1. religion and spirituality
2. islam

ugazine
Summer 2013
Volume 44, Issue 3
HOW TO:
Pack an
Athens Picnic
page 6
UNWRAPPED
Scarves in
Solidarity
page 18
8
Destinations
For A Vacation
On Campus
page 9
Burnin’ rubber
Twilight 2013
page 28
ugazine
Summer 2013
Volume 44, Issue 3
HOW TO:
Pack an
Athens Picnic
page 6
UNWRAPPED
Scarves in
Solidarity
page 18
on the cover 8
Pictured: Najla Abdulelah, sophomore and co-founder of Scarves
in Solidarity, at the University of Georgia Spec Towns Track.
Photographer: Ersta Ferryanto
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ugazine
summer 2013
Destinations
For A Vacation
On Campus
page 9
burnin’ rubber
Twilight 2013
page 28
contents
summer 2013
IN PROFILE
Gingham Style: Picnic Time in Athens 6
LIFESTYLE
Athens Summer Staycation 9
Shifting Gears: A More Sustainable UGA 11
Wayfaring Strangers 12
Scarves in Solidarity 18
Bon Voyage: Tips for Studying Abroad 22
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
UGAuthors: Published Reads from UGA 24
The Man Behind the Artists 26
CAMPUS LENS
Twilight 2013 28
BEYOND THE ARCH
The Paw Plan 32
Into the Wake: UGA Wake Dawgs Share the Sport 34
georgiaugazine.com
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ugazine
editor-in-chief Margaret Harney
art director Lauren Greene
photo editor Damien Salas
assistant photo editor Lexi Deagen
copy editors Caitlyn Daniels, Cassie Kaye
contributing editors Gina Borg, Amanda Dixon,
Nicole Galoncyzk, Cassie Kaye, Jessica Sooknanan
writers
Sara Porch, Jacqueline Rehe, Kennington Groff,
Kiersten Willis, Gabe Cavallero, Kelly Mattick,
Katie Thigpen, Shannon Adams, Cassie Kaye, Claire Ruhlin
photographers
Ersta Ferryanto, Damien Salas, Lexi Deagen,
Cassie Kaye, Margaret Harney, Chad Hermann
contact
faculty adviser Joe Dennis, jodennis@uga.edu
advertising representative Patrick Stansbury
mailing address Box 271 Grady College of Journalism and
Mass Communication Athens, GA 30605
website www.georgiaugazine.com
email ugazine@gmail.com
Ugazine is published four times a year with sales from advertising revenue.
Ugazine is printed by University Printing.
For advertising information, please contact
Patrick Stansbury, Pentagon Publishing, ps@pentagon-usa.com
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summer 2013
letter from the editor
I want to live in a world that is blind.
When I met the hijab-adorned founders of Scarves in Solidarity for the first time, I saw their
world, where it was possible to see past manifold differences. I realized almost immediately that I was meeting a group of unique individuals who looked and saw a better world. I
thought their scarves—so brightly colored and patterned—weren't sirens of conspicuousness but symbols of the commitment to themselves and to shaping a tomorrow that unites
rather than separates.
For the first summer issue of Ugazine, we wanted to bring you pages full of fun: wakeboarding on the water (page 24), snapshots from the Twilight race (page 28) and good summer
reads by UGA's very own (page 26). But we also wanted to have a conversation about our
constantly changing community and the way Athens continues to see past problems to
come to good solutions; the new bike initiative (page 11) and ways to be an animal activist
(page 32) seemed like a good places to start.
Even though the magazine medium isn't so adaptable to a non-visual world, we hope to
bring to your summer the kind of good moments that just feel better with your eyes closed;
the first bite of a handcrafted burger (page 6), the sun on your face as you float down river
(page 9) and, most of all, forgetting appearances and making new friends that will change
the world.
georgiaugazine.com
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Gingham Style
It’s Summertime (and Picnic
Time) in the Classic City
If there’s anything to conjure images of summer faster than you can snap a beach selfie, it’s the idea of an open field, a red checkered
blanket and a basket full of goodies. Factoring in that summer studies mean being locked down staring wistfully at the blue sky
outside the window, we at Ugazine are into study break reprieves, so consider this trio of Athens favorites our gift to your rumbling,
class-bound stomach. We can’t promise you’ll get your chemistry homework done any faster, but sinking your teeth in a burger or two
is just the antidote to your 9 a.m. class blues.
By Kennington Groff | photography by damien salas and lexi deagen
Clocked
259 W Washington Street
www.clockeddiner.com
If the retro diner feel of the red chairs
and tables, checkered floor and vintage
superhero posters on the wall aren’t
a sign that you’re about to experience food the old-fashioned—albeit
good—way, then take it from locals that
Clocked is a must-have dining stop.
Winner of Athens Festival’s Favorite
Local Burger award two years in a row,
Clocked serves up food made wholesome; organic and natural all the way,
the diner on Washington boasts ingredients free of antibiotics, hormones, pes-
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summer 2013
ticides and other additives that would
placate even the pickiest of eaters.
For those in search of picnic-ready
summer foods, owner David Zwart has
you covered. “You have to order our
Backyard BBQ burger with homemade
Carolina BBQ sauce and our vinegar
based southern coleslaw to go along
with it,” says Zwart.
And for the non-burger lovers, Zwart
suggests the Detroit hot dog, a masterpiece of chili and cheese that’s always
served up hot, and irresistible dessert
options.
“A blackberry milkshake would be nice
and refreshing,” says Zwart. “Or a slice of
Oreo mint chip ice cream pie.”
With a Bell’s Oberon wheat beer on
one of the picnic benches and Sriracha
at your fingertips, Clocked’s downtown
location is just a short walk from North
Campus and one bite is guaranteed
to make you forget about your class
work—but we’ll let the 18 made-freshto-order burgers on the menu speak for
themselves.
in profile
White Tiger
217 Hiawassee Avenue
kenmanring.wix.com/whitetiger
Big City Bread
A trip off the beaten path to the Boulevard Historic
District for White Tiger—the cozy BBQ, burger and sandwich joint built inside a 100-year old grocery store—is
a must, even if it’s just to take a whiff of the tantalizing
slow-cooked BBQ smoking on the grill. With vegetarian
options as well, it’s a great stop to make on Hiawassee
before heading out to the State Botanical Garden of
Georgia for the afternoon.
“You have got to take the homemade pimento cheese
burger on your next picnic with a thirst quenching iced
unsweetened green tea,” says owner Ken Manring. “The
pimento cheese is nice and melted on the burger, while
the lettuce adds a nice crunch to the overall taste.”
Manring also suggests enjoying some local organic
grilled collard greens to go along with the burger—a delicious twist on a Southern style summer tradition—and
a finish of bite-sized Grand Marnier truffles that are perfect for on-the-go. With their orange-dusted outside and
gooey inside, we doubt they’ll make it to the picnic—but
we certainly dare you to try.
393 N Finley Street
www.bigcitybreadcafe.com
Masters of the picnic ambience every day is Big City Bread
off North Finley Street. The Normaltown bakery and restaurant’s huge outdoor patio is certainly a break from the Great
Indoors and a walkable destination for an hour lunch break.
BCB owner and chef Matthew Scott recommends picking
up the ham, peach and brie sandwich as optimal summer fare,
which, served on walnut wheat bread with fresh basil, honey
and dijon, certainly isn’t your run-of-the-mill PB&J. Scott also
suggests adding a hummus plate as a starter and a house
salad side whether you’re stopping by to eat on the spot or
planning on heading out with friends, food in tow.
If the smell of fresh homemade bread that greets you
before you’ve even parked the car doesn’t give you a hint,
BCB also makes fresh desserts and confections every day
that no one should leave without trying. We can personally
attest to the delicious raspberry tart and suggest that adding
a cappuccino and a table outside will make for a delicious
nightcap and an unforgettable after-hours picnic under the
stars—even if it’s just the twinkling tree lights that come on
after dark on the deck.
BA RT L E T T BECAUSE UPWARD
MOBILIT Y IS PART OF OUR NATURE.
For over 100 years, we’ve made trees, shrubs–and our people–
thrive. Ours is an entrepreneurial culture in which new ideas are
welcomed and decisions are shared–not handed down.
We provide a highly-competitive compensation package and
generous benefits, including medical/dental/life insurance, 401(k)
and more. And we encourage our employees to succeed both in
and out of the workplace. Consider a career with Bartlett Tree
Experts. Where growth happens everywhere you look.
For the life of your trees.
PLEASE CONTACT NOEL DUBAK AT NDUBAK@BARTLETT.COM
georgiaugazine.com
7
the Anonymous
accounts
BY SARA PORCH
Be careful the next time you rush to
class in your pajamas or throw back one
too many on a Friday night. Someone
might be watching.
Anonymous Twitter and Tumblr
accounts that capture unsuspecting
subjects during private or embarrassing moments are the latest social media
craze, and the trend has come to the
University of Georgia.
The Tumblr “tapthatUGAguy” splashed
onto campus fall 2012 as its anonymous
creators “Serena” and “Matilda” posted
candid pictures of attractive male students around
campus. Followers of the
blog can scroll through
pages of unassuming
Georgia boys in dining halls, on buses or in
classrooms. Anyone can submit a photo
to the site as long as they have a camera
near and a cute guy present.
Monica Farzad, a third year education major, frequents the site when she
wants to procrastinate doing school
work. “What girl doesn’t go on ‘tapthatUGAguy’? I mean, I understand that
it is kind of creepy that people are taking random pictures of guys that have
no idea what’s going on, but I mean it
takes some serious lady balls to do it,”
Farzad says.
Although she has never submitted a
photo herself, Farzad thinks the site is
harmless and that guys should take it
as a compliment if their face graces the
popular blog.
“I thought it was funny, and I joked
about it a bit. Then, I promptly forgot
about it,” junior Austin Crouse said after
his picture was posted on “tapthatUGAguy” in October of 2012.
Playing off ‘tapthatUGAguy’s’ success,
the Tumblr “tapthatUGAdrunkstudent”
emerged in September 2012. And rather
than honoring campus heartthrobs,
“tapthatUGAdrunkstudent” is more like
a wall of dishonor.
Athens’ nightlife is on full display as
photos and videos capture inebriated
students at their worst. Followers will
see students getting sick in trashcans,
passing out at tailgates and drunkenly
embracing strangers. The blog’s humorous memes and photo captions glorify
UGA’s infamous party life, while the
anonymous photos of strangers act as a
Twitter’s Terms of Service policy also
asserts that it is not obligated to remove
content presented on its services,
because all content “is the sole responsibility of the person who originated such
content.”
Like Tumblr, the popular microblogging site is also home to numerous
anonymous accounts that expose or
ridicule unsavory student behavior.
@UGAFashionCop is a rather harmless
account that critiques students’ fashion blunders, while @UGAMakeouts
chronicles students’
overt displays of affection around campus.
Twitter’s terms & conditions jargon allows @
UGAMakeouts to legally
tweet a picture of two
intoxicated strangers sloppily kissing at
a bar in downtown Athens while keeping Twitter immune from any damaging
lawsuits due to its fine print about not
being a mediator of content. And since
@UGAMakeouts obtains their pictures
in a public place, Twitter cannot be held
responsible for any adverse content that
the account provides.
Although some students see this
growing trend as an invasion of privacy,
some are accustomed to the omnipresence of social media in their lives.
“I don’t think it’s really an invasion of
privacy, because that’s just how the Internet works now. With everyone using
social media all the time, your picture is
bound to end up somewhere that you
don’t expect it to,” Farzad says.
When asked what students could do
to protect themselves from appearing
unfavorably on the internet, Lee provided one rule to follow: “Don’t be an ass
in public. That’s real simple.”
What girl doesn’t go on ‘TapthatUGAguy?’”
“-Monica
Farzad
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summer 2013
form of public shaming.
Despite its wry tone, the blog’s brief
“about” section provides a disclaimer:
“Be careful what you do in public ladies
and gentlemen, because since these
photos are taken in a public place, we
can show ‘em…Go Dawgs!”
According to William Lee, a UGA professor of telecommunications, not only
can people post unflattering pictures
of others on social media, but it’s also
nearly impossible to get it removed
once it’s been posted.
“Well, the bottom line is if you are in
public, people can photograph you,”
Lee says. “You can always appeal to the
people who are operating the website
and say ‘Look this is really embarrassing,’
but it’s at their discretion as to whether
or not they want to keep it there.”
According to Tumblr’s Terms of Service
policy, even if a compromising picture is
deleted in one account, “copies of that
content may exist elsewhere and be
retained indefinitely” due to reblogging.
lifestyle
Athens Summer Staycation
We hear you studious summer Athenians, it’s sweltering and the pool...it calls to you. But even though the usual horde of
students gets significantly smaller come June, which means less wait time at Mama’s Boy for brunch, we’ve got a couple of after
school suggestions of our own. We say break out of your classroom, not for a day of the same-old, but for adventures that will
have everyone else wondering why they left for the summer at all.
BY KATIE THIGPEN | ILLUSTRATIONS BY William Kissane
2.
Atlanta History Center
in Buckhead
1.
Kayaking the
Broad River
When those sweltering days arrive in
the Classic City, skip town and beat the
heat by kayaking the Broad River.
The Sandbar Kayaking, Restaurant and
Bar is a fantastic company that offers
kayaking and camping at a great price.
Weekday kayaking trips are only $15
per person and increase to $20 on the
weekend. Free parking and $1 cooler
rentals make this activity a great option
for students.
The Sandbar allows outside food and
beverages with the exclusion of glass
bottles. Dogs are allowed to kayak with
their owners, and patrons are welcome
to bring their own paddles and life jackets if they wish.
This five-mile route takes about three
and a half hours to kayak. At the end of a
relaxing day on the river, sleep riverside
under the stars at the Sandbar. Tent rentals are a bargain at only $10 per night.
Grab a couple friends and carpool to
Buckhead, Ga., to tour the Atlanta History Center for free. The Bank of America
free admission weekends occur on the
third weekends of May and June. This
grants all guests free admission during
the third weekend of every month.
On Saturday and Sunday of these
weekends, visitors can browse exhibits
that range from Southern folk art and
Centennial Olympic Games memorabilia, to the traveling and temporary exhibits such as the “Native Lands: Indians
in Georgia” exhibit.
3.
Hammock rental
from Ramsey
Soak up the summer sun on campus
from the comfort of an Eno hammock.
If you do not have a hammock of your
own, drop by the equipment desk at the
Ramsey Student Center and rent one for
$5 a day.
Gather your friends and a picnic lunch,
and head to North Campus. Napping,
reading and people watching are more
fun if you’re hanging beneath the trees.
“Hanging in my Eno is the most comfortable way to enjoy Mother Nature. I
would rather sleep in my Eno than my
bed,” says junior agricultural business
major Camille Odom.
4.
Skyzone in Suwanee
Visit Skyzone to unleash your inner
child, have a blast and burn serious
calories.
Skyzone is a nationally-recognized
indoor trampoline park with locations
across the country. While there are several facilities in Georgia, the Suwanee,
Ga. location is the closest to Athens.
Tickets can be purchased online prior
to visiting, or at the ticket desk at the
entrance. Guests purchase jump time by
the half hour, and pricing is very student
friendly, starting at $13 for 30 minutes
of jump time and increasing to $17 for
one hour.
In addition to trampoline platforms,
the facility has a foam pit, extreme basketball court and 3-D dodgeball arena.
"Skyzone is fun. They run Groupons
pretty often, so it's easy to get tickets
at a great price," says UGA graduate
student Junior Chapman.
Be sure to purchase more jump time
than you anticipate needing in order to
have time for small breaks. Regardless
of your fitness level, a Skyzone session is
sure to get your heart pumping.
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6.
Watson Mill Bridge
State Park in Comer
5.
Evening at Terrapin
Although Terrapin is what many students would consider a normal activity
in Athens, Ga., it still tops the list as a
must-do summer activity.
There is nothing more relaxing than
hanging out with friends, sampling
locally-brewed beer and listening to
great music.
Agricultural communication major Katie Comer said, “Terrapin is a great place
to enjoy the spring weather in Athens.
I don’t even drink much beer, but the
atmosphere is worth the visit.”
An evening at Terrapin starts off with
a brewery tour, providing you with
product background and giving you a
glimpse into beer production. After the
tour, visitors ages 21 and up are able to
sample up to 32 ounces of beer while
lounging on the lawn, where local bands
perform.
At only $10 per person, Terrapin offers
a great deal and is the perfect way to
unwind after a long day of class.
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summer 2013
A 20- to 30-minute drive to Comer,
just outside of Athens, lies the gem
of Watson Mill Bridge State Park.
Watson Mill is a small park known
for its covered bridge built in 1885.
It is a great place to relax, soak up
some sun, play in waterfalls and fish.
With the South Fork of the Broad
River flowing through the park,
visitors are able to enjoy the calmer
waters of the river on one side of
the bridge, while the water cascades
into waterfalls on the other.
The calmer side offers picnic and
fishing areas. The waterfall ride has
rocks that allows people to walk
across and even slide down, creating
a natural water slide.
The park also offers hiking trails
along the river and houses horse
stables. Guests also have the option
of booking campsites to stay at the
park. Priced at around $30 a night,
the park offers a vacation without
having to go very far.
7.
“Vampire Diaries”
Extra in Covington
Get your 15 minutes of fame on the
small screen as a television extra for the
popular television drama “The Vampire
Diaries.”
The extras casting is held in Covington, only an hour drive from Athens; it is
the perfect activity to get you and your
friends out of the city for a day.
Casting directors are looking for extras
regardless of gender, race or age for
various scenes in the show. The deal
gets even sweeter when you get paid
for your time at the casting. Extras are
paid minimum wage, but they can make
overtime if their shift exceeds eight
hours or if they are cast for a specific
role.
8.
Berry Picking at
Miller Blueberry
Farm in Watkinsville
Nothing signals the approach of summer quite like the taste of a ripe, juicy
blueberry. At Miller’s Blueberry Farm in
Watkinsville, Ga., you can experience
summer produce during its peak season
by picking your own blueberries and
blackberries. The farm was opened over
30 years ago by a retired University of
Georgia professor and extension agent
as a way to supplement his income in
retirement.
Since its start, the farm has had
several owners, but still holds true
to the original mission of producing
quality berries for the community. The
farm provides buckets and take-home
containers for berry pickers, and boasts
eight blueberry and two blackberry
varieties. The berries are pesticide-free
and are pollinated by the farm's bees
who also produce honey for purchase at
the facility.
The farm opens in early June, when
the berry season begins, and is open until mid-August. At only $2.10 per pound,
this is an affordable and delicious summer activity that is suitable for all ages.
Shifting Gears:
A More Sustainable UGA
Through Bulldog Bikes
by GABE cavallaro | photography by lexi deagen
Wake up. Fall out of bed. Put a helmet
on your head. Find your way downstairs
and check out a bike. Looking up, you
notice you are late. Weave through
cars and pedal fast—make it to class in
seconds flat.
Not quite “A Day in the Life” for The
Beatles, but it could be for you with the
Bulldog Bikes initiative at the University
of Georgia.
Started in August 2012, the UGA Office of Sustainability set a goal to make
the university’s campus greener with
the initiative to make bikes available for
students to rent. The office is currently
running the program as a pilot to assess
whether they should move forward with
it in the future.
Bulldog Bikes started as a sustainability grant for a campus bike share
program. The office researched what
other schools and municipalities were
doing and launched the pilot in August
at the Odum School of Ecology and the
east campus dorm, Building 1516.
“There’s been bike share interest in the
community for years,” Office of Sustainability Director Kevin Kirsche said.
Bike shares are a fairly new phenomenon in the United States after having
existed in Europe for some time. The first
two successful public programs in the
country were Denver’s Denver Bicycle
and Minneapolis’ Nice Ride, both created in 2010. Other cities are following
suit with the new movement. New York
City is launching its Citi Bike NYC in May
2013, with many other cities spanning
over five continents having set up their
own systems.
According to a September 2010 USA
Today article, there were almost 90 universities in the U.S. with their own bike
share programs, including the Georgia
Institute of Technology, New York Uni-
versity and Washington State University.
At UGA, a couple of residents use
the program according to Building
1516 Residence Hall Director Christina
Duncan, but one resident, Nigel Long,
has been the most consistent. Long fully
incorporates the use of the bikes into his
daily routine.
He emphatically said “yes” when asked
whether he would recommend using
Bulldog Bikes. “I’ve been trying to get
others do it, too,” Long says.
The program has become a necessity
for Long to arrive to two of his classes
on time. “It’s a handy way to get around
campus if you don’t have your own bike,
especially with the heavy traffic in the
morning and around 3 p.m.,” he said.
Kirsche’s main goal for the project is
to have more people on bikes and less
in cars.
“We want to create another viable
option for people to get across campus
without the need for a car,” he says.
The long-term goal is for Bulldog
Bikes to be fully integrated throughout
Athens-Clarke County, but when that
will happen remains to be determined.
The program is still in the testing stages.
So far, the program has incurred a
number of challenges. Physically, the
bikes themselves are a handmade
model intended to be durable, but are
very heavy, a point also made by Long.
He thinks the bikes could make things
more difficult for less experienced riders.
“The system for registering was fairly
cumbersome at first,” Kirsche adds, but
they’ve since taken steps toward making
the process easier.
Additionally, both host sites have
presented usage problems. At Building
1516, the bicycles are stored in a room
under the building, making it more difficult for residents to be knowledgeable
about the program and the availability
of the bikes.
On the other hand, at the ecology
school, everyone was in love with the
idea and the bike rack was set up in
front of the main door, but many of
the people that frequent the building
already have their own bikes and do not
need to use the program bikes.
There are also limitations due to the
current lack of technology. In cities
like Washington D.C., the bike sharing
system works by swiping a credit card to
unlock a bike locked into a special rack,
but Bulldog Bikes does not currently
have this technology. However, a grant
has been given to a student to design a
lock that works with Bulldog Bucks, the
university’s pre-paid card system. It is
also worth noting that in cities like D.C.
the bikes can be taken out at one station
and dropped off somewhere else, which
is an option Bulldog Bikes is unable to
offer, at least for right now.
With the intention to continue and
ability to make changes to the program,
there is no guarantee that the program
will continue and expand in the future.
“My gut feeling is that we will,” Kirsche
says.
The administration will review the
merits for continuing based on the
benefits, costs and problems. With the
pilot set to expire in August 2013, a solid
decision is forthcoming.
Bulldog Bikes may have some obstacles to overcome, but considering the
long list of success stories from other
institutions, a happy ending is possible.
“Bulldog Bikes can be a healthy, more
enjoyable option, with exercise and
fresh air contributing to the fun factor
that you don’t get with a car,” Kirsche
says.
georgiaugazine.com
11
Wayfaring
Strangers
With the humid summer breeze giving us an insatiable urge to travel—not to mention our Facebook friends and their pictures boasting dream study abroads across
the globe—our style direction has been making like Keroauc and going on the road,
international edition. Modeled by local style mavens Maria Kouninska and Demitria
Lyles, the summer feeling is wandering from the bazaars of India to the beaches of
Brazil without a moment’s hesitation, and making jet-setters of us all.
Styling by Margaret Harney, Cassie Kaye & Surina Harjani
Photography by Ersta Ferryanto
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summer 2013
On Maria (left): Sunflower
dress, $57, Private Gallery. Bronze necklace, $18,
Dynamite Clothing. Sky blue
sunglasses, $20, Pitaya. On
Demitria (right): Honey Punch
dress, $42, teal sunglasses,
$20, Pitaya. Beaded necklace,
$14, Dynamite Clothing.
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Underskies blazer, $42,
shorts, $38, Pitaya. Straw
hat, $10, Target.
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ugazine
summer 2013
Depri shorts, $32,
L’Atiste top, $39, Pitaya.
Demitria Lyles
Blogger, Clawzet Chronicles
www.clawzetchronicles.com
Must-have item: Anything long and
flowy like a maxi skirt or wide-leg pants
Current read: Wisdom for cooling the
flames by Thich Nhat Hanh
Style icon: Madonna
Choice vacation spot: Fiji
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Galaxy leggings, $24,
jean shirt, $22, Dynamite
Clothing. Gold earrings, $8,
Pitaya.
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summer 2013
Red dress, $24, gold earrings,
$14, Dynamite Clothing. Three
stone necklace, $10, Pitaya.
Maria Kouninska
President of FDSA, Stylist, Painter
First fashion memory: Sitting on my grandmother’s lap watching her sew what is now my
favorite dress. Does it still fit? No. Have I tried to
make it work? Absolutely.
Style icon: Daphne Guinness
Favorite obsession: Chocolate & Lavender
Martinis
Choice vacation spot: Xanthi, Greece
georgiaugazine.com
17
on the cover
S
carves in
olidarity
Many women are able to walk down the street without drawing attention. They can play a game of frisbee without suffering
sideways glances and miss the occasional class unnoticed by
their professors. No one feels uncomfortable around them or
yells slurs out of truck windows as they walk down the street.
Most women never have to think about these things, but this
isn’t the case for Muslim women who wear a hijab. For them,
these occurrences are part of everyday life, and once a year—at
least in Athens—they invite non-Muslim men and women to don
a headscarf and spend 24 hours in support of those who do so
every day.
by cassie kaye / photography by DAMIen salas
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summer 2013
georgiaugazine.com
19
Scarves in Solidarity is an annual
event started in 2012 by four Muslim
women at the University of Georgia.
Najla Abdulelah, Nurin Abdulwassy, Yasmine Boumenir and Yusra Aurangzeb,
current sophomores at UGA, started the
event last year as a way to raise awareness about Muslim women who wear
the hijab. “We saw a similar international
event online and decided we wanted to
bring it to Athens,” says Abdulelah. “We
wanted to educate non-Muslims and
dispel the misconceptions that all
Muslim women
are oppressed and
forced to wear the
hijab against their
will.”
“We wanted to
show people that
wearing the headscarf is our choice,”
she says. “This is our
lifestyle, and we
should be allowed to wear the hijab just
like other women can wear tank tops
and shorts. We aren’t terrorists, we’re just
like any other American.”
The four women didn’t expect much
of a turn-out at the first event, but
they’ve since been taking strides to expand it. At this year’s event in April, they
included a panel on the days before and
after the event itself. The day before the
event, they encouraged participants
to come hear what exactly hijab is and
why they choose to wear it, to give
participants a better understanding of
what they’ve chosen to support. On the
day of the event, participants wear their
own headscarves and gather for a group
photo at the Arch.
“Last year, I saw a bunch of people
walking around and participating, but it
was mostly people I knew,” says Abdulwassy. “It still felt good, but they were
the people who were already supporting me on a daily basis. This year there
were people I didn’t know who were
wearing the hijab, which was a very
ing terrorism, and others experienced
backlash on social media via tweets and
Facebook comments.
“No one wants to have a bad experience, and that isn’t the goal of the
event,” says Samaritan. “But sometimes
it can be a good thing. That way people
know what these women are going
through on a daily basis.”
Abdulelah also hits on the point
Samaritan makes. “Just knowing what
we go through, each person who participates will raise
more awareness
than we ever
can,” she says.
“Just by having
this experience,
they’ll go on to
tell their friends
and families what
it’s like, which is
what we really
hope to accomplish.”
In the future, the women who started
Scarves in Solidarity Day hope to take
the event with them wherever they go.
They also want to make sure the event
carries on after they leave Athens. “We’re
hoping to find an organization, or at
least a few people, to keep the event going,” says Abdulelah. “We want to keep
this going until we see change, however
long that takes.”
“I’ve been wearing the hijab for over a
decade, so I’ve heard it all,” says Abdulwassy. “It’s different for women when
they just start wearing it and aren’t used
to the comments and reactions. We
want to create a better environment in
Athens for women wearing the headscarf on a daily basis.”
The underlying cause behind Scarves
in Solidarity Day is conflicting beliefs
about Muslim women and the hijab. The
Islamic faith places significance on the
concept of modesty for both men and
women in manner, speech and dress.
For women, this sense of modesty often
dictates they wear the hijab, or headscarf, to cover themselves in public. Typically, a girl will begin wearing the hijab
after puberty, although more modern
Muslims may choose to wait until they
feel personally ready to wear it.
Abdulelah believes wearing the hijab
is an obligation of Islam, but she consid-
wanted to educate non-Muslims
“andWedispel
the misconceptions that all
Muslim women are oppressed and forced
to wear the hijab against their will.”
-Najla Abdulelah
20
ugazine
summer 2013
overwhelming feeling. It made me walk
with more confidence and feel more
comfortable on campus.”
At the panel the day after the event,
participants were encouraged to share
their stories from the day before, both
good and bad. Students gathered at
Myers to discuss the reactions they
experienced from friends and even
strangers. “I was nervous for my first
class, but everything was fine,” says Jennifer Samaritan, an English and religion
major from Lawrenceville, Ga. “I met a
few people who are Muslim so I made
some new friends. Mostly I just felt really
empowered as a woman all day.”
“Regardless of your reasons for doing
it, I think it’s really important that I was
able to put myself in someone else’s
shoes,” says Shreya Singh, an international affairs major from Marietta, Ga. “I
was able to see there’s really no difference between us besides what we
wear. Just experiencing what someone
else goes through for even 24 hours is
important, and it isn’t something you
can get by just sitting and talking to
someone.”
Although many participants reported
having typical days with few, if any, bad
experiences, not everyone got off so
easy. Some received negative remarks
throughout their day about support-
ers it more of a responsibility. “Wearing
the hijab isn’t just about putting on the
headscarf every day,” she says. “It’s a
commitment. You have to make up your
mind to take on the responsibility and
represent
it well once
you begin
wearing it.”
As with all
religions,
people have
their own
beliefs and
interpretations, which
is why not all Muslim women choose
to wear a hijab. “To me it’s a beautiful
thing,” says Abdulwassy. “I feel privileged
that I get to represent my religion and
it encourages me to be better because
I have a constant reminder of what I
should be doing.”
This concept of modesty exists, at
least in part, to discourage unwelcome
attention from men. “Islam wants
women to be judged by their character,
not their looks,” says Abdulelah. “When
a woman wears a hijab, you’re forced to
have a conversation with her and get to
know her personality rather than judging her based on what she’s wearing or
how her hair looks.”
The garment has
different
legal and
cultural
standards
in different countries, and
the circumstances under which it is worn vary greatly.
The overwhelming majority of Islamic
countries do not have any laws requiring women to wear the hijab. There are
many countries, including France, where
there are actually laws banning women
from wearing the hijab in public. Individual Islamic families and communities
have their own standards for wearing
the hijab, and more traditional ones
require women to don a headscarf in the
presence of non-familial men.
what some“oneJustelseexperiencing
goes through for even 24
hours is important, and it isn’t
something you can get by just sitting and talking to someone.”
-Shreya Singh
Many Western cultures view the hijab
as a symbol of oppression for Muslim
women. Islam is a patriarchal religion (as
is Christianity), and this view of oppression is often accompanied by ideas of
angry and controlling fathers. Although
those do exist, as they do in every culture worldwide, the choice to wear the
hijab is largely left to each woman.
In order to see change, Abdulelah
encourages non-Muslims to respectfully
ask questions, and Muslims to answer
them with kindness. “Be open-minded.
When I first came to America, I didn’t
want to answer questions, I just wanted
people to understand,” she says. “But
many people just don’t know [about
Islam], so they make hateful comments
based on their misconceptions and
the way Muslims are portrayed in the
media. I want people to understand, but
this can’t happen overnight. If you’re
a Muslim girl and someone asks you a
questions, answer it. If you have questions about Islam or the hijab, approach
the next Muslim you see and ask them.
We’re just like everyone else.”
Non-Muslim women and men
join together for the Scarves in
Solidarity event, donning headscarves to show support of the
women who regularly wear hijabs.
georgiaugazine.com
21
bon voyage!
One of the greatest things about UGA, and one of the biggest draws to the university, is the unparalleled opportunities to travel around the world while you call yourself a Dawg. But what to consider
once you’ve got a destination pinned down on the map and plane tickets? Here are a few tips.
by Jacqueline Rehe
01
Research the climate
Yeah it’s hot and humid in Athens in June, but
in Australia, it’s a bit of a different story. Even if
you’re not going to another hemisphere, it’s still
good advice to check up on your destinations
longitude and latitude just to make sure you’re
packing the essentials.
“I forgot my sweatpants and a sweatshirt,” says
Sarah Hickman, a junior at the University of Georgia who studied abroad in Spain last summer. “It
may seem kind of random, but you need them if
you are in your room studying or if the weather is
randomly cold one day.”
Good walking shoes and comfortable walk
wear are a must as well, because we’ve never
heard of a study abroad that didn’t include days
and nights exploring side streets, perfect little
cafes and local haunts.
02
Communicate with your bank
You probably saved up all year for pocket money to spend while you’re away, so make sure you
can access it while you’re gone. Talking to your
bank about your travel dates will alert them that
you’re actually making purchases and will ensure
you don’t have a hold put on your account when
they see tabs from a restaurant in Beijing.
Ask the questions that you really want to know
as well, like how you’ll get fast cash and whether
or not you’ll have access to your account from
abroad. Your bank might have a partner in your
host country that could come in handy for quick
ATM trips and could cut down on charges for
drawing out of your account—but you don’t
know till you ask.
22
ugazine
summer 2013
03
Don’t forget important
documents and items.
Your passport is the one thing you really
don’t want to lose while you’re gone, and extra
security to protect it from a hasty pack or a
pickpocket is to make copies. Of everything.
Any identification essentials: student ID,
driver’s license, medical record cards, etc., are
all good to have an extra of, as well as credit
and debit cards. That way if any of these items
get stolen or lost, you will still have all of your
information.
“Having a copy of your passport, credit
cards (including account numbers and phone
numbers for cancellation) , address of your
stay, director/coordinator information and US
Embassy location go a long way in case of an
emergency abroad,” says William Smith, an
education abroad advisor at the University of
Georgia. “It’s one of those things that you don’t
think about until something goes wrong. It’s
pretty rare that a student will have easy access
to a printer abroad, so it’s important to have
those documents printed before you step foot
on that plane.”
Also leave the copies with your parents or
relatives back in the States. It means only one
simple call home to tell them to cancel stolen
cards.
04
Be cautious when packing
(and shopping)
You’re paying by the pound when it comes to luggage so if you even have a shadow of a doubt that
you’ll actually be wearing that headlamp on a night
out in Paris, leave it at home. Necessary packing is
a must, especially if you’re taking a big commercial
flight with many passengers (or even more so if
you’re on a smaller plane with less space).
If you’re having to sit and zip before you’ve even
left home, it’s time to reorganize. Adding an extra
duffle or backpack is also good for making sure your
travel treasures make it back home in one piece and
might help you from checking in another bag for the
return trip.
When it comes to where to pack what, essentials
always go in the carry-on. If your luggage happens
to get lost, you want to rest easy knowing you’ve
got your toothbrush and clean jeans already with
you. Last, make sure to be conscious of the electrical
difference between countries. Even a destination as
familiar as London will have different outlets, and
you definitely don’t want to blow the fuse on your
laptop because you forgot to pack a converter.
05
Know the fashion and culture
Booty shorts and bare-midriff corset tops may be
common place in some parts of America, but that
doesn’t mean cultures abroad necessarily want to see
your bellybutton. It’s important to do your research
and know what sort of fashion is acceptable (and not
acceptable) to the people in your host country. You
certainly don’t want you first impression stepping off
the plane to be an offensive one.
“We were told not to wear shorts,” says Natalie Morgan, a senior who studied abroad in Spain.
Sarah Dunn, a junior who studied in Costa Rica has
a tip for figuring out the in’s and out’s: “I knew some
people who were not prepared for the culture shock
and had a hard time adjusting,” she says. Reading
ahead on different states of culture shock helped
Dunn handle the transition better, so grab your books
for a little pre-flight reading.
06
Keep a journal
Robinson Crusoe was on to something—keeping a travel diary is a great way to tally all the
adventures you have and creates an irreplaceable
souvenir. Handcrafted journals at Community from
local artisans are a cool way to keep home on the
brain while you’re away so grab a Double Dutch
Press journal before checking out of the Classic
City. While we hope you don’t have quite the harrowing experience of the stranded Crusoe—read:
It is our sincere wish that you steer clear of any
cannibals—there’s always the dream of a memoir
book deal with Knopf waiting at the end of every
well-documented, well-lived adventure. Eat, Pray,
Love anyone?
07
Know how to keep in touch with
family and friends at home
Is your mom’s birthday during your session
halfway around the world? Avoid missing it—and
avoid running around for a phone card once
you’ve already arrived—by doing research on how
to keep tabs with homebase based on the available technology of your destination.
If you’ve got internet, Skype and FaceTime are
always available but website Vbuzzer offers free
PC-to-PC calls and PC-to-phone calls for a cheaper
rate and Viber iPhone app provides free iPhoneto-iPhone calls if you’ve got 3G or wireless available. In the event you’re in a place with no internet
whip out the age-old postcard trick, because who
doesn’t enjoy a picturesque scene arriving spontaneously in the mail?
*
Most importantly, enjoy studying abroad
and make the most of your time. Whether
you are snorkeling in the Great Barrier
Reef in Australia, attending the Cannes Film Festival in France or touring Cape Point in South Africa,
it’ll be one of the most gratifying experiences of
your life. “We have about 2,100 students studying abroad every year,” says Smith. “We offer over
100 UGA programs in over 40 countries. The most
popular locations are still in Western Europe and
Australia, but we’ve been pushing our students to
explore other regions as well.”
georgiaugazine.com
23
UGAuthors:
Published
Reads from
UGA
by shannon adams
Photography by margaret harney
The University of Georgia Alumnus plaque boasts
well-known athletes and celebrities—Ryan Seacrest’s
one week as a bulldawg is forever immortalized in
stone—but some of the lesser known accomplishments of UGA’s spectacular history are authors who
got their start in the shade of the Arch.
Nancy Brandon, who graduated from the UGA in
1988 with a degree in English education, published
her first novel, “Dunaway’s Crossing,” last year. Fascinated with the influenza pandemic, Brandon wrote
“Crossing” as a piece of historical fiction set in Savannah during the Spanish Influenza and was inspired by
the rich history she grew up around.
“I learned that my great-grandparents actually
had to move away from their home in town to live in
a cabin out in the country so that they could avoid
the contagion, and I thought that was a really good
premise for a novel,” Brandon says. “So while my main
character is not a personification of my great-grandmother, I did take a family situation and fictionalize it
for the sake of telling the story.”
Family history wasn’t just inspiration for her first
publishing venture; it was also the foundation for her
entire writing career.
“I’ve always written, since I was a little girl. It’s just
something that’s always been part of my life,” Brandon
says. “I’m the daughter and granddaughter of writers.
I grew up in an environment where writing was not
only appreciated, it was our source of livelihood.”
A nomination for the Georgia Author of the Year
Award, plus a promotion for her new novel meant a
lot of time on the marketing side of things this past
year. But Brandon’s second novel is proof that a selfmade writer is not a legend of writer lore. Currently
in the works for 2015, her second novel “Show Me
Kindness” is a return to the drafting and editing board
after time away.
24
ugazine
summer 2013
THE REBIRTH OF RHIN
julian traas
After Rhin’s parents die in a fire, he
sets out on a journey of self-discovery in the world of Iora. During
his travels, he learns of a dark
secret involving Iora’s creator.
Rhin encounters many strange
creatures on his quest to free the
world for oppression and destroy
the god of Iora.
Deep dish
mary kay andrews
When Gina Foxton’s public access
television show gets canceled, she
pursues a chance to be the Cooking Channel’s next star. There’s
only one problem: the producers
have their eyes on another hopeful, Tate Moody, as well.
dunaway’s crossing
nancy brandon
The Spanish Influenza that Dunaway’s Crossing is based on killed
675,000 Americans in it’s first
year—that’s more than the total
number of Americans who would
die from war in the 20th century.
We can’t blame Brandon’s protagonists for hopping on the next
train right out of that disaster,
even if they are fictional.
hissy fit
mary kay andrews
Keeley Murdock is getting married—that is, until she catches
her fiancé with her maid of honor
during the rehearsal dinner.
Keeley’s now ex-fiancé’s family is
trying to put her interior design
company out of business, so she
accepts an offer to restore a rundown house by a town newcomer,
in the process discovering links
between her ex-fiancé’s family
and her mother’s disappearance
years ago.
art & entertainment
“A year of promoting and selling one
book takes a lot of time away from writing the next one. So 2013 should see a
lot more writing than 2012 did for me,”
Brandon says.
Kathy Trocheck, an alum of UGA’s
Henry W. Grady College of Journalism
and Mass Communication and New York
Times bestselling author, got her start
working as a reporter before delving
into the book business.
“I always wanted to write,” says Trocheck. “I read before first grade and I
thought ‘Oh I’ll grow up and write books’
and when I got to high school it was like
‘well nobody you know writes books;
you can’t write books, but you can be a
newspaper reporter.”
Adding reporter to her skill set may
have been a side note on her way to
publishing, but covering the beat for
years did mean plenty of details for
Trocheck’s mysteries like “To Live And
Die in Dixie” from her Callaghan Garrity
series. And that’s not even mentioning
the bestsellers “Blue Christmas,” “Savannah Breeze” and “The Fixer Upper” she
wrote under her pseudonym, Mary Kay
Andrews, that landed coveted spots on
the New York Times Bestseller’s List.
How do you get to be two writers in
one? You have new ideas.
“I wrote ten mysteries under my real
name, and when I had the idea for a new
book about 10 years ago it was so different from the mysteries I’d been writing. I
just wanted to try it under a pseudonym,
” Trocheck says.
With her twentieth novel, “Ladies
Night,” out this year, and her books
garnering national attention, UGA
has picked up on the literary star and
requested her work to display in the
special collections library.
But it’s not just alumni that are experiencing success. Julian Traas, a third-year
English major from Waalre, The Netherlands, has had two books published
while in school, proving that nothing
adds to the resume quite like a couple of
novels under your belt.
The first, “The Rebirth of Rhin,” is a
fantasy epic that he started at the age of
11 and published through Book Surge,
a company now called Create Space affiliated with Amazon.com. The second is
a more experimental work, co-authored
with Traas’s life long friend Silas Jackson,
titled “Ligeia/ Bryndt.”
At first balancing a full class load and
writing was very difficult for Traas, but
he eventually realized not writing was
not an option for him.
“I just didn’t write,” Traas says, “and
then I realized that I was dying. I just
didn’t care about things as much any-
more, and the grind was really starting
to get to me. So I made a more conscious effort.”
Traas’s favorite part of the writing
process is the beginning: blank Word
Document, fresh ideas and zero limits.
“It’s like exorcising demons,” says Traas.
“There’s an ever-increasing number of
demons just battling it out in my brain,
and every time I write I trap one of them
on the page.”
Trocheck and Brandon have advice for
students like Traas and others who want
to be published: Practice. All the time.
“I would tell them to write, and then
I would tell them to write some more.
And then I would tell them to get some
feedback on their writing, and consider
that feedback before they sit down and
write some more,” Brandon says.
Trocheck agrees. “Join the radio
station, do things with the television
program, write a blog. Do something
where you are actually writing instead of
just thinking about writing.”
And like all writers, Trocheck isn’t just
about the “go get ‘em” advice but also
has the back pocket wisdom of a dreamchaser who was successful.
“Follow your passion. I never thought I
would make any money as a newspaper
reporter, and I didn’t care. I just had to
write,” Trocheck says. “If you do what you
love, you’re wealthy.”
staff recommendations
perfect summer reads
Summer is our favorite time to hit the books—just not our textbooks. We’re burying the school books deep within our
closets in favor of some more pleasurable reading. Whether it’s a trip to the beach or cozying up in bed during a summer
storm, these reads are on our radar.
GAME OF THRONES
GEORGE R.R. MARTIN
THE LOST SYMBOL
dan brown
SOMEday, someday, maybe
lauren graham
Recommended by Cassie Kaye,
Contributing Editor: “I desperately
want to watch [the show] because
I’m tired of not understanding
everyone’s insanely emotional
tweets on Sunday nights, but I’m
forcing myself to read the books
first.”
Recommended by Ellen Barnes, Web
Editor: “I absolutely loved “The Da
Vinci Code” and “Angels and Demons,”
so I figured I’d give this one a try
because I heard it was about D.C. and
wanted to see what secrets about
our own capital that Robert Langdon
would undoubtedly reveal.”
Recommended by Lauren Greene,
Art Director: “Gilmore Girls is one of
my biggest obsessions, and when
I found out Lauren Graham had a
book coming out, I knew I had to
read it. Graham’s writing is full of wit
and charm, happily reminiscent of
my favorite Lorelai Gilmore.”
georgiaugazine.com
25
The Man Behind the Artists
by Kiersten Willis | photography and illustrations by Brad Olsen
The
faces of
Artists of War are
The Dragon on guitar,
Skullcrusher on Bass and
Dynamo on drums—but
the real man behind
the artists is Brad
Olsen.
A line is crossed. Then another line is drawn and a new
creation emerges—the Artists
of War.
The band, composed of
members The Dragon, who
plays guitar, Skullcrusher on
bass and Dynamo on drums,
fronts the Artists of War. These
aren’t three living members—
they’re cartoons created by one
man. That man is Brad Olsen.
Olsen first got into music in
his early teens and loves comics. Artists of War is the synthesis of those two things.
“I’d been a musician since
I was 14 and I’d been writing
songs since I was 16. In 2010,
when I started Artists of War, I
had a lot of music build up over
a period of time,” Olsen says.
A big fan of comics, he also
illustrates all of the band members’ images.
Having previously been
involved with a band called Dirt
Driven, Brad knows what being
in a band is like. But the band
was not that driven.
“We had maybe three, four
practices as a full band. Two
were in my garage. Part of the
problem was being in a small
town and being high school
kids,” Olsen says.
He adds that as high school
students, people “aren’t that
dedicated to anything...so it
wouldn’t have really worked
out anyway.”
Artists of War, signed to Ols-
26
ugazine
summer 2013
en’s own Tricalibur Records, doesn’t have
a backstory. Instead, he focuses more on
the music. Since previous projects had
not worked out, he decided to try a solo
project. “The inspiration was just to have
something more solid because I had
tried to be in bands and none of it ever
worked out,” Olsen says.
The sound of Artists of War is comparable to Gorillaz, another animated
band. Olsen says he was not afraid of
such an association. In fact, he welcomes the comparison. “The Gorillaz are
really cool,” Olsen says.
And so is Artists of War. Musical inspirations include death metal and parkour,
but it changes according to what Olsen
is listening to. Early on, he listened to
classics in the genre, like Mastadon, and
gradually got into more contemporary
bands like Nine Inch Nails and System of
a Down.
The genre appealed to him at an early
age after his mother died and he “became fascinated with death and negative emotion.”
Metal was the genre that allowed him
to express his frustrations to the world.
The various influences are evident on
Artist of War’s records. The songs like
those on The Grey, his latest release,
range in moods from intense, using a
raging guitar on “Exalted” to
a melancholy light electric
guitar on “Era.”
One aim was to make the
varying branches of metal
work together. The genre
stretches in many different
directions, and they vary
regionally. “The best way to
do it is album by album. I’ll
try to do an album that’s like
sludge-meets-prog or deathmeets-black,” he says. Lyrically, his songs are a stream
of consciousness. “I tend to
write stream of consciousness. Sometimes I’ll attribute
meaning to it but most of the
time it’s just random emotion,”
Olsen says. That emotion can
be felt in the variety of songs
recorded throughout the
band’s catalogue, which dates
back to their 2011 debut.
In order to create the
albums for the band, Brad has
long jam sessions even as a
one-man band. “A lot of bands
don’t even jam. It shows in
their music. The best way to
do it is to make things happen
organically.” These jams sessions are all done solo—Brad
plays all the instruments. His
musical training dates back
to guitar lessons for a year at
14 years old. Since then, his
musical knowledge from one
instrument to the next was
easily obtained once he could
understand all the beats and
notes.
As one might imagine, the workspace
of a creative individual is usually one of
organized chaos, and Brad is no exception. His living area is littered with scraps
of paper for song title ideas, stories and
lyrics. Posters of his favorite bands paint
the walls, and recording gear that includes amps, guitars and speakers cover
his space.
Brad also dabbles in publications.
A product of his second album Peace,
Heavy Giant magazine was conceived
in 2010. The magazine was released to
chronicle the sci-fi story behind their
sophomore release. Brad had been going through depression that was channeled into his art. He wanted to publish
lyrics, poetry and short stories as well as
his personal comics. “It just seemed like
a natural thing to do. Plus I was taking
magazine management,” he says.
After graduation in December, Brad
moved back home to Warner Robbins, GA., with his parents. Currently he
works at a local Greek restaurant as a
waiter but has been proactive in being
an independent musician. He spends
equal time working and researching as
a musician as he does while working at
the restaurant. But he knows he is in a
good space—if the younger Brad could
comment on his present-day endeavors,
he’d say it’s “Righteous!”
As for future endeavors, Brad hopes to
sign other bands to his label. But since
he’s on a tight budget, all the money
goes toward personal projects. However,
the man behind the Artists just wants
to get people to feel the music the way
he does, and he hopes to inspire others
as well. He says, “I hope that through my
music I can open doors to other bands.
I want people to know that there are
other bands…it’s not a singular project.
It’s about taking things and bringing
them together.”
Listen to
Artists of War
online at
artistsofwar.net
georgiaugazine.com
27
The Terrapin Twilight
Criterium 2013
Spokes, pedals and sweat have poured onto the Athens asphalt for over 30 years, making Twilight an event
that draws the likes of 30,000 people to watch. Captured in the pages ahead are the cyclists in all of their
crashing, sprinting, flying glory.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIN O. SMITH
28
ugazine
summer 2013
campus lens
Clockwise from Top
left: Cyclists fly by
in the mountain
biking portion of
the 2013 Terrapin
Twilight Criterium.
A member of the
SRAM team rushes
to fix a bike during
the children’s parade portion of the
Terrapin Twilight
Criterium.
BMX bikers wait
their turn during
the BMX portion of
the 2013 Terrapin
Twilight Criterium.
Next page:
Left Top:
BMX bikers fly
through the air
during the BMX
portion of the
Terrapin Twilight
Criterium.
Left Bottom:
A BMX biker falls
while trying to perform a trick during
a competition.
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2 | Be responsible
the
paw
plan
We’ve all seen it—we hear the first
few notes, the voice singing “in the arms
of the angel” and we know the second
we look at the television screen we will
be greeted by sad puppy faces and
one-eyed kittens. The “Angel” ASPCA
commercial to end animal cruelty gets
to us all, tugging on our heartstrings
while simultaneously making us want
to change the channel. And although
we grumble and groan and wish Sarah
McLachlan would stop asking us to help
save the animals, our hearts go out to
the poor critters. For those who don’t
have $18 a month to spare, here are a
few tips for helping the animals in your
community.
by CLAIRE RUHLIN
photography by lexi deagen
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summer 2013
1 | Get your
thumbs up
Social media isn’t just for friends; 15
million businesses and organizations
around the world are logged into
Facebook and tapping into the 1.11
billion users out there racking up
pageviews. The easiest way to spread
the news about Fido needing a loving
home? Follow your favorite rescue
groups for updates and share whenever
possible.
“Animal control facilities and rescue
groups have seen their adoption rates
increase when photos are posted on
Facebook, or via an email blast,” says
Cathy Wood, CEO of Circle of Friends
Animal Society.
Most animal shelters and rescue
groups, such as the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
the Humane Society of the United States
and local independent shelters, like
Athens-Clarke County Animal Control,
have Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and
Blogger accounts. These pages are filled
with photos, videos and information on
adoptable pets within the area. Be a link
in the sharing train by snapping a shot
with your iPhone and hashtagging or
just passing along someone else’s post.
“It’s easier to ignore something you
can’t see,” adds Wood. “We find that
people will see a photo and feel a
connection to a particular animal and be
moved to either adopt them or help find
that animal a home.”
Pet overpopulation and
its solution is no joke:
2.7 million healthy pets
are put down every year
according to studies conducted by the Humane Society of the United States.
There’s no secret formula
to bringing down those
numbers either, just get
your pet to the vet.
“Up to half of animals
that enter animal shelters
each year don’t ever come
out because they’re euthanized,” says Newson. “The
best way to prevent that
and to further our mission
is for people to spay and
neuter their pets.”
Spaying and neutering
can also help behavioral
issues, decrease the risk
of certain diseases and extend the life of pets. Many
organizations offer lowcost clinics, like the Athens Area Humane Society
Spay and Neuter Center.
If your pet is brought in
when they’re young, it can
be $60 or less for puppies
and $45 or less for kittens.
beyond the arch
4 | Get involved
3 | Go Green
Recycling through local animalwelfare organizations is another
way of incorporating animalfriendly efforts into daily routine.
Dropping off recyclables at local
shelters or animal groups not
only helps the environment, but
also supports the efforts of local
organizations that rescue and care
for animals in need.
Petco Foundation collects
old cell phones and phone
accessories nationwide, and uses
the proceeds to help rescue,
rehabilitate and vaccinate animals,
as well as provide grants to local
animal-welfare programs. They
even provide a free printable
mailing label on their website,
which patrons can use to mail in
old phones.
You can also make an impact
locally with the Athens Area
Humane Society by recycling
aluminum cans and printer
cartridges. These proceeds directly
benefit their programs in the
Athens community.
“We send the recyclable items
to Recycle America, who then
donates a check to us according
to what we send,” says Amanda
Newson, outreach coordinator for
the Athens Area Humane Society.
Volunteering is a hands-on
and rewarding way to care
for homeless animals in the
community without the commitment of taking one home.
Contact local animal rescues
and ask about volunteer
positions; organizations rely
on volunteer work to support
their programs and typically
take any help they can get.
“Volunteering is also a form
of donating; you’re donating
your time to help us,” says
Newson. “You can volunteer
at either of our locations,
at special events, and we
also have some clerical or
special-projects that you can
help out with too.”
Volunteers are also responsible for caring for the
animals, which will give
you plenty of belly rub and
scratch-behind-the-ear time.
“Many shelters use volunteers to bathe and walk dogs,
and to help socialize puppies
and kittens,” says Wood.
Schedule doesn’t allow for
a lot of extra time to help out?
Money donations are always
appreciated as well. Ask
your family and friends for
donations in your honor for
birthdays or holidays, or just
start saving up all your couch
coins. Shelters use extra
funds to give pro-bono animal surgeries, buy food and
fund outreach programs.
5 | Buy (and save)
local
When volunteering just isn’t cutting
it anymore and you’re ready to take the
ultimate step and adopt, start with your
local shelter. Rescuing is the most ethical
way to help because you bypass the pet
stores that often supply animals through
breeders.
“By rescuing an animal you are choosing not to support puppy mills and you
are not adding to the out-of-control pet
population,” says Tabitha Phillips, president of the University of Georgia Speak
Out For Species club. “And of course, you
are also doing that individual animal
a favor by saving it from being euthanized. And you are doing yourself a favor
by committing to help an animal that
needs time and care to adjust.”
Even if your heart is set on a specific
breed or age group, do research beforehand because shelter advertisements
often include specifics and pictures that
will help you narrow down the search
for the perfect german shepherd or
golden retriever. Just don’t forget to
keep an open mind and go check out
the shelters in person—no one would
ever know that a cockapoo was cute and
not a mash-up gone wrong except by
total accident and Google Images.
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Into the Wake:
UGA wakedawgs
share the sport
by kelly mattick | photoGRAPHY BY Chad Hermann
The waters of Lake Sydney Lanier
and Jackson are home, the hum of
the boat’s engine is a familiar sound
and having feet strapped to a wakeboard doesn’t phase anyone. That’s
why the University of Georgia’s Club
Wakeboarding has started getting
air—and recognition—at national
competitions.
The student-based team was founded
by competitive wakeboarders Anthony
Kennedy and J. Vinson in fall 2010. Both
students met at a competition and
began discussing their mutual interest
in starting a competitive club at the
university. Two years later, their idea
became a reality.
The WakeDawgs are an official UGA
club sport and receive national recognition in the realm of wakeboarding.
Currently ranked as third in the nation,
the team competes in the Empire Wake
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summer 2013
Collegiate Wake Series, a southeastern
conference, and has appeared two times
at the Las Vegas National Competition.
“We currently have 20 active members competing on a regular basis,” says
Anthony Kennedy, founder and current
co-captain. “We typically practice almost
every weekend to prepare for the upcoming competition.”
Although wakeboarding itself is a
highly competitive sport, the team creates a laid back atmosphere during their
practice sessions. When on the water,
the riders are not hesitant to try new
tricks, even if that means crashing head
first into the water, which many team
members have done.
“Whenever I attempt a new trick, I
always fall,” says Alli Hogan, a junior public relations major. “When I first began
wakeboarding, I was always so sore the
next day from falling every time. I would
try anything.”
Hogan is not the only recent addition
to the team. The WakeDawgs welcome
people of all skill levels to come out and
try the sport. They have taught several
people with no experience to wakeboard in the two years they have been
active.
This summer, many members will
compete in individual showcases, while
others practice for the next competition
season in the fall. Regardless of individual intentions, WakeDawgs has added a
new item to their summer list.
“The team will be volunteering with a
wakeboarding camp on Lake Oconee,”
said Kennedy. “ We are excited to teach
at the Young Harris Water Sports Camp,
and also to show the campers where
practice and dedication can get you in
the sport.”
DAWG
TALK
where in the world
are university of
georgia students?
Monte Carlo, Monaco
@2keyoh
Xlishan, China
@krknamaste
Venice, Italy
@kohlerlucy
Cobh, Ireland
@ladymarg
Bogota, Colombia
@elizabethjohnson
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