Students Develop New Web Site for AIDS Resource Council of Rome

Berry communication students recently had the opportunity to step outside the classroom and put their skills and knowledge to use for the benefit of the AIDS Resource Council of Rome (ARC). The result is a new interactive Web site featuring videos, photography, interviews and an updated logo.

“The students who did the work were just marvelous, and the end product is something that we are very pleased with,” said Jeanne Cahill, ARC executive director and a 2007 Berry alumna.

The ARC’s new Web site was developed by 11 students in Dr. Brian Carroll’s “Digital Storytelling” class, which cross-trains students in multiple media. After classroom discussions, the students decided to work with the ARC to redesign their Web site, picking up where a previous class had left off.

“They really wanted their Web site to be more user-friendly, to be as interesting and engaging as possible to get more traffic,” said Dustin McCormick, a visual communication major who graduated in May. “We wanted a good quality resource for the people in Rome.”

While catering to the needs of the organization, the students developed story ideas that incorporated their interests in video, writing and photography. Student teams attended ARC events throughout the spring to gather content for the Web site, observing the ARC staff in action at AIDS testing days, health fairs, fundraisers and board meetings.

“With today’s interest in media and electronic connections, we felt we needed a good Web site; the one we had was established in 2004 and was never changed or updated,” Cahill explained. “What the class did was completely revamp the Web site. The result is a very interesting and evolving resource for the local community.”

Through the experience of collaborative Web site creation, students were given a real-world understanding of how to successfully meet the needs of the organization.

“The class was one of the best teaching experiences I've had at Berry simply because of the teamwork and collegiality of and among the students. They really came together to make it happen,” Dr. Carroll said.

The new ARC Web site can be viewed at http://www.aidsresourcecouncil.org.

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Renowned Wheelchair Racer Kenny Herriot to Speak at Cage Center

Berry College will welcome Kenny Herriot, one of the world’s leading wheelchair athletes, to campus Wednesday, Jan. 28, for a 7:30 p.m. presentation in the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center. The event is free and open to the public. Herriot will be speaking about his personal triumphs and also about his latest endeavor, “The Great Lemon Ride.”

“Kenny is a great inspirational speaker and motivator,” said Dr. Robert Pearson, professor and department chair of kinesiology. “He is determined to have a giving heart and serving hands – two of the values Berry teaches.”

After a motorcycle accident in 2000 left him paralyzed from the waist down, the former fitness teacher, boxer and manager was determined to rise above his condition.

“I have always been motivated, and that didn’t change after the accident,” Herriot said. “The only way forward was in a wheelchair. It was quite an accident getting into a racing chair.”

Herriot began wheelchair racing in 2001 as a way to continue his active lifestyle. In the eight years he’s been racing, he has become a top competitor in his sport. He trains six days a week – lately in Rome and Northwest Georgia.

His own story has inspired Herriot to participate in “The Great Lemon Ride,” a cycling challenge across America that benefits Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Founded in 2000 by a 4-year-old cancer patient, Alex’s Lemonade Stand is a non-profit dedicated to funding research to find a cure for childhood cancer.

“Of several charities, Alex’s stood out more than the others,” said Herriot. “I have two boys, and I can’t imagine going through what Alex and her family went through. The more I train and think about this ride, I realize, ‘wow, this thing is big.’”

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Oak Hill Offers Senior Scholars Program for Spring at Berry College

The Berry College Senior Scholars Program returns this spring with a full slate of courses designed to challenge, educate and enrich the lives of people 55 and older. Oak Hill and The Martha Berry Museum will host the program beginning Feb. 17. Classes will be held each Tuesday through April 14 with the exception of March 17 (spring break at Berry).

Registration for the program is $75 for three classes, $60 for two classes or $30 for a single course. Contact Patrice Shannon at 706-368-6775 or pclonts@berry.edu for more information or to register. Course offerings include:

CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY: 9-10 a.m.

This course will cover the fundamentals of camera operation, photographic film and digital imaging, lenses, depth of field, and exposure meters. Students also will receive helpful tips on photographing people, composition, using flash, available light photography and action photography.

Instructor: Alan Storey, a talented photographer and staff member at Berry College for more than 35 years. He currently serves as director of photographic services and community relations for the Office of Public Relations and Marketing.

FINE ART, TOLE: 9-11 a.m.

This class is for the serious painter. Subjects will include how to mix paint and how to fill a brush properly. Students will learn about brush strokes and how to put them together, making it possible to paint anything they desire.

Instructor: Elizabeth Sparks, a certified teacher of art for more than 25 years. Now retired, Elizabeth continues to teach in her in-home studio.

BOOK DISCUSSION – “MOBY DICK”: 11 a.m. to Noon

“Call me Ishmael.” With the first sentence of his flawed masterpiece Moby Dick (1851), Herman Melville introduced one of the most compelling voices in American literature. Although a critical and financial failure when first published, some now argue that “Moby Dick” is the finest novel written in English. This class will discuss how Melville set out to create and dramatize a democratic form of tragedy.

Instructor: Dr. Christopher Diller, associate professor of English, rhetoric and writing at Berry College.

FOUNDING FATHERS: 11 a.m. to Noon

Our journey this semester will involve chasing a dream as well as a reality. Participants will ponder questions about the Founding Fathers of our nation like: Were the thinkers and the doers as unusual as subsequent generations of people found them to be? Were they the heroes of the new nation? Or possibly, were they simply the right people at the right time? This class will discuss and analyze the political thought which spawned a revolution.

Instructor: Dr. N. Gordon Carper, Dana professor of history emeritus, Berry College.

BOOK DISCUSSION – “MAMA DAY”: 1-2 p.m.

This class will look at African-American history and culture through the lens of Gloria Naylor’s 1988 novel, “Mama Day.” Set in New York City and on Willow Springs, an island that belongs neither to Georgia nor South Carolina, “Mama Day” takes readers on a compelling journey through multiple generations of the Day family. Along the way, Naylor touches on key components of African-American history and culture including slavery and its oppression as well as the continual resistance of those who were enslaved, the strength of all-black communities, the rich folk traditions of rural black life, spirituality, inter-racial relationships, intra-racial prejudice, and gender issues.

Instructor: Dr. Christian G. Bucher, associate professor of English, rhetoric and writing at Berry College.

THAI CHI: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Taijiquan is a meditative martial art that originated in the Taoist traditions of medieval China. The central aim of the art is to attain a state of internal balance and to bring one’s self into greater harmony. Taijiquan strengthens the muscles, improves circulation, and brings about an integration of body, breath and awareness.

Instructor: Dr. Jeffery Lidke, assistant professor of religion at Berry College.

In addition to these courses, Senior Scholars will feature two lunch-time discussions. These one-hour sessions will be held at noon Feb. 17 and March 10. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch; Oak Hill will provide drinks and chips. On Feb. 17, Barry Benton will discuss the topic of personality profiling. On March 10, Shannon Bond will focus on self-defense for seniors. These sessions are free of charge and will take place in the Garden Room of the Oak Hill Gift Shop.

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Oxbridge Lecture Series Welcomes Former Georgia Chief Justice November 13

Norman Fletcher, former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and an attorney with Brinson, Askew, Berry, Siegler, Richardson and Davis in Rome, will discuss "The First Under Fire: Contemporary Challenges to the First Amendment," at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in the Berry College Science Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.

Fletcher is the third and final speaker in the 2008 Oxbridge Lecture Series. These lectures have been held in conjunction with the Berry Honors Program course "Freedom of Expression," taught by Dr. Brian Carroll, which examines the origins and historical uniqueness of the First Amendment, the evolution in the interpretations of its freedoms over time and the contemporary challenges to one of the Unites States’ most basic laws.

Fletcher ascended to the position of chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court in June 2001, becoming the 26th person to hold that title since the role was established in 1845. A primary focus during his term was reform of the state's indigent defense system. The Georgia Indigent Defense Act passed in 2003 as part of an initiative by the Chief Justice's Commission on Indigent Defense, which Fletcher founded. He has been a tireless champion of openness in government, acting to make Georgia Supreme Court documents available online. In recognition, Fletcher was awarded the Georgia First Amendment Foundation's Charles L. Weltner Freedom of Information Award in March 2005 for "preserving the public's right to know."

A native of Fitzgerald, Ga., Fletcher began practicing law in 1958 as an associate in the law firm of Mathews, Maddox, Walton and Smith in Rome. From 1965-1989, he served as LaFayette's city attorney, a period during which he also served as a county attorney and as a special assistant attorney general for the state.

Fletcher earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956 and his LL.B. in 1958, both from the University of Georgia. He also earned an LL.M. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995.

Since his retirement from the Supreme Court in 2005, Fletcher has been active in the Rome community, serving in leadership positions in church and civic groups. In addition to practicing law, he also serves on the University of Georgia's College of Public and International Affairs Board of Visitors.

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