Athens Man Attacked by Two Men Early Monday Morning

 

            An Athens man was attacked by two unknown males and suffered minor injuries to his face and hands in the early hours of Monday morning, according to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

            Anthony Tyrell Strickland of Oakhill Drive was admitted to Athens Regional Medical Center where he described the battery incident to an officer.

            Strickland said that two black males in a Toyota Corolla approached him as he was walking on Old Hull Road around midnight. He said he told them to “keep moving”, but the males exited the vehicle and began to fight him.

            After the males left, Strickland returned to his residence and called a friend to take him to the hospital for his injuries.

            He was unable to give a further description of the suspects or the vehicle.

German Journalist Visits U.S. To Observe Digital Culture

            Johannes Boie, a German journalist covering the impact of technology on society, politics and economy, is participating in a program to gain an understanding of digital development in the United States.

            “It’s one of the most important things you can write or report on,” Boie said to students at the University of Georgia Monday morning.

            Over the course of the next three months, Boie will travel the U.S. with the Transatlantic Media Network program, operated by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Boie at UGA Monday morning.

            Boie will visit over thirteen states, but is particularly interested in observing technology companies in the Silicon Valley, such as Google and Facebook.

            “I think technology itself is neutral,” Boie said. He explained that there is a lack of comprehension about information sharing in his German audience – they do not understand that social media is a sort of “transaction.”

            The 30-year-old Munich resident hopes to speak with as many people as possible while visiting the U.S. so he can write about digital development with new information.

            Boie is a writer for the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the largest German national subscription daily newspaper with a circulation of 400,000. Visit the website here: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/

Flagpole Editor Credits Involvement with "Alternative" Local Community with Success

            Pete McCommons, editor-in-chief of Flagpole magazine, said he and his publication benefit from local involvement as well as the practice of free circulation.

            “It’s the fact that this is a university town,” the 74-year-old said, crediting the Athens, Ga. community with the success of alternative news such as Flagpole.

McCommons speaking with UGA students.

            After being fired by The University of Georgia, McCommons found success in journalism four decades ago with the Athens Observer because of his involvement in the local community and government.

            “Our strong suit is local coverage,” McCommons explained to UGA students Monday morning. And Athens, which he described as an urban, alternative town, embraces alternative news, especially a publication that is free in print and online.

            Flagpole has a circulation of 14,000 and a full-time staff of 11 people.

Rebecca Burns Teaches UGA Students to Create Digital Portfolios

            Rebecca Burns, an Atlanta-based author and journalist, visited with University of Georgia students Monday morning to teach them how to create a strong digital portfolio.

            This semester, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at

UGA introduced a new policy requiring digital portfolios of graduating journalism students.

            “It’s kind of its own animal,” Burns said, explaining that the portfolio is an online resume to showcase a student’s work professionally.

            She recommended using Wordpress as a platform, purchasing a custom domain for $18, and, for public relations students, including a social media section.

Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Vreeland Describes “Humbling Experience” with UGA Swim Team

            Shannon Vreeland, a decorated swimmer with two NCAA championships and an Olympic gold medal under her belt, credits her experience on the University of Georgia swim team as a factor in her success.

Vreeland with head coach Jack Bauerle.

            “It’s always a humbling experience,” Vreeland told a group of UGA journalism students Monday morning, describing how practicing with the best swimmers in the world on a daily basis prepared her for the Olympic Games.

            Several of her teammates joined her at the games in London, including friends Allison Schmidt and Andrew Gemmell. “This team is just fantastic,” Vreeland said, emphasizing the support from the UGA swimmers – Olympians or not.

            Vreeland expressed her respect for head coach Jack Bauerle, whom she said treats every team member the same, regardless of their success.

Moldova and Romania Concerned About Future in Midst of Crisis in Ukraine

Citizens in Romania and Moldova are concerned about the crisis in Ukraine concerning the Crimean referendum and its impact on their future.

            Tudor Vlad, the associate director of the James M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research, University of Georgia professor, and Romanian by birth, spoke with UGA students Monday morning about the situation in Eastern Europe.

            “It creates a precedent,” he said, speaking of Crimea’s referendum declaring independence from Ukraine and the Russian military presence there.

            Countries in Eastern Europe are not homogenous, Vlad said, and this declaration causes worry in Moldova and Romania because of their regions that adhere to a different language and culture, just as Crimean citizens speak and identify as Russian.

            In Moldova, the region of Transnistria is particularly concerning because of its potential to secede, he said.

UGA Student Forgoes Spring Break Plans to Save Money for Study Abroad

            University spring break is a time of year so infamous for partying by the beach that it has inspired multiple films, country music albums, and television specials.

            However, for University of Georgia sophomore Public Relations and Political Science student Hannah Bause, the week-long reprieve from classes is a chance for her to save money and visit friends.

 

            “I’m studying abroad in Cannes this summer, so I need to stay home and save money,” Bause said Monday morning in the UGA Zell B. Miller Learning Center.

            She was recently accepted to Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity study abroad program.

            Bause is entertaining the idea of visiting a friend at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga., but is likely going to spend most of spring break with her family in Griffin, Ga.