Brannon awarded Player of the Week

Berry athlete recognized

The Southern States Athletic Conference office announced Monday that junior Grace Brannon earned player-of-the-week honors and that her performance at the SSAC Volleyball Tournament at Brewton-Parker earned her a position on the All-SSAC Tournament team.

Brannon, 20, an outside hitter for the team, also earned the nickname “the Rocket” from her teammates because of her skills on the court.

Junior Grace Brannon
Photo courtesy of Erin Oakley

All for the team
While the honors are rewarding for Brannon, she is quick to clarify that her motivations lie in the success of the team rather than the spotlight.

“You never expect something like that, but that’s not what I’m playing for,” said Brannon.

For Brannon, the real joy of the sport comes in the relationships between players and when the team can act as a unit rather than be built around just one player.

“For me, it’s certain games that would be considered my better games—when there’s great success as a team," she said. "Like last year when we played the No. 18 team in the nation and beat them. I love the team, and I love just being here with the girls.”

Brannon considers the event one of the highlights of the season; however, her excitement lies in how well the team performed rather than receiving an award.

“My season highlight was at the conference last week when we meshed as a team,” said Brannon.

Singing her praises
Though Grace was disinclined to celebrate her award, her teammates and friends were enthusiastic about praising her for this achievement.

“Every one was very excited about it,” said sophomore teammate Nikki Weaver. “We were all glad the see her get rewarded for being such a good player.”

“She’s one we all look to because she makes good decisions on the court,” said sophomore teammate Betsy Bowers. “She is great as an outside hitter and back row. She’s good all around.”

Off-court
When not dominating the court, the Alabama resident and Animal Science major can be found hanging out with her teammates and making people laugh.

“Grace brings a really good energy to the team,” said Bowers. “At the beginning of the season when all the new players might feel intimidated, Grace is the first to quickly break the ice.”

“She's the kind of person who can always bring a laugh when anyone is down," said Weaver. "She’s a fun person to play with.”

{K. K.}

One of Berry's many loving professors -- Tommy Carnes

Carnes does good in small ways.

Thomas Carnes is a warm-hearted professor who loves to do good.

He lives on 10 acres with his wife and many abandoned dogs and cats. When Carnes is not at home, he is on the Berry campus teaching accounting and helping students during his office house.

Thomas Carnes
Photo courtesy of Berry College

“He makes an extra effort to help his students understand the material,” said Eli Sherrill, a former student of Carnes. “He cares about you as a student and a person.”

Sherrill formed a friendship with Carnes because of the time he spent in Carnes’s office for help in his class. After Carnes helped Sherrill with the work for class, they would usually discuss sports.

“We have a connection there of sorts,” said Sherrill.

A love of sports
Carnes's love for sports has been shown through his past work experience. He was the executive sports editor at The Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat newspaper for approximately seven years before coming to Berry College. Carnes also served as sports editor for the Sunday Edition of the Boca Raton News. During his employment, Carnes helped the paper earn the Top 10 Sunday Sports Section Award two years in a row.

Carnes love for sports did not end when he left The Tallahassee Democrat. He now competes in computer baseball leagues, similar to fantasy baseball leagues, and follows three main sports teams. While the Washington Redskins and the Florida State Seminoles are Carnes’s favorite football teams, the Atlanta Braves have become his favorite baseball team since moving to Rome. He did not follow much baseball while in Florida, but after hearing Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network, he began to closely follow the team.

“[Carnes] does believe that the opening day of baseball should be a national holiday,” said Timothy Biggart, a friend and colleague of Carnes for 15 years and also a professor at Berry.

Biggart and his wife have developed a close friendship with Carnes and his wife, Sandy, over the years. They attend social events together and eat dinner on occasion. However, their friendship extends beyond social activities.

“I helped him put together the [dog] kennels,” said Biggart.

Their friendship began shortly after enrolling in the doctorate program of accounting at Florida State University. The program took them both five years to complete. On completion of the program, they were hired by Berry College to be associate professors of accounting and finance.

Work and play
Since being at Berry, they have completed research together and have published four articles pertaining to their research. The most recent article published, “Variances, Incentives and SFAS 151,” was printed in the September 2007 edition of The CPA Journal. The article deals with accounting information for certified public accountants.

Carnes became interested in accounting and finance through a relative and ultimately made the switch in careers in order to work normal business hours. As an editor, he would typically work Tuesday through Saturday night from the hours of two until midnight. These hours kept Carnes away from his wife because she did not work the same hours.

“It was unpleasant being separated from my wife,” Carnes said.

He was also aware that the newspaper industry was declining. Television allowed newspaper readers to gather their news from broadcasts instead of printed newspapers. Carnes said that the only reason he still reads the newspaper is for the local news and the comics.

Many students are thankful of Carnes' career change

“Even a year and a half later, he still remembers my name,” said Sherrill.

{L. W.}

Volleyball player fights through injury

Weaver's battle on the road to Nationals

Berry College women’s volleyball player Nikki Weaver is “set” to help her team compete in the Regional XIII Tournament in Mobile, Ala. on Friday, Nov. 16, despite a knee injury she suffered last spring.

Nikki Weaver
Photo courtesy Berry College Athletic Department

Weaver, a 19-year-old environmental science major from Brooksville, Fla., will return to her position as defensive specialist in time for the tournament. She said that she expects to compete without negative effects from her injury as the team faces schools like Shorter College and the first ranked University of Mobile for a position at nationals.

"I didn’t have any big injuries last year, but last spring I tore my meniscus in two places and had it repaired at the end of school,” Weaver said. “I was pretty much confined to crutches for two months during the summer.”

In spite of her injury, the sophomore continued to play on her knee this season after hurting it in the spring. However, due to her slow recovery from surgery, the fall practices and games prevented her knee from healing properly.

“When I got back, I wanted to prove that I could play through pain and that it couldn’t affect me,” Weaver said. “But as the season went on, I realized I couldn’t play on that side . . . I had to learn how to read the hitter because I couldn’t move well.”

She plans to play on her hurt knee for the tournament, and when asked if she regretted playing on her knee this fall season, she said she did not.

Teammate Grace Brannon, a junior pre-veterinarian science major, expressed her own opinions about Weaver’s condition on the volleyball court and how her injury affects the team.

“It’s hard for me to play when she’s hurting,” Brannon said, “but she puts her pain aside to play, and I respect that.”

Weaver and teammate Grace Brannon practice for Regional Tournament.
Photo courtesy of Berry College Athletic Department

Lady Vikings’ coach Brianne Smedley said that Weaver has performed well in spite of her injury, but she did acknowledge that Weaver's injury resulted in some limitations on the court.

“I wouldn’t say that Nikki’s injury ever affects the team,” said Smedley, “but I know at times it limits her movement so she isn’t able to perform certain skills at certain times the way she wishes she could.”

Previous Injuries

Last spring wasn’t the first time Weaver seriously injured her knee. During her high school volleyball career, she tore the meniscus in her knee and frequently sprained her ankles.

“It’s the story of my life,” Weaver said, as she rolled her eyes recalling the many injuries suffered in her high school volleyball career. “It was a bummer.”

Regardless of her previous injuries, Weaver chose to play volleyball at Berry when she entered as a freshman, and she plans to keep playing through her senior year. Weaver has played a total of 111 games at Berry with 273 digs and 35 receptions.

“I would describe Nikki as a very determined player,” said Smedley. “She hates to make a mistake and let her team down, so she’s constantly fighting hard to do her best on the court.”

Weaver a leader of the Berry women's volleyball team.
Photo courtesy Berry College Athletic Department

Weaver said that she will play her best during the tournament despite her knee, and she hopes that the team will make it to Nationals.

“I’ll just go where they tell me to go, work hard and do my thing,” said Weaver.

{A. F.}

Berry Band Gets 'Crunk'

Clear Horizons for Sky Green Manifesto

Not to be confused with Streetlight Manifesto, Sky Green Manifesto is a local band that strives to bring music, in all its various forms, to their audience in a fun, random way.

For those of you who haven't heard of them, Sky Green Manifesto is one of the many local bands that have Berry College students as members. The band plays no set style of music, but says they play rock 'n' roll in all its forms.

They have not had their big break yet, but the members are keeping themselves busy with a few smaller gigs here and there such as playing at some of The Church at Northside’s “Thursdays at 8”, and their luck could change with their first 'true' show coming up on Nov. 30.

The Band

The members of Sky Green Manifesto never under dress.
In fact, they have been known to wear ninja suits,
pumpkin costumes, and, of course, the Burger King crown
at their live gig.
Photo courtesy of band's Myspace.com page

Sky Green Manifesto is made up of Andrew Coleman (lead vocals), Nick Riggs (bass), Justin Thomas Adams (lead guitar/vocals), and Ian Robison (drums).

With many different genres of music, the audience can find many different ways to describe their sound. They perform a wide range of musical genres, including:

- Rock (To hear a sample of their rock music)
- Country (To hear a sample of their country music)
- Rap (To hear a sample of their rap music)
- Punk
- Even some children’s music.

Other music samples may be found at the band's website on MySpace.

“Loud is a good term,” said Aaron Blevins, a friend of the band, of the music.

Fame and Fortune...?

Admittedly, not many people know this band, yet, but being in a band is more then getting gigs to Coleman. “I’m in the band because it is fun,” Coleman said.

One of Coleman’s fellow band members also has a similar passion for being in the band. “I’m in the band because I love music,” Adams said.

The members try to keep things in good humor and view themselves realistically as well.

Coleman has many friends that have given their honest opinion about the band and claims that, “They say they like us, but they probably hate us. They just do not want to hurt our feelings”.

Sky Green... What?!

One of the trials for this band was coming up with the name, Sky Green Manifesto. “I had a vision, an epiphany,” Coleman said. “If you put any two words in front of manifesto, it will be a great band name.”

Blevins also mentions why the name of the band is very important.

“The name Sky Green Manifesto is so random, just like their music,” Blevins said.

In the Studio

With their first true show coming up, Coleman and the members of the band are already making preparations for their first album.

“We do not have an album yet. We have been working really hard trying to record,” Coleman said. “Our first album will be called ‘Aaron Blevins Presents’.”

Blevins, a good friend of the band, found it a great honor for the band to name their future album after him. “They are all crazy. I love helping them out, I want to be real supportive,” Blevins said.

“The cover of our first album will have me covered in gold, holding chocolate,” Adams said.

Future Horizons

With already more than 3,600 MySpace profile page views and the band to soon debut their personal page on the internet, people can be looking forward to their first album.

Sky Green Manifesto aims toward a wide audience with their many genres of music. But whatever the kind of audience, and no matter what kind of music they are playing, Sky Green Manifesto’s mission will stay the same.

“Our mission is to get crunk,” Coleman said, using a term he said means "to just have fun and get down." It is what Sky Green Manifesto is all about.

{pb}

Stick Wife Entertaining, Educational

Darrah Cloud's play about hatred, racism, family and life comes alive in John Countryman's adaptation at Berry College.

The Berry College Theatre Company presented “The Stick Wife,” a drama about the struggles in southern life, Nov. 8-11 and Nov. 15-18 at the E. H. Young Theatre at Berry College.

The play, directed by John Countryman, focused on the lives of wives of Ku Klux Klan members during the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Ala., that killed four black girls in 1963.

“We got a pretty good picture of that moment in time when the play was set in the time of the civil rights movement,” Countryman said of all those involved in the production and research process for the play. “It really began to feel [like] we had a play in our hands . . . that served as a warning to people to not forget the past.”

Daniela Cardenas portrays Jessie Bliss, the wife of Ed (played by Keith Brooks), who lives under the pressure of her husband’s abuse and must deal with his involvement in the Ku Klux Klan and the church bombing. Bliss’s interaction with the other characters -- Marguerite Pullet (Erin Dubyak) and Betty Conner (Katy Reichert) and their husbands -- shows the oppression and injustice in society at the time.

“The Stick Wife” presents the audience with historical events that are important to know about, Reichert said.

“People are more aware, more [aware of] our history, where we’ve come from and how far we still have to go,” Reichert said. “It really shows people why there’s so much hatred. Hatred always stems from fear. It helps them understand it a bit better.”

After portraying Tom Pullet, Ian Alexander said that he was lucky to not be in the same situation as his angry character.

“This situation is still occurring today, though not nearly as much,” Alexander said. “It just makes me feel very fortunate that I have never had to be in that kind of situation.”

The women in the play go through a difficult time, explained Dubyak. “I mean these women are incredibly oppressed and each has their own ways of coping,” she said. “Marguerite thinks she’s nothing without her husband.”

The Play's stark portrayal of racism, hate and family

is what makes it really stand out and have impact
Photo courtersy of BCTC

Preparing for the Play

Not only was the play seen as intense, but Reichert said the process was, as well.

“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. It was definitely more emotionally challenging than I thought it would be,” Reichert said. “It’s been a great experience, but it was difficult to get through it.”

The company began work on the play following fall break and put in long hours with the costume designing department which worked up to 80 hours a week. The actors had only a little more than two weeks to learn their lines on their own time said Alice Bristow, costume designer and an assistant professor at Berry.

Rachel Cockrell, the props master, was amazed with the talent of the actors, especially in such a compelling play, "I’m just impressed by their skills and professionalism.”

Sarah Countryman, stage manager and daughter of Countryman, explained that this play was a production that her father wanted to do since she was a child.

“He wanted to do it mostly because of the message behind it for Berry College, Rome, and the South in general,” Sarah Countryman said. “I know he’s really proud of it.”

Cockrell felt the play’s theme and its actors were stirring and she felt fortunate to be involved in the production process.

“By end of it my heart was pounding. It’s very moving and very powerful,”Cockrell said. “The people up on stage were not my friends. They did an amazing job and I got to be part of this.”

The Cast and Crew

Director:
John Countryman
Dr. Countryman earned his M.A. from the University of Massachusetts, and his doctorate from Bowling Green University. He has won many awards including the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival Award of Excellence. Having taught at Berry since 1989, he holds the title of Associate Professor.


Costume Designer:
Alice Bristow
Alice Bristow has been steadily producing costumes for Opera, Ballet, and Theatre since completing her MFA at Indiana University. She has produced costumes for Indiana Repertory Theatre, University of Michigan, and more. The costume designer at Berry, she serves as the faculty supervisor of the costume shop.

• Ed Bliss: Keith Brooks

Keith Brooks is a junior at Berry College and a Theater major.

Keith Brooks talks about "The Stick Wife" on Viking Vision (relevant portion begins 2:23 into the clip)

• Jessie Bliss: Daniela Cardenas

Jessie Bliss is a junior at Berry College and a Theater major

• Marguerite Pullet: Erin Dubyak

Erin Dubyak is a senior at Berry College and an interdisciplinary major.

• Tom Pullet: Ian Alexander

Ian Alexander is a Junior at Berry College and a theater major.

• Betty Conner: Katy Reichert

Katy Reichert is a senior at Berry College and a theater major

• Props master: Rachel Cockrell

Rachel Cockrell is a sophomore at Berry College and an English major

• Stage manager: Sarah Countryman

Sarah Countryman is a sophomore at Berry College and an interdisciplinary major.

Photo archive

See the BCTC Archives page for more pictures from "The Stick Wife" and other great plays.

For information on the Berry College Theatre Company, please visit its web site, or call the box office at 706-236-2263.

{cb}

'Miss Susan': Valhalla Worker, Counselor, Friend and Mom

Students Find Second Mom in Valhalla's 'Miss Susan'

One Valhalla worker not only swipes a student’s ID card, but also listens to students vent about exams, friends and life.

“If I see a student who needs someone to talk to,” Susan Stockton said, “I’ll stop what I’m doing when I can and make sure they’re OK.”

The production supervisor of dining services assures students that “what’s said stays with [her].”

Miss Susan, as Stockton is known to Berry students, moved to Georgia from Baldwin County, Alabama in 1987 with her first husband. He had recently left the Navy, and the couple was looking for better job opportunities. Those opportunities led her to Berry's dining services in 2004.

“When I saw the ad, I said, ‘Wow! That’s a college! Maybe I could work there,’” Miss Susan said.

Juggling life's challenges
At the same time that she began working at Berry, Miss Susan was also studying at Coosa Valley Technical College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business and management. But she said she stopped taking night classes last year after realizing she needed to spend more time with her family.

“My thing is mostly family,” said Miss Susan, a mother of three. “My hobby is knowing that people in my life are happy.”

That includes Berry students, who Miss Susan considers her children. One student Miss Susan calls her second son is junior Jody Jenkins.

“It means the world to me that she sees me in that light [as a son],” Jenkins said. “She is the person that I know I can come talk to whenever I have a problem and she will tell me if I’m being smart or not.”

Miss Susan’s caring attitude is making an impact outside of Valhalla, as well. Jenkins said, he has invited her to basketball games when he played. He isn’t alone, either.

“I’ve had students invite me to their weddings, and I’ve been to a few flag football games,” Miss Susan said.

High honor for Stockton
For all her hard work in the 2005-2006 school year, Miss Susan was voted Staff Member of the Year by the Student Government Association, which presented her with the award and a plaque.

But Miss Susan said her award wasn’t put up for display in Valhalla. And some students believe that she still doesn’t receive enough recognition.

“She does so much for Valhalla,” said Rain Hopper, a sophomore Valhalla worker. “She should be recognized.”

Miss Susan said she would love to see her award displayed, but she said she wouldn’t make a big deal out of it.

“I love my job and the kids are great,” Miss Susan said. “I’m here for the students.”

So, if you are feeling homesick for Mom or just need a person to listen, try talking to Miss Susan, second mom waiting in Valhalla.

“If you ever want to talk,” Miss Susan tells Berry students, “I’m here.”

{C. A. C.}

Thomas Carnes: His office door always open

Berry accounting professor always willing to talk about grades, homework and sports.

When Thomas Carnes is not home with his wife and animals, he is at Berry College teaching accounting courses and helping students during his office hours.

“He makes an extra effort to help his students understand the material,” said Eli Sherrill, a former student of Carnes. “He cares about you as a student and a person.”

Sherrill formed a friendship with Carnes while he was a student in one of his classes. He spent a lot of time in Carnes’s office getting extra help, and afterward they would typically discuss sports.

“We have a connection there of sorts,” Sherrill said.

Carnes's love for sports can be seen through his past work experience:

Carnes’s (Unofficial) Resume:

• Executive Sports Editor- The Tallahassee Democrat, where he worked for seven years.
• Sports Editor - Sunday Edition of the Boca Raton News, where he win the Top 10 Sunday Sports Section Award two years in a row.

Berry professor, Thomas Carnes

Photo courtesy of Berry College

Carnes switched careers in order to work normal business hours. As an editor, he would typically work Tuesday through Saturday night, from the hours of two until midnight, which kept him away from his wife. He was also aware that the newspaper industry was declining. Television allowed newspaper readers to gather their news from broadcasts instead of printed newspapers. Carnes said that the only reason he still reads the newspaper is for the local news and the comics.

Even though sports are not part of Carnes’s career now, he still finds ways to be involved. He competes in computer baseball leagues, similar to fantasy baseball leagues, and follows three main sports teams. The Washington Redskins and the Florida State Seminoles are Carnes’s favorite football teams, while the Atlanta Braves have become his favorite baseball team since moving to Rome. He did not follow much baseball while in Florida, but after hearing Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network, he began to closely follow the team.

“[Carnes] does believe that the opening day of baseball should be a national holiday,” said Timothy Biggart, Ph.D., a friend and colleague of Carnes for 15 years.

Their friendship began shortly after enrolling in the doctorate program of accounting at Florida State University, which took them both five years to complete. At the end of the program, they were each hired by Berry College to be associate professors of accounting and finance.

Since being at Berry, they have completed research together and have published four articles pertaining to their research. The most recent article published, “Variances, Incentives and SFAS 151,” was printed in the September 2007 edition of The CPA Journal.

Being an accounting professor at Berry College, Carnes usually works normal business hours and then spends his evenings with his wife. Carnes also spends extra time teaching and familiarizing himself with his students.

“Even a year and a half later, he still remembers my name,” said Sherrill.

{A.G.Z.}

Emery Barns renovation in the works

Business class brainstorms plans for barns

Imagine a place on campus where students could go to find a café, a sports bar, a concert stage and even a movie theater.

In two years, such a place might be a reality thanks to a few dedicated students, faculty and staff. The Emery Barns, which were given to Berry in 1915 by Thomas Emery, formerly held mules and show cattle and are located behind the Ladd Center. Now, the Pimp My Barn group, a group of students in Associate Professor of Management Paula Englis’s small business management class, have created a plan to renovate the Emery Barns into a recreational student complex.

The Emery Barns project first came to Englis’s attention through Dean of Students Debbie Heida during the spring of 2007. Heida was looking for a group of students to create a business plan for a late night attraction on campus. She then developed the idea of a new recreational complex as part of a mission to “create spaces that draw students to each other,” Heida said.

Leaving a legacy
The Pimp My Barn group, which includes seniors Hal McCool, Samantha Wilkins, Helen Preston and Eric Cone, took on the project “to leave a legacy behind when they graduate in spring 2008,” according to Englis.

The group has incorporated Berry students’ opinions as much as possible through forums and surveys.

“The most recent survey has the students voting for the barns to first be a coffee house and sports bar and secondly be a stage or nightclub,” McCool said.

A forum held on the subject of the Emery Barns showed that there was a large group of students that felt the barns should be kept as much in their original condition as possible. The Pimp My Barn group agreed with this idea and even talked about creating the café out of old wood that had to be taken from the barn. Another idea expressed at the forum was that the Emery Barns, when complete, should be run entirely by students through the student work program.

Cafe and sports bar on tap
The Pimp My Barn group’s plan includes creating a café and sports bar on the first floor, along with several billiard tables, ping pong tables, TVs, comfortable sofas and chairs and grills on a patio for students to use.

The group’s plan for the second level would feature a stage big enough for an acoustic or soft rock group, such as singer-songwriter Jack Johnson. The upstairs would also contain a movie theater that seats 20 people. Students would be able to rent out the theater in three hour time blocks. To top it all off, there would be study rooms, complete with wireless internet access, for students wanting to study.

{A.P.}

Berry students experience new kind of art

Art project engages community, stresses minimalism

Many college students are involved in the arts, but during November students at Berry were given a chance to look at art that is lesser known.

Thomas Mew, a professor of art at Berry College for the past 37 years, teaches a modern art class every Monday. Last week, he split his class up into two groups and each of the groups did a project on minimalism.

For the project the groups had to create a piece of minimalist art and present it to the Berry community by putting it in or outside the Krannert Student Center. They also had to write a report about minimalism and take pictures of people’s reactions to their own piece of minimalist art.

“Minimalism is basically what some people consider one of the more important art movements of the 20th century,” Mew said. “It is about trying to create something great with as little as possible, using very simple objects.”

Minimalism backgrounder
Beginning in the 1960s, minimalist artists desired to produce works that looked unique. The artists desired to allow the audience to view a composition more intensely and closely, due to the removal of the distractions of a central theme. Self-expression, symbolism and imagery were rejected and simplistic, abstract design became the focus.

Hannah Marshall was involved in the one of the projects—a tall, orange “frame” made out of paper pipes that straddled one of the main sidewalks outside of Krannert. The idea was taken from minimalist artist Sol LeWitt.

“The purpose of minimalism is to create art using the least amount of material," Marshall said. "It progressed from cold indoors to a movement called earthworks—using the environment to create artwork. Ours was in the middle. We used earthy colors and it even looks like it is coming out of the sidewalk. People create their own artwork when they walk through it. They were the art.”

"What's that?"
Rebekah Larisey, a student in Mew’s class, worked on one of the group projects. Her group decided to make a black hanging box that was hollow on the inside. They placed it in the hallway of the Krannert Center near the Berry Beanery.

“Some people were afraid to walk through [the frame],” said Larisey.

The response the Berry community gave to the projects differed, but for the most part people were interested in what was taking place.

“Minimalism is not really talked about,” Larisey said. “So some people were interested, but I could tell most people had never heard of it before.”

Marshall said other students had their own opinion. “I was talking with someone later in Krannert about it and another student, not knowing that I was involved in the projects, overheard us and said, ‘Oh yeah, that was really ugly.’”

Get them thinking
For Mew, a bad reaction is not what matters.

“I wanted to get other people on campus to be curious about ‘what in the world is this?’ and ‘why is it here?’ If they thought that, then it served its purpose,” Mew said.

Although the projects did make people on campus curious, the history behind minimalism gives it meaning that is hard to find and that might have helped many to form their own opinion.

“Minimalism is one of the first times where people are invited to be a part of the art,” said Larisey. “It is important to know where art had been up to that point to understand it.”

Marshall agreed: “It’s hard to understand the creativity and beauty of something if you don’t know the history and story behind it."

{A.F.}

Water Treatment Plan Causes Concern Over Water Conservation

Reservoir buffers Berry from drought's effects

A 55-acre reservoir is a huge asset to Berry College during the worst drought in more than a century.

While the Atlanta area fears that the lack of water will show its effects in January, Berry College has found a way to help Rome and other surrounding communities. Thanks to a water treatment plan, water used at the college goes out to the surrounding communities after going through a treatment facility.

Dennis Goshorn, director of Residence Life at Berry College, said the plan is complex.

"We are a rare case here at Berry," he said. "The water we use goes to the water treatment plant, only to be used again by the surrounding communities. So in a weird way us conserving water is hurting others around us."

The Berry College water treatment plant

was built by built by B. M. Hall and Sons of Atlanta in 1927.

Photo courtesy of Berry College

The surplus water has not kept Berry as an institution from being water conservation-savvy. The athletic fields are no longer irrigated, and the Berry College Dining Services department has made many changes to conserve water, Goshorn said.

E-mail alerts

When asked about students and what he thinks they should do about the water shortage, Goshorn referred to e-mails Residence Life has sent out that recommend taking shorter showers and holding off on washing dishes and clothing.

The student perspective does not differ much from what they have been told via e-mail. Courtney Warner, a junior at Berry College, said not a day goes by when "I don't think about the water shortage. I have cut my showers short and wait until I have a full load to wash clothes."

While students are doing all they can to help, Berry's physical location has a lot to do with the success that is seen on the campus. Supplying the campus's water is a reservoir that sits three miles away from the mountain campus. It is this reservoir that calms the worries of many at Berry, Goshorn said.

"We are not in as dire need as the Atlanta area because of the reservoir," he said. "So, without doing so much, we have made significant progress."

Big changes

The water plant at Berry has seen many changes in the nature of this issue. John Swinney, a water plant employee, has seen first hand some of the changes brought by the drought.

"Though the reservoir is down about 10 feet, in my estimations, we are still working our very best for the conservations of water on this campus," Swinney said. "We now filter and refill the reflection pools instead of draining them, and we are hoping that with the colder weather, we will use less water."

The 55 acre reservoir is large enough to provide all of Berry's drinking water.
Photo courtesy of Berry College

{C.L.S.}

Berry Theatre Delves Into History With "The Stick Wife"

Performers tackle tough subject of civil rights

The Berry College Theatre Company presented in November "The Stick Wife," a drama about the struggles of 1960s southern life.

The play, directed by John Countryman, an associate professor of Fine Arts and Theatre at Berry, focused on the wives of Ku Klux Klan members amidst the 1963 Birmingham, Ala., church bombing that killed four girls.

Daniela Cardenas portrayed Jessie Bliss, the wife of Ed Bliss, who was played by Keith Brooks. Bliss lives under the pressure of her husband's abuse and his involvement in the Ku Klux Klan and the bombing. Bliss's interaction with Marguerite Pullet, played by Erin Dubyak, and Betty Conner, played by Katy Reichert, and their husbands, shows the oppression and injustice in society at the time.

Daniela Cardenas (left) and Keith Brooks (right) deliver the hard-hitting drama that makes "The Stick Wife" a success.

Picture from www.berry.edu/AroundBerry/nov122007/

The women in the play go though a difficult time. explained Dubyak, a sophomore interdisciplinary major. "I mean these women are incredibly oppressed and each has their own ways of coping," Dubyak said. "Marguerite thinks she's nothing without her husband."

A Dream Come True

Sarah Countryman, a sophomore interdisciplinary major, stage manager and daughter of the director, explained that this play was a production that her father wanted to do since she was little.

"He wanted to do it mostly because of the message behind it for Berry College, Rome and the South in general," Countryman said. "I know he's really proud of it."

Not only was the play intensely acted, but Reichert says the production process was intense, as well.

"I didn't know what I was getting myself into. It was definitely more emotionally challenging than I thought it would be," Reichert said. "It's been a great experience, but it was difficult to get through it."

The company began work on the play following fall break and put in long hours, with the costume design department working up to 80 hours a week, while the actors had only a little more than two weeks to learn their lines on their own time, said Alice Bristow, costume designer and an assistant professor at Berry.

"We got a pretty good picture of that moment in time when the play was set in the time of the civil rights movement," Countryman said of all those involved in the production and research process for the play. "It really began to feel we had a play in our hands . . . that served as a warning to people not to forget the past."

Upcoming events from the Berry College Theatre Company:

*"My Funny Valentine: A Cabaret Evening"

Directed by Christian Boy

Musical Direction by Kris Carlisle

E. H. Young Theatre, Berry College

Feb. 14-16

*"Shades of Self"
Artistic Director: Jeanne Schul
Rome City Auditorium
March 6-8 at 8 p.m.
March 8 at 2 p.m.
Co-Sponsored by Berry College Theatre Company
and Rome Area Council for the Arts

*"Twelfth Night"
By William Shakespeare
Directed by John Countryman
E. H. Young Theatre, Berry College
April 17- 20 and April 24-27

{A. C.}

Berry Volleyball Player Rewarded for Talent

Grace Brannon named conference player of the week

The Southern States Athletic Conference tapped Berry junior Grace Brannon, 20, its volleyball Player of the Week.

Brannon’s performance at the SSAC Volleyball Tournament at Brewton-Parker College also earned her a position on the All-SSAC Tournament team.

While the award means a lot to Brannon, she is quick to clarify that her motivations lie in the success of the team rather than the spotlight.

“I always try to do well, and anytime you get recognized for hard work is good, but it doesn’t act as my motivation,” Brannon said. “You never expect something like that, but that’s not what I’m playing for.”

Team first
Brannon considers the accolade one of the highlights of the season. However, her excitement lies in how well the team preformed rather than receiving an award.

“My season highlight was at the conference last week when we meshed as a team,” Brannon said. “Also spending time with the team on trips and quality time with the girls, that’s what I love.”

Though Grace was disinclined to celebrate her award, her teammates and friends were enthusiastic.

“Everyone was very excited about it, said teammate Nikki Weaver, a sophomore. "We were all glad the see her get rewarded for being such a good player.”

Deserving player
Another teammate, sophomore Betsy Bowers, said she thinks Brannon deserves the citation because "she’s one who we all look to because she makes good decisions on the court. She is great as an outside hitter and back row, recently in the rotation and has been playing really well.”

The skill has lead Brannon’s teammates to nickname her “the Rocket."

For Brannon the real joy of the sport comes in the relationships between players and when the team can act as a unit to gain success rather than be built around just one player. She explained this as she talked about her career highlights.

“For me it’s certain games that would be considered my better games; when there’s great success as a team; like last year when we played the number 18th team in the nation and beat them,” said Brannon. “I love the team, and I love just being here with the girls.”

This attitude does not go unnoticed by Brannon’s teammates.

“Grace brings a really good energy to the team. She’s the kind of person when things are tense she will break the ice with some awkward or funny comment to ease the atmosphere,” said Bowers. “At the beginning of the season when all the new players might feel intimidated, Grace is the first to quickly break the ice. She helps us mesh as a team.”

“She is the kind of person who can always bring a laugh when anyone is down. She’s a fun person to play with,” said Weaver.

When she’s not on the court, Brannon is spending quality time with her teammates and making people laugh.

Brannon is an animal science major from Westavia Hills, Alabama.

[CJ]

Women's volleyball player powers through injuries

Nikki Weaver eager to play in tournament despite knee injuries

Berry College women's volleyball player Nikki Weaver is "set" to help her team compete in the Region XIII Tournament in Mobile, Ala., on Nov. 16.

Weaver, 19, from Brooksville, Fla., is the team's defensive specialist and a sophomore environmental science major at Berry. She said that she expects her fellow players to fight hard as they face the first-ranked University of Mobile at 10 a.m. and Shorter College at 12:30 p.m. on Friday for a position at nationals.

"We've been playing well in practice," Weaver said. "That's a very good thing to have when going into a tournament like this."

Lady Vikings' Coach Brianne Smedley also expressed high hopes for the team as they leave for the tournament ranking fifth in the region.

"Although three other teams that are competing in the tournament have beaten us, I think that we have an excellent shot of going to nationals," Smedley said.

Playing through the pain
Weaver will regain her defensive position in the tournament despite her knee injury suffered spring 2007.

"Last spring I tore my meniscus in two places and had it repaired at the end of school," Weaver said. "I was pretty much confined to crutches for two months during the summer."

Weaver continued to play on her knee in spite of her injury. However, because of her slow recovery from surgery, the fall practices and games prevented her knee from healing properly.

"When I got back, I wanted to prove that I could play through the pain and that it couldn't affect me," Weaver said. "But as the season went on, I realized I couldn't play on that side...I had to learn how to read the hitter because I couldn't move well."

She will continue to play on her hurt knee this fall season, but said she did not regret playing on it post-operation.

"The tear was too big for it to heal even if I had gotten diagnosed earlier," Weaver said.

Teammate Grace Brannon, a junior pre-vet major said she found it difficult to play when Weaver was hurt.

"But she puts her pain aside to play, and I respect that," Brannon said.

Smedley said that Weaver has done exceptionally well in terms of her performance.

"I wouldn't say that Nikki's injury ever affects the team" she said, "but I know that at times it limits her movement so she isn't able to perform certain skills at certain times the way she wishes she could."

Last spring's torn meniscus was not Weaver's first major injury. In high school, she tore her meniscus and sprained her ankles constantly during volleyball seasons.

"It's the story of my life," Weaver said. "It was a bummer."

Despite her injuries, Weaver continued playing volleyball at Berry when she came as a freshman, and she plans to keep playing through her senior year. Weaver has played a total of 111 games at Berry wtih 273 digs and 35 receptions.

"I would describe Nikki as a very determined player," Smedley said. "She hates to make a mistake and let her team down, so she's constantly fighting hard to do her best on the court."

The stakes
According to Smedley, Berry's ranking will remain the same after the tournament. The only thing at stake is winning four matches that will either send them to nationals or leave them practicing for another year.

"I feel like after last week's conference we are in high spirits because we played really well," Brannon said, "but I think we need to work on things like blocking so we can do well."

Grace Brannon spiking against Shorter College during an Oct. 5 match. The women's volleyball team will face Shorter at 12:30 p.m. on Friday in the Region XIII tournament.

Photo by Stephen Lindley

Weaver said that her team is capable of playing the way Shorter College did when it won its conference recently. Even though Berry currently ranks fifth out of six schools in the region, Weaver said she is still hopeful for a win this weekend.

The tournament will consist of four matches among the six competing schools, which will be split into two pools. The top two teams in each pool will advance to a third match in the semifinals where the two winning teams will play in a fourth match in the finals for a position at nationals.

"We have the ability to be amazing," Smedley said, "but sometimes we let our minds get the best of us and make us mess up."

Weaver said that she will play her best despite her knee injury, and she hopes that the team will make it to the third match in the semifinals.

"I'll just go where they tell me to go, work hard and do my thing," Weaver said.

{J.E.}

Local cigar bar serves as social nexus for Berry

"Old Havana" a favorite hangout among students

The light chatter of customers competed with jazz music wafting over the loud speaker. Clouds of cigar smoke rose toward the ceiling, perfuming the bar with a relaxing scent.

In the middle of the dimly lit main room of Old Havana Cigar Co., the Broad Street bar and cigar shop, Berry College freshman Eric Alburl was enjoying his first cigar.

"I like the flavor," Arburl said. "Mine tastes like honey."

Arburl, like many other students, have become part of the noticeable incline in cigar enthusiasts at Berry.

Located on Broad Street, Old Havana Cigar Co. opens its door to cigar enthusiasts.
Photo courtesy of Old Havana Cigar Co.

The gathering spot
Old Havana, the only premium cigar shop and bar in downtown Rome, has become a meeting place for many of these students.

“I was so worked up about schoolwork,” Alburl said. “One of my friends got me to come here to sit down and have a cigar with some of the guys, and now I feel so much more calm. I just love the atmosphere here.”

And that was exactly the type of mood Steven McDowell, owner of Old Havana Cigar Co., tried to provide.

“I wanted to create a warm and inviting ambiance, a place where [students] can get away from their strenuous schedules, with midterms and finals, and relax over a cigar,” McDowell said.

Inside Old Havana Cigar Co. the cozy environment promotes relaxation.
Photo courtesy of Old Havana Cigar Co.

McDowell, a Berry alumnus himself, bought the store in 2003. He attributes the increase in younger cigar smokers to the changes in the cigar industry.

“When I was at Berry, I had to pay $10 for a half-decent cigar, which isn’t the case any more. You can buy a premium quality cigar for much less today,” McDowell said. “Plus, with the advent of flavored cigars, younger, less experienced smokers can enjoy a cigar without feeling like they’re smoking the big-old nasty cigar that their granddad smokes.”

Students bring cigar smoking to Berry
Interest in cigars at Berry has grown so much that a student-initiated cigar club is undergoing the approval process by the Student Activities Office.

The cigar club’s advisor, Eric Sands, a government professor at Berry, said that the club will present its constitution to the SAO on Nov. 26, 2007.

“Because smoking of any kind has been so demonized by the media, and because Berry would not likely want to be associated with the support of smoking, we made sure to only propose off-campus [cigar] get-togethers in our constitution,” Sands said. “That way we have a better shot of being recognized.”

Renewed interest
Sands said that he believes the revived interest in cigar smoking has both economic and cultural origins.

“America has become a nation of affluence that carries over, in many cases, to college students,” Sands said. "I think that because college students have more money today, obviously they are more willing to spend it on life’s finer pleasures.”

Also, after the Cuban trade embargo, many Cuban cigar companies had to relocate their tobacco fields and factories, Sands said.

“It takes a long time to adjust the quality of the crops when moving to unfamiliar climates," he explained. "Plus, there is at least a five-year aging process with premium cigars. In other words, the big cigar companies may have just now figured it out—again.”

But to Alburl, whatever the companies have done, they’ve done it right.

“The whole experience was just incredible,” Alburl said as he exhaled his last puff of the night.

“I can guarantee cigars will be a big part of my future,” Alburl said, “I’ve tasted elegance, whatever that is, and damn, did it taste good!”

{M.W.}

Berry Improv Troupe ‘Bakes’ Up Laughs

“Easy Baked Improv” a campus favorite

Ian Alexander and Jacob Kozelichki rush frantically on stage repeating their one-minute scene, condensing it to a mere three seconds. Laughter erupts from the audience as gibberish instead of dialog comes from the actors’ mouths while they crash into a table instead of rolling off of it.

“Half-life” is the name of the game and it starts with audience suggestions, “ask fors,” for what a pair of Easy Baked Improv actors should accomplish in one minute. The scene is then condensed by half until it is one second long, resulting in frantic actors and a belly laughing audience.

Games like “Half-life” can be accredited to Easy Baked Improv, a student organization that entertains with pure improvisational acting.

“We’re making up everything until we leave, entertaining and interacting the whole time,” said Keith Brooks, a member of Easy Baked Improv. “It’s like we invited you into our living room.”

Though the shows are not in anyone’s living room, the free and creative environment offers the audience a chance to become part of the scenes through humor.

From left: Jordan Bowman, Jacob Kozelichki, Ian Alexander and Keith Brooks read a prompt for their next improvised scene.

Photo by Lauren Wright

Not your average recipe
Improvisation and new suggestions are what make each show a different experience. The shows may involve the same games but each show is about creating new lines for the same ideas. Brooks says it’s a form of creative advancement.

“It’s never the same show, they never do the same stuff, even when they get the same 'ask fors.' They still change it up and do something different,” said Natalie Bundschu, a regular audience participant.

A favorite of both Bundschu and Elizabeth Beatty, another Improv attendee, is a game called “Four Corners” which involves four actors in a square formation, paired to rotate through four scenes based on audience suggestions.

“You’ve got four different scenes going on and it can just get really crazy," Beatty said. "They have to remember where they left off from last time."

Spirited audience members drive the show
Though the shows are led by the members of the troupe, audience participation and reaction are equally important. The energy that the crowd brings is what provokes the Easy Baked troupe to give more of themselves to the audience.

“When they laugh, it allows us to go further. Reaction and energy allows us to go forward," Brooks said. "It’s like a game of tennis because we’re both invested and the ball keeps going back and forth."

Though Easy Baked Improv’s main goal is to entertain with humor, the group often reaches the audience on a deeper level.

“It’s 99 percent of what we do, the general or average idea is to get them to laugh, but if you can do a scene that evokes real emotion, then we’ve gotten just as good as a reaction than if the house were on the floor laughing,” said Samantha Hiner, an Easy Baked member.

The beginning
Easy Baked started in 2003 after a class on improvisational acting inspired the students to keep performing. The following fall, the students began performing on the Memorial Library steps and soon moved to the E.H. Young Theatre.

Now, four years later, the troupe has eight members and performs every other Tuesday night.

“It’s so great to have a day during the week where you can go be with your friends, de-stress and laugh your ass off," Beatty said. "It’s something to look forward to.”

Something for everyone
The Easy Baked Improv troupe is focused on providing a good time for the audience members and each other. The members of the troupe meet once a week to prepare for the following show and play improvisational games to practice.

“It’s something I could never do,” Beatty said. “They put themselves on the spot and it amazes me that they can do what they do. So when I go to a show, I already have a lot of respect for them. They are a real close knit group and you can tell they love what they do.”

Upcoming Events

• Every other Tuesday: regular shows, 11 p.m., E.H. Young Theatre, Berry College
• Jan. 25-26: 24-Hour Improvathon, E.H. Young Theatre, Berry College, $5 for "come and go as you please" entry
• Feb. 19-23: Dirty South Improv Festival, Chapel Hill, NC
• Date TBA: Fat Man Show, E.H. Young Theatre, Berry College

{E. R.}

Valhalla employee a surrogate Mom for many students

Stockton reaches out to befriend students

Susan Stockton, an assistant retail manager in Valhalla, acts as a second Mom to many students on the Berry College campus. A mother of three children, Stockton said she is ready and willing to listen to students.

“If I see a student who needs someone to talk to, I’ll stop what I’m doing when I can and make sure they’re okay,” said Stockton. “What’s said stays with me.”

Stockton moved to Georgia from Baldwin County, Ala. in 1987 to have better job opportunities after her first husband of 22 years left the Navy. She worked at First Presbyterian Church in Rome for six years before taking a job with the dining services at Berry in 2004.

Sue Johnson, Stockton’s former manager, said, “She was very anxious and excited to learn.”

As well as learning about her job on Berry’s campus, Stockton studied at Coosa Valley Technical College, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business and Management. Stockton said she stopped taking night classes one year ago after realizing she needed to spend more time with her family.

“My thing is mostly family,” Stockton said. “My hobby is knowing that people in my life are happy.”

Students her "children"
Stockton said she considers all the students at Berry her children. “Some students come into Valhalla wanting to talk or vent or maybe just want a hug,” said Stockton.

One student who Stockton calls her second son is junior Jody Jenkins.

“She is the person that I know I can come talk to whenever I have a problem, and she will tell me if I’m being smart or not,” Jenkins said. “It means the world to me that she sees me in that light [as a son].”

Although Jenkins said he’s never seen Stockton outside of Valhalla, he has invited her to basketball games to see him play. Jenkins isn’t the only student who has invited Stockton to their events.

“I’ve had students invite me to their weddings, and I’ve been to a few flag football games,” said Stockton.

Stockton said she has a large picture frame in her house of all her students from the past and present. She has pictures of most of the students she sees as her children.

Appreciated at work
Fred Gann, retail manager of dining services, said Stockton is very kind and thoughtful. He said Stockton surprised him with her caring nature.

“She would always ask everyone if they were okay, and if they were okay, she was okay. She is very heartfelt and deserves kudos for everything she does,” said Gann.

For all her hard work in 2005-2006, Stockton was voted Outstanding Staff Member of the Year in dining services by the Government Association and received an award and plaque.

“I think that she is the most influential person that I have met at Berry College,” said Jenkins. “Honestly, I think she does not get the appreciation she deserves.

So, if you are feeling homesick for mom or just need a person to listen to what you have to say, try talking to Stockton. She’s not just the lunch lady everyone sees in Valhalla.

“I love my job and the kids are great,” Stockton said. “I’m here for the students.”

{c.a.}

Berry professor keeps belly dancing

Whelan performs, teaches belly dance

Her hips don't lie.

Lara Whelan, a professor of English at Berry College, both performs and teaches belly dance. "I was always interested in dance—I was a dance minor in college," Whelan said.

At first, the costumes attracted her attention and it seemed like a less strenuous dance than jazz and ballet. "It turns out, it is very demanding technically and physically. The costumes are the least part of it," she said laughing. "But I still love it. There is something soothing about it."

Whelan took classes in New York in the early 1990s. When she came to Berry, she took classes until about 2004.

Forming Sundari dance group
Students from class put together a performance group because they wanted to keep dancing. They named their group "Sundari," which is Sanskrit for "beautiful woman," and still perform.

In 2006, Whelan began to teach her own classes at Club Fitness and the Dance Centre in downtown Rome, because she wanted to engage the community. This year, she teaches at the Georgia Highlands Department of Continuing Education.

Whelan said that she would like to offer a class at Berry but a human resources policy would require her to carry private liability insurance.

Students' experiences
Sophomore Leigh-Ann McKenzie was a student in one of Whelan's belly dancing classes last year at Club Fitness. "Coming from a dance background, I had always wanted to try it. It is a unique type of dance that I've never experienced before."

Whelan said that she enjoys being a part of a bigger picture. "I'm tapped into tradition that goes back thousands of years," she said.

This tradition began in the Middle East where the term "belly dancing" is not used. Whelan said that the term "belly dancing" is most likely a mistranslation of "beladi" which means "dance of the people."

Traditionally, belly dancing was a folk dance performed by women for women. When its popularity spread from Egypt to America, it began being performed for all types of audiences.

Two major styles of belly dance:

• American Tribal, which has more of a folk dance feel to it. Dancers wear heavier cloth and turbans. They also typically dance in a group. This is the type that Sundari dances.
• Cabaret, which is distinguished by beads and more exposed skin.

Performances a school affair
Sundari often performs with Devidasa, a band made up of mainly Berry professors who play Middle Eastern music. Jim Watkins, also a professor at Berry College, is the guitarist in the band.

Watkins says that he admires the grace and attractiveness of the dance and enjoys it when they perform together, and the audience does, too. "Sometimes the audience gets up and tries to belly dance with them," he said.

Jeffery Lidke, a professor of religion, is the drummer for Devidasa. He told Watkins that watching the dancers can help the band remember the changes in the song. "But I just get distracted so I just keep my eyes shut and play," Watkins said, smiling.

Watkins enjoys having the privilege of working with Whelan in the two different settings.

"She is a wonderful colleague. I am proud to work in the same department. But it's really fun to see the other side of her and to get to know her in that way," he said.

{L. H.}

Berry student reaches out to orphans

Junior Dnika Joseph plans to open international orphanage

For Dnika Joseph, Berry College's motto “Not to be ministered unto, but to minister,” is a lifelong goal. “I have dedicated my life to serving others,” Joseph said.

A junior biology major from Trinidad and Tobago, she has a long-term goal -- open an orphanage for children from different parts of the world.

Dnika Joseph
photo courtesy of Residence Life

She was very specific in explaining the process she would take to achieve her goal. Orphans' native countries would sponsor the children much like the current adoption system, but while the children live in the foster home, they would learn valuable lessons, such as how to work together and the importance of knowing about different languages and cultures. When the children are old enough to return to their home countries, they will be able to promote awareness and tolerance of other countries.

“She would be more than willing to give her right arm, maybe even her left, if she knew that she could help someone by doing it,” said Jessie Faulhaber, a friend of Joseph's.

Even though she is a college student, Joseph has already begun her service-oriented life.

“I think what is so unique about her is that she loves to be involved in different things and usually all those things have to do with helping others,” Nayuribe Gutierrez said.

Joseph is involved in numerous activities on campus, including being a Resident Assistant and a Bonner Scholar, and being active in the Dean of Student’s Office, Allied Health Club and Student Government Association.

“I guess I really am involved in more than I thought,” said Joseph with a laugh after she finished listing off all her activities.

Disney thoughts

While Joseph affectionately talks about her goals and dreams, she has another passion in her life -- anything Disney.

“My favorite Disney character is Ariel from The Little Mermaid,” said Joseph with a shy smile.

Her friends claimed the change of subject was not surprising.

“You think you have her figured out, and then suddenly, she’ll tell a story…that shows an entirely different side to her,” said Jennifer Parr, a friend and fellow resident assistant.

Joseph explained her logic behind liking Ariel.

“Well, to begin with, Sebastian studied at the university in Trinidad and Tobago; my home country. Ariel wanted to be elsewhere and she worked for what she wanted.”

“And lastly, Ariel combined two worlds that otherwise would never have worked together. Sort of like what I hope to accomplish with the orphanage,” says Joseph with a smile.

After Berry, Joseph wants to get her master’s in global health from a university in England. She is unsure of which university, however, going to England has been a dream all of her life.

{A. D. T.}