1. Listen to your advisor! 

Your academic advisor is there for you. They will know what is best for you and what the best courses will be for you to take your freshman year. Don’t be afraid to ask for a meeting with them outside of the required ones! The academic advisors at GS are amazing at their job, and they are more than happy to help.

2. Give yourself AT LEAST 15 minutes between classes.

It takes roughly 15 minutes to get from one side of campus to the other while walking. 

The buses can be a good option, but there is no telling if they’ll be at the right place at the perfect time for you. 

3. Make time for breaks.

Some people prefer back-to-back classes to get them all out of the way earlier, but it is still important to squeeze some time in for little breaks here and there. Schedule some time for lunch as well so that you can run into Lakeside or Starbucks and grab something to eat to give your brain the fuel it needs! if you have an one+ hour break, the fourth floor of the library is a great place to “rest your eyes” (but you didn’t hear it from me). 

4. Do your research. 

The typical course load of a freshmen includes the CORE classes, such as Composition, Biology and History. This doesn’t mean you don’t have to do any research! Ratemyprofessor.com is a great website to get some insight on a professor’s teaching style to see if it would be a good match for you. Take the ratings with a grain of salt though since students tend to leave bad ones more often than good ones. 

5. Register on time. 

Classes fill up fast in college, that’s for sure. Always register for classes the second your registration time opens because classes fill up fast. 

College means coming into a whole new world and something as small as picking classes can be a scary thing to conquer. Hopefully, this inside scoop can help you make the most out of your time at college!

Location

Finding the optimum space in your home is ultimately the first step. And depending on your household size, this can vary from an actual home office to the tiniest part left in your bedroom. There is no right or wrong spot. It’s what works best for you.

Limit Distractions

Distractions are all around us, from our TVs to our phones or even our family. Your workspace should be free of any of those temptations. When you are in your work mode, try placing your phone in another room, so you aren’t tempted to grab it. This can work the same with your TV remote.

Light

Lighting is another important factor. When we are exposed to more sunlight, our cognitive function is better, according to Environmental Health, a medical journal. Try shifting your desk or space in front of an open window.

Supplies

No matter where you find your perfect setting, it should always be filled with the essentials such as your computer, paper for notes, writing utensils and a planner. Having to take a break and hunt for tools can hinder you from working efficiently.

Design

Your workspace doesn’t have to be fancy or overly dramatic. But, if you are a fan of the aesthetic, adding your favorite decor can help you stay focused and actually want to work.

Comfortable clothes

Although this doesn’t directly pertain to your workspace, it is a key factor in your success rate. Many schools or businesses require dress codes that can be uncomfortable to work in. A benefit from working from home is there isn’t a strict set of rules you have to follow. You can dress up or dress down as you please. 

Here are a few workspaces from GS students and professors who sent in their photos via Twitter using #DailyDesk.

No matter where you find yourself working, it is important to create that barrier from your relaxing space to your workspace. That way there is a designated area only for work, and you will be more likely to function proficiently.

Tweet us your at-home workspace with the hashtag #DailyDesk!

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!

Where to start! 

Knowing where to look is the first step when trying to find a job. Georgia Southern has several resources on their website that helps direct students, like the “Student Employment” tab on your MyGeorgiaSouthern account.  Under the “Student Employment” tab there is a link Called “On campus employment opportunities.”

The link will direct you to a page where you can find all job openings that are available on campus. The first thing you will need to do before applying is to create your own account so that you can  upload your resume and cover letter. 

Another resource that Southern has to offer to their students is the Job Fair. Every semester, several Georgia Southern departments will come together where they look for potential student employees to hire. 

You can find access to the next available job fair on the Georgia Southern web page where it gives you a list of everything you need to know like dress codes, what to bring and strategies before attending the next job fair.  

Several students spoke about how they heard of their current on-campus job..  

“I heard about my job through the student employment website through Georgia Southern,” said Ariana White, a student employee for research services at Georgia Southern’s Henderson Library. 

“After applying on student employment through Georgia Southern, I called up to Chick-Fil-A to check on my application, and they asked for my name and set up a time to do an interview,” said Jakai McDaniel, a cashier at the Russell Union Chick-Fil-A.

“I went to the job fair where they had several different departments set up,” said Jada Rasheed, a student assistant for the Student Union and Event Services. “I did my interview on the spot at the job fair.” 

“I got an email through the school and applied through the student employment website,” says Alexandria Lee, a student assistant for events and games. 

“I received my job from the job fair Spring of 2019,” says Brandon Gardener, a student assistant for video-marketing on campus. “Preparing for the job fair consisted of me reviewing my resume and making sure it was up to date.”   

The Benefits of Working On Campus

Besides using the Georgia Southern website as a resource to find jobs,  student employees also explained how working on campus works with your class schedule so you’ll never feel like your missing out on your social life, class work or organizations that you are involved in. 

“On-campus jobs are very flexible because they work around my class schedule,” said Rasheed. “The communication between everyone is clear, so that way if I need to change my schedule, I could.” 

“Working on campus is a benefit because my hours are flexible,” said Gardener. “My boss is very understanding of how busy and involved I am on campus.” 

“I don’t know about other people, but I know that my manager takes my class schedule and work around it to make my work,” said White. “I can have pocket money, and, because I work in the library, it makes me study more and can also get to class pretty quickly.” 

“Chick-Fil-A plans around my school schedule, we don’t have to work on weekends and we close at 8 on weekdays,” said McDaniel. 

“Because the office closes at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, I only work about 13 hours a week due to my class schedule,” said Maya Breeze, a Work Study Student in the Office of International Programs and Services. “Most club meetings start between 6 and 7, so I am able to attend, and my weekends are completely open as the office is closed.” 

“It works well because my classes are right next to the building I work at, so I get to work in between long breaks for my classes,” said Student Supervisor Shawein Smith for Lakeside Dining Commons. 

Student Employee Advice:

Following up after any interview you’ve had or application that you have submitted is important. Student employees gave advice to those students who want to make a great first impression, who want to be noticed, and how to use your own connections to secure a job.  

“When you put in your application, always follow up by calling back,” said McDaniel. “It makes employers look for your application.” 

“There’s a certain time when you should put in an application,” said White. “When people graduate, a lot of positions open up, so the best time is right before or after graduation when all the seniors are leaving.” 

“Talk to people, get familiar with the different job fairs, make sure to get a job that will benefit your hobby and major so you are not bored,” said Gardener. 

“Definitely go to the job fair because they hire you on the spot,” said Smith. 

“My advice to other students is to make sure to apply for every job opening that you can when looking for an on-campus position in order to ensure that you receive an interview for at least one,” said Breeze. “Also, make sure that you treat every aspect of the hiring process with the utmost professionalism.”

At the end of the day college can be stressful. Trying to figure out how to balance your classes, organizations and social life can be very hectic at times. Student employees are proof that you can manage all three and still have time to make a little extra cash.  

If you’re new to Georgia Southern or even a senior who maybe feels you haven’t had the full “Statesboro Lifestyle” experience, here’s a Top 10 Bucket List of things to do before you graduate. 

Get a picture with Freedom & Gus 

It might be hard to grab a picture with these two Georgia Southern icons, but if you manage to get one, it’s well worth the wait.

Pull an all-nighter during Finals Week in Club Hendy

Pulling an all-nighter is essentially a religious experience, especially during Finals Week. Complete at your own risk.  

Join a campus organization 

There are what seems like a million different ways to get involved on campus, and joining a campus organization seems like it could be the boring one on this list, but lifelong friends could come out of it.

Tailgate in Paulson on game days 

There’s nothing like game days in Statesboro, so why not go all out and have a tailgate party?

Walk around Sweetheart Circle three times with that special someone 

There is a Georgia Southern tradition that if you walk around Sweetheart Circle

hand-in-hand with your significant other, you’re bound to be together forever. 

Attend a big, away football game

Every football season, GS plays a school that is the talk of the year—Auburn, Clemson, and most recently LSU. Trust us, it’s worth the drive. 

Go to a lighting at Sweetheart Circle

Around Christmas time before semester break, a Christmas lighting ceremony is held at sweetheart circle and is possibly the cheeriest of GS traditions.

Take a day trip to Savannah with friends 

If you want a break from the Statesboro scene for a day, take a trip to Savannah, GA! Go on a haunted ghost tour or visit the historic River Street!

Participate in at least one event during Homecoming Week 

Nobody likes a “Debby Downer” for homecoming week, even in college. Go ahead and dress up with your friends, go to a pep rally, show some school spirit! 

Graduate

Hopefully, we all are able to cross this one off one day, but, if not, don’t worry! That means you have more time to do this list all over again.

Photo: LSU Athletics

The Georgia Southern football team will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana this weekend to face off with the LSU Tigers for the season opener. Located right next to the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge is known for its great views, rich food culture and lively nightlife. 

Planning on going to the game to cheer on the Eagles? Here are six things to do while on that Baton Rouge weekend. 

LIT Pizza

Only six minutes away from Tiger Stadium, LIT Pizza is calling all pizza lovers. LIT pizza allows the customer to create their own 11” personal pan pizza from a variety of toppings available. Lit Pizza is also vegan friendly, offering a cauliflower crust and dairy free cheese. 

Pricing ranges from $6 to $8 depending the toppings added to the pizza.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill

Just a 13 minute walk or three minute drive, VooDoo BBQ & Grill prides themselves in their BBQ. Offering from pulled pork sandwiches, slow cooked meat platters, to their signature BBQ jambalaya. VooDoo BBQ & Grill also has a wide selection of beers and wines. 

Mike’s

Looking for a drink after the game? Check out Mikes in Tiger land. A small bar only eight minutes from Tiger Stadium, making it a perfect post game spot to have a little bit of dancing and fun.  Right next door to Mike’s are two other bars, JL’s and The House, as well. 

Hours are from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Walk-on’s Bistreaux and Bar

Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar is more laid back and offers a wide selection of local beers on tap. They also have Louisiana style pub grub for if that appeitate attacks. Walk-On’s has a small arcade area for those who are feeling competitive as well. Open hours are from 11 a.m. to midnight, making it a relaxing drinking time. 

USS KIDD

Baton Rouge is home of the historic battleship, The USS KIDD. The battleship is now a museum that shows naval history and memorials. You can tour the battleship and learn all of its amazing history. Weekend times are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and ticket prices are adults $12 , Veterans $10, Seniors $10, Children $8. 

East Baton Rouge Parish Library

Looking for the perfect photo-op? Visit East Baton Rouge Parish Library not for their large book selection, but for their top-tier rooftop architecture. EBRPL has a very modern rooftop with some great plants and all glass window, making it a perfect background for your artsy pictures. 

Open hours on weekends are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., perfect for golden hour photos. 

The Eagles will be playing in Tiger Stadium with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. central time.

It is no secret that the foreboding final examination is the bane of any college student’s existence, but hopefully you have attended your classes for most of the semester and taken halfway decent notes.

Now, it’s time to buckle down and review what you’ve learned. Yep, I’m talking about hardcore, four-hour study sessions in Henderson Library.

The question, however, is whether those study sessions have made a positive impact on your academic performance.

If so, that’s fantastic. Keep doing what you’re doing. If not, well, perhaps you should examine how you’re studying.

Everyone studies differently, and there are many different ways to study. No way is right or wrong. It’s all about what works best for you.

Yesterday, I polled more than 100 college students on Twitter and asked them how they study for final exams. Here are the final results.

Reviewing and rewriting notes

The majority of students polled preferred looking over and rewriting their class notes when studying for finals.

As well, studies have shown that taking notes by hand benefits the learning process. Handwriting notes can facilitate comprehension, help you retain the information you are learning, and thus, help you recall it easier during an examination.

I, personally, am a fan of this method. When I study, I not only rewrite my class notes by hand, but I also retype them in a Word or Google document as well.

Finally, as I review my rewritten notes, I type out questions about the material that could be on the exam and attempt to answer them.

How you study the notes you have written is definitely important, and this is where a certain internet tool comes in handy.

Quizlet

Quizlet, the Twitter poll’s second-most popular study method, is an online study tool. Users can make flashcards in a term-to-definition format and use the flashcards to learn exam material in a variety of interactive methods.

These methods include the traditional active recall, or “card flip,” tactic. Cards can also be converted into an exam format, complete with multiple choice, matching and short answer questions.

For example, say a student creates three different but related flashcards, as follows:

1. Term – “journalism”
   1. Definition – “the collection and editing of news for presentation through media”
2. Term – “publishing”
   1. Definition – “the business or profession of the commercial production and issuance of literature, information, musical scores or sometimes recordings, or art”
3. Term – “public relations”
   1. Definition – “the business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution”

Quizlet can then convert these terms and definitions into a more realistic test format, as follows:

1. Journalism
   1. The business or profession of the commercial production and issuance of literature, information, musical scores or sometimes recordings, or art
   2. The business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution
   3. The collection and editing of news for presentation through media
2. The business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm or institution.
   1. Publishing
   2. Public relations
   3. Journalism

Students can also create their cards in a fill-in-the-blank format by adding “________________ is” in front of each term’s definition.

Quizlet will then present the card on the practice test as follows:

1. __________________ is the business or profession of the commercial production and issuance of literature, information, musical scores or sometimes recordings, or art.
   1. Journalism
   2. Publishing
   3. Public Relations

You will even receive a score once you finish taking the practice test, along with a record of your correctly and incorrectly-answered questions.

Additionally, Quizlet offers games that turn your terms and definitions into fun and engaging challenges, such as their matching and “Gravity” games.

Not studying at all

Some people just do not need to study to do well on their exams, and you know whether you are one of these people or not.

I, personally, am not, but kudos to the people who are for having an awesome brain that retains basically everything.

But even if you are the student who can score an 80 on an exam without studying, why not hit the books for an extra 30 minutes to an hour every day and increase that B to an A?

Or maybe, you are the badass who scores an A regardless. I envy you!

Other study methods

Some of the students polled on Twitter had their own unique ways of studying.

User @KotaRoda82 said she types her notes into a Google Doc, prints them out and reads them out loud to herself. She follows up by translating her notes into simpler, easier-to-understand language.

Additionally, user @kaitspivey3 said she reviews old test questions and records her class lectures [if you do record, be sure to get permission from your professor first].

She later re-listens to the lectures to help her hone in on the material she did not quite understand while in class.

Another great way to study, I have found, is to recite the material to a group of friends. If you can do it confidently and your friends understand the concepts, then you probably have a solid grasp on the material.

If, however, you find yourself questioning what you’re saying or your friends are sitting there with confused looks on their faces, then it might be time for you to hit the books again.

What About You?

Do you have a unique or interesting way of studying that was not discussed in this article?

Tweet us @ReflectorGSU and tell us all about it. Good luck on your finals, everyone. We’re almost through the wilderness.

If you’ve ever wanted to start training your unruly dog, this event will help you take that first step with basic positive training. The event starts at 6:00 p.m. at the MC Anderson Pavilion on Feb. 25.

The South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers

The circuit will be showing the 306 Hollywood documentary this month with a Q&A session afterwards with the director/producer of the film.  The event starts at 7:30 p.m. at Sanford Hall in room 1002 on Feb. 25.

Bug

This  dark comedy is  about a waitress hiding from her ex-husband and her run in with a handsome stranger. The tickets are $6  for students and faculty and general admission is $12. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theater on Feb. 27 – March 6.

Bouldering Night Out

This event is perfect for those who have always wanted to try rock climbing. It is open to beginners and for those who are advanced. With prizes being raffled off and free food for those at the event, it is a great event to bring your friends to hangout at. The event starts at 7 p.m. Recreation  Activity Center in the Bouldering cave on Feb. 28.

The Evolution of Black American Culture

A panel made up of professionals and students will be gathered together to discuss the evolution of Black American culture throughout the time.  The event starts at 6 p.m. in the Information Technology Building in room 1004 on Feb. 28.

She was one of the first African-American students to graduate from Georgia Southern University in 1970, then called Georgia Southern College.

Clavelia Love Brinson, known by many of her fellow students and professors as “Sherry,” had made her career as a health and physical education teacher and a school administrator in Jacksonville, Florida. After moving back to Statesboro in 2011, she did not return to campus until 2013.

“I didn’t come back to this campus until Soledad O’Brien was talking …I haven’t been on this campus, in this gym, since 1970,” Brinson said.

Her challenges during college

Brinson originally wanted to go to Tuskegee University, but her family didn’t have money for that, nor did she receive any scholarships from the Alabama university.

“I said, ‘Well, I’m going to go to school, and I want that piece of paper that says that I can work and earn a decent living,’” Brinson said.

She applied to GS in the summer of 1965, whereby she was accepted and started school in the fall quarter. Though she said that her mother felt fearful about Brinson’s safety at the college, Brinson was determined to go to school.

“We  had no money, and they [GS] wouldn’t give me a scholarship of any kind,” Brinson said. “So I worked, and it was $175 a quarter for me to go to classes.”

She took other measures to save money, such as living at home, often eating at home and bringing her own lunch to school.

Many of the students, particularly freshmen and sophomores, were not kind to Brinson when she took classes at GS. She cited the frequent experience of students driving by her in their cars and called her expletives, telling her to go home.

“I got to the point where I said ‘Come back, stop right here and ask me that,’” Brinson said. “When I left [Georgia] Southern, I always told people I had a rock the size of Gibraltar on my shoulder, because I listened distinctly to how people asked me things, or told me things, and I was very quick to say ‘What did you mean by that?’”

She elaborated that when she changed her major from pre-nursing to health and physical education, Frank Ramsey, Ph.d. taught one of the first classes she had to take.

On the first day of the class, Brinson said that Ramsey asked her, “Sherry, what the hell are you doing in here?”

She explained that she changed her major to health and physical education, so she needed to take the classes and two other classes from him.

Ramsey, said Brinson, said that he wished she had not changed her major, because he thought that black women should pursue learning things like how to cook, clean and have babies. Brinson explained that the taunts became worse, as Ramsey picked on her every class.

The situation came to a head when, after studying with one of the smarter students in the class, Brinson said that she got a score of 48 on her test, compared to the other student’s 110. She told Ramsey in class that she wanted to talk to him during his office hours.

“He said, ‘I don’t have time for you to do that,’” Brinson said.

The other students convinced Ramsey to schedule an appointment with Brinson. The day of the appointment, a Friday, Brinson arrived at Ramsey’s office. The professor was talking to the tennis team in the immediate minutes before the appointment.

Brinson made eye contact and waited in the outside hall until 1 p.m., the time Ramsey suggested in class, passed.

When he finished his previous discussion, around 1:10 pm., Brinson said that Ramsey told her, “Get your black ass out of my office, and don’t you ever come back here again.”

A shocked Brinson walked out of the office, passing health and physical education chair Doyice Cotton, Ph.D. in the hallway. Cotton saw Brinson looked distraught and asked what was wrong.

When Cotton offered that they go into his office to talk, Brinson explained her situation, but made clear to Cotton that she did not want him to talk with Ramsey because she had more classes to take from Ramsey.

“I don’t know what happened, but senior health and physical education majors called for a meeting,” Brinson said. “President Henderson was there. All of the health and physical education teachers were there.”

The seniors who had called for the 1969 meeting were there. Many of them were members of Gamma Phi Epsilon, a campus professional organization for health and physical education majors.

“I think Sandra Ray or Claudia Whaley was talking, and they said, ‘We called this meeting because we will not attend another class from Dr. Ramsey. Either you get somebody else to teach it, or we will transfer our credits to the University of Georgia and finish our degree.’”

The senior then said, according to Brinson, that Ramsey did not like women majors in the department or black students, so Brinson had it twice as bad.

“And he [President Henderson] said ‘Sherry?’,” Brinson said. “I said, ‘Well, you know my situation. I can’t do anything right in that class.’”

Her saving graces

From that meeting, the university recruited Tom Paul, Ph.d, from New York, and Brinson retook two of the classes she had been taking with Ramsey.

That was not the only time that Henderson helped Brinson with a class-related issue. When Brinson took a college algebra class as a junior, the professor accused her of cheating her way to the answers for some mathematical induction problems.

“He said, ‘Clavelia, I don’t know how the hell you did it, but you cheated. There’s no way in way’s hell for you to know that,’” Brinson said.

So, Brinson gathered her belongings and walked over to President Henderson’s office, because she knew Henderson would listen to her.

The secretary there said Henderson was busy, so Brinson waited for a couple of hours. After the secretary went out for lunch around 11:30, Henderson came out to put something on the secretary’s desk.

“He said, ‘Young lady, you’ve been here. May I help you?,’” Brinson said. “I said, ‘I hope you can.’”

Brinson asked for paper and pencil and then showed Henderson she could do the mathematical inductions problems her class was learning. She told the president that despite that knowledge, her professor thought she cheated.

“President Henderson picked up the phone and called the controls office,” Brinson said, “and he said ‘Take Clavelia Sherry Brinson out of math. Give her credit, and she will not take another math class on this campus.’”

Brinson also elaborated on the helpfulness of Doyice Cotton, the professor who helped Brinson with the previously mentioned prerequisite classes. He helped her sign up for other classes, too.

“I could go to him and talk to him and tell him what I’ve taken, what happened and what I need to take again,” Brinson said. “He would have to sign it [a form].”

Outside of Georgia Southern College, Brinson often confided in Martha Riggs, a woman who lived in the projects near Brinson’s family.

“I would go home crying, and she would say, ‘Tell me anything except about English [which Brinson failed three times],’” Brinson said. “’Just tell me about the rest and take it again, baby. You’ll be alright.’”

Riggs encouraged Brinson to pray and, if she needed to, cry, but then get up and try again. Indeed, Brinson added that she did cry, almost every day.  However, she would often recall something that her grandmother told her.

“I had a cross that my grandmother gave me, and she said, ‘God isn’t going to allow them to give you any more than you and he can handle,’” Brinson said.

Extracurriculars

Aside from her classes, Brinson participated in several kinds of extracurricular activities through the college. One of her highlights was participating in Gamma Phi Epsilon. She got to do things like play campus intramurals and attend the state meeting for Gamma Phi Epsilon at Jekyll Island.

“Jekyll Island was all white at that time,” Brinson said. “Blacks were not allowed at that end of the island. Dr. Clements and J.B. Scarce and Dr. Cotton said, ‘You have to go, Sherry. You have to go.’”

Brinson explained that out of the 10 majors required to be in the meeting room, four people had to sign documentation confirming their attendance.

“I had to sign, because everyone would want to know where I was,” Brinson said. “Where’s the black girl? Where’s the black girl?”

She enjoyed going to the state meetings after a while, particularly because the upperclassmen were very nice to her.

In addition to Gamma Phi Epsilon, Brinson also participated in a creative dance group and the Methodist student union.

Graduation

Brinson mentioned that following the difficulties she had with Ramsey, the professors would often stutter and mispronounce her first name.

When it came time for graduation, Brinson’s mother mused that perhaps administrators would pronounce Clavelia’s name correctly this time.

“Dr. Hawk was over the education department, and he said, ‘Clavelia Love Brinson,’” Brinson said. “She’s like, ‘Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.’”

“He [Hawk] pulled me up on stage and said, Sherry, I’m so proud of you. He said I’m proud of you,’” Brinson said.

President Henderson asked Brinson to give him a hug and also said that he was proud of her.

“I said, ‘I’m proud of myself, Doc,’” Brinson said.

When Brinson left the graduation, she looked at her diploma and, after marveling at it, told her mother she would be back in a minute. Her mother asked where she was going, to which Brinson replied that she would go visit Ramsey one last time.

Upon going to his office, Brinson saw that he had his door cracked because he was working on something at his desk. When she pushed the door open, he said one word: Sherry.

“I said, ‘I got my black ass in your office one more time, for the last time,’” Brinson said. “‘I have this degree in spite of you.”

Though Ramsey replied that she earned it, Brinson commented that she had earned the degree threefold because of the difficulties he caused her.

“I said, ‘But I could not leave this campus without telling you that I hate you,’” Brinson said. “My grandmama said ‘Don’t hate nobody,’ but I think you have a problem. Either some black woman has hurt your heart and told you where to go, or there’s somebody in your ancestral line blacker than me.”

Her mother was in disbelief when Brinson recounted the story to her, but Brinson maintained that she felt better for seeking that kind of resolution.

“In the army [reserves], they taught me ‘You can. You will,’” Brinson said. “The army is where I got rid of all of that anger and being mad and upset the way people asked you to do things.”

As for the state of race relations now, Brinson seemed to think that positive changes have been made with students getting along and going to their classes without that much negativity.

“I know one student in the nursing program, and he said that he has interactions with his teachers just fine,” Brinson said. “And I think that’s far different from when I was [at GSC].”

Brandon Wright, Ben Barks and Franchette O’Neal contributed reporting.

Writing and linguistics students from GS and other community members will gather at the next open-mic reading session, called Burning Swamp, at Eagle Creek Brewery on Tuesday, Jan. 29.

What is Burning Swamp?

Professor Benjamin Drevlow from the writing and linguistics department explained he and his students appreciated the chance to interact with people downtown in a venue like the brewery, which is more than just a bar.

“It’s a really sort of family, close, small-town atmosphere, too, so it’s not like ‘Where have I just walked into?’” Drevlow added.

He listed the different genres that participants share, which range from original poetry and fiction excerpts to nonfiction pieces and screenplays.

“We’re pretty open to if people want to read something that they’ve read, just love and want to perform,” Drevlow said.

While GS students often participate in Burning Swamp, Drevlow explained how people who come to the brewery without knowing about the event have also participated.

“You kind of see their faces. They’re like ‘What’s this? I came out for a beer,’” he said. “But then, they’re listening and they hear them performing and they’re like, ‘These people have things to say. They’re pouring their heart into it.’”

Student experience

Some of the students, such as senior philosophy and writing and linguistics major Matthew Howard (they/them), have been participating in the reading sessions for multiple years. Howard described some of their experiences with Burning Swamp since they began attending between two and three years ago.

“‘The first time I ever read at Swamp, [it was] super impulsively, the day of. I got up there, and my heart was absolutely racing,” Howard said. “I read two poems that were, one of them was this cheesy love poem about a dead whale — which I guess means it’s not a cheesy love poem. One of them was this really caustic story about a one-night stand.”

Though they felt their delivery was not polished due to nervousness, Howard mentioned that people from the audience still approached them and offered encouragement.

“Over time, I’ve been able to see myself move into that role as I get more comfortable with the Burning Swamp community,” Howard said.

Howard talked about how they find themself more often reaching out to people, particularly those attending the reading for the first time, and offering them that same encouragement that Howard received when they started attending.

Howard said, “That kind of heartfelt appreciation for each other’s craft is probably my favorite thing about Swamp.”