Madison Powers

Sophomore. Mass Communications Major.

When I was a kid, I loved the game Pokémon. Not sure why, but the thought of being able to pick a lifelong best friend and to go on adventures really intrigued me to the games. So, in 2016 when they announced they would be bringing Pokémon to life through a game called Pokémon Go, it made me extremely happy. My favorite Pokémon was coming to life in their own way!

My first Pokémon game was called Pokémon Y, which had a legendary you would eventually obtain called Yveltal. He was a crazy looking Pokémon and was hard to catch, but as time went on through the game, he slowly became my favorite legendary in the Pokémon universe to this day. But as soon as I beat the game, I was waiting on a new game to play, but as I was waiting on a new Pokémon game, I really got into collecting the Pokémon cards for the trading card game. So, what started as a hobby in high school — getting a few packs of cards here and there — ended up with a collection of over 700 Pokémon cards.

Pokémon Go seemed to unite people, as lots of people joined in the game. Once I got this game, I was at the Gainesville Square almost everyday after school. And in doing so I have met some awesome people that you wouldn’t think loved Pokémon just like me. I was and still am very shy, so for me being able to socialize and find people who have similar interests was life changing. I felt like for once I wasn’t alone and that there are people like me who share my interests. And through this game I met my lifelong best friend and to this day we still play this game together.

But when COVID – 19 happened there were many drastic changes to the game as Niantic (the creators of the game) wanted to do their part and support social distancing. So, they made it to where you could play the game from home, which was very difficult depending on where you lived. But they achieved their goal in making the game playable from the comfort of our home.

With the game now being easily accessible for everyone, hopefully more people like me can break out of their shell as they are searching for their virtual adventure with their Pokémon.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 3, 2020

Contact Madison Powers

Cellphone 678-249-4617

Email mpowers0404@lions.piedmont.edu

Website http://www.mondaymorningeditors.com

GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY

Mass Communications and Biology Departments Team Up to Celebrate Global Hand Washing Day

Demorest, Georgia, September 3, 2020 — The mass communications and the biology department are putting together an event on Thursday, Oct. 15 at Piedmont College for Global Hand Washing Day, emphasizing the importance of washing your hands.

“You should wash your hands constantly. If you can’t wash your hands constantly you especially want to wash your hands before handling food or before eating,” said Dr. Julia Schmitz, associate professor of biology at Piedmont College. “Especially if you are going to be eating any food with your hands.”

The reason hand washing is so important especially during 2020 is to try and help stop the spread of COVID-19. Without washing your hands, the pandemic could spread much faster than it has already. This event will help spread the importance of washing hands.

(over)

(continued)

“Handwashing is always important, but in the wake of the pandemic it is even more critical to help stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Joe Dennis, assistant mass communications professor at Piedmont College.” I think people know of its importance. My hope is that our project can help educate people on the proper way to wash their hands. Simply splashing some water on your hands is not enough.”

With your help we can spread the importance of washing your hands throughout the entire campus. In addition to a handwashing event, the college will sponsor a TikTok contest for students to submit videos about the importance of handwashing. For more information about the event on Oct. 15, 2020, email Joe Dennis at jdennis@piedmont.edu.

About Piedmont College One of the most dynamic small colleges in the Southeast, Piedmont is an independent liberal arts college of more than 2,260 students. The college’s four schools—Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, and Nursing & Health Sciences—develop tomorrow’s leaders by engaging students in the classroom, in their community, and around the world. Founded in 1897, Piedmont offers bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degree programs at its Demorest residential campus in the foothills of the northeast Georgia mountains and at its Athens campus in the heart of Georgia’s Classic City. Information can be found at www.piedmont.edu.

# # #

As COVID-19 alters the world’s activities, the Piedmont global telecommunications and globalization class is exploring how the pandemic has impacted telecommunications.

“I believe that we are having to adopt technology that we’ve never used before,” said Professor Jackson, professor of the class

The class’ results were presented on April 15, the second year of the Piedmont Symposium where there were a few changes due to the Coronavirus. Instead of it being held in the Swanson Center on the Piedmont College campus, it was held online either with live sessions or prerecorded sessions through Zoom, a fact that shows how telecommunications is becoming increasingly important.

“I would definitely say we have become more reliant on it; I mean the only way online classes and online interviews is because of technology.” said Alyssa Emmett, a student in the class

Emmett noted that when is comes to technology, we have become more reliant from our alarms we set on our phones to get up in the morning to using technology for directions by using our GPS. Then when it comes to restaurants, they can do online ordering and carryout because of technology.

With the history of telecommunications from paper printing to telegraphs until now, with some virtual reality, technology has been used in primarily in positive ways. However, students noted that along the way there have been some people who used these means of telecommunications for greed and ego. But it is primarily a positive future if used in right judgment and used in the proper way.

Another aspect of telecommunications that has become increasingly important is 5G technology. Joey Brovont, another student in the class, said that there is a strong need for 5G is to make everyone’s internet faster, especially since everyone is at home and using the internet more than what we are used to doing.

“5G is supposed to be a lot faster than what we have now,” he said.

From communicating with friends to shopping for groceries, the pandemic has emphasized the importance of telecommunications.

“As with anything with technology I think it’s how you use it,” Jackson said. I think that technology has always in the past and in the future will be an amazing miracle that mankind pushes forward the frontier.”

English Professor Jennifer Gilstrap has three words that she often shares to students:

“Just be prepared”, she said.

Preparation has been key for Gilstrap as she built her career to lead into her current job. Teaching since 2005, she was a lecturer at UNG at both the Gainesville and Dahlonega campus, an adjunct at Georgia Highlands and an adjunct at Lanier Technical College.

Gilstrap’s introduction to Piedmont was about five years ago as an adjunct. The things that she likes about Piedmont is the small environment and that it is a small liberal arts college, and the academic freedom that comes with that. She likes the fact that it is a teaching college. Since there is not as much emphasis on publishing. Gilstrap noted that because the college is small, you can remember students by name.

“The students are really good here too, because it is such a small college and you can remember a lot of them by name”, she said.

After teaching English for several years, Gilstrap understands what helps students succeed.

“Be prepared and read ahead and read texts more than once”, said Gilstrap.