"Dungeons and Dragons": Starring Tom Baldvins

By Jared Colvin, COM 301
Edited and posted by Leigh Harris, COM 303

It's after midnight, and Tom Baldvins is still cloning dinosaurs to be the main attraction in his theme park.

"He kind of obsesses over it a little bit," said Nathan Schwartz, Baldvins' roommate and freshman environmental science major. "He's very into it and likes to talk about it."

Baldvins, 18, is a freshman biology major at Berry College who may obsess over some games, but his 43 credit hours prove he's no slacker. He aspires to become a vertebrate paleontologist, but in the meantime, he's content to play alternate reality games like "Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis" to experience strange and unusual circumstances. Gaming for more than half his life, Baldvins believes games, especially those involving role play, add a much needed zest to the mundane aspects of everyday life.

"They allow you to explore a totally different world without actually being there," he said, "because they engross you in the story. School gets really stressful, and it's fun to play video games for 30 minutes or an hour. It refreshes me so I can get back to work."

When asked why he consistently chooses to pick up game controllers to experience new worlds rather than reading books or watching videos, Baldvins explained that movies and novels aren't quite the same as alternate reality games; although he's an avid fiction reader, Baldvins prefers how the games place him in the leading role.

"Video games take you in," he said. "Movies and books don't capture the fun of it because you're watching in third person. That movie they based off of 'Dungeons and Dragons' wasn't too good, but a person playing the same adventure would find it totally amazing."

"Dungeons and Dragons" also known as D&D, is a 34-year-old type of board game which requires players to adopt a fictional persona in order to complete imaginary adventures in a fantasy setting. Baldvins and a group of his friends dedicate upwards of seven hours every Friday night to play the game. When asked why he often prefers D&D to modern video games, Baldvins was adamant.

"I can do whatever I want in D&D, but in video games I can't," he explained. "New video games cost $60. D&D is keeping up, bringing out new stuff and it's a lot less expensive to play— you just need three books and your dice."

The leader of Baldvins’ D&D group, Anne Callaway, confessed that she doesn't play the same computer and video games as Baldvins, but she admires his imagination and sense of organization.

"I met him through D&D," she said. "Over the year he really impressed me. Although he doesn't speak out a lot, everything he says is thoughtful and to the point. He's down to earth and organized. In fact, he was nominated to become treasurer of our club and won."

The Alternate Realities Club of Berry College, of which Callaway is president, dedicates itself to entertainment through fantasy and science fiction. Even as the treasurer, Baldvins is still able to make time for his classes, friends, and games.

"I think when someone is able to keep up with their real life, and keep up with what so many people would consider a fantasy life, it really shows a strength of character," said Callaway. "It may seem easy to do since it's fiction, but when you have so many classes and a social life to look after, it can be challenging."

Baldvins may have his hands full as a biology student and club treasurer, but there's no doubt he'll leave plenty of time available to clone more dinosaurs.

Berry's New Provost: Dr. Kathryn Whatley

By Lindsey Banks, COM 301
Edited and posted by Kate Fitchett, COM 303

The search is over for Berry College.

Dr. Kathryn Whatley now holds the title of provost and chief academic officer, and the challenging task of managing all of the academics of the institution.

Whatley, the newest addition to the staff at Berry, began work in her office in Hermann Hall on March 17, 2008, and is still trying to learn all of the responsibilities of the provost at Berry. The provost is in charge of everything that composes the academics of the college, including the faculty, the academic programs and, in the absence of the president, serves as the acting president.

Dr. Kathryn Whatley
Photo courtesy of Berry College

The Search
In order to ensure that the best candidate for Berry’s provost was selected, students and faculty came together to form the provost search committee.

“We were looking for someone who was willing to work with President [Stephen] Briggs, work with his plans and was passionate about making that plan reality,” said Laura Sutton, a student on the provost search committee and the president of the student government association.

Whatley discovered Berry’s search for a provost in an online advertisement, and some of her friends and colleagues encouraged her to apply. She said she immediately found Berry to be at the center of an appealing environment.

“I was attracted to the whole culture and the head, the heart and the hands theme. The academic reputation of Berry is impressive, too,” said Whatley.

Sutton said she was an immediate fan of Whatley and wanted her to get to know the students as soon as possible.

“One of the reasons Dr. Whatley was the best candidate is because she is open and approachable for students. She understands the mission of Berry and is passionate about students,” said Sutton.

The Transition
Whatley said that she is prepared to take on all of the responsibilities of provost at Berry. She has been actively involved in higher education since her graduation from Wake Forest University with an undergraduate degree in physics. Whatley went on to complete her graduate and doctorate degree in experimental nuclear physics from Duke University.

Whatley was involved in the administration at her previous institution, The University of North Carolina at Asheville, for more than 20 years. Her strong background in academic administration is a result of her time spent in the position equivalent to the interim provost at UNC Asheville.

“I learned so much from her about leadership and about the work of academic affairs. And we had great fun, too!” said Edward Katz, the former Dean of University Programs at UNC Asheville and Whatley’s co-worker for five years.

Katz did not want to see her leave UNC Asheville, but admitted that it was a good chance for her.

“I think that she will bring a wealth of experience to Berry College, along with a deep commitment to students and faculty,” said Katz.

Whatley said that leaving her position as interim provost at UNC Asheville was wrenching, but she believes that Berry is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“It was a good time for my family to make the transition. I felt like we needed to
take advantage of a new opportunity,” said Whatley.

Whatley is married to Jac Whatley and they have two children, Katie, 21, and Michael, 18. Whatley said that having two children in college will help her to relate to parents who are bringing their children to college for the first time. Dr. Kathy McKee, interim provost prior to Whatley, said that Whatley will bring a different, parent-like perspective to the provost position and is glad that she came to Berry.

The Learning
McKee said that Whatley is still getting acclimated with the college and is going to learn more about Berry this summer. McKee is still working closely with Whatley and doing everything that she can to help the new provost.

“She is delightful. Her immediate focus is getting to know the institution and coming to understand how we are organized. This summer she is going to gain a deeper knowledge in the academic programs and their strengths,” said McKee.

Whatley has always wanted to be in higher education. When she was a student at Wake Forest, the provost Edwin Wilson had a strong impact on her life. One of her professors once asked her what she wanted to be when she grows up and she said, “I want to be Provost Wilson when I grow up.”

New York Times Columnist Speaks on Campus

By Susanna Sisco, COM 310
Edited and posted by Kate Slusser, COM 303

David Brooks, conservative New York Times columnist, said in an on-campus lecture Thursday night that, although he is a Sen. John McCain fan, Sen. Barack Obama is sure to win the election this year.

Brooks, 46, spoke on politics as part of the Gloria Shatto Lecture Series in the Mount Berry Chapel from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. Following the speech, he spent 25 minutes answering questions from the audience, which consisted of a wide age group: students, faculty, alumni and community members.

David Brooks
Photo courtesy of thinkprogress.org

Besides his columnist position, Brooks has been a senior editor at the Weekly Standard , a contributing editor at Newsweek and the Atlantic Monthly , and an Opinion-Editorials editor for the Wall Street Journal. He is currently a commentator on “The News Hour with Jim Lehner” and a recurrent analyst on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

Brooks gave his audience an insider’s perspective on politicians, including some challenges they face and the strengths and weaknesses of all three major presidential candidates.

• John McCain- Brooks said he thinks McCain has an incredibly high energy level, like a fighter pilot. He knows a lot about foreign policy but very little about domestic policy. McCain is a social butterfly who can’t sit still and whose office is in the middle of the suite so everyone must walk through it. He has a great moral sense, but he resists organization. Brooks said he believes McCain is a Republican that a lot of Democrats can get behind.

• Hillary Clinton - She is very intelligent and disciplined, Brooks said. Clinton was a very good senator, and she works incredibly hard. She does not trust; however, and she thinks of running for office as war. She hasn’t run a particularly good campaign and has an awfully low chance of winning the election, according to Brooks.

• Barack Obama- Brooks said Obama is very perceptive and eloquent. He places a tremendous emphasis on unity, and he has an extraordinarily supple mind. His weaknesses are his lack of confidence and his lack of involvement in House actions. Although he wants to bring people together, this could prove hard for him because he is not in the center on issues. Also, he is so good at seeing both sides of an issue that, Brooks said, this could lead to trouble in making decisions.

Brooks said that it would be foolish to vote against the Democrats this year. He explained that, when polled, 80 percent of Americans said they are currently dissatisfied with where this country is going. Since Republicans are presently in control and have been for eight years, Brooks said, citizens will want a new party in charge. He said it is probable that Obama will win the election.

Even though Brooks said Obama is the likeliest winner, Brooks said he favors McCain. Contrary to the reputation of most politicians, Brooks said that McCain, his closest friend out of the candidates, is a good man.

“He is perfectly honest with me, unfailingly and sometimes self-destructively honest,” Brooks said.

After Brooks’ speech, many audience members said that they enjoyed the lecture and had different positive feedback.

“I thought he was really impressive,” Dan Lipscomb, a 1969 Berry grad, said. “He was really funny- especially when he said being a conservative at the New York Times is like being a chief rabbi in Mecca.”

Both faculty and students had good things to say about Brooks’ lecture.

“I think it was very informative and comical,” sophomore history major Scott Alan Hill said. “I really liked the insight into the private life of politicians- how they communicate or don’t communicate with each other was interesting.”

Berry College President Dr. Stephen R. Briggs also attended and said he was impressed with Brooks.

“I thought he was exactly the kind of speaker we needed,” Briggs said. “He was funny, smart, thoughtful, balanced. He helped us think. It really restores your faith in journalism.”

Brooks kept his audience laughing with frequent jokes. He commented that senators have big heads.

“What senators have are not heads, they are containers for heads,” Brooks said. Brooks also said that although politicians are people’s people, they have very few true friends.

“They are so used to climbing that they don’t develop relationships side by side,” he said. “They feel this incredible loneliness and sometimes they lurch out in the cruelest ways for human contact.”

Brooks commented that politicians, besides being lonelier than expected, are also usually a lot different in person than on television, especially President George Bush.

“Well, the biggest difference is that he’s about 80 IQ points smarter in person,” Brooks said. “It’s funny, when you’ll talk about Russian history with him in person, he’ll talk about books he’s read or about Peter the Great. Stuff he would never talk about in public. His manner is also very different. He’s much more Texas in person. He slouches, he sort of snorts, he sits crooked, he has an imaginary chaw on the side of his mouth, he’s actually quite profane.”

Brooks not only offered a journalist’s insight on politicians, but he also offered advice to students hoping to break into the journalism business.

“The first thing I would say is learn at lot about the world, not just about journalism. So I was a history major, philosophy, English, economics,” Brooks said. “The second thing is you’ve got to bring something to the table, some body of knowledge. For somebody who wanted to go into print journalism, be aware that you have to think of how it’s going to change. Television journalism seems like it’s going to survive. I’d say it’s doing quite well.”

Brooks, a former traveling professor of public policy, said that he enjoys speaking to college students and that Berry treated him well.

The Gloria Shatto Lecture Series honors Dr. Gloria M. Shatto, the president of Berry College from 1980 to 1998 and the first woman to be president of a college or university in Georgia. She helped create the WinShape program and increased Berry’s recognition as one of the best comprehensive colleges in the southeast. Shatto believed that learning can take place not only in the classroom or in textbooks but also in the world, and her lecture series was created to give Berry students the opportunity to learn from worldly speakers.

Emotions Abound During Senior Art Show

New art pieces in Moon Gallery reflect student insight.

By Kimberly Harbrecht
Edited and Posted by Rachel Miller

After years of hard work and creativity, seniors Shannon Douglas and Stephanie Kipfer combined efforts for their first official gallery showings with the exhibition of their senior art theses.

The themes of the exhibit focus on life and their experiences. “Tiny Dreams” is a tangible representation of Kipfer’s thoughts and dreams, while “Remember This” is a collection of significant moments in Douglas’ life.

Inspiration Through Her Eyes
“There are moments in which one is aware of its significance as it transpires,” Douglas said. “I catalogued a particular image to remember that moment and showed the significance of it with the medium.”

Whether the inspiration came from a book, family member or event, Douglas compiled every painful and tender emotion she experienced and transcribed them onto the blank canvases. The result was a combination of both realistic and abstract images constructed of bold colors.

“Conceived in Autumn” exemplifies this new approach to art through the use of mixed mediums. Douglas added entirely new dimensions and emotions to the paintings through the combination of paint, charcoal and acrylic.

“It’s about playing with the boundaries of drawing and painting, creating a hybrid,” Douglas said.

“‘Conceived in Autumn’ combines both drawing and painting to enable both internal and external realities to co-exist in the picture plane,” Douglas said in her artist statement.

"They Were Here First " painted by Shannon Douglas
Photo courtesy of Shannon Douglas

“They Were Here First” also plays with the complexity of reality and its boundaries, depicting a couple embracing yet invisible in each other’s arms.

At the student symposium, Douglas presented “Standing in the Ashes at the End of the World” to show how the use of specific colors is essential to bring to mind the same feelings and emotions Douglas experienced at the time.

By showing the scene of a woman surrounded by abstract buildings, the sensations depicted by the painting are drastically changed, leaving behind a heinous color that evokes anxiety and even nausea. The addition of the green shades is essential to the purpose and message of this piece of art. These approaches and techniques Douglas utilized lead her pieces to appear radiant to all viewers.

Through the display and implementation of Douglas’ art, she allowed viewers to experience moments of her life from her perspective, achieving the intent and purpose of her art.

“The way she presents her work allows for art to be more than just art and beauty,” said senior Lyndsey Johnson. “The art has a purpose.”

What truly sets this gallery apart is the addition of Kipfer’s art and the interaction between bold colors and life experiences.

Left to right: Seniors Shannon Douglas and Stephanie Kipfer with their collaborative piece

Photo Courtsey of Shannon Douglas

“I think the shows are strong; both created very different bodies of work with very different concerns that hold together well as a single body of work individually,” said Dr. Brad Adams, art professor and advisor to both Douglas and Kipfer.

Dreams Create Art
Kipfer approached her art by first looking inside her mind and exploring its depths. What she found were “Tiny Dreams,” the title of her show.

“When I make a painting, I have an image in my mind, like a tiny dream,” Kipfer said. “It is a cross section of the artists’ mind – a manifestation.”

This theme transpires in each painting, but stems from one in particular. “Homage to ‘Grey,’” a tribute to the song by Ani DiFranco, combines the technique of paneling, dividing the entire work into smaller sections, and the addition of text to create a tangible image of the song.

“I smoke and I drink and every time I blink, I have a tiny dream,” DiFranco sings on “Grey”; which was written on the painting and stands as the basis for Kipfer’s inspiration. The slight haze that covers the canvas contributes to the emotion of dreaming; making it clear that it is not actual reality.

Kipfer’s “Procrastinating” piece creates a depth unmatched by the other paintings achieved through the use of spray paint. Within the painting, time is being eaten away as the distance looms on in the background.

“I wanted to create an image of what procrastination looks like in my head,” Kipfer said. “It took forever to finish it.”

Hanging the 14 original pieces for the opening on Friday, April 11 was one of the most exciting aspects of the exhibit for the artists.

“Both artists were very enthusiastic about creating a clear representation of their work through the installation and lighting of their shows,” said Adams.

“I wasn’t sure how everything would turn out, but once it went in the gallery with the lighting, it really came together,” said Kipfer.

With Kipfer’s eagerness to discuss each painting and the story behind them, it is apparent that a true passion exists.

“I wouldn’t be in school for anything else,” she said.

Future Plans
After graduation in the spring, both Kipfer and Douglas plan to continue their careers in art. Douglas plans to explore the New York City art scene in the fall and Kipfer hopes to intern with Cartoon Network in Atlanta and continue painting.

The exhibition was displayed in the Moon Gallery through April 11-19 as part of a series of senior art shows.

Out of the Garage

Berry Motor Works rolls forward with new leadership, emphasis

Scott Richards ( middle), former member of Berry Motor Works

Photos: Thanks to Scott Richards

By Caitlyn Barron, COM 301
Edited and posted by Laura Price, COM 303

Nothing beats a classic BMW.

Berry Motor Works, BMW, is a 12-person, on-campus organization that specializes in the promotion of lifelong skills in basic automobile knowledge. Founded four years ago, the group emphasizes the enjoyment and safety awareness of motor vehicles.

“It’s an everyday escape from the college experience,” said Scott Richards, former member of Berry Motor Works

After the club’s first year, founder Andy Johns graduated, leaving the club without a president. BMW became nonexistent until 2007 when brothers, David and Scott Richards, former members of BMW, asked Isaac Jessup to reorganize the club.

Completely transformed, BMW focuses largely around the current expressed interest by its members in motorcycles more then automobiles. The club also holds events that include car and motorcycle shows.

When not riding a motorcycle, you can often find members gathering in the Krannert Center lobby on Monday nights before heading to dinner or to practice behind the Cage Center. There, the group is learning how to ride motorcycles. The riding lessons start out gradually around campus, but are frequently taken off campus so that it does not disturb students and faculty that may disprove of motorcycles.

Surprisingly, being a mechanically geared group, there is an equal amount of men and women. All three men agreed that they enjoyed working with women. The women in the club are very interested in learning about how to ride motorcycles as well as work on different projects and sometimes pay even more attention then the men.

“You see guys have this little ego thing going on, it kind of prevents them from listening to what we actually tell them to do,” said David Richards. “It’s really funny watching them get on the motorcycle for the first time and letting them have it; they listen better after that.”

Besides showing members the fun of riding motorcycles or teaching self achievement lessons like changing one’s own spark plugs or oil they share personal experiences. Scott Richards recently was involved in a motorcycle accident, of which he has almost completely recovered.

Picture of Scott Richards wreck

He shared his personal experience with BMW, making them aware that when something does go wrong the motorcyclist is either going less than 12 mph or they are a victim to someone else’s fault.

Not only does BMW want to instill vehicle knowledge to all of its members, but basic communication skills that they know Berry students will need when they graduate. The members feel a real sense of achievement sharing their knowledge with others that want to learn and have fun. BMW feels a sense of accomplishment seeing its members learning other life long skills besides, what they have learned from classes.

Students learn new dance steps

By Jessica Hoover, COM 301
Edited and posted by Amanda Griswell, COM 303

Ballroom dance classes will be off rotation next fall, but students at Berry College will still have the opportunity to dance.

With the ballroom dance class, Health and Physical Education 123, not being offered again until Spring 2009, the student-led Ballroom Dance Club is learning dance moves in preparation for offering campus-wide dance workshops in the fall.

Group members are also learning dance steps now in order to help with the “Dancing with the Staff” event next year. The club members hope to offer more ballroom dance workshop lessons for students who may not be able to take the class in the spring, said junior Ashley Roberts, club president.

The Student Life Council approved the club in February after Roberts, disappointed in not being able to get into the quickly-filled HPE 123 class, started teaching herself ballroom dance in order to offer lessons to Berry students.

“We’re not really trying to be ‘Dancing with the Stars’ material,” Roberts said. “Even if all the moves aren’t necessarily perfect, we’re mainly here to have fun, and we certainly have a lot of that.”

The club consists of 10 or 12 regular members who meet every Monday night in the Cage Center multi-purpose room. Each week, they choose a different dance to work on, such as the popular waltz, foxtrot, tango, cha-cha, rumba, samba, swing or Viennese waltz.

Roberts said about four males come out of the regular attendees, so many women have to take turns dancing the lead role to make up for the lack of male partners.

“I tried to recruit some male members by posting some signs around campus showing what a great work-out ballroom dancing is,” Roberts said. “I even included a chart showing how many calories you burn, in hopes of getting more guys to come if they know it’s good exercise.”

Teaching the steps
Roberts said she learns the dance moves from some friends at a studio near her home and then teaches her boyfriend, junior Michael Ballew, on Sunday nights. On Monday nights, they both teach the club members.

Junior Ashley Roberts and her boyfriend, junior Michael Ballew, dancing with the other club members.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Roberts.

Despite Roberts’ challenge of having to learn both the lead and follower roles in order to teach the club members, junior Kathleen Higgins-Thomas, vice president of the club, said Roberts is a good teacher.

“Ashley is really great because she teaches the dances systematically and step-by-step,” Higgins-Thomas said. “I would really love to be able to dance like Fred Astaire, but Ashley and I aren’t quite there yet.”

A new place to dance
The women may not be professional yet, but senior Jocelyn Bee said practicing in the Cage Center has enabled them to try more daring and complex dance moves. Bee said one of the more memorable moments of the ballroom dance club was practicing aerials, which are a type of dance move involving twirling the female partner in the air.

Roberts said the group should stay later and practice them one night after the club session was over, but she said Ballew did not think the moves were safe to do without mats.

“But we turned around and there was a pile of mats in one of the Cage rooms, so we had an impromptu aerials practice,” Roberts said.

The floors in the new dance rooms in the Cage Center are more ideal for practicing aerials and dancing in general. When she practiced with the Swing Club last semester, they had to dance in the Morton-Lemley basement, Bee said.

“We used to practice in the Morton-Lemley basement, but the floors were horrible,” Bee said. “The dance rooms in the Cage have floors that give and are actually made especially for dancing, which makes dancing a lot more comfortable.” Positives of ballroom dancing
The women gave reasons for why ballroom dancing develops social skills.

Roberts said weddings are the type of events where ballroom dancing is good to know, especially when it comes time for your own wedding.

“Whenever I get married, my husband better know how to waltz,” Roberts said. “We will not be doing the stiff middle school dance during our first dance at the reception. I also intend to teach my dad how to waltz, so we can actually dance during the father-daughter dance.”

If weddings are not in the near future for some students, Higgins-Thomas said there is still a benefit in knowing how to dance at school functions. She said that the ballroom dance club, in addition to the swing club, had a good showing of people who knew the right dance moves at Spring Formal 2008.

“Dancing to rap music just doesn’t cut it for us,” Higgins-Thomas said. “We had a good group of us who were actually dancing at formal, but hopefully we’ll see more ballroom dancers at school dances in the future.”

Roberts said the club will be more publicized in the future. She said she hopes that the club will be able to offer more opportunities for dance workshops and larger scale activities open to all students next semester.

Catholic Association Channels Faith and Understanding

By Alicia Blackwell, COM 301
Edited and posted by Megan Gilker, COM 303

A small gathering of about 15 people sit in the old wooden pews of Berry College’s Barnwell Chapel. Sunlight shines through the windows as students sing the first Psalm, marking the beginning of Roman Catholic mass.

The Catholic Student Association (CSA) is a religious group that allows Catholic students at Berry to practice their beliefs and educate other students on the nature of the Catholic faith. The CSA sponsored an Explanatory Mass this year for non-Catholic students and holds services throughout the school year for Catholic students.

“We provide experiences for Catholic students to participate in. We educate the Berry community about Catholicism… We are a pretty small group, so we can’t handle a lot,” said Angela Obloy, the music minister for the CSA.

Father Paul A. Burke comes to Berry twice a week to preach and offer confession of sins for Catholic students. During his silent retreat in April, Father Todd Belardi stepped in.

Photo courtesy of Pope John Paul II Catholic Center at Kennesaw University
Father Paul Burke, regular priest for the CSA.

The Background of Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church is the oldest branch of Christianity and it is headed by the pope.

“Historically, the Catholic church traces its history back to the New Testament. It has a strong sense of centralized authority,” said Dr. Edwin Dale McConkey, the Berry College chaplain.

Photo courtesy of chaplainchat.blogware.com

Dr. Dale McConkey, Berry College chaplain.

Even though Catholicism has a long history, it continues to call and welcome people to convert.

Clearing Misconceptions
Belardi said non-Catholics may not know the inner workings of the Catholic faith and be misled by their lack of knowledge.

“A lot of people think that we worship statues or something like that,” said Belardi.

Catholics actually view the Virgin Mary and the saints as models for a good life. Mary and the saints had the same relationship with God that Catholics aspire to have, explained Timothy Nadolski, a Berry student who plans to transfer to seminary school next semester.

“We venerate them. We think of them as examples for life,” said Nadolski.

Members of the CSA seemed to agree that the biggest difference between Catholicism and Protestant denominations is the Eucharist, also known as The Lord’s Supper. The Eucharist is the sacrament of Holy Communion where Christians eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples.

“As Catholics we believe that Christ is fully present in the Eucharist, whereas Protestants see it as symbolic,” said Nadolski.

In the past, Berry’s students showed lack of understanding towards Catholics because of ceremonial differences in Catholic and Protestant services.

“10 to 15 years ago, there was a lot of mistrust and suspicion about Catholicism on campus,” said McConkey.

The good news is that, thanks to CSA and events like the Explanatory Mass, students can better understand Catholicism.

“There is still a lot of misunderstanding on campus about Catholics, but CSA has helped clarify a lot of that,” said McConkey.

The CSA meets in Barnwell Chapel on Sundays at 7 p.m. for mass and meets in Krannert on Thursdays at 6 p.m. for Bible study.


Related Links and Articles:
Religion-in-Life at Berry College: Forever Christian, Always Welcoming
The Atlanta Journal Constitution: Pope: Catholic colleges should be in line with church
The Atlanta Journal Constitution: Benedict connects with American youth
Catholic News Service: College educators say they're encouraged, challenged by pope's words Catholic News Service: College students at conference urged to 'set the world on fire'
Catholic News Service: Pope urges U.S. Catholic educators to lead students to deeper faith

BCTC gives modern twist to Shakespeare

By Taylor Studdard, COM 301
Edited and Posted by Briona Arradondo

The glamour of 1930s old Hollywood and a blissful Monte Carlo coastline set the mood of this year's production of William Shakespeare's comedy, "Twelfth Night." The Berry College Theatre Company approached the comedy with unique flair, giving the stage a modest set and elaborate 1930s costumes in contrast to the original Shakespearean era.

“We placed it in the 1930s to bring it to a more modern audience," said Stephanie Carter, an assistant stage manager. "It’s a little less distracting to see people in clothes from the 1930s than Shakespearean style with wigs and all.”

Junior Lyndsay Ricketson plays, Feste the jester, in "Twelfth Night."
Photo courtesy of Lyndsay Ricketson

Dr. John Countryman, director of "Twelfth Night" and an associate professor of theatre, said he enjoys and appreciates the different kinds of love and foolishness in the show. He said he gave the actors the option to develop their characters differently from the original play. Some actors gave their characters accents to emphasize the international feel of Monte Carlo. They also used animated characterization and body language to communicate the comedic elements of the show.

“Altogether we have made this piece of Shakespeare accessible to everyone. It’s not just for an English major. It has comedy on all levels,” said Carter.

To aid in the situational comedy present in "Twelfth Night," the theater is constructed as a thrust stage, placing the audience on three sides of the action. The actors entered different scenes from the side hallways of the audience, inviting the viewers to experience the play firsthand.

“It requires a lot from the audience because they can’t just sit back and expect it to wash over them,” said Countryman.



The show is about twins, Viola, played by Heather Bucsh, and Sebastian, played by Ian Alexander. While at sea, Viola and Sebastian get into shipwreck and both survive, but Viola thinks her brother is dead. Coming ashore to Illyria, she dresses like her brother Sebastian and gives herself the name Cesario. She then begins to work for Duke Orsino of Illyria who is in love with Olivia. Orsino sends Viola to express his love for Olivia on his behalf, but Olivia falls in love with Viola instead. Confusion and mistaken identity attribute to the play's comedic elements, driving the climatic conclusion.

Countryman said he was very proud of how easily his students picked up the Shakespearean language.

“Learning how to express Shakespeare’s words in what seems to be very convoluted sentences was by far the biggest hurdle I had to face,” said Alexander.

The 20 cast members ran the production from April 17 to April 20 and April 24 to April 27. Some actors included: Joseph Thornton as Orsino, Emma Harr as Olivia, Robert Armstrong as Sir Toby Belch, Keith Brooks as Malvolio, Lyndsay Ricketson as Feste, Jordan Bowman as Fabian and Jordan Coleman as Sir Andrew Aguecheek.

"Twelfth Night" is a classic and still enjoyable today because the world is still "topsy-turvy" and people can still be in love with love, said Countryman.