Category Archives: News

Final Projects, News

Fear For Their Families, Friends and Futures: UGA Students on the Executive Orders on Immigration

For first-year Public Health major Aya Mansour, the idea of having her extended family come visit her in Athens was a dream she knows can’t become a reality anytime soon.

“As a Syrian who has family trying to leave Syria, this ban diminished my hopes of ever being able to see them again,” Mansour said, shaking her head at the idea of never seeing her 76-year-old grandmother again who’s been denied a visa on multiple occasions.

She’s referring to the executive orders on immigration issued by President Trump on Jan. 25 and March 6. The bans have interrupted the lives of those with student visas, those with family in the six countries on the banned list, and thousands more across the country.

The first executive order on immigration imposed a 90-day travel ban on seven countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – and denied all admission of Syrian refugees. The revised executive order, released in early March, removed Iraq from the list and put a 120-day hold on the Syrian refugee admissions program.

International students originate from 124 countries, four of which are on the banned list. Seven undergraduate students and 56 graduate are from Iran, and two graduate students are from Somalia and Sudan, respectively. Another undergraduate student is from Iraq, but the country has since been removed from the list of countries restricting temporary travel.

Although no University of Georgia students were immediately affected, many were troubled by the apparent lack of support from the administration and feared for future repercussions for their families. The university issued a statement following the first executive order on Jan. 25 to declare its intent to monitor the situation and provide assistance should anyone have questions or concerns. Other universities, such as the University of Michigan, issued statements saying it was against their policy to voluntarily share any information regarding the status of their international students. Only a subpoena would force them to do so.

The president of UGA, Jere Morehead, released a follow-up message after the school received backlash after the first statement was released to “express [his] strong and unwavering support for [the university’s] international faculty, staff, and students.” Unsatisfied, students, faculty, and local Athens community members spoke up against the executive orders by hosting a March for Immigrants on Feb. 3 from the Tate Plaza to the UGA Arch. Participants, such as fourth-year International Affairs major Mehreen Karim, said it’s “really about [her] community, not [her].”

But to some, statements and protests aren’t enough to erase their fears. Adnan Al-Atassi, a third-year Management and Information Systems major whose parents originate from Syria, said his friends and family are concerned for the future and the uncertainty the orders bring. As cited in the New York Times, “nearly 40 percent of colleges are reporting overall declines in applications from international students,” with the biggest decline coming from Middle Eastern countries. More graduate programs have seen a decline in applications than undergrad, a number that aligns with the University of Georgia’s 2-to-1 international graduates to undergraduates’ ratio.

“I have family who have canceled trips here because they are afraid of changes the administration will make while they are in the country,” Al-Atassi, who was born in Jeddah, said. “I also have friends overseas who were top of their class who are opting to go to Europe instead of going to school in the U.S.”

 

The ban, Al-Atassi continued, “alienates people.” And he’s right. The ban targets primarily Muslim-majority countries with no basis for its claims to protecting our national security. The countries on the list are not more likely to produce terrorism, as some may claim, than other countries around the globe. For example, the terrorists who hijacked the planes on September 11, 2001 were from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, none of which are on the list for the travel ban.

First-year Biology major Linda Sghayyer agrees. In a short documentary titled “Dear Mr. President: What Muslim Youth Want President Trump to Know,” Sghayyer talks about how banning Muslims overseas doesn’t only affect them, but the Muslim community as a whole and the impact it has on families.

“By banning some Muslims from coming here, you’re like, not only affecting them, you’re affecting us,” Sghayyer said. “Imagine if you could not see your daughter because of your religion.”

Luqman Elrifadi, a first-year International Affairs major with dual Libyan and American citizenship, said he and his brother may not be here had their parents immigrated sooner from Libya.

“My parents were accepted into America in the ‘90s as political refugees,” Elrifadi said. He took it as a “personal insult” not only to himself but to his extended family and “all oppressed peoples who found safety and security in America.”

Even before the orders were issued, students were reported by The Intercept to have had their student visas revoked after traveling abroad over the winter break. More than 16,600 students in the U.S. were affected by the ban, according to the the Institute of International Education. Many were unable to board flights back home after trips and others were detained in airports upon their arrivals. More than 100 cases had been filed around the world a day after the ban went into effect, News Week reported. Hundreds of lawyers signed up with agencies across the country to volunteer their time and services to aid the thousands affected by the ban and hundreds more showed up on their own accord to provide pro bono services.

College is tough enough without the impending fear of being barred from re-entry into a country one may temporarily call home. The temporary blocks on the bans may be effective for the time being, but if another executive order is issued or the timespan for the block is up, there’s no telling what may lay in store for students, travelers, refugees, and hundreds of thousand innocent civilians looking to come across our borders.

“This is the land of peace and freedom,” Mansour stated. But with this ban, she concluded, clearly we’ve “been proven wrong.”

MOTS, News

An Athens Perspective on Growing Social Activism after the Election

Following the recent election, political activism in Athens, Georgia has not slowed, according to an informal poll conducted by JOUR 3190.

All of the dozen interview respondents said they were at least as politically active now as before the election—and in some cases more politically aware.

When asked if they voted in the presidential election in November, three of the 12 interviewed said they did not.

Amelia Grace Wolfe, a 19-year-old UGA student said she was out of the country during the election, but also “didn’t want to be ignorant” while voting.

Katie Morgan, 20-year-old student at UGA

Another Athens resident, Ike Astuti from Indonesia, said she was not a citizen so she could not vote.

Although Astuti did not vote, she expressed a unique opinion when asked how she felt about the demonstrations against the Trump administration and said though the policies protested did not directly affect her, it was very common to see disagreement among citizens and the government.

She said that both, the citizens and the government, have to come from a place of understanding in order for progress to be made.

According to the poll conducted, only three of the 12 interviewed said they became more politically active after the election.

Riley King, a 25-year-old Athens resident, was concerned about the impact of the protests.

King said, “Demonstrations are great, but they lose their purpose if they don’t cause any actual change,” but continued to say that he still believes protests should happen.

“It’s important to challenge what you oppose…one person has very little power. A lot of people have a lot,” said Keaton Law, a political science and history major at the University of Georgia.

Law said he participated in the late January and early February Atlanta Women’s March, Atlanta airport protests and the Immigrants March in Athens.

Tyra Roberts, a 19-year-old finance student at UGA did not participate in any demonstrations but said, “Prior to this election, I feel like a lot of people weren’t really engaged in politics.”

“I think we’re realizing if we don’t use our voice and actually speak out, this is what can happen,” said Roberts. referring to the election of Donald Trump.

Eight of the 12 polled said they became more politically aware after the election, and those who said they did not were either already politically aware before or their amount of interest did not increase.

Robert Poole, a 25-year-old law student at UGA, said that his awareness did not change after the election since law students are generally more aware.

When asked what Poole thought of the demonstrations around Athens and the rest of the country, he said, “I think it is kind of our political system at work, especially because even though it kind of seems messy, it is a good sign that citizens still have the ability to speak either for or against the election and not have to fear prosecution for that.”

Eloise Rodgers Hancock, a 68-year-old resident of Athens, had a more cautionary view on the growing protests and thought the demonstrations needed to stay “cool, calm and collected.”

Stephen Tyler, 24-year-old Athens resident
MOTS, News

Athens Residents Discuss Opinions on Trump’s Planned Legislations

A few weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency, residents of Athens, Georgia, are more politically engaged and outspoken than ever, according to an informal poll conducted by JOUR 3190. These voiced opinions became known through an informal interview of University of Georgia students about their thoughts about Trump’s planned legislations, executive orders, and how they feel he has held his campaign promises.

Twelve people were interviewed at the Arch in downtown Athens; eight students, two servers, a retail worker, and a retired businessman.

Of the 12 people interviewed about Trump’s planned legislations, the majority has large issues and strongly disagrees with Trump’s views, current legislations, and his future plans. The interviewees were asked about their thoughts regarding whether or not Trump has held true to his promises made throughout his campaign, the immigrant ban, the Dakota and Keystone pipelines, the wall that is planned to be built between the US and Mexico, and finally, what their thoughts are on the demonstrations acted out post-election.

The initial question asked of all 12 participants, who were all of legal voting age, was whether or not they had voted in this past year’s election. Eleven of the 12 participants had voted in the election.

“I think that was maybe one of the worst moves president’s made in the history of the United States,” stated Aakash Malhotra, 19, when asked about his opinion on Trump’s proposed immigrant ban. As a UGA student from Alpharetta, Malhotra believes that Trumps ban is rash and will not serve this nation’s problems long term. He says it is foolish and makes America look “stupid”.

Malhotra was not the only one interviewed that shared this opinion.

Will Leftridge, 23, supports Trump and his planned legislations.

Will Leftridge, a 23-year-old UGA student was quick to point out that he “loves Trump.” Leftridge said that he believes that Trump’s plans are educated, organized, and will benefit our country in the long run. Of all 12 people interviewed Leftridge was the only interviewee who strongly supported Trump and every single one of his planned legislations.

“From a procedural standpoint it was very haphazard and had a lot of ill effects, never mind the fact that it’s just totally not necessary in term or preventing terrorism and things like that…It’s a complete political obfuscation,” said Gus Elliot a 26 year old graduate student at UGA pictured below, discussing his opinion on the immigrant ban.

Gus Elliot, 26, believes that Trump’s immigrant ban is “haphazard.”

Kelsey Reeves, 19-year-old from Savannah, was quick to point out that we are all here because of immigration and this country was founded on immigration when asked about the immigrant ban. “We were founded on everyone coming over here, so why stop that now?” said Reeves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOTS, News

Athens Residents Voice Mixed Opinions on Recent Trump Executive Orders

Just weeks into the presidency of Donald Trump, some Athens residents remain skeptical about the new administration, telling JOUR 3190 that recent executive orders underscored their concerns about Trump.

Of the 12 people interviewed, only one voiced full satisfaction with both how President Donald Trump had remained consistent with his campaign promises and the executive orders announced thus far in the presidency.

Claudia Luna, a 23-year-old student said the Southern Wall is disheartening.

The other 11 interviewees voiced a range of opinions from dissatisfaction to disdain when asked about past actions of President Trump and his current executive orders such as the immigration Ban and the building of the wall.

When asked about the building of the wall between U.S. and Mexico, Claudia Luna, a 23-year-old student said: “I was upset because that’s not fair.”

“First of all, I think building a wall is ridiculous,” said Luna. “My family is from Mexico. So to hear that, that was just really disheartening.”

Similarly, Tom Deal, a 56-year-old resident of Atlanta, called the wall a “boondoggle,” adding that in his view it will be a “big waste of time and money.”

National polls conducted by Politico in early February found that approximately 48 percent of Americans are in favor of the construction of the wall. The same poll also said 55 percent of Americans favored the immigration ban.

Despite these national results, from the 12 Athens residents interviewed last week, a majority voiced strong displeasure in these executive orders.

Gus Elliott, a 24-year-old grad student said the Immigration Ban is haphazard.

“[The immigration Ban] was very haphazard and it had a lot of ill effects, never mind the fact that it’s totally not necessary in terms of preventing terrorism,” said Gus Elliott, a 26-year-old graduate student from Valdosta. “It is a complete political obfuscation.”

When asked if these executive orders came as a surprise, there was a general consensus that, based on Trump’s campaign promises, most were skeptical but not entirely caught off guard when Trump did in fact follow through on his major campaign promises.

“A lot of it just sounded like bull to me. It still sounds like a lot of bull so he is consistent on that,” said  23-year-old student Hannah Smith.

“I guess the stuff he talked about – what he was campaigning – we never thought would actually happen. But he has had some executive orders that do really follow through with that…in a scary way,” said Rachel Terns, a 21-year-old student from UGA studying Public Relations.

JOUR 3190 posed six questions to each of the individuals, surveying them on their opinions of these executive orders as well as the so-called “resistance” movements which followed the proposal of such executive orders.

Though few interviewees participated in demonstrations such as organized rallies and marches, the overall opinions of these demonstrations were mixed among those interviewed.

“I do not agree with them because most of those people have not given Trump a chance yet. I think it is definitely dividing everyone in the country,” Will Veringa, a 19-year-old student studying Finance at UGA said.

In contrast, some were supportive despite not personally participating in the demonstrations themselves.

Feredock, a 20-year-old visitor from Savannah, voiced a different opinion. “I think they are good. We are standing together which is obviously what everyone needs. For privileged people, our votes and voices are louder, so we need to help out.”

MOTS, News

Athens residents have become more politically active, according to poll

In light of the executive order on immigration implemented by the new administration, many now feel as though they are more politically active, according to an informal poll of University of Georgia students and local Athens residents conducted last week by JOUR 3190.

Katie Morgan, a second year student who says she has not become more politically active

While they may feel politically engaged now, not all of those interviewed felt the same way during the election. Of the 12 people interviewed, three did not vote in the recent presidential election.

“If I actually want to vote and make an impact, I want to have information to vote,” said Amelia Grace Wolfe, a 19-year-old student from Augusta. She did not vote in the presidential election because she was out of town and missed the deadline to fill out an absentee ballot.

Another interviewee, Ike Astuti, a 35-year-old student from Indonesia, did not vote because she is not an American citizen. Although not immediately affected, Astuti thinks it is common to see disagreement among the political parties but believes both need to come from a place of understanding.

All interviewees said they were either at the same level of political consciousness or more aware than they had been prior to the election.

“I have definitely continued to monitor the election since it has happened,” said Robert Poole, a 25-year-old law student from Marietta. Poole believes he is generally more aware because he is a law student.

The same three people who did not vote also claim to not be more politically active. Others, such as sophomore Keaton Law, are participating in demonstrations against the actions taken by the new administration.

Law, a history and political science major, said he attended the March for Immigrants at the UGA Arch on Feb. 3 and the protest against the executive order on immigration at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Jan. 24.

“It’s a good thing for people to rally around what they believe in. It’s important to challenge what you oppose,” Law said.

Many were aware of the demonstrations against the new administration, but some, such as Stephen Tyler, a 24-year-old Athens resident, were only aware of them either as they were happening or after.

Stephen Tyler, a 24-year-old Athens resident who says the demonstrations are a good way to raise awareness

Tyra Roberts, a sophomore finance major, said, “Prior to this election, I feel like a lot of people weren’t really engaged in politics but I think we’re realizing if we don’t use our voice and actually speak out, this is what can happen.”

Roberts is referring to the executive order on immigration, banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Students conducting the interviews posed five questions to determine who voted in the presidential election, whether they were more politically aware, more politically active, were aware of demonstrations against the administration, how they felt about them and if they participated in any.

Although a majority of those interviewed were in favor of the protests, some said they were a bit skeptical.

“Demonstrations are great, but they lose their purpose if they don’t cause any actual change,” Riley King, a 25-year-old Athens resident said. He does not participate in any demonstrations.

Likewise, Eloise Rodgers Hancock, a 65-year old Athens resident, believes that although people have the right to protest peacefully, they should keep demonstrations “cool, calm, and collected.”

Backgrounder, News

The Classic Center: A local staple for over a century

Since 1912, a city building at 300 N. Thomas Street has been an important part of life in Athens-Clarke County. That said, over the past century, the building’s purpose and structure have evolved.

At the time of its construction, what is now called the Classic Center was known as Fire Hall Number 1. It also served as the city’s main station and central meeting place.

Jumping forward a few decades, plans were made in 1987 to start discussing renovation and expansion of the building, although construction didn’t begin until 1994. The plans included some large additions, including a 28,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 2,000- seat theater, and an 18,000 square foot ballroom.

The expansion was pricey. “The $ 3.2 million project to build two large ballrooms in the Foundry Street Warehouse, spruce up the theater and replace the building’s sprinkler system has to be done in time for a big convention in two months.” WHAT IS THE SOURCE FOR THIS? The full expansion did not come to a close until 2013.

Today the facility serves as a conference center, theater, sporting event venue and so much more. According to its online calendar, it serves as a locale for Athens Wine Weekend, 3rd Annual Pickled Peach Pickleball Tournament, Athens Home & Garden Show, and All-State Chorus, Ophelia Santos, Wine Styles Guru, and Chateau Elan and the Wine Revolution by Simone Bergese just to name a few of the events scheduled for this upcoming month.

The venue operators are accustomed to regularly selling out concerts, conferences and shows. According to LexisNexis NAME THE ORIGINAL SOURCE the Classic Center’s net sales were $692,082 for 2016.

Athens- Clarke County greatly benefits from this place located right in the heart of downtown.  According to visitathensga.com, the Classic Center “brings together state-of-the-art technology and unparalleled customer service in a convention venue that features new and modern spaces perfectly paired with restored historic structures.”

 

http://twitter.com/search?f=images&vertical=default&q=the%20classic%20center%20athens&src=typd

 

Backgrounder, News

History, Heritage and Entertainment in the Classic City

An unprecedented black establishment plunges its roots deep in a segregated Southern city to provide the first successful blossoming of black culture and entrepreneurship still evident in the Classic City of Athens, Georgia, over a century later.

A hub for black culture in Athens, the Morton Theatre was located in the heart of the historic black business district on Hull and Washington Street, commonly known as the Hot Corner.

Built in 1910, the Morton Theatre stands as one of the first black run business and cultural institutions in Athens. This theater provided a meeting ground for the black community and facilitated a surge of black entrepreneurship and culture that Athens might have otherwise lacked.

“From one end to the other, it was a black operation. We can’t find another one that can make that claim,” Bill Herringdine, president of the Morton Theatre Corp told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1993.

According to the Morton Theatre website, the Morton is one of the longest standing vaudeville theaters built in the United States and offered itself as the first the professional black business district in the segregated Southern city.  From professional black business occupants such as doctors, dentists and pharmacists, to performing arts of both local and well-known artists, to black activist organizations, the Morton Theatre is a host to a plethora of influential Athens culture.

Unfortunately, according to a 1994 Atlanta Journal-Constitution report, a fire broke out in the projection booth in 1954 resulting in the fire marshal’s orders to shut down the lower theater level due to inefficient fire exit availability. Despite this, various street level business sections continued operation.

The theater was reopened in the fall of 1993 following a management agreement between Athens-Clarke County government and the Morton Theatre Corporation.

”The Morton Theatre provides an opportunity for cultural rejuvenation; to visit a past all but forgotten,” John Jeffreys, a Clarke County Commissioner, told the New York Times in 1988. ”It was the home of blacks when the performing arts and economic development were thriving.”

 

The reopening of the Morton allowed for the theater to function again as a performing arts space and stand as a continuing reminder of the cultural influences Morton left on the city of Athens.

Morton Theatre Corp. on Twitter: “Great Hot Corner 2013 weekend! pic.twitter.com/iiaElUieHs / Twitter”

Great Hot Corner 2013 weekend! pic.twitter.com/iiaElUieHs

Backgrounder, News

The Tree That Owns Itself: A living monument

The University of Georgia, home of the Georgia Bulldogs, received criticism from the greater Athens community when it cut down trees during a 1999 expansion of Sanford Stadium, Clint Williams wrote in an article for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Although the community was standing up for the rights of those half dozen trees that were destroyed, it has a true appreciation for one tree in particular: the “Tree That Owns Itself.”

The landmark tree is planted on the corner of Dearing and Finley streets in the city of Athens, Georgia.

However, as Rebecca McCarthy explained in her 1996 article “A Tree with Rights,” the tree that stands there today is actually the offspring of the original “Tree That Owns Itself,” which fell during a storm in 1942.

The father “Tree That Owns Itself” was estimated to be around 100 feet tall and 400 years old, according to McCarthy.

McCarthy wrote that “in about 1820, Col. William Henry Jackson deeded to the original oak the land it stood on and eight feet of surrounding property” because the colonel wanted to protect the tree out of love.

Although there is no evidence of the deed, the community protected the agreement and protested against the construction of a street that would have cut through the oak’s home.

Because of the complaints, the street had to be detoured around the tree and the surrounding 8 feet, according to a 1946 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In 1946, four years after the original tree died, members of the Junior Ladies’ Garden Club announced that they would plant the seedling of the “Tree That Owns Itself” from a stripling of the oak donated by Capt. and Mrs. Jack Watson.

At the 50-year anniversary celebration of the new tree in 1996, Dan Magill, son of Dan Magill Sr. who first proposed to plant the offspring after the original tree fell, said, “Paris has its Eiffel Tower; New York its Empire State Building and San Francisco its Golden Gate Bridge – but Athens has a beautiful living monument that changes with the seasons,” according to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Visit Athens GA on Twitter: “Happy Anniversary to the #AthensGA Tree That Owns Itself! – Farmers’ Almanac – https://t.co/azTLSNEPpe / Twitter”

Happy Anniversary to the #AthensGA Tree That Owns Itself! – Farmers’ Almanac – https://t.co/azTLSNEPpe

Backgrounder, News

Memorial Park: A brief history

Memorial Park, a historic landmark in Athens, Georgia, has served as a backdrop for medical patients, annual traditions and occasional tragedies for over 50 years.

Settled in the Five Points neighborhood, Memorial Park is one of the most popular places in Athens for families because of its amenities. The park contains a swimming pool, a lake, the Birchmark Trail and Bear Hollow Zoo.

In the 2013 article “A Five Points Treasure for Fifty Years,” Charles Rowland explained how the park was first established as a sanitarium in 1924 but was later transformed into a park for children and families in 1945. One of its first buildings, a hospital called Fairhaven, was renovated into a theater and now hosts programs and performances.

“The building’s renovation was carefully done to allow for modern improvements that will ensure the place continues to be used while it still retaining some of its historical integrity,” Rowland wrote.

According to a 2015 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Memorial Park holds an annual Memorial Day festival where “re-enactors dress in authentic uniforms and equipment to portray soldiers from ancient Romans to Texas Rangers.”

Georgia Heights on Twitter: “Commemorate Memorial Day at Athens Memorial Park on Monday, May 30 from 1pm – 3pm. Don’t miss out! #GeorgiaHeights pic.twitter.com/iVO4wddJtv / Twitter”

Commemorate Memorial Day at Athens Memorial Park on Monday, May 30 from 1pm – 3pm. Don’t miss out! #GeorgiaHeights pic.twitter.com/iVO4wddJtv

Not all events associated with the park have been positive. In 2008, a woman named Cayle Bywater went missing at Memorial Park and, two weeks later, her body was recovered from the lake at the park, according to the Augusta Chronicle. Bywater seemed “to [not] have been the victim of violence.” The case was ruled an accidental drowning and a memorial service was held in her honor at the park on Jan. 20, 2007.

As the first park in Athens, “[Memorial Park] remains a special treasure for Five Points,” Rowland wrote.