does not need to be paid back, has increased 36 percent from the 2007-2008 school year and 58 percent from the 2006-2007 school year.
The University has increased tuition by 25 percent for in-state students and 15 percent for out-of-state and increased fees for 2009, amid budget cuts. Students, who were on the “fixed-for-four” tuition plan were not affected by the tuition increase this year but many still struggle to pay for all the costs associated with attending the University.
The average national graduate debt is $22,000 compared to the University of Georgia’s average graduate debt of $13,000 or 40 percent less debt, said Joerscke.
Almost 60 percent of students, who received a bachelor’s degree in 2007-2008, graduated with debt according to NACAC.
One of two children in college, the Marceau family’s inability to pay for higher education without loans is not unique.
Senior William Eubanks says he wouldn’t be able to attend the University without financial aid.
“I would probably be at home,” said the Jasper, Ga., native, who is majoring in agricultural business. “Right now I am paying out of pocket for housing and that is a pretty big chunk.”
Eubanks receives the HOPE scholarship, loans and a partial Pell Grant that pay for tuition, books and some of his living expense. His housing, an off-campus home, is paid out of pocket.
Eubanks said there would be no way he could pay for his housing if his father lost his job during this recession.
“[The federal aid increase] is an indicator of the hardships for students and their parents needing other resources to pay for the [student’s] education, said Joerscke.
Max Marceau is homeless.
A UGA senior, he sleeps in his parked car outside a local Publix supermarket. Occasionally, he sleeps on the couches of friends.
Unable to receive sufficient student financial aid to cover his last semester at the University after both his parents were laid off and his HOPE scholarship maxed out, he had to make a choice between a roof over his head or a diploma in his hand.
He chose the diploma.
A fifth-year senior due to graduate in December, Marceau received the HOPE scholarship, an unsubsized loan and money from his parents to cover any financial gaps in previous semesters.
However, the HOPE scholarship only covered tuition for four years of college, which Marceau had received. And with both parents laid off, he said he believed receiving an increased loan would be easy.
“My parents lost their jobs in November…but I didn’t anticipate any problems [with my financial aid],” said Marceau, a magazines major. “Maybe I was a little naïve.”
Marceau was told by the financial aid office to come back with different documents each time he inquired about the status of his request for an increase in his $3,500 loan.
“I gave up,” Marceau said. “The payment deadline had already passed. They tried to give me more money for next semester but I am graduating [this semester]."
The University of Georgia’s Financial Aid office received a 13 percent increase in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from last school year and a 22 percent increase from two school years ago, said Bonnie Joerscke said, the University’s Director of Student Financial Aid.
Almost 90 percent of American colleges reported an increase in financial aid applications since the recession, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).
The number of University students receiving the Pell Grant, federal assistance that does not need to be paid back, has increased 36 percent from the 2007-2008 school year and 58 percent from the 2006-2007 school year.
The University has increased tuition by 25 percent for in-state students and 15 percent for out-of-state and increased fees for 2009, amid budget cuts. Students, who were on the “fixed-for-four” tuition plan were not affected by the tuition increase this year but many still struggle to pay for all the costs associated with attending the University.
The average national graduate debt is $22,000 compared to the University of Georgia’s average graduate debt of $13,000 or 40 percent less debt, said Joerscke.
Almost 60 percent of students, who received a bachelor’s degree in 2007-2008, graduated with debt according to NACAC.
One of two children in college, the Marceau family’s inability to pay for higher education without loans is not unique.
Senior William Eubanks says he wouldn’t be able to attend the University without financial aid.
“I would probably be at home,” said the Jasper, Ga., native, who is majoring in agricultural business. “Right now I am paying out of pocket for housing and that is a pretty big chunk.”
Eubanks receives the HOPE scholarship, loans and a partial Pell Grant that pay for tuition, books and some of his living expense. His housing, an off-campus home, is paid out of pocket.
Eubanks said there would be no way he could pay for his housing if his father lost his job during this recession.
“[The federal aid increase] is an indicator of the hardships for students and their parents needing other resources to pay for the [student’s] education, said Joerscke.
Athens Restaurants Doing Their Part in Keeping Things Local
Betsy Dienes
JOUR3610
Article 2
9/5/09
Athens Restaurants Doing Their Part in Keeping Things Local
Local support is the new phenomenon in Athens, Ga. With numerous local restaurants buying local food, the economic, environmental and community support in Athens is turning inward instead of outward.
JOUR3610
Article 2
9/5/09
Athens Restaurants Doing Their Part in Keeping Things Local
Local support is the new phenomenon in Athens, Ga. With numerous local restaurants buying local food, the economic, environmental and community support in Athens is turning inward instead of outward.
“We do the best we can to support and use local farms,” said Hugh Acheson, the owner and chef of Five and Ten restaurant located on South Lumpkin Street. “All of our chickens come from Elberton, Ga., and our eggs from Colbert, Ga. There is definitely an environmental plus to it.”
Purchasing from local farms can considerably decrease the number of “food miles”—or distance those veggies traveled before finding their way to your plate—associated with meals. Also, you know exactly where your dollars are going: directly into the pockets of local farmers, helping them financially. Not only are you aware of where your money is going, but you know where your food is coming from, how it is grown and raised, and if it’s free of unwanted chemicals. Despite these advantages, the high prices of local crops are a huge deterrent for buying locally and for many restaurants it just isn’t practical.
“ We buy from wholesale companies to cut our prices,” said Mary Katherine Ashmore, the manager of Transmetropolitan on Oglethorpe Avenue. “We would love to buy locally because I think it’s very important to stimulate our local economy, and I hope somehow we can come up with a system to lower prices so that everyone can do so.”
According to the website sustainabletable.org, farmers are earning less today than they did in 1969. Their income doesn’t even match the cost of production, making it very difficult to successfully do their job. When buying directly from the farmer, 90 percent of your dollar goes straight to them. Although crops grown locally can be pricier than at a grocery store, the money is going directly to the community to help local jobs prosper.
“We should be eating from the land and supporting the agrarian culture that we are, especially down here in the south,” Acheson said.
The Farm 255 on West Washington Street is a restaurant that prides itself on foraging a connection with the origins of their food. They are the owners and farmers of Full Moon Farms, a seven-acre farm east of downtown Athens, in which they grow most of their food straight from their own soil. If it’s not coming from their farm then it is coming from other local sustainable farmers with whom they have a personal relationship.
Last Resort Grill on Clayton Street is another restaurant that relies on their local connections, buying from several different native vendors.
“The food just tastes better because you know it’s fresh,” said Adrienne Hager, a waitress at Last Resort. “Also, you start to share a bond with the farmers, knowing that you are helping their business flourish, and they are doing the same for you, while y’all are both helping the local community and economy.”
Students in the Athens community are realizing this trend as well.
“I try and do my part to buy local food whether it be at the farmers market or restaurants that I know carry locally grown foods,” said Maggie Sims, a senior at the University of Georgia majoring in broadcast news. “I know that sometimes it can be more expensive, but I think it’s worth it because I feel like I’m doing my small part on helping the environment and economy.”
“I try and do my part to buy local food whether it be at the farmers market or restaurants that I know carry locally grown foods,” said Maggie Sims, a senior at the University of Georgia majoring in broadcast news. “I know that sometimes it can be more expensive, but I think it’s worth it because I feel like I’m doing my small part on helping the environment and economy.”
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