Clearly, I have very minimal experience with in-design. I have no idea what I was thinking. I tried?

Out-of-state students speak out

Erin Colvin, junior

City and state: Coronado (San Diego), California

Why UGA: Brutally honest answer: I came to UGA because my mom moved to Georgia after graduation and forced me against my will to go to UGA for the cheap tuition. Politically correct answer: I came to UGA because I wanted to go to a big, out-of-state, division I sports school.

Biggest Difference: The most shocking differences about UGA and the south are that the stereotypes of the south are generally very correct, and people eat SO much fast-food here.

Best Part of UGA: What I really love about UGA is that there are tons of great ways to get involved and meet people. There's literally something for everyone to get involved with, no matter what his or her interests may be.

More or Less Racist: UGA is much more racist than where I came from, which is something I was not expecting before getting here.

Justin Ruth, freshman

City and state: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Why UGA: My family is close by, and my sister attends school here, which made it feel more and more like home with every visit before I decided to attend.

Biggest Difference: People in the south are SO much nicer and more polite and appreciative. It's very warming and welcoming being from out-of-state.

Best Part of UGA: The best part of UGA is by far the people and the campus atmosphere. I love being part of a SEC sports community, especially since I plan to major in Sports Management.

More or Less Racist: I honestly do not see a difference between UGA and the north as far as racism goes.

Brittany Altman, sophomore

City and state: Telluride, Colorado

Why UGA: I wanted a big school in an area with warm weather and an impressive program for broadcast news.

Biggest Difference: The food was definitely the biggest difference from Telluride. The nearest fast-food chain or franchise to my hometown is an hour away.

Best Part of UGA: The friends I have made here are the most amazing friends I have ever had in my life and that has made the distance from home that much easier.

More or Less Racist: I guess UGA and my hometown have the same level of racism but in different ways. In my hometown, more people make racist comments casually. But in Georgia, I have noticed the people who make the same comments are to their core hateful of that group of people. The use of the n-word is the biggest difference I’ve seen. In Telluride, people would say "What's up, nigga" versus "f***ing niggers" in Georgia. Less people in Georgia make racial comments, but the ones that do are saying those comments to be malicious.

Tommy Carroll, senior

City and state: Alexandria, Virginia

Why UGA: My brother was recruited to play baseball at Emory. One weekend when I was visiting him, he had class, and I had nothing to do, so I drove up to Athens and loved it.

Biggest Difference: I was shocked to see how rare it was for kids from the Southeast to leave the Southeast for school. I felt like everyone from my hometown shot-gunned around the country – or at least would have it they could afford it. Southerners love the south.

Best Part of UGA: I love the family atmosphere. I do not consider the football team my favorite part, but rather the friends and family that come together because of it. The Classic City is pretty sweet, also.

More or Less Racist: It is unfair to generalize the entire student body, but as a whole I do think that UGA is more racist. I came from a pretty diverse and progressive town so the comparison is a little unfair. The Southeast in general felt the sting of slavery and segregation more than anywhere in the country, so the tension is understandable. That said, the presence of racism is far from justifiable, as it is anywhere. It was really difficult to get used to.

Evan Silverman, freshman

City and state: Rochester, New York

Why UGA: I came to UGA because it has everything I was looking for in a school: good academics, a nice college town, an awesome social scene, great weather and big-time sports.

Biggest Difference: The most shocking difference is the language. People talk differently than I do and seem more polite.

Best Part of UGA: My favorite thing about UGA is game day.

More or Less Racist: I would say that UGA is probably more racist than where I come from. Maybe that's just because I went to a very diverse high school, but I hear a lot more racist comments here.

Kelsey Montgomery, sophomore

City and state: North Potomac, Maryland

Why UGA: I came to UGA because I wanted an experience in a different, far away state.

Biggest Difference: The southern twang shocked me the most.

Best Part of UGA: I like how diverse Athens is since it’s not all college students.

More or Less Racist: UGA is more racist in my opinion. Race was never an issue at home. Here, I hear more racist jokes here, and, in Greek life, people vocalize that sororities should remain completely white.

better late than never...

I really love this CNN video about Diane Latiker. Without the video, I don't think the story would be news, but actually seeing the work that Diane does and how the kids respond to her makes what she's doing really resonate with an audience.

Drew Story 2

Erin Colvin, junior

City and state: Coronado (San Diego), California

Why UGA: Brutally honest answer: I came to UGA because my mom moved to Georgia after graduation and forced me against my will to go to UGA for the cheap tuition. Politically correct answer: I came to UGA because I wanted to go to a big, out-of-state, division I sports school.

Biggest Difference: The most shocking differences about UGA and the south are that the stereotypes of the south are generally very correct, and people eat SO much fast-food here.

Best Part of UGA: What I really love about UGA is that there are tons of great ways to get involved and meet people. There's literally something for everyone to get involved with, no matter what his or her interests may be.

More or Less Racist: UGA is much more racist than where I came from, which is something I was not expecting before getting here.

Justin Ruth, freshman

City and state: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Why UGA: My family is close by, and my sister attends school here, which made it feel more and more like home with every visit before I decided to attend.

Biggest Difference: People in the south are SO much nicer and more polite and appreciative. It's very warming and welcoming being from out-of-state.

Best Part of UGA: The best part of UGA is by far the people and the campus atmosphere. I love being part of a SEC sports community, especially since I plan to major in Sports Management.

More or Less Racist: I honestly do not see a difference between UGA and the north as far as racism goes.

Brittany Altman, sophomore

City and state: Telluride, Colorado

Why UGA: I wanted a big school in an area with warm weather and an impressive program for broadcast news.

Biggest Difference: The food was definitely the biggest difference from Telluride. The nearest fast-food chain or franchise to my hometown is an hour away.

Best Part of UGA: The friends I have made here are the most amazing friends I have ever had in my life and that has made the distance from home that much easier.

More or Less Racist: I guess UGA and my hometown have the same level of racism but in different ways. In my hometown, more people make racist comments casually. But in Georgia, I have noticed the people who make the same comments are to their core hateful of that group of people. The use of the n-word is the biggest difference I’ve seen. In Telluride, people would say "What's up, nigga" versus "F***ing niggers" in Georgia. Less people in Georgia make racial comments, but the ones that do are saying those comments to be malicious.

Tommy Carroll, senior

City and state: Alexandria, Virginia

Why UGA: My brother was recruited to play baseball at Emory. One weekend when I was visiting him, he had class, and I had nothing to do, so I drove up to Athens and loved it.

Biggest Difference: I was shocked to see how rare it was for kids from the Southeast to leave the Southeast for school. I felt like everyone from my hometown shot-gunned around the country – or at least would have it they could afford it. Southerners love the south.

Best Part of UGA: I love the family atmosphere. I do not consider the football team my favorite part, but rather the friends and family that come together because of it. The Classic City is pretty sweet, also.

More or Less Racist: It is unfair to generalize the entire student body, but as a whole I do think that UGA is more racist. I came from a pretty diverse and progressive town so the comparison is a little unfair. The Southeast in general felt the sting of slavery and segregation more than anywhere in the country, so the tension is understandable. That said, the presence of racism is far from justifiable, as it is anywhere. It was really difficult to get used to.

Evan Silverman, freshman

City and state: Rochester, New York

Why UGA: I came to UGA because it has everything I was looking for in a school: good academics, a nice college town, an awesome social scene, great weather and big-time sports.

Biggest Difference: The most shocking difference is the language. People talk differently than I do and seem more polite.

Best Part of UGA: My favorite thing about UGA is Game day.

More or Less Racist: I would say that UGA is probably more racist than where I come from. Maybe that's just because I went to a very diverse high school, but I hear a lot more racist comments here.

Kelsey Montgomery, sophomore

City and state: North Potomac, Maryland

Why UGA: I came to UGA because I wanted an experience in a different, far away state.

Biggest Difference: The southern twang shocked me the most.

Best Part of UGA: I like how diverse Athens is since it’s not all college students.

More or Less Racist: UGA is more racist in my opinion. Race was never an issue at home. Here, I hear more racist jokes here, and, in Greek life, people vocalize that sororities should remain completely white.

Ethical Dilemma in the R&B

The slew of sexual harassment stories that developed in the Red & Black after Jacob Demitt's article "Professor still teaches despite complaints" was hardly surprising. After you drop a bomb like that on a UGA staff member, and, let's be honest, the university as a whole, there's going to be a lot of follow up. But did the editors make the right ethical decision in deciding the run the story? Was it an absolutely essential article for the well being of the students or was it a cheap shot in order to increase readership? I vote none of the above. Assistant Professor Brett Tennent-Brown may not be able to sue the Red & Black for libel because of the paper's ultimate defense: the truth. But, just because you've got the facts straight, doesn't make the story right.

Issues I had with the story:

1. The timing: The initial allegations against this guy were in the summer of 2009, almost TWO years ago. Had the paper gotten this scoop even anytime during the 2009-2010 school year, it would have not only been relevant, but an essential read for the student body. There are direct quotes saying he hasn't had any problems since his position was up for review, which, in my opinion, makes this "new" news pretty old.

2. The focus: The Red & Black could have actually developed a pretty fantastic piece about the university's sexual harassment policy in general, while incorporating the lack of punishment for Tennent-Brown's extremely inappropriate behavior. Though they did make an attempt to take the whole thing in this direction in following issues of the paper that week, it was too late. The story was already built around an attack on Tennent-Brown's character, which, though the allegations were true, made the paper lose a bit of credibility in my eyes.

I think the editors should have utilized the important information they had about this particular professor's history at UGA as a little extra shock value in an already interesting story about UGA's sexual harassment policy - or lack thereof. It would have been much more tasteful and come across as less of a scoop the Red & Black obtained from some former student with a personal vendetta against Tennent-Brown. Ethically, journalists are required to provide information to the public - but there is also an ethical requirement for them to know how to convey it in the most informative, helpful and least-damaging way possible.

UGA Greeks stay segregated

Black or white, UGA students are going Greek.

But, fifty years after the desegregation of the university, Greek life at UGA remains fairly segregated.

“Our groups are obviously single-sex, but we encourage membership and promotion by mailing out information to every accepted student,” said Greek Life official Claudia Shamp, who added that membership for fraternities and sororities is open to any incoming students, regardless of their racial background.

Alisa Moran is a black sophomore at UGA majoring in history and social studies education and chose to pledge Alpha Chi Omega (AXO), a Panhellenic, and therefore a predominately white, sorority.

“I didn’t want to be just another ‘black girl,’” Moran said. “I wanted to be recognized for my personality and achievements as a student overall – black or white.”

Cydney Adams, a black freshman broadcast major, also pledged AXO.

“I hung out with a lot of white kids in high school,” Adams said. “My parents raised me not to care about race.”

Adams said that coming through rush, she wasn’t nervous because she already knew she wanted to be a part of the AXO sorority.

Moran, on the other hand, was concerned.

“I was afraid rush was going to be different for me because I’m black,” Moran said. “But now I realize that sororities choose someone ahead of time to talk to you every round, so my experience was overall a good one. Every house treated me with the same amount of respect.”

Moran said she could tell other people were nervous for her, too.

“Sometimes other girls would ask me how many houses I had been invited back to that round, almost assuming that it wouldn’t be very many,” Moran said. “But I had a full house schedule every day.”

Moran said her mother was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), a traditionally black sorority, when she was in college, but Moran did not feel pressured to follow in her footsteps.

“My mom was supportive, but worried everyday that I’d call and say I got cut,” Moran said. “She didn’t want me to get my hopes up.”

Since joining Panhellenic sororities, both Adams and Moran said their experiences have been positive.

“I instantly felt like I belonged to something,” Adams said. “I had a connection to everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Moran agreed.

“Since I’ve gotten into AXO, I think pledging was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Moran said. “I can be myself here. I feel at home.”

Moran said being a black female in a predominately white female setting doesn’t bother her. “I joke about being the black girl all the time, but to me it’s like, ‘Yeah Alisa’s the black girl, but Addie’s the ginger,’” she said, laughing. “What’s really the difference?”

Amber Thomas, a black sophomore majoring in mass media recently followed the path of her mother and aunts, joining an all-black sorority, AKA, in December.

“There are so many role models in my life who were AKAs,” Thomas said. “Pledging a Panhellenic sorority was never an option.”

Thomas said her family’s strong ties to AKA played a role in her decision, but that other people might decide to join one organization or another based on other factors.

“I just feel that some people are more comfortable around certain people,” Thomas said. “I went to a predominately black elementary, middle, and high school. I think a lot of your decision can depend on the environment you’re used to.”

Thomas explained the process to get into one of the traditional black sororities as much more discrete and secretive than the Panhellenic sororities.

“You have to fight to be in it,” Thomas said. “If you don’t find out about it beforehand, it’s not very easy to find out information about membership.”

Moran described this exclusivity as a turn-off. “Tradition can be great,” she said. “The whole reason these national black sororities got started is because they didn’t have a group for themselves. But in the 21^st century, some of that needs to change.”

Adams agreed. “Black sororities can be exclusive,” she said. “Panhellenic sororities aren’t hardcore recruiting black girls, but they aren’t turning anyone down either.”

Thomas, on the other hand, admired this trait. “It’s exclusive because it’s important,” she said. “We can’t solicit membership. AKA is too sacred.”

“If I were white, and there was a secret process or something like rush to choose from, I would probably choose something more open and welcoming,” Thomas said. “I can see the appeal.”

Thomas argued that Panhellenic sororities can be just as exclusive. “We hold programs, and anyone can come to the program,” she said. “I feel like Panhellenic sororities have more exclusive events.”

Thomas described helping her friends in a Panhellenic sorority get ready for a social with a fraternity. “I tried to go with them, but I couldn’t get in,” she said. “I got turned down at the door.”

Thomas recalled another experience where she was turned away from a traditionally white fraternity’s house. “They said they were only having girls from a certain sorority over that night,” she said. “Once you get rejected from a community of people once, it can be hard to forget about.”

Adams and Moran both agreed that their experiences at fraternities have sometimes been uncomfortable. “The only times I haven’t felt comfortable is with fraternity boys sometimes,” Adams said. “I don’t know if boys at fraternities choose not to pay attention to me because I’m black or just because they don’t want to pay attention to me. But if it is because I’m black, I wouldn’t want to talk to them anyway.”

Moran said she feels some guys just aren’t as accepting. “They would never date a black girl,” she said. “When we had a date night where our friends set us up with a blind date, I didn’t want my friend to get a guy that didn’t know I was black. I worry that he’ll show up and not be into it.”

But Moran also expressed discomfort when interacting with female members of the all-black sororities. “AXO has generally been way more accepting of me than girls in the black sororities have been,” Moran said. “Some of the girls in the black sororities claim that I walk around with an attitude because I’m a part of a Panhellenic sorority, but that’s just not my personality.”

Moran referenced a memory from her freshman year when she was on her way to a black fraternity party she had been invited to. “I ran into some girls in one of the black sororities in the elevator, and they knew who I was,” she said. “I remember they asked me if I was going to the party, and when I said I was, they said, ‘We don’t’ think you need to go, there will be problems if you show up.’”

Thomas said she could see why there might be some tension. “You’re really not making an effort to learn more about your culture and about women who have struggled to give you what you have now,” she said. “Our founders and our history are really important to us.”

Thomas said there was, nationally, one white undergraduate member in AKA last year, but that she didn’t see increased membership integration as part of Greek life’s future.

“I don’t really see sororities integrating more because the processes are so different,” Thomas said. “For Panhellenic sororities, everybody that goes through rush gets a chance to get looked at. That’s fair, but fair isn’t what’s important.”

Shamp cited the university’s currently skewed racial proportions as a potential part of the problem.

“The university has been working to increase diversity here,” Shamp said. “I think as the university increases student diversity, we will naturally see an increase in integration because there will be a bigger pool of diverse students to draw from. We don’t keep statistics on that information though, so I don’t even have a base line number to anticipate an increase from.”

Moran suggested some girls might not attempt to join sororities that are predominately outside of their race due to societal expectations.

“Are people afraid to go out for these groups or is there an expectation to keep the organizations one race?” Moran asked. “And even if a white female at UGA did try for a diverse sorority, would she be expected to act like that race?”

Adams said she doesn’t feel these pressures play a big role at UGA more than anywhere else. “I think that people think since UGA’s a south school, there’s all this segregation,” she said. “But I think it you pay attention, UGA is actually a pretty open campus.”

Moran and Thomas, however, both noted UGA’s location as potentially affecting racial interactions.

“I was reading an article about a black girl in Sigma Delta Tau, an all-Jewish sorority at UGA, somewhere in New York,” Moran said. “Maybe it just takes the south a while to catch on to certain things.”

Despite Thomas’s segregated prediction for Greek life membership, she mentioned AKA’s growing desire to interact more with multicultural and Panhellenic sororities. AKA has several events coming up that they are hosting with some of the other, non-black sororities.

But Moran still hopes to see increased membership integration, in addition to increased interaction.

“Panhellenic sororities can change,” Moran said. “So can they.”

Drew's Dream Job

I have two equally unrealistic dream jobs, which I guess is why they call it a "dream" job...

The first: I am a double major in Magazines and Human Geography. And so, everyone who has asked me the question "What's your major?" almost always follows that question with "So, you want to work for National Geographic?" I've always loved the idea of being a traveling writer. Writing has been a passion of mine for quite some time, and my experience in UGA's geography department has been truly amazing. I used to imagine myself working for the New York Times or the Washington Post, but my geography education has taught me that I would not be fully satisfied reporting breaking news on a day-to-day basis. I now yearn for a deeper understanding of what's happening. A magazine like National Geographic would give me the opportunity to not only present the world's happenings to a public audience, but also help society gain a more meaningful comprehensiveness of these events. I would love to join the Peace Corps after graduation to try out traveling and living in another country for an extended period of time. I think an experience like that could really help determine if National Geographic would be a good fit for me.

The second: Although, I would love to travel around and write about different cultures and societies, I have always been drawn to an even less realistic dream. I have been a musician for pretty much my entire life and part of me feels like I would regret not trying to continue to pursue that. I have already had several unbelievable musical opportunities and, although it can be hard to stay motivated with so much competition, my parents really want me to take a year or two after school to focus on my music. I love school and what I'm learning here, but, though it's hard for me to admit, being a traveling musician is my real dream job. I can probably attribute my laziness - as far as getting internships and joining Grady clubs goes - to my miniscule hope that my life will one day center around my real passion: music.

Students Still Segregated in UGA Greek Life

Black or white, UGA students are going Greek.

But with the 50^th anniversary of desegregation at the university, is Greek life a life of segregation?

Alisa Moran is a black sophomore at UGA majoring in history and social studies education and chose to pledge Alpha Chi Omega (AXO), a Panhellenic sorority, and therefore a predominately white sorority.

“I didn’t want to be just another ‘black girl,’” Moran said. “I wanted to be recognized for my personality and achievements as a student overall – black or white.”

Cydney Adams, a black freshman broadcast major, also pledged AXO.

“I hung out with a lot of white kids in high school,” Adams said. “My parents raised me not to care about race.”

Adams said that coming through rush, she wasn’t nervous because she already knew she wanted to be a part of the AXO sorority.

Moran, on the other hand, was concerned.

“I was afraid rush was going to be different for me because I’m black,” Moran said. “But now I realize that sororities choose someone ahead of time to talk to you every round, so my experience was overall a good one. Every house treated me with the same amount of respect.”

Moran said she could tell other people were nervous for her, too.

“Sometimes other girls would ask me how many houses I had been invited back to that round, almost assuming that it wouldn’t be very many,” Moran said. “But I had a full house schedule every day.”

Moran said her mother was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), a traditionally black sorority, when she was in college, but Moran did not feel pressured to follow in her footsteps.

“My mom was supportive, but worried everyday that I’d call and say I got cut,” Moran said. “She didn’t want me to get my hopes up.”

Since joining Panhellenic sororities, both Adams and Moran said their experiences have been positive.

“I instantly felt like I belonged to something,” Adams said. “I had a connection to everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Moran agreed.

“Since I’ve gotten into AXO, I think pledging was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Moran said. “I can be myself here. I feel at home.”

Moran said being a black female in a predominately white female setting doesn’t bother her.

“I joke about being the black girl all the time, but to me it’s like, yeah Alisa’s the black girl, but Addie’s the ginger,” Moran said, laughing. “What’s really the difference?”

Amber Thomas, a black sophomore majoring in mass media recently followed the path of her mother and aunts, joining an all-black sorority, AKA, in December.

“There are so many role models in my life who were AKAs,” Thomas said. “Pledging a Panhellenic sorority was never an option.”

Thomas said her family’s strong ties to AKA played a role in her decision, but that other people might decide to join one organization or another based on other factors.

“I just feel that some people are more comfortable around certain people,” Thomas said. “I went to a predominately black elementary, middle, and high school. I think a lot of your decision can depend on the environment you’re used to.”

Thomas explained the process to get into one of the traditional black sororities are being much more discrete and secretive than the Panhellenic sororities.

“You have to fight to be in it,” Thomas said. “If you don’t find out about it beforehand, it’s not very easy to find out information about membership.”

Moran described this exclusivity as a turn-off.

“Tradition can be great,” Moran said. “The whole reason these national black sororities got started is because they didn’t have a group for themselves. But in the 21^st century, some of that needs to change.”

Adams agreed.

“Black sororities can be exclusive,” Adams said. “Panhellenic sororities aren’t hardcore recruiting black girls, but they aren’t turning anyone down either.”

Thomas, on the other hand, admired this trait.

“It’s exclusive because it’s important,” Thomas said. “We can’t solicit membership. AKA is too sacred.”

“If I were white, and there was a secret process or something like rush to choose from, I would probably choose something more open and welcoming,” Thomas said. “I can see the appeal.”

Thomas argued that Panhellenic sororities can be just as exclusive.

“We hold programs, and anyone can come to the program,” Thomas said. “I feel like Panhellenic sororities have more exclusive events.”

Thomas described helping her friends in a Panhellenic sorority get ready for a social with a fraternity.

“I tried to go with them, but I couldn’t get in,” Thomas said. “I got turned down at the door.”

Thomas recalled another experience where she was turned away from a traditionally white fraternity’s house.

“They said they were only having girls from a certain sorority over that night,” Thomas said. “Once you get rejected from a community of people once, it can be hard to forget about.”

Adams and Moran both agreed that their experiences at fraternities have sometimes been uncomfortable.

“The only times I haven’t felt comfortable is with fraternity boys sometimes,” Adams said.

“I don’t know if boys at fraternities choose not to pay attention to me because I’m black or just because they don’t want to pay attention to me,” Adams added. “But if it is because I’m black, I wouldn’t want to talk to them anyway.”

Moran said she feels some guys just aren’t as accepting.

“They would never date a black girl,” Moran said.

“When we had a date night where our friends set us up with a blind date, I didn’t want my friend to get a guy that didn’t know I was black,” Moran explained. “I worry that he’ll show up and not be into it.”

But Moran also expressed discomfort when interacting with female members of the all-black sororities.

“AXO has generally been way more accepting of me than girls in the black sororities have been,” Moran said.

“Some of the girls in the black sororities claim that I walk around with an attitude because I’m a part of a Panhellenic sorority, but that’s just not my personality,” Moran said.

Moran referenced a memory from her freshman year when she was on her way to a black fraternity party she had been invited to.

“I ran into some girls in one of the black sororities in the elevator, and they knew who I was,” Moran said. “I remember they asked me if I was going to the party, and when I said I was, they said, ‘We don’t’ think you need to go, there will be problems if you show up.’”

Thomas said she could see why there might be some tension.

“You’re really not making an effort to learn more about your culture and about women who have struggled to give you what you have now,” Thomas said. “Our founders and our history are really important to us.”

Moran disagreed.

“I’m black, and I’m proud of my race,” Moran said. “But I don’t need to be in an all black sorority to feel that way.”

According to Thomas, there was, nationally, one white undergraduate member in AKA last year, but that she didn’t see increased membership integration as part of Greek life’s future.

“I don’t really see sororities integrating more because the processes are so different,” Thomas said. “For Panhellenic sororities, everybody that goes through rush gets a chance to get looked at. That’s fair, but fair isn’t what’s important.”

Moran asked some important questions.

“Are people afraid to go out for these groups or is there an expectation to keep the organizations one race?” Moran questioned. “And even if a white female at UGA did try for a diverse sorority, would she be expected to act like that race?”

Adams said she doesn’t feel these pressures play a big role at UGA more than anywhere else.

“I think that people think since UGA’s a south school, there’s all this segregation,” Adams said. “But I think it you pay attention, UGA is actually a pretty open campus.”

Moran and Thomas, however, both noted UGA’s location as potentially affecting racial interactions.

“I was reading an article about a black girl in Sigma Delta Tau, an all-Jewish sorority at UGA, somewhere in New York,” Moran said. “Maybe it just takes the south a while to catch on to certain things.”

Despite Thomas’s segregated prediction for Greek life membership, she mentioned AKA’s growing desire to interact more with multicultural and Panhellenic sororities.

According to Thomas, AKA has several events coming up that they are hosting with some of the other, non-black sororities.

But Moran still hopes to see increased membership integration, in addition to increased interaction.

“Panhellenic sororities can change,” Moran said. “So can they.”

Drew's close-up of Jordan

Even though this photo probably isn't the best quality, I really like it because it seems so genuine. I was definitely trying to embody the persona of a creepy photographer, but Jordan was an excellent model and didn't seem phased by my stalking. It is a candid picture, and it looks like a candid picture. That's what I like about it. This assignment taught me that when trying to capture photos of someone, catching someone off guard - when they're not posing - is often the best way.

Drew Davis's Favorite Photos

My friend James Roh is an amazing photographer who is about to graduate from Ohio University. He does profile pieces on social issues taking place throughout Ohio and predominately uses photos to tell stories of the people affected by the issue he's discussing. These particular photos are from a piece he did on homelessness in Ohio. He followed a couple, Del and Bev (pictured at the bottom), that recently became homeless in August of 2008 after battling substance abuse and a tough economy. He documented their struggle to rebuild their lives completely sober. I thought the photography was beautiful and revealing. He even captured them dumpster diving for food. He more recently did a piece on strippers, which also surprisingly captured really beautiful moments. You can check out more of his stuff (including the stripper photos - which I didn't know if I could include on this blog) at Jame's blog.

Drew Davis's Story Ideas

Theme: How is desegregation projected in modern society?

1) Greek life - what do the segregated greek organizations say about desegregation as a whole? Maybe interview the small percentage of black students involved in the Panhellenic and IFC Greek organizations.

2) Do organizations that are completely segregated perpetuate the isolation of racial groups from one another? (ex: NABJ)

3) What does the one multi-cultural class credit requirement say about UGA's prioritization of student's understanding of different backgrounds?

4) Is UGA's coverage of the 50th anniversary of desegregation thorough? Is the university over-glorifying the end of something that might still exist?

5) Do people from different backgrounds mix outside of the classroom? Maybe evaluate downtown and the proportions of black students and white students present compared to the proportion of black students and white students at the university as a whole.

6) What does this anniversary mean for the student body as a whole? Will it serve as a reminder to increase cultural tolerance and awareness?

7) Look at the attendance at the desegregation anniversary events. Are the students mainly black, white, both? Why?

8) Conduct a survey on how many students are actually aware about the events going on and who actually plans to attend them? Separate the students in terms of age, race, gender, etc.

9) Does the emphasis on the status of the relationship between black students and white students place other important ethnic minority groups on the back-burner?

10) Write a general opinion piece/editorial on whether or not the university is really "desegregated."

11) Do a study of the number of black students attending the university since desegregation. Has the number increased, decreased, stayed the same? Why or why not?

12) Write a basic coverage piece of one of the discussion panels being held to gain a sense of opinion from professionals in the field.

Drew Davis

My life consists of a series of contradictions...

My mother was raised as an Orthodox Jew, and my father was raised as a hardcore Catholic.

Apparently two very religious spouses make three very unreligious children.

My sister loved school so much that she now teaches at OSU, and my brother loathed school so much that he didn't make it through his first year at a university.

The only semi-recent photo I have of all three of us is one in which he is appearing to be academic.

All I really wanted from the academic world was an opportunity to ditch the U.S.

I refuse to learn a foreign language.

Born and raised in Ohio, my favorite type of environment has always been one surrounded with open-minded, intelligent, free-thinking people.

I willingly chose to go to school in Georgia.

I am working so hard at UGA that I have taken on another major.

I would drop out of school and be a traveling musician faster than it will take you to read this blog post.

I hate talking about myself.

I want to be famous.

I walk everywhere to keep my body healthy.

I eat an average of five meals a day (each almost always followed by something chocolate).

I am on UGA's executive board for Relay For Life.

Being around people who are dying makes me extremely uncomfortable.

By day, I am carefree and fearless - ready to take on the world and live on the edge.

I have nightmares almost every night.

Having a lot to do stresses me out.

I hate sitting still.

I hate blogs.

This is the second class I have decided to take (so far) that involves a blog.