Good Ole Fashioned Peanut Butter Jelly (hint, hint, it’s fried now)

Many of us are all too familiar with the sticky sweet snack we’ve probably had way too many times to remember. And while a good ole PB&J can surely make us feel nostalgic, is this rendition for the better or worse? I’ll leave that up to you, and it’s very easy to make!

Ingredients:

· 2 slices of bread

· Peanut butter

· Jelly

· Butter

Directions

1. Make your PB&J as usual.

2. Spread butter onto one side of the sandwich.

3. Melt 1 tbsp of butter into a heated frying pan.

4. Place unbuttered side of sandwich in pan.

5. Cook till golden brown.

6. Repeat on other side.

Easy!

Ramen Noodles+

As many of us are probably way too busy or lazy to cook, I know how easy it can be to cook up some Ramen and plop down in front of the TV. But why settle for the same ole thing when you can easily spice it up? Try this Sesame Garlic Ramen Noodles recipe.

Ingredients

· 2 3 Ounce Packages of Ramen Noodles (toss the seasoning packet)

· 2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil

· 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

· 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

· 1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar

· 2 teaspoons Sriracha (adjust to your preferred level of spicy)

Directions

1. Cook ramen noodles as directed. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat sesame oil in skillet or saucepan on medium.

3. Cook garlic for 2 minutes, stirring frequently

4. Remove pan from heat and whisk in soy sauce, brown sugar and sriracha. Mix until combined.

5. Add the noodles with the sauce

Grilled Cheese Hotdogs

Yup, you read correctly. This one is without a doubt a twist —not only on one childhood favorite but two!

Ingredients

· 4 hot dog buns

· 2 tbsp. butter, softened

· 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

· 1/4 tsp. onion powder

· 4 hot dogs, cut lengthwise but no all the way through

· 3 cups shredded cheddar

· 4 Green onions, sliced

Directions

1. Using a rolling pin, flatten out the hot dog buns.

2. Stir together butter, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl. Spread onto hot dog buns.

3. Grab a large skillet and put on medium heat. Cook hot dogs until charred. Set aside.

4. Lay a bun (buttered) down in skillet. Top with ½ cup of cheddar, a hot dog and more cheese and ¼ cup of green onions.

5. Cook and cover until cheese melts over medium heat. Close bun with spatula. Repeat 4x.

Crab Mac n Cheese

If this isn’t an upgrade, then I don’t know what is.

Ingredients

· 4 slices of bacon

· 1/2 cup chopped onion

· 3 tablespoons butter

· 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

· 4 cups whole milk

· 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

· 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

· 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

· Salt to taste

· 1 (16-ounce) box medium pasta shells cooked according to package directions

· 2 (5-ounce) cans Chicken of the Sea crab

· 2 tablespoons melted butter

· 1/3 cup Panko crumbs

Directions

1. Using a large nonstick pan, cook bacon then crumble and set aside.

2. Add butter to pan and cook onion until soft.

3. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.

4. Slowly add in milk. Whisking and bringing to a simmer. Remove from heat.

5. Stir in 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. Set aside ½ cup of cheddar cheese and stir in leftover cheddar and parmesan until melted.

6. Check seasoning and add salt to your liking

7. Drain crab and stir in cheese mixture

8. Place cooked pasta in 9×13 casserole dish. Pour in cheese and mix.

9. Sprinkle cheese and bacon on top.

10. Mix together Panko crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Top on mac and cheese.

11. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

12. Broil for 2-3 minutes to brown crumbs.

Whichever you found the most interesting, I definitely recommend you give one these a try!

March 1, 1978 – Women’s History Week is first observed in Sonoma County, California

Women’s History Month was first founded and celebrated in the state of California years before it was made official. The holiday traces back as far as 1909 where it was nationally observed and where women marched for economic rights. In the 1970s, feminists brought up the issue that women were largely cut out of history books despite their significance. One group’s idea was to create a Women’s History Month. It was made official by Congress in 1987.

Whereas American women have played a unique role throughout
our history by providing the majority of the Nation’s volunteer
labor force and have been particularly important in the establishment of early charitable philanthropic and cultural institutions in the country;
– Snippet of the Pub. L. 97-28, the joint resolution declaring Women’s History Month

March 2, 1903 – the Martha Washington Hotel opens in New York City, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women

The Redbury New York is a historic hotel opened by Martha Washington. It was the first hotel exclusively for women. It originally had 400 rooms but grew tremendously with popularity. The Redbury New York was important because it became home to a growing number of women who were leaving home to the professional world.

March 12, 1912 – Juliette Gordon Low assembled 18 girls together in Savannah, Georgia, for the first-ever Girl Scout meeting

Juliette Gordon Low’s act to assemble the first-ever Girl Scout meeting was inspired by an encounter she had with Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the Boy Scouts founder. The creation of Girl Scout was the start of an American movement where it gave girls the opportunity to grow physically, mentally and spiritually.

“Truly, ours is a circle of friendships, united by our ideals.”
– Juliette Gordon Low

March 21, 1988 – Debi Thomas becomes the first African American woman to win the World Figure Skating Championship

Debi Thomas started skating from the early age of five and was winning competitions by 10. She went to Stanford University where she studied engineering and continued to skate competitively. In the midst of working towards her Bachelor’s, Thomas took home the senior women’s title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, making her the first Black woman to own this status. Thomas continued to make history by scoring a Bronze Medal in 1988, where she became the first African American woman to earn a medal at the Winter Olympics.

My skating is a very emotional thing that comes from the heart, never doing it for the medal.
– Debi Thomas

Women will continue to make history. The future is indeed female.

Princess Tiana / 2010

Although this may seem a bit unorthodox, Princess Tiana’s confidence, bravery and optimistic spirit heavily impacted young black girls. She was Disney’s first black princess, and her heroic fairytale is still talked about following the “Princess and the Frog” release almost 10 years ago.

Kenneth Frazier / 2011

Frazier joined Merck & Co, a multinational pharmaceutical business, in 1992. After working there for almost 20 years, Frazier became the first African American to lead a major pharmaceutical company when he took the role of Chief Executive Officer. Biospace.com, an extensive life science and informational news source, considered Frazier “one of the most prominent African Americans in biopharma.”

Barack Obama / 2012

Barack Obama made history in 2012 by becoming the first black President. He continued to make history in 2016 when he was re-elected for a second term. Not only did his kindness, personality and loving family charm America once again. But one of his most memorable achievements is stopping the Great Recession from becoming the second Great Depression.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs / 2013

Cheryl Boone Isaacs became the first African American president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 2013. She was the third woman to hold this position. The following year, Isaacs won the NAACP Image Award – Hall of Fame Award.

Michelle Howard / 2014

Michelle Howard first made history in 1999, when she became the first black woman to captain a naval ship, but for her, it didn’t stop there. In 2014 she also became the first African American woman to be promoted to four-star admiral in the U.S Navy. Two years later, Howard was appointed as the 38th vice-chief of naval operations. 

Michael Curry / 2015

Michael Curry advocates for causes such as racial injustice, LGBTQ+ equality and the #MeToo Movement, which helps bring awareness to sexual assault and violence victims. He made history in 2015 by becoming the first black bishop of The Episcopal Church. Fun fact, Bishop Curry gave a compelling sermon at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Jason Towns / 2016

No copyright-free image available.

There aren’t many people of color involved in tech and startups, but Jason Towns is working to change that. In 2016, Towns launched Groundwork, a $10 million project aimed to connect minorities with resources to help assist in startups.

Jordan Peele / 2017

The Root announced Jordan Peele as the most influential African American of 2017. Peele is most famously known for writing, directing and producing the critically acclaimed movie “Get Out.” The film opened at number one at the box office and made history as the highest-grossing original debut ever.

Tarana Burke / 2018

Tarana Burke is a civil rights activist who coined and started the #MeToo Movement. She first started using the words “me too” in 2006 to bring awareness of sexual assault and abuse. Then actress Alyssa Milano shared those two words along with the hashtag on social media. The next 24 hours changed everything when more than 12 million people took part in the movement. The #MeToo is still continuously used to empower women, and some men, today.

Janet Mock / 2019

Janet Mock wrote, produced and directed the highly praised FX series “Pose.” Later she became the first openly transgender woman of color to sign on to a major studio deal. She gave Netflix exclusive rights to her series in a three-year contract. 

These remarkable, multi-talented African Americans have and still continuously work to change the game for black people.

Lisa L. Abbott, professor in theater at GS and the director of “Godspell,” said the original plan was to perform “Jesus Christ Superstar.” However, not enough people auditioned, so the department decided on “Godspell,” as it had similar themes and called for a smaller cast. In addition, Abbott and the music director already knew “Godspell.”

Abbott said she’s usually working on a show six months to a year in advance–so this was a much shorter time frame, as rehearsals started in October 2019 for the show to open in late February 2020. However, Abbott knew the musical well enough that she was able to play catch up.

In “Godspell,” Jesus Christ recruits followers and teaches them various lessons through musical parables from “The Gospel According to Matthew.” Toward the second act, Jesus is betrayed by Judas and eventually crucified. Read more about the story here.

The theatre department will be performing the 2011 revised version of the hit musical. Abbott said the music is actually far more complicated than the original in terms of harmonies.

Abbott said they are doing the musical fairly traditionally. The musical will be set in a vacant lot in the middle of a city.

The musical began as a project by drama students at Carnegie Mellon University before opening Off-Broadway in 1971 and becoming a long-running success in the theatre world. Stephen Schwartz, a Grammy-Award- and Tony-Award-winning composer, composed the music for “Godspell.” Schwartz also worked on “Pippin” and “Wicked” and multiple Disney classics including “Pocahontas” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Abbott discussed what makes this musical special.

“I think one of the things about this musical is no matter what faith you come into it from, it creates a community for the cast because of the way they have to work together and a crew,” Abbott said. “A community for the audience that’s invited into that space with the cast.”

Abbott said that the play is not about the divinity of Christ but about his teachings.

“And all of the teachings center on love one another, respect one another and care for one another, be kind to one another,” Abbott said.

Abbott said that the cast and the company as a whole all come from very different faith paths–from very devout Christians to atheists to people who identify as Jewish.

Abbott said that “Godspell” was not chosen in response to last semester’s book burning event. But she also said that one of the things theatre is all about is what it means to be human, so theatre always is going to reflect back what’s happening in the society in which it’s performed. 

“It always seems like ‘Wow, so we’re doing this, and look at how that speaks to this thing that happened,’ ” said Abbott. “And sometimes it’s intentional, and sometimes, like this one, [it] just happened.”

Abbott said that, for the cast, it’s really bonding because they’re all on stage the whole time and giving each other focus back and forth–a kind of ensemble Abbott said is really wonderful to work in.

There are only two named characters–Jesus and John the Baptist/Judas. (John the Baptist and Judas indicate the same character in the musical’s story.) Everyone else goes by their own personal names. This means there is no one “star.”

“It’s really a pure ensemble work,” Abbott said. “Everybody gets a solo. Everybody’s telling the stories.”

Something else that makes this musical special is Abbott’s favorite part: the script is a rarity in that the playwrights have given those who produce the musical permission to adapt it to their environment. 

Abbott said that there are a couple of songs that just slay her every time, including “All Good Gifts” and “By My Side.”

The dances are something that challenged the actors, Abbott said. This is because there are not many dancers in the cast.

Abbott said her choreographer is a woman named Mathyn Miller, who owns a dance studio here in town, and she is really good at working with non-dancers to dance. Miller previously choreographed “Chicago” for the department a few years ago with non-dancers as well.

There will be all sorts of dance styles going, said Abbott. This range will include hip hop, soft shoe and gospel.

“It’s a good, fun evening,” Abbott said.

Godspell will open Feb. 27th at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday performance will open at 2 p.m. Student ticket prices are $10.

There will also be a scholarship night performance on Saturday the 29th, which includes dinner and a show as a way to raise money for freshmen scholarships.

Reflector Magazine Launch 

Thursday, January 16,  11:00 a.m. – 1:00p.m.

Russell Union

Join the Reflector team in the Russell Union for our print magazine launch!

Women’s Basketball vs Troy

Thursday, January 16, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Hanner Complex – Fieldhouse (Statesboro Campus) 

Cheer on the women’s basketball team as they face off against Sunbelt opponent Troy University.

Firearms Date Night 

Friday, January 17,  6:00p.m. – 8p.m.

Shooting Sports Education Center (Statesboro Campus)

This is not your typical date night. This date night will teach couples how to safely handle a firearm together!  The event is designed for beginners, but all skill levels are welcome. 

Prices for Students: $65 (price per couple)

Widow Maker Collective: Bedtime Stories

January 13 – Feb 7, 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Center for Art & Theatre, University Gallery

A great way to start off the semester is by checking out The Widow Maker Collective: Bedtime Stories! This is a Georgia-based collective of artists whose work incorporates and entangles everything from painting and illustration to multimedia and new media extravaganzas.

Alicia LaChance: Vanishing Point 

January 13 – February 7, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Center for Art & Theatre, University Gallery

Painter Alicia LaChance has shown her art nationally and internationally and is now bringing it for Georgia Southern’s eyes to see!

The whole semester’s been leading to this week: finals. In-between cram sessions, you might want to take a break and head to one of these events.

No-Stress Zone

Monday, December 9 at 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Russell Union Ballroom

Finals week got you stressed out? Come chill out for a minute and refresh at the No Stress Zone, where you can enjoy an oxygen bar, an aqua massage, smoothies and snacks. 

Late-Night Finals Breakfast

Tuesday, December 10 at 11:00 p.m. until Wednesday, December 11 1:00 a.m.

Hillel House

Have no time to make yourself a meal this finals week? That’s okay. Just head over to Hillel, where they will be serving pancakes, hash browns, turkey bacon, eggs and coffee.

Try Archery

Wednesday, December 11 at 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Shooting Sports Education Center

Interested in shooting a bow? Head to the shooting sports center this Wednesday to learn from certified coaches.

Lantern Walk

Friday, December 13 at 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Sweetheart Circle

Attend this annual event to see the graduating Eagles of 2019 reminisce about some of their favorite memories here at Georgia Southern.  

Georgia Southern Fall 2019 Commencement

The Savannah Ceremony is at the Savannah Convention Center on Friday, December 13, 2019 at 1 p.m.

The Statesboro Ceremony is at Paulson Stadium on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 1 p.m.

Come support your fellow Eagles as they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.

Good luck, everyone!

Welcome back, Eagles! It’s time for the homestretch. With that in mind, here are a few ways to get the most out of this last week before finals week. 

Bowling Pin Competition

Monday, December 2, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Shooting Sports Education Center

You will be shooting these pins with a handgun. Bowling pins are a great target; once they’re lying down, they’ll only spin when hit on the end, making it more of a challenge to clear the table of all pins.

CURE Christmas Social

Monday, December 2, 8:00-9:00 p.m.

Russell Union, Room 2052

Want to give back this holiday? Then head to this Christmas social and celebrate the upcoming holidays. There will be free food!

UPB Sboro – Lighting of Sweetheart Circle

Wednesday, December 4, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Sweetheart Circle

President Marrero will kick off this seasonal event by flipping the switch and lighting all of Sweetheart Circle, and then there will be snow, ornament decorating and pictures with Santa Gus! Don’t forget your Eagle IDs.

Men’s Basketball vs Carver

Friday, December 6, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Hanner Fieldhouse

Support the Eagles as they face off against Carver!

UPB Sboro – It: Chapter 2

Friday, December 6, 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Russell Union Theater

Come watch this spooky blockbuster! Not sure if you’ll like this movie? Check out our spoiler-free review.

These five effective ways to give back are sure to let someone know that they are on your mind this Thanksgiving. 

Give Thanks to Soldiers 

It takes a lot of strength mentally, physically and emotionally to fight for our country. What better way to let our military troops know that you appreciate all their hard work and dedication that goes into serving our country than by giving back?

You can write a handwritten letter to someone within the army thanking them for all that they do or you can send a care package. 

Your care package can include gift cards, drinks, snacks and personal care items like socks and toothpaste. Entertainment items are also good items to send to military troops, like books, card games and board games. You can ship any goods to Support Our Troops. 

Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen

Short on money this Holiday? Want a way to give back but without the cost of money? Try volunteering at a soup kitchen this Thanksgiving. 

Volunteering at a soup kitchen can be very rewarding for not only yourself but also your community. Not everyone is blessed enough to eat a full course meal this Thanksgiving, so it’s important to remember that and try to give back the best you can. 

Statesboro First United Methodist Church has a soup kitchen that you can volunteer at. All you have to do is sign up. The church also has a public soup kitchen on Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Visit A Nursing Home 

It’s very possible to get lonely around the holidays when you’re living in a nursing home. Sometimes those in nursing homes can be forgotten or perhaps their family members aren’t able to spend much time with them during the holidays.

You can play games with those living inside the residency while also providing a comfortable environment. You can also just talk to those that are within the home and get to know the people. 

Whether you know someone within the nursing home or just want to visit to let others know that they are still appreciated, it means a lot. 

Sponsor A Family

Going the extra mile to put a smile on other families faces by  supporting them is what Thanksgiving is all about. 

For families living in poverty, food can sometimes be scarce to come by. 

Sponsor a family this holiday by providing groceries.

Donate to a Cause 

Donating is also a very beneficial and effective way to give back. Whether it’s donating clothing items, food items or even running for a cause this holiday, all of these can go toward a positive end goal. 

Try looking for local events hosted for a main cause to give back or go out of your way to donate to local food banks or homeless shelters. 

The money that these local charities raise from your donations goes to helping those in need. 

Maybe you could run or walk in a charitable race this thanksgiving to raise awareness or donate to other organizations, or if you’re too busy, you could find donate to nonprofit organizations like Habitat for Humanity.

Thanksgiving is about giving thanks to those who you appreciate and also giving back. It doesn’t have to take a lot of money to show someone that you appreciate them or that you are thinking of them.

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy loved ones’ company and to have a good time, so what about your friends? It’s time for a new November tradition: Friendsgiving! Here are some top ideas on how you and your friends can have an amazing day.

Who’s hosting?

Don’t automatically jump to having Friendsgiving at the biggest house or apartment. Take into consideration the location and travel distance it would be for everyone involved. Friendsgiving should be an intimate party, so a small group of close friends is the best situation. 

Send out invites 

This time of year can be pretty busy for most people, so sending out invitations is a very important step. Beforehand, try and get a general idea of when your friends may be available in the days leading up to Thanksgiving Day. Don’t be afraid to push the date past Thanksgiving Day either!

Who’s cooking what?

It’s important to make sure everyone has a responsibility, so all the food and drink prep doesn’t fall on one person. Ask around and see what everyone’s favorite thing to cook is and what they are “known” for. Also, don’t forget about drinks and cocktails, there are a million festive recipes online. 

Day of activities

If your friends aren’t into the traditional Thanksgiving Day activities, like football in the front yard and frying the turkey, it’s a good idea to have some festive games and activities on hand to keep everyone entertained and having fun. Having games on hand, like card games and board games is an easy way to pass the time. 

Traditionally, Thanksgiving time is meant for families, but if you follow these easy steps, you and your friends are sure to have an amazing Friendsgiving. 

We’re so close to Thanksgiving break! Here are some on-campus activities that may help the week go by faster.

Eagle Eye Challenge

Monday, November 18, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Shooting Sports Education Center

Engage in a fun competition that will test your shooting skills! You’ll aim from behind cover or while sitting. Oh, and did we mention you’ll also be changing magazines during the contest? So prepare to be challenged.

Don’t forget to sign up before 1:00 p.m. today.

International Education Week Film Screening: “Dalya’s Other Country“

Tuesday, November 19, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Interdisciplinary Academic Building, Room 1020

Go see this screening of a film centered on a Syrian teen caught between two political identities after her family is displaced from Syria. The teen, Dalya, goes to Catholic school while her mother attends college, which makes it harder for them to walk the line between their Muslim faith and their new country. 

Men’s Basketball vs Mercer

Tuesday, November 19, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Hanner Fieldhouse

Cheer on our team as they face Mercer.

Women’s Basketball vs North Dakota

Wednesday, November 20, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Hanner Fieldhouse

Here’s another opportunity for you to show out and support your Eagles.

Bouldering Night Out (BNO)

Thursday, November 21, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Recreation Activity Center (RAC)
Head to the RAC for this fun weekly climbing event hosted by Southern Adventures! It’s open to those of any experience (or none) and offers prizes, food and themed dress. No sign up needed.