As students began to readjust to this new reality, many student workers were left wondering where they stand now with their jobs and if they should start looking for another line of work.

The university has kept the student workers in mind during this time of transition. Students who could work remotely from home were able to continue work, but if that was not a possibility, they would find reassignment for those who needed the work hours.

Ben Phillips, who is the Coordinator of Leadership Development in the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement, was selected to work and take over this project from human resources. It is his job to match students with new temporary assignments.

There are still 77 students waiting to be reassigned as of April 12. Phillips states this is due to a disproportionate amount of students needing work, and departments needing additional assistance.

Phillips has said so far his team has, “helped 97 students find temporary student worker assignments for the rest of the semester, across both the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses.”

Kayla McCook, who worked at the on-campus Starbucks, was one of the lucky students who were able to be reassigned.

When campus closed and I wasn’t able to work anymore, I was so stressed out and upset. I was excited to hear the news of being reassigned, working at a whole new place on campus.

Kayla McCook

McCook was reassigned to the grounds departments where she helps with the upkeep of the campus, doing things like planting trees. She says it’s a lot different than what she is used to at Starbucks but is thankful for this new experience.

Shay Heard is among the student workers who are able to work from home during this time. Heard works as a student assistant in the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement and was surprised to hear that she was able to keep her job.

Heard said, “I’m still getting the same amount of hours, thankfully. We are now doing everything online, of course, from checking emails to doing project requests for people in the office.”

Rebecca Cortner, a work-study student who works in the office of testing services as a proctor for online exams, said the worst part during this time was trying to figure out if she was going to be paid the same amount of money she was awarded or if she needed to find a job in the midst of places already laying off workers.”

Cortner explained the university had set aside a certain amount of money for the semester that she will continue to receive weekly. She is still able to keep her job even though the campus is closed. Cortner was given the option to proctor exams, which she assumes will take place via webcam.

A GS student employee who works at Lakeside dining commons, who wishes to remain anonymous, is one of the student workers who are still without work. In fact, the student did not even know there was a reassignment process for student workers until the interview.

I received no emails from any of my managers or even Eagle Dining Services about student workers staying home or any other type of information about reassigning us to a new department if possible. No one reached out or gave us any type of instruction on handling the situation. Even now, I have yet to receive any emails from my department.

A GS student employee who works at Lakeside dining commons

Phillips stated that students needing temporary work were supposed to have been sent forms from them that ask students to identify their home department, normal working hours, and some of the interests and skills that they have. The departments as well can share this information and form.

“It is hard to say exactly what might have happened with this particular student. One of our largest groups of students that have applied for temporary assignments has been students from the Dining Commons. It seems like it was an unfortunate oversight for this particular student,” said Phillips

Phillips also said if any students have any questions about anything or would like to communicate with him that he is open anytime, and would love to hear from them and do his best to advocate for them.

Though a lot of uncertainty is going around, the university is trying its best in helping students continue work has helped ease their stress.

“I’m thankful that I work for such a great university that amidst all of the chaos can find us a place to work, ” McCook said.

If you’re a student worker still in need of work and reassignment you can reach out to Ben Phillips @[email protected] for help.

Savannah King works for the on-campus Starbucks on the Statesboro Campus

The Orange Constant, a Statesboro originated band, was founded by Nicholas Benson and Andrew Brantley in 2012. Both were Georgia Southern students and graduated with degrees in interdisciplinary studies. 

Benson and Brantley played instruments even before college, but they began practicing with one another while in college. They liked the combination of their sounds together, so they decided to start The Orange Constant.

The name of the band originated from some foam that they put in the windows of the house they were renting to help with sound. 

“It would glow orange in the afternoon, and so we kind of spawned that from a reference to the sun––The Orange Constant,” said Brantley. 

There are five members in the group. Brantley plays guitar and is lead vocalist; cofounder Nicholas Benson plays the main guitar and sings vocals; Tyler Walker is the bassist and a vocalist; Chris Freiberg plays the keyboard; and Sam Groveman is the drummer.

The band faced some challenges when it came to finding band members a few years ago, said Brantley, but they’ve had the same five members for three consecutive years. 

Another challenge that they are having to navigate currently is the coronavirus disease because they are not able to promote their upcoming album or play concerts. 

The Orange Constant has headlined at Athfest and the Georgia Theatre in Athens. 

They are getting ready to release their third full length album “Peel” after working on it for about a year. Brantley said one word that would describe this album is “authentic.” The newest album was also recorded with Grammy-nominated producer John Keane.

“This album is definitely my favorite. It’s got more vocal harmonies on it as well as a lot of percussion” said Brantley.

“Peel” will be available on all major listening platforms on May 12. 

If you or a loved one are going through a loss caused by COVID-19, Dr. Lauren Patterson, assistant director of outreach and community engagement for the Counseling Center at Georgia Southern, said in an email that we must remember that grief is an individualized experience, and that there is no wrong or right way to grieve. Some common feelings caused by grief are shock/numbness, denial, sadness, shame, guilt and anxiety. 

“It can be helpful to identify and express these emotions , take care of yourself, manage stress, and-or seek professional help as needed” said Patterson. 

For those who suffer mental illnesses that get worse when cooped up inside all day, Patterson said that since each person’s experience with stressful situations is different, individuals may benefit from creating a self-care plan. 

“Individuals may find it beneficial to create holistic plans that address a myriad of physical and emotional needs tailored to their situation” said Patterson.

 One could include continuing medications as prescribed and seeking treatment via telehealth in their routine said Patterson.

Patterson also shared some tips from the CDC to help people with avoiding a mentally unwell state. The CDC’s website said that taking a break from the news is one way to avoid falling into a mentally unwell state. The website also suggests things like taking care of your physical health (eat well, exercise, etc.) as well as engaging in activities such as a hobby or an interest. The CDC list also recommends seeking social support.

For those who are extroverts, this time of isolation could be difficult. 

“Social distancing does not have to mean social isolation” Patterson said. 

She referenced a list by Active Minds of ways to connect with other people without coming into physical contact with them. A few of the suggestions include virtual trivia nights, social media challenges, group check-ins or meditations and many more. It is times like these when the world’s advancement with technology is appreciated. 

A lot of students had to uproot their lives and move back home due to the college closing or losing jobs, and they had to change their day-to-day routine. 

Patterson said that change, both good and bad, can be difficult.

“It’s important to remember that all feelings are valid and taking time to attend to those feelings may be necessary,” she said. 

The Counseling Center website offers a list of quick resources for mental health as well as hotlines. 

They also offer a page with more information on coping with grief and loss: https://students.georgiasouthern.edu/counseling/resources/tragedy-resources/

The counseling center is also working out phone call appointments as well as group telemental health therapy sessions. 

If you or another student are having difficulties during this time, the Statesboro Counseling Center number is (912) 478-5541, and Armstrong’s is (912) 344-2529. Always remember that your feelings are valid and the Counseling Center is here to help.

As a proud member of the Georgia Southern College class of 1997, Bernice Banks has always held a special place in her heart for the school.

“I don’t recall any negative experiences, race-wise, while I was on campus… A good description would be peaceful coexistence,” said Banks.

Banks initially chose Georgia Southern over two nearby Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HBCUs) because she was aware that there could be unjust doubt cast upon her abilities. Meaning that, soon after integration had just been introduced, there was a lot of judgment thrust upon HBCUs for the quality of education they provided. Not based in fact or numbers, she explained that this judgment would be merely based on the fact that it was an HBCU and not a Predominantly White Institution (PWI).

“I was just conscious of where the country was at the time, having just come out of desegregation, I was very conscious of the attitudes that people had about race and minorities…For me, logically, I didn’t want to have a question about my race or education. I just wanted to cut that obstacle out,” Banks said.

Bernice Banks always thought that the administration at GS contributed to her lack of knowledge about any negative, racially-motivated situations. Specifically, Banks credits the attitude of those higher up in the school for her experience.

“They [GS administration] had a belief in wanting to make it [integration] work, and you know, leadership starts from the top,” Banks said.

After graduating GS, Banks went on to work for the Department of Treasury for over thirty years before retiring. Even after she graduated Georgia Southern, Banks remained a part of the alumni network and continued to uplift Black voices.

Banks was one of the early organizers of Georgia Southern’s First 500, a group of the first 500 African-American students at GS. The First 500 has hosted many annual talks and panels throughout the years that give those currently attending GS a look into the minds of those who have attended in the past.

Banks also has a hand in her hometown of Hawkinsville, Georgia, uplifting the voices of those who may need it. In February 2018, Banks wrote an article for her local news outlet that discussed how African-Americans invented many things in this country but did not get credit.

Banks had a few tokens of advice for current Black students at GS, mostly focusing on making sure that you stand for something. Banks is a believer in always doing your best, even when you think nobody is looking.

“By doing your best, that means you value yourself as a person, and when you value yourself, it emanates from you,” Banks said.

Banks suggests that if students find themselves in a situation where they are faced with an injustice, no matter how small, to fight for what’s right.

“You have to stand for something, not everything… We can’t fight every battle, but we have to fight for what’s important,” Banks said.

As the number of people affected by COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) increases across the nation, the city of Statesboro is taking steps to keep the community safe and to slow the spread. In a town hall meeting on Sunday, March 22, Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar brought forward an executive order.

The executive order called for businesses to close and prohibited gatherings larger than 10 people. This did exclude some businesses such as grocery stores, some restaurants, hospitals, doctors’ offices and some retail stores.

This executive order is to last 15 days and will be revisited at the end of this period. With this executive order in place, it means many local businesses are having to close their doors because they are deemed “non-essential.” However, these businesses are still finding ways to keep business going.

Local retail stores such as Dish, Stella, Cheeky Bliss and Sole have had to close their stores. Each store has gone completely online for the time being, but many of them are offering free shipping on orders and curbside pickup.

They are also all remaining active on their social media accounts and are allowing people to order off of them as well. These stores are also offering discounts on orders!

Restaurants are also feeling the effects of COVID-19, and the executive order as they are also having to close their lobby area. Local restaurants are also finding ways to continue to serve customers in the safest way.

Local coffee shop Three Tree Coffee Roasters had to be creative with their ways to continue to serve the community their coffee. They have created a local delivery service on select items as well as online ordering through the app Cloosive for curbside pickup.

Three Tree Coffee Roasters have also shifted their Saturday Brunch to their trolley. You can now order brunch and drink orders at the trolley, with your order being brought straight to your car.

Founder and Owner of Three Tree Coffee Roasters Phillip Klayman said that there has clearly been a drop in sales across the board, but it has been so cool to see the community’s support and response to their efforts.

Greg Filipek, the manager of Bites on Brampton, said Bites is taking extra health and safety precautions during this time to ensure the staff’s safety and the customer’s safety. They have reduced the staff and are allowing only three people in the lobby at once to ensure everyone will have six feet of space.

Filipek said, “We’re just going to keep it going forward with the business, but really focus on providing a safe environment for customers.” 

Like Bites and Three Tree Coffee Roasters, other local restaurants are offering curbside pickup and even delivery. Restaurants that serve alcohol like Gnats Landing and Del Sur are authorized to sell alcoholic beverages during this time.

Filipek says Bites are lucky that they are able to stay open when so many other businesses have not been as fortunate.

“It has affected business for us since we have such a young customer base and a lot of the students have gone home for the semester,” Filipek said.

This time has put a strain on all local businesses, and each will be hit with some kind of economic hardship. In this time of difficulties and uncertainties, it has raised the importance to continue to support locally owned businesses.

Filipek said, ” The best thing to do right now is to support local and family-owned businesses, but do so in the safest way possible.”

Feature image credit to Lauren Sabia

In 1977, Phillip Tremble became one of the first 500 African American students to attend Georgia Southern.

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, Tremble told his story to a room full of students and faculty during a Talk Tuesday event, hosted by the Diversity Peer Educators.

Tremble, 61, was raised by his grandparents on a 60 acre farm in Statesboro, Georgia. 

He said he grew up embracing hard work, honesty and treating others the way he would want to be treated.

It was Tremble’s grandmother who urged him to get a college education, as his grandparents never finished high school.

Tremble’s grandfather passed away when he was in the 10th grade, leaving his grandmother to continue raising him. While going to college was something his grandparents always wanted him to do, Tremble, being a rebellious teenager, felt the opposite. He wanted to go into the Air Force and be the “Tom Cruise before there was a Tom Cruise.”

One day, while Tremble was working on his family’s farm, his grandmother came up to him with tears in her eyes and asked, “Phillip, what are you gonna do?” Not wanting to break her heart, he changed his mind and decided to go to college.

“I couldn’t tell her no,” he said. “I couldn’t break her heart.”

Having to work a full-time job, and, only taking one or two classes at a time, Tremble spent a total of nine years at GS, which was called Georgia Southern College at the time.

Tremble was a straight A student all throughout elementary school, which he began in first grade, because he did not attend kindergarten.

The integration of schools happened between Tremble’s fifth and sixth grade years. He said at first the transition was difficult, and, in sixth grade, his grades dropped to the point that his grandparents feared that he would not pass.

By seventh grade, he was able to adjust. His grades improved, and he began to make new friends. This improvement continued through his senior year of high school, where he ran track and played on the varsity basketball team.

When talking about his life experiences, including experiences at GS, Tremble said that it is important to understand that these were his experiences. He knows that different people all have different experiences and perspectives, and it is important to keep that in mind.

GS integrated in 1965, meaning that African American students had been attending for a little over a decade when Tremble began his college career. He said he knows that earlier African American students faced levels of prejudice that he himself did not face.

Racial slurs were used to them, face-to-face,” said Tremble. “They were told ‘get out of my class.’ Their tests were not graded equally…they had those things they would tell.

Phillip Tremble

While these things still happened in some cases by the time Tremble began college, they were not done in such an obvious way.

“I can tell you that by the time I got there, it was a little more covertly done,” he said. “You knew that you were Black. It wasn’t a secret. You didn’t have to look in the mirror to tell because of how they were treating you.”

Tremble said that when he became a student at GS, it was at first very overwhelming. For the first time he was around people not just from Bulloch County, but from all over the United States and other countries. He said that he was not quite ready for the college environment.

“I was scared, lost and somewhat shy, but excited all at the same time,” said Tremble.

He said he realized that he was not alone in how he felt and quickly began making new friends.

Tremble said that GS has always had a diverse campus, even back then. He made friends with all races, including those from countries outside of the United States.

“In Georgia Southern, it was everybody from all over the planet,” said Tremble. “Even when I first started, we would have students from everywhere from every country, every state…”

Upon arriving at GS, Tremble declared a major in electrical engineering. He was inspired by his uncle, who was a mechanical and civil engineer. After a while, he realized that he was bored with engineering. Tremble then changed his major to education, planning to be a science teacher and coach.

As time went on, he was still unsure about what he actually wanted to do for his career, so he enlisted the help of a counselor on campus. She told Tremble that he clearly is a people person. He then found his home majoring in psychology.

Tremble, like many other college students both now and then, was asked what he was planning on doing with a degree in his major. Undeterred by any criticism, he simply responded that he was going to make a life for himself, and he did just that.

At GS, Tremble felt as if it was immensely different than what he was used to in high school.

“I was responsible for my education,” he said. “I was responsible for making sure I showed up in class and if I didn’t show up in class, the teacher didn’t turn me into the principal and write me up, you know, those things you get when you’re in high school. I became responsible for all of that, and it took me a while to grasp that.”

Tremble was good in school, and, despite the challenges of having to work full-time, and sometimes not feeling accepted, he eventually received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 1986.

Tremble said that his time at GS shaped him in numerous ways. He also said that he often used what his grandparents taught him to approach any challenges that he faced.

“The experiences I’ve had at GS have allowed me to be a better rounded person with a greater understanding and appreciation of others,” he said. “My experiences at GS have taught me not to be selfish, but to be more understanding of the views and perspectives of others.”

Tremble said that understanding does not always mean agreeing, but that he takes the time to try to understand others and why they feel the way they do.

“I learned patience and how to more openly get to know and understand different people, different cultures and different environments with much less stress. I actually enjoy it,” Tremble he said.

When asked what advice he would give to African American students attending GS today, Tremble said that he would give the same advice that he would give to any student, regardless of race. He said that GS is a great university and that anyone willing to do the work required has the same opportunity to find success and anyone else.

“The GS I know today embraces diversity and works diligently to maintain a culture that is inclusive for everyone,” said Tremble. “It’s a great university and I am proud to be a graduate of GS.”

When talking about racially motivated incidents on campus, Tremble said that, as a positive person, he thinks it is important to stay calm, and try to find a solution that works for everyone. He said this does not mean that you ignore or accept the situation, but try to find ways problem to be solved with a better outcome.

When you fight fire with fire, you tend to get a bigger fire. I think it is important that you take a higher road to deal with that, diffuse that in a different way. Use that as an opportunity to make things better.

Phillip Tremble

Tremble is now the director of Human Resources for the Bulloch County Board of Education.

He is also heavily involved in the Statesboro community. He serves on the Board of Directors for the local United Way of Southeast Georgia, the Bulloch Alcohol and Drug Council, Ogeechee Area Hospice and the East Georgia Regional Medical Center.

Tremble is a member of the Statesboro Area Society of Human Resource Managers and the Georgia Association of School Personnel Administrators (GASPA), and he sings in his church choir. Tremble and his wife Liz, have a daughter named Larkyn, who plans to attend GS this fall.

Jenna Wiley contributed to this article

Carole Levin, a professor at the University of Nebraska and author of various books about Queen Elizabeth I, was the guest lecturer at the event. Levin used the history of Queen Elizabeth I’s life and journey to power as an influence on the question of can women rule?

Before delving into the life of Queen Elizabeth I, Levin discussed women who have recently run for positions of power. This included women from Victoria Woodhull, the first women to run for president, to Hilary Clinton, the first women to run for a major party.

Levin took the audience on a journey through Elizabeth I life to give a better explanation of how she became and remained a strong ruler. Levin explained Elizabeth knew as a young girl that having her voice heard would not be easy, especially since her father, King Henry VIII, was convinced women cannot rule.

In Elizabeth’s era, it was the firstborn son who was first in line to the throne. This would mean that she would be third in line behind her younger brother and older sister. Elizabeth rose to power after the death of her siblings.

Elizabeth’s reign lasted 45 years and can be defined as was one of the greatest rulers and reigns. She did this by working for what’s best for her people. Elizabeth never married or had kids but instead said that she wed her kingdom and was the mother to her people.

Levin explained that Elizabeth reigned with a fierceness that made her a model of what a powerful woman can be.

Carli Hendrix, an international studies major, said, ” We all know that Queen Elizabeth I was a great ruler, but this lecture really explained why and how she was. It also showed how she has influenced women to be powerful leaders.”

So can women rule? If we’ve learned anything from Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, yes they can.

Levin shared that we are starting to see a tradition of great female rulers, and how she hopes we can continue to see this tradition flourish.

The rich history of the Black Primitive Baptist Church traces all the way back to the Civil War. Piecing together its story is the culmination of years of research by Dr. Alvin Jackson, Board President of The Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center.

In Bulloch County, prior to the Civil War, African Americans who were Primitive Baptists were members of the White Primitive Baptist Church.

For 10 to 15 years after the Civil War, African Americans in Bulloch County were still attending White Primitive Baptist churches while other African Americans, particularly in the Missionary Baptist movement, were forming their own churches.

The first African American Missionary Baptist Church, Antioch, was formed during slavery in 1863.

The first African American Primitive Baptist church was founded in 1879, but there was a long period of time before when African Americans that were Missionary Baptists were forming churches.

Dr. Jackson said that this Primitive Baptist history dates back to when many people from Ireland and Scotland moved to America for economic and religious freedom.

In the 1770s, a man named John Donaldson came to America from Ireland with his son, Robert. They traveled to Virginia and the Carolinas, before settling in Effingham County, Georgia.

Robert Donaldson started several White Primitive Baptist churches in Bulloch and surrounding counties.

“Robert Donaldson was one of the leading elders and the founder of Nevils Creek Primitive Baptist Church which was founded in 1790,” said Jackson. “It was founded before Bulloch County was [organized] in 1796.”

Many members of the Primitive Baptist churches were slave owners, so their enslaved individuals were members of the church as well.

“Several of my ancestors, the Hodges family, the Donaldsons, and the Lees, were members of Nevils Creek,” said Jackson. “And we know that because we have the minutes of Nevils Creek and we found their names in the records.”

During the era of slavery, only the first names of slaves were recorded. Once liberated, they took their former owner’s last name. After that, both their first and last name were recorded in the church records.

Aaron Munland was born into slavery in Marion County, South Carolina in 1848. In 1856 he, his siblings and his mother were sold into slavery in Bulloch County. They then joined the Nevils Creek Primitive Baptist Church.

“As Aaron grew as a young man, he was inspired. He was a dreamer,” said Jackson. “He had several dreams. In fact, we know about that because he was one of the few enslaved individuals who wrote an autobiography of his life during slavery.”

The work was called “Life History of Aaron Munland.” It was written by Aaron Munland and Willie A. Munland.

Aaron felt inspired to preach and told several members of the White Primitive Baptist church that he felt this calling, but because of segregation, and the role of slaves at that time, he was not allowed to exercise his gift.

Elder Wilson was a member of Nevils Creek who had heard Aaron speak in places that were not the church and was aware of his conviction. Wilson told Aaron that if he felt that he truly had the will of God to speak then he should go start a church amongst his own people.

That was the origin of the African-American Primitive Baptist church and churches in Bulloch County.

In May of 1879, Aaron Munland and his wife Luncindy, Moses Parrish and Munland’s sister, Dinah Hodges, and her husband Martin Hodges, came together and organized the Banks Creek Primitive Baptist Church, the first African-American Primitive Baptist church in Bulloch County.

The membership of the church began to grow.

“My great-great- grandfather was a member of that church,” said Jackson. “That, initially, was the church for all of the Black Primitive Baptists [in Bulloch County] and so many of them had to come far for worship services.”

In 1882, Elder Aaron Munland, who was chosen as the pastor of Banks Creek, and other members organized the second Primitive Baptist Church, Bethel, which was below Statesboro, off Highway 67. The church was organized because many people had to travel far to get to Banks Creek.

Dr. Jackson’s great-great grandfather, Elder Washington Hodges, was the first clerk of Banks Creek Primitive Baptist Church and was chosen as the first pastor of the Bethel Primitive Baptist Church, serving from 1882-1921.

Mount Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church, also known as Fish Trap Church, was organized in 1883, making it the third African-American Primitive Baptist church in the area. Aaron Munland was the First Pastor and Elder Washington Hodges was the second.

“In those days, because of travel, because there was horse and buggy and many other things, most churches met only once a month,” said Jackson. “Say, for example, if a church met on the first Sunday, then everyone would come to that church. On the second Sunday, when it would be meeting at another church, then everyone would go to that church.”

Because the location of weekly church services rotated, one person could be the minister of more than one church. Only current ministers could ordain someone to be a minister.

“Aaron Munland, and many of the early Black Primitive Baptist ministers were ordained by the White Primitive Baptist ministers,” said Jackson. “One of the ministers was Elder Matthew Donaldson, who was the son of Robert Donaldson, the one who had come over from Ireland in the 1770s and who had started six Primitive Baptist churches.”

Once Munland was ordained, he then had the ability to ordain other ministers.

“Bear in mind that this whole process of Blacks starting Primitive Baptist churches, was happening in other counties like Tattnall County, Emmanuel County, and those counties that surround Bulloch County,” said Jackson.

In 1887, five of the Primitive Baptist churches from Bulloch and surrounding counties met in Bulloch County at the Banks Creek Primitive Baptist Church to organize an association called the Mount Pleasant Association of Primitive Baptists.

Elder Aaron Munland was the first moderator of the Mount Pleasant Association of Primitive Baptists.

“Interestingly enough, these former slaves kept records,” said Jackson. “I have many of the minutes from those meetings.”

From those meeting minutes, Jackson was able to piece together the story. His great-great grandfather Elder Washington Hodge was the first clerk of the Association. All the Primitive Baptist churches from the various counties would meet in October. The meetings were usually three days and would move from church to church.

“I recognized a long time ago the value of a document for recording a story because a lot of African-American history was oral history, oral recording,” said Jackson “So, whenever I found a paper document, that was like I’d found some gold.”

Piecing together this story has been years in the making for Dr. Jackson. He has been across Bulloch and surrounding counties, gathering documents and obituaries. He is currently working on a manuscript on the Black Primitive Baptist churches of Bulloch County.

A lot of his information came from a lady named Miss Essie Mae Powell, former secretary of the Banks Creek Primitive Baptist Church. She was knowledgable about the church’s history, and African-American history. In her home, she had a minutes and obituaries that came into Dr. Jackson’s possession, following her death.

“She was secretary of the Banks Creek Primitive Baptist Church for 33 years, so she had a very extensive history, and she could call numbers, dates and there are few people I’ve run into that had the clarity of her thought,” said Jackson.

Dr. Jackson’s time with Miss Powell increased his interest in the history of the church.

“I was already interested, but [Powell] really stimulated an interested to continue collecting,” said Jackson.

Jackson now has a pact with the funeral homes in Statesboro. Whenever anyone dies, they automatically save the funeral programs for the Willow Hill Center Archives.

Maeweather began attending GS in January 2016 and graduated in December of 2019. He now serves as the Provost Student Fellow.

During his time at GS, Maeweather said there have always been issues with diversity and having an inclusive environment.

“I think a lot of people don’t understand that just having people from different backgrounds in one place doesn’t fully mean that it’s inclusive,” said Maeweather. “You have to make people feel like they belong here.”

He said that following the issues that have happened on campus, the university never responds in an effective manner.

Maeweather said that he personally emailed University President Kyle Marrero and told him that the racial issues on campus are not new, saying that problems that arise are always swept under the rug.

Maeweather suggested that there be a school-wide campaign that would serve as a more internal approach to mending issues.

Maeweather proposed the “I Am Georgia Southern” campaign that looks to shine a light on the beauty of diversity and inclusion around campus, showing why it is important to go to school and be around people who are not from the same place that you are in life.

“Before I came to college and had to live own my own and be a man, I hated police officers,” said Maeweather.

He said that he’s from an inner city and this opinion was common amongst people that he knew.

“Then I got here and got a little older, and realized, mistakes do happen,” said Maeweather. “A lot of times we tend to just take sides because of where we’re from and not necessarily what happened to us.”

He said that he questioned how he could have that view about police officers if he had never, personally, had a bad experience with one.

Maeweather said that the time period where he grew and came to realize this was important. He said that he feels that it is the university’s job to help facilitate that growth.

As part of the I Am Georgia Southern campaign, Maeweather said that he has started working on social media to get videos, 90 seconds or less, of university students to feature.

He has since started working with the communications department on campus. They now have a system where the university Instagram page posts I Am Georgia Southern videos.

He said that the department started doing alumni videos at the same time that he started doing student video. He said that he thinks featuring current students is important because it caters to the inside perspective of the university.

“When I say diversity, I’m not just looking at race,” said Maeweather. “You’ve definitely got to talk about sexuality, sexual orientation, just background in general, military background, first-generation college students. There’s different types. It’s not just where you’re from or how you look.”

Maeweather said that he hopes to be able to make posters of students featured and plaster them all over campus with quotes about diversity and why being an inclusive campus is important.

If you are interested in being featured in the campaign, reach out to [email protected]

“We’re seeing more and more plastic in our oceans,” said Grunert. “Who’s to say that this plastic didn’t originate from the United States or another industrialized country that is discarding their waste in the ocean? We all know once something is in the water, it’s eventually going to wash up somewhere if it is not consumed by marine life.”

Grunert went on to explain that her group of travelers, a total of sixteen people, used a large amount of plastic bottles because they did not have access to tap water from a faucet. She also explained that one person possibly drank fifteen bottles of water on the trip. Every two weeks at the visiting houses, a pair of students received two 24 packs of water. In total, the group used about 768 plastic bottles, and because there is no recycling center in Ghana, the bottles likely went to a landfill, were burned or left somewhere to decompose.

“When we went to Tamale, there was no running water,” said Grunert. “So, we had to use our bottles to bathe, brush our teeth and wash our face. If you get anything from this, it’s to use a reusable water bottle.”

Grunert moved on to talking about Kumasi, another city in Ghana, and their poor air quality from tire burning. On the sides of the road, there were shops where women were doing each other’s hair and children were playing–all of them were breathing in the black smoke from a nearby dumpster set ablaze to rid it of the trash it contained. 

“It really didn’t resonate with me until I actually saw it in person,” said Grunert.

Sandra Ofosuhemaa, an attendant, Ghana-born GS student and public health researcher who went on the trip, gave more input on the poor air quality by briefly speaking about a man who was killed and her disturbing surprise after doctors opened up his chest cavity.

“I shadowed at the pathology,” explained Ofosuhemaa. “He was fairly young, probably about 27 or so. When they opened him up, I realised that his lungs were black and I thought in America, black lungs usually equal smoking or something like that. So I asked the doctor if he was a smoker, and he said no. These were the lungs of a typical adult Ghanian.” 

Ofosuhemaa also said that she saw a child around 11 die from tuberculosis, a treatable ailment in the US, because the air was so hard to breathe.

Michela Hizine, a graduate student with a masters in public health and environmental sciences, went on the trip to conduct research about the water quality. Her team spent almost eight hours each day analyzing the microbial quality of various sachet water samples. 

“Ghana has water standards, but they don’t always abide by them,” said Hizine. “It’s not their top priority always.”

Ofosuhemaa and Hizine agreed that mindsets play a critical role in resource management. 

Grunert finished up her lecture by talking about the energy, transportation, and future of sustainability in Ghana.

“Sustainability in the future for Ghana is high,” said Grunert. “The UN development program’s national youth authority gave a grant out to 16 people and the amount was $80,000 to support young demands to develop ideas to reach the sustainable development goals.”

 The event concluded with a short Q&A session before the audience of a dozen students left the theater.