[PHOTOSTORY 1: OUTDOORS] Georgia Southern University Golf Course

 

By: DeShawn Brooker

Statesboro residents practice their golf swings at the Georgia Southern University golf range. The quiet setting sets a tone of concentration for the golfers.

Junior, Brayden Goff walks towards the golf range to begin his day. Goff is visiting from Augusta, Ga and goes to Georgia Military College majoring in management.

Goff reaching for a few golf balls to begin swinging. Goff says he has been swinging since 3rd grade and fell in love with the sport ever since.

Goff holds his follow-through after he takes his first swing for the day. Goff took many reps using the same club until he felt loose.

Goff practice his putt shots in the putting zone. "It is very important to understand where you are at ground level when you putt," said Brayden Goff. "Because it can become uneven depending on how far you are taking your shot from."

Goff smiles after receiving compliments from other golfers around him. Brayden Goff says he appreciates the mental clarity golfing gives him, as it helps when school gets stressful at times.

A bird sits in the middle of the course. Retired veteran Mike Stevens, walks up the course to where his ball landed. 

Stevens lines up his shot for the final hole. Stevens says he hopes he can get his kid into the sport as he believes it a good mental exercise for the brain.

Steven watches his shot roll towards the cup. His friend behind him ,Johnathon Hike, are having a friendly battle as Hike is preparing to go next.

Stevens goes to get his golf ball after taking his shot. Johnathon Hike, is a project worker and has been golfing for 35 years and says it's one of his favorite hobbies.

Allen Lake prepares to begin his tee on the course. Lake says he has been golfing for 20 years and moved from New York during covid.

Lake takes out a club to begin his first shot. Lake is retired and loves to golf and play other sports, relaxing sports when he is out.

Lake practices his form before he takes his putting shot. Lake's favorite professional golfer is defending champion Rory McIlroy, because they are both European.

Available golf carts for golfers who are going to more than one tee course. The Georgia Southern golf course spans 167 acres, attracting many golfers who come to use it.

Blaize Minick and Will Hitchens driving to the next tee course. Minick graduated from Georgia Southern with a business degree and Hitchens is a senior at Ogeechee Technical College majoring in criminal justice.

Minick and Hitchens view the shot across the lake at the beginning of the course. Both say golfing brings them a peace of mind to them as this sport was a great replacement for them after they stop playing baseball.

A Georgia Southern pole flag marker. Golfers use pole flags as an indicator of how windy it is, so they can sense of where they need to aim, to achieve the best shot possible.

Statesboro High School golfers improve their swings at the driving range. Repetition on the range enables the golfers to develop the correct muscle memory once the tournament play begins.

Michael Edwards is the coach of the Statesboro High School golf team. Edwards has been golfing for 35 years and is a special education teacher at the school.

A Statesboro High student practice his swing at the golf range. The Statesboro High golf team have just started their season and matches will begin February 10th.

[PHOTOSTORY 1: OUTDOORS] A Wintery Walk on Campus

 By: Meredith Staley

Anderson Hall is the home to Georgia Southerns University Communications and Marketing. This old red-brick building is the first stop on my walk, located on Sweetheart Circle.

A female student is seen through the overhanging trees walking through campus. The air is cold, so she makes a quick walk to her destination. 

This bright blue eagle statue is located right outside the Henderson Library on campus. As students walk to class, this is one of the GSU landmarks they see. 

Looking off into the distance, a female Georgia Southern student sits on a bench. These benches on the pedestrium are a popular spot for students looking to sit and rest. 

The crystal blue water at Lake Ruby sprays out of the fountain. The lake is a staple part of campus, home to the beloved Georgia Southern ducks.

A mass group of Georgia Southern students stroll through campus. These students head to Lake Wells outside of Lakeside Dining Commons for a class project.

Students walk down the cobblestone walkway of the pedestrium. Chatting with their classmates, these students are careful not to trip on the hated cobblestones. 

The hanging trees line the walkway of the pedestrium. Despite the cold weather, many of the trees are still pretty this time of year. 

A blooming purple flower shines brightly in the January sun. A small flower patch outside of a classroom building sign features these beautiful florals. 

The Interdisciplinary Academic building stands tall on campus. The red brick and interesting metal architecture make for a neat-looking building. 

Two female Georgia Southern students walk and talk as they make their way down the pedestrium. They dress in warm, long layers as the air is quite chilly. 

A female Georgia Southern student hustles to her next destination. Walking briskly in business casual clothes and talking with her AirPods in, she seems to be on a mission.

An organization member tabling at the Boro Browse talks to a Georgia Southern student. Many organizations, both on campus and local to Statesboro, table at this event. 

A campus tour filled with future students and their parents shuffle through the buzz of the Boro Browse. Looking at all of the tables, they make their way through the crowds outside the Russell Union.

A female from the Catholic Eagles organization speaks with a female Georgia Southern student. Intrigued by their table, the student stops for a quick conversation to learn more. 

Two Georgia Southern students stop at the Two Story Books table at the Boro Browse. Selling coffee as well as surprise books, the table offers a lot for students to browse.

A sharply dressed gentleman rushes down the sidewalk heading toward the library. Notebook in hand and dressed well, he appears to be heading somewhere important. 

A male Georgia Southern student paces up the cobblestone walkway. Wearing black and white athleisure, he mixes comfort with his personal style. 

A bare tree's branches overhang the cobblestone walkway outside of Anderson Hall. As the January cold air hits, many of the campus trees look bare during the winter. 

Multiple cars of colors and sizes line the parking spaces along Sweetheart Circle, the last stop on my walk. Parking is often a struggle, especially for those commuting to campus each day. 

[PHOTOSTORY 1: OUTDOORS] UPB is Poppin'

By: Madlen Wendland

Nicole Craig, a freshman in Interior and Architecture design, is waiting for more people to sign up for the UPB Poppin' event. She just joined the UPB organization two months ago.

Sydney Harrel (right) and Miracle Stephens (left) are walking towards the event check-in. Sydney is studying exercise science, and Miracle is studying elementary education. 

Nicole Craig is giving people who check in a small gift bag. UPB is Poppin' was a promotional event to help the campus organization gain more attention.

Sydney Harrel is eating her bag of popcorn. She saw posters about the event on campus and decided to see what it was.

Sydney Harrel (left) and Miracle Stephens (right) are enjoying their popcorn while talking to other people. Both of them are sophomores and plan to graduate in the spring of 2028.

The popcorn was put in small bags. Students were able to grab a small bag and customize it themselves with different flavors. 

Mekhila Smith, a UBP member, is filling up the bags with popcorn. UPB plans to host more events like this to help students engage with one another and learn more about the organization.

Jalayla Clement, Vice President of Membership, is grabbing a bag of popcorn. She explains that the UPB is also planning events like homecoming.

They had 10 different spices for people to put on their popcorn. The Nacho Cheddar spice was most people's favorite and almost completely gone by the end.

A student is putting butter on their popcorn. The event took place at the Russell union rotunda on the Statesboro campus.

Mekhila Smith takes the freshly made popcorn out and refills the bags. She was designated to work on the popcorn machine and had to make sure it never ran out.

Mekhila Smith is opening a fresh bag of corn. UPB’s goal with the event was to recruit more people for the organization.

Mekhila Smith is trying to warm up her hands. In addition to the popcorn, UPB also gave out free candy and goodie bags.

The popcorn bags are for students to take. On February 9th, the UPB is planning a similar event with different activities for students to try out. 

Jaylin Wood (right), a UPB general member, is talking to other students. He emphasized that many people do not know about UPB, and events like this are important for gaining more recognition.

Adrianna Holloway, the student engagement coordinator for the Office of Student Activities, is typing on her iPad. She organized the event and coordinated the music played on the iPad.

Zubair Maruf (right), a graduate student at Georgia Southern, is signing into the event and Nicole Craig (left) is helping him. He is doing his master's in Math and is from Bangladesh.

Zubair Maruf is tapping into Eagle ID check-in. With the online check-in system, UBP was able to know how many people checked in.

 

UBP is Poppin' is over and they are closing the event. About 200 people checked in for the event, far more than they expected.

The popcorn machine is empty. With the event IPB is poppin', the organization wanted to reach out to students to make them aware of the activities and organizations they can join on campus outside their major.