THE VOL .91 NO.7
SOU’WESTER THE VOICE OF GSW
GSW HOSTS TEDX EVENT HIGHLIGHTING STUDENT PERSEVERANCE AND CREATIVITY
APRIL 2022 SINCE 1934
IN THIS ISSUE
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: CONNECTING STUDENTS PAGE 2
Interview with Dr. Grissett reveals how students are connected to culture and careers on campus.
BCM HELPS COMMUNITY PAGE 3
See how GSW students spent their spring break helping the Americus community.
ASK THE CANES: SENIOR EDITION PAGE 4 GSW Alumni Jazz Band. Video by Sabrina Hagler.
Sabrina Hagler Editor-In-Chief On Friday, April 8th, Georgia Southwestern hosted its first TEDx event in the Magnolia Manor Nursing Auditorium. Focusing on perpetuating perseverance and creativity on campus, 9 speakers presented on the challenges they have faced and how persevering and thinking creatively has enabled them to follow their dreams, make it against all odds to college, or even start a business and travel the world. In 2021, Jerome Harney, an online MBA student, approached Dr. Irina Toteva with the proposition to host a TEDx event to connect online students to the campus and the Americus community. With Provost Dr. Suzanne Smith as the TEDx licensee, that proposition came to life this month in the form of a compelling and pleasant event. The GSW Alumni Jazz Band filled the auditorium and lobby with music, playing upbeat and entertaining jazz. In the video above is Leah Anglin (vocals), Mike Green (trombone), Dr. Mark Laughlin (piano), Alex Helms (guitar), Russ Thompson (bass), and Lenard Martin Jr. (drums).
Check out four spotlighted seniors and find out what they have done at GSW and what they will bring with them into the future.
Ashley Carag, Lorelle Carey, and Jacqueline Granado. Photo provided by University Relations. Brandon Blue welcoming guests. Photo by Sabrina Hagler
The event was hosted by emcee Scott Westbrook and featured community presenters as well as 3 student speakers, Jacqueline Granado, Ashley Carag, and Lorelle Carey. These students are a testament to the vision of GSW as diverse and intellectual individuals that have persevered through their tribulations and devoted themselves to change.
Photo by University Relations.
Check out videos of the event on the TEDxGeorgiaSouthwesternU Youtube page and be on the lookout for future TEDx events at GSW! Photo by University Relations.
PAGE 2 CAMPUS RESOURCES
THE OFFICE OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: CONNECTING STUDENTS TO CULTURE AND CAREERS Talik Hill Staff Writer
Director of Experiential learning, Dr. Judy Orton Grissett, explains how the Office of Experiential Learning emphasizes culture on campus and how they can aid current and graduating students with career readiness. The pictures below were provided by the Office of Experiential learning.
Can you describe what the Capstone (INTL 3900) is about and the course assignments that students would have to do? “The capstone course is intended to be a completion experience following the attendance of six Windows to the World events, so after students attend six Windows to the World events they are enrolled in this capstone course. If a student came to GSW before Fall 2019 they are expected to write an essay that pulls together experiences of attending them as well as taking a cultural competence & awareness survey. Now, we’ve changed it that if a student came to GSW after Fall 2019 or later, they only have to do the survey, so it’s two different experiences for students depending on when they came to GSW, but both experiences focus on the cultural competence they’ve developed through the Window to the World program. For students that came before 2019, they had to take a brief survey at the end of the event, we don’t do that any longer and the questions asked made the student reflect on their experience and what they learned. What I meant by survey was that it’s a questionnaire of sorts that they had to complete afterward.” How can students apply for study abroad Programs and what course assignments should students expect to work on? “Presently, the University 4000 class goes on a multi-week trip during the semester, so they would be gone for two weeks and they would have two pre-trip meetings where they would talk about the country and its history, and they tend to be long, around about 4 hours long. So, it’s also about the people, culture, geography, etc. Then, they go on the trip and depending on the professor, they may have a reading that they would have to do on the trip that’s usually about the country and then, once they return from the multi week trip they will work on their presentations for the campus, describing their trip.”
What recommended methods, websites and/or resources do you encourage students to use who are struggling to find a job? “We are in the process of offering a platform called HandShake and we are supposed to implement that over the summer and students should have access to it in the fall. HandShake will be a place where students can go into and find job and internship postings. Until we have access to HandShake, students can contact me. I get a lot of job postings so I can help to connect students with jobs they aren’t aware of. Students could also email careers@ gsw.edu. The people who work in career readiness, they have access to different jobs. As far as online resources, right now, I would say Indeed is probably your best place, as well as LinkedIn.” Are students still able to contact you for help with job search after they’ve graduated? “Yes, we are in the process of increasing the number of career readiness tools and support systems for our students. So when students graduate they can reach out to me, there’s also alumni affairs that they can connect with, and I’ve been working with alumni affairs and they can also connect with the careers@gsw.edu, which is an email address that students can contact to learn more about anything like resumes, or to find a job, etc. In the near future, we will have more tools in that area, HandShake being one of them, but also more support staff that could help them, that’s a priority that GSW is working towards right now.”
PAGE 3 CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS
BAPTIST COLLEGIATE MINISTRY HELPS THE COMMUNITY Jackson Carlstrom Staff Writer Spring break gives college students the chance to take a break from their classes and studies, allowing them to relax halfway through the spring semester. But for the students who helped with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry’s spring break mission trip, the first half of spring break served as a time to volunteer and reach out to the community. The BCM Spring Break Mission Trip is an annual event held on the weekend of the beginning of Spring Break. For the previous two years, as a result of COVID, BCM’s mission trips have been local trips helping those throughout the Americus community.
Photos provided by GSW BCM.
Throughout the 2022 BCM spring mission trip, students helped the community by working to repair and restore the homes of families who needed help, volunteering at different churches, and helping at the Fuller Center for Housing. Alongside helping the larger Americus community, BCM also hosted a GSW International Students night, with several of GSW’s international students attending the event. BCM students and international students who attended were given a great opportunity to get to interact with each other over a meal and build connections and bonds, as well as learn more about each other’s backgrounds and what brought them to Georgia Southwestern. One of the many locations students volunteered at was a small Hispanic church in Preston, GA. Students got to interact with some of the church’s children, leading them in Sunday school. After leading Sunday school, the BCM students got to attend the church’s Sunday service and experience first-hand what a service in a Hispanic church is like. “It was so great to be in the community I live in and have the opportunity to help those who are hurting in the community instead of spending my spring break sitting at home all day like I would most spring breaks,” Colby Peavy said. “We actually just got to go back to one of the houses we worked on recently, and I can really see how God worked through us and brought a new sense of joy in that woman’s life.” The students who helped BCM with their mission trip were able to accomplish a lot over the course of five days, using their free time to help those in need in Americus.
PAGE 4
ASK THE CANES: SENIOR EDITION
In the last edition of volume 91 of the Sou’Wester, we’d like to close out this semester with a spotlight on the seniors of GSW. Before we send them out into the world to pursue their careers, check out what our graduates loved about GSW and what they will take from their experiences in college.
Moses Simmons Associate Editor and Photos Courtesy Of Alexis McNall
What I’ve done at GSW: I am part of Alpha Kappa Alpha, and a Zephyr since 2020. I work with FYE (first year experience), and am part of the Art and Sociology programs. What I liked most: I’ve enjoyed my sorority of course, and my art program because it’s 24 hour access and getting to work with any materials I want to work with. What I’m taking into the future: What I’m taking from GSW is the community, mostly with my sisters in AKA. Though definitely what I learned in my classes, like in the art department I learned to do film photography, which has been great. My extra thoughts: Go Canes!
Tripp Larkey
What I’ve done at GSW: The first thing that I did at GSW was join Chi Phi, and I’ve been part of that ever since Fall 2018. Then some brothers convinced me to join the Zephyrs, then Marshalls, then various honor societies, christian organizations in my junior and senior year. I’ve done my best to get the full GSW experience. What I liked most: I really appreciated that the school is small, yet you can blend in and do your own thing if you want. I personally enjoyed it because it made me become more outgoing, and come out of my shell more. What I’m taking into the future: I’m going to take interpersonal skills, learning, leadership skills, and memories into the future. My extra thoughts: I’m very appreciative of the school newspaper, I enjoy reading it and that it’s the oldest organization on campus. I hope to see it continue and grow stronger.
PAGE 5 Jacob Peed
What I’ve done at GSW: I’ve probably been part of too much. I was a Zephyr, a Storm Spotter and am currently a Marshall. I was on the Sou’Wester for a semester, and in BCM for all my years at GSW. I was in a play in the theater department. I died twice, it was great. I won the GSW talent show, and won homecoming king. Though it’s supposed to be a secret, I’ve also been Surge plenty of times. What I liked most: I like the relaxed atmosphere. It seems like everyone is trying to enjoy college while getting their degree. I enjoyed meeting down to earth people, international students, the rotary students that come. The community is the best part, the community is just really friendly and led to lifelong friends. The small class sizes led to better learning for me overall as well. What I’m taking into the future: Well definitely the memories, just all the charades we have gotten into, were fun. Driving around and playing on campus games like manhunt with friends will be with me forever. The relationships I’ve had with teachers, and all the people I’ve met on and off campus. Then of course my education and degree, which will travel. My extra thoughts: I’ve just really enjoyed GSW. It’s not Harvard, and I’m glad it’s not. I couldn’t handle that pressure. There’s way more to life than grades, even if you’re the smartest person in the world the rest of life still matters. GSW definitely gave me those relationships and social opportunities.
Sabrina Hagler
What I’ve done at GSW: I’ve done a couple of things, though the first thing organization-wise was the newspaper. I’ve done that since my freshman year in 2019. It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s changed so much since then. I’m also a Zephyr, and I just really like meeting new people which I also get to do at the writing center. What I liked most: You form really deep connections with the people at GSW. You can do a lot of things that make an impression, that wouldn’t on a larger college. I’ve gotten some of my internships from making waves in some of my classes. This let me meet other people from that internship, who introduced me to others. This snowballed into everything I do. What I’m taking into the future: So much! I’ve definitely formed a love of meeting new people. I’m more confident in myself and my work because I was able to get all this experience. Lifelong friendships as well, I’m sure I’ve met people at GSW that I’ll know for a long time. My extra thoughts: I guess my senior wisdom is to make waves and do your work, but also believe in your capabilities. A lot of the time people think, “Oh I shouldn’t do this, someone else is better than me.” Someone has to do it, you know. Someone has to get that job or that internship, why can’t it be you?
MEET OUR WRITERS
Jackson Carlstrom Staff Writer jcarlstr@radar.gsw.edu
Sabrina Hagler Editor-in-chief shagler1@radar.gsw.edu
Talik Hill Staff Writer thill19@radar.gsw.edu
Moses Simmons Associate Editor asimmo10@radar.gsw.edu
Dr. Ashley P. Jones Faculty Advisor ashley.jones@gsw.edu
FIND US ONLINE!
gsw.edu/souwester @gsw_souwester The opinions expressed in the Sou’Wester are not necessarily those of the university or student body. Viewer discresion is advised.