The Student Activity Fee (SAF), may increase by $26 a year starting next semester if the Board of Trustees votes to change it this weekend. The current fee is $75 per semester.

The Student Activities Fee pays for all Berry sponsored events and is managed by the SGA’s Budget and Finances committee. The money is also distributed to different organizations officially sponsored by Berry. The fee increase will help groups like KCAB expand.

Sophomore Jessica Gross, SGA treasurer, detailed the reasons for the change.

“Every student (already) pays $75 each semester to go towards student activities fees, and this is a fee that’s paid by every student on every campus in the United States,” Gross said. “But ours is extremely low and we do a lot of events on campus, and we want the chance to make events at Berry bigger and better.”

Gross said that compared to other campuses, Berry’s student activity fee is very low and has remained so for years.

“We’ve never increased the rate at all, so based on general inflation and overall raising of prices, there has been an overwhelmingly positive response to raising the student activity fees,” she said.

Gross said the change comes as a response to an unprecedented funds shortage encountered earlier this year.

“We have never gotten close to (using) all the funds provided each year, and then this year we had to turn away allocation requests because we couldn’t afford it based on the original student activity fee,” Gross said. “We needed more funds in order to provide for what groups on campus want to do. It’s for all of the organizations on campus to do what they want to do.”

Gross said that with an inadequate fund, SGA had to make hard decisions about how to allocate the SAF.

“We had to be more specific and very careful about the requests we received,” she said. “We had to be very clear about what to allocate to … there were some groups we couldn’t allocate as much to as before, so that we could allocate funds to as many events that promote campus vibrancy. We limited travel requests to groups that were competing for Berry. The only other group was KCAB, which goes to a conference to decide every performer that comes to Berry’s campus.”

The fee change was met with unanimous support by SGA and the Student Life Council. It goes for a vote by the Board of Trustees this weekend.

“It’s been approved by the SGA and the Student Life Council, and it

has now moved onto the Board of Trustees, who approve all budget changes for the school year, and they’ll vote on it this weekend,” Gross said. “26 extra dollars may

not seem like much, but it will go a long way.”

Europe still safe for study abroad students

May 1, 2014vol. 105, #25

OPINIONS 4

FEATURES 6

ENTERTAINMENT 8

SPORTS 10

IAN HINZEnews editor

Cotton Patch Gospel p. 8ca

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VIKINGFUSION.COM @CAMPUSCARRIER

Feb. 19, 2015

vol. 106, #17

In recent weeks, terrorist attacks in Paris, France, and Copenhagen, Denmark, have rocked Europe, which may lead some students considering studying abroad to think twice before signing up to study in Europe.

But several Berry students abroad this semester say that other students shouldn’t let these attacks deter them from enjoying a semester in Europe.

“I’ve been in Paris for a little over a week, and the sense that I get is that no one is really visibly worried about another attack,” junior Olivia Cain said. “It’s probably because they have upped security here since then. Now you can see police and the occasional group of armed soldiers around the city, mostly around really popular sites like Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower as well as at airports.”

Cain said that while terrorism isn’t a primary concern, a different criminal element is alive and well in Paris.

“The main concern here that they warned us about on our program was pickpockets, mostly because losing your wallet with your ID, passport and potentially all of your money and cards and other valuables could be really problematic,” Cain said.

Cain had simple advice for students interested in studying abroad.

“If you have the means to go to a different country to study for a semester, do it. Make sure to really immerse yourself in the local culture,” Cain said. “Speak the language, eat what the locals eat and make friends with people who aren’t from your country. The experience is far more enriching that way.”

Several students studying at the University of Glasgow in Scotland had something to say about the state of affairs in Europe, among them sophomore Lydia Schlitt.

“Attacks on human life with the intent to foster fear are a tragedy that plague the world we live in,” Schlitt

said. “The attacks in Paris and other cities were horrific, and I empathize with the family and friends of the victims. However, we do nothing but aid the aggressors if we run and hide out of fear.”

Schlitt has a message for students having doubts about studying abroad.

“There is a difference between fear and caution,” she said. “Being cautious when you travel is no more than an application of looking both ways when you cross the street. Why let fear dictate your life? Enjoy the benefits of being young and not being tied down to anything. Travel the world. Just be careful and smart about the decisions you make.”

Sophomore Lesli Marchese, also currently at the University of Glasgow, said terrorism is not a concern at the front of most students’ minds.

“We’re going to Paris in a few weeks, and no one’s particularly concerned,” Marchese said. “It just doesn’t affect us here.”

Students interested in a semester abroad can find more information on VikingWeb. The deadline for fall 2015 study abroad application is March 1.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Index

Trustees to vote on Student Activity Fee IAN HINZEnews editor

Student Activity Fee Per Year2014-2015

Rhodes College (Memphis, Tenn.)

$310

Birmingham-Southern (Birmingham, Ala.)

$448 Hendrix College (Conway, Ark.)

$350

Oglethorpe University (Atlanta, Ga.)

$300

Berry College (Mount Berry, Ga.)

$150

GRAPHIC BY CHELSEA HOAG, managing editor

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ABOVE ARE similar to Berry in population and academics.

Prison system p. 4

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VIKINGFUSION.COM @CAMPUSCARRIER

Police BeatALCOHOLOn Feb. 14 a student was arrested at Deerfield Hall for an underage alcohol violation.

MEDICAL ASSISTOn Feb. 15 officers responded to a medical assist at the Krannert Center.

THEFTOn Feb. 17 the science department reported $154 stolen.

MEDICAL ASSISTOn Feb. 17 officers responded to a medical assist at the Krannert Center.

The Carrier is hiring for the positions of deputy news editor, copy editor and assistant features editor.

Email campus_carrier@berry.edufor more information.

Winston Churchill paintings at Oak Hill“The Art of Diplomacy: Winston Churchill

and the Pursuit of Painting” exhibit at Oak Hill opened Friday with a lecture by history professor Jonathan Atkins and a guided tour of the exhibition on Monday. The exhibit consists of six paintings by Churchill, as well as a number of artifacts from his life. Churchill was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.

The paintings will be on display at Oak Hill through March 15.

PHOTOS BY JASON HUYNH, photojournalism editor

3February 19, 2015

THE DIXIE HIGHWAYThis lecture in “The World Around Berry” series will be held in Krannert Ballroom on Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. CE

MEDICAL MYSTERY DINNERJoin the Allied Health Club for free dinner and solve a theatrical medical mystery in Krannert Ballroom on Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m.

“THE HELP”The last movie in the BSA’s Black History Month film series is showing in Evans Auditorium on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. CE

SPIRITUAL MISSIONS RETREATSign up in the Chaplain’s office in Krannert 327 for this event, sponsored by Winshape, being held from Feb. 27 to Mar. 1.

INOTHERNEWS

CAREER & INTERNSHIP FAIROver 45 different employers and organizations will be present in Krannert Ballroom on Feb. 24 from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m.

“TE DOY MIS OJOS”The spanish language movie, translated as “Take my Eyes,” will be playing in the Memorial Library Sandbox on Feb. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m.

KABIN KOFFEEHOUSEEnjoy coffee and music performed by students in the Morgan Jewel Box on Feb. 21 from 8 to 10 p.m.

R. FLOWERS RIVERA POETRYSee poet R. Flowers Rivera read from her new poetry collection “Heathen” in Evans Auditorium on Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. CE

“BREATHING”The second in the German Department’s “Fringe Existences” film series will be playing in McAllister Hall Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. CE

Berry’s bald eagles and the daily live stream video on Berry’s website brings major Internet traffic to Berry’s servers, according to a recent article in Rome’s Hometown Headlines.

Millions of new viewers have visited the site since the eagle live stream went up, reporter Natalie Simms said in the article, titled “Berry’s bald eagles bringing big economic benefits to the campus — and the community.”

Renee Carleton, associate professor of biology, is quoted as saying, “Berry has received an enormous amount of exposure from the eagles. Many times when I chat online to eagle fans, they say they had never heard of Berry until the nest camera. I don’t know how that translates into students coming to Berry, but most definitely people are telling their kids or grandkids about us.”

The latest pair of bald eagles, called B4 and B5, hatched Sunday.

“Traffic really picked up as we started hatch watch this past week. I would say we had 1,500 to 3,000 per day average,” Carleton said.

Carleton also said that daybreak and late afternoon are the best times to view the webcam.

“The eagles usually change places at the nest then. The female stays on the nest all night and the male relieves her in the morning,” Carleton said. “Sometimes, whoever leaves the nest stays in a nearby tree for a while before leaving to go hunt.”

There are two different views that the next cameras provide along with an approach angle.

In addition to the eagles, a blue bird camera became operational April 9, 2014 documenting the birds to produce three clutches of eggs. All information is located on the Berry College Eagles website.

Latest hatched eagle eggs bring Internet trafficIAN HINZEnews editor

FREE TANtext FREETAN to 41242

ONE FREE TAN PER PERSON, SOME RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY3 ROME LOCATIONS

2797 Martha Berry Hwy. (Across from Mall) 315 Riverside Pkwy. (Behind Olive Garden)

2560 Shorter Ave.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BERRY COLLEGE

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campus_carrier@berry.edu

How America’s prison system is broken and needs to be fixed

MEGAN REEDeditor-in-chief

@CAMPUSCARRIER

After a great misfortune in the Berry community, the campus is pulling together to offer support.

On Sunday morning, students and faculty received an email with tragic news that senior Lizzie Hendrix’s parents and siblings had been killed. Dean of students Debbie Heida sent the email and asked faculty and students for their thoughts and prayers for Hendrix.

Berry pulled together in a number of ways to show that we are here for support in the time of need for one of our own.

On Sunday afternoon, the Chaplain’s Office sent a reminder that the College Chapel would be open for those wishing to offer their prayers and that a special service would be held that evening. Since then, the office has also created a book of prayers and condolences. The book was available to the entire college body to contribute to through Monday and into Tuesday, when the chapel held another special prayer service. The book is now available to sign at the information desk in Krannert lobby.

The Student Government Association also provided an opportunity to offer support with a campaign held Tuesday in Krannert. SGA’s support was highlighted in a letter writing campaign which allowed students and faculty to send letters, pictures or other messages of support. With the letters, the campaign collected donations for Southeast Elementary, where Hendrix worked.

A funeral fund was founded on the fund raising website Go Fund Me where people could

offer condolences and support by donating money. The fund’s main website comments on how any donation is welcome “even if it’s just $1.” However, the fund has received much more than a dollar in support, as it has raised over $40,000 since Feb. 16 and has been contributed to by more than 600 people. The fund raised over $10,000 in four hours and even had one anonymous contributor donate $10,000. If searching to donate, it can be found by going onto the website Go Fund Me and searching for “Hendrix’s Funeral Cost Fundraiser.”

Supporters can also donate money through the Berry Student Emergency Relief Fund which is run by the Chaplain’s Office. Donations to this fund can be made via the cashier’s window located on the second floor of Hermann Hall.

The latest information the Berry community has received is an email from Heida issued Wednesday afternoon with a statement from the student’s family thanking everyone for their support. The school is also putting together a bus trip for a limited number of members of the Berry community to attend the funeral service.

In a time of need, the Berry community must come together and show that we care, will support and are here if needed. We are a community and we must show that we can provide support because at times like this, that support is needed.

If you wish to donate, you can drop by the cashier’s window in Hermann Hall or go to the website Go Fund Me.

Banding together amidst a tragedyThe carrier editorial

Letter SubmiSSion PoLicyLetters to the editor must include a name, address and phone number, along with the writer’s class year or title. The Carrier reserves the right to edit

for length, style, grammar and libel.E-mail: campus_carrier@berry.edu

The United States takes first place in something we should not be very proud of—its extensive and unjust prison system.

Over 1.5 million Americans were in prison in 2013, according to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. That same year, about one in 35 adults was under some form of correctional supervision. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, imprisoning about 707 people for every 100,000 in the population, according to the International Centre for Prison Studies. That is almost seven times the rate in China, which is second in the world and has about 124 prisoners for every 100,000 people.

These numbers are representative of a larger problem in American society—the sequestering and isolation of people deemed inconvenient. The prison system takes advantage of people who have already been discriminated against based on their race or socioeconomic class.

Prisons are designed for the safety of society as a whole. The Floyd County Prison in Rome, for example, states on its website that one of its goals is to “protect the public.” The first goal listed, however, is to “provide an effective work force for Floyd County at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers.”

The use of prisoners as an inexpensive labor source is not only unethical, but it ignores the many reasons people end up in prison, including poverty, lack of access to education and racism. The public will be best protected not by isolating people who violate the laws

but by prioritizing the needs of marginalized people and communities.

From a young age people living in poverty often receive the message that they and their communities are not a priority. Their schools are underfunded, which disadvantages children for the rest of their lives. Parents do not usually have much of a choice where their children attend school, especially if their access to transportation is limited.

Finding a job is difficult if there are not many businesses or opportunities nearby. If someone does not have their own vehicle, they must rely on public transportation, which may be far from home or completely unavailable. Job opportunities are further limited by lack of education, which is often determined largely by geographic location and income level. For many people, entering the underground economy or breaking a law

becomes a matter of survival and is their only way to care for themselves and their family.

The prison system is also a racist institution which disproportionately punishes anyone who is not white. According to 2013 data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, almost 3 percent of all black male U.S. residents were incarcerated, compared to 1 percent of Hispanic males and 0.5 percent of white males. Black women were also imprisoned at about twice the rate of white women. The racial biases of law enforcement officers, judges and jurors add to the discrimination that these groups of people have faced for generations.

While being released from prison may seem like an event to celebrate, for many people it means a return to poverty and dangerous living conditions and neighborhoods. Because prison jobs are so low-paying, prisoners do not have the opportunity to save up for life after they return home. Many employers will not hire someone with a criminal record, and prisons do not usually provide adequate training or career preparation resources. While the prison system, with the proper funding and leadership, could help rehabilitate incarcerated people, most prisoners leave having gained very few skills and facing even more difficulties than before they entered prison.

The United States is deeply flawed in how it deals with the difficult issues of poverty and crime, and isolating and further marginalizing people without rehabilitation is only worsening the problem.

The United States is deeply flawed in how it deals with the difficult issues of poverty and

crime, and isolating and further marginalizing people without

rehabilitation is only worsening the problem.

A couple months ago, I went through the process of ending a friendship that I’d been in for about six years, and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’d been friends with this person since middle school. We’d practically grown up together, going to the same middle and high school, taking classes together whenever we could, and even convincing a teacher to let my friend, a sophomore at the time, take a class exclusively for juniors and seniors so we could have a class together that year. When I cut off that friendship, it felt like I’d lost the whole six years that we’d been friends, since we’d been so close.

It took me a long time to realize it, but a lot of problems developed in that friendship over the years, and that’s why I ended it. It had become a toxic friendship, one that was neither healthy for me nor for my friend.

While ending the friendship was difficult and definitely not enjoyable, getting out was the right thing for me to do. A lot of times when you hear about making sure your relationship is healthy, you hear exclusively about romantic relationships. Yes, a lot of emotional manipulation and unhealthy behavior is within the context of a romantic relationship, but a lot of it isn’t, too. Unhealthy romantic relationships get a lot more of the attention than unhealthy friendships do, but both can take huge tolls on your health,

stress you out to no end and affect your relationships with other people.

A lot of times, unhealthy friendships in a person’s life go unnoticed because people aren’t told to look for the “signs” of an unhealthy friendship, or because they just aren’t thinking about it, but the signs are the same as those of a romantic relationship.

According to the website LifeHack.org, some of the signs of an unhealthy relationship include your “personal growth” being stunted, continually feeling bad about yourself and a focus on changing the other person through the relationship. While that article was written about romantic relationships, the concepts still apply to friendships as well, although in a different way.

With Valentine’s Day over, I know most people will be thinking about romantic relationships, but we also need to remember that friendships have just as much, and sometimes more, influence on our lives as romantic relationships do, and keeping these relationships healthy will also keep us mentally healthy. A healthy friendship or relationship will make you feel valued and will add to your life, not take away from it or make you feel like you’d rather be anywhere but around the other person.

Being in healthy friendships is a key part of any Berry student’s life, and we all have to make sure our relationships are healthy and not damaging.

“Do you hate or love cold weather?”

“Hate it because I don’t like being cold. I’m more

of a summer person.”Alondra Guzman,

sophomore

“I love cold weather. I just really like the feeling of bundling up and getting

warm.”Josh Rubin,

senior

JESS BOZEMANopinions editor

KELSEY HOLLIScopy editor

Overcompetitiveness is a major detriment to our lives

Unhealthy friendships exist as well

STUDENTSSPEAK

5February 19, 2015

You walk into your hardest class of the semester, sit down and smile. You got a 92. However, after you glance over at the desk beside you, you see your neighbor got a 98. Your happiness is somehow diminished. Yet, why is that?

You’ve still gotten an objectively good grade on your test, but it somehow means less now that you know that your grade is not the absolute highest.

We as a culture view our lives as a competition. Somehow the life goal of “be the best I can be” turned into “be the best at everything,” an unattainable goal that can only end in failure and disappointment. We set ourselves up as competing against the entire population instead of just striving to better ourselves.

Now, I’m not saying that all competition is bad. I grew up in Alabama and I’m pretty sure I’d be banished if I suggested we shouldn’t have college football. In fact, sometimes competition can help. On their website, Forbes published a slide show detailing different reasons competition is good for business. The slide show mentions how competition can urge innovation and discourage complacency.

These reasons make sense and have been proven true by history again and again. If Apple was not in competition with Microsoft, we almost certainly would not have the technology

we enjoy today.While competition is good in some areas, it

is not good in every area and more and more it seems the line is getting blurred. When we cannot be happy about our progress without comparing it to someone else’s mistakes, then we have a problem. This problem gives us two main consequences: we make competitors instead of allies, and we put unneeded pressure on ourselves.

First, our over-competitive natures can force us to make antagonists when we could be made allies. It goes like this. We are individuals and, as grade school government classes will have you believe, created equal. However, we are not created equal in all things and believing we are is unrealistic and naïve. I, a 5-foot 2-inches non-

athlete, will never be as good at basketball as Michael Jordan.

One of the reasons for the view “we are created as equal and should stand as equals” is because we all have different strengths and weaknesses that all add up to equal balance. Yet, by believing I have to be the best at all things, I pit myself against those that I could be getting help from.

Also, our overcompetitiveness puts unneeded pressure on us. Since we cannot be the best in everything, when we see people doing better than us, we compare ourselves to them and assume that we have failed. Our reachable goal of being good in a few things has been overtaken by the goal to be the best at everything and the result of this is a feeling of inadequacy.

How can we fix this? We can stop focusing on comparative viewpoints such as being “the best” or being “better than” and instead focus on being “good” and “getting better at.” We need to start noticing when we are putting ourselves in a comparative state and ask ourselves whether this is necessary. When you feel you could do better, make sure to compare yourself not just to others, but to your own personal progress.

By being able to judge whether we are being overly competitive, we will be less likely to needlessly alienate others and can forgo one source of stress.

the CARRIEREditorial Board

The Carrier is published weekly except during examination periods and holidays. The opinions, either editorial or commercial, expressed in The Carrier are not necessarily those of the administration, Berry College’s board of trustees or The Carrier editorial board. Student publications are located in 103 Laughlin Hall. The Carrier reserves the right to edit all content for length, style, grammar and libel. The Carrier is available on the Berry College campus, one free per person.

CAMPUS CARRIER

P.O. Box 490520 Berry College

Mt. Berry, GA 30149

(706) 236-2294E-mail: campus_

carrier@berry.edu

Recipient of GeorgiaCollege

Press Association Awards.

MEGAN REED editor-in-chief

CHELSEA HOAGmanaging editor

KELSEY HOLLIScopy editor

IAN HINZEnews editorZACHARY WOODWORTHfeatures editor

JASON HUYNHphotojournalism editor

NICK VERNONsports editor

AUSTIN SUMTERonline editor

JESS BOZEMANopinions editor

RYDER MCENTYREgraphics editor

CAIT BUCKALEW entertainment editor

ANNABETH CRITTENDENasst. entertainment editor

MARIE COLLOPasst. sports editor

ROBY JERNIGANasst. online editor

LANDON FLEEMANasst. photojournalism editorEMILY KEYZER-ANDREcartoonist

ALYSSA MAKERmarketing & p.r. director

KEVIN KLEINEadviser

“I really don’t like it because it just makes a lot of

activities that you like to do a lot harder.”April Hearn,

junior

“I hate it because it makes me want to curl up in a ball

and never leave my room again.”

Kristian Willingham,freshman

“Hate it, especially if it’s windy. The air feels like it’s biting. At least with warm

weather, when it’s windy, it’s a lot more pleasant.”

Matt Brown,sophomore

Somehow the life goal of “be the best I can

be” turned into “be the best at everything,” an

unattainable goal that can only end in failure and

disappointment.

6

feat

ures

VIKINGFUSION.COM @CAMPUSCARRIER

features editor

ZACHARY WOODWORTH

Berry president John Bertrand admits first black students in 1964

Berry officially desegregated and admitted black students for the first time in its history in the fall of 1964.

The college accepted Evelyn Hamilton, Marisue Harrison and Frank Twyman, Jr. as its first black students. Hamilton and Harrison, both 18, graduated from Rome High School, and Twyman, 25, applied after serving in the U.S. Air Force.

The students were day students that worked and lived off-campus while attending classes. This arrangement avoided any potential tension that could come from mixing races in the dorms.

President John Bertrand made the decision to integrate Berry after years of consideration. In an address to the board of trustees that was later reprinted in the Berry Alumni Quarterly, he explained that he made the decision to integrate the college for both financial and moral reasons.

Bertrand said that “two times during the past three years we have received and returned checks in the amounts of $100 and $200 payable to ‘The Berry Schools’ on which was written in effect ‘To be cashed when Berry publicly declares itself in favor of integration.’”

While returning these checks did not pose significant financial burden, Bertrand pointed out that the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations did not award grants to schools that remained segregated. Many federal grants also “faced an immediate cut-off as long as the school remained segregated,” the Atlanta Journal said on Dec. 31, 1965.

Bertrand stated that as a private college, Berry could not afford to lose these grants because of their current stance on integration.

He also sought to integrate the school on moral grounds. He claimed that Berry’s Christian principles called for tolerance and acceptance of students regardless of race.

The semester before the school was integrated, the Campus Carrier conducted a survey of the student body to determine where they stood on the “race problem.” A questionnaire was sent to 148 students asking their opinion on racial integration and racism in general.

The survey found that 60 percent of students would attend classes with a qualified black student, with only 20 percent saying that they would refuse. The other 20 percent was undecided.

At the end of the questionnaire, students had the opportunity to add their own anonymous comments. Some said that the questionnaire was biased, and focused too much on the problem of race. Others used the opportunity to express their views on the issue in a more articulate way than the questions allowed.

One student said that they believed it was “time for Americans to begin practicing freedom, liberty and equality instead of simply preaching it.”

Another expressed a very different view, stating “the races are not equal and will never be equal. So I’m glad I’m on top.”

This result contrasted greatly with the rumor that half the students would withdraw if the school was integrated. In an address to the community, Bertrand offered to refund all tuition and fees for anyone who wanted to withdraw in response to the presence of black students, so long as they left Berry without making a scene. Only three students took Bertrand up on this offer.

Bertrand’s goal was to successfully integrate the college without any fanfare or publicity. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

did not learn of Berry’s integration until Jan. 1, 1965, months after Hamilton, Harrison and Twyman began attending classes.

The vast majority of students and faculty accepted the new students, and the Berry College Alumni Council as well as alumni clubs in Atlanta and Tennessee supported the move toward integration.

The only incident reported was a cross burned in front of Blackstone Hall, the Atlanta Journal said.

Of the three students, only Hamilton graduated four years later. Twyman dropped out, and Harrison left school after she got married.

Beverly Philpot was accepted to Berry the next semester, and graduated with Hamilton in 1969. The first male black student to graduate was Jacob Grier, who graduated in 1970.

After the school integrated, Berry received donations from alumni who supported the president’s decision to accept students regardless of race.

One alum who graduated in 1944 wrote a letter to Bertrand supporting the decision and calling it a “giant step forward for the school and for the future of this institution.”

Enclosed with the letter was a check for $10.

By 1968, the total nonwhite student population was 5 percent, and by 1973 there were 62 black students attending the college.

Today, nonwhite students make up 15 percent of the student population, according to a 2014 College Board survey. With a student population of about 2,100 students,

ZACHARY WOODWORTHfeatures editor

Black History Month: Spotlight on Integration

CABIN LOG FILE PHOTOS

EVELYN HAMILTON (LEFT), FRANK TWYMAN, JR. (CENTER) AND MARISUE HARRISON (RIGHT) WERE the first three black students to attend classes at Berry. Their photos appear in the 1965 Cabin Log.

Berry’s Christian principles called for tolerance and acceptance of students regardless of race.

Financial and moral grounds

Carrier discovers divide in student body

Students integrate with little incident

With a student population of about 2,100 students, 4 percent, or about 80 students, are black or African-American.

7February 19, 2015

Race discussion began in 1930s, continued into ‘60s

Black History Month: Spotlight on Integration

The integration of Berry College in 1964 was the culmination of decades of protest and deliberation. Berry students were working towards better race relations as far back as the 1930s.

On July 20, 1930, the New York Times reported on a Southern Student Y.M.C.A. Conference held in Blue Ridge, N.C., attended by several schools from Georgia, including Berry.

The conference sought “a better understanding of the Negro student” and better race relations between black and white conference members, the Times said.

The Times also said that this was the only conference that passed resolutions “so free from any suggestion of race prejudice or more earnestly expressing a desire to be helpful to the Negro.”

This desire to “be helpful” to black students continued into the ‘60s, when Berry students participated in a series of taped discussions with black students.

In 1961, students from Berry were selected to participate in a project to bridge the communication gap between black and white college students.

The white students used tape recorders to ask questions. The tapes were delivered to black students from Atlanta

University Center (A.U.C.), who taped their responses. An article describing the project was published in the

Magazine of Communication Education in November 1962.

The project successfully fostered dialogue between white and black students. Berry students recorded and sent two tapes of questions to the A.U.C. students, asking questions about the sit-ins occurring in Atlanta at the time and other questions about life as a black student.

The black students responded with their own questions, asking if their standards were really that different, asking about their opinion on Martin Luther King Jr. and expressing interest in visiting Berry’s campus.

Berry students also expressed interest in meeting their correspondents face to face. The magazine reported that one of the participants said “if this goes well, we ought to have a face-to-face meeting.”

Initially, the students planned to allow the black students to visit Berry’s campus but this created a backlash.

According to Evelyn Hoge Pendley’s Sixty Years of Education for Service, a history book about Berry

published in 1963, the idea of “entertaining Negros” sparked mass protest. Community members “marched one one professor’s house,” Pendley wrote, and there was talk of burning a cross on campus.

In response to these protests, President John Bertrand agreed to postpone a face-to-face meeting and denied any claims of integration.

This postponement of a visit from A.U.C. students prompted a response from the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

The KKK sent a letter to Bertrand condoning his decision to postpone the visit, warning that if parents became aware of Berry and A.U.C. students communicating, the “prestige of Berry College would then begin to fall.”

The KKK said, “the people of the land have no intention of accepting the social reformation, sanctioned by some college professors, communist groups (N.A.A.C.P.), and other Un-American organizations.”

The letter had no signature, and was simply signed “United Klans Knights, Ku Klux Klan of America, Inc.”

Despite this letter, the Berry and A.U.C. students met face-to-face off campus.

The magazine said, “tape exchange project helped provide first-hand information, evaluation of attitudes and a channel for persuasion.”

This project, and the ongoing efforts of both students and Bertrand, helped create the accepting environment that led to the successful integration of Berry in 1964.

ZACHARY WOODWORTHfeatures editor

This postponement of a visit from A.U.C. students prompted a response from the Ku Klux Klan.

Photos by Jason Huynh, photojournalism editor

(ABOVE LEFT) BEVERLY SMITH SPEAKS to a group of students in the Memorial Library. Smith was one of the first black students to graduate from Berry in 1969.

(ABOVE RIGHT) EVELYN HAMILTON SITS in the Memorial Library. Hamilton and Smith were both invited by members of the Black Student Association (BSA) to speak about their experiences as the first black students to graduate from Berry.

(LEFT) SMITH AND HAMILTON POSE with members of the BSA in front of the “Erasing the Color Line” exhibit. This exhibit traces the history of race relations and integration at Berry with letters and newspapers from the Berry Archives.

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VIKINGFUSION.COM @CAMPUSCARRIER8

Fahamu Pecou is a painter based in Atlanta who combines visual and auditory art to make commentaries on society’s views on black masculinity.

Pecou was born in 1975 in Brooklyn, N.Y. When he was four years old, Pecou and his siblings were moved to Hartsville, S.C., to live with their mother’s relatives.

According to the Emory Report, Pecou first dabbled in art with the creation of a superhero whom he called “Black Man.”

He began selling his comic strips in his hometown for 50 cents an issue. His classmates soon realized that “Black Man” looked a lot like Pecou.

Even now, although he is past his comic book drawing days, Pecou still models his drawing around himself and his identity as a black man.

In an interview with the Emory report, Pecou stated that he uses traits “typically associated with black men in hip-hop and juxtaposing them within a fine art context … both the realities and fantasies projected from and onto black male bodies.”

Pecou attended The Atlanta College of Art and graduated in 1997. When he entered college, he had dreams of becoming an animator, but he soon changed his major to electronic arts and painting.

After graduation, he moved to New York and worked as a graphic designer for many hip-hop artists.

After moving back to Atlanta, he then began his own design firm.

However, after working with many hip-hop artists, he began to hate the way that black entertainers brand and market themselves.

Therefore, Pecou began a campaign called “Fahamu Pecou is the Sh-t," to parody promotional materials.

Then, in 2004, he was invited to join a group art show at the High Museum of Art called “Art, Beats + Lyrics.” His paintings gained recognition and interest and were featured in several galleries over the next few years.

In 2011, Pecou was given his first solo exhibit in Paris. Also that year, Pecou won the Emerging Artist Award during Atlanta’s National Black Arts Festival.

Pecou is currently working on his Ph.D. in liberal arts at Emory University. His art is still being exhibited around the country, and he gives lectures and speeches to colleges and museums.According to Pecou’s official website, his work has changed throughout the years.

“My work seeks to provide a crucial intervention in contemporary representations of Black masculinity,” Pecou said on his official website. “I began my career experimenting with the branding strategies employed in hip-hop music and entertainment. These experiments ultimately led me to question not only the stereotypes engendered by the commodification of the hip-hop culture, but more, to consider how the influence of historic and social configurations of race, class and gender impact and inform these representations.”

Although he is primarily a visual artist, Pecou also performs as his character Fahamu Pecou is the Sh-t in order to challenge contemporary stereotypes in a way that encourages dialogue.

Also, with the release of his exhibit ALL DAT GLITTERS AINT GOALS came an EP of the same name that contained original music inspired by Pecou’s artwork.

Currently, Pecou’s artwork is on display at the High Museum

of Art in a collaborative exhibit with José Parlá called “Imagining New Worlds.” The artwork is a retrospective of the artist Wilfredo Lam.

The exhibit opened on Feb. 14 and will run through May 24.

ANNABETH CRITTENDEN

asst. entertainment editor

Fahamu Pecou displaying art in AtlantaThis article is the third part of a four-week series honoring black artists.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FAHAMU PECOU

Left: “All Dat Glitters Aint Goals” from Pecou’s exhibit of the same name.

Above: “You. Are. Here.” from Pecou’s exhibit called “The Pursuit of Happiness.”

PECOU’S ARTWORK IS currently on display at the High Museum in a collaborative exhibit with José Parlá called “Imagining New World.” The exhibit is a retrospective of artist Wilfredo Lam. The exhibit is on display Feb. 14 to May 24.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FAHAMU PECOU

Above: Fahamu Pecou

Below: “Caged Bird (study)” from Pecou’s exhibit called “Traps.” The exhibit was based off the poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou.

The Berry College Theatre Company’s production of “Cotton Patch Gospel” opens this Thursday.

The play takes the “Cotton Patch” versions of the Gospel, written by Clarence Jordan, and turns them into a more comedic performance of a story that is typically portrayed with a much more serious tone.

“It’s about religion, but at the same time it doesn’t take religion too seriously,” junior cast member Taylor Moore said. “The writers of the play had a lot of fun with kind of making fun of certain stereotypes of religion … and make it comedic so a lot of people feel connected with it because it’s not this big, serious show.”

Clarence wanted to make the scripture a more interactive for modern audiences. His goal was to provide an experience of the Gospel for modern audiences that felt more like what he believed early Christians would have had.

The play, written by Tom Key and Russell Treyz, aims to make the story of Jesus more accessible to modern audiences. Key and Treyz took the “Cotton Patch” translations of the Bible written by Clarence Jordan in the 1970s and made them into a bluegrass musical.

The cast did a wonderful job of capturing that down-home bluegrass sound and spinning it to tell a story usually told with more classical music. There were a few out of tune moments here and there, but from the solos to the choral pieces, the music was catchy

and enjoyable. The music combined well

with the staging, which was made entirely of rustic looking wood panels. The two worked together to create an old-timey Southern atmosphere.

The cast had great chemistry and played off of each other well. Their comedic timing was impeccable and kept the audience engaged and laughing throughout the show.

The jokes and overall light tone of the show make it a much

more entertaining telling of a story many people know and makes it much more accessible to audience members who may be more closed off to the heavily religious tale. This is one of the things the show’s director, Richard Bristow, visiting assistant professor of theater, likes most about the show.

“I fell in love with this show 30 years ago … I just love it because (Cotton Patch) makes it so relatable and accessible,” Bristow said.

The cast doesn’t only have great

chemistry. It’s also a very unique cast for this kind of show. Because it’s the story of Jesus, playgoers would expect a very male heavy cast, whereas this production is very female heavy. It makes for an interesting dynamic.

None of the character’s pronouns have been changed, but many of the male roles have been filled by women. Berry’s student demographics played a large part in the casting.

“We have a lot of females in the

cast,” junior cast member Sophia Veser said. “That’s mainly because we’re really female heavy at this school.”

Overall, the show succeeded in making an old story more relatable and it was moving in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

The show opens Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Nightly performances will be held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. from Feb. 19 to March 1. Tickets cost $5.

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‘Cotton Patch Gospel’ opens this weekCOMMENTARY

BY CAIT BUCKALEW

entertainment editor

JASON HUYNH, photojournalism editor

JUNIOR AUSTIN HAMILTON AND FRESHMAN NICCI CORLEY REHEARSE for opening night.

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10 VIKINGFUSION.COM @CAMPUSCARRIER

The men’s and women’s swimming teams competed in the Southern Athletic Conference from Wednesday, Feb. 11 through Saturday, Feb. 14.

The men’s team finished third with a total of 668 points. The women’s team finished fifth with a total of 340 points. With exceptions to the national championship meet for Division III, this was the last meet of the season.

For both teams, numerous swimmers helped contribute points. Junior Matt Siniard said that conference was successful for a lot of different people.

“Our results as a team far exceeded my expectations, there were so many impressive swims on the men’s team as well as the women’s,” Siniard said. “Almost everyone I talked to set personal best times in at least one of their events, including myself.”

Siniard set personal best times in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 butterfly.

Sophomore Joey Ellwanger said the team blew his expectations out of the water.

“The team crushed my expectations for the conference meet. We have been through a lot this year, and I knew that we had all put in the hard work since the season started in September, but I had no idea of what the team was actually capable,” Ellwanger said.

Conference serves as a culmination for most swimmers. However, some swimmers get the privilege to participate in the Division III national championships. Ellwanger said the men’s 200 freestyle relay is expected to get invited to nationals.

Junior Cameron Grant, freshman Garrison Bemis, senior Johnathon Purdy and senior Conor Monaghan are on this relay team. After all the Division III teams submit their

times the team will definitely know if they will be attending. In addition, Monaghan and Purdy made the B-cuts for nationals.

The swim teams started training in September and continued to train up until the conference meet. Purdy said the team set season goals that were met throughout the course of the season.

“The team came together early and just like any family has its ups and downs but we definitely had more ups than downs and that always makes a season memorable,”

Purdy said. Siniard said he believes the team

had a successful season. “We have four swimmers

that could possibly be going to Nationals, so I believe that if we have four swimmers in contention to go to Nationals, I say that is a success,” Siniard said.

Overall, the season seemed to be one of resiliency. Training from September through February while maintaining good health is a difficult thing to do. Ellwanger said the team was able to overcome a great deal of

obstacles to arrive at the point they did.

Ellwanger said that the middle of the season is a tough time to keep morale high and wishes he would have helped to keep it up.

“People fought with sickness and other issues, but they came out on top,” Ellwanger said.

Sickness has indeed dampened the team’s ability to compete at their best, but they are ready to move forward. The national championship will be held in Shenandoah, Tex. from March 17 through March 21.

Swim teams compete at conference meet

MARIE COLLOPasst. sports editor

BRYANNA PERRY, staff photojournalist

BERRY’S SWIM TEAMS COMPETED at a conference meet last week in Birmingham, Ala. The men’s team finished third, while the women finished fifth.

WHATYOU MISSEDIN SPORTS

Friday FEB. 13 >

BASEBALL vs. Emory & Henry

W, 5-3

SOFTBALL at Covenant

W, 19-7 & L, 6-12

SATURDAY >MEN’S

LACROSSE vs. Young Harris

W, 10-9

BASKETBALL at Hendrix

Women’s: L, 75-76

Men’s: L, 72-88

BASEBALL vs. Emory & Henry

W, 7-6 & L, 4-6

EQUESTRIAN

at University of Alabama

1st Place (Hunter Seat)

Men’s relay team hopes to advance towards nationals

11February 19, 2015

Freshman athletes share their experiences

As spring semester sports seasons begin, teams return stronger and more experienced than the year before. The upperclassmen provide experience and developed skillsets, coaches have more to go off of, and the teams welcome new incoming freshmen.

Freshman athletes do not only have to cope with the more demanding expectations and time constraints of practices and games. They also have to adjust to a new living environment, new friends and new academic challenges. Many freshmen also have to adjust to life in a new state.

Freshman lacrosse player Keiley Ayers is from Ohio, so adjusting to the weather in Georgia was one of the first hurdles she had to overcome in practice. She said she underestimated how hot and humid fall semester practices would be.

“One of the reasons why I chose to come to Berry and play lacrosse here was because of the warm weather,” she said. “It took a while for me to adjust to the heat and humidity and was a challenge for me during practice when it was hot outside because I

just wasn’t used to it.”It’s not just the weather that’s different

for Ayers. She says her team at Berry is significantly different from her high school team.

“A lot of the people on my team were not very committed to lacrosse and the school program,” she said. “I’ve noticed that at the college level, at least in women’s lacrosse, every single player has a passion for the sport and is willing to put in the work needed for them to excel and help the team.”

She said she can trust all her teammates on the field, which is different from her high school team.

Freshman softball player Kylie Aiken said the time and energy demands of college softball far exceed her experiences in high school.

“So far, being a college athlete is definitely more demanding, especially since we sometimes have up to five practices a day,” she said. “We also put more time and effort into our practices and are able to see the product of our hard work which is very rewarding.”

As a result of more dedication, Aiken said the team is closer and the reward for all the hard work is much larger.

“Our coaches take it way more seriously here than what I experienced in high school, and since everyone invests more time in it, it is more of a lifestyle than anything,” she said. “Softball at Berry is a lot more involved. Unlike high school, it isn’t just about practice and games ... We have weights, study hall, hitting, meetings, leadership council, community service (and) traveling. Since we have so many practices together, we travel together, and live together, I have closer relationships with my teammates than I did in high school which is a pleasant surprise.”

As freshman athletes look to become an integral part of their new team, they often look to the leadership of upperclassmen for advice.

Ayers said she knows she can look up to her upperclassman teammates on and off the lacrosse field.

“I am always open to hearing any advice that they may have for me,” she said. “I want to be an asset for the team and to be someone that makes the team complete. For my last season, I want to be a role model for the younger players.”

Aiken said she is very open with whatever her role ends up being on the softball team

this year.“I am willing to step in wherever my

coach needs me to put the team in the best position to win,” she said. “I want to help my team so we can win Southern Athletic Association (SAA) conference championship this season.”

Aiken has high goals for herself as a freshman and also hopes to help the team progress in the years to come.

“Personally, my goal is to be a part of the SAA All Team or be awarded as the SAA Freshman of the Year,” she said. “By the time I graduate, I hope to help the Lady Vikings make our first appearance in the NCAA tournament.”

Freshman athletes like Ayers and Aiken learn and grow a lot from their new experiences on and off the field. In the process, however, they are able to provide new energy and skills for their teams.

The softball team will play their first conference game on March 7 at Birmingham-Southern College. They will also be playing Saturday at Huntingdon College in Montogomery, Ala. The women’s lacrosse team lost their first conference game on Feb. 14 at Rhodes College, and they will play at home against Hendrix College on Feb. 22.

NICK VERNONsports editor

WHAT’S

NEXT

IN

SPORTS

Friday FEB. 20 >

BASEBALL vs. North Park

12 p.m. & 3 p.m.

SUNDAY >MEN’S LACROSSE

at Roanoke:2 p.m.

SATURDAY >BASEBALL

vs. North Park12 p.m.

BASKETBALL vs. Centre

Women’s: 6 p.m.Men’s: 8 p.m.

BASKETBALLvs. Sewanee:

Women’s: 1 p.m.Men’s: 3 p.m.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE vs. Hendrix

2 p.m.

Mardi GrasOn Tuesday, Berry students and staff celebrated Mardi Gras by going out to a local bar, The Dark Side of the Moon. The venue hosted a costume contest, live music and served Creole food and New Orleans style drinks.

THE BAR SERVES standard bottle and tap drinks along with New Orleans style drinks during the 21 and older event.

ALUMNI CALEB TIMMERMAN AND MAGGIE BOLING DANCE to the live music provided.

PROFESSOR JIM WATKINS AND HIS WIFE SUSAN WATKINS DRESS in their best costumes for the party.

STUDENTS, STAFF AND LOCALS COME out to The Dark Side of the Moon to enjoy the Mardi Gras festivities served by the bar.

PHOTOS BY JASON HUYNH, photojournalism editor

GREG ROBBINS AND THE GROOVE MERCHANTS PROVIDE live jazz and Mardi Gras style music for the entirety of the event.