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nurse

This won’t hurt a bit:

The exhausting yet satisfying lives of Nursing majors

Scrubs, bright white sneakers and frazzled, sleep-deprived faces.  The nursing students are easily distinguishable from typical Armstrong students. Aside from the uniform and the obvious look of stress, what really makes the major so different from others? “Getting into the program is pretty tricky and requires good grades,” said Erica Roberts, 21, a junior in the nursing department. Before the students are admitted into the program, they must pass an entrance exam called the Test of Essential Academic Skills.  For some, it takes more than one attempt to pass the exam, and because students are only able to take the test twice in a year, those who fail may have to take a semester off or even consider switching majors. Only a set number of students are allowed into the program each year — 80 in the spring and 80 in the fall — so even if a potential nursing student passes the exam, prerequisite grades are heavily weighed into the seriously selective elimination process. Full story

Spotlight

learning

Learning Commons, Gamble Hall to open soon, alleviate already cramped campus

Reilly Mesco

It was a dark and dingy hallway, what little light managed to sneak into the building was usually blurred by old windows, and there was always something slightly off about the way the building smelled. 

It wasn’t Gamble Hall’s fault, of course, that it was woefully out of date. Built in 1965 as one of the original core buildings on campus, the home of the Languages, Literature and Philosophy department was simply in need of an update. 

The opening date for Gamble Hall has yet to be determined and keys have yet to be handed out, but professors will be moving in soon. The floors are shiny. The desks are new, and there’s an elevator now, so that the building meets American with Disabilities Act  standards. 

On April 29, another addition to Armstrong will be completed. The Learning Commons will open its doors for students just in time for everyone to use the space as a study area for finals. There are new computers, both Apple and PC’s , private and group study rooms and many more services and technologies available to students.  

Full story

AMTwinds

AMT hosts Duke Ellington tribute

Jess Brannen

Upon entering Armstrong’s Fine Arts Auditorium, the ambient dim lighting and palpable excitement was overwhelming. The cause for the crowd’s anticipation was the imminent Duke Ellington birthday tribute concert, presented by Armstrong and performed by Savannah’s own Jazz Orchestra April 21. 

As the attendees shifted restlessly in their seats awaiting the performance, one thing became clear: all in attendance recognized the greatness of the American composer, pianist and big-band leader’s talent, even after his death. The quiet appreciation for this legend was undeniable, and many of the audience members were more mature —  40 and above, past the age of the average Armstrong student.

Kicking the concert off, the orchestra performed “Take the ‘A’ Train,” composed by Billy Strayhorn, whom Ellington was known to work closely with in his heyday. As they moved on through “Ko-Ko,” arranged by Duke Ellington himself, the crowd’s overt eagerness grew. 

Suddenly, the director announced one of the evening’s feature performers, Mitch Butler. A native of Raleigh, N.C., and current resident of Columbia, S.C., Butler has made a name for himself as a great purveyor of jazz sound. 

Full story

baseball

Baseball wins big, coach makes history

The Pirates baseball team had a very big start to their week with their win at Morehouse April 16 and ended it with a sweep of UNC Pembroke . Head coach Joe Roberts also had big week, becoming the winningest head coach in NCAA DII history. 

The week started with the team taking on Morehouse. The squad showed their offensive brilliance, beating the team 19-3. R.J. Dennard set the tone early for the team, blasting a two-run home run in the second inning. The second inning proved to be a big inning for the team as they scored 8 of their 19 runs in the inning. 

The fourth inning was also a great one for Dennard. He sent a two-run shot over the fence in an inning where the team added three more runs overall. In the eighth, Joey Lupas had an RBI single while Dennard had an RBI double. Other notables on the day were Maloney who went 4-6, and Chris Zittrouer went 3-4. The team added another victory to their win column before heading to Pembroke April 20. 

Full story

boston

Is the role of media changing?

It seemed media coverage of the Boston bombings was minutely different from coverage of other recent tragedies.
Rather than focusing on the person(s) that may or may not have done this, the media initially focused on the acts of heroism and bravery by responders and people in the crowd.
With that being said, there were still wild and unfounded conspiracy theories circling the airwaves in the confusing hours after the blasts. But, it seemed like the media waited until credible information came from authorities before naming the culprit.
Social media definitely had more to say about the acts of heroism than the violence, which is incredibly inspiring and should tell news stations something about the American way.
Pictures of first responders and volunteers carrying wounded spectators and runners away from the blasts went viral via Facebook and Twitter. Statuses were posted with thoughtful sentiments for the victims and people affected. Americans had great pride in how many heroes were born from this tragedy.

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Campus crime blotter

  • Crime Blotter

    Cell phone stolen from room

    A student reported to University Police Department Officer Logan Woods that her cell phone was stolen from her Terrace II room April 13 around 2 p.m. 

    She said she fell asleep, and when she woke up, her white Galaxy III was gone. The student told the police officer another student was the last person to be seen with the phone. Woods attempted to contact that person, but there was no answer at the room where she stays.

  • Crime Blotter

    Freshman caught partying with alcohol

    University Police Department Officer Ray Shatzer was dispatched to Windward Commons April 5 at 5:56 p.m. after a possible party involving alcohol use was reported. Two residential assistants met Shatzer when he arrived and pointed him toward the party.

    Shatzer knocked on the door, attempting to contact the residents who lived in the room where the party was said to be. No one answered the door, so the officer made contact with a student who the RAs saw leaving the party.

  • mugshot

    Crime Blotter

    Armstrong police officers responded to a call in reference to an intoxicated person April 7 around 10:50 p.m.  Patrick Bailey was found sitting in the lobby of Lane Library when Officer Tiffany Land first arrived on the scene. 

    Officers Ray Shatzer and Kelley Wood reported a distinct odor of alcohol in the lobby upon arrival. Bailey was asked several times for his name, identification and date of birth but refused to answer. His speech was slurred, and he had difficulty finishing his sentences. He became agitated as the officers continued to ask him for his identification. 

    He looked in his wallet, passed his identification several times and then closed his wallet, refusing to give his personal information and informing the officers that “[Expective] this. I ain’t got time for this.” 

  • Crime Blotter

    Playstation, TV stolen

    Officer Ray Shatzer responded to a call from dispatch in reference to a burglary March 4 around 10 p.m. A Compass Point resident called police after returning to his dorm and finding his 50-inch television, PlayStation 3 and several video games had gone missing.

    Police later arrested two Armstrong students, Joshua Fenimore and Nicholas Young, and charged both individuals with larceny in connection with the theft. Deputy Police Chief Wynn Sullivan could not speak to the details of how the charged individuals were apprehended.

  • Crime Blotter

    Artwork Stolen 

    A faculty member stopped Lt. Isaac Strickland Feb. 12 to report that a piece of artwork had been stolen from her office in the Annex II building. The artwork, a light brown sculpture, was sitting on her office bookshelf. 

    The sculpture was in her office when she left the day before around 12:30 p.m. and when she returned the next day around 11 a.m. she noticed that is was missing, despite the fact that her office door was locked. 

    The faculty member later provided Strickland with a picture of the artwork. Some students were in the building during the time that the building was locked, and there were also students, whose names were on an access roster, who had access to the building throughout the night.  The faculty member stated the only other people who were supposed to have keys to her office were other professors.

  • Crime Blotter

    Tire goes missing

    University Police Department Officer Crystal Simmons reported to the Aquatics and Recreation building Jan. 29 at 6:41 p.m. to meet with a student in reference to a missing tractor trailer tire. The tire, which was used by the volleyball team as an exercise tool, was located in a closet next to the pool door.

    There were two tires in the room, but only one is missing.

    “It’s one of those big tires,” said Deputy Chief Wynn Sullivan. “It’s a semi truck tire.”

  • Crime Blotter

    Student breaks Windward elevator

    University Police Department Officer Crystal Simmons reported to Windward Commons in reference to the east wing elevator being nonoperational. Simmons discovered the elevator door was jammed open on the first floor.

    “Our concern was how would [handicapped students] get out in case of a fire,” said Deputy Chief Wynn Sullivan.

    Video footage showed a white male hitting the door while exiting the elevator Jan. 14 at 8:45 p.m. While in the elevator, the male hit multiple buttons as well as placed his foot in the doorway to stop the door from closing. Two other individuals were in the elevator with him at the time.

  • Crime Blotter

    Fire draws out trespasser

    When a bulletin board caught fire around 3:47 a.m., UPD Officer Tiffany Land reported to Windward Commons, which was evacuated, Jan. 21.

    “That’s still under investigation,” said Deputy Chief Wynn Sullivan.

  • Crime Blotter

     

     

    A student contacted the University Police Department Jan. 10 at 3:45 p.m. and reported her bicycle was missing to Officer Crystal Simmons.

    The green Hurley beach cruiser bicycle was located at University Crossings outside of the 700 building. The Hurley was locked, using a combination lock, to a pole attached to the porch. 

    “You need to use a U-lock. You have to have bolt cutters — large bolt cutters, not your average Home Depot bolt cutters but large bolt cutters — to cut them off,” said Deputy Chief Wynn Sullivan.

    The student saw the bicycle outside her building the night before but was unable to locate that day.

  • Crime Blotter

    University police officer Ray Shatzer observed a vehicle that appeared to have been unlawfully entered in Residential Lot I around 2:10 a.m. Dec. 2.

    When the officer approached the car, he noticed the driver’s front window was broken and glass scattered across the driver’s and passenger’s seats. The vehicle’s doors were still locked.

    Shatzer asked dispatch to contact the vehicle’s owner. When the owner arrived, he immediately noticed his iPod, which he left in the cup holder of the center console, was missing.

  • Crime Blotter

    Wallet, money lifted

    On Aug. 17, Girardeau responded to an auto-entry complaint. A student left his wallet in his vehicle. When he returned, the wallet was missing. It contained the student’s driver’s license, two credit cards, $60 and other documentation.

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  • Crime Blotter: Trespasser arrested

    University Police officers Keith Jeffries, Faye Bly and Meagan Zike responded to a call at Windward Commons Aug. 11 shortly after midnight. A student reported the smell of marijuana coming from a third floor apartment. The officers found two underage female students with alcohol and marijuana. The students were given an Armstrong citation for having illegal drugs and alcohol on campus.
    “It was Saturday night,” said Police Chief Wayne Willcox. “They just moved in, and apparently, they were celebrating.”
    “It was a minor amount of marijuana, so they ended up receiving a citation.”
    Officers Logan Woods and Jeffries were dispatched to an apartment in the Terrace 1 dormitory complex after a student reported a banned individual was spending the night with his female friend July 16.
     

  • Student caught with knives, drugs

    Armstrong’s University Police Department Officer Richard Mitts reported to Compass Point Clubhouse April 1 around 10:19 p.m. to meet a residential assistant who smelled marijuana coming from an open window of the 3,000 building.
    Mitts attempted to contact the resident with no success but gained entry with permission from a roommate. The smell was strongly emitting from Room D. The officer knocked on the door, which swung open. The resident wasn’t home.
    Mitts found a clear, plastic bag containing a green, leafy substance on the dresser in plain sight, as well as what, appeared to be a throwing knife. Dispatch contacted the resident to inform him of the complaint.
    The student admitted to having marijuana and knives and consented to a search of his room. Mitts found 13 offensive weapons — throwing knives, fighting knives, a machete and a tactical axe — less than an ounce of marijuana, five 12 ounce bottles of Heineken beer and an air soft pistol modeled after a Colt 1911. The orange tip of the pistol was removed, making the gun appear realistic.
    Mitts performed a terry search of the student and found a folding knife in his right pants pocket.
    The Housing staff was concerned for the safety of the other residents, so the student began staying with a friend.

  • Crime Blotter

    University Police Officer Tony Farmer reported to police headquarters in response to a stolen cell phone March 6. The complainant said that around 8:15 a.m. she left the phone lying on a table in her chemistry lab.

    When she returned for the phone, it was missing. The phone was a white iPhone 4S and had a black, rubber Hello Kitty cover. The student claimed her two lab partners remained at the table where she left the phone.

    Farmer attempted to contact the students, but the class was already dismissed. Farmer advised the student to cancel her phone services. The student reported the value of the phone at $300.

    On March 4, a student reported to Lt. Isaac Strickland that his maroon NEXT mountain bike was stolen from the northern stairwell of University Terrace II. The bicycle was last seen March 2.

    “As I’ve said several times, if students didn’t leave things lying around, it wouldn’t get stolen,” said Police Chief Wayne Willcox. “Students need to be more careful and watchful over their things.”