Volume 41, Issue 12

Macon State College’s Award-Winnning Student Newspaper

March 16, 2010maconstatement.com

The Macon campus Regents’ Test sessions, for those already registered, will be held at the following times in the following locations:

This is not a reminder to register as the Regents’ Test registration deadline was Feb. 12.For all Saturday Regents’

Test sessions, students will enter the Jones building main lobby, go to the first floor and then enter the PSC through the connecting hallway where they will be checked into their respective testing locations.The Warner Robins

campus Regents’ Test sessions are on Tuesday, March 16 in the Walker Auditorium at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.For more information,

visit maconstate.edu/atc/regents/regentsinfo.aspx.

Regents’ Test reminder

On Feb. 21, the Tubman African American Museum unveiled local artist Wilfred Stroud’s final panel to complete their mural gallery.According to museum

staff, this panel is the last of nine panels in the museum. The mural is called “From Africa to America.” It is a representation of African-American history through several decades. Executive director Andy Ambrose said the mural is a signature piece of the Tubman African-American Collection but it is also a learning tool for the community.Stroud was commissioned

Tubman mural gallery opens with ninth panel

Authors Ad Hudler and Steve Almond returned to the second annual Crossroads Writers Conference, joining other writers and a host of readers as all converged on Mercer University on Saturday, Feb. 27.Other writers

included, Judith Ortiz-Cofer, Carroll Rogers, Jack McDevitt, William Rawlings and Jeffrey Stepakoff.Workshops and

breakout sessions offered attendees insight into major aspects of writers’ lives and the art of writing.English major

Nicole Arden said she received valuable advice from Ortiz-Cofer, whom Arden quoted, saying, “wake-up two hours before you need to for uninterrupted

time to write.”Arden said the most

important thing she took away from the session was “to just sit down and write because by the time (you) find the time,

it will be too late. Taking the time to write everyday is essential to becoming a good writer.”English major

Rebecca Kidd said she gained insight

through the advice that, no matter the type of writing, you “can’t leave the emotion out.” Emotion is a tool used to connect to the reader, said Kidd.

In a discussion among Crossroads board members, panelists and attendees regarding their experience with this year’s conference, Ad Hudler confided in Chris Horne that “it was the most unique and interesting conference he’s been to—that the feeling is just different.”Regarding other

factors that made the conference a success, Kidd added, spending “time with other people, famous and not, that love literature.”English professor

Monica Young-Zook explained the allure of Crossroads. “It’s an inexpensive conference that offers a lot of awesome writers and several lifetimes of

Crossroads brings writers and readers together

Early registration for the 2010 summer and fall semesters begins on March 22, according to the following priority schedule:Seniors - March 22Juniors - March 23Sophomores - March 24Freshmen and all others: March 25Students may register and pay online until early registration ends on April 26.

Thursday, March 18 in the Gymnasium10 a.m. and 6 p.m.Friday, March 19 in the Gymnasium8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 20 in the PSC (first floor) 9 a.m.10 a.m. (Reading only)2 p.m.

Monday, March 22 in the Gymnasium.10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Read how this publication re-earned its “award-winning” moniker on page 5.

Early registrationStaff Reports

STATEMENTn acon MThe

Tubman Muralcontinued on page 7

Photo by Meaghan SmithArtist Wilfred Stroud unveils “From Africa to America” as the ninth panel in the mural gallery at the Tubman African American Museum.

Crossroadscontinued on

page 6

By Carrie GinestStaff Writer

By Meaghan Smith JOUR 3131

Photo by Glen StoneMarc Jolley, director of Mercer Press, speaks at the closing ceremony of the second annual Crossroads Writers Conference.

Staff Reports

The Macon Statement maconstatement.com March 16, 20102

e-mail us at statement@maconstate.edu

staff

Editor-in-Chief: Glen StoneManaging Editor: Pierce CastleberryCopy Editor: Norma Jean Perkins

Layout Editor: Dolores M. CouchWebmaster: Harry UnderwoodAdvertising: Lila Castellano

Photographer: Britany WoodStaff Writer: Carrie GinestStaff Writer: Chris Gray

478-757-3605 Fax 478-757-2626 OFFiCe: SLC-120 www.maconstatement.com

Letters PoLicy: The editor of the Macon Statement will try to print all letters received. Letters should be, at maximum, 250 to 300 words long. The writer must include: full name, professional title if a Macon State employee or Georgia resident, or year and major if a student. An address and phone number are required with all letters sent, but this personal information will not be published. The

student newspaper reserves the right to edit letters for style, possible libel, or length. The newspaper will not, under any circumstance, withhold names. Please address all correspondence to Letter to the Editor at editor@maconstatement.com. Where current events are concerned, priority will be given to those letters written by students, faculty, and staff of Macon State College.

DiscLaimer: The Macon Statement is the registered student newspaper of Macon State College and is published biweekly (Mondays) during fall and spring semesters. Opinions and ideas expressed in The Macon Statement are those of the individual artists, authors, and student editors, and are not those of Macon State College, its Board of Regents, the student body, or the advertisers. The Macon Statement is paid for, in part, through student activity fees.

&ediTOrials OpiniOns

If you are sitting on the fence about how to prepare and file your tax return this year, consider doing it electronically through reputable providers including TaxACT.com, turbotax.com and HRBlock.com. These sites provide free preparation and assist in finding deductions that you normally would not think of. Filing taxes electronically is very cheap, but you have the option of printing your prepared forms and mailing them via the U.S. Postal Service.

Be sure to have all the documents you need to prepare your taxes. These include: W-2 forms from your employer, 1098-E forms which show interest paid on student loans and 1099 forms for work done as an independent contractor (for example, regular musician at a nightclub, nanny jobs, etc.).

The absolute worst idea for filing taxes is through a company that gives early anticipation loans! Even if you think you need the money immediately, think of the fact that most of these loans charge you outrageous interest rates. If you file electronically through one of the reputable Web sites, you can usually get a direct bank deposit within 10 days.

Finally, if you get huge tax returns, think about decreasing your withholding amounts. Big tax returns are an invitation to tax auditors to come knocking at your door. Think of a big tax return as money that you loan the government for the past year at no interest to them. You might find it more beneficial to change your withholding amounts and get a smaller tax return while you increase the amount you receive in your paycheck.

Tax TipsBy Pierce CastleberryManaging Editor

The Student Media Advisory Board is now accepting applications for editor of The Macon Statement for Fall 2010 and Spring 2011. The list of qualifications and the application process is designed to promote participation from all members of the student body and to secure the services of an individual who is motivated to provide positive leadership to the members of the staff.

Candidates must:• Be enrolled at Macon State College for a minimum of 6 credit hours and have a

cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5.• Have successfully exited all Learning Support requirements.• Be willing to complete training as assigned, including the Macon State College

Recognized Student Organization training session and mandatory student newspaper fundamentals training sessions.

• Work with the Student Media Coordinator to schedule staff training sessions in the various aspects of newspaper production.

• Have strong communication skills and ability to motivate staff.• Be computer literate and should be willing to learn more computer skills.• Maintain office hours (19.5 hours per week)• Be willing to work closely with the Student Media Coordinator and the Student

Media Advisory Board.• Understand that Dean of Students will be asked to provide information related

to the candidate’s disciplinary historyIt is preferred that candidates:Have previous experience with the student newspaper or other newspaper (high school, college, or other)

Application process:• Candidates are required to submit three examples of previously published work.

All writing samples should be submitted in hard copy. One sample should be a graded paper from a class.

• Candidates must submit a statement describing his/her vision for the student newspaper.

• Candidates must submit a current resume. • Resume, copies of previous work and vision statement must be delivered to the

attention of Michael Stewart, Assistant Dean of Students, Student Life Center, Macon Campus, by the deadline of Friday, April 2, at noon.

• The chair of the Student Media Advisory Board will convene a meeting of the Board for review and selection of the successful candidate. The Student Media Coordinator will advise the successful candidate in writing of his/her appointment.

The successful applicant will receive a stipend roughly equivalent to the salary of a student assistant working 19.5 hours per week

Student newspaper editor sought for 2010-2011 academic year

The Macon Statement maconstatement.com March 16, 2010 3On CaMpus

A week that began with “Pi Day” on Sunday, March 14 will also see the Math Olympics sponsored by Macon State on Friday, March 19.Pi day is celebrated on

March 14 because of the numerical significance of the date “3/14,” which is reminiscent of the common approximation of the mathematical constant symbolized by the Greek letter, “pi.” Pi represents the ratio of the

diameter of a circle to its circumference.These and other math

topics will take center stage at the Math Olympics, as public and private high school students from 12 Central Georgia counties are scheduled to compete.The all-day event is

designed to encourage the study of math and to give student mathematicians an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in a competitive environment.The competition,

coordinated by Macon State College math faculty and sponsored by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, includes individual exams and team matches, which are divided into public and private school divisions. The competition also is divided into junior varsity-level (grades 9 and 10) and varsity-level (grades 11 and 12).Individual plaques and

team trophies will be awarded. According to the

“Mathematics Olympics” Web site at math.maconstate.edu/olympics/index.php, each individual winner will also receive a “scholarship to attend Macon State College. The scholarship amounts are: 1st place, $700; 2nd

place, $500; 3rd place, $300; 4th place, $150.”Competition is scheduled

to begin at 8:45 a.m. in Macon State’s new Professional Sciences and Conference Center. Individual competitions take place from 9 to 11

a.m., followed by team competitions from 12:30 to 2 p.m. The program concludes with an awards ceremony at 2:15 p.m.More than 260 students,

representing 24 public and private schools, are expected to compete, according to Math Olympics coordinator Kelli Cheng, Ph.D., who can be reached at 478-471-2748 or at kelli.cheng@maconstate.edu.

The Macon State College Student Government Association is seeking interested students for executive officer positions for the 2010-2011 year.

The Executive Officer Application form must be submitted to the Office of Student Life, located on the lower level of the Student Life Building on the Macon Campus or in the Thomas Hall Student Lounge on the Warner Robins Campus. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, March 19 at 12 p.m.

Elections will be held online during the week of March 29 to April 2, 2010.

The application form can be found at maconstate.edu/studentlife/studentgovassociation.aspx.

SGA seeks executive officers

In order to run as a candidate for election as an officer, one must:• Be currently enrolled and taking a minimum

of 6 credit hours• Agree to comply with the “Campaign

Instructions”• Plan to be enrolled during the term of

service• Have a minimum 2.5 GPA• Be in good standing with Academic Affairs

and Student Affairs• Have completed any Learning Support

requirements• Have served as a member of SGA for at

least one semester

Macon State sponsors Math Olympics By Glen StoneEditor-in-Chief

The Macon Statement maconstatement.com March 16, 20104

Macon State Gaming club hosts a throw downBy Chris GrayStaff Writer

Open to the Public Free AdmissionFor details contact Linda Green at linda.green@maconstate.edu. This event is supported by Macon State’s Artists & Lecturers Series Committee and Office of Student Life.

MACON STATE COLLEGEArtists & Lectures Series

TALES FROM THE EXPAT HAREM:Foreign Women in Modern Turkey

Lecture and Photo presentationby

Dr. GUL CELKAN

Tuesday, March 3011:00 a.m.

Arts Complex / Theatre

Dr. Celkan, through her study of travel literature, shares glimpses of modern Turkey as revealed in the

writings of 32 expatriate women representing four continents.. She addresses the writers’ observations

of Turkish culture, folkloric song and dance, and courting etiquette and marriage rituals, from

traditional village bride bargaining to today’s civil services of high society.

A Turkish national born in Istanbul, Dr. Celkan is an alumna of the University of

Ankara and a recently retired professor of English, literature, and writing.

On Saturday, Feb. 27, the Macon State Gaming club hosted Macon State students and members of the Macon and Warner Robins communities in an open “Virtual Prize Fighting Championship” tournament with three finalist prizes of event shirts and a grand prize of a $50 Best Buy gift card.The tournament’s

featured game was the popular fighting game “Tekken 6.” The game is the sixth release and most recent installment of the well-known Tekken series.With mixed reviews,

scoring 80 on the Web site Metacritic.com, the game is available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PlayStation Portable, or “PSP.” Additionally, some arcades offer “Tekken 6.”Microsoft’s Xbox

360 was the platform used in the Gaming club’s tournament event, which began

with six competitors. Rules required that each competitor submit to officials the name of their chosen character and notify officials of any change in character choice.Two losses eliminated

a player in the best three out of five fights. After the first three rounds of eliminations, three semifinalists remained. These were Macon State students Sapphire Coleman and Khalil Blount and Warner Robins resident Damon Johnson.In the first round of

semifinals, Blount fought as “Paul Phoenix,” versus Johnson, fighting as “Christie.” Johnson swept Blount 0-3, eliminating Blount. The championship was

down to Coleman as “Zafina,” versus Johnson as “Christie.” Johnson once again swept the contest, zero-to-three and won the championship.To determine second-

and third-place runner-ups, Blount and Coleman

fought head-to-head as “Paul Phoenix” and “Zafina,” respectively. Blount swept the fight three to zero, giving him second place and Coleman third.According to the club’s

announcement to members,

“the regular meeting of the MSC Gaming Club (the Society for Overactive Imaginations) on the second Saturday of (each) month will take place in the Jones Building Lobby. The meeting will feature board, card and

party games, video games (including Rock Band), the Middle Georgia Laser Tag League game, and the Macon By Night LARP (Live Action Role Playing). The club collects $3 from every participant at this meeting.”

On CaMpus

Photo by Chris GrayThree Tekken 6 tournament finalists bask in the glow of their recent victories. Pictured from left to right Khalil Blount, Sapphire Coleman and Damon Johnson.

The Macon Statement maconstatement.com March 16, 2010 5

Members of Macon State’s Student Media attended and competed in two industry events in February—the annual “Better Newspaper Contest” presented by the Georgia College Press Association (GCPA) in Athens and the 59th Southern Regional Press Institute (SRPI) in Savannah—The

Macon Statement won awards at both events.The students of Macon State

College have a proud history of publishing an award-winning newspaper—this year is no exception.On Feb. 25 and 26, Savannah

State College hosted the SRPI, which yielded two awards for The Macon Statement—second place in the “Outstanding Four-Year

Newspaper” competition and first place in the category, “Outstanding Four-Year Photography.”Three weeks earlier, on Feb. 5

and 6, Student Media members attended GCPA’s “Better Newspaper” event at the Classic Center in Athens. The Macon Statement won second place in the four-year division of GCPA’s

“Best

Entertainment Feature” competition.At both events, student

journalists attended workshops that dealt with, discussed and explored issues facing journalism in general and student journalists in particular. Industry best practices and striving for journalistic excellence were unifying themes throughout both

conferences.

By Glen StoneEditor-in-Chief

Macon State’s student newspaper wins industry acclaimFeaTure

Photo by Glen StoneStudent journalists attend GCPA’s Better Newspaper awards banquet in Athens.

Photo by Glen StoneStudent journalists attend the SRPI awards banquet.

Photo courtesy of SRPI staffPictured left to right are Meaghan Smith, Sarah Frye, Dolores Couch, Glen Stone, Norma Jean Perkins and Ray Lightner.

The Macon Statement edged out

Georgia Tech to win second

place in the Best Entertainment

Feature category in GCPA’s Better

Newspaper competition.

The Macon Statement won second place in SRPI’s 2010 Outstanding Four-Year Newspaper competition.

The Macon Statement

won first place in the

Outstanding Four-Year

Photography competition

at the 59th Southern

Regional Press Institute.

The Macon Statement maconstatement.com March 16, 20106 COMMuniTy

The Macon Film Festival (MaGa) began with Bibb County Commission chairman Sam Hart’s presentation of a Proclamation declaring Feb. 18 “Melvyn Douglas Day” to Illeana Douglas, granddaughter of the late Melvyn Douglas, who was a Macon native son and two-time Oscar winner.The younger Douglas,

whose home is in California, was in Macon for the first time. On her acceptance of the Proclamation, she said her grandfather was a “sophisticated, witty craftsman.” She said she remembers him telling her quite frequently, “speak up now, if you want to be in the theatre, you have to project.”

The elder Douglas was in show business for 60 years and was one of very few who have won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony award.Illeana Douglas is an

actress, writer, producer and director. She has appeared in such films as “Message in a Bottle,” “Cape Fear,” “Goodfellas” and currently has a Web-based series titled, “Easy to Assemble.”The main reason for

Douglas’ participation in the Macon Film Festival was to “represent her family” when the Festival renamed the “Best in Show” award to the “Melvyn Douglas Award.” According to the Film Festival the “2010 Melvyn Douglas Award is an original piece of sculptured metal art produced by Georgia artist Zoe

Alexandre.”Other guests included

Macon native and “30 Rock” actor, Jack McBrayer. Steve Balderson was here to present his independent film “Stuck!” that was filmed in Macon. Karen Black, an actress known for her many roles returned to attend this year’s event after having appeared at the 2009 Macon Film Festival.Dominik Rausch, a

German-born producer who formed a partnership with Illeana Douglas for the “Easy to Assemble” series also, according to the MaGa program, “composes for feature and short films. He won ‘best score’ at the California Independent Film Festival for his work on “April Showers.”Terrell Sandefur

served as emcee for the festival. He is a Macon Film Commissioner that serves on the marketing, special guests, education/outreach and executive committees. Sandefur just returned from the premier of “Stuck” in Hollywood. Sandefur said that, while in Hollywood, “People that heard me say I was from Macon asked if I was familiar with the Macon Film Festival. It is viewed in a very positive light and is a big deal for Macon.”Sandefur said the

festival is a “vehicle for filmmakers” and that “over 70 filmmakers” from all over the world have submitted films for the 2010 Festival.Jack McBrayer had

a question and answer session after a viewing of “Forgetting Sarah

Marshall” in which McBrayer acted.Several filmmaking

workshops were held on the Mercer University campus and were conducted by Illeana Douglas, Dominik Rausch, R. J. Fried, Steve Balderson, Michael Buchanan, Tom McPhee and Jason Winn. These workshops covered everything from filmmaking 101 to TV comedy writing. All were open to the public.Sandefur said “this is the

fifth year for the Macon Film Festival” and it is growing and receiving excellent reviews each year. In fact, there were other festival leaders visiting the MaGa to see exactly how it is done in Macon.

MaGa brought filmmakers from around the world to Macon

collective wisdom about the art, craft and business of writing to not only our talented adult population but to college- and high school-aged writers,” Young-Zook said.Chris Horne, president of

the Crossroads board, said

that his favorite part of the conference was “hoping to see smiles on the faces of our attendees—to see them taking notes and having a good time. What made me happiest was seeing the near shock on the faces of some of our presenters who seemed to be loving the conference as much as, if not more than, the folks who paid to be there.”

Horne said this year’s Crossroads grew “by about three times over the first year. So the greatest success for the conference is that it grew so quickly without losing an ounce of its casual, friendly and welcoming personality. That freedom to relax breeds a sense of community and encouragement that’s hard to find elsewhere.”

Young-Zook said, “the proceeds of this conference go to the Creative Ruckus Academy for young people.”Crossroads board

members and others are already planning next year’s conference. Students, aspiring writers and readers can follow Crossroads on Facebook—search “Crossroads Writers Conference”; on

Twitter at twitter.com/crossroadsmacon or their Web site at crossroadscon.org“I’m excited to see the

mix of panelists they come up with and all the new insight I’ll learn,” said Arden.Kidd said she is

looking forward to the “experience” at next year’s event.

By Norma Jean PerkinsCopy Editor

Crossroadscontinued from front page

Photo by Glen StoneChris Horne addresses the gathering of writing enthusiasts at Mercer’s Newton Chapel during the closing ceremony of the second annual Crossroads Writers Conference.

Photo by Glen StoneSteve Almond conjures memories of 1980s bands during his reading of his comedic analysis of Toto’s “I bless the rains down in Africa.”

The Macon Statement maconstatement.com March 16, 2010 7COMMuniTy

Wsa seeks ceLL PhonesThe Women’s Studies Association is holding a cell phone donation drive. Old cell phones, broken, no charger, not a problem. All donated cell phones will be cleared of user information then repaired, if necessary, and given to domestic violence victims.

Bring cell phones to H/SS 141 or call 478-471-5735 for a drop-off

appointment. Contact WSA’s adviser at monica.youngzook@maconstate.edu.

in 1985 when

the museum first opened to the public. “It came to where in 1985, I was contacted by Richard Kyle who was Father Kyle then,” said Stroud. “He asked me to think in terms of doing a black history mural.”Stroud said he was very

excited to take on this project. He even preferred to paint the ninth panel in the museum. After months of work, Stroud revealed his efforts to the community.At the opening of the

ceremony, Director of Exhibitions Jeffrey Bruce welcomed attendees and paid tribute to Stroud for his achievements. When Stroud approached the podium, he said “one must return to the past in order to move forward. You gotta know where you came from so you have something to work with to go forward.”After Stroud’s speech,

Bruce and Stroud removed the sheet that covered the panel. The painting represented many major figures in recent history, including President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.Macon State student

Jasmine Grisham said, “I saw the painting and I think it’s real important and special that it was made right here in Macon, Georgia.”“I think the painting is

beautifully wrought. It has enough personages in it that he put a lot of thought and detail into the timeline,” said Macon State student Danielle Quesenberry.“It shows how the South,

in general, has developed from what might have been standard, back in the 1800s,” said Macon State student William Rutledge. “I think it’s a great icon for Black History Month,” Rutledge said.

Beginning this fall, Macon State College is adding a bachelor of science in psychology to its lineup of degrees focused on professional workforce needs.The University System

of Georgia’s Board of Regents approved the program on March 10. This brings the number of Macon State’s bachelor’s degrees to 18. The new degree—typically one of the most popular majors in college—does not require any additional faculty. Macon State expects an initial enrollment of 120 students pursuing the degree.“The field of

psychology is wide open, and graduates of this program should have a great deal of flexibility in their career paths,” said Bill Upton, Ph.D., chair of Macon State’s psychology and sociology department. “We are excited that Macon State students have another high-quality degree program to consider as they choose their majors.”Approval of the

new degree comes as Macon State sets a record-high spring semester enrollment.

Total enrollment for the 2010 spring semester is 6,442 students, a 3.8 percent increase over last spring. Since 1997, when Macon State became a bachelor’s degree institution focused on Central Georgia’s professional workforce needs, total enrollment has increased by 83.5 percent.The psychology

degree offers concentrations in these career-focused areas: pre-clinical and counseling; psychology and law; and leadership and training. Graduates of the program will be equipped to begin careers immediately in social service agencies, schools, mental health centers, substance abuse clinics, legal advocacy, public policy, government, human resources, business training and other areas of business management. The program also prepares students for graduate study in clinical psychology, research psychology, law and medicine.In addition, because of

the program’s emphasis on biopsychology, graduates can take advantage of emerging

careers that use combined knowledge of psychology and health sciences, including behavioral health, nutrition, fitness, evaluation, and research.Macon State

also designed the Bachelor of Science in psychology with military career fields in mind. For example, the Air Force has career prospects in such applied behavioral areas as continuous learning, cognitive models and agents, cognitive systems, battlefield visualization, sociocultural modeling, decision-making, biobehavioral systems, and biobehavioral performance.According to the 2008

Occupational Outlook Handbook, careers in psychology nationwide are expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2016 with an overall growth rate of 15 percent during this period.For more information

about the psychology degree, contact Upton, chair of the Department of Psychology and Sociology, at bill.upton@maconstate.edu or at 478-471-5748.

Macon State adds Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology

Tubman Muralcontinued from front page

Staff Reports

Macon State’s School of Information Technology (IT) and the Association of Information Technology Students (AITS) will host the Middle Georgia IT Users Group for their monthly meeting and a discussion of “IT security” in room 212 of the Professional Sciences Conference Center at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 25.

This free event will immediately follow the monthly meeting of AITS, which will be held at 5 p.m. near Starbucks in the first-floor lounge area of the PSC.

The discussion, presented by Mick Williams, who is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) at Persons Banking Company, will inform attendees as to what really matters when considering IT security for an organization. Williams will also moderate a discussion on existing roles and positions for those interested in the field of IT security.

Macon State’s School of Information Technology and the Association of Information Technology Students (AITS) sponsor this event.

aits hosts middle Georgia it Users Group on march 25By Glen StoneEditor-in-Chief (and president of AITS)

One must return to the past in order to move forward. You gotta know where you came from so you have something to work with to go forward.

–Wilfred Stroud

“”

The Macon Statement maconstatement.com March 16, 20108

Macon State’s Company of Players (CoP) takes on “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon-Marigolds” as their spring production.CoP director Jason

Levitt chose the Pulitzer Prize-winning two-act play, which was written by Paul Zindel.Liam Copan-

Kelly a sophomore majoring in theatre said, “I think the play only calls for about seven female parts. I know Mr. Levitt was thinking of writing in one male part.”Initially, two male

students auditioned for the part of a male teacher that is often referenced in the play. However, Levitt decided against changing the original

script. This means the guys will not be in this semester’s production.“I mean, we wish we

could have a part but that’s just how it goes. It’s up to Mr. Levitt,” Copan-Kelly said.This show was not

the original pick for the spring. Levitt was considering another play. Several factors went into his decision to choose the current show.“There’s a show

I thought had just been released from Broadway, so I wanted to do that but the rights weren’t released. And then I came up with another one and I could have gotten the rights but it took a lot of men. I don’t have a lot of men,” Levitt said.Levitt’s main

motivation for The Effect of Gamma

Rays on the Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds was the talent in his female cast, and his fondness of this particular play.“I directed it once

in 1972 and I liked it then. It’s just a very good play about very real people,” Levitt said.According to

their Web site at maconstate.edu/studentlife/companyofplayers.aspx, “production dates will be April 13 to 15 and April 20 to 22 in the Arts Complex Theatre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Admission is free.”For more

information contact the director at jason.levitt@maconstate.edu or leave a voicemail message at 478-757-7387.

Company of Players preparing to perform Pulitzer prize-winning play

With no direct policy in the Macon State student handbook allowing or prohibiting the use of laptops in their classrooms, professors are left to decide how they feel about students using laptops in class.The presence of

laptops is increasing on college campuses but their use in the classroom has come into question. While students would likely favor the allowance of their increased use of laptops in classroom, professors’ opinions on this matter are mixed.Sarah Cooper, junior

music major said, “I think teachers should allow the use of laptops in class because, for the classes that have a lot

of notes, laptops are a great resource. I don’t use my laptop much this semester though. I’m not in many classes that I would need to take a lot of notes.”Stephanie

Nelson, senior journalism and mass communications/Spanish/CIT major felt the same as Cooper. “I think laptops should be allowed for use in class. I type faster than I write, and typing my notes helps me stay organized. It saves paper, too. I do worry about distracting others though,” Nelson said.In the most recent

Macon State student handbook, there is no apparent policy promoting or prohibiting the use of laptops in classrooms on campus. Professors

are left to decide on a class-by-class basis whether to allow the use of laptops in their classrooms.For Nancy Bunker,

assistant professor of English, the structure and the type of her classes will either allow or ban laptop use in the classroom. “I think that laptops for notes are tolerable, but are still a distraction. It really depends on the class,” Bunker said.“The way my ethics

class is set up, for example, allowing the use of laptops would allow students to hide behind the screen, and would prohibit them from participating with the group,” Bunker said.Policy or not, this

issue will likely become more complex as related technologies advance.

MisCellany

By Chris WillisJOUR 3131

By Rachael HammetJOUR 3131

Laptop use in the classroom—helpful or harmful?