University of West Georgia to Hold MLK Day Celebration

The University of West Georgia’s Office of Institutional Diversity will present a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Tues., Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. at UWG’s Campus Center Ballroom in Carrollton. The event, which is free and open to the public, will have the theme, “No Time to Sit Down Now.”

The speaker will be Elisabeth Omilami, co-director of the Atlanta-based Hosea Feed the Hungry program. Omilami is the daughter of the late civil rights leader Hosea Williams and his wife, Juanita.

Omilami is also an accomplished actress, having appeared in numerous films such as “Glory Road” and “Ray,” a biography of music legend Ray Charles.

For additional information, call 678-839-5400 or check online at www.westga.edu/diversity.

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Economy Improving, but Expect Slow Progress

The economic recession that has gripped the nation appears to be ending, but that doesn’t mean that conditions will improve dramatically anytime soon, University of West Georgia economist William “Joey” Smith said Tuesday.

“The good news is the bad news is close to being over,” Smith said. “We’re already seeing a turnaround at the local and probably at the state levels. By all measures at the national level we are starting to experience recovery.”

Smith, who spoke at UWG’s annual Economic Forecast Breakfast, said there remain several areas of concern, such as unemployment, home foreclosures and high vacancy rates in residential and commercial real estate.

In many counties of west Georgia, unemployment insurance claims are continuing to rise, but at a slower rate, Smith said. That’s a good sign, because unemployment insurance claims are a leading economic indicator, a predictor of future trends.

“The employment situation is starting to stabilize, but it might be a while before there is a significant drop in the unemployment rate, which is a lagging indicator, providing a look at how conditions have been,” Smith said.

Donald Ratajczak, Regents Professor Emeritus of economics at Georgia State University, also spoke at the breakfast, telling the audience that a lean job market will linger for a while.
“Georgia had the fifth-worst number of job losses in the nation. That’s not something you bounce back from overnight,” he said.

Ratajczak also said that air transportation appeared to be one of the few industries showing some employment growth recently in Georgia, thanks to the presence of Delta Air Lines and other carriers at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.

Ratajczak said the economic downturn has been brutal for businesses and consumers, but that cutbacks made by companies have helped many of them weather the storm.

“This has been the most remarkable recovery in terms of productivity. In past recessions, businesses have waited too long to cut workers. This time, they started doing it earlier, which actually helped raise productivity,” he said.

Smith talked about how the job losses have had a ripple effect on other sectors of the economy, especially real estate.

In the housing market, foreclosures have soared throughout west Georgia, Smith said, and have yet to show signs of stabilizing.

Early in the recession, foreclosures largely affected holders of subprime home loans and those who were on the margins of being able to afford homeownership, Smith said.

But as the recession has progressed, foreclosures have taken a huge toll on solidly middle class families that held traditional 15- or 30-year mortgages. Many of those households had two incomes but now have one or none, Smith said. Many of them also have had to depend on savings to pay the mortgage, and those savings are dwindling, putting them on the verge of foreclosure.

Vacancy rates, in residential and commercial real estate, also continue to be a problem.
Perhaps not surprisingly, building permits in west Georgia have plunged drastically and don’t show signs of rebounding. From 2007 to 2008, building permits for single family homes fell 56 percent in Carroll County, for example, and are projected to fall this year by 82 percent.
“The only reason we are starting to see some stabilization in housing permits really is that you can’t go below zero,” Smith said.

Despite the gloom that lingers, Smith said positive signs have clearly emerged.

“The recovery so far has been driven by optimism in the stock market and a bounce in consumer confidence,” he said.

In employment, Smith said health care and education remain the strongest sectors and that jobs in local governments will likely increase as the federal and state governments shift more responsibilities to localities.

Ratajczak said that at the national level, banks have not done a good job of making loans, which would help spur the economy. That has forced the federal government to extend more credit.
He also said that unlike the past two recessions, consumers won’t lead the recovery from this crisis, but rather businesses and government activity would.

Ratajczak said he believed the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, that bailed out a number of troubled banks, was absolutely necessary.

“You already lost about 6 or 7 million jobs in this recession. Without that, there would have been a multiplier effect that could have caused 14 or 15 million job losses.”

He also said that while a stimulus package was also necessary to shore up job losses, the one passed by the federal government was loaded with pet projects and earmarks that shouldn’t have been included.

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Events Chase Winter Blues Away in Carrollton

The University of West Georgia's 20th anniversary season at the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts brings an internationally acclaimed acoustic steel guitarist and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble to town this month. Both shows are sure to chase those January doldrums away.

Often cited as one of the world's top finger style, steel-string guitarists, Grammy nominee Alex de Grassi brings a unique voice to the art of acoustic guitar with his show, “Now and Then,” on Saturday, January 10, at 7:30 p.m.

De Grassi's long held trademark to create a highly orchestrated sound in his solo guitar music will take the listener beyond the instrument into a canvas of evocative compositions and arrangements.

The musician's most recent recording, “Now and Then: Folk Songs for the 21st Century” on 33rd Street Records features contemporary arrangements of 11 treasured tunes from the American standards repertoire. His playing weaves together melody, bass, harmony, rhythm and cross-rhythms.

Sponsored by the West Georgia Community Foundation, “Now and Then” is de Grassi's attempt to tell a few American stories and weave a musical fabric whose threads reach through time to unite the present with the past...music for now and then.

“In rediscovering these songs I came to appreciate that folk music is a living tradition, and that each generation will find relevance and a way to reinterpret these songs," the musician explained. “In that spirit, I have arranged traditional melodies to reflect the musical idioms and social climate of today's multicultural landscape.”

De Grassi will also host a workshop for steel guitar fans before the concert at 2:30 p.m. in the theatre. Space for the workshop and remaining tickets are limited and early reservations are recommended.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for seniors and active military and $5 for children. The workshop is free. To learn more about the artist, visit www.degrassi.com or www.townsendcenter.org.
Two weeks after de Grassi's appearance, the Townsend Center will offer its second annual Live Art at the Townsend Center series with The Chicago Jazz Ensemble starring Jon Faddis on Saturday, January 24, at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by the University of West Georgia Foundation, Inc., Live Art soars into the stratosphere with this preeminent jazz big band of the Mid-West.
Celebrated by critics and audiences alike, the 21-member Chicago Jazz Ensemble is an elite group of Chicago jazz musicians, ranging from international stars to acclaimed Columbia College Chicago faculty. Founded in 1965 by distinguished composer and conductor William Russo, the ensemble entered a new phase in its history when Jon Faddis took the helm.

Tickets are $42 for adults, seniors, active military and children. To learn more about the ensemble, visit their website at www.chijazz.com or the Townsend Center's website at www.townsendcenter.org. Ticket subscription packages are also available for three or more shows at the Townsend Center at significant discounts.

The Townsend Center Box Office reopened on Monday January 5. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and one hour before a performance. For more information, call 678-839-4722.

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Georgia Disaster Mental Health Site is Online

The Georgia Disaster Mental Health website, designed and produced by University of West Georgia faculty, staff and graduate students, is operational and available for public use.

Sponsored by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Georgia Division of Public Health and Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases, the far reaching site for residents is one of the most comprehensive sites of its kind in the nation and addresses many of the stresses any kind of catastrophe can bring to an individual, a family or a community.

Dr. Larry Schor, associate professor of psychology, and Vicki Rogers, a service desk manager in Information Technology Services at UWG, worked with colleagues and students for six months to create the site.

“Common setbacks result from the chaos and confusion that occurs when people are affected by disaster,” said Schor. “My experience as a disaster mental health counselor is that people really want the life they had before the disaster. The challenge is to find ways to begin to move forward.”

The response from state agencies and the public has been positive and frequent with agencies in other states requesting information on how the site was developed. Rogers said it was quite an undertaking.

“As a technical consultant and webmaster, this was the largest project I’ve ever worked on,” said Rogers. “We have already begun to update the site and I plan on working on the project over the holiday break. It’s a huge undertaking with a lot of information. Larry’s passion and expertise on the subject of disaster mental health makes this a very good site.”

Schor has assisted in mental health counseling after many disasters including the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.

“I am optimistic that people will benefit from the website,” said Schor. “Although I think the challenge will be getting the word out and convincing people on the importance of being prepared. Just as we tend to think about changing our windshield wiper blades when it is raining, people tend to deal with disaster needs only when they are affected directly.”

Schor said that people could go to the site and read about preparedness before a disaster and use the internal search to find topics such as “preparedness kits.” The website is also available in Spanish and offers resources and information on how to cope and prepare for a disaster to the elderly, members of the military, persons with disabilities and public school systems.

The site also links to a wide range of organizations including the American Red Cross, Center for Disease Control and Georgia911.org, Georgia’s disaster and emergency website. For more information, go to http://www.westga.edu/~gadmh/.

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"I Saw the Walking Dead" Lecture September 16

In partnership with the ongoing “Anne Frank: A History for Today” exhibit, the Ingram Library at the University of West Georgia will host Dr. Leon Bass, a veteran who helped liberate the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. “I Saw the Walking Dead” will be presented on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center Ballroom. The event is free and the community is invited to hear this remarkable story.

Bass, an African-American, served in the 183rd Engineer Combat Battalion during World War II and described what he saw at Buchenwald to be “the walking dead.” A retired principal at a high school in Philadelphia, Bass has become a national speaker on the subject and was featured in the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II.”

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Constitution Day Celebration at University of West Georgia Planned for September 17

The University of West Georgia and the Ingram Library will honor Constitution Day on Wednesday, Sept. 17, with a reception and intriguing dialogue about government, democracy and the Constitution.

The event is free and the community is invited to attend Dr. Robert M. Schaefer, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Planning, will lecture on “The American Constitution: A Celebratory Address (with an Admonition)” at 11 a.m. on the main floor of the library.

The presentation will focus on the establishment of American republic and the difficulty of preserving a constitution. Schaefer said the admonition is serious yet not preachy.

“This will be a political oration on behalf of the Constitution,” said Schaefer. “And to talk about the Constitution you have to talk about Rome, Athens and the difficultly of founding a good regime. The Constitution is fundamental to every aspect of our lives and it is important for citizens to give thought about what the Constitution means to this country.”

Constitution Day commemorates Sept. 17, 1787, which is the day the Constitutional Convention delegates signed the document. A federal law passed in 2004 requires all educational institutions that receive federal funds to observe Constitution Day.

Each year, the president issues a proclamation encouraging government officials and educational organizations to celebrate the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and reaffirm the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.

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Anne Frank Exhibit Opens in Carrollton September 7

GFP Note: This exhibit opens at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton on September 7th.

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"Since its publication in 1947, Anne Frank’s diary has served as personal witness to the Holocaust. 'Anne Frank: A History for Today' seeks to continue to teach the history and tragedy of the Holocaust, meanwhile making it clear that prejudice and intolerance are topics as real and relevant today as they were during the Nazi era." - Lorene Flanders

The Penelope Melson Society and the Ingram Library will open the exhibit “Anne Frank: A History for Today” on Sunday, Sept. 7. The exhibit is free and the community is welcome to attend during library hours.

Produced in the Netherlands and made available through the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust and the Anne Frank Center USA, the exhibit juxtaposes photographs of the Frank family with historical events of the time period.

With 55 exhibition panels that chronicle the rise of Nazism and a three-dimensional representation of the dining room of the Secret Annex, the exhibit challenges the audience to think about the value of tolerance, mutual respect and the significance of human rights.

Another component of the exhibit features photographs taken by soldier and photojournalist William A. Scott III as he participated in the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp in a segregated all-black army unit. Scott was also a member of one of the leading African-American families of Atlanta who founded and operated The Atlanta Daily World, the nation’s first black owned daily newspaper.

Adding more historical drama to the exhibit is guest speaker Dr. Leon Bass, an educator from Pennsylvania and an African-American soldier who participated along with Scott in the liberation of Buchenwald. He will speak on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center Ballroom. His presentation will also be free to the community through the sponsorship of the UWG Office of Minority Affairs.

Lorene Flanders, professor and director of university libraries, said that the exhibit would open the eyes of its viewers.

“The Anne Frank exhibit on the UWG campus gives members of the campus community and local residents the opportunity to view an exhibit that is touring the nation,” said Flanders. “We expect to welcome some 1,000 eighth grade students to campus to visit the exhibit and appreciate the volunteers who have agreed to serve as docents.”

Sponsors for the exhibit include the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, the Richards College of Business, the Honors College, the Advanced Academy of Georgia and the Office of Minority Affairs in association with Ingram Library’s Penelope Melson Society.

The exhibit will be on display through Monday, Sept. 29. Library hours are Sunday, 2 – 10 p.m.; Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, call 678-839-5337.

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West Georgia Recognized by Creative Colleges

The University of West Georgia received its second national recognition by Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers and Musicians, a publication that selects the top 200 schools in the nation for its creative programs for students.

West Georgia offers outstanding creative programs in music, drama, art and creative writing. The Departments of Music, Art, English and Mass Communications and Theatre provide many opportunities to earn a degree through creative endeavors. The university has a television and radio station, three theatres and several recital halls on campus.

Students excel in the arts at West Georgia and travel internationally to pursue their passions. This summer, the UWG Jazz Percussion Group performed in Italy and a UWG student from the Department of English and Philosophy studied creative writing in Czechoslovakia. The student also attended the Bucknell Seminar for Younger Poets, which is the most prestigious seminar of its kind in the nation.

The Creative Colleges guide is aimed at college-bound students and gives them the information and resources to choose the best programs in music, theatre, art and creative writing.

West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral granting institution with an enrollment of more than 10,500 undergraduate and graduate students. For more information on creative opportunities at UWG, call 678-839-5000.

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UWG Celebrates its Youngest Grad

The University of West Georgia made history when the youngest graduate in the University System of Georgia walked across the stage to receive his diploma.

Ajay Pillai, 17, earned a degree in biochemistry and will study at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta in the fall.

“Graduation was the most stunning day of my life,” said Ajay Pillai, who is a Warner Robins resident. “I grew up at West Georgia and I am so incredibly happy that I came to this university and that things occurred the way they did.”

After graduating eighth grade, Ajay Pillai enrolled at the Advanced Academy of Georgia on the UWG campus at the age of 13, the youngest student to do so. The academy is one of 12 residential programs for teens in the country that allows students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously.

Diane Darling, an Advanced Academy student who will graduate high school this month, met Ajay Pillai two years ago and became close friends.

“Ajay is ridiculously hard working and humble at the same time,” said Darling, 18. “I’m always in awe of how he handles everything.”

The quiet and unassuming student studied Honors College curriculum at UWG and holds the second highest number of honors courses, 19, in the history of the Honors College. But he still had time to play soccer, run five miles a day, practice piano and take up the guitar.

Don Wagner, dean of the Honors College and director of Special Programs, said Ajay Pillai left his mark on UWG.

“He is a remarkable human being, mature way beyond his years,” said Wagner. “He possesses excellent study habits and an extraordinary mind, and is a very nice person as well.

“I have known him since he entered the academy, and I have always been impressed with his social skills. In addition to his academic abilities, Ajay has the bearing and manners of an adult. He is a rare individual.”

Aruna Pillai, Ajay’s mother, said she should have brought Kleenex to the commencement ceremony. “It didn’t hit me until the president, Dr. Beheruz Sethna, began talking about Ajay and then I began bawling. I was not expecting that reaction. It was deep inside.”

One of Ajay Pillai’s biggest fans at the university is the president, who established the Advanced Academy and gained the USG Board of Regents approval to open the Honors College, the only one of its kind in Georgia.

“It has been my pleasure to get to know Ajay and assist him in what I know will be a spectacular career,” said Sethna. “I am glad that we have contributed to his growth, and that he will contribute to ours in the future, by virtue of his future accomplishments.”

Ajay Pillai’s summer vacation will not be a typical one. A long time volunteer in hospitals and clinics, he will work with his parents, who are physicians and own a practice in Warner Robins. The couple needed help in their office and put their son to work taking electrocardiograms and checking in patients.

“Normally, we have to train an employee for several weeks,” Aruna Pillai said. “Ajay picked it up in a day.”

His interest in medicine stems from his years of volunteer work at a hospital and medical clinics, his undergraduate research in the laboratories at West Georgia and working as a student research assistant with Dr. Satyanarayana Swamy-Mruthinti, professor of biology.
“I like having that contact with people and I am also interested in medicine,” said Pillai. “But, I haven’t decided what kind of medicine I am going into.”

Swamy-Mruthinti mentored Ajay Pillai for three years and got to know the student well.
“Rarely you come across a student who is intelligent, hardworking and has an intense desire to succeed, yet is modest and humble,” said Swamy-Mruthinit. “I am confident that he will make significant contributions to improve human health and well being."

Under normal circumstances, the M.D. and Ph.D program at the medical college requires seven years of study. Students entering the program complete the standard two-year preclinical program with many of the preclinical medical school courses also earning graduate credit for the student.

During the summer between the first and second years, Ajay Pillai will perform laboratory rotations at one of the four research campuses in Georgia. Choices for laboratory rotations are made by students in consultation with program advisers.

Following the preclinical years, students enter graduate training at one of the four graduate campus sites. Students are required to complete all of the normal doctorate requirements, including preliminary exams, thesis and defense.

For now, the youngest graduate in the university system will enjoy his summer saving up for an automobile, traveling and helping out in the family business.

“I so appreciate all of the people at West Georgia and want to thank everyone that helped me with my research, at the Advanced Academy and in the Honors College,” said Ajay Pillai in a recent interview. “They really helped me to do this and now I have a group of close friends that I’ve grown up with.”